Top stories for July 6-10

Mzembi kwana – Zimbabweans say about hosting 2034 World Cup- Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi today came in for a lot of flack after he said that Zimbabwe would bid for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. “I spoke to FIFA president Sepp Blatter during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and he told me that it was possible for Zimbabwe to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup as long as we keep on having such big dreams and vision. Nothing can stop us from hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup and we are going to put our bid to host it no matter what,” he was quoted by The Herald as saying. “Kikikikikiki iwe Muzembi ………..kwana wazvinzwa ka?,” commented one reader. ” Yaaah mufesi ichi chigrade chinenge chekwaMutoko,” said another. “This is daydreaming at its worst. Does he believe himself? If he does, he needs urgent psychiatric help,” said yet another. But Mzembi had a few supporters. “It seems some of the junior politicians are doing much more than their seniors by far. We can do it, let’s go comrade,” one said. “We held a lot of successful birthday parties for the president. Surely what’s the World Cup compared to these massive parties?” wrote another. “It is an achievable dream; let us rope in the other SADC countries, then our bid becomes truly serious! Keep up the good work Engineer Mzembi.”

Madhuku sues Daily News
National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku is suing the Daily News for US$200 000 over two stories that it published in June last year claiming that Madhuku was part of a Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front delegation to a Southern African Development Community summit in Mozambique. The articles had the headlines: Bloated SADC entourage and Thank you SADC. Madhuku says Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, owners of the Daily News, and its editor Stanley Gama, had approached the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe for a resolution of the matter and had accepted that the publications contained falsehoods about him and promised to publish a retraction and apology but had not done so “apparently because the defendants want the falsehoods to remain in the public domain for reasons best known to themselves”.

Is Zimbabwe getting back on track!
The Zimbabwe government has started implementing policy measures aimed at addressing the 2014 fiscal gap, improving the quality of public expenditures and enhancing financial sector stability, the International Monetary Fund said on today. In a statement after completing the first and second reviews of its Staff Monitored Programme, the IMF said Zimbabwe had taken corrective measures to ensure a track record of policy implementation going forward. “The authorities have reiterated their continued commitment to the policies under the SMP and to enhanced engagement with their creditors and the international community. A successful conclusion of the third review could pave the way to a successor SMP, which the authorities have indicated they may request, to build on their achievements and support a stronger policy framework,” it said. Progress in implementing the SMP was slowed by a long electoral process and a protracted post-election transition, as well as an adverse external environment, the IMF said. The IMF and the European Union have been scrambling to engage Zimbabwe after more than a decade of isolation, but some critics say the IMF medicine is usually worse than the disease.

Zimbabwe top destination in Africa for British migrants!
Zimbabwe was the only African country in the top 20 destinations for British migrants in 2010 according to the World Bank, but it was not in the top 20 of the United Nations 2013 report. South Africa was. According to figures released in the British House of Lords on Tuesday, Zimbabwe was placed at number 17 in the World Bank 2010 study and had 25 000 British born migrants residing in the country. It was the only African country on the list which was topped by Australia with 1.2 million British migrants. But the United Nations report for 2013 had South Africa with 306 000 British migrants topping the list placed at number 6. Zimbabwe was way down with only 15 561 migrants which would imply a drop of 10 000 in three years. The statement presented to the House of Lords stated that there were known gaps in the estimates produced by both the World Bank and the UN, so the lists of countries drawn from their respective databases may not be complete and may not be directly comparable.

Mudenda says Parliament cannot violate constitution- no ad hoc committee on corruption
Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda yesterday ruled against a resolution by the National Assembly to adopt a motion to appoint an Ad Hoc Committee to thoroughly inquire into and recommend measures to restore corporate governance and investigate cases of corruption in private and public entities. Parliament, in a rare show of unity, had adopted the motion moved by Kambuzuma Member of Parliament Willias Madzimure of the Movement for Democratic Change and later amended by Mutasa South legislator Irene Zindi of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to set up a committee to look into corruption and good governance within the public and private sectors. Mudenda said the setting up of such a committee violated the constitution because there was already a body- the Zimbabwe Anti-corruption commission- which did the same job. “Parliament cannot be seen to be the one to be violating the very Constitution it makes by creating an ad hoc Committee that competes with, and usurps the functions of, that organ of the state. The spirit of competition is highly discouraged amongst state entities and as such, it is encompassed in the basic values and principles governing public administration found in Section 194(1) (g) of the Constitution under which it is required, ‘that institutions and agencies of Government at all levels must co-operate with each other’. Therefore, the Ad Hoc Committee envisaged to be established in accordance with the motion by Hon. Madzimure, as amended by Hon. Zindi, would usurp and interfere with the already existing functions of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. However, Parliament has a constitutional mandate to exercise oversight on the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission through annual reports submitted to Parliament in terms of Section 323 of the Constitution in order to ensure that it carries out its constitutional mandate as outlined in Section 255 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Mzembi insists in parliament that it’s possible for Zimbabwe to host World Cup in 2034
Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi today told parliament that it was possible for Zimbabwe to host the 2034 soccer World Cup. All that was needed was vision. People should not be short-sighted as this was 20 years away and by then a lot would have changed including players for the national team. Responding to questions in the National Assembly about his statement on Monday that Zimbabwe would bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2034 when it is once again Africa’s turn to host the world’s biggest soccer tournament, Mzembi said: “Vision and wisdom is measured by the ability of contemporary generations to plant trees today whose shade they are very sure they may not be able to enjoy in the future. “What we are simply doing is casting a 20 year vision for Zimbabwe in the field of sport and tourism. If the Minister wishes to plant gum trees, my Ministry and the ZANU PF Government is willing to plant baobab trees that will live and outlive us, going forward into the future.” Mzembi said it is possible to host World Cup 2034 in Zimbabwe on the back of regional infrastructure that is already in place. “We can mobilise South Africa, Mozambique Botswana and Zambia, with Zimbabwe providing the lead bit to host this World Cup in our domain. Let me say to the hon. member that even the children who are going to play in 2034, 50% of the Zimbabwe National Team is not yet born and that is what is called vision. In addition to that Madam Speaker, we have all the ingredients for a successful hosting of this Cup on the back of all the work that we have sought to achieve through ZIM ASSET, infrastructural work and we think that by that time, we would have arrived sufficient enough to host a successful World Cup.”

United States consolidates Zimbabwe sanctions
The United States today regularised its sanctions on Zimbabwe by consolidating executive orders issued in November 2005 and July 2008 into a final rule that is effective from today, 10 July 2014. The sanctions cover 128 individuals and 33 entities and are enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control which is part of Washington’ s treasury department. The sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe because actions and policies of certain members of the government of Zimbabwe undermined its democratic processes or institutions, contributed to the deliberate breakdown in the rule of law, politically motivated violence and intimidation, destabilised the southern African region politically and economically and therefore constituted “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States”. United States sanctions on Zimbabwe have been in force for more than a decade now. The European Union, which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe at the same time, has lifted the sanctions on all individuals and entities except President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries. According to the final rule even humanitarian assistance from the United States must be approved by OFAC.

Mnangagwa says Mugabe never said whites should not own land in Zimbabwe
Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said President Robert Mugabe never said that whites should not own land in Zimbabwe. They can own land if they are citizens of Zimbabwe and right now there is not a single province which has no white farmers. Responding to a question from Senator Lillian Timveos, Mnangagwa said “we have nowhere in legislation, where it says that whites are not allowed to own land. We already have whites in this country who have been issued with offer letters, meaning that they are entitled to hold land like any other citizen in this country. “You misunderstood him, but let me explain to you so that you do not have problems. The President said that those farmers, black or white, who have been issued with land and proceed to sublease to the whites who owned the land before; that is not allowed.” Mnangagwa said Mugabe never said that no white man shall own land in Zimbabwe. “That is not correct. There is not a single province in this country where there are no white farmers. We have white farmers all over, who we have allowed to continue holding land and issued offer letters to them to own the land. So, we are not in conflict with the Constitution. Our current Constitution gives right of ownership of property to citizens and if those white people that you are talking about are citizens, they have equal right like anybody else to own property in this country. So there is no discrimination at all.”

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