InfocusNews 14 - 18 February 2022
“As such, the announcement by the government that some taxes are to be paid partly in $ZWL will help to increase demand for the local currency when taxpayers pay their dues. In an ideal economy with deep and efficient financial markets, the news by the government would have incidentally caused the US$ to weaken in value against the $ZWL,” added Zhou.
Government urged to allow payment of all domestic tax obligations in local currency
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HE government should allow payment of all domestic tax obligations in the local currency to stabilize the economy, an economist has said. This comes amid announcement that 50% of all mining royalties and duty on imports of designated motor vehicles will now be payable in the local currency. Government also announced that all domestic taxes due from exporters on their export earnings are now payable in both $ZWL and forex. “These measures reflect government’s commitment to promote facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
the wider use of the Zimbabwean dollar and to continuously strengthen the economy so as to build lasting macro-economic stability,” said Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube. In an analysis, Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development Director, Ms Jane Zhou said the move by Government may fail if the general public has no confidence in the local currency. “Lack of confidence in the $ZWL by the government itself through the levying of taxes in the US dollar has been decoded by market actors as proof of the unviability of doing business in the local currency,” said Zhou.
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She said the foregoing policy measures could be commendable but they fall short of public and market expectations. “We opine that since it is the government’s view that the $ZWL is stable, all its domestic transactions should be in local currency to create demand and use, hence gaining value. The poor salaries paid to workers have been decimated by exchange rate depreciation and rampant inflation hence blotting their ability to import,” she said. Ms Zhou said for government, to back its assertion of $ZWL stability, the Minister should eliminate the clause in the 2022 Finance Act that calls for the conversion of all $ZWL taxes to US$ if the employee is earning partly in both currencies. The Zimbabwean dollar has weakened 6.8% this year to 116.65 per dollar, after losing almost a quarter of its value last year, and changes hands at more than twice that rate
InfocusNews on the streets of the capital, Harare.
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The decline has fueled inflation which quickened to more than
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60% in January, from 54% in October.
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Press Statement: Zimbabwe and Uganda shine at the Generation Democracy Global Member Advisory Board
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or Immediate Release
Press Statement: Zimbabwe and Uganda shine at the Generation Democracy Global Member Advisory Board [Bulawayo; Zimbabwe, 18 February 2022] Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) staff and board members extend their heartfelt congratulations to Mantate Queeneth Mlotshwa, Zimbabwe and Akidi Winnie Adile, Uganda, two young women who have recently been appointed to the Generation Democracy Global Member Advisory Board.
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Generation Democracy is a global coalition of more than 400 youth organizations and members from 70 countries dedicated to empowering young people to participate in political and governing processes.
commitment to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Young women’s participation in positions of influence remains less prioritised despite the efforts that have been made in gender equality.
The appointment of Mantate and Akidi to the Generation Democracy Advisory Board is an example that, indeed, young women’s voices can be amplified whenever they challenge the status quo by taking up space through being recognized to lead in decision-making platforms.
Having young women who are representing Africa at the Generation Democracy Advisory Board sets the agenda for the prioritisation of young women’s issues at a global scale.
Their appointment comes at a time when the African continent is working towards demonstrating its
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WILD commends the recognition accorded to these two phenomenal young women leaders as their appointment also encourages more young women to participate in leadership spaces.
InfocusNews cleared by former schools, collect results, secure a place, pay fees and buy uniforms for our children to go to Form One. Personally, I have struggled to get a place nearby as I have been told that four schools are already full,” she said. “One security guard at Mpopoma High School also told us that they had an overwhelming response from parents and they were likely to reject some applications although we had gone there during stipulated times.” For Lubelihle Ngwenya in Gwanda, the struggle was better because no lessons were being conducted in schools, giving parents extra time to pay fees and buy uniforms.
Form one learners struggling to secure places
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“The other struggle is we have had to pay school fees and buy uniforms within a week which was not feasible. I managed to secure a place for my child on Wednesday. Since there isn’t much learning this means I have a few more days to raise the money,” she said.
ORM ONE learners finally went to school on Monday for their First Term amid fears that a number are still struggling to secure places given minimal activity in schools.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Spokesperson, Mr Taungana Ndoro said the starting of Form One classes was smooth adding teachers’ ongoing strike was the only challenge.
Grade Seven results were released on February 4 and parents were given a week to secure places before the resumption of studies on Monday.
In separate interviews, parents and guardians said they were given a short time to prepare as some of their children are yet to secure places for Form One.
“Generally, the pass rate was a bit higher this year which maybe was the reason why we struggled to get places at preferred schools. We, therefore, hope that next week things will normalize and that teachers will be at work as expected.”
The delay in the release of results was occasioned by a COVID-19 shift in the school calendar in the third term of 2021, which saw the marking process spilling into January this year.
Siwinile Ncube from Entumbane in Bulawayo said her daughter is still set to secure a place although others have started their studies.
One teacher who spoke on condition of anonymity said she had been reporting for duty as she was responsible for enrollment.
“We were given short period to be
She said COVID-19 measures had left many schools without capacity
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InfocusNews to enroll more learners, especially those with poor grades. “We started enrolling last week on Monday and by Wednesday we had no places since parents came in numbers. It’s unfortunate that
we have had to turn away a lot of prospective learners hoping they will manage to find help in other schools within Bulawayo.” “It is sad because with COVID-19 measures in place we will not be
able to accommodate more and we hope this will be revised so that we accommodate all learners who have the right to do their Form One.”
for duty by Tuesday 22 February 2022 will be deemed to have resigned from the service. Those reporting for duty but not teaching will also be deemed to have resigned.” Concerned parents said the continued impasse was affecting learners who are two years behind in terms of their studies.
Plight of Learners Worsens with ongoing teacher and government impasse
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ESPITE the recent opening of schools which re-ignited hope for learners whose access to education was disrupted since 2020 following the COVID-19 induced lockdown, the plight of learners is set to worsen with the ongoing impasse between teachers and Government. Ever since schools opened for term one, a fort night ago, teachers have maintained that they are incapacitated to report for duty. Although schools opened late facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
by almost four weeks, the Government has turned a deaf ear to demands by teachers and instead suspended all those who have not been on duty since schools opened.
Sandra Moyo from Manningdale said her two children go to school to play with friends daily as there are no teachers. “We heard that they will be having new teachers who are yet to be deployed and this will be another month gone down the drain without any progress. My daughter is doing Grade Seven and I doubt that changing teachers at this stage is wise at all as she was told they are having a teacher from Harare,” she said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Public Service Commission said teachers, headmasters and deputy heads who are not attending school, or attending but not teaching will be deemed to have resigned on February 22.
“Surely we are paying fees for children who have lost so much and at this rate I doubt our children will make it. We wish the Government would just consider these concerns by teachers because firing them may solve a political issue but our children will suffer the most.”
“All teachers, deputy heads and heads of schools who do not report
Sinqobile Mahlangu, a former teacher from Lupane, said many
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InfocusNews parents will struggle to afford extra lessons which have been an alternative for most learners since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We will soon be forced to pay for
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extra lessons and have experienced and suspended teachers take our children through their studies. However, this will be a luxury for a few as thousands of learners especially in rural areas only rely
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on teachers who are currently not available. We are in a fix already and if nothing is done to attend to teachers and their concerns, we will always find ourselves in this mess,” said Mahlangu.
Electoral Information Blitz Nduza, one of the MCs, urged residents at Emganwini to register to vote so that they can safeguard their Constituencies.
“Registering to vote is not just done so that you vote. There are other reasons why one should register to vote, which also include safeguarding your constituency. The delimitation process is upon us and if only a few people register to vote, we risk losing our Constituencies,” said Lalilo Nduza.
EkhayaVote2023 and ERC conduct a road show on voter education
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fter a week of community mobilization and voter education, Ekhaya Vote 2023 partnered with Election Resource Centre (ERC) for a road show that was aimed at intensifying the work that had been conducted since the rollout of the mobile biometric voter registration blitz. The roadshow raised awareness of the ongoing BVR Blitz, which began on the 1st of February and will run until the 28th of February 2022. Voter educators on site
utilized the roadshow to also raise awareness of the upcoming by elections. The roadshow made it possible for voter educators to raise awareness in the following areas: Mpopoma, Njube, Emakhandeni, Entumbane, Makokoba, Emganwini, Nkulumane, Pumula, and Magwegwe routes. Victory Siyanqoba gave an exceptional performance to the audience, playing songs whose lyrics encouraged civic participation. Speaking at the roadshow, Lalilo
Residents were jovial and happily participated in the question-and-answer session. Some of the pertinent questions that were asked included: “Do you know about the ongoing BVR Blitz? What do you need to bring to register to vote? How old does one have to be for them to be able to register to vote?” Speaking during the road show, the Master of Ceremony urged residents to make an effort to participate in the by-elections if they registered on or prior to the cut-off date. “We also urge residents to participate in the upcoming by-elections scheduled for the 26th of March 2022. Only those who registered prior to the cut-off date will be able to participate,” added Nduza.
“Do you know about the ongoing BVR Blitz?” facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
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Electoral Information Blitz
BVR Blitz Picture Gallery
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