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Source: Charumbira calls for truce in boundary row | The Herald April 22, 2019

Chief Charumbira

Runesu Gwidi in MASHAVA
Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira has called for an end to a long-standing boundary dispute between himself and newly-installed Chief Bere of Mashava.

This follows the installation of the first Chief Bere (Mr Phineus Tafirei) in almost a century last week during a colourful ceremony presided over by Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira.

Chiefs Charumbira and Bere are neighbours and there has been haggling between the two chieftainships, over their boundary.

The tiff between the two clans over their jurisdictional boundary even threatened to derail the installation of Chief Bere, whose chieftainship was finally resuscitated by President Mnangagwa after being abolished by the colonial regime in 1925.

Speaking at Chief Bere’s installation, Chief Charumbira called for the feuding parties to smoke the peace pipe.

He said the resuscitation of the Bere chieftainship should sow the seeds of friendly relations between the Charumbira and Bere people. A meeting, he added, would soon be convened to reconcile the two warring clans.

“We were finding it difficult to co-exist because of the feud arising from the issue of jurisdictional boundaries between Chief Charumbira and Chief Bere. It is therefore my strong suggestion that we must convene an urgent meeting on the issue and bury the hatchet.

“Now that the new Chief Bere has been installed, let’s seek a resolution to our dispute. Our President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, always encourages communities to live in harmony and unity.’’

Chief Charumbira suggested dialogue between the Bere and Charumbira clans despite their boundary dispute spilling into the courts.

‘’The issue of boundaries, though it has spilled into the courts of law, is not a big thing. Dialogue between the two clans is the solution. My clan and I will not militate against the decision by the President to appoint and install the new Chief Bere. What I expect from today is peaceful co-existence between the Charumbira and the Bere clans.

“Also we need to be wary of some unscrupulous elements within our clans who incite violence. It is, again, my strong pledge that I will work together with the new Chief Bere,” he said amid applause.

Raging disputes over issues such as boundaries tarnished the image of traditional leaders who are the torch bearers and custodians of cultural values in their domains, said Chief Charumbira.

Recently clashes between Bere and Charumbira clan members over a boundary dispute saw some houses being torched in the contested areas.

In his capacity as Chiefs’ Council president, Chief Charumbira encouraged the new Chief Bere to work hard in maintaining justice and preserving natural resources.

The post Charumbira calls for truce in boundary row  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Chamisa faces VPs Dilemma | Daily News

OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa is in a dilemma over MDC’s three posts of vice president as women are pushing for one of the posts to be reserved for them ahead of next month’s congress.

While Chamisa’s current deputies are all men – Welshman Ncube, Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, women are now demanding one of the posts.

The VP posts would be contested by a number of senior officials at the opposition’s congress.

Among the notable party bigwigs who were nominated for VP’s posts include Morgen Komichi, Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti, Elias Mudzuri and three women; Lynette Karenyi-Kore, Lillian Timveos and Paurina Mpariwa.

Karenyi-Kore who is the MDC women assembly leader said the executive must make it clear that one VP’s post must be reserved for them.

“These nominations go a mile to promote the objective of our MDC smart policy on gender which aims at having a reasonable percentage of women in the executive and many structures of the MDC.

“However, these nominations will not be enough if the national executive and council does not clearly state and make it a binding resolution that come congress the MDC must reserve one of the VP positions as a slate for a female VP. This will allow women to contest each other on the VP post so that we promote gender equality in the presidium,” she said.

Karenyi-Kore said the party leadership must make an urgent decision on the matter. “The national executive and council have a moral responsibility to make this initiative a priority and it must urgently sit to debate this without further delay as this will bring more credibility to the hard work of … Chamisa who as an advocate is advocating for a gender balanced MDC leadership.

“I also wish to reiterate the need for a nontoxic campaign for women positions that will in the end bring peace, unity, success and harmony to the MDC.

“Hapana musha unomira pasina madzimai, hapana baba vangatungamira musha pasina madzimai. Mazvita leadership nekusarudza madzimai (There is no family which can progress without a woman).

“As the current women chair my wish is to see more female leaders in senior positions in the MDC.

“Let me once again take this opportunity to thank all those who nominated women for leadership positions and to those of us who were all nominated let’s prove that we are ready to serve as we have always demonstrated in the past.”

This comes after Chamisa indicated in March this year that the party’s presidium needed gender balance.

“We want to advance you (women). We want to elevate you.

“We want to make sure we have balanced our leadership … as we go to the congress.

“Let us balance leadership in the party structures,” the MDC leader told women who gathered in Chitungwiza to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Previously, one of the party’s then two VP posts was occupied by Thokozani Khupe who later left to form her own party last year, following an ugly leadership wrangle in the MDC.

The race for the three VPs posts is likely to be a tight contest.

The MDC will hold the congress from May 24 to 26, to choose a new party leadership – including the substantive successor to its revered founding president Morgan Tsvangirai, who died early last year after losing his valiant battle against cancer of the colon.

The post Chamisa faces VPs Dilemma appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Ncube’s electronic tax racks in millions: Zimra – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 22, 2019

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

Zimbabwe’s tax agency, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) said revenues from the controversial 2% electronic money transfer tax rose by a staggering near 6 000% to $242 million by March compared to $5 million recorded during the same period last year.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube sparked an outcry in October last year when he introduced the intermediate money transfer tax (IMTT) to increase electronic tax charges from the initial 0,05 cents to 5% for all transactions.

Ncube was forced to review the tax to 2% after prices and services skyrocketed after its introduction. Ncube also announced some exemptions and types of transactions to which the tax would not apply following the outcry.

Zimra board chairperson Callisto Jokonya said the electronic money transfer tax has contributed nearly 15% of its $2,059 billion gross revenue since its introduction in October.

“Intermediate Money Transfer Tax collections amounted to $242,84 million against a target of $150 million. This translates to a positive variance of 88,56%.
The revenue head grew by 5 333,99% when compared to $5,21 million collected in the first quarter of 2018 before policy change.

“The revenue head contributed 14,55% of total collections during the quarter,” Jokonya said in a statement accompanying Zimra’s revenue performance report for the quarter ended March 31.

The electronic transfer tax seen as a desperate move to widen revenue streams in the face of lack of budgetary support from international lenders was challenged at the High Court by opposition legislator Tendai Biti and pro-democracy activist Mfundo Mlilo.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa defended the tax as necessary, arguing that it was not designed to hurt ordinary people and companies, but to help the manufacturing sector get funds for retooling and modernisation.

The tax was gazetted in Statutory Instrument 205 of 2018 and introduced by way of amendments to section 22G of the Finance Act (Chapter 23:04) and the
Thirteenth Schedule of the Income Tax Act (Chapter 23:06).

Biti and Mlilo, however, argued that Ncube’s statutory instrument still remained unconstitutional and a nullity because a minister cannot, through regulations, amend an Act of Parliament.

Jokonya said Zimra had also recorded revenues of $565,65 million from excise duty collections as a result of an increase in the demand of fuel as shortages
persist.

“Excise duty collections increased by 142,44% from $233,32 million realised in the first quarter of 2018. The performance of the revenue head is attributed to
an increase in the duty rate and demand and supply of diesel and petrol,” Jokonya said.

“During the quarter under review, diesel imports increased by 9,10% from 208,86 million litres supplied in the first quarter of 2018 to 227,86 million litres.
Similarly, petrol imports increased by 11,19% from 123,67 million litres in the first quarter of 2018 to 137,51 million litres.”

The post Ncube’s electronic tax racks in millions: Zimra appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Structural reforms  crucial for turnaround | Daily News

ZIMBABWE’s economy has for long been dogged by multiple man-created obstacles, confining it in the abyss it has been struggling to get out of for decades.

Once these obstacles are removed economic growth is realised through liberalising labour as well as product and service markets, developments that spur job creation and productivity.
Currently, unemployment is over 80 percent although government’s official statistics put it at much lower than that.

The new dispensation led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has claimed “Zimbabwe is open for business” but the fundamental conditions on the ground have not changed much from the repulsive ones that obtained during the reign of his predecessor — former president Robert Mugabe.

The ease of doing business, we are told has improved significantly but more needs to be done to attract foreign direct investment.

Besides, corruption has cost the economy dearly over the years and has almost become institutionalised.
So many cases that have been put into the public domain still have not found closure, denting the verve that Mnangagwa’s anti-graft crusade seemed to reflect when he took over the reins from Mugabe.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube last year introduced austerity measures that were expected to, among other things, cut government expenditure.

However, on the one hand, the austerity seems not to be shared as the elites seems to be living large while ordinary citizens continue to survive on the periphery of economic activity, enduring abject poverty.
On the other hand, efforts to generate revenue for government through, for instance the two percent transactional tax, have increased the appetite to spend for government, whose penchant for profligacy is well-documented.

The country is rich in mineral wealth with diamonds, gold and platinum among the top earners in that sector.
However, some of the mineral produce finds its way out through the country’s porous borders as producers try to earn the elusive United States dollar.

Tobacco farmers recently withdrew their crop from the auction floors following disagreements over payment methods. Golden leaf farmers expected payment for their crop in US dollars, a currency that would ensure they would preserve value.

This would allow them to pay for inputs for forthcoming seasons as well as pay their employees back at the farms.
If the farmers are not incentivised, chances are they may not be able to produce next season, dealing a deadly blow to one of the country’s chief foreign currency earners.

The post Structural reforms  crucial for turnaround appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

THE 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) opens in Bulawayo today with record breaking subscription at 532 direct local exhibitors and 16 countries participating. The figure compares favourably with 491 direct local exhibitors recorded the same time last year, showing growing positive business sentiment and a strong desire to increase trade. Uganda President Yoweri

EIGHT Chivi family members allegedly whipped their elderly relative for more than 10 hours with mulberry tree switches leading to his death after accusing him of witchcraft, police have confirmed. The family members allegedly beat the elderly man until they got tired and took a sleep-break before continuing the following morning. Taurai Hwengwere (46), Bernard Mandava (63), Gift Mandava

A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Zhombe has been sentenced to 30 months in jail by a Victoria Falls magistrate for border jumping and stealing a wheelchair and a cellphone in Botswana. Siphosami Sibanda of Fafi Village under Chief Malisa in Zhombe in the Midlands province was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje. He was

A JEALOUS man from Filabusi allegedly fatally struck his neighbour with a brick on the head in a deadly fight over a 13-year-old girl, police confirmed yesterday. Carlson Ndlovu (18) of Zamanjalo Village found Mbongiseni Sibanda (18) at his girlfriend’s home on Friday last week and questioned him on his intentions. A fight allegedly broke out and the two traded heavy blows. Sibanda, who

About $21,5 million collected under the Tobacco Levy since 2015 has not been disbursed as the tobacco industry battles to meet the 2020 Global Tobacco Cigarette Companies Guidelines on producing the crop in a sustainable way. The Global Tobacco Cigarette Companies Guidelines state that as from 2020, international buyers will no longer be accepting tobacco that has not been produced in a

The Herald chose not to publish the picture Chivayo posted on social media Businessman Wicknell Chivayo has hailed the Government of Zimbabwe for creating opportunities for local  businesspeople. Chivayo posted a statement on social media urging people to remain focused and reap the fruits of Independence. Below is his statement in full: “INDEED ZIMBABWE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS @39 . .