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NATION SETS TO BENEFIT AS UN ELEVATES RESIDENT COORDINATORS

ZIMBABWE: UNITED NATIONS/SABANEWS/14/2/19 SABANews 1

HARARE – The new economic, socio and political dispensation in ZIMBABWE enjoys nonstop support from the global community, with the latest show of solidarity coming from the UNITED NATIONS itself.

The world body has retained NEPALESE national BISHOW PARAJULI in the economically devastated SADC country with his more than 33 years of experience in a variety of development areas.

Mr Bishow Parajuli presenting his credentials at State House (Pic. UN)

A Statement by UN Mission Communications Specialist SIRAK GEBREHIWOT says Mr PARAJULI gained expertise in humanitarian, diplomatic, fund raising, coordination and management issues in ASIA, EUROPE, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA and the MIDDLE EAST.

He became UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in SEPTEMBER 2014, but this THURSDAY he has presented his credentials, as the most high-ranking UN Representative, to President EMMERSON MNANGAGWA at State House in HARARE.

Mr GEBREHIWOT says the development is in line with events of ONE JANUARY 2019, when the UN System launched a global change for an improved and new Resident Coordinator System and UN Country Team – putting countries at the forefront.

He says UN Secretary General ANTONIO GUTERRES has made the appointment of Mr PARAJULI as part of efforts to implement this ongoing UNITED NATIONS reform agenda.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (Pic. Reuters)

The world body adopted Resolution 72/279 at the 72ND session of its General Assembly to strengthen the authority and leadership of the Resident Coordinators as the highest-ranking representatives of the UNITED NATIONS development systems.

The envoys are to lead sustainable-development-focused UN country teams and system-wide accountability on the ground for implementing the UN Development Assistance Framework, as well as supporting countries in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

However, the promoted UN Resident Coordinator and the refreshed UN Country Team remain focused on sustainable development, with the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions as their principal objective.

Mr GEBREHIWOT says the emphasis is consistent with the integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda, and in line with the UNITED NATIONS Development Assistance Framework.

With his new mandate, Mr PARAJULI will lead alignment of both UN agency programs and inter-agency pool funds for development with national development needs and priorities, as well as with the UN Development Assistance Framework, in consultation with the State.

Secretary General ANTONIO GUTERRES has also recently issued a statement to UN member nations on the rollout of the UN System Reform.

He says countries will be able to count on impartial and empowered Resident Coordinators – fully devoted to the needs required to fulfil the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, drawing on experience, skills and knowledge across the UN system.

Mr GUTERRES says UN Country Teams on the ground will now be better able to tailor their presence, capacities, skills sets, and overall responses to priorities of the host nations.

Before Secretary General GUTERRES appointed him to lead the newly reformed UN System in ZIMBABWE, Mr BISHOW PARAJULI has been UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in ZIMBABWE since 16 SEPTEMBER 2014.

Mr Parajuli and President Mnangagwa pose for a photo with UN staff (Pic. UN)

He has led UN cooperation with the government, donors, civil society, communities, the media, and other partners to new heights; including a new strategic engagement under the 2016 to 2020 UN Development Assistance Framework, focusing on SIX national priorities.

The priority areas are poverty reduction, social services, gender equality, HIV and AIDS, food and nutrition security, and good governance, and they have led to the successful mobilization of 400-MILLION US dollars yearly for the past THREE years.

Results from the schemes include resilience building for 830-THOUSAND people in 23 rural districts, giving cash and food aid to TWO-POINT-TWO-MILLION vulnerable people, as well as introducing climate smart agriculture.

The development partners have further helped expand agro-businesses and irrigation infrastructures, as well as linking women to domestic and regional markets.

ZIMBABWE also now has independent institutions, including the Election Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, and the Gender Commission.

The UN Mission statement says the established authorities are meant to promote peace, reconciliation, and contribute to efforts to enhance democracy and human rights in the SADC country.

It says the world body has helped the nation to fulfil its reporting obligations to human rights mechanisms like the Universal Periodic Review, and to implement rights recommendations and development goals, with a view to enhance human rights and development.

The UN has also been actively engaged on national initiatives to end child marriages and gender-based violence, ensuring access to education of children with disabilities and providing books to TWO-POINT-FIVE-MILLION pupils.

Women in rural Masvingo Province working on UN sponsored community projects (Pic. UN)

It has further helped more than 300-THOUSAND poor households – especially child headed – with cash transfer consistently, and more than THREE-POINT-SIX-MILLION people in rural and semi-urban areas have received water and sanitation services.

In response to the HIV pandemic, more than ONE-MILLION people have been successfully put on antiretroviral treatment, allowing them to lead a productive life and make the country ONE of the leaders in such efforts internationally.

The world body says it has been responding proactively to emerging humanitarian crises caused by recurrent droughts, floods and outbreaks such as cholera and typhoid in the country.

The UN has worked with ZIMBABWE and development partners to find lasting solutions by building national capacities for disaster risk management, early warning systems, as well as resilience building of communities to withstand shocks and effects of climate change.

The repositioning of Mr PARAJULI as the most high-ranking UN Representative comes as ZIMBABWE is reeling under biting AMERICAN and BRITISH economic sanctions that have left the country on its knees and facing opposition-led social unrest./Sabanews/cam

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AT LEAST 23 GOLD DIGGERS KILLED IN FLOODED TUNNELS

ZIMBABWE: DISASTER/THE HERALD/14/2/19 SABANews 1

BATTLEFIELDS – At least 23 informal gold miners have been killed in flooded tunnels of TWO disused mines in the Central ZIMBABWE area of BATTLEFIELDS.

Gold panner going down (Pic. Agencies)

THE HERALD says the tragedy occurred after heavy rains caused the walls of a local dam to burst and release huge volumes of water at about midnight TUESDAY into the shafts of CRICKET Mine owned by RIOZIM and another owned by a Mr BAXTER.

The State-run daily says the TWO mines have THREE linked shafts going down for some 30 metres deep and with tunnels that are 20 metres wide each.

Authorities have expressed fear the number of people killed could rise, because chances of rescuing any survivors are slim and the water levels in the tunnels continue to rise.

MASHONALAND WEST Provincial Administrator CECILIA CHITIYO says they have activated their regional Civil Protection Unit to offer assistance.

She says the authorities need to mobilise more pumps urgently because the water levels are continuously rising from beneath, and they are not sure if the affected miners had not reached an aquifer below.

Police have collected corpses of panners over the years (Pic. Agencies)

MHONDORO-NGEZI District Administrator FORTUNATE MAZULU has visited the TWO mines and she has also told THE HERALD chances of rescuing any survivors are very slim.

She says the names of people believed to have been trapped has reached 23, with 19 reportedly trapped at the RIOZIM-owned mine and another FOUR at the other mine.

Ms MAZULU says the informal miners have been entering the shafts and tunnels under the cover of darkness, without the knowledge of mine owners, and disappearing early in the morning.

She says rescue operations are also difficult because the shafts are flooded to the surface, which is why they have had to call ZIMPLATS Company to help with their bigger pumps to drain the water and enable retrieval of the bodies.

RIOZIM Spokesperson WILSON GWATIRINGA has also visited the site, saying efforts are underway to drain the water from the shafts.

The ZIMBABWE Ministry of Mines and Mining Development is leading the operations to retrieve the bodies of the killed miners and rescue survivors, if any, from the flooded disused mine tunnels./Sabanews/cam

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SADC CALLS FOR LIFTING OF SANCTIONS AND NON-INTERFERENCE IN INTERNAL AFFAIRS

ZIMBABWE: DISTURBANCES/SABANEWS/12/2/19 SABANews 1

WINDHOEK – The SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, SADC, has repeated the call for Western powers to lift economic sanctions against ZIMBABWE and stop interfering in the affairs of other sovereign nations.

SADC leaders finally vocal (Pic. The Namibian)

President HAGE GEINGOB of NAMIBIA, who chairs the economic bloc, has also issued a statement calling on all political players to cooperate with the government for the benefit of the country.

His comments come after a briefing from President EMMERSON MNANGAGWA to the Consultative Meeting of the SADC Heads of State and Government, held on the NINTH of this month.

President GEINGOB says regional leaders have seen the intense and continuous efforts by the new government to address national challenges and transform the economy.

He says the efforts are particularly visible in the ZIMBABWE Transitional Stabilization Program 2018 to 2020, as well as in the visible moves to consolidate national unity and peace.

Nevertheless, the SADC Chairperson says some internal groups, mainly NGOs getting support from external forces, have continued with counter attempts to destabilise the country.

Such groups have recently taken advantage of fuel price hikes meant to arrest biting economic challenges and staged violent protests that got a number of people killed and caused enormous property destruction nationwide.

The SADC leaders say the demonstrations had nothing to do with the increased fuel costs but were a scheme meant to destabilise the country; and they have expressed sympathy with the affected families for the loss of their loved ones and their property.

On the other hand, SADC says ZIMBABWE is working hard to transform the economy and bring about prosperity to the people, but the illegal sanctions imposed on the country since early 2000 are affecting the struggle.

The 16-member economic bloc says it stands in solidarity with the government of ZIMBABWE and its people, and it is calling on the Western powers to lift the embargo unconditionally.

SADC has further called on the opposition to stop soliciting for wicked support for a regime change agenda; and join the MNANGAGWA Administration in a national political dialogue that aims to strengthening economic transformation.

The renewed push from the regional grouping comes amid serious campaigns by opposition MDC ALLIANCE Leader NELSON CHAMISA to force his way into the echelons of power through a Government of National Unity.

Nelson Chamisa struggles to force formation of GNU (Pic. Agencies)

Mr CHAMISA enjoys massive support from privately-run, well-funded, media outlets against a poorly-resourced national broadcaster and an equally poorly-financed newspaper group run by the State.

Research has revealed the deadly opposition political lobby and the massive media campaign against the new government in ZIMBABWE enjoys generous external support, mainly from the UNITED STATES.

The DONALD TRUMP Administration is not only destabilising the SADC country but has earned the reputation of trying to unseat constitutionally elected governments elsewhere as well, and replace them with pseudo opposition political groups.

The SADC Chairperson has this month issued a statement on events in the BOLIVARIAN Republic of VENEZUELA, where AMERICAN Vice President MIKE PENCE has ushered in an opposition leader as President – with full support from WHITE HOUSE.

President Nicolas Maduro (right) facing a coup (Pic. Agencies)

President HAGE GEINGOB says the SADC notes with concern the attempts by leaders of such countries to interfere in the affairs and sovereignty of VENEZUELA.

He says such nations have sought to undermine an elected government under President NICOLAS MADURO MOROS by proclaiming JUAN GUAIDO MARQUEZ as Interim Head of State.

President GEINGOB says the SADC condemns such violations of the values of International Law, especially the respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of independent States.

He says the people of the BOLIVARIAN Republic of VENEZUELA expressed their political choices through Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in DECEMBER 2015 and MAY 2018 respectively.

However, just like in the ZIMBABWE presidential election last NOVEMBER, the UNITED STATES has encouraged VENEZUELAN opposition leader GUAIDO to take over power from the elected Head of State.

Media reports say, faced with US-led economic sanctions President MADURO has reached out to Pope FRANCIS to seek help to bring about a peaceful solution to the crisis in VENEZUELA. It is not clear yet how the VATICAN has responded.

Just like in ZIMBABWE where Mr CHAMISA tried to inaugurate himself as President even after losing in the Constitutional Court, Mr GUAIDÓ declared himself Head of State on 23 JANUARY after speaking to US Vice President MIKE PENCE.

Trump and Pence conniving to effect random regime changes (Pic. France 24)

Vice President PENCE pledged to the politician support from the TRUMP Administration, after which countries like AUSTRIA, BRITAIN, DENMARK, FRANCE, GERMANY, SPAIN and SWEDEN towed the same line.

However, the US television program, DEMOCRACY NOW, says ITALY has blocked an EU statement recognising Mr GUAIDÓ, while IRELAND and GREECE support new elections but do not recognise the GUAIDÓ presidency.

The broadcaster says TWO major powers, CHINA and RUSSIA, have condemned the AMERICAN move in VENEZUELA out-and-out, which is also the stance taken by the SADC Region.

The call by the SADC leaders for powerful nations in the West to stop interfering in the affairs of poor countries may be the beginning of an era where the THIRD WORLD refuse to be bullied about their domestic affairs./Sabanews/cam