Category: News Feeds

The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) read with grave concern, the governments response to the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) pastoral letter of the 14th of August 2020 entitled “The March is not Ended”. The government response presented by Mrs Monica Mutsvangwa, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, revealed the following worrying signs:

1. Responsibility: While the churches, including the ZCBC, have consistently identified the partial negative contribution of natural disasters and international isolation to government’s economic performance, it has however noted with grave concern that, the Government of Zimbabwe consistently takes no responsibility for its own failings characterized by corruption, policy inconsistencies and above all, failure to unite the nation towards a common vision. The denialism that characterizes the Government of Zimbabwe’s handling of criticism has now become a deeply worrying trend. The blame-shifting labelling of critical voices as ‘regime change agents’, and recently ‘terrorists’ smacks of the government’s unwillingness or inability to engage on the basis of ideas as well as robbing citizens of any hope that things can improve.
2. Personalization: Pastoral letters, including the “The March is not Ended”, are products of prayerful discernment by the college of bishops informed by compassionate listening to the experiences of the congregants. Singling out the Most Revd Archbishop Richard Ndlovu, can only be viewed as undermining the most important asset and character of the church that is its Unity. Our humble interpretation is that this is meant to isolate individuals from a collective discernment process with the sinister aim of diluting the collective voice of the church. The ZCC takes with exception any efforts to interfere with the unity of the Church for which Jesus prayed in John 17:21.
3. Courtesy: The government response was overtly too emotional and disrespectful for formal communication. Using public media to utter disrespectful communication against the person of Archbishop Ndlovu does not only present the government as inappropriately deploying the resources of the state, but also increases the toxicity that is already characterizing our public space. If the government had strong objections to the Bishops’ communication, it could have addressed those issues without appearing to be discourteous to the viewers of the only national television station. The government will do well through its public officials to instil positive engagement on the basis of ideas rather than to use public media to buttress negativity.
4. Unity: The government response to the pastoral letter “The March is not Ended”, also missed its unifying and national orientation but instead appropriated distorted historical links and false comparisons with the Rwandan genocide. While the comparisons are unfounded and outrageous, they also seem to be intentionally or unintentionally stoking ethnic and tribal divisions which actually resulted in loss of thousands of lives in Matabeleland and Midlands during the Gukurahundi. To frivolously associate the bishops’ statement with such a major deep scar in the history of the nation, is not only insensitive to the existing present pain of those affected by Gukurahundi, but also gives the impression that the government is paying lip-service to national healing and reconciliation. The government statement could have been worth ignoring if it was only falsifying history, but it cannot be ignored as it appears dismissive of the invaluable work done by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, under the ZCBC, to offer documentation of the atrocities committed by the army during that dark period. The legacy of Gukurahundi still stalks the nation as those past hurts remain unhealed. His Excellency, President ED Mnangagwa has on several occasions spoken of the need to find healing on these past hurts, yet the government position gives the false impression that the 1987 Unity Accord brought closure to that episode.
5. History: The ecumenical churches’ relationship with the state has been consistent from colonial Rhodesia to independent Zimbabwe. The government response presented by Minister Mutsvangwa, seeks to create false discontinuity between the contemporary bishops and the suffering servants of the past. Such a view misses the importance of continuity of Tradition within Christian theology and practice. The consistency with which the ZCBC and the ecumenical church have pursued justice, peace and unity cannot be forgotten. Coincidentally, the issues raised by the “The March is not Ended” of the 14th of August 2020 are fundamentally similar to calls by Bishop Donal Raymond Lamont in his Open letter to the Rhodesian Government on the 11th of August 1976. In both cases, the message was well-meaning and consistent with the prophetic traditions of Micah, Amos, Jeremiah, John the Baptist and even our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who have responded to this salvation history with repentance found life. Those who rejected it suffered destruction, not only in a spiritual sense but also materially.

Calls

6. In light of the issues raised above, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches:

6.1     Seeks to affirm its solidarity with the spirit and intent of the “The March is not Ended” as honest communication aimed at calling the government of Zimbabwe to meaningful and respectful engagement to find solutions to the current pressing issues;

6.2     Seeks to enter into a collective discernment process to understand this government’s preparedness to engage and hence calls for the urgent convening of the National Episcopal Conference of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations to deliberate on the state of the nation and agree on the appropriate ecumenical action;

6.3     Calls on all Christians and churches to pray for peace, well-being and courage for Archbishop Ndlovu, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the broad Christian Church in Zimbabwe as they will be demanded to exercise their prophetic and pastoral mandate for the nation;

6.4     Calls on all citizens to remain united across the denominational, ethnic, and political divide realizing that only through active, organized and peaceful citizens’ participation, the nation will be totally transformed;

6.5     Calls upon President ED Mnangagwa to provide leadership by retracting the personal attacks on Archbishop Ndhlovu and the church leaders, but invite the nation to an inclusive national dialogue towards a home grown solution to the challenges that are facing the nation

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Post published in: Featured

Zimbabwe’s government and commercial banks are locked in a dispute over the costs relating to relief offered to civil servants and pensioners during the coronavirus pandemic.

The state had agreed to reimburse lenders for administrative charges relating to a foreign-currency allocation totaling $36 million a month, but the details are still to be worked out, Ralph Watungwa, president of the country’s Bankers Association, said by phone.

The Treasury said there is no need for lenders to be refunded.

“It’s a question of ethics on the part of the banks,” Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in a statement.

The three-month coronavirus allowance of $75 was announced in June and is paid in addition to Zimbabwe dollar-based salaries.

The southern African nation is in an economic crisis, with inflation surging to more than 800% amid a collapse in the local currency and households face crippling shortages of everything from fuel to food. Teachers, nurses and bankers are demanding to be paid in U.S dollars, despite a shortage of foreign currency.

The central bank has been asked to intervene in the dispute, Watunga said.

Post published in: Business

👉 47 New Cases and 3 Deaths reported in the last 24 hours

👉 42 are local cases and 5 are returnees from South Africa

👉 1 Death is from Bulawayo Province, 1 from Mash East and the other from Manicaland

👉 Active Cases go down to 1325 today

👉 1756 new recoveries reported (Harare reports 1698 recoveries)

👉 As of 17 August 2020, Zimbabwe has now recorded 5308 Cases 3848 recoveries and 135 Deaths

Stay at home and avoid going to crowded places!

Post published in: Featured

The magistrate court in Harare ruled that Beatrice Mtetwa — an internationally acclaimed lawyer who has been at the forefront of defending the country’s human rights activists — be removed from representing award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.

Chin’ono faces charges of inciting violence for his role in promoting protests against corruption in late July that were banned and led to a government crackdown on dissent.

The state accused Mtetwa of writing contemptuous letters to the country’s magistrates and high courts, and of running Facebook pages that denigrated the courts.

“In view of the submissions by both the state and the defence, the disqualification of the lead counsel Beatrice Mtetwa as requested by the state be and is hereby granted,” ruled magistrate Ngoni Nduna.

The posts undermined public confidence in the courts, the magistrate said.

“The picture portrayed a biased justice system and the world was invited to an outrage over abuse of human rights,” he added.

Mtetwa denied any knowledge of the Facebook pages.

She said the government was leading a “personal” attack against her with a “chilling effect” on other lawyers.

“The idea is to say to human rights lawyers: if you represent such a client we will come after you,” Mtetwa told reporters outside court, adding that her team would challenge the decision.

“The right to legal representation has been curtailed by a court which is supposed to be supporting that right.”

Mtetwa had served as the lead counsel for Chin’ono, who helped expose a multimillion-dollar corruption scandal involving the procurement of coronavirus protection gear and test kits.

The journalist has been in jail since he was arrested by armed police at his house in Harare on July 20.

Chin’ono had encouraged the public to join the July 31 anti-government protests via Twitter.

The protests were then banned, and around 20 activists who held demonstrations in their neighbourhoods were arrested and have since been freed on bail.

Those arrested included internationally acclaimed writer and Booker Prize nominee Tsitsi Dangarembga.

Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who was arrested last month for supporting anti-government protests, arrives at court in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 7, 2020. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

New York — In response to Harare Magistrate Ngoni Nduna’s ruling today that Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa be barred from representing jailed journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, as reported by Herald newspaper” data-saferedirecturl=”https://www.google.com/url?q=https://cpj.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3D6ad2c1e7bfaa1357bb4387b58%26id%3D1b27f0e5ce%26e%3Da0cee2f7fd&source=gmail&ust=1597905477676000&usg=AFQjCNFINLyKgXjId_2hpNcFRzhJLWtrHw”>the state-run Herald newspaper, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

“Magistrate Ngoni Nduna’s decision to disqualify Beatrice Mtetwa from representing Hopewell Chin’ono has effectively stripped the journalist of his constitutional right to a lawyer of his choice and is in breach of his constitutional rights to a free trial and the African Charter to which Zimbabwe is a signatory,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator. “Today’s ruling shows how Zimbabwe’s courts are being abused for a political agenda. We hope that a higher court will reverse this travesty on appeal and ensure that Chin’ono will be guaranteed a fair trial.”

Nduna’s decision, published in the Herald, said that Mtetwa was in contempt of court in relation to letters Mtetwa wrote to judicial officers that Nduna said “demean the court severely,” and in relation to comments about the case on the Facebook page of a documentary about Mtetwa’s work, which the state alleged were made by Mtetwa. According to reports, Mtetwa denied making those comments and said she was not responsible for that Facebook page.

Chin’ono was arrested on June 20 and faces charges of incitement, as CPJ documented at the time. He is scheduled to appear in a closed hearing in court tomorrow for a bail application, according to reports.

Mtetwa, who was awarded CPJ’s Benjamin Burton Memorial Award in 2008 for her work defending journalists and upholding press freedom, told reporters today that the court ruling was meant to instill fear and could have a chilling effect on young lawyers who may be dissuaded from taking on human rights cases, according to news reports.

Post published in: Featured

11:12
Is now dealing with postponements on other matters

11:24
Magistrate Nduna starts reading his lengthy ruling on Mtetwa’s recusal from representing Chin’ono, applied by the State.A short summary will be availed soon

12:00
Magistrate Nduna has just granted the State it’s application to disbar Mtetwa from representing Chin’ono

12:00
He has ordered the prosecutor general to institute prosecution on Mtetwa with regards to contents in a letter she wrote to the court on 27 July 2020 and the posts on the wall of a Facebook page titled Beatrice Mtetwa and the Rule of Law

12:01
He has ordered that a copy of his judgment be availed to the Law Society of Zimbabwe

12:03
Has adjourned the court for ten minutes to allow Advocate T.W Nyamakura to make a bail application for Chin’ono as his counsel had foressen that the court was likely to disbar Mtetwa

12:12
Magistrate Nduna returns and the court resumes proceedings

Post published in: Featured

Developing customer relations through excellent service delivery is a key perquisite in the highly competitive Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. Assessing whether sales and marketing activities are hitting the mark forms an integral part of short-and long-term customer retention strategies.

Technology provides an important tool in the food and beverage industry’s efforts to manage, mobilise and ultimately automate its sales force, obtaining accurate and valuable data that will strengthen sales teams’ service delivery and turnaround times.

Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited (SZL) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of non-carbonated still beverages under license from The Coca-Cola Company. The company’s product portfolio currently includes well-known brands in categories such as cordials, fruit juices and bottled water.

SZL has two manufacturing plants in Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and ten distribution centres countrywide. Its route to market is predominantly B2B and was recently extended to include B2C through e-commerce and tele-sales platforms.

Most of SZL’s orders are delivered through in-house logistics and third-party partners with a smaller portion handled through customer collection at the distribution centres.

Optimising sales efficiency

SZL has partnered with mobile technology specialist company, MACmobile since 2016 to optimise its sales force and customer relationship requirements.  MACmobile’s FIELDForce solution has in the last four years provided SZL with the ability to:

• Develop customer relations through the capture of key market data;
• Generate customer orders; and
• Track sales activities and marketing assets.

“Before partnering with MACmobile, our sales teams would manually track or reference customer history and cold drink equipment (CDE) which was highly ineffective. As a result, this led to suboptimal order fulfilment of customer orders and CDE asset utilisation.” explains Diana Mubayiwa, Corporate Affairs Executive at SZL.

Adds Andrew Dawson, MD of MACmobile: “Our FIELDForce offering delivers an end-to-end solution to SZL that covers their full spectrum of Route-to-Market sales and distribution, ultimately catering for the specific needs and nuances of FMCG call cycles within Zimbabwe’s  retail, rural and main markets.”

Evolved needs

Due to Zimbabwe’s telecoms challenges, MACmobile also added an offline capability to FIELDForce which enables SZL to utilise the solution without network connectivity.

Additionally, FIELDForce’s recently added Forms functionality allows SZL to develop surveys that enable it to conduct self-reads for Coca-Cola’s (Right-Execution Daily) RED.  In the past, SZL had to outsource surveys to third-party providers at a significant cost to the company.

FIELDForce Forms for example offers integrated GPS functionality which means SZL can validate whether surveys where indeed conducted in-store.  Additionally, Forms has enabled SZL to customise specific survey such as:

• RED self-assessment;
• Competitor activity tracking;
• Price dipstick; and
• Outlet classification.

Benefits abound

SZL and MACmobile’s partnership have undoubtedly led to an improved sales force and customer relations, driven by accurate data that can be mined to improve go-to-market and retention strategies.

MACmobile allows SZL to stay one step ahead of the requirements of both its sales team and its clients.  Today the company benefits from:

• An effective and efficient sales team route that leads to optimised operations and execution in the market;
• Effective sales representative activity tracking resulting in increased productivity and sales;
• The ability to create and run surveys;
• Improved and accurate customer and CDE assets databases; and
• Real-time salesforce metrics dashboards that allow for RTM (route-to-market) remodelling by the SZL commercial team.

“Thanks to our partnership with MACmobile we can rest assured that our sales and marketing strategies are on point and we can readily meet the ever-changing requirements of the markets we serve,” says Mubayiwa.

“Ultimately, our partnership with SZL has provided MACmobile a deeper penetration within the independent distributors that trade under the Coca-Cola Company license. It has also strengthened our footprint and user-base within the SADC region,” concludes Dawson.

Post published in: Business