Top stories for November 11-15

Zimbabwe and China sign $320m power deal – Zimbabwe and China today signed a $320 million power deal for the expansion of the Kariba South Hydro Power Project which will boost electricity generation by 300 megawatts. The deal was signed by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Zhu Hongjie president of the China Exim Bank which provided a loan of $319.5 million payable over 20 years at 2 percent interest. The Zimbabwe Power Company will provide only 10 percent of the project cost which is $35.4 million. The project is expected to take four years and will be carried out by a Chinese company Sino Hydro.

Play local music or else
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo has called on local radio stations to play local music or face the wrath of the law. The Broadcasting Services Act, which Moyo introduced a decade ago when he held the same portfolio, stipulates that radio stations should broadcast 75 percent local content including music. One radio station with his links to his deputy Supa Mandiwanzira said it could not meet the requirement because local music was of poor quality and was not popular with its listeners. Moyo said radio stations should stop giving that excuse when they were not doing anything to improve the quality of the music. “We will not accept them complaining to justify not meeting the requirement. We will legislate to punish them,” he said.

Tomana now prosecutor-general
Former attorney-general Johannes Tomana was today sworn in as the country’s first prosecutor-general in terms of the new constitution and will serve for the next six years. The new constitution separates the role of the attorney-general and that of the prosecutor-general. The AG is the government’s chief legal adviser while the PG heads the National Prosecuting Authority. The hunt is now on for a new attorney-general. Tomana survived a five-year onslaught by the Movement for Democratic Change which argued that his appointment by President Robert Mugabe was illegal because Mugabe had not consulted MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai who was Prime Minister-designate at the time.

Jonathan Moyo dissolves ZBC Board
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo today dissolved the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Board and sent chief executive officer Happison Muchechetere on leave until further notice. He said that the decision was taken in order to enable an audit of the national broadcaster and to facilitate the crafting and implementation of the long delayed turnaround strategy for the organisation. Allan Chiweshe, the general manager Radio Services, has been appointed acting CEO.

Jonathan Moyo dissolves ZBC Board
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo today dissolved the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Board and sent chief executive officer Happison Muchechetere on leave until further notice. He said that the decision was taken in order to enable an audit of the national broadcaster and to facilitate the crafting and implementation of the long delayed turnaround strategy for the organisation. Allan Chiweshe, the general manager Radio Services, has been appointed acting CEO.

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