30 April 2010  

 

EXECUTIVE NEWS

 

The momentum has continued and at the moment there is huge interest in our compensation and recovery proposal which has resulted in numerous meetings being held to discuss the finer points of the proposal. On the surface there appears to be a recognition that compensation should be paid for expropriated agricultural investments. All we can do is ensure that any such exercise would be carried out as per the basic principles explained in the UNDP compensation document and that only the real values would be accepted.

 

Vice President Louis Fick has also spent the latter part of the week in South Africa holding high level meetings down there over the plight of South African citizens whose properties were dispossesses without compensation in Zimbabwe. A report back will be given when available.

 

Although there is an air of excitement and expectancy over the possibility of compensation being paid fairly soon we do not believe that much will happen until a political solution has been reached. Before any compensation could be paid out the following factors outside the political arena would need to be addressed:

 

• A national committee would have to be set up containing all parties involved

 

• Moratorium of evictions and prosecutions of our farmers

 

• The national independent land audit needs to be completed in terms of the GPA

 

• National Land Board needs to be set up and include representation from all stakeholders

 

• Land Bank needs to be established

 

• Appropriate legislative changes would need to be promulgated to accommodate the above

 

 

The owners of the expropriated agricultural investments would also need to play their part in order to be in the best position to receive swift benefit from the final compensation or recovery process:

 

• Ensure that membership of the CFU is up to date

 

• Register property/ies with Valuation Consortium

 

• Should a company be the owner of the property ensure that company registration is up to date and returns submitted

 

• Consequential losses may be lodged with ARAC

 

• Continue to keep Union updated with all disruptions/incidents and court dates

 

• Update Union with changes in address and contact details

 

 

We will continue to ensure that we keep you updated with the progress and members should feel free to take advantage of our open door policy at the Union. Come in at any time and discuss your personal situation with us.

 

Our next Open Farmers’ Meeting will be held on 11 May 2010. Everybody is most welcome to attend.

 

Please be advised that Saturday 01 May 2010 (May Day) is classified as an Agriculture holiday.  Monday 03 May 2010 is not a public holiday.

 

There has been a change in the NSSA rates, which is explained in the BIZ Bulletin below:

BIZ Bulletin April 2010(3)                          Special Complimentary Issue

Prepared 28^th April 2010

 

 

NSSA contribution back down to 3%; $200 cap on insurable earnings

 

This bulletin was originally prepared for our companion publication, the Labour Relations Information Service. Due to its general relevance to business, it is being sent to you as a complimentary service.

 

Statutory Instrument 83 of 2010 gazetted on 23^rd April 2010 finally gives effect to the Finance Minister’s announcement in Parliament on 2-12-2009 that the NSSA matching monthly contributions would revert to 3% of an employee’s ‘insurable earnings’ – with a ceiling of $200 on insurable earnings.

 

The Finance Minister intended this to take effect from 1^st January 2010 – but the authority to make such changes rests with the Minister of Labour, not the Minister of Finance.

 

Negotiations between the two obviously took some time, since the reduction to 3%+3% and the cap of $200 will now take effect from this Saturday 1^st May (Workers Day, appropriately).

 

What this means is that the monthly contribution to the NSSA in respect of any employee will be made up of a deduction of 3% of his wage or salary, up to a maximum of $200 of such wage or salary, matched by an equal contribution from the employer.

 

So if the employee earns, say, $160 in May, $4.80 will be deducted from that amount and put together with a matching $4.80 from the employer and the total of $9.60 forwarded to NSSA.

 

For an employer earning, say, $300 in May, 3% of the maximum amount of $200 (i.e. $6) will be put together with another $6 from the employer and the $12 sent to NSSA. 

 

ARAC INFORMATION

 

During the past week ARAC has had a number of interesting meetings principally on the welfare side of things. ARAC met with representatives of groups that are doing a great deal of work to assist in the welfare of the elderly. There are enormous challenges facing all as there is now real inflation in Zimbabwe, from a few short months ago prices have climbed substantially. One group that provides monthly food parcels to around 150 elderly people has found the standard pack they put together has risen in cost by $5.00 in the last three weeks. When this sort of cost is added across the board to the requirements of the very many who are receiving assistance, it means that constantly the resources available are inadequate for the demands.

 

 It is therefore really gratifying that there is such good will out there and ARAC is very pleased to report that last week it received a number of food parcels to distribute. This will assist a small number of elderly people who were formerly part of the farming community.  If you are aware of anyone in particular need please let us know as we may be able to add them to our list.

 

For any others who are in a position to provide assistance, ZEST (Zimbabwe Elderly Support Trust) is up and running and would like to hear from you.

 

 On the side of those looking for employment ARAC has had a number of enquiries for positions to be filled, if you are looking for something ARAC would be happy to add your details to its data base.  Usual information to facilitate this is as follows: Name, contact details and current location, experience, qualifications, skills, languages and availability.  Please send a one page CV in electronic form.  This week ARAC had a request for a Conservation Agriculture specialist in Malawi and there are a number of other positions on our books.  ARAC recently met with the FAO to explore ways of engaging experienced farmers in agricultural recovery.

 

For further information contact Shayne or Ben at [email protected] or phone +263 4 309800/19 ext 249 or +263 4 309867

 

LEGAL (from the desk of Marc Carrie-Wilson)

 

Constitutional Update (The COPAC Constitutional Making Process)

 

The Parliamentary select Committee on the New Constitution (COPAC) has finalized the “talking points” which will be used by the outreach teams when they go out to gather the views of the Zimbabwean people. There are 17 thematic areas under which a set of “talking points have been compiled by the outreach teams and a group of lawyers appointed by the three parties to the Global Political Agreement. The talking points for the thematic committee on Land, Natural Resources and Empowerment are as follows:

 

Theme 10: Land, Natural Resources and Empowerment

 

Talking Points/Key Questions

 

a)              Should the constitution highlight that land reform is a necessary process to correct historical imbalances?

b)               On property rights, is there need to make special provision on land and natural resources in the constitution?

c)     What type of land tenure system should Zimbabwe have?

d)              Should the right to land ownership and/or occupation by previously disadvantaged people be entrenched in the constitution?

e)     Should compensation be paid when the State expropriates and/or acquires land?

f)      Who should pay compensation in respect of acquired land?

g)     Should there be a right to approach the courts in the event of land dispute?

h)     Should traditional leaders have a role to play in land administration?

i)      Who should own the land?

j)      Should foreigners be allowed to own land and if so, under what circumstances?

k)               Do we need a land commission and/or land court? If yes, what should be its powers and functions?

l)      How should marginalised groups be empowered with regards to land and natural resources?

m)             What role should traditional leaders play in the administration of land and management and exploitation of natural resources under their jurisdiction?

 

We are led to believe that these questions will be posed to the public at open gatherings around the country. The views of the people will have to be captured and the consensus of opinion as captured from all the meetings will be placed in the Constitution. The parliamentary select committee (COPAC), which is driving this process, is encouraging all Zimbabweans from all walks of life to go to these meetings and express their views freely without reservation. These questions are meant to serve as a guide for the meeting and if there are other major points of discussion relevant to the new Constitution and the thematic area concerned which the people wish to raise they are encouraged to do so.

However, whilst the above may be COPAC’s official position, (even to the extent that they have announced a moratorium on political campaigning for the two week period during the outreach) it is clear that in reality the making of the new constitution will be surrounded by partisan political campaigning and posturing. We have joined with the rest of Zimbabwean society in being gravely concerned that the opportunity to write a new and better Constitution which must benefit all people of Zimbabwe will be spoilt by the partisan interests of certain political parties with the worst case scenario being violence and intimidation to which Zimbabweans have become accustomed.

We have been in the process of compiling a statement on what we would like to see in the new Constitution which we will be publishing in the next few weeks.

 

COMMODITY UPDATE

 

ZIMBABWE CROP PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION (from the desk of Richard Taylor)

 

For those farmers who were visited by the Stabex 95 Fertilizer Audit team thanks very much for your cooperation. 

 

There is a Nutrichem Farmers’ Day being held at ART Farm this coming Tuesday 04 May 2010 starting at 09:00 hours titled ‘The Fertilizer Revolution’.  We hope to see you there!

 

Local as at 30 April 2010 US$

Commodity	GMB	Agrifoods	Intergrain	Staywell	Croplink
White Maize	325	280	260	250	270
Yellow Maize	325	285	220	250	260
Maize Bran	150	150		120	130
Soyabeans	350	395	350	365	380
Soyabean Meal		500			450
Sorghum	150
Wheat	400		350	355 380 (imported)	410 (imported)
Wheat Bran		150			130
Sunflowers	110
Groundnuts	450 (unshelled)			950 (shelled)	650 (shelled)

South African Foreign Exchange (SAFEX) as at 30 April 2010

Commodity	Rand/Tonne	US$/Tonne	Import Parity Rand/Tonne	Import Parity US$/Tonne
White Maize	1108	149	1268	170
Yellow Maize	1160	158	1334	179
Wheat	2178	298	2378	319
Soyabeans	2530	345	2730	366
Sunflowers	3289	442	3455	464

 

International Gulf

Commodity	US$/Tonne			Import Parity US$/Tonne
Wheat	204			354
Maize	164			314
Soyabeans	380			530

Source: South African Grain Information Service (SAGIS)

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DAIRY FARMERS (from the desk of Rob Van Vuuren)

 

Please be reminded that the Commodities Forum AGM 2010 meeting at Troutbeck, Nyanga is taking place from 05 to 07 July 2010.  A circular letter with details about this meeting has been sent out via e-mail a few times to the NADF group mailing list.  Should you not have received this, please e-mail [email protected] and Debbie will gladly forward this to you.

 

NADF exhibited at ZITF last week in the Stabex stand. A lot of interest was shown by the public and business sector in the work we have been doing and NADF was well represented. Thanks go to Farai Tinarwo for his hard work there – ably assisted by Sindiso Mlalazi from Umzingwane Milk Collection Centre.

 

STABEX PROGRAMMES

 

The Stabex Vaccine programme is ongoing until December 2010.  Vaccine orders seem to have slowed down somewhat.  Please be advised that you are now able to begin drawing this year’s vaccines.  Should you wish to apply again, please e-mail Debbie at [email protected] and she will forward the application form to you.

 

The seventh draw down of vaccines has been ordered and this is expected from Onderstepoort Biological Products early next week.

 

Small scale dairy farmers have held the preliminary rounds of the Stabex Small Scale Dairy Farmer of the Year Competition and winners Field Days begin in May.

 

CATTLE PRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION

 

WEEKLY CATTLE PRICES

 

 

ACE COMMODITY REPORT

 

Wholesale prices in selected countries in East Africa are supplied by (RATIN) the Regional Agricultural Trade Intelligence Network. Current prices are indicated below and are valid as 27 April 2010. (N.B. Changes shown are calculated on the basis of today’s prices against those previously recorded, which may not necessarily be the previous days).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following prices are also made available to us courtesy of SAFEX 26 April 2010

 

Oanda Live Exchange Rates
MWK19.93 = 1 ZAR – up
MWK149 = 1 US$ unchanged
ZAR 7.45 = I US$ – down

 

COMMENTS AND VIEWS

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