Wednesday, March 19, 2008

 

Zimbabweans GO HOME!

Opposition leaders are calling on all Zimbabweans to go home and vote lest incumbent President Robert Mugabe wins yet again.
Millions fled the country amid its economic collapse and are now unable to vote against the president who caused it. If they don't return, Mugabe's chances of staying in power are boosted.
But few are likely to return, having sacrificed too much to get out in the first place.
An estimated 3.5 million have fled Zimbabwe to neighbouring South Africa and other countries, some risking their lives through crocodile-infested waters to make the trip illegally.
Zimbabwe opposition leaders Simba Makoni, a former finance minister, and Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), would have strong support to oust Mugabe among those who have left.
“Many of you are in the diaspora because you have seen home turn into hell... You have the opportunity to change this,” Makoni urged in a newspaper advertisement carried by South African newspapers over the last few weeks.
“Every vote counts, so please come home and let your voice be heard.”
The country's laws bar citizens from voting outside the country. Analysts say most of the Zimbabweans who left in the last eight years blame Mugabe’s and ZANU-PF for the economic crisis, but many are in no position to make the trip.
Those who are out of the country are sending money back to their families and possibly keeping Mugabe safe from the the simmering tensions and keeping their families alive, fed, clothed and in fuel.
Meanwhile Xhinua reports that Zimbabwe's Industrial Development Corporation has so far managed to repay about US$2.8 million of the US$17.9 million owed to the Chinese Eximbank. The loan was used to fund construction of the SinoZimbabwe Cement Plant in 1997. Under the agreement IDC was supposed to make two payments in March and September of every year loan repayments were due to start in 2006.
The cement company received exchange control exemption from upfront open market sale of 25 percent of its export proceeds to the Reserve Bank in order for the IDC to meet its loan repayment and payment of technical fees to the offshore shareholder.
The Chinese bank restructured the loan two years ago making it lighter for the parastatal to service its loan.
Exim bank advanced the first loan in 1997, while the second one was dispatched to IDC in 2000. IDC holds a 35 percent stake in the cement company with the other 65 percent stake belonging to the Chinese Building and Material Company. Both companies are public entities.

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Comments:
I am so bored with Africa
 
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