President says will protect property rights
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has assured local and foreign investors that his administration will protect their rights by making conditions conducive for investment.
He made the pledge yesterday in Harare while officially opening a Water Infrastructure Investment Conference where he also launched the National Climate Policy and Climate Smart Agriculture Manual for Agriculture Education in Zimbabwe.
The conference was meant to mobilise funding for the development of over 30 water infrastructure projects that on completion will bring water storage capacity to over 70 billion cubic metres.
The projects showcased during the conference were given National Project Status.
This will ensure the economy remains competitive in line with the Sadc industrialisation strategy.
The conference, hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, was attended by Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, Minister of State for Harare Cde Miriam Chikukwa, Ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, senior Government officials, captains of industry and prospective investors.
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had other areas of investment beyond water infrastructure development, ranging from mining, tourism, roads infrastructure, agriculture to energy, and was willing to partner with investors.
“We are ready to embrace investors as we seek to improve our status as a player in the regional, continental and international socio-economic affairs,” he said. “As Government, we are committed to honour the rights of investors, including the protection of their investments at law.
“Under the new political dispensation, we observe and respect the rights of investors and property rights. As Government we are prepared to listen to investor concerns and address them with the aim of producing win-win solutions. This is a commitment we lodge, never to drift from.”
President Mnangagwa said water infrastructure development had been one of the Government’s key priorities since 1980.
He said the advent of climate change gave a sense of urgency to the need to invest in the development of the sector.
“We are aware that the limited water infrastructure inhibits the investments of productive capital, raises production cost and leads to the loss of production time due to water shortages, resulting in high prices of finished goods,” said President Mnangagwa.
“Limited water infrastructure is, therefore, a major threat to any envisaged economic growth and competitiveness. To this end, investment in the water sector has become more imperative now than ever before. Water infrastructure development is part of our broader response to climate change.”
President Mnangagwa said Government was aware of the connection between water availability and upholding of human dignity, poverty eradication, gender equality, hunger eradication, good health, climate change and sustainable communities.
He said there was need for urgent mitigation and adaption initiatives to address the effects of the global climate change phenomenon.
“This investment conference will undoubtedly go a long way towards harnessing both domestic and foreign direct investment into water infrastructure development in our quest to address multi-faceted challenges and needs in the water sector,” said President Mnangagwa.
“I am optimistic that the conference will stimulate funding for water infrastructure projects and proffer insights into how the country could mitigate the impact of climate change through the building of water storage capacities and devising strategies for the efficient utilisation of available water bodies.
“I am pleased that we are also launching the National Climate Policy which spells out how we can plan to mitigate the effects of climatic change on our environment, human, animal and plant life.
“My Government under its agriculture programmes needs at least 350 000 hectares of arable land under irrigation. To achieve this, we need adequate water bodies throughout the country which will assure national food security, as well as beneficiation and export of surplus produce.
“Investment in water infrastructure will hasten the modernisation of our agriculture and complement our renewed mechanisation drive; facilitate the development of our aquaculture under Command Fisheries, Livestock and general cropping programmes as we seek to increase productivity.”
President Mnangagwa said adequate water supply would enable the country to establish greenbelts in the provinces and establishment of agriculture-based Special Economic Zones.
“To this end, Government urges that water infrastructure development must be seen within the context of the broader economic vision of our country,” he said.
“Furthermore, the need for safe and clean water cannot be over emphasised as lives have been lost to water borne diseases and economic opportunities restricted due to limited water infrastructure.”
President Mnangagwa said women and children were the most affected by water shortages as they ended up walking long distances in search of the commodity.
“In urban areas, the growing population continues to exert pressure on the limited water resources infrastructure resulting in some neighbourhoods going for days without water,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said water infrastructure development would assist the country to raise its great vision of becoming a middle class income economy with a capita of $3 500, increased investment, decent jobs, broad-based empowerment, free from poverty and end corruption by 2030.
Environment, Water and Climate Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said over the past years, Government had been the principal financier of water infrastructure projects with private players participating as contractors.
She said this hindered and eroded the country’s ability to invest in water infrastructural development.
Minister Muchinguri Kashiri said the new political dispensation had initiated a fast track programme to attract investors. “For the past 37 years, our country has been on a slow economic trajectory characterised by a myriad of challenges ranging from economic sanctions to international isolation,” she said.
“Government has, therefore, organised this conference and launch the national climate policy to attract and mobilise the necessary investment needed for the development of the country’s water resources, as well as to provide broader framework on how the country will build resilience against climate change.”
The conference was held under the theme, “Unlocking Zimbabwe’s Water Resources Potential for Economic Development.”
Anti-Corruption Court to deal with Chidhakwa, Gudyanga case
THE alleged corruption case involving former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa and his former permanent secretary Francis Gudyanga, will now be dealt with at the recently opened AntiCorruption Court.
The two, who are being represented by Mr Resilience Ndou, yesterday appeared before Midlands provincial magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa who said the State was making progress in their trial.
They were not asked to plead and are out of custody on $800 bail each.
Mrs Msipa threw out their application for removal from further remand and remanding the duo to July 2.
“The local prosecutors take instructions from the Prosecutor General who has asked for the docket of the two accused persons so that it is dealt with at the specialised Anti-Corruption Court. This shows that there is progress towards their trial because the police have indicated that they have completed their investigations and the docket is on its way to the Prosecutor General. Once the Prosecutor General has the docket, the accused persons will be indicted to that special court. They are remanded out of custody to July 2,” she said.
Mr Ndou was arguing that three months after his clients’ arrest was too long a time for the State to continue placing them on remand and requested that they be removed from further remand.
“My clients according to the court will be indicted to appear at a specialised corruption court at a date to be advised. Our application for refusal of further remand was rejected,” said Mr Ndou outside the court.
It is the State case that in May 2015, Gudyanga, who was the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, thus being a public officer, allegedly received appeal correspondence from one Ronald Mugangavari.
Mugangavari, the court heard, was allegedly appealing against a determination by Mr C Phiri and Mr T Paskwavaviri, the provincial mining commissioners for Masvingo and Midlands, respectively.
The appeal was allegedly in connection with a mine claim ownership dispute between Midway 21 Gold Mine, owned by K & G Syndicate represented by Mr Herbert Hwekwete, and Clifton 15 Mine owned by Mugangavari.
The dispute allegedly involved mine boundaries. Chidhakwa and Gudyanga, acting in common purpose, with full knowledge that they did not have jurisdiction to deal with such an appeal, allegedly nullified the determination, showing favour to Mugangavari.
The court heard that according to the Mines and Mining Act, appeals against a determination by a Mining Commissioner are handled by the High Court.
The alleged unlawful decision by Chidhakwa and Gudyanga on the appeal resulted in Mugangavari unlawfully returning to the mine to continue mining.
On July 4 last year, Mugangavari allegedly attempted to kill Hwekwete, the co-owner of K & G Syndicate, when he shot him together with his cousin, Robert, in both legs. The shooting, the court heard, took place after they had visited the mine.
Mugangavari allegedly continued to deny the rightful owners access to the mine on the basis of the determination by Chidhakwa and Gudyanga.
Last week President Mnangagwa said the era of corruption and bribing prosecutors to sweep corruption under the carpet is over after he set up an Anti-Corruption Prosecution Unit in his office.
The President said although some criminals had been arrested, he was not happy with the pace of prosecution.
Seven magistrates have been chosen to deal with the corruption matters in Harare while Bulawayo has five magistrates. Selected members of the prosecution team have undergone training on handling corruption matters.