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Latest: President Mugabe calls for transparency in conservancies | The Herald

Posted on November 7, 2013 by ZimSitRep_J — 1 Comment ↓


via Latest: President Mugabe calls for transparency in conservancies | The Herald November 7, 2013 by Herald Reporter

President Mugabe has called for transparency and accountability in the allocation of hunting licences in the country’s conservancies.

Speaking before the start of the Zanu PF Politburo meeting today, President Mugabe said the allocation seems to be shrouded in mystery.

“We can’t have a country run like that when we have forests and our people are excluded. We don’t know what is happening, we don’t know what the activities are. Less still we don’t know how much they are getting from these conservancies. We don’t know how they account for the money,” said President Mugabe.

The Politburo meeting, currently underway, is expected to discuss the new economic blueprint Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset), preparations for the 14th People’s Conference with the theme likely to be finalised as well as the provincial elections.

Details to follow……

http://www.herald.co.zw/presid...ls-for-transparency/

President calls for transparency

November 8, 2013 Headlines, Top Stories



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President Mugabe has called for transparency and accountability in the allocation of hunting licences in the country’s conservancies.
Speaking to the former Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister Francis Nhema before the start of the Zanu-PF Politburo meeting in Harare yesterday, President Mugabe said the allocation of the licences and operations of the conservancies seemed to be shrouded in secrecy.

He said ordinary Zimbabweans were entitled to operate in the conservancies as an empowerment tool.
“We cannot run a country like that, a situation where we have forests and our people are excluded from them,” President Mugabe said.

“We do not know what is happening there, we do not know the activities taking place, less still we do not know how much money they are getting and how that money is accounted for. The way people come in and out seems to be done in secrecy. We do not know what the Boers are doing in the forests.”



Minister Nhema told the President that the hunting licences were awarded through tenders.
Interjected President Mugabe: “A tender which only a Minister might know. Why can’t it be open like what happens on the farms.”
President Mugabe said indigenous people should have access to the conservancies and they should own them.

He tasked Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere with ensuring that everything that happens in the country’s conservancies was open for public scrutiny, including the revenue that is realised from the wildlife sanctuary.

“Ensure the curtain is raised so that whatever drama takes place there we must watch as the audience,” President Mugabe said.
Minister Nhema said to ensure accountability, the hunters fill forms for every concession they have.

“There are forms they fill and within the provinces there are provincial heads who participated in the allocation of those concessions,” he said.

“In a way, Your Excellency, and if you recall during the time of Cde (Joseph) Msika there was a committee of Governors and that is where the issues were discussed from each of the provinces.

“These Governors would also work hand in hand with provincial and district administrators.”
Traditional leaders in the Save Valley Conservancy last year complained that their communities were not benefiting from the conservancies.

An inter-ministerial team led by the then Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara was established last year during the tenure of the inclusive Government to investigate the matter and present recommendations to Cabinet, but it failed to deliver.

Seven chiefs later signed a partnership agreement with operators for communities to jointly assume control of the wildlife-rich conservancy.

Meanwhile, President Mugabe was presented with a portrait of himself by 23-year-old Clemence Magadzire at the Zanu-PF headquarters yesterday.

POS has decided to copy Obama, yell transparency and cover it all up.....

quote:

Originally posted by DTala:
POS has decided to copy Obama, yell transparency and cover it all up.....

Obama is Mugabe's protege...like-father-like-son!

Hard to read anything positive out of this.

quote:

President Mugabe has called for transparency and accountability

That was a good one, I will be laughing my ass off all day on that one.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Hard to read anything positive out of this.

Agree with this observation. Sounds like impending move on private holdings (again). Coupled with the recently announced price-gouging trophy fees, if my 2015 leopard hunt happens, it will be a miracle. I think for us in the "5%" crowd, Africa's about over...

The forests and the conservancies will become transparent as they are turned into charcoal and the game wiped out. One will be able to see clean through them, from one side to the other side. Then the Nordic states and other assorted twats will give their citizen's money to the residents of a transparent desert in the name of socialist charity.

http://www.zimbabwesituation.c...must-be-scrutinised/



Conservancies must be scrutinised

Posted on November 9, 2013 by ZimSitRep_J — 3 Comments ↓


via EDITORIAL COMMENT: Conservancies must be scrutinised | The Herald November 9, 2013

WITH the economy experiencing mild recession against a backdrop of tightening liquidity and a thinning tax base, the need for effective handling of every revenue stream Government has access to cannot be over-emphasised. Zimbabwe is in desperate need for funding and President Mugabe’s call for transparency in awarding hunting licences came at the right time when all stops need to be pulled to ensure the successful revival of the economy.

Zimbabwe has abundant wildlife resources but unfortunately has not used this to its advantage on a wide-scale as the allocation of hunting licences is, as the President said, shrouded in secrecy even though it is supposed to be awarded in an open tender.

This means over the years, this industry has only benefited a few individuals and not the populace as whole.

Herein lies the problem: from the latest Government accounts produced by the Accountants General’s department for August 31, 2013, Government spending continues to outstrip revenue with the period showing a deficit of US$7,34 million.

Tax revenue was at US$209,69 million, a figure which was US$28,21 million below budget but a better than expected contribution from fees, fines and licences saw total revenue in the period outstrip the budget. Tax revenue in the third quarter was below target due to sluggish economic performance in the run up to elections.

The reality is the tax base is not going to grow in these hard economic times but will shrink as there are massive business closures and retrenchments. The Government stands to lose more than tax revenue from such a development.

There is need to fund Government’s recurrent expenditure which is mainly made up of the civil service wage bill at 93 percent of total expenditure.

With civil servants salaries due for a poverty datum line-linked salary increase, Government should sit down and evaluate its revenue streams. As it stands now the International Monetary Fund and other Bretton Woods institutions are not going to inject any capital in this country until the debt overhang is dealt with while other friendlier countries such as China have set stringent conditions.

We need to move away from talking about the problems this economy is facing and start looking in the positive. Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa at a Securities and Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe event held during the week in Harare said Zimbabweans need to start creating positive energy around the situation and quit focusing on the negatives.

The truth from the latest Government financial report is clear; more money going forward is going to be made from fees, fines and licences and Government would do well to improve its systems in order to capture the revenue that is coming from the structures.

The hunting sector is one of the biggest streams where Government can draw revenue from. Tenders should be floated and awarded in a transparent manner. But above all, in light with Government’s thrust on indigenisation and empowerment such lucrative businesses should also benefit the communities around them.

Unfortunately, this ministry with huge revenue potential is one of those ministries that do not enjoy the spotlight like others such as Finance, Labour and Indigenisation.

By not being in the spotlight, it presents an opportunity for dodgy activities and individual profiteering opportunities even at the highest level.

Corruption should not be tolerated and every department and ministry should be held accountable for whatever actions they take and immediately be brought in line if there’s a hole.

The President did well by asking about the matter to the former Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Francis Nhema and later tasking the new minister Saviour Kasukuwere to ensure that everything which happens in the country’s conservancies is open for public scrutiny, including the revenue that is realised from the wildfire sanctuaries.