Category Archives: Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe’s massive diamond fields discovery to bring billions

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From: Charles Banda

Zimbabwe says it has discovered new diamond fields ‘almost the size of Swaziland’ and expects to realise billions of dollars from mining activities.

The announcement at the weekend came barely a month after companies operating at the Chiadzwa diamond fields, discovered in 2008, said mining operations were becoming unviable

as the alluvial diamond resources were running out.

The Umkondo Basin is a reserved area. It has huge potential of diamond reserves

The more than five companies wanted to be allocated new claims, saying underground mining would be too expensive in a country that is struggling to attract direct foreign investment.

Deputy Mines minister Fred Moyo told state media that the diamond fields located between Manicaland and Masvingo province stretch over 10,000 square kilometres.

He said the government has already begun sourcing funds to kick start operations

“It is a very huge area. So, obviously the whole area cannot contain a large concentration of diamonds, but the fact is there is huge potential,” Moyo said.

“What we need to do is mobilise funds to carry out extensive exploration that will determine the areas profitable to mine.

“We are actually going to use part of our national budget allocation to send our experts to carry out exploration activities in the area.

“The Umkondo Basin is a reserved area. It has huge potential of diamond reserves and as government we need to urgently move in to determine the areas that possess a high concentration of diamonds,” he added.

All the companies that were granted mining licenses at the Chiadzwa diamond fields formed joint ventures with the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.

The companies in Marange have been mainly concentrating on alluvial mining, which is easier and less-costly compared to underground mining.

Zimbabwe’s first-ever diamond auction in Belgium got off to a slow start last December with the majority of the 279 723 ct gems being of low quality and not properly cleaned, government said.

The Antwerp auction came three months after the European Union removed sanctions on the southern African country’s state mining company.

The Marange diamond fields, 400 km east of Harare, have been the focus of controversy since 20 000 small-scale miners invaded the area in 2008 before they were forcibly removed by soldiers and police.

Human rights groups say up to 200 people were killed during their removal, charges denied by President Robert Mugabe’s government.

Zimbabwe is believed to hold 25% of the world’s alluvial diamonds.

Read the original article on Theafricareport.com : Zimbabwe’s massive diamond fields discovery to bring billions | Southern Africa

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West Must Respect People’s Will

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From: Abdalah Hamis

However, their reactions to Zanu-PF and President Mugabe in particular are so predictable and they have not hidden their disdain and in the process they are crying that they have been robbed.

The same countries take the lead, countries that think that they are masters of the universe when we know that their backyards are smouldering. Why is the West — the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Australia in particular crying foul and also crying more than the bereaved?

It was the MDC-T that lost the July 31 harmonised elections after Zimbabwean voters sat in judgment over them

So, why this hullabaloo about “substantial electoral irregularities” and an impending crisis, which Western media institutions have been peddling the moment they realised that the MDC-T, even with the combined force of smaller political parties did not stand a chance against Zanu-PF?

What is disturbing is that the West created the MDC-T and sponsored it to the hilt to do its dirty work of pitching for illegal regime change here.

It was their institutions that also predicted a resounding victory for Zanu-PF long before Zimbabweans were certain that elections would be held this year.

They also analysed Tsvangirai’s shortcomings and lack of leadership qualities. Their damning assessments are in the public domain. The rebranding of Tsvangirai and the MDC-T through the 2013 manifesto was such a shoddy job, which failed to sell the MDC-T. This is why we are surprised at United States Secretary of State John Kerry who was quoted on Saturday as saying, “In light of substantial electoral irregularities reported by domestic and regional observers, the United States does not believe that the results announced today represent a credible expression of the will of the Zimbabwean people.”

We wonder which Zimbabweans Kerry was referring to, when the very same people made their choices known to the world on July 31. Not to be outdone, Germany had the temerity to remark that the election “casts a big shadow on the political and economic future of Zimbabwe”

By calling for a “re-run of the elections based on a verified and agreed voters roll”, former British colony Australia demonstrated how far removed the Anglo-Saxon world is from reality on the ground.

This dovetails with Tsvangirai’s calls that the poll result should be considered null and void, a conclusion he arrived at when he realised that his bragging about announcing the election result was not going to be; a conclusion, which he made even before the results had been announced, which later proved that he was singing from his masters’ hymn book.

At the centre of the rigging claims is the voters’ roll. As observers pointed out, no country, even the United States and/or Britain can claim to have a clean and perfect voters’ roll. Observers highlighted some of the challenges to Zimbabwe’s voters’ roll, but instead of allowing Zimbabweans to look at the recommendations from the continental observers, the West has decided to stick to recommendations made by local observers such as ZESN, which they heavily fund.

By relying so heavily on the MDC-T’s parallel structures, which they have been sponsoring, the West never realised how the MDC-T was soon going to be history.

Why do they also want to give a false impression that the people that were turned away were MDC-T supporters only? If ZESN and its partners had the interests of Zimbabwe at heart, they would have told their sponsors the truth, that even Zanu-PF supporters were turned away?

However, the West seems bent on using the MDC-T’s demise to create a collision course with Africa. The West has decided to spurn the different African observer missions that declared the elections peaceful, free, fair and credible.

Even the facilitator to the Global Political Agreement, Sadc facilitator President Jacob Zuma congratulated President Mugabe for taking 61 percent of the votes.

But the West still thinks that it can play big brother and display their holier than thou attitude. When the violence motif failed, the best way they could reject President Mugabe’s thunderous victory was to find flimsy reasons of extending the illegal sanctions. We hope that Africa sees through the West’s hypocrisy and double standards.

However, when all is said and done, Zimbabweans have spoken. They do not need minders to tell them what their choices imply. So, the West must back off. If they are not prepared to accept the people’s choice and deal with the Zimbabwean leadership as equal partners, they should realise that there are other countries that are willing to work with Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe will also not brook any threats against the democratic choices it makes. We are masters of our destiny, and we are charting our destiny. The West and their proxies should never fool themselves that what worked in other parts of the world at their instigation, will work in Zimbabwe. We fought hard to attain independence, and we will safeguard it jealously.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201308051306.html?viewall=1

Zimbabwe: 2013 Harmonised Elections

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From: Yona Maro

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network has produced a report compiled by its observers which suggests that the credibility of the 2013 Harmonised Elections is seriously compromised by a systematic effort to disenfranchise an estimated million voters.

http://allafrica.com/download/resource/main/main/idatcs/00070568:107161b922b1b7a35687381085a286e5.pdf

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More of the same or dawn of a new era in Zimbabwe?

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From: This is Africa

Greetings friends,

It’s election time in Zimbabwe and the turnout is high. Are the elections “free and fair” this time, as President Mugabe claims, or are the polls a “huge farce”, as stated by Prime Minister Tsvangarai? We’ll be much the wiser by this time next week, but until then we invite you to join TIA from tomorrow night (7pm local time) and for the next few nights as we bring you live video reports from the streets and from our studio in Harare where we’ll be discussing all the important incidents and issues relating to these elections. The video reports will stream right from that top spot on our homepage.

In the meantime, sit back and relax to one of our radio streams as you enjoy the rest of this update.

Peace.

Siji Jabbar (Editor, This is Africa)

Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe: from irredeemable villain to benevolent statesman?

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from: This is Africa

Greetings fellow travellers and culture vultures,

Could Robert Mugabe be mellowing with age? Or are his more recent media excursions part of a clever PR campaign? Zimbabwe’s presidential elections are but weeks away, after all. That said, Mugabe has never cared much about PR in the past, so why now? We hope our attempt to answer these questions gives you something to chew on.
http://funx.dmd.omroep.nl/x/c/?Hc2LDcIgEADQVVjgxLamFRNGcIgrvQIJv8AZ4vTYOMDLM3qaR9RPtY2q53VZR9DTY1HDacdcXlL23m.sfPMNz_oN3iLJXHzyOcmDGH2Qk1L3Tda8U2WIH4s7QYNSwWAs6G0CdgSVTMCIfEHIJyAEsmi_49DvPxEgWo50XckKzsI46iKnHwA48

Enjoy the rest of this update.

Peace.

Siji Jabbar (Editor, This is Africa)

SADC Statement on Zimbabwe Constitutional Referendum

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From: Abdalah Hamis
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SADC ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE

STATEMENT BY HON. BERNARD KAMILLIUS MEMBE,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

AND

HEAD OF THE SADC ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE HELD ON 16 MARCH 2013
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· The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC);
· Esteemed Leaders of the Political Parties;
· The Select Committee of Parliament on the New Constitution(COPAC);
· Honourable Ministers;
· Honourable Members of Parliament;
· The Executive Secretary of SADC;
· Members of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council;
· The SADC Facilitation Team;
· Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
· Religious Leaders;
· Members of Civil Society;
· Esteemed Members of various Election Observation Missions;
· Esteemed Members of the Media;
· Distinguished Guests;
· Ladies and Gentlemen

It is indeed an honour and pleasure to welcome you all to this important event, the presentation of the SADC Election Observation Mission (SEOM) Statement on the Constitutional Referendum in the Republic of Zimbabwe.

INTRODUCTION

SADC being one the Guarantors of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) has noted with appreciation the implementation of Article 6 of the GPA which outlines the processes and timeframes leading to the holding of the Referendum.

It is against this backdrop and in accordance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was invited by the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe to observe the Referendum held on 16 March 2013.

In light of the above, the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, officially constituted the SEOM to the Republic of Zimbabwe and mandated the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr.Tomáz Salamão to facilitate the administrative and logistical support for the Mission.

The Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation appointed me, Bernard Kamillius Membe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania, to head the Mission.

The SEOM was officially launched in Harare, Zimbabwe,on 10 March 2013.

After days of intensive work, the SEOM has the honour to deliver its statement on the outcome of its observation of the Constitutional Referendum in Zimbabwe.

THE ROLE OF THE SADC REFERENDUM OBSERVATION MISSION

The Mission derives its mandate from the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, which emanate from the African Union (AU) Declaration on the Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa and the AU Guidelines for African Union Election Observation and Monitoring Missions.The Mission also worked within the legal framework of the Republic of Zimbabwe.

In developing the nature and scope of our observation, the Mission sought to determine the existence of the following pre-conditions for a credible referendum:

(i) Constitutional and legal guarantees of freedoms and rights of citizens;

(ii) Conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections;

(iii) Timeous announcement of the referendum date;

(iv) Neutral location of the polling station;

(v) Counting of the votes at the polling stations

During the launch of the SEOM, Observers were directed to adhere to the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections in the performance of their duties. Emphasis was placed on the following:

That the Observers must comply with the laws and regulations of the Republic of Zimbabwe and relevant international instruments governing democratic elections;

That they should maintain strict impartiality in the conduct of their duties, and shall at no time express any bias or preference in relation to national authorities, parties and organisations in the Constitutional Referendum;

That they will base all reports and conclusions on well documented, factual and verifiable evidence from a multiple number of credible sources as well as their own eye-witness accounts; and

That they should work harmoniously with each other and other election observation missions/organisations in their areas of deployment.

DEPLOYMENT OF SEOM OBSERVERS

Guided by the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, the Mission deployed twelve (12) teams of observers across all ten (10) provinces of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Observers were given the responsibility to observe the Constitutional Referendum and to give comprehensive accounts of their findings in their areas of deployment in order for the Mission to provide an informed assessment.

The SEOM deployed seventy eight (78) observers drawn from various sectors of SADC Member States including Members of Parliament and civil society.

CONSULTATIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS

In discharging its duties, the SEOM interacted with the relevant stakeholders in order to gather information on various aspects of the referendum. The stakeholders included inter alia:

Parties to the Global Political Agreement

Other political parties
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP);
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC);
The Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee (COPAC);
Non-Governmental Organisations;
The European Union Diplomatic Mission and the Embassies of the USA, Australia, Canada and Norway;
the SADC Parliamentary Forum; and

Other Observer Missions

These interactions have assisted the SADC Election Observation Mission to understand the prevailing political environment in the country.

MAJOR ISSUES RAISED BY STAKEHOLDERS

The SEOM wishes to highlight some of the issues of concern expressed by some Stakeholders in the Constitutional Referendum. These include, inter alia, the following:

Timeous availability of resources to ZEC for preparation of the Referendum;

Concern about possible apathy;

Insufficient copies of the Draft Constitution distributed to the electorate;

Inadequate time allocated for the electorate to acquaint themselves with the Draft Constitution;

Inadequate time for some stakeholdersto conduct campaigns/civic education;

Non accreditation of some local Observers;

Poor signage and identification of some polling stations;

Inaccessibility of polling stations in some areas;

Polarised media

Isolated reports of intimidation and harassment

THE SEOM pursued some of these concerns in a systematic manner by conducting further investigations and at times sought clarification from relevant parties. Some of the responses provided regarding the abovementioned concerns were as follows:

· On timeous availability of resources for preparation of the Referendum, the Mission gathered that ZEC had received the bulk of their funding just before the Referendum. However, the Mission observed that the funding challenge did not hamper the overall Referendum.

· Regarding insufficient copies of the Draft Constitution distributed to the electorate; the Mission was informed by COPAC that 90,000 copies of the Draft Constitution, including audio and braille versions, were distributed across the country. Furthermore, the Mission learned that there were some existing mechanisms in place to access the Draft Constitution such as the COPAC website and regional offices.

· With respect to inadequate time allocated for the electorate to acquaint themselves with the Draft Constitution; the Mission noted that the electorate had between (15th of February being the proclamation of the date of the Referendum to the 15thMarch 2013) to acquaint themselves with the Draft Constitution. The Mission observed that the Referendum took place within the provisions of the GPA Article 6 and the Referendum Act, Articles 3 and 4.

· Regarding inaccessibility of polling stations in some areas; the Mission observed that due to inaccessibility of some areas, the transportation and distribution of polling materials as well as the polling officers was airlifted by ZEC.

· The SEOM noted reports of isolated cases of intimidation and harassment in some areas and in particular in Mbare, Harare. The SEOM condemn these acts of violence and pledge to law enforcement agents to objectively deal with these matters as they arise.

PRE-REFERENDUM PHASE

The Mission observed that the pre-referendum phase was characterized by a largely tolerant and peaceful civic atmosphere. In general, ZEC, COPAC and other relevant stakeholders conducted their work in a transparent, orderly and professional manner without any hindrance.

With regards to the eligibility of voters, the Mission noted that according to the Referendum Act, voters are not required to register for the Referendum and only those who are at least eighteen (18) years old and have a national ID card, waitingpass or valid passport can vote at any polling station across the country.

POLLING PROCESS

The Mission observed that most polling stations were opened by polling officers at the official time of 07:00 and closed at 19:00 in the presence of security and Observers. Furthermore, special arrangements were made for voters with special needs, such as priority queue for the elderly, expectant and/or nursing mothers and people with disabilities. The Mission observed the professional conduct of the polling staff.

COUNTING PROCESS

The Mission observed that the counting process began immediately after the closing of the polling stations. The counting process was conducted procedurally. Furthermore, procedures for secure counting of votes were adhered to. In addition, the Mission witnessed and followed closely the counting of votes together with the polling officers without any hindrance.

BEST DEMOCRATIC PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNT

In the course of observing the Referendum, the Mission noted that over and above, general adherence to the relevant national legal instruments and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. The following best democratic practices and lessons in the Zimbabwean Referendum were observed:

Provision of adequate logistical and material support by the ZEC to ensure that all citizens of voting age were able to participate in the referendum;

Prompt accreditation of Observers;

Provision of several polling streams that expedited the voting process;

Use of indelible ink to prevent double voting;

Use of translucent ballot boxes;

High state of preparedness by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, by providing adequate security that facilitated a peaceful environment for the Referendum;

SADC ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION RECOMMENDATIONS

Upon completion of the observation exercise, the Mission is pleased to share the following recommendations with the citizens and the stakeholders of the Republic of Zimbabwe:

Encourage the establishment of a mechanism through which funds for elections could be timely availed;

Encourage the update of the voters’ roll in time for elections;

Encourage continuous voter education;

CONCLUSION

The Mission is pleased to share its findings and observations with the people of Zimbabwe and all relevant stakeholders. In general, the Mission observed that the polling process was conducted in a peaceful, transparent and smooth manner.

The Mission has come to the conclusion that although some of the concerns raised are pertinent, they are, nevertheless, not of such magnitude as to affect the credibility of the overall Referendum.

We also wish to commend ZEC for the professional and dedicated manner in which they delivered a successful referendum to the people of Zimbabwe.

On behalf of the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania and on behalf of the entire SADC family, I wish to sincerely congratulate the Government, ZEC and the people of Zimbabwe for holding a peaceful and credible Constitutional Referendum on 16 March 2013.

This is a major step in the implementation of the GPA and I therefore would like to take this opportunity to encourage the political leadership and all the people of Zimbabwe to uphold peace and stability.

Thank you very much.

Source: http://www.wavuti.com/4/previous/2.html#ixzz2NuJY1tnI

Final Draft of The Zimbabwean Constitution

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From: Yona Maro

This document carries the final version of the draft constitution which was approved by the principals to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), from ZANU-PF and the two MDC factions, as well as by the co-chairs of the country’s Constitution Select Committee (COPAC), which led the process and was mandated to ‘ensure a people-driven constitution’.

[ Attachment 1: Download Resource (.pdf) ]
http://allafrica.com/download/resource/main/main/idatcs/00051799:95e970308cce5787b761637cde18cb26.pdf

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Africa – Dark Continent No More

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From: Yona Maro

AFRICA is a continent on the rebound. Poverty is still evident, some parts are still at war, diseases remain a challenge but the world must not be fooled. The continent is a giant that is awakening.

In fact, this has been happening over the past few years but many, even the Africans themselves, have hardly been noticing.

But now things are moving at such a pace the continent is now difficult to ignore, or the world can do so at its own peril.

The World Economic Forum on Africa, a meeting of minds in government, business, civil society, the academia, media and the arts held its 22nd summit in Ethiopia last week where Africa’s transformation was under the spotlight.

More than 700 delegates from 76 countries attended the summit hosted by Ethiopia, itself a country considered the third fastest growing in the world, at an average 8,1 percent Gross Domestic Product growth.

The various statistics released during the Forum from all perspectives showed that the continent is experiencing real transformation with its 2 percent share of global foreign direct investment set to grow phenomenally over the next few years now that the world’s attention has shifted to this continent.

The famous Asian Tigers are fast being tamed by the aggressive “Lions of Africa” as the continent shrugs off the demeaning tag of poverty, darkness, war and disease that it has been known for, for a long time. The picture of wars, hunger and dirt is fast being replaced by that of sunshine, improved infrastructure, wealth and a better quality of life.

The continent is not yet there but there is light at the not too far end of the tunnel.

The body language, the tone of presentations and discussions at the forum told a story of a continent that has suddenly found itself and is raring go.

It certainly was about time that we changed the world’s view on Africa. Often times the minute you say you are from Africa, one suddenly begins to talk about civil strife, diseases and poverty levels instead of engaging on more progressive issues such as ICT development.

But such speakers as Africa Development Bank president Donald Kaberuka and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other prominent speakers stressed that that phase was fast disappearing and a new Africa was about to change the global complexion.

These were no mere sentiments or wishful thinking. Mr Kaberuka said the past decade had been the most progressive for Africa in the last 50 years.

The continent is faring well and is one of the fastest growing regions despite the economic crisis in the West.

In fact, Africa is expected to maintain an average 5 percent growth rate over the next decade.

Sustainable growth would have to be inclusive, with various programmes and projects targeted at the youth, women and micro and small businesses. The need to generate employment for the millions that are jobless cannot be overemphasised.

Of course, challenges such as low intra-Africa trade, corruption, poor infrastructure, political instability in some instances and other impediments to growth would have to be addressed in the process.

As I listened through and participated in some of the discussions at the World Economic Forum, my country Zimbabwe kept coming to my mind.

This country should not be left out of the renaissance and should make the most of the mileage gained by the continent.

The resurgence on the continent resonates well with what has been happening in Zimbabwe on the economic front. This country is the fastest growing in the region and its inflation is the lowest. This, coming from a hyperinflation state only three years ago, is something that has begun to catch the eye of investors and development partners.

Zimbabwe’s economy, although coming from a very low base, has been on the mend.

We were discussing with colleagues over lunch yesterday, the 2007-2008 era when carrying a loaf of bread home would make news and when a petrol attendant in South Africa would easily recognise a Zimbabwean because they always said “pane petrol here?” (is there petrol here?) when to the South Africans it was obvious that a fuel station would naturally have petrol and diesel.

But that phase belongs to history and Zimbabwe will need to consolidate its gains and move the economy further up the ranks.

However, challenges such as perception on indigenisation, poor electricity supply, political disharmony in some instances and poor infrastructure presently threaten the gains that have been made to date.

The economy is expected to grow by 9,4 percent but already some schools of thought argue that the figure will need to be revised downwards.

The country has begun to interest investors with planeloads of businesspeople coming from South Africa, Asia and some parts of Europe but it is the policies we implement here that will determine whether the inquiries will amount to much.

Electricity is a key production component but the challenges at Zesa are compromising Zimbabwe’s competitiveness in terms of trade and investment.

What does it take for Zesa to operate effectively? When will the electricity challenges end? Why have they persisted for this long?

Furthermore, the liquidity challenges have constricted economic activity and the challenges in this respect seem to be worsening.

What strategies do we presently have in place to tame the situation? When should we anticipate a softening of the tight liquidity crunch?

Is there a roundtable where Government, business, labour, civil society and the academia are bringing their minds together to resolve the problems confronting the economy?

Are such platforms as the Tripartite Negotiating Forum and the National Economic Consultative Forum actively engaged in finding solutions?

Is the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries holding emergency meetings to proffer solutions from a business perspective or do we wait for their next annual conference to deliberate on issues?

What is the Business Council of Zimbabwe presently seized with?

To what extend has the one-stop investment authority eliminated the cumbersome process of starting business in Zimbabwe?

Has the country been visible enough to the outside world?

These are some of the questions that need answers as Zimbabwe anticipates an improved economy where business thrive, jobs become available and where the ordinary person can afford a decent meal, healthcare and other facilities to do with their welfare.

At the World Economic Forum Zimbabwe was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, Finance Minister Tendai Biti, Investment Promotion and Economic Planning Minister Tapiwa Mashakada and his permanent secretary Dr Desire Sibanda, among others.

From the business sector, I noticed Kingdom Financial Holdings founder and director Nigel Chanakira, among others.

In my interactions with them, they were upbeat about the country and felt progress would be made once a few issues as stated above were settled.

Professor Mutambara said Zimbabwe had a good story to sell and him and his team were at the Forum to keep a present on the global stage and to benefit from the ideas and thoughts exchanged at such platforms as the WEF meetings.

Let’s see what the next half of the year has in store for this country.

We will collectively have a say in this country’s future.

In God I Trust

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php#

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EAC SECRETARY GENERAL SPEECH AT THE OPENING OF CHURUNDU BORDER POST

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STATEMENT BY AMB. JUMA V. MWAPACHU, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE COMESA-EAC-SADC TRIPARTITE TASK FORCE DURING THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE CHIRUNDU ONE STOP BORDER POST, 5TH DECEMBER 2009, CHIRUNDU, ZAMBIA-ZIMBABWE BORDER

Your Excellency, Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe,

Your Excellency, Rupiah Bwezani Banda, President of Zambia,

Honourable Ministers,

Your Excellencies Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Heads of International and Regional Organizations,

Distinguished Representatives of DFID and JICA,

My colleagues, Sindiso Ngwenya and Dr. Tomaz Augusto Salomao, the CEOs of COMESA and SADC,

Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am honoured and profoundly privileged as Chair of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force of Chief Executive officers to thank your Excellencies, our dear Heads of State, for your distinguished presence at this event of historic importance to our region and to Africa.

Your Excellencies,

This event marking the official Launch of the Chirundu One Stop Border Post, the first of its kind in Africa, is a lucid demonstration of the new dynamic in regional integration; a dynamic whose underlying ethos is the forward movement towards the realization of the African Economic Community.

Your Excellencies,

Our region, sparked by the vision and resolve of our political leaders in COMESA, SADC and the East African Community, is path breaking in collapsing the artificial national borders created by colonialism and taking revolutionary strides towards unleashing a new economic integration momentum. A higher growth and sustainable trajectory and indeed the economic liberation of the people of our regional crucially hinges on this dynamic political leadership and on the measures being unfolded of which this One Stop Border Post is only a small manifestation. The bigger resolve is what our leaders decided in October last year in Kampala, Uganda that COMESA-EAC and SADC proceed expeditiously to establish a Grand Free Trade Area followed by a Customs Union. Much headway has been realized on this front. Indeed as we meet here, all the Member States of our three Regional Communities are now reviewing concrete proposals which our Task Force led by the three CEOs have developed and tabled. Our plan is that our political leaders should by May next year pronounce themselves on the establishment of the Grand Free Trade Area.

Your Excellencies,

Within the framework of the Tripartite arrangements, there have been resolute efforts taken, even prior to the establishment of the Grand FTA, to address our region’s transport and logistics deficits. This is in the realization that supply side constraints distort our region’s costs of doing business and undermine our economic competitiveness. It is this realization that gave birth to the North-South Corridor Development Project within which the Chirundu One Stop Border Post is an inherent part. In April this year at Lusaka, the Tripartite Leadership supported by a number of close Development Partners, notably DFID, JICA, EU, World Bank, African Development Bank and Development Bank of Southern Africa, the North-South Corridor Project was able to attract USD1.2 billion in funding pledges. DBSA is raising an additional USD1.5 billion for the project.

Your Excellencies,

Years of cross-border trade experience around the world and not just in Africa have shown that the costs of doing business are invariably distorted where the efficiency of supply chains, both in exports and imports, is thwarted by poor facilitation at border points. A recent study report of the World Bank points out that in fact only 25% of the supply chain high costs are attributable to poor physical infrastructure. 75% of the cost distortion is contributed by what are described as soft infrastructure deficits. These are principally people-driven and related to cumbersome customs procedures, bureaucratic behavior and corruption. It is these trade facilitation deficits that the One Stop Border Posts seek to address. And this Chirundu One-Stop Border Post is in this vein a milestone project. A model whose success will constitute a huge case for replication around our COMESA-EAC-SADC region and Africa generally. We have every confidence that this Chirundu Project will significantly reduce supply chain transaction costs, spur higher trade flows and boost the competitiveness of our industries and agriculture.

Let me offer a real example. Currently, it takes 2-3 days for a haulage truck to cross the Chirundu Border point. If you consider that Chirundu handles an average of 268 trucks per day, this translates to a traffic volume of 96,840 trucks per annum, as a minimum. From our calculation, it costs each truck USD140 per day in fixed costs and Drivers’ time. Thus for 3 days, the cost per truck is US$420. This cost is saved by use of the Chirundu One Stop Border Posts because it is now estimated that each truck should not take more than 2 hours to cross and only 15 minutes for fast track pre-cleared traffic. In our estimation, the potential cost saving per annum is about USD486 million which accrues to our economies and leverages competitiveness.

Your Excellencies,

The advantages realized from the One Stop Border Post are not merely economic. They are also social and importantly so. Public health research in our broad region shows that there is close association between high incidences of HIV/AIDs transmission and delays in border crossings of haulage trucks. Chirundu and other planned One Stop Border Posts will contribute to a significant reduction in HIV/AIDs vulnerability in this important regional economic sector.

Your Excellencies,

Allow me to conclude by thanking DFID and JICA for their financial and technical support to this Chirundu Project. DFID and JICA are working closely with the Tripartite to develop other Transport Corridors in the COMESA-EAC-SADC region notably the Northern Corridor in Kenya and the Central Corridor in Tanzania. These corridors will further open up the economic spaces embracing Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Eastern DRC.

Your Excellencies,

The Governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia have made a huge contribution to this Chirundu Project. The presence of Presidents Mugabe and Banda here today attests to their valued support of this One Stop Border Post Project. We hail this support and salute our comrade Presidents for their solidarity. Finally, special gratitude to Mr. Kingsley Chanda, the Manager and Coordinator of this One Stop Border Post Project. He has done a commendable job.

Your Excellencies,

Friends,

On behalf of the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Task Force, I have great honour to invite their Excellencies, President Robert Mugabe and President Rupiah Banda to address us and officially inaugurate the Chirundu One Stop Border Post.

I THANK YOU.