Do i live in a country with natural-born fools
These are just a view of weekly excerpts from our news
HARARE – Cash strapped Zimbabweans will have to folk out more after government announced plans to bill boreholes, a move that has rattled citizens.Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) which governs the country’s water bodies has embarked on a drive to install meters on boreholes country wide. Environment, Water and Climate deputy minister Simon Musanhu told the Daily News in a telephone interview yesterday that he supported plans for boreholes owners to be taxed. “Consumption of underground water must be billed because it contributes to the depletion of the water table. “Mind you underground water levels have significantly reduced. In the past, one could access the underground water at 15 metres and now some people are drilling boreholes that go as far as 60 metres,” “This shows that the water table has depreciated and it is therefore important that we monitor the underground water.” Musanhu said.
The fact that the majority of residents in the northern suburbs have sunk boreholes in their yards does not mean they wanted to do so. But water shortages have driven residents to find an alternative Zinwa has indicated that they want all boreholes to be fitted with water meters, this is the height of exploitation of the people who have come to the aid of a collapsing service delivery system The government water utility should be grateful that these citizens did not take the government to court for failure to honour its obligations. If they decide to pursue that line of argument to have water metres on every bore hole, then the water utility should seriously consider putting in place a fund to compensate residents who drilled the boreholes at personal expenses, because we cannot have a government’s agency that generates revenue without investing a single cent They need to be accountable to the citizenry and not employ bully tactics to fundraise.Now we have a government agency trying to raise funds by taxing natural resources that citizens have taken the initiative and drilled for and have payed for !!
Then the latest news to grace our papers is Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona has reportedly kicked out a white farmer from his farm.Citing an army colonel, Nathan said he was given a short time to vacate the farm. “I have been in contact with Zanu PF and they have promised no more farm invasions,” he said. “Now there are people here and they have taken the farm. On Friday I had a message from Colonel Nkatazo to say that Bona, Mugabe’s daughter wants the farm. We are busy taking our trailers and tractors off the land.” We just have been told to get off the farm. There are people who are here who purport to be the police but won’t give us their names or IDs.”
But of late, Mugabe has been fanning fresh farm invasions, insisting that the few remaining white farmers should leave and go back to Europe, the land of their fore-bearers.Considering Mugabe’s wife Grace recently revealed that she personally led the invasion of her Iron Mask farm in Mazowe, claiming it was a way of leading by example.Slowly but surely This government has enhanced their self-enrichment program at a cost to our country and its citizens. The sad thing about this all is it came at a cost of food for votes politics and the rural areas have sold out for a bag of maize ,Today almost 2 millions Zimbabweans are below the poverty line but this is an estimate considering almost 85% of our population is unemployed
Moving along the next story to grab my attention is the so-called water plight of HARARE According to sources the capital city could turn into a “dust bowl” due to unprecedented poaching of underground water by merchants, who are depleting the water table and creating a potential freshwater crisis. In true non acceptance of responsibility for maintaining and improving the existent water infrastructure (dams , water catchment areas and water treatment facility’s the water authority who have allowed existing infrastructure to deteriorate has attempted to pass the blame onto private citizens for installing bore holes in a city which they cannot provide an adequate water supply to .If you consider the city’s last major water crisis occurred in 2008, triggering a nationwide cholera outbreak that resulted in more than 4 000 deaths and affected close to 100 000 people. and that
The United Nations promptly averted further disaster by helping drill boreholes across the city. The boreholes have, however, since either dried up or broken down. A few are still operational. .Our city Harare is currently losing 65 percent of all the water it is purifying through leaks from Poorly Maintained infrastructure . We as citizens should know where to point to failure and not listen to these excuses
Then the latest news to grace our papers is Robert Mugabe’s daughter Bona has reportedly kicked out a white farmer from his farm.Citing an army colonel, Nathan said he was given a short time to vacate the farm. “I have been in contact with Zanu PF and they have promised no more farm invasions,” he said. “Now there are people here and they have taken the farm. On Friday I had a message from Colonel Nkatazo to say that Bona, Mugabe’s daughter wants the farm. We are busy taking our trailers and tractors off the land.” We just have been told to get off the farm. There are people who are here who purport to be the police but won’t give us their names or IDs.”
But of late, Mugabe has been fanning fresh farm invasions, insisting that the few remaining white farmers should leave and go back to Europe, the land of their fore-bearers.Considering Mugabe’s wife Grace recently revealed that she personally led the invasion of her Iron Mask farm in Mazowe, claiming it was a way of leading by example.Slowly but surely This government has enhanced their self-enrichment program at a cost to it’s this country and its citizens. The sad thing about this all is it came at a cost of food for votes politics and the rural areas have sold out for a bag of maize ,Today almost 2 millions Zimbabweans are below the poverty line but this is an estimate considering almost 85% of our population is unemployed
Moving along the next story to grab my attention was and is how CHITUNGWIZA Council in midnight demolition blitz destroyed accommodation and made people homeless taking a page out of the governments book (Operation Murambatsvina (Restore Order) cost some 700,000 Zimbabweans their homes or livelihoods or both and otherwise affected nearly a fifth of our troubled country’s population. George Makunde, the town clerk, admitted council had resumed its demolition exercise sanctioned by a government audit report on FROM P1
the illegal land deals in Chitungwiza, Yet while interviewing Bonface Manyonganise, an alleged land baron, at the site of one of the demolished structures. Manyonganise, accused of illegally allocating land, led residents to block previous demolitions after council had demolished a cottage in Zengeza 5 Extension. Manyonganise said council had no right to demolish his building because he had legally acquired the land.He said: “This stand is not bogus. I am not a direct beneficiary, but bought the stand from a genuine seller.”
The property owners, the majority of whom are Zanu PF youths claimed a political hand was influencing the demolitions, arguing that council does not work at night. Zanu PF district chairman, Lovemore Muzuwa expressed concern at his party’s insensitiveness saying it would cost it support in the future and called upon the party leadership to urgently address the problem. “We have Zanu PF people in council, but it is surprising that they are at the forefront directing the demolitions and we do not know how they expect us to go to the same people to tell them to support the party.“They are destroying the party because of their behaviour. Some of the people bought the stands from Bhunu and Muchesa,” said Muzuwa.
It is strange when you consider Section 74 of the country’s Constitution states that no person may be evicted from their home, or have their home demolished, without an order of court made after considering all the relevant circumstances. yet the council acted illegally .with its destruction of the said property’s
On a different note People have been hit again by price hikes caused by a hike in fuel prices triggered by an upward review of tax on fuel by government, which is desperate to raise cash to fund a tight budget. Government increased excise duty on fuel by US$0,05 with fuel service stations immediately responding by hiking prices by up to eight cents per litre.Patrick Chinamasa also increased duty on car imports. This forced car dealers to adjust prices upwards by varying margins. He also increased tax on mobile phone airtime.For my fellow citizens who are already on the poverty line or unemployed this will affect them even worse because for a long time now everything most people have classed as essentials have become treats and luxuries .At length we are getting to a stage and state where only government ministers will have cash to purchace grocery and the common man will become the responsibility of the UN feeding programs .
In truth i would like to say something positive about our current government but in 34 years there is not one item that spring to mind
Tribulations and Freedom 