Category: News Feeds

The Vigil was critical of the deal Mbeki brokered between Mugabe and Tsvangirai in 2008 but we were just as critical of the MDC for accepting it.  Nevertheless, the subsequent government of national unity turned around the economy and brought rapid growth until Zanu PF greed could no longer be contained and it rigged the 2013 elections so it could steal the new riches.

Chamisa was a member of that flawed coalition and will no doubt have learnt lessons. Certainly, no similar arrangement should be accepted which would leave Zanu PF in control when they are the ones who have brought the country to the brink of catastrophe.

Mbeki too has ‘skin in the game’. He left office discredited. But the abysmal Zuma circus has since then changed the focus. So Mbeki could yet rehabilitate himself with a Christmas present for Zimbabwe.

Mbeki says he will be returning to Zimbabwe soon for more talks before end of the year. We wish him well. The main obstacle is Mnangagwa who insists he will only meet Chamisa within the framework of the Political Actors’ Dialogue. For his part, Chamisa said: ‘Dialogue must deliver true change and real reforms. When we shake hands, let us be agreeing to truly walk in the same direction, a new direction.’ (See: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/12/give-dialogue-a-chance-sadc/.)

The Vigil believes a new coalition of some sort is needed to move Zimbabwe forward – but a coalition that is not one-sided like the last one. This would be a real Christmas present for Zimbabwe.

Whether it will prevail over the apparent Christmas present delivered the other day to military headquarters in Harare we don’t know. This was a US$3.4 million Bugati Chiron, one of the world’s most expensive and fastest cars. Just right for Zim roads (see: https://www.zimlive.com/2019/12/20/worlds-fastest-car-us3-3-million-bugatti-chiron-lands-in-zimbabwe/).

Other points

• Zimbabwe faces having the assets of the state mining company seized after a final appeal of the 2014 arbitration ruling failed. Companies linked to British Virgin Islands-based Amari Holdings Ltd won the right to seize assets worth $65.9 million in compensation for Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation’s cancellation of nickel and platinum ventures formed in 2007 and 2008. The ruling by the International Court of Arbitration was made after a hearing in Lusaka. The lawyer acting for Amari, Ian Small-Smith said: ‘They seemingly still don’t appreciate how adversely this will impact the credibility of Zimbabwe as an investment destination.’ (See: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-18/zimbabwe-faces-mining-asset-seizure-over-canceled-joint-ventures.)
• As Vigil activists celebrate Christmas, we want you to know that the suffering people of Zimbabwe are always in our thoughts, particularly at this time.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up the front table and put up the banners: Abigail Chidavayenzi, Tendai Chigariro, Garikai Mananje, Joyce Mbairatsunga, Esther Munyira, Ephraim Tapa and Kevin Wheeldon. Thanks to Esther and Kevin for looking after the front table, to Tendai, Abigail and Esther for handing out flyers, to Delice and Garikai for drumming and to Esther and Ephraim for photos.
• For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimb88abwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

FOR THE RECORD: 13 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

• ROHR Valentine’s fundraising dinner dance. Saturday 15^th February 2020 from 7 pm till late. Venue: to be advised.
• The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
• The Vigil’s book ‘Zimbabwe Emergency’ is based on our weekly diaries. It records how events in Zimbabwe have unfolded as seen by the diaspora in the UK. It chronicles the economic disintegration, violence, growing oppression and political manoeuvring – and the tragic human cost involved. It is available at the Vigil. All proceeds go to the Vigil and our sister organisation the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe’s work in Zimbabwe. The book is also available from Amazon.

• Facebook pages:

Post published in: Featured

Mthuli Ncube told state-owned television ZBC News on Friday that the government would fork out 180 million Zimbabwe dollars a month on the subsidy programme and was considering subsidising other goods as well.

The southern African nation’s population is enduring the worst economic crisis in a decade and a severe drought that has left millions facing hunger. U.N. rights expert Hilal Elver warned last month that poor rains and erratic weather combined with hyperinflation had left 5.5 million people food insecure.

Low dam water levels have meanwhile led to 18-hour power cuts that have hit output from industry and mines.

The government this year reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar currency, ending a decade of dollarisation, and also removed subsidies on electricity and fuel. Both of these actions unleashed rampant inflation, while wages lag behind.

“Our target is basically to inject 180 million Zimbabwe dollars to target the (maize) meal subsidy. We also intend to include other commodities going forward,” Ncube said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Nov. 28 announced the government would scrap its plan to remove grain subsidies next year, saying this would protect impoverished citizens from rising food prices.

Scarce foreign exchange has meant that even after Zimbabweans started paying more for the power and fuel, shortages have remained widespread.

$1 = 16.2201 Zimbabwe dollars (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Tim Cocks and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Post published in: Featured

Moreover they can include members of their family back in Zimbabwe on their policy, ensuring that they too will be able to have a decent burial, as a result of pay-outs being in foreign currency.

The plan is affordable, secure and offers a guaranteed pay-out in the currency contracted, that is in either United States dollars or South African rands.

Those living in the SADC region will receive, for a monthly premium of R189, a pay-out of up to R210 000 for a family of six, with each family member entitled to R35 000.

For those living abroad, a family of six will receive a total of US$60 000 for funeral and repatriation expenses in the event of a bereavement for a monthly premium of only US$23,50. Each member is covered for US$10 000.

This should come as good news for the estimated three million Zimbabweans who are in the diaspora.

The realisation that in the event of death in a foreign land that final journey back home may be unaffordable lingers in the minds of many and is a constant burden at the back of their minds.

Uncertainty about whether the benefits contained in local insurance policies will be able to be paid in the currency contracted has been a major hinderance to those who might wish to have concrete plans in place.

As a result, many have had to go through the traumatic experience of having to fundraise amongst friends and on the internet to raise money for the repatriation and other funeral costs of deceased family members or colleagues.

“Zimnat is all about making life better for Zimbabweans wherever they are in the world. We have developed this solution for the peace of mind of those in the diaspora and those back home as our wish is to stay true to who we are as Zimbabweans and do things how we do them Kwedu/Ngekhaya, guaranteeing the dignity of our people’s final journey,” commented Zimnat Life Assurance managing director Workmore Chimweta.

“Zimnat Kwedu/ Ngekhaya Funeral Plan has the backing of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which, as reported in the mainstream media a few months back, has granted Zimnat the authority to ringfence funds related to diaspora products for investment offshore.

“This guarantees the ability of Zimnat as an underwriter to settle claims in United States dollars and South African rands,” he said.

“To make life even better, with Kwedu/ Ngekhaya members can add their family members in Zimbabwe on the same plan, enabling them to live with the peace of mind that, if anything happens, they are assured of a befitting send off,” Mr Chimweta said.

The plan is flexible. It enables a person to choose a package that meets the individual’s or family’s needs from a range of options.

Premiums are payable on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. The plan has an option for the inclusion of vigil and tombstone cover. It does not have any waiting period in the event of accidental death. No medicals are required to sign up.

Whilst this solution will enable Zimbabweans living in the diaspora to ensure their final resting place is back home where their roots lie, it will also provide relief to Zimbabweans who have sometimes failed to find closure when relatives who have passed on in the diaspora have failed to make that journey back home because of financial constraints.

The plan comes at a time when many Zimbabweans will be travelling back home for the festive season to spend time with family and friends. With this in mind and as a launch promotion for the product, Zimnat is giving local Zimbabweans an opportunity to win grocery vouchers by referring friends and family to sign up for Kwedu/Ngekhaya.

The policy can be applied for online through Zimnat’s self-help web portal, www.selfcare.zimnat.co.zw. Local residents can use the same platform to refer friends and family to sign up for Kwedu/Ngekhaya.

Zimnat Life Assurance is part of the Zimnat group comprised of Zimnat Life Assurance, Zimnat General Insurance, Zimnat Asset Management and Zimnat Microfinance which is also associated with the Sanlam group.

The group has come up with a number of innovations this year intended to make life better for Zimbabweans, with the most recent being the launch of ZFX Bureau de Change, a foreign exchange and money transfer service.

Post published in: Featured

According to the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings data, which ranked law school has the smallest enrollment?

Hint: Though the School of Law at Concordia University’s enrollment is only 116, they’re currently unranked. The ranked school that is the answer to this question has 123 full-time students enrolled.

See the answer on the next page.

To make a good bonus announcement the money has to be there, that’s a given. But there are other factors that go into delighting associates — something Paul Hastings knows all too well.

First, the good news. They’re giving associates a match of the market bonus scale set by Milbank early last month. For those that need the reminder, the prevailing bonuses are as follows, by seniority:

Class of 2018 – $15,000
Class of 2017 – $25,000
Class of 2016 – $50,000
Class of 2015 – $65,000
Class of 2014 – $80,000
Class of 2013 – $90,000
Class of 2012+ – $100,000

The bad news is that associates won’t actually get that sweet, sweet cash until March. Even though the delayed payday is standard at the firm, it doesn’t mean folks aren’t pissed. From a tipster:

Even though they matched market bonuses, I’m very disappointed with the payment dates, and I’m sure other associates are as well. All of the other top firms pay bonuses in December (or January at the latest!).

Read the full memo on the next page.

Remember — we can’t do this without you, dear readers! We depend on your tips to stay on top of important bonus updates, so when your firm matches, please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Matches”). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.

And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts (which is the alert list we also use for all salary announcements), please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish. Thanks for your help!

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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).

The American Jewish experience and the freedoms we enjoy are currently threatened like never before. It’s been a very long time since the security of the American Jewish community was as much at risk as it is today.

—Roberta Kaplan, at the National Museum of American Jewish History, speaking on the reality of Jewish life in America. She went on to say, “The violence can and will happen again here in the United States,” and called on lawyers to “wake up,” and “take action to make it stop.” She said, “I believe in my Jewish heart and my Jewish bones that the law is one important tool for doing that.”

In the latest episode of The Jabot, I speak with Roberta D. Liebenberg and Stephanie A. Scharf. They’re the co-authors of a new study co-sponsored by the American Bar Association and ALM Intelligence that addresses why senior women lawyers are leaving law firms. We also delve into the results of the study which are simultaneously deeply upsetting and incredibly illuminating.

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!

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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).

I would pay a lot of money to hear these two debate this issue live. [Checks student loan bill] Not that much money, though.