Vendor killed, child injured as police fire at robbers in Gweru – The Zimbabwean

4.7.2021 11:20

Gweru- A vendor died and a child was injured a few minutes ago when Police exchanged fire with a gang of suspected armed robbers at OK in the city centre of Gweru a few minutes ago. Police allegedly got a tip-off that some robbers were travelling from Vic Falls in a Fortuner and they were passing through Gweru.

Police picked the car near Fairmile Hotel as it entered the city. There was a chase into the city and the Fortuner rammed into another car at OK and Police shot at the gang members as they escaped on foot.

A vendor was killed by the robbers’ car and an injured child has been rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital. Two suspects were arrested while others escaped.

A large bag suspected to contain large sums of money was recovered from the vehicle.

Post published in: Featured

Crocodile-Skin Supplier Readies Listing on Zimbabwe’s New Bourse – The Zimbabwean

3.7.2021 19:04

Padenga Holdings Ltd., one of the world’s largest suppliers of crocodile skins for luxury bags and shoes, received shareholder approval to list on Zimbabwe’s new bourse, which trades exclusively in U.S. dollars.

  •  Company’s shareholders approved the move in a meeting Friday
  •  Padenga supplies crocodile skins to international brands

The Harare-based group will list on the Victoria Falls Exchange, or VFEX, on July 9 after delisting from the main bourse in the capital, Chief Financial Officer Oliver Kamundimu said Friday by phone.

Padenga, which counts top international brands among its customers, will be the new exchange’s second listing. The VFEX, set up in October to attract global capital, offers incentives such as tax breaks and the ability to repatriate funds from a country where foreign-exchange is in short supply.

“We see this as an early step to enhancing the attractiveness of the VFEX by adding a quality, hard-currency-generating asset for investors to consider,” said Lloyd Mlotshwa, the head of research at the Harare-based IH Securities.

Post published in: Business

Zimbabwe’s bus shortage is making commuters miserable – The Zimbabwean

Harare, Zimbabwe – Masimba Gwazho waits in line at a bus terminal in the central business district of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

“I have been in this queue for close to an hour,” the 39-year-old bricklayer told Al Jazeera.

More than 100 people have formed a meandering line behind him – all of them trying to reach Chitungwiza, a satellite town 25km south of Harare.

They are not the only frustrated commuters. Line after line of them, all trying to reach nearby towns, fill the bus terminal – one of the busiest pick-up and drop-off points in the capital.

Gwazho said before the coronavirus pandemic, he only had to wait five minutes to catch a bus. But now: “You can wait for an hour or more here before you catch a bus ride home,” he said.

“Every day, this is our life.”

Commuter omnibuses are small vans retrofitted with seats to carry 18 passengers. For more than two decades, they’ve been the preferred intercity mode of transport in the country, lauded for their efficiency and speed.

But when the pandemic hit Zimbabwe last year, authorities barred commuter omnibus operators from plying their routes, as part of a suite of measures designed to stem the spread of the virus.

Three lockdowns and more than a year later, buses have the green light to operate again. But the share of them returning to service is minuscule.

Zimbabwe commuters hitch an informal lift, which can cost more than double the rate of an omnibus operated by ZUPCO, the country’s transport utility [Courtesy of Chris Muronzi/Al Jazeera]

Costly alternatives

Prior to the pandemic, there were 50,000 commuter omnibuses operating in the country, Greater Harare Association of Commuter Omnibus Operators representative Ngoni Katsvairo told Al Jazeera.

Currently, he said, there are roughly 1,500 – a decline of 97 percent.

One factor holding back the return of more omnibuses is that only those contracted by Zimbabwe’s struggling transport utility – the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) – are allowed to pass easily through roadblocks set up during the pandemic to make sure virus containment measures are being observed.

Katsvairo reckons that of the 900 commuter buses operating in Harare, less than 100 have partnered with ZUPCO. Operators can simply make more money working independently as roadblocks come down with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, he said.

That is little solace for frustrated commuters, especially those who need to travel to the capital.

Simbarashe Gwasera is a resident of Kuwadzana, a densely packed suburb west of Harare. When Al Jazeera caught up with him, he said he’d been waiting at his local bus stop for over an hour.

“At least four buses have passed through and they were full,” he said.

Gwasera said he can’t afford to hitch a ride.

His bus fare is 30 Zimbabwean dollars ($0.21), while an informal ride in a passenger car can cost him 80 Zimbabwean dollars ($0.57) – a serious price difference in a country where inflation is running in triple digits and salaries have stagnated.

“I only have 30 [Zimbabwean] dollars on me so I have no choice but to wait for the buses,” he said.

More commuting woes lay ahead as well. Gwasera said he typically ends work around 4:30pm – rush hour.

“I don’t even bother to go to the bus terminus in town after work,” he said. “You can leave town around 7pm or even 8pm if you use the buses.”

The tap card

Some passengers also grumble that some ZUPCO bus drivers refuse to accept cash, insisting instead that customers pay instead with tap cards – electronic debit cards that can be loaded with prepaid bus fare credits.

William Basopo found himself out of luck on a recent Tuesday. His tap card was tapped out, and several buses that did arrive at the stop in Kuwadzana where he was waiting wouldn’t accept cash.

“The buses that came wanted only tap cards,” the 52-year-old told Al Jazeera.

Those who do have credit on their tap cards are known to exploit the situation, charging passengers who don’t have a tap card or whose cards are empty a premium of 50 Zimbabwean dollars ($0.35) for a debit.

Zimbabwe’s cabinet said in May that it would support the “urgent procurement” of 667 additional buses nationwide to improve ZUPCO’s efficiency and bring some relief to commuters.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said ZUPCO is going to revive traditional bus routes, use designated bus stops, adhere to the stipulated bus timetables and improve the electronic payment system.

For commuters languishing in long queues or caught out with empty tap cards, those improvements can’t come soon enough.

“Last week, I couldn’t get transport back home because I had cash,” said Basopo. “I bought half loaf of bread and went back to work.”

Civil society statement on the demand for MOU by Masvingo and Harare Provincial Development Coordinators – The Zimbabwean

3.7.2021 5:48

Civil Society Organisations under the banner, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, have taken note of Memos circulated on social media which are attributed to the Masvingo and Harare Provincial Administrators and wish to state as follows:

Tafadzwa Muguti

1. The Memos by the two Provincial Administrators are part of a broader campaign by the state to close civic and democratic space ahead of the 2023 elections.

2. The illegal demands are not confined to Harare but have been implemented in other provinces particularly, rural communities where the conflation of the state and the party is intensive.

3. The unfortunate attempt to further close civil society space follows an already politicised environment where civil society work is criminalised as characterised by frequent arrests and detention of various anti-corruption and pro-democracy activists/leaders.

4. That the Provincial Development Coordinator’s office, as currently structured, is not supported by the law.

5 That the two Provincial Development Coordinators actions and or conduct is outside the parameters of the law.

Post published in: Featured

Nine Masvingo Residents Forum members’ trial starts – The Zimbabwean

The members peacefully gathered at Masvingo council offices with their empty buckets in protest of the water shortage and absence of clear communication from the council. The nine are on $5000 bail each. The nine MRF members (5 women and 4 men) are secretary general Prosper Tiringindi, R Mavhenge, A Mufamba ward 5 chairperson, Mataga Clara, Christine Mukuma, Viola Masuma, Kudzai Chamunorwa, Matter Zigwata and Leeroy Taylor were arrested for this peaceful protest. These members have been charged with section 37 of criminal law codification participating in unlawful gathering with intent to promote public violence. The water crisis has caused a lot of damage to both the social and economic development within the communities and women in particular the availability of water is vital  towards women empowerment. It is also important to note that both women and girls are exposed to several verbal and physical abuse at water collecting points. The matter was remanded to 14 July 2021 where two more police officers are going to testify.

The security forces are violating the right of citizens to petition local authorities despite deterioration of services. MRF condemned the unlawful arrest of its members on baseless charges. The Zimbabwe constitution guaranteed everyone the right to safe, clean and sanitation for them to live a dignified life. Water is very important for a healthy life. No one can exercise other rights (to work, to life, to education etc) if they do not enjoy their right to water.

Scenes at the Civic Center as Masvingo residents demonstrate against water crisis in the city

Tiringindi arrested over water demo » Masvingo Mirrormasvingomirror.com › tiringindi-arrested-over- water-d…

On another note the 2019 Audit general’s report highlighted that the Masvingo City Council had finance systems that allowed everyone to make changes and amendments as administrators, which had led to fraud losses, was not controlling fuel withdrawals, and had not been depositing parking charges paid in rand. The council was also allowing spillage of sewage into nearby rivers and streams feeding into the main source of water. “This created a loophole in the system as almost everyone had administrative privileges and could manipulate daily receipts in the receiving menu. As a result, the Council lost at least $78 000 due to fraud perpetuated by two (2) clerks,” said Ms Chiri. On fuel management, the audit found that Masvingo City Council did not maintain a comprehensive record of fuel use last year. “The fuel register available did not indicate the name of the person drawing down fuel from stores and the purpose for which the fuel was required. Absence of a comprehensive record may create opportunity for fuel misappropriation,” said Mrs Chiri. MRF is advocating for the current administration and elected officials to put in place sound practices to protect public funds.

COVID 19 MASVINGO UPDATE 01 JULY 2021

604 tests conducted. Positive cases 100 (Bikita 26, Chiredzi 23, Chivi 9, Gutu 3, Masvingo 25, Mwenezi 11, Zaka 3). Recovered 94, Deaths 2, Cumulative positive 3 760, recovered 2 992, deaths 75 and Active cases 693.

Residents of Masvingo resort to walking to and from work due to the increase of Zupco fares from $50RGTs to $1 use or equivalent a single trip to town from surrounding locations. Since the warning of local transports in March 2019 the government had not yet allowed them to resume operating.

Greenfuel Gives Chipinge Villagers Two Months To Leave Their Homes – The Zimbabwean

The company was leased the land that was once used by the Agricultural And Rural Development Authority (ARDA) in Middle Sabi and Chisumbanje.

Greenfuel is now expanding its boundaries into areas settled by the villagers. Currently, the company has over 40 000 hectares of land.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku, who is representing the villagers, accused Greenfuel of greediness. He said:

The company accepted that it can not plough down unharvested crops owned by the villagers and has given up until possibly August for them to finish harvesting. We are preparing court papers against this.

The company is just greedy, if they admire good land, they will just grab it. They are taking law into their own hands.

Headman Chinyamukwakwa and his community are blaming their MP Enock Porusingasi (ZANU PF) who they accuse of supporting Greenfuel against the people who elected him into office.

They also blamed District development Coordinator (DDC) William Mashava and chief Garahwa. Said Chinyamukwakwa:

Who will fight for us when all these people are involved. The MP and the DDC are on Greenfuel’s side.

The MP is giving away our land to Mr Rautenbach. We were born and bred here and this is our land.

Greenfuel spokesperson Merit Rumema told Chipinge Times to send questions via email but she did not respond.

The Sentry Reveals Hidden Business Practices of Zimbabwean Tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei – The Zimbabwean

(Washington, DC) – A report published today by The Sentry, “Shadows and Shell Games: Uncovering an Offshore Business Empire in Zimbabwe,” reveals key details of the business practices of controversial businessman and presidential advisor Kudakwashe Tagwirei.

The Sentry’s investigation reveals that Tagwirei, who has been followed by allegations of corruption and cronyism for years, has been using complex corporate structures and seemingly preferential government treatment to build his business empire and enormous wealth. The tycoon now presides over a sprawling network of more than 40 companies spanning the oil, mining, banking, logistics, transportation, and import/export sectors. The report details how Tagwirei has effectively concealed his control over this empire through an elaborate foreign network, hiding his wealth and ownership through offshore financial structures.

Justyna Gudzowska, Director of Illicit Finance Policy at The Sentry, said: “This report presents a textbook case of just how far shady businessmen will go to evade financial institutions’ due diligence requirements—utilizing complex ownership structures, nominee directorships, Cayman Islands investment funds, and trusts. Global banks cannot assume that they are safe from such manipulations just because they have a limited footprint in Zimbabwe. Enablers can be located in any jurisdiction, and financial institutions should be on continuous alert for possible money laundering and suspicious activity.”

J.R. Mailey, Director of Investigations at The Sentry, said: “The story of the Tagwirei network shows how cases of alleged grand corruption are virtually never limited to misconduct in one jurisdiction. A host of business partners, shell companies, banks, and service providers from across the globe helped facilitate and conceal aspects of Tagwirei’s activities throughout his rise. Accordingly, addressing this challenge will require a multinational response.”

John Prendergast, Co-Founder of The Sentry, said: “The operations of Tagwirei’s network are emblematic of larger, structural problems in Zimbabwe. A select group of politicians, the military, and businesspeople dominate government decision-making with little oversight or scrutiny. An environment of impunity prevails for both human rights violations and alleged corruption. Left unaddressed, these dynamics will likely become further entrenched.”

The shady operations revealed in The Sentry’s report raise the question of state capture and point to broader challenges to good governance and transparency in Zimbabwe, where a small group of politicians, military officials, and investors enjoy significant power and little oversight. Over the past year, The Sentry has scaled its capacity in Africa and developed new partnerships in the region to more directly catalyze change. This is the first report by our new program aimed at addressing systemic corruption in Zimbabwe.

Highlights from the report:

In 2019, Tagwirei paid millions of dollars to a Zimbabwean military-owned company so that Landela Mining Ventures, a company he controlled, could purchase 50% of Great Dyke Investments (GDI), a platinum mine worth hundreds of millions and run as a joint venture with a Russian firm. The payment raises concerns about the abusive and partisan Zimbabwean military’s access to off-budget revenue.
Tagwirei has relied upon an elaborate network of South African business partners, Mauritian companies, and Cayman Islands funds to conceal his ties to a rash of lucrative mining sector acquisitions.
Tagwirei is a director of a firm that appears to own 35% of a new, partially state-owned mining company, Kuvimba Mining House, although the Minister of Finance has denied his involvement.
In the closing years of Robert Mugabe’s reign and just after Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ascent to the presidency, Tagwirei’s Sakunda Holdings received more than $1.6 billion in contracts and procurement deals from Zimbabwe’s government. Other conspicuously well-timed government directives – about importing buses, buying gold, tax breaks, and purchasing water purification chemicals – may have disproportionately benefited Tagwirei’s companies and should be investigated for evidence of his influence on public decision-making.
Key policy recommendations from the report:

The Sentry recommends a three-pronged response to the challenges presented in its latest report. First, government agencies and law enforcement bodies in numerous jurisdictions, including the United States, South Africa, and Mauritius, must conduct thorough, independent inquiries into Tagwirei’s operations. Second, the loopholes and institutional deficiencies in Zimbabwe that create a permissive environment for corruption require urgent reform. Finally, governments and private sector actors in a position to act must take proactive steps to shut down or reduce corruption and illicit financial flows. Specifically, The Sentry recommends the following:

Financial institutions should conduct enhanced customer due diligence on transactions involving natural resources and government procurement in Zimbabwe—especially when transactions involve the Tagwirei network.
Law enforcement and regulatory authorities in relevant jurisdictions should dig deeper into Tagwirei’s network. South African and Mauritian authorities, in particular, should investigate those connected to Tagwirei’s network, liaising with the United States.
The United States, European Union countries, and the United Kingdom should consider issuing advisories on the risks of doing business with the Zimbabwean mining sector, highlighting the risks of sanctions evasion, money laundering, and corruption.
Companies operating in Zimbabwe’s mining sector should conduct ongoing due diligence consistent with the United Nations Guiding Principles and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s due diligence guidance for responsible mineral supply chains, with particular attention paid to identifying and mitigating risks associated with corruption and direct or indirect support for the Zimbabwean military forces.
Within Zimbabwe, authorities should conduct a retrospective review of the mining sector leading to reforms including beneficial ownership transparency, open contracting and tendering processes, project-level revenue reporting, and the implementation of anti-money laundering (AML) and anti-corruption processes. Zimbabwe should also create a publicly accessible corporate registry adherent with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) guidance.
Read the full report: ShadowsShellGames_TheSentry_July2021

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Greg Hittelman, Director of Communications, +1 310 717 0606, [email protected]

About The Sentry

The Sentry is an investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers and seeks to shut those benefiting from violence out of the international financial system. By disrupting the cost-benefit calculations of those who hijack governments coming self-enrichment, we seek to counter the main drivers of conflict and create new leverage for peace, human rights, and good governance. The Sentry is composed of financial investigators, international human rights lawyers, and regional experts, as well as former law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, policymakers, investigative journalists, and banking professionals. Co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast, The Sentry is a strategic partner of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

Learn more at: www.TheSentry.org

Post published in: Featured

Zimbabwe announces 66 MW of new PV projects – The Zimbabwean

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) reported this week that seven solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 66.6 MW are now in advanced stages of construction and are expected to be grid-connected by end of this year.

“The fact that we are expecting seven power plants to come online by end of the year is a clear signal that we do have robust regulations that protect the investor and the consumer as well,” said ZERA CEO Edington Mazambani, adding that solar PV is the main energy source among all licensed IPP projects.

One of the projects under construction is the 5 MW Wartrail Power Plant in Bulilimamangwe, Matabeleland South province. It is being built by Plum Solar (Pvt) Ltd. In addition, SolGas (Pvt) Ltd. plans to build another 5 MW project in Hwange, Matabeleland North province.

Richaw Solar Tech (Pvt) Ltd., meanwhile, is constructing the 5 MW Sunset Technologies Solar Park in Gwanda, Matabeleland South province. And Harava Solar Park is installing a 20 MW solar array  in Seke, Mashonaland East province.

Power Ventures (Private) Ltd. is building a 25 MW Chidobe-Mizpah project in Hwange District, Matebeleland North. Guruve Solar Park (Pvt) Ltd. is also constructing the 5 MW Guruve Solar Park in Guruve District, Mashonaland Central province.

The six projects have all secured power purchase agreements with an unspecified power utility. Plum Solar has a 20-year PPA, while the remaining deals all have 25-year terms.

The seventh installation now under development in Zimbabwe is an off-grid, 0.5 MW hybrid solar-diesel project. Kefalos Cheese Products (Pvt) Ltd. is building the array in Mashonaland East province.

Zimbabwe had around 17 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2020, according to the latest statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency. The country’s grid has suffered from daily power outages over the past decade, with the government struggling to raise capital to invest in new power stations. The country, which is now resorting to power imports from neighboring Mozambique and South Africa, aims to deploy 1 GW of clean energy capacity by 2025.

Matt Gaetz Has Entered The Britney Spears Conservatorship Chat

(Photo by Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images)

Rep. Matt Gaetz cannot stand to see a woman exploited. There’s nothing that upset him more than watching a member of the fairer sex be treated like an object for other people’s prurient gratification. The very thought of it sends him scurrying to his Venmo to order up some … tuition.

AHEM.

But this is not a post about the Florida congressman’s possible involvement in an underage prostitution scandal. This is about Britney Spears, and the clusterfuck surrounding her 13-year-long conservatorship.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny denied the 39-year-old singer’s request to remove her father Jamie Spears as conservator of her estate (AKA property, for those of you who live in states where only dead people have estates). Then yesterday, Bessemer Trust, whose appointment as co-conservator had been pending since November, filed an ex parte application to withdraw citing “changed circumstances.”

The company claims that attorney Samuel Ingham, III, who was appointed to represent the singer in 2008, represented to them that the conservatorship was voluntary. In his telling, Britney Spears was delighted to hand over millions of dollars every year for the privilege of having her personal and professional life controlled by her father and paid care mangers.

Leave aside for a moment the plausibility of this claim when the singer had very publicly refused to work since 2019 “as long as her father is in charge of her career.” Although, giving them the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the reality is that Britney Spears welcomed Bessemer in the hopes that it would function as a check on her father.

But after last week’s hearing, in which the singer gave a harrowing statement describing herself as a virtual “slave,” prevented from making the most basic personal decisions, and even forced to keep an unwanted IUD in her body to prevent her having more children, Bessemer Trust wants out. Which is probably a wise PR move, because now they’ve got bigger problems than the Britney stans to worry about.

In a five-page letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Attorney General Merrick Garland, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey to ask that the agencies undertake an investigation of guardianship procedures in the states, both to ensure best practices and to determine if protected classes of persons are specifically targeted for abuse.

“Ms. Spears’ case has shined a light on longstanding concerns from advocates who have underscored the potential for financial and civil rights abuses of individuals placed under guardianship or conservatorship, typically older Americans and Americans with intellectual, developmental, and mental health disabilities,” they wrote, requesting “information about data collected by your agency on the prevalence of guardianship and conservatorship in the United States.”

Not to be outdone, Gaetz and his merry band of shit stirrers promptly fired off their own half-page mash note attempting to cast themselves as the pop star’s real savior.

“You have been mistreated by America’s legal system. We want to help,” wrote Reps. Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Andy Biggs, and Burgess Owens, without specifying what help congress might provide regarding a state guardianship procedure.

We have been following your conservatorship battle with deep concern. We could see the struggle and torment you were enduring. We could see the obvious financial, emotional and psychological abuse at the hands of your conservators.

The federal courthouse door was closed to you and to too many Americans. Your story is so powerful, and the admiration of your achievements so great, you (and perhaps only you) can blow that door wide open, giving hope to millions. Your life, liberty, and happiness have been taken from you. Please take advantage of the empowerment that public congressional testimony can unlock.

UH HUH.

This is clearly a very serious legislative undertaking, and not at all an attempt to exploit a vulnerable person for their own political aggrandizement. Because, you know, Matt Gaetz just hates that!

TL;DR? The whole thing is vile. But if Elizabeth Warren and Matt Gaetz both have you in their sites, it’s time to GTFO.


Elizabeth Dye (@5DollarFeminist) lives in Baltimore where she writes about law and politics.

Weird Day — See Also

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Raises: Holwell announced raises to keep the boutique in line with the market. But after that kind of a weird grab bag today. Foley & Lardner matches… in 2022. Stoel Rives gives everyone an extra $10K.

Britney: Weird day of Britney news too. New co-conservator wants out. Courts are sending copyright notices where there’s no copyright. And now Matt Gaetz is involved. Here’s what I’ve got to say about that last one.

Sports: Arkansas has a weird wrinkle in its NIL policy.

Breyer: And, sadly, for Democrats this one isn’t all that weird.