By Paidamoyo Chipunza, Sydney Kawadza and Thupeyo Muleya
Zimbabweans who were living and working in South Africa are returning home in droves following threats of xenophobic attacks by South Africans soon after the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
The returnees — mostly women and their children — started trekking back to this side of the Limpopo River last Saturday with many indicating that they did not want to stay and find out if the rumours of xenophobic violence would turn out to be true.
The 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup ends on Sunday.
South African Police Minister Nathi Mthetwa yesterday told journalists after an inter-ministerial committee meeting in Pretoria that security agencies were on alert.
Zimbabweans, fearing for their lives, had already started transporting their household property — including beds, wardrobes and fridges — amid reports that violence had been reported in Cape Town, Durban, East London, Bloemfontein and other areas.
Returnees interviewed at Roadport in Harare yesterday said even landlords had stopped accepting rentals from Zimbabwean tenants because they feared they could be targeted for providing shelter to foreigners.
"Soldiers have been deployed to monitor the situation, but we value our lives and that is why we decided to come back home," one woman said.
She said many Zimbabweans were stranded in South Africa due to the sudden spike in demand for transport back home.
"Many people are stranded at Huguenot N1 Engen Garage in Cape Town where we normally board transport to Johannesburg as people outnumber the available transport," she said.
Zimbabweans interviewed at the Beitbridge Border Post on Tuesday expressed similar fears.
"I thought the xenophobic attacks would start before I give birth. I am glad I delivered before the end of World Cup and I am going back home safely with my son," said new mother Mrs Leena
Mrs Masomere, who was travelling with her 13-day-old baby, said she had been left with no option but to use public transport with the baby.
Some Shona cultures forbid mothers from taking their babies to crowded places in their first month.
"Children are protected by God. It’s better to take him on the bus than wait for harassment come Monday," Mrs Masomere said.
Mrs Masomere was based in Johannesburg.
Johanne Masowe Apostolic Sect members said they were advised not to attend church services on Sunday.
"Our church elders advised us not to attend services on Sunday because no one knows where they’ll choose to start the attacks and what time.
"So we decided to come back to Zimbabwe because we have homes," one man said.
Others who had gone to South Africa for business opportunities related to the World Cup are also trekking back.
"I am a sculptor by profession. I started going to South Africa in the 1990s selling carved stones.
"These threats by South Africans are not new. I take them seriously because they have done that before, which is why I am going back home.
"There is no harm in me going back home because I will still continue with my work," Mr Mike Chigovera of Mvuma said.
Mr Tinei Sithole from Chipinge said: "We have heard numerous reports from the media in South Africa that there will be widespread attacks on foreigners in South Africa and I have decided to come back home before the attacks begin.
"I will assess the situation for the next three months before going back there."
Mr Sithole, who used to stay in Thembisa just outside Johannesburg, said he started sending his goods back home in Chipinge using cross-border couriers last month.
Mr Mgcini Tshuma from Tsholotsho said he survived the 2008 xenophobic attacks but was not prepared to go through the ordeal again.
"Everyone in South Africa is talking about the attacks on foreigners who are accused of snatching jobs from locals.
"Anyone in his right mind cannot take chances with his life."
Bus drivers and cross-border transporters are also mooting possible increases in fares to cash in on the influx of returning Zimbabweans.
Buses are charging a minimum of R300 from South Africa to Harare.
"We are making more money on luggage than passengers. On a normal day our luggage collections amount to about R8 000 but today I have cashed R25 000," Mr Nesbert Makunun’unu, a Harare-based transporter, said yesterday.
Another transporter servicing the Harare-Johannesburg route, Mr Owen Nehwangwa, added: "You can tell people are relocating by the luggage we are carrying these days.
"There’s lots of furniture like beds and wardrobes coming this way."
While fears of a repeat of the 2008 xenophobic attacks could be behind most relocations, some people said the improving economic situation in Zimbabwe also attracted repatriations.
"The money I was earning is not enough to cover for all that I need for my family in Zimbabwe and me in South Africa.
"If you get a job in Zimbabwe you can earn enough to look for your family," Mr Patrick Fulani, an engineer, said yesterday.
Assistant regional immigration officer for the Southern Region Mr Charles Gwede confirmed the increase in arrivals since Saturday but could not provide figures.
"We are currently assessing the situation but most cross-border transporters we have talked to indicate that they are fully booked for the rest of the month.
"Most of the buses are going to South Africa almost empty but come back loaded with household appliances, furniture and groceries.
"The movement has, however, coincided with our normal month-end increases."
Mr Gwede also confirmed receiving reports of xenophobic attack threats.
The South African government has said it is taking the threats seriously.
Speaking after yesterday’s inter-ministerial committee meeting in Pretoria, Police Minister Mthetwa said: "Our security agents are prepared to effectively deal with violence, including foreign nationals.
"We continue to monitor all and any other threats. Should anything be found to be credible, measures will be implemented immediately to prevent any outbreaks of violence."
Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Malusi Gigaba said the department was working flat-out to contain the situation.
"These rumours run the risk of eroding the victory we scored with the World Cup. We will not allow that."
He, however, denied that people leaving South Africa were fleeing possible violence.
State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele added that rumours of violence were instigated by a small group of people.
"Those who are planning on breaking our law will be dealt with by the law enforcement agencies."
published by; The Herald, 9 July 2010
website; www.herald.co.zw
Friday, July 9, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Elephants Wreak Havoc At Shashe Irrigation Scheme
The Herald (Harare)
May 4, 2006
By Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge
A HERD of elephants suspected to have strayed from Botswana is causing havoc at the $50 billion Shashe Irrigation Scheme northwest of Beitbridge town.
In an interview yesterday, Shashe ward 8 councillor Luka Ndou said the elephants were putting this year's winter wheat cropping programme under threat. The Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, sponsors Shashe Irrigation Scheme. "We are living in fear. The jumbos are really a threat to our crops and lives," said Cllr Ndou. He said the irrigation scheme was the major livelihood of the area and the residents would face a bleak future if it were to be destroyed. Cllr Ndou said they have since notified the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on the issue but nothing has materialised.
"We have notified all stakeholders involved in wildlife management but nothing has come up, much to the detriment of our lives," he said. He said some safari operators near the ward had promised to cull the elephants but the situation was getting worse with each passing day. Cllr Ndou said residents in the ward were living in fear since the elephants descended on the are a about 4 weeks ago resulting in some school children absconding lessons. "We are faced with a big problem and we have even approached the local Member of the House of Assembly Cde Kembo Mohadi and he promised to assist," said Cllr Ndou.
He said plans were afoot to erect an electric fence around the irrigation scheme to protect the wheat from further destruction. Cllr Ndou said elephants were becoming a regular problem to the area and there was need for urgent action to protect the community. He, however, said no human deaths have been reported so far but people are living in constant fear of possible attacks from the elephants. Efforts to get a comment from officials at the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices in Beitbridge were in vain as no one was answering the phone.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605040356.html
May 4, 2006
By Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge
A HERD of elephants suspected to have strayed from Botswana is causing havoc at the $50 billion Shashe Irrigation Scheme northwest of Beitbridge town.
In an interview yesterday, Shashe ward 8 councillor Luka Ndou said the elephants were putting this year's winter wheat cropping programme under threat. The Government, through the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, sponsors Shashe Irrigation Scheme. "We are living in fear. The jumbos are really a threat to our crops and lives," said Cllr Ndou. He said the irrigation scheme was the major livelihood of the area and the residents would face a bleak future if it were to be destroyed. Cllr Ndou said they have since notified the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on the issue but nothing has materialised.
"We have notified all stakeholders involved in wildlife management but nothing has come up, much to the detriment of our lives," he said. He said some safari operators near the ward had promised to cull the elephants but the situation was getting worse with each passing day. Cllr Ndou said residents in the ward were living in fear since the elephants descended on the are a about 4 weeks ago resulting in some school children absconding lessons. "We are faced with a big problem and we have even approached the local Member of the House of Assembly Cde Kembo Mohadi and he promised to assist," said Cllr Ndou.
He said plans were afoot to erect an electric fence around the irrigation scheme to protect the wheat from further destruction. Cllr Ndou said elephants were becoming a regular problem to the area and there was need for urgent action to protect the community. He, however, said no human deaths have been reported so far but people are living in constant fear of possible attacks from the elephants. Efforts to get a comment from officials at the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority offices in Beitbridge were in vain as no one was answering the phone.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200605040356.html
Zim: 180 vehicles are stuck at a BeitbridgeZim: 180 vehicles are stuck at a Beitbridge
Date Posted: Thursday 26-Apr-2007The Herald
April 24, 2007
Posted to the web April 24, 2007
Thupeyo Muleya and Alfred Chagonda
Harare
ABOUT 180 vehicles are stuck at a Beitbridge customs warehouse as their owners are unable to clear them following the introduction of new regulations that compel importers of cars and other luxury goods to pay duty in foreign currency.
Zimbabweans were spending an estimated US$400 000 importing an average of 80 used vehicles a day from Japan, Singapore, Dubai, the UK and the United States.
Under the new regulations, the State is expected to rake in an average of US$200 million a day in customs duty while vehicle assemblers are also expected to experience a boost in their businesses as buyers would have to switch to locally-assembled vehicles.
Before the new regulations, which came into effect on April 5, clearing cars took two days at most and between 1 200 and 1 500 imported used vehicles went through the border post every month.
Some of the cars were bought from Dubai, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore and the United States long before the implementation of the new regulations that require vehicle importers to pay duty ranging from 60 to 80 percent of the value of the vehicle.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority motor vehicle evaluation department, which used to handle an average of 80 cars destined for the Zimbabwean market a day, is now clearing an average of 30 cars daily and devoting more time to clearing vehicles in transit to Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zimra commissioner of legal and corporate services Ms Florence Jambwa yesterday said if the importers fail to raise the required money within three months, the vehicles would be auctioned.
Normally the cars are kept in the customs yard for 21 days before they are towed to the warehouse where they are auctioned if the owners fail to pay customs duty after three months.
The warehouse charges $5 000 a day for storage.
Some car dealers interviewed said the new regulations had caught them unawares as they had purchased the vehicles some two to three months earlier.
They expressed concern that Zimra would soon auction the cars if they failed to clear them on time.
"The implementation of the new regulations was very harsh. The Government should have given us a window period of one month so that we could get used to the system.
"Most of us hoped to pay duty in local currency, but now we are left stranded.
"It is difficult for one to raise foreign currency, considering that it is not readily available in the country," said Mr Reuben Mandizha, who spent three days at the border post last week.
He said he had failed to raise US$5 000 duty required for his vehicle, which he claimed cost him US$3 000 but was revalued at US$11 000 by Zimra.
The dealers said most of them had paid huge amounts to have their vehicles ferried from Durban, South Africa, to Beitbridge.
South Africa has banned the driving of second-hand imported cars on its roads, compelling importers to pay between R3 000 and R10 000 for their cars to be ferried to Beitbridge Border Post.
However, while the dealers were willing to raise foreign currency to buy the huge amount of cars entering the country on a daily basis, they were not prepared to raise the same currency to pay for their imports.
Statutory Instrument 80A of 2007, published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette a week before the Easter holidays, stipulates that with effect from April 5 2007, importers of cars and other luxury goods will be required to pay duty and value added tax in foreign currency.
Under the requirements, the customs duty and VAT shall be payable in United States dollars, euros or any other currency denominated under the Exchange Control (General) Order 1006 (Statutory Instrument 110 of 1996).
However, duty in hard currency is paid by only those who use free funds and not foreign currency accessed from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Zimbabwe
Trade
Economy, Business and Finance
Transport and Shipping
Under the statutory instrument, vehicles such as single cab trucks, other trucks and minibuses do not attract duty in foreign currency.
Finance Minister Cde Samuel Mumbengegwi recently told journalists at a Press conference that the new law, mooted in 2005, was being used as an instrument to turn around the economy by encouraging those with free funds to import goods that have a bearing on the development of the economy or invest in more production oriented activities.
The Government argues that its decision was meant to channel investment into productive activities instead of non-essentials.
Source: All Africa
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200704240266.htm...
April 24, 2007
Posted to the web April 24, 2007
Thupeyo Muleya and Alfred Chagonda
Harare
ABOUT 180 vehicles are stuck at a Beitbridge customs warehouse as their owners are unable to clear them following the introduction of new regulations that compel importers of cars and other luxury goods to pay duty in foreign currency.
Zimbabweans were spending an estimated US$400 000 importing an average of 80 used vehicles a day from Japan, Singapore, Dubai, the UK and the United States.
Under the new regulations, the State is expected to rake in an average of US$200 million a day in customs duty while vehicle assemblers are also expected to experience a boost in their businesses as buyers would have to switch to locally-assembled vehicles.
Before the new regulations, which came into effect on April 5, clearing cars took two days at most and between 1 200 and 1 500 imported used vehicles went through the border post every month.
Some of the cars were bought from Dubai, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore and the United States long before the implementation of the new regulations that require vehicle importers to pay duty ranging from 60 to 80 percent of the value of the vehicle.
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority motor vehicle evaluation department, which used to handle an average of 80 cars destined for the Zimbabwean market a day, is now clearing an average of 30 cars daily and devoting more time to clearing vehicles in transit to Malawi, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zimra commissioner of legal and corporate services Ms Florence Jambwa yesterday said if the importers fail to raise the required money within three months, the vehicles would be auctioned.
Normally the cars are kept in the customs yard for 21 days before they are towed to the warehouse where they are auctioned if the owners fail to pay customs duty after three months.
The warehouse charges $5 000 a day for storage.
Some car dealers interviewed said the new regulations had caught them unawares as they had purchased the vehicles some two to three months earlier.
They expressed concern that Zimra would soon auction the cars if they failed to clear them on time.
"The implementation of the new regulations was very harsh. The Government should have given us a window period of one month so that we could get used to the system.
"Most of us hoped to pay duty in local currency, but now we are left stranded.
"It is difficult for one to raise foreign currency, considering that it is not readily available in the country," said Mr Reuben Mandizha, who spent three days at the border post last week.
He said he had failed to raise US$5 000 duty required for his vehicle, which he claimed cost him US$3 000 but was revalued at US$11 000 by Zimra.
The dealers said most of them had paid huge amounts to have their vehicles ferried from Durban, South Africa, to Beitbridge.
South Africa has banned the driving of second-hand imported cars on its roads, compelling importers to pay between R3 000 and R10 000 for their cars to be ferried to Beitbridge Border Post.
However, while the dealers were willing to raise foreign currency to buy the huge amount of cars entering the country on a daily basis, they were not prepared to raise the same currency to pay for their imports.
Statutory Instrument 80A of 2007, published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette a week before the Easter holidays, stipulates that with effect from April 5 2007, importers of cars and other luxury goods will be required to pay duty and value added tax in foreign currency.
Under the requirements, the customs duty and VAT shall be payable in United States dollars, euros or any other currency denominated under the Exchange Control (General) Order 1006 (Statutory Instrument 110 of 1996).
However, duty in hard currency is paid by only those who use free funds and not foreign currency accessed from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa
Zimbabwe
Trade
Economy, Business and Finance
Transport and Shipping
Under the statutory instrument, vehicles such as single cab trucks, other trucks and minibuses do not attract duty in foreign currency.
Finance Minister Cde Samuel Mumbengegwi recently told journalists at a Press conference that the new law, mooted in 2005, was being used as an instrument to turn around the economy by encouraging those with free funds to import goods that have a bearing on the development of the economy or invest in more production oriented activities.
The Government argues that its decision was meant to channel investment into productive activities instead of non-essentials.
Source: All Africa
URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200704240266.htm...
Beitbridge Scales Up Anti-Poaching Drive
Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Beitbridge Scales Up Anti-Poaching Drive
Thupeyo Muleya
23 November 2009
The Beitbridge Rural District Council is working on measures to curb rampant poaching of wildlife and natural resources in the district, an official has said.
In an interview recently, chairperson of the natural resources management committee Mr Joseph Muleya, said they had mobilised a number of resources and would soon descend on the poachers as they were losing a lot of revenue to poachers across the district.
He added that the most affected areas were those in the far east of the district and those on the periphery of the River Ranch conservation area and Zhovhe Dam.
Mr Muleya said they would rope in the police and Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials in the fight against poaching.
He said in the case of Zhovhe Dam, most of the poachers came from Masera, Gwanda and Bulawayo.
He said apart from fish poaching, the killing of wild animals in the district, plundering of natural resources was on the increase.
He warned the villagers that the law would catch up with them. He said council were in the process of forming crime committees with several stakeholders including the police in a bid to bring sanity to wildlife conservation.
Meanwhile, some villagers in Beitbridge East have also raised concern over the increase of stocktheft cases in the area, saying it was negatively affecting their livelihood.
They said the suspects were now selling stolen livestock in Mozambique and to some unscrupulous dealers from Bulawayo and Masvingo. The most affected farmers are those in areas bordering with Masvingo province and Chiredzi District.
Ward councilor for Chituripasi Mr Enock Ndou said in an interview that hundreds of cattle had been lost since most farmers were resettled a few years ago. He said the villagers had resorted to constructing kraals very close to their homesteads to reduce such incidents of stocktheft.
Mr Ndou said they were now consulting with the police anti-stocktheft unit in a bid to find a lasting solution to the problem. Some villagers were even accusing former white commercial farmers who have moved to Mozambique of fuelling some of the thefts.
"The situation here is worrying, the villagers are loosing a number of livestock to a gang of rustlers who sell them to unscrupulous businesspeople in Bulawayo, Masvingo and Mozambique.
"We are consulting with the police and relevant stakeholders to put an end to this criminal vice.
"As the local authority, we banned private cattle sale in the district, but they are some people who are still involved in clandestine deals," he said.
Mr Ndou said they were planning on meeting all relevant government departments from Beitbridge and Chiredzi in a move to find lasting solution to the problem.
He said they would soon complete the formation of community crime committees in consultation with the security forces in the area.
Recently, seven men were arrested by Beitbridge police while driving a herd of 37 cattle on their way to Mozambique.
On several occasions, the police have rounded up rustlers in the area, but their efforts prove to be fruitless
Bonyongo The Destroyer
Sports — By admin on October 3, 2009 9:59 pm
From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
SOMEWHERE in the rural area of Buhera, lies the Man Mountain — known to the world simply as Kilimanjaro — who boxed his way from Mbare to rule the African continent.
Proud Chinembiri, the late heavyweight boxing champion, took his sport to another level in this country in the category where the biggest and meanest boxers fight.
The big man turned himself into a fierce fighting machine and made his country proud by winning the African heavyweight championship and even getting into contention for a fight for the world heavyweight crown.
No Zimbabwean heavyweight boxer has scaled similar heights like Kilimanjaro.
Even those who lost in their duel against him are proud of the moment that they went into the ring with this fighting machine.
One of them is John “Bombaphani Bonyongo Destroyer” Mutema — the last man to fight the Man Mountain.
He was beaten in the fourth round of their contest and, this week, told The Herald Sport about his pride of having faced Kilimanjaro.
“I was the last man to fight Kilimanajaro and he beat me on technicality after I suffered a gash above the right eye,” said Bonyongo this week.
“It was the greatest fight of my life. I quit boxing in 1999 after the death of Kilimanjaro since there was no longer a heavyweight boxer to fight at that time.
“A lot of boxers had passed away by then while guys like Black Tiger, formerly based in Bulawayo, had found a new base in South Africa.”
We meet the Destroyer at his Peter’s Motel offices in this border town and we find a man – after all the years that have passed – who still remembers the moment he faced the Man Mountain.
Mutema has now ventured into hotel management full-time.
He is now a manager at Peter’s Motel – one of the oldest hotels here in Beitbridge.
He came here from Chipinge, where he was born in a family of three, and was the only son of the late chief Mutema.
Bonyongo then did primary education at St John’s school before completing his secondary education at Elam Mission in Katerere, Nyanga, before returning to Masvingo in 1971, where he got a job at Chevron Hotel.
This is where he met his wife.
“During my school days I would run into a lot of trouble with teachers who forced me to play soccer, but I was interested in weight lifting,” he said this week.
“After completing my secondary education, I got a job at Chevron Hotel in Masvingo as a barman.
“I met with a certain guy called Mathew who was also interested in weight lifting.
“After practicing for some time we then approached the Masvingo municipality for a hall to use. They offered us Sarudzai Hall, which was then a new outlet.
“We then teamed up with a number of guys who were interested in fighting and we would fight with open hands during weekends,” he said.
He fought a number of prominent boxers in Masvingo then — including Bibho and Offspring Killer.
In 1976, Mutema moved to Beitbridge where he was employed at Peters Motel as a barman.
But, being the boxer he was, he kept training alone and used home made weights, punching bags and made a makeshift gym for himself.
He was then spotted by a South Africa businessman Rex Denga who then bought boxing equipment for him.
He kept on fighting for fun with his old mates in Masvingo during his off-days.
In 1979 Mutema was promoted at Peter’s Motel and became the assistant manager.
“One morning in 1982 I saw an advert in Parade magazine, inserted by Dave Wellings, who wanted a professional heavyweight boxer to represent the country in international tournaments.
“I was weighing between 108 and 110 kg then.
“After retiring from boxing I now weigh 150kg though I keep myself fit by going to the gym three times a week.
“I then responded to the advert and was invited to go and fight for a trial match to turn me into a professional boxer.
“My first fight was against George Foreman at the Harare Show Grounds and it was a non-title bout since the promoters wanted to rank us as professionals.
“We were awarded boxing certificates after the judges were impressed. After turning into a professional boxer I was invited by the Zimbabwe National Army to fight their number one man Danger Masvingo at Chevron in the same year.
“I knocked him down in the second round. He then called for a rematch and I won again in the second round” said Bonyongo.
In the same year he had another non title bout at the same venue with Juke Box whom he knocked out in the second round again.
Excited by his punching prowess, the Beitbridge fans then nicknamed him “The Destroyer Bombamuphani.”
Bombamuphani is a Venda name derived from a black venomous snake which is normally found in the Lowveld.
Mutema was also named “Bonyongo” by his late father — which meant havoc.
“My father believed that I was a man bent on causing havoc and he then gave me the name Bonyongo. I then adopted all the names — Destroyer Bombamuphani Bonyongo.”
Between 1982 and 1991 the Destroyer had 11 fights and won eight and lost three.
In the late 1980s, Bonyongo was ranked Zimbabwe’s number one contender for the heavyweight crown after beating Black Tiger of Bulawayo.
In 1990 his South African friend Roxanne Masebe composed a song for him titled Bombamuphani in honour of his boxing career.
However, the Destroyer’s passion for boxing was against his mother’s wish as she believed that boxing was a barbaric and evil.
“I kept on advising him to quit fighting. I could weep during the fights to the extent that I stopped attending most of them,” she revealed.
“However I would be delighted when he ended up on a winning note, though I am not a fan of boxing. I am very happy that he has quit such a barbaric sport.”
His wife, Thandazile, a retired nurse, was different.
“There was nothing I could do rather than support him all the way since the sport ran in his veins,” she said.
“To him fighting is a hobby. It’s just unfortunate he quit when he still wanted to fight on. I am happy that he managed to raise his family well and has a descent job.
“We can now spend quality time as a family. During his boxing days he would spend most of the time at the gym preparing for fights.”
Like any sportsman, there were bad times for The Destroyer.
He remembers the fight against Black Tiger in 1991 for the Zimbabwe heavyweight title.
“The fight was at Colliery Stadium and I was up against Black Tiger, who was the champion by then,” said The Destroyer.
“I had promoted the match after the Zimbabwe Boxing authorities had indicated they had no money to sponsor such a fight.
“We punched each other until the 10th round when he started using unorthodox punches.
“I then sent in a powerful blow, which pushed him out of the ring, and then he decided to flee with the belt.
“To my surprise the judges said I had lost by a technical fault. I then queried the results and called for the establishment of the boxers union in the country.
“This prompted the Zimbabwe Boxing Board to withdraw my licence. I contested the decision through my lawyers until my reinstatement in 1993.
“By then we were a few heavyweight boxers in the country and Kilimanjaro was the champion. I challenged him but it took time for me to secure a fight because of the red tap in the board.”
The Destroyer was the last man to fight Kilimanjaro at Ascot in Gweru in 1994.
He lost the match when he developed a serious cut on the upper side of the left eye.
He maintained his ranking as the country’s number one contender and fought against Anderson Size and the match was stopped in the first round when he twisted his left knee.
By 1999 Kilimanjaro — the heart and soul of heavyweight boxing in the country — was dead and Black Tiger was in South Africa and The Destroyer was losing both his fight against age and opponents to remain in the ring.
So that year he quit, satisfied that he had played his part in a brutal game that was his passion.
His hero remains Muhammad Ali.
Now a father of four boys — Lemson (32), a businessman in Botswana, Bryn (30), who is running his gym here in Beitbridge, Cashord (28), a transport operator and Peace (27) — The Destroyer is living quietly away from the fast lane of the brutal game he has loved all his life.
He tried training boxers but quit when two of them died and the other one had both his feet amputated following a road accident.
The Destroyer is concerned with the state of boxing in this country and says he is willing to, one good day, play a part in its revival.
Age might have diluted the brutality that made him the fierce fighting machine who impressed a lot of people in his duel against the Man Mountain but he still loves his game.
As they say, you can take a genuine boxer from the ring but you can’t take the ring out of him.
Govt addresses KP recommendations
avi
Monday, July 13, 2009
From Thupeyo Muleya in BEITBRIDGE
Government is addressing recommendations made by the Kimberly Process review team that recently visited the country to appraise itself of Zimbabwe’s diamond mining industry.
Speaking after touring River Ranch Mine just outside Beitbridge last week, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu called on mining companies to complement Government’s drive to ensure Zimbabweans reaped the maximum benefit from their natural resources.
"As Government, we are working on addressing the recommendations made by the Kimberly Process review team that visited the country recently.
"We have committed ourselves on meeting the standard requirements of the global protocol. We are still studying some of the recommendations though we have started making adjustments especially at Chiadzwa area, where we have since courted a foreign investor to come on board.
"We expect the investor to be on the ground any time soon. However, there is a lot of work to do in terms of beefing up security and handling of the diamonds," he said.
He said the State was looking at partnering with at least six investors for Chiadzwa’s diamond fields.
The fields cover an area of 77 000 hectares with over 3 000 families staying there.
Government is presently working on the modalities of relocating the families, with whom Minister Mpofu said they had already reached an agreement over the issue.
He said Government was carrying out an exercise to curb the rampant smuggling of minerals out of the country.
The minister said they had so far budgeted US$2 million for the project which had already seen the recovery of 50kg of gold from the illegal market in four days.
The Kimberly Process Protocol is a global agreement among diamond producers and traders that regulates the sale of the resource on the legal market. Minister Mpofu commended River Ranch for installing state-of-the-art security at the mine to curtail smuggling.
The mine uses a four-tier security system imported from the United Kingdom to monitor its 7 000-hectare area along the Limpopo river, which is 50km away from South Africa’s Venetian Diamond Mine.
Minister Mpofu also said Zimbabwe’s indigenisation laws should not scare investors from the country’s mining sector.
35 Zim men for Mr Ugly contest
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