Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Herald Reporter

MINISTERS and heads of public sector agencies are today scheduled to sign performance-based contracts as Government consolidates a high-delivery culture ushered in by the Second Republic.

In a statement, the Office of the President and Cabinet said Ministers and heads of public sector agencies will be signing the performance-based contracts in line with the Second Republic’s vision.

“The performance contracts enhance accountability, servant leadership, economic growth, and competitiveness.

“The event is a demonstration of commitment to achieve impactful results by Cabinet Ministers and heads of public sector agencies to the Head of State and Government, His Excellency, President Dr ED Mnangagwa, and the people of Zimbabwe,” reads the statement.

Analysts have since hailed the move introduced by President Mnangagwa in 2021, saying it was the way to go as it increases productivity.

One of the analysts, Dr Hamadziripi Dube, said performance contracts are used to measure output and come up with the variance between the proposed and actual percentage value from lined activities of the year or any period agreed upon by the President and the Minister.

“Performance contracts if used perfectly reduce the loopholes of corruption and close all avenues of abuse of office. The introduction of performance contracts was a noble idea made by the President to push ministers to work hard,” he said.

Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

ZIMBABWE and Zambia yesterday kicked off the 18th session of the two countries’ Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC), with both SADC member-states pledging to build on the already existing cordial bilateral relations.

The two countries’ relations continue to grow in leaps and bounds as cooperation across various sectors is on an upward trend.

The previous JPCC between the two countries saw various agreements being signed including MoUs on the establishment of the Victoria Falls-Livingstone One-Stop Border post, an MoU concerning cooperation on the management and preservation of Zimbabwe Liberation War gravesites, another on culture and one on gender equity, equality, and women economic empowerment, among others.

These subsequently set the tone for the 18th session which will see more agreements being signed in various areas.

Addressing delegates at the official opening of the session in Harare yesterday, acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and international Trade Ambassador Rofina Chikava said Harare and Lusaka shared a strong bond that transcends boundaries.

This, she said, had been evidenced by Zambia’s recent call for a total removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

“Co-chair, let me start by acknowledging the excellent bilateral relations that exist between the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Republic of Zambia. Characterised by high-level visits between the two countries, these relations have continued to grow and can be traced back to the times when Zimbabwe was fighting for liberation from the colonial Britain.

“In the post-colonial, the two countries have continued to enjoy strong diplomatic ties and co-operation in various sectors. We acknowledge and applaud our dear brothers in Zambia for standing with us in calling for the removal of all sanctions imposed on our country.

“Let me also highlight the bilateral history between Zimbabwe and Zambia, which has a significant impact on the political, economic, and social development of both countries,” she said.

Ambassador Chikava said the two countries continue to cooperate not only on regional issues, but also on various international fora which have furthered their solidarity and shared identity.

“Zimbabwe and Zambia have supported each other in various international forums, advocating for common interests and promoting peace and stability in the region. The two countries continue to witness cultural exchanges and people-to-people interaction, further strengthening the ties between Zimbabwe and Zambia and fostering a sense of solidarity and shared identity.

“Educational exchanges, joint research projects, and sports competitions have all contributed immensely in the connection between the two nations, enhancing the mutual understanding and cooperation.

“Co-chair, we were sharing when we were sitting in our tête-à-tête meeting that even at football, we can fight as Zambia and Zimbabwe, if one goes forward, the other country supports the other for the integrity of our two countries,” she said.

Zimbabwe and Zambia, said Ambassador Chikava, were making concerted efforts to mitigate their respective citizenry from climate change effects.

Thus the cushioning of both peoples was a top priority.

Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Etambuyu Gundersen said the two countries would continue enhancing their co-operation for their mutual benefit.

“You will recall that at the last session which was held in Lusaka in 2018, our two sides agreed to enhance co-operation in various areas.

“These include foreign affairs, tourism, energy, trade, industry, finance, agriculture, infrastructure, transport and communications, livestock and fisheries, education, as well as youth and sport, just to mention a few.

“Since then, we are still collaborating on the implementation and operationalisation of specific programmes, such as the one you mentioned, Victoria Falls-Livingstone One-Stop Border Post, in addition to the harmonisation of ICT systems at Chirundu, Kariba and Victoria Falls borders, among others,” she said.

Wallace Ruzvidzo Herald Reporter

The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council has opened a one week window for parents and guardians to pay examination fees for the June 2024 Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.

ZIMSEC yesterday said those wishing to pay in local currency could do so from March 13 to 20, after which the grace period would lapse. This brings relief to many that have been struggling to raise foreign currency to pay the examination fees ahead of the deadline.

At some tertiary institutions students had to take their colleges to court over the USD payments. The matter was ruled in their favour.

The examination fees will be paid at the interbank rate prevailing on March 13 of $17 558 to US$1, to allow for a uniform registration fee during the grace period.

“The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council would like to inform its stakeholders, parents/guardians and candidates of the interbank rate which shall apply when making payments for the 2024 June Ordinary and Advanced Level Examination Fees in Zimdollars,” said Zimsec in a statement.

The closing date for registration for the June examinations is May 28.

“The interbank rate of March 13, 2024, will be used during this period to ensure that all candidates pay a uniform registration fee. The exchange rate to be applied for payments is $17 558 to US$1,” said the public notice.

ZIMSEC said those wishing to pay the examination fees in foreign currency could do so until the registration closing dates. The seven-day grace period only applies to those paying in local currency.

“Fees are pegged in USD however, they are accepted in the currency which the parents/guardians are comfortable with.

“Parents who wish to make payments in USD or rand can do so until the registration closing dates. Those who would like to make payments in Zimdollars will use the rate communicated herein,” read the public notice.

ZIMSEC outlined the procedure for payments, saying the fees would not be paid directly into its accounts but at the respective schools or centres where the students will sit for the examinations.

“Payments for the examination fees should not be paid directly into ZIMSEC accounts by individual parents. Candidates/Parents should make payments to the school or centre of registration for forward remission to ZIMSEC.

O-Level examination fees are US$24 a subject. There is US$13 a subject subsidy from Government for public schools, local authority and not-for-profit mission schools, so parents just have to raise US$11 per subject.

The A-Level fee is US$48 a subject, but again the Government will pay a subsidy of US$26 a subject for those children at public, local authority and not-for-profit mission schools. Students at private schools, colleges and private missions pay the full amount.

Prosper Ndlovu in VICTORIA FALLS

THE dream of modernising and industrialising Zimbabwe and the entire African continent will not be complete without incremental beneficiation of diamonds and other precious minerals, and embracing new technologies and innovations, particularly by young people, President Mnangagwa has said.

Officially opening the 9th ordinary meeting of the African Diamond Producers’ Association (ADPA) Council of Ministers Conference here yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the time has come for Africa to translate its vision to grow its value addition and beneficiation base by scaling up the value of export earnings from the proceeds of precious minerals such as diamonds and gold.

This would be done through the adoption of the “Whole of Society Approach”, which embraces both formal and informal structures in pursuit of common societal goals and policies.

He said this must be prioritised and complemented by set targets of increasing production thresholds.

Zimbabwe is among the prime diamond investment opportunity destinations in the region and the country hosted the high-level conference in its capacity as chair of ADPA. It will pass on the rotational assignment to Sierra Leone.

While Africa contributes more than 60 percent of the global natural rough diamonds, the President said it was disheartening that the continent’s voice remains overshadowed by Western powers and some foreign market players who impose unilateral restrictions on the trading of natural diamonds.

He called on African producers to stand up and fight for their space and interests.

“Our collective voice must be heard and greater collaboration, cooperation, and partnerships remain the panacea to win-win benefits and prosperity within the diamond mining sector.

“Let us all take charge of the future of the sector more so given the numerous benefits natural diamonds bring to our communities and economies.

“It is only through cutting and polishing of diamonds, which is the most complex stage of diamond production, that as Africa, we will be able to unlock more value, get access to new technologies as well as capacitation of local staff in the trade.

“This should be complemented by the opening of new mines, benefiting from ongoing exploration projects, expansion of existing projects and increased capacity utilisation,” said President Mnangagwa.

He challenged African diamond-producing nations to move beyond narratives of whether its natural resources are a blessing or a curse.

The President said there is need for African countries to lead by example in making their communities feel the positive impact of mineral exploitation, through sustainable empowerment projects whose legacy lives on even when mining operations have ceased.

This includes ensuring that positive investment spin-offs trickle into downstream industries such as suppliers, employees and customers alike.

“We must be awake and leverage on our natural resource endowments to build our beloved continent brick by brick, stone upon stone and step by step,” said the President.

“Given that our diamonds are a finite resource, we must not accept trinkets but corporate social investment projects that have far-reaching impacts on the productivity and quality of lives of benefiting communities. These must dovetail with our broader national and continental development agenda.”

On its part, Zimbabwe was forging ahead with key policy initiatives in the diamonds sector towards increasing the quota policy for local diamonds beneficiation and value addition.

“In the case of Zimbabwe, the diamond sector has been on an upward growth trajectory in terms of both production output and revenue generation,” he said.

“We take pride in the good relationships that exist between diamond mining companies (Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Mining Company, Anjin Investments, Rio Zim Murowa Diamonds), and local communities.”

President Mnangagwa noted with regret the declining prices of natural diamonds in the post-Covid-19 era, which he said has been worsened by the increased competition from man-made diamonds, macroeconomic headwinds and tighter liquidity conditions on the global market.

Already delegates to the conference were alarmed over reports that the share of man-made diamonds, which was just 2.4 percent in 2020, rose to 9,3 percent in 2023, which is a jump of about 6,9 percent over three years.

This calls for African technocrats and players in the sector to think outside the box and help mitigate such risks towards protecting the natural diamonds sector, President Mnangagwa added.

“I exhort us to change our mindsets and take pride in the consumption of value-added products from our gold, diamonds, lithium, cobalt, cocoa, natural oils and leather products, among many others. We must be consumers of our products and not merely producers,” he said.

President Mnangagwa also reiterated the importance of mining players’ role in minimising ecological disruption through embracing ethics and balancing profitability with good environmental management practices and socioeconomic sustainability.

Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Mines and Mining Development Minister Zhemu Soda, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo, senior Government officials and foreign and local delegates attended the conference, which began on Tuesday and ended yesterday.

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter

THE Government will not rush to declare the El Nino-induced drought a state of disaster given that it is working on elaborate and multifaceted measures to mitigate its effects, Senators heard yesterday.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the measures include increased winter wheat hectarage for this year, utilising various water bodies in the country, drilling more boreholes and distributing food relief to vulnerable persons.

Minister Ziyambi said this during a Question and Answer session in the Senate. Midlands Senator Daniel MacKenzie Ncube (Zanu PF) had asked what measures the Government was putting in place to protect people from being exploited by unscrupulous individuals who might want to take advantage of the situation and rip them off.

“As a country, there is no need to panic or to be worried and declare a state of disaster because we have several measures to mitigate the effects. I am pleased to inform the House that we have several facilities that will help farmers with centre pivots to increase wheat hectarage. Areas where the centre pivot will be placed have already been identified. We cannot be beggars when we have several water bodies. There is no need to panic, we will be using multifaceted ways to respond to the situation,” said Minister Ziyambi.

The Government, he said, will unveil both short and long-term measures to deal with the pending drought.

He said the Grain Marketing Board was holding more than 245 000 tonnes of maize because the country had been registering bumper harvests in past years, meaning some households still had grain stocks. “As of now, we are still food self-sufficient. We had a good harvest last season, we are providing food aid to those pockets that are insecure,” Minister Ziyambi said.

GMB, he said, was paying import parity price in grain purchase from farmers thus hedging them against any possible exploitation, while millers have been allowed to import for their use.

“We are now assessing the projected harvests. What Cabinet has done is to say we have several water bodies, the immediate solution is to put a bigger area under wheat to substitute maize or barter trade,” Minister Ziyambi said.

“So at the moment, we are not panicking because we know the measures we have put in place will help and will ensure that even those with an appetite to fleece people, it will not help, we are also drilling boreholes.”

Responding to another question, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerai Moyo warned schools against forcing pupils under the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) to pay for examination fees since that was catered for by the Government.

Mashonaland West Senator Prisca Mupfumira had asked if it was lawful for schools to force learners under BEAM to pay examination fees.

“BEAM is a social safety net for disadvantaged learners. By law, a school is not allowed to force any learner under BEAM to pay examination fees. Government pays both the tuition and examination fees. If there is any school doing that, it is violating the law,” he said.

The minister added that the Government will soon unveil a technological system in rural areas where there will be a server that does not need Wi-Fi but will help pupils access notes that would have been uploaded by their teachers using the geospatial mechanism being administered by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation, Science and Technology. This, he said, was part of measures to bridge the urban-rural divide.