Dr Obert Mpofu

Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Business Reporter
THE exemption of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy and the relaxation of the Labour Act are likely to spur more foreign investors to consider operating in the country’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Dr Obert Mpofu said most potential foreign investors were hesitant to invest in the country as they were sceptical about the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Policy. The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act is a Zimbabwean law encouraging and requiring local ownership and control of companies.

Some industries are reserved for Indigenous African Zimbabweans, while foreigners can own up to 49 percent on others. The initial act in 2008 required 51 percent indigenous shareholding in all businesses with a net asset value of $500 000.

“We are also looking at the Indigenisation Policy which does not apply on SEZs. The labour laws apply to a certain extent but are not as rigorous as other areas outside the SEZs . . . Most investors used to query that aspect of our (Indigenisation) policy but in this case there will be no need for them to implement the requirement of this indigenisation policy.

“What we have seen is a situation where almost all potential investors would want to partner Zimbabweans so that is just self-activating. Many investors that have expressed their intention to invest always want to know if there are Zimbabweans with such expertise so they can partner with them and work with them, this will see more of our skilled manpower employed under the SEZs, creating more jobs and technology in many areas,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said the number of investors seeking licences to operate in the country’s SEZs was overwhelming.

“We have enquiries for SEZs, those are just flooding into our system and we are hopeful that the new board will really have to do a lot of work to address those issues because we have serious investments. There are quite some activities that have been ignited by this development because of the incentives, the demarcation of the country into zones, the choice of the sectors and also the interest by potential investors.

“Some are actually bringing their proposals personally from all over the world and we are experiencing a situation whereby potential investors want to engage us (ministry) in person, just to come and explain their project to us but with the formation of the SEZs most of those enquiries are now being referred to them together with Zimbabwe Investment Authority,” said Dr Mpofu.

Bulawayo, Beitbridge, Mutare, Norton and Victoria Falls are set to be declared SEZs.

The concept of SEZs and their impact on economic growth is gaining more and more acceptance globally and the instrument has been widely applied.

The aim of SEZs is to stimulate economic development by attracting local and foreign direct investment (FDI), enhancing competitiveness, and facilitating export-led growth. These then lead to economic benefits from employment generation to export growth and increased government revenues to improved technology transfer and innovation.

“I can assure you that in the next year or so a lot would have been achieved if our systems respond to our current thrust of doing business. We want to be proactive as opposed to be reactive on issues that seek to economically grow our situation and we are getting co-operation from all ministries, the entire Government right at the top to the floor-operators are committed to this development and if things are done according to plan we will be seeing a lot of FDI coming into the country,” said Dr Mpofu.

He applauded the Bulawayo City Council for coming up with incentives to attract investment in its area of jurisdiction.

The local authority has identified four sites for SEZs operations and came up with a package of incentives in an endeavour to position the city as an attractive destination for investment.

“Bulawayo has some challenges as regard to the operations of some companies but we have received letters from some investors that want to come to Bulawayo and I’m so delighted that BCC has already reacted by offering incentives which is what we are asking. Other urban authorities or even rural authorities should come up with incentives that should attract investors into their areas in whatever areas they want to do this,” said Dr Mpofu.

He said the Government had made tremendous strides in improving the ease of doing business.

“We have reduced time for processing (investment) applications to five days as opposed to three or even more months. We have also created a One-Stop Investment Centre, which will see projects being evaluated and analysed just at one place by all stakeholders.

“People (investors) would go to various ministries and would be tossed from one ministry to the other but now we are having one entry point, which is the Investment Ministry that will in turn liaise with the respective ministries on issues relating with their ministries, that’s a major development which investors are seized with,” said Dr Mpofu.

He also said the meeting between Zimbabweans based in South Africa and a team of Government officials led by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month was highly successful. The meeting attracted over 400 Zimbabwean executives operating in the neighbouring country and a number of potential investors.

“The conclusions we derived from those meetings is that people generally want to come back to Zimbabwe. They see a lot of opportunities in Zimbabwe because of its untapped economic potential in tourism, mining, manufacturing, agriculture. In fact all the sectors have abundant opportunities for those that want to come back and invest,” said Dr Mpofu.

IN the midst of cries over de-industrialisation in Bulawayo, once the hub of economic activities in the country, there is a good story taking shape at Archer Clothing Manufacturers.

While the country’s businesses are generally experiencing challenges as the country embarks on a change-over from the old economy to the new economy, which is largely anchored on agriculture, natural resources, the Small to Medium Enterprises and the informal sector, there are some companies that have managed to weather the storm and are testimony that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Such companies are testimony that Zimbabwe is still an ideal place for business and worthy of investment, local and foreign.

We reported last week that the Bulawayo textile company, Archer Clothing Manufacturers has re-employed part of the workforce it retrenched last year buoyed by a surge in exports. Archer Clothing managing director Mr Jeremy Youmans said increased production capacity has prompted the company to augment its workforce.

“We have been rebuilding the production at Archer this year. So far we have employed 236 people this year and this takes the total employment in the clothing factory there to 538,” he said.

In July last year the company was forced to retrench 400 of its 631 workers and reduced its working days from five to four a week as its business fortunes continued to slide due to a drop in local orders and export competitiveness which had constrained its ability to grow export orders.

After creditors of Archer Clothing Manufacturers approved its take-over by Harare-based Paramount Garments in 2015, saving it from liquidation, the company had projected to employ 850 workers by year 2016. Mr Youmans said the company would further employ more people at its leather products factory. Archer Clothing ventured into leather production as part of a diversification strategy aimed at expanding its business.

The company has also set sights at increasing its sewing lines to 19 before the end of this year.

“We are developing customers in DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) and Tanzania and see these as good opportunities. Recently we have had strong interest from South Africa for the leatherwear we are producing in Bulawayo, hence the need to grow its capacity,” said Mr Youmans.

Affirmative Action Group (AAG) national vice-president Mr Sam Ncube expressed satisfaction at the rate at which Archer Clothing has managed to turn around its fortunes and further hinted that the economic empowerment pressure group played a significant part in preventing Archer Clothing from being liquidated.

The Government has also been busy coming up with policies to promote and protect local industries and one of the initiatives were to restrict certain imports so as to protect local industries and also coming with instruments to make sure that imports into the country are of quality standards, and not just cheap and poor quality products meant to flood the market.

(FILES) This file photo taken on July 16, 2016 shows people running away from tanks after taking over military position on the Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul, following an attempt by discontented soldiers to seize power from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that claimed more than 250 lives. Turkey marks the one year anniversary of the thwarted July 15 coup attempt with rallies, a special parliament session and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan giving a speech at 23:32 GMT on an Istanbul bridge at the exact moment shots were fired on parliament a year ago. The authorities have declared July 15 an annual national holiday of “democracy and unity”, billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.

TURKEY yesterday marked one year since the defeat of the coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seeking to showcase national unity and his grip on power in an increasingly polarised society.

The authorities have declared 15 July an annual national holiday of “democracy and unity”, billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.

“It’s one year since the darkest night was turned into an epic,” Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a special session of parliament that kicked off a day of celebrations that was set to last until dawn.

He said the night of 15 July was a “second War of Independence” after the war that led to the creation of the modern Turkish state in the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in 1923.

Two hundred and forty nine people, not including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled faction in the army sent tanks into the streets and war planes into the sky in a bid to overthrow Erdogan after one-and-a-half decades in power.

But they were thwarted within hours as the authorities regrouped and people poured into the streets in support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally turned nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

The authorities embarked on the biggest purge in Turkey’s history, arresting 50 000 people and sacking over 100 000 more. Erdogan also shored up his position by winning a referendum on enhancing his powers earlier this year.

In the latest dismissals ordered just hours before the commemorations were due to begin, another 7 563 police, soldiers and other state employees were fired under the state of emergency that has been in place since 20 July last year. — AFP

Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has appealed for partnership with the Bulawayo City Council for the successful hosting of the oncoming Sanganai/ Hlanganani World Tourism Expo and also as part of its efforts to revive the city’s tourism economy.

The move is also aimed at enhancing cordial working relations between ZTA and the local authority. The 10th edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani tourism expo will be held from 27 September to 1 October at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds under the theme “Sustainable Tourism — A Tool for Development”.

In a report carried in the latest council minutes, ZTA expressed gratitude for the support the city council was giving to the tourism sector adding that they were intending to keep the travel show running in Bulawayo until the tourism sector thrives.

“As you know Hlanganani/ Sanganai came back to Bulawayo last year and we are intending to keep the travel show running in Bulawayo until the tourism sector thrives.

“The Zimbabwe Tourism avails itself to continuously engage the Bulawayo City Council in fostering the growth of tourism in Bulawayo.

“We are tirelessly working on reviving the tourism economy in Bulawayo hence the vision for running Hlanganani in Bulawayo again. It is against this background that we would like to request your support and partnership as the host,” reads in part the letter from ZTA.

ZTA also requested partnership in the procession for the World Tourism Day at the City Hall, the use of the Centenary Park for the Awards Ceremony and the 10th anniversary celebrations, hoisting of Hlanganani/Sanganai flags a month before the event as well as the use of the council logo for core branding t-shirts for buyers.

The organisation said it would be important if the local authority also exhibit during the premier tourism trade showcase and ensuring that the city was clean by providing adequate refuse bins and refuse collection.

ZTA also revealed that it was working on a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise cordial relationships with the local authority.

“We were also delighted to note that your economic development department is working on having a Tourism Office, this will certainly enhance our efforts in developing tourism in the City of Bulawayo.”

Responding to ZTA’s application, council acting director of housing and community services Mr Mackenzie Moyo said the return of the tourism expo was set to boost the city’s profile.

“The choice of Bulawayo for the 2017 Sanganani/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo was, however, a welcome development that would impact positively on the economy of the city and project the city as a focal tourist destination by exposing its great potential in the sector,” Mr Moyo said.

He also said the city fathers are happy with compliance to council’s conditions.

Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
THE Government has stepped up efforts to improve plant health throughout the country as it forges ahead to ensure optimum yields, a Cabinet Minister said.

Speaking at a Tobacco Plant Health Awareness field day held at Makwe Irrigation Scheme in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province on Friday, Rural Development, Protection and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Minister Abednigo Ncube said in spite of the achievements registered during the 2016/17 farming season the country faced outbreaks of new and old crop pests and diseases that threatened agricultural production.

The emerging crop pests that have been reported during the 2016/17 farming season include fall armyworm, tomato leaf miners and cotton mealy bug.

“These emerging crop pests, if not managed, have potential negative effects on yield, production costs, livelihoods and exports (agricultural exports). Crop yields can be reduced by 100 percent if these pests are not managed. Some of these emerging pests have been reported in more than one crop,” said Minister Ncube.

He said reports of fall armyworm outbreak in all the country’s farming provinces had prompted the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development to strengthen its surveillance, awareness, management and control systems.

“The pests are being controlled effectively owing to the training and awareness programme that provided knowledge of the behaviour of the pest and control methods conducted throughout the provinces.

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development is also carrying out surveillance and operationalisation of early warning systems for crop pests such as African armyworm, fruit flies, cereal beetle, armored cricket, bollworms and stalk borers,” said Minister Ncube.

Speaking at the same event Director in the Department of Research and Specialist Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Dr Godfrey Chikwenhere said the Government had unveiled resources to be utilised in monitoring crop health in the country.

He said the Government has procured eight vehicles mainly for the monitoring of crop health in the country’s provinces, a move aimed at guarding against emerging crop pests that threatened the 2016/17 season yield.

The vehicles would be distributed at the launch of a Plant Health Programme on 27 July.

“We got eight vehicles after the launch, they will be going out but we have to work out how we are going to distribute them or we are going to start by making our staff to do outreach programmes so that they can reach the farmers and practically train them in the fields and come back with the results and we analyse them (results) accordingly and see how best we can do.

“If the Government is getting more resources we hope it will have an interest and inject more money for those vehicles to be added so that at least each province may have four or so vehicles mainly for monitoring the plant health issues and advising the farmers so that they may grow a good healthy crop,” said Dr Chikwenhere.

He said the Department of Research and Specialist Services was on an outreach programme to ascertain crop health in all the country’s major irrigation schemes.

“We want to equate plant health to human health. We have already opened plant clinics where the farmer should bring his or her plants, which they think are not well enough then we look at them and then advise accordingly.

“We have a range of experts. We have people who deal with soil, weeds, pests, diseases so that they can be able to advise our farmers so that they grow a healthy crop,” said Dr Chikwenhere.

He also said there was need to ensure that pesticides used to eradicate pests do not compromise animals and human health.

“What we have to do is to make sure that experiments are carried out and we look at how that product works and the residual effect of that pesticide on the crop . . .you might be killing the pest but also harming yourself and people who will be eating that product,” said Dr Chikwenhere.
@DNsingo

Ocean Mushure

Langton Nyakwenda in Windhoek
ON the pitch his career has been an ocean of success: four league titles with two clubs, including three straight championships with Dynamos, and an on-off flirtation with the national team.

But financially it’s not making sense for footballer Ocean Mushure. “I have done all I can on the domestic front. I have won titles with Monomotapa United and DeMbare but something is still missing,” says the 32-year-old defender.

“After playing for so long, winning a lot of championships, one would rush to think I now have it all. But actually, I feel like I have nothing to show after all these years of toiling on the field. I have two (residential) stands in Harare but I can’t develop them because I don’t have the financial capacity.”

With age not on his side, Mushure is yearning for a life-changing move to a foreign club. The Dynamos left-back was impressive as Zimbabwe bagged a historic fifth Cosafa Castle Cup title in South Africa and is now the subject of interest among Absa Premiership teams on that side of the Limpopo.

And it’s not the first time that Mushure has attracted foreign interest. Over the years the cultured left-footer has been linked with a number of sides but it has all come to naught. Now, the former Monomotapa and Motor Action star is said to be on the radar of Absa Premiership side Maritzburg United, and Joey Antipas’ AmaZulu, who recently bought a top-flight franchise from Thanda Royal Zulu. Long-term admirers AS Vita of DR Congo are also understood to be back in the picture.

“On being linked with foreign clubs, I really cannot say much because my management is handling it. But yes, there has been some interest and I am hoping that something fruitful will come out of it this time around,” he says.

The veteran wing-back will captain Zimbabwe as they begin their latest Africa Nations Championships (Chan) campaign with a first leg qualifier here in Namibia this afternoon. And Mushure wants to make another statement to the clubs that have admired him from a distance over the years.

“As locally-based players, we just have to perform to the fullest so that we impress foreign scouts. Yes, we can’t all play in foreign lands but there comes a time you feel time is ripe or it is actually running out and that is the case with me,” Mushure says.

The defender won the league title with Monomotapa in 2009 before winning three on the bounce with DeMbare between 2012 and 2014. Mushure also won the Mbada Diamonds Cup with Dynamos in 2012.

A devout Johane Masowe eChishanu follower, Mushure has been praying for “this last chance” so that he can build a house for his wife Audrey and five-year-old daughter Mufaro.

“I just have to provide for my family and make sure that years from now people will not read about how I am struggling since retiring from the game. Sometimes people are quick to criticise us but the truth is playing locally is not as lucrative as it appears,” says Mushure.

Warriors coach, Sunday Chidzambwa said he was looking for crucial away goals, ahead of the return leg in Harare. Chidzambwa also roped in veteran goalkeepers coach to bolster his technical team that also has Lloyd Mutasa and Bongani Mafu as assistants. Should Zimbabwe prevail over Namibia as expected, they will face one more opponent before they qualify for the finals.

Zimbabwe Squad

Goalkeepers: Takabva Mawaya, Hebert Rusawo. Defenders: Obey Mwerahari, Devine Lunga, Jimmy Dzingai, Dennis Dauda, Jimmy Tigere.

Midfielders: Ocean Mushure, Moses Muchenje, Gerald Takwara, Liberty Chakaroma, Talent Chawapiwa, Emmanuel Mandiranga, Raphael Manuvire, Denver Mukamba. Strikers: Abbas Amidu, Prince Dube, Francisco Zekumbawire.

The late Ray Phiri

Bruce Ndlovu, Life correspondent
While the world of music is mourning the passing on of legendary South African jazz musician Ray Phiri, one man who should be particularly grateful to the recently deceased guitar wizard is Zimbabwean superstar Oliver Mtukudzi.

Phiri passed on last Tuesday at a Nelspruit clinic, two months after getting diagnosed with lung cancer. Phiri dedicated most of the 70 years of his life to music, becoming a guitar player par excellence during a storied career. From Paul Simon to his work with Stimela, Phiri’s magical fingers tickled guitar strings to beautiful effect, with his work on the instrument becoming the highlight of many hit tunes.

However, unknown to many, Phiri also had a hand in crafting Tuku music, a sound that has become a staple for ears in Zimbabwe and beyond. This little known fact was revealed by a still fit Phiri to musician and cultural critic Admire Kudita in an interview.

“I played a role in the creation of Tuku Music. We used to go to Harare where there was Radio One. It had four tracks and West Nkosi would invite me to the sessions in Harare (then Salisbury). I spent a lot of time shuttling into this country but did not actually live here.

“Then producer West Nkosi (of the then Gallo now Gramma Records) would record the music and we would go back to South Africa and dissect it. If you look at Tuku’s music it has a very South African music influence. It was the session band that would record Tuku’s music in the studio recordings and then West Nkosi would have him down in Jo’burg to record alone,” said Phiri who was visiting Zimbabwe as part of the South African delegation for Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

According to Phiri, a man described as having an encyclopaedic knowledge of the world of music and showbiz, the guitar work on Tuku’s first few projects bears marks of his signature sound. However, because he was a gun for hire working as a session musician, he was never credited for his input.

“Bakhithi Khumalo would play bass and Isaac Mtshali would play drums adding a mbaqanga/smanje smanje feel. If you ask him and he is honest, he will confirm this. If you listen to the very first albums of Oliver Mtukudzi you will hear that was my guitar work but I am not credited because the idea was to build the Black Spirits and we were just sessionists for hire. The Black Spirits of the ‘70s were the very first successful recording group. We also worked with the Elisha Josamus and would take those guys and record them,” said the late guitarist.

According to the man who spoke to the jazz maestro, Kudita, at the time of the interview the music legend had seemed somewhat disappointed with the lack of acknowledgement that his work had got, particularly as the Tuku music brand grew in leaps and bounds over the years.

“He told me that he played on Tuku’s early records in the 70s but as he spoke I noticed what seemed to be regret at the fact that it is a little acknowledged fact by the singer himself,” said Kudita.

However, Tuku’s manager, Sam Mataure, was not available to confirm whether the two legends had indeed worked together to craft the sound that so many have grown to love.

Vice-President Cde Phelekezela Mphoko

Harare Bureau
ALL public officials should publicly declare their assets and sources of wealth to engender transparency, curb corruption and end criminal abuse of public funds, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has said.

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Mail last week, VP Mphoko said he was prepared to lay bare what he owned and encouraged other officials to follow suit.

The VP, who oversees policy co-ordination and implementation in Government, said officials found guilty of unduly benefiting should be stripped of the assets.

He called for closer monitoring of ministries and parastatals by Parliament, saying the legislature should be involved in public tender processes.

Imposition of stiff penalties by the courts, he said, had failed to curb corruption because convicted culprits could live “like kings” in prisons after “buying” correctional services officers.

Said VP Mphoko: “I wish we were like the Chinese or the Muslims who say if you steal they will cut your hand off; the Chinese would take you to the firing squad straight away. But here people have feelings for other people.

“The solution we keep on talking about and have stiff penalties. But stiff penalties also are questionable because if you are taken to prison, especially when there is politics of poverty, everybody is accessible to be bought.

“Stiff penalty? You take a man to prison and in the prison he lives like a king because he has money.’’

Government is working on a law to compel public officers and senior executives at parastatals and State-owned enterprises to declare their assets.

The Public Sector Governance Bill will empower the Office of the President and Cabinet to monitor board members and senior executives at parastatals and State enterprises, and examine their assets and business interests to ensure good corporate governance.

Also, permanent secretaries will no longer sit on public boards, while directors who fail to declare assets and/or financial interests will face prosecution.

The Bill, which is being driven by the Finance and Economic Development Ministry, feeds into Government’s Results-Based Management System.
Many countries have similar legal instruments.

Said VP Mphoko: “The only way corruption can end is that first and foremost let us declare our assets, let us declare assets as leaders.

“Those who have crossed the line all that they have stolen must be taken and given to the people.

“Arresting alone doesn’t help — thati’zinto linike abantu back — just take the things and give them to the people because it’s not yours, you are now stealing from the people.

“Going to jail does not help anybody; tora zvinhu udzose kunevanhu. This applies to everybody, including political leaders. Even myself, of course!”

VP Mphoko added that the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission was itself corrupt.

“(President Mugabe) has registered an anti-corruption body, look at the structures he has created to end corruption.

“Now the anti-corruption itself is now corrupt. The instrument that is supposed to take care of this problem is now corrupted.

“What we should do is declare assets — everybody — and see what our people have.”

VP Mphoko said some ministers had personalised portfolios.

“What has happened is that a number of ministries have been personalised; personalised in the sense that when you move into a ministry you remove everybody in that ministry including (parastatal) board members and put your own people.

“Why? If you are going into a ministry and you want continuity you will need those people.

“For checks and balances, in the 1980s, there was what was called an inter-ministerial committee; I remember very well we were about 15 members in that committee.

“What happened was no ministry could make big decisions on its own, it was monitored by the committee.

“Until such a time I don’t know how they made it that ministries now just do things on their own.

“I would suggest that to monitor some of these things and close down these holes we have Parliamentary Portfolio Committees, they can also be used, for instance, whenever there is a tender in any ministry, let the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee be involved.

“If there is something which involves the Ministry of Transport, let the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport be involved.

“I think that will help us a lot by putting checks and balances. Otherwise if we don’t do that people will continue doing the wrong things.”

APEX council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander

Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Senior Reporter
LOAN sharks are deducting money from civil servants salaries through the Salary Services Bureau (SSB)’s stop order system ostensibly to service non-existent loans without prior approval from the workers, Sunday News can reveal.

Affected Government workers have since asked their employer to intervene.

One of the companies that has been in the eye of a storm over the deduction is McDowells International (Pvt) Limited, which has since been liquidated.

The Government, through the Civil Service Commission (CSC) has washed its hands on the case involving McDowells and asked the affected workers to seek recourse through other means.

A number of civil servants claim they have been made to pay monthly premiums to service loans from McDowells which they would not have taken.

Those that took loans from the company claim that the loan shark continues to deduct money from their salaries despite them having finished paying off the loans.

APEX council chairperson Mrs Cecilia Alexander yesterday confirmed that a number of Government workers had complained of the unauthorised deductions from a number of companies.

Mrs Alexander said the council had since asked the Government to investigate the complaints as there appeared to be loopholes in the SSB’s stop order system.

She was, however, not in a position to single out any particular company saying the companies involved were many.

“Complaints have been raised during our meetings that a number of workers were having money deducted from their salaries without their consent. It appears there are loopholes at the SSB, because it baffles us how these deductions are being done without the workers having signed to authorise,” she said.

Added Mrs Alexander, “We have since engaged the Government to investigate the issue. It’s an area of concern which we want the employer to look into”.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) earlier this year wrote to the CSC, requesting intervention on McDowell’s continued deduction of money from teachers’ salaries.

However, the CSC, through the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare declined to intervene on the matter which it said was now beyond its jurisdiction as it had been ruled on by the High Court.

In a letter dated 7 July, the Secretary for Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Mr Ngoni Masoka said the deductions being made to the civil servants’ salaries, in the McDowells case, had been sanctioned by the High Court, to recover what the liquidated company was owed by debtors.

Mr Masoka said the provisional liquidator appointed by the High Court was the one carrying out the deductions and his ministry could not do anything about the matter.

He said court orders had been granted against the Government workers who owed McDowells.

“Court orders were thus granted against the teachers who were indebted to the company in question and were submitted to the Salary Services Bureau for processing by the Provisional Liquidator. My ministry cannot reverse a judgment made by a court of law,” he said.

Mr Masoka said aggrieved teachers could still engage the Provisional Liquidator and reach consensus on amounts of money that can be deducted from their salaries.

Vice-President Mphoko

Harare Bureau
Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko has expressed reservations on “planned” economic turnaround under the “Command” banner, saying such programmes do not work.

He said this in an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with our Harare Bureau last week. Government has over the 2016/17 summer cropping season implemented a Specialised Maize Production and Import Substitution Programme, better known as Command Agriculture, under a public-private partnership with Sakunda Holdings.

While that programme targets commercial production, the State, again in public-private partnership, also provided maize free inputs to households across Zimbabwe under the Presidential Inputs Support Scheme. Projections by both Government and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation point to a maize harvest of at least 2,1 million tonnes against national annual requirements of 1,8 million tonnes.

The success of the State’s intervention has seen Government extending Command Agriculture not only to the next summer cropping season, but also applying the concept to other sectors like fisheries and livestock.

This has seen President Mugabe publicly describing Command Agriculture as “beautiful”.

However, last week VP Mphoko — who was at the time the Acting President — told our Harare Bureau he was not too enamoured by the concept.

First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe initiated the idea of Command Agriculture, and Cabinet — in which VP Mphoko sits — adopted it, with President Mugabe assigning VP Emmerson Mnangagwa to spearhead implementation.

Asked if Command Agriculture had Cabinet’s full backing following weeks of rabid attacks by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, VP Mphoko said: “I don’t know how you want to put it. The (Command Agriculture) programme, I don’t want to put some of these words you are talking because I have never agreed with them. I have trained in the Soviet Union and I know what a planned economy is, but I am saying and we must be very careful not to distort our programmes. Because if you give a headline on a particular subject or a title to a book stick to the title, don’t distort it.”

VP Mphoko added that investors did not care about policy discord in Government as they were only driven by self- interest.

“In Zimbabwe there is everything here; you tell them not to invest but they want milk, they want fish they want gold, they want platinum they want all the minerals that we have here. Whether it’s agriculture or what the ministers say, those people are governed by their interests.”

VP Mphoko spoke strongly against factionalism in Zanu-PF.

“Factionalism will not help anybody, instead it will destroy you. You see what happens is that you cannot anoint yourself; you can’t do that. You have to be anointed not by someone. Go to the Bible and look at how King Solomon was appointed. David was very sick, he was very frail and one of his sons, Adonijah, slaughtered over 50 beasts and anointed himself, assisted by Joab, who was a general in the army.

“Joab and Adonijah were working together. In the meanwhile the reality happened, and David installed Solomon and those who had anointed themselves failed completely.

“Those are lessons you must learn. You must learn what also happened to others during the Mzilikazi era. People decided to install Nkulumane before they had established that Mzilikazi was dead and as a result of that, it failed.”