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Today’s Headlines:
ZBC to broadcast Chamisa election appeal live - but opponents fear shenanigans
Mnangagwa promises to persevere with economic reforms
Zimbabwe July inflation highest since 2012
Miner dies in accident at community-owned gold mine
New LPG plant near Harare plans to capitalise on growth in demand
ZBC to broadcast Chamisa election appeal live - but opponents fear shenanigans (NewZimbabwe, NewsDay, The Herald)
State broadcaster ZBC has been given exclusive rights to film the Constitutional Court’s hearing of opposition presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa’s appeal over last month’s election result. ZBC’s feed will be available to other broadcasters to use - but, as an op-ed in Newsday says, “Experience has taught us that when covering parliamentary debates live, the ZBC has conveniently cut off feed when critical issues that put the establishment on the spot are being debated. There is an uneasy feeling that the ZBC could once again ‘play games’ at critical moments on this once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Meanwhile, the South African legal team hired by the MDC Alliance still need to get work permits - but the high profile nature of the case means they are thought likely to be granted them through a fast-tracked process.
Mnangagwa promises to persevere with economic reforms (The Herald)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says he will focus on rebuilding Zimbabwe’s economy despite continued US sanctions. Speaking on the sidelines of the SADC Summit in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, he said Zimbabwe would fully use its resources and the goodwill from within the continent and other foreign nations. “We must look at ourselves and compare why would global capital not come to Zimbabwe and come to Namibia? Why would global capital not come to Zimbabwe and go to South Africa or Zambia? We examine ourselves and say wherever there is legislation that constrains the flow of global capital in our own country [it] should be removed - like the issue of indigenisation, we have removed.”
Zimbabwe July inflation highest since 2012 (Fin24)
Annual inflation rose from 2.9% in June to 4.29% in July, its highest in six years, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency (ZimStat). Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 6.35%, while non-food inflation was 3.33%. Economist John Robertson put the accelerating inflation down to growth in the money supply outstripping the growth in production. “Money supply growth is 10 times as fast as GDP growth and that is stimulating inflation by worsening the foreign currency shortages,” he said.
Critics say the official inflation rate is grossly understated, estimating it could be more than 20%.
Miner dies in accident at community-owned gold mine (The Sunday News)
A miner has died after a shaft at the Gaika gold mine in Kwekwe collapsed on Friday morning. The mine was re-opened last year after 20 years of closure, under a community ownership scheme. Owners of the mine, Duration Gold, have said the mining activities being carried out are illegal.
New LPG plant near Harare plans to capitalise on growth in demand (Newsday)
New entrant Bulls Power Fuels plans to produce 200,000 kgs of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) within the next 36 months at a new $1m facility in Zvimba, north west of Harare. According to NewsDay, demand for LPG rose 69% to 27 million kilograms per month in September 2017 and continues to increase. Bulls says it plans to expand within Zimbabwe and into the region as well as venture into petrol and diesel distribution.
Tweet of the Day:
At press conference, Chamisa says the MDC will start a "political programme" to liberate rural areas from the grip of ZanuPF. He likens the party to Al Shabaab, Al Qaeda and Isis and says under normal circumstances the party shouldn't be allowed to operate.
August 20, 2018