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Business Shake-up
In December 2003 Mzwimbi went on a effectively deserved household trip to the USA, happy with the progress and assured that his sprawling empire was on a strong footing. Nevertheless a name from a enterprise magnate in January 2004 alerted him to what was termed a looming shake- up within the monetary companies sector. It seems that the incoming governor had confided in just a few shut colleagues and acquaintances about his plans. This confirmed to Mzwimbi the fears that have been arising as RBZ refused to accommodate banks which had liquidity challenges.
The final two months of 2003 noticed rates of interest soar near 900% p.a., with the RBZ watching helplessly. The RBZ had the instruments and capability to manage these charges however nothing was carried out to ease the scenario. This mountain climbing of rates of interest worn out almost all of the financial institution’s revenue made inside the yr. Bankers usually depend on treasury payments (TBs) since they’re simply tradable. Their yield had been good till the rates of interest skyrocketed. Consequently bankers have been now borrowing at larger rates of interest than the treasury payments might cowl. Bankers have been put within the uncomfortable place of borrowing costly cash and on-lending it cheaply. An instance at Royal Financial institution was an entrepreneur who borrowed $120 million in December 2003, which by March 2004 had ballooned to $500 million as a result of extreme charges. Though the price of funds was now at 900% p.a., Royal Financial institution had simply elevated its rates of interest to solely 400% p.a, that means that it was funding the shopper’s shortfall. Nevertheless this shopper couldn’t pay it and simply returned the $120 million and demonstrated that he had no capability to pay again the $400 million curiosity cost. Most bankers accepted this anomaly as a result of they thought it was a brief dysfunction perpetuated by the shortcoming of an performing governor to make daring choices. Bankers believed that when a substantive governor was sworn in he would management the rates of interest. A lot to their dismay, on assuming the governorship Dr. Gono left the charges untamed and therefore the scenario worsened. This state of affairs continued as much as August 2004, inflicting appreciable pressure on entrepreneurial bankers.
On reflection, some bankers really feel that the central financial institution intentionally hiked the rates of interest, as this might permit it to restructure the monetary companies sector. They argue that in the course of the money disaster of the final half of 2003, financial institution CEOs would meet usually with the RBZ in an effort to search out options to the disaster. Retrospectively they declare that there’s proof indicating that the present governor although not appointed but was already answerable for the RBZ operations throughout that point interval and was thus answerable for the untenable rate of interest regime.
In January 2004, after his trip, Mzwimbi was knowledgeable by the RBZ that Royal had been accommodated for $2 billion on the twenty eighth of December 2003. The Central Financial institution wished to know whether or not this lodging needs to be formalised and positioned into the newly created Troubled Financial institution Fund. Nevertheless, this was costly cash each by way of the rates of interest and likewise by way of the circumstances and phrases of the mortgage. At Belief Financial institution, entry to this facility had already given the Central Financial institution the correct to drive out the highest executives, restructure the Board and nearly take over the administration of the financial institution.
Royal Financial institution turned down the supply and used deposits to repay the cash. Nevertheless the rates of interest didn’t come down.
In the course of the first quarter of 2004 Belief Financial institution, Barbican financial institution and Intermarket Financial institution have been recognized as distressed and put beneath extreme corrective orders by the Central Financial institution.
Royal Assault
Royal Financial institution remained steady till March 2004. Individuals who had their funds locked up in Intermarket Financial institution withdrew large sums of funds from Royal Financial institution whereas others have been shifting to overseas owned banks because the notion created by Central Financial institution was learn by the market to imply that entrepreneurial bankers have been fraudsters.
Others withdrew their cash on the premise that if monetary behemoths like Intermarket can sink, then it might occur to some other indigenously managed financial institution. Royal Financial institution had a bonus that within the smaller cities it was the one financial institution, so individuals had no selection. Nevertheless even on this state of affairs there have been no steady deposits as individuals stored their funds shifting to keep away from being caught unawares. For instance in a single week Royal Financial institution had withdrawals of over $40 billion however weathered the storm with out recourse to Central Financial institution lodging.
Presently, newspaper experiences indicating some leakage of confidential data began showing. When confronted, one public paper reporter confided that the knowledge was being equipped to them by the Central Financial institution. These experiences have been geared toward inflicting panic withdrawals and therefore exposing banks to depositor flight.
Statutory Reserves
In March 2004, on the level of serious vulnerability, Royal Financial institution obtained a letter from RBZ cancelling the exemption from statutory reserve necessities. Statutory reserves are funds, (making up a sure share of their complete deposits), banks are required to deposit with the Central Financial institution, at no curiosity.
When Royal Financial institution started operations, Mzwimbi utilized to the Central Financial institution – then beneath Dr Tsumba, for overseas forex to pay for provides, software program and expertise infrastructure. No overseas forex might be availed however as a substitute Royal Financial institution was exempted from paying statutory reserves for one yr, thus releasing funds which Royal might use to accumulate overseas forex and buy the wanted sources. This was a standard process and apply of the Central Financial institution, which had been made obtainable to different banking establishments as effectively. This is able to additionally improve the financial institution’s liquidity place.
Even buyers are typically provided tax exemptions to encourage and promote investments in any business. This exemption was delayed because of bungling within the Banking Supervision and Surveillance Division of the RBZ and was thus solely applied a yr later, consequently it will run from Could 2003 till Could 2004. The untimely cancellation of this exemption caught Royal Financial institution unexpectedly as its money circulate projections had been primarily based on these commencing in Could 2004.
When the RBZ insisted, Royal Financial institution calculated the statutory reserves and famous that, because of a decline in its deposits, it was not eligible for the cost of statutory reserves at the moment. When the financial institution submitted its returns with zero statutory reserves, the Central Financial institution claimed that the financial institution was now due for the entire statutory reserve since inception. In impact this was not being handled as a statutory reserve exemption however extra as a penalty for evading statutory reserves. Royal Financial institution appealed. There have been conflicting opinions between the Financial institution Supervision and Capital Markets divisions on the difficulty as Financial institution Supervision conceded to the validity of Royal’s place. Nevertheless Capital Markets insisted that it had directions from the highest to recall the complete quantity of $23 billion. This was pressured onto Royal Financial institution and transferred with out consent to the Troubled Banks Fund at exorbitant charges of 450% p. a.
FML Saga
When FML was demutualising, the executives have been involved about the potential for being swallowed by its large strategic associate, Belief Holdings. FML approached Royal Financial institution and different banks to behave as buffers. The settlement was that FML would fund the deal by inserting funds with Royal Financial institution in order that Royal wouldn’t fund it from its steadiness sheet.
Consequently FML would depart the deposits with Royal Financial institution for the tenor of the mortgage. The deal was consummated by means of Regal Asset Managers and was to mature in December 2004, at which era it was anticipated that the share value of First Mutual would have blossomed, permitting Royal Financial institution to reap its funding and exit profitably. The deal resulted in Regal Asset Managers proudly owning 57 million FML shares. Royal Financial institution gave FML some securities within the type of treasury payments as collateral for the deposit.
The Reserve Financial institution and the curator wrote off this funding as a result of at the moment FML was suspended on the ZSE. Nevertheless the truth that it was suspended didn’t invalidate its worth. Latest occasions have proven that this funding has generated large capital worth for Regal Asset Managers because the ZSE rebounded. But the curator valued this funding negatively. Round March 2004 there had been a contagion impact at FML as a result of challenges at Belief Financial institution. This resulted within the pressured departure of the FML CEO and chairman. FML was suspended from the native bourse as investigations into the financing construction of Capital Alliance’s acquisition have been carried out. Due to the stress delivered to bear on FML, it wished to withdraw the deposits held by Royal Financial institution, opposite to the settlement. FML couldn’t find and return the treasury payments that had been offered as collateral by Royal. Royal Financial institution suspected that these had been positioned with ENG, one other asset administration firm which collapsed in December 2003. A public row broke out. Royal Financial institution executives sought counsel from Renaissance Service provider Financial institution, which had brokered the deal, and the Chairman of the ZSE, who each agreed with Royal that the deal was authentic and FML needed to honour the settlement. At this stage FML sought court docket intervention in an try and drive Royal Financial institution into liquidation. Even the curator contested the FML place leading to his taking it for arbitration. Royal’s place remained that if FML fails to return the securities then it is not going to get the funds.
Royal financial institution administrators claimed political interference on the difficulty. The Royal Financial institution executives consider that the governor, in opposition to his higher judgment, determined to behave in opposition to Royal Financial institution beneath the pretext of the political stress. Looking back, the political assist for cracking the whip at Royal gave credence to the hearsay that the governor had an underlying agenda in taking Royal and merging it into ZABG due to its sturdy department community.
Royal Financial institution had been warned by pleasant RBZ insiders that if it ever accessed the Troubled Financial institution Fund it will be in bother, so it sought to keep away from this in any respect prices.
Nevertheless on 4th August 2004, Royal was served with papers that successfully positioned it beneath the curator. Apparently, the curator’s contract was signed two days earlier. Till this time no depositor had ever did not withdraw his deposits from Royal Financial institution.
The dearth of credibility of the Reserve Financial institution in dealing with this case is uncovered when one considers that some banks got greater than eight months to stabilise beneath curators, e.g. Intermarket and CFX Banks, and have been capable of get better. However Royal and Belief Financial institution have been beneath the curator for lower than two months earlier than being amalgamated. The press raised issues concerning the curators assuming the position of undertaker relatively than nurse, and therefore burying these banks.This appeared to verify the potential for a hidden agenda on the a part of the Central Financial institution.
Victor Chando
Chando was a superb monetary engineer who arrange Victory Monetary Companies after a stint with MBCA. He had been the brains behind the establishing of the predecessor of Century Low cost Home which he later offered to Century Holdings. Royal Financial institution initially had an curiosity in low cost homes and so at inception had included Victor as a big shareholder. He later acquired Barnfords Securities which Royal supposed to convey in-house.
Victory Monetary Companies was concerned in overseas forex dealings, utilizing offshore firms that purchased free funds from Zimbabweans overseas and bought uncooked supplies for Zimbabwean companies. One such take care of Nationwide Meals went bitter and the MD reported it to the Central Financial institution. On investigations the deal was discovered to be clear however the RBZ went forward to publish that he was concerned in unlawful overseas forex transactions and linked this to Royal Financial institution. Nevertheless this was a transaction carried out by a shareholder as an account holder, during which the financial institution had no curiosity. What confused issues, was that Victory Monetary Companies was housed in the identical constructing as Royal Financial institution.
After failing to nail Chando to any prison costs, the Central Financial institution issued an order for Royal Financial institution to drive him out as a shareholder and board member. It’s ridiculous that the Central Financial institution would vet who’s a shareholder or not in banks – notably when the individuals had no prison information.
Negotiations with OPEC have been underway for it to take over Chando’s shareholding. The Reserve Financial institution was conscious of those developments. OPEC would then assist in the recapitalisation in addition to open up strains of credit score for the financial institution.
The Arrest
In September 2004 the chief administrators of Royal Financial institution, Mzwimbi and Durajadi, have been arrested on 5 allegations of fraudulently prejudicing the financial institution. One of many costs was that they fraudulently used depositors’ funds to recapitalise the financial institution.
Three of the fees after police investigations have been dropped, as they weren’t true. The 2 remaining costs have been:
a) a battle of curiosity on loans that have been made obtainable to the administrators. The RBZ alleges that they didn’t disclose their pursuits when firms managed by them accessed loans at concessionary charges from the financial institution. Nevertheless the enterprising bankers dispute these costs, as they declare the Board minutes show that this curiosity was disclosed. Even the annual monetary statements of the financial institution acknowledge that they accessed loans as a part of their employment contract with the financial institution.
b) cash was owed to Finsreal Asset Administration. Nevertheless Mzwimbi argues that Finsreal really owes them cash and never the opposite approach spherical. Royal Financial institution shareholders wanted to inject cash for recapitalisation of the financial institution and have been requested to deposit their funds with Finsreal Asset Administration. Since some had not paid their portion of the recapitalisation by the due date, Royal Monetary Holdings, which had an account with Finsreal, paid the cash on behalf of the shareholders – who have been then indebted to Royal Monetary Holdings. Someway the RBZ confused this transaction because the financial institution’s funds and subsequently accused the
shareholders of utilizing depositors’ funds to recapitalise.
By retrospectively analysing the court docket case whereby the Royal Financial institution government administrators are accused of defrauding the financial institution it seems that the RBZ created a falsehood as a way to frustrate the bankers. The curator who initially refused to take a stand earlier than the RBZ appointed Unbiased Attraction, has in court docket clearly testified that no monies have been stolen from the financial institution by the administrators and that the curator didn’t (opposite to RBZ assertions) advocate costs in opposition to the bankers. In January 2007 the previous government administrators of Royal Financial institution have been acquitted by the Excessive Court docket on the remaining prison costs after the prosecution did not current a convincing argument.
Royal Financial institution property have been offered by the curator to ZABG barely two months after being positioned beneath the curator, with none audited monetary statements. The pace at which an settlement of sale was reached is astonishing. The house owners of Royal Financial institution went to court docket and, after a protracted authorized wrestle, the court docket dominated that the property have been offered illegally and therefore the sale was “unlawful and of no drive or impact and subsequently null and void”. The court docket then directed that the house owners ought to attraction to the Central Financial institution for a dedication of the actions of the curators. The Central Financial institution begrudgingly arrange an “impartial panel” to adjudicate the case. Surprisingly ZABG continued to commerce on the unlawful property.
The panel suggested that the attraction by Royal financial institution be rejected as it will be troublesome to disentangle it from ZABG. In addition they cited the truth that ZABG had some contractual obligations with third events who might not wish to do enterprise with Royal financial institution. This unusual ruling fails to clarify why these issues weren’t made when the amalgamation was carried out. The ruling additionally redefined the agreements between the curator of Royal financial institution and ZABG as not being an “settlement of sale” despite the fact that the events which entered into the settlement clearly supposed it to be seen as such. This was a approach of circumventing the Supreme Court docket ruling that the settlement of sale was null and void.
However the panel didn’t clarify how this disposal of the property needs to be thought-about if it was not a sale.
Consequently the main shareholders of Royal appealed to the Minister of Finance who upheld the RBZ determination. Mzwimbi and his colleagues have subsequently appealed to the courts. In the intervening time there was a failed try and promote the disputed property by ZABG regardless of the excellent authorized problem. Simply ice delayed is justice denied.
Mzwimbi and his group have been denied entry to all financial institution information and but are anticipated to defend themselves. As he characteristically places it, “We’re going into this battle blind folded and our arms certain, whereas combating somebody who has armour and a sword.”
Round 2002-3 there have been press experiences indicating that the ruling occasion/state wished to have a stake within the worthwhile banking sector. A minister of presidency on the time of the arrest confirmed this to Mzwimbi and his group. One other financial institution, NMB, had allegedly been assaulted and the main shareholders have been instructed to get rid of their shareholdings to sure politically related individuals. They refused and needed to go away the nation after some trumped up costs have been most popular in opposition to them. Sadly, the governor confronted resistance and the politicians distanced themselves. One indigenous banker reported how he was summoned to the Central Financial institution governor’s workplace and knowledgeable that he ought to go away the nation, as his financial institution could be closed. This banker credit Royal Financial institution’s resistance to being manipulated as the explanation why his personal financial institution survived. The financial institution was positioned beneath curatorship on 4th August 2004. Mzwimbi had secured potential buyers for the recapitalisation of the financial institution simply earlier than the deadline of thirtieth September 2004. Three days earlier than that deadline, Mzwimbi met the curator and defined intimately the place for the recapitalisation train. Traders who had proven curiosity and have been in superior negotiations have been OPEC, Constancy Insurance coverage and a few South African buyers. He additional requested the curator to request the Central Financial institution for an extension of a few week. The very subsequent day he was arrested on the pretext that he was about to depart the nation. Mzwimbi and his group consider that his arrest at that vital stage was meant to intimidate the would-be buyers and outcome within the failure to recapitalise. This lends credence to the view that the choice to accumulate the financial institution and amalgamate it in ZABG had already been made. The recapitalisation would have scuppered these plans. Notably, different banks got an extension to regularise their recapitalisation plans.
Shakeman Mugari reported that the central financial institution has in precept agreed to enter right into a scheme of association with Royal, Belief and Barbican banks which might see the ultimate decision of this situation. He argues that the central financial institution disregarded the worth of securities that the banks had pledged to the central financial institution for the loans. If these are factored in, then the financial institution shareholders have some important worth inside ZABG. If this scheme had been consummated it will have protected RBZ officers from being sued of their private capability for the lack of worth to shareholders. From the article it seems like a memorandum of settlement had been signed to impact a discount of Allied Monetary Companies’ share in ZABG whereas the previous banks’ shareholders will take up their share in proportion to the worth of their property. This appears to point that the central financial institution has famous a weak point in its arguments.
If this proves true Royal Financial institution might regain a fairly large stake of ZABG because of its property which included the actual property and its paper property which had been undervalued.
The authorized hassles present that entrepreneurs in unstable environments face pointless political and authorized challenges. The rule of legislation in these nations is usually nonexistent. The legislative and political environments, as a substitute of supporting buyers, pose severe challenges to entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs in these environments should assess the related threat in establishing their enterprises. Nevertheless a brand new breed of entrepreneurs who don’t concern the vicissitudes of political interference is making a distinction. Entrepreneurs recognise that the surroundings is a constraint however may be manipulated till worthwhile alternatives are exploited for business worth. These entrepreneurs select to not be victims of the surroundings.
Assault on Entrepreneurs’ Character
The data asymmetry whereby the Central Financial institution performed its case within the public press whereas the accused bankers had no proper of response created a misunderstanding, within the minds of the populace, of entrepreneurs being grasping and unscrupulous.
The Central Financial institution accused Jeff Mzwimbi and Durajadi Simba of siphoning funds from the financial institution. An instance appeared in a press article during which it was alleged that the sale of Barclays Financial institution branches to Royal Financial institution was annulled and the refunded funds have been remitted to Mzwimbi and Durajadi at Finsreal Asset Managers and never Royal Financial institution’s account. This was a transparent case of deliberate misinformation because the Central Financial institution was conscious of the reality. Royal Financial institution had included the acquisition of the Bulawayo Barclays Financial institution department constructing which Barclays Financial institution would lease a portion of from Royal Financial institution. When Royal Financial institution fell quick on the Interbank Clearing Home, it renegotiated with Barclays. This was after Royal was threatened that if it didn’t clear this quantity it will be positioned into the Troubled Financial institution Fund – which carried extreme penalties.
The outcome was that Barclays refunded the quantity paying it on to Royal’s Central Checking account. The RBZ acknowledged receiving these funds. How can they now accuse the founding shareholders of siphoning the identical funds which went on to the RBZ account? Mzwimbi insists that Barclays can simply testify to this.
The RBZ additionally alleged that Mzwimbi and Durajadi withheld data from their CVs on software for the financial institution licence and therefore questioned their integrity. They claimed that Mzwimbi withheld data on his involvement with a failed financial institution, UMB. However the marketing strategy for Royal Financial institution which was filed with RBZ clearly states this involvement. The Central Financial institution would have these information anyway. In addition they queried Durajadi’s supply of funds and forged aspersions on the web price assertion. But Durajadi had been concerned in Zimbabwe Belief and a transport enterprise together with his brother, which gave him enough internet price worth.
The RBZ contends that the Board of Royal Financial institution did not adjust to a directive to recapitalise by twenty ninth July 2004. Royal Financial institution executives and Board state categorically that they by no means obtained this directive. Mzwimbi and his group argue that that is misinformation, as all banks have been required to have recapitalised by thirtieth September 2004.
The regulators additionally allege that the steadiness sheet of Royal Financial institution had a deficit of $140 billion, which the bankers dispute. If one have been to contemplate the disputed $23 billion for statutory reserves and the $20 billion as lodging from the clearing home, this might quantity to $77 billion with pursuits. Nevertheless with the undervaluing of the property and the $160 billion which was written off as uncollectible, there could be no unfavourable steadiness sheet. The rivalry of the Royal Executives is that the curator, on the behest of the Reserve Financial institution, intentionally tampered with the accounts to offer a purpose for the take-over. This can be validated by the truth that the curator’s steadiness sheet stored altering at any time when he was challenged and he elevated the write-offs, even of funds that had since been collected. Since Royal and Belief Banks have been amalgamated into ZABG, the financial institution continues to be worthwhile, with none recapitalisation having been carried out. The actual fact that this new amalgamated financial institution can function for this lengthy from bancrupt banks’ capital with out recapitalising lends credence to the argument of the Royal Financial institution’s house owners.
The entrepreneurs contend that they have been coping with a Central Financial institution which was decided to see them sink and to not defend the integrity of the banking system. This surroundings was not conducive to survival and it amplified regular weaknesses which might have been resolved in the middle of regular enterprise.
Entrepreneurial Dedication
Mzwimbi and his colleagues refused to surrender beneath difficult conditions. Regardless of intimidation they took the Central Financial institution to court docket and refused to budge till justice was carried out. They have been introduced with quite a few alternatives to stop the nation however wouldn’t.
It’s reported that they haven’t given up on their dream. They’ve arrange Royal Monetary Companies in Kenya, regardless of the challenges in Zimbabwe. Certainly an indication of perseverance. Press experiences indicated that they’re in negotiations with Belief Financial institution so that when they win their case they will merge and proceed their operations in Zimbabwe. Belief didn’t verify or deny this. The extra possible state of affairs nonetheless is that each Belief and Royal might attain a compromise with the central financial institution leading to them taking over fairness in ZABG topic to an impartial revaluation train of the property which have been taken over.
Entrepreneurial Ideas
The entrepreneurial journey is fraught with threat however may be very rewarding. Some classes that may be discovered from the case examine are as follows:
• Entrepreneurs take calculated threat. Mzwimbi didn’t use all his sources within the financial institution however left his shareholding in Econet intact. He additionally sought to diversify his wealth by holding some investments with FML and Display screen Litho. This has been the mainstay of his wealth creation technique. The catastrophe that befell the financial institution didn’t fully wipe him out due to this prudent funding technique.
• Entrepreneurs study from their experiences. Mzwimbi’s huge experiences taught him vital classes. His worldwide banking expertise enabled him to see the rising developments as Barclays and Commonplace Chartered withdrew from nation cities, making a route for his entry technique. His work with Econet taught him perseverance as he and his colleagues fought authorized battles with authorities for the award of the licence. Little did he know that this was simply coaching floor for the battle of his life – the battle for Royal Financial institution.
• Entrepreneurs must repeatedly scan the surroundings for threats and alternatives. Whereas Mzwimbi and his group have been good at noticing the rising constructive developments within the surroundings at inception, they failed to choose the adjustments within the regulatory surroundings when the brand new governor got here on board.
• Entrepreneurial technique emerges and subsequently entrepreneurs needs to be versatile. Though Royal Financial institution had a plan to develop at a gradual tempo, when the chance arose to accumulate different branches cheaply the entrepreneurs seized the chance.
• Entrepreneurs are confronted with credibility challenges as prospects, regulators and suppliers take a look at the credibility of newcomers. Royal Financial institution minimised this by recruiting skilled and well-known personnel out there. Nevertheless the shortage of institutional shareholders led to credibility gaps with some company purchasers.
• Entrepreneurs must craft into their organisations each managerial and management competences to make sure each the power to take advantage of alternatives (entrepreneurial exercise) and sustainable firm efficiency (strategic administration). The extra modern view of entrepreneurship transcends simply the enterprise creation and now encompasses strategic progress. Though Mzwimbi was a superb chief he wanted a powerful and highly effective supervisor to consolidate the features and create strong programs to maintain the fast progress. Leaders thrive on change whereas managers thrive on dealing with complexity and creating order.
• Enterprise is constructed on relationships as these assist in the scanning of the working surroundings e.g. vital details about alternatives and threats was obtained from shut relationships
Lets shut this text with just a few questions that an entrepreneur ought to think about. For example, if Mzwimbi had expanded much less aggressively, would Royal Financial institution have been safer from the regulators? How might Mzwimbi have protected Royal Financial institution from political and regulatory interference if he anticipated these dangers? If Mzwimbi had chosen to pursue his enterprise concepts in a rustic with a extra reliable political and regulatory surroundings, how would he have carried out? Would it not have been wiser to maintain the gear, actual property and different property in Royal Monetary Holdings or different company entity and solely lease them to the financial institution? In that state of affairs would the predators have been capable of pounce on the financial institution?
Sources: I Dr Tawafadza A. Makoni verify being the writer of this work. The fabric for this case examine was drawn from my interviews with Mr J Mzwimbi CEO of Royal Financial institution in February 2006 and two Royal Financial institution Board Members. Some materials was drawn from an unpublished Royal Financial institution Strategic Enterprise Plan, (2000)
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Source by Dr Tawafadza A. Makoni
