Govt lashes at Church for opposing ED’s 3rd term

……….2030 is dead and buried, says Charamba

While the Government appreciates the role of the Church in nation-building and even criticising some of its policies, it says it is difficult to digest the latest Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) pastoral letter which focuses on matters that are either dead and buried, such as the Presidential term extension or that are being dealt with like the issue of over taxation.
This follows the publication of a pastoral letter by Catholic bishops which spoke inter-alia about the debate on the Presidential term extension, issues of taxation, the death penalty, and the debt overhang.

In response to the bishops yesterday, Presidential Spokesperson, Mr George Charamba, who is also the Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications) in the Office of the President and Cabinet, said Government appreciates the church speaking strongly on issues that are afflicting the country, but it is somewhat concerned by the selective conclusions and generalisations that the Catholic Church made.

“The bishops raised the issue of the debate around the Presidential term of office. Whilst this is really within their remit to proffer views and ideas on the matter, what Government found a bit disturbing is the fact that the Bishops conference is pronouncing itself on a matter which is in fact dead and buried.

“The President, some two or so weeks ago, met with editors and made it very clear and in plain language that he has no intention whatsoever of pushing for an extension of his term beyond what is constitutionally provided for. It is therefore rather surprising that the eminent bishops decided to revisit what in fact is now a closed matter. When the party or any citizens express a desire to change the Constitution to accommodate an extra term for the President, that wish does not and cannot close the matter. This is an Ignite Media Zimbabwe news production.

“The nominee for that extension has to want to have that term extended, isn’t it? This is why we talk about what we call an acceptance speech or a statement. The President has made it clear that he has no intention of accepting that proposal which is coming from the party and from society. And once the nominee has turned down the proposal, then it means the debate on the matter, whilst it may continue in society, cannot have any serious executive implication, in which case one does not expect the Holy fathers and Bishops to continue to harp on a matter which in fact stands closed,” said Mr Charamba.

Apart from focusing on a matter that President Mnangagwa considers closed, Mr Charamba also said the Bishops are focusing on the issue of taxes which Government is seized with addressing.

“Secondly, we also could not understand why, especially after the inaugural Cabinet meeting statement by the President, why the issue of the burden of taxation, which is receiving attention from Government, why it continues to exercise the minds of the Bishops. If the statement by the President at the commencement of the 2025 Cabinet Year did not bring comfort to the Bishops, one wonders what would.

“I think it is very important that far from raising a matter which is already receiving executive attention, it would actually be a lot more helpful if the bishops can actually take the message of hope to society that indeed something is being done by way of rationalising our tax system to lighten the burden on the citizen,” he said.

The ongoing tax reforms, added Mr Charamba, cannot be done overnight for that has serious implications on the economy as a whole.

“You want to make sure that you are very deliberate and calculated in the way you reform the tax system so that you do not affect the revenue streams which are so needful when it comes to public investments and social development. We are talking about lives here. We are talking about key basic services which cannot be dispensed with and which have to be funded from the revenues that come from the tax structure that we have in the country.

“So really our message to the bishops is to please bear with us, bear with Government as it reforms the tax structure with the ultimate objective of lightening the burden on the citizenry which is in fact the goal that we are all working towards. Yes, that also holds with respect to institutional reforms. I think all institutions remain candidates for reforms if we are going to run institutions that are a living tissue for the common good”. Herald

US$70 million POSB ‘Bank Robbery’ Latest: Leaked Documents Expose Mnangagwa’s Plan to Sell Off State Bank in Shady Deal with International Scammers!

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Attorney-General Virginia Mabiza are under intense fire for their handling of the attempted sale of a 70% stake in the state-owned People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB), a deal now mired in controversy and allegations of impropriety, The News Hawks has reported.

The proposed sale, which would see the stake transferred from the Mutapa Investment Fund to a shadowy foreign entity named Hebrew Investment Group (HIG) for US$70 million, has raised serious concerns about transparency, due diligence, and the potential risks to depositors and the country’s financial stability. The government would retain a mere 10% stake, with private individuals holding the remaining 20%.

HIG, fronted by pro-Zanu PF cleric Morris Brown Gwedegwe, has been described by government officials and private sector executives as a “consortium of international scammers,” casting a dark shadow over the entire transaction.

One senior official at the Ministry of Finance questioned the judgement of the President and Attorney-General, stating: “It is clear those are scammers. How can a President who calls himself a lawyer and a whole Attorney-General fall for such an obvious scam?” This is an Ignite Media Zimbabwe news production.
The involvement of Attorney-General Mabiza has also drawn criticism, with accusations that she has acted as Mnangagwa’s “legal conduit” to push through the deal, rather than fulfilling her role as the government’s legal advisor.

A private sector executive echoed these concerns, saying: “Ask any banker, we deal with these sort of things all the time. To a banker like me, this is a clear scam. The late Oliver Chidawu, a businessman and Harare provincial minister, lost more that US$1 million when he was promised US$5 billion by some scammers. That is why such transactions should be handled by bankers and other suitably qualified people, not politicians and bureaucrats. Politicians and their advisers can easily sell public assets without realising at the smell money.”

The executive further emphasised the need for expertise in handling such transactions, highlighting the dangers of politicians and bureaucrats being swayed by superficial offers.

A senior Harare lawyer questioned the legal acumen of those involved, asking: “What sort of lawyers are they? How can lawyers fall for such a poorly disguised scam? Do they really think that there is anyone out there who has US$6 billion to throw them?”

The lawyer further elaborated on the legal requirements for selling a public asset like POSB: “More importantly, selling a public asset, especially a significant one like POSB, requires shareholder approval and agreement, because it constitutes a ‘substantial property transaction’ that needs to be reviewed and voted on by shareholders; this is particularly true for publicly traded companies where the sale could significantly impact the company’s value and financial standing. POSB is a state enterprise, a public asset and cannot be sold at a whim of anyone, even the President. The disposal of public assets must be open, transparent, fair, honest, cost-effective and legal, not this dodgy and illegal deal.”

The proposed sale has also raised concerns about the potential risks to POSB’s depositors and the country’s overall financial stability. The POSB is not only a savings bank for ordinary citizens but also plays a crucial role in processing salaries for civil servants, issuing salary-based loans, and paying foreign currency pensions.

The government’s intention to borrow US$6 billion from HIG has further fueled skepticism, given Zimbabwe’s already precarious financial and debt situation. In 2025, Zimbabwe’s debt-to-GDP ratio is projected to be 58%, a decrease from 70.3% in 2024, but still considered unsustainably high.

Zimbabwe’s debt burden, comprising both domestic (US$8.7 billion) and external (US$12.3 billion) debt, totals US$21 billion and has been accumulating for over 25 years, hindering economic growth and access to international funding. While the World Bank suggests that Zimbabwe could resolve its arrears through bold reforms, the country remains locked out of international financial aid due to its debt defaults.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mushayavanhu has attempted to downplay the deal, despite the existence of supporting documents, including a letter from Mabiza to stakeholders. However, the controversy surrounding the POSB sale continues to escalate, with many Zimbabweans demanding greater transparency and accountability from their leaders, particularly Mnangagwa and Mabiza. Newshawks

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