Top stories for November 21-25

Raw platinum export ban still on- Zimbabwe is determined to ban exports of raw platinum to force mining companies to refine locally, Mines Minister Walter Chidakwa said today. Mining companies were given two years to build a refinery in the country but have not done so. They export raw platinum to South Africa. President Robert Mugabe said the mining companies must not be surprised if the government bans export of raw platinum because they were given time to build a refinery but did not do so. Zimbabwe is currently the third largest producer of platinum after South Africa and Russia. Mining companies said they need to produce at least 500000 ounces that justify the creation of a smelter but Chidakwa said this was a lame excus. “It is something else that drives them not to go that route, but we are determined. As government we will be announcing measures on what we will do to ensure that a refinery is set up.”

Why Air Zimbabwe is getting no takers
The national airline Air Zimbabwe is failing to get partners because of its debts and the fact that it is failing to resolve salary disputes with its employees. Air Zimbabwe, one of the parastatals that the government wants to privatise, has a debt of about US$140 million and owes its employees over US$40 million. Transport secretary Munesu Munodawafa said: “We have quietly tried to discuss partnerships with potential investors who do not want their names to be mentioned and their key message was that they cannot partner with a company which is not operating. I have talked to five international airlines and almost all of them said they wanted to partner with an airline that is operating and basically they were also saying we should sort out the labour issues.”

ZANU-PF elections next Saturday
The Zimbabwe African National Union- Patriotic Front today decided to hold all the remaining seven provincial elections simultaneously next Saturday. The decision was reached after a six-hour meeting of the party’s highest body, the politburo, which was chaired by President Robert Mugabe who had been out of the country for a week. The party will provide all the logistics. The politburo also endorsed the elections held in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and the Midlands. Party chairman Simon Khaya Moyo will work on the programme for the impending polls while ministers of State responsible for the seven provinces and the provincial chairpersons will meet on Wednesday to prepare for the elections. Party spokesman Rugare Gumbo dismissed reports that elections held so far had been chaotic arguing: “I don’t know where people are getting this notion that ZANU-PF is chaotic from. It’s a creation of the media. It is you, journalists, who want to project the party in a negative way.”

Nothing to do with succession
Information Minister Jonathan Moyo today said the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front provincial elections have nothing to do with succession because there is no vacancy in the leadership of the party, the government and the country. He said the fact that the politburo had endorsed the results of the elections in Manicaland, Mashonaland Central and Midlands did not mean that there were no irregularities. It had done so to foster the closing of ranks in the party by letting bygones be bygones.

Comply with new constitution
Amnesty International today said it is concerned about Zimbabwe’s continued harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and called on the government to immediately repeal or amend all laws that are not aligned with the new Constitution. It said laws such as the Public Order and Security Act and the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act were used in the past to deny people their rights to freedom expression, association and peaceful assembly. The human rights body made the call in its report entitled: Human Rights Agenda for the New Government – 2013 to 2018- to mark President Robert Mugabe’s first 100 days in power since winning the elections on 31 July. Ironically, Amnesty’s call came on the same day that two human rights defenders, Abel Chikomo and Beatrice Mtetwa, were set free by the courts.

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