Farai Dziva| Zimdancehall musician Ian Makiwa, popularly known as Platinum Prince,was abducted by a group of unidentified armed men.

According to media reports Platinum Prince was abducted a few hours after his arrival from his South Africa tour on Sunday.

“The men did not produce any warrant or give reasons for the abduction. The men just blocked the way of the car that the controversial musician was in and assaulted the driver who was trying to understand why they had blocked the road with their car in the process.

According to the source,the men then took the musician and put him in a car boot and disappeared

It was only this morning that Platinum Prince was found dumped and assaulted along Chiremba road,” sources told a daily publication.

In September this year Platinum Prince released a track entittled NDIYO YACHO HERE MR PRESIDENT in which he seemed to be questioning the President of Zimbabwe over the current economic situation,He then released a video for the song early this month.In 2015 Platinum Prince also did a track called Ndeip President which was aimed at the former President.The self claimed “Ndururani”was warned that his music was growing more political.

“The source said they are working with the team to ensure that all remedies available at law will be pursued with the urgency that this crisis deserves.”

By Tendai Biti| ZIMBABWE’S fuel is being sourced exclusively through Trafigura, the Singapore-based commodity brokerage firm with ties to Sakunda Holdings.

In the past, Zimbabwe through NOCZIM purchased its fuel directly from oil producing countries such Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Kuwait, though, was the main source.

In recent years, NOCZIM or NOIC as it is now known, has lost its pivotal procurement role to middlemen, particularly Sakunda boss Kudakwashe Tagwireyi and his partners from Singapore.

Trafigura is of course imposing serious fees and commissions on this. So, Zimbabwe’s fuel is expensive because of cartels, not the so-called sanctions.

Then you have the fuel pipeline from Beira, which nominally is leased to Glencore but in reality another cartel directly linked to very senior people in the Zanu PF hierarchy controls it.

A few months ago, Zimbabwe rejected an offer by a South African company to construct an alternative pipeline from Beira.

Then you have the fuel retail sector which essentially is monopolized by two key players, ZUVA and PUMA. The shareholding of these two companies is fascinating.

The pipeline cartel controls ZUVA, and PUMA Zimbabwe is a marriage between Tagwireyi’s Sakunda fuel outlets and Trafigura’s global fuel retailing franchise PUMA (no relation of course to the German sportswear manufacturer using the same name).

Enter Billy Rautenbach and his Green Fuel into the mix.

Zimbabwe is the only country in the world that has both demand side and supply side monopoly on blended fuel.

By operation of a dubious 2013 Statutory Instrument which was challenged in court in 2014 (the Constitutional Court is still to hand down judgment), ethanol can only be purchased from a company that is in a joint venture agreement with the government. That in fact is a euphemism for Rautenbach.

Then, contrary to the position in most countries, consumption of blended fuel is also compulsory. Rautenbach charges around US$1.20 per litre for his product, yet one can import from Brazil a litre of ethanol for US$0.50 Free On Board.

Once again the sanction issue is just a ruse. An instrument of deflection, diversion and deception.

Evidence received before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee is that fuel importers, a euphemism for Tagwireyi and his lot, are receiving heavy subsidies from the RBZ.

Whilst every importer is purchasing US$ from the central bank at the interbank rate (truth is there is no interbank market and everyone is operating from 4th Street), fuel companies are being offered US$ at premium rates way below the interbank or street rate. That preferential rate has been ranging between 1:8 and 1:13.

The sad thing is that the fuel subsidy to Tagwireyi and his lot can easily ensure that Zimbabwe purchases the 400 MW required to eliminate the primitive 18-hour load shedding.

The suggestion that the authorities should simply dollarise all fuel transactions in Zimbabwe to eliminate arbitrage and rent behaviour has flatly been rejected. This is for the simple and good reason that if the market were to operate normally, the cartels would collapse.

The truth, however, is that with dollarisation there will be both price and supply stability. So with great respect, the sanctions argument cannot and does not sell or sail.

Tendai Biti is the MDC vice president and MP for Harare East

PARTIES to the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) — Government, business and labour — will convene on 8 November to discuss “critical issues facing the economy”.

It will be the second meeting under the body, which was officially launched on 5 June when President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the TNF Bill into an Act.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza told our Harare Bureau there have been inordinate delays in convening the second meeting because there was a need to properly constitute TNF structures in compliance with the Act.

While the management committee, whose mandate is to set the agenda, had not been fully constituted, the technical committee — charged with preparing documents for the main TNF — was also still discussing, she said.

“The TNF technical committee is expected to formally assign clusters work to be executed leading into the main TNF meeting scheduled for November 8, 2019,” said Minister Nzenza.

“It is hoped the main TNF will consider recommendations of the TNF technical committee on critical issues facing the economy.

“It is also hoped that the main TNF outcomes will inform ongoing budget consultations, with a view of ensuring that the views of business and labour are taken on board,” she said.

The process of constituting TNF structures involved processing invitations to social partners and respective Government ministries for nominations into the various bodies of the TNF, including the appointment of the chairperson.

Minister Nzenza said: “This process took some time given the fact that organisations of social partners are constituency-based, hence there are various consultative and approval processes involved.

“The appointment process has, however, been finalised, with the exception of technical committee cluster nominations from labour, which have not been submitted.”

The three technical clusters are economic, social and labour.

The economic cluster has been tasked with preparing proposals on how the twin challenges of foreign currency shortages and soaring inflation can be solved.

It has also been charged with coming up with proposals on how to promote economic development.

On the other hand, the social cluster has been tasked with looking into allegations of both perceived persecution of trade union representatives and rent-seeking behaviour by businesses.

The labour cluster has been specifically mandated with unpacking the TNF Act and proposals for operationalising the TNF and making it efficient.

Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) president Israel Murefu said there was a need for Government to consult extensively before crafting statutory instruments to avoid blindsiding stakeholders.

“So many statutory instruments are being crafted by the authorities without the input of the other parties; that is, business and labour.

“Government needs to consult before all these instruments are put into place,” said Mr Murefu.

Apex Council president Cecilia Alexander said labour was ready for negotiations.

“The establishment of TNF is a very positive development, but, yes, since we met in June, we have not yet had another meeting.

“It would have been good for us as a country to utilise such a forum to discuss the challenges that we are facing.”

-State Media

Popular zimdancehall musician Ian Makiwa, popularly known as Platinum Prince,was abducted by a group of unidentified, masked and armed men a few hours after his arrival from his South Africa tour.

According to an alert by a reliable source the incident happened around 4pm on Sunday.

“The men did not produce any warrant or give reasons for the abduction. The men just blocked the way of the car that the controversial musician was in and assaulted the driver who was trying to understand why they had blocked the road with their car in the process.

According to the source,the men then took the musician and put him in a car boot and disappeared

It was only this morning that Platinum Prince was found dumped and assaulted along Chiremba road

In September this year Platinum Prince released a track entittled NDIYO YACHO HERE MR PRESIDENT in which he seemed to be questioning the President of Zimbabwe over the current economic situation,He then released a video for the song early this month.In 2015 Platinum Prince also did a track called Ndeip President which was aimed at the former President.The self claimed “Ndururani”was warned that his music was growing more political.

“The source said they are working with the team to ensure that all remedies available at law will be pursued with the urgency that this crisis deserves.”

Jane Mlambo| Controversial Zimdancehall musician Platinum Prince was allegedly abducted and brutally assaulted by a group of unidentified, masked and armed men on Sunday afternoon. According to sources, the incident happened a few hours after the musician arrived back in Zimbabwe from a South Africa tour.

The musician recently released a track titled “NDIYO YACHO HERE MR PRESIDENT” which seems very critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government’s handling of the country’s economy which is now in meltdown.

A source close to the developments said the men did not produce any warrant or give reasons for the abduction.

“The men just blocked the way of the car that the controversial musician was in and assaulted the driver who was trying to understand why they had blocked the road with their car in the process.”

Platinum Prince has previously sang songs that mocked and questioned the late former President Robert Mugabe over a number of issues including human rights abuses and corruption among other issues.

Government has fired a salvo at the United States of America’s decision to add to its sanctions list, State Security Minister Owen Ncube on allegations of gross violations of human rights, describing the move as absurd.

The US State Department last week announced that it was adding Minister Ncube on to the blacklist with the department claiming it had credible information of his involvement in “gross violations of human rights”.

The move flew in the face of growing rancour against US sanctions policy on Zimbabwe, which is seen to be largely driven by political hatred of the ruling party, Zanu-PF, with Sadc observing a day of solidarity against the stance on Friday.

In an interview yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services secretary Mr Ndavaningi Mangwana said the country was already under sanctions and poured scorn on the Western superpower’s tactics.

“These so-called ‘lists’ have just become a farcical and a form of hegemonic arbitrary justice,” he said.

“The US brands itself a fair country but everything we have seen regarding the sanctions issue has been nothing but obstinate arrogance. I advise anyone to check Minister Owen Ncube’s travel history and see whether the US has ever been part of his prime destinations,” said Mr Mangwana.

Mr Mangwana said for the US to ominously announce its decision on Minister Ncube on the day both the African Union and SADC spoke strongly against these sanctions, betrayed a paternalistic attitude towards African states.

“The good news in all this is that Africa has spoken with one loud and emphatic voice in this matter for the first time. No amount of cynical pettiness can muffle that,” he said.

Zimbabweans took part in various activities across the country in anti-sanctions protests against the US and EU, following the declaration by Sadc of October 25 as a day of solidarity with Zimbabwe in its fight against the illegal sanctions.

The momentum to remove sanctions against Zimbabwe gained traction after the African Union (AU), China, Japan and Sadc diplomats around the world lent their voice for the embargo to be lifted.

AU Commission chairperson Mr Moussa Faki on Friday added diplomatic weight to Sadc’s efforts by calling for the speedy removal of the sanctions.

In addition to setting aside October 25 as the day of protest against the embargo, Sadc also resolved at the 39th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Tanzania in August to escalate the issue with the AU, which has since obliged.

Mr Faki reiterated his concerns that the persistence of economic sanctions imposed by the international community continued to have negative impact on the economy and the people of Zimbabwe.

In this regard, he expressed his determination and that of the various relevant organs of the union to continue to mobilise support for the country’s recovery efforts.

He also commended Government for its continued efforts to create an environment conducive for economic growth.

The AU, he added, will continue to support the country’s road to peace and prosperity for all its citizens.

THE late former President Robert Mugabe has been posthumously sucked into the Ndanga chieftainship wrangle after the ex-President in 2017 installed Wilson Makono as Zaka district’s Chief Ndanga, defying advice from clan members.

Mugabe was dethroned exactly eight months after confirming Makono’s appointment as Chief Ndanga.

Clan head, Abias Chigwagwa said before Makono’s installation he petitioned Mugabe and then Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere after the local district administrator erroneously handpicked Makono for the chieftainship, but his pleas were ignored.

“Before and after his (Makono) appointment by the (then) President (Mugabe) himself as chief, based on the erroneous belief that due process of law had been followed; I tried to stop his installation and seek his removal from the position of chief by petitioning the President, writing to the (then) minister (Kasukuwere), as well as to the provincial assembly of chiefs to no avail,” Chigwagwa said in his affidavit.

After his advice was ignored, Chigwagwa then referred the matter to the High Court which recently gave current Local Government minister July Moyo, the provincial assembly of chiefs and national chiefs council a 30-day ultimatum to resolve the Ndanga chieftainship wrangle.

Justice Clement Phiri’s order came after Moyo, Masvingo provincial assembly of chiefs and the representatives of the national chiefs council failed to turn up in court despite being served with court papers.

“The respondents (Minister of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, provincial assembly of chiefs and the national council of chiefs) are hereby compelled to facilitate dispute resolution to the Ndanga chieftainship clan in terms of section 283 (a) (i) and (ii) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, 2013 within a month of service of this order upon them,” Justice Phiri said.

In his founding affidavit, Chigwagwa submitted that he was the clan leader and responsible for submitting details of the suitable candidate for the chieftainship.

“The district administrator, however, chose and forwarded Wilson Makono’s name as the potential chief-to-be, acting on his own and not as submitted by myself, yet I am the head of the clan and family tree record keeper,” Chigwagwa said.

“In addition, the process done by the DA in appointing Wilson Makono as chief was improper since my family, as the custodian of the Ndanga chieftainship process, was not consulted or given an opportunity to have a say at the meeting.”

Chigwagwa added that Makono was not a member of the Ndanga clan and had no right to assume the chieftainship.

-Newsday

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By A Correspondent| Narrating his ordeal to ZimEye, one of the vendors who was arrested together with the late Hilton Tafadzwa Tamangani revealed how the police details who raided them stole their money before physically beating them to silence about the matter.

The man (42), whose name will not be revealed to protect his identity narrated the vendors’ horrendous experience at the hands of the over 60 anti riot police details who targeted the money changers going about their business in a calculated move to steal their forex.

He said:

“I am a vendor and money changer at the corner of Kwame Nkurumah and Angwa street near QV Pharmacy in Harare.

On Saturday 12 October 2019, we were going about our business as usual. We normally face challenges from police raids but we normally end up paying $20 fines. But on this particular day, it was around past 5:30pm and a small Isuzu truck came with about 16 police officers. The truck came using Angwa road and in the opposite direction came another truck with about 60 anti riot police officers.

We then realised that we were were cornered and we could not escape as the police had rounded us up on all sides. The only place that we could escape to was Robinson House in the basement.

The police however followed suit in the basement and started firing teargas. The effect of tear smoke saw everyone in the basement run for dear life because we were choking and almost suffocating. This was including the people who use the basement for their offices.

I managed to seek refuge in one of the offices in the basement for several minutes and that is when i heard Hilton and another vendor pleading with the police to stop beating them up because they were saying they were badly injured.

It took a good 30 minutes and we could hear them taking turns to assault him one after the other. He never stopped pleading for them to stop.

We were celebrating Hilton’s birthday who had turned 29 on that same day. I am a staunch supporter of MDC and this is known by most people in and around the area we operate from so because of the rumour that was doing the rounds that the MDC was planning a demo the next Monday this could be what triggered the attack on us. I don’t know.

When they captured us in the basement, the first person who was caught was the late Hilton and another young lad called Tekere. They were beaten up badly, I was in another room with three other guys but we could hear that he was being severely beaten it took about 30 minutes and they were beaten none stop.

The room that these two had been caught in was the same room where the police helmets were discovered. There were over 200 helmets but they belonged to someone else… the police accused them of plotting to overthrow the government .

They then searched all the other rooms in the basement and we were rounded up. The first thing that they did before they beat you up was to do a body search on your person and that is when they took our money. Some of the guys lost over US$400 I personally did not lose much I had about US$66 and 254 rands and 720 bond but the other guys had a lot of money.

The Police took us and put us in the alley where they continued beating us up. They took turns to assault us and our pleas for them to stop fell on deaf ears

The late Hillary on Thursday, a day before he died said, I am hurting guys and the way i feel, i am too sire i will see you tomorrow.

The night before he died, I slept with Hilton in the same blanket. His whole body was swollen. He could hardly move because his right side was now cold. We had to carry him all over. The Police had also used a broken bottle to knock on his head the day we were arrested and his head was now swollen and it had blood clots due to the injuries sustained. He was in pain but we were denied medical attention.

I recall when we went to ask for treatment at the prison clinic, the nurse told us that they did not even have medicines and turned us away.

Our lawyers instructed that we get medical attention but we were still denied. The Police on one day took us out of our cells and we were taken to Harare central front office only to be returned to the cells two hours later because the police said they did not have leg irons for them to take us to Parirenyatwa Hospital. They said that we had been trained and we were dangerous. We went back to the cells, but Hilton was in pain.

One of the prison guards then saw Hilton’s condition and he was touched and he facilitated that the prison nurse treats him. Fortunately, the nurse on duty was equally touched and she then gave us a wheelchair and he was then taken to the prison hospital. Unfortunately, we received the sad news that Hilton died the following day.”

Watch the live below for this and more….

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By A Correspondent| The striking doctors’ hearings initiated by the Health service board has been slated for Thursday 31 October 2019, the state media reports.

This came to light through an email to the publication by the HSB’s President Dr Sikhosana who said the doctors snubbing the hearing doesn’t matter the hearings will proceed:

The board is in receipt of the communication from the doctors. This will not have any bearing on the scheduled hearings. Disciplinary hearings are going to proceed as scheduled starting on Thursday next week (this week). Currently, they are being served with hearing letters

In snubbing the hearings Doctors said they were not committing any offence by demanding a fair wage and they were not going to attend the disciplinary hearings.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent| The government is reportedly lining up funds to bump up civil servants salaries to cushion them from the daily cost of living which is going up on a daily basis, the state media reports.

This was reportedly said by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube on Friday speaking on the sideline of the SADC Anti sanctions day. Mthuli said:

We are going to have another adjustment as I speak, then we are going to pay the bonus in November. So we are doing our best in gradually supporting civil servants

Civil servants have been imploring the govt to review their salaries for long with doctors on strike since 3 September and teachers saying they now report for duty in casual clothes twice per week. 

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent| The national university of science and technology is designing an electric trolley bus for Zimbabwe the state media reports.

The project is a collaboration between the NUST innovation hub and WISE Africa according to the publication:

Aleck Ncube, acting director of the NUST Innovation Hub, says the Faculty of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering will be working with Wise-Africa Technologies in a private- public partnership project that is set to introduce the latest technology of an integrated electric trolley train bus

Innovation Hubs were set on every University to foster innovations and inventions in graduates. According to NUST’s VC, the project is a well developed concept that had been researched since 13 years ago.

Chief Ndiweni was responding to questions at the Bulawayo Press club when he said: Dialogue between the current president and the leader of the opposition, at this moment in time, is an absolute futile gesture that will not yield anything meaningful.

Outspoken Ntbazinduna Chief Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni has added his voice to the dialogue calls by saying a dialogue now will be useless Daily News reports.

When you say dialogue you have to ask what you are dialoguing about. As a traditional leader, the answer to that question is who is going to live at State House.

If that issue is not on the table first and foremost, a dialogue is useless. It is useless to have dialogue if Mnangagwa is not going to entertain that question as it borders on legitimacy. If there is a need for any dialogue, it should be about how to form an interim transitional government.

A GNU will never deal with these issues. We had a GNU in 2008, but here we are once again, experiencing the same challenges, going to change foreign currency on the streets in exchange for paper money. Chief Ndiweni who is a critic of the current admin is out on bail pending an appeal of his vandalism case.

Source – Pindula News

Making a call on the Econet mobile network will cost you twice as much from Monday.

A call will be ZWL0.0139 per second or 83.4 cents per minute.

You will also now pay ZWL0.2428 for a MB of data and that is the same cost for a text message.

A showdown is looming between the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and the Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) following the secessionist party’s threats to remove First Chimurenga heroine Mbuya Nehanda’s statue mounted at Mzilikazi Art Craft centre in the majority Ndebele speaking city.

Mzilikazi Art Craft Centre is located in Mzilikazi high density suburb and is run by the City of Kings Business Ventures, a wholly owned BCC company that is registered as an educational vocational training institution.

MRP has given the city council a week to remove the statue which the party describes as offensive to the Ndebele people.

Mbuya Nehanda is believed to be the spirit medium that was the inspirational source behind the 1896-97 first Chimurenga.

According to a letter written to city authorities by the radical party’s president, Mqondisi Moyo, MRP wants Nehanda’s statue replaced by that of King Mzilikazi.

“The presence of Mbuya Nehanda statue is of little significance, not only to the city but to Mzilikazi Art Centre situated in Mzilikazi suburb and named after King Mzilikazi.

“There are quite a number of Ndebele significant people whose statues can be erected there. The likes of King Lobengula, Queen Lozikeyi and many more Ndebele heroes and heroines,” wrote Moyo to the local authority in his petition.

The MRP leader threatened to storm the place and remove the statue if council did not act within the next coming seven days.

“We, therefore, give BCC seven days ultimatum to remove that statue before we take it upon ourselves,” Moyo said.

The MRP president also threatened to remove all road signposts bearing Shona names on the city’s roads.

“In the next stage, we will be dealing with the issue of Bulawayo CBD roads as we correct all the wrongs in Mthwakazi particularly in Bulawayo,” Moyo added in his petition.- Agencies

THE football gods seem to be smiling on Highlanders once again following a lethargic start to the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League campaign.

Bosso struggled on the edge of the relegation zone right from the start of the season and only hit good form eight games ago when new coach Henrick Pieter de Jongh took over the reins.

His impact was instant and Bosso now look set to make up for a disastrous league campaign by winning the Chibuku Super Cup.

Yesterday the resurgent Bulawayo giants displayed a breathtaking performance to blow away league champions FC Platinum in a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final encounter at Barbourfields Stadium.

Bosso fans were taken down memory lane when no visiting team left Barbourfields Stadium with a positive result.

And what better opponent to relive the good old days than to thrash FC Platinum, who have dominated domestic football for two seasons in a row and are still in contention for a hat-trick of league titles.

Well taken goals by Prince Dube, Denzel Khumalo and Tinashe Makanda’s 88th minute strike that put the icing on the cake seemed to leave Bosso fans in a trance.

Khumalo, who had seemingly lost his way under Madinda Ndlovu and Mandla Mpofu, looks a completely different player altogether under de Jongh.

The diminutive Khumalo, who was used as a striker yesterday, controlled ball off a rebound with his right foot, lifted his head, spotted FC Platinum goalkeeper Wallace Magalane out of position and unleashed a left-footed curler into the top corner of the net, sending Highlanders’ fans into ecstasy.

Prince Dube, scorer of the solitary goal that ditched Dynamos out of the tournament in the first round, had shot Bosso into the lead after converting a ninth minute penalty.

FC Platinum defender Lawrence Mhlanga had handled the ball inside the box in an effort to clear right-back McClive Phiri’s hard and low cross from the right-hand side and referee Arnold Ncube pointed to the spot despite protestations by the platinum miners.

Dube stepped up and sent Magalane the wrong way.

Bosso controlled the entire first half and could have scored more goals had they not been wasteful in front of goal.

FC Platinum returned from the halftime break playing some purposeful football, but somehow couldn’t unlock the Bosso rearguard.

Makanda snuffed out any slim hopes FC Platinum had of coming back from the behind with a tap-in in the 88th minute.

Dube inititated a counterattack from the left side by riding several tackles before releasing the ball to Brian Banda, who sold the FC Platinum defence a dummy and immaculately laid the ball onto Makanda’s path for a simple slot past the advancing goalkeeper.

Makanda’s strike compensated for a dull second half, which had little goalmouth action. The comfortable victory against the platinum miners brought joy to Highlanders’ followers, who burst into song and dance and took their party into the city centre.

Highlanders had started the game livelier, forcing Magalane to pull a stunning save in the fifth minute, pushing Dube’s close-range shot out for a corner.

When Highlanders were in possession in the first half, they shifted to a 3-4-3 formation, leaving three defenders Andrew Mbeba, Peter Muduhwa and either left-back Mbongeni Ndlovu or Phiri at the back, depending on the wing they attacked from.

Nqobizitha Masuku, Banda, either Ndlovu or Phiri and Adrian Silla formed the four-man midfield, with Dube, Khumalo and Makanda attacking. When defending, Bosso folded to a 4-5-1 formation, with Dube and Makanda dropping into the midfield.

In the second half FC Platinum switched from a 4-4-2 formation to 3-5-2. FC Platinum coach Lizwe Sweswe made a double substitution in the 55th minute, pulling out left-back Tawana Chikore and striker Lameck Nhamo for defensive midfielder Devon Chafa and attacker Never Tigere.

FC Platinum’s backline had Mhlanga, Raphael Muduviwa and William Stima, and after the introduction of Chafa and Tigere, Rainsome Pavari moved upfront from anchorman.

The five midfielders were Chafa, Tigere, Pavari, Charles Sibanda and Hagiazo Magaya. Rodwell Chinyengetere and Perfect Chikwende led their attack.

Despite throwing everything at Bosso, they absorbed the pressure right up to the final whistle.

State Media|MORE than 30 Zimbabwean women suspected to be victims of human trafficking were rescued by South African police from brothels in eMalahleni, formerly Witbank, in Mpumalanga province where their captors used them as sex slaves.

The Zimbabweans were part of a group of 50 victims among them males, from other countries which included the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria and locals.

South African provincial police spokesperson for Mpumalanga Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said the suspected victims of human trafficking were rescued in a pre-dawn raid on Friday targeting various houses in eMalahleni.

He said some of the women rescued were sex workers and others had been kept against their will.

“As police, we acted on a tip-off and raided houses which were used as brothels in eMalahleni to rid the area of drugs and prostitution and rescued 50 foreign nationals. They were all undocumented, a majority of which were from Zimbabwe. We also arrested more than 60 people for various offences, including prostitution, possession of drugs and human trafficking,” said Brig Hlathi.

He said that the area targeted was believed to be habouring prostitutes, drug dealers and illegal foreign nationals.

“We raided that place informed by an incident that happened during the week in which a 39-year-old woman reported to the taxi people that she was subjected to severe rape and fed with drugs in a particular house in Witbank. The taxi rank people then went to torch three houses as well as a business believed to belong to foreign nationals,” he said.

During the operation, police barricaded the streets and raided the houses.

“The women that we rescued said they had been kept against their will and forced to do sex work after having been forced to take drugs,” said Brig Hlathi.

He said on Wednesday, seven women were also rescued from the clutches of pimps in the area.

“We cannot allow this situation to continue and, in the process, we also found that some of these women were here in the country illegally because they don’t have proper documentation. The locals are from other provinces in the country,” he said.

Brig Hlathi said similar operations would be conducted in other towns in the province.

“We want sanity to prevail and we will soon roll out similar operations in other parts of Mpumalanga as we intensify our fight against drug abuse, human trafficking and sex slave,” said the police spokesperson.

He said the undocumented foreign nationals have since been handed over to the Department of Home Affairs awaiting deportation.

Recently, South African police rescued 37 undocumented Zimbabweans from a human trafficking syndicate and arrested two taxi drivers who were transporting them.

The illegal immigrants — 21 men, 11 women and five children — were intercepted in Polokwane while on their way to Pretoria.

According to the Department of Immigration, an average of 100 illegal migrants are intercepted daily at Beitbridge Border Post as they try to enter South Africa.

Zimbabwean border jumpers wishing to cross into South Africa are helped by commuter omnibus drivers commonly known as omalayitsha who are well connected to officials on both sides of the border.

Despite stiff fines imposed by the South African Home Affairs on omalayitsha caught smuggling undocumented travellers or those with expired passports or no valid visas, into that country, cases of smuggling of such persons continue to rise.

Those caught smuggling undocumented persons are required to pay a fine of R15 000 per person.

Authorities from Zimbabwe and South Africa have on many occasions raised the red flag against the rampant smuggling of undocumented travellers, especially minors into the neighbouring country.—

FORMER Telecel Zimbabwe boss and businessman, James Makamba last year revealed that he fled the country and remained in self-imposed exile for 13 years after former President Robert Mugabe (pictured) threatened to kill him on suspicion of having an adulterous affair with former First Lady, Grace.

Makamba made the disclosure after he handed himself over to the Harare Magistrates’ Court after fleeing from justice on August 31, 2005, when he was supposed to appear in court on currency externalisation charges.

The businessman, who was facing charges of externalising funds, told magistrate Hosea Mujaya that he genuinely believed that his life was in danger.

“Your worship my client was under genuine belief that his life was in danger. It was not in danger of the body of his person, but could have been killed if he continued residing in the country,” said Makamba’s lawyer Charles Chinyama Chinyama.

“The person whom he (Makamba) suspected may harm him is none other than the former Head of State Robert Mugabe who suspected that he was dating his wife, Grace. That man was viewed as the law unto himself.”

Chinyama said Makamba decided to have his day in court following Mugabe’s ouster last November in a military-led campaign, dubbed Operation Restore Legacy.
“It was a challenge for a simple man as he is, fighting against the Head of State, your worship. So to save his life, he decided to stay away until the right time,” he said.

The lawyer cited a similar case where the now late former President, Canaan Banana, fled the country at the height of his sodomy trial. Chinyama said the court understood Banana’s situation and did not charge him for absconding.

He pleaded with the court to pardon his client on the same grounds, but public prosecutor Michael Reza opposed the application saying the warrant of arrest against Makamba confirmed that the businessman had wilfully defaulted.

“Your worship, the accused wilfully defaulted court and should have brought the evidence that he was under threat from the former Head of State. If he produced proof that the former Head of State wanted to kill him, then the court may rule in his favour,” Reza said.

The prosecutor also suggested that Makamba’s property in Glen Lorne, Harare, which the latter surrendered as surety as part of his bail conditions, should be forfeited to the State as punishment for defaulting.

But the application for forfeiture was opposed by Chinyama who cited section 111 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act which allows the court to call the accused’s name three times before the warrant can be issued.

It later emerged during trial, that the property in question was not registered in Makamba’s name but a company, Chiedza Investments. Chinyama told the court that the State was supposed to have issued a warrant of arrest against the company.

He added that the State’s failure to issue an arrest warrant against the firm means that the court had no power to grant an application for forfeiture because the State should call out the company’s name thrice as required at law.

Mujaya then spared Makamba’s house but ordered forfeiture of the Zimbabwe dollar money he had deposited with the clerk of court as bail.

Makamba was also removed from remand with the State indicating that it would proceed by way of summons if it decides to pursue the matter.

• Newsday

A Mazowe miner, Ngoni Edward Mutopo, has applied for an urgent interdict at the High Court against Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Limited which he is accusing of chasing him away from his two blocks of mines.

Gushungo Holdings is owned by the Mugabe family.

Mutopo claims that his ore on the mining site was being stolen by illegal panners who were conniving with Gushungo Holdings employees.

He is seeking a court order compelling Gushungo Holdings or anyone acting through the company’sinstructions or command to be interdicted from interfering with his mining operations.

“The applicant’s blocks of mines being Iron Mask 68, registration number 29097 consisting of 10 Gold Reef and Iron Mask 69, registration number 29098 consisting of 10 Gold Reef in Iron Mask Estate in Mazowe,” read the draft order.

Mutopo claims that he was unlawfully evicted from his two blocks of mines and was being denied the right to access them by Gushungo Holdings.

“Applicant has been lawfully mining and is being denied the right by the respondent, who is acting unlawfully and without a court order authorising him to act in that manner,” read the application.

“His ore on the mining site is being stolen by illegal panners who are working in cahoots with the respondent’s employees. The applicant is being prejudiced by Gushungo Holdings’ unlawful actions, hence he is seeking urgent relief.”

State Media|Health Services Board (HSB) last week said it is anticipating to commence disciplinary hearings for striking doctors on Thursday this week following their continued defiance to a court order, which declared as illegal their withdrawal of labour.

Responding to emailed questions from The Herald, HSB board chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikosana said the defiant doctors were being served letters summoning them to a hearing.

He said a letter by the doctors circulating on social media indicating they are unable to attend the hearings does not have a bearing on the scheduled hearings.

“The board is in receipt of the communication from the doctors,” said Dr Sikosana. “This will not have any bearing on the scheduled hearings. Disciplinary hearings are going to proceed as scheduled starting on Thursday next week (this week).

“Currently, they are being served with hearing letters.”

The doctors had earlier written to the HSB saying they will not be able to attend the hearings arguing that they were still open to dialogue, but gave a condition that any offer from the employer must be at interbank rate.

The doctors also argued they had not violated any provision of their contract, but were simply demanding a fair living wage.

“This serves to inform you that the incapacitated doctors nationwide will not be able to attend the disciplinary hearings and any threats should stop forthwith to pave way for dialogue, provided an offer is made at interbank rate,” wrote the doctors in a letter dated October 23, 2019 signed by the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association.

“We believe we have not committed any misconduct by demanding a fair living wage.”

Doctors stopped reporting for work on September 3, citing incapacitation and demanding a cost of living adjustment at interbank rate.

The rest of the health workers accepted Government’s offer serve for the doctors who then exited the Health Apex Council citing uniqueness of their nature of job.

Since then, the doctors have not been reporting for work despite a Labour Court ruling which declared their mass job action illegal and ordered them to report for work within 48 hours from the date of the ruling.

In its ruling, the Labour Court also referred their dispute for arbitration — a process of which was supposed to take place while they are at work.

However, the doctors defied the ruling and opted to continue withdrawing their labour.

State Media|Government has fired a salvo at the United States of America’s decision to add to its sanctions list, State Security Minister Owen Ncube on allegations of gross violations of human rights, describing the move as absurd.

The US State Department last week announced that it was adding Minister Ncube on to the blacklist with the department claiming it had credible information of his involvement in “gross violations of human rights”.

The move flew in the face of growing rancour against US sanctions policy on Zimbabwe with Sadc observing a day of solidarity against the stance on Friday.

In an interview yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services secretary Mr Nick Mangwana said the country was already under sanctions and poured scorn on the Western superpower’s tactics.

“These so-called ‘lists’ have just become a farcical and a form of hegemonic arbitrary justice,” he said.

“The US brands itself a fair country but everything we have seen regarding the sanctions issue has been nothing but obstinate arrogance. I advise anyone to check Minister Owen Ncube’s travel history and see whether the US has ever been part of his prime destinations,” said Mangwana.

Mr Mangwana said for the US to ominously announce its decision on Minister Ncube on the day both the African Union and SADC spoke strongly against these sanctions, betrayed a paternalistic attitude towards African states.

“The good news in all this is that Africa has spoken with one loud and emphatic voice in this matter for the first time. No amount of cynical pettiness can muffle that,” he said.

Zimbabweans took part in various activities across the country in anti-sanctions protests against the US and EU, following the declaration by Sadc of October 25 as a day of solidarity with Zimbabwe in its fight against the illegal sanctions.

State Media|Government is lining up another salary adjustment for civil servants to cushion them from the unwarranted price increases that businesses continue to effect.

This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube in an interview with journalists at the National Sports Stadium on Friday on the sidelines of the SADC day of solidarity against sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.

“We are going to have another adjustment as I speak, then we are going to pay the bonus in November. So we are doing our best in gradually supporting civil servants,” he said.

It could not be immediately established when the latest increment would come into effect.

Once the salary adjustment comes into force, it will be the third this year alone after reviews in April and July.

Asked if Government was considering pegging civil servants’ salaries to the interbank rate for foreign currency as has been suggested by employee representatives, Prof Ncube said there was no money to sustain that.

“We cannot afford it. Where is the exchange rate now, US$1:$15? So can you imagine if we were to multiply that (the current salary) by a factor of US$1:$15.

“We cannot afford that as Government, we will go bust. So we will do it in a gradual way, I think we have done our best. We had an adjustment in April, another adjustment in July, another is coming, then we have the bonus in November,” he said.

This year’s bonus will be pegged on gross income, a departure from last year when the 13th cheque was based on pensionable salaries only.

The development will increase civil servants’ disposable incomes ahead of the festive season.

Prof Ncube said while Government has been adjusting civil servants’ salaries, “within our means” in the face of a severe drought, it was critical that private sector employers also played ball and adjust their employees’ earnings.

He said while it was critical for the private sector to cushion their workers, Government wanted that to be done in a manner which dids not expose companies to bankruptcy.

Prof Ncube also praised civil servants and the rest of the population for “being understanding because reforms are not easy”.

“We are doing this (salary adjustments and budget surpluses) under severe drought.We have not suffered this kind of drought, power outages, two cyclones and we are still standing. We have achieved a lot,” he said.

Between January and June this year, Treasury recorded a budget surplus of $803,6 million driven by fiscal discipline in line ministries.

Farai Dziva|Opposition leader Noah Manyika has described Emmerson Mnangagwa As the worst leader in Africa.

“No President has been on a faster track to be crowned Africa’s worst leader than our very own. No leader stubbornly refuses to learn the free lessons of history more than he does.

The end of such regimes and such leaders is never good, not because of the sinister hand of any “Third Force” but because of the perfect storms of circumstances, delusional leaders create for themselves and which invariably swallow them up,” Manyika told Zimbabwevoice.com

Farai Dziva|MDC president Chamisa has said the battle against sanctions is a Zanu PF and has nothing to do with ordinary Zimbabweans.

Said Chamisa:

“Thank you fellow Zimbabweans for rejecting the sanctions propaganda …

For the record, corruption, leadership crisis, human rights abuse, electoral theft are the problem not the sanction nonsense. These sanctions were imposed on few individuals in Zanu pf. Those individuals must march alone. We cannot allow our people to march so that someone can be able to take their whole families to expensive hotels in New York using state funds.

It’s not your battle, fellow Zimbabweans.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW. ..

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has failed to replicate the Chinese model of fighting corruption after his pledge to tackle the vice when he was first inaugurated.

This was said by University of Zimbabwe security studies lecturer Wesley Mwatwara who opined that the current Harare administration has a penchant for attempting rather than acting on all issues. He said:

While in China, many high ranking government and military officials have been found guilty of corruption since Xi came to power in 2012, the same cannot be said about Mnangagwa’s regime.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has perfected the art of catching and releasing suspects with no high profile convictions yet.

Mwatwara said that corruption has become even more entrenched in Zimbabwe under the so-called New Dispensation that it was during the ancient regime.

A few months ago, the ZANU PF Youth League produced a long list of party bigwigs whom it accused of gross corruption but nothing has been done against them.

-DailyNews

By Own Correspondent| 10 members of a Nyanga family died under mysterious circumstances with some family members suspecting that it could be the work of goblins.

The family had to seek for spiritual help from “prophet” Madzibaba Shepherd Nzira, who leads the Zvakazarurwa Zvevapostori Church.

In an interview with a local publication, a family member Francis Nzvenga said:

Family members have died mysteriously until we established that there was witchcraft in the family. We could not figure out who exactly was behind the death of about 10 family members and then engaged Madzibaba Nzira, who exposed the culprit.

… What shocked us most is that inside one of the clay pots was a paper with a list of people that had died mysteriously and earmarked to die.

The “prophet” allegedly retrieved suspected tools of witchcraft which included a creepy-like goblin, lance, knobkerrie tied with hyena tail and clay pot filled with blood.

Madzibaba Nzira told the family that a number of family members were bound to die in the future. He promised the family that he had dealt with the problem and they will not be haunted again.”

-ManicaPost

By Own Correspondent| Buhera district is facing severe water shortages with reports of young children collapsing as a result of dehydration and the elderly travelling lost distances to fetch the precious liquid.

For those fortunate enough to have boreholes and tanks on their homesteads, the wells have dried up due to a combination of continuous abstraction and a receding water table.

Buhera Rural District Council chief executive officer Emily Chibvongodze spoke to a local publication about the water situation.

She said

We have a population of about 280 300 people against 1306 water points. Normally each water point should serve about 250 people. The imbalance makes our situation dire. We have areas without boreholes and people walk long distances to access water.

The district is the aridest in Manicaland province as it receives rainfall below 500mm per year.

During the summer season, maximum temperatures range between 30 to 40 degrees Celsius which further stresses the available moisture.

Opposition leader Ms Linda Masarira  says she stands ready to fight US sanctions on Zimbabwe  to the bitter end, adding that she also stands ready to provide sanctions-busting strategies should the Government need her ideas.

Masarira, who is the president of the LEAD  party, attended the main event of the anti-sanctions march at the National Sports Stadium  in Harare  yesterday alongside

“I marched, I expressed myself and I am going to fight for sanctions to be lifted.

“If they are not lifted, I pledge to assist government to come up with sanction busting measures which will revive our economy and ensure sustainable human development,” Masarira said on social media.

Masarira would not divulge what strategies she would employ to beat the sanctions which have been maintained against Zimbabwean political leaders, firms and farms for the past nineteen years . Zimbabwevoice.com

A day after the ZANU PF government marched in Harare’s central business district in protests against targeted sanctions a by-election was held today pitting the MDC and ZANU PF.

Human rights abuses have been at the centre of the reasons why certain individuals and companies have been placed under sanctions.

The defacto government is not relenting at all in terms of human rights abuses.

The numbers who attended the so called sanctions march yesterday are a clear testimony that the support of the ZANU PF party is waning.

Today’s by-election in Chiredzi South is a clear testimony that as a country we need a comprehensive reform agenda.

The continuous abuse of state security agents is a cause for concern especially in the 20st century.

Several CIO vehicles were moving around ward 12 as a way on intimidating the rural so that they make choices under duress like what is reflected by the results from the by-election.

In a free country its unheard of that only polling agents can vote for their party and others vote for the ruling as if the process was rehearsed before.

This calls for the government to free the political playing field which is one of the conditions for sanctions removal rather than wasting scarce resources doing kongonya at the national sports stadium.

The following are the results for Chiredzi South Ward 12 by-election:

Polling 26
Mdc Alliance 3
Zanu pf 84

Zhou Primary
Mdc 23
Zanu pf 75

Cde Gore

Masvingo Provincial Communication Secretary, Youth Assembly
MDC Youth Assembly Zimbabwe Electoral Commission

Farai Dziva|MDC president Chamisa has said the battle against sanctions is a Zanu PF and has nothing to do with ordinary Zimbabweans.

Said Chamisa:

“Thank you fellow Zimbabweans for rejecting the sanctions propaganda …

For the record, corruption, leadership crisis, human rights abuse, electoral theft are the problem not the sanction nonsense. These sanctions were imposed on few individuals in Zanu pf. Those individuals must march alone. We cannot allow our people to march so that someone can be able to take their whole families to expensive hotels in New York using state funds.

It’s not your battle, fellow Zimbabweans.”

Zanu PF has won the Chiredzi ward 12 by-election after beating the opposition MDC Alliance in what confirms the ruling party’s popularity with rural voters or should we say effectiveness of its vote rigging machinery.

The ward only had two polling stations and Zanu PF polled 84 and 75 to MDC Alliance’s 3 and 23 respectively.

The Zimbabwean adage has remained – To understand Zimbabwe’s current climate, pay attention when three people start speaking out – Temba Mliswa, Christopher Mutsvangwa, and Terrence Mukupe, in that order. The Norton MP early Sunday morning blew the horn against the current ZANU PF leadership to allege that none of them was elected.

He wrote saying the leadership of ZANU PF is “out of touch with the masses as none of them have been elected into office.”

Below was Mliswa’s full thread:

My advice is to use Gwanzura Stadium and Rufaro stadium for the next national events, the NSS (National Sports Stadium) exposes the truth about the leadership of ZANU PF, out of touch with the masses as none of them have been elected into office.

If Gamatox truly had 9 Provincial Chairpersons in a country with 10 provinces, what was left of ZANU PF?0

An inclusive Govt was the only way forward following the departure of RGM.
All Politburo members feel ownership of the 2017 revolution- Zimbabweans however felt used and abused by ZANU PF. Magnanimity preferred that ZANU PF enter into a Govt of National Unity.

ZANU PF failed to “fill up NSS” due to Co-opted structures. Following the expulsion of 9/10 Provincial Chairpersons in the Gamatoxit, no elections have been held in ZANU PF. Gamatox therefore had more people in ZANU PF than the true current ZANU PF

The same people that are being asked to mobilise, fail to mobilise their own constituency. Each province would have been given a bay to fill! In smash West, more MPs were present than people. The ZANU PF MPs got coupons exclusively and they abused these

It is clear now that politicians are missing the plot strategically. The NSS is not the best place to hold such important events. It has exposed a lack of strategy on ZANU PF. The Ant-sanctions march was made a ZANU PF event as opposed to a being a national event

Wherever we are, we must ensure effective representation. The day was unplanned, but I became a part of a program that mobilised young people. Informal as the interactions may be, a lot is leant from such interactions. The youth are here and have become the arrival of the future

South Africa’s controversial clergyman Prophet Paseka Motsonoeng who is affectionately known as Prophet Mboro joined Zimbabweans in praying for the removal of sanctions that were imposed upon Zimbabwe by the Western powers in the turn of the millennium.

Mboro is the leader of Incredible Happenings Church. SADC declared 25 October as a day to call for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe.

-Online

ONE of Bulawayo’s most prominent traditional healers, known to possess immense powers, some that allegedly could turn anyone’s fortune around, heal any ailment and even curse or send one into a frenzy of madness has retired.

Popularly known as Makhwelintaba (real name Thembinkosi Ncube), the healer who was born in Nkayi District 45 years ago, with a woven tapestry to churn traditional remedies and healing, decided to turn to God, as he felt his life was centred upon poverty and misery.

Makhwelintaba, who was known throughout the country and presumably beyond, as one of the most powerful traditional healers, decided to give up his trade and be delivered a few weeks ago.

His decision was invoked by the feeling of discontent; “Instead of bringing me fortune it brought me poverty, misfortune and misery,” he said in an interview.

For many traditionalists, his repentance and rebirth may have struck them as a loss, but in his words it was his greatest test and achievement. His decision, which came at his prime, left many shocked and stranded in search and need of his services.

Now gainfully employed in Bulawayo and preferring to shy his name away from the public domain, in fear that he might be drawn back to the trade by “Satanists”, he told Sunday News that he was a new man and never wanted to revert or ever reminisce about his past

“I was born in Mbuma, Nkayi District 45 years ago. My birth wasn’t that of a normal child, my mother had difficulty conceiving. She had so many miscarriages and I was a miracle or rather after consultations with a traditional healer I was born. “At the age of 12 my life began to be complicated, I had serious nose bleeds that would prevent me from being an active young boy, sometimes I couldn’t attend school. My parents tried all sorts of remedies, hospital, until I was referred to a traditional healer in Emakhandeni suburb in Bulawayo,” said Makhwelintaba.

He said that is when the traditional healer revealed that his body was to be used as a vessel by “healing” spirits.

“I had snake spirits that needed a haven to operate. I then was taken to the Apostolic sect, where I was prophesied by a 12-year-old girl who told me that I had spirits within me that were waiting to fully possess me to fulfil my destiny as a healer,” said Makhwelintaba.

During the interview, where he took a few brief moments to reminisce he noted that he then sought the services of an elderly female traditional healer, who unlocked his potential.

“Thereafter I began my trade, but all along I had problems in life, love, financially and socially. I was possessed by some spirits that would prevent me from granting my wife conjugal rights to the extent that we almost separated. The spirit mediums did not allow me to have a life. I had no sexual desires at all,’ said Makhwelintaba.

He said that was the time he deliberated about leaving the trade and turning to God. “What many people don’t understand is that these spirits are not here to assist but these are demon infused. They come with a price. My wife and I decided I get delivered,” he said.

He said he also consulted his siblings who agreed that he got delivered as they were Christians.

“We then went to church, where I surrendered all my trade tools, which comprised various charms such as snakes, animal skins and a cocktail of other things that one can imagine,” said Makhwelintaba.

He then said on the day he was to be delivered at church, a grave and dark feeling engulfed him to the extent that he fled from the church and city.

“I ran away and went to take refuge at my cousin’s place between Filabusi and Gwanda. While I was there I then felt awful for abandoning my family. My children being my worst worry. I decided to come back,” said Makhwelintaba. 

Makhwelintaba was delivered at prominent Bulawayo prophet’s church Dr Prophet Blessing Chiza, Eagle Life Ministries. He said it was a momentous delivery and he was humbled by the might of the Lord. “Through God everything is possible,” said Dr Prophet Chiza.

-State Media

IN a rare show of bravado, an 11-year-old girl from Hwange Town plunged into a stream and jumped on top of a crocodile before gouging its eyes to rescue a nine-year-old friend who had been gripped by the reptile.

The incident happened last week when Latoya Muwani was attacked by a crocodile while swimming with friends in a stream in Sinderela Village.

However, Rebecca Munkombwe, a Grade Six pupil at a local school, displayed some heroic exploitations when just after coming out of the stream, she was alerted by screams of help coming from the water. 

After seeing that her friend Latoya was struggling to stay on the water surface and was being pulled away, her instinct told her that she had to help her.

She quickly plunged into the water where she found out that Latoya was being pulled away by the big reptible  which had gripped her on the hand and leg.

She mounted on top of the reptile and started gouging its eyes until it loosened its grip on Latoya. Rebecca then helped her out of the stream.

Sunday News traced the young heroine and she narrated how despite fighting the crocodile and rescuing her nine-year-old friend, she did not sustain any injuries.

“We had just left the water when we heard Latoya who was left alone swimming near the neck deep zone screaming that something was biting her hand. Since I was the eldest among the other seven children, I felt the urge to save her. So, I jumped into the water and swam to where she was struggling to float. She was screaming in pain that something was biting and pulling her under,” said Rebecca.

She said once she got close to Latoya she noticed that a crocodile had its jaws locked on her thigh.

“I jumped on top of the crocodile and started beating it with my bare hands before using my fingers to poke its eyes until it released her. Once she was free, I swam with her to the banks where the other children pulled her out of the water. The crocodile fortunately did not attack us after it let off Latoya,” said Rebecca.

Sunday News also visited St Patrick’s Hospital where Latoya was admitted to but the administrator stopped the publication from seeing her.

A nurse at the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity said Latoya was lucky to have escaped with “mild injuries” as the crocodile did not fracture her bones.

Latoya’s father, Mr Fortune Muwani could not hide his gratitude describing his daughter’s survival as miraculous.

“I was at work when I learnt that my daughter had been attacked by a crocodile while swimming. For a moment there I thought of the worst before I learnt that she had survived after being saved by Rebecca. How she managed to do that I don’t know but am grateful to God. Latoya is recovering well here at St Patrick’s and we expect her to be discharged soon as her injuries are not serious,” said Mr Muwani.

Ward 10 councillor Steve Chisose confirmed the attack arguing that the incidents were becoming worrisome.

“Yes, there was another crocodile attack involving a girl who luckily survived after a friend came to her rescue just on time. I spoke to the father who told me that she was receiving treatment at St Patrick’s. What’s also contributing to these incidents is that we have challenges with accessing water which forces women and children to use unprotected sources such as these crocodile-infested streams. The women are usually accompanied by their children who get naughty and end up swimming in these water bodies. I appeal to ZimParks to remove these reptiles before they cause serious harm or death,” he said.

Police in Hwange and Zimparks spokesman Mr Tinashe Farawo said they were yet to receive the report of the attack.

The incident brings to three the number of people, mostly children who have been attacked in the stream which is a tributary of Deka River. 

The stream, which has a continuous flow, gets most of its water from the Zimbabwe Power Company effluent and goes through various treatment stages before passing through the area enroute to Deka River. 

Sometime this year, a 21-year-old man was attacked and killed by a crocodile while fishing at a disused pit that had filled with water in Madumabisa.

-State Media

By Own Correspondent| Vendors in Victoria Falls have a newfound trade of hoarding and reselling mealie meal in Zambia for the much-needed United States dollars.

This was revealed by locals who spoke to the publication and said local supermarkets were now diverting the mealie meal to the black market because the vendors sold it in USD there.

Said the source:

“People grab all the mealie-meal as soon as it is delivered and stock it to resell at Emaplankeni where there is a ready market in US dollars.

Some wholesale shops (names given) would even tell customers that mealie-meal is finished yet it will still be there in the shop as they keep it for the black market. Zimbabwean mealie-meal reportedly fetches better money in neighbouring Zambia as their products are expensive.

A few months ago the situation was reserved as Zambians would smuggle mealie meal and other basic into Zimbabwe for resale as there was an artificial shortage of some sort.”

-StateMedia

A MAN from Binga has been jailed 16 years after he kidnapped his 24-year-old girlfriend before savagely engaging in anal rape which lasted the whole night as a way of punishing her for refusing to be his second wife.

Pangayitari Mudimba of Siantibule Village, Lubu in Binga appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube last week facing kidnapping/ unlawful detention and four counts of rape.

Mr Ncube slapped him with a 16-year jail term, two years of which were conditionally suspended.

Mudimba, who pleaded not guilty, said he wanted to marry the woman although he already had a wife and that he had consensual anal sex.

“Your worship, I did not rape her, she is my girlfriend. I actually told her that I intended to marry her so I took her to my homestead where we had consensual sex. 

“She is aware that I have a wife already and was upset that I was rushing her as she argued that she was not yet ready,” he said.

The court heard that on 31 October 2018 at about 7pm Mudimba called the woman on her phone and told her to bring him his cellphone by the roadside which she was in possession of. 

She complied and went to meet him while in the company of her sister’s daughter.

After handing over the phone, Mudimba suddenly grabbed her hand and told her that she was not going anywhere. 

He then dragged her towards his homestead. She tried to free herself from Mudimba’s hold by biting him on the arm. 

However, Mudimba retaliated by also biting her on her shoulder.

The sister’s daughter then rushed back home and alerted the elders about what had happened.

The woman managed to also phone some relatives but they could not come and rescue her.

When they reached Mudimba’s homestead she once again tried to escape but Mudimba pushed her into a hut and locked her inside.

The court heard that Mudimba threatened to kill the woman before he tried to rape her. 

The woman resisted at first and slept head down but Mudimba then raped her from the back.

He repeated the act the whole night without the woman’s consent.

At dawn, Mudimba went out leaving the door unlocked and that was when she ran away and reported the matter to her mother who then reported to the police resulting in Mudimba’s arrest.

The woman was referred to Binga District Hospital for medical examination. Mr Vumizulu Mangena represented the State.

-State Media

CONCERNS have been raised over hoarding of mealie-meal in Victoria Falls where it is sold in United States dollars to Zambian cross-border vendors on the black market, thereby creating artificial shortages of the commodity.

Sunday News understands that some millers divert mealie-meal to the black market in the resort town where they sell to Zambians who allegedly smuggle it to their country.

The Zambian vendors, popularly known as Mzangas, resell the mealie-meal among other goods in their country where they make more money.

Some local individuals and shops have also reportedly joined the bandwagon as they hoard mealie-meal from shops and resell it to omzanga outside.

In the shops, a 10kg bag of mealie-meal costs about RTGS$64 and it is sold for US$3 outside, with 20kg and 50kg bags going for US$6 and US$15 respectively. The concern is compounded by lack of monitoring of the situation as the hoarding and bush selling of the mealie-meal is happening without anything being done to curb the practice.

“People grab all the mealie-meal as soon as it is delivered and stock it to resell at Emaplankeni where there is a ready market in US dollars. Some wholesale shops (names given) would even tell customers that mealie-meal is finished yet it will still be there in the shop as they keep it for the black market,” said a concerned local dealer.

“Zimbabwean mealie-meal reportedly fetches better money in neighbouring Zambia as their products are expensive.”

Some months ago it used to be the other way round where Mzangas would bring mealie-meal for sale in Zimbabwe as locals preferred refined products from the neighbouring country. Besides mealie-meal, a variety of other products such as sugar, rice and juices are smuggled out of the country through the bush.

The same people cross with vegetables, bread and other products which also have a market in Victoria Falls. 

Combined Victoria Falls Residents’ Association chairman Mr Morgen Gazza Dube said stakeholders in the resort town carried out an investigation into the matter following public complaints. “The issue of hoarding mealie-meal is now a cause for concern to our residents and we are doing our own investigations before taking the matter to the police with a view of angling on the culprits and bringing them to book. 

“We are aware that the municipal security has been raiding unlicensed shops and individuals but this is not enough as suppliers are not playing their part,” he said.

The general feeling is that it is not easy to control the commodity as there are no statutes prohibiting people from buying or shops from selling any quantity to people.

Shops are allowed to sell any quantity to anyone while there are no statutes stopping mealie-meal from being exported.

Grain Millers Association spokesman Mr Garikai Chaunza said the distribution and selling of mealie-meal is not controlled.

“We used to monitor how our products are distributed and sold but the Competitions and Tariffs Commission wrote to us saying we should forthwith stop that and we did so in July. It used to be our role to monitor but we are no longer allowed to do so,” he said.

-State Media

POOR water treatment processes and lack of due diligence coupled with the use of obsolete water treatment methods by local authorities, mostly urban councils, has caused the surge in cancer cases in the country as carcinogens that stimulate cancer escape water treatment processes.

Chemical experts have alleged the dire situation is also being worsened by some bottled water and drinks that are not being properly inspected which find their way to the market.

According to the experts, there is a need for most urban councils to change their technology and employ more chemists in the water treatment processes.

In an interview on the sidelines of a meeting of Zimbabwe Chemical Society in Gweru, the society’s registrar and founding executive president, Mr Fastino Madzima, said most urban councils were using water treatment designs and technologies that were set up in the 1950s and are not effectively treating water. 

Mr Madzima said most carcinogens were escaping water treatment processes.

“Most of the water that we drink is not properly treated. Some carcinogens are escaping the water treatment processes and this is why we are having more cancer cases, mostly in towns and cities. 

We have challenges in water treatment which has been much talked about. Chemists started to talk about it and researches are being done through the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development,” he said. 

Said Mr Madzima: “At the moment the pollution has reached alarming levels and again there are solutions that are being offered. 

“In order for us to get clean water there is a need for the involvement of chemists. Chemists have the capacity to remove the pollutants. So only chemists can remove the pollutants because the pollutants are chemicals.

“At the moment we have a number of researches that we did in terms of the removal of the pollutants if you want to do feasibility studies to establish whether the current water treatment processes are effective. 

“Some of the water treatment processes being implemented at the moment and even the chemicals were used in the 1950s thereabout,” he said. 

Mr Madzima said if local authorities want to effectively address the water challenges they need to change technology. 

“At the moment people are complaining that the water is salty. The problem is on the technologies that are being used. 

Nanoparticles escape through the water treatment plant even if we put chemicals and chlorine we need to change the technology and that can be done by chemists,” he said. 

-State Media

By A Correspondent| The government bought a wide assortment of agricultural equipment worth US$20 million from US-based John Deere.

It consists of 500 tractors, 200 pieces of machinery and 40 combine harvesters.

The first batch of the equipment has reportedly docked in South Africa and will be transported to Zimbabwe soon.

Speaking to a local publication, Afgri Equipment Zimbabwe (the franchise holder of John Deere equipment) managing director Graeme Smith said:

On the first US$20 million worth of equipment that is arriving, there will be a total of 500 tractors, 200 pieces of machinery (100 disc harrows and 100 planters) and 40 combine harvesters with the appropriate heads.

So there are tractors ranging from 50-horse power to 95-horse power. There are combine harvesters with both wheat and maize headers, and there is also equipment to go behind the tractors, so there will be some planters and some harrows in the initial US$20 million order.

In August this year, the Government of Zimbabwe signed a deal with John Deere for the latter to provide farming equipment worth US$50 million.

Farmers who will access the equipment would have to pay a 20 per cent deposit on the value of the equipment and service the balance over three years at interest rates of not more than 8 per cent.

-StateMedia

MASVINGO magistrate Mr Carlson Ndebele has expressed concern over cases of women who are dragged to court by their ex-lovers after refusing to let go.

Granting a protection order to Mr Charles Zhou (40) of Nemamwa Business Centre against Nyarai Matendera (36) of Runyararo West, Masvingo last week, Mr Ndebele expressed concern over the rising cases of women who are taken to court for refusing to separate from their partners and called on the media to make some investigations.

He said the court was inundated with cases of “rejected” women nagging their former lovers and vowing to stay put.

“This is the fourth case of application for protection order by man against his former girlfriend in a space of one week. The trend is worrying that I implore the media to investigate the reason behind,” said Mr Ndebele.

He said the common phenomenon in other provinces was of women seeking a protection order against a nagging former husband or boyfriend.

“This is the first of its kind here as we don’t experience the same in other regions as judicial officers. What is with Masvingo where women can’t let go? In some instances a woman will be the aggressor and the man will be seeking protection from harm. I do not believe it is love, there could be more than what meets the eye that we do not know,” said Mr Ndebele.

He said in most cases he has dealt with involved lovers and not spouses.

“It is surprising that the women involved will be old. Most of them will be jealous of the ex-lover’s new girlfriend and would come back to haunt the two, disturbing their affair. 

“While it is painful to be rejected, I advise my sisters to accept rejection and move on. You should learn to let go, do not cling on someone who does not love you. A ditched woman must not disturb someone’s peace since it is not new to be left for someone,” said Mr Ndebele. 

In the matter before Mr Ndebele, it was said in court that Mr Zhou and Matendera were once in love in 2011 but their affair ended following some misunderstandings.

After the fallout the two went their separate ways with no one between the two talking to each other. 

It is said early this year the two started talking to each other without necessarily rekindling their lost love.

Mr Zhou alleged that Matendera showed signs of affection but he could not return the favour since he had found someone and married.

However, on realising that the man had moved on, Matendera started nagging Mr Zhou claiming that they were still in love. She claimed she had introduced Mr Zhou to most of her relatives and they knew that he was their son-in-law.

Mr Zhou then approached the court seeking a protection order.

-State media

By A Correspondent- Narrating his ordeal to ZimEye, one of the vendors who was arrested together with the late Hilton Tafadzwa Tamangani revealed how the police details who raided them stole their money before physically beating them to silence about the matter.

The man (42), whose name will not be revealed to protect his identity narrated the vendors’ horrendous experience at the hands of the over 60 anti riot police details who targeted the money changers going about their business in a calculated move to steal their forex.

He said:

“I am a vendor and money changer at the corner of Kwame Nkurumah and Angwa street near QV Pharmacy in Harare.

On Saturday 12 October 2019, we were going about our business as usual. We normally face challenges from police raids but we normally end up paying $20 fines. But on this particular day, it was around past 5:30pm and a small Isuzu truck came with about 16 police officers. The truck came using Angwa road and in the opposite direction came another truck with about 60 anti riot police officers.

We then realised that we were were cornered and we could not escape as the police had rounded us up on all sides. The only place that we could escape to was Robinson House in the basement.

The police however followed suit in the basement and started firing teargas. The effect of tear smoke saw everyone in the basement run for dear life because we were choking and almost suffocating. This was including the people who use the basement for their offices.

I managed to seek refuge in one of the offices in the basement for several minutes and that is when i heard Hilton and another vendor pleading with the police to stop beating them up because they were saying they were badly injured . It took a good 30 minutes and we could hear them taking turns to assault him one after the other. He never stopped pleading for them to stop.

We were celebrating Hilton’s birthday who had turned 29 on that same day. I am a staunch supporter of MDC and this is known by most people in and around the area we operate from so because of the rumour that was doing the rounds that the MDC was planning a demo the next Monday this could be what triggered the attack on us. I don’t know.

When they captured us in the basement, the first person who was caught was the late Hilton and another young lad called Tekere. They were beaten up badly, I was in another room with three other guys but we could hear that he was being severely beaten it took about 30 minutes and they were beaten none stop. The room that these two had been caught in was the same room where the police helmets were discovered. There were over 200 helmets but they belonged to someone else… the police accused them of plotting to overthrow the government .

They then searched all the other rooms in the basement and we were rounded up. The first thing that they did before they beat you up was to do a body search on your person and that is when they took our money. Some of the guys lost over US$400 I personally did not lose much I had about US$66 and 254 rands and 720 bond but the other guys had a lot of money.

The Police took us and put us in the alley where they continued beating us up. They took turns to assault us and our pleas for them to stop fell on deaf ears

The late Hillary on Thursday, a day before he died said, I am hurting guys and the way i feel, i am too sire i will see you tomorrow.

The night before he died, I slept with Hilton in the same blanket. His whole body was swollen. He could hardly move because his right side was now cold. We had to carry him all over. The Police had also used a broken bottle to knock on his head the day we were arrested and his head was now swollen and it had blood clots due to the injuries sustained. He was in pain but we were denied medical attention.

I recall when we went to ask for treatment at the prison clinic, the nurse told us that they did not even have medicines and turned us away.

Our lawyers instructed that we get medical attention but we were still denied. The Police on one day took us out of our cells and we were taken to Harare central front office only to be returned to the cells two hours later because the police said they did not have leg irons for them to take us to Parirenyatwa Hospital. They said that we had been trained and we were dangerous. We went back to the cells, but Hilton was in pain.

One of the prison guards then saw Hilton’s condition and he was touched and he facilitated that the prison nurse treats him. Fortunately, the nurse on duty was equally touched and she then gave us a wheelchair and he was then taken to the prison hospital. Unfortunately, we received the sad news that Hilton died the following day.”

Watch the live below for this and more….

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By A Correspondent- Two Rusape farm workers who last Saturday tried to sell a stolen beast to the MP for Makoni Central – Mr David Tekeshe – were arrested after the alert legislator teamed up with the police to trap them.

The two – Brighton Chisiwa (26) and Itai Matimba (27) – who were general workers at Sakutukwa Farm in Headlands – pleaded guilty and when they appeared before Rusape magistrate Mr Gift Manyika, who sentenced each to nine years in jail.

Prosecutor Miss Theresa Mangwende told the court that the stolen beast had strayed into Sakutukwa Farm and police had advised the farm owner to keep it while they look for its owner.

Instead, Chisiwa and Matimba, working in connivance, phoned Mr Tekeshe informing him that they were selling a beast.

Mr Tekeshe quickly suspected that the beast could have been stolen and immediately informed the police.

The MP and police jointly set up a trap to ambush the rustlers.

Mr Tekeshe, who is a successful cattle rancher in Headlands, pretended to be keen to buy the beast and arranged to meet the suspects at night. He met them around 9pm while armed police were keeping a close eye as the accused persons slaughtered the beast and loaded the carcass into his car.

Tekeshe then drove his car from the scene and stopped where the cops were hiding, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

“During the beginning of October 2019, a black cow strayed into accused persons’ herd. They kept the cow and reported it as lost property to the police and were advised to keep it until its owner had been located.

“On October 19, 2019 the accused persons connived to steal the beast. They phoned Mr David Tekeshe with the intention to sell the beast for $2 000. They took the beast to Moreson Farm and slaughtered it around 9pm and loaded the carcass into Mr Tekeshe’s vehicle.

“Mr Tekeshe phoned the police and both accused persons were arrested. Value of the beast is $4 000 and the whole carcass was recovered,” said Miss Mangwende.

-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- Pretoria Portland Cement has recorded a 25 to 30% drop in cement sales In Zimbabwe for the period leading to 30 July 2019, Sunday news reports.

This was revealed in a trading update which cited the economic meltdown as the major contributing factor to the sales plummet.

PPC remains focused on optimising its local operations and implementing its cash preservation strategy to ensure the business is self-sufficient. The devaluation of the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) dollar versus the US$ impacted revenue, which declined by 30-35 percent in rand. Overall cement sales volumes contracted by 25-30 percent due to a weaker economic climate,

The economic meltdown has affected many businesses, with DSTV also recording low sales but mainly due to the power outages.

By A Correspondent- Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned his wife, First Lady Auxillia, against interfering with his official duties, saying she should not be like her predecessor Grace Mugabe, who had usurped Executive powers from her “frail and ageing” husband, Robert.

Addressing delegates at the annual Mushamukadzi Charitable Foundation fundraising dinner organised by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Mary, for cancer awareness projects at Borrowdale Brooke Golf Course in Harare on Saturday, Mnangagwa urged Auxillia and Mary to stay off from their husbands’ duties.

“Amai Chiwenga, I know you are the one behind who tasked me to talk. Just a few months ago, we had interfaces (rallies), where both the (former) First Lady and the President were talking. We don’t want that to be repeated. Let it be a platform which is mine and my vice-presidents only and not for the ladies. It’s wrong,” he said, amid wild cheers from the delegates.

On numerous occasions, Grace was accused of conflating the institution of marriage with that of the presidency.

Known for her unrestricted and stinging attacks, especially at public forums, Grace accused many Zanu PF leaders from politburo members, war veterans, the military bosses, her own colleagues in the women’s league and Mugabe’s close allies of plotting against her 94-year-old husband.

Critics argue Grace’s insatiable desire to meddle in Mugabe’s duties and her penchant for publicly attacking senior party and government officials catalysed the former leader’s removal from power last November.

Mugabe was removed from power in November last year at the height of the interface rallies, where he and his wife took turns to attack their political enemies in Zanu PF, including Mnangagwa.

Besides addressing her own set of rallies, Grace usually became the centre of attraction at Zanu PF gatherings, even those addressed by her husband.

For that, she earned herself the moniker, Dr Stop It!

During his address, Mnangagwa left guests in stitches when he claimed that he was an accomplished border jumper, following his recent sacking from government while he was Mugabe’s deputy and then ran into self-exile through an illegal crossing point.

“When Vice-President Chiwenga was introducing me, he left something very important. In 1962, in December, I border-jumped in Tanganyika (now Tanzania); in 1964, I border-jumped from Zambia into Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), and in 2017, I border-jumped to Mozambique. I am an accomplished border jumper,” he said.

About $180 000 was raised at the event, with proceeds set to be channelled towards cancer awareness projects.

Mnangagwa also hailed the charity work for bringing up issues that might not be exposed on the political arena.

“Serving people, putting yourselves to the service of people is saving God. Many of us delight in serving ourselves. Many of us delight that our own families are comfortable, but the few among us, as narrated here by Amai Chiwenga and the First Lady (Auxillia), they are putting their time to service our nation and this is a service to God, and we must applaud the work that they do,” he said.

“The difficulties our people face in rural areas, some in urban areas, some of these things are not exposed to us in political arena, but they are there. People are suffering in the country side, in communities and foundations of this nature are able to reach them, for purposes of assisting, mobilising assistance and resources to assist those who are suffering.”

Mnangagwa said in the political arena, they assemble people to persuade them to vote, as they hardly have the opportunity of assembling people in order to address their health.

“Indeed, we have institutions which deal with primary health and so on, but these foundations are specifically directed to assist those in our societies who are unable to help themselves, they have no access to healthy,” he said.

“I would like, therefore, to appeal to captains of industry and commerce here and our citizens to find ourselves on the side of helping and on the side of assisting those who are not as advantaged as ourselves in our various calling and endeavours in our society.”

–Newsday

IN a rare show of bravado, an 11-year-old girl from Hwange Town plunged into a stream and jumped on top of a crocodile before gouging its eyes to rescue a nine-year-old friend who had been gripped by the reptile.

The incident happened last week when Latoya Muwani was attacked by a crocodile while swimming with friends in a stream in Sinderela Village.

However, Rebecca Munkombwe, a Grade Six pupil at a local school, displayed some heroic exploitations when just after coming out of the stream, she was alerted by screams of help coming from the water. 

After seeing that her friend Latoya was struggling to stay on the water surface and was being pulled away, her instinct told her that she had to help her.

She quickly plunged into the water where she found out that Latoya was being pulled away by the big reptible  which had gripped her on the hand and leg.

She mounted on top of the reptile and started gouging its eyes until it loosened its grip on Latoya. Rebecca then helped her out of the stream.

Sunday News traced the young heroine and she narrated how despite fighting the crocodile and rescuing her nine-year-old friend, she did not sustain any injuries.

“We had just left the water when we heard Latoya who was left alone swimming near the neck deep zone screaming that something was biting her hand. Since I was the eldest among the other seven children, I felt the urge to save her. So, I jumped into the water and swam to where she was struggling to float. She was screaming in pain that something was biting and pulling her under,” said Rebecca.

She said once she got close to Latoya she noticed that a crocodile had its jaws locked on her thigh.

“I jumped on top of the crocodile and started beating it with my bare hands before using my fingers to poke its eyes until it released her. Once she was free, I swam with her to the banks where the other children pulled her out of the water. The crocodile fortunately did not attack us after it let off Latoya,” said Rebecca.

Sunday News also visited St Patrick’s Hospital where Latoya was admitted to but the administrator stopped the publication from seeing her.

A nurse at the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity said Latoya was lucky to have escaped with “mild injuries” as the crocodile did not fracture her bones.

Latoya’s father, Mr Fortune Muwani could not hide his gratitude describing his daughter’s survival as miraculous.

“I was at work when I learnt that my daughter had been attacked by a crocodile while swimming. For a moment there I thought of the worst before I learnt that she had survived after being saved by Rebecca. How she managed to do that I don’t know but am grateful to God. Latoya is recovering well here at St Patrick’s and we expect her to be discharged soon as her injuries are not serious,” said Mr Muwani.

Ward 10 councillor Steve Chisose confirmed the attack arguing that the incidents were becoming worrisome.

“Yes, there was another crocodile attack involving a girl who luckily survived after a friend came to her rescue just on time. I spoke to the father who told me that she was receiving treatment at St Patrick’s. What’s also contributing to these incidents is that we have challenges with accessing water which forces women and children to use unprotected sources such as these crocodile-infested streams. The women are usually accompanied by their children who get naughty and end up swimming in these water bodies. I appeal to ZimParks to remove these reptiles before they cause serious harm or death,” he said.

Police in Hwange and Zimparks spokesman Mr Tinashe Farawo said they were yet to receive the report of the attack.

The incident brings to three the number of people, mostly children who have been attacked in the stream which is a tributary of Deka River. 

The stream, which has a continuous flow, gets most of its water from the Zimbabwe Power Company effluent and goes through various treatment stages before passing through the area enroute to Deka River. 

Sometime this year, a 21-year-old man was attacked and killed by a crocodile while fishing at a disused pit that had filled with water in Madumabisa.

On this day, 25th October 2019, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) reiterates its call for the removal of all forms of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe to pave way for socio-economic transformation and economic development of Zimbabwe.

The removal of sanctions will benefit Zimbabweans and the SADC Region, as well as, enhance cooperation of SADC with the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). 

INTRODUCTION 

1 The SADC Region is deeply concerned about the prevailing sanctions imposed by the EU and the USA on the Republic of Zimbabwe and is mindful of the impact of these sanctions. 

1. The sanctions have proved to be directly affecting entities beyond the so-called targeted individuals, and have a negative impact on the credibility of Zimbabwe and serious trickle-down effects on the economy and people of Zimbabwe, and by extension, the SADC Region. 
2. In recognizing the socio-economic impact of the sanctions on Zimbabwe, the 39th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Dar es Salaam, the United Republic of Tanzania expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe, and called for the immediate lifting of the sanctions to facilitate socio-economic recovery in the country. 

NATURE OF SANCTIONS 

1. The EU sanctions on Zimbabwe comprise of an arms embargo, as well as an 

asset freeze and travel ban on targeted people and entities; 

1. The nature of USA Sanctions on Zimbabwe is in two key instruments namely: 

(i) The Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA), and 

(ii) The “targeted sanctions program”, which comprises a list of individuals and entities, and specifically instructs US nationals not to do business with these designated entities or their affiliated entities. The current list as of October 2019 includes’, 13 state-owned enterprises; 13 so-called “other” enterprises; 25 farms; 3 Zanu-PF owned Enterprises; and about 100 individuals; http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Pages/zimb.aspx (as at 20th October 2019). 

1 

IMPACT OF SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE’S ECONOMY 

1. The State-owned enterprises traditionally contribute significantly to SADC economies including that of Zimbabwe, and that at the peak of the Zimbabwean economy, state-owned enterprises contributed close to 40 per cent of the Zimbabwean economy, and as at now, is estimated to contribute about 14 per cent of Zimbabwe’s GDP, making these entities a key part of the economy. The prevailing sanctions on Zimbabwe, including the unlawful restrictions on multilateral financing and business dealings with US companies, have negatively impacted on the strategic economic sectors of Zimbabwe and presents barriers to innovation, investment and growth. 
2. Sanctions on these entities directly impact on employment and income generation opportunities, and thus the livelihoods of the ordinary Zimbabweans. The imposition of sanctions, therefore, have had significant spillover effects on a number of sectors that have had serious ramifications on the growth and development, and therefore on the livelihoods and social well-being of ordinary Zimbabwean citizens as follows: 

• Since 2001, International Financing Institutions (IFIs) such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank are barred from extending financial support to Zimbabwe and have instituted a number of suspensions on balance of payments and technical assistance support, including declaring Zimbabwe as ineligible to access fund resources. Despite the accumulation of arrears on the part of Zimbabwe, the IFIs have deliberately avoided enrolling Zimbabwe on special recovery programmes (like other countries in similar circumstances). The suspension of multilateral financing support is more linked to sanctions than failure by Zimbabwe to honour loan servicing obligations. 
• Beyond multilateral financing, the sanctions over the years have extended to the strategic economic sectors of Zimbabwe, as follows: 

o Agriculture Sector: The Agricultural Bank of Zimbabwe, an entity entrusted with providing financing for smallholder farmers were put under sanctions until February 2016. This development, coupled with the lack of external financing support, and the lack of foreign direct investment have negatively impacted on expansion programmes and investment in agriculture, hence the deterioration in production capacity. 

o Mining Sector: Two strategic entities in the Mining Sector, the Minerals Marketing Cooperation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) were sanctioned in 2008 and 2012, respectively. 

The sanctioning of these entities, particularly the MMCZ (Institutions that are mandated to solicit markets and administer mineral sales proceeds), has resulted in constrained financing for mining operations, loss of revenue, and reduced ability to access new markets. 

o Industry and Manufacturing Sector: The cancellation of business ties with US-based and the US linked firms and companies has negatively impacted the Industry and Manufacturing Sector, as the sourcing of industrial technologies and supplies was disrupted, including loss of supply and market contracts in the international markets. These developments have also affected, and continue to affect the performance of the extractive sectors (agriculture and mining) and the competitiveness of the industry sector. 

o Infrastructure investments: Sanctions on the Infrastructure Bank of Zimbabwe, an entity mandated to provide long and medium-term funding for key infrastructure projects in the transportation, housing, energy, ICT, and water and sanitation sectors, has resulted in the loss of credit lines worth $100 million and equity partnerships. This has affected targeted infrastructure investments in the related sectors, especially capital intensive ones. 

o Aviation industry and the tourism sector: As a result of sanctions, most European Airlines have left the Zimbabwean aviation industry since 2003, affecting not only the aviation industry but also the tourism sector. The tourism sector is further constrained by the stringent Visa requirements for Zimbabwean nationals, bad publicity and negative travel advice given to tourists as part of the calculated sanctions against Zimbabwe. 

• Barriers to innovation, growth, profitability and investment. It is evident that the strategic sectors of the Zimbabwean economy are constrained by the imposition of the sanctions (targeted or not targeted) as they are a barrier to innovation, growth, profitability and investment. Sustained sanctions will imply continued lack of access to multilateral financing and therefore no prospects for economic resuscitation. Instead, the economy will continue to grapple with public debt, inflation, unemployment, low FDI stock and limited supply of goods and services, with negative and devastating impacts on the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans. 

REGIONAL IMPACT OF SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON ZIMBABWE 

1. The impact of the sanctions at the regional level include: 

• The implosion of the Zimbabwean economy has added a burden to the social services of neighbouring countries due to mass emigration. 
• The lack of financial support for infrastructure development has led to the dilapidation of critical rail and road networks in Zimbabwe, which was traditionally utilised by neighbouring countries as transit networks in support of regional trade. 
• Regional economic integration targets such as SADC macroeconomic convergence have been retarded as Zimbabwe has failed to meet some of its targets owing to the adverse effects of the sanctions. 
• Sanctions have reduced Zimbabwe’s capacity to take part in regional programmes that are supported by International Cooperating Partners, thus impacting negatively on SADC development and integration agenda. 
• Sanctions have resulted in the underperformance of the agriculture sector, as a result of, among others, continued lack of financing for agricultural technologies thereby posing threats to regional food and nutrition security as Zimbabwe was once considered a breadbasket of the region. 

SADC CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF SANCTIONS ON ZIMBABWE 

1. Regardless of the terms used to define the sanctions, international finance and investment entities take a precautionary approach and inadvertently restrict the extension of financial support to Zimbabwe, and investment across economic sectors. This is contrary to the argument that the sanctions are targeted at individuals, and do not affect ordinary Zimbabweans and the region. This situation negatively affects the prospects for economic recovery. 
2. SADC therefore, calls upon the European Union, the United States of America, Multilateral Organizations, and International Community to recognise that sanctions on Zimbabwe have far-reaching social, economic and financial implications, which not only affect Zimbabwe’s economy and Zimbabweans but also affect the region at large. 
3. Once again, SADC reiterates its call for the immediate removal of all forms of sanctions on Zimbabwe to pave way for socio-economic transformation and economic development of Zimbabwe. The removal of sanctions will benefit Zimbabweans and the SADC Region, as well as, enhance cooperation of SADC with the EU and the USA. 

Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax SADC Executive Secretary 

25th October 2019, Gaborone, Botswana 

Three dozen baby elephants at the centre of a controversy over the sale of wildlife to Chinese zoos have left Zimbabwe after they were loaded secretly on to a cargo flight.

Thirty-two of 37 young elephants were removed from a holding facility in Hwange National Park on Thursday morning and loaded onto a Saudia Cargo jet at Victoria Falls airport in the afternoon, sources close to the transfer said.

The five other elephants were rejected, apparently for health reasons.

The Zimbabwe National Society for the Protection of Animals confirmed the reports.

A source close to the society said the destination, buyers and condition of the animals were all unknown.

The young elephants have been at the centre of a legal battle since footage of them being held in the Hwange National Park emerged in February.

At the time, wildlife activists said the group had been sold to a Chinese safari park, and warned that the sale might breach Zimbabwean law because details of the deal, including the price, the customer, and the animals’ final destination, had not been made public.

Last week, the People and Earth Solidarity Law Network, a Zimbabwean NGO, warned the national parks authority that any attempt to export the elephants before the case was resolved would amount to contempt of court.

Tinashe Farawo, a spokesperson for Zimbabwe National Parks, said he was not aware of the transfer. — The Telegraph

By A Correspondent- The former Matabeleland Governor, Obert Mpofu has said sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are also affecting strategic road construction and other infrastructure development projects, Sunday news reports.

In a telephone interview with the publication, the Zanu PF Secretary for Administration said:

It needs no genius to understand that sanctions are real and are not affecting those in Zanu-PF only as has been argued in some circles. Sanctions cut across the entire economic spectrum, isolating the country and making doing business with the international community not only difficult but impossible.

I remember the Nkayi Road was being constructed by a company from Italy but it pulled out. Then there was another from Turkey that also pulled out after the US imposed sanctions on us. A lot of other projects that were underway were affected and some of them are still in that state as the Government has no money to complete the work.

We only did a 40km stretch of the Nkayi Road before the contractors pulled out. A number of other roads were affected too. The Byo-Kezi Road, Plumtree-Lupane via Tsholotsho and many others were affected. We are happy that the Government is working on them now.

Sanctions have made noise in Zimbabwe over the past few days leading to the SADC sanctions day on Friday. Those accused of imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe have maintained that sanctions don’t harm the ordinary Zimbabwean as they target certain individuals and their businesses.

-StateMedia

With Zimbabwe’s economy expected to shrink by 7,2% this year, buffeted by severe headwinds, including rising inflation, currency and exchange rate volatility, massive power outages and widespread company closures, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube (pictured)’s projection that the economy will rebound next year and register 4,6% growth rate is not realistic, analysts say.

A fortnight ago, Ncube, battling to contain economic implosion that has plunged Zimbabwe into hyperinflation, a decade after the country experienced another bout of hyperinflation, projected that the economy would register positive growth next year on the back of currency and price stability.

The gross domestic product projection, contained in the 2020 Pre-Budget Strategy Paper, is anchored on impressive growth that Ncube anticipates will be registered across various productive sectors of the economy, with agriculture expected to grow 10,3% next year from -16,3% this year.

However, former finance minister Tendai Biti contends that with weather forecasts pointing that Zimbabwe will experience yet another lean rainfall season next year, agricultural growth would remain depressed, worsening Zimbabwe’s economic crisis.

“A projected growth of 4% is just hope and prophesy. But economics is not prophecy. We already know that we are going to have an indifferent rainy season. So there is not going to be any meaningful production in agriculture. We already know the political situation will remain sharp and divided so there is not going to be foreign direct investment (FDI),” Biti said.

“We already know the how the monetary situation is; you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that inflation will be at 1 000% by the end of this year. We all know the United States dollar will reach 1:150 very soon.

“But we also know they (government) are not capable of reform. Command Agriculture, which has been the basis of looting, is not going anywhere; fuel cartels are not going anywhere. The Reserve Bank quasi-fiscal activities are not going anywhere. So a realistic growth projection for 2020 is -14%. The problem with Mthuli Ncube is that he has become captured and now he is an oligarchy serving the interests of the cartels.”

Biti said growth can only happen if there are credible underlying assumptions.

The former finance minister said the underlying assumptions in the budget strategy paper were however “hogwash”.

Ncube also forecasts that next year’s growth will be driven by “improved foreign currency availability and macro-fiscal stability and business confidence” among other factors. Agriculture is expected to be a major contributor.

Economist John Robertson told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that next season’s summer cropping season would be derailed by inadequate inputs, among a myriad of challenges.

“There is nothing to show for the growth. Farmers should be getting ready to plant but there are no inputs and there is no money. On the other side, though, there is command agriculture, which is however not properly organised. So agriculture is going to be disappointing,” Robertson said.

“The tobacco season was bad. Farmers have had to cut back on the seed and the crop was affected by frost. If they repeat the same pricing as this year it means there will be nothing from it. Wheat production has also been affected by electricity cuts.

“Manufacturing has also been affected by the electricity. And the Kariba Dam is going to start filling up mid-year so the situation is not encouraging. Indications are for a negative growth of -8% and maybe positive growth will be at the start of 2021. Government plans are not working and are shallow. There are a lot of claims that should be challenged in that budget strategy paper. The IMF is not even going to be impressed by the budget strategy paper,” Robertson said.

Treasury also projects the anticipated growth next year to be propelled by the mining sector, which is forecast to grow by 10,35% next year, carrying over a 7,7% growth margin in 2021,riding on government’s ambitious plans to achieve US$12 billion in mineral shipment receipts annually by 2023.

Inspite of the massive rolling power cuts, water shortages and the crippling foreign currency crisis, among other factors, which have disrupted industrial operations, Ncube further projects that the manufacturing sector will register marginal growth of 0,8% in 2020,and 9,4%(2021) though it will contract -4,3% by year-end.

The energy sector, reeling under severe power outages which have ground industrial operations to a halt, is also expected to rebound in 2020, posting a 8,7% growth rate and 11,7% next year. It will end the year at -19,8% .

The Treasury chief also forecasts next year’s GDP growth rate to be driven by the hotel industry, registering a 5,3% growth margin, after contracting 9% this year.

Month-on-month inflation, which is hovering around 10%, is projected by Treasury to retreat next year, stabilising at 2,3% contained by a range of “fiscal and monetary policy reforms and other structural policies.”

Mthuli Though the southern African country suspended publication of annualised inflation figures, the International Monetary Fund estimates that inflation, hovering above 300%, has choked Zimbabwe’s fragile economy.

State Media|THE ravaging drought that has seen pastures depleted and water sources drying up has so far wiped out nearly 5 000 cattle in Matabeleland South Province only while thousands more are at risk if no immediate action is taken, Sunday News has learnt.

The situation is almost similar in most southern parts of the country with farmers enduring the agony of watching their investments and source of wealth being wiped out.

Statistics obtained from the Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services in Matabeleland South showed that 4 539 cattle have died with the most affected district being Beitbridge where 1 057 cattle have since succumbed to drought.

The second most affected is Insiza where 918 cattle have died while 600 have been lost in Gwanda.

In Matobo, 524 have died and 498 succumbed in Mangwe while the least affected is Umzingwane where 330 cattle have been lost.

Matabeleland South provincial livestock specialist Mr Hatitye Muchemwa said more cattle could have died as the figures represents only the reported incidents.

“Compared to last year, the figure represents nearly 500 percent increase as by this time we had only recorded 1 000 cattle deaths,” he said.

The province has a herd of 658 518 cattle.

Statistics from Matabeleland North could not be readily obtained, but the Department of Veterinary Services provincial officer Dr Polex Moyo told Sunday News recently that cattle in the province were also being affected by the drought.

But it is farmers in Matabeleland South who have suffered more with some saying the situation was unbearable as a majority cannot afford the prices of stock feed while water sources have dried up.

They said everyday they are watching helplessly as their prized wealth is being wasted away.

The chairman of Livestock Farmers Trade Union, Mr Sifiso Sibanda, said while the loss of livestock might be viewed as a loss to individual farmers, it was the national herd that is taking a knock.

The country’s herd stands at slightly more than five million and Matabeleland region used to be the country’s prime cattle producing area but recurrent droughts since 1992 reportedly killed about 60 percent of the provinces’ herd.

“It has been the national herd that has been affected. We have a situation whereby livestock is dropping like flies. In Matabeleland large numbers of animals are dying while this is the beef basket of the country. No one is doing anything to help the farmers and after this season farmers will be left impoverished and they won’t be able to recover,” he said.

Mr Sibanda said the drought was also inflicting further pain on farmers who have already lost some of their cattle to tick-borne disease which started last year.

Most of the farmers are not only grappling with sourcing stock feed but dipping chemicals have gone up beyond the reach of many with most veterinary shops selling chemicals for as high as $400 per dose.

The prices also change regularly.

“Most animals are not only succumbing to drought but to diseases worsened by the poor health and the poor diet. Vaccines, a dosage is going for $400. Some of these farmers have no any other source of income. Imagine a litre of dipping chemicals costs $800 and how many can afford this. A single bag of stock feed is $400 and that cannot even last for a week,” said Mr Sibanda.

“We have advised farmers to say sell a few beasts and then buy vaccines and stock feed but when we made that call the stock feed producers also increased and when farmers went to buy, they could not afford,” lamented Mr Sibanda.

However, most farmers are now also reluctant to sell their animals as they are thin and would fetch very low prices on the market.

A farmer in Figtree, Mr Amon Moyeti said most communal farmers were looking to the skies but nothing has come out so far.

“The Meteorological Department had said the rainy season will start early in October but still there is nothing, if we continue under these conditions until mid -November then the losses will be too much,” he said.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Mr Paul Zakariya said it was well known that during this period, most areas will be dry with the most affected being the southern parts of the country.

However, despite such conditions, he said, nothing concrete has been put in place to mitigate the challenge.

“Farmers are losing animals and this is knocking harder on producers who lost quite a lot during the last season. Plans need to be put in place to mitigate such disasters going forward. Livestock farmer associations must be formed for the sole purpose of producing feed to bridge these known dry periods,” he said.

Mr Zakariya said the Government could provide the necessary policy environment to assist farmers save their animals.

“Farmers, together with private sector players must develop business initiatives around livestock feed to avoid any further losses,” he said.

Last month, the Government, however, announced that it has partnered with various organisations to avail 200 000 tonnes of stock feed to save hundreds of cattle mainly in Matabeleland.

Experts said the problem will likely result in the increase in beef prices especially towards the festive season since most farmers are reluctant to sell their cattle in the condition they are.

“Farmers are also reluctant to sell because they will not get value for their cattle since they will not fetch high prices,” said a livestock expert.

The price of beef is already averaging $80 per kilogramme in most butcheries which is beyond the reach of many people.

State Media|Parties to the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) — Government, business and labour — will convene on November 8 to discuss “critical issues facing the economy”.

It will be the second meeting under the body, which was officially launched on June 5 when President Emmerson Mnangagwa signed the TNF Bill into an Act.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza told The Sunday Mail that there have been inordinate delays in convening the second meeting because there was need to properly constitute TNF structures in compliance with the Act.

While the management committee, whose mandate is to set the agenda, had not been fully constituted, the technical committee — charged with preparing documents for the main TNF — was also still discussing, she said.

“The TNF technical committee is expected to formally assign clusters work to be executed leading into the main TNF meeting scheduled for November 8 2019,” said Minister Nzenza.

“It is hoped that the main TNF will consider recommendations of the TNF technical committee on critical issues facing the economy.

“It is also hoped that the main TNF outcomes will inform ongoing budget consultations, with a view of ensuring that the views of business and labour are taken on board,” she said. The process of constituting TNF structures involved processing invitations to social partners and respective Government ministries for nominations into the various bodies of the TNF, including the appointment of the chairperson.

Minister Nzenza said: “This process took some time given the fact that organisations of social partners are constituency-based, hence, there are various consultative and approval processes involved.

“The appointment process has, however, been finalised, with the exception of technical committee cluster nominations from labour, which have not been submitted.”

The three technical clusters are economic, social and labour.

The economic cluster has been tasked with preparing proposals on how the twin challenges of foreign currency shortages and soaring inflation can be solved.

It has also been charged with coming up with proposals on how to promote economic development.

On the other hand, the social cluster has been tasked with looking into allegations of both perceived persecution of trade union representatives and rent-seeking behaviour by businesses.

The labour cluster has been specifically mandated with unpacking the TNF Act and proposals for operationalising the TNF and making it efficient.

Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz) president Israel Murefu said there was need for Government to consult extensively before crafting statutory instruments to avoid blind siding stakeholders.

“So many statutory instruments are being crafted by the authorities without the input of the other parties; that is, business and labour. Government needs to consult before all these instruments are put into place,” said Mr Murefu.

Apex Council president Cecilia Alexander said labour was ready for negotiations.

“The establishment of TNF is a very positive development, but, yes, since we met in June, we have not yet had another meeting.

“It would have been good for us as a country to utilise such a forum to discuss the challenges that we are facing.”

Paul Nyathi|Government claims that it has mysteriously managed to establish what really happened to a loot of 10 000 carats of diamonds which disappeared in 2016 in the hands of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamonds Company, ZCDC.

According to the company the gems were actually sold in a transaction “that was above board” raising eye brows how it would take over three years to realise the transaction.

About 10 000 carats of gem diamonds with an estimated value of US$10m disappeared at ZCDC in 2016 after the precious stones were reportedly shipped out of the country
to China under the pretext that they were for educational use by students in the Asian country.

According to an initial report compiled by a former ZCDC senior executive titled,
“Corruption at ZCDC”, the diamonds were shipped to China for training of students. The diamond cutting and polishing students were supposed to use those gems for practical purposes but according to the report which was submitted to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President, the diamonds never reached the intended destination.

The training was being done by Zheng Jingyi Vocational Technology School while the students were drawn from all the 10 provinces in the country.

The issue stated together with other irregularities was referred to the then ZCDC board but no action was taken to investigate or rectify the anomalies.

A ZCDC internal audit memo dated October 16 2019 has suddenly surfaced claiming that the diamonds were sold to Harvest Way Enterprises Limited — a Hong Kong company — to facilitate training of students in the beneficiation of diamonds.

“Inquiries made with the finance and marketing personnel indicate that two batches of approximately 10 000 carats were sold to Harvest Way Enterprises Limited in 2016 and these were all paid for,” reads the internal memo.

“Diamonds were then sold to Harvest Way at reduced prices; that is, royalties of 15 percent and the MMCZ commission of 0,875 percent were exempted,” it adds.

The exemptions, which covered a three-year period, were apparently approved by former Mines and Mining Development Permanent Secretary, Professor Francis Gudyanga, on January 8 2016 in a letter that was addressed to then ZCDC acting chief executive officer, Mr Mark Mabhudhu.

The case has attracted the interest of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Sacu) and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), which separately confirmed that they were looking into the transaction.

Sacu chair, Mr Tabani Mpofu said his office compiled a report that has been forwarded to Zacc.

Zacc chair Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo confirmed receiving the report, which is presently being perused by investigators.

Stakeholders in the diamond industry, however, are worried that there seem to be contrived news stories calculated to besmirch the image of the local diamond industry ahead of the plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process in New Dehli, India, from November 18 to November 22.

On May 16 this year, the ZCDC board fired chief executive officer Dr Morris Mpofu and six top executives — chief finance officer Mr Charles Gambe, supply chain executive Dr Newton Demba, chief human resources executive Mrs Masciline Chikoore, engineering executive Engineer Andrew Murwisi, audit executive Dr Cleopatra Mutisi and chief security officer Clemence Munoriarwa.

It is now under the management of acting CEO Mr Roberto de Pretto.

ZCDC said in a statement released to The Sunday Mail, the company remains compliant with the Kimberly Process and continues to invest in its security system.

“For the first time in the company’s history ZCDC has published all its audited accounts since formation in 2016,” read part of the statement.

“Production has also continued to grow from one million carats in 2016 to a projected three million in 2019. Contrary to some media reports, the company does not use forced labour within its operations. Not only is this in conflict with stated corporate governance rules and values, but it is also against the laws of the country. The recruitment practices are stringent and abide with best professional standards that compare to any diamond operation around the world.”

ZCDC is reportedly investing into latest surveillance technologies such as drones that are backed up by rapid response teams.

“At present, huge investments are being made to strengthen both electronic surveillance as well as access control of ZCDC premises.

“The annual Diamond Stakeholder Indaba has also been useful in strengthening relations with various civic society bodies and other stakeholders,” it said.