13.8.2019 8:36
Victor Gurajena’s business in Zimbabwe is struggling in a dire economic environment.
Victor Gurajena
He imports cosmetics and medical supplies but with limited access to foreign currency, his warehouse remains empty.
Fuel shortages and a lack of power also make life very difficult for the Harare-based businessman.
Video producer: Tendai Msiyazviriyo
Post published in: Business
Since May, many children have been doing their homework by candlelight because of blackouts
The government announced that the finance minister had concluded the loan agreements in the last few months, the paper says.
But the $23m and $19.5m loans obtained from the Export-Import Bank of India are unlikely to immediately ease rolling blackouts.
The paper says the loans are for upgrading power plants in Bulawayo and Hwange.
Since May, power has only been available in Zimbabwe for seven hours each day, coming on late at night.
Business representatives believe the blackouts have cost the country $200m in lost revenue.
The government has blamed a drought that has led to low water levels at the major hydro-electric dam, Kariba.
It also has little financial capacity to import all its power needs.
Post published in: Business
“I don’t remember when I last ate meat,” says Tobias Gomba, an inmate serving a lengthy prison sentence at Zimbabwe’s main prison, Chikurubi Maximum Prison on the outskirts of the capital, Harare.
“This winter has been the worst for us here as we hardly have any blankets at all. We know we are prisoners, but conditions here make it more than a double punishment for us,” continues the 34-year old who still insist that he was wrongly convicted for a livestock theft charge. He has served three out of the mandatory nine-year sentence that the crime carries.
Gomba is one of the nearly 21 000 citizens of Zimbabwe that find themselves incarcerated at the country’s 46 prisons at a time when the economy is deteriorating so fast that even those citizens fortunate enough to make it into the country’s small working class are now resorting to sleeping at work because their salaries can now barely cover basics.
The government on its part government cannot pay it’s own workers, let alone providing essentials to hospitals, schools and other social services. In such a situation of dire economic crises, one can only shudder to imagine what the plight of the country’s prisoners could be like.
Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, just like all other prisons in the country, is facing serious overcrowding in addition to worsening shortage of medicines, food, clothing and other essentials as the economically-crippled government struggles to fulfil even the most basic of its duties.
Convicts and wardens at Chikurubi prison – where there has been no running water for more than a decade – bemoan packed cells and shortages of food, clothes and bedding are commonplace. In the prison hospitals, basic painkillers and antibiotics are hard to come by for those prisoners unlucky to fall sick, resulting in some of them succumbing too easily treatable conditions.
“We don’t have drugs for… ailments like pneumonia and meningitis. We need a functioning X-ray machine. As of now, our machine is down and yet this is a basic tool required for diagnosis,” Blessing Dhoropa, a doctor at Chikurubi prison hospital, told legislators who toured the facility in June to see for themselves the harrowing conditions under which convicts serve their sentences.
Prisoners murmur about the thin diet of maize porridge without salt or sugar for breakfast, followed by a thicker version of the same porridge, a local staple known as sadza, which is served with boiled cabbage or beans for lunch and dinner. There is no meat protein in the diet.
Zimbabwe is going through yet another round of severe economic hardships similar to that which the poorly managed southern African nation went through over a decade ago when its inflation breached the 500-billion mark, in the process wiping away citizens’ incomes and savings alike.
“If allowed to go unchecked, the situation in the prisons are likely to return to those of 2008/9,” said Tsitsi Fadzaniso, a member of a local religious organization that regularly visits inmates to assist them spiritually and materially. “It should not be allowed to get out of control.”
Zimbabwe’s prison facilities are designed for 13 000 inmates, but they are carrying close to 21 000 people.
A study of the country’s prisons carried out last year by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, an amalgamation of human rights NGOs in the country, concluded that prison conditions in Zimbabwe do not comply with basic local and international standards.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) also condemnedsuch “deplorable” conditions, which it said, “exposes inmates to illnesses and psychological trauma”.
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa looks on as he arrives ahead of the inauguration of incumbent South African President on May 25, 2019 at Loftus Versveld stadium in Pretoria. (Photo by SIPHIWE SIBEKO / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read SIPHIWE SIBEKO/AFP/Getty Images)
Zimbabwe is going through an unbelievable socio-economic crisis and is slowly reaching a tipping level. With skyrocketing inflation, a biting Forex crunch and failing institutions among the myriad issues the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is grappling with, many investors are scrambling for safety. And yet, the United Arab Emirates is making bold overtures to invest in the country’s economy and is exploring new areas of partnership with the Southern African country.
Last December, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, issued a decree to establish an Embassy for the UAE in Zimbabwe. The UAE-government has also donated millions of dollars worth of medical equipment to the country and delegations of prominent businessmen from the Arab emirate have been visiting Zimbabwe recently to explore opportunities there.
Zachary Campbell Smith, a Washington D.C.-based, Emerging Market geopolitical analyst has long documented African investment opportunities and in association with Senior Fellows at the Arcadia Foundation, Zimbabwe opportunities and challenges. I recently caught up with him in New York where we discussed the co-operation between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Zimbabwe’s new, struggling government.
MN: For decades, while under the rule of former President Mugabe, the Republic of Zimbabwe suffered tremendous socioeconomic challenge. Freedoms were stifled, heavy taxation on foreign integration coupled with indigenization policies drove away foreign investment; over the course of years, each election to potentially bring about change to this set of circumstances drew controversial results, keeping his ZANU-PF Party in control. However, you’ve since been following the administration of President Mnangagwa and in particular, his promotion to the world that under his leadership, Zimbabwe is once again open for business. The President is a long-time member of the ZANU-PF. In your opinion, can we expect more of the same or is there real potential for the President’s developmental agenda to bear fruit?
ZS: There’s no question that the international community needs to take a fresh look at the Republic of Zimbabwe. Unlike Robert Mugabe, President Mnangagwa has dedicated his Presidency to redefining ‘business as usual’ in the Sub Saharan African potential economic power player and has been making his rounds internationally to incentivize trade and investment with Zimbabwe. A few intrepid nations such as the UAE have taken note of this tangible difference in leadership, the openness of his Administration to accept the realities of the Republic’s geopolitical situation, his work to rehabilitate the quality of life for Zimbabwean people (putting Party politics aside) while at the same time, acknowledging the Administration’s renewed drive to leverage the nation’s vast natural resources and trade potential that have drawn attention historically.
MN: What are some of the key factors that have influenced the strengthening of bilateral ties between the UAE and Zimbabwe?
ZS: The UAE is clearly setting a milestone in global investment in Africa for others to follow. The strengthening of bilateral ties can, in part, be credited to the economic liberalization policies and policy implementation efficacy of the new Administration of Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The Zimbabwe I see today has rapidly reversed from the indigenization act and longstanding overregulation and financial mismanagement when Zimbabwe’s government overstretched its roles in key economic sectors and created conditions which stifled foreign investment and integration. This hindered their own prospects for mutually beneficial global partnerships and stifled growth.
MN: Can you share some more details with our readers on how this cooperation with the UAE is shaping up?
ZS: Looking at the big picture, there is a myriad of activity right now that should raise eyebrows. Firstly, the UAE are clearly looking for ways they can apply technology and social development to be of immediate use to the Zimbabwean people. They take health care very seriously, and that’s why they recently contributed $2 million in equipment and medicines to Zimbabwe’s National Pharmaceutical Company, NatPharm, with an eye on working together even more directly to open a production facility in-country.
Second and perhaps, as I mentioned, one of the reasons that we find the UAE investing in such a major way in the future potential of this country is due to Zimbabwe’s drive to privatize a huge number of assets. Zimbabwe is making great strides to reduce its budget deficit from 12% to 5% of its GDP, cut bureaucratic red tape and concurrently encourage foreign direct investment (FDI). To accomplish these initiatives, they have recently been privatizing once-nationalized institutions, such as the country’s two main telephone and internet operators, TelOne and NetOne.
Zimbabwe is creating a more conducive climate for open investment and the UAE, quite frankly, have the versatility and political stability to quickly and effectively take them up on the opportunity.
MN: Sounds like a win-win for both countries.
ZS: The UAE are really demonstrating to the government of Zimbabwe and its people what their capacities are and also where their values lie. When the two work in concert, they can achieve great things. The UAE are a major player in global commerce and in step with their 2017-2021 African Investment Agenda, they clearly see tremendous opportunity in working together with Zimbabwean companies. That means building a healthy relationship that works both ways. In 2017, Zimbabwe registered a $307.6 million trade surplus with the UAE. The business interests of companies from the UAE run the gamut, from information technology, to minerals, renewable energy, and – importantly – agriculture, tourism and health. Let me emphasize the fact that the UAE really envisions an opportunity for Zimbabwe to once again become the “breadbasket of Africa” with the right investment and the right technology.
MN: It sounds like you’re envisioning the concept of their economies growing together – quite literally?
ZS: You’re right. The places where the two countries complement each other are the places where they both can succeed. This is a principle that has helped drive Dubai and the wider UAE to become the place it is today.
MN: How has the UAE’s relationship with the relatively new Government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa been so far, in your view?
ZS: I’m told (and can endorse) that the UAE have noticed a tangible difference in the kind of synergetic relations they’ve built with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and everyone in his Administration to date. There’s a new energy in Harare, and a real commitment to more deeply integrate Zimbabwe with key players in the global economy. This comes from the new Government’s visible desire to accelerate the pace of economic improvement in Zimbabwe, and to us, that’s a very good sign. The signing of Double Taxation and Bilateral Investment Protection Agreements has also been instrumental in lifting the bilateral relationship with the UAE.
MN: Is there anything on the horizon you can forecast?
ZS: Expect more cross-sector investment. I don’t want to sound overly optimistic as there are still real challenges in the country, but there is good reason to believe that we will see a doubling, if not tripling of the kind of investment launched by UAE in the very near future. The world should receive the message loud and clear that Zimbabwe is open for business again.
Post published in: Business
Subscribe and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more.
We will never sell or share your information without your consent. See our privacy policy.
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
If there are two things Donald Trump doesn’t like… well, it’s people of color and women. But if there are four things Donald Trump doesn’t like, independent judges and labor unions would vie for those spots.
It should therefore come as no surprise that the Trump administration is trying to get the National Association of Immigration Judges decertified. From Courthouse News:
The petition, which is not publicly available, argues the union should be decertified because the judges contribute to making policy for the Department of Justice, according to the Associated Press.
[National Association of Immigration Judges Executive Vice President Judge Amiena Khan] said the move to decertify the union would imperil much of the work it has done, including bringing to a halt its efforts to push for independence for the country’s immigration judges. Immigration judges are appointed by the attorney general and are employees of the Justice Department, but the NAIJ has advocated for Congress to create an independent immigration court system.
Khan added that if the Justice Department is successful in decertifying the union, the judges would lose the ability to speak out on department rules that impact their working conditions or other policies.
Whether you are one of these Trump nutjobs who believes the “invasion” rhetoric spewed by the White House, or merely a mainstream “both side-er” who thinks “something must be done” about a “problem” you saw from a nutjob’s Facebook posts, immigration judges are probably people you should listen to. They understand the system, and they understand how the system is over-stressed. They understand the resources and policies they need in order to do the difficult work of processing immigration and asylum claims on a case-by-case basis as the Constitution and international human rights laws require.
Trump not only won’t listen to these people, he’s now actively trying to silence them. His administration is actively working against the judges, primarily because they do not go along with his anti-immigration narrative. Now, he’s trying to nerf their ability to organize and speak out.
All Trump wants “his” judges to do is “send them back.” He wants the judges to be loyal to him, not to the Constitution or the law.
Feds Move to Invalidate Union for Immigration Judges [Courthouse News Service]
Elie Mystal is the Executive Editor of Above the Law and a contributor at The Nation. He can be reached @ElieNYC on Twitter, or at elie@abovethelaw.com. He will resist.
Subscribe and get breaking news, commentary, and opinions on law firms, lawyers, law schools, lawsuits, judges, and more.
We will never sell or share your information without your consent. See our privacy policy.
Here at Above the Law we care a lot about increasing transparency at Biglaw firms — that’s why we spend so much time reporting on bonuses and salaries and benefits. And while reporting on the market standard and leaders will always be a part of our mission, we also want to hear about what it’s like to actually work in the halls of Biglaw.
So, we’re asking our readers to fill out a brief survey about what they wish they knew about their firm before they started working there. We don’t care about the firm’s PR line, but about what associates really feel about the firm. We’ll be integrating the results of the survey into a new transparency project that’ll be launched later this summer.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).
No one had any illusions that sexism was cured. While high-profile abusers are finally facing repercussions for their actions and companies have stepped up efforts to construct policies that head off problems at the source, that’s all pretty cosmetic when it comes to ripping out patriarchy at the root. But still, one would have thought society had advanced a bit further than this.
In defense of the Law Society of New Zealand, its recent adventures in casual sexism contain the seed of its own redemption.
According LawFuel, the Law Society’s 150th Anniversary Commemoration dinner invitation proved a teachable moment for those trying to explain casual sexism. When giving the details of the event, LawFuel gave potential attendees some helpful advice on dress:
Dress: Men: Business attire, Women: Cocktail wear.
Swing and a miss.
It’s unfortunate for the organization too because the invitation also notes that “partners/spouses also welcome” managing to avoid saying, “WAGs welcome” which the invite undoubtedly said in days gone by. But this isn’t the sort of place where someone drops a ball — a human had to type in these words and had to process on some level that all the men are businesspeople coming to network and the women are party guests.
In a game attempt to square this, LawFuel spoke with a woman who offered that the whole thing was “less biased around gender than it may appear if the fashion context is taken into account.”
“To suggest business attire is appropriate for men and cocktail wear for women is two different standards. With that said, however, we also need to bear in mind that the spectrum of fashion for men is much narrower than for women. The mens’ version of “cocktail wear” could very well be said to be a business suit. It could be seen as the male equivalent of cocktail wear. In that context, the invitation seems much less biased around gender.”
In other words, “You see, the fashion world grew up around sexist assumptions about the workplace so parroting that lingo isn’t biased because… reasons.” No, it’s not fine to accept that because the fashion world couldn’t be bothered to change its vocabulary to assume women might be working too that this isn’t a slap in the face of the women who are partners in their firms and have to find some cocktail wear while the rest of the firm gets to come in business attire. If the issue is that the range of options for women is more expansive than for men, then just say everyone should come in cocktail attire and men will be in the same suits.
But, in fact, fashion does have a term for this and it’s “semi-formal” which may mean gaudy Sweet 16 garb for kids, but for adults means exactly what the Law Society is going for.
Do you want people dressed up but not in tuxedos and gowns? Then it’s semi-formal. Done. This shouldn’t be so difficult.
Law Society Goes Off Uncocked: The Cocktail Dress Brouhaha [LawFuel]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
In the latest episode of The Jabot podcast, I talk with Jen Dawson, co-author of What Do Breadwinner Women Lawyers (BWLs) Want? and Managing Director of Hemington WealthManagement. Jen and I discuss the biggest frustrations that women in the legal profession have, tips to improve your financial health, and why women lawyers are so unhappy.
The Jabot podcast is an offshoot of the Above the Law brand focused on the challenges women, people of color, LGBTQIA, and other diverse populations face in the legal industry. Our name comes from none other than the Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the jabot (decorative collar) she wears when delivering dissents from the bench. It’s a reminder that even when we aren’t winning, we’re still a powerful force to be reckoned with.
Happy listening!
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).