• admin
• Herald
• August 27, 2012
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Constitution: Zuma team expected

Felex Share Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma’s backroom facilitation team is expected in Harare today to get an update on Constitu­tion-making in Zimbabwe. But, political analysts said the visit was insignificant because the final determination on the draft Constitu­tion lay with principals in the inclu­sive Government.
They said a “clear signal” on the way forward would come from the princi­pals, not the facilitation team.

A member of the team, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, said they would not dictate what should be included in the new Consti­tution.
She said the team would meet nego­tiators from the three main polit­ical parties today.
“As you are aware, the draft Consti­tution was availed and the MDC for­mations made their consultations and immediately endorsed the document, while on the other hand Zanu-PF has an input to make,” she said.

“We are not going to dictate, but facilitate the finding of an agreement between the parties where we can.”
“We have got an entire responsibil­ity to look at the implementation of the Global Political Agreement and we will also look at other areas, espe­cially after the Maputo summit.”

Zanu-PF, after auditing the draft against the national report, came up with amendments on some provi­sions of the draft.
The two MDC formations declared the amendments void, saying the rev­olutionary party should bring its con­cerns to the Second All Stakeholders’ Conference.

Zanu-PF negotiator Cde Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said the princi­pals were dealing with the draft con­stitution.
“They now have the case before them and are the highest authority to deal with the matter,” he said.
“If the facilitation team comes, we are going to listen to their message. As to what will happen after that, I do not want to speculate.”
MDC negotiator Mrs Priscillah Mis­ihairambwi Mushonga expressed opti­mism the facilitation would break the deadlock.

• admin
• Herald
• August 27, 2012
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Bread price increase blocked

Farirai Machivenyika and Faith Mabika
GOVERNMENT will not allow the proposed increase in the price of bread because it will push up inflation, Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said.
He said yesterday that there was no justification for the increase.
The National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe last week said it would pass the high prices of local flour and tar­iffs on imported flour to consumers, unless Government reduced the duty from 20 percent to five percent.

Bakers want a loaf to cost US$1,20, up from US$1.
But Minister Biti said there had been no fundamental changes in the price and tariffs to warrant the increase.
“The statement by the bakers’ asso­ciation is misleading. As you are aware, there is no duty on the impor­tation of wheat,” he said.

“Wheat is imported by millers who then produce flour for onward selling to bakers.
“What the bakers’ association is try­ing to do is to push us to liberalise the importation of flour.”
Minister Biti said it was irresponsi­ble for bakers to claim there was an increase in the price of flour.

“It is irresponsible to insinuate an increase in the price of wheat and import duty when duty on wheat is not there and has not been increased,” he said.
“As far as we are concerned, there is nothing that justifies the rise in the price of bread and we will not accept that.

“We will not accept an appetite from a small section of business to push inflation.”
Zimbabwe has maintained an infla­tion rate of between three and four percent since the introduction of the multi-currency regime.

Minister Biti said the price of oil was declining on the international market, ruling out fuel as a factor in the increase of the price of bread.
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe echoed similar sentiments.
GMAZ chairman Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said bakers should not use flour prices as an excuse to increase bread prices.