NewsHawks 21 May 2021-min

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Multimillion-dollar
whistleblowing
corruption scandal
rocks Zimra facility

ALSO INSIDE MDC-T polling agents still unpaid for 2018 elections

Page 2 News NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Multimillion-dollar whistleblowing
corruption scandal rocks Zimra fund

OWEN GAGARE himself US$15 million. But the he met Evans Kujinga. Some- corrupt financial benefit, the au- and the resulting audit yielded 1 documents were retained by the
use of insider information led to time in 2014 and assisted him dit says. 500 times less than the expected commissioner.”
MASSIVE corruption — which a prejudice to Zimra of US$10 as a tax consultant who would yield from a full-scale audit.”
has dragged on for years — is million on one occasion. One ask almost everything about This series of cases of corrup- The whistle-blowers, howev-
rocking the Zimbabwe Revenue prolific whistle-blower – Ku- Zimra, Customs and Taxation tion happened during Zimra The audit also reveals Zimra er, later learnt that the same case
Authority (Zimra)’s multi-mil- jinga - who was an informant such as how to apply for a tax Commissioner-General Ger- is not consistent in the way the was given to Kujinga to cash in
lion-dollar whistle-blower fund to over 80 cases obtained much clearance, how to propose a pay- shem Pasi’s time, continued 10% reward to whistle-blowers with Zimra officials. 
which the tax collector’s senior of the information from inside ment plan, garnish orders, tax during under Faith Mazani’s is paid. 
officials are looting in cahoots Zimra to support his cases. At amnesty, and upliftment among time and is still happening now “Internal audit investigations
with a corrupt network of infor- the time of audit, he had been other things. He did not verify acting boss Rameck Masaire. “In some instances, payment reveal that the case was report-
mants acting on insider infor- paid over US$1 million and whether Kujinga was a regis- was based on the collections ed on 21 July 2013 and audited
mation. stood to be paid over US$15 tered tax consultant or not and Documents obtained by The from the revenue head that is and has since been fully paid.
million when all collections due could not remember the specif- NewsHawks from Zimra, which identified by the whistle-blow- A total prejudice of US$455
In April, The NewsHawks re- had been paid up. ic clients Kujinga represented claims its values include integ- er to be prejudiced. In other 404.47 was established and
ported Zimra was caught in a but was very inquisitive about rity, transparency and fairness, instances, payment to whis- US$45 540.47 was paid to Ku-
corruption storm in which its This money was at various how things were done in the show that top officials at the tax tle-blower was based on total jinga,” it says.
senior officers were accused of stages of processing: cash due Debt Management section. He collector are at the forefront of prejudice regardless of whether The DMC case 
conniving with tax evaders in for payment; cash in debt which also received monies from him illegally and criminally collabo- whistle-blower had identified The case, according to the audit,
exchange for payment and par- was being collected; money through Ecocash and cash.” rating with corrupt tax evaders that revenue head on his re- was whistle-blown twice, at first
taking in attendant financial from cases under audit, matters Kujinga’s 80 cases for financial benefit without port,” the audit says. using the name Diamond Min-
rewards. This endangers the not yet audited and transactions There are over 80 cases which regard for the safety of whis- ing Corporation (DMC) and
security of whistle-blowers and submitted. were reported by Kujinga. The tle-blowers. “Zimra took excessively long on the second occasion just as
damages the image of the tax amount set to be paid to him to pay whistle-blowers after pay- DMC. The first case was report-
collector. The interactions between the was over US$15m, at various The internal audit reveals that ment was received from client. ed on 12 August 2011 under
audit team and Zimra officials stages of processing. At one time “there were no laid down proce- Payment to whistle-blowers was case number 01/09/12/2011.
The most recent case involved were revealing. Zimra anticipated collecting dures in the administration of on an as-and-when basis result- The case was audited and
three whistle-blowers — Nor- US$176 251 404.47 and paying the whistle-blower facility re- ing in long engagements with US$255 162.04 was established
man Nyabadza, Martin Macha- “Debt Management: This to whistle-blowers US$16 725 sulting in gross abuse.” the whistle-blower which com- to be owing and was recovered.
raga and Evans Kujinga — who stage was very vital as Zimra 140.45. Kujinga would make a promised their anonymity and An amount of US$25 552.20
had reported notorious Harare officers would view client ac- killing overnight. The findings indicate that resulted in their victimisation in was paid to the whistle-blower
land baron Felix Munyaradzi to counts and provide information in some cases client bills were some instances.” on 19 November 2012.
Zimra for tax evasion involving about the tax status of each cli- “The Zimra commissioner being reduced without basis, Insider information
US$12 million. Zimra in March ent to Kujinga such as which tax investigation played an import- resulting in loss of revenue. In Internal auditors interviewed On the second occasion,
wrote to Munyaradzi demand- heads the client was not com- ant role through ensuring con- another case, Kujinga was paid several Zimra employees in the case was reported under
ing payment or else they would plying on. stant follow up to ensure that more than what was due to him.  the debt management office, DMC P/L and case number
garnish his business accounts. cases submitted by Kujinga were including Bozhiwa, Musorah, 01/10/10/2013. This was for the
“The same debt management quickly audited, processed and The audit reveals a case which Gombera and Katiyo worked same Pay-As-You-Earn (Paye)
Munyaradzi was in March officers would also quicken the paid. Evidence on the file clearly was reported to Zimra twice by with Kujinga. They all confessed tax-head. The whistle-blower
given seven days to pay or face payments collection for clients showed that Kujinga’s cases re- two different informants using receiving money from him on was also paid.
the consequences. reported by Kujinga through ceived excessive attention from the names Diamond Mining several occasions. Wrong whistle-blower paid
constant follow up. The same the commissioner through con- Corporation and on the second The audit reveals that Pasi au-
Under the whistle-blower fa- officers would also provide in- stant follow ups. Many other instance just DMC. Pay-outs Some of the companies the thorised a payment of US$55
cility, Zimra is supposed to re- formation on which client had cases received since 2010 were were made in both instances. network dealt with includ- 909.87 on 10 September 2012
ward legitimate informants on paid and how much. This infor- never actioned,” it says. ed cases involving prominent to a whistle-blower against the
cases relating to tax evasion un- mation was crucial for follow- “A whistle-blower case was companies such as Mbada Di- advice of the commissioner in-
der Section 34B of the Revenue ing up with the commissioner. “Internal audit recommends not accepted for investigation amonds, ZTE Corporation, vestigations after Raffles Fash-
Authority Act (Chapter 23:11) This was also evidenced by the that since this information was after it was reported by the Afdis, Zimbabwe Sugar Sales, ions was reported as non-tax
as read with Statutory Instru- specific information Kujinga obtained internally and unpro- Commissioner-General and Gecko Private Limited, AE compliant. 
ment 150 of 2020. would use when doing the fol- cedurally, any further payments Commissioner investigations to Electrical Lighting, PTY Hold-
low-ups form instance knowing to the whistle-blowers should be under an audit which never ings, Zimbabwe Energy Reg- The whistle-blower report-
Statutory Instrument 150 of when Liquid Telecoms had paid be stopped. Recovery processes took place. Resultant potential ulatory Authority, Mashwede ed a case on 3 December 2009
2020, gazetted on 26 June 2020, US$150 000.00 to Zimra,” the should be instituted to recover revenue was in the region of Holdings, Cargo Carriers and through a hand-written letter,
regulates payment of rewards to audit report says. all the monies paid to the whis- US$15 million,” the report re- Postal and Telecommunications but the whistle-blower did not
informants upon whistleblow- tle-blower(s). The respective veals. Regulatory Authority of Zimba- identify himself and remained
ing and recovery of revenue. “Internal audit interviewed whistle-blower should be black bwe, among many others. anonymous. The whistle-blower
the officers involved as follows: listed from submitting any fur- “There were cases where whis- Potraz scandal did not complete the informant
The reward is 10% of the Munashe Bozhiwa – he said he ther cases. Further investiga- tle-blowers were overly frustrat- The audit reveals that in 2013, form. 
amount recovered on the basis knew Kujinga since 2014 as a tions should be carried out.” ed by some kind of red tape in Zimra’s commissioner in charge
of information supplied even tax consultant who frequently Zimra. Issues of whistle-blower of investigations Anna Mu- “The client was audited and a
corrupt Zimra officials always visited Zimra offices and also Disciplinary action should frustration: failure to investi- tombodzi rejected information final audit report was produced
manipulate that. Zimra also un- agreed that he had been receiv- also be instituted against Zimra gate reported rampant transfer provided by a whistle-blower on 14 June 2011. A total bill of
dertakes to protect the identity ing some monies from him both officers involved in providing pricing; allocating a high-pro- “because the information was US$554 576.86 prejudice was
of the informants at all times as physical cash and through tax information to outsiders for file whistle-blower case to Loss insufficient but the submitted raised for Raffles,” the audit
as provided for in the secrecy Ecocash over a long period of Control who did not have the says.
provisions of the Revenue Au- time. requisite skill…
thority Act, but it has failed and “On 13 July 2011 when
endangered whistle-blowers. “Evelyn Musorah — she One case was denied the Raffles had started making pay-
worked in debt management whistle-blower status but was ments towards settlement of
Following The NewsHawks’ section. She said she had known later allocated to Loss Control the bill with US$215 863.41
recent report, Zimra sources Kujinga since 2007, and was a having been paid, an individ-
have provided further details, family friend. She joined Zim- ual appeared and claimed that
including an audit report dating ra in 2014 and met Kujinga at he was the whistle-blower. The
five years which shows a frenzy Kurima House where he said he information submitted by the
of looting of public funds under was doing some tax consultan- client clearly indicated that it
the whistle-blower facility. cy work. Since then they have was obtained from inside the
been discussing various tax is- Company as the informant was
The audit covered the peri- sues. They exchanged various intimate with the operations of
od 2009-2016. However, the amounts of money over the pe- the company… There was no
plunder has continued unabat- riod through Ecocash, cash and connection between the whis-
ed. Millions in taxpayers’ funds bank transfers. tle-blower who submitted this
have been stolen through racket. letter initially and the claimant.
“Brian Gombera —w Since
The network works like this: 2012 he was deployed at the “On 8 September 2011 Mrs
senior Zimra officials get infor- debt management section. His Mutombodzi wrote a letter
mation from whistle-blowers duties included monitoring cli- to the Commissioner-Gener-
and then help them to consoli- ent accounts and advising them al highlighting the discrepan-
date and process their cases fast to update their records accord- cies and recommended that he
using inside information for ingly. He knew Evans Kujinga should not be paid. The Com-
a huge cut. Alternatively, and since 2004. He met him later at missioner-General however, in-
more corruptly, senior Zimra Kurima House in his capacity as structed that Chirenje should be
officials use inside information a tax consultant and would as- given the benefit of doubt and
on individuals and companies’ sist him but could not remem- be paid.”
tax returns and tax evasion to ber the names of the clients he Failure to investigate
empower their cronies to come represented. As a friend they The audit has found that some
and report cases in return for would borrow and lend various of the cases that were reported
huge payments, which they then amounts of money to each oth- by whistle-blowers were never
share. This becomes lucrative er. investigated.
fake whistle-blowing. The mon-
ey-spinning fraudulent scheme “Simbarashe Katiyo – He got
has been so lucrative that one to know Kujinga since 2007.
whistle-blower infiltrated the After joining Zimra in 2011
Zimra system, guaranteeing

NewsHawks News Page 3

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Why Mnangagwa doesn’t want Zhou

OWEN GAGARE 2013. He was sworn in on 2 er became a JSC member. Justice Happias Zhou. date. 57 political activists who par-
May 2012 at State House. The Prior to that he was in pri- After the June 2000 parlia- Zhou told then High Court ticipated in a demonstrations
REASONS why President Em- then Justice minister Patrick mentary elections, which the in 2016.
merson Mnangagwa strongly Chinamasa and the late chief vate practice at the Advocates’ MDC narrowly lost to Zanu Justice James Devittie that his
dislikes High Justice Happias justice Godfrey Chidyausiku Chambers at Old Mutual Cen- PF, Zhou represented in court client did not wish to pursue In retaliation against all the
Zhou - who led a brave judi- and former Judicial services tre on Third Street. Crispa Musoni, opposition the matter. He did not give judgements they did not like,
cial panel that dramatically Commission (JSC) secretary candidate for Gutu North, reasons for the withdrawal. In government last year blocked
blocked Justice Luke Malaba’s and Supreme Court judge Rita Zhou has delivered many but withdrew his petition in his petition, Musoni had said Zhou in the running to be-
controversial tenure extension Makarau were in attendance. troubling judgements which the High Court challenging Muzenda won the election come one of seven members
last week – have emerged, government did not like, hence the late vice-president Simon through corrupt practices. He of the International Tribunal
showing his fierce independent In February 2014, Zhou lat- Mnangagwa’s disdain of him, Muzenda, the Zanu PF candi- also alleged that war veterans for the Law of the Sea when
streak that unsettled political according to senior officials. and Zanu PF supporters had his nomination was withdrawn
officialdom. intimidated and attacked his without his knowledge.
supporters in the run-up to the
Mnangagwa blocked Zhou election. Muzenda had polled Also last year Zhou ruled
from becoming a Constitu- 14 867 votes against Musoni’s that Harare architects Stone/
tional Court judge after in- 8 179 votes. Beattie Studio were entitled
terviews last year in which he to the US$142 000 it had de-
came third out of 12 shortlist- Zhou in 2018 scrapped posited with CABS. Conver-
ed candidates for several rea- Statutory Instrument (SI) sion of that balance into local
sons: his independent mind, 205 of 2018, which enabled currency, a result of Exchange
association with the original government to levy 2% on Control R120/2018 directive
opposition MDC then under electronic money transactions issued by RBZ on 4 October
its founding leader, the late above ZW$10. 2018, was a violation of prop-
Morgan Tsvangirai; resistance erty rights, the judge ruled.
to Malaba’s judicial capture The tax was introduced by
project and fearless judgements Finance minister Mthuli Ncu- In 2002, Zhou represent-
against the government. be. ed Tsvangirai after the dis-
puted presidential election
In the aftermath of the High Last year Zhou set aside Ha- against Mugabe. In that case,
Court judgement against Mal- rare magistrate Ngoni Nduna’s he worked with veteran law-
aba, Justice minister Ziyambi ruling which barred prominent yers including Advocate Jere-
Ziyambi made an explosive lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa from my Gauntlet of South Africa,
outburst against Judge Presi- representing award-winning Advocate Adrian de Bourbon
dent George Chiweshe and his journalist Hopewell Chin’ono. (now based in South Africa)
High Court colleagues Edith and Bryant Elliot as attorney.
Mushore, Jesta Helena Chare- Zhou further disqualified
wa and Zhou. Nduna from presiding over Further, Zhou also delivered
Chino’no’s criminal trial and a judgement that co-habiting
“We are going to poke the ordered that a new magistrate for decades without any pay-
enemy in the eye and confront presides over the case. ment of lobola does not up-
it,” Ziyambi said. grade a relationship to a legit-
In another case, Zhou also imate marriage for purposes of
Zhou was appointed judge interdicted any persons, in- inheritance.
in 2012 by the late former cluding the police and home
president Robert Mugabe in affairs, from preventing Zim- However, his most impact-
consultation with Tsvangirai babwe Hospital Doctors As- ful judgement is the Malaba
as prime minister during the sociation leader Dr Peter Ma- one.
Government of National Uni- gombeyi, from leaving the
ty which lasted from 2009 to country for the purpose of No wonder Mnangagwa
seeking medical treatment. blocked Zhou from becoming
a Constitutional Court judge.
At one time Zhou released

BRIDGET MANANAVIRE Zim Law Society challenges tion of Zimbabwe Amend-
constitutional amendments ment (No.2) Act, 2021 passed
THE Law Society of Zimba- serve beyond the previously set (No.1) Bill, 2017 in violation by the first respondent on 4th
bwe (LSZ) has filed a Con- retirement age of 70 if the Pres- Law Society of Zimbabwe president Wellington Magaya. of section 147 of the Consti- May 2021 and assented to by
stitutional Court application ident, after consulting the JSC, tution. It failed to follow the the fourth respondent on 7th
challenging the passage of consents to their doing so.  ly Constitution Amendment “Should he subsequently do procedure set out in section May 2021 invalid on grounds
Constitution of Zimbabwe (No.1) Act, 2021 passed by so, the grounds of invalidility 328 of the Constitution in that the first respondent failed
Amendment (No.1) Bill/Act, Mnangagwa extended Chief Parliament on April 6, 2021, remain the same. The Bill is promulgating the Constitution to follow the procedure as set
2017 and the Constitution Justice Luke Malaba’s tenure invalid. It appears the presi- invalid on the ground that Par- Bill (No.1). out in terms of Section 328
of Zimbabwe Amendment on the strength of this provi- dent has not yet assented to it. liament failed to fulfil a consti- (3(4)) of the Constitution,” the
(No.2) Act, 2021 which are sion, only to be halted by the Should he subsequently do so, tutional obligation in that: it “It acted contrary to con- application reads. 
largely seen as designed to fa- High Court which ruled that the grounds of invalidity re- passed the lapsed Constitution stitutional duty under section
cilitate President Emmerson the chief justice’s term ended main the same,” Mapara said. of Zimbabwe Amendment 119 (protect the Constitution “The first respondent had
Mnangagwa’s power consoli- when he turned 70. and promote democratic gov- further failed to comply with
dation drive. ernance in Zimbabwe).” the requirements of Section
The amendments also al- 141(a), (b), and (c) of the
Mnangagwa was cited as the low the President to appoint Section 147 states that on Constitution which require
fourth respondent.  a vice-president of his choice, the dissolution of Parliament, Parliament to ensure that it
after the scrapping of the run- all proceedings pending at the facilitates public involvement
Parliament of Zimbabwe ning mate clause, which was time are terminated, and every in its legislative processes and
(first respondent), President scheduled to be operation- Bill, motion, petition and oth- other processes and in the pro-
of Senate Mabel Chinomona alised in 2023, among other er business lapses. cesses of its Committees and
(second respondent), Speaker things. to ensure public consultation
of National Assembly Jacob The Bill however straddled and to conduct its business in
Mudenda (third respondent) In his founding affidavit, the eighth parliament which a transparent manner,” the ap-
and the minister of Justice Zi- Edward Mapara, the LSZ ex- ran from 2013 to midnight plication reads.
yambi Ziyambi (fifth respon- ecutive secretary, said he was on 29 July 2018 and the ninth
dent) were also cited.  making the application in parliament, whose tenure ends The LSZ is also challenging
terms of section 167 (2) (d) in 2023. the application on the grounds
The amendments enable the as read with section 85 of the that a referendum was not
President to promote judges of constitution as further read Mapara also said Parliament held.
the High Court and the Su- with rule 27 of the Constitu- failed to ensure that the pro-
preme Court to a higher court tional Court rules, 2016. visions of the constitution are “Further, section 327 (3)
on the recommendation of upheld and to ensure that it requires the Speaker, when
the Judicial Service Commis- “The applicant seeks an or- acts constitutionally and in the giving notice of the Consti-
sion (JSC), without the need der declaring Constitution national interest. tutional Bill in the Gazette to
for public interviews, thereby of Zimbabwe Amendment publish the precise terms of
opening the door to promo- (No.1) Bill, 2017 alternative- “The applicant further seeks the Bill. Material amendments
tions on the basis of political an order declaring Constitu- were subsequently made to the
suitability and cronyism. Constitutional Bill presented
to the public, which render the
They allow judges of the amendments unconstitution-
Constitutional Court and the al,” the application reads.
Supreme Court to continue to

Page 4 News NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

State agents kick-started processes to
draw up civil criminalise interaction be-
society hit list tween citizens and officials
from Western embassies
BERNARD MPOFU Operations Command) Former Zanu PF leader Jim Kunaka. as authoritarian repression
meeting held on the 10th of and the crackdown on de-
ZIMBABWE’S security August 2020 on the back- who were targeted include advance the narrative that der their command are mocracy activists escalates
services last year intensi- drop of ongoing incessant Zimbabwe Congress of these countries are foment- committed to the objectives to new levels not previous-
fied the hounding of civil attacks on the President of Trade Union leader Peter ing dissent and instability of this crucial operation. ly seen in that regard even
society activists at a time the Republic of Zimbabwe, Mutasa, Tajamuka lead- in the country. The under-listed individu- under the late president
Zimbabwe is expected to His Excellency, Cde Em- er Promise Mkwananzi, als should be tracked and Robert Mugabe’s 37- year
redouble its international merson Mnangagwa, the journalists Lance Guma “Information gathered information that may lead despotic rule till 2017.
re-engagement drive fol- ruling party Zanu PF and and Mduduzi Mathuthu, by our intelligence teams to their arrest should be top
lowing months of simmer- the government of Zim- ex-soldier Albert Matapo revealed that some ex-se- priority.” Cabinet last year ap-
ing political tension and babwe by malcontents in and former Zanu PF leader curity services members are proved a law — the Patri-
drama, confidential docu- Zimbabwe and in the dias- Jim Kunaka. linked to serving members, National police spokes- otic Bill — that will make
ments seen by The News- pora who are working with connections which have led person Paul Nyathi: “I’m it illegal for citizens to meet
Hawks have shown. our erstwhile colonisers to It is also understood that to the leaking of classified not aware of  the list. You foreign embassy officials
destablise Zimbabwe and the country’s intelligence information into the pub- are the first person to tell without government ap-
Information gathered by pave way for an illegal re- services have intensified lic domain,” the document me about it. From the po- proval.
this publication shows that gime change, it is hereby surveillance on opposition further reads. lice PR position, we are not
law enforcement agencies directed that all security leaders, civil society activists aware of that list.” The move — we hich crit-
have compiled a hit list services be on high alert and Western embassies in a “All commanders should ics say it brazenly infringes
comprising civil society and reinvigorate efforts to well-calculated strategy to therefore be vigilant and The old trick comes at a on entrenched constitution-
leaders and other pro-de- stop this anti-government ensure that all officers un- time the government has al rights — will create a new
mocracy activists and have campaign,” reads the confi- Orwellian environment in
launched a crackdown on dential circular. Zimbabwe where secret and
prominent figures lobbying thought police reminiscent
for civil and political liber- “The campaigns are not of George Orwell’s writings
ties. only to foment violence  brazenly seek to suppress
and sabotage government’s democratic rights.
A confidential document ongoing efforts to revive
gleaned by the police com- the economy but to subvert Relations between the
missioner in charge of crime a constitutionally-elected West and Harare improved
shows that over 20 individ- government and replace it after the 2017 military
uals — who include former with foreign-funded oppo- coup, with Mnangagwa
military, police and Central sition political parties. This promising political and
Intelligence Officers as well is a direct assault on our na- economic reforms aimed at
as civic society activists are tional defence and security putting Zimbabwe back on
currently being hunted by system.” the path to prosperity.
security services.
Prominent individuals Mnangagwa promised
“Following a JOC  (Joint to fight corruption and ob-
serve human rights, among
other low hanging fruits,
but high-level graft has
increased, while cases of
state-sponsored abductions
and torture have explod-
ed, resulting in widespread
condemnation at home and
abroad.

LIZWE SEBATHA MDC-T polling agents still 2020, MDC-T party was
unpaid for 2018 election granted $14 million by the
MDC-T leader Doug- Government of Zimbabwe
las Mwonzora is agonising but was non-committal as to MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora. randum to party members through the Political Par-
over outstanding allowances when the outstanding pay- recently, Mwonzora denied ties Finance Act. The funds
owed to thousands of poll- ments will be settled. that he has stolen ZW$6 mil- were deposited in MDC-T
ing agents hired by the par- lion from party coffers. He BancABC account number
ty across the country for the “We want to be a party said this accusation is ped- 50863225502015 Heritage
disputed 2018 general elec- that fulfils its promises and dled by “rogue youths” who Branch.
tion. we undertook that we are have since left the party.
going to pay them, unfortu- “On 18 December 2020,
Mwonzora inherited the nately the previous adminis- The MDC-T received the accused person (Mr
bill after assuming control of tration did not pay them. I ZW$14 million from the Mwonzora) transferred funds
the party in December 2020 want my administration to state under the Political Par- from MDC-T party said
during an extraordinary pay them,” Mwonzora said. ties (Finance) Act in terms of bank account into (Bell Pe-
congress where he contested which all parties that garner troleum BancABC account
against his deputy Thokoza- “It is a contractual obliga- at least 5% of the vote in a number 15104045502014).
ni Khupe, Morgen Komichi tion. We are going to be pay- general election share the The funds were transferred
and Elias Mudzuri for the ing all those who were polling sum budgeted for political in the following batches: $2
party’s top post. agents in 2018 irrespective parties each year in propor- 400 000, $1 755 000, $1 800
of whether they have joined tion to their votes.  By-elec- 000 making a total of $5 955
Khupe had been interim other political parties or not; tion results can alter those 000.
president months earlier af- and we are at this point and proportions.
ter winning a Supreme Court time asking the provinces to “The MDC-T party had
judgement to use the official compile a list of those who In December, Mwonzora no relationship or any con-
name of MDC-T, a ruling were polling agents.” was accused of misusing the tract with the said company
that elbowed out MDC Alli- party funds as secretary-gen- and as such the accused per-
ance leader Nelson Chamisa Each polling agent was eral with claims that he with- son was stealing the funds
as the opposition party pres- promised up to US$30 per drew money from the party from the party’s account.
ident. day. account without express au-
thority from other leaders “Furthermore, the funds
Chamisa opposed Khupe However, financial chal- in the opposition’s standing transfer was not approved by
and, during the hotly con- lenges beset the opposition committee. the MDC executive. Total
tested 2018 national elec- MDC-T amid claims of mis- value stolen is $5 955 000
tion, was the candidate of a use of party funds by Mwon- “Some time in December and nothing was recovered,”
coalition of political parties zora. In an internal memo- read a police report, CR:
called the MDC Alliance 2236/12/2020, filed against
that hired over 45 000 poll- Mwonzora.
ing agents.
However, Khupe, who was
The polling agents remain the acting president then,
unpaid to date, Mwonzora absolved Mwonzora of the
confirmed in an interview, fraud allegation.

NewsHawks News Page 5

Issue 31, 21 May 2021 Lawyers ratchet up pressure
on Chief Justice Luke Malaba
BRIDGET MANANAVIRE
Pro-democracy activist Namatai Kwekweza. sioners of the JSC were present that is immediately available
THE Judicial Service Commis- for purposes of the JSC consul- to the JSC. In that respect, we
sion is under pressure to avail “The application letter sub- tion 186(1) of the Constitution Most of all, the young law- tative meeting,” the letter read. therefore seek an immediate
documentation that proves mitted by Mr. Malaba to His seeking an extension of his ten- yers and Mutanda want confir- response in terms of Section
President Emmerson Mnan- Excellency the President of ure of office with accompany- mation that a consultative pro- They also requested min- 7(3) of the Freedom of Infor-
gagwa’s extension of Luke Mal- the Republic of Zimbabwe ing annexes if any.” cess between the President and utes of the deliberations and/ mation Act Chapter 10:33 and
aba’s contract as Chief Justice Cde Emmerson Dambudzo the JSC took place as required or consultation that took place at any rate lo later than end of
for the next five years was done Mnangwagwa  (‘the President’) The parties are also request- by law. amongst JSC commissioners business day Monday 24 May
procedurally. that we expect must have been ing the letter from the Presi- and the President as well as the 2021,” her letter read.
made available to the JSC in dent communicating his intent “If a consultative process did recommendations made.
The commission, whose law- accordance with or pursuant to accept this extended tenure take place, could we be advised: “We draw your attention to
yers are still waiting for a writ- to the consultative process en- and any reasons therefore to- when that took place (date and “In either event, could you your obligations under section
ten High Court judgement, visioned by the proviso to Sec- gether with the medical report time); where that took place kindly and with urgency pro- 191 of the Constitution which
has so far been served with two referred to in the letter. (venue) and which commis- vide us with the requested doc- requires that you conduct your
letters requesting evidence that umentation or provide us with business in a just, fair and
the JSC was consulted before written confirmation that no transparent manner.
the controversial appointment consultative process took place
was made. JSC has expressed before the fact of the appoint- The letter also went to re-
frastration over delays on re- ment recorded on the 11th of quest for copies of a resolution
ceiving the full judgement. May, 2021 letter as referred to of the meeting to deliberate on
in paragraph 1 of this letter,” the extension of Malaba’s ten-
In the letters, one by Hon- the young lawyers said.  ure by the commission, if such
ey and Blanckenberg legal a meeting had been held.
practitioners on behalf of the “We must emphasise that
Young Lawyers of Zimbabwe this letter and the requests “If a resolution was passed…,
and Frederick Mutanda and made are substantively differ- which commissioners of the
the other by Scanlen and Hol- ent to and distinct from the Judicial Service Commission
derness on behalf of Namatayi nature and substance of the voted in favour of recommend-
Kwekweza, the issue of urgency pending appeal(s) to the Su- ing that Hon. Luke Malaba’s
in availing the documents was preme Court arising from the tenure be extended for another
emphasised, with Kwekweza proceedings in HC 2128/21 five years and which commis-
giving the commission a Mon- HC 2166/21.” sioners voted against?
day deadline.
Kwekweza’s request for ac- “Did any commissioners or
“Reference to Section186(1) cess to the records is in terms members of the board abstain
of the Constitution as amend- of section 62 of the Constitu- from voting? If so, who? Did
ed and the proviso thereto. tion of Zimbabwe and in terms Hon Luke Malaba communi-
More particularly, you must ac- of section 7 of the Freedom cate that he was conflicted in
cept that the proviso provides of Information Act (Chapter relation to this decision? Did
that before the act of assump- 10:33). the Judicial Service Commis-
tion of office for ‘an additional sion meet to consider whether
five years’ the Judicial Service “As you are aware, the High to become involved in the liti-
Commission (‘the JSC’) is re- Court has found, in the sepa- gation launched by Musa Kika
quired to be consulted,” the rate matters filed by Musa Kika in the High Court under case
letter by Honey and Blancken- and Young Lawyers Associa- number HC 2128/21 and by
berg reads.  tion of Zimbabwe that these the Young Lawyers Association
are urgent matters. We also of Zimbabwe.”
“To that end, without any believe that this is information
admission to or acceptance
that Constitutional Amend-
ment (No.2) is valid, we re-
spectfully request the following
documents be made available
to us for and on behalf of our
clients’. To that end we ask for
copies of the following:

MORRIS BISHI Zanu PF Chiredzi official defies Chiwenga

ZANU PF Chiredzi district Anti-Corruption Commission Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. protest over the matter. dent and allow the discarded
coordinating committee chair- (Zacc) dispatched a team to Machukele played down the schedule to remain valid. The
person Siyaki Munhungei last the area to investigate the al- let under the Kilimanjaro Proj- at the district administrator’s local government leadership
Monday ordered the acting dis- location of land and find out ect in Hippo Valley Estates at a office on Monday, Munhungei matter when The NewsHawks have no power to challenge
trict development coordinator, if the stipulated process was cost of US$40 million.  questioned Chiwenga’s author- reached him for a comment. them. The province is ignoring
Gift Machukele, to ignore a re- followed. Locals, including ity. He told Machukele not to He said he was too junior to the instruction of their superi-
cent instruction by Vice-Presi- government officials, told the Dubbed “Kilimanjaro”, call for a district lands commit- talk to the press, before saying or, showing us that factionalism
dent Constantino Chiwenga to commission that land was be- the project will develop virgin tee meeting, saying the move the district Lands committee is now affecting government
replace a list of sugarcane plot ing distributed by Chadzamira land into sugarcane plantations will challenge Chadzamira’s will convene soon. He said the operations,” said the official.
beneficiaries under the Kili- and provincial leaders to people at Triangle and Hippo Val- authority. committee had not met be-
manjaro project in Hippo Val- who were paying large sums of ley estates in Chiredzi as part cause he was busy.   However, Siyaki dismissed
ley Estates. money. of the firm’s drive to increase The district lands committee the allegations, saying he is not
aggregate sugar output while was disbanded by Chadzamira “I am too junior to talk to qualified to give Machukele in-
During a visit to Chiredzi Among the beneficiaries of also empowering indigenous early last year despite contin- the media. I am not aware of structions. 
last month, Chiwenga ques- the sugarcane plots on schedule outgrower farmers who will be ued allocation of land to many what you are talking about. l
tioned the criteria used to allo- 17 of 2020 which The News- allocated plots on the 3 300 people in the district since its am always busy to call for that “It’s not only false but must
cate land in the lowveld amid Hawks is in possession of are hectares being developed on a disbandment. The move an- meeting but if time permits l have been said with a malicious
an outcry from locals who al- Samora Mnangagwa, Tatenda cost recovery basis. gered war veterans and ruling will call for the meeting to look intent. I am not the DDC’s
leged favouritism and corrup- Matemadanda, Daniel Chad- party youths who threatened to into issues to do with land. boss, neither does he take in-
tion in allocations. zamira, Masvingo provincial However, during a meeting Hopefully it will be soon,” said structions from me. Who told
development coordinator Jefter Machukele. you that, is that person name-
Chiwenga then ordered se- Sakupwanya, provincial med- less or titleless? It is better for
nior Zanu PF officials, their ical director Amadeous Sham- A senior government official you to tell me the source of the
relatives and security agents hu, Mtandazo Ncube who is in Chiredzi confirmed Mun- information,” said Siyaki.
who were corruptly allocated Chadzamira’s security aid, Zaka hungei’s order, adding the pro-
sugarcane plots in Chiredzi by West legislator Ophious Mur- vincial leadership was against Chiwenga’s order that
minister of state for Masvingo ambiwa, Muchareveyi Chami- Chiwenga’s directive. Chiredzi locals be given pref-
Ezra Chadzamira to surrender sa who is Zanu PF provincial erence in land distribution
the land, during a tour of the administrator as well as ruling “The Zanu PF district leader programmes in the district
area last month. party youths, war veterans and in Chiredzi told the district co- was welcomed by traditional
companies linked to Zanu PF ordinator that convening a dis- leaders who are bitter over the
The allocation of the sug- members. trict lands committee meeting implementation of the land
arcane plots came after Chad- will be challenging the minister reform programme in the sug-
zamira unilaterally dissolved The plots were developed for of state. He further questioned ar industry since 2002. Less
the Chiredzi district lands the government by agro-pro- Chiwenga’s authority and from than 5% of the beneficiaries are
committee early last year, with cessing company Tongaat Hul- that time the committee is yet from the minority Shangaan
locals complaining that the to sit. There is a plan to avoid community.
move was aimed at sidelining the directive by the vice-presi-
them from the process.

In March, the Zimbabwe

Page 6 News NewsHawks

Zim to miss Issue 31, 21 May 2021
out on G20
US$650bn tact the Foreign Affairs min-
IMF outlay istry. Constance Chemwayi,
spokesperson for Foreign Af-
BERNARD MPOFU lobby advanced economies IMF headquarters in Washington DC. fairs, did not pick calls. Ques-
to parcel out part of their In- tions sent to Reserve Bank
ZIMBABWE may miss out ternational Monetary Fund Niger, Nigeria, Portugal, Rights (SDRs) that is expect- emerge from the pandemic, of Zimbabwe governor John
on a French-backed US$650 (IMF) SDR to weaker econ- Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sene- ed to amount to US$650 bil- in line with Sustainable De- Mangudya were not respond-
billion economic support omies. gal, Spain, South Africa, Su- lion, of which about US$33 velopment Goals.  ed to at the time of going to
programme under which the dan, Tanzania, Chad, Togo, billion to increase reserve as- print.
world’s advanced economies A declaration of the docu- Tunisia, United Arab Emir- sets of African countries, and “This support will be com-
are expected to parcel out ment which was seen by The ates, United Kingdom, Unit- urge countries to utilise these plemented by official devel- This multilateral effort will
part of their Special Drawing NewsHawks shows that Zim- ed States of America, Zambia. new resources transparently opment assistance (ODA), be closely articulated with the
Rights (SDR) to shore up de- babwe, which badly needs and effectively, reads the dec- an ambitious IDA-20 replen- network of African Public
veloping countries currently financing to stabilise its econ- The summit was also at- laration in part.  ishment, the future ADF-16 Development Banks (PDBs),
reeling from the impact of omy, was conspicuous by its tended by the chairperson of replenishment in 2022 and mobilising the African Devel-
Covid-19, The NewsHawks absence at the Paris Summit the African Union, the chair- “We are determined to the mobilisation of scaled-up opment Bank (AfDB) as well
has established. which was attended by Fran- person of the African Union significantly magnify its im- concessional financing from as sub-regional and national
cophone, Saxophone and Lu- Commission, the president pact for Africa, by explor- the IMF, MDBs and funds, as public financial institutions.
Analysts say the Covid-19 sophone countries this week. of the European Council and ing on-lending SDRs on a well as bilateral development
pandemic has led to an un- the president of the European voluntary basis through the agencies. We ask the MDBs to “To relieve African econo-
precedented economic crisis Zimbabwe, currently reel- Commission. IMF’s Poverty Reduction and mobilise more private financ- mies suffering from external
worldwide, with disastrous ing under a protracted liquid- Growth Trust (PRGT), and ing into Africa by developing public debt vulnerabilities,
social consequences. After 25 ity crunch and in dire straits, “We will leverage on the in- by exploring a range of addi- and reinforcing the relevant G20 and Paris Club creditors
years of continuous growth, may however get 800 million ternational financial system to tional options with the IMF, risk-sharing instruments.” are acting upon the agreement
Africa is severely hit and suf- SDR – about US$1.1 billion create the much-needed fiscal World Bank and other MDBs as stated in the April G20
fered a recession in 2020. – from the IMF’s new eco- space for African economies. to enable possible on-lend- Contacted for comment on FMCBG communiqué, and
nomic rescue package for the We call for the swift decision ing of SDRs to support IMF why Zimbabwe did not at- in the Common Framework
The International Mone- global economy ravaged by on and implementation of an members’ green, resilient tend the summit, a spokesper- for Debt Treatments beyond
tary Fund (IMF) estimates the Covid-19 pandemic un- unprecedented general alloca- and inclusive recovery, as we son for the Finance ministry the Debt Service Suspension
that additional financing of der strict conditions. tion of IMF’s Special Drawing asked The NewsHawks to con- Initiative (DSSI) adopted in
up to US$285 billion would November 2020”, the decla-
be needed between 2021 and SDR refers to an interna- ration reads.
2025 for African countries to tional type of monetary re-
step up the spending response serve currency created by the “We call for the swift de-
to the pandemic, with about International Monetary Fund cision on and implementa-
half of it for African low-in- (IMF) in 1969 that operates tion of a general allocation of
come countries.  as a supplement to the exist- IMF’s Special Drawing Rights
ing money reserves of mem- (SDRs), unprecedented by its
The middle-income coun- ber countries. size (US$650 billion), that is
tries also require special atten- expected to increase reserve
tion. The multilateral lender Here is the list of partici- assets of African countries
also warned that in the ab- pants which adopted the dec- by US$33 billion. We urge
sence of collective action, the laration: countries to utilise these new
financing and objectives of resources transparently and
the 2030 Agenda for Sustain- Algeria, Angola, Belgium, effectively.
able Development and the Benin, Burkina Faso, Cam-
African Union’s Agenda 2063 eroon, Canada, China, Co- France will use its political
will be compromised. moros (a Chinese ally which gravitas to influence other
counterbalanced Russian and European countries to back
France this week hosted the Indian influence in the In- the proposal.”
Paris Summit on supporting dian Ocean), Congo, Dem-
African economies after the ocratic Republic of Congo, History shows that there is
Covid-19 pandemic caused Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, a long-standing “gentlemen’s
economic shocks on the con- France, Germany, Ghana, Ita- agreement” under which the
tinent. Paris took the lead and ly, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Mau- IMF managing director is Eu-
made a firm commitment to ritius, Mauritania, Morocco, ropean and the World Bank
Mozambique, Netherlands, president is American.  There
is no mention of the director’s
nationality in the IMF’s Arti-
cles of Agreement, which state
only that the director is ap-
pointed by the organisation’s
executive board. 

The voting rules are set
such that countries with the
highest “quotas” — a measure
of the size of their economy
and economic viability — are
given preference for mem-
bership. In practice, for most
of the IMF’s history, this has
meant that the United States
and Western Europe have
dominated the board.

NewsHawks News Page 7

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Healthcare collapse endangers women lives

BRIDGET MANANAVIRE mal connection between the nant women have to gamble is not known, desktop research healthcare, poor economic public maternal healthcare
vagina, rectum and or bladder with their lives by opting for and qualitative field research background, cultural and reli- policy and ensure that the pol-
“IT’S been three years now, I which may develop after pro- home births due to under- carried out in the country be- gious beliefs as well as ill treat- icy is in line with the interna-
can’t wear underwear, urine is longed and obstructed labour funded and under-resourced tween January 2018 and Oc- ment by health workers. tional standards of availability,
always leaking. I have devel- and lead to continuous uri- government hospitals or be- tober 2020 shows that a sub- accessibility, acceptability, and
oped sores on my genitals that nary or faecal incontinence. A cause they cannot afford the stantial number of women and This then leads to unsafe quality.
aren’t healing because of the hole between the urinary blad- costs of care. Cultural beliefs girls in Zimbabwe have expe- home deliveries, without
moisture. I dread going out in der and the vagina is regarded also mean that some wom- rienced obstetric fistula while proper medical interventions. “The government of Zimba-
public. The last time I went to as vesicovaginal fistula whereas en don’t have a choice but to giving birth. bwe is also encouraged to take
a gathering, people distanced a hole between the rectum and submit to home births admin- Child marriages and teen- immediate action against any
themselves from me because the vagina is known as rec- istered by untrained family or Findings of the research age pregnancies were also acts of violence and ill-treat-
of the bad smell, it repelled tovaginal fistula. community members,” said were that barriers for women listed as contributors to risky ment inflicted on women
them. I’m confined to this Muchena. and girls to access the required childbirth experiences. during childbirth and ensure
house so I can bathe each time It often results in the con- healthcare during childbirth that neither third parties nor
I soil myself. My entire family tinuous and uncontrollable Although the actual rate of included failure by the gov- Amnesty recommended harmful social or traditional
believes I was cursed, they say leaking of urine and or faeces obstetric fistula in Zimbabwe ernment to provide adequate that the government should practices interfere with wom-
no one has ever had a disease sometimes leading to stigmati- adequately fund and oper- en and girls’ rights to sexual
like mine before,” these are the sation, and affecting a woman’s ationalise a comprehensive and reproductive health, in-
lamentations of 19-year-old physical wellbeing, social and cluding enacting legislation to
Nyaradzai, who suffers from marital relationships, mental prohibit child marriage,” the
obstetric fistula. health, and economic capacity. report read.

Her story is one of the According to the report, “WHO (World Health Or-
several stories captured in a obstructed labour associated ganisation) has stated that ob-
report by Amnesty Interna- with obstetric fistula has been stetric fistula is preventable; by
tional on the life-changing identified as a major cause of reducing the number of early
childbirth-related injuries suf- maternal mortality worldwide, and unplanned pregnancies,
fered by women and girls in and in as many as 90% of ending harmful practices (such
Zimbabwe due to challenges cases, women who experience as ‘child marriage’), and ensur-
in accessing healthcare. obstetric fistula also suffer a ing access to quality emergen-
stillbirth. cy obstetric care, especially
The report, titled “I nev- access to caesarean sections.
er thought I could get healed Amnesty International’s di- When access to quality treat-
from this”: Barriers To Treat- rector for East and Southern ment is available, obstetric
ment And Human Rights Africa Deprose Muchena said fistula is also curable. With ex-
Abuses Against Women And Zimbabwean authorities must pert care, surgical success rates
Girls With Obstetric Fistula urgently address the root caus- of treating obstetric fistula are
In Zimbabwe, was released es of obstetric fistula as giving as high as 92%.”
yesterday. It captures the fail- birth should not come with
ure by the Zimbabwean gov- health risks that could easily The findings of the report
ernment to uphold sexual and be prevented. highlight the impact of obstet-
reproductive health rights. ric fistula on both the physical
“Zimbabwe has one of the and mental health of women
Obstetric fistula is an abnor- highest maternal mortality and girls.
rates in the world and preg-

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Page 8 News NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

War veteran evicted from farm after 13 years

NHAU MANGIRAZI the farm productively that saw “Traditionally and cul- living in the open after he Benedict Owen Ben Magadza. went on with this act in 2019,
me getting a herd of cattle and turally it’s a taboo to leave was barred from entering the ings out and forced us into the 2020 and this year as well. We
RAFFINGORA - A liberation goats as part of my farming my daughter’s remains to a premises following eviction by open on 7 May. We have no- had no chance to do anything
war veteran who acquired land around here,’’ he said. stranger. My wish was for an the messenger of court. where to go to and have been on the plot as she harassed us
during Zimbabwe’s chaotic amicable solution with her so living in the open space since with impunity annually,” a
agrarian reform programme  However, he revealed that that I take care of my daugh- “We are staying about 900 then,’’ he revealed. distraught Magadza claimed. 
has been evicted and left in the he does not have an offer letter ter’s grave. I am appealing for metres from the farm proper-
open 13 years after occupying for the property. leniency so that she can let the ties that I built. This was my Magadza was evicted with Since then, Magadza has
the property, The NewsHawks farm be subdivided and help hope and future for emanci- two workers.  The employees been renting a plot at a nearby
has established. ‘‘I have been living on the me with a few hectares, includ- pation through farming, but no longer have a roof over farm for his family’s upkeep.
farm since 2008. I have been ing where my daughter’s grave all the hope has been lost. We their heads and are in the same
Benedict Owen Ben to the ministry of Lands so is. I have livestock and wish I have been staying in the open predicament with their deject- ‘‘Due to the controversies at
Magadza (66), who has been that I get the documentation, could be part of the farm that together with my wife and one ed boss. the farm, I have been renting
staying for more than a decade but to avail,’’ he said, looking had become my own home for of our children as the other four hectares at a nearby farm
at Mupangure plot number dejected. 13 years,’’ he said. two are currently in Harare. Magadza recalled that ten- where I had maize, beans, sor-
one in the Raffingora area of It is painful that the messen- sion with Kamhedzera has ghum and groundnuts for my
Zvimba North constituency, He is currently sleeping in a Magadza said he is now ger of court threw our belong- been raging on since 2018. family this season.”
has become one of the latest makeshift plastic shelter.
black Zimbabweans to lose ‘‘She used to come and de- However, Magadza revealed
land to a compatriot as debate Magadza fought a legal bat- stroy my fields since 2018. She that he only spoke to the CIO
on the emotive agrarian issue tle with Kamhedzera for near- operative on two occasions
rages on. ly three months, but lost, cul- since 2018.
minating in his eviction. The
He was evicted from the farm at the centre of contro- ‘‘I was even surprised that
farm by a messenger of court versy is situated about 153 ki- she sent an emissary last week
on 7 May following a legal lometres north-west of Harare suggesting that she wanted to
battle with a Central Intel- and measures 118.75 hectares. offer me money for the houses
ligence Organisation (CIO) that I built as compensation. I
operative who won the court Calamity befell Magadza, told her off as I have no shelter
order to evict him. his wife and child early this but she is offering to pay me
month when they were forced while I am living in the open.
The operative, Joyce Kam- out of a four-roomed house he On Saturday, she wanted to
hedzera, is based in Harare.  had built for his family. negotiate with me on how she
can pay me for the houses. She
Dejected and desperate He had also constructed a had no courage to confront
without shelter,  Mugadza said big round kitchen under mod- me personally. It was improper
he was “allocated” the plot in ern thatching, grass-thatched and I told the so-called agent
2008 by senior war veterans gazebo, thatched bathroom off the farm houses that I
and has the paperwork. His with four compartments, toi- built,’’ he said.
woes expose weaknesses in the let with two compartments,
government’s fast-track land water tank and dug a well in Magadza has 30 head of
redistribution programme the yard. cattle, 40 goats and chickens
which gained momentum in that are being kept in the farm
2000. He had also built a two- paddocks.
roomed flat-roofed house for
‘‘I was offered the plot af- his workers that was recently “We left the livestock at
ter we identified it as a vacant turned into a pigsty by the the farm and we did not resist
farm. The war veterans’ lead- new owner. Magadza is strug- eviction, but we are not happy
ership gave me authority to gling to come to terms not over the move to evict my fam-
be at the farm. I did not pay only with the loss of proper- ily from the plot that I have
anything to the leadership af- ty, but is also agonising over living on for several years,’’ he
ter I got the farm. I utilised abandoning the grave of his el- said.
dest daughter who was buried
at the homestead in 2019. He appealed for help so that
he can get a fair hearing on the
matter.

‘‘I have proved that I am
capable of doing better in
farming and had built a good
homestead and all has been
wasted. It could have been bet-
ter if the farm was sub-divided
so that my family can live in
peace under a roof, not in the
bush, but the way we are used
to,’’ he added.

Kamhedzera’s lawyer, Wal-
ter Bherebende, confirmed the
eviction, saying his client has a
valid offer letter for the land in
question.

“He has nothing to show
that he is entitled to that land.
Nothing. An eviction order
was given at the magistrate’s
court and he appealed to the
High Court, but his applica-
tion was also dismissed. He is
an illegal settler. A squatter,”
Bherebende said.

Bherebende said Magadza’s
livestock was still on the farm,
but insisted he was not living
in the open as he had been
taken in by a neighbouring
farmer. The lawyer said he was
unaware of the compensation
offer, but said his client did
not want any of the build-
ings constructed by Magadza
and, in fact, wanted to destroy
them. Zimbabwe’s land reform
programme has been chaotic
since 2000.

Some senior Zanu PF of-
ficials have been accused of
looting and destroying farms,
which has seen the country
struggling to regain the status
of southern Africa’s bread bas-
ket.

NewsHawks Feature Page 9

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Hot ash
swallows
desperate
scavengers
in Hwange

NOKUTHABA DLAMINI comes back from school An unidentified woman seen in a coal dumpsite scavenging for coke.
so that we are able to buy
IN the scorching sun, food and soap,” Ndlovu having a caesarean section lated truck stop at Cinder- month after the ground Another victim, Simel-
Emma Ndlovu (67) and says. four months ago, she used ella, on the Hwange-Victo- gave in, trapping her un- weyinkosi Dube of house
her nine-year-old grand- to make about US$4 per ria Falls highway.  der a mound of soil, ash number A110B in Mad-
daughter are armed with “Her mother went to day from scavenging.  and coal until an excavator umabisa, met her death
hoes and shovels as they Angola and she says she is For the buyers, the offi- was called in to retrieve her in February last year and,
make way to a dumpsite not working there and her The coke is categorised cial price of metallurgical body. according to the colliery’s
to scavenge for a precious father’s whereabouts are into various sizes: nuts, coke, for instance, ranges then corporate affairs man-
by-product of coal, coke.  unknown. So for me to be peas, foundry grade and from US$160 to US$300 “She was our best friend ager Rugare Dhobbie, she
able to pay her school fees, metallurgical quality. with 50-80 millimetre nuts and losing her has shown had trespassed into the
The poverty-stricken buy uniforms and books, l fetching up to US$400 on us that life can take a company’s waste dump site
widow says she has no op- have to break my back here Women in the area say the international market.  twist,” one of them said. with the intention of steal-
tion but to scrounge for the despite the risk of dying as the product is in high de- ing coke while her coun-
product in a life-threaten- well as the harsh weath- mand in Bulawayo and The nine women we “When she fell, she terpart sustained severe
ing environment that has er conditions and police Harare where the buyers found at the dumpsite did not get any chance to injuries. This was after the
claimed the lives of many. raids.”  hire haulage trucks to do took turns to narrate how scream for help and even makeshift tunnel they were
This is her only means of door-to-door collections they witnessed Mathe, a her other friend who man- scavenging in collapsed.
survival. Ndlovu is among the on a weekly basis while oth- single mother of three who aged to escape with several
many women in Hwange ers have resorted to vend- worked in Madumabisa injuries could not save her. Being swallowed by hot
Barely a fortnight ago, who have resorted to tres- ing their consignments to compound as a cleaner, A Hwange Colliery front- ash in the shifty dumpsite
she watched helplessly passing into the Hwange truck drivers at the unregu- meet her death early this end loader was called in.”  is not the only danger. Lo-
as her neighbour Sekani Colliery Company Limit- cal residents Zulani Mu-
Mathe (37) was literally ed (HCCL) dumpsite in denda and Twaboni Nyoni
swallowed by the ground search of coke, which they cheated death but lived to
while searching for coke resell to make ends meet. tell a horrible story after
on a dangerous dumpsite they were shot and injured
in the Madumabisa area of The NewsHawks also by armed police officers
Hwange town. The ground caught up with Tabo- who accused them of steal-
collapsed as Sekani dug, na Shoko, a 27-year-old ing coke. Their case is yet
leaving her trapped by coal mother of three, who says to be heard in court. 
dust. She died on the spot. her desperation is being
driven by her husband’s The coal scavengers say
Even though terrified by poor remuneration at a they are aware of the dead-
the tragic incident, Ndl- local company that he is ly risks, but cannot stop.
ovu cannot stop hunting working for.
for coke, because staying “One of us could be
at home means dying of To protect her husband’s next, but what do we do
hunger.    identity, she refuses to when our husbands are
name the company.  underpaid while others are
“I come here everyday, single mothers and wid-
but since the death of “I am diabetic and his ows?” asks Shoko. 
Sekani, police have been salary cannot afford my
raiding us, but dodging monthly insulin injection. “It is not safe but the
them is the only choice There are many wom- economic crisis has put us
that l have because I have en in a similar situation. into this desperate situa-
no other means of surviv- This place has restored tion.”
al,” Ndlovu said.  some hope in many of our
households in the Madum-
As she digs the dump- abisa compound,” she says. 
site, her granddaughter’s
task is to pick and separate “The situation had been
the coke from the chaff rough for us, but Covid-19
and fill a 50-kilogramme has made it even worse.
sack. This quantity of coke
fetches US$2 or ZW$240, “My husband earns
which she says helps to sus- ZW$3 000 before de-
tain her family. ductions of tax and bank
charges so with his sala-
But filling the sack is a ry we are able to pay our
challenge, given her old children’s school fees, then
age.  with mine, we buy food
and pay rent.” 
“It takes me about three
days to make it full, that is She says on a good day,
why I bring my grandchild before she was slowed down
to help me whenever she by birth delivery complica-
tions which resulted in her

Page 10 News NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Special Covid-19
PANDEMIC coverage

Raging Indian
variant forces
Zim govt
somersault

BRIDGET MANANAVIRE Van Kerkhove, said the WHO lers from India, with the chief “These travellers will be sub- arrival.” measures for travellers.  Apart
is classifying it as a variant of coordinator of the national jected to a Covid-19 test on Mahomva had previously from the negative result, people
ZIMBABWE has taken mea- concern at global level as there Covid-19 taskforce, Agnes arrival despite the status of their monitoring our ports of entry
sures to curb the spread of the is “some available information Mahomva, earlier in the week travelling certificate,” he said.   told The NewsHawks that travel- can now make a discretion to
Covid-19 variant first detected to suggest increased transmissi- telling The NewsHawks the gov- lers would be treated equally as re-test travellers if need be.  We
in India, introducing man- bility.” ernment did not want to be dis- “Travellers coming into the it did not matter which variant are strengthening our response.
datory 10-day quarantine for criminatory. country from other countries they were likely to have. As you are also aware, yesterday
travellers, amid revelations that The Indian variant has now should present with a Covid-19 (Monday) we received 100 000
the strain is 50% more trans- been detected in Zimbabwe af- Chiwenga said people travel- PCR test done not more than “It does not matter which more doses of the vaccine. Vac-
mittable than other variants of ter a Kwekwe family contracted ling from or transiting through 48 hours from the time of de- variant it is; we do not want cination is a critical component
concern.   it after a niece returned from India will be subject to manda- parture, failure of which this to breach international human in the control of the virus and
India. Research done in the UK tory quarantine at designated will be done on arrival at one`s rights protocols. There is no also, according to cabinet min-
According to the World showed that the variant spreads quarantine centres and at their expense. Travellers will be quar- need to stigmatise anyone,” she utes of 9 February.” 
Health Organisation (WHO) more easily than the one detect- own cost. antined for 10 days from date of said. 
and scientists, the B.1.617 vari- ed in Britain.
ant spreads swiftly.  “We have put additional
Scientific advisers, who try
A chief scientist at the WHO to predict the course of the
said if one member of the family pandemic using mathematical
contracts it, the whole family is models, said they were “con-
likely to catch it too. fident that B.1.617.2 is more
transmissible than B.1.1.7
“The pattern now is that one (British variant), saying it was
person in the family gets it, the possible that this new variant of
whole family seems to get it. concern could be “50% more
This is unlike the first wave. And transmissible”.
so, I think what we’re seeing is
more transmissible,” Soumya Vice-President and Health
Swaminathan said in a report. minister Constantino Chiwen-
ga this week announced man-
The WHO early this month datory quarantine requirements
listed the Indian variant as the for all travellers coming from
fourth strain to be designated as India after genomic sequencing
being of global concern and re- tests results revealed that the In-
quiring heightened tracking and dian variant was detected at the
analysis. The others are those focalised outbreak in Kwekwe.
first detected in Britain, South
Africa and Brazil. Initially, government was
hesitant to introduce measures
The organisation’s techni- specifically targeted at travel-
cal lead on Covid-19, Maria

Mental health timebomb explodes

NHAU MANGIRAZI Thembile Gola, clinical and able to bury like we were used of work to be done. There was ed by human resources as there but women are more open
operations director with Con- to, it is the only way we can a quick adaptation to tele-coun- are mass resignations of trained about their challenges and seek
HEALTH experts say the solidated Africa Services, a pri- protect each other during this selling and an increase in personal leaving for the United help on time,’’ Mkoringo said. 
Covid-19 pandemic has aggra- vate voluntary organisation, time,’’ Gola said.  help-seeking behaviours. These Kingdom and other interna-
vated mental health issues and said the stress-related issues are positive reactions thus far,’’ tional markets where mental Manicaland proportional
stress-related illnesses, amid had been worsened by the lack ‘‘During the Covid-19 lock- added Gola. health professionals are in de- representative legislator Con-
fears that the impact of lock- of social interaction during the down people were not able to mand and paid handsomely,’’ stance Chihururu said Covid-19
downs will go beyond mere eco- lockdown as the government meet physically to implement Zimbabwe has 17 psychia- Mawere said.  had worsened the toll on com-
nomic disruption.  and scientists encouraged social programmes in the communi- trists to cater for a population of munities such as Chimanimani
distancing to contain the spread ties and no one had a chance to 15 million people, highlighting Health experts say mental ill- and Chipinge which were af-
While the pandemic of the virus.  help those affected by burnout the government’s failure to pri- ness is treatable if detected early. fected by Cyclone Idai, resulting
stretched the country’s health and stress that lead to mental oritise mental health support.   in mental illnesses rising.
facilities due to the failure to in- Gola added that people who torture.’’  Angela Chiketa Mkoringo,
vest in the sector, mental health suffered loss of loved ones, em- The country also has a few chief executive officer of Zimba- “The worst affected are wom-
issues have been relegated to the ployment and domestic abuse Gola said Covid-19 had laid public mental health institu- bwe Obsessive Compulsive Dis- en and girls who got pregnant
periphery as attention turned linked to Covid-19 were more bare the deep-seated inefficien- tions, which do not even pro- order Trust, who is also Global during the Covid-19 crisis.
to the pandemic. The corona- likely to suffer stress-related ill- cies of the public health system, vide support for conditions like Mental Health Peer Network Some of them were dumped
virus pandemic and attendant nesses. with the government failing to stress. Gola added that there is a country representative, said stig- and were seen as a disgrace re-
difficulties have resulted in an invest in mental health support. need to integrate mental health ma has become a major hurdle sulting in pressure mounting on
increase in mental health prob- ‘‘Covid-19 saw many losing practitioners into the public in tackling mental health issues.  them,” she said.
lems. employment, igniting depres- ‘‘The Covid-19 pandemic health system to enhance the
sion as domestic abuse cases has put the Zimbabwe mental accessibility of services. ‘‘Mental health issues are The government launched
Experts are concerned that spiked. Covid-19 was a curse to health strategy to the test during sensitive; hence we must not the country’s mental health pol-
mental illnesses are not getting our traditionalism as it changed this period. Our health system, Psychiatrist Nemache Maw- stigmatise those suffering from icy in April 2019.
the attention they deserve, as our way of life. People were working with stakeholders with- ere said the country’s health mental illness. While it diffi-
communities struggle to cope forced to bury their loved ones in the mental health space, has system, especially the mental cult to ascertain numbers, the The policy’s main thrust is to
with the effects of the Covid-19 differently. It is unfortunate that been trying its best under the health side, has suffered from numbers have gone up during “promote early identification,
pandemic.  as cruel as it may be to not be circumstances to serve the peo- brain drain. Covid-19 period. Men and treatment, rehabilitative and
ple although there is still a lot women are affected the same, palliative services in non-com-
‘‘Locally, the sector is affect- municable diseases.”

NewsHawks News Page 11

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

AMID an ever-worsening eco- Covid-19 worsens obstetric fistula
nomic crunch in Zimbabwe, situation among women after birth
as well as the country’s consis-
tently measly healthcare bud- of Covid-19 have jeopardised Raising awareness about the for obstetric fistula in Zim-
get and collapse of the health- Zimbabwe’s health system and causes and treatment of ob- babwe. The fragile gains reg-
care system, the Covid-19 undermined the fragile prog- stetric fistula can assist in dis- istered in previous years have
pandemic is worsening the ress the country has made in pelling myths and superstition been progressively reversed,
obstetric fistula condition for improving maternal health that women with obstetric as evidence has shown that
women. outcomes over the past de- fistula have been bewitched. lockdowns and aggressive
cade.” However, despite the success state responses have further
Obstetric fistula is a medi- of the Ministry of Health and decreased the impact of the
cal condition in which a hole Zimbabwe’s maternal mor- Child Care Fistula Programme Ministry of Health and Child
develops in women’s birth ca- tality ratio peaked in 2010 at in providing surgical repair for Care Fistula Programme. A
nal as a result of labour. 960 deaths per  100 000  live obstetric fistula, promotion of study published in April 2021
births – a steep rise from the the program has yet to reach by Chimamise et al. noted
An investigation by Am- rate of 283 in 1994  – as po- all health facilities, through- that because of restrictions
nesty International found that litical and economic instabil- out the country.  imposed due to the pandem-
government has failed to allo- ity in Zimbabwe during the ic, only 25 women had repair
cate sufficient resources to the period  2000-2010  escalated “The advent of the surgery in 2020, compared to
health sector and this is harm- household poverty levels  and Covid-19 pandemic has ad- 313 in 2019.” — STAFF WRITER.
ing vulnerable women.  undermined the public health versely affected programming
system.
Despite declaring a policy SUPERLIFE
of free maternal services, the Government spending on
Zimbabwean government has health per capita declined STC30
not funded or operationalised dramatically over the peri-
relevant initiatives. Lack of od, from the highest levels in As we age our stemcells (basic building blocks in our body for repair
ambulances and high fuel sub-Saharan Africa at “US$42 processes), like other cells, they age, get weakened, die and get depleted in
prices are compounding de- in 1991...to just under US$6
lays that women and girls ex- in 2009.” process (owing to the heavy toll our lifestyle has on them)
perience reaching and receiv-
ing care at health facilities.  Analysis by Zimbabwe’s de- STC30 stemcell supplement, made to allow your body to regenerate, heal
velopment partners indicates itself and deal effectively with:
“The situation is urgent that by 2011 “maternal and
as the country weathers the child health were the most Ÿ Arthritis Ÿ Cysts
impact of the Covid-19 cri- underfunded programmes in Ÿ Diabetes
sis and barriers to maternal the health sector.” Ÿ Acids Ÿ Skin Disease
health services are increasing,” Ÿ Allergies
Amnesty said in a report ti- Health spending improved Ÿ Eyesight Problems, Prostrate Disorder Ÿ ETC
tled I Never Thought I Could to US$57 per person in 2017,
Heal From This: Barriers To but was estimated to have WhatsAPP +263 71 379 6159
Treatment and Human Rights sharply declined to US$21 in
Abuses Against Women and 2020, which puts the gains
Girls With Obstetric Fistula made by the country over the
in Zimbabwe.  years at risk. 

“Amnesty International Since 2011, fragile gains
also found that various eco- have been made in relation
nomic and cultural challenges to maternal health outcomes,
undermined women’s agency with the assistance of inter-
to make decisions on where national development part-
to give birth. A preference for ners.  The country’s maternal
home births was influenced mortality ratio declined to
by traditional practices and/ 462 per 100 000 live births in
or the costs associated with 2019.
giving birth in health facili-
ties, limiting women’s access Key interventions have
to quality intra-partum care,” increased access to contra-
it says. ception,  skilled birth atten-
dants,  and ante-natal and
“However, in some cas- post-natal care.
es, home births were found
to expose pregnant women However, Zimbabwe’s de-
and girls to dangerous health velopment partners have em-
complications and violence. phasised that the  country’s
This report documents seri- prospects of improving health
ous abuse that may amount outcomes rely on the coun-
to torture and ill-treatment of try’s “economic recovery and
women and girls committed political stability” – condi-
by private individuals, during tions which remain elusive. 
labour at home. Women and
girls were left with life-chang- Interventions to tackle the
ing injuries and often hospi- problem have been stymied by
talised for weeks or months the Covid-19 pandemic.
and faced astronomical bills
as a result. The government of “The Ministry of Health
Zimbabwe has an obligation and Child Care Fistula Pro-
to investigate these cases.”  gramme provides a positive
start for a national informa-
The report says the problem tion campaign and the treat-
is very prevalent, but govern- ment of people with obstet-
ment is struggling to provide ric fistula. Women who have
critical health services. The received surgery for fistula
situation is exacerbated by the expressed a desire to be ‘am-
Covid-19 pandemic ravaging bassadors’ and work with
the world, especially fragile community members to pro-
economies like Zimbabwe’s. vide information and help
change attitudes,” the report
“The government’s efforts says.
to increase access to treatment
for obstetric fistula risk being “As participants at Amnes-
totally undermined, unless ty International’s community
there is simultaneous action to drama and dialogues stressed,
prevent new cases occurring,” ‘we must teach each other that
it says. it [obstetric fistula] is curable’.

“However, the escalating
political and financial crisis
since 2018 and the emergence

Page 12 News NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

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NewsHawks Editorial & Opinion Page 13

Issue 31, 21 May 2021 CARTOON

Whose interests
is govt serving?

EVERYWHERE you go in Zimbabwe today, the consequences Zim enters Hall of Shame
of catastrophic economic failure hit you in the face like a tonne
of bricks. ZIMBABWE was one of the few countries have been displaced by persecution, conflict, of those at risk of genocide, war crimes, eth-
— rogue states so to speak — that on Tues- and atrocities.” nic cleansing and crimes against humanity,
Social dislocation — amid a rising tide of anxiety over lost day voted against a United Nations Gener- in accordance with the collective and solemn
jobs, non-existent safety nets and a deteriorating quality of life al Assembly resolution seeking to protect “In far too many situations around the pledge adopted in 2005.”
— is robbing citizens of a sense of value and purpose. vulnerable groups against “genocide, war world, civilian populations are experienc-
crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against ing indiscriminate attacks on schools and The “No” vote by President Emmerson
Evidence of regression is not in short supply. From dilapi- humanity”. medical facilities, widespread rape and sex- Mnangagwa’s regime was clearly a frantic bid
dated roads to decaying hospitals, the sense of desperation is ual violence perpetrated as a weapon of war, to avert a consequential reckoning with its
suffocating. But there is no better place to observe the most However, the resolution was adopted af- disproportionate and deadly force being used past atrocities, which include the killing of
devastating realities of a broken nation than in the social fabric. ter 115 countries, including neighbouring against peaceful protesters, and institution- more than 20 000 massacres during Gukura-
Citizens’ day-to-day struggle for survival is a soul-crushing ex- South Africa and Botswana, voted in favour, alised persecution of minority groups,” it hundi – the worst mass murders in Zimba-
perience which has left families shattered, marriages broken and while 15 including Zimbabwe, voted against. said. bwe’s recorded history.
entire communities traumatised. This means Zimbabwe voted on the side of
countries that don’t want to commit them- Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Mnangagwa was at the forefront of the
A whole generation of children is growing up without know- selves to oppose and stop violence against Assembly, said that as the United Nations fierce campaign of repression that was char-
ing what a normal society looks like. They were born in the fellow citizens, usually minorities. A true reflects on its past, it must learn from its acterised political violence, brutality, torture,
middle of collapse. A dysfunctional existence is their idea of measure of democracy is how government failures, including the genocides in Rwanda abductions and enforced disappearances, es-
normalcy. and society treats the minority. With their and Srebrenica, as there is still a clear gap sential instruments in the late former presi-
heads hanging in shame, Zimbabwean au- between the existing obligations of member dent Robert Mugabe’s authoritarian toolkit.
The government is clearly out of its depth, with no meaning- thorities tried to rationalise their disgrace by states and the reality for at-risk populations.
ful solutions in sight. There are no social safety nets in Zimba- providing some explanation for their scan- Mugabe was the architect of the massa-
bwe. dalous vote that further pushed the country Reiterating UN Secretary-General Anto- cres. Others like Mnangagwa, top police, in-
into the rogue corner. nio Guterres’ call for a global ceasefire in the telligence and military service chiefs were the
Recently, the authorities suddenly increased student fees at face of the pandemic, Bozkir said states must executors of the murderous campaign.
state universities, without taking into account the dire impli- Harare officials said they voted against honour their responsibility to protect, from
cations. Students who were paying ZW$9 000 must now fork commitment to prevent brutality against taking timely and effective steps to protect Mnangagwa and his allies have wavered
out ZW$40 000. You have to remember that the average civil citizens as they feared the responsibility to communities from mass atrocities to ensur- between denial and accepting responsibil-
servant is earning less than ZW$20 000. Those who eke out a protect clause that went with the issue could ity for the killings that have serious conse-
living in the informal sector are living from hand to mouth. be abused for arbitrary and self-interest in- Hawk Eye quences in terms of international criminal
For the most part, they have no savings, no assets, no access to terventions. law, which deals with criminal responsibility
credit, no hope for a better day. Dumisani of individuals for the most serious human
The responsibility to protect is a global Muleya rights and international humanitarian law
How on earth are people expected to afford such fees? More political commitment which was endorsed violations.
importantly, what message is our society sending to these young by all member states of the United Na- ing that justice is served.
people whose dreams are being sabotaged by a system that tions at the 2005 World Summit in order Delivering opening remarks on behalf of The main categories of international
shows no compassion? to address its four key concerns to prevent crimes are war crimes, crimes against hu-
genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and the Secretary-General, Maria Luiza Ribeiro manity, genocide and the crime of aggres-
Desperate students are now being forced into a life of crime crimes against humanity. Viotti, Chef de Cabinet, said strengthened sion, which many Zimbabwean leaders com-
and prostitution. Make no mistake, there is no free lunch. Soci- efforts are needed now more than ever before mited during Gukurahundi.
ety will ultimately pay the price. Amnesty International released Zimbabwe claims it voted NO as it feared to fulfill promises made at the 2005 World
a new report this week detailing the shambolic state of the pub- this could be used to intervene in domestic Summit on the “responsibility to protect” The National Peace and Reconciliation
lic health system. affairs like what happened to Libya. agenda, especially in light of the vulnerabili- Commission is currently trying to address
ties laid bare by the Covid-19 pandemic. the emotive Gukurahundi issue, but activists
Pregnant women and girls are at risk of  life-changing child- The guilty are always afraid. Some of the and victims reject the effort, demanding an
birth-related injuries, including obstetric fistula, as many shun 15 nations are mostly rogue states and they “We must continue to work to overcome apology from the government first before
public healthcare facilities in favour of home-based deliveries. include North Korea, Russia, China, Bu- differences, forge mutual understanding and anything else.
This is due to inadequate health infrastructure, cultural prac- rundi, and Eritrea. This is a gallery of rogue establish stronger support for the responsi-
tices and high hospital costs. According to the 2019 Multiple states indeed. bility to protect as a key tool of protection Pressure groups also say they have no faith
Indicator Cluster Survey, 462 women die in every 100 000 live and prevention,” she said. in the process presided over by the perpetra-
births in Zimbabwe. However, 28 countries, including Angola, tors with victims marginalised.
Algeria, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Namibia, “Let us send a strong signal of our collec-
The new report by Amnesty International shows how the cat- Mali, and Ethiopia, which is accused of eth- tive commitment to prioritise the protection Perpetrators don’t want the truth and jus-
astrophic collapse of the public health system is killing women nic cleansing in the Tigray region, abstained. tice to prevail. They want a whitewash.
and girls. If a government is not bothering to adequately invest
in education and health, where is it channeling taxpayers’ mon- The UN said the measure came “amidst The UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-gov-
ey? The time has come for citizens to ask this question without a historic weakening of the laws and norms ernmental organisation that monitors pro-
fear or favour and in the national interest. that safeguard humanity and at a time when ceedings of the United Nations, said Zim-
a record 80 million people around the world babwe and the other “No” vote countries,
Government officials always sound ridiculous when they rail belong to the “List of Shame.”
against so-called Western detractors and imperialists.
In fact, they belong to a Hall of Shame.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is the latest Zanu PF poli-
tician to attribute the government’s self-inflicted woes to some
imaginary hostile foreign forces. They will not admit that citi-
zens have been rescued from starvation by foreign donors who
provide food, life-saving anti-retroviral drugs, essential medi-
cines and funding for income-generating projects.

Just this week, the World Food Programme announced that
it has completed feeding 1.5 million desperately hungry Zim-
babweans through emergency food assistance. Hunger was so
vicious that, for the first time ever, the WFP, a United Nations
agency, had to feed people outside the lean season as drought,
chronic high inflation and Covid-19 converged to wreak havoc.

Zimbabwe urgently needs a viable social contract. As the on-
going constitutional imbroglio has shown, government officials
do not always work in the best interests of the citizens.

What is needed is inclusive democracy, fair opportunities for
all, an empowered citizenry and a leadership that respects con-
stitutionalism.

Reaffirming the fundamental impor- The NewsHawks is published on different EDITORIAL STAFF: Marketing Officer: Voluntary Media
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African states euro, the Chinese renminbi,
have big plans the Japanese yen and the Brit-
for the IMF ish pound sterling.
rescue package
US$1.1 billion will be a
BERNARD MPOFU resources transparently and ef- Credit Enhancement Facility the Covid-19 pandemic. told  The NewsHawks  that huge bonanza for Zimbabwe
fectively,” a declaration signed (PSF) under the ADF-16 re- The bailout – the big- Zimbabwe, which has not re- which has been struggling for
AFRICAN countries which by African countries reads.  plenishment.” ceived normal funding from years to pay off arrears to in-
are set to benefit from a gest SDR package in histo- the lender since 1999, will get ternational financial institu-
multi-billion-dollar rescue “We are determined to On the sidelines of the next ry – will  boost liquidity for a lifeline from this huge wind- tions (IFIs)– the IMF, World
package anchored on Interna- significantly magnify its im- IMF and World Bank Group struggling countries, without fall. Bank and African Develop-
tional Monetary Fund (IMF) pact for Africa, by explor- annual meetings in October adding to debt burdens. Zim- ment Bank (AfDB) – to secure
assets have committed to de- ing on-lending SDRs on a 2021, the countries further babwe badly needs that. The SDR is an internation- US$2 billion in new funding. 
ploying the financial resources voluntary basis through the committed, there will be an al reserve asset, created by the
in a transparent manner as the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and opportunity to take stock of IMF managing director IMF in 1969 to supplement The doomed Lima Plan was
continent takes a knock from Growth Trust (PRGT), and by efforts to ensure the effective Kristalina Georgieva is set to its member countries’ official about that, but Zimbabwe
Covid-19. exploring a range of additional implementation of these mea- table the fresh US$650 billion reserves. So far, SDR 204.2 only managed to pay the IMF
options with the IMF, World sures and to refine the pro- proposal before the fund’s ex- billion (equivalent to about US$107.9 million in arrears,
France and Germany are Bank and other MDBs (multi- posed initiatives. ecutive board meeting in June US$293 billion) has been al- although IFIs demand that
lobbying G20 countries, a lateral development banks) to for final approval. Member located to members, including their arrears be paid simulta-
grouping of advanced econ- enable possible on-lending of Zimbabwe, reeling under states have already approved SDR 182.6 billion (US$250 neously – the pari passu rule. 
omies, to surrender part of SDRs to support IMF mem- a protracted liquidity crunch the package, making the board billion) allocated in 2009 in
their IMF Special Drawing bers’ green, resilient and in- and in dire straits, is expect- meeting a mere formality.  the wake of the global finan- Ditched by IFIs for de-
Rights (SDR) to help vulnera- clusive recovery, as we emerge ed to get 800 million SDR – cial crisis.  faulting on arrears since 1999,
ble countries in the region ab- from the pandemic, in line about US$1.1 billion – from A detailed plan will then Zimbabwe still owes US$7.66
sorb economic shocks arising with Sustainable Development the IMF’s new US$650 billion be developed before disburse- The value of the SDR is billion to various creditors, in-
from the respiratory disease. Goals,” said the IMF. economic rescue package for ments, which could start in based on a basket of five cur- cluding the World Bank, Eu-
Covid-19 has claimed the lives the global economy ravaged by August. rencies — the US dollar, the ropean Investment Bank, the
of over million lives across the “We will accelerate reforms, Paris Club and AfDB. 
globe and has slowed down with the support of interna- An IMF source in Harare
economic activity.  tional financial institutions, The US$1.1 billion bailout
international organisations will thus come in handy for
“We will leverage on the in- and development agencies, to the broke Zimbabwean gov-
ternational financial system to develop a more stable, trans- ernment. 
create the much-needed fiscal parent and reliable business
space for African economies. environment and investment However, there are concerns
We call for the swift decision climate. governance and accountability
on and implementation of an could take a back seat during
unprecedented general alloca- “We encourage further pri- the Covid-19 crisis, especially
tion of IMF’s Special Drawing vate sector focus in conces- in corrupt states like Zimba-
Rights (SDRs) that is expected sional windows at the World bwe which have been rocked
to amount to US$650 billion, Bank Group and at the AfDB, by serious Covid-19-related
of which about US$33 billion by considering ways to increase corruption scandals. Guide-
to increase reserve assets of the impact of the Private Sec- lines on the utilisation of
African countries, and urge tor Window (PSW) under the SDRs are being developed.
countries to utilise these new IDA-20 replenishment, and
of the AfDB’s Private Sector The global lender-of-last-
resort still wants to release
substantial funding to help Af-
rica cope with the coronavirus
pandemic. Unemployment,
poverty and national debt have
risen dramatically in many
countries on the continent, in-
cluding Zimbabwe.

This will not be the first
time Zimbabwe is getting a
windfall from the IMF. In
2009, it got US$500 million
in SDR, which was part of a
US$250 billion bailout, in the
aftermath of the global finan-
cial crisis which triggered an
economic meltdown in vast
swathes of the world economy.

ADVERT SPACE

The NewsHawks TheNewsHawksLive www.thenewshawks.com [email protected]

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 15

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Ipec headache over unclaimed pensions

THE Insurance and Pen- Ipec commissioner Grace Muradzikwa. for such benefits when
sions Commission (Ipec) they fall due coupled with
is seeking a solution Fund for 30 years and, if tributed to a number of “Closing the issue of pensioners who have not data integrity on the part
to the problem of un- they are still not claimed, factors, compensation for the pre- been claiming their bene- of pension funds and ad-
claimed pensions totalling they are then sent to the 2009 period would also fits,” explained Muradzik- ministrators are among
ZW$616.5 million amid Consolidated Revenue which include the fact address the issue of such wa. the factors attributed to
plans to transfer the funds Fund for use by the state. that an estimated 48% of unclaimed benefits; mi- the current situation.
to the Master of the High members with unclaimed gration of the labour force Lack of awareness on
Court for long-term safe- Quizzed on other fac- benefits date back to 2009 to the diaspora since the the part of the pension The Ipec boss highlight-
keeping. tors contributing to the owing to disputed conver- turn of the millennium scheme members and their ed that some of the mem-
current trend, Muradzik- sion values in the post-dol- and some non-resident beneficiaries that they are bership records are too
Speaking to The New- wa said this could be at- larisation period. entitled to lodge a claim incomplete and shambolic
sHawks this week, Ipec to enable the tracking of
commissioner Grace Mu- beneficiaries of the un-
radzikwa said thousands claimed benefits.
of pensioners have not
come forward to claim She said some benefi-
their dues. ciaries could have relocat-
ed possibly to their rural
“There were 158 863 homes and it is also pos-
members with unclaimed sible that others have died,
benefits to the tune of in which case the surviv-
ZW$616.51 million as at ing family should come
31 December 2020 com- forward and claim the
pared to 16 191 members benefits.
who had not claimed their
benefits worth ZW$30.83 Pensioners in Zimba-
million as at 31 December bwe have borne the brunt
2019,” Muradzikwa said. of government’s economic
policies which saw them
“The significant increase losing out after the hyper-
is attributable to the inclu- inflationary era of 2008
sion of previously omitted which eroded their sav-
members and revaluation ings.
gains. The benefits that
remain unclaimed for five Despite a recommenda-
years should be remitted tion by the Justice Smith-
to the Guardian Fund un- led commission of inquiry
der the Master of High that insurance policyhold-
Court where members or ers and pensioners di-
beneficiaries can still claim recting insurance should
them.” compensate for the loss of
value suffered, there has
She said the benefits will been no such redress.
be kept in the Guardian
— STAFF WRITER

Corrupt politicians fuel Zimbabwe local firm
urban planning chaos navigates enterprise
technology solutions
MERLIN GAWE barons, FBC Securities said opportunity to sell state land.
lack of transparency in land al- Rural industrialisation and
GOVERNMENT should locations and politicisation of electrification must be initi-
initiate rural industrialisation land in Zimbabwe has provid- ated by the government so as
and electrification so as to curb ed fertile ground for corrup- to boost rural economies. This
city expansion and population tion involving well-connected will help to curb the issue of
growth due to rural-urban mi- politicians. This has led to the hasty city expansion in terms
gration while blocking the fur- formation of dodgy housing of population growth due to DESPITE losing its agency relationship with sultants with training and certification in the
ther mushrooming of informal cooperatives in the hands of rural-urban migration and global business solutions provider SAP due various disciplines of SAP.”
settlements across the country, land barons occupying state block further developments of to bottlenecks in accessing foreign currency,
a research firm says. land unlawfully. informal settlements around technology firm Twenty Third Century Sys- TTCS, founded in 1996, has over the years
the nation.”  tem (TTCS) says it has continued to provide expanded its regional footprint in southern,
Illegal settlements in Zim- “The occurrence of illegal FBC Securities suggested advisory and operation services for the infor- East and parts of West Africa. 
babwe’s cities have thrown ur- settlements remains a preva- that the Harare City Council mation communication technology (ICT)
ban planning into chaos. They lent challenge in modern day should apply to the govern- system. “Across borders: we are providing
are largely attributed to polit- societies, particularly in urban ment for supplementary land implementation services to the Govern-
ically connected land barons. localities in Zimbabwe. Politi- on urban peripheral farms Two years ago, SAP, a global leader in busi- ment of the Republic of Malawi for their In-
cal and socio-economic factors and un-serviced state land for ness applications, terminated its partnership tegrated Financial Management Systems. In
The land barons have taken plays a significant role towards housing delivery purposes.  with TTCS after the technology firm failed to the same country we continue providing ser-
advantage of local authorities’ the growth of informal set- This is seen reducing the remit foreign currency to the global ICT firm vices in other public sector entities like Mala-
failure to service and provide tlements in urban areas. The housing backlog. Some people due scarcity of foreign currency. wi Revenue Authority and in the Private sec-
housing stands to homeseek- evolution of land barons who have been on the city’s housing tor, the largest conglomerate in Malawi Press
ers, resulting in a massive give desperate home-seekers waiting list for more than 15 “It was Twenty Third Century System’s ob- Corporation,” the company said.
housing backlog. Many despa- real nightmare simply aids to years. ligation to remit to SAP even when local “In Zambia, we are providing services to
rate homeseekers have sought show the level of lawlessness “Informal settlements both public and private services to the Zam-
stands from land barons, re- that Zimbabwe has generated should be regularised so as to customers had not paid, failure of which bia Revenue Authority, Electoral Commis-
sulting in many being swin- into over the past years,” FBC be recognised by the council TTCS would be in breach which would lead sion of Zambia and the Zambia Industrial
dled. Securities noted so that they start paying rates to the termination of SAP partnership. This and Commercial Banks among others.
to the council as most of the had nothing, directly or indirectly to do with “Our continued astuteness and dedication
A rural electrification pro- “The rise in population due cooperatives are being report- Twenty Third Century System’s capacity to to providing SAP services has earned us part-
gramme which commenced to rural-urban migration in ed for high levels of corruption deliver SAP services,” the company said.  nerships with international ICT consulting
in 2002 has moved at snail’s search of better living condi- amongst management,” the companies and together we are providing
pace and, as a result, most ru- tions and job opportunities firm said. “Despite the agency lapse; the management services to renowned entities like the African
ral areas still rely on traditional has triggered the emergence and technical skills; the support processes and Development Bank.”
methods of lighting. of land barons who saw an infrastructure for the centre of excellence re-
main in place and active. Twenty Third Cen- — STAFF WRITER.
In a commentary on land tury System is equipping its team of SAP con-

Page 16 Companies & Markets NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

DUMISANI NYONI Zimbabwe platinum 2020 levels due to auto cata-
output increases 11% lyst processing bottlenecks and
ZIMBABWE’S platinum out- difficulty in financing higher
put increased by 11% to 120 price-driven higher jewellery ber 2020 recommissioning of to fall by 12% due to the com- of the year. value material stocks limiting
000 ounces (oz) during the first recycling,” he said. the ACP Phase A unit will see bined effect of a concentrator “In contrast to the refined growth,” WPIC said.
quarter of this year compared the plant operate at capacity shutdown and mine flooding
to the corresponding period The report shows that de- through the year,” it said. impacting production during supply recovery, recycling Zimbabwe is expected to
last year, the World Platinum mand in the first quarter the second and third quarters supply is expected to grow by produce 457 000 oz this year,
Investment Council (WPIC) jumped by 26% year-on-year “Russian supply is expected only 3% (64 000 oz) versus up 2% compared to what was
has said. to 1 969 000 oz on a contin- achieved last year.
ued demand recovery across all
During the first quarter of end-use sectors. With more than a billion
last year, output stood at 108 people vaccinated globally,
000 oz. Platinum industrial de- WPIC said the prospect of eco-
mand, up 44%, automotive nomic recovery is being met
Zimbabwe holds the world’s demand, up 8% and jewellery with increasing optimism.
third-largest proven platinum demand, up 22%, all benefit-
reserves after South Africa and ed from government stimulus “While some consequences
Russia, and what it produces measures and pent-up demand of the severe economic haem-
has an impact on global output as lockdown measures contin- orrhage of the prior year may
and pricing trends. ued to be rolled back in many still be unclear, the aggressive
economies, it said. monetary and fiscal stimuli
Three major mining com- introduced by many govern-
panies operating in the coun- WPIC said growing confi- ments and the release of pent-
try include Impala Platinum’s dence in the sustainability of up consumer demand, support
Zimplats, Unki, a unit of An- global recovery supported plat- a rapid return of industrial and
glo-American Platinum and inum investment in the first economic activity.
Mimosa. quarter, with total investment
demand up 96% year-on-year, “In addition to stimulus
In its 2021 first quarter re- largely driven by positive ex- packages, many governments
port, WPIC said global supply change-traded fund (ETF) de- are designing strategies to align
in the period under review was mand in the North American more with the climate action
7% higher than in the first and European markets. agenda, adding further impe-
quarter of 2020. tus to the attraction of green
For 2021, WPIC said total technology metals such as
“The Anglo-American Plat- platinum supply is now forecast platinum, albeit over the lon-
inum converter plant that re- to rise 16% above 2020 levels, ger-term,” it said.
turned to operation in early to 7 883 000 oz, with refined
December 2020, ran through- production rising by 20% and For this year, both platinum
out the first quarter of this year, recycling supply by 3%. demand and supply sectors are
while platinum mines in South poised to benefit from rapid
Africa operated without any “South Africa is expected recovery from the effects of
of the shutdowns to prevent to account for the majority of Covid-19, WPIC said.
the spread of Covid-19 expe- the forecast refined production
rienced in Q1 (first quarter) recovery as mines return to “Buoyant industrial activity
2020,” WPIC chief executive full operational capacity after will see manufacturing sectors
Paul Wilson said. 2020’s Covid-19-driven shut- increase platinum consump-
downs, while the early Decem- tion while higher prices and
“Nornickel (Russian-based) optimism towards future de-
lost production due to mine mand growth will stimulate in-
flooding, but this was largely vestment demand,” it said.
offset by a one-off release of
platinum from pipeline mate- Overall, WPIC forecasts
rial as a new processing plant that in 2021 demand would
was commissioned. First-quar- increase by 5% to 8 041 000 oz
ter recycling supply was 18% against supply of 7 883 000 oz,
higher year-on-year, mainly on resulting in a modest deficit of
-158 000 oz.

Mining workers protest over pay hike

DUMISANI NYONI exchange rate. part. valanjila, said. Zimbabwe Diamond and workers.
According to a circular dat- However, other union “This was not expected even Allied Minerals Workers’ As a way forward, Chin-
WORKERS in the mining in- Union general-secretary Jus-
dustry have been awarded an ed 19 May 2021, the portion workers who spoke with The by an ECD (early childhood tice Chinhema said parties hema said they would revoke
11.36% salary increment fol- payable in US dollars shall NewsHawks described the development) learner. No who negotiated the second collective bargaining at the
lowing collective bargaining be converted to Zimbabwean increment as a pittance and one will accept such an incre- quarter wages were inconsid- work council level.
negotiations which will see the dollars at the prevailing inter- mockery to workers. ment. This is an incentive for erate.
lowest-paid employee earning bank exchange rate at the time school-going learners, not an “The unfortunate part that
ZW$24 500 per month. of payment and deducted “There is nothing to cele- increment for mine workers. “We hear they have giv- we have is most of the work-
from the respective minimum brate in regards to these pea- We call upon the negotiators en workers 11.36%. We feel ers’ committees that are in big
The new salary structure, wage to determine the balance nuts given to mine workers. to pull up their stocks in the Covid-19 allowance should mines are put there by their
negotiated by the Associated to be paid in Zimdollars. Looking at the Poverty Da- third quarter. be considered because we employers. When we put the
Mine Workers’ Union of Zim- tum Line as of February 2021, have seen the mining indus- motion to have that discus-
babwe (Amwuz), the Cham- “For clarity, the total earn- it was ZW$30 000 and the “After all, the mining in- try posting profits during the sion on the workers’ council,
ber of Mines of Zimbabwe ings for each grade will be salaries increased by 11.36%, dustry was working through- Covid-19 pandemic. Why you see the workers’ commit-
and National Employment equal to the respective mini- which is about a ZWL$2 out the lockdown period. We don’t we go for a Covid-19 tee running away from that.
Council for the mining sector, mum for that grade. Non-for- 500 increment,” the National also call upon the employers allowance, appreciating what They don’t want to put that as
is effective from 1 April 2021 eign currency generating Union of Mines Quarrying, to have mercy on their work- the workers have done during an agenda,” he said.
to 30 June 2021. companies are excluded from Iron and Steel Workers of ers in this time of suffering. A the deadly pandemic where
the requirement to pay in US Zimbabwe (NUMQISWZ) well-paid employee is a pro- everyone was at home?” he He said they would be us-
Before the adjustment, the Dollars,” the circular reads in regional officer, Abraham Ka- ductive worker,” he said. asked. ing production reports at dif-
lowest-paid employee in the ferent mines.
mining sector was earning “But these people are not
ZW$22 000 a month, while even considerate; they don’t “For example, we know
the highest was taking home even know that workers are what is being produced at Jena
ZW$51 025.74. the backbone of this econo- Mine. The workers at Jena
my who should be considered. Mine must be able to bargain
With the current adjust- The 11.36% is nothing. Any using that production which
ment, the highest-paid em- percentage of zero is zero. We they produce on a monthly
ployee will now be getting are not happy with this out- basis,” Chinhema said.
ZW$56 824.12. Of this total come. We expected to have a
amount, 50% will be paid in minimum of around US$400. Inflation pressures have
a US dollar component which If they had failed to come up seen the cost of living shoot
now moves from US$140 for with a better minimum wage, beyond the reach of many in
the lowest paid to US$145. possibly those allowances the country as prices of basic
The remaining ZW$12 500 should have been considered.” commodities have more than
will be paid in RTGS. doubled in recent months.
He said the time had come
When all figures are com- for all registered trade unions Mining is the country’s
bined, the lowest-paid grade in the country to work togeth- largest source of export rev-
will earn US$289.46 as cal- er to improve the welfare of enue and, together with ag-
culated on the current official riculture and tourism, the
sector is expected to anchor
economic growth this year.

NewsHawks Companies & Markets Page 17

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

MORRIS BISHI Farmers call for new be able to sponsor farmers
players in cotton sector with all inputs like what is
COTTON farmers have being done by Cottco. We
called for the introduction funds sourced elsewhere through the crop, but l am Stewart Mubonderi told should be able to supply used to have many players
of more companies in the since we are yet to be paid now struggling to survive,” The NewsHawks the intro- farmers with all required but most of them were not
sector to compete with the for what we produced last said Musikavanhu. duction of more players inputs like Cottco is doing. faithful, they only give un-
Cotton Company of Zim- year. They are relaxed be- will be a good move for the fulfilled promises and only
babwe (Cottco) which is cause there is no competi- Cotton Producers and cotton industry. He how- “New players are wel- resurface when it is time to
yet to pay for crop deliv- tion and it is our hope that Marketers Association of ever said the companies come into the industry buy cotton. They should
ered in 2020 despite sever- if the industry is liberalised Zimbabwe chairperson but the companies should come in faith following
al promises. they will improve their ser- regulations in the indus-
vices,” said Dube. try,” said Mubonderi.
They hope the move will
improve the delivery of Tsitsi Musikavanhu, a Cottco board chairman
services and bring compe- farmer from Chipinge, said Sifelani Jabangwe said the
tition in an industry dom- the industry will be better government has secured
inated by Cottco, which with more players like what ZW$1.5 billion to pay
is majority owned by the used to happen in the past. farmers for cotton deliv-
government. She said other players are ered in 2020. He said the
capable of paying cash in money will be used to clear
The government prom- US dollars for cotton deliv- arrears owed to farmers as
ised to release funds by ered, but most of the com- most of them were paid
the middle of this month panies moved out due to half of their dues in the
for the payment of farm- unfair practices by the state form of groceries.
ers who delivered last year’s which favours Cottco. She
crop, but the money has said even if they are paid “As announced by minis-
not been processed. now for crop delivered last ter of Finance, government
year, the money has been has secured the funds and
Moses Dube, a long-time eroded by inflation. we are only waiting for lo-
cotton farmer in Gokwe, gistics on how to disburse
told The NewsHawks that “Some few years back, it to farmers. Most of our
there is need for the intro- we used to choose be- farmers requested for gro-
duction of new players in tween Cottco and other ceries and their request
the industry who will chal- players but as we speak was fulfilled. The delay was
lenge Cottco. there is only one company caused by problems which
dominating. The few who were being faced by Eco-
He said the move would are still around are either Cash last year,” said Jaban-
definitely improve the de- owned or linked to gov- gwe.
livery of services to farmers, ernment officials and they
compared to the current are offering the same poor The NewsHawks also es-
scenario where farmers can services with Cottco. Cot- tablished that despite fail-
go for a year without being ton is the crop of choice to ing to pay farmers, Cottco
paid for delivered crop. me and as a single parent is also yet to pay service
l educated all my children providers like transporters
“The major cause of our who were contracted by
problems is that we are the company last year. 
having a single company
which is dominating the Some transporters said
cotton industry. At times their trucks are grounded
farmers are left with no after developing mechani-
choice but to enter into cal faults which they can-
contract with Cottco de- not repair since they are yet
spite challenges. We went to be paid.
back to the field using

There is a future.

MINISTR ELFARE ZIMBABWE
Y OF HEALTH & CHILD W CHILDREN’S CANCER RELIEF

SUPPORT KIDZCAN
KINDLY DONATE

STAY KIDZCAN, NMB BANK - BORROWDALE, 260055798
ALERT!
NOSTRO: 260209663
ECOCASH MERCHANT NUMBER: 87391
6 NATAL ROAD, BELGRAVIA, HARARE

Page 18 Stock Taking NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Price Sheet A MEMBER OF FINSEC & THE ZIMBABWE STOCK EXCHANGE

Friday, 21 May 2021

Company Sector Bloomberg Previous Last VWAP (cents) Total Total Price Price YTD Market
Ticker Price Traded Traded Change Change (%) Cap
(cents) Traded Volume Value ($) (cents) ($m)
AFDIS: ZH (%)
ASUN: ZH 6100.00 Price -
ARTD: ZH 259.51 7,900
AFDIS Consumer Goods ARISTON: ZH 880.00 - 6100.00 4,200 - - - 154.17 7,155.67
African Sun Consumer Services 254.30 265.00 264.59 9,000 20,903.00 5.08 1.96 55.64 2,280.16
ART AXIA: ZH 2061.67 820.00 823.29 50,500 34,578.00 -56.71 -6.44 72.49 3,597.59
Ariston Industrials BIND: ZH 574.66 300.00 261.22 36,000 23,510.00 6.92 2.72 94.94 4,251.08
Axia Consumer Services BAT: ZH 80000.00 2200.00 2199.85 1,110,925.00 138.18 6.70 140.16 11,986.86
BNC CAFCA: ZH 10990.57 550.00 550.11 - 198,040.00 -24.55 -4.27 44.77 6,875.59
BAT Consumer Goods CSZL: ZH 1669.97 80000.00 - 45.45 16,506.81
CAFCA Basic Materials CBZ: ZH 8176.03 - 10990.57 12,300 - - - 22.25
Cassava DZL: ZH 1884.95 - 1600.65 4,800 - - - 146.25 960.04
CBZ Consumer Goods DLTA: ZH 6013.91 1600.00 8116.67 2,700 196,880.00 -69.32 -4.15 -5.03 41,466.07
Dairibord Industrials ECO: ZH 2556.16 8000.00 1800.00 1,692,500 389,600.00 -59.36 -0.73 37.40 55,780.33
Delta EDGR: ZH 365.65 1800.00 5996.02 505,300 48,600.00 -84.95 -4.51 163.55
Econet Technology FBC: ZH 2960.00 6000.00 2648.45 300 101,482,600.00 -17.89 -0.30 180.26 6,444.02
Edgars Banking FIDL: ZH 580.00 2500.00 370.00 43,900,000 13,382,600.00 92.29 3.61 208.33 77,016.55
FBC FCA: ZH 377.84 370.00 2960.00 2,000 1,110.00 4.35 1.19 97.16 68,610.13
Fidelity Consumer Goods FMHL: ZH 2587.50 2800.00 620.00 16,700 1,229,200,000.00 - - 225.12
First Capital Consumer Goods FMP: ZH 817.02 620.00 378.89 1,836,700 12,400.00 40.00 6.90 244.45 1,209.87
FML Telecommunications GBH: ZH 69.88 379.00 2500.37 80,700 63,275.00 1.05 0.28 138.13 19,889.72
FMP Consumer Services GBFS: ZH 149.19 2500.00 971.29 187,600 45,924,300.00 -87.13 -3.37 199.78
GBH HIPO: ZH 13917.46 980.00 70.77 10,800 783,830.00 154.27 18.88 194.88 675.32
Getbucks Banking 8495.40 71.00 179.00 398,600 132,773.00 0.89 1.27 1332.00 8,171.60
Hippo Financial Services INN: ZH 6720.00 179.00 13000.00 134,800 19,332.00 29.81 19.98 44.44 17,256.13
Innscor LACZ: ZH 337.75 13000.00 8236.68 100 51,818,000.00 -917.46 -6.59 122.44 12,026.10
Lafarge Banking MASH: ZH 2105.00 8200.00 6720.00 5,200 11,103,050.00 -258.72 -3.05 600.00
Mash Financial Services MSHL: ZH 17.30 6720.00 336.78 400 6,720.00 - - 262.13 379.74
Masimba MMDZ: ZH 6500.00 325.00 2520.00 2,119,200 17,512.75 -0.97 -0.29 125.00 2,081.98
Medtech Real Estate MEIK: ZH 1558.33 2520.00 16.99 7,900 10,080.00 415.00 19.71 115.06 25,092.67
Meikles Industrials NPKZ: ZH 31805.00 16.80 6550.00 200 360,104.25 -0.31 -1.79 197.66 46,518.83
Nampak NTFD: ZH 1020.00 6550.00 1547.50 - 517,450.00 50.00 0.77 577.98 5,376.00
NatFoods Financial Services 1208.48 1545.00 31805.00 - 3,095.00 -10.83 -0.69 429.20 6,260.99
NTS Consumer Goods NTS: ZH 1952.67 - 1020.00 9,400 - - - 3615.85 6,089.67
NMBZ NMB: ZH 3215.00 - 1294.26 2,700 - - - 223.52
OK Zim Industrials OKZ: ZH 2850.00 1130.00 1987.04 687,900 121,660.00 85.78 7.10 120.78 516.46
Padenga Industrials PHL: ZH 230.00 1990.00 3206.16 312,400 53,650.00 34.37 1.76 52.57 16,548.32
Proplastics Real Estate PROL: ZH 2460.00 3200.00 2850.00 800 22,055,180.00 -8.84 -0.27 231.02 11,693.65
RTG Industrials RTG: ZH 3976.53 2850.00 240.00 300 8,903,400.00 - - 25.16 21,754.65
RioZim Healthcare RIOZ: ZH 93.61 240.00 2940.00 46,200 1,920.00 10.00 4.35 96.63
Simbisa Industrials SIM: ZH 105.00 2940.00 3897.99 143,000 8,820.00 480.00 19.51 224.35 2,589.50
Star Africa Industrials SACL: ZH 3999.29 3900.00 90.59 1,900 1,800,870.00 -78.54 -1.98 235.52 5,231.03
Truworths Consumer Goods TRUW: ZH 300.00 90.00 102.37 - 129,549.00 -3.02 -3.23 247.02 24,774.67
TSL Industrials TSL: ZH 1200.00 100.00 3999.29 2,300 1,945.00 -2.63 -2.50 131.84 17,364.35
Turnall TURN: ZH 148.17 - 295.65 4,700 - - - 217.90 7,180.17
Unifreight Banking UNIF: ZH 5000.00 300.00 1200.00 101,300 6,800.00 -4.35 -1.45 6351.61 5,989.19
Willdale Consumer Services WILD: ZH 1200.00 148.09 2,000,000 56,400.00 - - 362.78 3,587.67
ZB ZBFH: ZH 0.03 148.00 5000.00 - 150,015.00 -0.08 -0.05 108.33 21,913.91
Zeco Consumer Goods ZECO: ZH 179.81 5000.00 1,800 100,000,000.00 - - 50.00 4,271.39
Zimpapers Industrials ZIMP: ZH 681.06 - 0.03 4,000 - - - 83.67
Zimplow ZIMPLOW: ZH 327.65 180.00 180.00 800 3,240.00 0.19 0.11 36.00 393.17
ZHL Consumer Services ZHL: ZH 680.00 680.00 54,345,900 27,200.00 -1.06 -0.16 2.68 14,281.56
TOTAL Basic Materials 320.00 321.88 2,575.00 -5.78 -1.76
1,457.67
Consumer Goods 1,590,184,492.00 1,277.69
Consumer Goods 2,633.04
Consumer Services 8,759.53
Consumer Goods
0.14
Industrials 1,036.80
Industrials 1,620.99
Industrials 5,853.89

Banking 634,688.97
Industrials
Consumer Services
Industrials
Financial Services

ETFs OMTT.zw 199.56 200.00 200.47 5,723 11,473.00 0.91 0.46 100.03 160.38
Old Mutual ZSE Top 10 ETF

FINSEC Financial Services OMZIL 2800.00 - 2800.00 - -- - 5.66 2,324.33
Old Mutual Zimbabwe

VFEX (US cents) Consumer Goods SCIL:VX 18.00 US$m

SeedCo International - 18.00 - -- -- 43.40

Index Close Change (%) Open YTD % Top 5 Risers Price Change % YTD %
ZSE All Share Getbucks
Top 10 5,378.90 -0.07 5,382.47 +104.57 Masimba 179.00c +29.81c +19.98 +1332.00
Top 15 3,020.61 -1.04 3,052.28 +82.57 RioZim 2520.00c +415.00c +19.71 +125.00
Small Cap 3,399.58 -1.03 3,434.87 +74.51 FMP 2940.00c +480.00c +19.51 +96.63
Medium Cap 58,524.39 +4.35 56,086.71 +392.79 NMBZ +154.27c +18.88 +199.78
13,535.04 +1.26 13,366.45 +143.25 971.29c +7.10 +223.52
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NewsHawks News Analysis Page 19

Issue 31, 21 May 2021 Malaba legacy in tatters as incitement to public vio-
Mnangagwa plan backfires lence charges. 
NYASHA CHINGONO
Mugabe was in breach of remained intact, until judiciary.  Chief Justice Luke Malaba. With Malaba at the
THE constitutional cri- his constitutional respon- 2017.  His next task would be helm, many magistrates
sis currently unfolding sibilities. attracted widespread denied bail to opposi-
in Zimbabwe has left the In 2017, on his watch, to legitimise Mnangag- attention at home and tion activists, with some
reputation and moral au- In his dissenting judge- a High Court judge ruled wa’s wafer-thin victory abroad.  of them spending more
thority of Chief Justice ment, Malaba famously that the military take- over MDC Alliance lead- than 70 days in pre-trial
Luke Malaba in tatters, said: “…I however refuse over of the government er Nelson Chamisa at the History will judge Mal- detention. 
analysts have said.  to have wool cast over the by President Mnangagwa Constitutional Court.  aba harshly for what is
inner eye of my mind on was not a coup. At the seen by some critics as his Commentators say
Malaba, who was ap- this matter.”  same time, another court Analysts said during clumsy attempt to exert lawfare was routinely
pointed the country’s also ruled that Mnangag- the election challenge, unmeasured control over used to silence political
top judge in 2017, was This was after a pri- wa’s sacking by Mugabe Malaba took every op- the judiciary.  Last year, dissent by denying bail,
once touted as a progres- vate lawsuit by politi- earlier was illegal.  portunity to throw jabs Malaba dispatched a staff which is a fundamental
sive jurist, who would cian Jealousy Mawarire at the MDC Alliance memorandum ordering right. 
spearhead Zimbabwe’s forcing Mugabe to call The two rulings would lawyers and poke holes that all judgements be
judicial reform follow- for an early poll. Finding set the tone for how the in their case. Malaba in- read and approved by the Lawyer Tendai Biti said
ing the tumultuous and against a sitting president judiciary would operate sisted that the lawyers head of court.  Malaba’s legacy is irre-
controversial tenure of was considered not only a under Malaba in Mnan- adduce primary evidence deemable in light of the
his predecessor, Godfrey rare spectacle but also an gagwa’s “new dispensa- to support their rigging This caused a furore at constitutional crisis that
Chidyausiku.  honourable move in the tion”.  claims. home and abroad, with his renewal of tenure has
eyes of observers.  critics saying the direc- caused. 
However, four years By sanitising the 2017 “Emmerson Dam- tive infringed on judicial
on, Malaba is at the cen- A bright legal mind coup, Malaba proved his budzo Mnangagwa is independence. It was also “It is a tattered lega-
tre of a constitutional often considered “polit- long-standing allegiance duly declared the winner largely viewed as a way cy and he will go down
crisis. The national con- ically incorrect” during to Mnangagwa, a move of the presidential elec- of denying freedom to in history as one of the
stitution has been muti- Mugabe’s 37 years in that observers at the ma- tions held on the 30th of most opposition leaders, worst chief justices. He
lated in his name.  power, Malaba’s reputa- terial time said was tanta- July 2018,” Malaba said imprisoned at that time was created out of a dem-
tion in legal circles had mount to a capture of the in his judgment which for either violating lock- ocratic process, but has
The latest constitu- down rules or draconian failed to leave any mean-
tional drama that ensued ingful jurisprudence,”
after he turned 70 has Biti said. 
been slammed at home
and abroad, as the in- “He held the bench
ternational community with an iron fist and
watches in utter disgust weaponised the law, es-
as the government prior- pecially in relation to
itises political expediency bail. He is done, he is a
at the expense of the rule disaster.” Biti added: “We
of law.  are in a constitutional
crisis when one arm of
Laymen and experts the state attacks the oth-
alike have described the er and when the country
unfolding crisis as a man- operates without a sub-
ifestation of judicial cap- stantive chief justice.”
ture by power-mongering
executive. Malaba would have
been crucial in secur-
Malaba’s undignified ing Mnangagwa’s second
fight for his job brings term in office in 2023. 
to an embarrassing end
a long career which has As reported by The
had its good and bad as- NewsHawks in a series
pects. of articles on Mnangag-
wa’s power consolidation
That it had to take a drive, Malaba has been
group of young lawyers to critical to the President’s
go to the High Court and political survival. Malaba
win an order stopping has been Mnangagwa’s
the five-year extension of long-time ally, including
his tenure reflects bad- when the strongman was
ly on not only President deputising Mugabe, and
Emmerson Mnangagwa, while serving as Justice
who is the chief culprit, minister well before the
but also on Malaba who November 2017 coup.
should have known bet-
ter as a sharp legal mind. There is a sense that all
the madness surrounding
Although the govern- the failed quest to pro-
ment has noted an ap- long Malaba’s tenure was
peal, a vitriolic statement a ploy to keep the incum-
by Justice minister Zi- bent in power beyond
yambi Ziyambi attack- 2023. 
ing the three High Court
judges who handled the Political analyst Ibbo
case has further tarnished Mandaza said: “His leg-
Malaba’s image in the acy coincides with one
court of public opinion. of the most tumultuous
He is now largely viewed periods in Zimbabwean
as a pawn in President history -- the coup, the
Mnangagwa’s power 2018 ConCourt ruling
consolidation and 2023 and the current debacle.
re-election agenda. They all cast him in bad
light.” 
Once held in high es-
teem in the legal profes- “In contrast to some
sion, Malaba, in 2013, of his predecessors like
alongside Justice Bharat (Enoch) Dumbuchena
Patel, dissented to a Con- and Robert Tredgold,
stitutional Court judge- who all served honour-
ment directing the late ably, he has become
former president Robert the first chief justice in
Mugabe to hold elections post-independence Zim-
by 31 July 2013 despite babwe to be embroiled in
the court finding that controversy.” 

Page 20 The Big Debate NewsHawks
IN the sands of the arena, glad-
iators embodying colonial and Issue 31, 21 May 2021
decolonial modes of thought are
locked in academic combat, ex- On gladiatory scholarship
changing blows of disciplinary
conquest, identity and self-styled
objectivity versus self-awareness
and epistemic revolution. Sabe-
lo Ndlovu-Gatsheni, describing
such a combat, reignites import-
ant questions and sets out to open
our eyes to the battle lines, and
the weapons that are available to
defeat gladiatorial scholarship –
the moment to learn to unlearn
is upon us, he writes.

Sabelo J.
Ndlovu-Gatsheni

The arena • What is the place of is where the cat came out of In this way, blood on the to causally link terrorism and of the beast of colonialism
Blood on the floor of the identity in knowledge? the sack. Even though most floor of the seminar room was critical thought. This is how and educated in Europe and
seminar room was avoided of the questions had been ad- avoided. desperate the situation is! North America, the “first gen-
– thanks to the power of de- • Who is a knower? dressed in the protagonist’s Of sceptics and generations eration” had limited options
colonial love! The gladiators • Where do we think presentation, the antagonist of scholars There are also African besides imbibing Eurocentric
once more prepared to clash just could not abandon his This was before the outbreak sceptics. Some believe that thought.   This was the only
… swords drawn … but not from? prepared notes and asked of Covid-19. Physical pres- the question of decoloni- game in town. This was de-
yet crossed. The antagonist • How do we know what them all the same. ence was still the mode of sation is archaic: the conti- livered as the only thought.
was on the offensive, standing One wondered whether the conferencing. By the time the nent has passed through this To be fair to the first gener-
on a high pedestal that con- we know? antagonist was listening at all protagonist entered the door, phase!   Decolonial thought ation, against all odds and
sisted of fidelity to objectivity • Does geography mat- to what the protagonist was the small seminar room was is often dismissed as “Latin colonial seductions, it devel-
and positivism. But, across saying! already packed. Those who American”, not relevant for oped anti-colonial and an-
the arena, the protagonist ex- ter in knowledge? All this is part of resilient packed it are called “partic- Africa … as though thought ti-imperialist consciousness
uded decolonial love, which • Does knowledge have gladiatory scholarship char- ipants”. The “participants” on liberation must be ignored inside the belly of the beast of
had been his weapon of choice acterised by ego-politics more are always of various opin- if it’s from Latin America! colonialism.  The “first gener-
from the beginning. This is a biography? than by exchange of ideas. ions and persuasions. There One can easily sense a genera- ation” actively participated in
how blood on the floor was • Does ideology play Listening is in short supply were “sceptics” of course tional element in some forms the very creation of African
avoided. “All human beings within gladiatory scholarship. among them. While scepti- of African scepticism. Most of nationalism. Therefore, the
are born into valid and legit- any role in knowledge? Reflexivity is very difficult. cism is necessary for critical the African sceptics belong to first and second generations
imate knowledge systems,” • Is knowledge political? The “God complex” disables thought/scholarship, it has to what Thandika Mkandawire participated in or witnessed
the protagonist posited; “We The presenter was an Afri- these. be informed by facts, not ego. would categorise as the ‘first’ decolonisation at close range.
must avoid a ‘God complex’ can scholar. Should I use the Eurocentric sceptics often and “second” generations of But epistemically, the first
in our scholarship,” he con- name “protagonist” because The antagonist was trying dismiss scholarship informed African scholars. They often generation had been subject-
tinued: “As scholars, we are there was a pre-arranged “an- to turn a seminar into a the- by decolonisation/decolo- say their generation dealt ed to radical assimilation of
social and political beings, we tagonist”? The protagonist atre of war, an arena of glad- niality as nothing but iden- with this question of colonial- Eurocentric standards, no-
are always situated.” Warming was a black African from Af- iatorial combat. Much effort tity politics. In France, they ism and decolonisation long tions of excellence, and all
to the combat, the protago- rica researching and writing was expended, aimed at be- have upped their game: they ago: it is now settled – what protocols of what rigorous
nist continued: “It seems our about Africa and African littling and caricaturing what dismiss critical race theory, else can one tell them about scholarship looked like.
dominant knowledge systems people. Not to be confused was said by the protagonist. postcolonial theory, decolo- it? The reality is that colonial-
are becoming exhausted, so with Africanists – those who Killing softly was attempted. nial thought, and feminist in- ism was never an event. It has While most of the “second
they are not enabling us to research Africa from some- tersectionality thought as im- always been a power structure generation” they did their
rise speedily and adequately where else. Thank God, the protago- portations from the US. These with far-reaching consequenc- undergraduate education in
to numerous modern prob- The protagonist was very nist saw through all these pol- critical interventions are said es. The “episodic school” un- Africa, they tended to go for
lems including the current passionate about the issues itics of ‘gaslighting’ and stuck to exist to undermine French derestimated this character of postgraduate studies in Eu-
Covid-19 pandemic.” Gladia- of colonialism/coloniality to the substance of what was universalist thought and civic colonialism. At least Kwame rope and North America. In-
tory and egoistic scholarship and decolonization/decolo- under discussion. republicanism. In France, the Nkrumah noticed “neo-colo- evitably, like the first genera-
became desperate. For the niality. The “afterlives of co- conservatives have become nialism”. So, arrogance and tion, this cohort is very proud
antagonist, resorting to per- lonialism”, the continuation In the midst of this emo- desperate and extreme in an end-of-history mentality of its access and reception of
sonal attack did not work … of colonialism beyond the tionally charged seminar, the their crusade against critical of claiming to have settled the what is considered to be rig-
resorting to naturalism and dismantlement of direct ad- protagonist introduced the liberation thought emerging debates on colonialism and orous “international” schol-
essences did not hold … drag- ministrative colonialism, was concept of “decolonial love”, from battlefields of history decolonisation are nothing arship. A latent scepticism of
ging modernist concepts back underscored. and explained that it in- and born of struggles against other than part of the stuff of the scholarship of those who
to before Modernity sound- It was compared to the formed his terms of scholarly racism, enslavement, geno- gladiatory scholarship and its studied locally (inside Africa)
ed ridiculous. Thanks to the concept of the “afterlives of engagement.  cides, colonialism, racial cap- ego-politics of even dismiss- is noticeable, and feeds into
soft power of decolonial love, racial slavery” which survived italism, and heteropatriarchy. ing that which is haunting gladiatory scholarship. This
combined adeptly with erudi- liberal notions of abolition Armed with this shield of This extremism sees critical the “postcolonial world”. May is why the ‘third generation’
tion. Because knowledge can and emancipation. decolonial love, the protago- race theory, postcolonial the- the beautiful soul of Thandika is judged in terms of lack of
be exchanged without blood Beyond protagonists and nist deflected personal attacks ory, and decolonial thought as rest in peace. He was never a the so-called “international”
on the floor – the secret is antagonists: towards deco- and responded to the antago- “Islamo-leftism” – whatever gladiator! His generosity of exposure.  This is used to low-
to listen to one another. The lonial love nist most respectfully, but still that means. Efforts are made spirit and humility remains er its standing in scholarship.
moment to learn to unlearn The “antagonist” was well succeeding in demolishing salutary.
is upon us; it is a window to chosen. From the questions the very premise of the ques- Of course, facile general-
relearning. No to all funda- he posed, they seem to have tions, and indeed unmasking But, born inside the belly isation about the “first” and
mentalisms. Like Mao, one been prepared a day before Eurocentrism and coloniality
can just say: the situation is the “protagonist” could even in the questions themselves.
excellent. deliver his presentation. This
What counts as knowledge?
The theme under discussion
was decolonisation. This re-
surgent and insurgent theme
in the world of knowledge
is indeed haunting the re-
public of letters. It has taken
academics and intellectuals
back to the drawing boards
of knowledge. Old questions
have returned, demanding
new answers from us:

• What is knowledge?

NewsHawks The Big Debate Page 21

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

“second” generations must lectual and academic gladia- ship and towards a decolo- who use pseudonyms have ourselves, banish ourselves is unmasking us and reveal-
be avoided. Because these tor does not know is always nisation of knowledge tried even harder. But a pseu- from ourselves for the sake of ing us so that we stop lying
generations are made up of deemed to be wrong, shallow Thought from nowhere! do-name is a form of identity producing objective, truthful, to ourselves and avoid myths
giants on whose shoulders or unscholarly. Knowledge from nowhere! all the same. So, there is iden- universal, neutral, and un- of objectivity and neutrali-
the present generation stands. Sustaining gladiatory Theory from nowhere! I tity in knowledge generation. situated knowledge relevant ty. Our gift from decolonial
Think of Kwame Nkrumah, scholarship are colonial ways am, therefore, a scholar. My There is the wish to be known across time and space? There scholarship includes coming
Claude Ake, Dani W. Nabu- of knowing, and at the cen- scholarship is: neutral, ob- as the authors of our works. are no ways to do this, it is to terms with such realities
dere, Ruth First, Julius Nyer- tre of this arena is resilient jective, unsituated, truthful, We always wish to own our impossible. We research and as: ego-politics of knowledge,
ere,  Leopold Sedar Senghor, civilizing mission mentality. universal, and scientific.  In work, hence we affix our write as ourselves. Our race, body-politics of knowledge,
Chinua Achebe, Cheikh Anta The gladiator is always the this scholarship, there is no names to it. This means there ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and locus of enunciation of
Diop, Theophilus Oben- teacher; all others are pupils. room for the personal, emo- is always us in our work. We spirituality and other vectors knowledge. An epistemic
ga, Valentin Y. Mudimbe, Inevitably, there is always tion, ideology, and politics. can’t hide and conceal our- of our identity constructed revolution is on offer, where
Mahmood Mamdani,  Samir fundamentalism in gladiatory There is no room for geopoli- selves successfully. as they may be, we cannot a new agenda that is beyond
Amin, Patricia McFadden, scholarship. There is epistem- tics and body-politics. In this escape from them as we gen- exhausting one another over
Frantz Fanon, Albert Memmi, ic deafness. This is an inability scholarship, I totally hide my- The veteran educationist erate knowledge. They are in disciplinary knowledge is un-
Thandika Mkandawire,  Issa to hear other scholars. There self and indeed you can’t see and intellectual Paulo Freire us and are us. Those who pre- folding, and where a new fo-
G. Shivji,  Walter Rodney, is also epistemic racism and me. Why hide yourself and urged us to reveal ourselves. tend to be able to escape these cus on troublesome existential
Adebayo Olukoshi, Archie epistemic xenophobia. This pretend to be a god who can- Decolonial thought urges us identities are simply more problems is the focal point of
Mafeje, Ibbo Mandaza, takes the form of dismissing not be seen? What is the logic to reveal ourselves. Feminist capable than others of hiding knowledge generation.
Shadrack Gutto, Bernard Ma- all other knowledges from behind concealment of self and womanist scholars urge them and then denying their
gubane, Ifi Amadiume, Rudo the rest of the world except in knowledge generation and us to reveal ourselves. What existence. By revealing our- *About the writer: Sabelo J
Gaidzanwa, Ngwabi Bhebe, that from Europe. Behind the dissemination?  This hiding is there to hide anyway? We selves we come nearer to the Ndlovu-Gatsheni is Professor
Es’kia Mphahlele, Ngugi wa scenes there is ceaseless loot- and concealment is belied by are human beings. We are truth and reality of being hu- and Chair of Epistemologies of
Thiong’o, Chinweizu Ibekwe, ing of others’ ideas, only to a simple fact that we all write social and political beings. man in the first instance. This the Global South at the Univer-
Sam Moyo,  Helmi Shara- present them as the gladiator’s our names on the book covers We are spiritual beings. We nearness to truth and reality sity of Bayreuth in Germany. He
wi,  Toyin Falola, Peter Ekeh, original thinking. we write. Our journal articles are many things at once. Can is delivered more forcefully is a leading decolonial theorist
Joseph Ki-Zerbo,  Alfred In gladiatory scholarship, and book chapters always car- we successfully hide from by decolonial thought: it is an in the fields of African history,
Babatunde ‘Tunde’ Zack-Wil- there is always very strong pa- ry our names. Perhaps those these identities as we generate epistemic perspective which African politics, African devel-
liams, Ali A. Mazrui,  Beth- knowledge? Can we suspend opment and decolonial theory.
wel Ogot, and the list is not
complete. These and others ternalism. This takes the form
not mentioned constitute the of listening to those who be-
finest crop of academic and long to my generation and
intellectuals who laid a very think like me. My generation
strong foundation for current is always the best. All others
decolonial thought, decolo- are engaged in pseudo-schol-
nial theory, and decolonial arship and pseudo-science.
scholarship. But the purvey- All other generations which
ors of gladiatory scholarship come before mine and did
are mainly those whose schol- not go the schools and uni-
arship needs support of ego as versities that I attended and
well pulling of rank and age where I studied must be
to survive. looked at suspiciously. They
Gladiatory scholarship and were not there where I was,
its features hence they cannot know as
Gladiatory scholarship is much as me.  There is a lot of
characteristically Eurocentric effort spent on infantilising
and egoistic. It is born of co- other generations’
lonial logics of the paradigm scholarship. There is patri-
of war, the will to gain power, archy and sexism in gladiatory
and the paradigm of “discov- scholarship. Works of women
ery”. Consequently, in gladia- scholars are generally ignored.
tory scholarship, the academy There is uneven citational pol-
is turned into a site of warfare, itics in gladiatory scholarship.
a circus of war. Disciplines African scholarship is often
exist as colonies; professors ignored and never cited. If
are disciplinary conquerors scholarship informed by crit-
– one has to create boundar- ical race theory, postcolonial
ies around a chosen field of theory, decolonial thought,
research. Next is to cultivate and intersectionality is not
that field and defend it from outrightly dismissed as sub-
others who try to trespass jective … it is just ignored.
on it. To ring-fence and cre- Pretend it does not exist. Let
ate a border around the field us write as though it does not
of research, there is the issue exist. Invisibilize it. Do not
of developing an “academic give it attention. Push it to
tribe” (a particular language). the margins. Do not include
It may be termed sociology, it in curriculum. Exclude it.
anthropology, or something The consequences of glad-
else. Lack of familiarity with iatory scholarship reveal
the language is a basis for ex- themselves in their most de-
clusion. testable forms in assessments The Newshawks is publishing an Africa Day Supplement
and examinations. Some uni- on the 25th to 28th of May on the NewsHawks website and
In gladiatory scholarship, versities still see no problem
winning arguments is an end in inviting a scholar to be Facebook page. We invite all parastatals, private and
in itself – not a means to an an “opponent” in the pub- public stakeholders to participate in this supplement.
end. Wrestling characterises lic “defence” of doctoral the-
gladiatory scholarship. Pok- ses. These two words “oppo- Deadline for bookings
ing holes in another schol- nent” and “defence” reveal the 24May 2021
ar’s work is privileged over paradigm of the war tradition
seeking to understand what informing gladiatory scholar- Contact Details
other scholars are providing. ship. The other consequences Charmaine Phiri 0735 666 122
Reviewing another scholar’s are negative assessment of the Ruth Nyamukova 0786 674 193
work often degenerates into student’s work, whereby the
writing oneself into anoth- examiner just looks for what Landline: 0242 721 044/5
er’s work. The aim is to dis- is wrong with the student’s E-mail: [email protected]
miss the work under review work and ignores all that is
and affirm one’s own ideas.  correct, using the former to
Writing one’s book into an- make a judgement and to give
other’s book rather than re- a mark. Gladiatory scholar-
viewing what one is given to ship instils fear in its victims.
review is a common disease It is intimidatory scholarship.
of gladiatory scholarship: its But there is now turmoil in
intention is to destroy rather the kingdom of gladiatory
than to engage with another scholarship and the situation The NewsHawks @NewsHawksLive www.thenewshawks.com [email protected]
scholar’s ideas. In gladiatory
scholarship, there is very low is excellent for epistemic free-
appreciation of other ways dom. Claims of objectivity
of knowing. What the intel- are always the refuge of glad-
iatory scholarship. Shining Light In The Dark Corners

Beyond objective scholar-

Page 22 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

PROF. TAWANA KUPE The future of work – new Issue 31, 21 May 2021
approaches for new times
Universities throughout histo- through TuksNovation
ry have shaped and have been patented its breakthrough
shaped by catalytic develop- long-lasting insect repellent
ments in society, including fabric technology called BiKo-
scientific and technological Repellent Fabric® Technolo-
revolutions, wars, colonialism, gy. Products include anklets,
globalisation and pandemics. bracelets, socks, personal care
Currently, the Fourth Indus- and mosquito nets. Sibanda is
trial Revolution (4IR) and the currently working on an agree-
COVID-19 pandemic  have  a ment with a research group
massive impact on the future citizens to discuss the chang- to finalise the development of
of work. ing nature of work. After the the mosquito nets, which will
event, the University of Preto- allow them to submit them to
Universities play a central ria will be launching a Centre the World Health Organiza-
role in society in preparing for the Future of Work that tion for accreditation. Malaria
graduates for the world of will, through interdisciplinary is a leading cause of death on
work and producing impactful research, create the knowledge the continent, and this inno-
knowledge. In a context where that can enable our country vation has the potential for
the world of work is chang- and continent to be future fit. huge social impact.
ing, we need to ensure that That’s the high-tech side.
our students and graduates are It’s imperative that we ad- Growing the local tech side
appropriately skilled and pre- dress the digital divide in through micro and small busi-
pared for the future of work. Africa as connectivity, and nesses with our local com-
This critically includes entre- data affordability is a con- munities is another essential
preneurship in higher educa- siderable  challenge  in all our engagement focus area for
tion, which is now widely rec- countries. We need to focus higher education institutions
ognised as being as important on bridging this divide and to enable people who do not
as postgraduate studies and a ensuring access to technology have the benefit of education
major driver of innovation and for the majority and upskilling to create self-employment.
job creation. as many people as possible to The ILO report also says the
be tech savvy. This requires an youth (15-35 years) in South
Addressing the future of active human social-shaping Africa constitutes just over 36%
work for broader society, uni- hand to get the best out of of the entire population, making
versities are proactively re- the potential of the technolo- it a country with a significantly
searching digitalisation and gy in both high-tech and low- high number of young people.
the new normal for working tech environments. This poses challenges for the la-
life in a variety of ways, in- bour market and for skills devel-
cluding whether the future of At the same time we need to opment but also suggests oppor-
work will be largely remote, hold governments accountable tunities.
a return to the pre-COVID when they pledge universal The University of Preto-
era or a combination of both broadband access - such as the ria has a strong presence in
(the hybrid approach). The South African government has our neighbouring Mamelodi
last-mentioned is the most done - but have not yet deliv- township, where young peo-
likely, and we need to engen- ered. We also need corporates, ple have come up with strong
der an entirely new work life Internet service providers and business ideas for new apps
culture for this, with technolo- mobile communication com- but they don’t know how to
gy as an enabler of productiv- panies to play their part in code, so we are teaching them
ity, employment and lifelong contributing to affordable data these skills. One idea is a loyal-
learning for all citizens. and access for all. ty app for small informal con-
venience (spaza) shops so that
The past year has revealed A paper published in 2017 Professor Tawana Kupe. customers benefit from loyalty
that online meetings in a dig- by the International Labour highly-skilled employees through significant opportunities for cialised innovative thinking points and specials.
italising world not only save a Organisation (ILO) titled The the development of cognitive transdisciplinary skills. and support to entrepreneurs We are also on a drive in
lot of time, but  also  facilitate Future of Work in South Afri- STEM-based skills (science, throughout their start-up agriculture – mainly the mi-
greater national and interna- ca highlights that: As the glob- technology, engineering and Based on research into growth journeys, and we have cro farming of vegetables for
tional access in an increasingly al mega-trends sweep across the mathematics) and non-cognitive mega trends, the PwC report a growing number of strong food security through a new
borderless world. The past year world, they encounter economies soft skills like sense-making and and many others list the top local and international part- internship from South Africa’s
has also shown that working and societies at vastly differ- social-intelligence competen- generic skills for the future nerships. We are motivated agriculture sector training au-
from home can be highly pro- ent stages of development, with cies…There are highly integrat- as: sense-making, social in- by the opportunities these thority (AgriSETA).
ductive, but requires manag- widely diverging capacities to ed and complex feedback loops telligence, adaptive thinking, partnerships present in sup- The goal is for these initia-
ing to ensure people engaged take advantage of or suffer the between technology, systems, jobs cross-cultural competencies, port of the growing trend of tives to be sustainable with
during online meetings, sus- negative consequences of the and skill requirements. computational thinking, new small business global entre- strong, established markets.
tain productivity and their changes that result. media literacy, transdiscipli- preneurship, which effectively One of the markets is our
physical and mental well-be- These feedback loops and their narity, a design mindset and boosts the internationalisation large student population; oth-
ing are taken care of. ‘Decent jobs for all’ has long relationship with the workforce virtual collaboration. of small business. While the er markets include local, early
been a rallying call of the ILO, will impact the growth trajec- internationalisation of large childhood development cen-
Research in communication recently intensified through the tory of businesses, jobs and skill Universities need to incor- corporates or multinationals tres, retail stores and hawkers,
skills in the online space is a Future of Work Initiative. … requirements. Although Africa porate this into the curricu- is long established, the linking creating a value chain in the
huge new area, such as how to One of the key challenges con- will experience unprecedented lum on two levels: we want all of small businesses to interna- local communities.
keep people engaged in online fronting policymakers relates to technological disruption, this our students to develop these tional value chains and mar- What is very encouraging is
meetings. There is a tendency finding a balance between job also presents an opportunity for generic skills across all disci- kets is rapidly rising. to see how many young peo-
for people to disengage once creation initiatives and the ILO the continent to drive inclusion plines and they need to be dig- ple are interested in farming
they mute their microphones concept of decent work within and economic growth, through itally literate, with all students A world of opportunity is again.
or go off video, and while it the context of rapidly advanc- the utilisation of future-ready taking modules such as data open in this borderless envi- The combination of a high-
is not always possible, given ing technology … which brings strategies for job creation. analytics and data sciences in ronment, and this has been ly skilled, future fit pool of
widely ranging degrees of con- with it (the need for) a more collaboration with our IT and turbo-charged by digitalisa- graduates together with so-
nectivity, it is preferable to ask highly-skilled and educated While certain jobs may de- computer science department. tion. This has an inestimable cial and community impact
people to remain on video to workforce, better able to work cline or reconfigure in a soci- impact on the potential to serves the crusade of the Afri-
keep them focused. independently. ety driven by artificial intel- The science, engineering scale and accelerate the busi- can Union’s Agenda 2063 and
ligence, new professions and and technology curriculum ness maturation of start-ups the Sustainable Development
The pandemic has strongly The requirement for a high- jobs are emerging, especially needs to match the rapid and and small businesses. Goals (SDGs), namely to end
revealed that people still need ly skilled and educated work- in industries that leverage cre- far-reaching changes taking poverty, protect the planet
and desire to meet physically force is repeatedly emphasised ativity and innovation. Given place in science and technol- South Africa has the benefit and ensure prosperity for all
and engage, when possible. It in all future of work research the limitations of machine ogy, especially in fields such of a culturally diverse popula- as part of a new sustainable
is beneficial therefore to have with universities, as the drivers learning, especially with re- as genomics, biotechnology, tion and extending beyond our development agenda. SDG 8
small groups physically meet- of curricula that address the gard to managing challenges data science, AI, robotics and country adds to this diversity calls for the promotion of sus-
ing every week or two, with all requirements of digitalisation associated with judgment, de- nanomaterials. in many positive ways. Know- tained and inclusive economic
physical distancing protocols and the need for 4IR-savvy cision-making and interpreta- ing market dynamics, cultural growth and “full and produc-
observed. It has a positive ef- graduates. tion, the humanities have an The curriculum across dis- preferences, client behaviour tive employment and decent
fect on staff morale. equally important role to play ciplines needs to be informed and expectations can only be work for all”. It’s a gigantic,
A report published by PwC in the 4IR alongside Science, by engagement with profes- realised by being exposed to highly stimulating challenge.
These and many other as- in 2019 titled ‘Workforce of the Technology, Engineering and sional bodies, industry and all each market. Partners in the How we achieve it, is in our
pects of the future of work future 2030 – Global trends Mathematics disciplines. stakeholders in the world of form of suppliers or extended hands.
will be discussed during the challenged by African realities’ work to ensure what we offer services are critical to entering
first Nobel Prize Dialogue ever it says: The STEAM (Science, is future fit for our graduates these markets. *About the writer: Profes-
to be held in Africa, hosted Technology, Arts and Math- to  get  employed or to start sor Kupe is the vice-chancel-
by the University of Pretoria By 2030, Africa will be home ematics) movement reflects their own businesses. There is so much poten- lor and principal of the Uni-
on 18 May. The theme is The to more than a quarter of the the growing demand of the tial. To give you an example: versity of Pretoria in South
Future of Work, and we are world’s population of under 25s, arts and humanities in STEM To give a UP example, we UP Chemical Engineering Africa.
bringing together a gathering which will make up 60% of fields, with new disruptive have a business incubator PhD Dr Mthokozisi Siban-
of five Nobel laureates, key the continent’s total population. technologies such as 3D print- called TuksNovation in order da founded  African Ap-
opinion leaders, policymak- By then, 15% of the world’s ing and robotics providing to train our students to be plied Chemical  (Pty) Ltd  and
ers, students, researchers and working population will reside entrepreneurs and employers.
in Africa. The change in de- TuksNovation provides spe-
mographics suggests that Africa
will need to expand its pool of

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 23

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Criminality not the only way to see
electricity theft in Zim. Here is why

ELLEN FUNGISAI CHIPANGO Electricity theft comes distributing or supplying but out of necessity. There ple reached 7.9 million in theft. Inflation in Zim-
in various forms. These in- electricity with the result is a lot of unemployment… in 2020 – almost 49% of babwe is driven by a lack of
ELECTRICITY theft is clude fraud through  meter that any supply of electrici- Another informant elabo- the population. And near- confidence in the country’s
a global challenge and Zim- tampering, stealing via  il- ty is cut off or interrupted. rated: ly 500 000 households have economic policies.
babwe has not been spared. legal connections,  cop- at least one member who
The country has lost up per  wire and  transform- When policymakers re- People here are poor… lost their job in 2020. In 2020, the Zimbabwe
to 1 000km of power lines er oil theft, unpaid bills and duce electricity scarcity to Not that they just want to Benefiting from crisis Energy Regulatory Author-
due to cable theft. buying and selling of  ille- a few factors like theft and commit crimes, but they Electricity theft commit- ity approved a  50%  tariff
gal  prepaid vouchers.  Poli- vandalism, to be solved are doing it out of necessity. ted by the poor is easily increase by the power util-
The official explanation ticians  and  service provid- with technology and stiffer understood. But it’s also ity. Consumers’ salaries and
is that this is driven by or- ers  decry the loss that the penalties, they’re oversim- My research showed that committed by the econom- wages are also eroded by
ganised  crime with some utility suffers as a result of plifying. They are missing inequality in its various ically and politically pow- inflation and they rarely get
accomplices coming from these activities. The domi- other factors that contrib- forms is the chief contrib- erful, especially in the form an  increment  in line with
government departments. nant narrative is that with- ute to electricity theft. uting factor to electricity of unpaid bills. the inflation rate.
Politicians say theft and out  electricity theft, the theft. It’s a crime of poverty.
the vandalism of electricity power utility would be able This approach appeals This is what happens This mismatch between
infrastructure is  political- to deliver services as expect- to politicians because it re- Illegal connections are to  state-owned  enterpris- the economic system and
ly motivated  to derail the ed. quires them to do basically rampant in  low  income es when the elite use their the utility needs of the poor
government’s economic When the problem is un- nothing. It removes elec- suburbs and are sometimes political power for their perpetuates inequality,
endeavours. This would be derstood this way, the solu- tricity theft from the polit- associated with power utili- own ends. The amounts which triggers illegal con-
the effect of blackouts, ris- tions include: ical realm and recasts it as ty workers. are  huge  compared to the nections. They can argu-
ing energy costs and lost • Replacing  vandalised criminality. illegal connections by the ably be considered a way to
taxes. infrastructure. A crime of poverty When the political  eco- poor for subsistence. access rights, rather than a
• Using  technolo- But there is another per- nomic  system doesn’t ben- crime.
I conducted  research  to gies  such as drones to spective. When asked why efit a group of people, they Because of inequality, Energy policy stokes in-
illuminate what policy monitor the infrastruc- there was a high rate of feel alienated and find ways this group tends to benefit equality
options are enabled, con- ture. electricity theft, a key in- to claim what they need to from the crisis. Owing to The question is whether
strained or made invisible • Prepaid metering. formant – an elite respon- live a decent life. Whereas rampant electricity theft, the existing national poli-
by the way electricity theft Electricity theft in dent in my study – ob- some powerful entities such there’s a need for  surveil- cies are sufficient to deliv-
is spoken about in Zim- Zimbabwe attracts a served that: as  mining  companies can lance  machinery to moni- er energy as a social good
babwe. I found that this punishment of not less pay for electricity in US tor the infrastructure, and rather than a commercial
discourse conceals the real than  10  years in prison. This is caused by eco- dollars, most Zimbabweans this is procured through good. The introduction
cause of electricity scarcity This sentence is applica- nomic hardships. If I have cannot. the tendering system. Ten- of  prepaid  metering shows
in the country. ble for theft in the form of the money, why would I ders are not for the eco- how commercial interests
tampering with apparatus want to go the illegal route? The  World Bank  ob- nomically weak and are not tend to win. The first  50
From the data, it emerged of generating, transmitting, I would just pay and get my served that the Zimba- free from corruption. kilowatt hour (kWh)  of
that electricity theft in electricity freely. Therefore, bwean economic situation electricity bought in a cal-
Zimbabwe illustrates the it is not out of perversity, has been worsened by the Inflation is another factor endar month are cheaper
political-economic context. Covid-19 pandemic. It’s than subsequent purchases.
The way the political elite estimated that the num- Many poor people cannot
explain it is politically con- ber of extremely poor peo- afford this higher-priced
venient. In their explana- electricity. Too often
tion, the lack of electricity these  neoliberal  remedies
access does not point to in- are considered effective in
adequacies in the country’s revenue generation, but in
energy policy nor political reality they perpetuate in-
economy. Rather, it is por- equality.
trayed as simple criminality.
It puts the blame on others, It isn’t the ordinary per-
instead of the government. son (who consumes less
than 350kWh per month)
For policy makers, the who owes the power util-
problem is with the perpe- ity thousands of dollars,
trators and would be solved but the  well-to-do  who
if  citizens  changed “their run their pool pumps. The
culture” of damaging elec- most affected by the pre-
tricity infrastructure. paid metering system are
the poor who are forced to
Understanding this is disconnect when they can’t
useful to inform energy afford power.
policy and practice so that
Zimbabweans get a reliable Electricity theft cannot
and affordable electrici- be simplified as a criminal
ty supply. The choice of activity only. It is primar-
explanatory causes deter- ily a political, economic
mines what practical ac- and ethical issue. To curb
tions may be taken to alle- this problem, criminality
viate electricity scarcity. and inequality must be ad-
The research dressed together.
My study focused on dis-
courses about the causes Without this appreci-
of electricity scarcity in the ation, policy options are
country. Electricity theft skewed towards fighting
emerged as one of the dom- electricity theft, while
inant explanations. I an- maintaining the status quo
alysed how policy makers on inequality. The result is
explained it and how their a vicious cycle.
explanation enabled certain
policy options while con- —The Conversation
straining or masking oth- *About the writer: El-
ers. It emerged that there len Fungisai Chipango is
was ambiguity even among a post-doctoral research
the political elite on why fellow at the University
electricity theft is rampant. of Johannesburg in South
Africa.

Page 24 Reframing Issues NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

Zim reels from maternal health crisis

THE Zimbabwean government’s spots” hindering foreign direct has also committed to provide ficient standards of good quality, prescription of outdated anti-ret- time Zimbabwe had only record-
efforts to increase access to treat- investment. free maternal and child health respectful and timely care. Health roviral drugs. ed four Covid-19-related deaths.
ment for obstetric fistula risk services at all public health fa- facilities in Zimbabwe remain
being totally undermined, unless The World Food Programme cilities.  While this initiative was under resourced, with shortages The government has acknowl- An inadequate state response
there is simultaneous action to warned over a third of the popu- initially also funded though the of emergency obstetric care pro- edged that the challenges include to the pandemic further deep-
prevent new cases.  lation would face food insecurity Health Transition Fund,  many vision and a lack of skilled health shortages of essential medicines ened the inequalities that most
at the peak of the lean season in local authority clinics have con- care workers.Significant dispari- and equipment and consum- marginalised women and girls
Obstetric fistula is  a medical 2019, estimating that “63% of tinued to charge fees, citing the ties in maternal health outcomes ables, “[p]oor diet [and] [o]ver- experience. Fearful that the pub-
condition in which a hole devel- people live below the poverty funding shortfalls from national have been reported between rural crowding”, industrial action and lic health system could be over-
ops in a woman’s birth canal as a line.” government. and urban contexts and between “[i]nadequate [i]nfrastructure” of whelmed, in 2020 authorities
result of labour. provinces. ambulances and service vehicles. imposed several measures that
Women and girls in Zimba- In one example from June sought to redirect resources to
However, the escalating politi- bwe are also disproportionately 2019, the Harare City Council Reports also indicate that the However, as of Septem- the Covid-19 response. Some of
cal and financial crisis since 2018 affected and bear the brunt of was reportedly raising maternity burden on public hospitals is ber 2019, only ZW$712 mil- these measures included reassign-
and the emergence of Covid-19 these recurrent shocks. Unem- fees at local government clinics increasing as patients flock from lion (US$54 million) of the ing equipment, turning hospital
have jeopardised Zimbabwe’s ployment rates have been consis- to ZW$120 (US$22.20), and private facilities, due to exponen- ZW$1.67 billion (US$127 mil- facilities into isolation centres,
healthcare system and under- tently high among women and consultation fees to ZW$50 tial increases in hospital fees (over lion) allocated to health in the closure of non-emergency units
mined the fragile progress the young people, who also struggle (US$9.20).  Women and girls 100%) and premiums for private national budget had been re- and reassigning the limited
country has made in improving to find money for school fees and who are unable to pay the clin- medical insurance schemes (be- leased, with the major spending health force to address the poten-
maternal health outcomes over health services. ic fees for maternal health care, tween 50% and 400%). The cost going to employment costs. tial influx of Covid-19 patients.
the past decade.  Health system challenges  go directly to public hospitals to of delivery in a private health
In general, countries with high- give birth. As these hospitals fall facility in 2019 was reported at A matron at one of the hos- World Health Organisation
Zimbabwe’s maternal mortal- er rates of obstetric fistula often under the administration of the between US$300-US$1 000. In pitals visited by Amnesty Inter- noted, “People, efforts, and med-
ity ratio peaked in 2010 at 960 have under-resourced and ineq- national government,  maternity 2021, the cost was reported at national confirmed these con- ical supplies all shift to respond
deaths per 100 000 live births – a uitable health systems.  Despite fees are waived.  between US$150-US$1 200. straints when she said that “the to the emergency. This often
steep rise from the rate of 283 in the urgent need to strengthen the hospital has intermittent short- leads to the neglect of basic and
1994 – as political and economic health system and improve ma- However, in 2019, hospital Zimbabwe’s health system has ages of maternal resources main- regular essential health services.
instability in Zimbabwe during ternal health outcomes, the gov- maternity units became severely also been affected by the ongoing ly due to procurement and sup- People with health problems
the period  2000-2010  escalat- ernment of Zimbabwe has con- overburdened, and were economic and political crisis in ply chain issues. This is because unrelated to the epidemic find it
ed household poverty levels and sistently failed to assign sufficient other ways. Nurses and doctors procurement is conducted at a harder to get access to health care
undermined the public health funding to the health sector. The described as so full, women have protested low pay and dire district level and locally, and this services.”
system. allocation to health in the 2020 and their new-born babies were working conditions, with strike lengthens the process”. She also
budget represented just 10% of forced to sleep on the floor. action in 2018 and throughout went on to say that the hospital In Zimbabwe, the net effect
Government spending on the total national budget,  a mi- 2019 related to the lack of for- has a huge shortage in human of restructuring the health care
health per capita declined dra- nor increase from 9.3% the pre- The hospitals are referral cen- eign currency and reduced wages, resources and that staff morale is workforce and services was the
matically over the period, from vious year. The government has tres, which should only be deal- “severe shortages of medicines... low due to overwork. cancellation of antenatal, child-
the highest levels in sub-Saharan repeatedly failed to heed recom- ing with complicated deliveries. dilapidated infrastructure and birth and post-partum care
Africa at “US$42 in 1991...to mendations from UN Human Delays providing caesarean oper- obsolete medical equipment.” A registered adult nurse at the for pregnant women and girls.
just under US$6 in 2009.” Rights Treaty Bodies, and the ations have also been highlight- same hospital also stated that Workforce shortages were also
Committee of the Rights of the ed, resulting in avoidable mater- Doctors have reported being nurses are “more overwhelmed recorded as several skilled health
Analysis by Zimbabwe’s devel- Child in 2016 to “Substantially nal and neo-natal deaths. Senior unable to operate due to dys- and overworked” and that there workers were infected by the
opment partners indicates that increase allocations in the areas doctors at Parirenyatwa Hospital functional surgical theatres, with was a shortage of resources in coronavirus in the process. 
by 2011 “maternal and child of health, education and social in Harare met with the then min- elective operations in April 2019 surgical wards which were need-
health were the most underfund- services to adequate levels”. Allo- ister for Health and Child Care, down 80% from the same period ed for fistula surgery, such as spe- Fortune Nyamande, the Zim-
ed programmes in the health sec- cations have never reached 15% Obadiah Moyo, in March 2019, in 2018 for this reason. Civil so- cial linen which is often hard to babwe Association of Doctors for
tor.”  Health spending improved of the annual budget, despite to urge additional resources. A ciety groups find. Human Rights chairperson, was
to US$57 per person in 2017, Zimbabwe’s commitments to Doctor in the maternity unit quoted by the Standard newspa-
but was estimated to have sharp- fund health at this level, under pleaded for support, explaining have documented a dramat- Zimbabwe’s health system has per of 26 April 2020 as saying
ly declined to US$21 in 2020, the 2001 Abuja Declaration. “I come to work to certify dead ic decline in health standards been stretched to the limits and “both rural and urban expect-
which puts the gains made by (baby) bodies, that’s not why I at hospitals,  and doctors have worsened by Covid-19.  ing mothers were vulnerable to
the country over the years at risk.  While Zimbabwe’s 2019 bud- am here”. testified to patients dying due the coronavirus. Most hospitals
get was billed as one of austeri- to drug and equipment short- Covid-19 has become a are now delaying attending to
Since 2011, fragile gains have ty,  civil society analysis stressed Unicef stressed that globally, ages.  The CWGH also empha- health, economic and social patients with conditions such as
been made in relation to mater- the disproportionate impact on “[m]ore preventable deaths oc- sise a crisis in emergency care, pandemic threatening the frag- diabetes and pregnant women as
nal health outcomes, with the people living in poverty.  The cur from low-quality health care with ambulances being unstaffed ile gains Zimbabwe has made in they give priority to coronavirus
assistance of international devel- Community Working Group on than from lack of access”  and and unroadworthy.  The picture reducing maternal mortality and cases.”
opment partners.  The country’s Health have analysed the long- similarly, in Zimbabwe, reports remains equally dire at the pri- morbidity in recent years. In the
maternal mortality ratio declined term underinvestment as a “clear indicate that nearly all “maternal mary health care level, with civil first three months of lockdown in As per its obligations under
to 462 per  100 000  live births sign of lack of political commit- deaths are occurring at health fa- society groups raising alarm at 2020, 106 maternal deaths were the right to health, the govern-
in 2019. Key interventions have ment in addressing problems in cilities”.  Such outcomes suggest shortages of contraceptives  and recorded which far exceeded the ment of Zimbabwe has a core
increased access to contracep- the health sector”. a systematic failure to meet suf- numbers of recorded Covid-19 obligation to ensure the satisfac-
tion, skilled birth attendants, and deaths.  As at around the same tion of the minimum essential
antenatal and postnatal care. The government’s inadequate levels of the right to health. These
public spending in the health core obligations include the right
However, Zimbabwe’s devel- sector has meant that the costs of access to health facilities,
opment partners have empha- of health services are dispropor- goods and services on a non-dis-
sised that the country’s prospects tionality paid for by the poor, as criminatory basis, especially
of improving health outcomes people who are ill and in need of for vulnerable or marginalised
rely on the country’s “economic care have to rely on high levels of groups;  reproductive, maternal
recovery and political stability” – “out of pocket” payments. (pre-natal as well as post-natal)
conditions which remain elusive.  and child health care;  provision
Soaring inflation has increased of appropriate training for health
In March 2019, Finance Min- these costs, at a time when nearly personnel, including education
ister failed to secure US$1.2 two thirds of the population live on health and human rights; and
billion in emergency loans from below the poverty line.” In addi- the adoption and implementa-
South Africa, necessary to bolster tion to already expensive fees for tion of a national strategy and ac-
economic growth and infrastruc- medical consultations and tests, tion plan, with adequate budget
ture investment.  patients are reportedly required allocation, on sexual and repro-
to pay for medicines, sterile ductive health.  The Committee
Meanwhile, the inflation rate equipment and fuel for ambu- on Economic, Social and Cultur-
has increased enormously since lances. Such costs can range from al Rights has stressed that a State
October 2018.  Inflation rates tens to hundreds of dollars and party cannot justify its non-com-
spiralled further to reach 75.86% are out of the reach of the major- pliance with these core obliga-
by April 2019 with annual infla- ity of people in Zimbabwe, with tions, which are non-derogable. 
tion soaring to 176%. potentially devastating impact
for pregnant people.  It is notable that unlike the
In August 2019, the Finance International Covenant on Civil
minister announced the govern- Zimbabwe is heavily reliant on and Political Rights, which makes
ment would no longer report international assistance to fund provision for derogation of rights
inflation figures.  However, a maternal health programs. Since pursuant to a declared state of
month later, the IMF reported 2011, the Health Transition emergency, the International
the country had the “highest Fund and a joint UN initiative, Covenant on Social Cultural and
inflation rate in the world”, at the H4+, have driven significant Rights does not include a provi-
300%. initiatives including the training sion on derogations133 thus core
of midwives, the running costs of obligations in relation to health
Compounding Zimbabwe’s 1 500 rural health facilities and remain non-derogable during
challenges, the country has faced helped improve the “availability states of emergency caused by
extreme climate events and hu- of essential drugs, vaccines and pandemics such as Covid-19.
manitarian crises. Having bare- commodities”.  Over one hun- Despite these obligations, the
ly recovered from the regional dred maternity waiting homes challenges outlined above mean
drought of 2017, and a state of have been built across the coun- that women and girls continue
emergency in response to a chol- try. to face serious barriers to access
era outbreak in 2018,  remote basic healthcare. 
parts of the country were ravaged Since 2011, the government
by Cyclone Idai in 2019. Foreign —Amnesty International
Direct Investment remains low.
Lloyds Bank highlight the coun-
try’s “precarious food and health
situation” as one of four “weak

NewsHawks Reframing Issues Page 25
and began a most extraordinary
Issue 31, 21 May 2021 the time of his appointment to executive officer. Hopley was to John Smith Moffat’s daugh- friendship. 
Rhodesia. He had been educat- appointed senior judge, but he ter. John Smith Moffat was the
Rhodesian ed at Cambridge and also called also died on 10 March 1919 son of prominent missionary Moffat visited Mzilikazi a
judges, court to the English Bar. He accepted while in office. The first three Robert Moffat of Kuruman second time in 1835 and then
hierarchy the Southern Rhodesian emer- judges all died in office.  Mission. Robert Moffat became three more times after the Nde-
gency appointment at the age of friend of founding Ndebele bele moved across the Limpopo
This week, South African-based 1965) after the break-up of the 61. It was widely believed that Alexander Fraser Russell had King Mzilikazi Khumalo and into present-day Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwean lawyer Tererai federation at the end of 1963.  he accepted the appointment been appointed puisne judge his son King Lobengula.  The last visit, in 1859, resulted
Mafukidze continues to trace the due to his old friendship with when Hopley became the senior in the establishment of a Lon-
genesis and development of Zim- It is the equivalent of the both Cecil John Rhodes and judge. Rusell was later to be ap- After leaving his native Zu- don Missionary Society mission
babwe’s judiciary and legal system present day Supreme Court. Jameson.  pointed the second chief justice luland in 1821 at the height of near Bulawayo.
from 1890 after the arrival of the Throughout this period a final of Southern Rhodesia.  the Mfecane wars triggered by
British Pioneer Column which appeal lay to the Privy Council He had been friends with Zulu King Shaka Zulu, Mzi- Tredgold’s son Robert was
colonised the country through the in London until it was abol- the two when he practised and When Hopley died he was likazi in 1829 came into contact later to become chief justice.
British South Africa Company ished during the constitutional prosecuted in Kimberly during replaced as senior judge by CH with British missionary Moffat, Tredgold retired on 21 Septem-
(BSAC) to the present, focusing upheavals in 1968. the diamond rush. His daugh- Tredgold, who had been for who had settled at Kuruman ber 1925. On 1 January 1926,
on the superior courts and appeals. Death of all judges  ter was married to the Gold- many years Attorney-General after arriving in South Africa in Bisset was appointed the acting
FROM 1890 to 1894 there Like the other judges, John fields Mining Company’s chief of the country. Tredgold was 1817, who then visited the king senior judge. — STAFF WRITER
was no High Court as such in Philip Watermeyer was born in colonial royalty. He was married
Southern Rhodesia. British co- Cape Town, South Africa. His
lonial architect Leander Starr father was a judge on the Cape
Jameson, as the administrator bench for many years. Water-
and also chief magistrate, pos- meyer, like Joseph Vintcent,
sessed the jurisdiction of a su- studied law at Cambridge and
perior court of record with full was called to the English Bar
power in all cases, both civil and in 1885. He then went to Cape
criminal, and was also empow- Town, got admitted and com-
ered to hear appeals from magis- menced practice as an advocate.
trates’ courts and to review their
proceedings. He was effectively On 30 July 1896, Watermey-
the highest local court, although er was appointed by the BSAC
not a lawyer but a physician. to be the second high court
judge. He was a close friend of
Appeals from the High Court the administrator William Mil-
of Southern Rhodesia would go ton.
to the Cape Supreme Court. In
1910, the Union of South Afri- On 7 August 1914, Water-
ca was created and the Appellate meyer died in Harare. Seven
Division set up. So appeals from days later, on 14 August 2014,
the Southern Rhodesia High Vintcent died at his home in
Court then went up to the Ap- Bulawayo. Southern Rhodesia
pellate Division in South Africa.  lost its two high court judges
within a week of each other,
The Appellate Division be- leaving the country judgeless. 
came the Court of Appeal for
Southern Rhodesian cases, with Like Southern Rhodesia’s first
further appeal, by leave, to the Chief Justice Sir Murray Bisset,
Privy Council.  Appellants were the first High Court judge,
entitled to choose between the Vintcent was born in South Af-
Appellate Division and the rica. His father was a member of
Cape Provincial Division until the Cape legislature. He went to
1931.   In 1938, the Rhodesia Cambridge and studied law. He
Court of Appeal was created. It was called to the English Bar in
heard criminal appeals if the ap- early 1885 and, a month later,
pellant elected not to appeal to was admitted as an advocate in
the Appellate Division in South the Cape. He immediately start-
Africa. Civil appeals remained ed practising.
the exclusive domain of the Ap-
pellate Division until the Feder- On 18 August 2014, the
al Supreme Court was created in BSAC hurriedly appointed Wil-
1956.  liam Musgrave Hopley to be the
third judge in Southern Rhode-
Southern Rhodesia finally got sia and to fill the void left by the
its own final Appellate Division double tragedy. 
of the High Court of Southern
Rhodesia (renamed Rhodesia in Like Bisset, Watermeyer and
Vintcent, Hopley was born in
South Africa and had just re-
tired as a South African judge at

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Page 26 The Big Debate NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

‘Colonialism had never really ended’:
My life in the shadow of Cecil Rhodes
Oxford college backs removal of Cecil Rhodes statue
I am often asked how I feel Oriel College launches independent commission to examine key boys entrusted with meting
about being an associate pro- issues around imperialist’s statue out punishments for even the
fessor at Oxford, specialising in most minor transgressions. A
African politics. Do I see any ACTIVISTS and political players have condemned the University of Oxford for backtracking on its previous decision to remove a statue careless misstep could result
contradiction in working for of the British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes – whose footprint is still fresh mainly in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia in southern in manual labour – a routine
the institution that I am ag- Africa – and ignore the views of an independent commission. Following Oriel College’s refusal this week to remove the statue, citing regu- punishment where we had to
itating to change? Who is the latory and financial challenges, we republish an article published by The Guardian some months ago written by Zimbabwean academic dig fields and carry bricks for
target audience of my writing – at the university, Simikai Chigudu. The NewsHawks previously carried this informative and useful opinion-editorial piece. hours in the heat of an unfor-
privileged, often white students, giving sun. Even worse was
or my fellow Africans? The an- in which Rhodes first made I had entered one of the last lege had also accepted a hand- Professor Simukai Chigudu. the threat of being sent to the
swers to such questions are long. his fortune. Or I could start redoubts of Britain’s global ful of boys from the country’s bearing the names of Old headmaster for “cuts”. I imag-
However, there’s a fallacy in it a century later, when my imperium. small Black upper class, and Georgians who had won the ined the headmaster’s cane
thinking that Africa is where I grandfather was murdered after a 15-year liberation war Rhodes scholarship, which whipping across my tender
am needed most. Yes, I remain by security forces in the Brit- Saints, as I would learn to that won Zimbabwe its inde- sends about 100 international buttocks, raising a fine welt of
committed to writing about ish colony of Rhodesia. Or I call it, is among the oldest pendence in 1980, the school graduates to study at Oxford swollen tissue. No, thank you.
the combustible politics of the could start it today, when the and most prestigious schools began admitting select sons every year. I could see that
country of my birth, and I hope infamous statue of Rhodes in Zimbabwe. It was found- of the country’s new Black most of the names belonged Saints’s rituals of domi-
the true promises of liberation that peers down on to Ox- ed in 1896, just five years middle classes, like me. When to white students. nance and sadism were only
will be fully realised one day. ford’s high street may finally after the British South Africa I passed the exacting admis- some of the ways that it
But Oxford, Britain, and the be on the verge of being taken Company colonised the in- sions exam – four papers, in During the assembly, new taught its boys to accept the
west must be decolonised, too. down. land region of southern Africa maths and English, notori- pupils were informed that we logic of colonialism. Wasn’t
Essential to this is advancing north of the Limpopo riv- ously difficult to complete – I had a two-week grace period it only natural that older stu-
a richer, more complex view of But for me, it starts most di- er. The colonists dubbed the felt, in my juvenile way, that in which to master the col- dents ought to wield power
the imperial past and its bear- rectly in January 1999, when area Rhodesia, in honour of I had earned my place in the lege’s peculiar traditions and over younger ones, or that
ing on the present. Zimbabwe I was 12 years old. That was the company’s founder, Cecil world. But when I arrived, in hierarchies. We would then those who excelled at sports
is not Britain’s troubled former when my parents first drove Rhodes. Backed by the Brit- January 1999, I was suddenly be tested on school history or schoolwork be granted
colony – it is its mirror. As the me from our home on the ish army, Rhodes’s colonising adrift in a Zimbabwe unlike and expected to follow local privileges, like the ability to
great Nigerian novelist Chinua outskirts of the city through forces dispossessed millions any I had known before. custom to a T. Over the grace tread on certain college lawns,
Achebe humbly put it: “I would the imposing black gates of of Africans of their land and period, I anxiously crammed that were denied to lesser
suggest from my privileged po- St George’s College, Harare. created an apartheid state At 7:25am on my first day, the college mottoes, the children? Wasn’t it right that
sition in African and western Dressed in a red blazer, red- that endured for 90 years. the school bell rang, and I names of all the prefects and those who stepped out of line
culture some advantages the and-white striped tie, khaki Saints was established in the joined the other boys in their captains of sports, the history be forced to labour, or even
West might derive from Africa shirt and shorts, grey knee- mould of the  University of red blazers filing into the Beit of the founding fathers and whipped? These were perfect
once it rid its mind of old prej- high socks and a cartoonish- Oxford  and public schools Hall. The hall was named af- the first six pupils to attend lessons for a world in which
udices and began to look at Af- ly floppy red hat, I looked like Eton to prepare young ter an Anglo-German gold the college, the numbers of one race thought itself wor-
rica not through a haze of dis- like an English schoolboy white Rhodesians to carry and diamond magnate who Old Georgians who had died thy of violently subjugating
tortions and cheap mystification on safari. As our car climbed on the country’s political and employed Rhodes when the in the first and second world another.  After independence,
but quite simply as a continent towards the college, I peered economic regime. For nearly a latter first arrived in southern wars. At Saints, this was the Saints’s ways were embraced
of people – not angels but not up in awe at the granite castle century it was devoted to edu- Africa. As I glanced upward to past that seemed to matter by a Black middle class that
rudimentary souls either.”  tower, crowned with a full set cating the scions of the coun- an interior balcony, I noticed most. had imbibed colonial culture
of crenellations, that domi- try’s wealthy white settlers. a series of polished mahoga- and internalised that culture’s
This article was amended nates the grounds. It was as if ny panels with gold lettering Discipline was important, sense of superiority.
on 15 January 2021 to clarify Beginning in 1963, the col- too. I quickly learned to live
details of Rhodes’ financial gifts in fear of the prefects, senior For my parents, the deci-
to the University of Oxford, sion to send me to this former
which amounted to millions imperial training ground was
and not £100 000  as an ear- a fraught one. My mother
lier version said. The latter sum was a women’s rights advo-
was Rhodes’s donation to Ori- cate, born in 1957 to a large
el college specifically. Also, the working-class family in what
Zimbabwe Bird on the dome was then the British Protec-
of Rhodes House is made from torate of Uganda. My father,
bronze, not soapstone. born six years earlier, grew up
under the full weight of ra-
Chigudu is an Associate Pro- cial segregation in Rhodesia,
fessor of African Politics at the where 250 000 white people,
University of Oxford. barely 3% of the population,
had usurped more than half of
SIMUKAI CHIGUDU the country’s agricultural land
and owned almost all of its
THERE was no single mo- commerce and industry. Black
ment when I began to sense people were denied the fran-
the long shadow that Cecil chise, their movements were
John Rhodes has cast over controlled by a punitive inter-
my life, or over the university nal passport system, and they
where I am a professor, or over died at heinous rates from
the ways of seeing the world chronic malnutrition, high
shared by so many of us still infant mortality and limited
living in the ruins of the Brit- access to basic health services.
ish empire.  Meanwhile, white people in
Rhodesia enjoyed the highest
But, looking back, it is per capita number of private
clear that long before I ar- swimming pools anywhere in
rived at Oxford as a student, the world.
long before I helped found
the university’s Rhodes Must Radicalised by the con-
Fall movement, long before I dition of Black people, my
even left Zimbabwe as a teen- father fought against the
ager, this man and everything Rhodesian government in
he embodied had shaped the liberation war that be-
the worlds through which I gan in the early 60s. During
moved. the conflict, my uncles and
an aunt were incarcerated by
I could start this story in the Rhodesian state, my fa-
1867, when a boy named ther was nearly killed on the
Erasmus Jacobs found a dia- battlegrounds bordering Zim-
mond the size of an acorn on babwe and Mozambique, and
the banks of the Orange river my grandfather was lynched
in what is now South Africa, by Rhodesian security officers.
sparking the diamond rush
Following independence,
my father joined Zimbabwe’s

NewsHawks The Big Debate Page 27

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

civil service, and he and my A 500 million dollar Zimbabwaen bank note in 2008. still owned more than their
mother began a suburban life share of the land.
that was modest in means but The Cecil Rhodes statue on the facade of Oriel College in Oxford. the opposition as un-African.
not in aspiration for their son. He argued that the values his At the time, though, I ac-
St George’s appealed to them, pers over the crimes of the government of  Robert Mug- der British dominion. Two political rivals stood for were cepted their arguments in part
as it did to many Black fam- present by attributing too abe, who had been in power decades later, he paid for the a cover for neoliberal policies because I connected the aims
ilies like ours, because of the much power to the past. Per- since independence, had lost conquest of Rhodesia with that, like colonialism before of the land struggle with my
cultural and social foothold haps more often, it covers popular support. Corruption, the profits he had extracted them, would only serve to distaste for the racist Rhodies
it provided. Boys from Saints up past crimes in order to economic austerity, the coun- from Black labourers in his exploit Zimbabwe on behalf I was surrounded by at Saints.
regularly went on to study legitimise the way society is try’s involvement in a war in South African gold and di- of the west. Real nationalism, But then Mugabe took aim at
at Oxford, or play on Zim- arranged in the present. As a the Democratic Republic of amond mines. After seizing Mugabe said, was about fin- schools. He argued Saints and
babwe’s celebrated national teenager, I saw these dynamics the Congo, and a failure to land from Africans, Rhodes’s ishing the anti-colonial liber- its ilk represented a refusal of
cricket team. But within the play out in the former colony fully address the fundamen- British South Africa Compa- ation struggle by taking back former colonisers to fully ac-
cloistered world of the col- of Rhodesia. I would later tal problem of who owned ny forced them to toil on it the land. quiesce to African leadership
lege, the war of independence discover how much more po- Zimbabwe’s land – white set- as indentured labourers. As (again, not entirely wrong).
my father fought seemed to be tent they were in Britain, the tlers or Black Africans – all one early biographer put it, In 2000, bolstered by His Ministry of Education
only half-complete. metropole. threatened Mugabe’s power. Rhodes “used blacks ruthless- Mugabe’s rhetoric, Black war attempted to implement a
A new political party arose ly … giving them wages that veterans  began occupying state-controlled curriculum
Formal segregation in Zim- By the turn of the millen- that claimed to stand against made them little better than commercial farmland owned that would teach Mugabe’s
babwe had ended nearly two nium, outside the walled-off Mugabe and for the values of slaves”. This was the basis for by white people. The occupa- version of history. I panicked.
decades earlier, but even in kingdom of Saints, Zim- democracy and civil rights. the apartheid regime that ex- tions spread widely across the I was supportive of decoloni-
1999 the college signalled babwe’s colonial legacy was isted in Rhodesia until politi- country. They were sponsored sation if it ended with farms,
its prestige through its ra- unfolding in dramatic and Mugabe responded by cal independence. by the ruling party, while par- but schools were another mat-
cial makeup. We had a white violent ways. Although for- blaming all of Zimbabwe’s tisan militias carried out evic- ter. I worried that I would be
headmaster and a white rec- mal segregation had ended in problems on its history of co- It was true that Rhodes was tions on the ground. In less forced to sit local exams that
tor. The teachers with the 1980, the world that apart- lonialism. And no figure was a racist and imperialist who than five years, the number of lacked the credibility to earn
strongest reputations for ex- heid built had never fully more foundational to that built a society based on racism white farmers actually farming me university admission over-
cellence were white. We also ceased. By the beginning of history than Cecil Rhodes. In and exploitation. But Mugabe the land dwindled from about seas. The thought of going to
had a high percentage of my second year, the country 1877, Rhodes called for the used this history to deny the 4 500 to under 500, while as university in Africa had not
white students, about half of was descending into what British, “the finest race in the corruption of his own regime. many as 200,000 Black farm even occurred to me.
the student body in a country would soon be called “the cri- world”, to rehabilitate “the He made white farmers the workers lost their jobs, and
where white people made up sis”. most despicable of human scapegoats for the country’s often with them their homes. The educational reforms
less than 1% of the popula- beings” by bringing them un- economic problems and tarred About 10 white farmers were I dreaded had not come to
tion. Throughout the 90s, the killed by militias, while the pass in private schools by the
number of black farm work- time I completed my O-levels
Without quite realising it, ers killed by the same mili- in 2002, but Zimbabwe was
this was a racial logic I read- tias was just under 200, with facing economic and politi-
ily accepted. In his memoir many thousands more suffer- cal meltdown. Sanctions were
of growing up white in Afri- ing violent assaults. soon imposed on the country
ca, the Zimbabwean writer and Mugabe was condemned
Peter Godwin recalls meeting The foreign and white me- by western governments, the
a handful of Black students dia soon introduced its own media and NGOs for human
at Saints in the 60s: “They distortions into the crisis, rights violations. My com-
didn’t want to discuss African portraying the occupations prehension of “the crisis” was
things. They wanted to be like as a racially motivated attack rudimentary, but I saw its ef-
whites. They spoke English against white people, and not fects in my daily life. Even in
without much of an African as a violent political uprising the wealthy bubble of Saints,
accent.” I suppose I was much rooted in the complex history textbooks and chemistry sets
the same. I barely spoke Sho- of colonialism. At home, my were suddenly in short supply.
na, the language my father father praised Mugabe and Inflation and therefore school
was raised speaking, but had a lambasted western powers as fees spiralled out of control,
fluent command of English. I hypocrites who preached de- forcing staff and students to
resented white racism but as- mocracy but practised imperi- leave the college in droves.
pired to the cultural capital of alism. He had no patience for The headmaster was arrested
whiteness. the opposition party, whose after accusing Mugabe, in rac-
members he saw as stooges ist terms, of rigging that year’s
It was obvious, though, serving the interests of white election.
how conservative white Zim- capitalists in Zimbabwe and
babweans – “Rhodies”, Black Britain. I later came to see Though my parents be-
people call them – saw me, the land seizures as acts of lieved in redressing the colo-
whether I wore Saints’s red political and economic griev- nial theft of African land, like
blazer or not. “Chigudu,” one ance that answered directly many other Black parents of
white classmate said to me, to Zimbabwe’s colonial histo- their class, they recognised
“what’s the difference between ry, and to feel that, in many that their children would have
a nigger and a bucket of shit?” ways, Mugabe and my father better educational opportu-
I looked at him blankly. “The were right: real emancipation nities outside Zimbabwe. So
bucket,” he chortled. from that history could not be in 2003, I joined a wave of
accomplished if white people young Zimbabweans emi-
Early on, I committed grating for education abroad.
myself to the art of survival My mother travelled with me
at Saints: mine was a two- to England and deposited
pronged strategy of conform- me at Stonyhurst College, a
ing to expectations and never 400-year-old Jesuit boarding
questioning authority. I kept school in rural Lancashire on
a low profile throughout which much of Saints’s ar-
my first year, maintaining a chitecture and pedagogy had
steady, mediocre performance been based. She cried all the
in all aspects of school life. way down the school’s near
My mother worried I might mile-long driveway.
cede whatever talents I had
to this strategy, and urged me It wasn’t until arriving in
to be more ambitious. I took England that I began to ap-
heed and, around the time I preciate that colonialism had
turned 14, I started to apply furnished not only Zimbabwe
myself seriously in my stud- but Britain, too, with fiercely
ies. I refused to be defeated by held national mythologies. In
Thomas Hardy’s dense prose, both countries, colonialism
I agonised over the difference had left behind ideas and in-
between ionic and covalent stitutions that stood in the
bonds, I memorised Latin way of a more honest reckon-
noun declensions. I began to ing with the past.
excel academically, and found
the success intoxicating. But At Stonyhurst, I felt like
as I grew in enthusiasm for I had stepped out of Saints’s
Saints, I failed to notice an- pantomime version of English
other way that colonialism boarding schools and into the
was still operating at the col- real thing. But I was taken
lege: we were learning almost aback by the view of Zimba-
nothing about the troubled bwe I soon encountered. If
country that lay beyond those Mugabe liked to claim that
black gates. colonialism was the cause of
all the country’s problems,
Ignorance of history serves many of my new classmates
many ends. Sometimes it pa- were equally simplistic in

Page 28 The Big Debate NewsHawks
blaming them entirely on
Mugabe. One even suggested Issue 31, 21 May 2021
that recolonising Zimbabwe
might end its woes. To a large A protest calling for the removal of the Rhodes statue at Oriel College in Oxford in 2016.
extent, they were parroting
the British and international cooking oil, bread and water was Rhodes House in central shared by many of Oxford’s his incarceration in a Rhode- ity for loot stolen during the
media, which portrayed Mug- – compounded the effects of Oxford, a gathering place for most esteemed historians. sian prison during the libera- British empire.
abe as an icon of evil fixated political turmoil and violence. recipients of the scholarship. Hugh Trevor-Roper, who for a tion war, except to say that the
on murdering white people. Cholera was competing for (To my great unease, the quarter century held Oxford’s conditions were “inhuman” From the start, the quest
Even Hello! magazine devoted lives with one of the highest Rhodes scholars I met often most prestigious history chair, and that the prison guards for knowledge of Africa was
a five-page special on Zimba- HIV rates in the world. referred to themselves with infamously pronounced in the caned his buttocks so badly motivated by the aim of con-
bwe to covering the death of the same term Black Zimba- 60s that there was no African that they streamed with blood quest. Even today, African
a white farmer. Little to noth- By the time I qualified as bweans refer to racist white history, “only the history of and he couldn’t sit for weeks. studies has an air of the 1884
ing was said, in the media a doctor in 2010, I regularly people – “Rhodies”.) Rhodes Europeans in Africa. The rest Now, in Oxford, I spent ev- Berlin Conference, which
or elsewhere, of Zimbabwe’s spent my quiet night shifts House is a grand building in is darkness.” Before Europe- ery Friday morning in a ster- heralded the “Scramble for
colonial legacy, or of the suf- in the hospital reading books the style of a Cotswold man- ans brought history to Africa ile seminar room where Prof Africa” – but instead of Eu-
fering of Black people under about Zimbabwe and Africa. or, with one conspicuously and places like it, Trevor-Rop- Jocelyn Alexander guided my ropean powers claiming and
Mugabe’s regime. Most of the ones I could find incongruous feature: on top er went on, there was merely classmates and me through a trading different parts of the
in local bookshops were ac- of the building’s copper-clad “the unedifying gyrations of discussion about how colonial continent, it’s mostly white
At the same time, it was counts by western journalists dome perches an enormous barbarous tribes in pictur- states – most dramatically, scholars staking out their ter-
dawning on me how little I and memoirists who decried bronze carving that I rec- esque but irrelevant corners settler states like Rhodesia – ritory and asserting expertise
myself knew about my own aspects of colonialism but ognised immediately – the of the globe”. This was only a employed corporal and cap- over ethnicity in Kenya, de-
country. I began to read more thought African politics was Zimbabwe Bird. touch crasser than what a Fel- ital punishment, mass incar- mocracy in Ghana or refugees
about Zimbabwe’s history, and ineluctably despotic. In light low at Balliol College said to ceration and labour detention in Uganda. After I stayed on
was startled by what I found. of what Mugabe had done to The sculpture is a copy me at a dinner in my second on a large scale as a means of at Oxford to pursue a doctor-
In particular, I had known Zimbabwe, many of these au- of one of a half dozen or so year at Oxford: “African poli- creating social order in Africa ate, I began attending African
nothing about the  Gukura- thors argued, maybe colonial- 11th-century carvings sto- tics? What a mess. How could and shoring up white political studies conferences through-
hundi massacres  perpetrated ism wasn’t that bad. len in the late 19th century you possibly fix that?” domination. out the UK, only to find
by the state following the war from the ancient city known mostly white scholars talking
of liberation. In the worst Not everything they said as Great Zimbabwe, in the Among the handful of Ox- Of course, white domina- to predominantly white audi-
case, as many as 20,000 civil- about colonialism or Mugabe country’s south-eastern hills. ford scholars who actually tion and colonialism wasn’t ences.
ians from the Ndebele people or Africa was entirely wrong, Rhodes believed the sculp- studied Africa, however, most just something that happened
were murdered by the Zimba- but little of it struck me as en- tures too sophisticated to have had a nuanced understanding in or to the colonies. The more In other words, I was sur-
bwean army over a period of tirely right either. In a sense, been fashioned by an African of the continent and shared time I spent in Oxford, the rounded in Oxford not by
five years in the mid-80s. It I was shedding the world and culture, and attributed them my disgust at Rhodes. Wil- more I realised how colonial- the ghosts of colonialism,
was a double shock: not only the worldview I had been instead to a Mediterranean ci- liam Beinart, who was then ism had remade the entire ma- but by its living dead. As at
at the size of the atrocity, but inducted into at Saints, but vilisation. In time, I came to the Rhodes Professor of race terial and intellectual world of Saints, colonialism at Oxford
at the scope of the ignorance I I wasn’t quite sure what I see the carving atop Rhodes relations, quipped that his ti- the British empire, especially had never really ended, and
had been encouraged into at should replace it with. Once house as the negative image tle was an embarrassment, like its most elite university. Ox- couldn’t. It wasn’t a period
home and at school. again, I felt at sea. I decided of what would soon become having the position “Goebbels ford is strewn with tributes that had passed, but a histori-
to commit myself to studying a much more famous statue: Professorship of Communica- to men of empire who have cal mass that bent everything
Having once been proud African history and politics, a larger-than-life likeness of tion”. scholarships, portraits, busts, around its gravity. As I had in
of my success at Saints, I was in the hopes not necessarily of Rhodes that peers down on engravings, statues, libraries Newcastle, I began to ques-
suddenly ashamed at how helping my country, but sim- to Oxford’s High Street from But although my professors and even buildings dedicat- tion the strange place I occu-
sheltered and privileged my ply of better understanding it. a niche high up Oriel col- at the African Studies Cen- ed to their memory. Chris- pied in this contorted world.
life had been. Motivated by an After three years of practising lege’s facade, above a Latin tre were rigorous scholars, I topher Codrington, a slave Every day, I left Africa more
uneasy combination of guilt, medicine, I left the NHS and inscription thanking him for couldn’t help but notice that plantation owner, bequeathed completely, while becoming
idealism and a longing for took up a scholarship at the his munificence. If the statue they were all white. This is £1.2m in today’s money to All more intimately involved
home, I resolved to become a University of Oxford, where of Rhodes portrayed him as a true throughout academia: Souls College to erect one of with the colonial project that
doctor and go back to Zimba- I once again found myself di- great benefactor, the Zimba- there aren’t a massive num- the university’s most magnif- the university represented. In
bwe to help heal the nation. rectly in the shadow of Cecil bwe bird stood for the wealth ber of Black people in the icent libraries (which,  until a sense, I was complicit in
After finishing at Stonyhurst I Rhodes.  extraction and human ex- UK – only about 3.3% of the last year, bore his name). that project – but I was also
took up a place at Newcastle ploitation on which Rhodes’s population – but there are far alienated and angered by it.
University to study medicine. When I arrived at Oxford fortune was built, as well as fewer Black academic facul- George Curzon, the viceroy I was at a loss about how to
I was one of very few Black in the autumn of 2013, I for the racist ideology that ty (about 2%) and about 140 of India who presided over navigate the ambiguities of
faces in the medical school, was surprised to discover the helped him justify his colonial Black professors in the whole the Indian famine of  1899- my position.
and the only one from conti- ghosts of Zimbabwe’s colo- programme. country. 1900  in which about 4 mil-
nental Africa. Racism was no nial past all around me. None lion people died, is memo- Then, on 9 March 2015, a
less common than it had been haunted the place more than Colonialism continued to My studies and my family’s rialised at his alma mater, student at the University of
at Saints, but it took a variety Rhodes, who had been a stu- shape Oxford in less concrete history as colonial subjects Balliol. Augustus Pitt Rivers, Cape Town hurled a bucket of
of forms. Sometimes it was di- dent at Oriel college in the ways, too. I wasn’t there long came together most painfully a 19th-century colonial offi- human shit at a statue of Cecil
rect: I was called a “golliwog” 1870s, and later gave millions before I learned that the dim in a seminar on the history of cer, founded Oxford’s archae- Rhodes. Suddenly, everything
by patients while on clinical to the university through a view of Africa and Africans political imprisonment and ological museum, which long that I and many of my fellow
rotation and told to “fuck number of gifts and bequests. held by Rhodes had been punishment in Africa. My fa- doubled up as a storage facil- Black students had been feel-
off back to Africa” on nights Most striking of these to me ther had told me little about ing about Oxford came into
out in Newcastle city centre.
More often, it was subtle and
patronising: white students
touched my hair without my
consent or expressed incre-
dulity at the eloquence of my
spoken English. One even
called me “the whitest Black
man I know”.

The more my white friends
made it clear that I didn’t fit
their notions of what it meant
to be Black or African, the
more I, too, questioned the
authenticity of my Blackness.
At the same time, in Zimba-
bwe, people like me were cast
as sellouts who preferred their
former coloniser to the moth-
erland. I felt as if I was losing
my grip on who I was. For a
while I sustained myself with
my fantasy of returning home
to treat the sick. But, as Zim-
babwe’s crisis grew larger and
larger, my clinical training felt
inadequate. Back home, infla-
tion was  out of control. On
a visit in 2008, I bought an
ice-cream sundae in a Harare
suburb for 38 billion Zimba-
bwe dollars. Public services,
including healthcare and sani-
tation, had largely disintegrat-
ed. Major shortages of basic
commodities – such as fuel,

NewsHawks The Big Debate Page 29

Issue 31, 21 May 2021 iticians and the urban poor for a long time it seemed like the heads of all the Oxford works. (Dan Hicks, one of the The crowd responded with
about how they had suffered Rhodes Must Fall had failed. colleges – every single one of museum’s curators, has since thundering applause.
sharp focus. A movement to during the country’s 2008 them white – wrote an  open written that Rhodes Must
redress the colonial legacy of cholera outbreak, in which Four years later, in May letter in the Guardian  claim- Fall “shattered the compla- On 17 June, Oriel College’s
neglecting and denigrating 100 000 people were infected 2020, I sat alone in my flat in ing that they stood in solidar- cency” at the institution.) But governing body  expressed its
Black students was afoot in and more than 4 000 people Oxford watching the video of ity with Black students and the main aims of our work wish  to remove both the Ce-
South Africa. Before I knew died. I wanted to understand the brutal torture and murder affirming their commitment had not been far advanced, cil John Rhodes statue and a
it, I would become a leader in how a simple bacterial infec- of George Floyd at the knee of to equal dignity and respect. and the statue of Rhodes still plaque commemorating him.
a fight to remake Oxford, too. tion became a public health police officer Derek Chauvin. I immediately thought of stood. To implement this, the col-
disaster and a political scandal After my shock came anguish Gary Younge’s piercing  ob- lege launched an indepen-
We called our work decol- in a country that once boast- and rage. For days on end, I servation  that white people I had remained in Oxford, dent Commission of Inquiry
onisation. There were sever- ed the best healthcare system consumed the news and com- periodically “discover” racism completing my doctorate be- tasked with considering the
al dozen of us – Black and in Africa. Countless western mentary on the killing, until “the same way that teenagers fore being appointed to the Rhodes legacy and wider con-
brown students who were critics laid the blame for this my mind was foggy and my discover sex: urgently, earnest- faculty as an associate pro- cerns about inclusivity, access
born in Britain or its former crisis at the feet of Robert body ached. I can’t tell you if ly, voraciously and carelessly, fessor of African politics. As and experiences of Black and
colonies, African American Mugabe. Mugabe’s govern- I thought about my father’s with great self-indulgence but one of the few people from other minority ethnic stu-
students who saw links be- ment hit back with an absurd father, who was murdered by precious little self-awareness.” the first wave of Rhodes Must dents at the college. A formal
tween decolonial politics and counternarrative claiming the Rhodesian state before I Fall who was still at the uni- decision to remove the stat-
anti-racism work in the US, that the cholera outbreak was was born, but I know that, It had been four years since versity, I was asked to speak ue is expected later this year.
and a number of white stu- racist, terrorist, biological like many Black people, I ex- Rhodes Must Fall had seem- at an antiracism protest on 9 Meanwhile, All Souls College
dents. Our goal was to slay the warfare from the west to un- perienced Floyd’s death as an ingly dissipated. There had June. I stood before a crowd removed the slaver Christo-
racist ideologies that still held dermine African sovereignty. I intimate and personal trauma. been a few small changes at of thousands gathered on Ox- pher Codrington’s name from
sway in various disciplines, to asked one doctor, a friend of If you have ever been on the the university – Hugh Trev- ford’s high street outside Oriel its iconic library, and Uni-
bring more Black people into mine from Saints, whether he sharp end of anti-Black rac- or-Roper’s name was stripped College, beneath the Rhodes versity College appointed the
academia at every level, and believed in the government’s ism, it is not difficult to iden- from a room in the histo- statue. As soon as I took first Black head of a college
to end the glorification of the anti-colonial rhetoric. “I am tify with the suffering of other ry faculty – and at least one the microphone, the words in university history, Valerie
men who had dedicated their anti-colonial and anti-neo-co- Black people under all kinds more substantive reversal: the “Rhodes Must Fall!” came out Amos. Progress is slow, and
lives to advancing the colonial lonial,” he said, ruefully. “I of racist regimes. Pitt Rivers Museum began re- of my mouth with a guttural never inevitable, but it can
project. The scale of these am- know that Great Britain is patriating  some of its stolen force that I couldn’t contain. visit even Oxford.
bitions was core to our poli- wealthy in part because it has Ten days after Floyd’s death,
tics. We were not interested in plundered countries like ours.
half measures or compromises Nevertheless, our leadership CORONA VIRUS
with institutional racism. We has failed us.” COVID-19
knew it would be an uphill
battle. As one of my friends When I returned to Oxford SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP
cautioned me, “You know in January 2016, I began de- STOP THE SPREAD
what they say about Oxford, bating Rhodes Must Fall at
Simukai? ‘Change is good. student society meetings, col- Cough and sneeze Use a tissue
But no change is better.’” leges, other universities and in into your arm
the press. Were we historically
To draw attention to the illiterate, attempting, as some Bin the tissue Wash your hands
fight, we decided to focus of our opponents ironical-
on a single object, the statue ly charged, to “whitewash” TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THE
of Rhodes on Oriel college’s history? Unlike many of our SPREAD AND STAY HEALTHY
facade, borrowing the name critics, we at least recognised
of the student movement in that the statue of Rhodes did The NewsHawks TheNewsHawksLive www.thenewshawks.com [email protected]
South Africa: Rhodes Must not actually exist in the past.
Fall. I had originally opposed It is not a sterile historical
this tactic, worrying that fo- relic, or some accurate record
cusing on the statue would of prior events. It is a piece of
obscure our larger mission. self-conscious propaganda de-
But my friend and fellow or- signed to present an ennobled
ganiser Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh image of Rhodes for as long
eventually convinced me that as it stands. (Mugabe was us-
the fight over the statue would ing a similar strategy when he
be an important litmus test, tried to rewrite Zimbabwean
revealing just how committed history.) If anyone was trying
– or resistant – the universi- to erase the past – specifically
ty and its various members the history of subjugation and
were to ending racism in all suffering on which his fortune
its forms. was built – it was Rhodes. I
had to wonder why many
The first action of Rhodes eminent white commentators
Must Fall in Oxford was to were so attached to him.
protest a debate at the Ox-
ford Union Society on the The ultimate point was
legacy of colonialism in May never to weigh the soul of
2015. We wanted to press Rhodes, and find out wheth-
the point that colonialism er he was “really” a racist. It
was not a thing of the past. was to try to uproot the rac-
When we arrived at the de- ism in the soul of the insti-
bate, we discovered to our tutions built in his image. It
astonishment that the Union was apparent that many of
had inadvertently beaten us our critics, even some of those
to the punch: the bar was ad- who knew something about
vertising a cocktail called the colonial history, couldn’t ap-
“Colonial Comeback” with preciate how Rhodes and the
a flyer depicting Black hands colonial project had intimate-
in manacles. Racist attitudes ly shaped lives like mine. They
were obviously alive and well. couldn’t fathom the ways in
We posted photos of the flyer which colonialism had never
to social media, and they soon really ended.
went viral, prompting nation-
al outrage. As a collective, we thought
we were making progress on
A few months later, in No- our aims when Oriel Col-
vember, Rhodes Must Fall or- lege pledged to launch a six-
ganised a 300-person strong month listening exercise to
protest outside Oriel college. gather evidence and opinions
Ten times that number had to help decide on the future
signed a petition demanding of the statue. But, a mere six
that the statue of Rhodes be weeks later, in late January
taken down and housed in 2016, the college reneged
a museum. Protesters con- on this pledge, stating that it
demned the statue as “an open would not remove the stat-
glorification of the racist and ue of the imperialist on the
bloody project of British colo- grounds that there was “over-
nialism”, and people chanted whelming” support  to keep
in call-and-response, “Rhodes it. It was later revealed Ori-
Must Fall! Take it Down!”. el stood to lose £100m in do-
nor gifts were it to take down
I tracked the protest from the statue. I was crushed, and
Harare, where I was research-
ing my PhD, gathering har-
rowing testimonies from
human rights activists, pol-

Porsche just got angrier Being a Fashion Model

&Life Style

STYLE TRAVEL BOOKS ARTS MOTORING

Page 30 Issue 31, 21 May 2021

MisRed bares it
all in new book

ZIMBABWE’S dynamic radio and television per- SM: I can’t really say much about that. As public
sonality Samantha Musa’s first book, titled Be Faith- figures, our lives play out in front of people and,
ful to Your Happiness, is out. The 32-year-old de- naturally, even the smallest of actions are amplified
scribes the book as a “beautiful journey of discovery, and, sadly, sometimes taken out of context and in-
honesty and vulnerability.” She bares it all from her terpreted differently from what they are. So do I love
upbringing to being a single mother of two beauti- attention? I don’t think so, but even that may be tak-
ful daughters. However, the book shies away from en out context too. 
several controversies which trended on social media. JM: You are also prone to controversy. Does the
Controversy, good or bad, has come to define her book also address this? 
public persona, providing endless entertainment to SM: Well, it doesn’t actually. It gives a perspective of
her “Red Nation” followers. The book proves how the many sides that make up who Samantha Musa
MisRed, as she is lovingly called on radio, not only is. It is about the failures, victories and everything
follows trends but is also a trendsetter in her own in between. 
right. MisRed (SM) talks to The NewsHawks’ Jon- JM: Tell us about your background and upbring-
athan Mbiriyamveka (JM) on what inspired the ing. What sort of family were you raised? 
book. Read the excerpts:  SM: I am a first born in a family of four, two boys
JM: Who edited the book and what are the and two girls. I actually talk about this extensively
talking points?  in the book. My upbringing, my relationship with
SM: The book was edited by Charles Mungoshi my parents and siblings. It’s a lot. I encourage you
Jnr from The Hub of Positivity. It is actually a book to get the book.
about cheating. For a while I was cheating on my JM: Are you dating at the moment and who is the
happiness. (Quote) “For a very long time happiness lucky guy? 
was to me a fleeting concept. One that was always SM: Love is a beautiful thing when you have it, it’s
tied to something. also important to protect it when you are in public
so that you can preserve it. Let’s just say I’m happy. 
A person, a place, a moment, something tangible. JM:  And tell us how many children you have.
So when that thing was removed, so was my happi- SM: I have two beautiful daughters, I face the same
ness. At some point I didn’t want my happiness to challenges as any parent, to be honest. But I take it
be a guessing game anymore and that pursuit to find as the most important job before anything else, my
the answers is what led to this book. This book (Be daughters are God’s greatest blessing in my life. 
Faithful to Your Happiness) is a journey of discovery, JM: Do you intend to settle down and when?
it’s about the decision to be in control of my happi- SM: I’m settled. 
ness. It’s about faithfulness to a process and finding JM: You are a great presenter, no doubt. How did
beauty in the obvious.” this come about? 
JM: Congratulations for writing the book. Tell us SM: I can’t say something specific for sure. However,
how long it took to write the book. if I was to pick anything it would be consistency and
SM: Thank you very much. The thought came to the pursuit of excellence in my craft. 
me in 2018, but the process of actually writing the JM: What do you do in your spare time, do you
book has taken over a year. I did a lot of writing in a still go clubbing? 
short space of time, what took long was the process SM: I love and play golf a lot nowadays. 
of trimming it and choosing the right material that JM: What is your word to other women? 
fit the concept of the book which is: Be Faithful to SM: Be Faithful To Your Happiness. Do not cheat.
Your Happiness.  
JM: As a radio and television personality, do you
feel people misunderstand you? 
SM: No, not at all actually. If anything, I feel blessed
to have a platform where people can connect and
share with my story on a daily basis. The book is
an opportunity for people to connect with all parts
of me.
JM: Your critics say you love attention. What do
you say about this?

NewsHawks Life & Style Page 31

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

JONATHAN MBIRIYAMVEKA

REGGAE-DANCEHALL Winky D on stage.
sensation Winky D has
paid homage to the late Winky D honours late drummer
drummer Delroy Mari- with first international award
pakwenda after winning
his first-ever International more importantly, honour 2020 and December 2020. trodden, the ghetto masses
Reggae & World Music the late uniquely talent- And also considered who struggle with every-
Award at a virtual ceremo- ed ‘Scara the Drummer’. day challenges in a coun-
ny held recently in Jamai- Hearty appreciation also were the social relevance try where disposable in-
ca. goes to those who be- of the materials, original- comes have been massively
lieved in my music from ity and sales, the scope of eroded, public infrastruc-
Maripakwenda, who the day l started preaching local and national impact, ture has collapsed, water
died last year due to a heart the ordeal of the ghetto quality of performances and sanitation services are
problem, played drums for youths when it was still and stage appearances. poor, while hunger and
Winky D’s backing group, unfashionable to talk re- disease terrorise the pop-
Vigilance Band. ality. I will admit the love Winky D has over the ulation.
we exchanged during live years upstaged some in-
Winky D, also known shows, l also can’t wait for ternational acts whenever Winky D is one of the
as the Gafa President, won a return to normalcy.” they perform live in Zim- top three musicians in
the Best African/Dance- babwe. Zimbabwe, commanding
hall Entertainer Award According to the organ- up to 538 000 followers
ahead of the firm favou- isers of the awards, votes He is loved not just for on his Facebook page and
rites, namely Ghanaians were based on music re- sellout shows but also pol- 115 000 subscribers on
Shatta Wale and Stoneb- leased between January ished performances. YouTube.
woy, Nigerian Patoranking
and fellow countryman His music identifies
Buffalo Souljah who was with the poor, the down-
representing South Africa
in the category.

The award was Winky
D’s first major recogni-
tion from Jamaica, the
cradle of reggae-dancehall
music and it proved how
much Zimbabwean reg-
gae-dancehall has come of
age.

In his acceptance speech,
Winky D vowed to remain
levelheaded in his career
and thanked fans, whom
he fondly calls Gafas.

The Ragga Musam-
bo singer tweeted: “Your
votes have counted! This
accolade will not push me
onto an ego trip, far from
it: It makes me realise that
l should always appreciate
the simple details of life.

There is no act without
an audience, as such l am
forever indebted to all the
Gafas and Gafaresses who
sacrifice their time and
hard-earned money to at-
tend my shows.” 

The 38-year-old star
also mentioned the late
talented drummer Mari-
pakwena aka Scara for his
efforts during his live per-
formances.

“For me, it’s a compro-
mised act without good
instrumentalists, so allow
me to take time to big
up the Vigital Band and,

Page 32 People & Places NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021

University of Oxford under fire for
refusal to pull down Rhodes statue

CAMPAIGNERS and poli- the views of the commission on minority ethnic students and lege, the wider university and, The commission maintains its educational equality, diversity
ticians have condemned the this crucial part of their work. workers have to walk beneath crucially, the city of Oxford, a independence and has shown and inclusion and fundraising
University ofg Oxford for For people in our city this was Rhodes’ stone feet.” diverse and multiracial city. it’s listened to a wide group of for scholarships to support stu-
backtracking on its previous the most important action that people with a range of views,” dents from southern Africa.
decision to remove a statue of Oriel College could have taken Shaista Aziz, the Oxford city “The commission’s recom- she said.
the British imperialist Cecil to show an acknowledgment of council member for inclusive mendations on the future of Dr Samir Shah, the vice-
Rhodes and ignore the views of the discrimination of the past communities and a member the statue are clearly laid out The college has agreed to a chair of the Policy Exchange’s
an independent commission. and they have failed to act.” of the independent commis- in the report; it’s up to the col- number of other recommen- History Matters project, said
sion, said the report reflected lege’s governing body to decide dations made by the commis- Oriel had chosen to “focus its
Oriel College, Oxford said Simukai Chigudu, an asso- on issues around race, class and how it wants to move forward sion, including developing a efforts on making Oxford a
on Thursday it would not “be- ciate professor of African pol- representation at Oriel Col- with the recommendations. strategic plan for improving more diverse and open institu-
gin the legal process” of moving itics at Oxford, described the tion.
the statue at this stage owing governing body’s decision as
to “regulatory and financial chilling. “The statement from “In short, Oriel has rightly
challenges” presented by its Oriel College is shocking and, decided not to spend time on
removal, despite a vote by the quite frankly, embarrassing. It a fruitless effort to change the
independent commission sup- exposes the insincerity of the past, but to plough resources
porting its removal. college’s stated commitment to into trying to change the fu-
change, which was made last ture, especially for ethnic mi-
Anti-racism campaigners summer during the anti-racism nority young people.”
said it was a cynical betrayal protests,” he said.
and exposed the “insincerity” Neil Mendoza, the provost
of the college’s stated com- “Most chilling, however, is of Oriel College, said: “It has
mitment to change. The cam- the waffle and obfuscation in been a careful, finely balanced
paign group Rhodes Must Fall the college’s statement. The debate and we are fully aware of
demanded “full transparency” statement claims that the pro- the impact our decision is likely
on any communications from cess of removing the statue to have in the UK and further
politicians and government would be too expensive and afield.
officials from the college and would yield no certain out-
whether the withdrawal of come. What does that mean? We understand this nuanced
funding from alumni played a As an alternative to taking conclusion will be disappoint-
role in the latest decision. down the statue, Oriel says ing to some, but we are now fo-
they will increase provisions for cused on the delivery of practi-
But the education secretary, BAME students. But framing cal actions aimed at improving
Gavin Williamson, welcomed this as a binary choice is both outreach and the day-to-day
the move, tweeting: “Sensi- false and insulting.” experience of BME students.
ble & balanced decision not
to remove the Rhodes statue Maya, a 20-year-old student We are looking forward
from Oriel College, Oxford – who is part of the campaign to working with Oxford city
because we should learn from group Common Ground Ox- council on a range of options
our past, rather than censoring ford, called it “a betrayal of for contextualisation.”
history, and continue focusing the campaigning work that has
on reducing inequality.” been done by community ac- A spokesperson for Rhodes
tivists and students”. Must Fall demanded Oriel
The commission was set up maintain the original decision
last June after the governing She said: “There is no way it made last year.
body of the college voted in of making the statue neutral
favour of removing the statue. in its current position, looking “No amount of diversity and
The commission was asked down on passers-by on the high inclusion initiatives will suffice
to look into the issue after a street. Every day, black and in lieu of the removal of the
statue of the slave trader Ed- physical images which glorify
ward Colston was torn down white supremacy,” it said.
in Bristol at the height of last
summer’s Black Lives Matter – The Guardian (UK).
protests in the UK.

A majority of the commis-
sion’s members supported the
expressed wish of the governing
body to remove the statue. The
commission also urged Oriel’s
governing body to publish a
definitive statement of its view
concerning its association with
Rhodes, and that the college re-
vise materials to ensure they are
consistent with the statement,
in a report that was leaked to
the Guardian on Wednesday.

In response, the college said
it would not be moving the
statue, stating that its removal
would be subject to difficult
legal and planning processes
involving the secretary of state
for housing, communities and
local government, Robert Jen-
rick, who said in January that
he would introduce changes to
the law to protect statues from
what he called “baying mobs”.

The college said a majority
of the submissions to the com-
mission backed the retention of
the statue.

Susan Brown, Oxford city
council’s leader, said: “I am
personally deeply disappointed
that Oriel College have chosen
today to backtrack on their
previous decision to remove
the Rhodes statue and ignore

Property
NewsHawks

Issue 31, 21 May 2021 PROPERTY INTERIORS ARCHITECTURE GARDENING Page 33

The home of prime property: [email protected]

New Parliament building in Mt Hampden.

New parly takes shape in Mt Hampden

CONSTRUCTION of Zimba- The imposing six-storey par- It is the largest project in banquet hall which can accom- complete, construction of a
bwe’s massive new parliament in liament building, perched on southern Africa financed by Chi- modate 1 000 people, offices for new capital city in the area is
Mt Hampden is now 70% com- Mt Hampden, north of Hara- na Aid — a state-owned global parliamentary officers and sever- expected to gather pace. The
plete, the project manager of re, is being financed through development aid agency — and al boardrooms for parliamentary government has announced that
Shanghai Construction Group, a US$100 million grant from the biggest to benefit a single Af- committee sessions. its offices and amenities such as
Cai Li Bo, told The NewsHawks the Chinese government with rican country. banks, schools, hotels and smart
this week. Shanghai Construction Group In addition, it will house a shops consistent with a modern
– one of the largest contractors The massive structure will have media centre, boardrooms and city will be built in Mt Hamp-
“We are decorating the ceil- in the world – carrying out the two conference centres, each parking space, among other fa- den.
ings and walls. We are also doing project. with a capacity to accommodate cilities.
finishings of the floors,” he said. 350 people. It will also have a —STAFF WRITTER.
Once the new parliament is

Page 34 Sport NewsHawks

ENOCK MUCHINJO ‘The best squad Zim has Issue 31, 21 May 2021
assembled in a long time’
RECORD-BREAKING those around him look good. I
Springbok Tonderai Chavhan- Brandon Mudzekenyedzi (with ball) has been branded a ‘special player’ by ex-Springbok wing Tonderai Chavhanga. think this could be possibly the
ga has showered praises on the best squad that Zimbabwe has
make-up of Zimbabwe’s squad has revealed excitement over the but for the Springboks in 2005, other youngsters that were may- Prolific centre Brandon assembled in a long time and
set to launch an ambitious squad named by his country of in a home Test against Uruguay, be not necessarily initially in Mudzekenyedzi has starred in it’s testament of the fact that the
World Cup qualification bid in birth in its World Cup return lauded the blend of experience the squad, but played a part in the Mitre10 Cup – the most players have all bought into the
July.  bid.  and youth in the Sables squad 2019, guys like (Tinashe) Hom- competitive domestic compe- vision of Dawsie (Zimbabwe’s
gathered in the Zimbabwean biro. I think he is a kid with a tition in world rugby – while head coach Brendan Dawson)
Zimbabwe, the only African “I think the selectors have capital city.  lot of talent, especially at flyhalf, flyhalf Jason Robertson and and, more importantly, the
nation to play in the first two done a very good job of select- which is one of the positions we loose-forward Mungo Mason players value the honour of rep-
editions of the Rugby World ing a lot of seasoned players, “Even younger players that need a bit of depth at. I think were somewhere up there in resenting their country. So I’m
Cup before slumping for three guys that performed particularly had their first season (in 2019) if he can make that step-up, he New Zealand’s system before really excited about the squad,
decades, has been taking huge well last season (2019),” Cape like Aiden Burnett, Godfrey will be a really exciting player to heading to the United States I’m excited about what Dawsie
strides in ensuring that the 2023 Town-based Chavhanga told Muzanargwo, and obviously, see and obviously Farai Mudari- where they have teamed up is busy cooking. I think we all
tournament in France becomes The NewsHawks this week.  I mean, who can forget what ki is coming back into the mix, with South Africa’s Zimbabwe- just must get behind the team
the country’s first appearance at Blithe (Mavesere) did, Blithe he is going to bring a whole lot an-born World Cup-winner and support them in whatever
the game’s greatest stage since “I mean, obviously if you was quite exceptional in 2019 of experience, having played Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira at way we can. I’m very optimistic
1991. look at captain Hilton Mudariki and he has been playing really, at a very high level (in the UK Major League Rugby (MLR) about our chances of making it
(Mudariki was stand-in skipper really well this year – him and Premiership) as well as Brandon club Old Glory.  to the World Cup.”
To achieve this, authorities in the entire 2019 season in the Godfrey (both play Varsity Cup Mandivenga, who was really
the game have embarked on a absence of the injured Brandon rugby for the University of the troubled with injury.” “Brandon is a special player,” Explosive utility back Tapi-
recruitment exercise, searching Mandivenga), guys like Tyran Western Cape in South Africa). remarks Chavhanga. “He has wa Mafura, meanwhile, has not
far and wide across the globe Fagan, you know, guys that did It will be quite good to see oth- Another cause for great hope great pace and vision. He is ver- been released by Currie Cup
for top-class players to bring really, really well last time out.  er guys like Shingi (Katsvere), for Chavhanga is the presence in satile, and a great finisher. Mun- side Pumas for the 2022 Tests
together the best the country The guys that were the corner- Shayne Makombe, you know, the squad of three new players go is physical, great ball-carrier, despite the South African-raised
has to offer in efforts to clinch a stone of our team have been Dudlee (White-Sharpley), car- that have featured at a high level with powerful leg-drive as well as star pledging his international
World Cup place for potentially retained.” rying on from where they left. of the game in New Zealand’s being a great defender. Jason has allegiance to Zimbabwe. 
Africa’s best rugby-playing na- It is also a great opportunity for domestic rugby structures. got really good vision. He makes
tion outside world champions 37-year-old Chavhanga, Chavhanga, though, believes
South Africa.  scorer of a record six tries on de- the Sables have enough fire-
power to sail through this year’s
Some of the players were phase without difficulty.
born here and raised elsewhere,
or both, and some born in the TRAINING SQUAD 
diaspora but of Zimbabwean Forwards: Aaron Sawu, Aid-
heritage.  en Burnett, Biselele Tshama-
la, Blithe Mavesere, Bornwill
47 players – an assortment Gwinji, Cleopas Kundiona, Da-
of experienced internationals, vid Makanda, Deanne Makoni,
rookies, newcomers of quality – Doug Juszczyk, Farai Mudariki,
joined camp in Harare last Sat- Gabriel Sipapate, George Saun-
urday to begin preparations for gweme, Godfrey Muzanargwo,
the first stage of the 2023 World Jan Ferreira, Jason Fraser, Roy-
Cup qualification campaign in al Mwale, Sean Beevor, Sebas-
July. tian Roche, Simba Mandioma,
Takunda Kundishora, Tinoten-
The Sables will play two da Masasanure, Tonderai Chi-
Test-status “friendlies” against wambutsa, Tyran Fagan. 
Zambia and arch-rivals Namibia
in June, two against each, before Backs: Brandon Boshi,
travelling to Tunisia in July for Boyd Rouse, Brandon Mudze-
two qualifiers against the host kenyedzi, Brendon Mandiven-
and a yet unconfirmed side. ga, Darrel Makwasha, Dudlee
White-Sharpley, Hilton Mu-
The Zimbabweans are ex- dariki, Jason Robertson, Keith
pected to pass this segment Chiwara, Kyle Galloway, Mar-
of qualifiers with relative ease cus Nel, Martin Mangongo,
ahead of the business-end of the Matthew McNab, Takudzwa
World Cup quest next year.  Chieza, Munesu Muneta, Mun-
go Mason, Munopa Muneta,
And now Zimbabwean-born Ngoni Mazarura, Riaan O’Neil,
Chavhanga, the former South Rufaro Chikwaira, Shayne
Africa dashing winger who was Makombe, Shingi Katsvere,
the Sables’ assistant coach in Takudzwa Kumadiro, Tinashe
a successful quadrilateral con- Hombiro.
tinental tournament in 2019
before stepping down due to
other pressing commitments,

JUST when you think you Innovate or bust as Zim Gambling is a worldwide
have seen it all, from a modest football makes comeback phenomenon, but I cannot
experience of 17 years on the terview punters, especially what makes a gambler tick.  fixtures of Serie A or English planet at all. speak of other African coun-
sports beat, football always the “big winners” as they call Some of the stories we Premiership games finish! I suppose that is what foot- ties about how it may be
makes you think again! them in the studio, and gen- heard ranged between You speak to one lucky having any effect over there.
erate promotional content for mind-blowing and bizarre – punter and they tell you an ball does to people across the In Zimbabwe, though, I fear
I discovered a complete- different media platforms of as punter after another spoke unbelievable story, some kind world and too often we forget more football fans could be
ly different world in 2018 the company.  of how they placed that this game is a global cul- driven away from the domes-
when, three years after the their bets, the match- ture so much that apart from tic league and the lengthy
noble profession had dealt It is a pretty relaxed work es involved, hitting the footballers themselves, forced break due to Covid-19
me a hard blow, I found my- environment, an enriching the jackpot with there are millions of ordinary might have sounded the death
self working in the internal one as well because you get to multiple options at HawkZone folk whose passion for their knell.
creative agency of a betting learn new things from work- one go, and explain- sport, and diverse characters,
company, one of the biggest ing closely with some of the ing how they got it make football a heartbeat of Zimbabwean domestic
names in Zimbabwe’s bookie best creative minds the coun- right to win amounts Enock the world.  From my experi- football returns to the calen-
industry.  try has to offer.  totalling thousands ences of working on betting dar this week, quite a relief
of US dollars. Muchinjo patterns and observing hab- to all who still care about the
Although the position was For me, there was also the You hear of peo- its, I picked an over-increas- game in this country.
gladly accepted and much fun on the road, travelling ple, men and women, ing appetitive for European
needed at the time, I was a to all corners of the coun- dreaming numbers in football at the expense of But with the growing threat
bit nervous in the beginning try – accompanied by a vid- their sleep and heading to the of unusual charm they pos- the local game, and football to viewership – the national
because I did not know what eographer and photographer nearest betting shop in the sess, and you think he is a bit in that part of the world will broadcaster has not even been
the job entailed. – to document stories of the morning, placing a bet using of an oddball. Then another always be more attractive to bothered – the PSL has to in-
big-winners, football being the same digits, and then get- one comes with an even more African audiences because of novate or die. 
The gambling bug has not the most popular choice with ting a few thousand dollars outlandish tale and you won- the entertainment value and
personally caught up with me the punters. richer by the time the next der if we even live on the same now the opportunity to earn Worse, it could be a while
yet. It will probably never do a quick buck. before fans are allowed back
at this late stage. So, what if I It was on these several trips into stadiums. Even if they
was required to be well-versed that I got some ideas about want.
with the intricacies of sports
betting? With no gate revenue
and low spectator interest,
The answer came with the PSL has to package its
some relief, pleasantly finding product attractively for new
out that my job was in fact a players in the broadcasting
simple one: help the creative industry to take interest in a
team with copywriting, in- win-win deal. 

Sports Best squad
Innovate or Zim has
assembled
burst as Zim in years

football makes
Thursday 1cOoctmobeer b20a20ck

Friday 21 May 2021 @NewsHawksLive TheNewsHawks www.thenewshawks.com

WHAT’S INSIDE NEWS CULTURE
Muzarabani rated among$60Covid
tariff for
visitors &
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radio
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tourists under review

the world’sCbhesatmpriosdaigrieesacENOCKMUCHINJO Story on Page 3 Story on Page 8

BLESSING Muzarabani continues out to Khupe
to be a bright spot of Zimbabwean
cricket after authoritative website, ES- Unofficial president calls for emerge
PNCricinfo, selected the rangy fast
bowler in a Dream Team of 11 Test Blessing Muzarabani celebrates taking a wicket for Northamptonshire in 2019.
cricketers under the age of 25 “destined
for great things” in the next decade. how Muzarabani bowled. When he was based on all these factors.” Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee. lowing recent crushing innings defeats
fit, he showed Northamptonshire what To put into perspective the high “Yeah, because we have Shaheen to Pakistan in a two-match Test series. 
On Thursday, a Cricinfo panel made he was capable of.” regard Muzarabani is held, the Zimba- Afridi and Naseem Shah, we have lots Another player with Zimbabwean
up of three influential cricket journal- Away from the County Champion- bwean forms a three-pronged pace at- of pace in the side,” Rasoor remarked. connection in the Dream Team, mean-
ists – Raunak Kapoor, Alan Gardner ship, Kapoor also lauded Muzarabani’s tack in the Dream Team with Shaheen “So Coetzee might be overdoing it. We while, is England all-rounder Sam Cur-
and Danyal Rasoor – picked a fantasy bowling since the tall pacer’s interna- Afridi and Naseem Shah, the Pakistani might compromise on control so yeah, ran, the Northampton-born son of the
line-up of the best young players in the tional comeback last October. pair tipped to eventually inherit the like Alan said, Blessing Muzarabani is late former Zimbabwe cricketer and
world in a studio show adjudicated by “Zimbabwe has played Pakistan a mantle of the most feared fast bowlers a line-and-length seamer so alongside coach Kevin Curran.
Sreshth Shah, a sub-editor on the pop- fair bit and he has already dismissed in the world.  Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, I just
ular online website. Babar Azam (Pakistan star batsman and “I like the idea of a tall line-and- think he (Muzarabani) is the perfect Dream team in batting order
captain), I think, six times, in the overs ALwleSnilOdgtchaIrdNsesaSmoIfeDrSEhinahteheneFreiA,nfarailodnnicgaesniddMe Ntihnae-istySchhwoahiicpeee.enHs, teohceuanntN$taa3ksee.2etmhBeSilnhleiaowhncboadmlleewspitionhsito1Prus–cofvSushknuidb(mAsuanstraGliial)lZ3(imIn–d'siZa)alak2tCe–rsatwWllaeilynl d
Responding to the question “what he has bowled to him. He has man- c
will the world’s best Test XI look like
10 years from now?”, Zimbabwe pace aged to get pace and bounce on wickets seem Shah,” Cricinfo assistant editor at first change. We’ve got quite an in- (England) 4 – Pathum Nissanka (Sri
spearhead Muzarabani was a popular that aren’t sometimes conducive to his Gardner said in reference to Muzara- toxicating mix when it comes to those Lanka) 5 – Washington Sundar (India)
choice of the three experts, who settled cricketing strengths. And also, playing bani. fast bowlers.”  6 – Rishabh Pant (India, c & wkt) 7
for India prodigy Rishabh Pant as cap- cricket for Zimbabwe must be one of Rasoor, a Cricinfo staff writer who The high recognition of Muzaraba- – Sam Curran (England) 8 – Rashid
tain of the side.  the hardest jobs in world cricket. It’s the has professed growing up being a big ni by the game’s most respected media Khan (Afghanistan) 9 – Blessing Mu-
closest that you come to be an amateur fan of the Zimbabwe side of the 1990s outlet will give Zimbabwe’s fans some zarabani (Zimbabwe) 10 – Shaheen Af-
Muzarabani has seen his stock rising and also having to deal with other life and early 2000s, chose Muzarabani for reason for cheer in the wake of severe ridi 11 – Naseem Shah (Pakistan) 12th
after signing for English county team realities. So, I’m going to go with him his bowling discipline ahead of South criticism towards the African team fol- man – Lasith Embuldeniya (Sri Lanka).
Northamptonshire in 2018 on a three-
year contract, a deal that was cut short
by a year due to changes brought about
by Brexit.

The Harare-born right-armer re-
turned to the Zimbabwe team towards
the end of 2020 and his eye-catching
performances in international crick-
et over the past six months have now
earned him a place on this compilation
of some of the game’s best young play-
ers in the world today. 

Kapoor, an Indian multimedia
journalist who has worked for Cricin-
fo since 2013, was particularly full of
praise for the 24-year-old exciting pros-
pect of Zimbabwe. 

“I went with Blessing Muzarabani in
my side,” said Kapoor in the broadcast. 

“It’s just that Zimbabwe’s fast bowl-
ing legacy is so barren it boils down ba-
sically to Heath Streak or Eddo Brandes
for his hat-trick (in an ODI against En-
gland in 1997). But other than that, I
think Zimbabwe has been crying for a
bowler like Muzarabani, whose figures
in the last six months reflect more of his
ability than in his time with Northamp-
tonshire. He did not get a chance to
play white-ball cricket at Northamp-
tonshire, he was troubled with an
injury. But I spoke to Jason Holder
(ex-West Indies captain who teamed
up with Muzarabani at Northampton-
shire), he said he was encouraged by

ALSO INSIDE ‘The best squad Zim has assembled in a longtime’