Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Zimbabwe News Update: No Need to be Neutral on Sanctions

No need to be neutral on sanctions

By Tafataona Mahoso
ZImbabwe Herald

READERS of The Herald will have seen several recent stories on Nestlé and the Anglo-Saxon sanctions lobby which appeared as follows:

"Nestlé suspends Zimbabwe operations," 23 December 2009; "Nestlé saga: Deal reached," 25 December 2009; and "Nestlé saga: International Media rapped," 29 December 2009.

In addition to these stories, there was also a Press statement published on 25 December 2009 and signed by the presidents of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries and the Chamber of Mines.

The signatories were Mr Obert Sibanda, Mr Joseph Kanyekanye and Mr Victor Gapare, respectively.

From these published items, it is possible to agree on several facts which are not in dispute:

--Zimbabwe has been under illegal Anglo-Saxon sanctions since about 2000 and, currently, more than 40 companies have been especially targeted by the illegal blockade.

--The illegal Anglo-Saxon sanctions were instigated by Britain and its Rhodesian kith and kin who bribed leaders of the MDC formations into pretending that the people of Zimbabwe wanted sanctions imposed on themselves.

--The main reason for the illegal Anglo-Saxon sanctions was to stop the African land reclamation movement and to insure that it would not lead logically to a well-articulated and synchronised agrarian revolution in Zimbabwe.

Since just before the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad in early December, the Rhodesian lobby and its international network has escalated its anti-Zimbabwe campaign, targeting mining (Chiadzwa) and agriculture (Nestlé and Gushungo Holdings) in particular.

The CZI, ZNCC and Chamber of Mines have never as organisations condemned the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and their Press statement clearly avoids any mention of this most urgent and most outstanding issue, in exactly the same way Minister of Industry and Commerce Professor Welshman Ncube also avoids any mention of illegal sanctions and the sanctions lobby in his 25 and 29 December Press statements.

Precisely because the sanctions are real; precisely because there is an identifiable Rhodesian sanctions lobby which feeds lies to the Anglo-Saxon centres enforcing these sanctions.

Anyone who pretends to be neutral over the issue has in fact taken a side in sympathy with the sanctions lobby and the Anglo-Saxon powers. This is no longer the issue for debate.

What is for debate is Zimbabwe’s strategy for transforming the achievements of the African land reclamation movement into an agrarian revolution.

How can the current revolution in land tenure become a national revolution in agribusiness? What changes in industry and trade policy would be necessary to effect such a revolution?

The recently resettled farmers feel offended and threatened by the precedents set by Heinz Corporation and Nestlé precisely because the revolution in land tenure which gave rise to these new farmers has not yet developed roots and branches in the form of a nation-wide, indigenous and patriotic agribusiness.

This means there are material, attitudinal and organisational adjustments which the transport industry should be required to make in response to the recent revolution on the land; there are material, attitudinal and organisational changes which the manufacturing sector should be required to make to widen and deepen the recent indigenous revolution on the land; there are material, organisational and attitudinal changes required in the chemical industry in response to the recent revolution on the land; there are material, organisational and attitudinal changes which should be required of wholesalers, retailers and advertisers in response to the recent revolution on the land.

Even the media and the public information industry needs to be weaned from its DJ culture, which is pre-occupied with celebrations of the conspicuous consumption of imported liquor, sugar and biscuits.

Such a Rudd Concession mentality is dangerous because celebrations of the conspicuous consumption of imported goodies are no better than celebrations of imported anti-retroviral drugs without a hard-nosed confrontation with the roots and full meaning of the HIV-Aids pandemic.

Multiple foreign currencies (without a Zimbabwe dollar) are the ARVS of Zimbabwe’s Finance Policy

My reference to the HIV-Aids pandemic is not casual. Financial warfare and hyperinflation are to the finance industry what the HIV-Aids pandemic is to national health and survival.

Financial warfare and hyperinflation terrorised our population enough to force them to condemn and shun one of the engines of sovereign economic power: the Zimbabwe dollar.

HIV-Aids has also terrorised our population and forced our people to fear sex, marriage and reproduction.

Fortunately, nobody dares celebrate the permanent abandonment of reproduction and importation of aliens to replace us.

Now, any strategically thinking Zimbabwean would realise that the imported multi-currencies we are celebrating are the financial equivalent of imported anti-retroviral drugs in the fight against HIV-Aids.

Such drugs cannot replace a proper HIV-Aids policy.

If so, why should a basket of imported currencies replace a national finance policy?

Both ARVS and borrowed currencies increase our vulnerability exponentially and both should be treated as temporary tactical measures. Both are accessible mainly to privileged people or sponsored individuals; and both intensify our national insecurity because they can be cut off or otherwise manipulated without warning.

The fact that our finance sector is a ring-leader in wishing the Zimbabwe dollar a permanent death is consistent with the fact that the biggest players in this sector have been hostile to our revolution on the land and are not committed to the transformation of that land revolution into a popular indigenous agrarian revolution,

For such a revolution can never be fuelled through imported multi-currencies which are mostly in the hands of foreign-sponsored NGO programme officers and sponsored political parties who have always been opposed to the land revolution anyway.

The purpose of the land revolution is not just land redistribution. The recent indigenous land reclamation can achieve irreversible permanence and proclaim a national agrarian revolution producing value in and throughout all sectors of the economy only if that economy also undergoes revolution.

Such a revolution cannot take place if an action as arrogant and as racist as the Nestlé blockade is treated with kid gloves.

The Third Chimurenga will be complete only when a new relationship between industry and agriculture is created in Zimbabwe.

Up to now industry has been opposed to the Third Chimurenga as a matter of policy and as a matter of ideology.

This means that the best we can expect would be an industry decision to control and limit the agrarian revolution by joining it; to limit the success of reform while benefiting from it, through the over-pricing of services, through the over-pricing of manufactured inputs, and through direct and indirect financial manipulation.

This is easy to do in Zimbabwe because industry is based either on complete monopolies or on colluding cartels controlled by a racial elite or by companies from the same countries which imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Recent direct effects of the illegal sanctions on agriculture were seen in the withdrawal of Heinz Corporation from Olivine Industries and the current campaign to stop Nestlé from buying milk from repossessed farms.

In the early 1980s, when global capitalism was seeking ways to condemn the land reform movement and replace it with market reform (ESAP), French Professor François Ferroux warned agricultural economists about this problem of inequality between agriculture and industry:

"Flaws in the relationship between industry and agriculture, between branches of industry and branches of agriculture, are at the heart of the agricultural crisis of our time.

"By virtue of their technical, organisational, informational and financial superiority, industries dominate agriculture and in a sense take it over.

"A trend reversal which restores to developing countries their capacity to produce food to satisfy domestic demand, by reducing the emphasis on export-directed agriculture or redirecting it, is a necessary task which is bound to take a long time.

"It calls for restructuring which conflicts with immediate interests of the established industries."

Serious indigenous business people and farmers should warn the inclusive government that at best too many of its ministers are either incompetent or so close to the saboteurs of our national economy as to be saboteurs themselves.

For instance, if we return to the media stories mentioned at the beginning of this article, we notice a strange resemblance between Minister Welshman Ncube’s approach to the Nestlé issue on 25 and 29 December 2009, on one hand, and the signed statement from the CZI, ZNCC and CHOM.

They all avoid the illegal sanctions context of the matter.

They all treat the matter from a public relations approach and not from an appreciation of illegal economic warfare.

As I pointed out in the African Focus instalment for The Sunday Mail on 27 December 2009, the African PR problem is a tertiary derivative of the primary Anglo-Saxon criminalisation and demonisation of Africa and Africans over the last 500 years.

The changeover in the demonisation industry, from a reliance on pseudo-scientific anthropology and pseudo-Christian heresy to the current embedded journalism, has just worsened the problem but the problem is the same.

The PR efforts alone will not make the primary problem go away. The creation and sponsorship of the MDC formations who have been responsible for feeding lies to the Anglo-Saxon sanctions lobby cannot be treated as a PR problem.

Therefore the supposed "deal reached" on the Nestlé issue and reported in The Herald on 25 December 2009 was no deal at all but a diversionary ploy.

A whole Minister of Industry in an independent and sovereign state cannot proudly tell the nation that everything will now be alright because we shall mix that milk which Nestlé has banned with milk which it has not banned.

And such a wishy-washy proposal is made in order to enable that company to buy milk blindly and pretend that it is still enforcing the vindictive and racist ban demanded by the Anglo-Saxon sanctions lobby! Only persons who do not take the economic war seriously can accept such a proposal as realistic and operable.

Likewise, Minister Ncube’s supposed attack on the foreign Press in The Herald of 29 December is at best dishonest.

Minister Ncube as one of the key leaders of the MDC formations from the beginning has been a ringleader in demonising Zimbabwe’s media policy with regard to foreigners by:

--Denouncing as paranoid those who perceive Zimbabwe’s situation as one of propaganda war rather than PR.

--Denying the obvious fact that illegal sanctions and illegal media were like the chicken and the egg.

The Anglo-Saxon powers and the MDC formations relied on lying media outlets to create the stories used to justify illegal sanctions.

Illegal sanctions precipitated genocide-like living conditions for the people which were blamed on the Government and used to justify overthrowing it through further sanctions based on allegations that the Government no longer cared for its people.

Feeding the same foreign media with the same sorts of stories as the ones the minister is now pretending to denounce.

Going through all the round-about Press statements and wishy-washy suggestions, the one question which remains nagging the patriotic follower of developments is: What exactly is Zimbabwe’s Industry and Commerce policy? How is it consistent with the pursuit of economic empowerment, indigenisation and the agrarian transformation of land reform?


Congress resolutions will revitalise Zim

EDITOR — Resolutions of the just-ended Fifth Zanu-PF National People’s Congress, if adhered to, can lead this country into maintaining the prevailing peace and stability and induce rapid recovery and development.

The resolutions are comprehensive and if adhered to will ensure that Zanu-PF remains the force it has been and continues to triumph in elections.

The manner in which the resolutions clearly identify the source of problems besieging our country and the recommendations made demonstrates the desire by our leaders to see a quick return of sanity in the state of social services and all pillars of the economy. I am greatly convinced that adherence to the resolutions will steer this country ahead.

Agriculture, which is the backbone of our country’s economy, should indeed be adequately and continuously funded.

This recommendation is indeed key.

Sustained funding of agriculture, as the resolution correctly notes, leads to food security.

Food security is key to national security.

National security is our sovereignty.

This season I am greatly encouraged by the work our farmers have done, despite the fact that they received little, albeit delayed funding. I believe that the national inputs scheme unveiled by the President will go a long way towards assisting the farmers.

The declaration on issues of national security is commendable.

Zimbabwe’s security came as a result of a protracted war of liberation.

It was not negotiated. Such a reminder is indeed necessary. Issues of national security are of paramount importance.

I am totally behind this declaration.

National security is a delicate issue and cannot be left in the hands of all and sundry. Our security forces are the most dependable in the region. They have helped achieve stability and peace in many countries in the Sadc region and beyond.

Respect for our national security is respect for our gallant heroes dead and alive. Security cannot be left in the hands of people who are today "in" but as soon as tomorrow "out". National security must be left to people who have shown over the past three decades that they are dependable and cannot let the nation down.

Recommendations on social services should also be adhered to.

It is indeed dangerous to rely on handouts from NGO given the fact that this country is under sanctions.

The call for self-sufficiency is really noble and should be encouraged both at household and national level.

Bayai Phiri.
Harare


Too many Western movies

EDITOR — I become angry when I walk into a movie house and all the films that people are "forced" to watch are of either Western or Eastern origin.

What touches me the most is not the issue of race or where the films are produced, but they have completely overshadowed our local productions, which have gone quiet for some time.

While it is a fact that Western and Eastern films if compared to ours are superior in terms of quality, theme and plot, we should not lose heart but try to copy from them.

Such international films that have made it in any continent include the likes of the Last King of Scotland, Harry Potter and Fearless.

What worries me is that there are no local films in the cinemas and we rarely hear that production of a local film is taking place somewhere.

The last locally-produced films that made good viewing were Yellow Card and Tanyaradzwa.

I am not suggesting 100 percent local content in the cinema, but I am pleading with those in the film industry to produce quality films.

By virtue of their goodness, our local films may find their way into local and international movie houses, just like the South African-produced Tsotsi and Mr Bones.

I am sure that we have good film producers and actors who can emulate the good work by our South African and Nigerian counterparts who have produced films of international standards.

We can market our country and attract tourists.

Raphael Mudombe, via e-mail.


Time for NGOs to invest in Zim’s education sector

By Tichaona Nhamoyembonde

At the beginning of every school year, parents in Zimbabwe have headaches over how their children will start the new school calendar.

It’s either the child has no place for grade zero, Grade One, Form One, Form Five, college or university or has no school fees, books or other basic essentials. Then there are examination fees.

The problems have been more serious in the recent years and this year is proving too especially difficult.

After a decade of sanctions-induced suffering parents in Zimbabwe have continued to be hamstrung over their schoolchildren’s basic necessities yet the multifarious array of non-governmental organisations registered for humanitarian purposes, pay lip service and concentrate on the politics of regime change.

The sanctions and the political impasse has further impoverished parents and disenfranchised their children from proper education, for years known to be Zimbabwe’s mainstay, and this generation of children is the most unfortunate after that generation that went to school at the height of the war of liberation in Zimbabwe.

There is no doubt that the education sector was severely affected by the Western-sponsored political impasse in Zimbabwe and that all NGOs worth their salt should immediately refocus and channel more resources towards the education sector.

One fact we cannot deny is that the future of this country lies in the hands of an educated citizenry, built around the current education system and hence the need to invest seriously in education.

As the year 2010 starts, it is better for NGOs such as Usaid and all those recruited to its side in the regime change matrix to invest in education — payment of teachers and lecturers, buying books, paying school and examination fees for the disadvantaged children and building schools — than spending millions of dollars on rogue elements fighting to bring Zimbabwe to its knees for mere regime change. What change without educated children? What will regime change benefit a generation of uneducated children?

That thousands of children — the potential future leaders, workers and farmers of this great country — failed to write national examinations last year due to financial constraints as their parents failed to raise the required examination fees, speaks volumes of the insensitivity of several NGOs that have been preaching "holier than thou" gospel about human rights, children’s rights, good governance, accountability and democracy.

Look at Usaid, Oxfam, Save the Children and several other NGOs who are unashamedly concentrating of the funding regime change and the constitution-making process in Zimbabwe. Are they blind to the plight of these thousands of children who failed to register last year or they turn their eye to political desire?

What mechanism has been put in place to ensure that these children will write this year and be relevant to the future should be the question every person who loves Zimbabwe must address. Can Usaid and its colleagues fail to assist these young children when they are so monied?

What is surprising is that Usaid, in particular, has made it clear that it is funding the new constitution of Zimbabwe and that is helping in the actual drafting — yes, actual drafting of the constitution of Zimbabwe — yet scores of children, a whole generation of children, has failed to get the most basic education.

Some of us doubt the sincerity of Usaid and its array of lieutenants who failed to assist these children get US$10 per subject while giving rogue National Constitutional Assembly cadres and those central to the regime change agenda daily allowances of up to US$200.

Usaid recently said openly, in a report to the US Congress, that it has gathered together all NGOs in Zimbabwe for a coalition that meets every week to review tactics of putting pressure on President Mugabe’s Government and bring it to its knees and that the NGOs are now very focused on this agenda. Of course, this is at the expense of key social sectors such as education.

Is it not shameful for Usaid and its allies to tell the international world through the United States Congress that it has formed a coalition of all anti-Zanu-PF NGOs to "democratise Zimbabwe and deny Zanu-PF access to all its funding?"

Is it not shameful for the Usaid to let children of Zimbabwe grow and die uneducated while funding a silly regime change and disbursing millions of dollars to subversive elements bent of bringing Zimbabwe to its knees?

What will Zimbabwe be with a generation of uneducated people? People who have not written Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations are unemployable and is this what Usaid wants?

Is it not shameful for Usaid to rally all NGOs behind regime change at the expense of the children of Zimbabwe who should have a right to education like many other disadvantaged children in the world?

This year, Usaid and its errant boys should notice that there is serious need to invest in this country’s education and let all NGOs concentrate of their areas of concern, especially the education sector.

Education is life and there is no place for an uneducated child in the life matrix of Zimbabwe. This is time to invest in the education sector and not in a new constitution. Why should a whole country go through a sponsored national constitution-making process that will benefit a generation of uneducated people?

People, and our children in particular, need to be educated enough to enable them to interpret and benefit from their constitutional rights.


Nestlé resumes Zim operations

Herald Reporter

Nestlé Zimbabwe resumed production yesterday, a fortnight after it temporarily ceased operations following a misunderstanding over the supply of milk from Gushungo Dairy Estates.

The Switzerland-headquartered food company had bowed to pressure from activists that are against Zimbabwe’s land reform programme to stop buying milk from Gushungo Dairy Estates owned by the First Family in October last year.

It proceeded to shut down operations in December at its Southerton plant in a move that was condemned by Zimbabweans across the political divide.

The Herald yesterday visited the Nestlé Zimbabwe factory in Southerton and established that all systems were in place and the company was operating normally.

The factory was fully operational and employees were seen doing their duties.

The employees confirmed that the company resumed operations yesterday adding that everything was back to normal.

"It briefly closed down last year following misunderstanding over milk from Gushungo Farm. It resumed operations today," said one of the employees who declined to be named.

Job seekers were also seen at the company’s main gate looking for employment opportunities. No official comment could be immediately obtained from the company yesterday.

Nestlé Zimbabwe was asked by the Government to reopen after it was given assurances over the safety of its staff and operations.

A deal was reached over how milk from Gushungo Dairies would be processed.

This followed consultations between Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube, Nestlé Zimbabwe representatives and other key stakeholders in the dairy sector last month.

While details of the agreement were not divulged, Minister Ncube indicated that the parties had "collectively reached an understanding to work together in ensuring that milk produced at Gushungo Dairies is absorbed by the local dairy processors."

Minister Ncube said he was asked by President Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to intervene after Nestlé’s Zurich head office had announced that it was temporarily closing its Zimbabwe factory after two managers were picked and questioned by the police.

PM Tsvangirai went on to describe as an "over reaction" the decision by Nestlé Zimbabwe to shut down operations.

Nestlé Zimbabwe’s decision to temporarily shut down operations was sparked by hysterical international media in South Africa, UK and the USA, which campaigned for the boycott of Nestlé products because of its links with Gushungo Dairies.


Heads roll in MDC-T

By Fortious Nhambura

MDC-T has suspended its UK branch executive for allegedly defrauding the party of over £57 000 as it battles to deal with deeply rooted corruption within its rank and file.

The party’s treasurer-general, Mr Roy Bennett, confirmed the suspension and the institution of investigations in London last Thursday.

The branch is the second largest to be closed after the South African executive was relieved of its duties for failing to account for thousands of dollars in donations.

This is the second time the party’s executive in the UK has been sacked after another executive was suspended in October 2007 on charges of misusing party funds.

Mr Bennett said corruption was rife in MDC-T and described it as a problem the party faced "everywhere".

The closure of the London branch, which the party leadership says was made up of rogue elements, is likely to signal the demise of all major foreign branches.

This is the first time that MDC-T has openly admitted that the party’s foreign legion was made up of rogue and corrupt elements, most of whom were believed to have left the country to avoid prosecution for various crimes.

Other members of the party were in the Diaspora on false allegations of intimidation and violence by political opponents.

MDC-T secretary-general Mr Tendai Biti is quoted by the British media as saying of the UK and Ireland branches: "They are bleeding us. I would hate to know the amount of money that has been raised by Zimbabweans in exile purporting to represent the MDC. They have used the MDC name and pocketed the money."

The UK and Ireland provincial executive has been suspended pending an investigation into what Mr Biti described as "shocking" financial irregularities.

Mr Jeff Sango, the MDC-T chairman for south-east England, told the (British) Daily Telegraph recently that any financial irregularities under its supervision were not a result of corruption, but had to do with the way the money was remitted to Harare.

But MDC-T officials said the British branch had failed to submit adequate financial reports.

The branch is supposed remit 70 percent of mobilised funds to Zimbabwe with the remainder used to cover administration costs.

The ugly face of corruption in the party has, however, not been confined to the overseas branches, but has manifested even in the local chapters, forcing MDC-T’s national council recently to dissolve its Johannesburg base and Chitungwiza provincial executive on allegations of misappropriation of funds and abuse of resources, among other misdemeanours.

The South African executive was accused of misappropriating party funds and resources leading to the closure of their offices.

The party was forced to fire Chitungwiza Mayor Israel Marange after he was found guilty of corruption.

Barely a month later, the party was forced to fire its entire 20-member provincial executive on allegations of corruption.

Meanwhile, Mavambo Kusile Dawn interim president Dr Simba Makoni has slammed MDC-T for fanning corruption, saying the party members had settled into comfortable positions and were busy abandoning service to voters by engaging themselves in fierce power struggles and jostling for the meagre national resources.

"They seem to have quickly forgotten the suffering of the people, and the promises they made upon entering the Government — to work for improvements in the lives of all citizens."

Dr Makoni said MDC-T was "readily and willingly involved in the pillaging of the empty fiscus, clamouring for motor cars, allowances for foreign trips".


UK police probe Betty Makoni

Herald Reporter

Police in Britain have launched investigations into alleged abuse of over £15 000 collected through a public appeal by Zimbabwean activist, Betty Makoni, following a petition signed in the United Kingdom demanding the activist to account for every penny donated.

The money was for an operation to remove tumor and cover hospital bills for a Zimbabwean girl, Taremeredzwa (Tare) Nomatter Mapungwana who was suffering from a rare disease that was causing massive swelling on her mouth and cheek.

According to international media, case number 1003/29-12/09 has since been opened by Essex police and has been transferred to Southend-on-Sea Fraud Squad for thorough investigations.

The director of Zimbabwe Teachers Network (UK) Mr Munashe Moyo-Godo, said in a group e-mail last week: "I think there is more than meets the eye here. Public funds are not treated like personal funds, they cannot be used as pocket money and given out at will. Protocol should be followed, which evidently was not the case in this instance."

"Indeed, there is also the issue of the public being misinformed and duped into thinking money will be handled in a professional way with proper accounting. As someone who worked tirelessly to make it possible for Tare to come to this country to get treatment, I feel cheated and I personally feel this whole scenario is shady. I personally suggest an independent investigation into this case. The things that need to be clarified should also include Taremeredzwa’s present circumstances."

Tare is supposed to be the beneficiary of all funds collected under the appeal made by Ms Makoni.

The 18-year old girl — brought into the UK to be operated on a life-threatening tumor — has since undergone the first operation to remove the tumor and was billed to have a second major operation to remove the gland that is suspected to be causing development of the tumors.

However, Tare was failing to go for her second operation as Girl Child Network Worldwide had not paid an outstanding bill of £3 862,01 it owes the hospital where Tare was operated.

According to international media, the bill was finally settled after contributors to the funds requested an inquiry into the proceeds of the appeal.

Asked where the money came from GCNW co-founder Mrs Pricilla Nyathi said: "I cannot discuss this in detail because the case is now in the hands of authorities. What I can tell you is that I now have the money to pay up the outstanding bills for Tare to enable her undergo a second operation soon."

She further said GCNW has appointed an independent accounting firm with more than 35 years experience to audit all of the organisation’s books.

"The name of the accounting firm is Colin Gardner and Co Accounting Firm. I will be taking all the GCNW books to them soon," said Nyathi.

The UK appeal raised a total of £15 971,43 of which £13 243,43 came from the GCNW and PAYPAL A/C, £1 080 given directly to Mai Tare (the girl’s mother) by well-wishers in hospital, £440 deposited directly to VioMak A/C and another £1 008 also given directly to Tare's mother by Paul Simple and Lady Gee’s fundraising show for DJs in the UK.

Christ Ministries (Pastor Forbes) also raised a total of £200 cash and pledged £300 for later treatment, according to Mrs Nyathi said.

She gave what she claimed is a breakdown of the hospital bill and how money was channeled into it.

"The total for the hospital bill was £21 000," she says.

"A bill of £10 000 was paid directly by GCNW director (Priscilla Nyathi) to the hospital on December 14 and £8 000 was paid directly to the hospital by Tare's brother in Zimbabwe, leaving a balance of £3 862,01.

Tare’s brother paid the hospital bill using money raised from Zimbabwe leaving GCNW with a lump sum of £5 000 unaccounted for.

Ms Makoni was earlier quoted by international media saying she had £5 000 at Tare’s disposal, but later failed to pay a bill of £3 800. It is alleged that a total of US$22,000 was raised in Zimbabwe alone, while national airline, Air Zimbabwe, provided tickets to enable Taremeredzwa and her mother to fly to the UK.

Some of the organisations that donated money towards Tare’s appeal are Econet US$13 600; Stanbic Bank US$5 000 and an organisation headed by Bishop Trevor Manhanga chipped in with US$3 600.

Taremeredzwa's operation needed about £10 000, which had already been raised by organisations in Zimbabwe.

"A date will be set for all of you to attend the meeting at a venue to be advised and date convenient for you all so that you can witness the statements for all the accounts," Mrs Nyathi said.

Speaking from Ashford Kent where she is staying with a relative, Tare told the media: "Things are fine for me at the moment and I am happy living with my auntie here, but we have no money to take us to hospital."

Ms Makoni blamed her enemies for thwarting all her efforts in trying to assist the girl child.

"As far as we are concerned, Mai Tare is an adult woman who can stand in a court of law and respond to some of your questions, but I am so sure those individuals who donated were fully briefed and it was a matter of choice if they wanted to donate."

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