Top stories for May 11-15

If the fury you show on each other was directed at ZANU-PF we would win- Tsvangirai- Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai urged his supporters at a rally in Norton to tolerate each other because the party was against violence. “If the fury you show on fellow supporters is shown on ZANU-PF, we would win,” he said. “We don’t need violence that does not bring food to the table.” He was commenting after a fracas in which youth leaders from Chitungwiza tried to bar provincial chairman and legislator Alexio Musundire from addressing the people. They accused Musundire of siding with ousted secretary-general Tendai Biti. Organising secretary, Nelson Chamisa had to intervene and called on the people to decide on the leadership at the congress. The MDC has called for a special congress in October to elect a new leadership following pressure for a leadership renewal. Those who had teamed up with Biti argue that they will not participate in the congress because it is merely there to endorse Tsvangirai as leader.

Zimbabwe is blessed- ambassador
Outgoing Japanese ambassador to Zimbabwe Yonezo Fukuda said Zimbabwe was blessed because it has vast natural resources and an educated human capital base. “The future of Zimbabwe is bright because you have a lot of resources and good weather. Human capital is very educated and if they come back to work together, there is a big possibility to develop.” A recent study said that Zimbabweans in the diaspora were getting increasingly disillusioned by politics and were turning to business. The report said Zimbabweans were remitting about £50 million a year to Zimbabwe, one fifth of it from the United Kingdom alone. The country is currently going through a liquidity crisis. The ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front has incorporated the diaspora in its economic blueprint but Zimbabweans living abroad were sceptical about this with some asking why the party wanted their money but not their vote.

Ndiro bhora mugedhe here?
The government is being taunted for changing salary dates for civil servants with some readers of the state-owned Herald asking: “Ndiro bhora mugedhi, ko inga makati munoyese.” The government moved salary dates for teachers from Thursday to Friday and the rest of the civil servants from next week to the end of the month. “Kukundikana. This is a clear sign that our government is failing,” wrote one going by the name of Jongwe. Prophecy wrote:”I can see government soon printing ‘bearer food vouchers’, ‘bearer school fee vouchers’, ‘bearer fuel vouchers’, and so on, distributed to civil servants in lieu of wages for all necessities.” Tasara wrote: “Ahh so govt collects $265m in a quarter and pays out $155m monthly!!!!!!. By the end of the year there will be salary cuts I tell you.” Jambanga paSalisbury wrote that the only group that was rejoicing was the loan barons because every day’s delay meant more money in interest.

Government thinking of reviewing indigenisation
So far it has all been talk and no action. But Zimbabwe’s cash-strapped government, which was yesterday forced to delay salaries for civil servants, could seriously be thinking of reviewing its indigenisation law to attract foreign investment and create jobs. Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha told the Chinese news agency Xinhua today that the government is looking at all possibilities to attract business. “We are looking at areas that can bring value-addition and beneficiation, for example, value-addition and beneficiation for agricultural products and minerals, and also businesses that can create a lot of employment,” he said. The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front won last year’s elections on the back of empowerment through land reform and indigenisation but it has so far failed to turn around the economy which continues on a downward slide prompting the opposition to say the party was able to rig elections but cannot rig the economy.

Nikuv not printing Zimbabwe passports!
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi said today he was hearing it for the first time that Israeli company Nikuv was printing passports on behalf of the registrar-general’s office. He had been asked by Movement for Democratic Change senator and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Lillian Timveous to clarify the claim that Nikuv was printing Zimbabwean passports. “I am not aware of that. I am hearing it for the first time,” he said in his short response. Nikuv was accused of rigging last year’s elections in favour of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. Private media reported in December that it had landed the contract to print Zimbabwe passports. There have also been media reports that it is working on rigging the 2018 elections.

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