ZLHR Press Release – 24 Feb: Some ZANU PF youths on Wednesday 24 February 2010 detained freelance photo-journalist Andrison Manyere for filming a demonstration held in the capital, Harare.

Manyere was seized at the corner of Fourth Street and Jason Moyo Avenue whilst covering the demonstration organized by the ZANU PF youths to protest against the imposition and maintenance of targeted travel sanctions on the party’s leaders.

Manyere was detained at the ZANU PF provincial offices near the Fourth Street bus terminus for about 15 minutes and accused of taking video footage on behalf of some western media organisations. The ZANU PF supporters reprimanded him for not seeking their permission before taking pictures of the demonstration. (more…)

Comment by John Robertson: The International Monetary Fund Executive Board has agreed to restore Zimbabwe’s voting rights after a seven-year suspension and has agreed that if Zimbabwe settles its arrears to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, the country will be permitted access to the IMF’s General Resource Account.

In other words, the arrangements permit Zimbabwe to apply for new IMF loan facilities, but IMF regulations will not permit it to actually release loan funding until Zimbabwe qualifies for the assistance by settling its debts.

The outstanding amount owed to the IMF is about US$136 million, but more precisely, it is 89,4 million Special Drawing Rights. The exchange rate at the end of last week was SDR1=US$1,52464. However, the IMF has also reminded Zimbabwe of two critical issues:

Firstly, the country’s eligibility for new loans will not be fully restored until it has paid off a total of US$1,3 billion, the combined debts to the IMF, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

And secondly, access to IMF resources is also subject to IMF policies on the use of such resources and to the country achieving a track record of sound policies. In this regard, the IMF and other organisations are keen to see evidence that Zimbabwe will accept policy changes that will help restore the country’s ability to earn foreign exchange. (more…)

Introduction

These regulations, which were gazetted on 29th January, have caused consternation in many quarters. Economists and business commentators fear they will discourage foreign investment at a time when Zimbabwe desperately needs it, and some foreigners who were intending to invest in the country have indicated that the regulations are a significant obstacle to their plans.

The Prime Minister claimed that neither he nor the Cabinet had seen the regulations before they were published; they were therefore null and void. He assured business executives that they would not be punished if they failed to comply with the law. The Minister responsible for the regulations, on the other hand, said he had consulted widely before preparing the regulations and that they had indeed been considered by the Cabinet. In any event, he said, the regulations merely implemented the indigenisation programme set out in the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act, which had already been passed by Parliament.

Last week Acting Prime Minister Khupe told an investment conference that the responsible Minister and the Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion had agreed “to return to the drawing board” on the regulations. But public statements of this sort, even by the Prime Minister or Acting Prime Minister, do not unmake the regulations. The latest statements by the President that they are “irreversible” and the responsible Minister that there is “no going back” make it clear that at best there may be amendments to the regulations to take account of concerns.

Legally, these regulations will remain on the statute book until they are properly repealed by another statutory instrument gazetted by the Minister of Youth Development and Economic Empowerment. (more…)

Update: SW Radio Africa are reporting on the “mixed messages over the status of the indigenisation regulation”. The article quotes Arthur Mutambara, the Deputy Prime Minister, as saying:

No one else, Prime Minister or Ministers, no one else is mandated to speak on this matter as per our council decision. So any communications from anyone after Thursday last week you must disregard. The only person speaking on behalf of the government of Zimbabwe in terms of this matter of indigenisation is Minister Kasukuwere.

---

---

Radio VOP are reporting that Savior Kasukuwere may be backing down from his implementation regulations:

Zimbabwe’s Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Minister, Savior Kasukuwere has backed down from implementing his controversial indigenisation regulations gazetted two weeks ago as pressure mounted on Zimbabwe to review the legislation which was widely feared it would scare away investors (Radio VOP).

SW Radio’s Hot Seat programme recently explored the controversial policy with a panel of people including among them Supa Mandiwanzira the President of the Affirmative Action Group, businessman Mutumwa Mawere, economist Daniel Ndlela and journalist Peta Thornycroft. (more…)

Update: Sibongile and Rose have been released. A full update on the WOZA site.

WOZA are still needing support from the public to speed up the relase of two women, Sibongile Matupe and Rose Rukwewo, who were arrested in Mutare yesterday:

Two women, Sibongile Matupe and Rose Rukwewo, an elderly woman, have been arrested in Mutare today following the peaceful protest in that city yesterday. The two women are currently at Mutare Central Police Station and look set to spend the night in custody. It is unclear why they were targeted for arrest or what charge, if any, will be laid against them.  Lawyers from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) are in attendance but have not been given access to the women. Law and Order officers are insisting that they finish ‘interviewing’ them before they will allow the lawyer access to his clients.

Police went door-to-door in Sakubva, a suburb of Mutare, searching for people who took part in yesterday’s peaceful protest action.  The two women were taken from their homes.

The arrest of these two women is a blatant violation of civil rights, as is the fact that they are being denied access to their lawyer. (vioa WOZA)

The two women are still in custody today. One of them suffers from high blood pressure and lawyers are struggling to get her released as quickly as possible. There are no witnesses to say that these two women were at the peaceful protest in Mutare yesterday: the police detained them on hearsay and kept them in custody overnight. It is believed that the police are intending to warn and caution them, with an accompanying fine of US$20. They should not have been arrested in the first place, and they should be released immediately.

We are told that the police are still going door to door looking for WOZA participants in the peaceful protest.

Preamble

On 11th February 2009, a Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed between the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU PF) and the two formations of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) with the swearing in of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara. Its birth filled us with hope. The promises of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed on 15th September 2008 that led to the formation of the new government gave Zimbabweans an opportunity to shine:

• “Concerned about the recent challenges that we have faced as a country and the multiple threats to the well-being of our people;
• Dedicating ourselves to putting an end to the polarization, divisions, conflict and intolerance that have characterized our country’s politics;
• Determined to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation, hate, patronage, corruption and founded on justice, fairness, openness, transparency, dignity and equality;”

Talking Democracy

A month later, in March 2009, WOZA started discussions on what we think the building blocks of democracy are with over 11,000 members, urban and rural, through workshops and a booklet – Building democracy with WOZA. The objective was to build an appreciation within the hearts and minds of our members that Zimbabwe needs a democratic form of government committed to making sure that all the building blocks of democracy are in place for all citizens to enjoy social justice. (more…)

The Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act 14, 2007  was passed by parliament towards the end of 2007, gazetted on March 7, 2008, and was signed into law on April 17 2008. This provided for all companies operating in Zimbabwe to arrange for 51% of their shares or interests therein to be owned by indigenous Zimbabweans.

Download PDF of the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act 14, 2007 (230KB).

On January 29, 2010, the Zimbabwe Government published regulations with respect to the Act that include the requirement for companies operating in Zimbabwe to provide specified information to the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment, including an indigenisation implementation plan, by April 15, 2010. That information, together with responses from all sectors of the Zimbabwe economy, will be used as a basis for determining what amount less than 51% shall apply to any sector or subsector and the maximum period for achieving indigenization.

Download a PDF of Statutory Instrument 21 of 2010 (2,3MB).

This invitation circulated by email: Readers in Australia and Singapore, please make a note of these meeting dates and locations in your diaries (in table at the end of this post):

ZANE (ZIMBABWE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY), a registered charity in the UK, is embarking on a tour to Australia via Singapore in February/March 2010. The purpose of the tour is twofold: we aim to raise the profile of ZANE in that part of the world and to raise funds. If you are not familiar with the magnificent work done by ZANE over the last eight years the best source of information about its structure and the work it does can be found on ZANE’s website – donations can be made at this link.

About 3000 Zimbabwean OAP’s (Old Age Pensioners) are helped by various organizations. Some of these people are helped by more than one organization:

• Homes in Zimbabwe provides food support for the old age homes and for SOAP in both Harare and Bulawayo;
• SOAP Harare and SOAP Bulawayo focus on the delivery of food parcels to private homes;
• Senior Citizens Service Bulawayo focuses on medical needs and particularly drugs;
• The Pensioners Fund helps cover drugs and emergency medical costs in Harare and outlying districts and also gives financial support to SOAP Bulawayo and Harare

ZANE, the largest charity, focuses on individual rental payments in Old Age Homes as well as rates and utility payments for people living in private homes. It has raised over £5 million since its foundation in 2002 and provided £800,000 to fund its work in 2008/ 2009. (more…)