Pfumvudza, bond notes: ED’s saviour

THE gigantic lake TugwiMukosi is spilling. This is a rare phenomenon for a water body so big to spill less than four years after commissioning. It holds a promise that is too big to hide or ignore, a promise of water security for agriculture for the next three years even if there are three consecutive droughts.

This is a lake that the Rhodesian colonial government had planned, but could not deliver because of the liberation struggle waged by the majority black citizens. However, the project held a big promise — a promise of revolutionarising agriculture in Masvingo and the lowveld.

The lake can irrigate a massive 100 000 hectares of land. Sugar plantations in the region — Triangle, Hippo Valley and Mkwasine — can all expand their production. The dead capital of Naunetsi Ranch can now be rescued and the land start producing. New fisheries and tourist resorts can also be set up and change the face of economic opportunity in the region.

This is a bit futuristic and probably bigger than the capabilities of the present administration. However, the reality is most fields are lush green across the country and the prospect of the biggest harvest in the last two decades beckons. A successful agricultural season may just be the tonic needed to restart the economic revolution Zimbabwe sorely needs.

Agriculture has backward and forward linkages in the economy. If done well, it creates massive employment opportunities, supports the agro-chemicals industries, but more importantly, changes the skylines of Harare, Bulawayo and other urban centres' industrial sites.

The boilers in the industrial areas will start belching smoke into the cloudless sky, men and women working in shifts to produce merchandise and revival of the glorious manufacturing sector, a sector that gave Zimbabwe a place of pride on the world map for producing luxurious cotton clothes, a home to Nestle and Colgate Palmolive products, world renowned Mazoe orange juice, among other products.

The revival of Zimbabwe's economy lies in a controversial policy position —the much-maligned reintroduction of a local currency — Zimbabwean dollar — after a decade long dalliance with the United States greenback.

Industrialists and merchandisers wont to profiteering and general populace enjoying the rare privilege of having an international currency in their back pockets and purses vehemently resisted the move.

Some big players engaged in direct sabotage of the new currency, weakening it on the parallel market with the intention to bury it within a year of reintroduction. A combination of the Treasury and central bank tenacity is beginning to yield results.

Treasury proclaimed a mono-currency policy position, but has somehow weakened it after pressure from certain quarters to allow dual pricing of goods in Zimbabwe dollars and the greenback.

The monetary authorities saved the currency collapse by introducing the weekly currency auction by the central bank. For the past six months, the bond note has held steady against the greenback hovering between 80 and 83 to the dollar. The parallel market is still around 100 to 110 to the dollar, a fair exchange similar to the Japanese yen against the greenback.

Had this bold decision not been done, the bond note would be now be history. If it survived by any sheer political force, it would be 2008 again, a worthless currency not worth the value of the paper it is written on.

The authorities should do more to control money supply, monitor the markets and severely punish the errant players like when Sakunda Holdings dumped Treasury Bills on the markets, mopping all the liquidity in the market and determining the black-market rate almost unilaterally, so we are told, according to the chairman of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Tendai Biti.

The closure of the EcoCash merchant accounts exposed how rotten the financial system was. Nearly $700 million lies frozen by the central bank with no one claiming it — it could only be the big players who were using their runner boys.

The currency position's substantial success should be built on to kickstart the manufacturing sector. However, there is the risk — a temptation — among the farmers asking to be paid in greenbacks for their produce.

If the economy is to be revived, this should be resisted, especially that most have produced using government guaranteed loans.

The success of the economic revival depends more on how the administration behaves — not bending to populist decisions. The book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman, reveals how the Bretton Woods institutions have been used to ransack economies of countries in the crosshairs of the United States. This is further corroborated in Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine and the Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

Zimbabwe, like all other nations, needs the flexibility of quantitative easing — the ability of the central bank to print money when the economy stalls and stimulate economic activity. This is impossible when using the greenback, the country will be dependent on foreign loans and grants which is unsustainable.

Can the administration be thrifty and use conservatively the forex receipts from the promising bumper agriculture harvest? We are lucky as a country because of COVID-19 lockdowns that the Emmerson Mnangagwa administration is not travelling as often as it would have wanted, thus saving Treasury significant sums in transport and subsistence allowance.

The Office of the President and Cabinet has a huge budget for foreign travel and for once nature has intervened. Can the administration build on that?

The temptation is high, especially with elections looming high on the horizon and some of the ministers still used to opulence, that all economic prudence can be thrown to the wind at the altar of political expediency.

For now, Pfumvudza and the bond note have played their part to sustain the coup administration.

OFFLOADING the blame for past sins is a struggle for many believers. Releasing yourself from past and pardoned evil deeds is the hallmark of Christianity.

When your sins are forgiven, then you need to see yourself as separated from those sins. Satan ceaselessly reminds you of your past and continue to beat you up over sins that were duly nailed to the cross. Jesus declares you innocent. You are not guilty. You can go through “deliverance”, but if you don't forgive yourself because Christ forgave you, you won't experience the breakthrough that you need to be totally set free.

You shouldn't allow your past sinful nature to speak to you but rather let the new life in Christ call unto you.

The faith of Jesus Christ qualifies you to be declared innocent of the wrongs you did. A simple yet powerful act of confessing your innocence and accepting God's grace empowers you to experience the divine free gift of redemption. Psalm 107:2, teaches, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;” Always confess that you're the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You're exonerated from sin by 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

No amount, size or type of sin isn't pardonable. If you have repented, free your mind from guilt. You're not guilty of the sins that you take to Jesus for which He died. We are openly told in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Don't hate yourself so much as to refuse yourself this relief. You shouldn't be hauled up in the past that your Maker has erased.

Failure to forgive yourself takes a huge toll on your emotional and physical health. Inability to forgive yourself emanates from anger and resentment, two emotions that can wreak havoc to your health. Documented studies have shown that people stuck in constant anger are more susceptible to disease and illness than people who can learn to forgive and let go.

Forgiveness allows you to live in the present instead of the past. You can move into the future with a renewed sense of purpose focused on change, improvement, and building on experience rather than being held back by past hurts. Without freeing yourself from your pardoned past, you won't be able to spiritually progress and access diverse promises of God of prosperity, peace, wellness and goodness.

There are certain weird teachings that advocate for sowing or seeding for salvation and deliverance. The seed for your salvation is Jesus Christ. You don't make yourself right before God by works of righteousness.

The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ redeemed us. His blood which He used to purchase us cleanses us from all sin. Don't punish yourself, Jesus was punished for you and me. Isaiah 53:5 states, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Not equating Jesus to a thing; would you want to pay twice for a product or service? The sin debt was paid in full, don't make double payment. My friend; you are free.

Always bear in mind that the devil wants to replay your sins in your mind day and night. He has it on high definition and mega pixels but ignore him. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Jesus frees you, but Satan accuses you. Beloved take sides with Jesus. Revelation 12:10 points out, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

Avoid hanging out with people that draw you to your horrendous evil past. The past could have been so shameful, littered with adultery, fornication, pornography, drugs, murder, prostitution and other sins. If you have repented, you are a new creature. Hold fast to Scripture. 2 Corinthians 5:17 empowers you, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Accept biblical truth and enjoy new life.

In conclusion, I reiterate that if you sincerely and genuinely repent of your sins, God will forgive you. This is the right and opportune time to renounce sin and receive forgiveness. Accept Jesus Christ into your heart and become a new creature. God will never remember your sins. Isaiah 43:25 confirms, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Human reasoning and Satan's machinations will not allow you to believe that the all-knowing God will forget your sins.

The principle is that God will never bring up to your attention what He has blotted off your record. Don't hold grudges against yourself. It's not that you should try to forget what happened, but don't remind yourself of it either. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.

•All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

THE puff adder is a venomous viper species found in Sub-Saharan Africa and on the Arabian peninsula. This snake is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly-populated regions and aggressive disposition.

The colour pattern of puff adders varies geographically. Their head has two wellmarked dark bands: one on the crown and the other between the eyes. On the sides of the head, there are two oblique dark bands or bars that run from the eye to the supralabials. Below, the head is yellowish-white with scattered dark blotches. Dorsally, the ground-colour varies from straw yellow, to light brown, to orange or reddish-brown.

This is overlaid with a pattern of 18-22 backwardly-directed, dark brown to black bands that extend down the back and tail. Usually, these bands are roughly chevron-shaped but maybe more U-shaped in some areas.

They also form 2-6 light and dark crossbands on the tail.

Some populations are heavily flecked with brown and black, often obscuring other coloration, giving the animal a dusty-brown or blackish appearance. The belly is yellow or white, with a few scattered dark spots.

Newborn young have golden head markings with pinkish to reddish ventral plates toward the lateral edges.

Puff adders are found in most of sub-Saharan Africa south to the Cape of Good Hope, including southern Morocco, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.

Puff adders live in all habitats except true deserts, rain forests, and (tropical) alpine habitats. They are most often associated with savannahs and rocky grasslands.

Puff adders are solitary and nocturnal creatures. Although they spend most of their time on the ground, these snakes are good swimmers and can also climb with ease; often they are found basking in low bushes. One specimen even was found 4,6m above the ground in a densely branched tree. Puff adders are normally sluggish and rely on camouflage for protection. When agitated, they can resort to a typical serpentine movement and move with surprising speed. If disturbed, these snakes will hiss loudly and continuously, adopting a tightly coiled defensive posture with the forepart of their body held in a taut “S” shape. At the same time, they may attempt to back away from the threat towards cover. Puff adders may strike suddenly and fast, to the side as easily as forwards, before returning quickly to the defensive position, ready to strike again. They can strike to a distance of about one-third of their body length, but juveniles will launch their entire bodies forwards in the process. These snakes rarely grip their victims, instead releasing quickly to return to the striking position.

Puff adders are carnivores. Their prey includes mammals, birds, amphibians, tortoises and lizards. Juveniles feed on small rodents, insects, and small frogs.

Puff adders are polygynandrous (promiscuous) meaning that both males and females have multiple partners. Their mating season usually takes place between October and December.

Puff adders are viviparous and females give birth to 50-60 live young after the gestation period that lasts 136-159 days. Newborns are 12,5-17,5 cm in length; they are completely independent at birth and are ready to care for themselves. Young puff adders usually become reproductively mature when they are four years old.

Puff adders play are important predators in their ecosystem as they control populations of many prey species they feed on. They also help control populations of pests as these snakes are often found near human settlements and prey on rodents. Young Puff adders prey on various insects and also can play a useful role for farmers.