By A Correspondent- The Cancer Association of Zimbabwe, with the help of corporate partners including Stanbic Bank, Zimhealth and the BeitTrust, has renovated Tariro hostel, built in 1974 by the Alfred Beit Trust to house cancer patients from afar, seeking treatment at Parirenyatwa and Harare
hospitals.

The hostel closed its doors in 2007 during the hyperinflationary period.

Zimbabwe only has two public health institutions which cater for cancer patients – Mpilo Central Hospital and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (with Harare Central Hospital offering part of the service in conjunction with Parirenyatwa).

Speaking at the official opening of the hostel on Friday, Cancer
Association of Zimbabwe general manager Junior Mavu said since the hostel shut down, they had been failing to get it running until the corporates came aboard to assist.

“We are hoping to open doors at the beginning of January next year as we are doing minor touches in completion of the renovation process. The hostel houses 40 patients at a time,” she said.

Mavu said the hostel will offer free board for cancer patients who will be receiving treatment at Parirenyatwa or Harare hospital and requires partners to provide food for patients.

Stanbic Bank, an annual donor to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe, chipped in with US$78 000 for the hostel’s refurbishment.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Hundreds of Guruve villagers thronged Ruyamuro and Kemusasa clinics at the weekend to receive free medical treatment from six dentists and four doctors under the Zimhealth.com after invitation by Guruve South legislator Patrick Dutiro.

The doctors attended to 400 patients at Kemusasa clinic and 150 at Ruyamuro.

Dutiro said Guruve has been hit by a shortage of doctors and has two government doctors who arrived last week.

“Having noticed the challenge of lack of doctors in Guruve, I decided to bring doctors to my constituency to mitigate health problems and as we are now in the farming season most villagers prioritise farming other than their health hence I brought these doctors to assist the constituency,” Dutiro said.

“The doctors will be coming here every weekend and we will be going round the constituency giving health services since healthcare is a basic need. Next weekend we will be at Mudindo clinic and Nyamhondoro,” he added.

“We would like to thank Cup Global Cotton director Max Chad who purchased most of the drugs we are using. However, we have not closed the door for other well-wishers, they can donate drugs at Guruve hospital or any clinic.”

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- A photo of a little boy captured carrying “billions” of cash in bearer cheques in 2008 has been circulating on social media over the past several months after Zimbabwe’s economy spiralled into 3-digits inflation.

Now, eleven years later, a purported picture of the same multi-billionaire boy (albeit in the worthless paper) has surfaced.

The boy is now in his teens, clean and probably facing another era of hyperinflation in his short life. Below are the two photos juxtaposed:

By A Correspondent- Leader of the opposition party, Zimbabwe Development Party (ZDP), Kisinoti Mukwazhe has died.

He was 49.

Mukwazhe died on Sunday night at Karanda Mission Hospital after a short illness.

He died after being admitted complaining of a sore throat.

Mukwazhe is survived by his wife Shaderah and seven children.

Mourners are gathered at 11 Ceres, Hatfield, Harare.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) has appealed to doctors who received their bonuses and November salaries to contribute towards the upkeep of their colleagues who were struck off the payroll.

ZHDA treasurer-general Tapiwa Mungofa said this following a last week’s meeting between doctors and officials from the Ministry of Health.

Said Mungofa:

It’s two months now without salaries for troops in the trenches.

We call upon those who received their bonuses and November salaries to contribute to the crowdfunding for (junior residential medical officers) JRMOS and (senior residential medical officers) SRMOS who did not receive their November salaries.

Doctors have been on strike since 3 September this year, demanding better salaries and improved working conditions.

The government has withheld salaries from those who have been on strike, with several hundred fired for absenteeism.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Communities in Guruve have been left with no foodstuffs, livestock and farming inputs after strong winds and rain destroyed their homes.

Chemachinda Primary School was also one of the worst affected where five houses, classrooms and administration blocks were badly damaged.

Several huts were also left roofless and Member of Parliament for Guruve North Grover Dzapasi confirmed the development.

He revealed that the whole Kachuta Village was in dire need of aid as the rains had destroyed almost everything in most communities.

At Kachuta Clinic, all wards were destroyed and the medicine at the clinic pharmacy was also affected.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed 2 new Permanent Secretaries as the size of the government continues to increase. 

In a statement, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda announced the appointment of Permanent Secretaries Dr John Bhasera and Silibaziso Chizwina.

Below is the full statement from Sibanda.

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET ON THE APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT SECRETARIES

1 The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet is pleased to announce that His Excellency the President has, in terms of Section 205 [1] of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment [No. 20] Act 2013, appointed Dr John Basera as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement and Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities.

2. Dr John Basera is a holder of a degree in agronomy, an MBA and a PhD in agribusiness. He has extensive experience in agriculture with a focus on agronomy, agricultural extension services, agricultural value chain management, agricultural strategy, finance and marketing in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Namibia. Dr Basera joins the Ministry at a time when Government is focusing on revitalizing agriculture as a critical component of national efforts to realize Vision 2030. Dr Basera has worked in the private sector including Seed-Co and is currently the Technical Director in charge of the agricultural portfolio at CBZ. The appointment of Dr Basera is with effect from 1st January 2020.

3. Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina holds degree qualifications in civil and water engineering; project management and business administration. She brings a wealth of experience in real estate planning, investment and development, which she gained at NOCZIM, NSSA and the Ministry of Education and at UDCORP. She joins the housing sector to give impetus to national efforts to energize the housing delivery value chain. Her leadership will be critical in delivering housing and integrated social amenities, particularly in peri-urban, rural and resettlement areas where challenges abound. She will also be responsible for addressing the urgent issues of integrating resilient design into the development of national housing and social amenities, in the context of the emerging challenges wrought by climate change-related phenomenon. The appointment of Engineer Chizwina is with immediate effect.

CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET
18 NOV 2019
Dr Misheck J M Sibanda

By A Correspondent- Junior doctors have mocked Health Minister Obadiah Moyo’s remarks that the government will avail ZUPCO buses for doctors to alleviate their incapacitation.

In a post on microblogging site Twitter, Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA) secretary-general, Mthabisi Anele Bhebhe expressed down on whether Minister Moyo knows what a doctor does.

He wrote:

“The Minister of Health will expect a doctor to use a Zupco bus to see patients. Does he know what exactly doctors do, the work schedule of a doctor and the essence of time? Akusi kujairirwa here uku?”

Junior and middle-level doctors have been on strike since the 3rd of September over poor remuneration and working conditions.

The government responded to the job action by firing hundreds of doctors, leaving public hospitals bereft of both doctor and patients.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

There was a kombi accident on the Trans-Zambezi Highway in the Bwabwata National Park in the Kavango-East Region which claimed the lives of two people Monday morning.

The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation reports saying: The accident occurred about 40 kilometres north of Divindu via Kongola, where a driver of a foreign registered seven-seater minibus lost control and overturned around 07h00.

Two female passengers died on the spot and had to be pulled out of the wreckage.
Eyewitnesses assisted in removing five passengers, including the driver, from the wreck.

They suffered slight to serious injuries and are being treated at the Divundu Hospital.

Although the Namibian Police could not confirm, those at the scene say the vehicle’s occupants are all Zimbabwean nationals.

Several sources told the ZimEye.com the members are those from the spiritist preacher Talent Chiwenga’s church.

“They had finished church and were now heading back-to Zimbabwe,” a source told ZimEye.

Another source told ZimEye she lost her aunt in the accident.

“My aunt died in the accident.”

In a twist of emotions, she also appeared to be complaining about the church’ conduct saying they were irresponsible since they took time informing the families. She made other allegations in her complaint that cannot be published at this present time of grieving.

The two deceased are women and their identities will be published once all their next of kin have been notified. – MORE TO FOLLOW

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has defended Professor Mthuli Ncube’s “austerity for prosperity” measures arguing that while the measures were painful, they were necessary towards the attainment of the country’s recovery trajectory.

He said:

“Of course, too many Zimbabweans still suffer, but austerity is a painful but necessary part of the recovery process.

Led by our internationally recognised Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, we will continue to restructure, revamp and rebuild our economy. We cannot and will not hold up our hands. We must reform or perish.”

We publish below the full text of the statement by Mnangagwa:

“Coming into office a few days later, we committed to saying goodbye to the ways of the past, and to doing things differently.

I immediately moved to give the people their voices back, opening new channels of communication between the people and their representatives.

Criticism of the government and the presidency would no longer be taboo, but welcomed, even encouraged. I answered tough questions on my Facebook page, as I promised to be a listening president.

We immediately went into an election, in which opposition parties were free to campaign wherever, whenever and however they liked. Even when I narrowly survived the Bulawayo bombing attack weeks before the election, nothing changed. The campaign continued unimpeded.

On July 30th 2018, eight months after coming to office, we held the freest and fairest elections in the country’s history. While no electoral process is perfect, all international monitors noted the new and free environment of the campaigns, and the vast improvement in the electoral process.

And we will continue to work closely with our partners in the international community to improve and refine our democracy. To build a resolute and open society, a free and fair country for all its citizens.

Part of this is reforming antiquated legislation and opening up the political space. We are repealing AIPPA, replacing it with three new laws, consistent with the ethos of the new Zimbabwe: The Freedom of Information bill, the Protection of Personal Information bill and the Zimbabwe Media Commission bill.

Developed in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders, these laws meet international media freedom standards and ensure the right to freedom of expression and freedom of media.

Just last week we removed the much maligned POSA, a remnant of the old Zimbabwe that limited the right to protest, and replaced it with a new Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill, devised with input from civil society and our friends around the world.

These have been key demands of the international community, and should be interpreted as a sign of our commitment to reform. Yet the impetus for change and reform comes from within. We are not reforming to appease the nations of the world, but because reform is necessary to build the future our people desire. Of course, there is still much work to do, but we are heading in the right direction.

In November 2017, we also found ourselves mired in an economic mess. A dark and dangerous fiscal tunnel, with no apparent light at the end of it.

Today, we have a balanced budget for the first time in living memory, and we have restored our own currency, enabling us to take control of both our fiscal and monetary policy.

Of course, too many Zimbabweans still suffer, but austerity is a painful but necessary part of the recovery process. Led by our internationally recognised Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, we will continue to restructure, revamp and rebuild our economy. We cannot and will not hold up our hands. We must reform or perish.

The people of Zimbabwe know perseverance. Just because the process is tough, we will never take our eyes off the prize. We must never give up until we have achieved our goals: A middle income economy by 2030.

We are investing in this process like never before. A process of wholesale economic, political and social reforms.

I call on the nations of the world to help us speed up this process, to support the people of Zimbabwe as we undertake these painful but necessary reforms.

If the goal of sanctions is to stimulate the reform process, their effect is the opposite. They slow down our progress, inhibit our economic recovery and empower those who do not wish to see Zimbabwe change.

Their removal will therefore be an important step on the road to a better future for all the people of this country.

We as leaders have a duty to set a new course for our people. A course where not only is our fate in our own hands, but where no one is left behind. A course with a balanced budget, an open political space, and a thriving economy providing the jobs and opportunities our people deserve.

I shall never stop working towards these goals and will never waver in my determination to realise the dreams of all those who took to the streets two years ago. I am confident that with patience, perseverance and our unbending commitment to reform, we will get there.”

Divine Kingdom Baptist Ministries Pastor Ian Ndlovu has issued a chilling prophetic warning to Zimbabweans to watch and pray after mass bloodshed during the period of November and December.

Pastor Ndlovu said when he was praying for Zimbabwe, God showed him an east wind coming towards the country.

He said there is intrigue that is currently happening in the country and the intrigue will result in mass bloodshed unlike before.

Ndlovu urged intercessors to pray from the last  week of November to the first week of December.

Watch the full prophecy below:

The health situation in our country is dire. People are dying every day without attention. Firing doctors is irresponsible and careless. What has happened to our conscience! This is tragic and painful. This is completely out of order….Saviour Kasukuwere .

Junior doctors have mocked Health Minister Obadiah Moyo’s remarks that the government will avail ZUPCO buses for doctors to alleviate their incapacitation.

In a post on microblogging site Twitter, Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA) secretary-general, Mthabisi Anele Bhebhe expressed down on whether Minister Moyo knows what a doctor does. He wrote:

“The Minister of Health will expect a doctor to use a Zupco bus to see patients. Does he know what exactly doctors do, the work schedule of a doctor and the essence of time? Akusi kujairirwa here uku?”

Junior and middle-level doctors have been on strike since the 3rd of September over poor remuneration and working conditions.

The government responded to the job action by firing hundreds of doctors, leaving public hospitals bereft of both doctor and patients.

Pindula

By A Correspondent- Two people died this afternoon when a tree fell on top of a kombi following a violent storm which swept across the capital and its neighbouring suburbs.

The incident occurred in Mbare, Harare.

Below is a picture of the kombi…

Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwe’s government is set to increase the price of passports in an endeavour to raise enough foreign currency to produce the documents as it tries to clear a backlog of over 300 000 applications by next March.

Registrar-General Clemence Masango told journalists that the Treasury would have the final say on the adjustments, Pindula News reported on Monday.

The plan to deal with the backlog includes increasing production to 4 000 passports a day as the daily shift which normally produces 2 000 per day has been doubled.

Last week, Zimbabweans finally got access to new low-denomination currency that authorities hope will end chronic cash shortages, but banks maintained an existing weekly withdrawal limit of $20, frustrating many customers.

The new 2 and 5 Zimbabwe dollar notes and coins were scheduled to start circulating last week Monday but failed to appear on time, causing confusion at banks.

Shortages of cash, foreign currency, fuel and power are the most visible signs of the southern African nation’s worst economic crisis since 2008, when hyperinflation forced the government to ditch its currency.

By A Correspondent- Exiled former Cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo says Zimbabweans must deal with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces if they want a solution to be implanted in dealing with the challenges affecting the country.

Moyo was responding to one Brighton Chiwola who had said:

“The so called Young Turks or G40. The team that dared to dream and take over the levers of power from Veterans. The only vital cog missing from your matrix was Chiwenga’s ZDF which you alienated. Had you (Moyo) had that, you surely would’ve destroyed Lacoste, taken over.”

Professor Moyo said the challenge with the army was that it was pursuing a Mgagao declaration that preceded the gun over politics.

“But ZDF was the problem, as it still is, with its Mgagao nonsense about the gun dictating politics. It’s ZDF that’s been stealing elections all these years and stole the 2018 election in the most brazen way. There’ll will never be reforms or change in Zimbabwe without dealing with ZDF!”

A grouping called G40 which was alleged led by Professor Moyo and other leaders including Savior Kasukuwere was vanquished by the military during the November 2017 bloody  coup that claimed the life of CIO Boss Peter Munetsi and other unaccounted for citizens.

The coup ushered in a new dispensation that is led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

One person was killed while several others were injured by thunderstorms that hit different parts of the country.

Houses, Government buildings, schools and roads were damaged in the past week.

Government has since assured the nation of warnings of impending disaster and assistance to those affected.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo said Government was responding to challenges caused by the rains.

“We dispatched some teams countrywide to monitor the damage that might be caused,” he said.

“We have some officers who are on high alert at district and provincial level to assist those who have been affected.

“Those affected should immediately report any damage caused by heavy rains and strong winds to get assistance.”

Minister Moyo said the Ministry was in the process of conducting awareness campaigns countrywide to educate people on dangers caused by weather patterns.

In Matabeleland North Province, a storm damaged Komba Primary School in Lupane on Friday, leaving a 7-year-old boy dead and his mother and siblings injured, and wrecked 21 homesteads in Gudubu Village.

The District Civil Protection Unit, which visited the school, is mobilising resources to resuscitate it.

In Hwange, in the Mashala area, about 20 homesteads were damaged.

Thunderstorms are often accompanied by strong winds, a result of rotating winds from the cloud to the earth, especially at the beginning of the season.

In Beitbridge last Thursday, strong winds, which lasted for seven minutes, damaged roofs at shops, a clinic, teachers’ cottages, churches and nine homesteads in the Shashe area.

In Zezani, in Ward 10, authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage by the time of going to press yesterday.

Two people were injured in the Shashe area in Ward 8, with one senior citizen (64) breaking his leg while attempting to flee a house whose walls were falling in.

An 11-year old girl sustained a deep cut below her right knee when she fell on broken glass as she sought to avoid a falling roof at their family house.

At Shashe Business Centre, five shops with stock worth over $250 000, had their roofs blown off.

“My grocery store that was opened

in the 1960s was damaged with stock value of $5 000,” said businessman and farmer Mr Musa Dube.

“As it stands, I will move what I can to safety, including my livestock.”

Additionally, the Maramani community, including the Shashe area, has lost electricity supplies after pylons were uprooted.

The damage to Shashe Clinic, which has a catchment of 4 000 people, has left people having to travel for 50 kilometres to either Swereki or Nottingham to access health facilities.

Authorities at Shashe Secondary School have temporarily suspended classes for 231 pupils until the damage is repaired.

Acting Beitbridge district civil protection committee chairman Mr Jahson Mugodzwa said they were assessing damage in wards 7, 8 and 10.

In Masvingo, heavy rains coupled with strong winds, damaged over 50 homes and buildings including Government offices near Nyika Growth Point in Bikita.

District civil protection chairperson Mr Bernard Hadzirambwi, who is also the District Development Coordinator, said the civil protection team was on the ground assessing the storm’s impact.

“Fortunately, there has not been any casualty reported, but more than 50 houses were affected,” he said.

Mr Hadzirambwi said some of the affected buildings included Beardmore Primary, Nyika Clinic and Bikita District Hospital whose roofs were blown off by the strong winds.

In Manicaland, a hailstorm that hit part of the province from Thursday left a trail of destruction on houses and schools in Chimanimani.

Chimanimani district development coordinator Mr John Misi said 10 classroom blocks were affected at Manase Primary School.

Five classroom blocks, two teachers’ houses and a tent housing 70 ECD pupils were not spared at Kwirire Primary school.

At Nyambeya Primary School, seven classroom blocks and a teacher’s house were destroyed, leaving four grades stranded.

Mr Misi stressed the urgent need to relocate Cyclone Idai survivors to permanent structures.

Chimanimani District was hit by Cyclone Idai in March this year which displaced over 4 000 people.

Most roads and bridges were destroyed and the rehabilitation process is still underway.

A girl from Kazangarare in Hurungwe has been hospitalised after coming into contact with an electric cable that had fallen during a storm.

The primary school girl was hurt after touching live Zesa cables after poles fell during the storm in the Nyamakate area of Hurungwe on Tuesday.

She is now at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, amid fears she could be referred to Harare for her hand to be amputated.

Some houses had their roofs blown off by strong winds in the Negande area of Kariba district.

Gweshe village headman Takemore Siampongo had the roof to his toilet blown off, while roofing sheets at Karomo Siampongo and Wellington Matambudza’s houses were also blown away.

There was flooding on Ume River in Kariba due to heavy rains last week, amid calls on people to avoid crossing flooded rivers.

At least 110 families in wards 2 and 19 of Chegutu District had their homesteads destroyed by strong winds, while Neuso and Danangwe primary schools had their roofs blown off on Friday.

Danangwe Clinic and a mother’s shelter at Neuso Clinic also had their roofs damaged, while shops at Neuso Shopping Centre were destroyed.

— State Media

By A Correspondent- Former MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora offered legal advice to Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga during the November 2017 coup that ended 37 years of President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

This was revealed by National Patriotic Front Spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire on Monday

Said Mawarire,

“Paul Mangwana and Mwonzora were invited to KGVI to look at ways, within the context of the constitution, to legitimise the coup and for two days both Mangwana and Mwonzora moved around in convoys guarded by the army.”

Mawarire said he want not sure whether MDC had sanctioned Mwonzora to render the services.

“I don’t know but the fact of the matter is that Sen Mwonzora worked with his buddy Munyaradzi Mangwana, from KGVI, to look for ‘constitutional’ ways of legitimizing the coup. Ever wondered why Chiwenga was happy to be photographed waving the constitution during coup meetings?”

Another human rights lawyer who offered services to the military during the coup was South African based Gabriel Shumba.

The book “Two weeks in November” by Douglas Rogers details how Shumba worked with dreaded spies and Ambassador Chris  Mutsvangwa to sanitise the coup.

By A Correspondent- Exiled former cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo has for the first time posted pictures of his journey after crossing Ruya river to Mozambique fleeing the armed soldiers of the then Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces General Constantino Chiwenga.

Posting on Twitter Moyo said:

“Sight after crossing Ruya River into Mozambique. At this time Trevor Ncube was lying on Twitter and to readers of his newspapers that we were under arrest at KGVI barracks. The other gentleman is a Mozambican. Details are in a coup story, yet to be told!”

Moyo and Kasukuwere fled the country after the late Robert Mugabe took custody of their families and protected them from the armed soldiers.

Watch the video below….

Own Correspondent|THE Football Association of Zambia has warned fans that are planning to cause confusion at National Heroes Stadium on Tuesday evening when Zambia take on Zimbabwe in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

Fans throw missiles to the national team players leading to the team using a dummy tunnel to head to the dressing room in last game that ended 2-2 against eSwatini during the CHAN qualifier. 

FAZ general secretary Adrian Kashala said the association has put in measures that will not allow fans to misbehave during and after the match. 

“We saw what what happened in the last game. We have put up a plan to identify and take care who will cause trouble. We have information on who could have caused that behaviour, we will be watchful and it was a learning curve for us and will handle it different this time,” he said. “We cannot tell you what we have put in place but we want to warn our soccer fans that, that was not a best behaviour that we could portray at an international game. It has repercussions.”

Kashala is urging soccer fans to come in numbers because “we have a best team at the moment”.

And Zambia Sports Fans Association patron Peter Makembo said fans should draw near the Chipolopolo because the team needs them more. 

“We want to urge the fans that they should come in numbers and support the team. When the team loses fans need to draw closer to the team, not push or throw missiles at them – those are not fans. And when a team wins as fans we celebrate with them,” said Makembo. “So we want to urge fans to come in numbers and stand with the pressure the team will have. We will be there to lead the fans because the team is our baby and it needs us as fans. When things are not going your way, you don’t need to throw missiles at the team. Those are misguided fans, not even soccer fans because they don’t know the repercussions.”

Warriors coach Joey Antipas says they will approach the game against Zambia with caution knowing their opponents will be playing attacking football.

Zimbabwe face their northern neighbours in the Afcon Qualifiers at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on Tuesday evening.

Kick-off is at 6 pm Zimbabwean time.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Antipas said: “We have to go into the match with a well-calculated and cautious approach.

“Zambia are wounded, so there is nowhere we will attack leaving our defence open.

“We need a calculated approach and keep things tight.”

Chipolopolo lost their opening match of the campaign 5-0 in Algeria while Zimbabwe played to a goalless draw against Botswana.

The Warriors gaffer, however, does not think Zambia’s defeat proves them to be a weak side.

He said: “That result (against Algeria) counts for nothing.

“The Zambia national team has quality, it’s not going to easy (for us). The match is always a closely contested affair, it has all the ingredients of a thriller.”

Soccer24

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed 2 new Permanent Secretaries as the size of the government continues to increase. 

In a statement, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda announced the appointment of Permanent Secretaries Dr John Bhasera and Silibaziso Chizwina.

Below is the full statement from Sibanda:

PRESS STATEMENT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET ON THE APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT SECRETARIES

1 The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet is pleased to announce that His Excellency the President has, in terms of Section 205 [1] of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment [No. 20] Act 2013, appointed Dr John Basera as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement and Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina as the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities.

2. Dr John Basera is a holder of a degree in agronomy, an MBA and a PhD in agribusiness. He has extensive experience in agriculture with a focus on agronomy, agricultural extension services, agricultural value chain management, agricultural strategy, finance and marketing in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Namibia. Dr Basera joins the Ministry at a time when Government is focusing on revitalizing agriculture as a critical component of national efforts to realize Vision 2030. Dr Basera has worked in the private sector including Seed-Co and is currently the Technical Director in charge of the agricultural portfolio at CBZ. The appointment of Dr Basera is with effect from 1st January 2020.

3. Engineer Silibaziso Chizwina holds degree qualifications in civil and water engineering; project management and business administration. She brings a wealth of experience in real estate planning, investment and development, which she gained at NOCZIM, NSSA and the Ministry of Education and at UDCORP. She joins the housing sector to give impetus to national efforts to energize the housing delivery value chain. Her leadership will be critical in delivering housing and integrated social amenities, particularly in peri-urban, rural and resettlement areas where challenges abound. She will also be responsible for addressing the urgent issues of integrating resilient design into the development of national housing and social amenities, in the context of the emerging challenges wrought by climate change-related phenomenon. The appointment of Engineer Chizwina is with immediate effect.

CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET
18 NOV 2019
Dr Misheck J M Sibanda

One person was killed while several others were injured by thunderstorms that hit different parts of the country.

Houses, Government buildings, schools and roads were damaged in the past week.

Government has since assured the nation of warnings of impending disaster and assistance to those affected.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo said Government was responding to challenges caused by the rains.

“We dispatched some teams countrywide to monitor the damage that might be caused,” he said.

“We have some officers who are on high alert at district and provincial level to assist those who have been affected.

“Those affected should immediately report any damage caused by heavy rains and strong winds to get assistance.”

Minister Moyo said the Ministry was in the process of conducting awareness campaigns countrywide to educate people on dangers caused by weather patterns.

In Matabeleland North Province, a storm damaged Komba Primary School in Lupane on Friday, leaving a 7-year-old boy dead and his mother and siblings injured, and wrecked 21 homesteads in Gudubu Village.

The District Civil Protection Unit, which visited the school, is mobilising resources to resuscitate it.

In Hwange, in the Mashala area, about 20 homesteads were damaged.

Thunderstorms are often accompanied by strong winds, a result of rotating winds from the cloud to the earth, especially at the beginning of the season.

In Beitbridge last Thursday, strong winds, which lasted for seven minutes, damaged roofs at shops, a clinic, teachers’ cottages, churches and nine homesteads in the Shashe area.

In Zezani, in Ward 10, authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage by the time of going to press yesterday.

Two people were injured in the Shashe area in Ward 8, with one senior citizen (64) breaking his leg while attempting to flee a house whose walls were falling in.

An 11-year old girl sustained a deep cut below her right knee when she fell on broken glass as she sought to avoid a falling roof at their family house.

At Shashe Business Centre, five shops with stock worth over $250 000, had their roofs blown off.

“My grocery store that was opened
in the 1960s was damaged with stock value of $5 000,” said businessman and farmer Mr Musa Dube.
“As it stands, I will move what I can to safety, including my livestock.”

Additionally, the Maramani community, including the Shashe area, has lost electricity supplies after pylons were uprooted.

The damage to Shashe Clinic, which has a catchment of 4 000 people, has left people having to travel for 50 kilometres to either Swereki or Nottingham to access health facilities.

Authorities at Shashe Secondary School have temporarily suspended classes for 231 pupils until the damage is repaired.

Acting Beitbridge district civil protection committee chairman Mr Jahson Mugodzwa said they were assessing damage in wards 7, 8 and 10.

In Masvingo, heavy rains coupled with strong winds, damaged over 50 homes and buildings including Government offices near Nyika Growth Point in Bikita.The Herald

Also watch video :loading below

By A Correspondent- Outspoken Ntabazinduna Chief Ndiweni says he will file a court application today challenging his suspension as the traditional leader of the area at the weekend.

He was suspended by the Matebeleland North Chiefs council on grounds that his appointment was not in line with the Traditional Leaders Act.

A Matabeleland North Traditional Leaders provincial assembly on Saturday suspended Ntabazinduna chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni on grounds that his chieftainship is being contested.

Fellow traditional leaders argued that Ndiweni was illegally acting as a substantive chief in violation of Nguni customs, which recognise the eldest son in his family; Joram, as the rightful heir to the throne

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Exiled former Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has distanced himself from allegations that he profited from the Community Share ownership Scheme that was launched when Kasukuwere was Minister of Indigenisation.

The communities never benefitted from the said shares that were supposedly given to the community trusts.

Said Kasukuwere,

“The companies reneged on their obligations and only paid $5m after the coup. Those who controlled the companies then released the payments after taking over power. I guess it was politics.”

In 2013 MDC issued a statement saying the scheme was a ZANU PF plot to fleece the businesses of their hard earned cash.

“The Community Share Ownership Scheme in its current form is tantamount to theft by Zanu PF where companies are arm-twisted into supporting an illegal scheme that has no credence in a normal country. Zanu PF is on a crusade to fleece companies in order to fund its election war chest.” MDC said then.

The Emmerson Mnangagwa government has removed the indiginisation law.

Under the policy, all foreign companies were to cede a majority stake to local Zimbabweans.

The 51-percent stake wias divided between a National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund, a community share ownership scheme and a programme for employees.

Speaking to the media in 2013 at the launch of one of the ownership schemes by Implats Kasukuwere said Implats would be paid from future dividends.

“We can’t ask poor Zimbabweans to fork out their money to buy ore which is in their land,” he said, adding that: “This policy is meant to reverse the colonial imbalances.”

By A Correspondent- A 17-year-old girl from Tipedze Village under Headman Mawungwa in Gutu dropped her panty at a traditional court and struck her cousin’s face with it countless times to prove that the two had a se_xual relationship.

Tinashe Sibanda and the girl who cannot be named because of her age are cousins and they were brought before Headman Mawungwa’s court because they had an incestuous relationship.

Sibanda’s mother and the girl’s father are siblings. The court was held two weeks ago.

At the traditional court, the girl told the court that she had se_xual interc0urse with Sibanda several times.

The girl alleged that she was in a relationship with Sibanda and they had se_x behind a cattle pen many times. Headman Mawungwa then asked the girl to confirm her allegation by pulling down her panty in front of the court and striking Sibanda in the face with it.

She continued striking Sibanda until Headman Mawungwa said that it was enough.

As punishment for the crime, Headman Mawungwa ordered Sibanda to pay a beast which was to be slaughtered and the meat was to be given to the family of the girl.

Some of the meat was fed on the people gathered at the court except Sibanda’s immediate family that was barred from the feast.

The court heard that sometime in August the girl’s grandfather only identified as Muwani saw the girl and Sibanda at night at the kraal and he did not ask what they were doing, he saw them again in September at night at the kraal.

Sometime last month he checked the girl in her room and he couldn’t find her at around 7pm.

Muwani waited until the girl came back at 10pm and she confessed that she was with Sibanda whom she was dating.

Angry Muwani chased the girl from home and ordered her to go to Tipedze’s place. Tipedze and Muwani are brothers using different surnames.

Tipedze then reported the matter to Headman Mawungwa to have the case resolved.

-Mirror

By A Correspondent- During the day, he looks like any other inmate at his new home — Harare Central Prison, but when the lights go out, he knows no peace.

Joram Siwela, a former Chaplin High School student and professional football player, was jailed for murder 21 years ago.

That was after he got into a fight over a girl, resulting in him brutally stabbing and killing his schoolmate.

Memories of the day he butchered his friend before handing himself over to the police are still fresh in his mind.

Serving a life sentence with hard labour is excruciating, but for Siwela it is worse as he claims to be tormented by an avenging spirit.

He says almost every night for the past 21 years, he has had to be woken up by his cellmates who say he throws punches, screams and argues with unseen forces in his sleep.

Siwela says he constantly has violent nightmares, and images of the murder he committed back in 1998 also flash in his sleep.

Since his incarceration, Siwela feels that something needs to be done spiritually. He says his family and that of the victim need to perform some ritual.

“When my father visited me sometime in 1999, I tried to raise the issue with him but he said ‘you are still too young, you will not understand this’. I had just turned 20 then,” recalls Siwela.

However, according to Siwela’s father Sahluko, that door has since been closed. This is because another tragedy hit the family of Siwela’s victim a few months after his incarceration.

“Barely three months after Joram’s incident, a lot happened in the victim’s family, thereby complicating everything. The victim’s father and sibling were also murdered.

“Another uncle, whom they lived with, vanished without a trace. Since then, we have failed to locate any other relatives.

“I feel that knowing all this will be too much of a burden for Joram, which is why I have never been able to tell him,” said Sahluko.

He said he still hopes to see his son free one day.

Now 21 years later, Siwela’s parents are old and frail — unable to visit him. Siwela now fears that his parents will die before helping him out of his situation.

“They are both old now and cannot visit, especially using public transport. I wish there was a way.

“I need to talk to them. There is so much they need to help me understand,” said Siwela with tears rolling down his face.

He says he feels that his parents have not fully forgiven him. His hope is that one day he will be able to do something for them.

Siwela still has fresh memories of his last court session. He vividly remembers the disappointment he saw on his parents’ faces when he was convicted.

“It was a Wednesday afternoon. I felt dizzy and asked the judge to allow me to sit down as my sentence was being read. I feared a death penalty.

“I was sweating profusely, my knees shaking and as they announced my sentence, I felt the world crumbling around me.”

The words of a police officer, instructing him to bid farewell to his parents, still ring in his ears.

He remembers too, his father’s last words that day: “. . . prison is now your life but I will come and visit you, I cannot talk right now.”

In a world where mysteries abound, will Siwela ever get disentangled from the spiritual prison that has haunted his sleep for over 20 years?

-StateMedia

Fuel price has gone up again with a litre of diesel now selling for ZWL$17.74 while petrol is now ZWL$17.04 according to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).

Find below the new price schedule;

By A Correspondent- Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has warned EFF leader Julius Malema to stay clear of the country’s courts and let the law take its course on G40 remnants who are currently in hiding regionally and internationally.

Mliswa said this last Thursday during the 2020 Budget presentation in parliament.

He said:

“Let me lastly say that I was a bit worried when I read that my colleague. Julius Malema had mentioned that he wanted to mediate in the G40.  Let me say this to Hon. Malema, that there is a law in this country.  

As much as he fights against corruption in South Africa, we equally fight against corruption.  The best that he can do to mediate is talk to his fellow friends to come and face the laws of this country.  

They committed a crime and as such, there is no political matter which is stopping them from being here other than that they committed crimes which are well known and they must face the courts of this country because we are a law abiding country. 

He is misinformed by thinking that there is any political motive on that. It is purely a law issue which can only be addressed by the courts, so the mediator is already, there being the courts.  

We do not need him to mediate in matters which are before the courts in this country.  May he stick to his principles of being an Hon. Member of Parliament who fights corruption in his country and allow us to fight corruption in this country.  

If he has decided to be an external affairs officer for the G40 then he must come out in the clean.”

The government is set to raise passport fees in a bid to raise enough forex to produce the much-needed passports DailyNews reports. This was revealed by the registrar general Clemence Masango who spoke to the media and said:

“The matter (of increasing fees) is now with Treasury. They have the final say on the adjustments after we have advised them.

“The process is underway…If there is a change in fees or anything to do with policy that will be properly communicated.”

The RG’s remarks are coming amidst a passport crisis that has seen the passport office having a backlog of over 300 000. However, Mr Masango said he is optimistic that, by March 2020 they will have cleared the passports backlog as they have increased production to 2 000 a day and can work 2 shifts and bump up their production to 4 000 per day.

-Daily News

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe held the “freest and fairest elections in the country’s history” last year.

In a statement where he reflected on his achievements since attaining power following a disputed 2018 election, Mnangagwa acknowledged that the country’s electoral process was flawed adding that his administration had however made vast improvements to better the electoral environment and process.

He said:

“On July 30th 2018, eight months after coming to office, we held the freest and fairest elections in the country’s history.

While no electoral process is perfect, all international monitors noted the new and free environment of the campaigns, and the vast improvement in the electoral process.”

Below is the full text by Mnangagwa:

Coming into office a few days later, we committed to saying goodbye to the ways of the past, and to doing things differently.

I immediately moved to give the people their voices back, opening new channels of communication between the people and their representatives.

Criticism of the government and the presidency would no longer be taboo, but welcomed, even encouraged. I answered tough questions on my Facebook page, as I promised to be a listening president.

We immediately went into an election, in which opposition parties were free to campaign wherever, whenever and however they liked. Even when I narrowly survived the Bulawayo bombing attack weeks before the election, nothing changed. The campaign continued unimpeded.

On July 30th 2018, eight months after coming to office, we held the freest and fairest elections in the country’s history. While no electoral process is perfect, all international monitors noted the new and free environment of the campaigns, and the vast improvement in the electoral process.

And we will continue to work closely with our partners in the international community to improve and refine our democracy. To build a resolute and open society, a free and fair country for all its citizens.

Part of this is reforming antiquated legislation and opening up the political space. We are repealing AIPPA, replacing it with three new laws, consistent with the ethos of the new Zimbabwe: The Freedom of Information bill, the Protection of Personal Information bill and the Zimbabwe Media Commission bill.

Developed in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders, these laws meet international media freedom standards and ensure the right to freedom of expression and freedom of media.

Just last week we removed the much maligned POSA, a remnant of the old Zimbabwe that limited the right to protest, and replaced it with a new Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill, devised with input from civil society and our friends around the world.

These have been key demands of the international community, and should be interpreted as a sign of our commitment to reform. Yet the impetus for change and reform comes from within. We are not reforming to appease the nations of the world, but because reform is necessary to build the future our people desire. Of course, there is still much work to do, but we are heading in the right direction.

In November 2017, we also found ourselves mired in an economic mess. A dark and dangerous fiscal tunnel, with no apparent light at the end of it.

Today, we have a balanced budget for the first time in living memory, and we have restored our own currency, enabling us to take control of both our fiscal and monetary policy.

Of course, too many Zimbabweans still suffer, but austerity is a painful but necessary part of the recovery process. Led by our internationally recognised Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, we will continue to restructure, revamp and rebuild our economy. We cannot and will not hold up our hands. We must reform or perish.

The people of Zimbabwe know perseverance. Just because the process is tough, we will never take our eyes off the prize. We must never give up until we have achieved our goals: A middle income economy by 2030.

We are investing in this process like never before. A process of wholesale economic, political and social reforms.

I call on the nations of the world to help us speed up this process, to support the people of Zimbabwe as we undertake these painful but necessary reforms.

If the goal of sanctions is to stimulate the reform process, their effect is the opposite. They slow down our progress, inhibit our economic recovery and empower those who do not wish to see Zimbabwe change.

Their removal will therefore be an important step on the road to a better future for all the people of this country.

We as leaders have a duty to set a new course for our people. A course where not only is our fate in our own hands, but where no one is left behind. A course with a balanced budget, an open political space, and a thriving economy providing the jobs and opportunities our people deserve.

I shall never stop working towards these goals and will never waver in my determination to realise the dreams of all those who took to the streets two years ago. I am confident that with patience, perseverance and our unbending commitment to reform, we will get there.

-cnbafrica

The 2020 Budget Objectives and Thrust

The 2020 National Budget marks the transition from austerity to a growth stimulation and employment generation era.

Strong emphasis is now on reviving key sectors of the economy through promotion of production oriented investment and productivity, without losing focus on fiscal responsibility.

21.  The growth thrust is being prompted by glaring supply side deficiencies which have undermined stabilisation efforts.

Currently, average industry capacity utilisation stands at around 35%, while industrial output is below 60% of 1980 levels.

This position reflects through high import dependence (40% of GDP), high unemployment and informalisation levels in the economy.

22.  Therefore, the 2020 Budget prioritises the following areas:

•       Growth and productivity;

•       Job creation;

•       Competitiveness; and

•       Strong, Sustainable and Shared Development.

23. The proposed supply side interventions combined with continued and strengthened stabilisation reforms, coupled with progressing of the reengagement process with the international community, will constitute integral pillars of the 2020 Budget.

24. To contextualise the 2020 National Budget, it will be helpful to highlight both global and domestic economic developments and outlook to 2020.

By Farai D Hove| The most popular politician Zimbabwe has ever had since 1980, Nelson Chamisa will this week unveil his much awaited HONA – Hope Of The Nation Address.

The people’s president will deliver his speech on Wednesday the 20th November.

The address is set to reveal his plans for Zimbabwe’s future. 2 weeks ago Chamisa said his party has not been idle at all contrary to claims by the state media.

He has since promised to drop the bombshell revelation on Wednesday. VIDEO BELOW

Coming into office a few days later, we committed to saying goodbye to the ways of the past, and to doing things differently.

I immediately moved to give the people their voices back, opening new channels of communication between the people and their representatives.

Criticism of the government and the presidency would no longer be taboo, but welcomed, even encouraged. I answered tough questions on my Facebook page, as I promised to be a listening president.

We immediately went into an election, in which opposition parties were free to campaign wherever, whenever and however they liked. Even when I narrowly survived the Bulawayo bombing attack weeks before the election, nothing changed. The campaign continued unimpeded.

On July 30th 2018, eight months after coming to office, we held the freest and fairest elections in the country’s history. While no electoral process is perfect, all international monitors noted the new and free environment of the campaigns, and the vast improvement in the electoral process.

And we will continue to work closely with our partners in the international community to improve and refine our democracy. To build a resolute and open society, a free and fair country for all its citizens.

Part of this is reforming antiquated legislation and opening up the political space. We are repealing AIPPA, replacing it with three new laws, consistent with the ethos of the new Zimbabwe: The Freedom of Information bill, the Protection of Personal Information bill and the Zimbabwe Media Commission bill.

Developed in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders, these laws meet international media freedom standards and ensure the right to freedom of expression and freedom of media.

Just last week we removed the much maligned POSA, a remnant of the old Zimbabwe that limited the right to protest, and replaced it with a new Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill, devised with input from civil society and our friends around the world.

These have been key demands of the international community, and should be interpreted as a sign of our commitment to reform. Yet the impetus for change and reform comes from within. We are not reforming to appease the nations of the world, but because reform is necessary to build the future our people desire. Of course, there is still much work to do, but we are heading in the right direction.

In November 2017, we also found ourselves mired in an economic mess. A dark and dangerous fiscal tunnel, with no apparent light at the end of it.

Today, we have a balanced budget for the first time in living memory, and we have restored our own currency, enabling us to take control of both our fiscal and monetary policy.

Of course, too many Zimbabweans still suffer, but austerity is a painful but necessary part of the recovery process. Led by our internationally recognised Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, we will continue to restructure, revamp and rebuild our economy. We cannot and will not hold up our hands. We must reform or perish.

The people of Zimbabwe know perseverance. Just because the process is tough, we will never take our eyes off the prize. We must never give up until we have achieved our goals: A middle income economy by 2030.

We are investing in this process like never before. A process of wholesale economic, political and social reforms.

I call on the nations of the world to help us speed up this process, to support the people of Zimbabwe as we undertake these painful but necessary reforms.

If the goal of sanctions is to stimulate the reform process, their effect is the opposite. They slow down our progress, inhibit our economic recovery and empower those who do not wish to see Zimbabwe change.

Their removal will therefore be an important step on the road to a better future for all the people of this country.

We as leaders have a duty to set a new course for our people. A course where not only is our fate in our own hands, but where no one is left behind. A course with a balanced budget, an open political space, and a thriving economy providing the jobs and opportunities our people deserve.

I shall never stop working towards these goals and will never waver in my determination to realise the dreams of all those who took to the streets two years ago. I am confident that with patience, perseverance and our unbending commitment to reform, we will get there.

-cnbafrica

Former Minister of Labor, Dr Sekai Nzenza has been accused of failing to pay back US$8 000 out of US$13 715. 83 she borrowed from the National Social Security Authority earlier this year.

The Standard reports that Nzenza borrowed the money saying that it was for work purposes but her former Ministry which has paid back US$5 715.83 advised NSSA that the minister should pay back the remainder because it was not used for government business.

Meanwhile, the minister is saying that there was no underhand dealing in the matter as the money was transparently sent when she was stranded during her New York and Morocco government-sanctioned trips. She added:

NSSA came to the rescue and sent money so we could get home safe. I wrote to the chairman Dr (Cuthbert) Chidoori on the 25th of February to let him know that the ministry owes money to NSSA.

I made him aware that this was a serious corporate governance matter and now that there was a board, any such situations should be managed through the correct channels.

Nzenza who was recently accused of ordering NSSA to pay $1,8 million to a group of local experts she handpicked to unpack the NSSA forensic audit report at a cost of US$120 000, is of the view that the purported scandal is only meant to tarnish her image.

Pindula

CHIREDZI – President Mnangagwa has given a stern warning to his Minister of Transport Biggie Matiza to either perform or face the chop particularly in respect of Chilonga River Bridge that cuts off Chiredzi South from the rest of the country during floods.

Addressing a rally at Tshovani Stadium in Chiredzi on Saturday, Mnangagwa summoned Matiza who is the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development to the podium and told him of the crisis that the people of Chiredzi face as a result of the absence of a bridge on the river.

Tens of lives are lost almost every year because of the low bridge which is across Runde River. A whole constituency is cut off from the rest of the country during floods creating transport, health and food crisis in Chiredzi South. The bridge is also critical for linking Sango Border Post and Chiredzi thereby shortening the distance from Beira to Mutare and Harare.

Mnangagwa told the rally that he got a briefing on the bridge and said it was urgent that Matiza mobilises US$20 million required for the construction of the bridge which will be more than 100m.

Mnangagwa said his Cabinet reshuffle last week was based on performance where those who were not getting the results were given the boot. He said the reshuffle was not the end of the story as more would come and non-performers would be kicked out.

He instructed Matiza to deal with the issue of the bridge as soon as possible. He said Matiza would be fired if he did not construct the bridge in the shortest possible time.

“I was appraised of the need to construct Chilonga Bridge. Pano ndauya naminister Matiza karume kapfupi asi kakomana kangu, kakararama pakachinja cabinet but nguva yake ichakwana. Wanzwa nyaya yandataura yeChilonga Bridge ndinoda kuti rigadzirwe ndiko kuti mazuva ako awedzerwe kana zvikasaitika mazuva anoita mashoma (I have Minister Matiza with me here. He survived the recent Cabinet reshuffle but his time will come if he doesn’t give attention and prioritise this project. He must deliver on the Chilonga Bridge in order for him to stay long in Cabinet)”, said Mnangagwa.

This year the bridge was allocated $8million but the money was eroded by inflation.

Masvingo Mirror

By A Correspondent- MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has revealed that he met with ED’s confidant and godfather Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi.

Chamisa reportedly spoke his mind and told the Bishop what needs to be done by who for the country to move forward.

Speaking to the publication the advocate said:

“I told Bishop Mutendi that Mnangagwa must stop seeing the MDC as an enemy. The MDC is not a fly-by-night party . . . it’s a party of the infrastructure of politics in the country and must be respected in that regard. Mnangagwa is not helping anything by disfiguring the MDC. That doesn’t help at all. We are saying . . . we are open to frank and open discussions with Mnangagwa. We have said this openly, but they can’t prescribe the parameters of dialogue.

“I told Bishop Mutendi that we are willing to talk to Mnangagwa anytime. I impressed upon him that he (Mutendi) should give Mnangagwa sound advice. This country lacks a nation builder because Mnangagwa is acting like a party leader. The nation needs a father, but we have none. I also told the bishop that churches must continue to pray for the country so that we get out of the current crisis.”

Dialogue calls between the 2 parties have been made by various stakeholders however the 2 men in question are yet to make efforts to meet for what Chamisa calls a “genuine dialogue”.

-DailyNews

The MDC has announced that Harare ward 44 councillor Resias Masunda has died. Cllr Masunda died at a Harare hospital in the capital yesterday after a long illness.

More details to follow

Dear Advocate Mudenda,

So, last year when the MDC members of Parliament did not rise from their seats to respect Zanu Pf’s “dear” President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, you unleashed police officers to eject them from the august house.

And then when they decided not to attend fearing they could be ejected again, you are angry with them for bringing Parliament into disrepute. 

But be honest, Mr. Speaker Sir. Would you not have got them ejected again if they had not stood up to respect President Mnangagwa?

So are you angry because you missed an opportunity to eject them again as you did last year? 

You may say what you want, Mr. Speaker Sir, but you need to tell the public what regulations bind the MPs to stand up when the President enters the august house? And what regulations criminalizes MPs to miss a Parliamentary session?

Parliamentary business should be run on rules, and if current rules are no longer applicable, those that make the rules should develop a new set of rules that suit the situation, and rules should never be applied in retrospect. Use of double standards to resolve issues is a no go area

State Media|A Harare-bound bus was yesterday reduced to a shell after it caught fire near Tree Tops Tollgate, about 20 kilometres from Gweru along the Gweru-Bulawayo Highway.

No one was injured as more than 40 passengers managed to disembark, but they lost some property.

The losses could have been huge were it not for some members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) who stopped and helped offload goods in the trailer.

The City Bus that was on its way from Gaborone, Botswana, caught fire at around 12.30pm after the driver made an emergency stop following a mechanical fault.

The bus company said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

The fire is said to have emanated from the right rear wheels and quickly spread.

One of the passengers, Ms Gloria Mwale, a cross border trader from Kwekwe, told our Bulawayo Bureau at the scene that they all safely disembarked.

She said the fire was threatening to spread to the trailer where 90 percent of the goods belonging to the passengers were loaded.

The goods included electrical gadgets, blankets, smartphones, chargers and clothes.

“Fortunately, an army truck came from nowhere and the brave soldiers disembarked and rescued our goods which were in the trailer,” said Ms Mwale.

“I had orders for my clients and if the goods had been burnt, I don’t know what I was going to do.”

Another passenger, Mr Admire Chebundo from Harare, said they left Gaborone at around 8Ppm on Saturday and the bus developed mechanical problems when it was leaving Bulawayo.

“At one time, the driver and other crew members tried to fix the problem,” he said. “Then we heard that the brakes were binding. We are lucky that the fire started when we had all disembarked from the bus.”

City Bus operations manager Ms Juliet Bokosha said: “I can confirm that the bus caught fire in Gweru and the majority of the goods were saved. Investigations are ongoing.”

Gweru deputy chief fire officer Lyndon Hove said the bus was completely gutted when his crew arrived at the scene.

State Media|THE accreditation of delegates expected to attend the 18th Zanu-PF Annual People’s Conference to be held at Goromonzi High School in Mashonaland East Province will start this week, secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

The announcement comes as preparations for the conference are in their final stages, with the theme having been announced by the Politburo on Wednesday last week.

The annual conference will be held under the theme “Modernise, Mechanise and Grow the Economy Towards Vision 2030”.

According to the party’s website, the conference will run from December 10 to 15.

In a statement, Khaya Moyo said only bona fide delegates will be accredited according to laid-down party regulations.

“In preparation for the forthcoming Zanu-PF 18th National People’s Conference to be held at Goromonzi High School, Mashonaland East Province, in December 2019, the security and accreditation team will be accrediting delegates as reflected per the attached,” he said.

“Only bona fide delegates will be accredited according to laid-down party regulations.”

Delegates set to attend the conference will be accredited at their respective provinces except Politburo members, the Central Committee, local and foreign guests, local and foreign media, ushers and drivers, and officials and security personnel who will be accredited at the party’s head-quarters.

Harare province has been divided into technical committees and tasked to contribute $500 000, five beasts, fruits and vegetables towards ensuring the conference is a success.

The party has also set health requirements for delegates attending the conference, with pregnant women being advised not to attend, as well as breastfeeding mothers as children are susceptible to infections among large crowds.

Over 7 000 delegates are expected to attend the annual conference, with at least 2 000 foreign delegates having confirmed their participation.

The conference is expected to consolidate national efforts towards reviving the country’s economy, with President Mnangagwa aggressively pursuing economic recovery through the implementation of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (2018–2020).

The TSP is premised on fiscal consolidation, economic stabilisation, and stimulation of growth and creation of employment.

At the 2018 annual conference, the party came up with a number of resolutions which included the endorsement of President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

DCCs

Meanwhile, Zanu-PF is working on the amendment of its constitution to include District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) after the Politburo last week okayed their inclusion, legal affairs secretary Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana has said.

The Politburo endorsed the Harare DCC elections held recently, with Bulawayo province now preparing for its elections.

Mangwana said the amendment process will be ratified at the Zanu-PF conference in Goromonzi.

“The amendment procedure has already started and the Politburo had endorsed it and that is why we saw DCC elections being held in Harare and Bulawayo,” he said. “The procedure will be ratified at the forthcoming conference.”

The Politburo endorsed newly-elected Harare’s DCC executive members as part of a restructuring exercise to strengthen the party ahead of the 2023 national elections.

DCCs were reintroduced after the party dissolved the Harare and Bulawayo provincial party structures.

The DCCs are the building blocks of the party structures in the two metropolitan provinces.

DCCs were disbanded in 2012 after it was felt that they had been hijacked by elements that sought to manipulate party structures to foment factionalism and disharmony in the party.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has increased the price of fuel with effect from today (Monday).

ZERA said the new prices were premised on the interbank market rate and will see a litre of blend petrol (E20) retailing at $17,07 while diesel will sell at $17,74 per litre.

Last week, the price of petrol was pegged at $16,77 while diesel was at  $17,53 per litre.

The price changes are due to the FOB (Free on Board) price movement and the revised duty regime.

“Operators may however sell at prices below the cap depending on their trading advantages.

“All stakeholders are advised that the petroleum, price releases by ZERA can be verified on the official ZERA website, Facebook or twitter,”  ZERA said in a statement.

Zimbabwe’s economy will rebound next year, as Government has set a solid foundation for growth despite being plagued by the worst drought in four decades in the 2018/2019 season, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

He warned cash barons who were abusing the newly introduced $2 and $5 notes, adding that authorities have since identified some of the culprits, who will soon face justice.

Government’s bold decision to reintroduce a new currency, he said, will help to industrialise the economy and create jobs.

Speaking at an anti-sanctions rally after commissioning a state-of-the-art hospital in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East, President Mnangagwa said the country’s economic progress was unique since it was being undertaken without support from international financial institutions.

“We are happy that when we instituted austerity measures, yes, the economy went down by minus 6,5 (percent) in terms of growth. But when everything has stabilised, through what we call fiscal consolidation of expenditure and revenue, next year, which is just the month after next, our economy will start to rebound from minus 6,5 (percent) in 2019 to plus 3 percent in 2020,” he said.

“There are other countries that are undergoing economic and political reforms, like we are doing ourselves. Egypt got US$12 billion, Argentina got US$100 billion, Greece several billions to resuscitate their economy, but not a single cent has been given to Zimbabwe in the process of reforming our economy.”

Notwithstanding the teething challenges experienced in transitioning from a multi-currency system to a mono-currency, he added, a local currency was a prerequisite for development.

“Firstly, there is no single country which has developed its economy, which has industrialised its economy, without its own currency.

“You go to SA, they have the rand; Botswana they have the pula. In Zambia, they have the kwacha. All these countries suffer good and bad times with their currencies and they forge ahead.

Should we continue with other people’s currencies? No! We should have our own. That is why we said let us take the brave route.”State media

Correspondent|Former opposition MDC legislator for Bulawayo South, Eddie Cross has said that the government’s decision to dismiss striking doctors was ill-thought.

Mr Cross said that it took the government of Zimbabwe thousands of dollars and over a decade of investment in the human capital and other countries will gladly jump at the opportunity to hire them. He said:

Our medical training has always been world-class. Why? I do not know, but our doctors and nurses find ready acceptance outside the country.

Just yesterday (Wednesday), I saw a BBC programme on that country’s National Health Service, where the commentator was saying they have 100 000 vacancies which they cannot fill and arguing for a priority immigration policy — made for Zimbabwe!

Cross added that the doctors did nothing wrong by asking for a sustainable salary and better working conditions saying that everyone would do the same under the prevailing circumstances.

His remarks come when health caregivers in public health institutions are on industrial action that was initiated on the 3rd of September this year by junior and middle-level doctors who are saying that they are incapacitated to report for duty.

State Media|Banks continued to dispense limited amounts of money to their clients, while some money changers continued to hold on to large sums of the new notes and coins, either obtained legally by accumulating through the informal sector or through questionable allocations by banks.

The money changers who were earlier last week happy to openly display the notes were now a bit cautious and had stashed the money in cars and were only showing it to clients who showed interest in transacting.

While some money changers were sitting on bundles of the new notes and coins, depositors had to stand for hours on end in long winding queues at most banks in the CBD as banks limited withdrawals to between $80 and $300 per person.

CABS and POSB were dispensing $80 on Friday, while CBZ and FBC were dispensing $100.

ZB Bank, Steward Bank, Stanbic Bank, Nedbank, Ecobank and Standard bank were disbursing $300, the maximum that an individual is allowed to withdraw per week.

Bank officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were having to limit the amount they were dispensing to ensure they served as many clients as possible.

Depositors who spoke to The Herald said they were delighted that they were able to access cash, although it was coming in small amounts.

Mr Anesu Mandeya, who arrived at his bank early in the morning, said he was happy that he managed to withdraw his money, although he had to queue for several hours.

“When I got here this (Friday) morning at around 5am there was already a very long queue and I did not expect to get any money because I was number 120,” he said.

“To my surprise, the queue was moving very fast and we all got our money before lunch.”

A security guard at one commercial bank, who did not want to be named, said the queues were longer than usual, but most customers were being served.

“The bank is giving out $80 per person and has been serving about 100 customers daily, but today more than 300 people managed to withdraw cash,” he said.

While some of the queues were orderly, there was chaos at other banks where some people were jumping the queues.

“We arrived at the bank around 5.30am and I was at number 86 but to my surprise some people who came after us and were behind us managed to withdraw money ahead of us because they connived with the security guards or bought numbers from people that were ahead of us,” said one of the depositors.

The RBZ recently announced that it would inject an extra $1 billion into the economy over the next six months to satisfy legitimate demand for cash.

The release of the new $2 and $5 banknotes and $2 coins started on Monday last week.

State Media|Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has praised the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) for swiftly acting against two banks alleged to have allowed their depositors to make withdrawals above the stipulated limit.

CBZ Bank and Ecobank are in the eye of a storm after two of their depositors got $44 180 and $15 000, respectively, at a time when other depositors were being allowed a maximum of $100 per day.

The RBZ reported the two banks to the police on Thursday last week and the two institutions are reportedly assisting with investigations.

Responding to questions during a post-Budget breakfast meeting in Harare last Friday, Prof Ncube said it was important for RBZ to ensure such behaviour was nipped in the bud.

“In terms of the cash that you have seen floating in places where it should not be, clearly the Governor (of the RBZ Dr John Mangudya) has acted swiftly on the couple of banks whose staff were involved,” he said.

“So it was a strong message coming from the Reserve Bank.”

The RBZ has threatened to fine any banks caught on the wrong side of the law.

CBZ Bank on Friday sought to exonerate itself from any wrongdoing, saying its investigations regarding the $44 180 circulating on social media established that the transaction was “authorised”.

“The results confirm that a withdrawal of $1 and $0,25 bond coins took place at one of our branches. The withdrawal, by a corporate customer, in the gaming business, was an authorised transaction that fulfilled regulatory requirements,” said CBZ.

“The funds in the container were a display of a subsequent pay-out to a punter at the aforementioned corporate customer’s premises.”

There were indications last night that Ecobank would issue a statement on the matter.

ZRP national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said that investigations were continuing.

“We are conducting joint investigations with the RBZ,” he said. “Once we feel that we have anything that we want to advise the public, we will communicate appropriately.”

Prof Ncube called on banks to reduce charges and also pay interest on bank balances.

“On bank charges, we also feel as Government that they are on the high side,” he said. “We will continue to engage them to bring down the charges.

“Instead, I will add my own comment which is around interest on deposits. We want a decent interest on domestic deposits, and a decent interest rate on FCAs (foreign currency accounts).”

Paul Nyathi|Chiefs from Matabeleland North led by Speaker Of Parliament Jacob Mudenda’s home area chief, have recommended Minister July Moyo to remove Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Ndiweni from his post, since his elder brother, Mr Joram Ndiweni, who is based in the UK is allegedly still contesting the chieftaincy.

According to the Chiefs, on the advice of ZANU PF Secretary of Administration Obert Mpofu as it has since emerged, in Ndebele custom, chieftainships pass from father to the eldest son, which is a deliberate incorrect interpretation of the Ndebele culture.

The Ndebele culture, which the Chiefs are custodian to, has never stated that the eldest of the outgoing chief’s sons is an automatic successor but states that the new chief is chosen from amongst the sons where in the family elders consider varied advantages amongst the sons to come up with an heir.

That the norm amongst most cases has seen the eldest son taking over the Chieftainship has never changed the culture.

As was the case with the Ndiweni Chieftainship when Chief Khayisa Ndiweni died in 2010, Chief Ndiweni’s widow, Agnes, advised government that the family had gathered and agreed to install her last born son, Nhlanhla ahead of his two brothers Jotum and Douglas.

According to the Chiefs Jorum was meant to be the heir on virtue of him being the eldest of the sons causing an unnecessary furore.

In an affidavit presented to government at the time of appointing Nhlanhla, the Ndiweni family said that Jorum “would never make a respectable chief that the people of Ntabazinduna deserve” because of “various other deeper stuff that make him not to be the chief.”

The family also disqualified the other son Douglas as he “cannot be trusted, he is dishonest (and) a rabble-rouser.”

After the appointment of Nhlanhla, Jorum tried to contest the appointment but was advised of the futility of his contestation by the family and appeared to have dropped the case and backed his younger brother until recent when Nhlanhla clashed with Obert Mpofu who sources within the saga accuse of trying to incite Jorum to revive the appeal.

The sources further accuse Mpofu of trying to use the Matabeleland Chiefs to get rid of Nhlanhla who has been fighting Mpofu over cattle belonging to the Ntabazinduna royal family which Mpofu illegally took over from a farm during the land resettlement programme.

Chiefs from the province convened in Bulawayo on Saturday and recommended that Chief Ndiweni be removed from the position allegedly pending finalisation of the dispute.

Chief Mtshane Khumalo of Bubi, who is Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs’ deputy president, said the provincial assembly only got to know that the battle was raging on recently and were shocked that the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works had not told them.

This followed a directive from the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs that the provincial assembly should address the issue, said Chief Mtshane.

“The issue was discussed because of the challenge by the elder brother who is saying he is ready to take over the chieftaincy,” he said.

“When he (Chief Ndiweni) was appointed, we sent a delegation of chiefs to the family and they gave us Nhlanhlayamangwe Felix Kayisa’s name.

“No one mentioned the issue of the court challenge by the elder brother until recently when we were given the documents from the ministry that prompted us to meet as the provincial assembly.”

Chief Mtshane said the provincial assembly, chaired by Chief Shana of Jambezi, Jacob Mudenda’s home area, used its powers and recommended the national chiefs’ council to rescind the appointment.

“As traditional leaders, we resolved that the matter must go back to the family so they resolve the issue and if they agree or fail to agree, they will then come back to us,” he said.

“The family decides and we only help as the assembly.”

Chief Mtshane said in Ndebele culture, the first born son assumes chieftaincy unless he declines and even then has to justify his refusal to assume office a highly incorrect interpretation of the Ndebele culture.

Chief Ndiweni, who could not be reached for comment, reportedly approached the Ministry of Local Government recently enquiring why he had not been sworn in since his appointment in 2014.

He is said to have written to the President’s Office noting his displeasure, resulting in the Minister of Local Government being ordered to address the issue.

The minister forwarded the matter to Chief Charumbira who referred it to the provincial assembly, hence the Saturday meeting.

Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo, under whose ministry the traditional leaders fall, referred questions to the Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Richard Moyo.

Chief Ndiweni was appointed by former President Robert Mugabe, resulting in his traditional anointment by the family in 2014.

No Government official, and none of Chief Ndiweni’s brothers — Joram, now aged 75, Douglas and Ian — attended the ceremony which was presided over by some family members and members of the community.

Chief Ndiweni had not been sworn in as the case is pending at the High Court.

Additional reporting: State Media.

By Dorrothy Moyo| The Deputy Chief Of the Chiefs Council has said the prolific Chief Ndiweni can be removed by ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Speaking at the weekend, Mtshana Khumalo said:

“The appointment, removal and suspension of chiefs must be done by the President on the recommendation of the provincial assembly of chiefs through the National Council of Chiefs and the Minister responsible for traditional leaders and in accordance with the traditional practices and traditions of the communities concerned.

“Disputes concerning the appointment, suspension and removal of traditional leaders must be resolved by the President on the recommendation of the provincial assembly of chiefs through the minister responsible for traditional affairs.”

He also said Ndiweni remains chief until a resolution is reached. He said:

“We recommended that the process must be redone after Chief Ndiweni’s brother Joram who is in London objected to his appointment. He wrote a letter to the district administrator in Umguza saying the process had not been procedural and there is a court case,” he said.

“We sat this Saturday and made a recommendation to the family that the process must be redone. It’s a process that must first be ratified by the Zimbabwe Council of Chiefs and the Chiefs Council will make a resolution. He is still the chief, we made a recommendation and the National Chiefs Council may amend it, add or subtract.”

State Media|National Social Security Authority (NSSA) pensioners have not only suffered from questionable investments, as uncovered by a forensic audit, but also from a 15-month moratorium on new investments.

The moratorium resulted in the value of US$150 million in cash holdings seriously eroded by inflation in the later part of the moratorium.

The ban on new investments was imposed by then Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Priscah Mupfumira in February last year, around the same time that a full forensic audit of NSSA was started.

The rationale for the moratorium was to prevent further investments that could be regarded as suspicious, criminal or just incompetent.

On assuming office in September last year, the new minister Dr Sekai Nzenza, maintained the moratorium as the forensic audit was still in progress.

Sources at NSSA allege that after the introduction of the interbank market in February, the 1:1 rate collapsed, leading to the erosion in value.

There are concerns that the money lost value at a time when pensioners are earning a pittance, which can barely buy a 10kg bag of maize-meal.

Reads part of a dossier availed by sources within NSSA; “Since late 2018, NSSA board was instructed by the minister not to carry out commercial and trading activities of its investable funds. As a result, an amount of US$150 million then remained in NSSA bank accounts earning no interest and no financial gain.”

The Herald has established that Minister Nzenza lifted the moratorium in April this year, a month after the forensic audit was concluded and two months after the present board took office.

The moratorium was lifted on condition that the board would follow through on all the findings and recommendations of the forensic audit report.

Responding to the allegations, NSSA board chairman Dr Cuthbert Chidoori said: “At the time the current board came into office (February 2019), it found out that in February 2018, the then Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare (MPSLSW), had called for a forensic audit on NSSA activities covering the period 1st January 2015 to 28 February 2018.

“The minister had also put a moratorium on all investment activities pending the conclusion of the forensic audit. This all happened during the tenure of the previous board whose tenure expired on 12th October 2018.

“The authority was, therefore, unable to carry out normal investment activities since then, resulting in accumulation of large cash balances.”

Dr Chidoori said when Minister Nzenza came into office, she only “reaffirmed the moratorium” since the forensic audit was not yet complete.

He said Minister Nzenza directed that the moratorium should remain in force until there was a new board.

“The minister explained to the current board during their induction that the reinforcement of the moratorium was indeed necessary after noting the lack of due diligence and the losses incurred on some investments in NSSA,” said Mr Chidoori.

“The minister was also waiting for the outcome of the forensic report on investment and suspected massive irregularities and some of them which have turned out to be criminal.”

The forensic audit was completed in March this year and the moratorium was lifted the following month after the board gave assurances it would follow through on all the findings and recommendations in the forensic report.

Last week, Minister Nzenza described as “hogwash”, claims that she made unilateral and unprocedural decisions in the selection and remuneration of the ICT specialist and lawyers tasked with unpacking the forensic audit report.

Dr Chidoori said procedures in the Public Entities and Corporate Governance Act were followed to clean up NSSA.

Explaining the process of the board’s clean-up programme he said: “To follow through on all the recommendations detailed in the forensic report, the board identified the five key areas where there were serious irregularities namely, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Properties, Investments, Human Resources and Corporate Governance.

“There was also a concern on NSSA

policies and practices which required research to bring them into line with best practices as far as social security provisioning is concerned,” he said.

“With the concurrence of the minister, a team of six expert lawyers was appointed in full compliance with the procurement laws and regulations of Zimbabwe for a period of 30 days. They were required to comb through the detailed forensic audit report, together with the massive boxes of the annexures and to identify organisations and individuals within and without NSSA, who were to blame for the plunder of NSSA resources identified in the report.

“Notwithstanding the delays suffered in preparing and obtaining approval of the contracts, the expert lawyers produced a comprehensible report for the board and the ministry for their adoption on the way forward.”

Dr Chidoori said the forensic report unearthed scams in NSSA, where huge sums of money which runs into hundreds of millions of US dollars had been lost through the shenanigans of some individuals at NSSA.

Twenty-four workers have been sent on forced leave to pave way for investigations, and those absolved will return to work.

The audit found most of the 24 were irregularly appointed without being the first in their interviews, where these were held.

The NSSA board will seek to regularise these appointments.

“The forensic report has uncovered huge amounts of money which were given to staff as loans in breach of the conditions of service,” said Mr Chidoori.

“There are allegations of lavish lifestyles by NSSA staff, while pensioners wallow in poverty, possibly necessitating a lifestyle audit. The board will seek to recover all monies, including monies which may have been given to staff who are no longer with NSSA.”

NSSA last week announced significant increases in pensions, with the minimum general pension rising to $200 a month from $80, and those who were getting above the new minimum having a 65 percent rise.

By A Correspondent- Junior doctors have mocked Health Minister Obadiah Moyo’s remarks that the government will avail ZUPCO buses for doctors to alleviate their incapacitation.

In a post on microblogging site Twitter, Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA) secretary-general, Mthabisi Anele Bhebhe expressed shock and queried whether Minister Moyo knows what a doctor does.

He wrote:

“The Minister of Health will expect a doctor to use a Zupco bus to see patients. Does he know what exactly doctors do, the work schedule of a doctor and the essence of time? Akusi kujairirwa here uku?”

Junior and middle-level doctors have been on strike since the 3rd of September over poor remuneration and working conditions.

The government responded to the job action by firing hundreds of doctors, leaving public hospitals bereft of both doctor and patients.

Zimbabwe’s economy will rebound next year, as Government has set a solid foundation for growth despite being plagued by the worst drought in four decades in the 2018/2019 season, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

He warned cash barons who were abusing the newly introduced $2 and $5 notes, adding that authorities have since identified some of the culprits, who will soon face justice.

Government’s bold decision to reintroduce a new currency, he said, will help to industrialise the economy and create jobs.

Speaking at an anti-sanctions rally after commissioning a state-of-the-art hospital in Mahusekwa, Mashonaland East, President Mnangagwa said the country’s economic progress was unique since it was being undertaken without support from international financial institutions.

“We are happy that when we instituted austerity measures, yes, the economy went down by minus 6,5 (percent) in terms of growth. But when everything has stabilised, through what we call fiscal consolidation of expenditure and revenue, next year, which is just the month after next, our economy will start to rebound from minus 6,5 (percent) in 2019 to plus 3 percent in 2020,” he said.

“There are other countries that are undergoing economic and political reforms, like we are doing ourselves. Egypt got US$12 billion, Argentina got US$100 billion, Greece several billions to resuscitate their economy, but not a single cent has been given to Zimbabwe in the process of reforming our economy.”

Notwithstanding the teething challenges experienced in transitioning from a multi-currency system to a mono-currency, he added, a local currency was a prerequisite for development.

“Firstly, there is no single country which has developed its economy, which has industrialised its economy, without its own currency.

“You go to SA, they have the rand; Botswana they have the pula. In Zambia, they have the kwacha. All these countries suffer good and bad times with their currencies and they forge ahead.

Should we continue with other people’s currencies? No! We should have our own. That is why we said let us take the brave route.”State media

The MDC Women’s Assembly notes with great concern the deterioration of our country’s health delivery system due to the strike by the doctors and nurses in Zimbabwe.

The doctors, nurses and other health professionals went on strike about two months ago citing incapacitation due to the economy that is collapsing on a daily basis.

The food basket for a family of five was pegged by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) at 4000 RTGS; yet most workers including doctors are earning less than 2000 RTGS.

The situation is so dire with many workers and the general populace such that they are failing to make ends meet. Most people are failing to access national services as they are either closed or dilapidated due to the uncaring illegitimate regime and its misplaced priorities.

The recently announced budget by Mthuli Ncube falls far short of the people’s expectations. The budget is not pro-poor thereby leaving about 75% of the Zimbabweans’ needs unaddressed. It is a budget for the few and not for the many.

Indeed, the budget is clearly a continuation of ZANU PF legacy of plunder and blunder for the past 40 years.

Whilst we applaud the Mbare woman Mrs Gwena, who has taken upon herself the duty of being a midwife in her community, we blame the illegitimate regime for having failed to take good care of the expecting mothers as it is its responsibility to so.

The illegitimate regime cannot surrender its responsibility of health maternity delivery to a rum shack practice of the 15th century. This is a reversal of the UN SDG 3, Good Health and Wellbeing; to which Zimbabwe has affixed its signature.

Auxillia Munangagwa was supposed to convince her husband to pay the doctors and nurses well than go and donate foodstaffs to the old woman.

We do not expect our mothers, sisters and children to give birth in such unhealthy conditions where they are exposed to so many risks related to child bearing.

This practice is uncalled for and we condemn it in the most strongest terms.

We are not living in the stone age era where women used to give birth in their homes exposing them to so many health risks.

The illegitimate regime has now fully backtracked on its commitment of health for all.

Auxillia Munangagwa really needs to reflect on whether her daughter would use such facilities in the same manner desperate women are using Mrs Gwena.

Indeed, what Auxillia did is not only deplorable but a desperate bid to cover up for the failings of her husband’s illegitimate regime.

Zimbabweans deserve a better government that cares for its citizens’ health and wellbeing.

The self-imposed “health ambassador” of Zimbabwe has failed dismally in executing her duties and this is a classic case of a PR exercise that has gone dismally wrong.

This is why in the MDC we have made it clear in our SMART policy document on how we intend to address fundamental issues that safeguard citizens’ rights to world-class health facilities.

The MDC in its SMART policy document offers an alternative to all this chaos that has been created by the illegitimate regime.

Indeed, a good and sound health delivery system is key priority area in every developmental state.

We demand that the Ministry of Health and Childcare take this issue of Mbare very seriously by providing the expecting mothers with a clean and proper facility for delivery as per WHO standards.

Zimbabweans deserves a better government that will put its priority on citizens’ health and not on superfluous leadership life style.

In an MDC led government, the citizen rights and health priorities will be supreme.

The MDC led government will pursue social liberation policies aimed at completing the unfinished business of national liberation struggle and shall strive for democratic structural economic liberation, rehabilitation and transformation of Zimbabwe.

The MDC is a people mandate driven party that seeks to work for the establishment of a dynamic and participatory democracy in which the Government is accountable and subordinate to the its citizens; guaranteeing provision of first class health and all essential services.

Indeed, under an MDC led government, never again shall our top leaders seek health services abroad while destroying our national health services.

MDC: Change that Delivers

BARBRA TANYANYIWA
MDC WOMEN ASSEMBLY SPOKESPERSON

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

THE government will miss its audacious target of clearing the passport backlog by year end after it emerged that a combination of delays in shipping material and foreign currency was standing in its way.

This comes as the registrar-general’s office is facing an unenviable task of clearing a backlog of 386 000 passports due to debilitating shortages of foreign currency and a hardening of stance towards the government by international suppliers.

Registrar-General Clemence Masango, however, was optimistic that his department would have cleared the backlog by the end of first quarter of 2020 — barring a degeneration of the current situation — which he said had improved from the August position where his office was only processing 60 passports a day against a target of 3 000 passports.

Normally, passport applications should be processed within three months, but since 2016 the registrar-general’s office had been struggling to import essential supplies such as paper due to lack of foreign currency.

Zimbabwe is currently in the grip of a huge economic crisis — the worst in more than a decade — which has triggered shortages of power, foreign currency, water and critical medicines at State hospitals.

Byo 24

By A Correspondent- A 16 year old boy is nursing injuries on his b-uttocks after he was brutally assaulted at the Marange Diamond fields.

The development comes against the backdrop of denials by the government that there are no more human rights abuses at the diamond fields.

But the 16 year old lad (name withheld) was assaulted until blood started gushing from wounds sustained during the assault.

The minor was assaulted by the guards after he was found outside the ZCDC fireguard.

The Marange Diamond Trust leader Moses Mukwada confirmed the development and said:

” We have one young man aged 16yrs. Akarorwa me ZCDC guards zvakaipisisa mushu mekunge abatwa achitsvara kunze kwe fireguard ye ZCDC.”