World keeps up pressure over human rights abuses; Zim economy risks sliding into recession; and more
Welcome to Zitamar's Zimbabwe Daily Briefing for 16 August, 2018.
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Today’s Headlines:
World keeps up pressure over human rights abuses
Zim economy risks sliding into recession
Harare ranked world’s 6th least liveable city
Zanu MPs suggest raising minimum age for president to 55
World keeps up pressure over human rights abuses (NewZimbabwe, NewsDay, AP)
The US, Amnesty International and Zimbabwean campaigners have demanded a transparent and credible investigation into the death of six people in the 1 August opposition protest that was crushed by the military.
US ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, told the media after meeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare yesterday that his country expects a throughgoing probe into the fatal Harare shootings and other human rights abuses elsewhere, with culprits being punished. Local activists, according to NewsDay, blamed Mnangagwa for the killings and want his administration to apologise. On Wednesday, Amnesty’s new leader Kumi Naidoo said his first assignment will be writing to Zimbabwe’s next president about the 2015 disappearance of activist Itai Dzamara.
After the brutality that followed immediately after the elections, Mnangagwa’s government could start making amends by carrying out credible investigations, prosecuting those responsible for violence, and freeing political prisoners jailed under Robert Mugabe.
Zim economy risks sliding into recession (Financial Gazette)
Zimbabwe’s disputed and violent election has hit prospects of reviving the economy, experts have said. “Business never like uncertainty and until the position of the president is resolved, we will see reduced business activity across all sectors,” according to economist Eddie Cross, and another, John Robertson, agrees the violent demonstrations have spooked investors. International research firm BMI Research has warned that the shortage of hard currency will plunge the economy into recession.
Thinking more positively, M&A lawyer Lloyd Manokore has told Further Africa that Mnangagwa’s “open for business” mantra has “been buttressed and underpinned by some legislative reforms” including “significant amendments to the Indigenisation Act” and a “renewed impetus to Ease of Doing Business Reforms.”
Harare ranked world’s 6th least liveable city (Newsday)
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has ranked Harare as the 6th least liveable city in the world due to the instability, inadequate infrastructure and a poor healthcare system. The Syrian capital Damascus was bottom of the list, and Harare also beat Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos.
The city itself is under control of the opposition MDC Alliance, and has been for some years - but the problems besetting it, such as instability and poor healthcare, are national in nature. A popular pre-election meme on social media compared current-day Harare with pre-independence Salisbury - showing that the city has gone backwards rather than forwards in the years in which Zanu-PF has been in charge.
Zanu MPs suggest raising minimum age for president to 55 (Daily News)
A Zanu-PF MP is planning to introduce a motion to parliament to raise the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 55 - something that would preclude Nelson Chamisa from running again in 2023 and 2028. Ruling party legislator Joseph Chinotimba said he would introduce the motion, which he claimed was not targeted at Chamisa. “Some of the presidential candidates are very young; they are not yet mature to lead this nation. I am not going to do this for Chamisa but I think it’s very important for the country,” he said.
Zanu-PF has a two-thirds majority in parliament which is sufficient for it to change the constitution. However, this seems like a frivolous idea which is unlikely to pass. Mugabe, who was the world’s oldest head of state at 94, raised the minimum age to become president to 40 in 2013. But rather than barring young hopefuls, Zimbabwe would probably benefit more from a maximum age limit on those seeking to lead the country.
Tweet of the Day
President Nelson Chamisa's @nelsonchamisa court application to be heard on the 22nd of August 2018 at 10:00am. The evidence is overwhelming and victory is certain. Numbers don't lie, so the President-Elect @nelsonchamisa looks forward to this day.
August 16, 2018Happening Today
President Nelson Chamisa's @nelsonchamisa court application to be heard on the 22nd of August 2018 at 10:00am. The evidence is overwhelming and victory is certain. Numbers don't lie, so the President-Elect @nelsonchamisa looks forward to this day.
August 16, 2018Case conference for Chamisa's petition before Chief Justice Luke Malaba at the Constitutional Court, Harare