By A Correspondent- USA-based preacher, Passion Java has dismissed the Gorindemabwe Frontier 100 most influential Zimbabweans under 40 list saying he deserved to be first.

Java said it is sad that Mambo Dhuterere was nominated ahead of people of great influence including Winky D and Jah Praysah.

Below is the list.

1.  Tendai Mtawarira
2. Passion Java
3. Mangaliso Ndlovu
4. Thabani Mpofu
5. Lewis Matutu
6. Mambo Dhuterere
7. Lawrence Moyo
8. Fadzai Mahere
9. Marvellous Nakamba
10. Chamu Chiwanza
11. Obey Sithole
12. Kirsty Coventry
13. Joana Mamombe
14. Alson Darikai
15. Charles Mushinga
16. Pokello
17. Arthur Evans
18. Comic Pastor
19. Kharma Billiat
20. Enso Ishall
21. Vimbai Mutinhiri
22. Winky D
23. Gonyeti
24. Gilmore T
25. Arthur Marara
26. Tafadzwa Zimoyo
27. Mabasa Sasa
28. Napoleon Nyanhi
29. Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa
30. Frank Buyanga
31. Chris Mugaga
32. Jah Prayzah
33. Genius Kadungure
34. Acie Lumumba
35. Mkhululi Bhebhe
36. KVG
37. Wicknell Chivhayo
38. Mai Judah
39. Calvin
40. Tamy Moyo
41. Zororo Makamba
42. Larry Kwirirayi
43. Samuel Dimmairo
44. Tendai Garwe
45. MisRed
46. Carl Joshua Ncube
47. Oscar Pambuka
48. Ishan
49. Tich Mawoni
50. Janet Manyowa
51. Gemma Griffiths
52. Madam Boss
53. Sibongumusa Dhlodhlo
54. DJ Fantan
55. Butterfly
56. Mcdonald Gurura
57. Misheck Gondo
58. Sandra Ndebele
59. Munya Gwatidzo
60. Taku Chingonzo
61. Maud Chifamba
62. Vusa Blaqs
63. Tinashe Nyaruwanga
64. Mbo Mahocs
65. Munya Takawira
66. Michael Mahendere
67. Titus Gwemede
68. Aldrian Harrison
69. Toneo Rutsito
70. Kim Jayde
71. Terrence Mathe
72. Wilford Mwanza
73. Plot Mhako
74. Shaun Benjamin
75. Kanyisile Madonko-Nderezina
76. Melissa Mwale
77. Mzoe 7
78. Oscar Habeenzu
79. Mathias Mhere
80. Ti Gonzi
81. Tawanda Gudhlanga
82. Clive Chigubhu
83. Grace Chirenje
84. Pepertual Siyachitema
85. Hamilton Masakadza
86. Andy Cutter
87. Penny Pangeti
88. Nicholas Bhero
89. Mai Titi
90. Karen Paida
91. Sylent NQO
92. Tanya Muzinda
93. Prince Dube
94. Axcil Jeffreys
95. POY
96. Emitty Smooth
97. Ronald Mapamula
98. ASAPH
99. Lorraine Guyo
100. Vimbai  Zimuto

By A Correspondent- Secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA) Dr Mthabisi Anele Bhebhe has regarded first lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa’s “endorsement” of a traditional midwife as taking the nation backwards. 

Posting Twitter, Dr Bhebhe said:

They’re taking us back to (the) dark ages. Kwatirikuyenda ndokwatabva. (We’re headed where we came from).

He speaks after Mrs Mnangagwa yesterday visited popular Mbare-based traditional midwife Ms Esther Zinyoro, also known as Mbuya Gwena after reports suggesting that she was helping pregnant women to deliver babies at her home.

This is happening when health caregivers in public health institutions are on the 76th day of salary and better working industrial action which left patients stranded.

The first lady donated groceries to Mbuya Gwena which made some to conclude that she was endorsing traditional midwifery at the expense of formal health institutions.

MDC Youth Assembly yesterday chose a packed National Sports Stadium to express anger and disgust towards Emmerson Mnangagwa’s military dictatorship which has plunged the nation into a hellhole because of the economic meltdown.

With Zimbabwe Warriors searching for a goal against a tactically disciplined Botswana Zebras team, MDC Youths housed at Bay 13 raised placards calling for a substitution.

The message was very loud and clear that Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed, hence should be red carded.

Some placards read, “Economy 2-ED 0” while others were screaming for the need for change in the political field.

The MDC Youth Assembly made it clear that there is need for a crucial political substitution or better still a political red card to a man who is the architect of our problems from every facet.

Clearly there was no motivation from a Warriors team whose key players ply their trade in Europe and SA but were made to face reality back home when they were offered a valueless currency in allowances.

If Marvelous Nakamba needed an explanation on the ongoing tiff between government and civil servants, a poorly run ZIFA gave him a micro of the macrocosm about the state of affairs in our country.

From every facet be it economics, politics and sport, the country is in a comatose.

As the MDC Youth Assembly we are very clear that Emmerson Mnangagwa is the source of our problems hence should be substituted from the political arena.

Only a player with pro-poor policies and a social contract with masses can steer the country forward.

Just like in football, a team can only win by scoring and not conceding goals.

Sadly the team running the affairs of this country are conceding own goals through elitist austerity policies and command politics.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

By A Correspondent- ZANU PF legislators yesterday walked out of a Tendai Biti-chaired Public Accounts Committee sitting, where Sakunda Holdings was expected to give oral evidence regarding about US$3 billion advanced to the company for Command Agriculture without parliamentary approval.

The boycott was in retaliation to the refusal by the MDC MPs to recognise President Emmerson Mnangagwa and occasionally walking out of Parliament each time the Zanu PF leader attends Parliament.

After the boycott, the meeting, which was supposed to clear the air on the abuse of money under the government’s ambitious Command Agriculture programme, was aborted for lack of a quorum.

The MDC has refused to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate leader, accusing the Zanu PF leader of stealing last year’s elections.

MDC MPs walked out on Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) last month, following a similar incident in September last year.

Earlier this year, they snubbed Mnangagwa again when he graced Parliament for the mid-term budget presentation by Finance minister, Mthuli Ncube.

The boycotts forced Mudenda to withdraw their allowances for five months and ban them from asking questions during the question-and-answer sessions.

But on Thursday, the opposition MPs were at it again, snubbing Ncube’s budget presentation which was graced by Mnangagwa, insisting that they would continue to snub Mnangagwa because he was an illegitimate leader.

But Zanu PF yesterday hit back, walking out on Biti and forcing the abandonment of the much-awaited questioning of Sakunda executives, claiming there was no justification to attend a meeting addressed by someone who does not recognise Mnangagwa.

Sakunda Holdings chief executive Chitambo Mberikwazvo said he only found out the meeting had been cancelled soon after arriving.

“I arrived here at Parliament at precisely 11:29am and was told to wait in the sitting lounge. About 10 minutes later, I was told that the meeting had been cancelled. I was told that I will be notified on when I should come back. I was told I should expect to come back on November 25,” Mberikwazvo told journalists.

Speaking to journalists after the snub, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa (independent) said Zanu PF MPs were justified to walk out of the meeting as long as the opposition MPs refused to recognise Mnangagwa.

“They asked why they were supposed to be compelled to sit for the meeting when their counterparts could not recognise the President of the country. They concluded to wait for the resolution to be made by the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders,” he said.

Mliswa said Parliament should not be used for political agendas, but ought to be used as a space where discussions on development of the country were topical.

“My position on this issue is very clear: Parliament should not be used as a war zone between politicians. Even Americans and the European Union recognised President Emmerson Mnangagwa and, therefore, this continued rift should stop,” he said.

“Even the much-needed dialogue in the country cannot happen under these circumstances. Legitimately, Zanu PF has got a strong reason for what they did today, but the strategy being used by MDC is not working.”

Meanwhile, the MDC has come under immense criticism for boycotting the budget presentation by Ncube after participating in the pre-budget seminar in Victoria Falls, earning huge amounts in allowances.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda said due process would be followed on the matter, but refused to shed more light on the kind of action he was going to take.

“There is a process that has to be followed and we are following that process and that is all I can say for now,” he said.

Zanu PF said the action by the MDC was self-defeating and an embarrassment to those who voted them into Parliament.

“Such action is immaturity of the highest political order. One wishes to advice MDC-A that Zimbabwe is not a charity nation. We must all focus on productivity, growth and job creation. The time for political Lilliputians is over. Zimbabwe is, indeed, not for sale,” Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo said.

Political analyst Alexander Rusero said the MDC parliamentarians would regret their antics at some stage, describing their action as shameful.

But analyst Ibbo Mandaza said the boycott by the MDC was successful in irritating Mnangagwa as well as hyping the legitimacy issue.

He said it was best to highlight the legitimacy issue because Mnangagwa “lost” in last year’s polls.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Harare town clerk Hosea Chisango has questioned the competence of directors at Town House, accusing them of failing to deliver to the expectation of the local authority.

Chisango, a former director of water, was appointed town clerk in 2018, replacing former banker James Mushore, whose appointment was mired in controversy.

It emerged that Chisango told councillors during a recent meeting of his displeasure at the performance of some bosses at Town House and has got full backing of councillors to push for competence.

“The town clerk drew the attention of the Environmental Management Committee to its inquiry regarding whether he was happy with the performance of some managers,” the committee heard.

“The town clerk reiterated that, just like council, he was not impressed with the performance of some managers. He had accordingly met with all the heads of department at Town House, where he had expressed concern at the performance of some heads of department and the managers as well as warning them of dire consequences of dereliction of duty.”

The committee is said to have applauded Chisango’s stance, with several councillors saying they were impressed with his approach to work and his push for competence.

“The committee applauded the town clerk for the action he had taken and urged him to strongly stamp his authority,” parts of the minutes of the meeting read.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The first lady on Friday took the time to visit the famous Gogo Gwenya who is delivering babies in Mbare and has so far delivered 100 babies in 8 days. 

Auxillia visited Gogo Ngwenya and presented her with a few provisions to make her job easier.

Speaking to the old lady whom she found delivering her 6th baby that day Auxillia asked if health officials had visited Gogo Ngwenya and was told no.

Dai zvichibvira vanoona nezvehutano vauyawo pano vaonawo mabasa amurikubata aya nemagariro amakaita pano. It is important for them to assess your work and if possible give you a midwifery certificate

Hospitals in Zimbabwe remain short stuffed as doctors remain on strike with some nurses joining them.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A special UN rapporteur is expected to visit Zimbabwe on a fact finding mission on the right to food.

Hilal Elver will be in Zimbabwe between 18 and 28 November.

Speaking about his impending visit Elver said:

The objective of my visit is to engage in constructive discussions to identify good practises as well as challenges to the enjoy- ment of the right to food in Zimbabwe, and provide useful recommendations to the gov- ernment and others.

I will consider the increased challenges posed by the economic crisis, as well as the role of the private sector, the impact of climate change, natural disasters and drought on food security and people’s livelihoods, and the issues related to nutrition and food quality in both urban and rural areas.

Zimbabwe experienced the worst drought ever in 2019 with an estimated 8 million people in need of food aid.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Two Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) rangers who ordered a Zambian man to swim across Zambezi River with his son (4) on his back causing their death have been sentenced to 12 years in jail for culpable homicide.

Jefrey Munkuli (39) and Benjamin Nhidza (38) were punishing Abel Ngandu who was aged 30 and his countrymen for poaching fish on the Zimbabwean side of the river.

Ngandu had gone fishing with his little son Dennis.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa who is on circuit in Hwange found Munkuli and Nhidza guilty of two counts of a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

He sentenced the duo to 12 years for both counts before suspending four years for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The judge said the duo acted negligently and caused the death of Ngandu and his son.

He, however, said they were lucky to escape with a lighter sentence after the court considered that they had spent 10 years before being tried which robbed them of their right to fair trial within a reasonable time.

Munkuli and Nhidza were still employed by ZimParks when they appeared in court yesterday.

“While no physical force was used, there is no doubt that the accused acted unreasonably leading to loss of two lives. The accused should not in any way have acted in the way they did. What the witness Nicholas Makaya witnessed resembled Friday the 13th movie seeing his four-year old cousin being agonisingly swept by water while he was clutching on a rock fighting for safety as well. As officers of the law you shouldn’t have acted recklessly regardless of the nationality of these people that you had arrested,” said the judge.

He said it was clear that Munkuli and Nhidza forced the deceased to swim across the crocodile infested river.

Justice Mabhikwa said Munkuli and Nhidza were negligent by failing to stop the deceased and their colleagues from entering the river, saying the court does not believe the deceased jumped into the water on their own accord as claimed by the accused.

Two Zambian witnesses Joseph Masuku (26) and Nicholas Makaya (25) who were (then) aged 17 and 16 years respectively testified as they narrated the events of the fateful day.

Munkuli and Nhidza’s pro-deo lawyer Mr Givemore Mvhiringi had pleaded for a suspended sentence saying this was a unique case.

Prosecutor Mr Bheki Tshabalala said the duo showed no contrition as they did not attempt to help the deceased especially the four-year-old boy who slipped off his father’s back as the two were being swept downstream.

The incident happened on October 16, 2010.

“The accused were on patrol on Chomuzi Island Zambezi River when they saw five Zambians who had crossed into Zimbabwe illegally and were poaching fish in the river. They arrested Ngandu and took away a canoe, fishing nets and fish before ordering them to swim back to their country,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard that Ngandu carried his son on his shoulders and attempted to swim across but both drowned in the process. Their bodies were later recovered on the Zambia side.

— StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Fidelity Life Assurance has warned the public against buying stands from bogus land barons selling stands at Langford Estates which they acquired in 2015.

In a statement issued by the insurer, Fidelity said those that had already bought land from these land barons should demand their money back.

The statement issued by Fidelity reads:

2Fidelity Life Assurance Zimbabwe wishes to advise members of the public that no stands are available for sale at Langford.

Anyone who has paid for any land at Langford Estates must demand their money back from these bogus sellers.”

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Liberation Platform, a splinter group from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), has chickened out from confronting shortcomings of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, and now exonerates him from any wrongdoing.

Wilbert Sadomba, former ZNLWA secretary for education, said Mnangagwa was the only good man in his government.

“He is doing his best and he is upholding the Constitution, but as the President, he can’t be everywhere. In the military, finance or education, he appoints people and these people are letting the nation down. There is high corruption in the country and it is causing our people much suffering,” he said.

ZLP was launched end of October, at a Press conference, where the war veterans came out guns blazing alleging that Zanu PF had been hijacked and had lost its moral compass that fuelled the liberation war.

The war veterans accused Mnangagwa of running down the economy.

“We did not fight the war so that we can have political violence or corruption. We fought for democracy and to get out of oppression at the hands of (Ian) Smith, but not to continue under a Zanu PF government. The Zanu PF we knew during the war is not the same we know now,” Sadomba said at the time.

He was later to claim that he had been summoned by Central Intelligence Organisation operatives for a two-hour meeting, although he refused to divulge the details.

ZLP yesterday said they were coming in with a view to contribute solutions to the crisis, which has seen the economy tumbling, disposable incomes evaporating and social services collapsing.

“We have a serious problem of polarisation. National issues have failed to get attention owing to political differences and, as war veterans, we need to take a stand and find a solution that changes the course of our country,” Sadomba said.

“We are clear that this cannot be done by war veterans who are servants of a particular political party.”

Political parties have been battling for the support of war veterans, who have been the force behind Zanu PF’s stay in power

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Controversial prophet Apostle Talent Chiwenga has said truck drivers and builders are lazy people who will die before 40 because of the nature of their work.

He mocked the texture of truck drivers and builders’ hands likening them to the backside of a tortoise’s backside.

Said Chiwenga:

“Greeting the person and then you’ll see that their hands are in such a terrible shape, hardened like a tortoise’s backside, and you ask yourself: are these real human hands?

And the person literally thinks that they have a career, handling bricks. They will not be able to reach 40 years, the bricks destroy your back; it is just the same thing as driving a truck from DRC to Zimbabwe.

This is hard labour, when you see a person reaching 10 years while doing such a job as a truck driver; they are a lazy, nyope. They don’t want to think. That (truck driving) is not a profession, a person could confidently say that they are a truck driver.

For a person to do this job for over 10 years, travelling 5000 km, 5000 km 5000 km, sitting behind a big steering wheel like this, driving a mere gonyimbi(haulage truck).

People are lazy but that laziness manifests itself in three dimensions: there are some people who are lazy because they do not have energy to work, they are weak people. I personally saw such people while growing up. To hold a simple plough, they are hit by a plough like this, while failing to bring it down. They end up nearly killing someone’s child and you tell them to stand up and go and sit somewhere else.

If you tell them to lead the cows, the whip hits them from behind, it goes the other way. They do not have ability to see the thing; they don’t have the excellency that some of us have. We used to finish everything using one hand; The other hand doing the driving, while my father would be saying, hurry up there is more field work tomorrow.

We used to do it better than the person who is pulling. So now, you can end up being lazy, you are at loss of physical power. Or you can have physical power and you are at loss of mental power; now that one (the latter) is a serious disaster.”

watch the video loading below……………….

By A Correspondent- Media Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe Chapter director Thabani Moyo has called on internet governance stakeholders to move their focus from geographical to continental approaches when fighting the clampdown of online platforms by the State and its apparatus.

In January this year, during protests over a 150% fuel price increase, the government responded by shutting down the internet to restrict access to information.

Addressing a regional multi-stakeholder workshop in Harare yesterday, Moyo said there was need for stakeholders to strengthen their voices in fighting internet freedom rights violations as a collective rather than in isolation.

“Sadc has set out parameters through its cyber security model laws and the African Union model laws on data protection, among others, which our respective member States are utilising or adopting to strengthen their stranglehold on the internet. Therefore, the countries of southern Africa are speaking to and advising each other on how to shrink online space,” he said.

“This requires that our focus as stakeholders moves from geographical centric interventions by taking a bird’s eye view towards regional or continental approaches of galvanising voices that stand in solidarity when attacks of online platforms are emerging. That movement needs to be strengthened because when democracy is on retreat that is the only solidarity that is the first line of defence.”

Moyo said there had been a shift by African governments from shutting down of the internet to use of high costs to minimise the number of people who access the internet on the continent.

“Going forward, we believe that the three As are critical. The issue of availability of the platforms, we need to be galvanised to be a defence line against wanton shutdown or threatening of the internet, issues of affordability. From the reports that are emerging, it shows that there is a strategic shift from wanton shut downs to high costs to inhibit usage of online platforms,” he
said.

Moyo said to ensure that people remained online, there was need for multi-stakeholders including those from the academia, government, civil society groups, regulators and the media to come up with effective strategies that recognise the significance of the internet to democracy in the country.

According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, there has been a decline in the use of the internet in the country. In December 2018, there was 62,9% of the country’s population that had access to the internet and that had dropped to 57,2% by June this year.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Four Shamva gold miners were yesterday fined $300 each by Bindura provincial magistrate Tinashe Ndokera for setting their employer’s shed ablaze in a dispute over gold.

Ranganai Bvumbu (58), Tobias Masiya (36), Tinashe Mavhu and Dzikamai Kagonda, all from Annandale Farm, Shamva — were fined for malicious damage to property after trial.

Failure to pay the $300 fine would attract a 20-day jail term for each.

Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court that on October 25, the quartet stormed Kadisi Mining Syndicate offices in Shamva looking for their employer, Fore Joana (47), whom they accused of duping them of huge sums of money realised from the sale of gold.

They shouted at Joana before uprooting a pole and grass shed on the mine.

In a fit of rage, Kagonda set the shed on fire and went away.

Joana subsequently filed a police report, leading to their arrest.

In their defence, the quartet said the fire was caused by juju, which they said they had sought from a sangoma in Nyamapanda to boost their business.

The magistrate did not take their defence and convicted them.

-Newsday

Paul Nyathi|GOVERNMENT has designated Gwanda District’s Mlambapele as an official port of entry.

Mlambapele connects Zimbabwe and Botswana via Gwanda South. The place was for years being used as a border jumping spot for smugglers and illegal immigrants between Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. During the liberation war, the area also served as an exit spot for people being recruited to join the PF Zapu backed ZIPRA forces.

Presenting the 2020 national budget on Thursday, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the Mlambapele official port of entry status will be effective from next month.

“In recognition of increased flow of commercial goods imported through Botswana, Government in 2016 commissioned Mlambapele for use as an official entry and exit point. In order to regularise the commissioned border post, thereby enforcing compliance of customs formalities as well as enhancing convenience to travellers, I propose to designate Mlambapele as a Port of Entry, with effect from 1 December 2019. The Port of Entry shall operate from 7.30AM to 4.30PM daily,” said Prof Ncube.

He said Government has set up four dry ports to reduce congestion at Beitbridge Border Post in Beitbridge, Matabeleland South and Forbes Border Post in Mutare, Manicaland.

“Congestion, particularly at Beitbridge and Forbes Ports of Entry, remains one of the major constraints to trade facilitation. This is due to infrastructure bottlenecks, hence the Ports can no longer cope with increased flow of commercial traffic,” he said.

“In order to address this challenge, Government has adopted the Dry Port Concept, whereby commercial cargo is consigned to specified inland facilities pending final clearance. I, therefore, propose to designate Customs Dry Ports in Masvingo, Bulawayo, Makuti and Mutare, in order to relieve pressure on Ports of Entry.”

Prof Ncube said Government is also setting up a Gwanda Customs House. He said the Gwanda Customs House would increase the ease of doing business for mining companies operating within the district. “Furthermore, imports and exports companies that include Blanket Mine, Vumbachikwe and Portland Cement are currently processed in Bulawayo, thereby increasing the cost of compliance. In order to facilitate Ease of Doing Business, I propose to appoint a Customs House in Gwanda, with effect from 1 December 2019,” said Prof Ncube.

Additional reporting: State Media

By A Correspondent- A 39 year old Guruve woman was arrested on Friday after she allegedly fatally struck her husband several times with a club on the head in a domestic dispute.

Yvette Dirau (39), of Katsiru village, is assisting police with investigations following the murder of her husband Victor Zirore (34), from the same village.

Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident.

“I can confirm a murder incident in Guruve, where a woman allegedly murdered her husband in a domestic dispute and investigations are underway,” he said.

Allegations are that the now-deceased had a misunderstanding with his wife over an undisclosed dispute and he picked a club, which he used to strike his wife.

Dirau is said to have wrested the club from Zirore and fatally struck him on the head. He allegedly lost a lot of blood, resulting in his death on the way to the hospital.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has warned corrupt public officials against engaging in underhand dealings saying that those who engage in corrupt activities shall be punished.

He said that public officials must serve the interests of the general populace who voted them into the office rather than being self-aggrandising.

He said:

I am concerned by appalling levels of corruption and mismanagement of public funds and properties by both councillors and council officials who play hide-and-seek with Government officials in the process of financial management.

Those who are prone to corruption, the sun is setting. As public servants, your duty is to protect such public assets in your local authorities for the improvement of the welfare of your communities.

Mnangagwa was addressing delegates during an Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) annual conference on Friday.

Despite setting up and empowering the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Zimbabwe is still ranked amongst the countries with high corruption levels and Mnangagwa’s critics have said the president is paying lipservice to the fight graft.

-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Jacob Mudenda came to me, I never harassed him, said ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza during an 1873FM discussion on Friday.

Chikanza was commenting on the 13th October interview upon which Mudenda reported him to the central intelligence organisation and classifying him as a security threat.

Mudenda responding to the revelation on Tuesday blamed the involvement of the CIO on the Serbian security services.

Watch full video posted above.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=icZkpAPnVX0%3F

https://youtube.com/watch?v=icZkpAPnVX0%3F

Paul Nyathi|The International Criminal Court, ICC, has adopted a stance that it will prosecute anyone who commits crimes against humanity anywhere in the world whether or not that country is a signatory to its conventions.

Will the court go a step further than was expected on former President Robert Mugabe, and arrest incumbent Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa? Join our weekend live discussions on the matter right here on ZimEye.com.

Watch a precursor to the discussion on the video downloading below:

Paul Nyathi|A member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) who is also the chairman of Alpha Media Holdings, Trevor Ncube has expressed sadness over the “cash withdrawal scandal” in the country.

Posting on Twitter after all the drama, Ncube said that the scandal represented the egocentric mindset of the nation as a whole. He said:

Watching this cash withdrawal scandal has been disheartening. Greed, institutional and corporate malfeasance and corruption have become a strong subculture. It is our collective national psyche that is in full display. We are so broken. pic.twitter.com/jEgWu5TX38

— Trevor Ncube (@TrevorNcube) November 15, 2019

His remarks come after pictures of huge amounts of new coins and notes which were withdrawn from Ecobank and CBZ made rounds on social media this week with some alleging that the banks were feeding cash into the parallel market.

The central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe conducted investigations which implicated the two banks who revealed that the cash was legally withdrawn by their customers.

Meanwhile, some depositors are, as per the RBZ regulations only allowed to withdraw a maximum of $300 which is insignificant considering that the economy is inflationary.

Paul Nyathi|Government on Friday met with representatives of striking hospital doctors, some of whom have since been dismissed by government, to map a way forward on ending the ongoing impasse.

Present were representatives of the junior, senior and specialist doctors awaiting licensure. Although no agreement has been reached as yet, it is understood that the doctors presented their minimum conditions for them to return to work, which Health and and Child Care Minister, Dr Obadiah Moyo is expected to forward to relevant authorities for approval.

Should approval be given, a joint statement is expected to be released by the Ministry.

The Minister is expected to release the statement as a matter of urgency after doing his consultations.

State Media|The Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), which introduced a raft of cost-cutting measures, has helped stabilise the economy and thrust it on a growth trajectory anchored on productivity and job creation.

This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday during a post-2020 National Budget breakfast meeting in Harare.

Prof Ncube said it was a “miracle” that Government had contained fiscal and current account deficits without external support.

He said belt-tightening measures under the TSP were experienced by both ordinary citizens and Government officials.

“If you think there was no austerity in Government, just ask the Minister of Information (Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa),” said Prof Ncube, while fielding questions which suggested austerity was for ordinary people alone.

“She (Minister Mutsvangwa) still hasn’t received her ministerial car. We are meeting the people of Zimbabwe halfway. This is why you see these results (containing deficits and recording budget surpluses).

“Government finances are in order; they are actually in good hands. I declare, Government finances are in good hands. The deficit is under control. I think we have achieved a miracle; to achieve twin-deficit target without external support, who does this? Only us, without external support.”

Since the introduction of TSP, a short-term economic blueprint that runs from October 2018 to December 2020, the implementation of fiscal consolidation reforms saw consistent monthly Budget surpluses that reached $1,4 billion between January and August this year.

Similarly, the current account delivered a positive balance of US$116,4 million during the first half of the year, which “all pointed to positive signs for restoring the much-needed macro-fiscal stability and elimination of the twin deficits”.

Prof Ncube said he worked hard on external engagement and there was now a “very clear roadmap” on clearing arrears with external financiers.

“We know that clearing those arrears will unlock financial support,” he said.

Prof Ncube said linking prices to the US dollar exchange rate was causing “mayhem on pricing and productivity”.

He said moving out of that practice would not be easy.

“That is exactly what is causing inflation, US dollar price indexing,” said Prof Ncube.

“It’s very difficult to de-dollarise. Very few countries have done this successfully, but we will be very successful in that.

“I think no country has de-dollarised in the last 30 years. Now we will be the test case to de-dollarise. But the trick to completely delink the prices from the US dollar is exchange stability.”

Prof Ncube said keeping the exchange rate stable will help in ensuring that prices were not indexed to the US dollar.

It is expected that the interbank market, which is still in its infancy, will stabilise the forex rate.

The interbank market is still being fine-tuned.

State Media|PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has warned corrupt councillors and council officials who convert public funds to personal use, saying Government will not hesitate to punish them.

Addressing delegates during an Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) annual conference yesterday, President Mnangagwa said he was concerned with the level of corruption in local authorities.

“I am concerned by appalling levels of corruption and mismanagement of public funds and properties by both councillors and council officials who play hide-and-seek with Government officials in the process of financial management.

“Those who are prone to corruption, the sun is setting. As public servants, your duty is to protect such public assets in your local authorities for the improvement of the welfare of your communities.

“I exhort you to guard against putting self-interests ahead of serving the electorate and those who engage in corrupt activities shall be punished. Forewarned is forearmed. You must monitor the activities of your fellow councillors and council officials in order to get rid of councils and indeed our society of this cancer of corruption.”

President Mnangagwa said under the Second Republic, there was need to build a legacy of good governance, accountability and transparency for the prosperity of the country.

“I want to implore you as servants of the people to undertake your duties with humility, professionalism, compassion and patriotism,” he said. “You are not masters of the people, but servants of the people. Let us always listen to the people and seek to serve them and meet their needs and going forward I call for more frequent dialogue with us in the central Government.”

President Mnangagwa said councillors and council officials were key stakeholders in the country’s economic growth and attainment of Vision 2030 aimed at transforming Zimbabwe’s economy into an upper middle-income status.

“You are the people who either make our towns function or dysfunction,” he said.

“This critical conference provides us with an opportunity to share first hand information on some of the pressing issues and key matters relevant to the urban local government sector, as well as our national aspirations as a nation. In doing so, it is ideal for us to come up with solutions on how to tackle the various challenges encountered.”

President Mnangagwa said dialogue remained one of the core values of the Second Republic and urged councillors to continue engaging with other key stakeholders such as Government ministers, industrialists and members of the business community.

“This culture is commendable and should continue for it is only through dialogue that sustainable solutions can be found and the national cake fairly shared in the nation,” he said.

“In our engagements, let us always be guided and informed by our national interests above all. As the governance pillars at the local level, you, here gathered, are the drivers of local economy, which I call the provincial economies.”

President Mnangagwa underscored the need to speed up the implementation of devolution, saying it was pivotal in the economic growth of communities at provincial and metropolitan levels.

“My Government is desirous to give full meaning to devolution,” he said.

“The concept of devolution has been there for many years, but I have said we must now implement it.

“It is only through this approach that we can achieve sustainable development that leaves no one behind. It is my belief that the central Government cannot prioritise the needs of a community far away from Harare, but the people of that community themselves should be empowered to resolve and be able to prioritise their challenges to achieve solutions in their communities.

“The days of Harare, the capital city being bambazonke as far as development is concerned are over. Under my administration our communities shall have equal opportunities to realise socio-economic development of our people.”

President Mnangagwa said his vision was to see distinct provincial economies developing and competing against each other in line with Vision 2030.

“There is not a single province which has no advantages and opportunities relative to itself,” he said. “Our success or failure as a nation is best depicted by your collective performance. You must, therefore, take it upon yourself to gear up for higher productivity, growth and job creation as we accelerate our journey towards Vision 2030.”

President Mnangagwa said local authorities had a responsibility to create jobs, wealth and modernise the economy which they superintend over in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

“Our citizens have entrusted us with a responsibility of bettering their livelihoods,” he said. “As servant leaders we must serve them well and build a Zimbabwe we all want.

“It is important for all of us in central Government and you the local authorities to close ranks and create synergies and work with a unity of purpose. The provision of key services such as clean water, modern and efficient solid waste management systems, good roads, educational institutions, well-stocked primary health care facilities, among other social amenities can only be realised if we constantly dialogue, collaborate and share challenges and solutions which we face.

“The new culture in the Second Republic is that there is no longer an us and they, we are all Zimbabweans, one people, united for the love of our country and desire to serve our communities and improve the quality of life of our masters, who are our people.”

President Mnangagwa said urban settlements were the face of the country in the outside world, hence the need for councils to address the issue of the general well-being of people that will leave a lasting impression on visitors, tourists and investors.

“The performance of all our local urban authorities must, therefore, be cementation of what Zimbabwe is and aspires to be,” he said.

“Local authorities have an obligation of delivering affordable, efficient, reliable and sustainable services to the people.

“Their performance ultimately influences the performances of all other sectors within their respective localities and cumulatively the country as a whole will be influenced. I urge you all to streamline operations and prioritise activities in line with the national agenda.”

President Mnangagwa said Government ministers should work closely with local authorities, provincial and metropolitan councils to achieve the national development agenda.

“In the Second Republic, let us focus less on politics and more on economics, productivity and job creation,” he said. “In between general elections there should be development, growth and collaboration.

“The development of our country has been stagnant for too long mainly due to illegal economic sanctions imposed on us. Now lets us work together and catch up with others in the region and beyond, and working together no challenges are insurmountable.”

President Mnangagwa said Government was committed to facilitating capital expenditure for local authorities, with some of the funds having since been disbursed to local authorities and being used to complement priority projects such as water and sanitation and other capital projects.

“Councils should exhaust funds, not through buying cars or air conditioners, no, that money should be spent on development,” he said.

“In the past we used to source financing from the World Bank, however, since the imposition of illegal economic sanctions, we are unable to access funds for infrastructure development, but we are not going to mourn because we have resources and we must be financial engineers so that we are able to do the things that we want on the basis of our domestic resources.”

President Mnangagwa urged councils to develop innovative and robust strategies to help accelerate infrastructure projects.

He urged banks and the private sector to partner local authorities in developing modern infrastructure within communities.

President Mnangagwa warned councils against allowing the abuse of wetlands, saying Government was working on modalities to address the effects of climate change.

He urged councils to embrace clean-up campaigns, as well as beautification and landscaping within their areas.

By Rujeko Hither Mpambwa

Patsaka Nyaminyami Community Radio- Political Correspondent

14 November 2019

Kariba residents furiously expressed their sentiments over maize seed which they claim was being distributed on a partisan basis since Monday.

Abundance of people were heard complaining that they were being discriminated politically on seed distribution which they say ZANU PF supporters were the sole beneficiaries of the project.

On Monday soon after distribution, a pseudo named figure, Pengere, posted on a WhatsApp platform that he witnessed Mr Samu Mawawo and his crew distributing seed using ZANU PF structures. Pengere went further saying ZANU PF leadership was walking around ward 3 where Farai Mageva of MDC is the councillor, with registers under their armpits visiting their party members’ houses.

In another note, a woman who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that ZANU PF leaders were engaging in whirlwind tours charging the already poor people $3s prior to receipt of maize claiming that these were for transport to ferry the seed.

“Vana Mugumbate, Musokota naSichaya varikufamba vachinyora vanhu vachivabhadharisa ma$3 vachiti ndeetransport ekutakurisa mbeu yacho,” she exposed.

Many elderly people in ward 5 and 6 have not managed to get in touch with logic and the rationale connecting this seed distribution to those distributing it! What raises many’s eyebrows is that distributors are those who lost the July 2018 elections!

However, Kariba constituency Member of Parliament Hon. John Houghton challenged the practise saying that distribution of food aid and farming inputs on a partisan basis was in violation of the constitution of Zimbabwe and the humanitarian charter!

The MP, this afternoon, went further articulating on social media that benefiting from the government was everyone’s right! And it is therefore, a criminal offence to bar a citizen to access such benefits.

The MP requested to be furnished with names attached to such politically discriminatory activities so that the matter could be investigated and any alleged culprits be brought to justice.

Supplementary to the above, His worship, Mayor George Masendu also spoke on the matter saying he had called the Agritex officer regarding the issue of partisan distribution of maize seed but was directed to the District Administrator. The mayor then turned to call the DA, who promised to call back. Last Monday, the DA was notified that the seeds were being distributed in wards but took no response.
According to the Mayor, the DA was just buying time by putting him on hold since when he called him again as a follow up he went mute.

Mr Masendu also confirms that a ward meeting was held in his ward 4 where Mr Dickson Magombedze, a ZRA worker and a ZANU PF leader was seen chairing without the councillor’s knowledge. The meeting resolved that neither an MDC member nor supporter was ever to get the maize seed.

In response to the MP’s concerns on the maize seed issue, Mr Mawawo, being a residents association chair lamented over how the MP was more concerned with maize seed in a town where residents were going for dozens of days without water. He even insulted the MP calling him bad names but the Hon. member did not throw back a word. Instead, just went on leave!

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Machete attackers leader Taurai Mutandwa was shot dead on Thursday in a gun exchange with the police during a gold rush near David Whitehead in Chegutu.

Mutandwa, who was also known as Kwadez, was on the police wanted list allegedly for spearheading most of the machete-related crimes here.
He was said to be the leader of the dangerous gang called “Team Barca”.

Chegutu District Development Coordinator Mr Tariro Tomu told The Herald yesterday that about seven people had been injured in machete wars between artisanal miners during the gold rush, while 33 had been arrested by Thursday.

“Gold was discovered on 12 November at a dumpsite near David Whitehead in a trench,” he said.

“There was a rush of miners. A total of seven people are said to have been injured in the attacks between the gold panners armed with some machetes.

“Police managed to disperse the gold panners and had to camp on the site.

On Monday, there was an exchange of gunfire between the police and groups of artisanal miners.

“One person was shot on the leg and abandoned the vehicle, but was rescued by his colleagues who took him to Kadoma for treatment at a private clinic.”

Mr Tomu said police had engaged Chegutu RDC chairman Councillor Tatenda Gwinji to assist with equipment to close the pit, a mission that was accomplished on Wednesday.

“Taurai Mutandwa was shot dead during the gunfire that took place between the group and police on site, and so far more than 33 people have been arrested and five vehicles recovered.”

Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna called upon artisanal miners to be patient and desist from violence while the authorities were working on paperwork to regularise their operations.

Zimbabwe Miners Federation youth chairman Mr Timothy Chizuzu condemned the use of machetes by artisanal miners and called for stiffer penalties on perpetrators.

“As ZMF youths, we condemn the use of machetes on other citizens and fellow miners,” he said.
“This has tarnished the image of all miners and is against our ethics.

“Sanity should prevail in our mining industry as we support Government in boosting investor confidence.

We appeal to Government to consider putting stiffer penalties for perpetrators.”State media

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has warned corrupt councillors and council officials who convert public funds to personal use, saying Government will not hesitate to punish them.

Addressing delegates during an Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) annual conference yesterday, President Mnangagwa said he was concerned with the level of corruption in local authorities.

“I am concerned by appalling levels of corruption and mismanagement of public funds and properties by both councillors and council officials who play hide-and-seek with Government officials in the process of financial management.

“Those who are prone to corruption, the sun is setting. As public servants, your duty is to protect such public assets in your local authorities for the improvement of the welfare of your communities.

“I exhort you to guard against putting self-interests ahead of serving the electorate and those who engage in corrupt activities shall be punished. Forewarned is forearmed.

You must monitor the activities of your fellow councillors and council officials in order to get rid of councils and indeed our society of this cancer of corruption.”

President Mnangagwa said under the Second Republic, there was need to build a legacy of good governance, accountability and transparency for the prosperity of the country.State media

By Own Correspondent| Jacob Mudenda came to me, I never harassed him, said ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza during an 1873FM discussion yesterday.

Chikanza was commenting on the 13th October interview which Mudenda reporting him to the central intelligence organisation and classifying him as a security threat.

Mudenda responding to the revelation on Tuesday blamed the involvement of the CIO on the Serbian security services. Below was the LIVE discussion part 1

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

https://youtu.be/jzMxtCNW-zw

Farai Dziva|Former Cabinet Ministers Patrick Zhuwao and Jonathan Moyo have strongly warned Joice Mujuru against returning to Zanu PF.

Zhuwao said: “Mnangagwa is hoping Dr Mujuru will be pliable enough to become another victim to kuitiswa so that he can borrow a bit of time to fend off his perennial legitimacy issues.

You can fool some of the people some time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”

Jonathan Moyo also wrote:

There’s no need to push the envelope here unless it becomes necessary.

I understand your position. It’s too early to come out. But it’s a known fact that the two of you met recently and that he sorted your pension issues out, before making the offer.”

However Mujuru said Moyo was misinformed.

Farai Dziva|Former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo insists Joice Mujuru secretly held a meeting with Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zanu PF leader indicated he was sorting out the former’s pension.

Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao also spoke of Mujuru’s move to rejoin Zanu PF: “Mnangagwa is hoping Dr Mujuru will be pliable enough to become another victim to kuitiswa so that he can borrow a bit of time to fend off his perennial legitimacy issues.

You can fool some of the people some time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”

Jonathan Moyo also wrote:

There’s no need to push the envelope here unless it becomes necessary.

I understand your position. It’s too early to come out. But it’s a known fact that the two of you met recently and that he sorted your pension issues out, before making the offer.”

However Mujuru said Moyo was misinformed.

ZAPU has been seized with a fact finding mission for the past 4 weeks following an outcry from the citizens of this country over the recruitment of student nurses.

The loudest protestations were from the southern region of the country which felt hard done by the recruitment exercise. The people of the region felt they had not received their expected fair share of the available training vacancies.

The citizens claimed that the e-recruitment system introduced by the ministry allegedly on the recommendation of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission had disadvantaged the region while favouring the northern region with particular emphasis on Harare Metropolitan Province.

ZAPU wants DEVOLUTION to be implemented as per the Constitution so that local people benefit from local resources, be it schools, colleges and all other institutions.

We therefore urge the government to assist people to access their local resources accordingly.

A team was thus set up and sent on a fact finding mission with a mandate to engage the concerned authorities from institutions, ministry and right up to the presidency of the country if need be and gather evidence of this injustice.

Please note that ZAPU already knew the root cause of the injustice that manifested itself in the recruitment exercise. ZAPU knows the solution to this same injustice as well. But due process had to be followed to gather evidence.

Evidence has been gathered by our team through its engagement with the affected candidates, local communities, hospital authorities and government right up to the presidency.

The injustice and solution are all premised on one principle – the system of governance. The zanu government is refusing, neglecting and failing to implement DEVOLUTION as a system of governance as demanded by the citizens of this country in 2013 and provided for by the Constitution of that same year.

Over half a decade and 2 regimes later successive corrupt zanu governments are still afraid to implement DEVOLUTION.

Zimbabwe is increasingly restless as shown by the widespread social decay. Doctors have been on strike for 12 weeks, nurses and teachers are on a 2 day week because they cannot afford to report for duty daily.

Both professions as well as the rest of the civil service are threatening full blown industrial action. The government is becoming increasingly intolerant and descending with a heavy arm on citizens who are victims of these social ills.

This was clearly shown by the illegal, hurried and ill-advised detention of Brunapeg villagers who had accompanied our team members to engage the authorities at St. Anne’s Hospital on Tuesday the 12th of November.

Needless to say that the police could not find a charge to prefer against either the villagers or members of our team who were released after a show of intimidation.

All this is simply because the corrupt regime of zanu is terrified of implementing DEVOLUTION.

ZAPU, the mother party, will as a parent does to a wayward child force zanu to take and swallow the bitter but necessary medicine to cure the ills afflicting our beloved country.

The cure is DEVOLUTION. Zanu has, as a wayward child behaves, abdicated its sworn and obligatory role of upholding, protecting and implementing the Constitution of this country. ZAPU the caring parent will force zanu to uphold, protect and implement the Constitution.

Not against the continued corrupt and illegal implementation of a centralized e-application system against the dictates of Constitutional Devolution. We cannot continue to watch idly while the government implements corruption instead of DEVOLUTION.

In the same breath we would like to give a gentle warning to all government institutions across all provinces to expect visits from our teams together with aggrieved prospective candidates as well as affected local communities to make certain that they respect DEVOLUTION in their recruitment exercises.

Thank you.

ZAPU Presidency

By A Correspondent- Most parts of Bulawayo including the Central Business District woke up on Friday without electricity on the day President Emmerson Mnangagwa was scheduled to address the Urban Councillors Association Congress in the city.

Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo on Thursday evening to preside over the Lupane State University graduation in Lupane, 175 kilometres from Bulawayo.

Later on the day, Mnangagwa was scheduled to address the UCAZ conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.

By 3pm, the city centre still had no electricity, in a development that residents said should be an embarrassment to Mnangagwa.

“He has come face to face with the power cuts that affect us on a daily basis and we hope this will inspire him and his government to act on the power crisis,” said a resident.

As we sat listening to the presentation of the 2020 national budget presented by the Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube dubbed “Gearing for Higher Productivity, Growth and Job Creation” we were very sheepishly hopeful that the era of economic growth, development and job creation had finally dawned on Zimbabwe whose depressed economy certainly needs a messianic figure which Hon Mthuli had promised to be.

However as the presentation has now come and gone many questions remain to be answered.

At the end of the painful 2019 characterised by austerity measures one hoped for a more human faced or socialistic type of budget premised on the desire to restore national confidence by returning money into the pockets of many. Since Zimbabwe has become primarily an informal economy one also hoped that the Mthulian Budget was to focus on this sector as a vehicle to the prosperity he talked about.

With the current anti sanctions outcry from government one also hoped to hear Hon Mthuli layout a road map to work out around the sanctions. Any way let us look at the provisions of the budget.

Agriculture – let’s pray for rain

Let us begin by looking at Agriculture. The good professor agrees that Agriculture is the backbone of the economy yet his budget does not resonate this position.

We continue to pray and hope for good fortunes instead of doing pre-emptive planning. Even Joseph the Bible knew the simple fact that we have to plan for poor years ahead.

In these days of modern technology we hoped to hear the professor talking of funding a comprehensive agrarian revolution premised on mechanisation.

The use of the word “better planning” makes a mockery of the budget itself. What better planning is there when we still hope rains will bring growth in Agriculture.

Countries with no rainfall at all laugh at us when they hear us hoping for rain instead of investing in water harvesting, irrigation and mechanisation. The Best the Professor had to say for Agriculture is that we should go and pray for rain.

That is his idea of what he called “better planning” Agriculture remains a major driver of growth, and is projected to expand by 5% in 2020, on the back of better expected rainfall and forward planning.

Government is also embracing Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) which harmonises agriculture development with environment protection and reduction in vulnerabilities to climate change.

In line with this thrust, emphasis will be on better planning, shared financing burden between government and private players, productivity which also relies on irrigation and marketing systems which guarantee farmer viability. The 2020 Budget makes a turning shift from ad-hoc planning to forward planning, particularly in terms of availability of inputs on the market.

Therefore, the Budget will, starting in January 2020, establish an appropriate financing plan which causes early build up and ring-fencing of both local currency resources and forex in support of domestic inputs producers and critical imported inputs.

Below is a photograph taken from the minister’s budget and one wonders whether this quality of crop and agricultural outlook can be obtained by wishful thinking and waiting for the rain.

Under the 2020 Budget, irrigation development is receiving top priority in order to guarantee food security in the country. Government will, therefore, target enough irrigable hectares for support to guarantee grain production of around 1.8 million tonnes.

For this purpose, capable farmers with irrigation facilities will be identified with a view of contracting and supporting them to produce required grains specifically for food security. The professor talks of those farmers with irrigation capacity.

The question is whether the professor does not recall that those were white farmers whom we rightly relieved of our land more than 2 decades ago.
The new farmer on the ground has no capacity. We hoped the professor was going to talk of capacitating these farmers so that they could engage in the irrigation he is dreaming about.

Over and above the challenges related to drought conditions, animal diseases are a major threat to productivity and competitiveness in the livestock sector. In 2018 and 2019, over 100 000 cattle deaths have been recorded in various parts of the country.

On animal production the finance minister talks only of cattle as if there are the only domesticated livestock in Zimbabwe. Instead of investing in improving productivity he only talks of vaccination and building dip tanks.

This again raises the question of our seriousness in causing meaningful economic growth.

Better planning according to Mthuli is when we encourage our people to take their farm produce to grocers’ shops to exchange for goods. They should go to the clothing shops with their goats and be given uniforms for their children. In this regard, the 2020 National Budget will avail resources to complete the Land Audit process to enable rectification of the anomalies under this issue.

Speculative “farmers” will ultimately be weeded out of farms, paving way for genuine farmers. The question is who made the new farmer a speculative farmer. Is it or was it by choice or government was complicit in what our new farmers turned out to be? Now we begin to question the objectives of the land audit.

Is it meant for the good of agriculture of for politicking? Who are the serious farmers the minister is talking about? Is the Mnangagwa regime planning to reverse the land reform? Without capacity how can the farmer be productive?

Government is concluding the evaluation exercise to facilitate the compensation of former commercial farmers.

To date, approximately 769 former farm owners consented to the interim payment scheme, with over 500 farmers having been paid. If government has money to compensate white farmers how does it fail to have funds to capacitate the people who got land from these white farmers.

Are white farmers more important than our people? Mining. Going through the section on mining it is safe and honest to say the minister has no plan for mineral and mining development. No mention of value addition. No mention of investment in high value minerals. No mention of speculative holding of mining claims. No mention of investment in natural gas. No mention of investing in mineral policing.

Industry

The manufacturing sector has immense scope for promoting our value addition thrust and hence facilitate higher value added output, value chains, diversification, export earnings and import substitution, which all underpin the growth and job creation thrust of 2020 Budget.

The Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy seeks to support innovation-led and investment-led industrialisation to increase capacity utilisation to above 70% by 2023, through targeting the following pillars and strategies:
• Import Substitution
• Export-led Industrialisation
• Strengthening Value Chains
• Mineral Beneficiation and Value Addition
• Industrial Parks and Innovation Hubs

I have to ask an honest question. Did the professor do this budget or one of the clerks in the ministry did it for him. Surely if this is the minister’s scope or understanding of industry then we are doomed.

I thought since agribusinesses was not mentioned above we will get them here. What of informal industries? What of the influx of cheap foreign goods? What of recapitalisation of defunct industries? What of government companies? What of the car manufacturing industries? What of the issues to do with FDIs? What of Transnational corporations?

The minister only throws words like value addition and import substitution without highlighting which areas exactly he is talking about. If he does not and claims he did what basis will we take him to account.

Additionally, the Budget will promote venture capital to support ailing industries and start-ups which are an important vehicle for the resuscitation of the local industry. Which or whose are these so called ailing industries.

Maybe the minister should provide us with his budget notes so that we are on the same page with him.

Development of Rural Growth Points

The devolution programme should embrace the rural growth points development model anchored by cascading Special Economic Zones to the respective growth points. Growth points will, therefore, be considered on the basis of comparative advantage of the area. Local authorities have, therefore, a greater role in promoting this development concept through developing the necessary infrastructure and investment mobilisation initiatives. Emphasis is on ensuring that targeted growth points have the necessary basic infrastructure of portable water and sanitation.

The Central Government on its part will provide relevant fiscal incentives. The million dollar question is why the minister included this in his budget if it is a function of local authorities. Is the minister now budgeting for local authorities?

Tourism

Tourism is recognised as one of the pillars anchoring Zimbabwe’s economic growth and job creation strategies alongside agriculture, mining and manufacturing. Mthuli Ncube says Tourism is ‘recognised’. I wonder who recognises it. It appears he does not. I also wonder whether the minister has a correct definition of tourism.

From where I am standing it seems in the minister’s book there is nothing called domestic tourism. We plan for international tourists whom we hope will come yet we fail to plan for our own local tourists.

We mention luxury coaches and fail to mention local buses and commuter Omnibuses who take part in both local and international tourism. The Minister also forgot to talk of face-lifting the tourist resort centres and developing new resort areas dotted around the country.
Construction

The construction industry will remain a key contributor to the country’s GDP, as well as employment creation, both in the medium and long term.

The huge infrastructure deficit in the form of modern roads, public infrastructure, residential houses, dams, schools and hospitals, among others, undeniably requires a thriving construction industry.

The country’s growing population, and hence rapid urbanisation, also require development of huge and sustainable infrastructure.

Notwithstanding a challenging macroeconomic environment, a growth of 0.5% is projected for the sector, which is conditional to Government meeting the following requirements: Improving the process of obtaining building permits;
• Promoting contract arrangements/regulations that encourage
• Foreign contractors to work with local partners to promote skills and technology transfer and sharing;
• Provision of affordable land;
• Mobilisation of affordable lines of credit to the construction industry for re-tooling purposes; and
• Sanitisation of management of state lands by regularizing confusion caused by land barons.

Again one wonders this section was included if construction is not a function of government. Why would we plan for private players and leave out the component of government? Who is going to build the roads, railway lines, health institutions and schools?

Housing and Amenities

The National Housing Delivery Programme seeks to address the country’s housing backlog, estimated to be around 1.3 million within the context of urban renewal/regeneration.

This involves the modernisation of old or dilapidated superstructures and the attendant infrastructural services such as sewer and water. Again this section shows a lack of seriousness on the part of the minister.

It again raises the question of whether it was him who prepared this budget. What exactly are we budgeting for here? There seems to be no government thrust towards housing.

The Minister is simply rumbling over the issue without stating exactly what housing project and where it is going to be done. If it is a function of local authorities and private players he should have simply left it out. How can the minister say government is going to give local authorities land when land belongs to local authorities?

We hoped to hear government provision of funds to local authorities to provide houses. He talks of civil service housing in passing without clearly mentioning the demand and where these houses are needed.

The mention of the Mt Hampden project is actually an insult. The project has appeared in every budget and one wonders whether its actually taking place.

The other issue is to do with the location of the project. Why would we locate such a big project on prime agricultural land?

JOB CREATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Jobs are the foundation of any economy and high levels of unemployment depict the economy’s structural weakness which invariably promote poverty, inequality and social problems.

In recognition of this, the 2020 Budget prioritises jobs creation which relies on formal employment opportunities and entrepreneurship. In particular the youth are targeted in as much they make an important contribution as productive workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and agents of change.

Taking advantage of this demographic dividend can also speed up the pace for economic development Under the 2020 Budget, a fiscal incentive is being introduced to support employers who generate jobs for our young job seekers.

Any additional job created will attract a percentage tax credit to the employer. Again, despite accepting that employment is key and the youth are important the minister displays his lack of seriousness by quickly disowning the youth and relegating the responsibility for employing them to private players.

The minister says he wishes the youth well in their search of jobs but does not say he will employ them. The youth will be employed and we will clap hands for those who employ them.

In his budget there is no provision for public works programmes for the youth. There is no provision for loans for young entrepreneurs. No provision for youth capacity building. There is no provision for employment creation by government.

In short the budget is not people sensitive neither is it pro poor and will not endure sustainable human development.

Economic growth should move hand in glove with human development.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
LEAD President

By A Correspondent- Harare regional magistrate, Mr Hosea Mujaya has sentenced former Finance Director of the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), Sinon Mudzingwa Taranhike to 15 months in jail for criminal abuse of office.

Mujaya had initially sentenced Taranhike to 30 months in prison before suspending 6 months on condition of good behaviour. He also suspended 9 months on condition that Taranhike pays back 1 800 litres of fuel to Zinara before December 31 2019.

Taranhike was arrested in June this year after it came to light that he had “bullied” a junior ZINARA employee into releasing 1 800 litres of fuel to some members of the local media and also abused the parastatal’s petty cash.

In passing the judgment, the magistrate observed that Taranhika had not directly benefitted from the scandal, was a family man, lost his job and was a first time offender.

-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Striking doctors this Friday met with the government in a bid to find a way to end the prolonged industrial action which has left patients stranded.

Junior, senior and specialist doctors awaiting licensure were all present at today’s meeting where they presented their minimum conditions for them to return to work.

No agreement has been reached as yet as Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Obadiah Moyo is expected to forward the doctors’ requests to “relevant authorities: for approval.

The Herald reports that a joint statement is expected to be released tonight by the Ministry when and or if approval has been made to doctors’ requests.

By A Correspondent- A member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) who is also the chairman of Alpha Media Holdings, Trevor Ncube has expressed sadness over the “cash withdrawal scandal” in the country.

His remarks come after pictures of huge amounts of new coins and notes which were withdrawn from Ecobank and CBZ made rounds on social media this week with some alleging that the banks were feeding cash into the parallel market.

The central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe conducted investigations which implicated the two banks who revealed that the cash was legally withdrawn by their customers.

Meanwhile, some depositors are, as per the RBZ regulations only allowed to withdraw a maximum of $300 which is insignificant considering that the economy is inflationary.

Posting on Twitter after all the drama, Ncube said that the scandal represented the egocentric mindset of the nation as a whole.

He said:

“Watching this cash withdrawal scandal has been disheartening. Greed, institutional and corporate malfeasance and corruption have become a strong subculture. It is our collective national psyche that is in full display. We are so broken.”

The new notes and coins were released this Tuesday and it seems as if cash dealers on the parallel market have more cash than official traders

By A Correspondent- A grade 1 pupil died at Komba Primary school in Lupane, Matebeleland succumbed to injuries sustained when heavy winds blew the roof of buildings and destroyed other infrastructure.

This was revealed by Cite ZW who posted on Twitter saying:

Komba Primary School, Lupane is appealing for donations after strong whirlwinds blew the school’s infrastructure, causing the death of a grade one pupil. cite.org.zw/pupil-dies-as-… Well-wishers can send cash to AgriBank Lupane Branch: 127000002968.

In a related but different case, heavy winds and rains blew the roof of a school in Chimanimani, Manicaland Province last night.

-Cite.ZW

By A Correspondent- Some top ZANU PF officials are reportedly not happy with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Cabinet reshuffle which saw some perceived incompetent ministers retaining Cabinet posts.

Zimbabwe Independent reports that there are some within the ruling party who believe that Mnangagwa made new appointments merely to consolidate his grip on power.

One unnamed senior government official who spoke to Zimbabwe Independent said that the president reshuffled the Cabinet for ethnic balancing purposes since there complaints about the absence of Zezurus from Mnangagwa’s team. The official added:

We, however, expected him to drop ineffective ministers among them the Health minister (Moyo) who has shown all and sundry that he has no capacity to deal with issues affecting his ministry. He has failed to find solutions to the prolonged doctors’ strike which has exposed the government.

There have been allegations that Mnangagwa was appointing his allies with Midlands and Masvingo backgrounds the way Mugabe surrounded himself with Zezurus.

When Mnangagwa ascended to power, he appointed some technocrats among them, Professor Mthuli Ncube thereby giving the general public the impression that his main concern was bringing national goals and objectives to fruition.

-TheIndependent

Former Zanu PF political commissar and cabinet minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, is plotting to form a Grand Government of National Unity (GGNU), if he wins the country’s 2023 presidential elections, Spotlight Zimbabwe, can reveal.

Insider officials running Kasukuwere’s presidential cyber campaign and another controversial movement called #TysonWabantu, said the politician currently based in South Africa intends to form a GGNU, comprising of all key opposition leaders, including MDC Alliance president, Nelson Chamisa, who is likely to be appointed vice president or prime minister in the grand coalition administration.

Former first lady, Grace Mugabe, and one time powerful information czar in President Robert Mugabe’s government, Jonathan Moyo, are also being linked with presidium positions, should Kasukuwere’s government come to power.

“There is a massive war chest in place for this purpose my friend, “said one of Kasukuwere’s strategists in Harare. “Kasukuwere is going to form what we are terming a Grand Government of National Unity (GGNU), better than the GNU we had in 2009. From our expert polling projections we expect him (Kasukuwere) to split the Zanu PF and opposition votes, and that is potentially enough to carry him past the 50+1 electoral threshold required to become president and form a government.”

Another Kasukuwere camp insider said the 2023 polls are simply a game of numbers, which the former minister can garner in his favour. “2023 is about electoral numbers and maths, which Kasukuwere can garner in his favour with a little bit of extra campaign hard work. Zanu PF is going to perform dismally with an exit poll projection of around 15 percent, while we expect the MDC Alliance to slide down from their 2018 performance, to about 30 percent votes. Kasukuwere can therefore invite Chamisa and the smaller parties, to form government.”

“It’s going to be an all inclusive government and we might witness former first lady, Grace Mugabe, and Jonathan Moyo becoming vice presidents, since Chamisa is likely to settle for the prime minister’s office to run government, while Kasukuwere, Grace and Moyo run the state. Remember where you heard it from, when it happens. A lot of heavyweights from Mugabe’s Zanu PF era, shall also bounce back, and there might be one or two new ministers picked from Mnangagwa’s defeated Zanu PF for the purpose of national unity and development.”

Kasukuwere’s political movement’s twitter handle claims to be a social movement established for leadership rebirth in Zimbabwe, under the former minister’s rule.

“#TysonWabantu Movement is a Social Movement created for Generational and Leadership Renewal in Zimbabwe under the able Leadership of Saviour Kasukuwere,” reads the twitter profile.

Moyo has distanced himself from the campaign movement, which he has described as a “brainlees CIO project”, while Grace allegedly attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa this week for “running the country like a tuckshop” and warning that Mnangagwa will be “history” in three years time.

Mnangagwa has declared Kasukuwere and the oustered Zanu PF G40 faction an enemy of the State, according to party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, who addressed journalists after a Zanu PF politburo meeting on Wednesday night.

“He (Mnangagwa) challenged the politburo leadership to be more visible at the grassroots and associate with programmes of government, always giving people a message of hope, those hobnobbing with G40 elements stand warned,” said Khaya Moyo.

“Anybody, doesn’t matter at what level if they are hobnobbing with G40 then they stand warned. G40 is not a threat to Zanu PF. It’s a threat to the country including the MDC. It’s a threat to security and security affects everyone.”

Zimbabwe’s first GNU was formed on 13 February 2009 following the inaugurations of Morgan Tsvangirai as Prime Minister and Thokozani Khuphe and Arthur Mutambara as Deputy Prime Ministers. The coalition was organized among the late Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front, Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change, and Mutambara’s MDC.

— Spotlight Zimbabwe

Correspondent|Several ZANU PF youth league members some of them with high positions have been infiltrated by the G40 says Deputy Minister of Information Energy Mutodi.

The deputy government spokesman who was retained in his post inspite of a spirited campaign by some youth league members to have him reshuffled out of the Information Ministry said the TysonWabantu campaign aiming to take control of ZANU PF was “too good to resist” to some of the party youths as the G40 continues to dangle US dollar rewards to those who betray the party and its leaders.

“You have seen how some youth league members have been vocal on social media criticizing ministers but at the same time are mum when it comes to defending the party against the onslaught by Tyson and his G40”, Mutodi said.

“Some of these youths write some colorful messages praising the President while in the background they plan his downfall”.

“They have gone to the extent of trying to tarnish my image by accusing me of selling money on the streets, a practice that no one of my calibre can ever do”.

“I understand that my response to their campaign has been hard-hitting hence their desperation & disappointment”, said Mutodi

Addressing the Youth League members a couple of weeks ago, President Mnangagwa promised that youths who were hobnobbing with the vanquished G40 faction faction would be exposed and expelled. The President also repeated the warning while addressing a politburo meeting on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the Deputy Minister took to Twitter, warning his fellow ministers that the G40 was back with its dirty tactics that includes poison, explosives and other tactics, hence the need to be on high alert.

Most parts of Bulawayo including the Central Business District woke up on Friday without electricity on the day President Emmerson Mnangagwa was scheduled to address the Urban Councillors Association Congress in the city.

Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo on Thursday evening to preside over the Lupane State University graduation in Lupane, 175 kilometres from Bulawayo.

Later on the day, Mnangagwa was scheduled to address the UCAZ conference at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.

By 3pm, the city centre still had no electricity, in a development that residents said should be an embarrassment to Mnangagwa.

“He has come face to face with the power cuts that affect us on a daily basis and we hope this will inspire him and his government to act on the power crisis,” said a resident.

Byo24

Paul Nyathi|Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee hearing into Command Agriculture and Sakunda was aborted this morning after Zanu-PF legislators asked Tendai Biti to recuse himself from chairing the committee following the MDC Alliance’s refusal to recognise President Mnangagwa.

The Zanu-PF MPs took the position following the continued boycott of President Mnangagwa by MDC legislators whenever he attends parliament.

The call for Biti’s recusal was made by Chegutu West legislator Dexter Nduna and was supported by other Zanu-PF legislators prompting the adjournment of the meeting.

ZANU PF legislators walked out of the hearing that was meant to investigate corruption allegations raised against Sakunda Holdings boss, Kuda Tagwirei.

The development means that Tagwirei will not be appearing before Parliament since the Tendai Biti headed PAC no longer has a quorum.

Zanu PF legislator, Tinomudaishe Machakaire, a side kick to Tagwirei, is the one who was in the lead in commanding his Zanu PF colleagues on the committee to deny chairman Tendai Biti a quorum by walking out.

Machakaire emphasised his position on his Twitter page.

https://twitter.com/HonMachakaire/status/1195235837459542016?s=19

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

https://youtu.be/jzMxtCNW-zw

Paul Nyathi|Late former President Robert Mugabe who had a known hatrate of gays and lesbians must be turning in his grave after the High Court in Bulawayo ruled in favour of a gay persons activist.

The court ordered former Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo and police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri to pay Bulawayo transgender activist Ricky Eugene Nathanson $400 000 as compensation following “her” unlawful arrest for allegedly using a ladies’ toilet at a city hotel.

Nathanson filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing as defendants then Home Affairs Minister, Ignatius Chombo, Augustine Chihuri the then Police Commissioner General, ZRP Bulawayo Central Chief Inspector Enock Masimba and Farai Mteliso, the person who reported her to the police leading to her arrest in 2004 on charges of criminal nuisance.

Bulawayo magistrate Abednico Ndebele had acquitted Nathanson after the state had failed to prove a prima-facie case against Nathanson.

Magistrate Ndebele ruled that it was not a crime for a man to enter a female toilet or vice versa.

In the lawsuit, Nathanson accused the defendants of violating her constitutional rights.

Nathanson sought damages caused by the unlawful arrest, detention, malicious prosecution and emotional distress and contumelia.

Although Nathanson wanted to be paid US$2,7 million, former High Court judge Justice Francis Bere directed the defendants to pay the plaintiff $400 000.

“The quantification of damages is not meant to enrich the victim, but to try and salvage some kind of dignity for the pain endured by the victim,” said Justice Bere.

In his judgment handed down Thursday, Justice Bere ruled that Nathanson’s arrest and subjection to forced anatomical examination, was in violation of a citizen’s constitutional right.

“For three days, the plaintiff (Nathanson) in this case was not only deprived of her liberty, but was subjected to forced anatomical examination in the most crude and naked manner by adventurous members of the police. As if that was not enough, she was then subjected to further invasive examination by two doctors at two different medical institutions all because of her transgender status, something that she did not invite upon herself,” he said.

Justice Bere said Nathanson was arrested outside the provisions of section 25 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act. He said transgender citizens were part of the Zimbabwean society whose rights ought to be recognised as the constitution does not provide for their discrimination.

“The legislature in its wisdom put a cap on the arrest of suspects and police officers are not expected to hysterically respond to calls of the arrest of suspects, but to satisfy themselves on reasonable grounds that the suspect has committed an offence before effecting the arrest,” he said.

The judge said through the conduct of the police, Nathanson was made cheap fodder by journalists and social media.

“One cannot avoid concluding that the conduct of the police in arresting and detaining the plaintiff, was quite outrageous because clearly, they abused their discretion in arresting her. The prosecution of the plaintiff was both thoughtless and malicious,” he said.

Justice Bere ordered the defendants to pay $400 000 being damages for unlawful arrest, emotional distress, malicious prosecution and contumelia.

“In the result, the judgment be and hereby granted in favour of the plaintiff against the defendants jointly and severally the one paying the others to be absolved. The defendants pay interest at the prescribed rate on the amount awarded from the date of judgment to date of payment in full,” ruled the judge.

The defendants were also ordered to pay the legal costs.

In her testimony, Nathanson said she suffered humiliation and emotional distress when police arrested and detained her before forcing her to undergo gender verification at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).

She was arrested in a bar on January 16, 2014 by six police officers in riot gear and taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station.

Nathanson said her arrest was at the instigation of Mteliso who he accused of having acted without just, reasonable or probable cause, and malice.

Nathanson said Mteliso made a false report to the police after he tried and failed to extort money from her.

“I was escorted by police to Bulawayo Central Police Station where they forced me to strip as way of verifying my gender and I was subjected to insults and slurs by police officers. While in custody, I was also taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where I was again forced to strip and undergo medical examination,” she said.

“I was subjected to humiliating questioning, viewing and morbid curiosity by medical personnel at the hospital.”

Nathanson said she was detained for 48 hours before being taken to court.

She said the conduct by the defendants was extremely abusive, malicious, indifferent and uncaring and therefore exemplary damages must be awarded as a result of my unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution.

Cite

Own Correspondent|The real test of Zimbabwe’s spending plan – inflation – came to the fore less than 24 hours after Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube read the $3.9 billion budget for 2020 amidst an economic crisis.

Zimbabwe’s data collector ZimStat, said on Friday that inflation for October accelerated to 403 per cent, up from 290 per cent a month earlier. Month on Month inflation, doubled from 18 per cent to 39 per cent, bringing to the fore the challenge Prof. Ncube faces in realising the budget theme of productivity, growth and job creation.

The latest inflation data played into the hands of critics who have been suspicious that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his economic managers are out of touch with reality.

Tweeps accused Prof. Ncube of getting key economic indicators wrong, singling out inflation, economic growth and exchange rate.

On Thursday, Prof. Ncube unveiled the 2020 national budget that targets to grow the economy by three per cent.

The forecast from a projected 6.5 per cent contraction this year will be driven by the expected recovery of the agriculture sector and improved electricity supply.

Presenting the budget to parliament, Prof Ncube said a devastating drought and a deadly cyclone that swept through he southern African country this year had dimmed hopes of faster growth.

Prof. Ncube said the government is also banking on an array of tax incentives, tourism and investments to stimulate the economy.

He also defended austerity measures that spawned labour unrest with doctors on a two month strike to date.

“Austerity was not retribution, national finances were in shambles and required re-balancing,” Prof Ncube told Parliament.

To appease workers, the government said it would pay the bonus (thirteenth cheque) and allowances for civil servants at the end of November instead of over three months he had projected last month.

The budget announcement came on the backdrop of a deteriorating economic situation marked by shortages of electricity, fuel, medicines and hard currency.

Prof. Ncube said that, henceforth, electricity and fuel pricing will be on a cost recovery basis and seek to bring them in tandem with those in the region and enhance industrial competitiveness.

Investors in the insurance sector, however, are required to recapitalise their businesses following a fifteen fold increase in minimum capital requirements.

To bolster energy supply, Hwange Thermal plant would be completed by 2022 and 20 more solar projects by independent power producers brought on-stream.

However, critics said an urgent review of the country’s energy sources was needed.

“It is prudent for us to slowly dilute our energy mix by phasing out thermal energy with its associated costs to the environment. Subsequently all rural electrification projects should be running on renewable energy,” ZimBollar Research Institute tweeted in its overview of the budget.

While removing retail subsidies for maize and wheat, Prof. Ncube said climate smart agriculture would be prioritised and pooled financing introduced. A national venture capital fund was also allocated more money to bolster local content creation and create jobs under a presidential youth enterprise fund.

An export revolving fund initially targeting horticulture will also be set up from January 2020 with a seed capital of $20 million.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has over the last two years been battling to reverse years of economic collapse under his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe.

In June the country ended a decade of dollarisation and re-introduced its local currency that was abandoned in 2009 due to hyperinflation.
The local unit, however, has been losing value rapidly against the US dollar due to poor exports.

Prof Ncube said the government would implement a uniform exchange rate across all sectors, in essence removing preferential allocations that were extended to the mining and power sectors. This, he said, would remove arbitrage.

A severe drought during the 2018/19 farming season and a cyclone that killed hundreds of people and destroyed infrastructure in the eastern parts of the country worsened the economic situation.

Paul Nyathi|ZANU PF Youth League National Commissariat Godfrey Tsenengamu says the Youth League will be marching to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Monday to push for the resignation of Governor John Mangudya and Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.

Tsenengamu said the two officials were responsible for the leakages of the new currency to the black market.

RBZ has since launched an investigation into the leakages of the notes and coins and Ecobank has been identified as the culprit.

Said Tsenengamu, “The currency leakages to the black market:  What investigations? Mangudya and Mthuli must just resign. We can’t have this anymore. We are marching to the RBZ offices on Monday. Enough is Enough.”

Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions(ZCTU) has described Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s 2020 National Budget presentation as a direct insult to the suffering Zimbabweans.

Read full statement below :
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) notes with disappointment the uninspiring National Budget Statement by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube presented to Parliament on November 14, 2019 under the theme ‘Gearing for Higher Productivity, Growth and Job Creation’.

It is disrespectful for the Minister to begin the Budget Statement by glorifying the suffering ordinary Zimbabweans have endured in 2019. He quotes a statement attributed to Orson Whitney, a religious leader that says, “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted …, it ministers to our education and development…”. It is insensitive that you inflict pain on your people and find a way to justify it, especially for the working people of Zimbabwe who are generally incapacitated under the current austerity measures.

As has become the norm, the Minister paints a positive picture around his “Austerity for Prosperity” mantra, insisting that the implementation of fiscal consolidation reforms resulted in “…consistent monthly budget surpluses or savings reaching ZWL$1.4 billion between January and August 2019.” Similarly, he mentions that the current account delivered a positive balance of US$116.4 million in the first half of 2019, “…which all pointed to positive signs for restoring the much needed macro-fiscal stability, and elimination of the ‘twin deficit’.” The Budget Statement is up-beat about the fiscal consolidation and restoration of ‘tight monetary policy’ following the reintroduction of the Zimbabwe Dollar.

We wonder how a Government worth its salt can talk about budget surpluses in a country failing to provide basics like water and sanitation, proper health services, with slave wages, painful electricity outages of up to 18 hours a day, failing to pay its debts, create jobs and provide meaningful social protection cover? We ask which country the Honourable Minister is coming from or is talking about? If anything, the reality on the ground is different as the economy is in a tailspin with chronic high inflation and unprecedented erosion of incomes and prejudice of pensioners that is akin to the period of hyperinflation in 2007-2008. The re-introduction of the local currency against a context of a highly unstable economy and shortage of foreign currency reserves has spelt doom and gloom for ordinary folk.

Even Government itself had indicated it would not re-introduce a local currency until the macroeconomic fundamentals were in place, but Nicodemously went against its own better judgement.

With the economy projected to decline by 6.5%, and recover by 3% in 2020 (which in itself is a mirage), there is no immediate respite for ordinary Zimbabweans, especially as the economy is clearly off the rails with chronic high inflation. The projected improved growth in 2020 is premised on a favourable rainfall season, improved macroeconomic stability through continued austerity; improved electricity supply through imports and other alternative sources of power; supportive tax and non-tax incentives; continued ease of doing business reforms and investment. We see these as medium to longer-term factors that may not immediately deliver better prospects in 2020.

We therefore wonder how the 2020 National Budget would mark the exit “…from austerity to growth stimulation and employment generation era through promotion of production oriented investment and productivity, without losing focus on fiscal responsibility” when the macroeconomic situation is characterized by chronic high inflation, continued shortages of foreign currency, and an emaciated populace. We may ask whether it is prudent to burn down the whole house in order to frighten the mouse away. It is therefore difficult to see how an economy in crisis can produce productivity and growth; jobs creation; competitiveness; a more sustainable and inclusive development and export diversification and import substitution all in 2020. Arguing that this growth and productivity thrust, supported by the reengagement process with the International Community “…will enable us to meet our Budget objectives,” is disingenuous.

While any tax relief measures are most welcome, we do observe that they cannot provide relief for incapacitated workers earning so little. Can the authorities not see that average minimum wages of ZWL600 are just enough for workers to have bread on their table, let alone other cost of living aspects such as food, transport, accommodation, education, health and social protection. It remains an indictment of this piecemeal approach in a chronically high inflation environment where prices are rated against the exchange rate, while wages are decoupled from it. This is the very reason workers are fighting for the rating of their wages against the exchange rate in order to achieve an equilibrium between prices and incomes.

Unless Minister Ncube climbs down from his ivory tower, there is no respite for Zimbabweans.

Japhet Moyo
SECRETARY GENERAL

By A Correspondent- Some top ZANU PF officials are reportedly not happy with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Cabinet reshuffle which saw some perceived incompetent ministers retaining Cabinet posts.

Zimbabwe Independent reports that there are some within the ruling party who believe that Mnangagwa made new appointments merely to consolidate his grip on power.

One unnamed senior government official who spoke to Zimbabwe Independent said that the president reshuffled the Cabinet for ethnic balancing purposes since there complaints about the absence of Zezurus from Mnangagwa’s team.

The official added:

We, however, expected him to drop ineffective ministers among them the Health minister (Moyo) who has shown all and sundry that he has no capacity to deal with issues affecting his ministry.

He has failed to find solutions to the prolonged doctors’ strike which has exposed the government.

There have been allegations that Mnangagwa was appointing his allies with Midlands and Masvingo backgrounds the way Mugabe surrounded himself with Zezurus.

When Mnangagwa ascended to power, he appointed some technocrats among them, Professor Mthuli Ncube thereby giving the general public the impression that his main concern was bringing national goals and objectives to fruition.

By A Correspondent- Plumtree Town Council has ceased pumping raw water citing power challenges at its water source, Mangwe Dam.

In a statement, the local government authority said that it will advise members of the public when pumping resumes.

Below is the Council’s statement in full.

PUBLIC NOTICE
KINDLY NOTE THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL CHALLENGES AT MHLANGA DAM AND MANGWE DAM. THIS HAS AFFECTED PUMPING OF RAW WATER FROM THE DAM. WE WILL ADVISE AS SOON AS PUMPING RESUMES.

ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED IS SINCERELY REGRETTED.

Farai Dziva|Former Cabinet Ministers Patrick Zhuwao and Jonathan Moyo have strongly warned Joice Mujuru against returning to Zanu PF.

Zhuwao said: “Mnangagwa is hoping Dr Mujuru will be pliable enough to become another victim to kuitiswa so that he can borrow a bit of time to fend off his perennial legitimacy issues.

You can fool some of the people some time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”

Jonathan Moyo also wrote:

There’s no need to push the envelope here unless it becomes necessary.

I understand your position. It’s too early to come out. But it’s a known fact that the two of you met recently and that he sorted your pension issues out, before making the offer.”

However Mujuru said Moyo was misinformed.