Och-Ziff Company and subsidiaries implicated in bribing Guinean, Zimbabwean and Congolese Authorities to get favourable business operations in these nations, Raid January 2017 report claims!

guinea-mining

“The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, at the FCA’s 2016 Financial Crime Conference, stated:15 ‘The UK is attractive to criminals and corrupt kleptocrats who steal billions from their own people, often some of the poorest people in the world.’ The Home Secretary concluded: ‘If…we develop world leading legislation to combat financial crime whilst continuing to develop the capabilities of our law enforcement agencies, then we will reduce the flow of dirty money into the City….’” (RAID, P: 14, 2017).

Well, this is not the first or the last time we will discuss mineral-resources and the extractions of these to gain quick profits, either in sophisticated ways of administrative affairs between the ones the licence the operations to the company, which usually is government officials who are pocketed by subsidiaries if multi-national corporations; this is happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Guinea. As showed in the RAID report of January 2017: “Bribery in its purest form”; that I will uncover certain parts of to show the apparent companies and holding-companies that are owning and operating in the these countries by bribing officials to export minerals. They get ownership of giant mines and resources from these nations as they are licenced after favourable transactions for the governments, as they are kept bribed to uphold production as well.

This happening in nations that are sanctioned and has sanctioned persons that should stop these transactions and licences of United Kingdom and United States corporations, even if they have shell-companies and official headquarters in Tax-Havens that proves the ability of extracting the massive fortunes in these minerals, without proper transparency in the nation they operate with their mining operation.

I think the report should speak for itself and should be publically known to show how they are able to take the monies, profit and also bribing the officials without any consequences, even when the nations of Zimbabwe and DRC had sanctions against it; still the His Majesty Treasury of United Kingdom didn’t stop the transactions and trade with them. This proves that the UK Government doesn’t care about their own sanctions and how their businesses are operating without judgement and fear of getting fined for breaking laws to get rights and takeover mining operations in other countries.

Take a look! 

The review of mining licences that the Congolese government embarked on in 2007, which was supposed to clear up the murky legacy of wartime contracts, provided Och-Ziff and its collaborators with a golden opportunity to snap up valuable assets at knock-down prices. Working with the Congolese political elite, this group were able to exploit the threat of expropriation or revocation of mining permits to their own advantage. By 2014, according to Forbes Magazine, President Joseph Kabila had amassed an estimated personal fortune of US$15 billion in just over 13 years of power.xxiv In 2015, The Sunday Times Rich List estimated Michael Cohen’s wealth to be £335 million (US$500 million). Forbes puts Daniel Och’s (the founder and CEO of Och-Ziff) net worth at US$2.5 billion and Dan Gertler’s wealth at $1.18 billion. The DRC is one of the poorest and least developed nations in the world, ranked 176 out of 188 countries.xxv Almost 87% of its 69 million people live on less than $1.25 a day. Put another way, that $1.25 each day equates to $450 per year, and with life expectancy of 58 years, Och’s personal fortune would last the lifetimes of more than 95,000 Congolese at today’s values” (Raid, P: 10, 2017).

Och-Ziff subsidiaries:

“Mvela Holdings is incorporated in South Africa.31 Mvela Holdings is described in the Och-Ziff release as ‘a private investment company founded in 1998 by Tokyo Sexwale, Mikki Xayiya and Mark Willcox. It is the controlling shareholder of JSE-listed Mvelaphanda Group Ltd and has a significant interest in JSE-listed Mvelaphanda Resources Ltd. It has other substantial privately held interests in the mining, energy, real estate and various other industrial sectors in South Africa and Africa.’ It appears that Mvela did not ultimately participate directly in AML” (…) “Palladino Holdings is described as a private investment vehicle, founded in 2003 by Walter Hennig holding ‘a variety of significant mining, energy and other assets in Africa.’32 A company under the name Palladino Holdings Limited is registered in the UK, and recorded as originating in the Turks & Caicos Islands.33 Other market notifications that refer to Palladino Holdings Limited as a shareholder give an address for Palladino in the Turks & Caicos Islands.34 Palladino Capital 2 Limited, a closely-related Palladino subsidiary behind a controversial loan to the Guinea government (see below), is registered in the British Virgin Islands” (…) “Other than Och-Ziff employees, directors of Africa Management (UK) Limited include or have included, Walter Hennig (Palladino), Andre Cilliers (Palladino) and its chief executive Mark Willcox (also Chief Executive Officer of Mvela Holdings)” (Raid, P: 17, 2017).

Guinea agreement:

“Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B, along with the CEO of AML and South African Business Partner, conceived of a related-party transaction that would accomplish these goals….According to the deal documents, South African Business Partner was to buy 31.5 million shares in the oil and gas company from the South African conglomerate for $77 million and then immediately resell 18.5 million of those shares to AGC II for $77 million.…” (…) “Contrary to the deal documents…Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B knew that South African Business Partner would not pay the full $77 million to the South African conglomerate. South African Business Partner bought 31.5 million shares…for only $25 million, and then immediately resold 18.5 million shares in that same company to AGC II for $77 million, providing South African Business Partner with $52 million and an additional 13 million shares in the company. With the $52 million, South African Business Partner then paid $2.1 million to Och-Ziff to satisfy an outstanding debt relating to AGC I (in which the Investor had no interest), $25 million to the government of Guinea to try to secure access to valuable mining investments there, $1 million to the agent affiliated with the a high level Guinean government official and his family, and the remainder to personally benefit himself and his business partners” (RAID, P: 19, 2017).

Guinea 2011:

“In or about March 2011, a company controlled by Coconspirator #1 [‘the beneficial owner of the Turks & Caicos Entity’ ] entered into an agreement with the Guinean government, which gave the company the option to buy into the SOMC [‘Guinean state-owned mining company’]. On or about April 29, 2011, an affiliate of the Turks & Caicos Entity loaned the government of Guinea $25 million as part of a deal to become a partner in the SOMC. Coconspirator #1 raised the $25 million through a related-party stock sale to the Joint Venture. MEBIAME signed the loan document on behalf of the affiliate of the Turks & Caicos Entity. According to MEBJAME, the partnership with the SOMC ultimately did not go forward due to negative press accounts, which indicated that the deal between the Guinean government and Coconspirator #1 was corrupt” (…) “He [Alpha Condé] said that he agreed. So we made the loan, we signed the loan to Soguipami…,and so I was authorised to sign and make the transfer.’ Another exhibit – a witness statement, from a UK High Court case, made by the chief executive of a company advising BSGR – states:67 ‘funds were transferred to Alpha Condé by way of a recorded loan of $25million and further unrecorded transfers believed to be “much much more”….Alpha Condé attempted to reward his backers. He entered into an agreement known as the Palladino Contract, pursuant to which the provider of the $25million loan would, on default of the loan, become entitled to a 30% share in a new Guinean national mining company established by Alpha Condé.’ Other exhibits in the ICSID case refer to Walter Hennig and AGC” (RAID, P: 20, 2017).

DRC laundering of mining exports:

“Gertler’s use of London markets to launder DRC assets began with another AIM-traded entity, Nikanor plc. Nikanor plc was described as ‘the holding company of a Group with copper and cobalt assets in the DRC’. The company was incorporated and headquartered in the Isle of Man.87 On 17 July 2007, Nikanor was admitted to AIM” (…) “In the Nikanor admission document, reference is made to allegations that Dan Gertler ‘acquired a temporary monopoly on sales of diamonds from the DRC as a result of improper dealings with the Government of the DRC’.88 The Nikanor admission document concludes that: ‘These allegations do not relate to the Company [Nikanor], the Group or any of their activities. They concern Mr Gertler in his capacity as a shareholder.’ Yet it is stated under ‘risk factors’ in the admission document: ‘…each of the Major Shareholders will be able to exercise significant influence over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of Directors and significant corporate transactions.’ Moreover, there is also a reference to how the group of Nikanor companies with mining assets in the DRC and ‘some of the Major Shareholders’ have been ‘subject to criticism from a number of NGOs’ which included lack of transparency in the process by which the assets were awarded, the absence of public tendering and a joint venture agreement ‘unreasonably favourable to the Group and that as a result Gécamines [the DRC’s state-owned mining company] has not received proper consideration for valuable assets with a resulting detrimental effect on the economy of the DRC”(RAID, P: 22 ,2017).

Another DRC Agreement – Camrose transaction:

“The DOJ refers to ‘a $124 million convertible loan through a subsidiary company and AGC to Company B, a DRC Partner-controlled shell entity, funded in or about and between April and October 2008 (the “Convertible Loan Agreement”)’.121 Under the heading ‘C. Corrupt Takeover of DRC Mining Company’” (…) “the SEC Order states: Also in April 2008, Och-Ziff caused AGC I to enter into an approximately $124 million convertible loan with a holding company affiliated with DRC Partner. The stated uses of these funds were threefold: first, to provide DRC Partner with approximately $15 million to purchase a Congolese entity that had acquired the rights to a valuable mining asset in the DRC (the longstanding asset of a Canadian mining company) through an ex parte default judgment in the DRC that resulted in judicial misconduct proceedings; second, to provide DRC Partner with approximately $100 million to purchase a majority stake in that Canadian mining company in exchange for resolving its legal issues; and third, to advance an additional $9 million to be used for future mining operations in the DRC” (RAID, P: 26, 2017). “The transaction gave Och-Ziff control over what assets could be bought or sold by the entity, equity conversion rights into DRC Partner’s entity, a pledged interest in the shares of the Congolese entity, and a right to future deals with DRC Partner in the DRC. Moreover, the transaction gave DRC Partner complete discretion over how to use approximately $24 million of the funds provided by Och-Ziff. Further, Och-Ziff understood this transaction was part of a broader, ongoing partnership with DRC Partner. Finally, both Och-Ziff Employee A and Och-Ziff Employee B knew that DRC Partner was going to use a portion of the funds to pay bribes, and knew that the transaction was structured to accomplish that goal. This knowledge was not shared with others within Och-Ziff or with outside counsel” (RAID, P: 27, 2017).

drc-business

Camrose II:

“A 50% interest in Société Minière de Kabolela et Kipese Sprl (‘SMKK’) was acquired on 9 November 2009 as part of the CAMEC acquisition….In 2009 the Group acquired an option, for a cash consideration of US$25 million, to purchase the outstanding 50% of the issued share capital of SMKK by acquiring the entire issued share capital of Emerald Star Enterprises Limited (‘ESEL’), (an entity controlled by the Gertler family trust), the owner of the outstanding 50% of SMKK. The Group exercised this option and the acquisition of ESEL was effectively completed and control obtained by the Group in June 2010. The total cash consideration in respect of the outstanding SMKK shares, inclusive of the US$25 million option, amounted to US$75 million” (…) “Throughout the period of DRC Partner’s acquisition of Kolwezi Tailings and SMKK, DRC Partner continued to make corrupt payments to DRC Official 2. For example, on or about December 23, 2009, DRC Partner delivered $1 million to DRC Official 2; on or about January 5, 2010, DRC Partner delivered $2 million to DRC Official 2” (…) “On or about August 20, 2010, Mining Company 1 acquired 50.5 percent of Company B. Mining Company I agreed to pay up to $575 million over two years, including $50 million in cash. Och-Ziff Employee 3 and Och-Ziff Employee 5 were informed by a co-conspirator that the $50 million was for DRC Partner to “use on the ground” to corruptly acquire Kolwezi Tailings. As part of the deal, Mining Company 1 guaranteed repayment of the Convertible Loan Agreement through a novation of the loan” (RAID, P: 30-31, 2017).

Camrose Resources Limited, BVI company number: 1055983, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands on 9 October 2006. “ (…) ”124 According to the company website: ‘The Fleurette Group is comprised of various businesses organized under Fleurette Properties Ltd., a company established in 2006 for the benefit of the Gertler Family Trust.’ (<http://fleurettegroup.com/&gt;). A press release attributed to Fleurette Properties Limited states: ‘The Fleurette Group of Companies is a Dutch-resident group of companies whose primary activities are the investment in, exploration, exploitation and development of mining assets in Africa. The parent company of the group is called Fleurette Properties Limited, which is owned by Line Trust Corporation Limited strictly and solely on behalf of the Ashdale Settlement, a trust established in 2006 for the benefit of the family of Dan Gertler.’” (RAID, P: 58, 2017).

“Camrose is described as holding indirect interests in five copper and cobalt exploitation licences in DRC, including a 70% interest, via the Highwind Group, in Metalkol Sarl, which ENRC states as owning ‘the tailings exploitation licence covering the Kolwezi Tailings Site (otherwise known as the Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings, or “KMT”) (PER 652)’. See ENRC plc, ‘Acquisition of 50.5% of the Shares of Camrose Resources Limited’, op. cit” (RAID, P: 59, 2017).

UK gives Concent to Camrose transaction:

“Consent for the Camrose transaction was therefore sought from the UK authorities, consent that was clearly forthcoming. ENRC sought to prevent publication of media reports relating to the SAR: 101Reporters has published not only the SAR, but also the letter it received from ENRC’s lawyers, which stated: ‘you will respect the public interest in maintaining the confidentiality in SARs and remove that aspect from your article.’” (RAID, P: 33, 2017). “There is a permissive pathway by which mines and minerals from zones of conflict and weak governance are transferred to companies trading on AIM who, in turn, through a process of acquisition, transfer these tainted assets to companies in the premium segment of the main market. This process can only be described as asset laundering. Certain of ENRC’s Congolese and Zimbabwean assets, at the heart of the SFO criminal investigation, were derived from the acquisition of AIM-traded Central African Mining and Exploration Company Limited (CAMEC), which was allowed to flourish unchecked on the junior market, despite a myriad of compliance issues that have never been addressed by AIM Regulation” (RAID, P: 34, 2017).

zim-platinum

Zimbabwe Platinum deal:

“On 11 April 2008, CAMEC announced the acquisition of an interest in platinum mining assets in Zimbabwe via its acquisition of 100% of Lefever Finance Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands.209 Lefever owned 60% of Todal Mining (Private) Limited, a Zimbabwean company, which held the rights to the Bougai and Kironde claims south west of the city of Gweru in Zimbabwe. 210 The remaining 40% of Todal was held by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (‘ZMDC’), wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe” (…) “…The consideration paid for Lefever was a cash payment of US$5 million and the issue of 215,000,000 new CAMEC ordinary shares. CAMEC’s announcement of the acquisition stated:211 ‘Furthermore, CAMEC has agreed to advance to Lefever an amount of US$100 million by way of loan to enable Lefever to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Repayment to Lefever is to be made from the ZMDC’s share of dividends from Todal.’” (…) “According to the company’s own 11 April news release announcing the Zimbabwean platinum deal, CAMEC advanced the $100 million loan to Lefever to enable it ‘to comply with its contractual obligations to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe “ (PAID, P: 38, 2017).

“Och-Ziff had control over divesting from CAMEC after the platinum deal was announced (Mugabe and senior Zimbabwean government figures were already designated under US sanctions) or after the designation of both the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC – CAMEC’s state-controlled partner in the platinum venture) and Billy Rautenbach, later described by the US as a ‘Mugabe crony’. Och-Ziff, however, held onto its CAMEC shares into 2009, selling its remaining holding only when ENRC acquired CAMEC in November of that year” (RAID, P: 41, 2017).

Important Notes:

Africa Management is referred to in the Memorandum of Association of Camrose Resources: ‘…Africa Management Limited, a company incorporated in Guernsey with registered number 47651 and whose registered office is at Ogier House, St Julian’s Avenue, St. Peter Port.’ (See Memorandum and Articles of Association of Camrose Resources Limited, Incorporated 9 October 2006, Amendment registered in this 20th day of November 2008, Memorandum of Association, 10 Definitions and Interpretation, 10.1, “Africa Management Limited”)” (RAID, P: 55, 2017).

Mail&Guardian graphic about how Tokyo Sexwale investing in Gertler corporations.
Mail&Guardian graphic about how Tokyo Sexwale investing in Gertler corporations.

That this company Och-Ziff and their subsidiaries are handling their business in this way is not acceptable, the way they are catering to corrupt government officials and stifling the citizens of the nations they are earing fortunes. These corporate-stooges are writing-off dozens of nations desirable taxes and regulated levies on businesses. As they are bribing both high-level like Alphe Conde who accepts the deals in Guinea, as well as friends of Joseph Kabila in Democratic Republic of Congo, even getting Tokyo Sexwale the former minister of ANC in South Africa to be parts of their network. These levels of bribing and usage of political connection to get resources and takeover companies with ownership of licences of profitable mines, proves the graft and bribe that occurs to secure extravagant luxury for the government officials that are accepting these deals.

The Och-Ziff are using these subsidiaries and corporations to money laundering or tax-exempt them to gain more profits on the mining in the nations. Certainly done with the leadership knowledge and showed their employee tactics to bribe and secure the transactions and ownership of profitable mines. That is certainly the reason for these sophisticated business-models, that enrichen the corporate leadership and gives government officials giant envelopes to give away nations vital resources. These well-planned well-crafted companies that uses all kind of loopholes and ways to escape the punishment for their breaching of international and national law to salvage as much profit as possible.

The long-term effect is certainly that the Guinean, Congolese and Zimbabwean government get less tax on the dollar as the corporate leadership pays them directly a smaller fee, than actually paying the legitimate taxation for their operation and their owned businesses. These actions shouldn’t be in the wind, it should be in the public and be addressed, even send the corporate leadership and government officials should answer to the public thievery as the minerals are taken without proper legal rights because of the fraud, secondly the corporate and the government officials are implicated in the thievery and should be sanctioned by courts and under the rule of law. Third the corporations themselves should lose the licence and the mining operations as they got them without proper procedure and there is invalid. They should also be fined and get banned from working in this nations or the corporations with these corporate bosses that are acting for them to gain this default destructive profits. Peace.

Reference:

Rights and Accountability in Development (RAID) – ‘‘Bribery in its purest form’: Och-Ziff, asset laundering and the London connection’ January 2017

Zimbabwe: “Re: Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru Vs The President & Others CC275/16” (29.12.2016)

zimbabwe-29-12-2016

Zimbabwe: MoU Unauthorised Wearing of Camouflage Uniform (26.12.2016)

zim-mou-26-12-2016

Zimbabwe: Export Incentive Scheme and the Availability of Cash to the Banking Public (19.12.2016)

rbz-19-12-2016-p1rbz-19-12-2016-p2

Zimbabwe: Secrecy and doubt around the Bond Notes as Barclays Bank in are separating currencies in their branches, as there are lacking trust in the currency!

bond-notes-coins

We should worry when details and documents proving that Barclays Branches are having forms that are made for both Bond Notes/Coins Deposit. The Barclays are issuing the numbers of the bank and the address of the bank. The other issue is that the Bond Notes are accounted on the value of coins deposit or another currency. Not the value itself on the Bond Notes. The Bond Notes are valued together with another currency, if it is South African Rand and United States of Dollar.

The Worry with seeing the form that Barclays Limited Zimbabwe has created this form where they are valuing the Bond Notes and also separating it. This is happening as the Republic already is lacking enough of the Bond Notes. Some are even questioning if this is the first start of a parallel economy and so you know what that means: “Parallel economy, based on the black money or unaccounted money” (Your Article Library).

So the values might be turned or changed as transactions have become more costly in Zimbabwe as well:

The value of transactions processed on Zimbabwe’s National Payment System (NPS) increased from $1,2 billion to $1,5 billion as the volume of transactions went up by 13 percent in the week the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) introduced bond notes, a report by the central bank has shown” (…) “The RBZ has said it will release a total of $75 million worth of bond notes by the end of this year.” (Zimbabwe Mail, 2016).

With the cash-shortage and the promised delivery together with the volume of transactions in Zimbabwe proves the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe wasn’t ready, neither we’re the Hon. Patrick Chinamasa has to keep up his promises and deliver a grand policy to revitalize the economy.

The RBZ has increased the rate of printing with the latest batch of notes worth $7million being delivered at Harare International Airport in the last few days a Ukranean Jet. But the development will worsen the plight of safari operators who have already experienced a 25 % slump in business this year” (ZimEye, 2016).

Since the Tourist doesn’t trust the currency, neither does the locals as the government and finance ministry are keeping the secrecy around the production and cost of the currency doesn’t add to the faith in the Zimbabwean Bond Notes, as the draconian state tries to silence the #NoBondNotes and #Tajamuka are getting real. The batches worth $7million of Bond Notes haven’t done what they we’re supposed to do, as they cannot even create trust between the citizens and the financial institution.

The Comment from the Independent are clear on the Bond Notes: “Government domestic debt — which stood at US$3,7 billion as at October 2016 — is clearly unsustainable. In a normal economy, Treasury Bills (TBs) are a useful short-term instrument for raising funds via open market operations. But in Zimbabwe’s case, TBs have not been deployed prudently. In fact, TBs are a ticking time bomb. Long before bond notes spooked the market, the authorities were churning out TBs which, to all intents and purposes, were effectively a local currency by another name” (The Zimbabwe Independent Editor, 2016).

rbz-12-12-2016

So when the Government has this massive debt and delivers a little bunch of currency that isn’t trusted because of secrecy, the reality is also that the Zanu-PF haven’t really tried to be honest about their approach on the Bond Notes. They seem like a giant loan from the Afreximbank who borrow the funds so the Finance Minister Chinamasa could afford to chip the monies on the public. So the public and citizens are in the paying for the added debt for a currency, which isn’t valued by anybody. Even the banks operating in Zimbabwe is making ready for a parallel economy with the Bond Notes. As we can question as the Barclays of Zimbabwe has separated the foreign currency and the new note.

In July 2016 the Afreximbank:

“The RBZ has said the bond notes, which will trade a ratio of 1:1 with the greenback, are backed by a $200million Afreximbank bond facility, from which they derive their name” (New Ziana, 2016).

So now the first batch was $7million worth out of the proposed $200million loans used to put the Bond Notes to the citizens of Zimbabwe, which I have proposed from the get-go is added in the debt into the hands of the citizens as they get indebted with the notes and also with the surging government spending.

There aren’t clear indications that the bond notes will add anything positives, as even the banks are now showing resistance and proving their little faith in the currency. Not only the citizens, but also tourists, visitors of Zimbabwe don’t even trust it.

Like this example:

“The informal traders lament that they are slowly losing faith in the new currency as it has been posing a myriad challenges towards their business, which is solely hinged on imported wares” (…) “The flea market traders import various wares from neighbouring Mozambique, mostly second hand clothes and shoes” (…) “Murayirwa further added that it becomes a challenge since the Mozambican Bureau de Change only cross rates US$ against Meticals” (…) “This is an unnecessary headache. Bond notes are going to kill our business. This business is supporting close to 1,000 breadwinners. Most of the people here were formerly employed by the major industries that closed and they had no choice but to come here to support their families. Yes we understand that government is trying to solve cash challenges in the country, but they are doing so at the expense of thousands of other families whose businesses are in jeopardy now,” said Murayirwa” (Nehenda Radio, 2016)

The Zimbabwean citizens struggle with paying and exchanging monies to importing things to sell at the markets, as proven with this example. The small-scale entrepreneurs who are important at markets to sell needed products at a decent price; they cannot do so if their currency isn’t valued. Therefore the trust of the Bond Notes is lower than when they we’re introduced.

The reasons are the secrecy and the uncertainty of the effects on the market as it was unleashed to the people. Still close to a month after the release there isn’t any proof of any good coming out of the currency, other than surely some unknown Zanu-PF cronies earning fortunes on it! Peace.

barclays-zim-bond-notes

Reference:

Nehenda Radio  – ‘Traders decry loss of business because of bond notes’ (15.12.2016) link: http://nehandaradio.com/2016/12/15/traders-decry-loss-business-bond-notes/#sthash.cEnubUzE.dpuf

New Ziana – ‘Afreximbank to state position on bond notes’ (01.07.2016) link: http://www.herald.co.zw/afreximbank-to-state-position-on-bond-notes/

Your Article Library – ‘What is the Meaning of the Parallel Economy?’ link: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/economics/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-parallel-economy/2720/

The Zimbabwe Independent Editor – ‘Govt’s budget a non-starter’ (16.12.2016) link: https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2016/12/16/govts-budget-non-starter/

ZimEye – ‘Secret Bond Note Printing Accelerates’ (16.12.2016) link: https://www.zimeye.net/secret-bond-note-printing-accelerates/

Zimbabwe Mail – ‘Value of financial transactions up 23pct following bond notes injection’ (15.12.2016) link: http://thezimbabwemail.com/banking-finance-34021-value-of-financial-transactions-up-23pct-following-bond-notes-injection.html

The rise of #ThisFlag Movement Pastor Evan Mawarire: the Civil Rights Activist and leader that Zimbabwe and the world needs right now!

Evan Mawarire 13.07.2016

Pastor Evan Mawarire, the Zimbabwean Civil Rights leader who started wearing the Zimbabwean Flag and called for demonstrations wearing it in public. The Zimbabwean Flag became a tool of resistance and defiance of the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), the ruling regime that has been in power since 1980 and under the current President Robert Mugabe.

Robert Mugabe reign started hopeful, but has turned sour over time. President Mugabe has forgotten his struggle is keener on buying jewellery for his wife than caring about his citizens. Therefore the rise of men and civil rights activists like Evan Mawarire is extremely important to change the republic. A republic that has become corrupt cronyism and where the foundations are shaking; where the police brutality and impunity runs rapid. Where massive amount of citizens are living in the diaspora and flee to live in shacks in South Africa.

This is the legacy that is left behind after decades under the President Mugabe, the real change never came, only that that the Zanu-PF elite got to eat and takeover lands from the inherent former colonial tribes and given that away to Zanu-PF elites and generals. So this has shackled the production of a former breadbasket, as the El Nino even made the lacking foods worse. The drought together with the lacking agricultural policies made the former proud farmer nation into a nation who needs help to feed it; so the independent nation needs more help than before existence of Mugabe Administration.

The thieving of export funds together with the problematic inflations, as well as faltering currency policies that lead to the depleted economy, as well as International Monetary Fund and World Bank put sanctions or suspended needed loans to the Zanu-PF government. The Zanu-PF has used the funds on their own and had famous parties for the President and his family. As well as the Vice-President putting hotel bills on the government as he lived over 1,5 year at hotel in Harere and sponging of the government coffers.

With the knowledge of this, with the lacking medication on the hospital, the lacking payments of salaries to the civil servants and others proves the lack of governance. The allocations and misuse of funds is rampant as the Zanu-PF elite rides in expensive imported SUVs while the common-man cannot get out enough funds at the ATMs to pay their rent or pay for food suppliers at the market.

In this context came the monumental rise of a simple man, not a man of wealth or kin of former renegades against the colonial Ian Smith Government. Evan Mawarire was close to nobody before 2016 and #ThisFlag Movement. He wasn’t somebody who was well-known. Still, his cause through peaceful means became too much for the government to handle. Therefore they abducted him and as the whole day in Court happen with a dozens of the lawyers who worked Pro-Bono for the man, because they saw his cause and his rise. Pastor Mawarire, we’re a citizen and an outspoken one, who showed no fear for the repression of the Zanu-PF. That because it seems like a genuine cause and heart for his nation. The Republic that birth him and raised him, he wanted a republic with a government that would represent the people and not just bow-down and bend knees for Mugabe.

That is what it is now. The Zimbabwean nation with their mismanaged bond-notes who are another tactic of the Zanu-PF to gain spoils on loans and trying to get more out of the foreign currency in the nation. So the Zimbabwe Reserve Bank together with the President Mugabe hustling more out the poverty with the transaction of  loaning a fortune and then exchanging the foreign currency surplus to the elites. White-washing the bond-notes at the same time; a successful receipt to destroying faith in monies and getting a new 2008 crash-course in hyper-inflation; something the Zanu-PF under Mugabe has created before!

zimbabwe-inflation-chart-june-17-2016

 

So the #Tajamuka, #NotoBondNotes and #ThisFlag together with the rising men and woman who acts against Mugabe and his regime are currently rising with 2016 year coming to the end. Evan Mawarire is a symbol, not only a man who sadly had to flee to United States after the short trial where the public waited for him to released. They proved the people power over a corrupt crony government with draconian laws and a security apparatus that takes the freedom, liberty and opportunity away from the citizens.

The Zanu-PF under Mugabe isn’t giving the Zimbabwean people hope, he is destroying while eating the spoils, while running away from his killings and his damaging rhetoric that has barricaded himself and left him alone. The ones that are loyal to Mugabe isn’t there because the love him, but they love the brown envelopes. There isn’t a policy or political framework that can build the nation or change the pattern of destruction under Mugabe. He has only his own will, which he believes is the will of the Zimbabweans.

If it we’re so, the people wouldn’t felt touch and felt the need for Pastor Evan Mawarire, there wouldn’t be a unknown pastor who turned civil rights activist who would make the headlines, it would been men like Morgan Tsvangirai and Acie Lumumba should be in charge, they should blaze the winds of change. Tsvangirai under the Movement for Democratic Change that had a popular rise a decade ago and nearly toppled the Mugabe regime. The current youth leader and populist Acie Lumumba his VIVA Zimbabwe we’re supposed to garn support, but it doesn’t. Their ties with Mugabe and history are making people sceptical of their will to change the cronyism.

Zim Evan This Flag

Zimbabwe needs people like Evan Mawarire, the world needs people like him and that has faith in peaceful disobedience against greedy oppressive regimes. Mawarire needs Zimbabweans and the world needs to support his cause for peaceful change. Mugabe isn’t automatically entitled to be president, than he is a Zimbabwean King. Kings are entitled to their role as leaders of their people and to be monarchs. But a President is elected to represent the people and ones in the dominion that the President has the power to rule, because the hand over that power to the person through elections or other functions that make it just. That hasn’t happened in Zimbabwe.

The people in Zimbabwe deserve a government that represent them and work for their will, not being in Harare to earn on the public coffers and earn on loyalty to Executive Mugabe. So the rise of a man like Mawarire is bound to happen because of the injustice happening time and time again. Too many people and their stories dwindle away, so many people have suffered while the rich has eaten, as they have built mansions and owning land instead of building institutions and invested in the people.

Charge Against Evan Mawarire

#ThisFlag and Evan Mawarire are the signs of hope, the signs of people wanting justice and development for their nation. That would be well deserved, the liberation from the Ian Smith regime wasn’t to make sure the liberators could eat the spoils, but actually the free-men of Zimbabwe could live free and earning a proper living for their work. That is dream right now, the rights are only for the entitled in the Zanu-PF the others has to beg. The justice is of two nations, the ones living in the elite and the rest. It’s the rest that needs men and woman like Mawarire, the world need people like him to address the concerns of people in need and who deemed poverty with no voice for their concerns. They are the ones that needs help and needs a government working for them. Instead they are keener on fixing the riches for the elite and finding new ways of short-conning the population. So the Mawarire has to rise-up and say “enough is enough” the Zanu-PF has used their time and taken the people for granted; the Zanu-PF doesn’t deserve anymore, they have used their time and spent it unwisely. Mugabe forgotten his struggle and his riches has blinded him from the cause that lead him to power.

Therefore he had to call out Mawarire and claiming his cause we’re useless. He was hurt that one of his citizens called him out and acted against him. Mugabe made this way and now have to see what he has made, but his stubborn acts of ignorance, his will of keeping enriching himself, is the reason for the rise of the Pastor. The Pastor wouldn’t be anybody if it wasn’t for the oppressive and brutal regime. The regime of Mugabe has lost their way and lost the reason for existing… Peace.

Joint Civil Society Statement: Zimbabwe Must Respect and Protect the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, Participation in Political and Governmental Affairs, and Personal Integrity (10.12.2016)

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Zimbabwe: Correcting a Statement in the Sunday Mail Article “Government to continue importing US Dollars” (04.12.2016)

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Zimbabwe: Bond Notes causing stirring issues days after launch!

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Not only that the Harare Central Police are using their water-canons on the demonstrators today in the main streets of the capital. The pictures of Bond Notes coming from South Africa have not been enough with the leaked photos online. Therefore the Parliament and Hon. Mnangagwa and Hon. Chinamasa wouldn’t’ answer fellow MPs on their questions about the production of the currency. Secondly a big mining corporation will not start to sell their exported gold from Zimbabwe with bond notes, but continue to trade them with US Currency.

Disclose the Printing:

“Mnangagwa was responding to a question in the National Assembly from Binga North MP, Prince Dubeko Sibanda (MDC-T), who wanted to know if the government would not end up printing bond notes in excess of the $200 million Afrexim Bank facility” (…) “MPs should not be worried because government will restrict itself to the amount of bond notes anchored on the $200 million facility,” he said” (…) “Those of us who feel uncomfortable using bond notes should continue using the United States dollar because bond notes and US dollars are interchangeable. If you have no faith in bond notes, why not continue using the currency that you have faith in?” (…) “Mnangagwa said whenever the RBZ governor deals with monetary policy issues, he has legal authority to transact with other central banks in the world for the benefit of the country” (Langa, 2016).

Still selling gold with US Currency:

“Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc (LON:CMCL TSE:CAL) said there will no effect on its payment arrangements following the  recent introduction of bond notes by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe” (…) “Since the start of 2014, Caledonia has had to sell all gold produced from its 49%-owned Blanket mine to Fidelity Printers and Refiners Limited, a subsidiary of the RBZ” (…) “ So far all sale proceeds have been received within 48 hours of delivery to Fidelity in US dollars at a price which is 98.75% of the London afternoon “fix” on the day after delivery” (Whiterow, 2016).

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Current events as well:

It was also supposed to be One United States Dollar to One Zimbabwe Bond Note (1:1). But only days after the price on the black-market because of the lacking funds in the capital and in the nation of the new currency, the trading value is 1.25 to 1 Bond Notes. Together with the allowed taking out 300$ at the ATMs in Harare, but during today the limit where 150$, so the cash-strapped society continues even as the unleashed new currency hitting the streets. At Stanbic Branches outside you could get max 40$ Bond Notes and inside 25$ Bond Notes. So the issues of clearing the economy has apparently not hit yet. The lacking funds and coins are truly a phenomenon that Zimbabwe doesn’t easily shake out of.

So the easy launch and creating trust after the failing economic climate has showed to be hard on the Zanu-PF regime who has been vultures and eating heavy of the plate. That is something they still do and continues with, therefore the public distrust is genuine and expected. President Mugabe tricks cannot salvage this if the Public has no faith in the currency and not even the big bread-winners doesn’t change their cash-flow. The proof is if the major mining corporations and supermarkets don’t use or accept the Bond Notes. If so then the issue of Bond Notes is flawed. That we can hope, because the Bond Notes is just adding debt and giving the economy a fake push that the citizens would pay and not the government themselves. Peace.

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Reference:

Langa, Veneranda – ‘We won’t disclose where bond notes are printed: Mnangagwa’ (01.12.2016) link: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/12/01/wont-disclose-bond-notes-printed-mnangagwa/

Whiterow, Phillip – ‘Caledonia Mining says no impact from Zimbabwe’s new bond notes’ (01.12.2016) link: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/169819/caledonia-mining-says-no-impact-from-zimbabwe-s-new-bond-notes-169819.html

Zimbabwe: Cabinet decision on Witch Hunting (29.11.2016)

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