Top stories for the week October 21-25

Chinese smuggler arrested- A 34-year-old Chinese man was arrested at Harare airport today while trying to smuggle ivory, chopsticks and jewellery worth $28 250. He was trying to board a flight to Malaysia. “He was found with 17 raw pieces of ivory and several of worked ivory, which included bangles, chop sticks and beads weighing 113.9 kilogrammes,” authorities said.

No security reforms

President Robert Mugabe today scoffed at calls for security sector reforms saying they were futile attempts by the West to effect regime change. He said service chiefs would remain in their positions despite calls by the West for security sector reforms. “All these service chiefs came a long way. They were selfless and dedicated to liberate the country from colonialism. They grew up in the struggle after joining at a very tender age. Now they say they want to reform the security sector and remove the country’s liberators yet you refused to fight in the bush? They brought independence, why would we unsettle them like that?” he asked.

China and Africa

China has become an important capital market that Africa should take advantage of to meet its capital needs because of its $3 trillion reserve, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Foreign Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa said today. “The arrival of China on the global market has democratized capital. Africa now has the ability to weigh on who is giving them options on capital,” Mutsvangwa said.

Zimbabwe lost $2 billion through corruption

Zimbabwe lost $2 billion through corruption last year Zimbabwe Revenue Authority boss Gershom Pasi said. The fight against corruption, he said “should be grounded in the doctrine and philosophy of ubuntu, a concept whose foundation was based on sound human relations in African societies. It is a deep-rooted African philosophy that carries high values of caring, sharing, inclusivity, compassion, and communalism”.

Tax revenue down

Zimbabwe’s tax revenue was down by 3 percent in the quarter July to September. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority today said it collected $897 million against a target of $905 million. Mining royalties were 39 percent below projections. Individual tax collections rose 23 percent.

Tsvangirai says ZANU-PF used diamonds to steal elections

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai today said senior Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front leaders and military generals smuggled 30 000 carats of diamonds in April and May to raise funds which they used to steal the 31 July elections. He said that he had “impeccable information” on how the 30 000 carats were sold through an intermediary in Angola.

I am not a rotten thinker-Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe today said he was not a rotten thinker. He is a complete Zimbabwean. Mugabe said that he was misunderstood right up from independence because the British claimed he thought like them. “They said publicly in the 1980s that the problem with Mugabe is that he thinks like us, goodness me! How can I think like them? I will be a rotten thinker to think like them.”

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