SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Striking Harare City Council workers have returned to work following negotiations with their employer. Workers from the local authority’s water department went on strike Monday in protest over poor working conditions and delayed payments, with some of them complaining that they had not been paid for two months. But on Thursday the workers were back at work on the understanding that the council would stagger their salaries, according to city mayor Bernard Manyenyeni. “Discussions are ongoing, but workers understand the plight of council and its inability to pay them on time.“We are going to stagger the payments, and that means paying as and when we can. We have also asked the workers to make their own submissions about how we can make the council viable so that it is able to meet its obligations,” the mayor told SW Radio Africa Thursday. Manyenyeni blamed Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo’s debt write-off directive last year for the financial crisis at the municipality.“These were funds that were owed to council by rate payers and although I do not want to apportion blame, the debt cancellation directive is one reason council is in this situation,” he said. Since the debts were written off, in what many observers said was a vote-buying gimmick by the ruling ZANU PF party, many residents have been reluctant to pay their rates and the mayor said this had compounded cash problems at the council. In the past residents have complained about the council’s billing system which they say is open to manipulation by corrupt municipal employees. The Harare Residents’ Trust has also raised concern that residents were getting billed for services such as water even for periods when there were no supplies. Mayor Manyenyeni said the city council was upgrading the system to ensure that some of these concerns were addressed. The council employs an estimated 10,300 workers, and 2,000 of these are in the water department.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

A gender rights group has called on government to intervene and force retailers to cut the price of sanitary towels, in line with an import duty waiver. Two years ago then Finance Minister Tendai Biti scrapped import duty on sanitary towels following a petition by rights groups who said most girls and women were too poor to afford the monthly cost of pads, cotton wool or tampons. The Southern African HIV & AIDS Information Service (SAFAIDS), which led the campaign, said most women and girls were using rags and leaves as alternatives as they cannot afford the $1-$5 cost of sanitary towels charged by retailers.“Despite government scrapping duty on these essential items retailers have not reduced their prices,” Renias Mundingi, programmes manager at SAFAIDS told SW Radio Africa’s Big Picture programme on Thursday. Beatrice Savadye, also of SAFAIDS, said if the import duty charge was removed from the retail price, women would be able to buy pads for 60 cents “We are lobbying and negotiating with retailers to cut their prices. But it will help if government also came up with enforcement mechanisms for its policy announcements.“While $1 may not mean much for someone on a salary, most of these girls do not have any means and most of them lose 7 days each month incapacitated, with some even failing to attend classes because they are on their period but can’t afford cotton wool,” Savadye added. The two officials said bodies such as the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe should have the power to enforce price cuts.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Police Wednesday reportedly shot one man dead and arrested three others in connection with the murder of four people whose bodies were discovered in an abandoned vehicle in Binga last week. Newspaper reports Thursday said it was not clear if the dead suspect was killed in a shoot-out with the police. A Southern Eye report quoted a ‘highly placed source’ saying the shooting and the arrests occurred at a village located close to the Ngongonyane Bridge which is where the murders took place. According to the report, national police spokesperson Charity Charamba told the paper that the police had issued a statement on the arrest but would not reveal more. Instead she referred the paper to the police’s public relations office in Harare, but they were unhelpful. SW Radio Africa reported last week that the four people who were murdered were suspected to be illegal ivory buyers who were killed following a dispute over poached elephant tusks. In the same SW Radio Africa report the police expressed ignorance on the issue and a prominent Binga businessman, Jealous Sanso, said the police reaction was not surprising because some senior government officials are involved in the illegal ivory trade. The murder victims have since been identified as Sithembiso Moyo, Alvin Canitious Nyirenda, Nkosana Mdlongwa and Leo Mthulisi Ndlovu, all from Bulawayo. Reports said two other suspects were Sinola Jameson Dube and his son Emmanuel Dube. Three bullet ridden bodies were found at the scene of the crime, but that of Ndlovu was found about 1km away, and he had been beheaded, something which is extremely unusual in Zimbabwe.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Negotiators representing government and civil servants failed to reach a deal again during crucial talks on Wednesday, after the workers rejected an offer that fell short of their demands for a basic wage increase in line with Poverty Datum Line. Unions representing civil servants rejected a government offer that would have seen the lowest paid workers earning $375 per month, which falls far short of the $540 PDL set by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and promised by Robert Mugabe himself ahead of elections last year. The deal offered by government would also have seen deputy directors’ wages increase from $521 per month to $623. Newly qualified teachers, who currently earn $446 per month, were offered $500 monthly. Although the APEX Council which represents workers turned down the government offer, they are reported to have agreed to consult with their constituents and report back for another meeting Friday. APEX chairperson Richard Gundani is quoted as saying: “Government has brought a inconclusive proposal” and “they gave us time to revisit the figures and we hope to reach an agreement on Friday.” The government team, led by Maxwell Ranga, was also due to consult their superiors ahead of the Friday meeting, according to state media. But Takavafira Zhou, President of the Progressive Teachers union of Zimbabwe , blasted government for being insincere on many levels, saying civil servants were dealing with “conniving politicians who do not live up to their word”.“The government is not sincere. It claims always to have limited fiscal space when there is rampant corruption in Zimbabwe. Unless we give civil servants priority in terms of the budget and of planning in the country we will continue to wallow in poverty,” Zhou told SW Radio Africa on Thursday. He accused government leaders of being uncaring and reckless by conniving to divide workers and polarizing the country on issues of national importance. “This also presents a challenge to civil servants that we must remain united, regroup and prepare for a possible showdown unless the employer can give something which is credible to the employees,” Zhou explained. It is not clear how government plans to deal with the issue of civil servants’ wages. In his 2014 budget statement Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told parliament that the wage bill for 2013 had swallowed up 75% of revenue. He said that this needed to be reduced to 30% by 2018.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

A Russian artist who caused uproar among the ZANU PF loyal security forces over a song that mocks Robert Mugabe, has described fleeing possible arrest last week. Petro Wodkins, a well known modern artist and performer, was last year invited to be part of the 2014 Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA). “Probably they’re thinking I’m kind of artist who’s against the western world. So when I got this, I decided to make a project against Robert Mugabe,” Wodkins told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday. Wodkins designed and built a large, gold painted ‘musical’ statue of himself blowing trumpets, wired to play a song produced by the artist too. The song, which Wodkins has released with a video this week, mocks Mugabe for being “bad for Zimbabwe.”“Well I sent them (HIFA) a picture of the statue and the song, and then they refused to allow me in the show,” Wodkins explained, saying the HIFA officials withdrew their invitation because of the “nature” of his artwork.“But I decided to go to Zimbabwe anyway and give my statue as a gift,” Wodkins said. The artist travelled to the country last week and originally planned to set up the musical statue in Unity Square. But the plans changed when he realised “it would only last 30 seconds.” He instead decided to take the statute on a road trip across Zimbabwe, with hidden cameras in tow to film a video.“I went around Zimbabwe, around villagers and markets and showed it to people and played the song, and just have some fun,” Wodkins explained. He said the reaction from ordinary Zimbabweans was very positive, saying: “I only had maybe four complaints. Most people really loved it, and danced and had lots of fun.”The artist eventually decided to leave the statue on Robert Mugabe road, and within five minutes police and army officials had been dispatched to tear the statue down. Wodkins said the statue was completely destroyed, along with the hidden camera that was discovered after the authorities searched the area. A manhunt was then launched for Wodkins, but he managed to flee the security forces and leave the country before being caught. “I did this as a reminder to the world of what such a dictator Robert Mugabe is. We should be reminding people about him, because right now he is seen just as a nice old man, but he’s not really,” Wodkins said.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Eight hundred workers at Gaths Asbestos Mine in Mashava were this week reported to be on strike over six months’ outstanding salaries, the Daily News reported Thursday. The report said workers downed tools and took to the streets Monday following reports that the management had embezzled funds meant to pay their outstanding salaries. According to the paper, the workers claimed that the government released $500, 000 as part of their salaries and allowances in December but that money has yet to reach them. The $500,000 was meant to be shared between three Shabanie Mashava Mines – Gaths, Shabanie and Temeria – but only a ‘combined $200,000’ was disbursed to the mines, the workers claimed. As that was not enough to pay the salaries and allowances at the three mines angry workers at Gaths mine took to the streets. According to the report drum beating and placard waving miners invaded the manager’s office demanding their payment. They were finally dispersed by the police as the strike entered its third day Wednesday. The report quoted Gaths Mine workers committee chairperson, Howard Chivasa, saying they were in meetings with management and government officials, including those from the President’s office. An unnamed worker said since the mines were taken away from the previous owner they have only been getting allowances and that stopped six months ago. Government took over SMM 10 years ago after its owner Mutumwa Mawere was declared insolvent. The South African-based businessman has been fighting to regain his companies since. In October last year he filed an application at the Constitutional Court seeking to repossess several of his businesses, including SMM. Mawere’s phone remained unanswered for the whole of Friday while the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions said they had no information on the strike. About 6,000 SMM workers are said to have lost their jobs since the company’s take over by the government. Most of them are said to have turned to gold panning and prostitution as Mashava deteriorated into a ghost town.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s government officials have reportedly been put on a tight leash by the top leadership, ahead of alleged ‘re-engagement’ talks with the European Union (EU). This is understood to be in the wake of the WikiLeaks scandal. The online whistle-blowing group caused international outcry after releasing previously confidential diplomatic cables from the US government and its offices around the world. This included cables from the embassy in Harare, which exposed a number of issues within ZANU PF. These include claims over Robert Mugabe’s health, with former Central Bank chief Gideon Gono stating the ageing leader had cancer. Grace Mugabe, Joice Mujuru and other senior official were also all named in the cables, which has in turn led to a number of lawsuits being filed. The Zimbabwe Independent reported this week that the ZANU PF government has since put out a circular that calls for limited interactions between senior civil servants and Western diplomats. “Since the WikiLeaks revelations, government has limited the interaction between senior government officials and diplomats. Only ministers now attend embassy functions, with all government officials having to get prior clearance for that, unlike in the past,” a source was quoted by the Zimbabwe Independent as saying. Local industry leaders are said to be heading to the EU for talks at the end of this month. This will be followed by an EU meeting scheduled for some time in February, which is rumored to decide the future of the remaining Zim restrictive measures the EU still has in place. Political analyst Clifford Mashiri told SW Radio Africa that such a directive limiting the interaction of government officials with Western diplomats would not be a surprise. “It remains to be seen what other secrets are being kept so I’m not surprised the officials are on a tight leash. The regime is paranoid now, and wanting to protect its secrets, especially with re-engagement on the cards,” Mashiri said.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

33 traffic police officers, accused of soliciting bribes, have been transferred to other stations, sparking an outcry from Zimbabweans. On Friday the state media reported that the 33, including an officer-in-charge at Avondale Police Station in Harare, were transferred over alleged “intolerable corruption levels”. The whole unit was disbanded Wednesday after a motorist, who was in the company of well-known musician Jah Prayzah, formally complained that one of the officers had demanded a $50 bribe from him. “The Zimbabwe Republic Police’s internal investigations team swiftly reacted to a complaint by the motorist, but the money was not recovered. It was recommended that the officers all be transferred,” the Herald said. Some social commentators however say that the officers should have been dismissed, because letting them keep their jobs is akin to condoning corruption. “It does not make sense that instead of being fired they have been transferred. Only in Zimbabwe do you get this kind of response to corruption,” Ephraim Ndimande posted on Facebook. Makabongwe Apollo Ncube said the transfers were just a slap on the wrist for the corrupt officers. “They call it kuchengetana pabasa” (it’s called looking out for one another), he commented Friday. Shepherd Mwenda said it was unlikely that the transfers will act as a deterrent for the corrupt officers. “The ZRP leadership is simply spreading the problem around rather solving it,” he said. Another commentator, identified only as Kudzi, said the corruption in the police traffic department reflects more than 30 years of bad leadership in the country. “How can one expect them to be fired when the very same powers-that-be have been recycling themselves for over three decades now.” He decried what he said was a culture whereby underperformers, or corrupt individuals and those who lose elections, remain in their positions. Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba described the transfer of the 33 officers “as routine”. Zimbabwe’s police are amongst the most corrupt in the southern Africa region, according to a recent survey by global lobby group Transparency International. Last week the NewsDay newspaper revealed that two officers had been arrested after they solicited bribes of more than $2,000 along the Harare-Masvingo Road. The money, which was hidden in a rubbish pit near the checkpoint, was found by a 10-year-old girl from Beatrice who gave it to her parents. When the traffic officers discovered what had happened to the hidden money, they allegedly followed, harassed the family and confiscated a further $132 of their own money from them. The family has since been summoned to Harare as part of police investigations into the matter. In October last year, 19 senior police officers were either retired or transferred amid reports of criminal activity and corruption. Rights campaigner and prominent actor Bernard Bhekilizwe Ndlovu said corruption in the country went to the very top levels of political leadership. Ndlovu said it would be difficult for police chief Augustine Chihuri to stem malpractices within the force “because his hands are tied by his own corruption”.“Corruption is part of the legacy of President Robert Mugabe’s leadership. For example, most businesses, and the economy, belong to Mugabe’s close or distance relatives,” Ndlovu added. Ndlovu said any leader who engages in nepotism and corruption will not be willing to promote a police force that is transparent and accountable. “Claims by ZANU PF officials that curbing corruption is top of their agenda are just cheap talk, and these transfers prove that the party tolerates it,” he added.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa has laid the blame for the country’s poor economic performance on the banking sector, according to reports. The minister told delegates at an economic outlook symposium held at the Mandel Training Centre in Harare, that the banks’ reluctance to give loans to fund the country’s informal sector was akin to imposing sanctions on the economy, the NewsDay reported Friday.“We cannot have a situation where the majority of our population has little access to the economy and no access to capital.“They used to organise lines of credit of up to $800 million, but now it is down to $40 million a year which is suggesting they are strategising an exit out of our economy. I get this feeling that these banks are imposing sanctions onto their own country,” the paper quotes Chinamasa as saying. But Harare-based economist Godfrey Kanyenze said banks cannot be blamed for refusing to lend to ‘an underground sector’.“Some operators in that sector are of no fixed abode, are transient and unregistered. Some don’t keep books or records and so how are banks expected to lend to them.“Any financial institution will be reluctant to support that which is not above board,” Kanyenze said. He said the first step will be for government to organise this sector through regulation that will promote the players through business development services so that they can transition into the formal sector. “Banks require collateral from anyone who borrows, and the majority of people in the informal sector do not have this and it is the duty of government to organise this sector before banks can be asked to step in,” Kanyenze added. Last week, another ZANU PF official, Themba Mliswa, criticised banks for refusing to lend to the country’s new farmers on the basis of the government’s 99-year farm leases. Bankers however insist that the leases do not constitute secure land tenure, and lending to farmers on the basis of the document will expose the institutions in the event of defaults on repayment.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Bikita West MP Munyaradzi Kereke has claimed that he was last year attacked by thugs who said they had been sent by Vice President Joice Mujuru and retired Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, to murder him. The controversial legislator made these allegations in a letter to Mujuru which was published in the Daily News Friday. It was not clear if the letter, which was also copied to President Mugabe, has already been served on Mujuru. In the letter Kereke claims that on November 30th last year towards mid night, he was ‘violently attacked’ by three men, two of whom were armed with AK 47 rifles. According to Kereke one of the men ‘uttered suggestive words’ to the effect that the three were acting on Gono and Mujuru’s orders. Kereke says he was then hit with the back of the rifle and told that he would not live for the next six days. On realizing that there were cars approaching, the would-be assassins then sped away, Kereke claims. According to the letter, Kereke reported the incident at the Harare Central Police Station. The Bikita legislator also accuses Mujuru of allegedly running a ‘virtual kangaroo court’ wherein he was tried and found guilty of raping a minor four years ago. Kereke claims that he has minutes of a meeting in which Mujuru summoned the local chiefs and the father of the minor to attend this ‘court.’ By holding this meeting over a matter which is in the hands of the police, Mujuru was in ‘extreme breach’ of the Constitution, Kereke claims. The MP further claims that Mujuru’s ally, David Butau, tried to extort cash from him ‘so he could help diffuse the rape allegations.’ For the past two years Kereke has been fighting allegations that he raped an 11 year old female relative who was under his custody. Francis Maramwidze, the guardian of the alleged rape victim, is seeking Kereke’s prosecution. The ZBC reported Thursday that the High Court postponed the case after Kereke indicated that he wants to supply further facts for his defence. Kereke has also asked the Constitutional Court to stop his prosecution on grounds that there is no evidence that he committed the crime. In the letter to Mujuru the controversial economist also accuses ‘powerful individuals’ of targeting him. Kereke has been in the news for most of the last two years making allegations against many people including Gono and former Finance Minister Tendai Biti whom he accuses of graft. SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa said few are inclined to believe Kereke’s latest claim of death threats, because he is known for being an ‘attention seeker.’ Muchemwa added: ‘Kereke talks too much. He accuses everybody and in the process he has offended everybody. So anyone can seek to harm him and not just Mujuru as he claims. At the same time he has made himself a clown.’

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

ZANU PF’s priorities have been reflected in the national budget allocations, with over $200 million being set aside for Robert Mugabe’s office. According to a Government Gazette outlining the budget allocations by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa, the Office of the President was allocated $206 million, which is 5,6% of the total US$3.6 billion budget allocation. This is about six times what Mugabe’s office was allocated by former Finance Minister Tendai Biti in the 2013 budget, who only allocated $36.3 million. Departments that fall under the Office of the President include the offices of the vice-presidents, ministers of state and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). The allocation has come as a surprise to many, with significant budget cuts being felt across most Zim government ministries. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce for example has only been allocated $7.4 million, which Minister Mike Bimha has said will only pay for the day to day running of his ministry and nothing else. Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs secretary Virginia Mabhiza told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs this week that the Ministry had requested $279 million but was allocated only $108 million. At the same time, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) have not featured in the budget allocations at all. Economic analyst Masimba Kuchera told SW Radio Africa that the budget allocations are “a clear reflection of this government’s priorities and how the government intends to run things.”“It is a reflection on how the government intends to pamper the President’s office. It could also be a sign that he (Mugabe) will be engaged in more foreign travel, and this budget means he won’t be restricted,” Kuchera said. He added: “The allocations are out of line with what people had expected and hoped. Some of that money could be better used in other areas, like education or health or social services.”

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s speech on the deepening political and economic problems facing the country has been postponed to Thursday. The opposition leader deferred his alternative state of the nation address as a mark of respect to President Robert Mugabe, who lost his sister Bridget on Saturday, who died after a long illness. Tsvangirai on Monday sent his condolences to the first family, according to his spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka. Once described as a jewel in Africa the country’s economy has undergone a meltdown in just under six months since ZANU PF won the elections, that the opposition claims were rigged. The state of the economy that had improved during the period of the inclusive government has taken a knock again, amid fears ZANU PF cannot solve the crisis alone. There won’t be much foreign aid to help ease the crisis as western donors and international financial institutions are yet to re-engage with the government following over a decade of hostilities.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

Bulawayo-based transgender activist and socialite, Ricky Nathanson, has been charged with criminal nuisance for using a female toilet at a city hotel Thursday. Nathanson was first ‘arrested’ at the Palace Hotel by ZANU PF youth leader Farai Mteliso who later handed him over to the police, NewsDay reported Monday. The activist, who runs a modelling agency, spent the night in police cells before appearing in court Saturday, when a magistrate remanded out of custody. Nathanson’s sexual status was classified as male following a medical examination at a city hospital, according to the NewsDay.“She is more comfortable with her female sexual identity and that would explain why she would use the women’s toilet,” gay rights campaigner Chesterfield Samba told SW Radio Africa Tuesday. Samba said rights group Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) were investigating the incident, which he said could easily have been dealt with at the hotel. “We are still assessing how the citizen’s arrest was carried out and how Ricky was treated in custody. It would be wrong to treat Ricky as just another male person, because she is not,” Samba said. Samba criticised the police’s heavy-handedness when dealing with members of the gay community, which he said was instigated by politicians in many cases.“We are seeing this across Africa where politicians are leading the witch hunt against people who are either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” Samba said.“More recently there has been an increase in violence against the gay community in Nigeria following the passing into law of that country’s anti-gay law.“Such laws only serve to discriminate and to fuel prejudice against gay people who are then targeted and attacked over their sexual orientation,” Samba added. On Friday, gay rights group GALZ petitioned the Nigerian envoy to Zimbabwe over his government’s anti-gay stance.“For us this is about standing in solidarity with our Nigerian counterparts who are likely to be harassed and to suffer displacement as a result of laws whose only purpose really is to create a climate of hysteria and homophobia,” Samba said. The Nigerian embassy is yet to respond to the GALZ petition. Earlier this month five senior ZANU PF youth league members, including a central committee member in Bulawayo, were allegedly in trouble for attending a party hosted by the city’s gays community at a city hotel. The party was held on December 21st and, according to the Southern Eye newspaper, top ZANU PF officials flocked to the hotel straight from “a meeting to prepare for the unveiling of late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s statue.” This did not go down well with some party youths who want their leaders suspended for defying President Robert Mugabe’s stance against gays and lesbians. Mugabe is a homophobe who has said that gay people are worse than pigs and dogs and that they should be beheaded. Samba said the citizen’s arrest of Nathanson’s could be an over-the-top reaction to the party incident, as party officials try to distance themselves from anyone perceived to be gay.

SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe

The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) has denied being associated with a Russian modern artist, who claimed last week to have been invited to present an artwork at the Festival. Petro Wodkins, a self confessed provocative artist, last week released a music video to accompany a song he wrote that mocks Robert Mugabe for being ‘bad for Zimbabwe’. That song was wired to play out of a gold statue he designed and built, and which he said he submitted to HIFA, after being invited. Wodkins, who also said he was subsequently disinvited from the Festival, took the statue to Zimbabwe earlier this month and travelled around parts of the country, filming the public’s reaction to the song. However, HIFA has strongly denied having any knowledge of Wodkins, calling it a ‘publicity stunt’. HIFA’s communications officer Tafadzwa Simba told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the Festival authorities never invited Wodkins, and had never heard of him.“This is a hoax,” Simba said. Wodkins said last week that his statue was eventually destroyed by Zimbabwe’s security forces, after he left it on a public road. He has since insisted that he was invited to display his statue in Zimbabwe, and that the withdrawal of the invitation was because his work was “something bad for Mugabe.” His spokesperson said via email communication that “in a post Mugabe Zimbabwe he’d love to come again.”