Minister Kasukuwere

Herald Reporter
Cabinet is considering stiffer laws to deal with people and companies that deliberately pollute the environment through poisonous emissions, litter, discharge of effluent and land degradation, a Government minister has said.
Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said this at a welcoming ceremony for Proudly Zimbabwean Foundation’s Mr Fungai Chiposi, who recently completed a 1 000km walk around the country on an anti-littering campaign.

The walk was held under PZF’s BIN-it Zimbabwe flagship programme and took Mr Chiposi from Plumtree to Bulawayo, Gweru, Shurugwi, Birchenough, Mutare and then Harare.

Minister Kasukuwere said in Botswana and United States, the law was tough on polluters and there was need for such an approach in Zimbabwe.
He praised Proudly Zimbabwean for raising awareness of environmental issues.

“The environment is an inheritance we must handover over intact to the next generation,” Minister Kasukuwere said.
Environmental Management Agency spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata told The Herald they preparing a state of the environment report for presentation to Parliament. This will contribute to anti-pollution legislation.

“The report is a statutory requirement to bring out the drives and pressures on resources such as land and water,” he said.
Mr Kangata said they were working with Government and other stakeholders in drafting the report.

Mr Chiposi walked 40km a day in the campaign to deter people from littering the land around highways.
“The campaign was carried out through all five major CBDs of the country as we seek to ignite solution oriented debate along the solid waste management system in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Government will establish an independent regulatory authority to supervise medical aid societies.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said this to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care last week in oral evidence on the state of affairs at Premier Service Medical Aid Society.
“We would like to see proper governance structures at PSMAS and at all medical aid societies. That is why we are pushing as a ministry that there should be a regulatory body, a regulatory authority . . . We want a regulatory authority that regulates all medical aid societies,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa said PSMAS board members had abdicated their duties, resulting in management getting hefty packages.
He said a six-member committee was reviewing PSMAS’ operations and would advise on the way forward.

“So, there is no vacuum now; what is there is that this team is there and we have advised that there be an audit whether it is a remuneration audit or forensic audit that should be able to say you earned so much how did you earn it? Who gave you permission, we don’t want it to be hearsay.”

Nick Zemura shooting My Lady in Zimbabwe last year

Our reporter Catherine Murombedzi had a Q & A with Washington based Zimbabwean film maker Nick Zemura whose fictional movie ‘My Lady’ is set to premiere at Ster Kinekor on April 24

Who is Nick Zemura?

My name is Nick Zemura, I am a film maker. I started writing and performing while I was a student in Murehwa, at GumbanjeraPrimary School, and I continued all the way through college.  I always wanted to work in this industry, and I think in the 90s I went to meet everyone who had anything to do with film, TV theatre or performance of any sort. At that time, I think the industry was so closed that it was impossible to break in. I later worked with Murehwa theatre works for a while, but my dream was not realized until I went away to school. It was difficult to explain to family members that this business was what I liked to do, although they were very supportive of my art, there was that voice of reason that said you must have plan A. So acting, writing, filmmaking, all forms of art became plan B.

Why film production in particular?
I am one who believes that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, so the cautious part of my mind made me go to school, become a teacher, go to college, but at the back of my mind I felt like I was in the wrong world. So when I was teaching in Washington DC in 2008, I left it all behind and started working in art full time. I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, and I worked on movie sets, at one time, I had jobs in New York and Washington DC, which is over 350km away, and I drove every Friday to just be working.  The crazy thing was my New York job was not paying me for the first six months. But I loved it even though I had to sleep in the car. I learned a lot. It is a tough, but fun and fulfilling business; and here we are, on the verge of premiering a movie, in a theater, in Harare, in Zimbabwe.

Why a fictional feature and not comedy or action packed?
I do a lot of television and movies. Some of my work is seen on DSTV. When my brother Mike, and I decided to come home and do a project we figured we could do a TV show or a movie, but the problem with TV is you need an outlet, and having experienced what I went through with ZBC back in the day, I could not imagine that I wanted my fate be in the hands. Believe me, I respect our national broadcasting station, but their philosophy for a great while has been far removed from the rest of the nation. I find that more people watch DVDs, DSTV or international content.  So the TV route was not a viable option.  Another thing is I wanted to do a project that has a beginning and an end, TV series tend to have a life of their own, so a movie was more fitting.
The subject matter for this movie is something that I care deeply about, I did not want to pigeonhole the content into one segment, to say it is an AIDS movie, or a love story, or a cheating drama, but I wanted it to be a human story, something that each and everyone of us could watch and see something that they can identify, whether in their own lives, or in their own community. So, in a nutshell, My Lady is a story about human relationships and what motivates us to relate with those around us. And I think we made it entertaining, with several scene stealing performers who just did an amazing job.
The name Mirazvo, deep Shona explain
Mirazvo is the name of our production company. My younger brother and I started it, him in Canada, and I in the USA. We are a Zimbabwean company at best, (we are registered with Zimra and all, lol) I came up with the name Mirazvo because of several reasons, since I was a young boy I marvelled at the streaking rays of sun light, especially in the late afternoon. I guess it was a signal of the end of a hard day’s work in the fields. I also noticed that the same streaking light was the technology that film projectors used to show images on the silver screen. One could say the same is true on how a camera captures images, so Mirazvo, is very central to what we do, the streaking of light, overcoming darkness, and the beauty it leaves behind. You will notice several uses of Mirazvo (light streaks) in the movie as well, and it makes for cinematic beauty.

What is the story line?
The story line is about the relationships, as I mentioned. Muteri is a young business man who is struggling to keep his head above water. Ruva is a student trying to see herself graduate, and Shami a lady (if you want to call as such) who is trying to find her place and settle. The interconnectedness of their lives, makes for this drama, their choices and decisions, and more important their perceptions of what they are doing. A lot in this movie can qualify for a Rogerian argument, because we seek to ask, what is the right and wrong way to live your life, or there are mitigating circumstances that make us act the way we do? I am more fascinated with how the words I wrote on paper, alone, came to life, and to see people who are talented taking them and giving them a new life was a great pleasure. We touch aspects of life common to many, poverty, HIV-AIDS, girl child issues, gender equality and youth empowerment.

When is My Lady showing?
We are going to be showing the movie at Ster Kinekor, Eastgate on April 24th, 2014. This is our world premiere. We are hoping to share an experience with those we worked with, those who support arts, those who aspire to come into the arts and those who enjoy the arts. It will be an evening of fun, pageantry, pomp and circumstance. We are trying to do it right, and hopefully with the support and co-operation of the community, we will have an unforgettable day. So we will start arriving from 5:30pm and the movie will show in all theaters at 6:45pm.

Tell us of the cast line?
The cast is wholly Zimbabwean, from all walks of life.  I am very happy and proud of the work we did, and to work with fellow Zimbabweans, both novices like Fortue Perezu, Jackie Leocadia Kavhayi, Anastasia Mushaninga and the incomparable Mr Masimba Rurevo, who had such love and commitment that they made the time so worthwhile.  And to have such heavyweights like Mr Elijah Madzikatire, Sphili Kaikeni, Anthony Tongani, Gamu Duve, Moses Kawara and Charles Mucheriwa, just gave me the validation that I was doing the right thing. We had the likes of entertainers like Kessia, who were just awesome in their support, giving us their time. It was a great honour, and I am sure we will be doing a whole lot of stuff in the coming days.
Why end in suspense?
Well, we have to leave somethings for those who will come and watch the film. We want to contribute and build where others are working, and hopefully Zimbabwean arts will become an industry, like other countries, where someone can be gainfully employed and be able to live a life of dignity.

Words of advise
I like to close with this, especially to young Zimbabweans, there is a need for innovative thinking, sacrifice, perseverance and a need for co-operation. I see that there is a spirit of competition, which is healthy, but sometimes it is a competition at the peril of the race. We do not have an industry right now, because I think we lack the economic element in what we are doing. The art is there, but no one working is making a decent living, the heads of TV stations make all the money, the artist goes unpaid, the fraudsters are making illegal copies of copyrighted intellectual property, and still the artist is going hungry, so we need to make a concerted effort, to first have an industrial structure, an economic element, and we can compete in a healthy way. There are many subjects to be covered, many stories to be told, I have over 20 scripts that can go into production tomorrow, that will create jobs for the young and old, that can entertain and educate with equal measure, but I still have to remember that Plan A.

Dr Made

Agriculture Reporter
The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development — in conjunction with the Food and Agricultural Organisation — has launched a project to control the fruit fly, a pest that affects fruits and vegetables.
The project would run from this month until December 2015 and is aimed at helping horticulture farmers improve management and control of the fruit fly.
The fruit fly, which is commonly known as the Asian fruit fly affects yield in orange, mango, apple, peach, tomato, pumpkin and cucumbers among others.

Officially launching the project in Harare, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said the fruit fly was now affecting export of fruits.

“The launch of this project is important in that it comes during the time when Zimbabwe is facing restrictions in terms of fruit and vegetables exports due to the presence of this fly. Africa and Asia have not been spared by the fly. Stakeholders should work together to eliminate the fly,” he said.

Minister Made said the control of the fruit fly was in line with Zim Asset which emphasised on food security and nutrition.
“We are working on resuscitating the horticulture industry. We can squarely address food and nutrition for domestic, regional and international markets,” he said.

He said stakeholders should identify the source of the pest and deal with it instead of trying to continue on research.
“We should put emphasis on action. Let’s not try to re-create the wheel. We are facing a direct challenge that we cannot spend time studying this and that.

Authorities from the phyto-sanitary should not continue issuing import permits when they know the source of the pest,” he said. He said experts should also scout for possible sources of the fruit fly in the country. This included inspecting farms that used to produce fruits.

“Internally we have to examine all the areas where we used to produce fruit and vegetables. Maybe fruit trees have been left for long unattended. So we cannot experiment when we know maybe its an orange tree. If it’s an A2 farmer we have to go there and solve the problem. Support should not only come from FAO but from our banks and financial institutions to resuscitate or destroy the potential source of the problem,” he said.

Geoffrey Nyarota

Mutare Bureau
The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry consultations are apolitical and contributions so far have been constructive, panel chairman Geoffrey Nyarota has said.
Nyarota said this after the Chimanimani consultations the panel held yesterday, including a tour of Manicaland and Mashonaland East.
“So far we are off on a very good start,” he said.
“However, after the disruptions in Rusape on Monday, we have to make it clear that this exercise is apolitical.”

Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial secretary for labour and production, Cde Nathaniel Mhiripiri disrupted the Rusape outreach on Monday.
Cde Mhiripiri protested the inclusion of Nyarota as chairman of the panel, saying he contested and lost in the MDC-T Makoni South primary elections last year.

Apart from the Rusape scrap, Nyarota, said all other consultations were constructive and attendance was improving with each outing.
The panel will be in Masvingo today and thereafter take a break until after the Easter holiday.

“The turnout is slowly increasing after starting on a low note in Marondera and Rusape on Monday,” Nyarota said.
“In Rusape, the crowd was slightly better though. On Tuesday, the Mutare consultation was even bigger, while the Chimanimani consultation had the biggest reception so far with over 100 people in attendance.”

Mr Nyarota said they were getting a lot of material from people and making a lot of progress.
The outreach programme in Mutare on Tuesday, which drew participants from the media, civic, religious, organisations and the general public, had more than 120 attendees at Mutare Hall (formerly Queens’ Hall).

Most of the contributions during the outreach programme touched on the general declining standards of the profession of journalism in the country.
A journalist working in the private media bitterly complained about the reluctance of staff in public bodies to release information to the private media.

Some contributors called for the opening up of airwaves and speedy implementation of community radio projects to cater for marginalised communities.
Government established IMPI to assess the state of the information and media industry in Zimbabwe.

Cde Gumbo

Senior Reporter
Zimbabweans have demonstrated their independence and sovereignty by consistently voting against foreign funded opposition parties, Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo has said.
In a congratulatory statement to the nation ahead of celebrations to mark 34 years of independence from British colonial rule tomorrow, Cde Gumbo said Zimbabwe under the leadership of President Mugabe had made great achievements since 1980.

The celebrations will be held under the theme: “Zimbabwe @34: Defending Our Sovereignty and Providing an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Social Transformation.”

“Indeed this year’s independence celebrations are fitting, coming as they do barely nine months after our resounding electoral victory.
“It is against this backdrop that Zanu -PF wishes to congratulate the people of Zimbabwe for attaining 34 years of independence. This is a great achievement indeed considering how far we have come and the enormous progress we have made since 1980.

“Under the able stewardship of President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe has continually insisted on the sanctity of its independence and sovereignty and this has seen even those bent on effecting regime change failing in their desperate attempts. And by voting consistently for Zanu-PF and shunning away from surrogate parties, the citizens of Zimbabwe have demonstrated what it really means to be an independent people,” Cde Gumbo said.

He said Zanu-PF’s victory in last year’s harmonised elections was indicative of Zimbabweans’ will for self-determination following the sacrifices that were made in attaining the country’s independence.

“The resounding victory of the people’s party in the last election was further affirmation of our independence as a country.
“It was confirmation that as a free nation, as an independent people, only we have the right to determine our destiny and our leadership. We will forever cherish our independence, which came about as a result of huge sacrifices.

“But what makes our independence unique and special is that as Zimbabwe, we have insisted not just on political freedom but on economic emancipation as well. We have embarked on policies that empower our people not just in political ways but socio-economically as well.

“The first form of empowerment came when President Mugabe revolutionised the education sector in Zimbabwe from what he inherited in 1980. Today we are the most literate nation on the continent. Indeed our people are admired universally for their intellectual prowess,” he said.

He said the Presidential Scholarship Scheme had also seen tens of thousands of Zimbabweans going through tertiary education while the land reform programme had improved lives of ordinary people.

Cde Gumbo added that the indigenisation programme had also been adopted to ensure Zimbabweans benefit from their resources.
“Millions of ordinary Zimbabweans now have access to land which was hitherto confined to a handful of white commercial farmers. This has helped boost the economy and improve ordinary lives. The government of President Mugabe has supported subsistence farmers with inputs and this in turn has assisted immensely with food security.

“Recently the country embarked on the indigenisation programme which has seen millions of ordinary Zimbabweans benefiting from Zimbabwe’s natural resources through Community Share Trusts, Employee Share Schemes and the setting up of the Sovereign Wealth Fund,” he said.

He added that other achievements which have been made since 1980 include increased access to health care and child welfare, rural electrification and provision of basic services amongst others.

The Zanu-PF spokesperson said the Zim Asset economic blueprint adopted by Government last year would also consolidate indigenous people’s control of their resource.
“However, our independence remains threatened by the debilitating economic sanctions imposed illegally on us by nations hostile to Zimbabwe.

“We continue to urge these countries with known vested economic and political interests to remove all sanctions against Zimbabwe fully and without any conditions,” Cde Gumbo said.

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE celebrates 34 years of independence tomorrow and 30 young Zimbabweans studying on all five continents have taken to social media to debate what it means to be Zimbabwean in the context of the 34th independence anniversary along with their hopes for the nation’s future among other issues.
The gripping debate can be accessed on www.iamzimbabwe.com <http://www.iamzimbabwe.com>.
Emmanuel Makoni who is based in Alberta, Canada, said as a Zimbabwean one had an obligation to stay true to the values of the nation and it was time that young people get involved in solving the challenges facing the country.

“We must realise that Zimbabwe is our country and we are responsible for it. We have so many riches that we do not take advantage of. A lot of people do not realise how much power they have, and that we are where we are because of who we are as a society. It doesn’t help complaining about the current conditions. It’s time for young people to stand up and take pride in their country,” he added.

Kudzayi Hunkedza in Annaba, Algeria, said the flag captures what it means to be Zimbabwean.
“Being Zimbabwean is embodied in the beauty of our nation’s flag. Its colours symbolise qualities that define what it means to be Zimbabwean,” he said.

“As young people we need to wake up from wishful thinking and start taking action. We should stop expecting a miraculous transformation by older generations but begin to realise we are the generation to take Zimbabwe to the next level.”

Komborero Charamba who is based in Hangzhou, China, expressed pride at being Zimbabwean.
“Being Zimbabwean brings about in my life a sense of national pride, a sense of victory but above all it brings to me the feeling of debt I am owing to my fore-fathers, creating within me hunger for empowerment, development and unity . . . for bloodshed that is impossible to repay.”

Leila Van Zuydam who is based in Utah, USA said Zimbabweans based in the Diaspora had to bring back home knowledge acquired abroad.
“I think that if we bring our knowledge learned abroad and our kind hearts back to Zimbabwe we will all be able to help ourselves and others cater for Zimbabwe’s needs. Makorokoto Zimbabwe on your independence!  I wish you every success possible for the future,” she said.

Bryan White who is in Grahamstown, South Africa said as Zimbabwe celebrated its independence politicians had to return to the ideals of the liberation struggle and desist from enriching themselves.

Jennifer Mutimbidziri in Newfoundland, Canada urged young people to explore their abilities for the betterment of their lives.
‘’As we salute the ones who made it possible, for all Zimbabweans to have freedom, let’s make this day a great one!!!! Happy Independence Day Zimbabwe,” she said.

Agriculture Reporter
The Agricultural Marketing Authority has established a grain producer registry that formalises and traces links between wheat and maize commercial farmers to international buyers.
In a statement, the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) said the database would act as a guideline for the creation of grain produce markets for farmers who previously failed to access them.

“The Agricultural Marketing Authority is establishing a grain producer registry to assist the authority maintain a continuous record of all consistent farmers who produce maize for commercial purposes.

“This register will assist the authority to link these farmers to ready markets for their crop at any time during the marketing season. All such farmers who grow a minimum of 10 hectares and wish to be included in this registry are hereby invited to register with AMA,” read the statement.

The idea to establish a producer registry was borrowed from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) which acts as a conduit for farmers and buyers of the crop annually.

Douglas Chiteka Herald Reporter
Seventy three students from Belvedere Technical Teachers College recently toured the Freedom Camp shrine in Zambia to acquaint themselves with the history of the liberation struggle.
The purpose of the visit was to enable students to trace the history of the liberation struggle by visiting some of the areas which used to be camps for the freedom fighters.

“The trip was meant to educate and inform the youths about the sacrifices that were made by gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe in the struggle for independence,” said the acting Principal of Belvedere Technical Teacher’s College Mr Patrick Chinhoro.

He said it was important for the youths to understand the country’s history. On the 11th of October 1978, the camp was bombed by Rhodesian forces while more than a 1 000 freedom fighters were at parade. Thousands of freedom fighters were killed during the bombing raids.

Zimbabwe gained its independence in 1980 from Britain after a protracted 16 – year guerilla war.

Agriculture Reporter
The Zimbabwe Progressive Tobacco Farmers Union is facing closure for operating without a licence and allegedly misappropriating over $750 000 belonging to farmers.
The union also evaded paying tax amounting to $429 105 and failed to pay $626 191 to its creditors while accruing an interest charge of $243 279 from an Interfin Bank loan. ZPTFU is led by its president Mr Nicholas Kamupungu and chief executive Mr Davert Muzvidzwa.

The audit conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development between December last year and February this year covered the period since the union’s inception in 2010. According to the report, ZPTFU’s executive failed to account for $239 598, misused Interfin Bank loan repayment funds amounting to $143 573, misused inputs funds of $20 384 and did not refund farmers their inputs funds of $54 355. The executive also misplaced 29 receipt books with an estimated average amount of $10 000 each.

The union’s executive is also being accused of registering as an employer’s organisation while it operated as a tobacco farmers’ union.

According to the audit report, the ZPTFU applied to register as a union with the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development in 2010 and the registration was denied.

The ministry then recommended that the union be registered as a commodity association because it was specialising in a single commodity (tobacco).

The union was advised to affiliate to an already existing union. Instead of following the recommendations, the union leaders went on to register with the then Ministry of Labour and Social Services as an employer’s organisation, but continued to operate as a farmers’ union.

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
The volume of both human and vehicular traffic has increased at Beitbridge Border Post as Zimbabweans based in South Africa troop back home for the Independence and  Easter holidays.
Assistant regional immigration officer in charge of Beitbridge Mr Notius Tarisai said although the numbers were increasing in arrivals the situation was still manageable.

He said they cleared 7 500 travellers on Wednesday and were anticipating the number to increase last night.

“We expect the number of travellers to rise between Thursday and Friday,” he said.

Mr Tarisai said they were working on two 12-hour shifts, a strategy which had proved effective during peak periods.

He said they had separated traffic into buses, private motorists, tourists, returning residents and those in transit.

“Those travelling in buses and returning residents will be cleared outside the immigration hall, while those in transit and other travellers will be cleared inside the main immigration hall,” said Mr Tarisai.

“We have also dedicated another counter for local travellers and truck drivers outside the main immigration hall “Presently, all these are cleared at the same counters. We have also devised a tagging system of clearing passengers in buses in their order of arrival, a system which has proved to be effective in decongesting the border post.”

Mr Tarisai said they had aligned their operations with their counterparts in South Africa in a bid to improve efficiency and the speed flow of traffic.

An average of 8 000 travellers accesses the border per day and the number increases to around 20 000 during peak periods.

At least 21 00 buses, 14 000 to 15 000 haulage trucks and 25 000 private cars pass through the border on monthly basis.

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa

Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
CABINET will deliberate on a strategic document outlining modalities of setting up Special Economic Zones by May 16 after which moves will be made to start attracting investors in the areas set aside for the purpose, a Cabinet Minister has said.
SEZs, which are enshrined in Zim Asset, are supported by the World Bank, which promised to help attract investment, promote export-oriented growth and generate employment.

It is envisaged that the SEZs would create an environment conducive for foreign investors who would enjoy a number of concessions that will make it easier to conduct business.

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said the document would be produced by a committee made up of experts from various Government departments, the World Bank, United Nations, local industry and legislators.

He was speaking while making his remarks on the way forward at the end of a two-day SEZs workshop held in Harare.

The consultative workshop convened by the Office of the President and Cabinet ran under the theme: “Promoting Transformational and Inclusive Growth”. It discussed legislative and institutional frameworks as well as infrastructural requirements and the role of Government in facilitating the establishment of  SEZs.

“The roadmap, which I think we should travel after this workshop, is to constitute in the first instance a committee of experts to draft a strategy paper that will inform the Government on the process,” he said.

“I want to present the paper to Cabinet by May 16, so by that time we should have Cabinet’s decision on a way forward of this issue.”

Minister Chinamasa said there must be a political commitment to setting up the SEZs and the committee will have to present a simple easy to understand document for Cabinet to buy in the idea.

Minister Chinamasa said it was critical to carry out feasibility studies to establish what the country is worth.

“After the Cabinet paper what I think is critical is to carry out feasibility studies to identify champions, identify our areas of competitive advantages. We need to identify the winners. I think to us that’s going to be critical,” he said.

Minister Chinamasa said his strategy was to secure funding to do feasibility studies.

The minister said the Mines and Mining Development Ministry wanted between US$5 million and US$10 million for geological surveys.

Former Export Processing Zones general manager and Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa said from the experience gained from the EPZ programme, which was operational in Zimbabwe from 1996 to 2006, SEZs have the potential to change the economy.

“The EPZ programme was put in place to accelerate economic growth in the country. It was deliberately tailored to promote activities that created additional employment opportunities, facilitated technological transfer and generated foreign currency earnings through the establishment of export oriented value adding activities,” he said.
Minister Chidhakwa said from 1996 to 2006 the country had 352 approved projects and 205 became operation.

“Investment in operational projects was estimated at US$172 million, of which 21,6 percent of the approved projects were attributable to foreign direct investment and the programme generated 32 512 jobs,” he said.

Minister Chidhakwa said by December 31, 2005, EPZ cumulative exports stood at US$1,15 billion.

“It is important to note that at that time, the EPZ programme represented only 10 percent of the total number of companies that were operating in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Minister Chidhakwa said incentive programmes such as SEZ could be self funding through licensing and dedicated services as the EPZ authority was at 92 percent self funding by 2005.

He said there was need for total buy in by all Government departments involved in facilitating the programme.

Minister Chidhakwa said legislation should also be synchronised timeously to facilitate the SEZs and simultaneous amendment of all statutes to enable the setting up of the SEZ.

The minister outlined some of the country’s examples of areas of potential SEZs including diamond cutting and polishing and the Lupane–Luvimbi natural gas cluster.

He said knowledge based industries such as aircraft engineering, call centres and financial centres were other opportunities for SEZ.

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church will use its buses to ferry international vistors to the National Sports Stadium for Judgment Night 2 tomorrow

Herald Reporter
UNITED Family International Church is providing three buses to help international visitors that have registered with the church and are in need of transport assistance, a senior church official has said.
The church’s spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufakunesu said the arrangement was necessitated by the church’s realisation that some international visitors might be working on a tight budget hence the gesture by the church to help in any way it could.

“We realised that some of the international visitors might be working on very limited resources hence the help we have extended to them,” he said.

Pastor Kufakunesu also explained that the provision of transport to the international visitors who registered with the church made it easier for the visitors to access the Judgment Night venue and the seats reserved for the visitors in the stadium.

“We also considered that if we transport these visitors using buses, it will be easy for them to get into the stadium since the buses will carry a substantial number at a time and it will be easy for the ushers to identify them and in turn allocate places for them to sit,” he said.

The buses, Pastor Kufakunesu said, will do several trips as the number of international visitors that have registered with the church keep on growing by the day.

“I don’t know how many trips each bus will make on the day as the number of people registering with us is ever increasing,” he explained, adding that the church’s Logistics department was seized with the task of ensuring every international visitor who needed assistance with transport was helped.

Meanwhile, hotels in Harare have recorded significant volumes in room occupancy with some reportedly full by yesterday.

Judgment Night has become a huge event attracting people from outside boosting what Pastor Kufakunesu termed “religious tourism”.

“While as a church we are happy that people will be helped spiritually through the powerful word that our Father, Prophet (Emmanuel) Makandiwa will dish out on the day, we are also cognisant that business will benefit from the event hence the various partnerships we have entered with a lot of service providers.

“A lot of companies have come on board to assist us in making this event what it is and we are very grateful that they have helped in ensuring the Word of God is preached to all nations through this global event we have dubbed ‘Judgment Night’,” Pastor Kufakunesu said.

Judgment Night, he said, was set to become a huge tourist attraction which, if properly marketed, will surely help grow the country’s tourism industry in as much as it will help in “making disciples of all nations.”

Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Cde Walter Mzembi recently told journalists that Government was fully behind Judgment Night and the event had potential to grow the tourism industry exponentially.

President Mugabe greets Salvation Army commissioner Silvia Cox while her husband and leader of the church General Andre Cox and Vice President Joice Mujuru look on at State House in Harare yesterday. — Picture by Presidential Photographer Joseph Nyadzayo

Senior Reporter
The Salvation Army’s international leader General Andre Cox met President Mugabe at State House in Harare yesterday and assured him that the church was there to support the people.
General Cox, who is based in the United Kingdom and was accompanied by his wife Commissioner Silvia Cox, was taken to State House by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche who are both members of the church.

In an interview with ZBC News after the meeting, VP Mujuru said Gen Cox, who was born in Zimbabwe, told President Mugabe that it was important for Zimbabweans to maintain their resilience.

“He was also telling the President that even the ills that we are facing, especially corruption, homosexuality, he was even talking about rape cases that are so rampant and even murders, he was saying that’s the duty of the church and that’s why he is here,” VP Mujuru said.

She said General Cox left Harare yesterday afternoon to attend a church conference being held in Gweru.

VP Mujuru said she would not be able to attend the conference because of a lot of responsibilities she has on Independence Day.

General Cox, a Swiss-British Salvation Army officer, was elected as the 20th General of the Salvation Army in August last year.

Born in Harare in 1954 to an English father and Swiss mother, Gen Cox spent his childhood years in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, before moving to Switzerland where he met his wife and began training to become Salvation Army officers, taking up their first appointments in 1979.

Prosper Dembedza Court Reporter
A Harare woman on Thursday claimed in court that her ex-boyfriend, who is a policeman, used to force his private parts into her mouth at knife-point, boasting that no one would arrest him.
Tracy Maguri said her boyfriend, Steven Manunure, had been doing that for the past four years.

This was revealed at the Harare Civil Court where Manunure was seeking a protection order against Maguri, whom he said was in the habit of calling him threatening to report him to the police for forcing her to have oral sex.

“She calls me forcing me to reconcile with her threatening to report me to the police that I had been forcing her to have oral sex at knife-point,” said Manunure.

“She wants to destroy my family by fabricating lies to the police and to make matters worse, she calls my wife and insults her with obscene language.

“I want her to stop calling me and my wife because she is disturbing my peace and that of my family,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, Maguri said Manunure abused her for four years by forcing her to have oral sex with him at knife-point.

“He would force me to put his manhood in my mouth at knife-point saying he is a police officer and cannot be arrested. He forces me to have sex with him when I am not in the mood and assaults me if I refuse. He forced his manhood into my mouth at knife-point and threatened to kill me if I refused,” she said.

Magistrate Ms Gamuchirai Siwardi granted the protection order which barred Maguri from verbally abusing Manunure and to stop calling him.

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe has urged the media to report truthfully and avoid being overly sensational so that they do not sully their credibility. The President was speaking at the National Sports Stadium in Harare at the 34th anniversary Independence Day celebrations.
“Now journalists: don’t create stories, don’t exaggerate stories, don’t be sensational unnecessarily in order for your stories to be read or your papers to be sold.

“Write truthfully, write honestly and your paper will be respected. If you are going to be writing chaff, creating stories which are untrue, the people will soon discover that your paper deserves to go to the bin, its rubbish for the bin and there are papers which are just rubbish for the bin,” President Mugabe said.

The President said there were many social issues and ills that needed attention and the media have an important role in bringing these to light.

“There are a lot of stories you can write, the negative side of our social life.

“Vanababa varikubata vana. Write those stories, make them more prominent because we want to kill that disease. Nyaya yekubata vana — we want to kill those rapes.

Nyaya yekuurayana — go and report those murders, we want to destroy those murders,” he said.

President Mugabe has previously chided media organisations that try to boost their sales by using his name.

Government, through the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, has set up an Information and Media Panel of Inquiry to look into the operations of the media, including issues of ethics and values among other things.

The committee, chaired by journalist Geoffrey Nyarota is conducting meetings countrywide to record public views on how the media can be developed.

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday slammed some European countries for refusing to accept the will of Zimbabweans who overwhelmingly voted for zanu-pf in last year’s harmonised elections, and for seeking to impose their will on Zimbabweans.
Addressing thousands of people who gathered for the 34th Independence anniversary celebrations at the National Sports Stadium in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe rapped Europe for losing principles and values by promoting anathemas like homosexual unions saying any western diplomats who try to promote gay rights in Zimbabwe would be given the boot.

He added that he would not hesitate to expel any diplomats promoting gay rights in Zimbabwe.

“I want to thank you for standing with Government in resisting pressures from Europe. The Europeans will never ever accept a zanu-pf Government in this country. You went to vote on the 31st of July last year, all of you people voting very peacefully. Hapana mhere mhere yakamboitika asi the Europeans say the elections were rigged.

“Ko akarigwa papi? Hachisi chokwadi ichocho, nhema dzoga dzoga, lies. The Europe of yesterday is gone we have a Europe of today which has no principles at all . . . what is positive has become negative what is natural is made unnatural and what is unnatural they want to say is natural,” President Mugabe said.

He added: “So the truth is denied and the lies are accepted. You can never listen to such people anymore they even refuse to say that if a man has sex with another man is wrong, it’s sodomy.

“Sodom and Gomorrah yemuBhaibheri havaitenderi. You pass a law that rejects homosexual marriages ‘we will punish you’ sezvaitwa Uganda nesu; and also they want to believe that if a man gets another man and they have a homosexual relationship they have human rights to do so but that act is inhuman — it’s not human.

“Its’ inhuman and human rights cannot derive from acts which are inhuman; that does not exist in jurisprudence.”

President Mugabe warned NGOs that are promoting homosexuality at educational institutions.

“Kune organisations dzinouya dzinonzi ndedzema homosexuals, take care, warn them,” he said. “Some years ago, I was warned that there was some secret organisation of that nature which was addressing young men varimumauniversity nemuzvikoro to join them as homosexuals.

“This is nonsense from Europe, keep their homosexual nonsense there and do not cross over with it.

“We did not fight for this Zimbabwe so it can be a homosexual territory.

“We will never have that here and if there are any diplomats who will talk of any homosexuality, just tell me. We will kick them out of the country . . . We won’t even listen.

Kungoti chete ava vari homosexual, risati radoka tinenge tavakanda kunze kwenyika ino.”

The European Union and the United States have been threatening to cut financial support to countries that do not embrace homosexuality.

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
EVERY citizen should positively contribute to the country’s economic programme, the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation, President Mugabe said yesterday.
He also implored companies to beneficiate resources before export and maximise earnings from all products.

Zim-Asset is a five-year home-grown economic blueprint running from 2013 to 2018 based on Zanu-PF’s manifesto for last year’s harmonised elections, President Mugabe’s inauguration address and his speech on the occasion of the opening of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament.

President Mugabe, who was speaking at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, at the main Independence Day celebrations, urged everyone to play a part.

“All of you are required to participate in our Zim-Asset wherever you are in agriculture do it well, you have some cattle or goats look after them well; you believe in running chicken runs, do them well; piggeries, do them well. And it means you must be productive, studying the best ways of doing them.

“Go to those with the best knowledge and you will be assisted. If you need funds talk to the windows we create for funds in that area, especially in SMEs there are funding mechanisms which can assist them. But don’t be a good borrower and a bad debtor,” President Mugabe said.

Zim-Asset, President Mugabe said, is a broad based framework adopted by Government to improve the economy.

“Takati ndiyo agenda yedu, tinoiti agenda hapana zvazvinoreva zvinongoreva bumbiro chaizvoizvo yepfungwa dzatakaisa pamwechete dzekuti ndezvipi zvatinoda kuti zvititungamirire pamakore arikikuuya aya?

“Tisimudzire nyika yedu, tive nehupfumi hunoenda kuvanhu, hwakatarisana nehurombo hwevanhu nezvido zvevanhu ndozvinotaura Zim-Asset,” he said.

President Mugabe said Zim-Asset mainly focused on value addition of minerals and agricultural produce to increase revenues to Government and foster employment creation.

He said value addition would also improve the internal skills base as people boosted their incomes.

“I-agenda hongu asi yekupindura zvino nyika yedu kuipa musandu mutsva. Unorevei musandu wacho? Tinotarisana nehupfumi huripozve, hupfumi hunobva muvhu, agriculture, tinotarisana nehupfumi zvakare huripasi madiamonds, goridhe, simbi mhangura, chrome, marasha zvese zviri pasi zvicherwa izvi zvinotengeswa zvichitengeswa asi takati pabumbiro rataita iri reagenda dzepfungwa dzedu tinoda kunyanyowanza kugadziridza zvatinenge tawana pasi apa (beneficiation) kuti zvive nemuteng0 wemberi. Mhangura painobva pasi apa inenge isiri simbi asi toita kuti ive simbi . . . tinenge towana mari yakawanda pakuitengesa ichiri mhangura ndopfungwa dzatinadzo idzodzo,” President Mugabe said.

He said value addition would transform the economy and “transform our abilities and capabilities”.

“Nemachines atinenenge toshandisa anenge ava emberi ruzivo rwevanhu rwunenge rwuchienderera nayo nekukwirira kunenge kwaita mabasa atiri kutaura ndokubudirira kunoita nyika.”

President Mugabe urged tertiary institutions to direct their efforts towards equipping students with practical skills to ensure the success of the blueprint.

He added that Government would ramp up efforts to rehabilitate infrastructure such as roads, railways, health institutions and water reticulation as part of Zim-Asset.
The President added that a Cabinet Committee had been established to look at the issue of water supply, especially in urban areas.

President Mugabe

Documentary-maker ROY AGYEMANG reveals the delicate diplomacy needed to get Zimbabwe’s President to sit down with the BBC . If there is one thing Robert Mugabe dislikes as much as “ruffian” British politicians, it is journalists working for the British media — especially the BBC.
Accusing the corporation of one-sided reporting and of being a mouthpiece for the UK government, the ‘controversial’ Zimbabwean President had refused to grant an interview to any journalist from the broadcaster for 14 years.

(President) Mugabe’s government says it “restricted” the BBC from reporting inside the country. The BBC, arguing that its robust journalism merely covered factual events that the Harare government wanted hidden, says it was “banned”.

The standoff ended when my colleague Simon Breen and I approached the BBC to make a programme on (President) Mugabe to coincide with his 90th birthday. It agreed.

In an act of shuttle diplomacy that made me feel like a UN diplomat, I had to convince President Mugabe to come to the table. Persuading him to sit down to talk for a previous, independent documentary had taken me two years; this time I had to do it in 10 days.

The first hurdle was the BBC insisting on its own correspondent for the interview. The team knew scrutiny of the programme would be extremely high, so using an unknown face would be tricky. David Dimbleby was the last BBC reporter to interview President Mugabe, in 2000. To suggest he should sit with another “BBC face”?

I knew he wouldn’t go for that.

Just as (President) Mugabe was nervous about the BBC, the broadcaster was nervous about me — and not without merit.

I have spoken at Oxford and Harvard criticising Western reporting on Zimbabwe. I have also gone on record praising (President) Mugabe. Contrary to Western opinion, many in Africa regard him as a hero. He still remains popular with a large part of the Zimbabwean population. But I also criticise him.

Making that clear to the BBC, eventually nervously agreed.

I flew to Harare in mid-February, playing on the trust I had built up with (President) Mugabe over 10 years. He decided to do it.

However, the 10-day schedule the BBC had set was unrealistic. Ten days passed, no interview. Twenty-one days passed, and still no interview.

Another week went by. I was booked to fly back to London without the interview. The day before I was due to fly back, I attended a birthday event hosted by the civil service.

I disregarded protocol and “doorstepped” (President) Mugabe. He told me not to panic, and promised he would do the interview. “Don’t worry, I will give you time.” A few days later, I got the call from State House.

The interview was scheduled to last one hour. It went on for three hours and 54 minutes.

Here’s some of what he had to say. He didn’t hold back.

On the UK
“What has happened to Britain? They have grown small in mind. That wisdom which the likes of Churchill had, where is it? You can’t see it in people now with gay habits — shame on them. I pity the one lady I admire, the Queen, that she is in these circumstances, I’m sure down deep she must be groaning (at) the loss of values in Britain. They’ve gone to the dogs. Countries don’t respect Britain any more. Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the world. Which world? (David) Cameron . . . doesn’t talk much, but he acts in the same way as (George W.) Bush.”

On his relationship with Labour after 1997
“When you had these ruffians coming, coming into power from Labour  . . . Mr Blair (was) wanting to reverse the entire process and not willing to say anything about the land-reform programme in terms of the compensatory aspect of it. Finally (he was) telling us that Britain has no obligation to former colonies. What is there in the mind of Blair? A tail of Mr Bush. Liars on Zimbabwe, a liar on Iraq.”

On President Barack Obama
“I see him as a person who has been trying as much as possible to please the white section of America and to avoid any relationship that might be construed as being racist. If you can’t deviate then you can’t serve the interests of the blacks who are suffering, who are yearning for justice in America.”

On being viewed by the West as one of the worst villains of modern history
“It doesn’t bother me at all. The West is not objective, far from it. We have seen how the West comes to its judgements. There appears to be a kind of overall dementia affecting the minds of the West.” — The Independent (UK)

BBC News will screen “Our World, Mugabe at 90” at 9:30pm tonight and across the Easter weekend.

President Mugabe is welcomed by Child president Ntandoyenkosi Moyo, while Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Mr Justin Mpamhanga (centre) looks on at the children’s Independence Day party at the City Sports Centre in Harare yesterday.(Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Albert Chavhunduka Herald Reporter
Government should ensure that the history of the liberation struggle and independence is properly documented and passed from one generation to another, children from all walks of life have said.
The children spoke on Thursday on the sidelines of the children’s party hosted by President Mugabe and the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe in Harare, to mark the country’s 34th independence anniversary.

The party is an annual occasion.

Child Junior Parliamentarian William Moyo, said Independence Day is a very important part of the country’s history that needs to be passed from generation to generation.

“Independence Day is a very important day since it is a day that our country attained its freedom from the colonisers.

‘‘It is very important that we celebrate this day in remembrance of the sacrifices by those who fought the liberation struggle.

“Therefore, the celebrations should send an important message of the country’s trials and victories to everyone and be shared from generation to generation as an important part of our heritage,” he said.

Miss Harare Junior 2014, Ms Shamiso Mutasa, said Independence Day celebrations are a special event on the country’s calendar that needs to be respected.

“To celebrate our country’s independence shows the unity that is among us as Zimbabweans and it should be something that we will always cherish. It is a day that resembles the birth of our country and that should forever be treasured,” she said.

A student representing Matabeleland North province, Mr Thabani Mlilo, said Independence Day was a reminder of what the heroes went through during the brutal liberation struggle.

“We have come all the way from Matabeleland to join the rest of the country in celebrating our independence. This is a day when all our tribulations came to an end after we successfully fought for our freedom from Britain,” he said.

Mr Nqobile Mawoyo from Mashonaland Central province said it was imperative to teach everyone the importance of Independence Day.

“We grew up knowing that we celebrate the country’s independence every year.

“It is something that should be encouraged so that we know where we are going and our history,” he said.

Zimbabwe celebrated its 34th independence anniversary yesterday having attained  independence from colonial rule in 1980.

This year’s Independence Day celebrations ran under the theme, “Defending Our Sovereignty and Providing an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Social Transformation.”