The Insider

VIPs at the memorial service of Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium just outside Soweto, Johannesburg, were stunned when Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe received a standing ovation from thousands of South Africans who had braved the torrential rains to honour their first black President. Mugabe had not been expected to attend the memorial service in the first place. Initial reports had even said that he had not sent a message of condolence when Madiba died on 5 December 2013. But Mugabe and his wife were among the more than 100 presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries that attended the memorial service on 10 December 2013.

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Mangoma tells Tsvangirai to step ¬Movement for Democratic Change deputy treasurer Elton Mangoma has urged party leader Morgan Tsvangirai to step down to save the party and his own legacy. He even offered to have the party constitution amended to create the post of founding president so that Tsvangirai can continue to be closely associated with the party and the people’s project, and to preserve his legacy as a democrat and a brave fighter against dictatorship and one-man-rule. In a document that has been widely circulated especially on the internet, Mangoma said Tsvangirai had played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s quest for democracy and socio-economic transformation but after 15 years as party president, it was time for him to step down. “You have done the best that you could and continuing will result in diminishing returns and eating into your legacy. The party is in dire need for new ideas, new thinking, a new trajectory and new stimulus,” he said. “The creation of a new trajectory for the party cannot and will not be achieved by acrimony and contestation but by amicably resolving and putting finality and closure to this issue of leadership renewal. “However, the MDC needs resurgence underwritten by a strong cohesive party leadership, reviewed adaptive party policies and reinvigorated connection with the base and the broad alliance. “The best way that you, as president of the party can support this process is to step aside and allow progress by the democratic forces.”

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Zimbabwe’s banks gave out US$3.70 billion in loans last year and nearly a quarter was given to individuals. This could be one of the reasons why the country is facing a liquidity crisis.

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Remittances by Zimbabweans abroad through official money transfer agencies and banks declined by 15 percent from US$2.1 billion in 2012 to US$1.8 billion, according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

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Former Premier Services Medical Aid Society chief executive Cuthbert Dube was paid US$6.4 million last year which was more than the entire budget of the Ministry of Tourism for 2014. The Ministry requested US$73.2 million but was only allocated US$6.2 million.

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Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka has written an opinion piece entitled: Morgan Tsvangirai is a true democrat, in which he says the current debate about leadership renewal in the MDC was actually kicked off by the party leader.

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The Zimbabwe business delegation that is touring Europe received a hostile reception in London but was feted in Brussels where Antwerp’s diamantaires are hoping to do more business with Zimbabwe, now the world’s fourth largest producer of diamonds.

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Zimbabwe’s exporters were partly to blame for the liquidity crisis in the country because they were not repatriating their proceeds on time, acting central bank governor Charity Dhliwayo said in her monetary policy statement released yesterday.

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Tour operators have been given until 14 February to comply with the Tourism Receipt Accounting System which was introduced to plug leakages of earnings within the sector especially non-consumptive tourism.

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