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• Herald
• June 20, 2012
• 30 views

Bail out cotton farmers, say MPs

Herald Reporters
LEGISLATORS say Government should consider buying cotton to ensure farmers get meaningful returns.
They said merchants were offering unprofitable prices, while Government was yet to come up with prices for the 2012 marketing season.
Some ginners are reportedly offering higher prices.

The cotton price war has, however, sucked in the police with traditional leaders and farmers accusing members of the force of acting as debt collectors for ginners.
Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made yesterday said the Statutory Instrument on cotton marketing was still in preparation.

The SI seeks to make the cotton crop for the 2011/12 season a controlled commodity, effectively giving the State the power to fix the price.
Under the SI106A of 2012, buyers will be required to buy the crop at a price fixed by the Government.
“The SI is not yet in force in terms of the price determination and, as the minister, I have given room to ginners and farmers to agree on a price.’’

Minister Made urged farmers to harvest their crop before its quality deteriorates.
“Ginners should buy the crop and they should pay reasonable prices. If they are not reasonable, I will move in as the minister,” he said.
The price of cotton will only be gazetted after farmers and ginners reach an agreement.

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• Herald
• June 20, 2012
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Judge gives ‘yellow card’ to city lawyer

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
HIGH COURT judge Justice Chinem­biri Bhunu yesterday rapped a defence lawyer for smuggling politics into the courtroom and demonising the judici­ary in a case in which 29 MDC-T activists are being accused of murder­ing a police officer in Glen View, Harare.

This follows a newspaper article in which one of the defence lawyers, Mr Charles Kwaramba, was quoted por­traying the judiciary as biased against MDC by not granting the accused bail.

The suspects have been in remand prison for almost a year now.
The judge equated his warning to a yellow card issued to footballers, say­ing further misbehaviour will attract a red card.

Justice Bhunu directed the Regis­trar of the High Court to serve the secretary of the Law Society of Zim­babwe with a copy of the judgment.
“Everyone knows what happens when a player attacks the referee or umpire. He risks a red card.

“At this stage I am, however, content to issue a yellow card and let this be a stern warning against any

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• Herald
• June 20, 2012
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BBA: Roki, Maneta booted out

Jonathan Mbiriyamveka Entertainment Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN representatives in Big Brother Africa StarGame Maneta Mazanhi and the popular Rockford “Roki” Josphats were yesterday dis­qualified after a sensational bust-up that brought a dramatic end to their time on the reality television show.

The incident dashed their hopes of landing the US$300 000 prize money.

It all brought an anti-climactic end to their flirtation in Big Brother’s house which had attracted millions of fol­lowers here who were rooting for the Zimbabweans.
Maneta had been nominated for possible eviction this coming Sunday, but Roki, who many tipped to win the big prize, was safe.

However, the script changed dra­matically yesterday when they were both shown the exit.