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Historic polls!

27 Jul, 2018 - 00:07 0 Views
Historic polls! President Mnangagwa

eBusiness Weekly

Africa Moyo
Zimbabweans from all walks of life will exercise their Constitutional right when they vote on Monday next week in an historic make-or-break harmonised election.The plebiscite is historic in three ways; it is the first since 1980 to held in the country without the image of former President Robert Mugabe on the ballot paper.

It is also the first to be held without the image of former firebrand trade unionist and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s face on the ballot paper.

Critically, the election comes at a time when the economy is showing green shoots of recovery in the last eight months following the coming into office of President Mnangagwa.

Interestingly though, the opposition under the MDC Alliance goes into the elections threatening to unleash an orgy of violence if it loses.

But with over $16 billion worth of investment approvals between January and June this year, according to statistics from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA), there is renewed hope for full throttle economic recovery post this election.

Considering the headway that ZANU-PF under President Mnangagwa has made since getting into office, observers say Zimbabweans have an easy choice to make; electing tried and tested leadership that has shown capacity to transform the economy.

The MDC Alliance led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa is certainly not an abject choice for Zimbabweans, but shocking are gaffes by its the leadership of an amalgamation of several small political parties, particularly the penchant to belittle women and phony electoral promises.

Advocate Chamisa

While citizens are confronting challenges brought about by the mis-governance of former President Mugabe, who had literally lost control of his Government to his wife, Grace, the MDC Alliance is promising spaghetti roads and bullet trains.

Futuristic promises of top quality roads and bullet trains are good, but at the moment, a party that has started delivering food on the table, patched potholes and resurfaced many roads, launching school fees loan facilities for tertiary education students; and re-industrialising the country to create jobs and increase production, should surely attract the sympathy of most rational voters.

A party led by principled cadres,
who put their lives on the line to defend the country from further tyranny and plunder by a small clique surrounding
the former President, deserves to be afforded a fresh mandate by right thinking citizens.

A party that emphasises on less talk but delivery of tangible results, as evidenced by the massive influx of foreign investors keen on rescuing the struggling economy, and subsequent launch of multi-billion dollar investments, deserves the strong support of voters.

Other analysts believe that President Mnangagwa’s administration also deserves to be rewarded by citizens with their votes for ushering in freedom of expression in the country, with was unheard of during the time of the captured old regime.

People are now free to say what they want, including disparaging remarks about the President, both by word of mouth and on social media.

Further, the new administration has unshackled the political landscape and parties that previously dreaded announcing their existence, have had the courage to file their names with the nomination court.

A staggering 23 presidential candidates have thrown their names onto the political ring and some of them, led by people whose sanity has been subject to social media debates, are campaigning freely across the country.

The MDC Alliance has staged several demonstrations mainly in Harare, protesting over alleged poll irregularities freely without harassment by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, previously a reliable source of violence against dissenting voices.

Any part of the country that Advocate Chamisa has not passed through or addressed a rally from, should count itself utterly unlucky as the opposition politician has traversed the length and breadth of the country without hindrance.

Engineer Tendai Peter Munyanduri, spent all of Wednesday engaging Hararians, one-on-one or as groups, seeking their votes.

Many could barely notice him, with a few paying attention to him.

In the countryside, previously no-go areas for opposition parties, there is a breath of fresh air as citizens from different parties can gather under a tree, sharing cigarettes and/ or beer, discussing which political parties to vote for.

President Mnangagwa says “masamba asiyana” (the game has changed).

Throughout his campaign period, the President has been preaching peace, peace and love.

He encouraged his supporters, in the event that opposition supporters visited their homes, to roast dried maize for them and give them a cup of water to drink; and never to harm or threaten them with unspecified action.

Little wonder, election observers from across the globe are in the country, some came way back, to monitor how the elections would be conducted.

Observers from the European Union, Commonwealth, the African Union, SADC, the Pan African Parliament (PAP), and many others representing some private organisations, have camped in the country, for the first time since 2000.

In total, 64 organisations and individuals were invited to cover the elections.

In the last elections, only SADC, AU and PAP observer missions were unwelcome to monitor local elections.

Top global media organisations have also descended in the country in numbers of unusual dimension, again, a luxury unimaginable under the ancient regime.

Zimra also ready
to process visitors

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has roped in more employees to help speedily process visitors into the country, at the various ports of entry.

An influx of visitors in the mould of citizens coming back to vote, observers and media, is expected to throng ports of entry beginning today and Sunday.

Zimra acting head (of) corporate communications Taungana Ndoro told Business Weekly that to ensure “smooth passage and avoid unnecessary delays” at the borders, stakeholders bringing in equipment such as cameras, video recording or filming equipment, drones, broadcasting equipment, food and other consumables; should ensure that the goods are easily identifiable.

Where possible, serial numbers and identifying marks of the goods should be inscribed on the goods and endorsed on the clearance form, the Application for Temporary Importation Privileges (ATIP), to ensure they can be identified on exportation.

“Invoices should be detailed and specify marks, quantities, including the weights where appropriate and the value of the goods,” said Mr Ndoro.

Some of the goods such as broadcasting equipment require import permits or licences from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ). Others such as drones require import authority from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).

CAAZ requires the invoice containing identifying marks of the drones to process the requisite import authority.

Importers are required to ascertain before leaving their home countries, the nature of permits, if any, which are required for the importation of their goods prior to arrival at entry points.

Documentations required include invoices or inventories, packing lists and all ordinary shipping documents used in the clearance of cargo.

Mr Ndoro said the documentation would be required to process the ATIP
or paying the duty at the time of
clearance.

Goods that are expected to remain in Zimbabwe after the visit, including free handouts, consumables and give-aways, attract duty together with any printed advertising matter and technical literature for free distribution.

“Full duty is payable on these goods on importation.

“However, visitors are allowed to bring into Zimbabwe goods of a value of up to $200 which are for personal use without payment of duty,” said Mr Ndoro.

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