It is said that her success in leading the small-scale gold
sector has earned her due recognition to continue at the helm of the
federation.
ZMF secretary-general Mr Morgan Mugawu confirmed the
federation’s unanimous decision at a meeting last month in a letter circulated
to all the federation’s provincial chairpersons in the country.
“At a meeting held in Harare on 24 November 2023, the
Midlands Province led by chairman Mr Makumba Nyenje, moved a motion to support
the presidency of Madam H. Rushwaya and this was supported by Ms Christine
Munyoro from Mashonaland Central.
“The Youth and Women represented by Mr Darlington Ndlovu
and Mrs J. Mazivazvose and other six provinces unanimously supported the
motion.
“Having received such recommendations, the National
Executive hereby fully endorses the presidency of Madam Henrietta Rushwaya as
ZMF President,” read the letter dated December 1 and signed by Mr Mugawu.
Ms Rushwaya welcomed
the decision to validate her position saying the federation still has
confidence in her leadership, which has achieved many successes since she took
over the presidency of ZMF five years ago.
“The court case
which has since been finalised and the confidence the sector has in me and the
sectoral changes I have brought to the organisation since taking over the reins
in 2018, is the reason why they still want me to continue with the work we
started as a team, hence am back again,” she said.
ZMF technical representative Engineer Chris Murove said Ms
Rushwaya was an economic freedom fighter who has made a mark fighting for the
liberation of a very important constituency in the economic fabric of Zimbabwe,
the artisanal and small scale gold miner which of course includes herself.
He said although Ms Rushwaya was convicted of trying to
smuggle gold out of the country, it should be noted that the gold she was found
with was her own.
“With that in mind, I believe there is a good case for Ms
Henrietta Rushwaya to be given a Presidential pardon after her sentencing for
that conviction of her being found in possession of her own gold at the airport
while accompanying it to Dubai, which was going to be its final destination
anyway even if she had submitted it to Fidelity,” he said.
“Therefore the ZMF executive and its membership should pay
tribute to her successful stint at the helm of that body by petitioning the
President of Zimbabwe to pardon her crime of omission by failing to declare her
own gold at the airport.”
Engineer Murove said as result of Ms Rushwaya’s case,
restrictive laws should be reviewed and amended such that possession of gold is
de-criminalised and those who produce and own gold can freely move with it
within and out of the country, subject to specific provisions that ensure that
in the case of taking or exporting it outside the country, the value of it will
be remitted back into the country within a certain period.
This, he said, is
what happens in other progressive nations.
In any case, Eng
Murove said, the authorities have now moved to put in place instruments like
the gold coins and digital gold-backed tokens which may somewhat obviate the
need for a gold producer and possessor to want to take their physical gold
outside the country.
“Kudos to them for moving in that direction and reacting
positively to the pressures that have come as a result of the brave actions of
individuals and strong leaders like Henrietta Rushwaya,” he said.
“I know a lot of people will strongly oppose what I have
said above, primarily because they do not understand or accept that Zimbabwe is
in a state of economic war imposed by the West, to prevent ‘vene ve Zimbabwe’
from controlling their own resources, being land, minerals…” he said.
Eng Murove said gold is the ultimate store of value and
representation of wealth, so all attempts and shenanigans will be employed by
our detractors to prevent Zimbabwe from benefitting from its natural resources.
Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment