Council of the European Union: “South Sudan – Council Conclusions” (16.04.2018)

ZANU-PF: Letter to All Provincial Chairpersons – “RE: Disqualification of Aspiring Party Candidates for the Primary Elections” (11.04.2018)

Opinion: A phoenix is rising from the unknown ashes and its called Zimbabwe Airways!

We fly high, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)

Foreign rides outside, it’s like showbiz (we in the building)

We stay fly, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)”Jim Jones (‘We Fly High’ released: 21.10.2006)

I don’t get it, maybe I am foolish, maybe I am a weird kind of brother. Maybe, I am someone who is stupid. Because this boggle my mind. How can an Airline who had 300 million USD in debt in August 2017. That is not a lie, that was reported. Therefore, when I ready that the Airline got two leased Boeing 777 from Malaysia today.

They are leased by a third party company called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC), what is weird with this company is that the offices are not found and the corporate filing isn’t showing direct ownership of the company, even if it owns Zimbabwe Airlines (BusinessDaily.co.zw – ‘Air Zimbabwe scandal deepens’ 29.03.2018). So it is weird that Air Zimbabwe, a government corporation cracks, but a new one rise from the ashes. What is weird is that the new planes are leased old planes, they are 12 years old and who knows how much it really cost.

Who foots the bill of Air Zimbabwe and to rebrand it Zimbabwe Airways? Why the need, does Harare need the steady business of flights to London and Beijing? Is that the need for the Republic? Who earns on the agreement and who is the people behind the deal?

There is many open questions, why revive a failed state corporation with 12 years old rebranded planes from Malaysia? They are registered in honour of former President Mugabe (Z-RGM) and the other registered Z-NBE.

The state has tried to say this is not directly government owned, but third parties bought and leased. However, who has this kind of money in Zimbabwe and who else has the capacity to bring planes to the Republic?

After the delivery of the planes today. There was revelation:

Speaking after the delivery of the first Zim Airways plane, Finance Min Chinamasa said: I’m here to categorically state that this plane is the property of the Republic of Zimbabwe and not the former First Family” Chinamasa also mentioned that three more planes are to be delivered, including an Embraer. He says the whole deal is worth $70m” (Zimbabwe Today, 11.04.2018).

We are seeing that the Finance Minister came with double messages today, clearly, the state knows that the usage of millions of dollars to the failing airline industry is a scandal. Since the former Airlines owned by the state went south. Now, they are trying to revive it, but why say it is property of the government, not Mugabe’s family. However, expressing in the statement the ownership of the lease going to ZALC. That is meaning that there is basic agreements between the operational company Zimbabwe Airlines and ZALC, that ZALC is leasing the planes, while they are operating for Zim Airways. That makes it possible to skim money between ZALC and the Airlines. The gist is there, since the state is show shallow with the transparency.

That the revival of something that was already dead, that had debt of 300 million US Dollars. Who wrote that off? Did the Chinese? Who paid the creditors of Air Zimbabwe? Someone had to cough up the money and pay them off. It doesn’t go from red to black without some sort of trick. Unless, you have a generous uncle who write-off the losses.

That Zimbabwe Airways is revived with 12 year old leased Boeing 777, which is a costly deal. Hard to believe it will be worth it. Unless, the Mnangagwa government knows something we don’t, and that he offered someone extra scarfs or something. Who knows?

But this seems like a scheme and the ones who could track the money, could find the sources, find the middle-men and the ones paying the Malaysian business-men. Somewhere there, the reality would be open and the ones earning profits on the leasing would be established. Because I have hard time to believe this is good business. Since the last Airlines wasn’t run well and neither will this one. Unless, again, Mnangagwa knows something I don’t.

Hope the cat will get out of the bag, the ones leasing, the ones operating and the ones earning on the operation. However, I don’t think the ZANU-PF wants that, neither want the whole deal in the open. Secondly, the Mnangagwa Presidency always want to be in contrast of Mugabe, but this looks more of the same. Just renting, instead of getting the first family to own the business directly. Peace.

The IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Communces Consultations on the Outstanding Issues at HLRF (10.04.2018)

10th April 2018, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: The IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, accompanied by representatives of the Office of the Chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers, held consultations on 10th April 2018 with representatives of the South Sudanese Civil Society Stakeholders to the HLRF to discuss key outstanding issues at the Forum, including positions of the various parties and possible compromises. The consultations are pursuant to the decisions of the IGAD Council of Ministers at its 61stExtra-Ordinary Session on South Sudan held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 26 March 2018 to reconvene the continuation of Phase II of the High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF) to conduct consultations and undertake shuttle diplomacy with the parties and stakeholders to the HLRF to narrow the gaps between the Parties, prior to the next reconvening of the Forum.

The consultations focused on the key areas of disagreements on governance and security arrangements at the HLRF. Under governance, the following issues were discussed: the composition of the transitional government; structure of the government; responsibility sharing; number of states and size and composition of the Parliament.

On security arrangements, the following issues were discussed: timeframe for reintegration/unification of forces and approach to the formation of one national army; security for Juba during the Transition; demilitarization of civilian centers; cantonment of forces and Security sector reform or establishment of new security services.

Following extensive deliberations, the representatives of the Civil Society and stakeholders at the HLRF   made recommendations for considerations by the Parties at the HLRF.

Opinion: Evidence of Warlord mentality appears within the Kiir government with the plot to assassinate Machar!

“a military leader of a nation or part of a nation, esp one who is accountable to nobody when the central government is weak” (Collins English Dictionary – ‘Warlord’).

There one of these days, something striking and so profound, that you lose your grip of reality. It will come one of these days, when all glass shatters and everything you believe in will vanish. That is not today, since the Juba administration, the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU), which has led to another brutal civil war in South Sudan. Have evidently given an offer to one of their generals to assassinate Dr. Riek Machar, the former First Vice-President of South Sudan. If that doesn’t make the alarm-bell running, nothing does. I am sure the same offer came within the time the tanks was driving down the streets of Juba and the rebels of SPLM/A-IO went into the bush of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after failed peace-agreement and settlement between SPLM/A and SPLM/A-IO.

So yesterday’s revelations says a lot:

“South Sudan’s presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told reporters in Juba today that the failed plot to pursue and kill the former first vice president turned rebel leader Riek Machar originated with Gen. Paul Malong. “The Central Bank of South Sudan was opened at night and $5 million was released for military operations against Riek Machar,” Ateny said. The government blamed Paul Malong for failing to kill the main opposition leader after receiving as much as $5 million for military operations after rebels forces had been driven out of the capital Juba. “Malong took the money but Riek Machar was not killed. He [Malong] failed to pursue Machar and Riek Machar did not face any difficulty. But he [Malong] took the money,” Ateny said, while accusing the former military chief of massive corruption, barely one day after he officially declared himself a rebel” (Radio Tamazuj, 10.04.2018).

That the government today, years after the brutal attack on Machar in Juba and left him fleeing, after the sacking of Gen. Malong last year and his sudden, but not strange new rebellion against the state. Then the state reveal their devious plan to kill Machar. Not like that would be surprising in some aspect, these are violent affairs and death follows. The SPLA and SPLM/A-IO has fought dozens of skirmishes and certainly not the last. Because, none of them seems to be willing to back down. While more rebels appear, more groups and some coalitions of rebels, also comes out of the dust.

That the state doesn’t think this implicate themselves and only tarnish Malong, that is really foolish. This shows how little lack of governance and will of institutions, that the central government, which was supposed to co-operate with Machar. Would actually hire someone, a fellow general and his troops to kill him. The problem isn’t directly that Malong would kill him, but that the government gave him money and a contract to do so.

The TGoNU has really with this story sold themselves short. They thought it was a brilliant way of tarnishing the efforts of Malong to start his rebellion. Well, it shows that he does whatever to get by and get wealthy, but it also shows how the state moves and tries to make people disappear, that they don’t like or don’t want to co-operate with. That is what this signals, that they are putting money on people’s head. If they start to test the structures and the people on-high.

We can just imagine who sanctioned this and who payed Malong, that is the big-deal and that shows who thought it would be a good arrangement. To settle the difference not with consensus, but by the guns. That is why this is War-Lord mentality. Peace.

South Sudan: Humanitarian Coordinator condemns killing of aid worker, calls for the release of seven others held by armed group (10.04.2018)

Zimbabwe: Civil Service Employees Association letter to Permanent Secretary of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation – “Re: Civil Service Employees Association + 131 Others VS Civil Service Commisson + 4 Others LC/H/REV20/18” (09.04.2018)

Zimbabwe: The Invoice of the cost of the plane for the delegation to China recently (29.03.2018)

EU stands ready to accelerate support to Zimbabwe during its transition process (09.04.2018)

South Sudan: Gen. Paul Malong launch South Sudan United Front/Army (SSUF/A) – (09.04.2018)