A Bulawayo man left a court in shock with his claims that he fathered 25 children with three different women in an apparent bid to avoid paying more in maintenance for his four-year-old child.
Thembelihle Ngwenya revealed his bed-hopping antics at the Bulawayo Maintenance Court after one of his alleged mistresses Sheila Sibanda applied for an upward variation following countrywide price increases.
In a bid to evade an increase in maintenance from $50 to $400 per month towards the upkeep of his four-year-old child he had with Sibanda, Ngwenya who is employed by Brooklyn Express as a conductor claimed he was the most in-demand dad in Bulawayo with 25 other children he sired with three different women.
This was after Sibanda claimed the $50 per month that was granted in November 2017 was no longer sufficient to take care of the child’s needs.
“The respondent (Thembelihle Ngwenya) was on 8 November 2017 asked to make a monthly contribution of $50 towards the upkeep of the child we had together.
“The money is however no longer enough to take care of the child’s needs and I am therefore applying for an upward variation from $50 to $400 per month,” Ngwenya’s claim reads in part.
In response, Ngwenya pulled a shocker when he argued that he could not afford to pay more than $50 as he was no longer employed and had 25 other children to look after.
“I am unable to contribute that much. I have three wives and 25 other children. I am also no longer employed after my contract was terminated on 14 October 2019,” said Ngwenya before he offered to pay between $30 and $40 per month.
Sibanda, however, shot down her ex-lover’s claims saying he was still employed and that he didn’t have those children in question he claimed to have sired with his three wives.
That prompted Bulawayo provincial magistrate Enias Magate who presided over the case during its initial appearance on 29 October to postpone it to 5 November to allow Ngwenya to bring birth certificates of “his” children and proof that he was no longer employed by Brooklyn Express.
Fearing the humiliation of a trial, Ngwenya who had initially ranked his performance in the bedroom as incredible didn’t come to court leading the provincial magistrate to grant an order in his default which compels him to pay $100 per month with effect from the end of this month.
The ruling was also after Sibanda had obtained a letter from Brooklyn Express confirming that Ngwenya was still employed as a conductor and earning $70 per week.
Another bread price increase looms after the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) hiked wheat price by about 67 percent, millers and bakeries have said.
Millers were previously purchasing wheat from GMB at $3 548 per tonne and the price is now pegged at around $5 900 per tonne.
Zimbabwe consumes about 38 000 tonnes of wheat monthly in the production of bread, confectioneries and other flour-related products.
Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) media and public relations manager, Mr Garikai Chaunza said millers could not absorb the steep hike, hence the price will be passed down to consumers.
“We see the margin increase as being high, whose costs we cannot afford to absorb,” said Mr Chaunza.
A standard loaf of bread currently retails at around $15 with in-store bakeries charging between $10 and $12. National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe president, Denis Wala said bakeries have no option but to increase the prices of all wheat or flour-based products.
“If there is a movement in the cost of raw materials it means that the price of bread is also likely to increase.
“When we are looking at the issue of raw materials we are not only looking at flour but there is also issue of electricity and we all know that Zesa recently reviewed their tariffs.”
In a terse response, Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said: “The past week has seen the reduction in the price of bread. I think it is still early to comment, let us wait to hear what the respective associations say in the coming week.”
Infiltration and destabilization of the people’s party will be resisted.
The MDC Youth Assembly is deeply disturbed by the provocative moves of what is visibly state sponsored violence on our party headquarters and its leadership.
While our national leaders from all the provinces were busy discussing possible solutions to the national crisis, we were all shocked that some 25 hired individuals working in cahoots with state actors attempted to divert our NEC meeting by bringing placards to demonstrate urging the party to support Zanu pf in the call for the removal of sanctions.Curiously, the hired individuals were chanting slogans calling for the readmission of Khupe into the party.
As MDC Youth Assembly we would like to give a clear warning that being the last line of defense of the party we are not going to fold our hands while our leadership and party headquarters is under attack.
Conspicuous by their absence during the skirmishes was the police who always park their vehicle adjacent to our headquarters.
As such we have every reason to believe that yesterday’s attempted attack on our party had traces of state involvement written all over.
We also have it on good authority that a NEC member working in cahoots with political renegade Rhino Mashaya organized a clandestine meeting somewhere near Africa Unit Square to ambush and attack our leadership while in a NEC meeting.
This is not the first time when this NEC member has proven beyond any doubt that he is a threat to the stability of the party, we are very much tolerant but our tolerance must not be taken for granted.
The presence of The Herald photographers embedded in company of some hired rogue youths whom we later discovered were borrowed from ZANU PF is a clear pointer that the whole thing was preconceived and pre-planned to soil the image and name of the party in the event of a respond by our youths.
As MDC Youth Assembly, we would like to make it clear that we are not going to treat those who betray in our midst with kids’ gloves. In this regard, we demand that Mr. Mwonzora be investigated on these allegations.
We also want to categorically make it clear that the leadership question within the party was resolved at our 5th elective Congress held in Gweru.
We will remain resolute in defending the party and its values.
DOCTORS' UPDATE We note with concern the continued job dismissals of our members. We are expecting even more doctors to be fired because almost all doctors are incapacitated. https://t.co/bNFPSFY6IV
A man from Nkayi District clobbered his neighbour with a hoe, stabbed her on the neck and went on to drink the blood that was oozing from the lifeless body.
This was revealed when Christopher Sibanda (28) of Sikhobokhobo Village appeared before a Bulawayo judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa during a Hwange High Court circuit which sat on Friday.
Sibanda, however, escaped the death penalty after a special verdict was passed due to his insanity.
Justice Mabhikwa found Sibanda not guilty of murder arguing that he could not be held to account as he was a mental patient.
He commuted him to Mlondolozi Mental Institution.
According to a statement of agreed facts between the State led by Mrs Martha Cheda and defence counsel, Mr Daniel Ncube of Legal Aid Directorate, on 27 June 2018 at around 3pm, Sibanda met Ms Sibusisiwe Sigauke along a footpath in Sikhewu village.
He was carrying a hoe handle, an adze, knife, black satchel and black pot.
The court heard that Ms Sigauke was coming from Kana Business Centre on her way home.
Without warning or provocation, Sibanda struck the deceased several times on the head with a hoe handle before stabbing her on the neck with a knife.
She died on the spot.
A passerby, Leonard Masuku who was using the same path found Sibanda sitting on top of deceased’s body and was sucking blood which was oozing out of the wound on her neck.
He rushed back to Kana Business Centre where he reported the matter to the police.
Upon his arrest police recovered a blood-stained knife and hoe handle which was broken into three pieces as a result of the attack.More in Home
Following his arrest Sibanda was taken to court before being referred to Mlondolozi Prison for psychiatric evaluation where he was found to have been mentally unstable at the time of commission of the offence.
The State and defence counsel submitted that the court retain a special verdict to the effect that Sibanda be found not guilty of murder because of insanity as guided by section 29 (2) (a) of the Mental Health Act.
Just like the 2018 elections, the subsequent by-elections have been marred by serious electoral malpractices.
Regrettably, several attempts by the MDC to engage ZEC, have not surprisingly, failed to any positive results.
Indeed, it is evident to the MDC, that both the by-elections in Tsholotsho and Wedza have not been spared.
Intimidation of voters through village heads continues.
A declaration of resettlement areas as no go areas for the MDC continue to stuff out right to campaign as well the right of citizens to make political choices in line with section 67 of the Constitution.
We therefore place it on record that the election environment is still characterised by closure of democratic space and abuse of state entities to the benefit of ZANUPF.
ZEC continues to look the other way where complains are raised.
Clear electoral fraud, bribery and criminal abuse of office by Obadiah Moyo was ignored, resultantly ZANUPF has found an incentive to continue on that path.
The run up to today’s by- elections at Tsholotsho was full of abuse of State institutions to ZANUPF’s advantage including biased distribution of food aid.
The long and short of it is that the by-election results will without doubt reflect a dividend of lack of holistic electoral reform.
ZEC had no capacity to run a credible election it must be disbanded, reconstituted and allow Zimbabwe to be on a new path towards a cure of the crisis of legitimacy which is causing unpalatable suffering of the masses.
It is no longer an MDC issue, but a national one; electoral reforms are urgent.
This also explains why the MDC, through its RELOAD strategy, is insisting that until comprehensive reforms are conducted; elections results will never be a true reflection of the Zimbabwean voters.
The inclussion of Knowledge Musona in the Warriors provisional squad for the two AFCON 2021 Group H qualifiers against Botswana and Zambia has generated a lot of debate in the local football arena.
Musona, who has not featured for his Belgian side RSC Anderlecht or at least appear in the match day squad this season under two different coaches, was included by interim coach Joey Antipas in the squad, which came as somewhat a surprise to many considering his lack of both game time and match fitness.
The man whom many credit for Musona’s success as a player, Aces Youth Academy Director and coach, Marc Duvillard, belives the decision to include the 29-year-old in the Warriors setup, is a weird one.
“Maybe he has been called because he is the captain, maybe he will be on the bench and come in and play 20 minutes or so,” Duvillard told The Sunday Mail.
“To put him in the starting eleven might not help. Psychologically, he is not in a good condition.
His club coach says he doesn’t want him. One moment he goes on loan, he comes back and says he will fight for the jersey but still he doesn’t play.”
Kaizer Chiefs stand-in skipper Willard Katsande, who led his side to an entertaining 3-2 win over bitter rivals Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium today, says the derby comes out to who wants it more and they did.
Amakhosi beat their arch-rivals in the league for the first time since 2014 and the Zimbabwean midfielder praised his teammates for a job well-done.
Speaking to SuperSport TV after the tension-filled encounter, Katsande said:
“Derbies are always difficult, they are not based on the previous game, you can do the profiling but at the end of the day it comes down to who wants it more.”
“We did slip up a bit, conceding two goals after leading 2-0. We knew they were going to throw everything at us in search of the winener, but we kept our balance,” Katsande said.Soccer24
Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly sworn he will make further changes to his Cabinet after last Friday’s mini-reshuffle that saw some ministers being redeployed and new deputies appointed, it has emerged.
Mnangagwa appointed Kazembe Kazembe as the new Home Affairs minister to replace Cain Mathema, who was moved to the Primary and Secondary Education portfolio.
Paul Mavhima, who was the Primary and Secondary Education minister, was appointed Public Service and Social Welfare minister to replace Sekesai Nzenza, who was shunted to the Industry and Commerce ministry, a portfolio previously held by Mangaliso Ndlovu.
Ndlovu replaced Prisca Mupfumira in the Environment, Climate Change and Tourism ministry after she was fired for alleged corruption.
Mnangagwa created a new ministry of National Housing and appointed an additional five deputy ministers.
Zanu-PF insiders said the reshuffle was meant to deal with growing concerns in the ruling party that Mnangagwa had concentrated power in the Midlands.
Mnangagwa was also under pressure to pacify Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s supporters, and those in the military, the sources said.
What has angered the military are a few points of irritation which involve the appointing of personal friends and own family members to senior positions in government. Mnangagwa cushioned himself with smiling yes men and women. Since 2018 elections, he hadn’t reshuffled his cabinet, apart from the duo – Prisca Mupfumira, and Joram Gumbo “shake up.”
In addition to this, below are some of Mnangagwa’s controversial appointments:
– Local Govt Minister July Moyo is Mnangagwa’s uncle.
– CIO minister Owen “Mudha” Mcube is Mnangagwa’s nephew.
– Fortune Chasi. He has been Mnangagwa’s lawyer, financier and also his deputy.
– Ziyambi Ziyambi is Mnangagwa’s sekuru (cousin). The Ziyambis come from Dambudzo’s village (located between Shurugwi and Zvishavane). He has a farm in Zvimba but his farm is in Shurugwi. (It is 40km from Shurugwi to Dambudzo village.
– Mthuli Ncube used to run a bank called Barbican in which Mnangagwa was a silent Director and he (Mnangagwa) was given a huge loan which led the bank’s sudden collapse. The bank was closed down by former RBZ governor Gideon Gono on the basis of a liquidity failure. During that time Mnangagwa shielded Mthuli Ncube from arrest and Mthuli Ncube flew out of the country together with his family. When Mnangagwa became President after the removing former president Robert Mugabe, he ended up appointing Mthuli Ncube in order to pay him back.
– Mnangagwa’s sister married to another Moyo(not related to July), the husband of the sister’s older brother is Obadiah Moyo (now appointed minister of Health). Obadiah Moyo has no parliamentary constituency, and yet he was unceremoniously handpicked by Mnangagwa.
– Mnangagwa’s mother is a Hungwe (sister to the former Masvingo Minister Josiah Hungwe). The Chairman of the Public Service Commission is another Hungwe.
The Matemadanda Factor.
The military is irked by the appointment of Victor Matemadanda. They say he was just a taxi driver during the war, he was just a runnser boy for Mnangagwa. Matemadanda was Mnangagwa’s father’s taxi driver. They allege he was appointed a war veteran by Mnangagwa on the mere basis of proximity with Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa has removed a top military general who is a flying academic, Engelbert Rugeje, to replace him with a mere taxi driver. Is the army happy with this? Mnangagwa has stepped onto the military’s tail, it is said.
Then Comes in the Auxillia Irritation.
When Mnangagwa became President, he created an office for his wife, Auxillia, meaning she becomes a paid civil servant by virtue of her husband’s appointment. That is not constitutional. Auxillia travels in government cars, and she has an office at state house. She has become a top civil servant who can walk into any office and demand… She went to the government parastatal, Natpharm and harrassed workers there. She went to pharamacists. She also went to the Ministry Of Justice and harrassed officers there complaining why they are not arresting people who are corrupt. .
Auxillia is the one said to have gotten politburo member, Prisca Mupfumira arrested in September this year. The latter was arrested “on instruction” of Auxillia following the below interview with ZimEye.
It is without doubt Auxillia has been given too much power and her presence has continued as an irritation to both the military and the intelligence.
Meanwhile the sources claimed that the second reshuffle expected anytime will see Mnangagwa dropping some ministers from his Cabinet and reassigning others.
Presidential Affairs minister Jorum Gumbo, who is being investigated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission over the botched Zimbabwe Airways deal and other scandals is said to be one of the bigwigs facing an uncertain future.
“The changes are motivated by the president’s desire to consolidate power and do tribal balancing more than performance,” the source said.
“There are a lot of political reasons why three people from Mashonaland East, Chiwenga’s home province were appointed.”
Mnangagwa appointed Murehwa North MP Daniel Garwe as the National Housing and Social Amenities minister, Hwedza North MP David Musabayana as the new Foreign Affairs deputy minister and Hwedza South MP Tinoda Machakarika as the new Youth and Sport deputy minister. They all hail from Mashonaland East.
Chiwenga, who is in China where he has been receiving treatment for several months, is said to be leading a faction in Zanu-PF and is angling to take over from Mnangagwa.
The faction is said to be unhappy about the fact that most ministers in the Cabinet appointed by Mnangagwa after last year’s elections were either from Midlands or Masvingo provinces.
Besides ministers, a number of permanent secretaries and directors appointed after Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe following a coup in 2017 are from the Midlands.
“Mnangagwa is realising that most of the people he has been appointing are from the Midlands,” another source added. “He now wants to decentralise power to balance in preparation for his re-election campaign in 2023.”
Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba yesterday said the president had the prerogative to appoint people he feels suit his vision.
Charamba said there was no way the president could make changes that weakened him.
He quipped, “So they expect the president to dismantle [his power]?”- Byo24/Additional reporting
Afro Jazz musician Nox Guni’s wife speaks after her husband was touched repeatedly by two women while on stage in the early hours of Sunday morning. Tallyn speaks to ZimEye outside the venue in West Yorks
The MDC is totally unimpressed and unmoved by the Cabinet reshuffle. Worse still, the reshuffle means Zimbabwe now has a useless and expensive bloated Cabinet that will only prove to be a real waste of hard earned tax payers money.
It is our strong and unequivocal stance that no matter how many times the Cabinet maybe reshuffled; this will in no way make any difference to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Indeed, the crisis in Zimbabwe is much bigger than a mere Cabinet reshuffle.
The crisis in Zimbabwe is clearly a crisis of political legitimacy and continued bad governance as demonstrated by the ever rising high levels of corruption in the country. Zimbabwe will remain in perpetual crisis because it has a lack of visionary leadership that is derived from a popular mandate from the long suffering masses of Zimbabwe.
The people’s party remains clear and resolute in its stance that as long as the head of the Cabinet is not a popularly elected President; no amount of reshuffles will be able to turn the dire Zimbabwean situation around.
In line with its RELOAD strategy document, the MDC is very clear that the first step towards the restoration of normalcy in Zimbabwe will only happen once there is unconditional acknowledgment that there is real need of a genuine or credible all inclusive national dialogue facilitated by a neutral convenor.
The same dialogue process must also be able agree on a transitional mechanism that will facilitate the implementation of comprehensive reforms. Once this is all done, free and fair elections will then be held, that will enable Zimbabwe to have an undisputed popularly elected President.
As such, unless and until that happens first; no Cabinet reshuffle will be able to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
MDC@20: Celebrating Courage, Growth and the People’s Victories
Daniel Molokele
National Spokesperson
Movement For Democratic Change
The MDC is totally unimpressed and unmoved by the Cabinet reshuffle. Worse still, the reshuffle means Zimbabwe now has a useless and expensive bloated Cabinet that will only prove to be a real waste of hard earned tax payers money.
It is our strong and unequivocal stance that no matter how many times the Cabinet maybe reshuffled; this will in no way make any difference to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Indeed, the crisis in Zimbabwe is much bigger than a mere Cabinet reshuffle.
The crisis in Zimbabwe is clearly a crisis of political legitimacy and continued bad governance as demonstrated by the ever rising high levels of corruption in the country. Zimbabwe will remain in perpetual crisis because it has a lack of visionary leadership that is derived from a popular mandate from the long suffering masses of Zimbabwe.
The people’s party remains clear and resolute in its stance that as long as the head of the Cabinet is not a popularly elected President; no amount of reshuffles will be able to turn the dire Zimbabwean situation around.
In line with its RELOAD strategy document, the MDC is very clear that the first step towards the restoration of normalcy in Zimbabwe will only happen once there is unconditional acknowledgment that there is real need of a genuine or credible all inclusive national dialogue facilitated by a neutral convenor.
The same dialogue process must also be able agree on a transitional mechanism that will facilitate the implementation of comprehensive reforms. Once this is all done, free and fair elections will then be held, that will enable Zimbabwe to have an undisputed popularly elected President.
As such, unless and until that happens first; no Cabinet reshuffle will be able to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
MDC@20: Celebrating Courage, Growth and the People’s Victories
Daniel Molokele
National Spokesperson
Movement For Democratic Change
Liverpool’s quest to end a 30-year wait to reclaim the domestic crown that once took almost permanent residency in Anfield’s trophy room reaches a defining moment on Sunday.
If Jürgen Klopp’s side beat Manchester City it will give them a nine-point advantage over the reigning champions at the top of the table, and put them eight clear of both Leicester and Chelsea.
That would effectively mean a Liverpool side that has lost only one of their past 50 league games would need to lose at least three of their next 26 to let City back in.
The new bank notes and coins that are set to be introduced into the market tomorrow are expected to ease cash shortages and save the transacting public from being charged extortionate premiums by mobile money operators when getting hard cash, President Mnangagwa has said.
The President said there is no going back on the ban of the multi-currency system.
He said no country can develop without its own currency.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces made these remarks at his first anti-sanctions rally at Tshovani Stadium here yesterday.
The rally follows the Sadc-initiated anti-sanctions campaign that saw the region resolving to set aside October 25 as a day to send a message to the United States that the embargo is no longer necessary.
“Right now people are being pained by the ever increasing prices in shops, it is because we are in a transition.
“We are transitioning from the low levels and we need to resuscitate our economy.
“We have no choice but to resuscitate our economy. ln that process, we have some people who want to take advantage to profiteer.
“You were not getting money from the banks, but on Monday (tomorrow) we are going to inject more money in the banks until we reach a level where you lose appetite to go and get cash from EcoCash.
“You will simply go to the bank if you have money in your account and withdraw it to buy what you want. Right now, we are told that if you want $100 bond you should transfer $150 into an agent’s
account.
“You are losing the other $50 for nothing.
This is because there are cash shortages in the banks. We are now injecting money in the banks to correct that.”State media
Liverpool’s quest to end a 30-year wait to reclaim the domestic crown that once took almost permanent residency in Anfield’s trophy room reaches a defining moment on Sunday.
If Jürgen Klopp’s side beat Manchester City it will give them a nine-point advantage over the reigning champions at the top of the table, and put them eight clear of both Leicester and Chelsea.
That would effectively mean a Liverpool side that has lost only one of their past 50 league games would need to lose at least three of their next 26 to let City back in.
It is not inconceivable as Liverpool had a 10-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s side last season after they had played 20 games, although City had played a game fewer.
This season, however, Liverpool seem propelled by an unstoppable momentum.
For all the mind games, the downplaying of expectations and consequences, Klopp’s side have an opportunity to strike what could be a decisive blow in the title race.
Liverpool have had near misses before, notably when Steven Gerrard’s fateful slip against Chelsea let City in at the end of the 2013-14 season, but win on Sunday and they will feel an irresistible force is with them, even as early as November.BBC
Liverpool:
There are two incredible attacks but I would take Liverpool’s front three in a heartbeat.
What sets them apart is the way they are able to change positions: I think any one of them can play capably as a No 9, while Mané and Salah can play on either side and Firmino drops into midfield.
Firmino is unselfish and still underrated, and the other two are irresistible – Salah, even below his best this season, has scored eight goals in 16 games.
The way they can change positions and angles of attack makes them so hard for the opposition to deal with, and the whole personality of the Liverpool team is based on them. Agüero is one of the greatest No 9s the Premier League has seen but I think Liverpool’s attack is more complete.
Jamie Jackson: Liverpool
This is a toughie: plump for the front-three of Sterling-Agüero-Bernardo Silva who were pivotal in Manchester City’s two consecutive Premier League titles and domestic clean sweep or the Mané-Firmino‑Salah trident that helped Liverpool become European champions.
Salah (with 22 goals), Mané (22) and Firmino (12) registered 56 league strikes last season for Liverpool. For Agüero (21), Sterling (17) and Silva (7), there were 45.
Even though in the Champions League the count was 13 in total to the Liverpool three, 15 to City, the choice here is based on numbers, as this is what finishing is all about, scoring as many goals as possible. So it is Salah‑Firmino‑Mané for me.
Barney Ronay: Manchester City
Only two of City’s front three, Sterling and Agüero, are constants.
But both sum up the best parts of any Guardiola project: high-level players, both already in place when he arrived, coached to become even better, to find new angles, new rhythms, new gears. Agüero might have drifted off under Pep. Instead he has hit a late-career high. Sterling has gone from scattergun left-winger to fluid and adaptable world‑class forward.
There is so such to admire in Liverpool’s front three, in the way less celebrated – and indeed less expensive – players have defined the system at a Champions League-winning team. But for sustained, exhilarating quality City’s trio, with Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva in the mix, are the best in the world.
Paul Wilson: Manchester City
While both teams are blessed with enviable attacking quality, it is possible that City can claim the most reliable goal threat.
Agüero is simply one of the most deadly finishers the Premier League has seen and along with Sterling he is currently ahead of any Liverpool player in the goal charts. I fully accept that all of Liverpool’s front three can be unplayable at their best, though there are also occasions when their individuality does not stand out and they can be marked out of a game.
City have a good mix of clever players who are still improving in Sterling and Bernardo Silva and an established match-winner in Agüero. Plus they get to play ahead of the peerless Kevin De Bruyne.The Guardian
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has revealed that the new banknotes which are set to be released tomorrow have very poor security features.
Because of this, the monetary authorities will only be releasing $2 and $5 bond notes because they are worried that counterfeiters will take advantage of the poor security if they produce notes with bigger denominations.
In addition, the central bank is also supplementing with a $2 bond coin which was minted in 2018.
According to the state-controlled Sunday Mail, this startling information was revealed by economist and member of the RBZ Monitory Policy Committee, Eddie Cross.
Speaking at a press conference, Cross said:
“The primary objective is to bring sufficient cash into the market, to do away with queues at the banks and ATMs and to bring cash into free supply without any premium.
The new cash which will be introduced next week (this week) and will be sold to commercial banks on a 1:1 basis for RTGs dollars. There will be no impact on money supply or inflation.
We are not creating new money, we are replacing existing money with cash — so it won’t have any impact on the national macro-economic fundamentals.
If this injection is not enough to solve the problem, we will introduce more currency. The reason for the relatively small notes — the $5 and $2 notes and coins — is because we were concerned about the security features. The security of these notes is not adequate and if we introduce a higher value note there will be counterfeits notes produced.”
RBZ governor John Mangudya however reassured the public saying that they should not panic as the central bank has everything under control. Mangudya said:
“The fears that people are expressing on social media are a legacy of the hyperinflation era, but we assure them that there will be no repeat of that because there will be no increase in money supply; there is absolutely nothing to fear.”
We are kindly looking for the details of @MthuliNcube wife. We want to beg her to talk to her husband on behalf of civil servants. As a mother she might appreciate the pain and suffering we are going through. She may convince her husband to either pay us or resign. DM details.
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) November 8, 2019
We have received some information. The wife is an engineer. We still appeal for contact details. Phone number, Email, twitter handle, facebook page etc. We are a desperate people on the verge of losing our humanity. Please help us.
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) November 8, 2019
Thanks to all citizens who are searching for Prof Mthuli's wife. We are receiving good leads.
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) November 8, 2019
We have received physical address but still searching for contacts. We will be formally writting to her. Our members have also expressed a keen interest to beg her to intervene. A collective message and individual messages will be send.
— Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe,ARTUZ (@ARTUZ_teachers) November 9, 2019
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed that government is committed to protecting all vulnerable Zimbabweans through social safety nets that will leave no one behind.
The state media reported that speaking in Bulawayo on Friday where he commissioned 76 new buses, under the Zupco franchise, Mnangagwa vowed to ensure that the public transport company’s bus fares would remain subsidised in order to cater for the poor.
“This programme attests to my Government’s commitment and determination to improve the quality of life of the ordinary people in line with our vision to become a middle-income society by 2030.
In this regard, we are determined to ensure that our developmental programmes leave no one behind.
In line with my Government’s commitment to provide social safety nets for vulnerable groups and after the realisation that our commuting public has often fallen victim to unscrupulous operators who are charging exorbitant bus fares, we resolved to recapitalise Zupco.”
By A Correspondent- The price of bread is set to go up any day as the GMB hiked the price of wheat.
The GMB increased the price of wheat from $3548 to $5900 per tonne an increase that is set to change the price of bread soon.
National Bakers Association,’s Mr Denis Wala however, said the imminent price hike is due to an increase in the cost of many raw materials not only wheat:
When we are looking at the issue of raw materials we are not only looking at flour but there is also issue of electricity and we all know that Zesa recently reviewed its tariffs.
This comes barely a week after bakeries reduced the price of bread by a small margin.
By A Correspondent- The National Aids Council has announced that selected teams will conduct a survey on HIV and AIDS by visiting homes and testing people.
The survey is aimed at assessing how far the country has moved towards the 90-90-90 UNAIDS targets.
Speaking to the state media, Nac Bulawayo Provincial manager Mrs Sinatra said:
“Selected teams will go to households to test people and those found HIV-positive are going to be linked to care.
Then those that are already on ARVs are going to have their viral load tested so that we check our viral suppression in the community.”
HIV and AIDS are among the top killer diseases in the world.
By A Correspondent- A bus contracted to Zupco which plies the city – Southlands route was hit by a train after the driver failed to stop at Lytton Road rail crossing in Harare.
The bus was overloaded and over 20 passengers were injured and ferried to Harare Hospital.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
By A Correspondent- The Doctors at the hospital have dismissed reports that Mpilo Hospital is doing OK despite the Doctors’ strike. Speaking to Sunday News the Doctors responded to Mpilo Hospital Clinical Director Dr Ngwenya ‘s reports that 71% of the physicians were reporting for duty.
Said the ZSHDA doctors in a statement:
“Contrary to peddled reports, the situation at Mpilo is critical. Lifesaving equipment is in a state of despair, essential drugs and sundries are unavailable, while hospital staff cannot afford to come to work.
We are incapacitated as highlighted by ZSDA members across the country and we demand that the situation be treated with the urgency it deserves.”
Farai Dziva|The four-year-old girl who was kidnapped by unknown assailants has been found.
This was announced by former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation radio and television presenter Ezra Thsisa Sibanda.
See full statement below :
The 4 year old girl snatched from her house in Emganwini, Bulawayo on the 30th of October 2019 has been found well and alive in Tsholotsho.
Working with the family we unleashed a wave of searches using social media, amazing Chronicle Newspaper helped by carrying out the story and local radio presenters all sent alert messages. I’m deeply humbled by their support and thank all of them from the bottom of my heart.
I sent alert messages to to all the borders and contacted police forces everywhere in Zimbabwe and it worked.
It was a collective effort from everybody and its clear when people work together, we can solve crime.
Emganwini Police were not eager to take up the case, let alone investigate but only interrogated the parents and did nothing. We contacted Police Chiefs in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South.
3 Officers under Lupane-Tsholotsho, namely, Constable Nyoni, Sergeant Sibanda and Constable Mpofu took up the case.
Late Friday afternoon they found the woman who stole the child, recovered the young girl but the woman ran away. She was finally caught this afternoon and remains in police custody.
Once again thank you so much for your prayers.
The big job is to help the child with proper checks from doctors, counselling and integrating her back to the same place where she was snatched.
The mother has arrived in Tsholotsho and united with her daughter. They are heading back to Bulawayo tonite. Im so relieved and excited. God is great!!!
By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa is mulling making further changes to his cabinet after a mini-reshuffle on Friday.
The second reshuffle will see some ministers being dropped from the cabinet while others will be reassigned.
Last Friday’s mini-reshuffle was meant to pacify Vice President Chiwenga’s supporters as well as to deal with growing concerns in the ruling party that the president had concentrated power in his home province, the Midlands. The publication quotes a party insider as saying:
The changes are motivated by the president’s desire to consolidate power and do tribal balancing more than performance.
There are a lot of political reasons why three people from Mashonaland East, Chiwenga’s home province were appointed.
Another party insider told The Standard that Mnangagwa has realised that most of the people he had been appointing are from the Midlands and he now wants to decentralise power in preparation for the 2023 elections.
Last week’s reshuffle saw Kazembe Kazembe being appointed as the new Home Affairs minister to replace Cain Mathema, who was moved to the Primary and Secondary Education portfolio, among several other changes.
By A Correspondent- Zanu PF Masvingo provincial youth leaders recently ejected Gutu District Development Coordinator (DDC, formerly known as DA) Mellody Jiri Mafukidze from a Gutu Rural District Council (RDC) full council meeting accusing her of committing various misdemeanours.
Munyoro was in company of party colleagues Mafio Baster, Bare Trust and Josphat Sarukore.
They accused her of ‘playing games’ in the district influencing councillors not to respect their local leaders including chiefs and Members of Parliament (MPs).
They also took the keys from her office and handed them over to Gutu Police Station saying the police should keep them safe until a new DDC could be found.
When contacted for comment, Munyoro said that they had several reports from different wards that Mafukidze was influencing councillors not to respect their local leaders.
“We decided to take this action because we have heard several reports that she is badly influencing our councillors and we do not know maybe she wants to recruit her own local leadership but that will not happen.
“We also heard that at her work place, she has monopolised power and does not allow other administration officers to perform their own duties. We wonder how such a scenario will help our district to develop. We are aware she is just new in this district and she does not know much about the district. In light of that, how will our district develop if she centralises all functions in her own hands,” Munyoro complained.
He warned that the youths did not want to use violence but were resolute in their demands for their concerns to be addressed as a matter of urgency.
Munyoro said they reported the matter to the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira who promised them that the Provincial District Coordinator (PDC) Fungai Mbetsa will deal with the matter.
When contacted for comment, Mafukidza chose to play hardball, saying she knew nothing of the incident.
“What are you talking about? As you may know, I am in my office right now and nothing of that sort ever happened. I don’t know about the issue you are talking about,” Mafukidze curtly responded before hanging up the call.
Some sources told TellZim News that the police were afraid of arresting the youth leaders although there were sufficient grounds to prefer criminal charges against them.
“Mafukidze is not as pliable as the previous DA whom they used to do all their political dirty work. The new DA knows her powers and responsibilities as provided for by her job description so they have become very frustrated by her. On many occasions, she has refused to be used to further their political agendas and has worked to restore the political neutrality of the office,” said the source.
Other sources said Munyoro and company were not alone in their games as they were only being used by bigger political names not happy with the DDC’s resoluteness.
Though no charge was laid against the Zanu PF youths, internal police communications show that the matter had shaken top police bosses and was due to be tabled before the next Joint Operations (JOC) district meeting.
Zimbabwe AIDS Network (ZAN) is noting with concern the slow pace in addressing the health workers’ strike, which inadvertently is affecting an already fragile public health delivery system.
As a result, ZAN is observing the gradual disappearance of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) services.
Ironically, these sad developments are emerging at a time the country recently committed the global call for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the United Nations High Level Meeting on UHC (UNHLM) on UHC.
In view of this, we express our solidarity with health workers who work tirelessly in the interests of their patients’ health and well-being, as part of their commitment to realising their patients’ human rights, including the right to health.
Health is a fundamental human right enshrined in the section 76 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and everyone must enjoy this right.
Over the past two months, health workers have downed tools protesting over the unavailability of medicines, equipment and other sundries to assist patients.
ZAN supports the suggestions made by civil society organizations for the government to make a swift response through the Minister of Health to end this “endemic crisis by widening the participation of stakeholders in the development and implementation of policies for better health and developing innovative and new approaches in management and delivery of services in ways which enhance access, community satisfaction and local accountability”.
We thus urge the following:
Acknowledgement that the health situation is gradually degenerating into a social protection emergency issue.
Respond as a matter of urgency to the demands being made by the Human Resource for Health
Institute measures to ensure that citizens continue to access quality public health care
The on-going fiscal policy development place public health delivery as an investment priority through meeting the Abuja and SADC commitments of allocating at least 15% and 11.3% of the national budget to health.
By A Correspondent- President Mnangagwa capped 2 652 students at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust)’s 25th graduation ceremony.
Among those who graduated were the leader of Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), Dr Peter Magombeyi, who was however, not present.
The graduates were drawn from the Faculties of Applied Sciences, the Built Environment, Commerce, Communication and Information Science, Engineering, Science and Technology Education and Medicine.
The colourful ceremony began shortly after 10AM when President Mnangagwa, who is the Chancellor of all State universities, led the academic procession into the Nust Sports Grounds where the graduands, their friends and relatives were waiting.
Out of the 2 652 students who graduated, six were holders of Doctoral degrees, 678 Masters’ degrees and 1 968 undergraduates in different disciplines.
Of the 1 968 undergraduate recipients, 1 063 (54,01 percent) were male while 905, which translates to 45,99 percent, were female.
At Masters level there were 373 males and 305 females while those who graduated at PhD level, four were males while two were females.
In his report, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, said Nust remains one of the key centres of educational excellence in the country and regionally as evidenced by collaborations with universities from other neighbouring countries in various areas of partnerships.
He said despite numerous challenges, the university made great strides in redirecting Nust to the realisation of its mandate as a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) university.
“We are in the process of enhancing the design of the main campus. In addition to that, we are also increasing our footprints throughout the Sadc and further afield by way of affiliations and associations with STEM biased institutions led by like-minded institutional leadership. To top it all, if the other Vice Chancellors in the convocation were to enumerate the achievements of their alumni, we would all be awe-stricken, to say the least. That simply points to Zimbabweans and our education system as next to none,” said Prof Dlodlo.
The university has since its inception in 1991 expanded its basket of distinguished offerings to 45 teaching departments in seven faculties along with institutes, centres of excellence, a graduate school of business in support of its entrepreneurial thrust as a university and affiliate institutions both within and outside the country.
Collectively, Nust offers 50 undergraduate and 48 post graduate degree programmes.
“Our mostly young research community is unbelievably vibrant, as shown by our diverse products of research. Buttressed by a robust staff development programme and research and innovation office with an internationalisation portfolio, academic departments have been steadily increasing the number of PhD holders in their establishments,” said Prof Dlodlo.
By A Correspondent- Two Bulawayo men were robbed of R8 850, RTGS$40 and other valuables by six unidentified suspects, who attacked them with axes and machetes, after their vehicle developed a flat tyre along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge highway on Friday.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.
“Two Bulawayo men lost cash amounting to R8 850, RTGS$40 and various properties after they were robbed along the 292km peg on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road. They were traveling from South Africa, when their vehicle, a Toyota Hiace developed a flat tyre. They decided to park on the side of the road and wait until morning to seek assistance,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said they were then approached by six people armed with machetes and axes who pounced on the vehicle and smashed the front passenger window.
“They assaulted the victims with fists and open hands before searching them. Four of the suspects then force-marched the complainants into a nearby bush, while two others ransacked the vehicle in search of valuables,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said police were investigating the matter and urged motorists to move away from dark spots in case their vehicles broke down.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident police in Plumtree arrested three suspects in connection with four robbery cases which took place last month at Nyabane Business Centre in the border town.
“The three suspects who were armed with knives targeted shop owners and workers before forcing entry into homes, shops, stabbing victims with knives and demanding cash. They will soon appear in court,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
The American Gene Technologies believes it has found a cure for HIV-AIDS through a gene therapy that will eradicate the disease “once and for all”, said the Maryland pharmaceutical company, which filed a 1,000-page application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It claimed the single-dose drug will improve “people’s living by relieving suffering and increasing their lifespan”. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), at least 1.1 million people in the United States have currently been living with HIV or AIDS. A few anti-retroviral therapies (ART) since the 1980s have been able to restore the quality of life to a person living with HIV by making it further untransmutable, but the infection has so far found no cure.
The AGT’s lead HIV program called AGT 103-T involved culturing and expanding an individual’s cells outside the body and then reintroducing it back into the donor. The treatment of HIV patients currently contains at least three drugs at one time every day for the rest of their lives. Scientists have, however, got the cocktail that converts HIV from a death sentence to a life sentence by taking that toxic chemotherapy.
The company in a statement claimed their single-dose drug had “a simple purpose to eradicate HIV once and for all” so that those infected could live a quality life. The researchers said if successful the program could restore the body’s natural immunity to HIV, resulting in people’s immune systems countering the disease like any other.
“We need to move these people from anti-retroviral control to permanent immunity and we think this project may be able to do that,” said AGT CEO Jeff Galvin, adding that phase one clinical trials could begin in January if their application was approved.
The company, however, said it still could be several years before the drug final appeared in the market. About 37.9 million people across the world have been living with HIV, with nearly 20 million having access to antiretroviral treatment, the World Health Organisation said.
PrEP – a crucial preventative pill for HIV — empties the pockets of those in need, with a year’s supply costing an American around $20,000 a year, activists warn, urging researchers and healthcare facilities to do more in slashing treatment prices and increasing education around the disease.
By A Correspondent- A man from Nkayi District clobbered his neighbour with a hoe, stabbed her on the neck and went on to drink the blood that was oozing from the lifeless body.
This was revealed when Christopher Sibanda (28) of Sikhobokhobo Village appeared before a Bulawayo judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa during a Hwange High Court circuit which sat on Friday.
Sibanda, however, escaped the death penalty after a special verdict was passed due to his insanity.
Justice Mabhikwa found Sibanda not guilty of murder arguing that he could not be held to account as he was a mental patient.
He commuted him to Mlondolozi Mental Institution.
According to a statement of agreed facts between the State led by Mrs Martha Cheda and defence counsel, Mr Daniel Ncube of Legal Aid Directorate, on 27 June 2018 at around 3pm, Sibanda met Ms Sibusisiwe Sigauke along a footpath in Sikhewu village.
He was carrying a hoe handle, an axe, knife, black satchel and black pot.
The court heard that Ms Sigauke was coming from Kana Business Centre on her way home.
Without warning or provocation, Sibanda struck the deceased several times on the head with a hoe handle before stabbing her on the neck with a knife.
She died on the spot.
A passerby, Leonard Masuku who was using the same path found Sibanda sitting on top of deceased’s body and was sucking blood which was oozing out of the wound on her neck.
He rushed back to Kana Business Centre where he reported the matter to the police.
Upon his arrest police recovered a blood-stained knife and hoe handle which was broken into three pieces as a result of the attack.
Following his arrest Sibanda was taken to court before being referred to Mlondolozi Prison for psychiatric evaluation where he was found to have been mentally unstable at the time of commission of the offence.
The State and defence counsel submitted that the court retain a special verdict to the effect that Sibanda be found not guilty of murder because of insanity as guided by section 29 (2) (a) of the Mental Health Act.
By A Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) will tomorrow release the new Zimbabwe dollar notes and coins into the market, with depositors set to start withdrawing limited amounts when banks open in the morning.
The new notes come in $2 and $5 denominations while $2 bond coins will also be released into circulation concurrently.
Banks started exchanging part of their electronic balances for the new notes with the RBZ at the weekend ahead of their planned release into the market. Our Harare Bureau understands that the Central Bank will during the course of the week announce new daily and weekly withdrawal limits, which it says will be in line with best international practice.
Authorities plan to gradually drip feed around $1 billion of cash into the market over the next six months that will take the amount of physical cash in circulation to around 10 percent of total money supply. Zimbabwe has about $19 billion in circulation, with only 4,5 percent being cash.
The RBZ Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is also set to meet on Friday to assess the market’s reaction to the new notes, and if necessary, prescribe appropriate interventions.
RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya told our Harare Bureau that release of the new notes will neither be inflationary nor raise money supply.
“Banks will this weekend begin exchanging their RTGS balances for physical cash with the RBZ before they are released to the public on Monday.
“We will make sure that we drip feed the physical cash into the market in order to ensure that there is sufficient cash in the economy. What we are doing will not increase money supply because we are just substituting existing electronic money with physical cash. The goal here is to create convenience for the transacting public and also offering them a choice of either using electronic money or cash.
“We believe this will also help in eliminating queues at the banks where people spend countless hours of productive time queuing for cash.
“The fears that people are expressing on social media are a legacy of the hyperinflation era, but we rest assure them that there will be no repeat of that because there will be no increase of money supply; there is absolutely nothing to fear.”
Economist and member of the RBZ Monitory Policy Committee, Mr Eddie Cross said concern over inadequate security features, prevented the introduction of higher denomination notes. He said introduction of the new notes would drive down premiums being charged for cash. Premiums of up to 60 percent are being charged for bond notes with coins pegged at 40 percent.
“The primary objective is to bring sufficient cash into the market, to do away with queues at the banks and ATMs and to bring cash into free supply without any premium. The new cash which will be introduced next week (this week) and will be sold to commercial banks on a 1:1 basis for RTGs dollars. There will be no impact on money supply or inflation. We are not creating new money, we are replacing existing money with cash — so it won’t have any impact on the national macro-economic fundamentals.
“If this injection is not enough to solve the problem, we will introduce more currency. The reason for the relatively small notes — the $5 and $2 notes and coins — is because we were concerned about the security features. The security of these notes is not adequate and if we introduce a higher value note there will be counterfeits notes produced.”
The Central Bank is seeking to eliminate cash shortages, which the country has experienced since 2016 as well as huge premiums being charged for cash. The Zimbabwe dollar was reintroduced in June this year following the outlawing of the multi-currency system.
By A Correspondent- Over 1000 pupils at Chakomo Primary School in Dotito, Mt Darwin, on Thursday escaped death after a whirlwind blew off rooftops of two classroom blocks, destroying property worth over $200 000.
Only one pupil was reported injured when the roof fell in while he was in one of the classrooms. About 12 solar panels used to power the computer room were also destroyed.
Pfura Rural District council chief executive officer, Stanslous Nyachowe said he was yet to get a full report of the incident as he was attending a meeting in Mazowe.
Ward 8 councillor, Lonwell Chipikiri yesterday confirmed the damage to the school.
“It happened shortly before 2pm, when a whirlwind hit the school, destroying roofs of two classrooms and completely damaging 12 solar panels, which were used to run the computer room. We later learnt that the damages needed $230 000 to repair according to a quotation we got,” said Chipikiri.
He said the pupils were not in the classrooms because it was still lunch hour.
Chipikiri appealed to well-wishers and the corporate world to chip to help restore the damaged property.
By A Correspondent- Statistics availed by the National Aids Council show that S_TI cases in Bulawayo have surged from 2344 to 2574 in the second quarter of 2019.
The publication said those mainly affected were between the ages of 25 and 49.
Bulawayo Provincial Aids Coordinator Mrs Sinatra Nyathi speaking to the publication lamented the fact that people knew the dangers of unprotected s_x but still engaged in it.
Said Mrs Sinatra:
“In Zimbabwe more than 90 percent of the population have information on how to protect themselves from S_TIs and HIV but the issue is that they do not translate it to positive behaviour therefore we plead with the members of the community to make informed decisions when it comes to s_ex.
We are educating people about STIs and they now have abundant information but the problem is that they are failing to put that knowledge into practice and this increase in S_TIs shows that people are still having unprotected se_x because if one is using condoms, they will not contract S_TIs.2
By A Correspondent- As power cuts rage on, it’s not rocket science that the food industry is one of the industries hit the hardest by the power outages as meat and other perishables are not lasting long.
A local publication carried an investigation and discovered the following gimmicks being used either to preserve or to make meet look fresh:
The scam involves the use of formalin, a chemical mixture of preservatives used on corpses, which is sprinkled on meat products to make them look fresh and to extend their shelf life.
Sodium metabisulfite, a white chemical, is mixed with water and sprayed on the meat to maintain its reddish hue and create the impression that it is fresh.
Other crooked vendors are injecting steroids that build muscle into both living animals and packed meat in order to increase their weight.
Read the report:
“… sick cattle are being slaughtered, with some found to contain antibiotics in their blood, which is a health hazard.
… sprinkles soda water on the meat to maintain its reddish colour.”
By A Correspondent- The Mining Business Confidence Index had plunged to 2.2% in 2019, down from 8% in 2018 and 21.9% in 2017.
This has been mainly due to power cuts, forex shortages and policy uncertainties the state media reports.
However, according to UZ’s Prof Makochekamwa, who presented the findings of the survey, the survey forecasted that mining executives were confident about 2020.
Said the Professor:
“Survey findings show that mining executives are slightly more confident about investment plans for 2020, with 60 percent of the respondents indicating that they are planning to inject fresh capital into their businesses in 2020.”
Zimbabwe is currently going through an economic crisis that has seen inflation soaring to 300% by the end of August. The mining sector in a normal functional system contributes 65% of all export receipts.
By A Correspondent- Treasury has reportedly released $22 Million to compensate the 400 commercial farmers that were affected by the infamous land reform program.
The $22 million is part of the $52 Million that Mthuli set aside for that specific purpose in the 2019 budget.
Commercial Farmer’s Union President spoke to a local publication and said the farmers agreed that the money should better be spread among many farmers as most of them were struggling financially.
Said Mr Gilpin:
In the National Budget, an amount of $52 million was set aside for compensation,.
Farmer representatives requested that instead of this money being used to settle a few claims, it would be better to spread it amongst many.
This is because there are many elderly ex-farmers who are struggling financially.
Farmers received the first $RTGS 55000 sometime during winter in 2019.
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Corruption has officially opened a case against the Harare City Council’s road work scandal Sunday Mail reports.
Zacc is investigating the falsification of roads works progress figures that resulted in influence contracts extension.
While the ZACC probe is going on the council has suspended one of its director of works to pave way for Investigations,
A letter dismissing engineer Chawatama one of the directors for works fingered in the scandal, Town clerk said:
It has come to my attention that your department is facing some operational challenges that has necessitated an investigation in order to establish the facts on the ground. For purposes of transparency, it is necessary that you be given absence of leave to pave way for this investigation..
The council’s roadworks scandal made headlines a few weeks ago when it emerged that council paid for some services which were never received.
A man from Nkayi District clobbered his neighbour with a hoe, stabbed her on the neck and went on to drink the blood that was oozing from the lifeless body.
This was revealed when Christopher Sibanda (28) of Sikhobokhobo Village appeared before a Bulawayo judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa during a Hwange High Court circuit which sat on Friday.
Sibanda, however, escaped the death penalty after a special verdict was passed due to his insanity.
Justice Mabhikwa found Sibanda not guilty of murder arguing that he could not be held to account as he was a mental patient.
He commuted him to Mlondolozi Mental Institution.
According to a statement of agreed facts between the State led by Mrs Martha Cheda and defence counsel, Mr Daniel Ncube of Legal Aid Directorate, on 27 June 2018 at around 3pm, Sibanda met Ms Sibusisiwe Sigauke along a footpath in Sikhewu village.
He was carrying a hoe handle, an adze, knife, black satchel and black pot.
The court heard that Ms Sigauke was coming from Kana Business Centre on her way home.
Without warning or provocation, Sibanda struck the deceased several times on the head with a hoe handle before stabbing her on the neck with a knife.
She died on the spot.
A passerby, Leonard Masuku who was using the same path found Sibanda sitting on top of deceased’s body and was sucking blood which was oozing out of the wound on her neck.
He rushed back to Kana Business Centre where he reported the matter to the police.
Upon his arrest police recovered a blood-stained knife and hoe handle which was broken into three pieces as a result of the attack.
Following his arrest Sibanda was taken to court before being referred to Mlondolozi Prison for psychiatric evaluation where he was found to have been mentally unstable at the time of commission of the offence.
The State and defence counsel submitted that the court retain a special verdict to the effect that Sibanda be found not guilty of murder because of insanity as guided by section 29 (2) (a) of the Mental Health Act.
HARARE – Some of the fired doctors in Zimbabwe say they’ve accepted their fate and don’t regret their actions.
This week the Zimbabwean government fired over 200 doctors and promises to expel more.
The doctor were dismissed for protesting terrible working conditions and poor salaries.
Prince Butau is one of the doctors fired for striking.
Like other doctors, he was on strike for over 60 days demanding better salaries.
Butau says he doesn’t regret the expulsion and plans to leave the country to seek better opportunities, in other countries.
“So this is the letter which they slipped under my door this letter shows that I have been charged from absenteeism without due course,” Butau said.
“I am supposed to evacuate this hospital apartment 30 days from effect of the date I was given it, that’s 5 November. So by 5 December I should have evacuated otherwise there are going to evict me from here.”
Butau says he only feels sorry for the majority of poor ordinary Zimbabweans.
He says they don’t have access to better medical services because of poor government administration.
“I have been standing for what I believe is right and for what I think is right,” Butau said.
“I am proud to have been fighting what I believe is the oppression that we are facing currently not only as doctors, but as the rest of civil servants. I feel very sorry for the Zimbabwe population at large which are the one who are losing the expertise and services that we are supposed to offer them as doctors.”
Zimbabwean doctors currently earn less than $100 (R1,400) a month.
It’s uncertain if government will be replacing the fired doctors.
The country is facing its worst economic crisis in a decade, power cuts and medicine and fuel shortages
State workers marched in the capital Harare demanding better working conditions and salary increments but the protests were blocked by police.
Migrating to the UK will soon be easier for health professionals from countries such as Zimbabwe as the United Kingdom plans to introduce a new fast-track visa scheme for health professionals.
Home Office UK Visas and Immigration HQ (UKBA) Lunar House in East Croydon.
Under the National Health Service (NHS) visa scheme, application fees would be halved to 464 pounds from 928 pounds at present. In addition, medical professionals joining the NHS would receive extra points and applicants would be fast-tracked under the plans with preferential treatment and faster decisions.
The plan to relax rules for NHS staff comes after Britain said in August it would relax immigration rules to attract more scientists as it prepares to leave the European Union (EU).
“These measures are part of our plan for an Australian-style points-based immigration system that allows us to control numbers while remaining open to vital professions like nurses,” Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel said in a statement.
She said that the UK wants to attract talent from around the world so that the NHS continues to provide brilliant service while ensuring that it isn’t put under strain by opening Britain’s borders to the entire world.
The special visas will make it easier for UK’s National Health Service to recruit doctors and nurses from other countries after Brexit.
Commenting on the developments, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono says countries with poorly remunerated medical professionals like Zimbabwe will be the biggest losers as brain drain is set to begin on a large scale. The Zimbabwe government announced that it had fired 211 junior doctors for absenteeism after they ignored a Labour Court ruling to return to work.
“Zimbabwe has lost several Urologists to Britain in the past few weeks. We are going to lose more doctors and nurses. The exodus has started as it did with pharmacists in 2006,” said Chin’ono, writing on social media.
He added: “As Britain prepares to exit the EU, it will no longer be tied to EU restrictions. It will hire professionals from around the world. Our Government should have known this before foolishly firing the country’s doctors. Recruiters from Britain are now at work going through CVs.”
Zimbabwean public hospital doctors have been on job action for the past three months and insist they want a salary tied to the interbank exchange rate, something treasury says will not happen as it has no money.
About 153,000 of 1.2 million health workers in the UK are non-British. About 52,000 of current NHS staff are Asian nationals including those from India.
The UK government said the new NHS visa would allow it to control immigration while ensuring there would not be a skills shortage for the health service.zimvoice
Afro Jazz musician Nox Guni’s wife speaks after her husband was touched repeatedly by two women while on stage in the early hours of Sunday morning. Tallyn speaks to ZimEye outside the venue in West Yorks
Senior doctors demand the Government to immediately reinstate fired junior doctors. This follows Health Service Board’s announcement that 211 junior and middle-level doctors were relieved of their duties.
“For the way forward the punitive disciplinary hearings must stop forthwith and those dismissed must have this decision reversed. A livable wage must be dispatched “Robust dialogue in good faith should take place with key stakeholders to help direct the capacitation and of the workers and the public health institutions.
“These must be given timelines to yield results,” the Zimbabwe Senior Hospital Doctors Association said in a statement. ZSHDA claimed some of the junior and middle level doctors were fired as collateral damage while on marternity leave. The association also said training of both undergraduate and postgraduate doctors has been severely impacted by lack of clinical teaching “Senior doctors remain incapacitated and hospitals drugs and equipment remain inadequate. No meaningful service is being offered at central hospitals.
“Flexi-hour system remains in place as policy. This has greatly affected quality continuity of patient care. Junior and Middle level doctors have been dismissed from work for not being able to report for duty due to incapacitation. Some on maternity leave andsome who are training outside the country have also been served with letters accusing them of absenteeism,” said ZSHDA.
Added ZSHDA, “We continue to seek dialogue to resolve this impasse and restore services. However, we have been shocked and dismayed at the decision taken by the employer to dismiss the junior doctors who have clearly stated their desire to come to work but are incapacitated. These dismissals will neither capacitate the remaining workers nor improve service delivery.
“We wish the same zeal and energy being displayed in punishing doctors could have been applied to see to the welfare of beleaguered hospitals and workers. It is in the public domain that the purchasing power of health workers salaries has fallen by more than 1500% since October 2018. In addition, most have not been paid for 2 months. The Government acknowledged that indeed health workers are incapacitated and proceeded to offer some reprieve via measures which could not be extended to doctors.”
State Media|As the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe releases $2 coins into circulation tomorrow ahead of the introduction of $2 and $5 Zim-dollar notes, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube is convinced all fundamentals are now in place to ensure a stable local currency.
The finance chief said in two years, the US dollar overhang among individuals and businesses will be over as measures put in place will stabilise the Zimbabwean dollar, thereby making it the currency of choice.
He said that the new coins and notes are not a new currency as misconstrued by some sections of the media and society. Rather, a new currency was introduced in June when Government outlawed the use of multi-currencies.
The $2 coins as well as the $2 and $5 notes will be interchangeably used at par with existing bond notes and coins.
Minister Ncube said austerity, which has run its course, had delivered what it was meant to deliver, that is a balanced budget. The new thrust is now on consolidating the gains and job creation.
He said the issuance of the paper money completes the monetary sector reforms, which saw Government introducing a raft of measures to rein in Zimbabwe’s economic woes.
The Finance Minister stressed that Government is committed to currency stability and is aware that cash unavailability has been instrumental in pushing prices up, hence the need to bring in the new notes and coins, albeit in a non-inflationary way that will see RTGS balances being swapped with the cash.
Prof Ncube was speaking to the media in the capital on Wednesday.
“This is how we are declaring that this era of intense tough reforms and austerity is over. We are now switching over to productivity and job creation,” he said.
Speaking on the twin deficits that have plagued Zimbabwe’s economic reforms for a long time, Prof Ncube said Zimbabwe is on course to reduce its budget deficit to 4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by year-end.
“We have been running surpluses. We know that by year-end, we are going to be in deficit. The twin deficits are now under control, you have no reason to worry. The current account and fiscal deficit needs to be contained so that we can support stability. If you have problems with those two areas, that will contribute to currency instability for sure.”
Zimbabwe has met its critical target of dealing with the fiscal and current account deficits, with the first half of the year recording consistent fiscal surpluses and a substantial improvement in the current account balance.
For the first time since 2009, the country’s current account registered a surplus of $196 million in the first quarter of the year.
However, the twin deficits are not the sole panacea for currency stability.
Government has therefore also managed to stop the central bank’s quasi-fiscal operations such as providing direct funding for projects. It has also managed to rein in several of its own expenses.
“Our target has been not to touch the RBZ overdraft window. We have not borrowed a single cent from the RBZ. We are not interested, give the RBZ its independence, we do not use the RBZ as a cash box,” declared Prof Ncube.
Government’s financial discipline has enabled it to embark on major infrastructural projects through locally generated resources.
Since the declaration of the state of disaster on our roads in 2017, Government has been on a blitz to spruce up both urban and rural roads, including the Lupane-Nkayi Highway, the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road and the Kamativi-Binga Road, among many others.
Among other social protection programmes that are again funded from the local purse, Government has acquired buses for the mass public transport system and more are on their way. On Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned 79 new Zupco buses to add on to the fledgling fleet.
It is particularly important to note that all these developments are taking place as the country is smarting from the effects of a devastating drought as well as Cyclone Idai, which ravaged some parts of the country earlier this year.
Prof Ncube further said the 2 percent intermediated trnasfer tax, which he said will be maintained as it continues to avail funds for the aforementioned projects, medical drugs and fertilisers. The 2 percent tax has also solved compliance issues with regards to defaulting corporates and those in the informal sector.
For proper functionality, an economy requires cash in circulation to be between 10 and 15 percent of the broad money supply. Currently, the cash in circulation is significantly lower at about 4 percent of the money supply, hence the RBZ’s move to gradually increase the supply.
“The circulation target is about 15 percent but we can’t get there in one year. We have to control the gap in money supply,” said Prof Ncube.
RBZ Governor John Mangudya has said injecting the cash will be done gradually over the next six months.
The new notes and coins are expected to thwart the growth in cash premiums that have been eroding the value of electronic money.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister has said good times lie ahead.
“On the prices, please be patient. I know that prices are not very stable and the wages are not where we would want them to be. But we have to bear in mind that we have tried to do currency reforms at high speed, we therefore should expect bumps.
“But Government finances are in good hands, that I can assure you. The bumps will ease soon.”
Prof Ncube will present the 2020 National Budget on Thursday. He is expected to prescribe a host of policies that will give oomph to the economy and build the local populace’s confidence in the new currency.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) will tomorrow release the new Zimbabwe dollar notes and coins into the market, with depositors set to start withdrawing limited amounts when banks open in the morning.
The new notes come in $2 and $5 denominations while $2 bond coins will also be released into circulation concurrently.
Banks started exchanging part of their electronic balances for the new notes with the RBZ at the weekend ahead of their planned release into the market. Our Harare Bureau understands that the Central Bank will during the course of the week announce new daily and weekly withdrawal limits, which it says will be in line with best international practice.
Authorities plan to gradually drip feed around $1 billion of cash into the market over the next six months that will take the amount of physical cash in circulation to around 10 percent of total money supply. Zimbabwe has about $19 billion in circulation, with only 4,5 percent being cash.
The RBZ Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is also set to meet on Friday to assess the market’s reaction to the new notes, and if necessary, prescribe appropriate interventions.
RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya told our Harare Bureau that release of the new notes will neither be inflationary nor raise money supply.
“Banks will this weekend begin exchanging their RTGS balances for physical cash with the RBZ before they are released to the public on Monday.
“We will make sure that we drip feed the physical cash into the market in order to ensure that there is sufficient cash in the economy. What we are doing will not increase money supply because we are just substituting existing electronic money with physical cash. The goal here is to create convenience for the transacting public and also offering them a choice of either using electronic money or cash.
“We believe this will also help in eliminating queues at the banks where people spend countless hours of productive time queuing for cash.
“The fears that people are expressing on social media are a legacy of the hyperinflation era, but we rest assure them that there will be no repeat of that because there will be no increase of money supply; there is absolutely nothing to fear.”
Economist and member of the RBZ Monitory Policy Committee, Mr Eddie Cross said concern over inadequate security features, prevented the introduction of higher denomination notes. He said introduction of the new notes would drive down premiums being charged for cash. Premiums of up to 60 percent are being charged for bond notes with coins pegged at 40 percent.
“The primary objective is to bring sufficient cash into the market, to do away with queues at the banks and ATMs and to bring cash into free supply without any premium. The new cash which will be introduced next week (this week) and will be sold to commercial banks on a 1:1 basis for RTGs dollars. There will be no impact on money supply or inflation. We are not creating new money, we are replacing existing money with cash — so it won’t have any impact on the national macro-economic fundamentals.
“If this injection is not enough to solve the problem, we will introduce more currency. The reason for the relatively small notes — the $5 and $2 notes and coins — is because we were concerned about the security features. The security of these notes is not adequate and if we introduce a higher value note there will be counterfeits notes produced.”
The Central Bank is seeking to eliminate cash shortages, which the country has experienced since 2016 as well as huge premiums being charged for cash. The Zimbabwe dollar was reintroduced in June this year following the outlawing of the multi-currency system. – Sunday News
POWER struggles continue to rock the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) church with congregates at Bulawayo’s Nkulumane branch at loggerheads.
According to sources privy to goings on at the church, it all started with alleged differences between church leaders at national level, Pastors Aspher Madziyire and Cossam Chiangwa who were president and deputy president of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM). The tiff between the two led to divisions in church, as congregates took sides with their preferred leaders. The divisions have split the lower rungs of the church, with even the smallest branches within the city engaging in petty fights.
Church members at Nkulumane are fighting over the use of the church building, as they have split into two groups.
“As old members of the church we decided to find another place of worship since we no longer wanted Pastor Chigeda as our shepherd. We had our church services there for about three months but we saw it fit to go back to our rightful house of worship because where we were we used tents and it was too far from our houses.
“Elder Gobvu wrote a letter to Pastor Chigeda asking him to allow us to worship with them in the church building but on different time slots. Since they start church at 10.30am we asked for the pastor’s permission to start at 8am. He refused but we went there anyway since we all built the church. That is when all the drama and name calling started,” said the source.
The source added; “There was an incident when the pastor locked the church so that we do not get inside so we had to worship under the tree and he called the police claiming that we were causing havoc at church but police found us worshipping peacefully.”
The church secretary, Briton Tembo, however, said claims made against the “old members” were not true.
“What I know is no one was attacked or got beaten at church. So all the claims being spread on social media are not true. On the issue of sharing the church, by right according to the court ruling on September 4, Pastor Chigeda and his team are not AFM hence they are not even supposed to use the church, but we do not have a problem with sharing the building with them as long as they will not disturb us,” said Tembo.
When contacted for comment, Pastor Chigeda said he was too busy to talk to the media.
Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa says that beginning on Monday, Zimbabweans who are hard pressed for cash will start withdrawing their cash from the banks with no problems at all.
Mnangagwa made the commitment which might soon come back to haunt him while he addressed a so called anti-sanctions rally at Tshovani Stadium in Chiredzi on Saturday.
Further, the President said there is no going back on the ban of the multi-currency system.
He said no country can develop without its own currency.
Said President Mnangagwa at the rally: “Right now people are being pained by the ever increasing prices in shops, it is because we are in a transition. We are transitioning from the low levels and we need to resuscitate our economy. We have no choice but to resuscitate our economy. In that process, we have some people who want to take advantage to profiteer.
“You were not getting money from the banks, but on Monday (tomorrow) we are going to inject more money in the banks until we reach a level where you lose appetite to go and get cash from EcoCash.
“You will simply go to the bank if you have money in your account and withdraw it to buy what you want. Right now, we are told that if you want $100 bond you should transfer $150 into an agent’s account.
“You are losing the other $50 for nothing. This is because there are cash shortages in the banks. We are now injecting money in the banks to correct that.”
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) will tomorrow release the new Zimbabwe dollar notes and coins into the market, with depositors set to start withdrawing limited amounts when banks open in the morning.
The new notes come in $2 and $5 denominations while $2 bond coins will also be released into circulation concurrently.
Banks started exchanging part of their electronic balances for the new notes with the RBZ at the weekend ahead of their planned release into the market. The Central Bank will during the course of the week announce new daily and weekly withdrawal limits, which it says will be in line with best international practice.
Authorities plan to gradually drip feed around $1 billion of cash into the market over the next six months that will take the amount of physical cash in circulation to around 10 percent of total money supply. Zimbabwe has about $19 billion in circulation, with only 4,5 percent being cash.
The RBZ Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is also set to meet on Friday to assess the market’s reaction to the new notes, and if necessary, prescribe appropriate interventions.
RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya told state media that release of the new notes will neither be inflationary nor raise money supply.
“Banks will this weekend begin exchanging their RTGS balances for physical cash with the RBZ before they are released to the public on Monday.
“We will make sure that we drip feed the physical cash into the market in order to ensure that there is sufficient cash in the economy. What we are doing will not increase money supply because we are just substituting existing electronic money with physical cash. The goal here is to create convenience for the transacting public and also offering them a choice of either using electronic money or cash.
“We believe this will also help in eliminating queues at the banks where people spend countless hours of productive time queuing for cash.
“The fears that people are expressing on social media are a legacy of the hyperinflation era, but we rest assure them that there will be no repeat of that because there will be no increase of money supply; there is absolutely nothing to fear.”
Economist and member of the RBZ Monitory Policy Committee, Mr Eddie Cross said concern over inadequate security features, prevented the introduction of higher denomination notes. He said introduction of the new notes would drive down premiums being charged for cash. Premiums of up to 60 percent are being charged for bond notes with coins pegged at 40 percent.
“The primary objective is to bring sufficient cash into the market, to do away with queues at the banks and ATMs and to bring cash into free supply without any premium. The new cash which will be introduced next week (this week) and will be sold to commercial banks on a 1:1 basis for RTGs dollars. There will be no impact on money supply or inflation. We are not creating new money, we are replacing existing money with cash — so it won’t have any impact on the national macro-economic fundamentals.
“If this injection is not enough to solve the problem, we will introduce more currency. The reason for the relatively small notes — the $5 and $2 notes and coins — is because we were concerned about the security features. The security of these notes is not adequate and if we introduce a higher value note there will be counterfeits notes produced.”
The Central Bank is seeking to eliminate cash shortages, which the country has experienced since 2016 as well as huge premiums being charged for cash. The Zimbabwe dollar was reintroduced in June this year following the outlawing of the multi-currency system.
The MDC national executive met today for seven hours and spent the better part of the meeting deliberating on the deteriorating situation in the country, particularly the worsening plight of the ordinary citizens. The executive, a key organ of the party, discussed and charted the way forward on the following key national issues.
1.The national situation
The national executive deliberated on the deteriorating political, economic and social situation in the country. In particular, the executive noted the rising cost of basic commodities as well as the slow genocide in the country’s hospitals, where the illegitimate regime has fired yet another batch of doctors for raising legitimate concerns about their wages and working conditions. They haven also raised issues about lack of medicines and other medical consumables to enable them to save lives.
2.Food insecurity
About 8,5 million people in the country are food insecure and the party noted with serious concern that the illegitimate regime had begun politicizing food in the rural areas. The party resolved to do all within its remit to stop the abuse of a key livelihood issue such as food.
3.Legitimacy crisis
The executive affirmed that the economic governance crisis in the country and the challenges facing the nation are symptomatic of the legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of 2018. Unless and the until the legitimacy crisis is resolved, there will be no reprieve on the dire national situation as the people running government do not have the requisite confidence and mandate from the people.
The executive noted that the legitimacy crisis has led to the breaking down of the social contact, particularly between the leading and the led.
4.Elections
The party’s continued participation in by-elections has exposed the dire need for prudent electoral reforms. A compromised election management system, the murkiness around voting material, the abuse of traditional leaders and the use of food as political weapon continues to be rampant in the countryside, justifying the need for genuine electoral reforms. To this end, the party’s parliamentary caucus will table an alternative Electoral Bill that guarantees the holding of credible and legitimate elections that do not breed contested outcomes.
5.Increasing brutality against citizens and the leadership
The party noted the increasing brutality against the citizens and the people’s leadership and affirmed that the illegitimate regime of Mr. Mnangagwa will not succeed to break the collective spirit of the MDC in prosecuting the democratic struggle. The party stands in solidarity with citizens and leaders that are being persecuted.
The party resolved to set aside a day every year to remember and salute all survivors of political violence, living or dead, who have been victims of State-sanctioned brutality.
6.Parliament
The party deliberated on developments in parliament, particularly Zanu PF’s attempt to reverse the democratic gains enshrined in the Constitution. The national executive resolved that the people’s deployed to the August House must use the arena of Parliament to table alternative Bills as well as pro-poor motions that further citizens’ rights, widen democratic space and further the people’s democratic agenda. The party resolved to continue pressing for alignment of laws to the Constitution, and not amendment of the Constitution, itself made and affirmed by the people themselves in a referendum.
7.Dialogue
The party reiterated its commitment to a sincere, honest and credible dialogue process. The dialogue must unlock the impediments that have stood in the way of credible, free and plebiscites. As such, any honest and credible dialogue process, under a mutually agreed convener, must focus on a comprehensive reform agenda to ensure the security and freedoms of citizens as well as ensuring a free, fair and credible election that must yield a people’s government.
Local government
The executive noted the challenges faced by MDC-led councils and bemoaned the fact that in most of these councils are MDC-led but are not MDC-controlled. Zanu PF has centralized most of the key operations of local authorities, such as procurement. The party noted that Zanu PF has usurped key operations of councils in a manner that has curtailed the autonomy and the full independence of local authorities, in the process grossly interfering with service delivery. The party resolved to continue supporting the local authorities that it runs to ensure that they deliver prudent and affordable services to the people.
9.Resolving the national crisis
The party resolved to stand on the side of the people. The party will continue mobilizing locally and internationally for a cogent and robust #FreeZimbabwe campaign that must eventually yield a legitimate people’s government.
Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Nick Mangwana, has indicated his boss, Emmerson Mnangagwa is grooming a young successor.
Writing at the weekend, Mangwana said Mnangagwa believes that a young leader should succeed him. He said Mnangagwa believes the next President “leadership of Zimbabwe should be younger in age compared to the leadership the country has had so far.
“It is with this in mind that he has taken the bold step of infusing young leadership in the government as deputies to learn the ropes.
Mnangagwa who became head of State in 2017 has said he will still be leading ZANU PF in 2030. He will be 92 when he will be due for re-election. Still however, Mnangagwa insists he is determined to hand over to a younger mentee.
THE Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has predicted heavy rains accompanied by violent thunderstorms with possible flash floods with effect from this evening.
The announcement comes at a time when the country has been eagerly waiting for the rainy season to commence after months of hot weather and drought which has resulted in more than 9 000 cattle dying.
“Relief is on the way as the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has forecast significant rainfall and slightly lower temperatures in most parts of the country during the coming week,” said the MSD in a statement.
The department said significant rainfall is expected across the country with effect from tomorrow until November 16, 2019.
“During storms, avoid metal objects and tall isolated trees.
Where possible stay indoors. Motorists are advised to be vigilant when driving through storms. Take caution on the road as flash flooding and gushes of water may lead to treacherous road conditions. Visibility may also be compromised during heavy downpours.”
The MSD said the heavy rains, which are a result of a cloud band from Botswana and Zambia, are expected to start affecting the Western parts of the country starting on November 10, 2019.
The wet conditions should move eastwards covering the whole country by Monday which should result in moderate to heavy rains across the country.
The rains should persist in most areas for much of the week, with localised heavier falls (in excess of 50mm in 24 hours) being highly likely in some places.
“The public is advised that the combination of this moisture together with heat can trigger violent storms which will be accompanied by lightning, hail and wind,” said the MSD.State media
In terms of Subsection 1 of Section 104 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, His Excellency the President, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has made the following Ministerial appointments and re-assignments:
1.0 MINISTERS
Honourable Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu – Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Honourable Dr Sekesai Irene Nzenza – Minister of Industry and Commerce
Honourable Professor Paul Mavima – Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare
Honourable Ambassador Cain Mathema – Minister of Primary and Secondary Education
Honourable Kazembe Kazembe – Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage,
Honourable Jenfan Muswere – Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services,
Honourable Daniel Garwe – Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities.
2.0 DEPUTY MINISTERS:
Honourable Marian Chombo – Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works
Honourable David Musabayana – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Hon Jennifer Mhlanga – Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development,
Honourable Yeukai Simbanegavi – Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities
Honourable Dingumuzi Phuti – Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services
Honourable Raymore Machingura – Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development,
Honourable Tinoda Machakarika – Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, 8. Honourable Clemence Chiduwa
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
These appointments and re-assignments are with immediate effect.
In terms of Subsection 1 of Section 104 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, His Excellency the President, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has made the following Ministerial appointments and re-assignments:
1.0 MINISTERS
Honourable Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu – Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Honourable Dr Sekesai Irene Nzenza – Minister of Industry and Commerce
Honourable Professor Paul Mavima – Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare
Honourable Ambassador Cain Mathema – Minister of Primary and Secondary Education
Honourable Kazembe Kazembe – Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage,
Honourable Jenfan Muswere – Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services,
Honourable Daniel Garwe – Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities.
2.0 DEPUTY MINISTERS:
Honourable Marian Chombo – Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works
Honourable David Musabayana – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Hon Jennifer Mhlanga – Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development,
Honourable Yeukai Simbanegavi – Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities
Honourable Dingumuzi Phuti – Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services
Honourable Raymore Machingura – Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development,
Honourable Tinoda Machakarika – Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, 8. Honourable Clemence Chiduwa
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
These appointments and re-assignments are with immediate effect.
A CHIPINGE village head was left counting losses after his homestead was torched by his subject who accused the traditional leader of bewitching him and harbouring intentions to evict him from the village.
This came to light during the appearance of Joseph Kuwayani (43) of Mutowe Village under Chief Musikavanhu before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, facing charges of malicious damage to property.
He was convicted on his own plea of guilty.
In mitigation, Kuwayani said he was remorseful for his actions as he committed the offence in anger after the village head had threatened to bewitch him.
“I am sorry for my actions Your Worship. I was angry after the village head threatened to bewitch me and also evict me from my homestead. I am asking for your lenience when passing sentence,’ said Kuwayani.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison of which five months were conditionally suspended for five years. A further five months was suspended on condition he restitutes the complainant $5 000 on or before February 28 in 2020.
Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube told the court that on October 13, this year, Kuwayani was drinking at Daisyhill Business Centre in Chipinge.
He then gathered that the village head, Edgar Garwi (72), was planning to chase him away from the village.
The news did not amuse him.
He left the business centre and passed through another villager, Gift Ngirandi’s homestead where he asked for a box of matches. He was given the match box without divulging his intentions.
Kuwayani then proceeded to Garwi’s homestead where he set alight one of the thatched huts.
He went and hid behind another hut before setting it on fire too.
He escaped from the homestead, but was positively identified by one of the villagers who had reacted to the inferno. Property worth $5 000 was destroyed.
A police report was made, leading to his arrest.
— NewsDay
FLAMBOYANT businessman and socialite Genius Kadungure has blessed Freeman with US$500 for his successful hit song Ngaibake featuring Alick Macheso.
Ngaibake has become one of the most played tunes in Zimbabwe – in homes, clubs and parties.
Freeman was called to collect US$500 by Ginimbi as a token of appreciation.
“I was called to come and receive US$500 yesterday at Dreams and I was so surprised.
“I am grateful and humbled being appreciated in such a way, it’s not every day you find someone who believes in your art that much,” said Freeman.
The Ngaibake singer Freeman said he is going to share the money with the Sungura kingpin Alick Macheso.
“I will be going to visit mdara (Macheso) then I give him a piece of the cake we received because it is something we did together,” he said.
— HMetro
By A Correspondent- The police in Bulawayo arrested a three member gang for stealing 90 cellphones and a laptop worth $25000.
The trio recently appeared before the court and the magistrate remanded them to Monday.
It is the states’ case that the trio saw the bag containing the cellphones in a parked car in Bulawayo and decided to help themselves with the mobile phones. After smashing the car window they got away with the bag.
When the owner of the car then came back, he saw that his car had been broken into and he made a police report. A police investigation landed them into the hands of one of the thieves. This led to the rest of the crew being rounded up and finally, the police nabbed the other 2 and recovered the remaining few cellphones.
Real Madrid cruised past Eibar to temporarily move two points clear at the top of La Liga.
Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the visitors before Sergio Ramos doubled their lead from the penalty spot.
Benzema fired home Real’s second penalty of the contest nine minutes later, with Federico Valverde netting a fourth in the second half.
Barcelona can reclaim top spot with victory over Celta Vigo this evening.
Benzema’s double lifts him to sixth on Real’s all-time La Liga goals list, surpassing legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskás.
The Frenchman, who scored twice in
Wednesday’s 6-0 Champions League win over Galatasaray, broke the deadlock after the hosts had failed to clear Valverde’s blocked effort.
Ramos then drilled home Real’s first penalty after former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard had been brought down by Pablo de Blasis.
Benzema made it 3-0 from the spot following a foul on Lucas Vázquez, before Valverde finished off a flowing Real move to put the seal on another comprehensive win.
The result lifts Zinedine Zidane’s side above Real Sociedad and third-placed Barcelona, who will return to the top of the table if they beat struggling Celta at the Nou Camp.BBC
Macauley Bonne has secured his local passport after several years of making efforts to regularise his Zimbabwean citizenship.
The UK-born striker had tried to get the document since his first appearance for the national team back in November 2017. The process dragged and had to make another submission in May with a hope of going to the 2019 Afcon.
However, new government laws made it impossible for him to get the passport without first renouncing his UK citizenship.
Following the intervention of Minister of Sport Kirsty Coventry a few weeks ago, the Charlton Athletic striker has finally received the papers.
Bolton Wanderers fullback Adam Chicksen who made his first appearance for the Warriors in March 2018 has also received his passport.
Chicksen, however, was dropped from the squad that will do duty in the Afcon qualifiers next week.Soccer 24
Bayern Munich have reportedly turned down Arsene Wenger’s offer to take over at the German club following the sacking of Niko Kovac.
The 70-year-old spoke to chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on the phone on Wednesday but according to AFP, the club will not hire the Frenchman.
“Arsene Wenger called (Bayern chairman) Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Wednesday afternoon to make him aware of his interest in the job,” a Bayern spokesperson told AFP subsidiary SID.
“Bayern appreciates Wenger’s work at Arsenal, but he is not being considered as coach.”
Wenger, who has also been linked with jobs at Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, has been out of work since leaving the Gunners in 2018.Soccer24
MDC is totally unimpressed and unmoved by the Cabinet reshuffle. Worse still, the reshuffle means Zimbabwe now has a useless and expensive bloated Cabinet that will only prove to be a real waste of hard-earned taxpayers money.
It is our strong and unequivocal stance that no matter how many times the Cabinet maybe reshuffled; this will in no way make any difference to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Indeed, the crisis in Zimbabwe is much bigger than a mere Cabinet reshuffle.
The crisis in Zimbabwe is clearly a crisis of political legitimacy and continued bad governance as demonstrated by the ever-rising high levels of corruption in the country.
Zimbabwe will remain in perpetual crisis because it has a lack of visionary leadership that is derived from a popular mandate from the long-suffering masses of Zimbabwe.
The people’s party remains clear and resolute in its stance that as long as the head of the Cabinet is not a popularly elected President; no amount of reshuffles will be able to turn the dire Zimbabwean situation around.
In line with its RELOAD strategy document, the MDC is very clear that the first step towards the restoration of normalcy in Zimbabwe will only happen once there is an unconditional acknowledgement that there is real need of a genuine or credible all-inclusive national dialogue facilitated by a neutral convenor.
The same dialogue process must also be able to agree on a transitional mechanism that will facilitate the implementation of comprehensive reforms.
Once this is all done, free and fair elections will then be held, that will enable Zimbabwe to have an undisputed popularly elected President.
As such, unless and until that happens first; no Cabinet reshuffle will be able to end the crisis in Zimbabwe.
MDC@20: Celebrating Courage, Growth and the People’s Victories
By A Correspondent| Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana, said that President Emmerson Mnangagwa believes that a young leader should succeed him.
Mangwana made the remarks on microblogging site Twitter on Saturday afternoon.
He wrote:
President Mnangagwa believes that the next President leadership of Zimbabwe should be younger in age compared to the leadership the country has had so far.
It is with this in mind that he has taken the bold step of infusing young leadership in the government as deputies to learn the ropes.
President Mnangagwa became head of State in 2017 while he was in his mid-seventies following a military-instigated popular coup that toppled long-time ruler, the late Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years until the coup when he was past 90 years of age. All of Mugabe’s deputies died in office, (apart from Mnangagwa and Joyce Mujuru who were sacked at the height of ZANU PF factionalism.)
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, presently presiding over an imploding economy, is anticipating an ambitious average national economic growth rate of 7% per annum during his tenure.
“We shall accelerate the conclusion of policy instruments that provide an amenable regulatory environment to further improve the ease of doing business and generate increased efficiency across the productive sectors. We must now make concerted efforts to sustain a national economic growth rate averaging 7% per annum,” Mnangagwa told delegates at the economic development and financial indaba in Harare yesterday.
Mnangagwa’s sentiments come at a time the country is experiencing an economic meltdown, with others expecting the economy to contract this year.
Zimbabwe’s economy will fall by 7,1%, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund.
The prediction is down from an earlier optimistic projection of a 3,1% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
This year will be the first time that Zimbabwe suffers a GDP contraction since 2008, when the economy shrunk 16,5% at the peak of a hyperinflation crisis.
Mnangagwa said the US$12 billion mining industry set to be achieved by 2023 would create linkages that will in turn have a multiplier effect on overall economic growth.
“Going forward, there is need to harness the diverse opportunities in the various sectors of the economy. To date, we have enacted a wide range of sector specific policies, roadmaps and other interventions across the industrial, mining, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and services sectors, among others, that highlight government’s support for productivity in the economy,” he said.
Mnangagwa has been under fire from diplomats and his political nemesis for failing to implement genuine reforms to jumpstart the economy.
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom special envoy challenged Mnangagwa’s government to introduce genuine economic and political reforms in order to turn around its faltering economy. As the country reels under serious power shortages, the President pledged to ensure constant power supplies, adding government was fully committed to facilitate and support the productive sectors to grow the national economy and improve exports.
“In the same vein, we remain open to dialogue with the business community, investor and all other stakeholders in our quest to revive and grow our national economy. The milestone achieved to date in our drive to grow the various sectors of the economy will be supported and anchored by our national trade policy and national export strategy,” he said.
By Own Correspondent| A Mudzi gold panner is battling for life in hospital after he was shot on the shoulder by a fellow panner for demanding back his $50 he had lent the gunman to buy beer.
The shooter is now facing attempted murder charges and is on the run after police launched a manhunt for him.
Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson, Tendai Mwanza confirmed the incident.
He said the incident happened when the suspect, Forbes Mungazi was recently drinking beer with Washington Renzva at the gold-rich Nyamuzizi Business Centre in Mudzi.
As the two continued imbibing, Mungazi reportedly ran out of cash leading to his borrowing $50 from Renzva on the promise that he would repay him later in the day.
However, an hour later, Renzva demanded his money back from Mungazi who then indicated that he was going to pay him with his cash he left at his home.
The pair proceeded to Mungazi’s home where, on arrival, Renzva remained outside, whilst his colleague entered a bedroom under the pretext of collecting some money.
Instead, it is further said, Mungazi emerged armed with a pistol he used to shoot at Renzva once on the right shoulder.
Mungazi immediately fled the scene while Renzva was rushed to Makosa clinic where he was later transferred to Kotwa hospital.
A crime report was made at Makosa Police Station and the manhunt for Mungazi continues.
Meanwhile, a Dema man in Seke district has also been hospitalised after three unknown gunmen recently broke into his home at night and shot him.
Mwanza confirmed the incident and said the gunshot victim, Passmore Kusvakusva of Dema Phase 3 in Seke, was asleep when he heard some noise from people who were breaking into his home.
He woke up and rushed towards the direction of the noise where he came across the suspects.
One of the intruders drew a pistol and fired at him once.
Kusvakusva was hit on the left side of the chest and fell down. The trio fled the scene with nothing stolen.
A neighbour who had heard the gunshots rushed to the scene to find Kusvakusva bleeding and lying helplessly on the floor.
He was later rushed to Chitungwiza hospital before a police report was made.
By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has announced the arrest of seven people who attacked six male adults at a mine in Chegutu.
The accused were armed with machetes, axes, knives and sjamboks when they committed the crime. They stole cellphones, gold ore, fuel and foodstuffs.
Police said in a statement:
Seven accused persons have been arrested after they went on a rampage in Chegutu on 5/11/19.
The accused persons who were 16 in number, armed with machetes, axes, knives and sjamboks attacked 6 male adults at a mine where they stole cellphones, gold ore, fuel and foodstuffs.
Some of the stolen property, weapons and motor vehicle used in the commission of the crime have since been recovered. Police are on the hunt for the remaining suspects.”
SuperSport have announced that they will not be broadcasting any CAF content following the sudden termination of television rights between the African football governing body and an agency called Lagardere Sports.
SuperSport themselves had obtained the television rights through the French agency Lagardere and the disagreement between CAF and the agency means they (SuperSport) suffer the consequences and viewers from across Africa will be swipped of the opportunity to watch their national teams in action in the AFCON 2021 qualifiers, U-23 AFCON qualfiers and CAF Champions League.
The statement issued by SuperSport today announcing the development read: “Due to the termination by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of its agency agreement with Lagardere, SuperSport will not be broadcasting CAF content, commencing with the Afcon under-23 championship, starting in Egypt this weekend, until further notice. This also extends to the Afcon qualifiers, which resume on Wednesday, 13 November.
“We are in a difficult position where we cannot broadcast the CAF games when we don’t have a firm contractual arrangement in place. SuperSport had previously acquired these broadcast rights from Lagardere,” commented Joe Heshu, MultiChoice Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.”
Should the matter not be resolved in time, local fans will not be able to watch the senior men’s national soccer team, the Warriors’ AFCON qualfiers against Botswana and Zambia, as well as FC Platinum in the CAF Champions League.
The MDC national executive met today for seven hours and spent the better part of the meeting deliberating on the deteriorating situation in the country, particularly the worsening plight of the ordinary citizens. The executive, a key organ of the party, discussed and charted the way forward on the following key national issues.
1.The national situation
The national executive deliberated on the deteriorating political, economic and social situation in the country. In particular, the executive noted the rising cost of basic commodities as well as the slow genocide in the country’s hospitals, where the illegitimate regime has fired yet another batch of doctors for raising legitimate concerns about their wages and working conditions. They haven also raised issues about lack of medicines and other medical consumables to enable them to save lives.
2.Food insecurity
About 8,5 million people in the country are food insecure and the party noted with serious concern that the illegitimate regime had begun politicizing food in the rural areas. The party resolved to do all within its remit to stop the abuse of a key livelihood issue such as food.
3.Legitimacy crisis The executive affirmed that the economic governance crisis in the country and the challenges facing the nation are symptomatic of the legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of 2018.
Unless and the until the legitimacy crisis is resolved, there will be no reprieve on the dire national situation as the people running government do not have the requisite confidence and mandate from the people.
The executive noted that the legitimacy crisis has led to the breaking down of the social contact, particularly between the leading and the led.
4.Elections The party’s continued participation in by-elections has exposed the dire need for prudent electoral reforms. A compromised election management system, the murkiness around voting material, the abuse of traditional leaders and the use of food as political weapon continues to be rampant in the countryside, justifying the need for genuine electoral reforms.
To this end, the party’s parliamentary caucus will table an alternative Electoral Bill that guarantees the holding of credible and legitimate elections that do not breed contested outcomes.
5.Increasing brutality against citizens and the leadership
The party noted the increasing brutality against the citizens and the people’s leadership and affirmed that the illegitimate regime of Mr. Mnangagwa will not succeed to break the collective spirit of the MDC in prosecuting the democratic struggle. The party stands in solidarity with citizens and leaders that are being persecuted.
The party resolved to set aside a day every year to remember and salute all survivors of political violence, living or dead, who have been victims of State-sanctioned brutality.
6.Parliament The party deliberated on developments in parliament, particularly Zanu PF’s attempt to reverse the democratic gains enshrined in the Constitution.
The national executive resolved that the people’s deployed to the August House must use the arena of Parliament to table alternative Bills as well as pro-poor motions that further citizens’ rights, widen democratic space and further the people’s democratic agenda.
The party resolved to continue pressing for alignment of laws to the Constitution, and not amendment of the Constitution, itself made and affirmed by the people themselves in a referendum.
7.Dialogue The party reiterated its commitment to a sincere, honest and credible dialogue process. The dialogue must unlock the impediments that have stood in the way of credible, free and plebiscites.
As such, any honest and credible dialogue process, under a mutually agreed convener, must focus on a comprehensive reform agenda to ensure the security and freedoms of citizens as well as ensuring a free, fair and credible election that must yield a people’s government.
8. Local Government The executive noted the challenges faced by MDC-led councils and bemoaned the fact that in most of these councils are MDC-led but are not MDC-controlled. Zanu PF has centralized most of the key operations of local authorities, such as procurement.
The party noted that Zanu PF has usurped key operations of councils in a manner that has curtailed the autonomy and the full independence of local authorities, in the process grossly interfering with service delivery.
The party resolved to continue supporting the local authorities that it runs to ensure that they deliver prudent and affordable services to the people.
9.Resolving the national crisis
The party resolved to stand on the side of the people. The party will continue mobilizing locally and internationally for a cogent and robust #FreeZimbabweCampaign that must eventually yield a legitimate people’s government.
By Farai D Hove| ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa whose asministration haa fired 211 doctors he pays a paltry USD70 per month, has anounced he is buying 1,500 buses.
Addressing a crowd in Chiredzi at the weekend, Mnangagwa indicated this is priority for the nation.
The bus purchase however comes at a time when there is no diesel to fuel them.
By Own Correspondent| Bulawayo City Council may soon decommission one of its supply dams, Umzingwane after the water level fell to just 6 per cent.
Bulawayo Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni revealed that the water crisis in the city has been worsened by increased consumption levels while dams have fallen below 37 per cent.
Said Mguni:
“I would like to appeal to members of the public to conserve water as the situation is very critical. As of November 2, dam levels stood at just below 37 per cent which may force us to decommission additional dams soon.”
Mguni further revealed that electricity load shedding at Ncema Water Treatment plant and Fernhill pumping station has exacerbated water challenges in the metropolis.
He encouraged residents to use water sparingly and adhere to the stipulated daily consumption of 115 Megalitres per day.
A break-in at the Harare home of prominent lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu on Wednesday night is being treated as “suspicious”, he said on Friday.
Mpofu, who represented MDC leader Nelson Chamisa in his 2018 presidential election court petition, said unknown individuals broke in as he slept with his wife.
“They took my laptop, my wife’s phone and cash. They had all the time to even re-arrange stuff. I think we had passed out,” Mpofu told ZimLive by phone from Harare.
Mpofu said he had “every reason to believe” that the raid was carried out by state agents looking for information.
“I won’t be cowed into silence,” he added.
In June, Mpofu was slightly hurt after a vehicle in which he was a passenger overturned in Mashonaland Central. He suspected foul play in that incident.
Last month, Chamisa appointed Mpofu to lead an internal “Integrity and Accountability Panel”.
By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has blocked the opposition MDC from holding a district rally in Mabvuku on Sunday.
In a letter addressed to the MDC chairman of Ward 19 in Mabvuku-Tafara, Officer Commanding Police, Harare Suburban District, Chief Superintendent S. Matongo wrote:
RE: NOTIFICATION TO HOLD A RALLY AT HIGH STREET/MABVUKU PARK ON 10 NOVEMBER 2019
I acknowledge receipt of the notification for a rally dated 6 November 2019 and served on us on 6 November 2019 through Mabvuku Police Station.
Kindly be advised that you have not fully complied with the terms of Section 25(1((b) and Section 25(2) (a) and (g) of the Public Order and Security Act [Chapter 11:17].
You are therefore required to advise this authority of a new date of meeting which meets the provisions of the Act.
Accordingly referred.
The banning of the MDC rally raises several questions, among them; why is the law selectively applied? ZANU PF held an anti-sanctions rally in October in Harare and the ruling party held another rally on Saturday 9 November 2019 in Chiredzi.
Moreover, the government has told the international community that the repressive law, POSA, has been removed from the statute books yet it is still being used by the police to ban the MDC’s rallies.
THE Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has predicted heavy rains accompanied by violent thunderstorms with possible flash floods with effect from this evening.
The announcement comes at a time when the country has been eagerly waiting for the rainy season to commence after months of hot weather and drought which has resulted in more than 9 000 cattle dying.
“Relief is on the way as the Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has forecast significant rainfall and slightly lower temperatures in most parts of the country during the coming week,” said the MSD in a statement.
The department said significant rainfall is expected across the country with effect from tomorrow until November 16, 2019.
“During storms, avoid metal objects and tall isolated trees.
Where possible stay indoors. Motorists are advised to be vigilant when driving through storms. Take caution on the road as flash flooding and gushes of water may lead to treacherous road conditions. Visibility may also be compromised during heavy downpours.”
The MSD said the heavy rains, which are a result of a cloud band from Botswana and Zambia, are expected to start affecting the Western parts of the country starting on November 10, 2019.
The wet conditions should move eastwards covering the whole country by Monday which should result in moderate to heavy rains across the country.
The rains should persist in most areas for much of the week, with localised heavier falls (in excess of 50mm in 24 hours) being highly likely in some places.
“The public is advised that the combination of this moisture together with heat can trigger violent storms which will be accompanied by lightning, hail and wind,” said the MSD.State media
Over 300 undocumented foreign nationals have been found hiding in a Hillbrow building, and three suspects have been arrested for hijacking the 21-storey building.
The undocumented nationals, from Malawi and Zimbabwe, were taken in for processing and verification of their stay in the country, says police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters.
“Three suspects, two women and a man, were arrested for hijacking the building after police were able to locate the rightful owner,” Peters says.
Six Malawian nationals – four juveniles and two pregnant women – have been released pending their appearance before immigration authorities to prepare for their direct deportation.
FESTIVE SAFETY
The operation kicked off the Safer Festive Season Campaign in Gauteng, and was attended by Police Minister General Bheki Cele, together with the Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, and Johannesburg Metro Police Department Chief David Tembe.
In other operations under the campaign, police traced 124 suspects on whom warrants of arrests were executed for a range of crimes. Roadblocks were mounted at strategic points in all the five districts in the province and saw unroadworthy cars impounded and fines issued for contravention of road traffic regulations.
“A stolen police firearm was found on a wanted suspect, a Mozambican national, who was also driving a suspected stolen vehicle on the N12 in Alberton,” says Peters.
Three other firearms were also recovered – one in a roadblock on the N3 and two during a hostel raid in Thokoza. In addition, confiscated counterfeit goods estimated at R25m and confiscated liquor valued at R1.4m were confiscated.
“Residents of Gauteng can look forward to high visibility in known hotspots such as shopping centres and malls; more roadblocks to address road fatalities; visits by the police to places of entertainment; and more shut-downs of illegal liquor outlets; and generally more crime prevention operations,” says Peters.
PREMIERSHIP side Herentals are at the centre of a match-fixing storm after a Black Rhinos official admitted to being bribed to influence the result of a recent league match.
The Students, who are involved in a bruising relegation battle, have been under the spotlight in recent weeks.
Suspicion was raised when they forced a 1-1 draw against log leaders CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium.
Black Rhinos yesterday revealed they fired team manager, Gift Kamuriwo, who admitted to receiving a bribe from a Herentals official.
The money was allegedly paid by Herentals team manager, Oliver Chirenga, to influence the outcome of their league clash at the National Sports Stadium on October 19.
Chirenga allegedly targeted a Rhinos player, believed to be Gift Saunyama, to recruit some of his teammates who were supposed to underperform on the day.
But the plans were foiled after the player alerted his coach Hebert Maruwa of the shenanigans.
Rhinos secretly sought to lay a trap to prove the case.
But, after realising the plot could have been discovered, Chirenga then dumped the player.
He allegedly then enlisted the help of his counterpart, Kamuriwo, who has close relations with the whole squad.
The former midfielder was allegedly handed US$600 to help mastemind the scam.
Herentals cruised to a surprise 3-0 win courtesy of a hattrick from their main striker Blessing Majarira.
The Warriors trialist decided the match in a 10-minute blitz towards the end of the first half to ease the pressure on the Students.
However, the result still left the Rhinos authorities with a lot of questions leading to an independent internal investigation.
Before that game, Herentals had not won in eight consecutive league outings.
Stung by the defeat, the Rhinos technical team and players were summoned for questioning by their officials.
And the investigations pointed to a possible match-fixing scam.
Rhinos secretary-general, Wellington Mabiginye, told The Herald they were taking the matter up with the Premier Soccer League while internal investigations were still going on.
Mabiginye confirmed Kamuriwo was relieved of his duties following his confession.
The former Rhinos midfielder, who faces further punishment, however, refused to implicate any of the players.
“We have a case here,’’ Mabiginye said.
‘’One of our players was approached by the people from Herentals before our league match and upon realising the seriousness of the issue he turned them down and alerted the coach.
“So, we had wanted to set a trap but then the official from Herentals did not come back to the player.
‘’Probably, he got wind of the trap. Still, the result and the manner we lost that match was suspicious and we decided to launch investigations.’’
Mabiginye said they ensured they would be thorough in their probe.
“These things happened, I think some three weeks ago, but as a club we have been doing our internal investigations because we didn’t want to tarnish anyone’s image by rushing to conclusions,’’ he said.
“Our team manager confessed to taking the bribe and he has been sacked for that.
‘’But that is just part of the disciplinary action in motion. Usually, as the army, we don’t have to involve police when we encounter such mischief.
‘’We have our own processes which may still find someone going to Chikurubi if convicted.’’
Mabiginye said they have referred the matter to the PSL for further investigations by the league.
“As Black Rhinos, our policy is very clear when it comes to issues such as this,’’ he said.
‘’We don’t tolerate any kind of mischief, worse still given such cases border on criminality.
“Our players know, the whole club is aware that Rhinos does not condone corruption and anything that is illegal because when we come to sport, in particular football, we are the face of the Zimbabwe National Army.
‘’So, we are getting to the bottom of this.
“We have high standards to maintain and football should be a clean sport. We have no jurisdiction over the other club, so we are taking up the matter with the PSL.’’
The Premiership were still to receive written communication from Rhinos by last night.
However, the Herentals official at the centre of the saga, Chirenga, reacted angrily to the accusations being levelled against him.
“I am actually surprised that they are making such allegations. We have had people also raising the same issue after our game against CAPS United but there is nothing like that which happened,’’ he said.
“We have a good team and we beat Rhinos clean. Maybe, they are bitter with that defeat because of the grudges we carried from Division One.
“There is a lot of history behind the clashes between Rhinos and Herentals and I don’t know where that beef came from.
‘’There is always tension whenever we meet and I think this is one way of trying to tarnish our image.
“As a team that we used to play against during our days in Division One, we feel we don’t want to lose to them and they also don’t want to lose to us.’’State media
CONFEDERATION of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Henry Ruzvidzo says the past nine months have been extremely tough for most companies, and expressed hope that the 2020 National Budget would bring about some relief in terms of market and currency stability.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube will present the National Budget on Thursday next week.
Industry is facing a plethora of challenges that include foreign currency shortages, power cuts, exchange rate fluctuations, policy inconsistencies and corruption.
“The last nine months have been trying for the industry. Commitment to the mono-currency must be clear. I think we know of instances when we have other sections of our economy insisting on payment in US dollars. This puts the local currency under threat,”Ruzvidzo said.
“The biggest challenge is fiscal deficit because we are not borrowing from outside, we are resorting to local borrowing through overdrafts and Treasury Bills to finance deficits. We hope the budget will address that.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce says it has set up a ministerial advisory committee comprising private sector players to breathe life to the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy (ZNIDP). Launched in June, the ZNIDP (2019-2023) seeks to turn the manufacturing sector into a technologically advanced, competitive and diversified industry by 2030.
“In the Ministry of Industry we set up the ministerial advisory committee, which comprises renowned private sector players working with our own ministry staff to translate the ZNIDP into a live outputs and outcomes driven initiative,” Industry minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said in a speech read on his behalf at the financial indaba in Harare yesterday. The strategic objectives of the ZNIDP include facilitating sustainable growth of industry, development of new industries and the transformation and diversification of the local industry.
“I think we have reached a stage where collectively, in both private and public sectors, we need to focus our intentions on how we craft solutions to the known challenges so that we expend our energies more productively.
“There is a mix of short to medium-term policies and strategies that we wish to adopt in the ZNIDP to spur industrialisation, such as improving the business operating environment, mobilising funding for industrial development, supporting mining and agricultural sectors, enhancing research and development skills transfer as well as infrastructure development,” Ndlovu said.
The financial Indaba was held under the theme Driving towards 2030 economy anchored on production and exports.
In terms of Subsection 1 of Section 104 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act 2013, His Excellency the President, Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has made the following Ministerial appointments and re-assignments:
1.0 MINISTERS
Honourable Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu – Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry
Honourable Dr Sekesai Irene Nzenza – Minister of Industry and Commerce
Honourable Professor Paul Mavima – Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare
Honourable Ambassador Cain Mathema – Minister of Primary and Secondary Education
Honourable Kazembe Kazembe – Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage,
Honourable Jenfan Muswere – Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services,
Honourable Daniel Garwe – Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities.
2.0 DEPUTY MINISTERS:
Honourable Marian Chombo – Deputy Minister of Local Government and Public Works
Honourable David Musabayana – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Hon Jennifer Mhlanga – Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development,
Honourable Yeukai Simbanegavi – Deputy Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities
Honourable Dingumuzi Phuti – Deputy Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services
Honourable Raymore Machingura – Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development,
Honourable Tinoda Machakarika – Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, 8. Honourable Clemence Chiduwa
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
These appointments and re-assignments are with immediate effect.
Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday commissioned 76 Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) buses in Bulawayo and said that the country would receive 1 500 more buses from China “soon”.
Mnangagwa has previously commissioned new ZUPCO fleet on more than one occasion and continues to do so, raising questions if he is trying to steal the limelight from transport minister Biggie Matiza.
This time Mnangagwa took the scissors to Bulawayo where he ordered that the buses be deployed to rural Matebeleland areas where residents are reportedly experiencing transport challenges.
While other Presidents are officially launching major projects such as bullet trains in Rwanda, Mnangagwa sees new ZUPCO buses as an achievement to talk about.
Mnangagwa said the government was in the process of importing 1500 buses from China to increase the ZUPCO fleet to be able to cover the whole country.
“About 1 500 buses are expected to come from China and 300 of those will come in knocked down parts which will be assembled here in Zimbabwe to create employment,” he said.
Correspondent|A video of a policeman being (as claimed), assaulted by a male citizen in Harare CBD has surfaced online.
An activist who has access to the Information Ministry Twitter account said the video shows the man beating the police officer and disarming him of his button stick before. The police officer tries to take it back but is overpowered.
The ZANU PF activist named Charity Maodza has claimed that the man is an MDC person and that he assaulted the police officer.
However the video on its own shows the civilian is under attack by several officers and he only managed to seize the baton stick, overpower the first officer and withdraw from the scene having taken the weapon away.
The mysterious man on video with Speaker Of Parliament Jacob Mudenda at the In Hotel in Belgrade Serbia, has been revealed.
The man who attempted to interrupt journalist Simba Chikanza’s interview with Mudenda, is none other than ZANU PF MP for Buhera North, William Mutomba. He disrupted the interview soon after Mudenda had confessed that the Zimbabwean military was used to alter the 2018 election results.
William Mutomba
In our first article, he was named, “UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN.”
Below is the full Jacob Mudenda interview in Serbia on the 13th October 2019.
MUDENDA WITH SIMBA CHIKANZA FOR AN INTERVIEW- Begins with the humiliation Zim is receiving here, a Tanzanian politician says “Zim is now 7 times worse than it was under Bob.” Mudenda asks why. He is told it’s because you’re torturing MDC MPs and 1 Aug victims.. FINAL VIDEO ON ZIMEYE pic.twitter.com/23KwitUSSM
INTERVIEW OF ZIMBABWE’S SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT WITH SIMBA CHIKANZA AT THE IN-HOTEL IN SERBIA ON SUNDAY 13TH OCTOBER 2019.
Jacob Mudenda speaking to ZimEye at the In Hotel, Serbia
The interview by Simba Chikanza (SC) with Adv Jacob Mudenda was recorded partly on audio and the rest on video. It began with Simba Chikanza showing Adv Mudenda his official name badge presenting himself as a journalist doing research over the Interparliamentary Union (The Union of all parliaments around the world).
Adv Mudenda was happy doing the brief interview which later became heated.
Watch video below. ..
FULL VIDEO OF INTERVIEW (PLUS AUDIO) LOADING BELOW…
SC: Many of the things that are coming on Zimbabwe; right now, I have just met some Tanzanians who were criticising us, heavily, just here.
Well, we are being told that we are now 7 times worse, more, than when we were during Robert Mugabe times. I think that is one matter that I am going to need a short engagement with you Sir.
Mudenda: There are exigencies (sic)
SC: Excuse me?
Mudenda: There are exigencies (sic)
SC: Let me just, while we are, let me just get a picture with you if you don’t mind Sir.
SC: Right, where are we here? Right so, here. Meeting Advocate Mudenda.
Mudenda: Thank you.
SC: You seem to have forgotten me, I don’t know why.
Mudenda: Yeah, I am trying to recollect.
SC: Splendid. Looking forward, I will be with you shortly.
Mudenda: Yeah
SC: Thank you Sir.
Mudenda: Someone will be joining me soon.
SC: Oh, someone will be joining you?
Mudenda: Yes.
SC: Okay, so someone will be joining you. Okay. So what I will do maybe, once they come maybe, I will go away. I am just having a very light one.
Mudenda: Okay.
SC: Oh, thank you Sir. Yeah, the criticism against us is very scathing, it is very heavy, this gentleman from Tanzania who was saying he runs an NGO, and works between Uganda and Tanzania, and he says your country is now 7 times worse than when Robert Mugabe.
Mudenda: What reasons does he give?
SC: Err, we didn’t go into deep, we didn’t get deeper than that, other than him saying the conduct of both government and institutions. He alleges the judiciary as well, and parliament and he mentioned specifically the withdrawal of allowances. Sir.
Ndokutorerai (shall I get you a ) chair?
SC: Sir, the withdrawal of allowances Advocate Mudenda, that has extremely, extremely criticised yourself. On what basis. You have here a topic, local and international policy analysts here, they say you have caused the deterioration of parliament, and.
Mudenda: I have what?
SC: You have made parliament to deteriorate. The value of parliamentarianism is, should be.
Mudenda: Into what?
SC: You are now a spokesman of a military cartel rather than parliament. And in this case Advocate Mudenda, you have a discussion, a topic, that you yourself, you allowed into parliament, you brought this discussion, and that is the 1 August brutality. It is clear even ZBC broadcast this.
Mudenda: (nod and sound in affirmation).
SC: They broadcast this, announcement that the military would be used to change 2018 election results.
Mudenda: (nod and sound in affirmation).
Mudenda: Yes
SC: The same MPs who are meant to be part of your own parliament Advocate Mudenda, they are part of your parliament. And you are the one who allowed this discussion to get into. You allowed it to be discussed.
Mudenda: No, you see the members of parliament have threatened to go to court, so that matter is subjudice.
SC: Sorry?
Mudenda: The matter is subjudice and I am not discussing that.
SC: Because they have threatened to go to court?
Mudenda: Yeah I’m not discussing that.
SC: But then, Sir, aren’t you concerned?
Mudenda: I am not discussing that.
SC: Aren’t you concerned?
Mudenda: I am not discussing that. I am not discussing that.
SC: That we have a clear matter.
Mudenda: I am not discussing that.
SC: You talked about a threat Sir, you talked about a threat advocate.
Mudenda: I am not discussing that.
SC: You talked about a threat.
Mudenda: Can you stop it. Alright?
SC: Advocate, Advocate, a crime is being committed right now. People are dying.
Mudenda: Go to court. Go to court.
SC: Go to court where? People are dying right now in Zimbabwe advocate.
Mudenda: I am not.
SC: I have got; I have got victims of 1 August.
Mudenda: Can you also respect my point of view. Alright?
SC: Do you also respect the people who are suffering, Sir? Do you respect the victims who still have bullets in their bodies, Sir…the victims who still have bullets in their bodies right now?
Mudenda: Can you stop it. Alright. Can you stop it.
SC: Advocate, Advocate, you are the highest you are the most respected person in Zimbabwe you are here to represent parliamentarianism. What parliamentarianism is. You are the person we refer to; we respect you sir. We respect you. And I’ve come to you to ask you about this thing which we are being criticised for; our nation is being criticised right here, Sir.
Mudenda: Can you still stop it. This is not the forum.
SC: Why is it not the forum Sir?
Mudenda: Can you stop it.
SC: But you are the Speaker of Parliament.
Mudenda: Can you stop it. Haaah.
SC: I have got people who are crying I have got victims. Are you concerned that you are no longer the Speaker of Parliament you are now the Speaker of a military cartel?
Mudenda: Can you stop it.
SC: Stop what advocate, stop what?
Mudenda: Can you stop it.
SC: Stop what?
Mudenda: Can you stop it.
SC: But you are destroying our country. You are destroying a whole community. You are right now, even the perception of our nation (sic) Advocate Mudenda.
Are you happy that parliamentarianism has been violated advocate Mudenda? Tell me.
Mudenda: [NO RESPONSE]
So you are not willing to address concerns about parliamentarianism, you are here to represent parliamentarianism and you are mentally torturing MDC MPs adding to the physical torture to victims of violence on 1 August which was done to change election results and this was broadcast on the ZBC. Advocate Mudenda, you are a respected man. You are the highest, the most respected person Sir.
Mudenda: Can you slow down so I can eat.
SC: I shall slow down, but I hope you realise here, that I have got people who are dying, there is a crime that is being committed.
Mudenda: Can I have my breakfast?
SC: You can sir, you can sir, I shall wait.
A crime is being committed Advocate.
Mudenda: Can you move off can you move off.
SC: I am not Sir.
I have got a legitimate criminal concern here, a legal concern sir;
I have got a legitimate legal concern.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN – MUDENDA’S AIDE TRAVELED WITH HIM FROM ZIMBABWE:
Sorry sorry I thought I had given you enough time.
SC: No you can’t do this.
SC: Advocate Mudenda people are dying right now people are dying right now and you are mentally torturing MDC MPs. On what basis do you withdraw their allowances for 5-months merely because they are expressing what you brought before Parliament?
Mudenda: Can you move out.
SC: I am here I am not going to move out I am a guest here and I am also; I am very much here; I am very much here; but I will wait on you because this is important, because you are an employee; you are a civil servant Sir; you are a civil servant. This is your job. This is your job, to be accountable to members of the public; to the international community; to prove that you’re doing the job of a speaker of Parliament not a speaker of a military cartel advocate Mudenda.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN: (attempt to interrupt).
No you cannot shut me I’m going to slow down I will allow him to eat but I’m not going to leave here. I am here I am a guest here; I am an invitee to this conference where you are as well; Thank you.
Tine vanhu varikufa right now hamadzedu dzirikufa kuZimbabwe, akomana, varume, mauya kunoku imimi, saka ndanyarara ikozvino. Ndakumirirai. Ndakumirirai.
This is a legal matter, it is also a criminal matter; I am waiting here.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
I think the honorable speaker has come here to have something to eat.
SC: Yes I will wait for him. I will wait for him Sir
As you can see I have withdrawn, I have withdrawn, I was sitting there when you are sitting so now I have moved away now so we will wait sir. I have got Zimbabweans who are waiting across inside Zimbabwe and around the world. They’re waiting; this is the most respected person; The highest person in the country in Zimbabwe next to Emmerson Mnangagwa.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
So why are you shouting?
SC: I am not shouting I am waiting sir.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
I think it is more about threatening than anything.
SC: What threat did you hear? What threat did you hear there?
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
I haven’t heard.
SC: No no no. Please don’t be unreasonable what threat did you hear here? What threat did you hear tell me, can you justify what you said.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
Know what I am simply saying you know when you are talking on top of your voice if you really want to interview you the Speaker you should interview in a manner that is (sic).
SC: According to your allegations I am quiet. Thank you.
UNKNOWN/ UNNAMED MAN:
Thank you.
POLICE ARE THEN SUMMONED IN AND DISRUPT THE INTERVIEW THEN THE BELOW HAPPENS….
BREAKING – JACOB MUDENDA HUMILIATED AFTER SENDING SERBIAN POLICE TO CHASE AWAY JOURNALIST AFTER BEING CONTRONTED OVER MENTALLY TORTURING MDC MPs AND 1 AUG VICTIMS, WHICH WAS DONE TO CHANGE 2018 ELECTION RESULTS | FULL STORY TO FOLLOW pic.twitter.com/RQwnMVX86m
A CHIPINGE village head was left counting losses after his homestead was torched by his subject who accused the traditional leader of bewitching him and harbouring intentions to evict him from the village.
This came to light during the appearance of Joseph Kuwayani (43) of Mutowe Village under Chief Musikavanhu before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, facing charges of malicious damage to property.
He was convicted on his own plea of guilty.
In mitigation, Kuwayani said he was remorseful for his actions as he committed the offence in anger after the village head had threatened to bewitch him.
“I am sorry for my actions Your Worship. I was angry after the village head threatened to bewitch me and also evict me from my homestead. I am asking for your lenience when passing sentence,’ said Kuwayani.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison of which five months were conditionally suspended for five years. A further five months was suspended on condition he restitutes the complainant $5 000 on or before February 28 in 2020.
Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube told the court that on October 13, this year, Kuwayani was drinking at Daisyhill Business Centre in Chipinge.
He then gathered that the village head, Edgar Garwi (72), was planning to chase him away from the village.
The news did not amuse him.
He left the business centre and passed through another villager, Gift Ngirandi’s homestead where he asked for a box of matches. He was given the match box without divulging his intentions.
Kuwayani then proceeded to Garwi’s homestead where he set alight one of the thatched huts.
He went and hid behind another hut before setting it on fire too.
He escaped from the homestead, but was positively identified by one of the villagers who had reacted to the inferno. Property worth $5 000 was destroyed.
A police report was made, leading to his arrest.
— NewsDay
By Nomusa Garikai| When you are in a hole, stop digging because you are not doing to dig yourself out of the hole by making the hole deeper! That is obvious, common sense, but clearly not to some people; but I never thought one will need to explain this to someone like Professor Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance, no less!
“Zimbabwe’s army and police are poised to get the biggest chunks of the 2020 national budget, which finance minister Mthuli Ncube has revised to far exceed the initial ceiling of ZWL$28 billion (about US$1.77 billion or R26.1billion),” reported TimesLive.
The Army and the Police are each going to get ZWL$25 billion and ZWL$32 billion.
This must be compared and contrasted with the budgetary allocation to health, agriculture and industry which are getting ZWL$ 18, 14 and 6 billion respectively!
The first thing to note is that the budget allocation to the Police alone exceeded the initial total ceiling set by the Minister and his staff. The total allocation to the five ministries named above alone is ZWL$ 85 billion or nearly three times the set ceiling. Of course, this is bound to fuel the country’s hyperinflation estimated at between 358% to 900%.
The second obvious flaw is why oh why is the country spending fortune on security and pittance on health, agriculture and industry?
“People complain about soldiers this and that, but let me tell you, if we do not have peace we will have huge problems,” Minister Ncube explained.
“It’s very important that we should make sure that the security cluster is well funded, that soldiers have a decent meal, three meals a day, as well as the police.”
Minister Ncube should know that ever since the country attained her independence in 1980 the country has spend disproportionately more and more resources on its bloated public sector, notably the security services. Yes this was done to placate the security personal but at the price of starving the country’s wealth generating sectors. When a nation spends more than the wealth it is generating that is the root cause of economic meltdown and price inflation.
By increasing the money supply three fold without doing anything to increase the wealth the nation generates the Minister has only stoked the hyperinflation flames!
After 39 years of kicking the can of voodoo economic policies down the road the country is running out of road. Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has pushed unemployment to the nauseating heights of 90%, basic services such as health have all but completely collapsed, etc. The country desperately need sound economic policies to revive the comatose economy and not more of the failed voodoo economics!
FLAMBOYANT businessman and socialite Genius Kadungure has blessed Freeman with US$500 for his successful hit song Ngaibake featuring Alick Macheso.
Ngaibake has become one of the most played tunes in Zimbabwe – in homes, clubs and parties.
Freeman was called to collect US$500 by Ginimbi as a token of appreciation.
“I was called to come and receive US$500 yesterday at Dreams and I was so surprised.
“I am grateful and humbled being appreciated in such a way, it’s not every day you find someone who believes in your art that much,” said Freeman.
The Ngaibake singer Freeman said he is going to share the money with the Sungura kingpin Alick Macheso.
“I will be going to visit mdara (Macheso) then I give him a piece of the cake we received because it is something we did together,” he said.
— HMetro
By Patrick Guramatunhu | ”It has been a privilege to chair the All Party Zimbabwe Group in Parliament and speak up for that beautiful country now in the grip of @edmnangagwa destroying it just like Mugabe,” twittered retiring Labour MP Kate Hoey.
THANK YOU KATE!
You spoke for the millions of ordinary Zimbabweans who have been systematically denied the freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful vote and even the right to life by this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with great economic potential and a hard working people. The reality on ground tells a different and sorry story because the country has had the great misfortune of being ruled by thugs.
Ever since Zimbabwe attained her independence in 1980 the country has been ruled by corrupt, incompetent and murderous Zanu PF thugs who have denies the people their freedoms and rights including the right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country and even the right to life. The people have risked life and limb to elect MDC on the ticket they would implement the democratic reforms to end the Zanu PF dictatorship. They had the golden opportunity to implement the reforms during the 2008 to 2013 GNU; they failed to get even one reform implemented. Not one! And ever since the MDC leaders have participated in flawed and illegal elections for selfish political gain.
Ms Kate Hoey, the EU, the Americans, the Canadians, the Commonwealth and many, many other observed last year’s Zimbabwe elections and they all condemned the elections as a farce. Ms Hoey argued the British government, the EU and the international community to punish the Mnangagwa regime for rigging the elections. It was none other than Zimbabwe’s own opposition politicians who undermine this call!
There is no doubt that by participating in the elections, the opposition gave the flawed and illegal elections some democratic credibility. And boy oh boy; the opposition politicians were falling over each other in their enthusiasm to contest. There were 23 contestants in the presidential race alone!
The election process was so flawed that 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora were denied the vote (Mnangagwa was declared the winner with 2.4 million votes)! ZEC even failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll. But none of these flaws and illegalities dumped the opposition candidates’ enthusiasm!
MDC leaders and their fellow opposition politicians were after the few gravy train seats Zanu PF gives away as bait and they did not care how flawed and illegal the process happened to be. Having participated in the flawed and illegal elections, knowing all along Zanu PF would rig the elections, Chamisa and company had no choice but to accept the elections as credible.
Yes, E D Mnangagwa is destroying Zimbabwe just as Mugabe before him had done and with the active help of the corrupt and incompetent Nelson Chamisa and his MDC friends! MDC leaders have been running with the hare and hunting with the hounds for over 20 years now and hence the reason Zimbabwe is still stuck with this corrupt and tyrannical Zanu PF dictatorship.
People like Kate Hoey have fought hard to stop tyrants like Mugabe and Mnangagwa destroying Zimbabwe. But if the truth be told, this is our fight; we have allowed tyrants to ride roughshod over our hopes and dreams and it is our responsibility to now put an end to this madness!
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves,” said Jesus.
Zimbabwe is in a real serious economic mess with unemployment a nauseating 90% and basic services like health care all but completely collapsed because of forty years of corrupt and tyrannical bad governance. To get out of the mess Zimbabweans must be shrewd to see something as obvious as MDC leaders are selling out hence the reason the party has failed to implement even one reform in the last 20 years. And it is naive to expect the party to do so now!
By A Correspondent- A break-in at the Harare home of prominent lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu on Wednesday night is being treated as “suspicious”, he said on Friday.
Mpofu, who represented MDC leader Nelson Chamisa in his 2018 presidential election court petition, said unknown individuals broke in as he slept with his wife.
“They took my laptop, my wife’s phone and cash. They had all the time to even re-arrange stuff. I think we had passed out,” Mpofu told ZimLive by phone from Harare.
Mpofu said he had “every reason to believe” that the raid was carried out by state agents looking for information.
“I won’t be cowed into silence,” he added.
In June, Mpofu was slightly hurt after a vehicle in which he was a passenger overturned in Mashonaland Central. He suspected foul play in that incident.
Last month, Chamisa appointed Mpofu to lead an internal “Integrity and Accountability Panel”.
Over 300 undocumented foreign nationals have been found hiding in a Hillbrow building, and three suspects have been arrested for hijacking the 21-storey building.
The undocumented nationals, from Malawi and Zimbabwe, were taken in for processing and verification of their stay in the country, says police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters.
“Three suspects, two women and a man, were arrested for hijacking the building after police were able to locate the rightful owner,” Peters says.
Six Malawian nationals – four juveniles and two pregnant women – have been released pending their appearance before immigration authorities to prepare for their direct deportation.
FESTIVE SAFETY
The operation kicked off the Safer Festive Season Campaign in Gauteng, and was attended by Police Minister General Bheki Cele, together with the Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, Gauteng Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, and Johannesburg Metro Police Department Chief David Tembe.
In other operations under the campaign, police traced 124 suspects on whom warrants of arrests were executed for a range of crimes. Roadblocks were mounted at strategic points in all the five districts in the province and saw unroadworthy cars impounded and fines issued for contravention of road traffic regulations.
“A stolen police firearm was found on a wanted suspect, a Mozambican national, who was also driving a suspected stolen vehicle on the N12 in Alberton,” says Peters.
Three other firearms were also recovered – one in a roadblock on the N3 and two during a hostel raid in Thokoza. In addition, confiscated counterfeit goods estimated at R25m and confiscated liquor valued at R1.4m were confiscated.
“Residents of Gauteng can look forward to high visibility in known hotspots such as shopping centres and malls; more roadblocks to address road fatalities; visits by the police to places of entertainment; and more shut-downs of illegal liquor outlets; and generally more crime prevention operations,” says Peters.
Pictures of an elderly municipal police officer in Harare at a vending stall have emerged. The unnamed female, is seen pulling up a plastic bag before walking away, looking frail and vulnerable.
The development has drawn questions as to her name and particularly her age.
Below was a comment passed by the popular Talitha Dube: “Municipal police or whatever they are too old to be working yet our youthiz are unemployed.
“It started with a 76 yr old pres, then a 56 yr old youth leader Togarepi Pupurai .
“Something ain’t right in Zim. Then there is opposition that is not opposition.”
By A Correspondent- A Chipinge village head was left counting losses after his homestead was torched by his subject who accused the traditional leader of bewitching him and harbouring intentions to evict him from the village.
This came to light during the appearance of Joseph Kuwayani (43) of Mutowe Village under Chief Musikavanhu before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, facing charges of malicious damage to property.
He was convicted on his own plea of guilty.
In mitigation, Kuwayani said he was remorseful for his actions as he committed the offence in anger after the village head had threatened to bewitch him.
“I am sorry for my actions Your Worship. I was angry after the village head threatened to bewitch me and also evict me from my homestead. I am asking for your lenience when passing sentence,’ said Kuwayani.
He was sentenced to 20 months in prison of which five months were conditionally suspended for five years. A further five months was suspended on condition he restitutes the complainant $5 000 on or before February 28 in 2020.
Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube told the court that on October 13, this year, Kuwayani was drinking at Daisyhill Business Centre in Chipinge.
He then gathered that the village head, Edgar Garwi (72), was planning to chase him away from the village.
The news did not amuse him.
He left the business centre and passed through another villager, Gift Ngirandi’s homestead where he asked for a box of matches. He was given the match box without divulging his intentions.
Kuwayani then proceeded to Garwi’s homestead where he set alight one of the thatched huts.
He went and hid behind another hut before setting it on fire too.
He escaped from the homestead, but was positively identified by one of the villagers who had reacted to the inferno. Property worth $5 000 was destroyed.
By Dr Masimba Mavaza| There have been rumours of a coup in Zimbabwe. Most people are so worried and industry have down sized after rumours have gone wild. Despite the difficulties Zimbabwe is not ready for another coup.
In this era of deliberate and increasing economic and political progress, it is fascinating that the coups d’état, the scourge of mid-twentieth century development, is still making its presence felt.
Zimbabweans have debated the factors that cause a nation’s armed forces to overstep their official role as protector of national territorial integrity and seize power. After the 2017 coup which was not a coup Zimbabweans always expect the repeat of 2017. However a coup in any name is triggered by serious triggers which are beyond economical meltdown. One school of thought in Zimbabwe relates the risk and occurrence of coup that was not a coup to the state of the national economy and the military’s stake therein. Based largely on the experiences of Zimbabwe such economic theories have seldom been applied to Our country and never to any imagination on Zimbabwean mind. Zimbabwe makes for a very interesting case study, as there has been no empirical analysis of a coup theory despite its experiencing a coup d’état, at least some failed coup attempts, and 37 years of direct one man rule since independence in 1980.
Zimbabwe’s coup d’état which was not a coup has often been attributed to political and institutional factors, but the role of the economy and economic factors has to date never been tested on the Zimbabwean experience.
The exclusion of economic factors as a motivation for Zimbabwe’s military coup implies that academics have either overlooked the role of the economy in the context of Zimbabwean politics, or that economic factors really do not have any role in motivating Zimbabwe’s coup d’état which was not a coup and were thus justly excluded. It is argued that poor economic conditions are indeed linked with, and may have had a motivating role in, coups in other countries but it has never been a factor in Zimbabwe.
The economic conditions in Zimbabwe now do not have the power or reason to trigger a coup. Zimbabweans have grown to be used to the status quo and do not find any reason to rebel.
The result was that ‘in the attempt to construct a permanent but personal power base, Mugabe had undermined all attempts at nation building, had ruined the economy, and had aggravated tribal rivalries. The political instability of Mugabe’s wife lifestyle, gave General Chiwenga the legitimacy needed to mount a coup d’état which was not a coup.
The official and hypothesised reasons for Zimbabwe’s coup d’état or operation restore legacy are varied and complex.
It should be noted that a
‘coup d’état’ refers not to any takeover of the state but to a successful and overt seizure of power by the military so there must be an analytical distinction for the term to have any usefulness. The distinction between
successful and unsuccessful coups must be drawn since it is often difficult to know whether an
unsuccessful coup conspiracy ever existed. Because the coup attempt was put down or prevented before it picked up any momentum, a ‘conspiracy’ may refer to anything from a half-hearted discussion between a few officers to an actual plot. The significant attention bestowed upon this phenomenon is most likely a reflection of the notion that repeated coups d’état can permanently and negatively impact a nation’s prospects for development.
There are many approaches to explaining the occurrences of military coups, these can be placed into four non-mutually exclusive categories: the vulnerability or loss of legitimacy of the civilian regime; the internal dynamics of the military; international trends. While it is important as it implies that the coup must be intended, deliberate and involve a transfer of power there was only a grabbing of power from one person and handing it over to his deputy.
However, even the military’s internal intrigues and interests do not exist in a controlled vacuum. Rather, these are impacted by factors such as national security, institutional interests and governmental competence, and are moreover inevitably set against an economic context. For this reason, the economic context of military coups must be taken into account but not seriously in the case of Zimbabwe.
It should be noted that military coups occur because of a given context; that is, the military will plan and launch a coup not only because of internal fissures or interests but because of a wider socioeconomic or political situation in a given country. It is this context that perhaps marks the difference between an attempted and a successful coup. More importantly, it suggests that certain factors, such as a weak economy, may predispose a nation to vulnerability to military coups d’état. But there will be no military coup simply because it is November.
Military coups are not done as a commemoration so the excitement that there was a coup in November so we should expect one in itself a fallacy. What normally causes a coup is when it is perceived that the civilian government to be illegitimate, encroaching on military prerogatives, or governing poorly.
One branch of coup theory that has widely been ignored concerns the economic aspects of instability and coup risk. This is a serious misgiving thought given that an ailing economy is often a main cause or precondition of political instability and loss of political legitimacy, no matter how people will declare Zimbabwe poorly governed this will never tickle the army to a coup. The military, the economy and coups d’état do not always mix.
Although there is much disagreement among scholars on specific points, there has been some consensus that poor economic performance increases coup risk in a given state it is just a risk.
The danger of fixating on the military’s economic self interest as the main cause of coups d’état is that it may be oversimplified and trivialised into a ‘greed versus grievance’ debate.
Now the rumours doing rounds that the army is preparing for a coup is a mischievous wishful thinking. The idea of spreading the rumour of a coup in Zimbabwe is satanic and surely diabolic.
The rumours are well calculated as to divide the government and the army. It is a sick joke meant to bring distrust between the army and the government.
The rumours of a coup plays a very destructive role in our economy. And it is calculated to undermine peace and tranquillity which we have enjoyed for decades.
There will be no coup and the factors raised above do not fit the shoe.
Zimbabweans must resist the unpatriotic people who shed and send false news. Zimbabwe united must never be defeated.
