Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Government is disgusted by the way the European Union treated the First Family ahead of the recent EU-Africa Summit in Belgium.
Zimbabwe pulled out of the summit after the bloc denied the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe a visa and insisted on determining the entire African delegation to the summit. The EU initially did not invite President Mugabe and only invited Zimbabwe, despite the fact that in diplomatic norms Heads of State are in their personal capacities.

Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo told British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Deborah Bronnert, at his offices in Harare yesterday that Zimbabwe was unhappy with the bloc’s behaviour. “The Minister made it clear that the way our Head of State and Government was treated was unfair,” said a source privy to what was discussed in the meeting.

“Her posture was that it was only the President who had been affected but the Minister told her that what affects the Head of State affects us as well. The Minister told her that it would seem Britain is still in the way and could have played a role in what happened.

“But she said the EU decides on consensus. She said Britain is not standing in the way against countries in the bloc. The minister also asked on the existence of continued bad relations between the two countries and she said she would continue to facilitate good relations.” Ambassador Bronnert was interested in knowing Prof Moyo’s position on criminal defamation following the arrests on Monday of Daily News group editor Stanley Gama and reporter Fungisai Kwaramba over a story that accused businessman Mr Kamal Khalfan of shady dealings and homosexuality.

Prof Moyo reiterated that the arrests were unnecessary and individuals should not pursue personal matters through the police.

“The Minister re-affirmed his position on the issue but went on to explain the processes involved,” said a source.

“He said it is the process that matters on laws, and that the process of re-alignment of various laws to the Constitution are already underway. He made particular reference to the fundamental rights provided for in the new Constitution saying there was no way Zimbabwe could be against freedom of the Press.”

The source said Prof Moyo explained to Ambassador Bronnert the process of commercial radio licencing.

“She also showed interest in transparency around salary-gate and Government’s position on the issue. The Minister assured her that Zimbabwe upholds transparency.
“He took her through the process of how the issues came to the fore,” said the source. Ambassador Bronnert said they discussed several issues. We talked about plans for radio licencing, television licencing; what will happen next year when Zimbabwe as well as everywhere else when the analogue system is switched off and the digital revolution which is going across the world is going to have an impact on Zimbabwe,” she said.

Albert Chavhunduka
MDC-T has expelled its deputy treasurer-general Mr Elton Mangoma and three other senior party members on allegations of insubordination and violating the party’s constitution.Other members who were fired include national executive member Mr Last Maengehama, youth secretary-general Promise Mkwananzi and former director in the then Prime Minister’s Office Mr Jacob Mafume.

The decision was taken at the party’s national council meeting held at Harvest House in Harare yesterday.

A decision was also taken to set a disciplinary committee that would rule on the fate of suspended Manicaland provincial chairperson and spokesperson Mr Julius Magarangoma and Mr Pishayi Muchauraya respectively.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said Mr Mangoma had become a loose cannon in the party dishing out party secrets to the media. “The national council, acting in terms of clause 5.11 of the constitution, decided to summarily expel Mr Mangoma from the party not for the offences that are before the court but for the subsequent offences that he did commit,” said Mr Mwonzora.

“The national executive and the national council noted further that subsequent to the charges laid before him, Mr Mangoma continued with transgressions complained of, in particular, he continued going to the press denigrating the image of the party, holding parallel meetings in the party and fanning factionalism in relation to the new offences he is said to have committed.”

Mr Mwonzora said they gave Mr Mangoma and his accomplices a few days to write a convincing response for the party to rescind its decision.

He said, “In relation to Mr (Jacob) Mafume, (Last) Maengehama and (Promise) Mkwananzi — the national executive found that they had fundamentally breached the rules of the party while senior leadership was in the process of finding each other and while party unity was being worked upon,” he said.

Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Christopher Mushohwe appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Commitee yeaterday.

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Christopher Mushohwe wrote to at least one diamond mining company instructing it to deposit money in a bank account he said belonged to the US$50 million Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust.Minister Mushohwe yesterday at first denied before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment that he had made such an instruction.

However, committee chair, MP for Gokwe-Nembudziya Cde Justice Wadyajena (Zanu-PF), produced a letter signed by the minister to that effect and the senior Government official conceded he had indeed issued the instruction.

Minister Mushohwe was summoned before the committee after Anjin Investments board member Mr Munyaradzi Machacha told Parliamentarians recently that the minister had given them an account number to deposit money for the trust.

Mr Machacha also said the diamond mining firm did not know the Marange-Zimunya trustees and Minister Mushohwe was their point man.

Minister Mushohwe told the committee: “I have never written to them. If they have a letter from me giving them an account number which is not an account number of the Trust, I would be very happy to be availed that communication . . . Not to my knowledge.”

Cde Wadyajena then produced a letter which Minister Mushohwe wrote in September 2012 to Anjin Investments giving them the trust’s account number.

Minister Mushohwe then said: “Chairman, like I said that I can’t remember and you may recall that I did indicate that Minister (Saviour) Kasukuwere (then Indigenisation Minister) wrote to me asking me to ensure that the companies had to fulfil their pledges.

“Indeed, I wrote it. It was a response to Minister Kasukuwere’s request and I think it’s perfect that I would have done that but I had forgotten that I wrote that letter. Yes, this is a letter from my office . . . This is my signature. But I am glad that the account that is there is for Marange-Zimunya Community Trust.”

The minister presented correspondence he said was from the Indigenisation Ministry to the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, as well as a letter from Minister Kasukuwere, asking him to follow up on pledges made by diamond mining companies to the trust. Each of the five diamond miners was to put up US$10 million.
Cde Wadyajena asked Minister Mushohwe why some of the 2012 letters had April 2014 date stamps.

Minister Mushohwe responded: “The letter of the 5th of September written to the permanent secretary by Mrs Mupanduki (then Manicaland director in the Indigenisation Ministry) was written to that ministry and all the stamps on this letter are from the ministry.

“I can’t comment why the dates on the stamps are different . . . This is from the ministry . . . I only got a copy that was copied to me. What I am saying is this one which says 4 April 2014, it went to the director of Indigenisation and this one says it went to the Ministry of Youth.

“I am sure the ministry can explain because I can’t comment on stamps from a ministry which is not my ministry. I can’t comment on internal communications of a ministry which is not under me.”

Bikita East MP Cde Kennedy Matimba (Zanu-PF) insisted that Minister Mushohwe explain why some letters directed to him were dated 2012 but had April 2014 date stamps.
Minister Mushohwe said he received the letters about three days ago.

“That one was addressed to me, yes and I got mine then but I couldn’t get it . . . I did ask Minister Kasukuwere, I said ‘I have misplaced a copy of the letter that you addressed to me’ because I thought it was relevant. So he provided me with a copy.”

When Cde Wadyajena asked him to confirm that Minister Kasukuwere had given him a copy of the letter, Minister Mushohwe then said: “From his office – no, no. The one from Minister Kasukuwere, I got that one from the Ministry of Indigenisation.

“I asked them . . . I said Minister Kasukuwere wrote to me when he was minister, I can’t locate my copy, and can you favour me with a copy because I thought that letter was important for me to bring here and they did help me.”

Goromonzi West MP Cde Beatrice Nyamupinga (Zanu-PF) sought to know how Minister Mushohwe followed up on diamond mining companies’ trust pledges when he did not have the letters from Minister Kasukuwere until about three days ago.

Minister Mushohwe appeared to not directly answer the question and said ideally Minister Kasukuwere should have copied the letters and pledges to him.
MDC legislator for Bulawayo Ms Jasmine Toffa asked how many companies Minister Mushohwe had followed up on and what their responses were.

Minister Mushohwe said he only followed up on Anjin Investments.

MDC-T MP for Nketa Mr Phelela Masuku quizzed the minister on allegations that he and his family were flown to China on holiday by a diamond mining company.
He also asked if Mr Brian Mushohwe (Minister Mushohwe’s nephew), was appointed to the Jinan board as some sort of kickback.

Minister Mushohwe said he started going to China in 2001 when he was Transport Minister and facilitated Air Zimbabwe’s deal to become the first African airline to land in Beijing. He said he played a leading role in fostering Sino-Zimbabwe relations.

Minister Mushohwe then talked about how he helped ensure most rural areas get NetOne mobile phone coverage. Cde Wadyajena interjected, asking Minister Mushohwe to just answer if he had been flown to China.

“I never was flown to China. I often go to China . . . I have a son who is studying in China. I could go to China for holiday but I am not taken by a company. (To) say we are flying you because you have done one, two, and three, no! That’s not correct,” said Minister Mushohwe.

He said then Mines Minister Dr Obert Mpofu appointed Mr Brian Mushohwe to the Jinan board on merit.

Ms Toffa also asked if he knew about a South African company called Sambiri Diamond Holdings.

“I do not know a company called Sambiri Diamonds in South Africa but my family registered a company called Sambiri Diamonds. Sambiri, that’s my totem; and my son who did a programme in (diamond) cutting and polishing in South Africa is the one who is trying to look for partners but that has not materialised,” Minister Mushohwe said.

Minister Nhema

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Government is carrying out a comprehensive audit of the operations of Community Share Ownership Trusts following allegations that some trusts abused funds while some companies failed to honour their pledges.Youth Development, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister Francis Nhema this week said the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board was conducting the audit to ensure the trusts serve the people and improve livelihoods in line with the objectives of Zim-Asset.

It is understood that about 15 companies have so far disbursed US$31 million to communities they are operating in.

Although in some cases life-transforming projects were undertaken, some trusts were failing to justify their allocations.

Corporate governance experts have queried NIEEB’s capacity to undertake the audit and coming up with an independent result given that it is actively involved in the operations of the CSOTs.

Minister Nhema said the audit was not a witch-hunt, but indicated that Government would get to the bottom of the matter.

“We want to establish whether it is true that there are some trusts who have not used their money wisely and we want an  explanation,” he said. “We will then correct the anomalies. We must appreciate that it is the first time that we are having Community Trusts and, therefore, there is need for us to train and educate our people on how the trusts work.”

Minister Nhema said NIEEB was ensuring the CSOTs were registered and that the composition of their boards was properly constituted.
He said the board would also check on the disbursements made and ensure the money was in proper accounts.

“NIEEB will also look at the projects being undertaken by the CSOTs whether they are the projects which the CSOT was established to do.”

With regards to the Marange-Zimunya Trust where mining firms were being accused of reneging on their pledges, Minister Nhema said people who were finger pointing at the companies had not contributed anything towards development in their respective communities.

“The question is, imimi vacho vari kuita curious what have you pledged? I like people who say ini I have contributed this much so also make your contribution.
“That is positivity. We will never develop because our focus is not that of development,” he said.

Minister Nhema said CSOTs were a new concept in Zimbabwe and were not immune to challenges.

“We must also appreciate that we are looking at various stakeholders some of whom have not run a business before, some of whom have never been in governance and therefore it is important to educate them on how to run CSOTs,” he said.

“CSOTs are the answer to development in rural areas because it takes on the needs of the people, the stakeholders are on the ground, they are the ones affected on a daily basis so they respond quickly to issues that they deem to be necessary for the improvement of their lives.”

Corporate governance expert Ms Tsitsi Mutasa said for Government to task NIEEB to undertake the audit was tantamount to marking its own examination paper.
“If Government is really for transparency, it should engage an external person,” she said.

She said NIEEB was actively involved in issues relating to the operating of CSOTs which made it an interested party.

Agriculture Reporter
Cold weather being experienced in many parts of the country will last until next week, the Meteorological Services Department has said. Met Services head of forecasting Mr Tich Zinyemba said the country was transiting from summer to winter.“As such, nights are becoming longer; the sun is setting early and getting relatively cool at the same time.  The last few days have been characterised by cold weather and rain and drizzle throughout the country,” he said.

Mr Zinyemba attributed the cold weather to an influx of moist and cold air from the Indian Ocean that has resulted in general cloudiness and drop in both day and night temperatures.

He said cool temperatures would continue until next Wednesday and thereafter warmer weather would set in. Mr Zinyemba said Zimbabwe’s winter usually started in May, ending in August.

“Due to climate change, it would be difficult to say or know whether we are going to have an early winter or not.  It is prudent however to take note of daily weather bulletins from the Meteorological Services Department,” he said.

Chinhoyi Bureau
A four-year-old Chegutu boy died and four other pedestrians, including his sister and mother are hospitalised after a car veered off the road and hit them while they were walking in Chegutu.The boy whose name has not been released as his next of kin have not yet been notified was among several people walking along the road when the accident occurred.

Tragedy struck when the driver of a Toyota Raum, Maxwell Matumba (41) who was travelling to Shurugwi from Harare lost control of the vehicle and it veered off  at the 106-kilometre peg in Chegutu along the Harare-Bulawayo Road hitting five people who were taken to hospital and the boy died on admission.

Police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the incident adding that investigations into the cause of the accident were still in progress.
Insp Mabgweazara urged motorists to observe speed limits.

Dr Olivia Muchena

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
A report on the probe into operations of the Higher Education Examinations Council will next week be tabled in Cabinet. The report noted that the person running the examination database is not qualified for the job and that the entire database is housed on flash drives and has no back-up.Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Olivia Muchena, who ordered the probe, said the report could be presented to Parliament if Cabinet adopts it.

The probe confirmed, as reported by The Herald, that Mr Francis Taivavashe — appointed to set up and manage the database by the then acting director for standards development and quality assurance Mr Joyce Mbudzi and with authority from Higher Education Secretary Dr Washington Mbizvo — had no IT qualification as required.

It also said some Hexco board members were clueless on their responsibilities. Dr Muchena said it was premature for her to comment on the report.

“We don’t know who leaked the report, but we have to take it to Cabinet first before we table it before Parliament. Before we do that, I cannot comment on its contents.”
Dr Muchena said this on the sidelines of a workshop attended by senior Government and university officials to review legal statutes governing institutions of higher learning.

Her deputy Dr Godfrey Gandawa, who led the Hexco probe, added: ‘‘I am not comfortable to discuss our findings before we present them to Cabinet.”

The Herald reported in February that Dr Mbizvo approved the appointment of Mr Taivavashe, an automotive precision machinist, to oversee the exams database yet the job requires an IT expert.

Mr Taivavashe designed, installed, operationalised and individually managed the database of all testing of tertiary students in the country. It is unclear who actually owns the system he set up.

Because no one supervised him, he could do as he pleased with the database.

On reviewing of legal statutes governing universities, Dr Muchena said all institutions should adopt a business approach to their operations.

“We have observed duplication of duties and neglect of areas, she said. We have deliberated on that and one of their suggestions is that universities should look at the Act of Parliament that governs their operations.  We want to run universities with a business approach.”

Dr Gandawa said universities should respond to industry’s demands.

“A person who graduates today might not be equipped with what the industry needs. There is that skills gap between universities and industry,” he said.

Senior Reporter
Zesa Holdings is increasing the number of vendors selling pre-paid electricity tokens from three to eight next month. The power utility will also introduce scratch cards and enable consumers to buy electricity using mobile phones.CBZ, NetOne and ZB Bank will be joined by Petrotrade, Zimpost, POSB, Agribank and TelOne in selling electricity tokens.

Energy and Power Development Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire told journalists in Harare on Wednesday that, “At the end of the month Zesa should be able to have connected all those new outlets. In addition, there will also be a scratch card method of paying and that will be also available at the end of the month.”

Minister Mavhaire said the pre-paid system would change people’s attitudes towards electricity consumption as they would have to manage their own use.

“This time the gadget is very simple, if you use the money you have paid, nobody is going to come to your area to switch off your lights, the system will automatically at the end of your money switch off and as soon as you pay your bill through the various methods we have put in place,” he said.

He said Zesa Holdings subsidiary PowerTel will be the new billing system’s aggregator.

Moleen Machingura Herald Reporter
Nearly 1,3 million Zimbabweans are blind and the majority will end up developing common vision-loss due to cataract related ailments, a University of Zimbabwe ophthalmologist said.UZ ophthalmology (vision and eye science) Prof Rangarirai Masanganise said this at a ceremony to commission optometry equipment worth US$120 000 which was donated by Cimas Medical Aid Society at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital in Harare.

“I can tell you that 10 percent of the total Zimbabwean population is blind,” he said. “Almost everyone in this country will also end up using reading glasses because of cataracts.”

Prof Masanganise said over 10 000 per million children have refractive errors which is a condition whereby they cannot focus parallel rays of light on the retina.
He said the establishment of the Optometry Training Unit would help increase the number of optometrists in the country.

“There are only two ophthalmologists per million people and 10 optometrists for the same number of people,” he said.  “The establishment of the Unit is going to ease pressure on them.”

He said there was no optometrist training in Zimbabwe and the first batch may be recruited beginning next year.

“The establishment of the Optometrist Training Unit is a move in the right direction because optometrists will now be trained in Zimbabwe,” Prof Masanganise said. “This will not only help in easing pressure on the available optometrists but will also help in the provision of optometrist services in public hospitals.”

He called on the Ministry of Health and Child Care to create positions for optometrists.

“We are requesting the Ministry of Health to create posts for the optometrists within the public health sector since there were none,” he said. “The Ministry of Finance should also come on board to support the Training Unit as well as the running of the new programme.”

According to the World Health Organisation about 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide while 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision. About 90 percent of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries.

Herald Reporter
The resumption of full production at New Zimsteel should start by mid-year when Government is expected to have sealed loose ends on the Essar deal that it signed with the Indian firm, Parliament heard.Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Chiratidzo Mabuwa said a lot of work and discussions were on going and in the next few weeks people would begin to see “concrete evidence of progress.”

Deputy Minister Mabuwa said this in Senate while responding to a question from Manicaland Senator Mr Patrick Chitaka (MDC-T) who wanted her to give a specific time frame when operations should be expected to resume at the Redcliff based steel firm.

She told the Upper House that while giving specific dates was problematic, Government was certain that conclusion of loose ends would have been made by June this year.

“If I were talking to senators on their own, I would come up with specific dates but for us to now start quoting dates in the media, it becomes a little bit suicidal in case that plane does not land with Mr X with whom we anticipate that in the next few days, as I have said, we are anticipating closure,” said Deputy Minister Mabuwa.

“But you can take it from me that it will not be in the next year or will it be in the second half of the year. We intend the closure to be within the first half of this year.”
Sen Chitaka said it had been a long time since the nation had been given assurances that operations would resume but nothing had materialised.

“Madam President, let me tell this Senate that in the next few days, there will be concrete evidence of the progress because we are going towards the conclusion of the initial stages of the revival of Zisco through Essar.

“That will also be the second stage whereby production will also have started. The third phase should be introduced soon and we will also be happy to see that Ziscosteel has regained its performance because we will have realised reasonable production.”

Acting President Joice Mujuru welcomes outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Kwang-chul Lew at her Munhumutapa Offices in Harare yesterday

Herald Reporter
South Korean companies are keen to invest in Zimbabwe and strengthen the bilateral relations existing between the two countries, outgoing Seoul ambassador to Harare Mr Kwang-Chul Lew said yesterday. The envoy paid a courtesy call on Acting President Joice Mujuru at her Munhumutapa Offices to bid her farewell. Mr Kwang said Zimbabwe’s economy had great potential to become one the best on the continent.

“I came to say goodbye to Her Excellency (Acting President Mujuru) and we discussed a number of issues. The country has economic potential and we have a number of South Korean companies who want to come and invest in the country once the requirements are agreed on,” he said.

“It is my hope that we are going to strengthen economic relations that are beneficiary to the two countries.”

He said Zimbabwe’s strength in mining and agriculture would take the country far.

“Zimbabwe has four pillars of the economy which include mining, agriculture, manufacturing, trade and commerce and I don’t know which one is going to make a big impact first but these pillars will take them far as far as the growth of the economy is concerned,” Mr Kwang said.

“It is these areas that must be used and properly managed to develop the country’s industry to a high level.”

He said South Korean companies were interested in infrastructure, energy and resources development.

“During my tenure a number of Zimbabwean ministers have gone to South Korea to exchange ideas and several delegations have come here to discuss business. This must continue to be consolidated,” he said.

South Korea, which is a strong ally of the United States, has maintained good, cordial and co-operative ties with Zimbabwe since the establishment of diplomatic ties with Harare in 1994.

The country has rendered assistance to Zimbabwe in various sectors including agriculture, health, education, energy, technical training as well as water and sanitation.

A corrupt society is one where power — be it political, commercial or personal — is routinely abused by means of bribery, threats, extortion or any other dishonest means of seeking personal gain.It is thus no wonder that corruption harms everybody and curtails economic development at whatever level it occurs.

Zimbabweans have been frustrated in recent months by the frightening level of corruption in State enterprises, parastatals and local authorities — which comprise the bulk of the public sector in economic terms — where senior managers have been paying themselves mega packages in what has now been termed “salarygate”.

The lack of good corporate governance in State enterprises, parastatals and local authorities has been glaring, leaving the bosses to do as they pleased for the past five years, at the very least.

Yet good corporate governance is important in every sphere of society, whether corporate environment, the political environment of the general society. It helps improve public faith and confidence in the political environment and this is why there should be concerted efforts to fight corruption and uphold the national interest.

And the majority of the executives who have been enriching themselves are well aware of these basic facts of good corporate governance.

It is against this background that we welcome the call by former High Court judge Justice Moses Chinhengo for Parliament to enact a code of conduct for Vice Presidents, and Cabinet ministers and their deputies to ensure accountability and to tackle corruption and abuse of office.

The scandals that have hit the parastatals in which the chief executives and other senior executives were awarding themselves huge salaries that are not commensurate with their performance and service delivery have heightened the need to have a code of conduct.

The salary and tender scandals have been taking place in the presence of permanent secretaries and ministers, and had these officers been carrying out their oversight roles, such malpractices would not have taken place or would at least have been curtailed.

Last year alone the executives in State enterprises and parastatals gobbled US$133 million in salaries and allowances, a figure that could have been drastically reduced were it not for corruption and the lack of corporate governance in the organisations.

Corruption harms everybody because it is based on injustice and there is no economic and social development to talk about in an economy riddled with such levels of graft.
This is why Justice Chinhengo’s call for a code of conduct should be taken seriously if we are to turn around the fortunes of our country.

There must certainly be a code of conduct that the politicians must abide by, that instructs their operations and conduct when they hold public office.
They should declare the assets they hold upon assuming public office and upon leaving. This enhances transparency and accountability.

The consequences of being caught offside must clearly be spelt out in the code of conduct. It should not just be a document but should be enforceable with those that violate held to account.

It must be clear on the offences and the punishments stemming from them for any violations of the code of conduct.

Going by reports carried by the local media in recent months, it is a fact that corruption is bleeding the economy and only benefiting a few selfish people.

That all this corruption and poor corporate governance was taking place right under the watch of Cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries is what gives weight to the call for Parliament to enact a code of conduct and ethics for senior Government officials.

It is our hope that the call by Justice Chinhengo does not fall on deaf ears as doing so would spell disaster for the country because self-interest will continue to override the national interest.

The speedy enactment and implementation of such a code would do the country more good than harm and the faster authorities take heed of it, the better for us all.

Vince Musewe

ONE key attribute the lack of which stands us out as a weak people, a weak nation, is being able to sum up each stage in, and of, our lives. The absence of that attribute makes us both an unconscious and goal-less people, bringing us uncomfortably closer to beasts of the wild. We are creatures of instinct and habit, unconscious players. Unconscious because we seem unable to encompass, digest and summarise the journey we have travelled so far, the time we have lived to here and now. Goal-less because if it had been otherwise, our set goals would in turn have tested and even benchmarked how we have fared so far, how we hope to fare and what promises our present circumstances hold for us as we pursue future ventures. In that incapacity we are both unique and puzzling, the more so when measured against our much vaunted literacy.

The case of India

I am expecting no more from us than is mundanely done by other societies, other peoples, other nations. As I write this piece, I have before me a small book titled “An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions”. Written by Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen, this 2013 publication comes under a year before India’s general elections which are upon us. India’s general elections have repeatedly showed India as the most workable democracy under the sun. India is populous, well in excess of a billion souls. That makes it the largest democracy, and even the noisiest in other people’s decibel reckoning. But its history, geography, demography, religion, caste and class system arguably also make it the most fraction-prone nation, leaving one supremely amazed at how it has held together for so long, and in spite of itself. Of course to say this is not to romanticise India, to gloss over its faults or warts. Its history has had violent moments, very bloody chapters many of which were triggered by assassination of its leaders, starting with the ill-fated Gandhi family. But all this is to wonder off the point.

Jean Dreze

Turning to own luminaries

“Uncertain Glory” is a product of two top minds, one from outside India,  another from within India itself, even though engaged in the diaspora. The team represents India’s search for balance. As some of my readers may know, Amartya Sen is an Indian-born, Harvard professor of Economics who won the 1998 Nobel Prize for the same discipline.

He coined the notion of “entitlement” in the field of development economics and administration. It turned out to be a handy analytical concept, one which has influenced Third World scholarship in a marked way. To him India turned for a summary of the road it has travelled since 1947 when it gained Independence, and mostly lately when it has joined the Asian Tigers as an economic miracle. “Uncertain Glory” sums up India’s existential moment, even passing a verdict on it.

Hallmark of a great people

Of course from afar, we “see” India’s fame undiminished, her glory flourishing. But from within, introspective India sees worries and anxieties belied which that world-wide fame belies. India is wistful. Her growth is slowing down. Social tensions are beginning to register, last year’s sensational, fatal rape of a young Indian girl being but a blotting dot on the map of her dark auguries, of her uncertain future. It is, in my view, that ability to discern points of weakness amidst flourishing glory, albeit residual, which marks great nations. Or the obverse: the ability to see incipient rise amidst enveloping gloom. Both suggest a people taking periodic stock, a people able to encompass its circumstances, able to read itself ahead of shaping or gathering reality. It means a people able to fill its national space in all its spheres, grasp it in total and, on that basis, able to forge a preferred destiny.

A nation that counts itself

So, the two economists were invited to assess India’s moment, amidst pointers to waning growth, possibly threatened glory. The actual book (penguin) has a mere 287 pages, quite small for so populous a country, one predictably facing so populous a set of issues. Here is the amazing aspect of the book. It has a statistical appendix from pages 287 to 336. These statistics are drawn minimally from world sources, maximally from national sources. The Central Statistical Office, the Reserve Bank of India, the Ministry of Finance, the National Sample Survey, the National Family Health Surveys, the Sample Registration Survey and the Indian Human Development Survey. India counts its actions, records its activities, right across the whole gamut of its endeavours. Nothing is left to conjecture. At the time of writing the book, India’s statistical data took one to 2011, a mere year short of the time of the research, a mere two years to its publication date. For me how accurate, how complete, how current, a nation’s statistics are, determines whether that nation makes history or dumbly lives through it. I shudder to imagine how my country Zimbabwe fares by this measure. History’s eminent zombie!

The vice of patience

The book itself recognises no sacred cows, turning India upside down absolutely, and with no restraint of demanded reverence. And its last chapter is titled “The need for Impatience”.  A section in this closing chapter is worth recording here. Quoting from Ambrose Bierce’s “The Devil’s Dictionary”, the writers assert that “patience is a minor form of despair, disguised as virtue”. India, they add, must shun “adaptive submission” and begin to challenge and agitate for a further forward march, well away from its caste-ridden status quo.

Nothing must be acceptable, taken for granted, or be allowed to beat back national curiosity, national questioning, national experiment and progress. Nothing must be frozen. This sounds agitative, subversive even. Here is a nation which is not afraid of disequilibria, itself a trait of a people who are conscious actors on the national and world stage. That way, India has reversed its Raj-time cruel verdict as an unthinking, unquestioning fatalistic nation. It has turned itself into an “empire of opinion”, shunning the languid, lazy state of phlegm or gobble. Shunning the opposite, which is gratuitous but thoughtless anger never ever grounded in grasped reality. Such as we got this week from the perennially bitter Musewe who thinks everything in Zimbabwe needs overhauling. Except of course himself and his bald thinking that societies ever overhaul from ignorance!

“The trouble with Nigeria”

I hear a defensive response: we are not India; we are not Indians. Of course we aren’t. Here is the case of Nigeria. One key publication to come out of Nigeria — a Nigeria from its prostrate days of routine mis-governance by generals — was Achebe’s “The Trouble with Nigeria”. It is a booklet, very small, but one packed with dynamite, one delivering sturdy volumes both by content and style. Through it, Achebe projected anger, bitter disappointment with his country, his people, his nation. He put Nigeria’s “trouble” fully and squarely on its leadership, a leadership whose manifold failures had created spectacularly pervasive national indiscipline and disorder, cumbersome inertia that robbed it of a future.

Ambrose Bierce

One week of order

He even hungered after Muartala Mohammed, another soldier in power, but short-lived. In one week of tough leadership, he had restored national discipline, showing the missing ingredient was a disciplined leadership. Here was a devastating indictment, one which I am sure sickened even the author as he penned each page, face showing vinegar-sourness. But it did the trick. It triggered a national and even continental debate which enabled Nigeria to encompass its moment, warts and all. That began Nigeria’s painful, protracted renewal, until that African country got to today when it surpasses South Africa as Africa’s foremost economy. Of course Nigeria might very well be well-served by heeding the authors of Uncertain Glory who urge for a fearless tackling of glaring inequities, the ending of national unevenness.  But give it to the Nigerians: to “re-base” your economy as they have just done, one needs to be a conscious actor. We are not.

“It is believed” mantra

Coming to Zimbabwe, one nearly despairs. Economically we don’t know our worth. I have written about this before, and will continue to do so in future. We don’t know our subsoil assets. We excuse ourselves by cosily telling each other what lies beneath is unknown, unknowable, belongs to God above! That is our mind:  primitive, uncurious.

Okay, let’s grant that excuse. What of that which happens on the surface of national being, our national economic activity which is not subterranean but unfolds right before our eyes? Do we know it? The national economic activity, can we know it, sum it? Of course not, and the English have given us a handy phrase: “it is believed . . .” It is believed that Zimbabwe is a 7 billion-dollar, 14 billion-dollar economy. Of this, $5 billion, $6 billion, $8 billion is believed to be circulating outside the banking sector. It is believed that Zimbabwe is losing $4 billion in revenue through smuggling.

It is believed that the 13 tonnes of gold sold through official channels represent the value of gold also smuggled. It is believed that Zimbabwe lost half of her diamonds to shady deals. It is believed that Zimbabwe will get 1,2 million tonnes of maize this year. It is believed we are about 13 million Zimbabweans, with half of us believed to be in the diaspora. It is believed that sanctions cost us well over $50 billion. It is believed . . . It is believed . . . It is believed . . . Gees! A nation of staggering imprecision, one hiding behind belief in this scientific age? Just when will we stop believing and start knowing? Is running our own affairs a matter of belief, of faith? How does this it-is-believed mantra help us mark our territory, help tell us where we began, help us tell where we are, where we can be, where we wish to be? Tell us where we stand in the unfolding history, humanity’s ceaseless history? By modern standards, we are prelapsarian!

We won’t digitalise

Meanwhile our daily lives are not that far behind technologically. Our whole lives, behaviours, now revolve around information technologies, penetrating even our rural side. Internet and mobile penetration is among the continent’s highest. And that transition has come with automatic digital generation of national data, most of it lamentably un-captured. Or captured by narrow commercial interests. None of it integrated for a full national picture, for more informed samples or extrapolations. There is the paradox. Information explodes, produces itself effortlessly in our production and execution of daily chores.

But there is no central mind, no centrally felt need, for we are Zimbabweans who live in history, without ever aspiring to shape it, or interpret it even! The only time we took stock was towards 1980 when as a liberation movement, we assembled a group of Zimbabwean scholars, mostly in exile, to produce a comprehensive, stock-taking study. The result was the authoritative Zimbabwe: Towards a New Social Order. Much later, Mandaza edited another effort on the transitional economy. After that zero. Zero!

Development’s agnostics

When did you ever see Zimbabwe’s Statistical Yearbook? Rhodesian one yes. Not a Zimbabwean one. We are happy and contented to “believe”, we, development’s foremost agnostics. The land reform program has no current statistics; the agrarian reforms have no dependable statistics. The economy has no statistics even though enterprises might have. Key activities either go unrecorded or captured imperfectly on a manual system. Deeds Office, geological survey offices, mining claims records, etc, etc. Did Karl Marx not tell us that the foundation of all societies lies in “property relations”. We cannot inventory that primary cell in human affairs! How do we hope to intervene?  Our stubborn reluctance to encompass our moment, to become conscious actors find refuge in wilful technological backwardness. How do we plan? Take stock? Why have we not digitalized  basic, foundational records?

Why?

And criminals have found everlasting hiding nooks in our heavily manualised systems. Nothing moves. Try Deeds Office if you think I am kidding. That is us, a literate, numerate nation which can’t audit itself.

Icho!

nathaniel.manheru@zimpapers.co.zw

Swaga Mama
Some of you have been asking me to discuss the topic of contraceptives in schools. Should condoms and pills and other contraceptives be put in toilets at academic institutions?
Most adults would say no, period. This is based on moral principles and traditional cultural values which say that young people should abstain until marriage, so there will be no discussion on their contraception wants.

Some teens, away from parental and teacher censure would say yes.

They would say that they have the right to choose what to do with their bodies.

Personally I feel that the best thing to do is to let teens have all the information so that they can make informed decisions. But ultimately the adoption of principles is an individual decision.

In the matter of contraceptives in schools, as a parent and a teacher I also say no, those things have no place in our educational institutions and I am going to give you three reasons why.

First of all the argument for putting condoms in schools says many teens are having sex anyway as shown by the number of teen pregnancies, abortions and other indicators.

But I say that just because some teens are making bad choices with their lives, there is no need to then make them the standard by which we view a whole generation.

By putting contraceptives in schools, I feel this is deliberately encouraging students who have decided to abstain to consider becoming sexually active because we will be saying that is the normal thing to do.

Secondly, I think that there is nothing wrong with keeping encouraging young people to delay their sexual debut or to abstain. It is never too late to take a different road in life.

And if teens decide not to take that advice, then they must think out their decision and the walk to the health centre or to the shops will give them the opportunity to do just that.

Finally, my biggest argument is that there are no bedrooms at school. Even in boarding schools there are no facilities for students to use as sex nests.

Those of you who choose to have sex have to make arrangements for places where they can do this.

If you are innovative enough to find a venue, then surely you are clever enough to take care of your contraceptive needs without the help of the school authorities.

At the end of the day, the decisions are yours to make. After all, it is your life to build or ruin, as you choose.

But never forget that the present is the past that you will look back at in the future. Are you going to be filled with regret at the opportunities that you wasted or are you going to feel satisfaction at how you handled your life from the word go?

Bernard Bwoni
This is a unique country, founded on the principles of freedom and emancipation on the backdrop of a protracted liberation war against a system that deliberately and ruthlessly segregated and mutilated on racial grounds. Independence is that exquisite feeling that has given all Zimbabweans and Zimbabwe options to make her decisions and to define their destiny as a sovereignty country.

As Zimbabwe marks 34 years of independence this coming weekend, it is regrettable that many are now associating hard won freedom with the economic problems currently bedevilling the country. That the gallant spirit and selfless sacrifices of those sons and daughters of Zimbabwe who went into that unforgiving bush with that bonafide raison d’être to truly liberate the country is lumped together in the same small corner as the indiscretions of some self-serving individuals without an ounce of the patriotic marrow in their bones is disheartening to say the least.

There are many heroes who just fly beneath the radar, fought gallantly in the bitter liberation struggle and to this day, largely go unnoticed as they get on silently with their lives and in some instances, encounter ridicule from the very same people they helped liberate from draconian and racist regime.

They are not celebrities, they are not on the conference main stage yet they give and have given of themselves for the greater good of Zimbabwe. Their lives inspired and continue to uplift, their spirits transformed political landscape and yet we deliberately forget to acknowledge their totally altruistic forfeiture for the liberation of the majority.

These are men and women who put their lives on hold to fully commit themselves to liberating the country from the darkest depth of colonialism and racist apartheid system to the revered pedestal of the liberties and freedoms we enjoy and take for granted today.

These are the men and women who have been through the mud and mire, enduring unimaginable distress and privation for the love of Zimbabwe. There are many such men and women in Zimbabwe and they all deserve our respect, recognition and reverence, precisely because they did not ask for it, they earned in ways we can only imagine.

Nowadays you often hear statements like ‘smith and Rhodesia was better’ or ‘take us back to when we were under colonial rule’. This is from people who now have that right to vote, that freedom to walk, freedom to exist freedom and be human beings.

This is not playing the ‘colonial card’ but hard facts that things were never ever breezy, cheery and rosy under that Ian Smith and his racist henchmen. Rhodesia was a beautiful country for Rhodesians and not the descendents of Changamire Dombo and Lobengula. That is precisely the reason why arms were taken up against that regime. Rhodesia had some of the most repressive and discriminatory laws which reduced the black Zimbabwean to the end of bottom with impunity.

The Rhodesians, some of them still among us because of the reconciliatory hand of President Mugabe and Zanu-PF, mercilessly maimed and mutilated innocent blacks and today they don the sheep’s clothes as champions of democracy and human rights in independent Zimbabwe.

These are the very same people who poisoned wells and sanctioned the indiscriminate massacres at Chimoio, Tembwe, Nyadzonia and many others. Zimbabwe’s Independence Day is sacred as blood flowed continuously through the beautiful landscape for us to enjoy the freedoms we take casually today. Thanks to President Mugabe we have forgiven the Rhodesian atrocities but will never forget, must never forget.

The liberation struggle was initiated by men and women who said enough was enough of the unrepentant regime and they focused on putting emphasis on cascading real power down to the people, advocating policies that focus on self-sustenance and self-reliance and deconstructing the mind from that neo-colonial structure that continues to render Africans perennially indebted to those who have subdued, subjugated and exploited the Africans continent for centuries. Hushed heads are an embodiment of real power focusing on action instead of words, and have ability to encourage ownership and develop loyalty in unique ways.

The big idea is earning the respect and our heroes earned that. Men and women believed in a cause, fought for that cause displaying conviction minus the complacency. A great many were maimed, massacred by the brazen regime’s callous forces.

Many young men and women got arrested for the cause but never faltered and saw the liberation struggle to its unimaginable bitterness and victorious conclusion.

Silence is golden and certainly easier for those that already have the analytical and introverted behaviours already in place.

These are the men and women who were brought up on the values of the liberation of this country and confident but not over-confident with that ability to think laterally. As Zimbabweans we should define our heroes and relate to them, imagine what drove them to put their lives on hold to get out there and liberate this country. I am deeply indebted to all the heroes who have the country-defining values as part of their deoxyribonucleic acid and the values still ineradicably etched.

Any nation not build on any values has no foundation and is no nation at all. For you to believe in yourself you have to have some values to subscribe to. A country with no values has no vision and with no vision there basically is no future or growth.

Any ideology that focuses on improving the lives of African people inherently threatens the irreversibly colonial and neo-colonial establishment and as such forever ridiculed and suffocated. As we celebrate this unique and sacred independence we must continue to honour the selfless sacrifices of those who helped liberate the country.

Discrediting 18th April 1980 and demeaning the liberation struggle is morally defunct. April 18, 1980 has no price-tag and is free for all present and future generations to cherish. The liberation war heroes of Zimbabwe already put the price on their tab for all present and future generations to enjoy without limits.

Dr Chombo

Municipal Reporter
Government has given illegal settlers in Chitungwiza and Seke communal lands three weeks to demolish and vacate their structures, while calling for the arrest of land barons who swindled home seekers of millions of dollars.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo last week said the people had exposed themselves to varying degrees of danger by settling on wetlands, municipal servitude lines, and too close to high voltage power pylons.

An audit of land management and allocation in Chitungwiza and Seke revealed that more than 14 000 residential stands were illegally allocated in the two areas.

Of these, 8 260 stands are in Chitungwiza and 6 200 are in Seke under Manyame Rural District Council.

The land was reserved for clinics, churches, schools, cemeteries, recreational facilities and roads.

“What human rights are those when some people intentionally settle and expose themselves and society at large to inevitable catastrophe, as some of our erstwhile detractors masquerading as gurus of human rights upholders, would want us to believe?

“We categorically say no to this kind of upholding of human rights. In this connection let me here and now unequivocally pronounce that henceforth, we are giving all those improperly settled exactly three weeks to voluntarily relocate themselves, failure of which Government with assistance from police shall provide assisted exit,” Minister Chombo said.

He was speaking at the launch of the Housing Co-operatives Operational Framework and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Infrastructure Provision.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said Chitungwiza had 912ha of wetlands of which 723 had already been built on.

“Our ancestors used to grow rice in these wetlands but now we have replaced rice with houses. I know we all want land to build on but we should get land in appropriate areas.

“You have made money, yes you are a land baron but are you going to sleep well knowing that the people you sold land to are drinking sewer water? We must do things correctly,” he said.

Minister Kasukuwere urged the Environmental Management Agency officers to educate residents on wetlands preservation.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Deputy Minister Joel Biggie Matiza said there was rampant corruption in Chitungwiza with councillors passing irregular resolutions on land allocations.

“There was duplication of stand numbers and a lot of backdating of the waiting list. Barons had set up their own parallel council which was dishing out land and approving plans,” he said.

He said they had faced resistance from barons who were using their networks to stop demolitions.

Chitungwiza Town Clerk Mr George Makunde said more than 4 000 people in the town would be affected by the demolitions.

“We will institute measures to make sure that some form of restitution comes to council from the land barons,” he added.

Geoffrey Nyarota

Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI), which was established last year to promote and elevate the standards of media practice in Zimbabwe, will today start a nationwide tour looking into challenges affecting media operations and identify opportunities and prospects for the industry.
In an interview yesterday, IMPI chairman Geoffrey Nyarota, said the outreach programme would commence in Marondera, Rusape, Mutare, Chimanimani and Masvingo before visiting other areas.

“The outreach programme will involve public meetings, interviews and general discussions with media and information stakeholders as well as members of the public on various issues concerning the media,” Nyarota said.

He said there were seven thematic committees set up to cover issues including media as business, information platforms and content of media products, media training capacity building and ethics, media law reform and access to information, employment opportunities and conditions of service of journalists, polarisation, perception and interference as well as gender issues and media advocacy.

“We will be inquiring into all these issues that have aroused complaints and concerns.

“When we finish we transcribe the information from the thematic committees and go through it before we submit our final report of our findings to the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Ministry,” he said.

Nyarota said the panel had been given four months to undertake the inquiry and had already received nine Isuzu twin cabs to undertake their mandate.

“In July, we then submit our findings based on information we received from the people. We will then attach our recommendations that improve the media of Zimbabwe. So we encourage people to send information on their views on the information industry,” Nyarota said.

He said the reports would be forwarded to Parliament by the ministry.

IMPI, which comprises of 28 members including several senior journalists and experts from other professions, was launched last year by the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services to assess the state of the information and media industry in the country.

Some of the experts include deputy chairperson, Thembe Khumalo and members Dumisani Muleya, Pikirai Deketeke, Chris Chivinge, Foster Dongozi, media lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri and Plaxedes Wenyika.

The panel is also expected to inquire into media funding challenges, issues of access, ownership, media diversity and staff welfare among other issues.

The establishment of the panel; the brain child of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and his team, followed familiriasation tours of media houses made by the ministry after the elections.

This is the first systematic and comprehensive inquiry into the state of the information sector since independence.

Midlands Correspondent
Zanu-PF romped to victory in council by-elections, winning the Mkoba Ward 12 seat in Gweru at the weekend. Its candidate, Cde Charles Simbi, defeated MDC-T and NCA candidates.
Cde Simbi garnered 556 votes while his bitter rival, Mr Fortunate Chiokori of MDC-T, got 486 votes and Mr Richard Ndlovu of NCA polled 64 votes.

The latest win consolidated Zanu-PF’s dominance in local government countrywide with its council haul rising to 1 501 wards to MDC-T’s 442.

There are 92 local authorities countrywide that consist of 1 958 wards.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission provincial election officer Mrs Dorcas Mpofu confirmed the results.

Ward 12, which was declared vacant following the death of Councillor Elvis Mavhondo of MDC-T last year becomes Zanu-PF’s third council seat out of 19.

Zanu-PF Midlands chairman Cde Jason Machaya said the win was timely considering that the party was in the process of implementing Zim-Asset.

“We are happy that we managed to secure Ward 12 seat in Mkoba. This shows that people have confidence in the revolutionary party and that they have received and understood the message in our economic blueprint (ZimAsset).

“We were solidly united when we went into this election unlike the other parties which were divided as reflected by their infighting. People have lost confidence in other parties. For instance, in the last election, MDC-T got about 1 200 votes but this time they got less votes.

“We would also want to thank the people in Gweru for voting peacefully during this council by-election,” he said.

Cde Simbi said he was ready to deliver.

“People have shown confidence in me and I will not disappoint them. We endeared ourselves to the people through Zim-Asset.

“We want to fully implement the economic blueprint in urban centres as is being done in rural areas,” he said.

WE commend platinum mining giant Zimplats for fulfilling the US$10 million pledge it made to the Mhondoro-Ngezi-Chegutu-Zvimba Community Share Ownership Trust after the recent release of the last tranche of US$1,5 million to the CSOT.
As we report elsewhere in this issue, the money has gone a long way in transforming livelihoods of communities in Mashonaland West province that had for years seen mining companies grow fat at the expense of the people..

The move by Zimplats, coming as it does at a time diamond mining companies in Marange have been hitting the headlines over the US$10 million apiece that they should have remitted to the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust should be a clarion call on Government to rein in the companies in Chiadzwa.

Zim-Asset, the economic blueprint which steers economic revival till 2018, can only impact the economy and lives if adequate funding is found, which means Government must pursue all revenue streams to boost the fiscus.

And we can only get that if all exploiting the nation’s finite resources honour their obligations.

The companies do not have to grow fat at the expense of the nation and the communities in which they operate.

In the case of the diamond mining companies, the insolence could not be starker.

Mbada Diamonds, which revealed that it had accrued US$1 billion from its operations, surely cannot tell the nation that it cannot part with a measly US$10 million to improve livelihoods in the surrounding communities.

US$10 million constitutes just 1 percent of what Mbada has so far got from its concession. The other companies must also tell the nation how much they have made but we are sure that if Mbada can make US$1 billion, they are also in that range.

While the jury is still out on who did what in Marange as far as the CSOT is concerned, now is not the time to persuade the companies to pay, they must just be ordered to pay the US$10 million, which in our opinion is peanuts anyway given what they are extracting from a national resource.

If the companies do not want to support Government policies, they must ship out but only after paying the US$10 million which Zimplats has paid to the Mhondoro-Ngezi-Chegutu-Zvimba Community Share Ownership Trust.

The companies are not ordained to benefit from the diamonds at the expense of the people.

And their behaviour over the Marange-Zimunya CSOT vindicates Government’s decision to make diamond mining an exclusive responsibility of the State, that will then mine the resource under strict parameters of strict accountability and channel proceeds to national development.

Speaking to officials and buyers of the Dubai Diamond Exchange in the UAE last week, the President said unlike gold mining where many stakeholders are allowed, diamond mining would be exclusive to the State, with Government rationalising existing operations to create one State-led company.

We couldn’t agree more.

Walter Muchinguri Assistant Business Editor
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority collected US$834,6 million against a target of US$817,9 million in the first quarter of the year, resulting in a positive variance of 2 percent.
This compares favourably with the $43,1 million that was collected during the same period last year. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority commissioner general Gershem Pasi said most of the revenue was realised from Value Added Tax (VAT), Individual Tax and Excise Duty.

Value-Added Tax brought in $211,6 million, accounting for 25 percent of total revenue, while individual tax at $193,2 million represented 23 percent of total revenue and Exercise duty came in at $109,7 million representing 13 percent of revenue.

Mining Royalties collections, which had been disappointing in the past amounted to US$79,1 million against a target of US$31,2 million resulting in a positive variance of 154 percent and a contribution of 9 percent of total revenue.

“The performance of the revenue head can be attributed to the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe’s diamond mining companies which enabled the sale of diamonds at Antwerp,” Mr Pasi said.

Individual Tax collections amounted to $193,3 million against a target of $168 million, resulting in a positive variance of 15 percent.

During the same period last year, $172,7 million was realised which translates to a 12 percent growth in revenue.

The performance of the revenue head was attributed to follow-ups and audits that the Authority carried out specifically on remuneration, which resulted in more revenue being collected.

Corporate Income Tax raised $104,7 million against a target of US$88 million resulting in a positive variance of 19 percent.

This represents a 22 percent increase from the $85,6 million that was collected during the same period last year.

“The performance of the revenue head can be attributed to intensified efforts by ZIMRA to enforce compliance through follow-ups and audits,” Mr Pasi said.

He added that collections under this revenue head are expected to improve in the second quarter where a greater percentage of the forecast tax liability (i.e. 25 percent) will be remitted as the second installment under Quarterly Payment Dates (QPD).

Negative variances were however recorded in carbon tax and tobacco levy collections. Carbon Tax collections totalled $8,3 million against a target of $8,9 million resulting in a negative variance of 7 percent.

Tobacco Levy realized $1,9 million during the quarter against a target of $2,8 million resulting in a negative variance of 31 per cent.

The performance of the revenue head was attributed to lower current tobacco prices as compared to 2013 prices, although volumes were higher this year.

Mr Pasi said the Authority will continue to play its part in ensuring efficient and effective systems for domestic resource mobilisation, which is critical in the attainment of targets under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation.