ZIMBABWE: Unions to go ahead with strike
Zimbabwe's labour movement is to stage
a one-day work stoppage on Wednesday to press the government to end violence
against opposition supporters and the illegal occupation of about 1,000
white-owned farms.
Acting president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Isaac Matongo, said the labour organisation had scaled down its original plans for a three-day stayaway but would escalate the industrial action from next week if the government does not respond to their demands.
The government on Monday said it would not interfere with the work boycott. The ZCTU's move follows a commercial farmers strike last week in protest over the continued occupation of their properties and disruption of operations by war veterans demanding land redistribution.
Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Tuesday: "We as MDC support the one-day stay-away. Those who say it will affect the economy don't know what they are talking about. The economy is on its knees anyway."
ZIMBABWE: More land earmarked for seizure
The government of President Robert Mugabe has identified an additional 2,237 white-owned farm properties for resettlement by landless blacks, the official daily, 'The Herald', reported on Tuesday. With 804 farms already earmarked, it said the additional farms would bring the total facing seizure to 3,041.
Quoting a statement from the Chairman of the National Land Acquisition Committee, Vice-President Joseph Msika, it said the necessary paperwork was being processed. "The whole exercise is being undertaken against the government goal of acquiring about five million hectares from the commercial farming sector for distribution to the landless people for fairness and greater productivity," he told the newspaper. A total of 664 farms were identified in Mashonaland East, followed by Mashonaland West with 617, Matabeleland South 465, Mashonaland Central 361, Midlands 321, Manicaland 284, Masvingo 237 and Matabeleland North 92.
"It is also government's expectation that all stakeholders, including political groups and the commercial farmers, will come in full support of the exercise, which is national in intention, scope and benefit," he said. "To facilitate the implementation of this programme, the National Land Acquisition Committee will henceforth meet everyday to ensure the success of the implementation process."
ZIMBABWE: Opposition says seizures threaten property rights
Reacting to the announcement, Eddie Cross, secretary for economic affairs of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) described the latest move to seize more farm land as "morally indefensible" and a violation of constitutional property rights.
In a statement he said the seizure of more than 3,000 farms - representing two thirds of Zimbabwe's remaining commercial farmland - would mean "the total destruction of the commercial farming industry". He said large scale commercial farmers were responsible for 50 percent of the country's exports, 65 percent of raw materials for industry, and the direct employment of 350,000 people. They were also responsible for indirectly supporting 300,000 jobs in the industrial, service and distribution industries.
"Then there is the legal aspect," he said. "Land rights are enshrined in the constitution and what the government is trying to do is not only morally indefensible but is also a violation of these land owners' constitutional rights. They might be the first, but every businessperson must know that this now represents a threat against all property rights."
ZIMBABWE: Ray of hope for economy
The appointment of key new cabinet ministers by President Robert Mugabe indicates that the Zimbabwean government may embark on a programme of economic reform, but much depends on their room for manoeuvre over policy the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit said in its latest report.
"With the appointment of a number of technocrats to key posts in the cabinet, including Simba Makoni as minister for finance and economic development, there is some hope that there may soon be progress on economic reform," the EIU said. "The new finance minister has good credentials as an economist but it is not clear whether he has sufficient political weight within the cabinet to push ahead quickly with economic reform, a problem that has undermined the positions of several capable finance ministers in the past."
According to the EIU, "quick action is crucial" and a first step is a "long overdue" devaluation of the currency. But the government may not open negotiations with donors for external support "until nearer the end of 2000, or even in early 2001, when it may have to reverse some of its more nationalistic policies".
The intelligence unit said real GDP growth for 2000 is forecast to fall by 6 percent while inflation is above 60 percent and could rise in coming months. The budget deficit is also set to widen. The government has fixed the exchange rate at an "unsustainable" 38 Zimbabwe dollars to US $1 since January 1999, causing "serious distortions to the economy". The EIU forecasts the Zimbabwe dollar will end the year at 58 to US $1.
ZAMBIA: DRC border patrols intensified
The Zamnbian government has decided to intensify its patrols along the country's northern borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), 'The Post' newspaper reported on Tuesday.
It quoted security sources as saying a special team had been sent to the northern Kaputa area following a cross-border attack at the weekend by suspected DRC soldiers in which two Zambians attending a funeral lost their lives. It said four other people were wounded.
The report gave no further details other than to say the incident occurred in Reuben Musonda village outside Kaputa.
ZAMBIA: IMF not to blame
The chairman of the Zambia Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), George Chabwera, has said that International Monetary Fund (IMF) should not be blamed for Zambia's economic problems. Speaking at a meeting between visiting IMF first deputy managing director, Stanley Fischer, and civil society representatives in Lusaka, 'The Post' on Tuesday quoted Chabwera as saying the fault lay with government policies.
He said African economies were adversely affected by inconsistent economic programmes. "We have been under the Structural Adjustment Programmes for the last 15 years which is now being called poverty reduction," he said. "Just when is this see-saw going to end?"
ZAMBIA: Church tells IMF of corruption concerns
Meanwhile, Fisher said he had been told by the country's Catholic priesthood that they were concerned about issues of government transparency and accountability.
After a private meeting with Archbishop Merdado Mazombwe and other Catholic officials, Fischer told a news conference: "It was noted that if there was more transparency there would be less corruption." He also said Archbishop Mazombwe was particularly concerned at the deteriorating education and health sectors. The paper said he had suggested that any monies released through debt relief be allocated to those sectors.
Fischer also praised what he called the "new openness" shown by the government. Earlier, Fischer had been scheduled to meet parliamentarians, but they called the meeting off after his arrival at been delayed by the meeting with the archbishop, news reports said on Tuesday.
MALAWI: Regional police chiefs meet
Police chiefs from the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC)on Monday opened their fifth annual conference with an appeal to consider the HIV/AIDS scourge as a security issue.
Malawi's home affairs and internal security minister, Monjeza Maluza, was quoted by PANA as telling the police chiefs, that the scourge was a great challenge in police services in the region. "The silence surrounding the subject of HIV/AIDS within police services needs to be broken," he said.
MOZAMBIQUE: New EU aid grant
The European Union (EU) has approved the disbursement US $61 million earmarked for Mozambique's post-flood reconstruction programme, news reports said on Tuesday.
The money, pledged during a recent conference of donors in Rome, would be used for urban road renovation, and the construction of protective dikes in Xai-Xai and Chokwe, in the southern Gaza province, seriously hit by floods last February. The daily, 'Noticias, quoted Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano as saying at the weekend that funding for other emergency work, including electricity supply, as well as telecommunications and sanitation systems, had also been made available.
SOUTHERN AFRICA: SADC free trade summit
Presidents of the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) will gather in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, at the weekend for a two-day summit expected to give the go-ahead for a free trade area.
South African news reports quoted Prega Ramsamy, the group's acting executive secretary, as saying that the free trade area would be the "linchpin of regional cooperation". He said the SADC trade protocol would be launched on 1 September. The 10 SADC nations which had already ratified it are Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. He said they would phase out tariff barriers for regional trade over the next eight years.
"When we compete regionally, we will improve standards, market access and quality and this enables us to compete on the world market," Ramsamy was quoted as saying. Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Seychelles were still to sign the protocol, while Zambia had signed, but was yet to ratify it.
[ENDS]
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