ZIMBABWE INDEPENDENT

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Zimbabwe independent august 1 to 7, 2014
local news
No EU funding for ZimAsset
owen GaGare
Mnangagwa seeks
Gono alliance
SUCCESSION manoeuvres in Zanu
PF are intensifying ahead of the
party’s congress in December as
Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa
moves to secure an alliance
with former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
governor Gideon Gono.
Mnangagwa and Vice-President
Joice Mujuru are reportedly leading
the two main factions battling to
succeed Mugabe, but have consistently
denied this.
The development comes amid a
surprise political development in
which Mugabe’s wife, Grace, is set
to take over as Women’s League
boss from veteran politician Oppah
Muchinguri.
Mnangagwa took a major step in
bringing Gono closer by bestowing
him an honorary life membership
for the Midlands Show Society.
This has widely been read to be an
attempt by Mnangagwa to reinforce
his camp by recruiting an influential
player reported to be Mugabe’s
personal banker and close advisor.
Despite moving out of government
after retiring as central bank
governor, Gono remains closely
connected to the Mugabe family.
This appears to have spurred
Mnangagwa to seek an alliance
with him.
In a letter dated May 30, Mnangagwa,
who is the patron of the
Midlands Show Society, wrote:
“The patron, president, chairman
and executive committee of the
Midlands Show Society are pleased
to inform you that you have been
awarded honorary life membership
of the Midlands Show Society.
“You are therefore invited to receive
the honour at our prestigious
dinner reception to be held
on the 1 st of August 2014 at Fairmile
Hotel at 1800 hours. We thank
you and hope you will accept this
invitation.”
A senior Zanu PF Midlands legislator,
who preferred anonymity,
said the invitation flies in the face
of a perceived rift between Gono
and Mnangagwa.
“I think the ED (Mnanagagwa)
camp has pulled the rug from under
Mujuru’s camp as some of
them viewed Gono as theirs,” he
said.
In a subsequent programme of
events made available to the Zimbabwe
Independent, Mnangagwa also
invited Gono to present a lecture on
“Indigenisation and the Way Forward”
today at a business conference
being held under the theme
“Creating an Enabling Economic
Environment”.
Former RBZ governor Gideon Gono
Gono has clashed with government
ministers, including former
Indigenisation minister Saviour
Kasukuwere and Information minister
Jonathan Moyo, over the empowerment
law, arguing a “onesize-fits-all
approach would not
work in Zimbabwe.
Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa
was also scheduled to open
the three-day business conference.
Both Gono and Chinamasa were
unlikely to attend as they are reported
to be out of the country.
Gono is reportedly on a study tour
in South Asia and Chinamasa has
taken the begging bowl to Russia,
seeking funding for government
economic blueprint ZimAsset.
Gono was nominated by the
Manicaland province to replace
former Dare Rechimurenga, politburo
and cabinet member Kumbirai
Kangai, who died in August last
year, and the nomination was endorsed
by the politburo.
His elevation to Manicaland Senator
now appears imminent after
parliament passed the Electoral
Amendment Bill.
The Bill was sent to Mugabe recently
for his assent. — Staff Writer.
THE European Union (EU) Head of Delegation
to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Aldo
Dell’Ariccia, whose term of office expires
on August 19, has urged the Zimbabwean
government to transform ZimAsset from a
blueprint into a proper strategic development
plan if it is to attract funding from
international partners.
Dell’Ariccia, who is leaving after four
years of service in Zimbabwe, told the
Zimbabwe Independent he is happy there has
been positive evolution in the relationship
between Zimbabwe and the EU during his
tenure, as signified by the possibility of
resumption of development cooperation
between the country and the bloc at the
beginning November.
On ZimAsset, Dell’Ariccia said the ideas
contained in the plan, in what Zanu PF
says is the panacea to Zimbabwe’s economic
problems, were valid although the
operationalisation element was missing.
“There is no clarity on funding, there is
no risk assessment,” he said.
“We consider now that effort should be
put into supporting the government to go
from the blueprint to a proper strategic
development plan. ZimAsset is not yet a
development plan.”
The government requires US$27 billion
to fund ZimAsset, but has been struggling
to get the funds.
Dell’Ariccia also said Zimbabwe needed
to do more to attract elusive foreign direct
investment saying the environment was
not yet conducive.
He said the recent farm invasions, including
that of black-owned farms, are
deplorable in the eyes of the international
community.
Dell’Ariccia also insisted that the EU
would not give Zimbabwe direct budgetary
support even if Article 96 of the Cotonou
Agreement, which is currently suspended,
is lifted in November as is widely
expected.
The EU feels “public finance management
in Zimbabwe is not yet conducive”
for direct budgetary support.
Zimbabwe is saddled with reports of
financial impropriety, especially in government
agencies.
The country was slapped with measures
under the Cotonou Agreement in 2002
after President Robert Mugabe’s government
was accused of gross human rights
violations.
The lifting of measures enables Zimbabwe
to benefit from the 11 th European Development
Fund.
Dell’Ariccia, however, said there has
been a lot of improvement in the human
rights situation in Zimbabwe, although
there was still need for improvement.
EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Aldo Dell’Ariccia
Grace shocker rattles Mujuru base
US$4bn Chinese bailout
From Page 1
assistance package with the
Chinese government,” said one
senior government official.
“When Chinamasa visited
China in January he was told by
that country’s government officials
to come up with a fundable
working plan to present to them
instead of the ZimAsset document
which they described as
a mere policy pronouncement.
“He had to go back to the
drawing board to come up with
an acceptable workplan and it
is on that basis that Mugabe expects
the Chinese to give him
US$4 billion to help resuscitate
the economy.”
Zanu PF has come up with an
economic blueprint, ZimAsset,
which requires about US$27 billion
to fully implement between
2013 and 2018, but government
has so far failed to mobilise the
funds.
Mugabe’s spokesperson
George Charamba refused to
comment on the visit or rescue
package last week, referring
questions to Chinamasa.
Chinamasa also declined to
comment.
Although he did not give a
specific date and details about
the rescue package, Lin confirmed
Mugabe would most
likely return home with some
funds.
He, however, refused to disclose
the structure of the deal,
how much Zimbabwe wanted
and how much Beijing was likely
to part with, referring questions
to Chinamasa.
The government has been
planning to securitise the
country’s minerals in order to
acquire desperately-needed
funding for infrastructural projects
and to fund ZimAsset, and
it is believed this was contained
in Chinamasa’s proposals to the
Chinese.
“This year President Mugabe
From Page 1
Mutasa even declared at a
Women’s League inter-district
meeting: “Those harbouring
succession thoughts ahead of
Mai Mujuru are daydreamers.
May I remind them that our
constitution says if the president
decides to retire or otherwise,
the second-in-command
takes over? In this case, it is Mai
Mujuru.”
Zanu PF insiders say Muchinguri
is set to meet provincial
structures countrywide to
counter — and reverse if possible
— Mujuru’s gains.
The insider said: “If anything,
the First Lady’s emergence
also confirmed President
Mugabe is in control of
the party. This move would
not have been possible without
Mugabe’s knowledge and
you must also remember that
the president never makes key
has been invited to pay a state
visit to China and this confirms
the strong relations between
China and Zimbabwe,” said Lin.
“I cannot give you a date because
the two sides are still in
discussions about the details of
this visit, but it will be in the
near future. We are working on
it.”
Zimbabwe is an important
partner of China, which
is why President Mugabe
has been invited to visit this
year. There are many highlevel
exchanges between
these two countries ...
He added: “Normally, during
the head of state’s visit, my
government will provide some
development assistance. This
is normal practice ,but I don’t
know how much it will be this
time. I can assure you that every
year China will provide development
assistance to friendly
countries.
“Minister Chinamasa visited
China in January and put forward
proposals for getting assistance
to China Exim Bank,
but it is not something very
simple. It is not like you have
US$5 and then you buy your T-
shirt — this is a serious issue. It
needs serious study from both
sides and lots of discussions.
However, China will do its best
to help its friends.”
While at the embassy, the
Independent crew saw Mugabe’s
close security aides leaving,
decisions without involving
Mnangagwa.”
Although Grace, together
with Muchinguri, was key in
Mujuru leap-frogging to the
number two spot in the presidium,
there has been a fall-out
between the two.
Speculation on why they fell
out suggests it was after reports
Mujuru talked about taking
over Grace’s farms in Mazowe
when she succeeds Mugabe.
suggesting preparations for the
visit are in full swing.
Lin said China had been assisting
Zimbabwe for some
time, adding the country had
received amounts exceeding
US$1 billion in preferential and
concessionary loans to fund
various projects, among them
the National Defence College,
Victoria Falls Airport upgrading
and the Kariba South Power
Station extension programme.
“Since 2010, Zimbabwe has
also been given more than
US$100 million in grants and
interest-free loans,” said Lin,
adding this is more than any
other African country has received
“because we understand
that Zimbabwe is faced with
serious challenges and needs
more help from its (Chinese)
friend”.
Lin also dispelled the notion
China does consider Zimbabwe
a serious economic partner — a
view generated by the fact Zimbabwe
was omitted from the
itinerary of both Chinese Prime
Minister Li Kequiang and President
Xi Jinping when they visited
African countries in 2012
and 2013 respectively.
“Zimbabwe is an important
partner of China which is why
President Mugabe has been invited
to visit this year. In any
case, there are many high-level
exchanges between these two
countries and every year we
receive Zimbabwean cabinet
ministers while senior Chinese
officials also come to Zimbabwe,
like the visit of the Vice-
Premier Wang Yang in 2012.”
Government sources also said
Mugabe will again visit China
sometime next year, but this
time in his capacity as Zanu PF
leader in reciprocation to the recent
visit by the CCP delegation.
• Full interview with Ambassador
Lin Lin in next week’s
issue