Sino Hydro, the Chinese company which won the engineering procurement and construction contract for the 600 megawatt expansion of Hwange Power Station, will have a 36 percent stake in the power project for at least six years.

National power utility Zesa Holdings will hold the balance of 64 percent in the special purpose vehicle, Hwange Electrical Supply Company, set up for the expansion project.

According to Zesa Holdings, the parent company to tenderer Zimbabwe Power Company said the arrangement was part of conditions precedent from the original equipment manufacturer for the project. “This was part of the conditions precedent that the Original Equipment Manufacturer (that Sino Hydro) has to be part of the process to ensure the smooth operation of the (Hwange) plant for at least a period of six years,” said Zesa.

This will help avoid similar technical problems such as encountered by Botswana with its Morupule power station at a time the southern African country was facing power deficit. Zimbabwe cannot afford any slip ups in its power projects as it bids to close its supply deficit, with demand currently at 1 400MW while supply stands at around 1 100MW to 1 200MW.

Financial closure for the project to be undertaken, an engineering procurement and construction contract of $1,1 billion has already been reached with all conditions precedent issues having been met. The power utility said yesterday that it was only waiting Government approvals in China.

Sino Hydro was also contracted to extend the 750MW Kariba South Power Station by 300MW with construction having covered more than 80 percent of the works and one of the two generators will start feeding the grid in December.

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Mugabe’s #Zimbabwe Ruling Party Zanu-PF introduces electronic membership cards

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Research for this report calculates the movement of financial resources into and out of Africa and some key costs imposed on Africa by the rest of the world. We find that the countries of Africa are collectively net creditors to the rest of the world, to the tune of $41.3 billion in 2015. Thus much more wealth is leaving the world’s most impoverished continent than is entering it.

Download the full report here.

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Fire threatens Bulawayo’s Magnet House

The post #Zimbabwe Fire Guts Down Bulawayo’s Magnet House appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

VICTORIA FALLS, June 20 (The Source) – Zimbabwe has signed a comprehensive agreement with unnamed Chinese investors for the construction of its ‘Disneyland in Africa’, a tourism and conference theme park in the resort town of Victoria Falls, the tourism minister said on Wednesday.

In 2013, the impoverished southern African nation said it had set aside 300 hectares of land to build a state-of-the-art conference centre to house hotels, businesses, shopping malls, banks, exhibition and entertainment facilities such as casinos near the Victoria Falls International Airport.

The theme park, whose costs have been put at $460 million, is seen as crucial to rebranding the country dogged by perceptions of political volatility and human rights abuses, using the formula that has worked in California, Florida in the United States and Paris in France.

“We have signed an overarching agreement with some Chinese developers for a master plan to develop 300ha of land between the (Victoria Falls) airport and Masue River. We need to drive the convention business and direct traffic to ourselves,” Mzembi told journalists at a press conference.

“Already we are looking at 2020 where we are dreaming of a $5 billion tourism sector in Victoria Falls alone.” said Minister Mzembi.

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Photo Credit: Keat Siong

When disaster strikes, sometimes the best move is a pivot. Rebranding has been the need of the hour for airlines on several occasions in the past, whether prompted by a tarnished image, a merger or a financial crisis.

Air Zimbabwe has just rebranded for the first time in over 37 years. The Old Air Zim logo of is gone, replaced by the black tale, with the Zimbabwe bird and red star. And every plane will be tagged with green, yellow ,red and black rings near the tail. Air Zimbabwe will be now be called Zimbabwe Airways.

There’s logic behind the decision: Air Zimbabwe signed an agreement with Malaysia Airlines to use their ex-planes which have been sitting after many months in storage.

The rebrand has even stretched to new livery on one of the Zimbabwe Airways planes.

As of this writing only one ex-Malaysia Airline will see a new lease of life in Zimbabwe as Zimbabwe Airways. Many will have composite bodies that can’t be polished with the mirror shine of Zimbabwe Airways’ existing fleet. The look had to be reexamined for brand continuity, the 12.7 year old plane will be a great addition to the airline.

Clearly the issue isn’t the age of the plane, but rather that Air Zim just haven’t been focused on offering a competitive product. Well, it looks like that could finally change… or at least that’s what the rebranding is about.

No doubt, not everyone will like Air Zimbabwe’s reboot. The original brand has been dry as a bone into our consciousness for years. But as a Zimbabwean, I have to say, I greatly appreciate the rebranding of a parastatal which will ultimately represent my country, as a TV-loving society that likes to travel and makes a decent table.

Of course it’s what’s on the inside that counts, so what I really want to know is what the cabins will look like on Zimbabwe Airways’ “new planes”. Will their new “777s” finally feature competitive products, or the same product they have on their B737, which is extremely uncompetitive for long-haul flying? Then again, even that would be a huge improvement over what they have on their current A320.

Air  Zimbabwe’s management seems to suggest that they’re planning on a true revival:

According to an executive, the branding change is more than just a superficial renovation. Its resolution, they say, is to send a clear message to passengers, stakeholders and the community-at-large, that change is happening across and throughout the whole organization of the airline. To this end, the fresh, dynamic look will also be reflected in Zimbabwe Airways’ complete approach to delivering on all areas of “operational, commercial and service excellence”.

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Millions in #Zimbabwe diamond proceeds siphoned

ANJIN Investments, a joint venture between the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction (Group) Co Ltd (Afec), and Matt Bronze Enterprises — a front for the Defence ministry and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces through Glass Finish Investments (Pvt) Ltd — formed a subsidiary company, Sogecoa Zimbabwe Limited, which was used as a conduit to siphon millions of dollars outside Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Independent has learnt.

Elias Mambo/Obey Manayiti

This news article is part of an ongoing ground-breaking investigation into the Marange alluvial diamonds discovery and subsequent plunder at various stages by state and non-state actors. The special series is supported by the Investigative Journalism Fund.

As reported by this paper, the military is the biggest local beneficiary of Anjin’s diamond mining revenues. Bank statements seen by this paper show that Anjin and Jinan, both Chinese companies, deposited millions of dollars into the subsidiary company’s account before the money was used and electronically transferred to banks outside Zimbabwe.

Sogecoa, investigations revealed, was a company whose activities were outside mining. The company concentrated on investing the mining proceeds in the construction of hotels and shopping malls.

“Money was transferred from Anjin to Sogecoa to invested in other business ventures other than mining,” the source said. “Sogecoa facilitated the construction of Peacock Mutare Hotel, Peacock Harare and Long Chen (Plaza) shopping mall.”

Sogecoa directors are all of Chinese origin and include Zhao Yao Jiang, Qing De Jiang, Hong Yan Deng, Zheng Peng and Shang Gang He, while its secretary is Qing Xia Lu. Bank statements show a series of transactions amounting to multi-millions went from Anjin to Sogecoa. For instance, on June 12 2014 (reference number ZW2FINT141630001), a transfer of US$3 141 616 was made to Sogecoa from Jinan’s BancABC Mount Pleasant account.

Last year, Afec was dragged to court on allegations of having externalised close to US$500 million. The company then paid about US$50 million to Sogecoa. A local bank acted as a conduit to wire the money out of Zimbabwe through Botswana banks. The bank account was opened on January 3 2013, with US$50 million, but the company transferred US$40 million to Sogecoa Zimbabwe days later before transferring another US$4 million to the same company on January 10 2013. On January 17 2013, Jinan transferred another US$2,9 million to Sogecoa Zimbabwe.

The money was externalised on the pretext that Afec was investing in equipment. Jinan deputy general manager, Tapiwa Goronga, told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, chaired by Zanu-PF MP for Gokwe-Nembudziya Justice Mayor Wadyajena, that the matter was under investigation by the police Serious Frauds Section.

Efforts to get comment from Anjin were unsuccessful.

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Financial Matters by Tinashe Kaduwo

The current cash crisis has brought in new challenges for the banking sector which is at the same time struggling to survive the onslaught from both mobile money transfer services and microfinance institutions.

Ceilings on lending rates, floors on deposits rates, continuous downward review on bank charges, cash crisis and lack of quality borrowing clients has eaten into banks profit margins. Most banks over the years have been resisting partnering services from mobile network operators such as EcoCash preferring to introduce their own rival products. However, there has been lower uptake of these products by the banking public as shown by lower penetration rate when compared to money transfer services such as EcoCash, Telecash and even OneWallet.

Mobile money transfer services further cemented their positions by allowing services such bill payments, school fees payments, payments to DStv, Zesa, insurance, churches and other various products. Even given the foreign payments challenges, mobile services providers have also been very innovative. “Do you know that you can pay DStv via EcoCash? All you need is to cash in rands into your EcoCash Rand Wallet at any EcoCash shop,” another message from the largest mobile transfer EcoCash.

Before the advent of mobile money transfer services, banking halls would be jam-packed with long queues of people paying for various bills, including rent, school fees, water, telephone or electricity. For those who wanted to shop without cash, the only available options were debit cards. All these services would attract fees that would in turn swell banks’ profits. Last year, banks that had invested in transactional channels such as point of sale devices enjoyed huge swell in profits due to cash crisis. Debits cards played huge role in necessitating these payments. However, it is worth noting that mobile phones may play much more significant role than debit cards in a drive towards cash-lite society. Individuals may forget to carry their debit cards but there is no way they may forget to carry mobile phones.

This highlights the convenience provided by mobile services and the role being played by these services providers such as EcoCash. By resisting to partner mobile services providers, banks have lost out and these mobile services providers are slowly detecting the pace in banking landscape. In some markets such as Kenya, mobile services providers are offering services such as stock trading on their platforms. Besides, convenience, they are promoting financial inclusion and savings in the economy. The same can be said of EcoCash, which is now allowing foreign payments (rand DStv payments) which was traditionally reserved for banks.

Other savings products are also being provided together with micro-insurance products. This has been a wakeup call for banks which have revised their stance on mobile transfer services. If you cannot beat them, join them.

When EcoCash was launched back in 2011, banks did not see it as a threat. I remember some bankers used to say that “those who want to transact through EcoCash are those with money. And those with money have bank accounts. So as a bank why integrate with EcoCash”. At times they sought to tame EcoCash by seeking regulations from government and introducing internally rival products that would thwart the rapid growth and development of the service. Unfortunately banks efforts were never fruitful and the importance of EcoCash given the cash crisis cannot undermined.

Some banks have capitalised on mobile services, moving away from their traditional and costly brick-and-mortar facilities and introducing more efficient and sophisticated banking platforms. Agency banking model, a successful model adopted by banks from EcoCash expansion has resulted in cost savings lower head counts and increased client convenience. In this cash-lite environment, mobile phones plays a much more significant role than traditional banking products.

Kaduwo is an economist at Equity Axis. — tinashek@equityaxis.net/kaduwot@gmail.com

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By Samuel Kamndaya

Dodoma — Two days after the US Trade Representative announced that Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda risk losing access to the American market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) following plans by the East African member states to ban imports of second-hand clothes and shoes, a former Cabinet minister has asked the government to take the issue seriously.

The launch of the review is in response to a petition filed by the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (Smart), which asserts that a March 2016 decision by the East African Community, which includes Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, to phase in a ban on imports of used clothing and footwear is imposing significant economic hardship on the US used clothing industry.

“There is a story in The Citizen today which shows how serious this issue might be. The government needs to come up with relevant measures to protect the economy from the negative outcomes of what might be reached under Agoa,” he told the House yesterday during a debate on the 2017 Finance Bill.

It is now viewed that each member country is going its own way, contrary to the CET that requires Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan to have a common position with regard to import duties for goods originating from outside the region.

“It means, if Tanzania manufacturers these products in excess, we will have nowhere to sell them within the region since others will be importing the products outside the region at cheaper prices,” he said.

noting that similar decisions are also true for the iron and steel, textiles, leather and garment industries among others.

The post Take Our Second Hand Clothes or Else – U.S.A Tells Africans appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

CAPE TOWN – The Zimbabwean government is reportedly seizing farms from what it calls unproductive land reform beneficiaries.

The land is apparently being redistributed.

State-owned media is reporting that this is a bid to boost food production.

At least 38 farmers have already been notified that their land is to be repossessed.

More to follow.

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Zimbabwe’s loans register a mess, $100mln loans could be fake says AG

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s loans register is in shambles and the country may have been prejudiced of more than $100 million in fictitious loan repayments, a report by the Auditor General Mildred Chiri has revealed.

The report, which was tabled to Parliament on Wednesday, showed grave inaccuracies in Treasury accounts and a general slack in the reporting system across ministries and statutory funds.

The most glaring is the fact that the exact amount of government guaranteed debts and loans extended to the state or its entities is unknown.

The report notes that Treasury has failed to properly maintain a Statement of Public Debt, which details loans contracted by the state.

“The Ministry resubmitted an amended Statement of Public Debt for the year ended December 2014 with an adjusted balance of $5,4 billion from an initial balance of $5,9 billion just before the end of my audit without any explanation for the variance. Furthermore, principal and interest payments of debt amounting to $116,756,279 were made without providing supporting documents,” Chiri said in the report.

“The loans reflected on the Statement may not be authentic and the Statement maybe materially misstated.”

According to the report, Treasury Bills and Bonds issuance notes with a value of $647,794,516 were availed for audit examination against a total of $1,190,675,248 disclosed in the Statement of Public Debt.

Treasury also failed to timeously update the Register of Guarantees and did not disclose the names of beneficiaries and details of purposes for loans amounting to $567,5 million. The loans, known as Contingent Liabilities are advanced to parastatals, local authorities, statutory funds and private companies by external lenders under guarantee from the government.

“The total Contingent Liabilities extracted from returns submitted by line Ministries differed materially from the balance reflected on Treasury return, casting doubt on the reliability of the Summary presented for audit. There was a variance of $90,195, 494 which was not supported by a reconciliation showing the makeup of the difference between the two returns,” reads the report.

“The statement of Contingent Liabilities might have errors and or omissions resulting in its misstatement. The correct position of government’s indebtedness may not be established when records are not compiled,” Chiri said.

The Ministry of Finance is required by Public Finance Management Act to present annual, quarterly and monthly reports on loans and guarantees to Parliament but does not do so.

“There is risk that the financial statements could be misstated if the register is not updated on time and relevant details are left out,” Chiri said.

Further distorting the balance of Contingent Liabilities was the inclusion of called up loans amounting to $778,6 million on the return submitted for audit, she said.

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Hon T.P.Mliswa illegally seized my companies Noshio Motors and Benbar on the 18th December 2009.

He Severely violated my human and property rights. He threatened to rape my wife kidnap our two boys and KILL me!! My “Crime”FDI creating employment for the amazing people of Zimbabwe?

My family and I were forced to flee Zimbabwe with nothing but a suitcase due to death threats on my life..

I illegally lost my entire investments worth over £1Million as at the time Mliswa was Mafia rich politically well connected and above the Law.

Justice through compensation from Hon T.P.Mliswa MUST prevail to set a precedent and show the World Zimbabwe is definitely open for business and this will NEVER happen again to another Foreign Direct Investors….

The post How I lost my £1 Million investments in #Zimbabwe from politically connected mafia appeared first on Zimbabwe Today.

Rusape – More than 150 farm-workers and their families have been rendered homeless following last week’s forceful eviction of a white commercial farmer, Robert Smart, from his property by armed police and a gang of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe‘s ruling Zanu-PF party youths outside Rusape town.

The tobacco and maize grower was evicted to reportedly pave way for a top cleric, Trevor Manhanga, who has links with Mugabe’s party, despite opposition from the local community under the Tandi chieftainship.

The Tandi people argued that allowing Manhanga to occupy the farm would violate the cultural rights as there were sacred shrines in Smart’s farm.

Following Smart’s eviction from Lesbury Estates, anti-riot police reportedly assaulted and arrested some of the farm-workers, who were guarding their employer’s household property that had been dumped on the roadside. In no time, the labourers were allegedly kicked out of their compound by the police and “armed men” that are now occupied the farm.

Harsh weather conditions

Most of Smart’s workers and their families sought refuge in the bush and nearby mountains – exposed to harsh weather conditions.

“Our houses in the farm compound were destroyed by police and the armed men led by Joseph Mujati (Zanu-PF deputy chairperson for Manicaland Province). We have nowhere to go,” said one of the displaced workers Clifford Nyauso.

Another displaced farm employee, Farai Mapako, 44, told News24 that Mujati and his colleagues had told them to stay away from the farm.

“Mujati came to us accompanied by six other armed men and told us not to set foot at Lesbury. Now we are sleeping here in the bush because we are afraid that they can shoot us if we go back to the compound,” said Mapako.

Mapako added that most of his colleagues had asked nearby villagers to help in storing their household properties.

“Most of our property was destroyed when we were forcefully moved out of the compound. Some of the property is still missing and we are losing some of it to thieves who are targeting us at night here in the bush. Some of us have since relocated our property into the mountains because we have nowhere to store it,” he added.

Picture: Frank Chikowore, News24

Women and children were the most vulnerable, according to Mapako’s 35 year-old wife Edith.

“We have no access to sanitary pads and we are finding it difficult to take a bath here in the bush. We are fetching drinking water from the river and the water from the river is dirty because cattle from the nearby villages are also drinking water from the same river,” she said.

Edith’s son, Clemence, 11, said that since they were all evicted from the farm compound, he and many others were not going to school.

“How can we concentrate in class when we are hungry? I do not even know where my school uniform is and I am afraid that if I go to school the armed men that I saw harassing my parents can come after me,” said Clemence.

Twenty-seven- year-old Chipo Sautsane, who lived with HIV/Aids, alleged that her anti-retroviral drugs were lost when they were moved off the Lesbury compound, adding that accessing new drugs from the local clinic was now difficult for her.

“I know of more than 10 people who have stopped taking their drugs, including me, because we can’t access them. Our allocation of anti-retroviral drugs and medical record went missing during the evictions and authorities at the nearby clinic are telling us that we have to bring those records that correspond with the dates listed in their files for us to be able to get the ARVs. What this means is that we are defaulting in taking drugs,” said Sautsane.

Most of the evicted farm-workers appealed to Mugabe’s government to allow their former employer to return to the farm, saying working at Lesbury Estates was their only source of livelihood.

Picture: Frank Chikowore, News24

“We used to get food rations from Smart and he can’t afford to do that anymore because of his ejection from the farm. He can’t even get access to us now to give us some food here in the bush because he doesn’t know where we are and he might also be afraid to come here,” added Sautsane.

For his part, Smart said he was negotiating with the government for him to be allowed to return to the farm so that he could continue with his farming business.

“I do not take the workers as my employees. Me and them are a family as we all grew up here and have known no other place,” said Smart.

Smart said what pained him most was that Manhanga wanted to grab his farm and yet he had other properties.

“I have title deeds to this farm and it’s a shame that Manhanga is interested in this farm yet he has other properties in Mutare. I surrendered other properties to the government when it embarked on land reforms and I was only left with Lesbury Estates.”

Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora refused to comment.

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#Zimbabwe Bond notes on the black market in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

Initially, the central bank had claimed bond notes were being sold in Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.

At the recently-ended three-day Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) annual congress in Victoria Falls last week, RBZ official, Azvinandawa Saburi told guests the central bank would work with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) to try and stop the sale of bond notes across the border.

“Now, on the issue of bond notes being in Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and so on, I think, as the RBZ, we are monetary authorities, who have to work with other bodies who have responsibility [at borders],” he said.

“So we will certainly talk to them and advise them on how probably they can handle this issue. On this, I would also want to add this is about the currency, the United States dollar is the most widely used currency.

“So everyone in the world, everyone who is exporting and so on, is looking for those United States dollars, which is why people play all these shenanigans.

“But, the bottom line is that we are going to work with the Zimra to say that when people are going out they should not take bond notes.”

So far, RBZ claims, the sale of bond notes is in neighbouring countries’ border towns.

The sale of bond notes was first confirmed in May in Manga, a town just outside Beira in Mozambique, which is close to the Mutare border.

Last month, Livingstone in Zambia and Park Station in Johannesburg, South Africa were also confirmed as points of sale of bond notes.

“Another critical issue arising from this lack of confidence is externalisation of both the United States dollar and bond notes,” ZNCC Manicaland vice-president, Kenneth Saruchera said.

“You would be surprised that bond notes are being externalised. In Mutare, if you just get across the border at that trading area in Manga, you will find heaps of bond notes.

“Bond notes are very popular with the Mozambicans because they want to use this to shop in Zimbabwe so both the United States dollar and the bond notes are being externalised.”

RBZ says there are $160 million worth of bond notes in circulation, with the Afreximbank facility of
$200 million backing the surrogate currency expected to be extended.

When they were introduced, the central bank governor John Mangudya said bond notes would not be externalised.

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History of Thomas Meikle, Businessman and Entrepreneur

Thomas Meikle affectionately known as Tom, Tom was one of the three Meikle Brothers who founded a company in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), he was regarded as a remarkable man, a very astute businessman and undoubtedly the driving force in the firm of Meikle Brothers. He was considered to be a man of vision and energy.

Thomas Meikle affectionately known as Tom, was born in 1862, he was the eldest son of John Meikle of Strathavon (Scotland) and Sarah of Avondale. The suburbs of Strathavon and Avondale in Salisbury (now known as Harare) were named after their respective birth places.

John Meikle was a master builder by trade, he studied mathematics at the Edinburgh University, John migrated to South Africa Natal in December 1868. At this point in time Tom was aged 6 and the other children on board of the voyage were Jeannie, Stewart and John or Jack as he later became known.

Tom was one of the three Meikle Brothers who founded a company in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe), he was regarded as a remarkable man, a very astute businessman and undoubtedly the driving force in the firm of Meikle Brothers. At some point Tom moved to Bulawayo and in 1894 he opened a Branch and built a house in the suburb of Hillside.

He was a man of many fine qualities, and it is said that he could not abide slackers. A story is told when “… an elderly gentleman entering a Meikles Stores, the Manager was having tea, and on noticing a set of golf clubs in the corner, the gentleman enquired whether he was going golfing. The Manager replied that he usually closed early on Wednesday to get in a round of golf…” it is at this stage that Tom Meikle revealed his identity and ordered the Manager to take his golf clubs and never return.

He had a reputation of meanness, maybe it’s due to understanding of the value of wealth, and a story is told of how on a trip to England with a manager he preferred to stay in a cheap hotel and was content to travel in Third Class. In 1898 he lived with his mother Sarah and his sisters in Bulawayo, they moved from Natal after the death of his father John. Thomas Meikle married Winifred Hubbard in 1907 and had four daughters, Marjorie Moxon, Peggy Thompson, Joan Hampshire and Jane Redrup. He died in 1939 and was buried at Mabukuwene Gardens. Mabukuwene is a tranquil place of indigenous trees and granite boulders in the suburb of Burnside, Bulawayo, it is run by the National Trust of Zimbabwe.

He was considered to be a man of vision and energy, and history notes that he did a lot for the development of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). His legacy is renowned to be the Thomas Meikle Trust and Investment Company, the company is prominent in stores, hotels, ranching and tea production.

The Meikle brothers established the financial giant Meikles in Southern Rhodesia. They arrived at Fort Victoria on 7th May 1891 and subsequently set up stores, built hotels, established mines and staked ranches in the territory.

In 2015 Meikles Hotel turned 100-years-old.  It was the brainchild of Thomas Meikles who envisioned a commitment to the “highest possible standard of service and product” – something that has become enshrined in the Meikles culture.  It has always been an iconic landmark of capital city Harare, one which has constantly and gracefully evolved through the colonial era of Rhodesia into modern- day Zimbabwe. Its position in the heart of the city has allowed its walls to bear witness to many events that have shaped the nation’s past.

Meikles Hotel: Historical Timeline

1869 – The Meikle family arrived in Africa from Strathaven, Lanarkshire in Scotland
1883 – At the age of 21 Tom Meikle, who was emerging as the dominant member of the family, moved to Barberton, South Africa to found a new transport service for the mines in the area. He achieved great success and was ably supported by his brothers Stewart and Jack.
1892 – The Meikle brothers expanded their transport business into Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
1913 – Thomas Meikle decided to pursue his vision (originally conceived with brother Stewart before he died) of constructing a hotel on the influential site of Cecil Square (now Africa Unity Square) in the heart of the capital city. He maintained his permanent home in Bulawayo but kept an apartment at the hotel for his travels to the capital.
1915 – Meikles Hotel was officially opened on November 15.

1916 – An annex was added to the hotel and the total number of rooms reached 160
1926 – A steam laundry was added and was the first such facility in the city
1933 – The Thomas Meikle Trust and Investment Company was created
1934 – Dry cleaning equipment was added to the laundry.
1939 – Thomas Meikle died on 8 February and the trust was undertaken by his widow, Winifred (nee Dalzell) who became Chairman, and their four daughters and husbands who became board members.
1947 – In response to city plans to designate all property in the hotel area as a non-business area the Board completed plans for the rebuilding of the hotel, but failed to win a permit from the city planning authority.

1950 – Reginald Moxon (husband of Thomas Meikle’s eldest daughter Marjorie) became Vice Chairman of the Thomas Meikle Trust bringing an assurance of continued firm direction at a time when most of the founder’s early lieutenants were starting to retire.
1953 – Refurbishments were made to the front entrance, hotel foyer and dining room,
1956 – The construction of a new East Wing, over the old hotel’s beautiful garden, as an addition to the existing hotel was begun and completed two years later in 1958 just in time to accommodate a French rugby team on a visit to the country. The new wing had seven stories with 120 bedrooms.

1967 – The Meikles Hotel Football Club was formed and was indicative of the continuing high morale of the staff amidst political uncertainty in the country
1967 – In October a civic banquet was held at the hotel to mark the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the City of Salisbury (now Harare). 800 guests were in attendance.
1969 – It was announced that the Thomas Meikle Trust was to go ahead with plans to construct a new hotel in line with the international standards accorded to the world’s leading hotels.
1974 – The original hotel and adjoining buildings were demolished between March and September to make way for a modern and bigger hotel.
1974 – Construction of the new hotel began in September.
1976 – The new look Meikles Hotel was opened in November.
1980 – The 12-storey Meikles Tower Block was opened.
1991 – Five additional floors were added to the North Wing, containing luxury suites, including the current Club Rooms along with 10 additional banqueting rooms.
1995 – The Leading Hotels of the World invited Meikles to join its prestigious group, the first hotel in Zimbabwe to be given such notable international acclaim.
1997 – The South Wing, which comprises 187 rooms, was refurbished.
1998 – Meikles Hotel was voted “Best Hotel in Africa” by the International Executive Travel Awards.
1998 – The hotel became the first in Africa to achieve ISO 9002 status.

2011 – Meikles embarks on ambitious planning for a major refurbishment to take it into the modern era without sacrificing its elegant charm or rich pedigree.

2012 – Work commences on a major upgrade to restore Meikles to its world-class five-star stature in preparation for the hotel’s Centenary celebrations throughout 2015.

2013 – (September). The major US$9 million revitalisation of the entire North Wing and several public areas propels Meikles to modern new glory while retaining its traditional style, luxury and glamour.

2013 – Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents (AZTA) votes Meikles as “Best City Hotel” for 20th time. The first AZTA award for Meikles was in 1992 and there has never been another winner in this category (there were no awards in 2004 and 2005).

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1930- A man by the name of Arthur Sturgess started a small soft drink factory in Bulawayo. During this time, he realized there was a gap in the market for a real fruit juice to be produced locally. He thought it would work best utilizing oranges grown from the Mazowe Valley. As he continued with his research he struggled to come up with a name for the drink he had developed, his wife suggested naming the drink Mazoe, and thus a national treasure was born.

MAZOE Orange Crush is an integral part of the Zimbabwean lifestyle. It has been trusted by generations to give the best in healthy refreshment. Over the years, the brand has been built to cater for differing consumer tastes and needs. Mazoe Orange Light offers the same great taste in a non-sugar variant for consumers following a managed-calorie lifestyle; while the Mazoe syrups bring quality refreshment in fun and fruity flavours — Blackberry, Raspberry, Cream Soda, Peach and Naartjie all in two-litre packs.
“Mazoe is an anytime, all-the-time drink, suitable for any occasion. It is also drunk at all periods of the day, from lunch, breakfast to supper and anytime in-between as a “refreshment”.

“Mazoe is prepared in accordance to the highest international quality standards,” said Charles Msipa, Managing Director for Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited. Last year, Mazoe Orange Crush scooped the “Product of the Year” award at the inaugural National Annual Quality Awards co-ordinated by Standards Association of Zimbabwe in recognition of its consistent and high product quality in the large enterprises category.
A recent study on cordials in Zimbabwe revealed that consumers drink Mazoe mainly due to emotional attachment to the brand.

“There was no separation of Mazoe and cordials in consumers’ heads.
“Reasons given were mainly functional, the emotional attachment to the brand Mazoe was very much evident, mainly because of the heritage,” reads part of the study.
Mazoe Orange Crush is manufactured by Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited under licence from the Coca-Cola Company.
The Mazoe Orange Crush heritage began in 1927, when Arthur Sturgess came to Zimbabwe looking for farming opportunities.

In 1930, he started a small soft drink factory in Bulawayo, manufacturing carbonated drinks.
During this time, Sturgess realised there was a gap in the market for a real fruit juice to be produced locally, utilising oranges grown from the Mazoe Valley.
As he continued with his research he struggled to come up with a name for the drink, when his wife suggested Mazoe and thus a national treasure was born.

As Mazoe moves into the future, there are several key features that have remained relatively unchanged over the past70 years:
The “Mazoe Orange Crush” logo is still pretty much in the original typeface although now italicised.
The word “orange” has been added as a descriptor to distinguish it from other “orange” crushes.

The famous “swirly top” iconic bottle has remained a firm fixture, though several transformations have occurred from the original quart glass bottle through PVC and more recently PET.

The level of the “real juice” content has always been at least 50 percent.
The label has always been “oval” (even when labels had to be “squared” for packaging purposes the design looked distinctly “oval”) and has always been in green, gold, black and orange.

Mazoe Orange Crush, is a product of The Coca-Cola Company which is produced under franchise by Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited. Mazoe Orange Crush is a renowned and loved juice-containing cordial which is an integral part of the Zimbabwean community. For over 70 years, Mazoe has been trusted by generations of mothers to give their families the best in healthy refreshment. Over time, the range of products offered under brand Mazoe has grown to include; Mazoe Orange Light which offers the same great taste in a non-sugar variant for consumers following a managed- calorie lifestyle. Other variants include Blackberry, Raspberry, Cream Soda and Peach, a rainbow range of Mazoe Syrups bursting with flavour.

Mazoe has won various accolades including the National Product Quality of the Year Award for 2011. This is in recognition of its consistent and high product quality in the large enterprises category at the inaugural National Annual Quality Awards coordinated by the Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ). Mazoe has since 2011 to date been recognised as one the top 10 super brands in national and overall Superbrand categories by The Marketers Association of Zimbabwe in the Annual Superbrand Awards.

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Karel Alois Strnad

(1910 – 1956)

Born in Vienna, Austria, of Czech parents.
As was his wife, Marie Františka Trpáková.

And here is the story, how they had met each other and later the phenomenon of Bata as well:

1920’s
• The families of both moved to Prague, within a few years of one another. They did not know each other at that time; they met while studying at the University.

1930s
• Karel completed a degree in Business Management in Praha. Marie – a degree in Arts. When he began working for Bata, they moved to Zlin. She taught school children.

1937
• Karel and Marie married in Zlin.

1938
• Karel was chosen, along with other executives and management people, to leave Czechoslovakia and start Bata companies in other countries. They went first to Holland, then to Southern Rhodesia.

• Karel was in Durban, South Africa, for a short while. Then went to Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia. His wife, pregnant at the time, followed.

• Their first home was on 6th Street in Gwelo, a major residential suburb.

• Karel Strnad, as Managing Director, started the Bata Company in an existing facility, an old factory, with its own old buildings, about 6 miles outside and to the west of Gwelo.

• May 1938. First son, John Frank Rhodes Strnad, was born.

1940:
Second child, Hana Libuse, born in September.

1941
• During these early years, Karel battled to get the right equipment for Bata. He managed to get machinery and sewing machines sent from Czechoslovakia on the Morava. It docked at Beira, and the machinery was sent by rail to Gwelo. (There was a very good rail-train system in those days – not so anymore)

1942
• Third child, Jarmila Rhoda, was born in March.

1945 – 46
• Karel planned the new Bata executive office, the factory sheds, and the residential at Moffat – also on the outskirts of Gwelo, but to the North. He named it Moffat, no one knows why, but he was very taken with Southern Rhodesia – he came to love it dearly and he also named his first son after Cecil John Rhodes.

• He supervised all the building at Moffat.
• He also planned Bata’s move from old location to new.

1946
• Bata moved from its first location to the new Bata compound at Moffat. ExecutJive/Administrative office was a long box-like building, with two or three stories.

• The residential part of Moffat was in one area. There were single-family homes; tennis courts, swimming pools, a cricket field, children’s nursery, food store, Club House, gardens, etc.

• The production part was in another area. It consisted of a number of long sheds or buildings, each dedicated to a specific activity.

• One was for leather tanning.

• Another set of sheds was for drying. The tanned leather pieces were hung on long ropes. These were made from sisal (cactus) plants, which grew abundantly in the area. The natives cut the long sisal palm leaves, stripped them and hand-spun the pulpy strings into long, very strong cords.

• Another shed was where the leather was ‘cured’ or softened, and sometimes pounded in some way, a softening procedure. This is also where leather was polished.

• John remembers that there were several sheds where the finished leather pieces were stored, laid flat one on top of the other, according to color.

• Another shed was where the leather was cut into “lasts,” the various shapes used to make shoes.
• Then there were two or three sewing sheds.
• Plus a packaging store, and a finished goods store.

• In the early years, factory produced only men’s shoes, in black and brown leather. This was to get production going, and also because it did not have all equipment needed that time.

• After the move to Moffat, Karel drove to Limuru in Kenya, where there was a smaller Bata Shoe Company, to help them. They all went, father, mother, and three children, in their old Desoto car.

Limuru was, at that time, a small town in the Kenyan highlands. They travelled through (then) Nyasaland, Tanganyika, and onto Nairobi, Kenya, then Limuru. Along the way they went through Lilongwe, Dodoma, and Arusha (in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro).

After he worked with the Limuru Managing Director for some time, he drove family back to Rhodesia through Northern Rhodesia, through Broken Hill, Mbeya, Serenje Corner, among others.

• Other Czech executives at Bata at that time were Jan Kubic; Antonin Kasperlik and his wife Helen, and their two small daughters and Frank Fisher – he had a daughter called Nadia.

• May 1946. A fourth child, a daughter, was born to Strnads, Jana Maria.

1948
• Thomas Bata flew from the Bata Head Office to Southern Rhodesia. He stayed at Strnads’ house in Moffat. Children remember him only as a tall stranger, who came and stared at them – smile. Mr. Bata stayed for a week. He and Karel had many conferences at the Bata Offices, as well as with other executives. Marie had several dinner parties for many people that week in their home.

• By this year, men’s, women’s, and children’s shoes were being produced, as well as canvas shoes, in all colors, including suede and patent (shiny) leather.

• June. Karel flew to Bata in Europe on business.

• July. Marie and the four children went by boat, named “Toscana,” to Genoa, Italy.

Hana and John, after so many years, remember:
We had our car with us on the ship. We motored into Switzerland, stayed at Interlaken. Then Dad, mother and John went to England for the Olympic Games. Hana and Jarmila and Jana stayed in Interlaken, with Polish nurse. In August Mother drove the four children via Austria to Czechoslovakia (via Innsbruck and Linz). We stayed with Dad’s parents in Prague. His father was a carpenter.
After we were there three weeks, Mother was called into one of the Government offices; she was warned to get the children into schools, as she was Czech. This was at the same time that the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Masaryk was suddenly called to Moscow.
Dad’s father, Grandfather Strnad, saw into what was happening, warned mother to leave and we did – within 24 hours. John remembers mother racing for the border. She drove us back to Switzerland. Within three days after crossing that border the Iron Curtain came down. John remembers mother being devastated, as her parents were back in Czechoslovakia.
Then we all flew, with mother, back to Rhodesia via flying boat, on the way landing at Alexandria, Khartoum, Entebbe and finally Victoria Falls and Gwelo. Our car was left in Europe.”

1949
• Karel continued working for Bata into mid – 1949. Then in June – July. Karel left Bata. Children do not know specifics. Then he sold shoes in Northern Rhodesia and the Congo for several months; he was on the road continually. He may have been freelancing.

• Towards end of 1949. he joined Rudwell’s in Bulaway, South Rhodesia, and worked for them for six years. They were a chain of retail suppliers; supplying small businesses, white and black, in the Federation (Southern and Northern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland), as well as East Africa, the Congo, and other countries, with foods, shoes, and other goods.

1956
• Feb: He joined Bagshaw and Gibaud, a large shoe manufacturer, in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, as Managing Director until his (accidental) death in 1964 in Port Elizabeth.

^{Thanks to the Hana Strnad/Whitfield & John Strnad, children of Karel A. Strnad, this text has been prepared as the very first issue of the coming English mirror of the Czech Bata Story.}

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