State Media|President Mnangagwa has appointed new permanent secretaries to three ministries, a new Chief of Protocol and a head of the President’s Secretariat, both in the Office of the President and Cabinet. In a statement last night, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said President Mnangagwa approved the appointments in terms of his constitutional powers in Section 205(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa is the new Chief of Protocol in the Office of the President and Cabinet.

He holds qualifications in development and business administration and is an accomplished career diplomat who rose through the ranks in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served Zimbabwe with distinction as a diplomat in Sweden, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia and Brunei.

Ambassador Chipaziwa leaves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to join the OPC to give urgency to ongoing efforts to engage and re-engage the international community in pursuit of national development.

Ambassador Raphael Faranisi becomes Head of the President’s Secretariat in the OPC.

He is a career diplomat with experience in senior level administration, diplomacy and protocol services.

He is a former Director of Protocol and served as a diplomat in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during which time he also served as Head of the SADC Group of Ambassadors.

Ambassador Faranisi’s last post was as Chief Director for Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

He is expected to lead a team of high-level technical and administrative personnel that constitutes an intelligent interface between the Office of the President and all national stakeholders and international partners.

Mr Zvinechimwe Churu has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing.

“Mr Churu has more than 25 years of experience in public administration and management specialising in economic policy formulation and implementation, domestic and international finance, and budget and expenditure management with a pointed focus on national economic development.

“He also possesses private experience as a former chief executive officer of the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (NocZim),” said Dr Sibanda.

Mr Churu joins the local government sector from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development when there is renewed national interest in supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development in the context of institutional devolution.

His appointment is effective from December 1, 2019, when he takes over from Mr George Magosvongwe who will be assigned to another ministry.

A top intelligence official, Mr Aaron Nhepera, has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. He joins the ministry from the security and intelligence sector.

Mr Nhepera holds qualifications in accountancy and business management, and “possesses requisite experience in security and intelligence administration which competencies are key to deepening and expanding safety and security of persons, property, infrastructure and national institutions in the broader context of creating an enabling environment for and promoting ease of doing business in Zimbabwe”, said Dr Sibanda.

He joins the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage when there are renewed calls to combat crime and corruption in Zimbabwe. His appointment is with immediate effect.

Mr Melusi Matshiya has been appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development.

He has been moved from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage where he was Permanent Secretary.

The appointment is with immediate effect.

The former Women’s Affairs Secretary, Ambassador Dr Rudo Chitiga has been moved to the OPC while awaiting reassignment.

THE Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) has resolved to engage the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the international community over the need to urgently remove illegal Western sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe nearly two decades ago.

Addressing a press conference today at the closure of a two-day workshop on ZIDERA and sanctions here, POLAD co-convener and National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chairperson Justice Selo Nare said sanctions were a threat to life.

POLAD is an assembly of 17 political parties that participated in harmonised elections last year. POLAD also came up with nine other resolutions.State media

Farai Dziva| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has condemned the firing of medical doctors by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Chamisa described the move as “a silent genocide. “

“It surprises me that the Mnangagwa regime would fire medical doctors instead of simply paying them a living wage.

These are fruits of illegitimacy. There is a silent genocide taking place in Zimbabwe as our hospitals have been shut down for 2 months now. Pay doctors a living wage,” tweeted Chamisa.

As if fattened with a reward for her crimes, the former ZIFA President found guilty of match fixing, Henrietta Rushwaya, is now the president of the Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF).

This emerged as her statements became public telling Government that it should speed up the implementation of the “Use-It-or-Lose It” policy to boost gold production and enhance the extracting industry in the country.

She made the remarks while addressing delegates during the first day of the ZMF Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Gweru Convention Centre on Tuesday.

Her remarks, quoted by the state media, come at a time when Government has acknowledged that the 40 tonnes target for gold set for this year is unlikely to be achieved. Gold deliveries stand at 22 tonnes with only one month left, a far cry from last year’s record breaking 33,2 tonnes.

Ms Rushwaya said the quick implementation of the use it or lose it policy will not only help in the formalisation of the artisanal and small scale mining industry but will go a long way in boosting the extractive industry.

“We seek the revolutionarisation of the ASM sector via its formalisation. The implementation of policies will help the facilitation and the proper formalisation of the sector,” she said.
Ms Rushwaya said small-scale miners could not access mining claims held under EPOs for speculative purposes.

“The implementation of policies like use it or lose it policy, the Draft Chrome Policy as well as the gold and semi-precious policy recommendations will go a long way in boosting not only gold production but also other minerals,” she said.

Ms Rushwaya also called for the immediate realignment of Section 3 of the Gold Trade Act which criminalises possession of gold.

“Section 3 should be realigned. When it comes to production, we are a darling but when it comes to possession, we become an enemy. This should be revised as it has caused gold deliveries to dwindle at Fidelity,” she said.

Mineral royalties, she said, should be channelled towards developing infrastructure and rehabilitation of roads within districts where the minerals are being mined.

“In line with devolution, the royalties should be channelled towards the districts within which the minerals are being extracted so that people beneft from their natural resources,” she said.

Speaking at the same occasion, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister, Larry Mavima said small-scale miners play a critical role and as such should be given the respect they deserve.

“Small-scale miners account for about 60 percent of gold deliveries. This makes them a major player in the economic development. This is why His Excellency never thought twice about coming to meet you so that you can share your challenges with him and I am sure he will be able to provide solutions,” said Minister Mavima. – state media

Riot police yesterday blocked demonstrating civil servants intending to march and present their perition to their employer. Below were the live scenes in Harare-

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

CIVIL SERVANTS DEMO IN HARARE https://t.co/O3jTROJHca

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 6, 2019

Farai Dziva|The lawyer representing Thokozani Khupe, Lovemore Madhuku has said the legal wrangle between his client and Nelson Chamisa is not over.

Speaking to ZimEye, Prof Madhuku said the case is one of two. He said,

“that case you are referring to, it is an old case, it is a last year where she was challenging her expulsion from parliament where she was expelled from parliament so she took the speaker of parliament to the constitutional court. So the matter was between her and parliament. It was not between her and the other MDC. So when this matter was not heard before the election, because it was only set down for hearing after the election, I am sure it’s around August or so, I think it was around December last year, I will check that.

“Then the concourt decided not to deal with the matter on the bits at hand, it was overtaken by events, because parliament had already been dissolved, so we sought to argue that even though parliament had been dissolved, they should still determine whether her expulsion from parliament had been properly done, so what was decided today was the court refusing to hear that argument on the basis that they thought it was no longer relevant to hear it and determine.

“That is the judgement that was issued today. It’s not a judgement issued on the merits on anything. It was an old case, relating to her having been recalled from parliament.”

Watch video below. ..

Watch video below. ..

By A Correspondent- Striking doctors here have accused government of negotiating in bad faith arguing that the decision to fire 77 doctors yesterday was not only ill timed by further worsened the already dire situation in most public hospitals.

In an interview with ZimEye at Parirenyatwa hospital Wednesday, Dr Tapiwa Mungofa said:

“Disciplinary hearings are still ongoing and they are being conducted by the Health Services Board……. but we maintain, we are still incapacitated to attend them.

By firing the 77 doctors, our position has not changed that we think that in doing so, government must know that we have not committed any crime by being broke and asking for a decent wage.

As it is now we remain incapacitated and we expect that all doctors will be fired. We had already been fired.. even at the beginning of the year, we had already been fired because our living wages are pathetic.

The already few doctors have been fired and this affects mostly the patients. We eagerly wait to see how this move which defies all common sense will serve as a solution to the already strained healthcare system. We are going nowhere.

The way forward is to be suggested by the health services board. It depends with them, us as doctors we are just ordinary citizens and we are even patients like you.

Nothing has been done to improve the welfare of doctors and hospitals working environments therefore doctors nationwide remain incapacitated

The doctors have been on strike for 64 days and yesterday the govt decided to fire 77 striking doctors as a disciplinary measure.

By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe state workers today went ahead with a street protest in the capital after government failed to give in to their demand for US dollar-indexed salaries to cushion them against soaring inflation.

Police initially gave the Apex Council of public sector unions permission to march for better pay in what was widely seen as a test of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s willingness to tolerate dissent after banning recent protests.

Police however moved in to block the workers from carrying on with their march.

Watch the video loading below for this and more…

Workers are enduring Zimbabwe’s worst economic crisis in a decade, with triple-digit inflation, unemployment above 90%, acute shortages of foreign exchange, fuel and medicines and rolling power cuts that have hit mines and industry.

Workers expected government to at least make a new wage offer at Tuesday’s meeting. Government says it cannot afford dollar-indexed pay, which would see the lowest paid worker earn 7,293 Zimbabwe dollars ($475) a month from 1,023 Zimbabwe dollars now.

“The employer brought nothing to the table, completely zero,” Apex Council said in a statement signed by chair Cecilia Alexander and organising secretary Charles Chinosengwa.

The union said government reneged on its earlier offer to pay all workers’ annual bonuses in November and would now stagger payments between this month and December.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told reporters government did not dispute the need to raise salaries but state spending was under pressure to import grain after a drought and fund the summer farming season, among others.

Mutsvangwa said government tried to discourage the Apex Council going ahead with Wednesday’s protest.

“The budget is ending and is difficult to get additional resources from the current budget. A review in the cost of living is definite in 2020,” Mutsvangwa said during a post-cabinet briefing.

Junior and middle level doctors at state hospitals have been on strike for two months pressing for higher pay and Mutvangwa said 77 of them were discharged after disciplinary hearings.

Mnangagwa is under pressure to deliver on promises made during last year’s election campaign to revive the economy by pushing through economic reforms, attracting foreign investment to create jobs and rebuilding collapsing infrastructure.

By A Correspondent- An off-duty police officer saved the life of an approximately 14 months old infant he found throttled with synthetic hair and left for dead in Bulawayo’s Luveve suburb on Monday night.

Constable Masias Marozva stationed at Luveve Police Station, turned hero when he applied lifesaving skills that he learnt in the police force on the “dying” baby at around 11pm.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango yesterday confirmed the incident, describing it as shocking.

“Police in Bulawayo are investigating an attempted murder incident that happened in Bulawayo’s Luveve suburb on Monday night. One of our off-duty police officers who was walking home at about 11pm, spotted an approximately one-year and two months old baby girl who was throttled using braids.

The baby’s throat was swollen. The officer spotted the dumped baby after a vehicle passed him and flashed lights in the direction of the infant,” she said.

“The police officer rushed to the scene and untangled the infant who was struggling to breathe due to the braids that were tied on her neck.”

Chief Insp Simango said the officer took the child to Luveve Police Station for processing.

“The child whose identity has not been established was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital where she is recovering. We are therefore investigating the matter and trying to locate the child’s parents.

We are appealing to members of the public who might be missing a child of the same age to report to the nearest police station.

“We also to appeal to residents who might have information on parent/s who might have a missing child of the same age to also report to us. Anyone who might have information that would lead to solving this case should report to the nearest police station,” said Chief Insp Simango.

She said police were shocked that someone would attempt to kill an innocent child.

“We know that a lot could be happening in families but that does not justify the killing of an innocent child. It’s actually a miracle that the police officer spotted the infant in the darkness. Let’s all be responsible towards children and take care of them,” she said.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- The trial of former health and childcare minister David Parirenyatwa suffered a false start yesterday as the magistrate who was supposed to preside over the case did not turn up..

According to both the state and the defence, Elijah Makomo, the magistrate in question‘s whereabouts are not known.

The prosecutor’s submissions to postpone the trial revealed this development as they read in part:

We have not been in a position to get hold of magistrate Makomo. He advised us that he was in a meeting. In the circumstances, we request the court that the matter be postponed to November 19. May I also seek the court’s indulgence to liaise with magistrate Makomo and secure his attendance.

Parirenyatwa is facing criminal abuse of office charges for the time he was a cabinet minister. His case has been postponed once and this is the second postponment.

-Newsday

By A Correspondent- The striking doctors have said the government is negotiating in bad faith and clearly doesn’t care about the healthcare system of the country.

Dr Tapiwa Mungofa said:

“Disciplinary hearings are still ongoing and they are being conducted by the Health Services Board.

In doing so we maintain that we have not committed any crime by being broke by asking for a liveable wage.

As it is now we remain incapacitated and we expect that all doctors will be fired. We had already been fired.. even at the beginning of the year, we had already been fired because our living wages are pathetic.

The already few doctors have been fired and this affects mostly the patients. We eagerly wait to see how this move which defies all common sense will serve as a solution to the already strained healthcare system. We are going nowhere…

The way forward is to be suggested by the health services board. It depends with them, us as doctors we are just ordinary citizens and we are even patients like you.

Nothing has been done to improve the welfare of doctors and hospitals working environments therefore doctors nationwide remain incapacitated

The doctors have been on strike for 64 days and yesterday the govt decided to fire 77 striking doctors as a disciplinary measure.

Watch the video below for this and more:

By A Correspondent- The ruling party’s national congress held every year will this year be held at Goromonzi High school and preps for the congress have begun, the state media has revealed.

According to the national broadcaster:

Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Obert Mpofu, accompanied by Politburo members, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi and Dr David Parirenyatwa toured facilities at Goromonzi High School, the venue for the Zanu PF’s 18th National People’s conference to be held in December. Dr Mpofu expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Government does not dispute the need to pay civil servants a cost of living adjustment hence its decision to provide them with annual bonuses inclusive of their allowances, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday.

She said during a Post-Cabinet meeting Press briefing held in Harare that while civil servants’ concerns were genuine, Government cannot at the moment accede to all their demands due to other national demands such as providing food relief to drought-hit communities.

The civil servants’ body Apex Council had earlier announced plans to stage a protest today over low salaries.

“Government does not dispute the need to give a cost of living adjustment to its workers but was facing various competing national demands. These include payment of annual bonus that will take a significant portion of resources and due to restricted revenue inflows would be staggered between November and December 2019. Also, the need to import grain to supplement grain reserves.

Those are some of the various competing national demands,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government was also providing several safety nets including the Presidential agricultural inputs for farmers as well as subsidised transport for commuters under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) scheme.

The Minister said Government also bought additional buses to increase the fleet of Zupco buses.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Government would be able to review the cost of living in the next three months but employees should in the meantime take solace in that they will get bonuses with allowances.

“The budget cycle was coming to an end and that was difficult to get additional resources from the current budget and therefore a review in the cost of living was certainly going to happen in 2020. The Government indicated that it would be able to provide cushion through the payment of the annual bonus which will be paid inclusive of allowances, contrary to the previous year where it was paid based on basic salary alone,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said Government has also invited Apex Council to select three members to join a tripartite negotiating forum technical committee which will be meeting in Kadoma next week to try and to come up with a lasting social contract to arrest price increases among other pressing issues.

The Minister noted that yesterday’s National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting did not yield positive results as civil servants insisted on demonstrating.

In a statement, Apex Council said their demonstration would proceed as planned today describing yesterday’s indaba as fruitless.

“The much-anticipated Apex Council demonstration set for tomorrow Wednesday, 6 November 2019 will go ahead as scheduled following a fruitless NJNC meeting held today 5 November 2019.

According to the Government workers negotiating team, the employer brought nothing to the table, completely with zero offer, zero cushion and no interbank rate being applied,” reads Apex Council statement.

“To add insult to injury, Government has gone back on its earlier offer to pay all bonuses in November, confirming instead that they will pay over two months meaning some civil servants will get inflation blighted bonuses. Government workers are demanding inter-bank rate salaries. Accordingly, Apex Council protest will proceed as scheduled.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said he was not aware of the civil servants planned demonstration.

“At the headquarters we are not aware maybe the concerned regulating authority should shed light,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo has forked out $16K to help a Gwanda man who needs the cash to undergo a lifesaving surgery.

Wicknell posted the news on social media and accompanied the post with receipts for his generous donation.

Tweeted Chivhayo:

Thank you for all the tweets. Gwanda town is my second home , my work , my passion and my future so I had to also chip in. His CABS and POSB accounts could not accept the the payment so I located his Doctor . Wishing Mr Phiri a successful operation and may God bless him

The beneficiary of Wicknell’s generosity, Tamson Phiri is suffering from a rare form of cancer and needs surgery and subsequent facial reconstruction.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

CIVIL SERVANTS DEMO IN HARARE https://t.co/O3jTROJHca

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 6, 2019

Chief Justice Luke Malaba will be added five more years in office after the Minister of Justice announced that it will be introducing an omnibus Constitutional Amendment Bill before Christmas.

The state media recently reported that a proposal is being made to raise the retirement age for Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges, including the Deputy Chief Justice and Chief Justice from 70 years to 75 years.

Malaba has been unpopular with the opposition after the Constitutional Court judgement that pronounced President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the President of the country.

State Media  also reported that Cabinet recently approved principles of the proposed constitutional amendments, which essentially give the Attorney-General’s Office leeway to begin drafting the envisaged provisions.

Government also intends to enact constitutional provisions that create the Office of the Public Protector and house the Office of the Chief Secretary to the President in the country’s supreme law.

The wisdom of creating the Public Protector’s Office, Minister Ziyambi told the state media, was to provide a remedial avenue for individuals or entities who feel aggrieved or affected by the administrative inefficiencies of the Executive and or arms of the State.

Commenting on the matter Professor Jonathan Moyo, “It beggars belief that justice minister Ziyambi thinks amending the Constitution to give Mnangagwa powers to appoint the Prosecutor General alone and to raise Chief Justice Malaba’s retirement age is a REFORM PACKAGE. Weird!”

Recently elected members of Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) in Harare should start working towards ensuring that the party has a membership of 5 million supporters by 2023.

Speaking at the graduation of DCCs who went through a symposium at Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, in Harare today, the party’s National Political Commissar Victor Matemadanda said the party has a mobilisation strategy which the DCCs should work towards achieving.

“We have a mobilisation strategy as a party for mobilisation of 5 million member supporters by 2023 so do not bring excuses but work towards making sure that the target is reached.

“We are now sending you to go and mobilise masses and ensure that people are well aware of the party’s ideas, we are now sending you to mobilise those people that were traditionally perceived to be people we cannot work with.

“Mobilisation for the party should start earnestly,” said Matemadanda.

Matemadanda urged the DCC members to effectively fight corruption in order to consolidate the party’s vibrancy.

“First there are many issues that will emerge, you act on those and the task that has always been there is to make sure that the party is vibrant again, make sure that the party has gotten rid of corrupt tendencies and that the party is taken back to the people,” he said.- State Media/Herald

I have received a number of inquiries from countless members of the press, colleagues, sympathisers and friends about my attitude towards my indictment for trial from 27 January to 30 2020 at the Masvingo High Court on subversion charges.

Some of the concerns are genuine whilst some are bordering on the fear of the unknown. Firstly, I would like to say that I am not bothered at all about this process. In authoritarian and tyrannical systems that are founded on abuse of the rule of law and constitutionalism, it is common.

There is nothing to be surprised about because our regime like its other sister regimes of the past, that is, the Apartheid SA regime, Idi Amin administration, Mobutu Sese Seko’s autocracy, Sani Abacha’s dictatorship they try to survive through the use of various institutions of the State to thwart any form of imaginary or real threat to their grip of power.

The use of the judiciary for purposes of settling political queries has never been a sustainable strategy in several jurisdictions including our own during the period of Ian Douglas Smith.

Command Justice is only applied by individuals who lack confidence on how to manage the state of affairs. Since the coup in November 2017, we noticed excessive use of military and police power to abuse citizens of our country. We witnessed dragnet arrests of citizens who committed no offense.

We know through my network that Emmerson Mnangagwa is such a wicked man who sometimes directly phones Public Prosecutors and Magistrates to act as per his instructions. On my case, I don’t care. Phone whoever is going to preside over it and instruct what you want.

I will not lose a glimpse of sleep. Dictators do as they please, so be it. Why should people bother themselves about someone who has an appetite for injustice, cruelty, wickedness and frowns on anything that does not go his own way.

There are many people who have political disputes with Emmerson Mnangagwa who are currently suffering in prison without any crime they committed. Dickson Mafios, of the famous “tinokutendai President nokutitandanisira Dambudzo, Dambudziko, Border Jumper”, is currently under incarceration at Chikurubi Maximum Prison on false allegations if inciting public violence in Bindura during the January 2019 citizens protests, when in actual fact he was at his farm. The allegations being he went to his farm to hide away from his role of incitement which he did the previous day.

Even those who encourage cowardice from me, my message should be heard loud and clear, I will never ever leave my country because of the wicked regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa. Africa is still where it is today because good men and women were cowed out of their countries by the evil ones, leaving them to destroy their country to Stone Age.

Good men and women kept quiet when their countries were going the drain. Silence has been the greatest commodity dictators reaped from their shaken subjects.

People became prisoners in the country of birth. They allowed themselves to be abused in silence. Cowardice is their refugee. On 13 January 2003, I was heavily tortured and left for dead but the mind to play coward never visited me and it will never visit me.

On whether I have got confidence on our judiciary to dispense justice in conformity with the tenets of the rule of law, we leave issues of prophesying to those who have been given such gifts by God.

I am an officer of the Court. I have appeared before a number of judicial officers both in the lower Courts and in the Superior Courts. I have never encountered a miscarriage of justice on all the matters I appeared before the Courts.

The only threat to the rule of law and constitutionalism in Zimbabwe is this wicked character who tries to manipulate the institutions of the State to suit his interests. He might as he successfully did on Dickson Mafios’ case to throttle whoever will handle my case to acquire his desired result.

But this will not discomfort me at all. Results of fighting an evil and wicked character is that, the wicked one plans to fix while the victim will be in search of a competent administration of justice. The wicked one applies manipulation, coercion, overt and covert threats, barbarism and transparent stupidity while the victim will wait for the truth to manifest itself.

It is not the end of the world after all. The determination of a few souls to see a just society and a free country where citizens will celebrate their creation and creative can not be defeated by evil. No matter how much arm twisting tactics are employed, the day shall come.

Even Mugabe died not believing that he was gone. He could not swallow nor contain it. Bitterness was born out of refusing to accept the reality of life.

Zimbabwe will remain after all of us are gone and the true foundation of a happy future is not built on the grounds of oppressing others but on the basis of knowing and realizing that people are the appropriators of this beautiful country called Zimbabwe.

Nehanda

Own Correspondent|Bulawayo Mayor His Worship Solomon Madlala Mguni has called upon the Members of Parliament to reject the 2020 budget if it does not spell out how the more than 100 years old Zambezi-Water project is going to be achieved.  We are in this together.”

In April this year Government gave back ownership of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (MZWP) to Matabeleland Collective (MC) and its technical partner, the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT).

In a passionate plea on Facebook Mguni said, “We appeal to all our Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe, (National Assembly and Senate) from Matabeleland region, not to pass the 2020 National Budget if it does not speak to the long-awaited Gwayi-Tshangani Dam and/or the Matabeleland -Zambezi Water project that has been on the cards since 1924. Time to unite. Water crisis knows no political affiliation.

The government took over the MZWP from the Dumiso Dabengwa-led MZWT in 2012 in line with a Cabinet decision made in 2004. However, former Harare Mayor Ben Manyenyeni said the demand by Harare and Bulawayo for a water solution was wrongly timed.

Read his response to Mguni below:

Fantastic call Mayor, but the timing could have been co-ordinated better! If the 2 major hubs are going to demand the same big-ticket thing same time what are the realistic chances especially for a choked government.

If Harare and Bulawayo are going to cry for the same costly water solutions same budget three days apart are we expecting Finance Minister Ncube to perform miracles when he has battled with standard stuff?

I would beg the 2 metros to be more national in outlook even if one has to lose out. What’s Bulawayo’s next big item on the wish list and what’s Harare’s?

If the two metro cities are likely to choke the Minister do a tripartite – sit under a tree and share the spoils depending on collective affordability. If Bulawayo is going to demand big-capex then Harare must go for lower option eg $100m to $200m pipe replacement or pollution control.

Your Worship – a WhatsApp chat with Mayor Gomba can package something which you BOTH can inbox Minister Ncube. Because quite frankly neither of you Metro Cities is asking for mere taps and gate-valves.

OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa says he will on Friday give increasingly weary Zimbabweans the signal on the course of action the country will take in the next few months to end the present crisis.

Chamisa, through his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda, said the time had now come to draw the line through his Hope for the Nation Address (HONA) that will give the signal to his increasingly restive supporters who are agitating for demonstrations.

“The president is looking at the issues that affect the citizens and drawing the line towards where the solutions will be found.

“He is also going to talk about the challenges that the nation faces and find solutions, he will give Zimbabweans the signal on the way forward because he believes that the time for action has now come,” said Sibanda.

Zimbabwe state workers today went ahead with a street protest in the capital after government failed to give in to their demand for US dollar-indexed salaries to cushion them against soaring inflation.

Police initially gave the Apex Council of public sector unions permission to march for better pay in what was widely seen as a test of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s willingness to tolerate dissent after banning recent protests.

Police however moved in to block the workers from carrying on with their march.

Workers are enduring Zimbabwe’s worst economic crisis in a decade, with triple-digit inflation, unemployment above 90%, acute shortages of foreign exchange, fuel and medicines and rolling power cuts that have hit mines and industry.

Workers expected government to at least make a new wage offer at Tuesday’s meeting. Government says it cannot afford dollar-indexed pay, which would see the lowest paid worker earn 7,293 Zimbabwe dollars ($475) a month from 1,023 Zimbabwe dollars now.

“The employer brought nothing to the table, completely zero,” Apex Council said in a statement signed by chair Cecilia Alexander and organising secretary Charles Chinosengwa.

The union said government reneged on its earlier offer to pay all workers’ annual bonuses in November and would now stagger payments between this month and December.

Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told reporters government did not dispute the need to raise salaries but state spending was under pressure to import grain after a drought and fund the summer farming season, among others.

Mutsvangwa said government tried to discourage the Apex Council going ahead with Wednesday’s protest.

“The budget is ending and is difficult to get additional resources from the current budget. A review in the cost of living is definite in 2020,” Mutsvangwa said during a post-cabinet briefing.

Junior and middle level doctors at state hospitals have been on strike for two months pressing for higher pay and Mutvangwa said 77 of them were discharged after disciplinary hearings.

Mnangagwa is under pressure to deliver on promises made during last year’s election campaign to revive the economy by pushing through economic reforms, attracting foreign investment to create jobs and rebuilding collapsing infrastructure.

Watch video of the incident in Harare today downloading below.

Delta Lager beer sales plummet by 40%. Zimbabwean drinkers are feeling the pinch of economic difficulties as they are failing to purchase their beverages of choice, it has emerged. Zimbabwe’s biggest beverage maker, Delta Corporation (Delta), says it recorded a 40 per cent decline in lager beer volume in the second quarter to September 30 on the back of inflationary pressures and shrinking disposable incomes.

“The company has had to implement modest but frequent price increases in response to the inflationary pressures while taking into account the affordability issues affecting consumers,” Delta said in a trading update for the second quarter. The company said lager beer volumes for the quarter were down 40 percent compared to last year.

Usually a good performer, sorghum beer also recorded a 29 per cent decline in volume for the quarter with consumers migrating to lower-priced alternatives. Volumes were also subdued for sparkling beverages, with a 36 per cent decline being recorded for the quarter and 56 per cent for the six months. Meanwhile, the beverages maker did not provide the usual revenue figures as there will be a delay in the publication of the half-year interim report.

The report has been deferred pending clarifications from the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB) on the implementation of International Accounting Standard (IAS) 29: Financial Reporting in hyperinflationary economies.

Source – ZTN

https://youtu.be/RI9lFS1oZDM

Lawyers representing pro-democracy activist Mfundo Mlilo will engage Prosecutor –General (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi before going to court after the lapse of a seven-day ultimatum within which they demanded the prosecution of Finance minister Mthuli Ncube over a litany of charges, including abuse of office.

Jacob Mafume of Mafume Law chambers told the Daily News that the PG had failed to respond to their request and they were going to engage him before going to court.

This comes after Mlilo an affidavit before Hodzi, arguing that Ncube has committed criminal misconduct by imposing the two percent tax on all electronic money transfers in the country.

“Ncube, as a public officer whose duty it is to observe provisions of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and in particular section 134(a), the principle of separation of powers and all operational statutes, allegedly unlawfully and intentionally acted contrary to his duty aforesaid by arbitrarily imposing a two percent Intermediate Money Transfer Tax on electronic money transactions of $10 and above, thus altering the lawful and operative 5 cents tax per transaction, in breach of section 22G of the Finance Act (Chapter 23:04) as read together with section 36G of the Income Tax Act and thereafter confirmed those measures with effect from 13 October, 2018 by virtue of invalid Finance (Rate and Inci- dence of Intermediated Money Transfer Tax) Regulations S.I 205 of 2018 (which regulations have since been declared invalid by the High Court of Zimbabwe judgment number HH-605-19) thereby showing disfavour to the people of Zimbabwe from whom he unlawfully pilfered an average of USD$80 000 000-00 per month for a cumulative period of 10 months.”

This comes after Mlilo made a successful application in the High Court, which saw the two percent declared illegal.

However, Ncube told the nation that the judgment had no effect.

Daily News

Paul Nyathi|Government is considering freezing incomes and prices as it battles to contain runaway inflation which has eroded household incomes and left many employees unable to afford transport costs to get to work.

Zimbabwe’s month-on-month inflation stood at 17.7% in September 2019 while year-on-year inflation, which is no longer officially published, is estimated to have reached 353% in the same month.

At the last official count, year-on-year inflation stood at 175.6%, before Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube banned publication of annual inflation figures saying they were not a true reflection of prices on the ground.

The Zimbabwean government abandoned the currency peg of the local currency to the US dollar, a move that has seen the Zimbabwean dollar lose 85% of its value in 9 months.

Retailers and service providers are however resisting the move away from the multi-currency system and when they are not charging in US dollars, they are pegging their prices at the unofficial, going exchange rate.

As prices continue to skyrocket, government workers today spent much of the day running battles with police who were blocking them from going on a demonstration over their depleted wages.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the public sector union Apex Council chairperson, Cecilia Alexander and organising secretary Charles Chinosengwa, the government workers union said government had “brought nothing” to a “fruitless” meeting between the two parties earlier in the day.

“The employer brought nothing on the table. It was a zero offer, zero cushion and no interbank rate being applied. To add insult to injury, government has gone back on its earlier offer to pay all bonuses in November, confirming instead that they will pay over two months, meaning some civil servants will get inflation blighted bonuses,” according to the statement.

During a post cabinet briefing held on Tuesday, Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa said government does not dispute the need to give a cost-of-living adjustment to workers but it was faced with various competing national demands which include payment of annual bonuses that will take a significant portion of resources.

In addition, said Mutsvangwa, government is putting measures to “contain loss of the workers purchasing power and request worker representatives to provide three nominees to attend a Tripartite Negotiating Forum Technical Committee workshop.”

“The workshop is aimed at coming up with a Social Contract that is aimed at bringing the parties to a common position.

“This may result in the freeze of incomes and prices,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Farai Dziva|The lawyer representing Thokozani Khupe, Lovemore Madhuku has said the legal wrangle between his client and Nelson Chamisa is not over.

Speaking to ZimEye, Prof Madhuku said the case is one of two. He said,

“that case you are referring to, it is an old case, it is a last year where she was challenging her expulsion from parliament where she was expelled from parliament so she took the speaker of parliament to the constitutional court. So the matter was between her and parliament. It was not between her and the other MDC. So when this matter was not heard before the election, because it was only set down for hearing after the election, I am sure it’s around August or so, I think it was around December last year, I will check that.

“Then the concourt decided not to deal with the matter on the bits at hand, it was overtaken by events, because parliament had already been dissolved, so we sought to argue that even though parliament had been dissolved, they should still determine whether her expulsion from parliament had been properly done, so what was decided today was the court refusing to hear that argument on the basis that they thought it was no longer relevant to hear it and determine.

“That is the judgement that was issued today. It’s not a judgement issued on the merits on anything. It was an old case, relating to her having been recalled from parliament.”

WOMEN in Norton have agreed to stage a demonstration against businessman Livieson Pamuchigere accused of bashing his ex-wife.

Catherine
Livieson grabbed headlines when he beat Catherine Pamuchigere while at the Harare Magistrates court last year.

Last month, he was hauled to court for allegedly beating up his wife after she failed to answer his phone call while driving.
The pair divorced on September 10 this year.

Livieson, who still has a pending case was at it again on Monday, when he allegedly attacked Catherine using a beer bottle and further tried to run over her with his vehicle.H-Metro

Chibuku has attracted condemnation from Highlanders FC supporters of the use of a wrong logo in an advert for a match between Highlanders and ZPC Kariba to be played on the 10th of November.

Umahlekisa Comedy Club Director Ntandoyenkosi Moyo said, “So a whole Chibuku PR or Marketing Department didn’t see the error? Such butchering of a logo of the Biggest team in the land should get someone fired benza ngabomo , bet uzezwa sekuthiwa it was leaked yeah yeah khonapho this Cup is milking all the mileage it can from the Bosso Community.”

Veteran broadcaster Ezra Tshisa Sibanda said the mutilation of the logo by Chibuku was deliberate.

“Yikho ukudelela khonokho, kwenziwa ngabomu.

Chibuku has been in football for decades and Bosso has won this cup before and to act like a monkey and pretend that is a mistake is pure barbaric.” Sibanda added his voice on the matter.Credit:Bulawayo 24

By A Correspondent- Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo has forked out $16K to help a Gwanda man who needs the cash to undergo a lifesaving surgery.

Wicknell posted the news on social media and accompanied the post with receipts for his generous donation.

Tweeted the businessman:

Thank you for all the tweets. Gwanda town is my second home , my work , my passion and my future so I had to also chip in. His CABS and POSB accounts could not accept the the payment so I located his Doctor . Wishing Mr Phiri a successful operation and may God bless him

The beneficiary of Wicknell’s generosity, Tamson Phiri is suffering from a rare form of cancer and needs surgery and subsequent facial reconstruction.

Farai Dziva| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has condemned the firing of medical doctors by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Chamisa described the move as “a silent genocide. “

“It surprises me that the Mnangagwa regime would fire medical doctors instead of simply paying them a living wage.

These are fruits of illegitimacy. There is a silent genocide taking place in Zimbabwe as our hospitals have been shut down for 2 months now. Pay doctors a living wage,” tweeted Chamisa.

Farai Dziva| Nelson Chamisa has won the lengthy legal battle against political rival Thokozani Khupe.

The full ConCourt bench chaired by Justice Luke Malaba has dismissed Khupe’s application against Chamisa.

Justice Malaba threw out Khupe’s application without giving further reasons.

“The application is hereby dismissed with no order as to costs,” Chief Justice Malaba said.

Khupe who deserted the party’s Harvest House 5 months before the death of the late leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was eventually fired from the party 2 months after the founder’s death.

She was involved in a scramble for leadership which saw not only her but also Elias Mudzuri, the latter who claimed he had received a letter of appointment from Tsvangirai at his hospital bedside in February last year.

Khupe claims she was prejudiced of her benefits when she was “unceremoniously” expelled.

Her lawyer Lovemore Madhuku argued:

“She lost her benefits in terms of salary and allowances. She can sue for damages against the second respondent (Parliament) if it is established that she was not constitutionally removed.”

But the bench has since released its verdict whose full print is expected in the coming days.

By Farai D Hove| A full ConCourt bench chaired by Justice Luke Malaba has dismissed Thokozani Khupe’s application against Nelson Chamisa.

Justice Malaba threw out Khupe’s application without giving further reasons.

“The application is hereby dismissed with no order as to costs,” CJ Malaba said.

Khupe who deserted the party’s Harvest House 5 months before the death of the late leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was eventually fired from the party 2 months after the founder’s death.

She was involved in a scramble for leadership which saw not only her but also Elias Mudzuri, the latter who claimed he had received a letter of appointment from Tsvangirai at his hospital bedside in February last year.

Khupe claims she was prejudiced of her benefits when she was “unceremoniously” expelled.

Her lawyer Lovemore Madhuku argued saying:

“She lost her benefits in terms of salary and allowances. She can sue for damages against the second respondent (Parliament) if it is established that she was not constitutionally removed.”

But the bench has since released its verdict whose full print is expected in the coming days.

– LIVE SCENES IN HARARE DURING CIVIL SERVANTS DEMO –

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

CIVIL SERVANTS DEMO IN HARARE https://t.co/O3jTROJHca

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 6, 2019

Riot police have blocked demonstrating civil servants intending to march and present their perition to their employer. Below are the live scenes in Harare-

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

CIVIL SERVANTS DEMO IN HARARE https://t.co/O3jTROJHca

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 6, 2019

By Own Correspondent| One of the incapacitated doctors fired from work, and is one of the 77, Dr Trevor Chivanzire gave the below responses while at a solidarity meeting at Parirenyatwa Hospital Wednesday morning-

“Yesterday at around 6:00 am I saw a letter which was slipped through beneath my door which was now telling me that I have been dismissed from my work because I failed to attend the disciplinary hearings, so I think that is where we are now.”

Qu: Do you have a copy of the letter with you?

“No I dont have”

Qu: But what are the reasons cited in the letter?

“The main reason they cited in the letter was absenteeism. They said that you have been absent from duty(work), surprisingly they were quoting 14 October as the first date that I had skipped work. They said from the 14th of October to the 1st November, I failed to present myself or the hearings. So those are the reasons to the cited in the letter.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows:

• USD to ZWL$: 15.7725 [05 Nov 2019]
• ZWL$ to RAND: 0.9367 [05 Nov 2019]

Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates:

• USD to ZWL$ zimrates.com 20.20
• USD to ZWL$  zwl365.com 20
• USD to ZWL$ bluemari.info 20
• USD to BOND: bluemari.info 14.60

More: marketwatch.co.zw

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

State Media|All is set for the two-day Zimbabwe Miners’ Federation (ZMF) annual general meeting (AGM) scheduled to start in Gweru today.

ZMF president Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said it was all systems go for the event, which is meant to tackle challenges faced by the mining sector.

She said the two-day AGM will be officially opened by President Mnangagwa and will be held at the Gweru Convention Centre along the Gweru-Mvuma Road.

Ms Rushwaya said various stakeholders including Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando and his Finance and Economic Development counterpart, Professor Mthuli Ncube, are expected to make presentations during the indaba.

“Preparations are well on course and I can safely say that we are ready to host the event. Above all, we are honoured and ready to host His Excellency President Mnangagwa, who is expected to have face-to-face deliberations with miners and stakeholders so that he is made aware of challenges they are facing,” she said.

Ms Rushwaya said the purpose of the meeting was to bring together stakeholders in the mining sector and give the first citizen an opportunity to be appraised on the challenges affecting the mining sector.

“As you are aware, the mining sector is one of the critical components of the economy. As such, we are giving the sector the recognition it deserves by bringing in the Head of State to listen to views coming from the miners and some stakeholders in the sector so that he hears the complaints first hand,” she said.

“Indeed, we have gold as our major foreign currency earner and ways to improve mining conditions in the gold mining sector will be discussed. Also of importance is the ‘lose it or lose it’ policy that will be tabled so that mines that are set aside for speculative purposes are released and utilised.”

Ms Rushwaya said under the gold section, the indaba will also look at Section 3 of the Gold Trade Act with the miners seeking to decriminalise gold possession as well as the gold retention system which is currently affecting gold production.

She said in the semi-precious minerals sector, the indaba was set to come up with a pricing regime to guide the sector to void losing revenue to agents who fleeced unsuspecting miners.

“It’s an issue of concern where we are saying we need a pricing regime in the semi-precious minerals sector so that we avoid being duped by agents due to lack of a proper pricing regime. We will also discuss the issue of weighbridges in the chrome sector, among other issues,” said Ms Rushwaya.

The indaba comes at a time when the country has shown indications it might fail to meet the 40 tonnes gold target owing to challenges faced by the miners.

Striking Zimbabwean doctors say “it defies all common sense” that some of their colleagues have been dismissed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government at a time when millions of people can no longer access state medical facilities.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association said the Health Service Board (HSB) which hires doctors on behalf of the government, misfired when it dismissed 77 striking doctors on Tuesday.

“HSB has succeeded in shooting themselves on the foot. Whilst the Zimbabwean citizens and the government of Zimbabwe have entrusted them with a simple mandate of resolving the crisis in our healthcare system, they have shaken the nation by firing the very few doctors in the country.

“This shocking decision … shows clearly that they don’t care about the suffering masses of our people and the ordinary citizens who rely on government hospitals for healthcare … Once again we reiterate that ZHDA and its entire membership will not be intimidated or deterred in asking for a livable wage and in doing so we maintain that we have not committee any crime by being broke.”

The doctors say they will hold a meeting at Parirenyatwa Hospital on Wednesday to discuss the dismissal of the doctors and related issues.

“We eagerly await to see how this move which defies all common sense will serve as a solution to the already strained health care system. Nothing has been done to improve the welfare of doctors and hospitals’ working environments therefore doctors nationwide remain incapacitated.”

The doctors went on strike September 3 calling for a review of their salaries and on-call allowances.

Dr. Paulinus Sikosana, chairperson of the Health Service Board, told VOA Zimbabwe Service that the firing of the doctors was done as per Zimbabwean labor laws.

Some striking junior, middle level and senior doctors refused to attend hearing convened by the ministry of health, which subsequently sent home some of the doctors who were supposed to appear before a disciplinary committee.

VOA

MINISTER of State for Presidential Affairs in charge of Implementation and Monitoring Joram McDonald Gumbo, who was picked up by Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) investigators on Monday over criminal allegations involving abuse of US$37 million, has been released.

However, sources said President Mnangagwa intervened to save his close ally.

His lawyer Selby Hwacha said it was the media that had made a rush of things and blown a simple police inquiry into “something big.”

Hwacha said his client was already home during the time journalists were waiting for him to appear at the Harare Magistrates’ court.

“He is already home. He has been released. He has not been charged with any criminal case. Zacc was only conducting its investigations and we went to court in the morning but we were sent back to Zacc for further questions before he was released,” Hwacha said.

Gumbo was seen at the courts briefly in the morning before he was whisked away by Zacc officers.

Official information released revealed that charges preferred against Gumbo arise from four separate incidents during his tenure as Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister.

Zacc confirmed that Gumbo gave his warned and cautioned statement on Monday. But Hwacha claimed there had not been a statement from his client recorded.

“There was no statement at all,” the lawyer said.

On Monday, Zacc chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo confirmed to the media that indeed Gumbo had been arrested.

The Zacc boss had promised to give details later that day but had not issued a statement up to late Tuesday afternoon.

In the first of the allegations, Gumbo was accused of corruptly facilitating the awarding of a US$33,3 million tender to Indrastemas & Homt Espana of South Africa for air traffic control equipment without following the procurement procedure.

He allegedly authorised the company to supply the equipment to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) without going to tender.

Gumbo was also accused of showing favour with his relative and Zanu PF activist, Mavis Gumbo through awarding her a contract to rent out her house to Zimbabwe Airways.

It was alleged that as part of the deal, Gumbo directed the release of US$1 million for the refurbishment of Ms Gumbo’s property and customising it into the airline’s headquarters.

The house is located at 1436 Gletywin, Shawasha Hills,in one of Harare’s upmarket suburbs.

State prosecutors claim government lost US$1 million in refurbishing the property and Ms Gumbo received huge amounts of money in monthly rentals from a government investment.

Gumbo was also accused of corruptly reinstating CMED chief executive Davison Mhaka, despite a disciplinary tribunal finding him guilty of misconduct after the latter authorised payment of US$2,7 million to a fuel company for the supply of the product that was never delivered.

Zimbabwe Mail

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been advised to replace his entire cabinet not merely organise a reshuffle as he was reportedly planning to do.

Addressing ruling party Zanu-PF youths at party headquarters in Harare recently, Mnangagwa commended youths in his current cabinet, complimenting them for doing a good job.

However, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, told the Daily News that a mere reshuffle will not be enough, because all the ministers have failed dismally, Pindula News reported on Monday.

“It is almost unfair for us to select certain individuals and say these ones are the bad apples because the whole cabinet needs to be removed and replaced with new people,” said Masunungure.

“He (the president) has to pick new apples and see how things will go. The current cabinet has been an absolute disaster.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube to escape axe in Cabinet Reshuffle. President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week commended ZANU PF youths who are currently part of the cabinet and promised that he will add some of them “soon”, the clearest hint that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent.

While some political analysts have opined that the entire cabinet is inept and should be sacked in its entirety, Namibia-based scholar Admire Mare argued that there are some ministers who should be retained, among them Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube. Said Mare:

… Mthuli Ncube, I think he will survive because he has tried to ensure that there is fiscal consolidation and the country lives within its means.

I doubt the ministers of Industry (Ndlovu), Health (Moyo), Education (Paul Mavima) and ICT ( Kazembe Kazembe) will survive. The minister of Health has also failed to deal with the labour unrest and re-tooling of government hospitals. Even minister Chasi…

Even the Home Affairs portfolio has struggled to deal with the passport issue, which may force the president to bring a new set of hands to stabilise the precarious state of affairs there.

Ncube is probably the most unpopular minister in the current cabinet due to his austerity measures that have pushed millions into penury and his seeming arrogance.

Source – Pindula News

State Media|THE Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) yesterday rallied Zimbabweans across the political divide, colour and creed to stand together and fight illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.

POLAD is an assembly of 17 political parties that participated in last year’s harmonised elections.

The political parties are gathered in Nyanga for a workshop on ZIDERA and sanctions.

They are also undergoing training on international relations, diplomacy and etiquette to enable them advocate for the removal of the two-decade economic embargo on foreign soil.

Addressing a Press conference here, POLAD co-convener and National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chairperson Justice Selo Nare said there was need to come up with a strategy to help the country rid itself of the illegal sanctions.

“The Political Actors Dialogue has convened a meeting to discuss the topical issue of ZIDERA and sanctions, which seems to have plagued the nation. In solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the region and Africa, the political actors have resolved to deliberate on their position on the matter and churn out a strategy to help the nation rid itself of this malady called sanctions,” he said.

Justice Nare said citizens must be made aware of what sanctions are and their impact on Zimbabwe.

“Therefore, the political actors have decided that to properly articulate the matter of sanctions, the ordinary citizen should be aware of what sanctions mean and their impact on their lives. The political actors are gathered here to dialogue and proffer solution (s) on how to resolve the matter of sanctions regardless of their political differences. We urge all Zimbabweans to stand together, remain united and fight against sanctions,” he added.

In separate interviews, POLAD members said the issue of sanctions was no longer debatable as the embargo was affecting everyone.

“We have decided that we are joining the advocacy for campaigning against sanctions and the removal of sanctions. Once a person embarks on an advocacy, there is need to be clear about the issues for which you are advocating. So, this workshop seeks to capacitate us as political actors with the issues and facts about these sanctions so that when we do the advocacy campaign, we are clear, we are factual and we are able to change the narrative and have the people affected talking about them,” said People’s Rainbow Coalition leader Ms Lucia Matibenga.

She is also a former MDC bigwig and trade unionist.

“The economy is affected by these sanctions and we need to talk about them being removed so that there is a better life for all Zimbabweans,” said Ms Matibenga.

She dismissed the US embassy’s claim there were no American sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“It is typical. In any issue, when people are advocating, they are those for and those against. The Americans are actually propagating their own narrative, and one will forgive them for that,” said Ms Matibenga.

MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe said sanctions were strangling the economy and all facets of life.

“The major problem we have had is that there has not been enough advocacy on the issue of sanctions so that people understand the effects and impact of sanctions on individuals and on the country as a whole,” she said.

Dr Khupe said international capital was shunning Zimbabwe as a result of sanctions.

“People do not know that in 2000 or way back, many flights used come to Zimbabwe, but they have all stopped.

“People do not know that we were exporting horticultural produce to many countries but all that stopped. Where do you expect to get income from?

“As we speak right now, we cannot get any credit lines. When you look at 2001 when sanctions were imposed people had jobs, industry was operating, but look at where we are in 2019. Industry is closed, people do not have jobs. Is this what we want as a country? These are the effects of sanctions.

“We are saying as Zimbabweans, it is high time we speak with one voice because this thing is about life and death. It is affecting ordinary Zimbabweans,” she said.

Dr Khupe blasted selfish politicians.

“I think as politicians, it is high time we stand up and say let us put our country first. Zimbabwe must come first before anything else. Let us move away from politics of power and positions and try politics of a better life for every Zimbabwean. The major focus of many political parties is power and positions,” she said.

Independent presidential candidate Mr Brain Muteki said: “We need to be given a chance. Zimbabwe is a nation with potential and very ambitious people. Sanctions must be removed. Sanctions are impacting negatively on the populace of Zimbabwe.

“The country is locked, sanctions are there. We need to be freed from sanctions.”

CODE leader Mr Trust Chikohora said sanctions were real and it was ridiculous for anyone to deny their existence.

“Everybody can see the impact of sanctions. Everyone can feel the impact of sanctions. We have been under the embargo for almost 20 years. We cannot deny things that are self evident. It is now time to make sure that everybody knows the truth and make sure we highlight the impact on ordinary people’s lives,” he said.

State Media|Government has dismissed reports that Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo has retracted or renounced his statement released last week condemning the actions of US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Brian Nichols.

In his October 31 statement, Dr Moyo criticised Mr Nichols for over-stepping his mandate by dabbling in Zimbabwe’s internal politics in breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The minister said Ambassador Nichols was engaging in a campaign to discredit Zimbabwe by making counter arguments on the effects of the punitive sanctions on the country.

The timing of Mr Nichols’ campaign coincided with the preparations for the anti-sanctions day on October 25.

But on Monday, some online publications carried a story claiming that Dr Moyo had disowned the statement on Mr Nichols to some diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe.

This was disputed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Mr Shepherd Gwenzi yesterday, who described the reports as mischievous.

“There are Press reports that have come to the attention of the ministry suggesting that the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lt Gen (Rtd) Dr SB Moyo disowned the statement he issued on 31 October 2019 on the recent conduct and statements of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of Zimbabwe His Excellency Brian A Nichols,” he said.

“For the record, the Honourable Minister has neither retracted nor renounced his statement.

“The said reports are mischievous and should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.”

Dr Moyo said the US Ambassador’s statements violated diplomatic etiquette, were grossly partisan in nature and reflected a worrying lack of respect for the host Government.

“Compounding these statements was the wholly unjustified imposition of US sanctions on the Honourable Owen Ncube, Minister of State Security,” he said.

Dr Moyo said while Zimbabweans are welcoming, tolerant and friendly people, it would be a mistake to misinterpret the qualities to mean weakness or that the Government would ignore or tolerate any form of insult and abuse.

“International law helps us to draw a line between the function which a diplomatic mission may exercise and those that it may not.

“Furthermore, it establishes that, as sovereign nations, all countries in the world enjoy equal rights and protection.

“Clearly, the convention does not permit embassies to conduct themselves like opposition citadels, pre-occupying themselves with the constant casting of aspersions, innuendo and even insults at the host Government,” said Dr Moyo.

“It follows, therefore, that the conduct of any diplomat which is openly inimical to the promotion of friendly relations is far removed from the core objectives of the convention and cannot simply be ignored.

“Any conduct that violates the generally accepted and legally recognised functions of diplomats, constitutes the abuse of diplomatic privilege.”

Dr Moyo said no diplomat should allow themselves to behave or conduct themselves like a member of the opposition, with complete disregard for diplomatic protocol.

He said it was unacceptable for the ambassador to portray as fact unsubstantiated allegations or rumours against the Government, some of which would still be under investigation by law enforcement or other Government agencies.

“Persistent behaviour of this nature will test the patience of even the most tolerant among us.

“It would be a very sad day if dialogue between the US Embassy and this ministry, and Government more broadly, were to collapse completely under its present leadership, such that we would end up just ignoring or even avoiding each other. We genuinely seek dialogue with all well-meaning countries as part of our re-engagement efforts. But our openness and innate generosity of spirit of all Zimbabweans should not be taken for granted and should certainly not be abused,” said Dr Moyo.

“We have means to bring this to an end, should we deem it necessary or should we be pushed too far.”

State Media|GOVERNMENT does not dispute the need to pay civil servants a cost of living adjustment hence its decision to provide them with annual bonuses inclusive of their allowances, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said yesterday.

She said during a Post-Cabinet meeting Press briefing held in Harare that while civil servants’ concerns were genuine, Government cannot at the moment accede to all their demands due to other national demands such as providing food relief to drought-hit communities.

The civil servants’ body Apex Council had earlier announced plans to stage a protest today over low salaries.
“Government does not dispute the need to give a cost of living adjustment to its workers but was facing various competing national demands. These include payment of annual bonus that will take a significant portion of resources and due to restricted revenue inflows would be staggered between November and December 2019. Also, the need to import grain to supplement grain reserves.

Those are some of the various competing national demands,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the Government was also providing several safety nets including the Presidential agricultural inputs for farmers as well as subsidised transport for commuters under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) scheme.

The Minister said Government also bought additional buses to increase the fleet of Zupco buses.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Government would be able to review the cost of living in the next three months but employees should in the meantime take solace in that they will get bonuses with allowances.

“The budget cycle was coming to an end and that was difficult to get additional resources from the current budget and therefore a review in the cost of living was certainly going to happen in 2020. The Government indicated that it would be able to provide cushion through the payment of the annual bonus which will be paid inclusive of allowances, contrary to the previous year where it was paid based on basic salary alone,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said Government has also invited Apex Council to select three members to join a tripartite negotiating forum technical committee which will be meeting in Kadoma next week to try and to come up with a lasting social contract to arrest price increases among other pressing issues.

The Minister noted that yesterday’s National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting did not yield positive results as civil servants insisted on demonstrating.

In a statement, Apex Council said their demonstration would proceed as planned today describing yesterday’s indaba as fruitless.

“The much-anticipated Apex Council demonstration set for tomorrow Wednesday, 6 November 2019 will go ahead as scheduled following a fruitless NJNC meeting held today 5 November 2019.

According to the Government workers negotiating team, the employer brought nothing to the table, completely with zero offer, zero cushion and no interbank rate being applied,” reads Apex Council statement.

“To add insult to injury, Government has gone back on its earlier offer to pay all bonuses in November, confirming instead that they will pay over two months meaning some civil servants will get inflation blighted bonuses. Government workers are demanding inter-bank rate salaries. Accordingly, Apex Council protest will proceed as scheduled.”

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said he was not aware of the civil servants planned demonstration.
“At the headquarters we are not aware maybe the concerned regulating authority should shed light,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

State Media|Government is working to normalise the situation at public hospitals following the dismissal of 77 doctors who went on an illegal strike recently. This was disclosed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa while addressing the media after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

“Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Health and Child Care (Dr Obadiah Moyo) that the public hospitals medical doctors’ strike has now gone beyond 63 days. Medical services at most central hospitals therefore remain constrained.

“The situation is being exacerbated by City of Harare nurses, who have since stopped reporting for duty, citing incapacitation,” she said.

Minister Mutsvangwa said disciplinary hearings for the striking doctors by the Health Services Board (HSB) were held on November 1, resulting in the dismissal of 77 doctors.

She assured the public that measures were being taken to ensure normalcy returns in the shortest possible time.

Dr Moyo echoed similar sentiments, saying they were looking at ways to ensure that hospitals provide services to patients.

“We are looking at the possibilities of ensuring that we provide an appropriate service. That is all I can say at the moment. We should be able to provide a service as we proceed and know exactly who wants to work and who doesn’t want to work.

“But for now, the situation is that there are no doctors coming to work except for those, whom we are grateful for, who are providing emergency cover. So that’s the situation,” said Dr Moyo.

HSB chairman Dr Paulinus Sikosana also confirmed the dismissals in a statement yesterday.

He said the doctors were being charged in terms of Section 4 of the Labour (National Employment Code of Conduct), Regulations, Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006 (the Code).

“Seventy-seven of the 80 doctors were found guilty of absenting themselves from duty without leave or reasonable cause for days ranging from five or more and discharged from the health service,” said Dr Sikosana.

He said the HSB will continue with the hearings that are expected to be concluded by November 15, 2019.

The strike was declared illegal by the Labour Court early last month and the doctors were ordered to return to work within 48 hours, but they ignored the ruling.

The doctors also boycotted the disciplinary hearings.

State Media|Public Service Commission (PSC) paymaster Brighton Chiuzingo, who was last year suspended on allegations of abuse of office and mismanagement, has been fired.

Government suspended Chiuzingo in December last year following reports of abuse of office and mismanagement, pending investigations.

Chiuzingo was dismissed last Friday.

“He was discharged of his duties and he is no longer part of the SSB (Salary Service Bureau). He was given the letter of discharge from his duties last Friday,” said a source.

When contacted for comment, PSC chairman Dr Vincent Hungwe referred all the questions to the commission’s secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe.

“Can you get in touch with the secretary Ambassador Wutawunashe he would be the most appropriate person to talk to,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from Ambassador Wutawunashe were fruitless.

Last year, sources within the commission said Chiuzingo was in the habit of transferring employees without the approval of the superiors.

Some senior officials in the commission warned him, but he didn’t take heed.

He was alleged to be in the habit of asking for kickbacks and unilaterally increasing his pay.

His net salary at one point was $1 595,46 but it was inflated to $6 575,11 and he was also accused of misusing pool vehicles.

In 2011, the Public Service Commission ceased the salaries of more than 4 000 employees after they failed to submit various requisite documents.

The then secretary to the PSC, Mrs Pretty Sunguro told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, that the exercise was aimed at ensuring efficiency and compliance with regulations by all civil servants.

She also said the PSC had tightened controls to ensure that all those who receive salaries are indeed entitled to Government money.
This, she said, meant that all heads of ministries should confirm every month the names of staff members before a salary is paid.

Paul Nyathi|Forty-four serving and former Cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, parastatal bosses and legislators are facing “imminent” arrest for corruption, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo has said. She said the commission was mainly focusing on criminal abuse of office, theft of funds, bribery and flouting of tender procedures, among other offences.

“We are working round-the-clock to ensure all the corrupt ones are brought to book. The fight against corruption is real and we will not rest until we arrest all the perpetrators of corruption,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to deal decisively with corruption which he described as deep-seated in most State institutions.

Speaking in a special Independence Day interview with ZBC at State House this year, President Mnangagwa said the various hurdles in successfully uprooting the scourge meant “the fight is so wide and deep”.

“I now realise that corruption is deep-rooted. I thought that by pronouncing that let’s fight corruption, those who are corrupt will fear and stop; it’s not like that. It’s so rooted that you have to fight it from A to Z. (In) most systems, structures and institutions, there is an element of corruption,” said President Mnangagwa.

“To fight it, you need the police to unearth, investigate; but also within the police, there is corruption. The next stage, you need prosecution, that is the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“They need to prosecute the cases, so once the case passes the corruption in the police, it has to pass the corruption in the NPA; then it must go to the courts and there is an element of corruption in the courts. So the fight is so wide and deep.”

Fighting corruption, he said, was a collective responsibility.

The President said his office would not interfere with judicial processes.

“However, I am happy that you find people who support the fight against corruption in all these institutions. In the police, not everybody is corrupt; in prosecution institutions, not everybody is corrupt; in the Judiciary, not everybody is corrupt. So because of that we are gaining traction slowly, but not as speedily as I had expected. As you realise, there are so many cases of corruption now in the courts,” he said.

President Mnangagwa expressed frustration at the snail’s pace of some of the cases before the courts. A clean society, he added, would help the country to “develop faster” and lead to satisfactory service delivery.

President Mnangagwa committed to fight corruption by strengthening and restructuring key institutions such as the NPA, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet.

Source: State Media

Paul Nyathi|After high profile revelations that Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in charge of Implementation and Monitoring, Joram Gumbo had been expectedly arrested for corruption on the Zimbabwe Airways Saga, the Minister has not been delivered to the justice system for trial but set free, maybe just for now.

Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission chairperson Justice Matanda-Moyo indicated yesterday that Gumbo was removed from court roll amid reports that some whistle-blowers visited ZACC offices with more allegations against him.

Gumbo was being quizzed yesterday on further allegations after he and the ZACC team were recalled from court to the ZACC headquarters as whistle-blowers levelled more allegations against the former.

The minister will now be released, but be summoned for trial when investigations are complete.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said her office had received more information with the potential of generating three fresh charges against the minister.

“Following his arrest, certain informants rushed here with more evidence. We had to recall him from court in order for us to further investigate and verify the new allegations being raised.

“We are in the process of recording statements from the witnesses and we will then call him to give his side of the story later. He is likely to be charged with additional three charges,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

The ZACC boss said witnesses came from as far as Kariba and if the evidence is proved to be credible, Gumbo will face the extra charges.

“We will allow him to go home while we prepare the necessary papers for him to go to court,” she said.

Gumbo, was investigated for allegedly issuing corrupt directives during his tenure as Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister.

He is accused of reinstating fired Civil Aviation Authority (CAAZ) managing director David Chawota and Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) managing director Davison Mhaka after the two had been legally and separately fired for misconduct by disciplinary tribunals.

He is also accused of showing favour to his relative Mavis Gumbo by arranging for her to rent out her house to Zimbabwe Airways, with the Government paying US$1 million for alterations and renovations despite the fact that she received the full rent.

Explaining Gumbo’s release, Harare lawyer Mr Gwinyai Shumba said if one is allowed to go home, they can be summoned to court when the investigations are complete.

“The 48-hour period during which one is supposed to be taken to court upon arrest only applies to those in custody.

“If one is released after being charged, there is no specific time frame in which you should be taken to court,” he said.

Mr Shumba, who served as a prosecutor for a long time, said one is considered charged upon the recording of a warned and cautioned statement.