State Media|CIVIL servants need retraining as some of them, including senior officials, are still stuck in the past and failing to deliver in line with the objectives of the Second Republic, chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Dr Elasto Mugwadi, has said.

Addressing a Press conference at the end of hearings on access to national documentation in Bulawayo on Friday, Dr Mugwadi said while the public hearings exposed failings by some officials from the Registrar-General’s Office and Department of Social Welfare to perform their duties, the problem cuts across all Government departments.

He said civil servants needed re-orientation and his office would soon engage the Public Service Commission over the issue.

“So, we are expecting training and retraining of members of the public service and others who are also giving public service,” said Dr Mugwadi.

“We are going to have engagements with the employer who is the Public Service Commission.

“We have had informal discussions, but we are saying it’s not only the Registrar-General’s Office which requires re-exposure through retraining.

“It’s almost the entire public service, all of the public service institutions, we talk about them. You will find individuals who are really up to scratch, but there are others, including seniors who are only interested in gate-keeping which should be a thing of the past and we are going to continuously get this addressed.”

Dr Mugwadi said ZHRC doubled as the Public Protector or Ombudsman with responsibilities for overseeing operations of Government departments.

He said civil servants should have a human face in their operations.

Dr Mugwadi said the commission observed that some of the civil servants were still maintaining the culture of the old regime, whereas they should be guided by supreme law of the country.

“In our engagements with them and other Government officials, we are saying they should now adopt a human rights-based approach which places the interest of the customer as a priority,” he said.

“It is the top most issue they should be looking at. Mind you, we’re moving from one generation of administration, the old administration to the new dispensation.

“It has policies which are linked to implementation of the Bill of Rights in our Constitution, which is only a 2013 people-driven Constitution.”

Dr Mugwadi said the national inquiry into challenges resulting in some members of the public failing to access important documents was part of many that ZHRC as the Public Protector will carry out to ensure citizens got the best service from Government departments.

State Media|The Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts yesterday directed Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda to issue a warrant of arrest against Fertiliser Seed Grain managing director Mr Steve Morland for failing to appear before it.

The committee also gave the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development the last chance to attend the committee’s hearings, failure of which Mr Chokuda will be directed to issue a warrant of arrest.

Briefing journalists in Parliament yesterday, the committee chairman Mr Tendai Biti said they were disturbed by the absence of the FSG and the Ministry of Finance.

“Today, we were supposed to receive evidence from a company called FSG,” he said.

“This company has been the recipient of millions of dollars under the Presidential Inputs Scheme. Consistently, FSG alongside Sakunda are key to the work that we have been doing in the last three months.

“We are therefore directing the Clerk of Parliament Mr Chokuda to issue a warrant of arrest against Mr Steve Morland the managing director of this company for default in attendance on October 14, 2019 and today October 27.

“We are extremely disappointed that while FSG has been quick to avail itself to another committee of Parliament on agriculture, they have avoided attendance at this meeting.

“We are summoning the same company to appear before our committee on November 22, 2019 together with another company that was a recipient of monies under the unallocated reserves that we are pursuing for 2017 to 2018, a motor vehicle supplier called Croco.”

Mr Biti said the committee was not happy that the Ministry of Finance had not availed itself before the committee.

“First, they insisted that they were attending a workshop at the Wild Geese Resort and on the second occasion they pretended that they did not know that they were supposed to appear before Parliament,” he said.

“We have insisted and we have made it very clear in our first report on the Ministry of Finance that the business of Parliament supersedes anything else that they may be doing.

“We enjoy a unique position, the privilege of pursuing every dollar that comes into the Consolidated Revenue Fund and every dollar that goes out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund in terms of section 298 and 299 of the Constitution.

“We are saddened by the continuous disrespect for Parliament so we are giving the Ministry of Finance one more chance before we direct the Clerk of Parliament to issue a warrant of arrest.”

The Ministry of Finance was asked to appear before the committee on November 15.

State Media- Government is moving to clear the passport backlog by producing 100 000 copies by December following the delivery of paper and other consumables, while a facility is being put in place for people in the Diaspora to apply for the travelling document from their bases.

The move is expected to considerably reduce the backlog of over 300 000 passports.

Under a cross-border outreach programme, birth certificates and national identity documents will be issued to Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora.

Addressing a Press conference at Mukwati Building in Harare yesterday, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Ambassador Cain Mathema said they had taken delivery of “three state-of-the-art high capacity passport printers”, which have since been installed.

This has given capacity to make headway in clearing the passports backlog, while at the same time attending to new applications.

“Further steps have been taken to take delivery of passport paper and consumables, as well as material for the production of synthetic identification cards to make sure that all those requiring our services get them in line with our client service charter,” said Minister Mathema.

“While the impact of the measures taken so far is considerable in that about 100 000 people who applied for passports will take delivery of such documents by the end of December 2019, with the arrival of the additional material on order at the end of November 2019 or early December 2019, we expect to double the number of people getting passports within two months of taking delivery.”

Minister Mathema said in line with the decentralisation programme aimed at ensuring that identity documents were available closer to the people, the Murehwa District Registry was almost complete.

He said significant progress had been made in the completion of the Wedza District Registry.

“For plans for the year 2020, the ministry’s infrastructure programme should see the completion of these two registries and work proceeding in earnest to construct the Goromonzi, Kadoma and Insiza registries,” said Minister Mathema.

He said completion of the registries would enable the ministry to bring computerised services “nearer to the people”.

Minister Mathema said the process was expected to continue until it reached the sub-district level to make it possible for citizens to apply and collect documents at their “nearest administrative district”.

In a related matter, the ministries of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade, have agreed that an outreach programme by the Central Registry department should be undertaken to provide vital registration documents, including birth certificates and national identity documents, to selected countries where Zimbabweans are working.

Minister Mathema said the purpose of the outreach programme would be to issue birth certificates and national documents, as well as receive passport applications for processing back home.

“After agreement with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development it will be possible for people in the Diaspora to pay the fees for these documents, the equivalent of the approved fees in currencies of their host countries,” he said.

Minister Mathema said on a more permanent basis, the ministries of Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs have agreed to regularise the movement of the Diplomatic bag to allow people in the Diaspora to apply and pay for passports at the embassies near them.

Diplomatic bag refers to a container in which official mail is sent to or from an embassy, which is not subject to customs inspection.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry will then submit the applications through their head office to the external section of the passport office under the Central Registry department.

“The passport office will then expeditiously process the applications within a period of approximately 10 working days and send them back to the Diaspora through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade,” he said.- state media

By Pafungeyi Gore

Farai Dziva|Political Activist Pafungeyi Gore believes the MDC is failing to win by-elections in rural areas due to lack of motivation.

See Gore’s argument:

The walls of Jericho are falling …

Babylon is not at all burning but there is indeed dust sweeping across the city because of wind.

To starters, they want to portray Zimbabwe as a mature democracy.

Zimbabwe is an autocratic country where the ruling party is not separable from state institutions.

There is indeed a symbiotic relationship between ZANU PF and the State. The state represented by both the repressive and ideological state apparatus.

The alternative government represented by the MDC is not at all losing the so-called by-elections. A damn is being sold to the MDC and a narrative of the MDC provinces in chaos.

A by-election will be held in Mashonaland East where the trend of losing will continue.

Counter accusations will be thrown at each other as if the MDC provinces control securocrats running the elections.

Firstly, the MDC is facing difficulties winning rural by-elections. Apart from outright rigging there is no motive for voters to vote in large numbers in a by-election especially for the opposition because there are no chances to take power through by-elections.

So voters take lightly the significance of by-elections other than maintaining the status quo.

People living outside wards and conatituencies but voters in those areas would find it not so vital to travel and vote in a by-election because of not so powerful compelling reasons.

The MDC should never be swayed by these cooked results. The whole state machinery will be focusing on one by-election.

Without comprehensive reforms, the MDC will fight internally whilst the problem at the centre is the need for an even ground.

State security especially the CIO have been at the centre of intimidation in most rural constituencies and wards where by-elections are held or were held.

The rural voters know very well these unmarked vehicles and the victimisation they witnessed in the past from people who should rather protect all despite political affiliation.

People are threatened of reprisals and the MDC would find it difficult to counter this because of lack of state power. Even if they try to match ZANU PF resource wise those who would have been seen receiving goods from the MDC will be threatened with reprisals.

ZANU PF wants to create a narrative that they are winning despite the hanging legitimacy issue.

As long as DDF is abused for political expediency, an uneven ground will create difficulties for the MDC.

As long as the traditional leaders are dabbling in politics it will be difficulty for the MDC to gain political traction in rural areas.

Most people in rural areas are not all out activists they will not sacrifice their life especially for the sake of politics.

And ZANU PF is abusing the character of rural voters by keeping on reminding them of the aftermath, especially without a healing plan dating back from the Gukurahundi atrocities, early 2000 killings, the blood March 2008-December 2008 killings of opponents.

MDC provinces are doing their best to win power in rural areas. The MDC as a whole should continue fighting for reforms.

There no way through Democratic means that the party will win power if their are no reforms.

Reforms should cut across the whole spectrum of institutions key in elections.

Elections are not being won through democratic strategies but thuggery and the MDC without security sector support can match ZANU PF thuggery behaviour.

Security sector reforms key to end disputed elections in Zimbabwe. The CIO should never be abused to advance or extend ZANU PF hegemony on power.

The intimidation of traditional leaders is also key to a free and fair election. Even during the White settler minority rule traditional leaders were abused and they are still being abused which needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Media coverage is key to a free and fair election.

The reason why EU and America are keeping sanctions in place is because there is no improvement in human rights issues in the country.

So those bent on creating a narrative that MDC provinces are in chaos whilst we have a raft of issues that need to be addressed before criticising the MDC are playing into a ZANU PF trap of propaganda detached from reality.

Reality will never change and reality points to the need for reforms.

Pafungeyi Gore is social scientist and political activist he writes in his own personal capacity.

Farai Dziva|The MDC Organising Department has released a report on the Chiredzi South By-election held at the weekend.

Below is the report:

Good day leadership , I would like to express my experience and lesson in the just ended by-election In Chiredzi South ward 12.

As a leader who was on the ground I would like to thank the entire provincial leadership under the provincial chair Mr Gumbi.

The team contributed resources for our door to campaign from their personal coffers may the spirit persist.

My lesson was that Zanu-pf won’t win an election in masvingo in a free and fair environment.

In ward 12 Chiredzi south Zanu PF used several state institutions to support their campaign
• They used DDF to lie about borehole drilling, saying they will drill a borehole for each and every farmer in the ward.

• A grader from DDF was brought though they managed to grade less than 300m of the 30km road that link the two polling stations.

• High presence of state security intimidating the farmers during the night.

• Each and every farmer was given 50kg bag of rice of which is believed to be the once meant for donation to cyclone Idai victims.

• Prior to the voting day they were moving around the farms between 10pm -12pm giving additional 10kg rice as well as they continue to threatens them

• Targeted mdc alliance supporters were threatened and were told not to go and cast their votes , if they oppose their demand they will be dealt with by members of the intelligence.

Masvingo Provincial
Deputy organ
Chikutu

VIDEO LOADING BELOW. ..

Mawere is asked, what beef do you have with Strive Masiyiwa?@mmawere says Masiyiwa has beef on me….a team was appointed by the Finance Minister Mr Herbert Murerwa to investigate if the allegations (financial miisconduct) were true, and I was the head of that investigation. pic.twitter.com/B8QZ2Wb4GT

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 28, 2019

https://youtu.be/CMoExR2WpgU

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

MUTUMWA MAWERE ON THE SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEWED BY MELI OF MVENGEMVENGE https://t.co/tb6Y2sTU1D

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 28, 2019

https://youtu.be/CMoExR2WpgU

By Own Correspondent| Popular local musician, Mukudzei Mukombe popularly known as Jah Prayzah reportedly turned down a ZWL $50 000 offer to perform at last week’s anti-sanctions gala.

Sources at the Ministry of Information said that Jah Praisah cited an incident when he was attacked at Glen Forest cemetery over alleged political ties. The unidentified source said:

He (Jah Prayzah) was offered ZWL$50 000 to perform but he turned it down. The organisers then begged him to name the amount he wanted, but he said he did not feel comfortable performing at the gala citing an incident when he was attacked at Glen Forest cemetery.

The “Kutonga Kwaro” hitmaker’s brand suffered bad publicity particularly for Kutonga Kwaro and Masoja, both released in 2017.

Some analysts argued that the songs were sung in support of President Emmerson Mnangagwa who at that time was warring with the G40 which was allegedly being led by former first lady, Grace Mugabe.

Meanwhile, Jah Prayzah’s manager, Keen Mashapaidze refused to comment on the matter saying that they had two bookings on the day in question, one in  Watsomba in the afternoon and in Harare same evening.

-TheAnchor

By A Correspondent| Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the opposition MDC has said that the socio-economic crisis in the country is fast deteriorating and can explode any time if no appropriate action is taken.

His remarks come when the country is submerged in socio-economic and political crises which manifest through the soaring inflation, deficits in power, water, food and the deteriorating democratic space.

He said:

Zimbabwe is suffering; it is in serious crisis that runs the risk of imploding soon. We have a hungry population, a nation that is in pain. No citizen is without a charge sheet against government: pensioners, vendors, women, youths, the unemployed, nurses, doctors, teachers and workers in the private sector among them, and this is a fact.

As I speak, there is hunger in the townships, villages, farms, police posts and police camps, there is hunger everywhere. Hunger knows no wall. It does not pay respect to political party affiliation or tribal belonging of clan. It is a common threat to survival.

Meanwhile, analysts have suggested a dialogue between Chamisa and President Emmerson Mnangagwa and dollarisation of the economy to crush the inflation and assure growth.

We greet the nation of Zimbabwe at this very special occasion. We wish you all well despite current economic hardships that we are going through. We are here to inform this nation, the region and the world that as Veteran Freedom Fighters of Zimbabwe we have decided to have a non-partisan organization to represent, the collective interests of the Nation, according to the terms and spirit of our Constitution. We promise to execute our duty of ensuring total emancipation of our people from all forms of exploitation, oppression and injustice.

TODAY'S WAR VETS "MGAGAO" PRESSER 3 DAYS AFTER ED WAS HUMILIATED IN NSS SIGNIFIES MNANGAGWA'S IMMINENT DEAD END, OR IT'S JUST A CROC'S DECOY?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 28, 2019

Historically, this is not a new feature at all. It was, and remains, the role of the combatant to provide checks and balances in the political field.

a) In 1975 we did the same, through the Mgagao Declaration, when as fighters we disowned and dissociated ourselves from retrograde Nationalist Parties and leadership for causing disunity, neglecting the objectives and values of the armed struggle and lacking commitments towards total emancipation of our nation.

b) In 2017, we led the Nation against the then obtaining dynastic rule. The mantra then was against corruption, cronyism and theft of public wealth. c) As we speak, our Nation continues to be destroyed right before us, by greedy and insensitive citizens, hiding behind political parties.

In light of that role, we remind all and sundry that as veteran freedom fighters we are historically positioned, constitutionally mandated and duty bound to fight against all these evils, for our nation to enjoy the highest level of freedom, economic prosperity and progress. We are therefore calling upon all Zimbabweans inclusively to put Zimbabwe first before any partisan agenda. We demand immediate stoppage of misleading partisan agendas and programs for selfish ends. As Zimbabweans we need to unite and fight against these evils of corruption, theft of public wealth and ethnic cleavages which have brought our Nation to its knees.

Our nation must be united and everyone, must uphold the interests of Zimbabwe first and foremost. Politicians and political parties must fight primarily to remove corruption, theft, politically motivated violence and desist from dividing our nation to fulfill individual and party egos.

Our country was the heart of the Mutapa Empire, then a World Superpower leading in material and spiritual culture. Our flourishing industries, thriving agriculture and vibrant mining and high quality textile products were in demand across the globe. Zimbabwe was not only a leader in material production but was a centre for spiritual culture in the region. It was the centre of architecture, arts and religion. Our ancestors will not forgive us for reducing this nation into a tail in world ranking despite our resource endowmen:- Otherwise the future generations are bound to judge us harshly.

We are therefore calling upon all Zimbabweans …..political affiliations, race, all” backgrounds… agenda to Put Zimbabwe first before any partisan.

We call upon our people to come together and rebuild our nation to restore it ic its Superpower position without fail. To all veteran freedom fighters we say, ‘You know well that this was not a racial war to replace white with corrupt black leadership using political parties and borrowed democracies to oppress and exploit our people. Those who perished in the bushes did not die for this and their death cannot be in vain. We therefore call upon you to rise up to this occasion wherever you are and whatever you are doing. The tine is now.’

To the youth of the day we say, ‘We took national responsibility in our teens, the majority leaving school before 0 Level age. This is because we realised that any nation relies on its youth for defence of its people and for its advancement. But if the youth are blind, entangled in partisan conflicts at the expense of the national cause, that nation is doomed. The present is in your hands. Forget about serving wishes and interests of party leaders and party programs at the expense of national interests. Doing so is only futile for your future and that of your children.’

To the community leaders, chiefs, spirit mediums, religious leaders and elders of all walks of life, we remind you today of the greatness of our nation before colonisation: that vv: than i.odunr aged to hold back Portuguese imperialism for mot nturies, and kept slavery at the periphery of our empire, we gallantly fought and on the war of liberation as not a people. Surely, you can bear witness that we did no right to replace settler-colonial oppression with elite-bourgeoisie oppression. No, this is not what we fought for. VVe did not fight for self aggrandizement and naked plunder of national wealth or mortgaging of the country’s resources. VVe did not lose our dear ones for this, neither. This is time for us to lead our children from petty partisan politics and restore the greatness of our nation. This is the legacy we cannot escape from, all of us, as Zimbabweans.

To political party leaders and their followers, we note with sadness your political gimmicks and all shenanigans, corruption, theft, destructive individualism and self-aggrandizement that have brought our nation to its knees.

All looted wealth should be returned to the people and perpetrators brought to book. This continued divide and rule tactics, so that our country bleeds to death, should see to its final end.

The struggle continues until final victory. Aluta continua!!! Pamberi neChimurenga!!!

We thank you.

By Own Correspondent| Vice President Kembo Mohadi has vowed to take action to address the e-recruitment of student nurses case following public outcry over the centralisation of the process.

Speaking at a rally in Bulawayo, Mohadi said:

You will find that whenever there is a recruitment drive in the army or police, they have what they call a quota system where each and every province brings its own people. The recruitees are then chosen from every district so that the entire country is represented.

Government policy is that the recruitment must be done equitably. We don’t want bias in that regard. We are going to look into it so that it is rectified.

His remarks come as hospitals in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North found themselves with an overwhelming number of students from Harare with some arguing that the process was manipulated.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Obadiah Moyo said that the government has resolved that Provincial and central hospitals will now select applicants during the next intake in May 2020.

The development, however, does not scrap the e-recruitment process which was used in the previous recruitment process.

By Own Correspondent| The 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

By Own Correspondent| A case in which three police officers are facing allegations of stealing US$400 from a car belonging to a Harare woman, Netsai Manyau, was this week postponed to November 4 to allow the court to gather enough evidence on what really transpired.

Gladmore Munodawainda (34), Edson Ngwenyama (27) and Lovejoy Zamba (28), who are stationed at Southerton Trafffic section in Harare, appeared before Mbare Magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje on theft charges involving US$400 belonging to Netsai Manyau (42), a secretary with CABS Bank in Borrowdale, Harare.

The trio denied the charge.

According to prosecutor Mr Lawrence Gangarahwe, on June 8, at around 10am the three accused officers were on traffic duty along Highglen road near ZRP Glen Norah. They stopped Manyau, who was driving a Toyota Allex registration number AEL 8994 and asked to see her driver’s licence but she did not have it on her.

Manyau offered to go to her house to collect the driver’s licence and left her car at the road block. Manyau returned at around 11:30am and discovered that the officers had already taken her car to Southerton police station. She followed them to the station and when she opened her car she discovered that US$400 of the US$425 that she had left in her car was missing.

The police officers’ lawyer accused Manyau of not doing a proper handover and takeover procedure of her belongings. He defended his client’s decision to drive the car to the station saying they wanted to ensure the security of the vehicle. Mrs Manyau argued that she did not do a proper handover take over because she got confused after her experience at the road block. She said although there was no proper handover the police had not right to drive the car without her consent.

-StateMedia

LEAD Leader, Linda Masarira has criticised MDC-T top official Obert Gutu for derogatory statements on Twitter towards women. Gutu on 27 October told Miriam Mutizwa (an entrepreneur and prominent political commentator on Twitter that she is ugly. Mutizwa had joked that Gutu was given T-Shirts by Zanu PF to change his stance on the issue of Sanctions which Gutu had been asked to account for.

I do not support discrimination, defamation, any form of undermining women, marginalisation, derogatory statements towards women on their looks and victimisation. Male leaders in Zimbabwe seem to be in competition to attack women’s facial looks.

If leaders are masters of sexism, misogyny and defamation of character. I have heard (dis)honourable MPs calling women MPs “hure”, I have heard at women themselves are in the forefront of body shaming other women to the extent that women in Zimbabwe cannot stand together to fight misogyny, patriarchal dominance and sexist statements. These misogynistic leaders are toxic for Zimbabwe & we can never achieve gender parity.

In short I condemn @GutuObert body shaming @mimmitwit yesterday. Leaders should lead by example how do followers learn to respect each other when leaders are maestros of body shaming. Let us differ on ideas, criticize ideas. We are wonderfully created in God’s image.

Said Gutu:

Tinyararirepo iwe mukadzi wekushata iwe…

Ini handiteste zvakashata sewe…. There are beautiful women out there. Attractive & beautiful women, not ugly women like yourself.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…. Please note it might take 10secs to load.

We are about to die having accomplished and nothing for this country, war vets say @ZANUPF_Official @uk_zanupf @mdczimbabwe pic.twitter.com/b4mK8PrRE9

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 28, 2019

https://youtu.be/xlMetral4CI

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…. Please note it might take 10secs to load

We are about to die having accomplished and nothing for this country, war vets say @ZANUPF_Official @uk_zanupf @mdczimbabwe pic.twitter.com/b4mK8PrRE9

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 28, 2019

https://youtu.be/xlMetral4CI

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.

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

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.”