National

Bleak future for Zimbabwean families depending on breadwinners in South Africa

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2022

VicFallsLive

BY JOSEPH CHIRUME

“I am having sleepless nights,” says Violet Matambo.

She lives in Harare and depends on money from her brother in South Africa.

Matambo is anxious that her brother, who has been working in South Africa as a teacher for more than 15 years, will be forced to leave his job and return home when the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) is terminated.

Her brother teaches in the North West province at a private college.

The money he sends home is for the upkeep of his two young children and for her 12-year-old son.

His remittances pay the rent for their three rooms in Warren Park, the children’s school fees and their groceries.

She supplements this by buying soya mince and making dishes to sell at her church.

The family is also about to complete construction of their rural home in Seke.

Matambo says the college has told her brother it will not renew his contract at the end of the year, unless he gets a new permit.

“He is a holder of a ZEP. It is difficult for him to migrate to other visas because teaching is not considered a scarce skill,” she says,

It will mean that the family has to relocate to Seke as they will no longer be able to afford Harare and its schools.

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mthuli Ncube recently told the media that the country received US$1.4 billion in 2021 in remittances from its citizens working outside the country.

Zimbabweans use various financial institutions to remit money.

Mama Money CEO Nicolas Vonthron told GroundUp, “It’s estimated that the total monthly remittance market to Zimbabwe is between R500-million to R1-billion, through both formal and informal channels.”

“We have seen an increase in Zimbabweans registering with Mama Money to send money through a regulated and reliable service.

“Some of them will be impacted and we are likely to lose some customers. We also have some team members who are from Zimbabwe who will be impacted,” he said.

Vonthron said South Africa will also be negatively impacted. “ZEP holders play a significant role in the country’s economy.

“Essential sectors like farming and hospitality will be under pressure in an already very tense context, having gone through multiple lockdowns due to the pandemic, as well as inflation.

“All these will contribute negatively to the tax base needed to support crucial services.”

Tendai Mbada, who lives in Domboshava, for example, makes the 30km journey to Harare every month to collect money sent by her two sons working in South Africa.

“My sons send more than US$600 every month to me. I pay US$100 to our cattle herdsman, who also doubles as a general hand.

“The rest is for the school fees and food of their five children and my two orphaned grandchildren,” she said.

“I am old and have been looking after the children. If my sons’ jobs are terminated, then it is doom for the family.

“The Zimbabwean government does not give its people social grants,” said Mbada. – Ground-Up

National

Do not induce bribes to ZIMRA officers: Commissioner General speaks out

Published

2 days ago

September 19, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a bid to tackle corruption head-on, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) Commissioner General Regina Chinamasa recently addressed a meeting with VicFallsLive, emphasizing the organization’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and urging citizens to join the fight.

During the meeting, Chinamasa highlighted the risks of corruption and its far-reaching impact on the economy.

“Given the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority issues, we have the risks coming in the form of corruption and as an authority we’ve got zero tolerance to corruption,” she said.

The meeting provided a platform for Chinamasa to share ZIMRA’s strategy in combating corruption, including awareness-raising among staff members and investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption.

She cited a recent case of a civil servant involved in corruption and fraud, where assets procured through ill-gotten proceeds were identified and are now subject to attachment.

Chinamasa appealed to citizens to resist and report cases of corruption, emphasizing that ZIMRA officers are public servants who are already paid and should not accept bribes.

“My message is to say it takes two to tangle, without an inducement my officers can not be corrupt, so I appeal to the citizens of Zimbabwe not to pay for service provision by ZIMRA because we are public servants and we are already paid, so resist, report cases of corruption, please do not induce bribes to our officers because at the end of the day we have a nation to build.”

National

Despite release of 8 000 inmates on amnesty, prisons remain overpopulated: Official

Published

3 days ago

September 18, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

Zimbabwe’s prison population is too high and authorities are struggling to fulfil their mandate of rehabilitating inmates, an official said on Tuesday.

Appearing before a joint sitting of parliament’s human rights committee and the justice, legal and parliamentary affairs committee, prisons commissioner general Social Ndanga said the current prison population was 22,174 and it sometimes rises up to 24,000.

“Of that figure, 21,401 are males and 772 are females,” he said. “What is very critical for us now is to equip these prisoners, these inmates, so that when they go out of prison, they become law-abiding citizens, and they don’t go back to prison.”

In April this year, over 4,000 inmates were released under a presidential amnesty, one of the methods to decongest the prisons. That mass prisoner release followed a previous one in May 2023 when Mnangagwa issued a clemency order leading to the release of 4,270 prisoners.

nterventions, Ndanga says the country’s 46 prisons remain full

There are 17 prisons, including Connemara Open Prison, that are only meant for male inmates and 26 prisons accommodate both male and female prisoners while three prisons are exclusively female.

Ndanga said authority has been granted for the construction of two modern prisons in Gwanda and at Hurungwe prison farm.

“Topographical surveys have been completed and master plan designs are in progress but budgetary constraints will obviously delay completion of the same. And also there are temporary prisons that are going to be constructed throughout the country,” he told MPs.

National

ZEDCON 2024 ends in Victoria Falls

Published

3 days ago

September 18, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference (ZEDCON) 2024 has come to a close, amid calls for unified solutions to counter climate.

The conference, held from September 15 to 17, brought together researchers, policymakers, and the private sector to discuss building resilience and driving economic transformation in the face of climate change.

Accountant General Edwin Zvandasara made the closing remarks, expressing gratitude to participants for their valuable contributions and active engagement. “I want to express my gratitude to each one of you for your invaluable contributions and active participation. Over the past three days, we have engaged in rigorous discussions and exchanged insights under the theme ‘Building Resilience and Driving Economic Transformation Under Climate Change,’” he said.

Zvandasara highlighted the inspiring depth of knowledge and expertise shared, emphasizing the urgency and opportunities presented by climate change. “The depth of knowledge and expertise shared has been nothing short of inspiring, from the in-depth analysis of meteorology trends, their implications, and innovative strategies to climate-proofing agriculture. We have collected powerful insights to bolster our economic and environmental resilience.”

The conference served as a platform for experts and practitioners to share valuable experiences, highlighting both the urgency and opportunities presented by climate change. Zvandasara acknowledged the collaborative spirit and support from partners, including the United Nations Development Program.

As Zimbabwe grapples with the devastating effects of climate change, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for urgent action to build resilience and drive economic transformation. The country has been plagued by floods, including the devastating Cyclone Idai, and is currently reeling from the El Nino effect, which has left over seven million people facing dire food shortages. The economy is on the brink, and the need for action has never been more pressing.

George Guvamatanga, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Investment Promotion, echoed the President’s sentiments, highlighting the need for adaptation and mitigation measures to cope with the impacts of climate change.

The inputs from ZEDCON 2024 will inform the 2025 budget formulation, and the conference has laid a solid foundation for progress.