Top stories for December 26-31

Diaspora bonds will not work- The government’s proposal to tap into the Diaspora which remits about US$1.6 billion a year into Zimbabwe will not work because the Diaspora does not trust the government and does not want an imposition of investment rules by the government. Durani Rapozo, coordinator of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Link, said “what we want is an engagement on the best way of investment…..There’s nobody who wants to invest in an unstable environment, and instability comes from not knowing about dual nationality issues and so on. We need to engage the government and say: ‘This what we want as the Diaspora and this is what we think is the best way forward'”. The proposal was today reported to have met stiff resistance from the Diaspora because it says it has been short-changed by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front all along. “These people have no shame. First they call us bottom cleaners, then they deny us the vote. Now they want us to invest in government issued bonds. I know what you can do with your bonds,” said one.

Fighter chickens out
Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Australia, Jacqueline Zwambila, who said she was a fighter is seeking asylum in Australia because she fears for her safety if she returns to Zimbabwe. “I don’t feel safe about returning to Zimbabwe at all,” she said four days before she was expected to return. Zwambila was embroiled in a diplomatic spat in 2010 after The Herald reported that she had stripped naked during a fit of rage in front of staff in Canberra. The report was proven to be false during a defamation case which finally concluded in the High Court this month. Zvambila said she knew that her career was over when Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front “stole” the 31 July elections. She was also afraid to return because a Zimbabwean court had found that she owed a tradesman who worked on the house US$2 700. She denied owing the money and feared that her $150 000 house might be auctioned to pay the bill.

Mohadi surprised
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said he was surprised that Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Australia Jacqueline Zwambila was seeking asylum because she feared for her safety if she returned home. “Her remarks are surprising because all the leaders of the MDC- T are here, some of them are members of our Parliament so why does she feel threatened? What is so special about her?” he asked. “We grant security to each and everyone… If she is threatened by anyone she should tell us as we are responsible for security here as central government.”

About turn on indigenisation
In its first policy reversal since it won the 31 July elections the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front government said it will not evict foreigners operating in business sectors reserved for locals. The deadline for foreigners to leave the sectors was 1 January. Indigenisation Minister Francis Nhema was today quoted as saying: “We are a business community, which should follow proper business procedures and maintain sanity in our country. All business takeovers should be done and finalised through the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board. It is important for Zimbabweans to understand that economic empowerment relates to the creation of wealth by locals as well as employment. As Government, we have emphasised broad-based economic empowerment, giving access and opportunity to those who were looked at marginally in the economics of the past. What we are saying is: new licensing in reserved sectors, from January, will be skewed in favour of indigenous people. Those foreigners operating in the reserved sectors of our economy should continue.”

Another MDC ambassador seeks asylum
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Germany Hebson Makuvise is reportedly seeking asylum in that country. Makuvise was seconded by then Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change. Party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said he was not aware that Makuvise, who is a close relative of Tsvangirai, was seeking asylum but said if he was, the decision was personal. This is the same view that the party took when Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Australia Jacqueline Zwambila, also from the MDC-T, announced that she was seeking asylum and would not return to Zimbabwe. Both ambassadors and 18 others were recalled after the end of their four-year-terms. They were due to return tomorrow. The MDC-T seconded four ambassadors while the MDC-N had one.

Zimbabwe to increase ethanol blending

Zimbabwe is to increase ethanol blending in petrol from 5 percent to 20 percent by March 2014, reports said today. It ordered mandatory blending in August, starting with E5 which comprised 95 percent petrol and 5 percent of ethanol. The blending was later increased to 10 percent resulting in a reduction of the fuel import bill by US$20 million. Zimbabwe consumes an average 1. 5 million litres of petrol a day. Ethanol is produced locally at Chisumbanje. The plant is expected to produce 500 million litres of ethanol per year in the next seven years.

(15 VIEWS)