As she waits for her turn to immunise her twin boys at a local clinic, 33-year old Sphiwe Muranda (not her realm name) cannot help but reflect on the long, emotional journey she has travelled.

The memory of how she suffered at the hands of her first husband’s family after failing to conceive for 10 years is still fresh in her mind.

“Harrison’s family put all the blame on me. They said I was infertile. But now, it is clear the problem was their son,” she said, wiping off tears with the back of her hand.

Muranda is one of the many women who have been hounded by their in-laws and condemned by society for “failure” to conceive. Cultural beliefs on infertility issues have resulted in both physical and emotional abuse of many women in Zimbabwe.

“At first, my ex-husband would rally behind me and we would pray over it. None of the family members ever thought that their son was the one who was infertile. I was forced to visit traditional healers and prophets, but all was in vain. I was verbally abused until I could not bear it anymore. I decided to end the marriage,” she said.

After the divorce, Muranda relocated to South Africa in 2017, where her sister lived, to pick up the pieces of her life in a new environment. She met the man who would marry her and sire her twin boys.

“My sister encouraged me to try again. At first I thought I would suffer a miscarriage, but I was relieved when the doctor said he had discovered two foetuses and that I was in perfect health. I gave birth to these two boys and my ex-husband who also got married is still childless. The answer is clear now,” said Muranda, forcing a smile.

Her ex-husband is already aware that she is now a mother.

“Harrison is aware of my two sons. I told him to visit specialists so that they can examine him. He wants a baby, but the truth is most people think that only women suffer from infertility issues. That is a very wrong perception,” she said.

In some societies, infertility is like a curse while others see it as a bad omen or a result of witchcraft. Despite the massive effects of globalisation or modernity, most people are still reluctant to accept that infertility is a medical condition and that even men can be infertile.

According to Mayo Clinic, infertility in men is due to a low sperm count, abnormal sperm function or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility.

Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) spokesperson George Kandiero said it is high time affected couples sought solutions together since it has proven that the problem can also lie with men.

“Most times the woman is blamed, even if it means consulting traditional medical practitioners, it is the woman who does it alone. As custodians and champions of culture we know and believe that the problem can also lie with the man, hence we encourage couples to consult together,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation, between 8% and 12% of couples around the world have difficulty in conceiving a child at some point in their life, and in some areas that figure reaches one-third or more of couples. Infertility affects an estimated 48,5 million couples worldwide, of which 10,8 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Addressing journalists in Harare recently, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa said the issue of infertility should not be a blame game, mainly on women.

“Infertility affects men and women. This cannot be a blame game. Yet we know in our societies that women bear the brunt of this problem. This can be a basis of sexual and or physical abuse, divorce or isolation from the family structure,” she said.

Traditionally, men’s infertility has been concealed by family and relatives who at times devised ways of secretly engaging his elder or younger brother to impregnate his wife. This act would be kept as a secret by the family members. However, it is different with women who, after being certified barren, are chucked out of the family residence in a humiliating way.

“There is need for a shift from the traditionally-held view that infertility affects women to a realistic understanding of the truth that infertility equally affects both men and women,” said Gerald Madziyire, a gynaecologist with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

According to a 2003 research by Health Care Women International on the fertility patterns of women in Zimbabwe, at least one in every four women of childbearing age suffers from some degree of infertility.

Zimbabwe has one of the world’s highest infertility rates along with other southern African countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho according to a 2010 World Population Prospect survey.

Today, Muranda has proved her tormentors wrong. She is now a proud mother after enduring 10 years of emotional and physical torture from his in-laws.

Though God has blessed her with twin boys, the hard times she experienced in her first marriage will never be erased off her mind.

-Newsday

We, the citizens of Zimbabwe, are tired of putting up with the never ending assurances from the United States that sanctions are exclusively targeting certain individuals and companies, and do not affect ordinary residents. Even American president, Donald Trump, admitted that sanctions do damage to our people. Our government has long been changed. We have long been trying to open up to the world and boost our economy. Both the president and the government agree on the need to strengthen international cooperation and attract investment to Zimbabwe.

We do not see any reason why the sanctions should last and do not understand at all how deteriorating the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and undermining our economic growth reflects the interests of US national security.
We see economic pressure in the form of sanctions as an act of political blackmail designed to keep the residual US influence in Africa, as opposed to China and Russia.

Moreover, many American companies would like to come to Zimbabwe, but they cannot because of their own authorities. If the United States is not interested in the African market nor in investing in Zimbabwe, and restricting its own companies in doing so, then let them not stop others from cooperating with us!

If this is not blackmail, but the product of a huge bureaucratic machine, operated by inertia, then now is the time to turn it back and correct the mistakes of the White House previous administration.

In order to push the United States towards this decision and draw the attention of Americans to our problems, let’s act in the same way – we urge our authorities to limit US imports and see how quickly the White House comes to their senses when they see that China and Russia will instantly take their place on the market.

Share this petition on social media and forward it to your friends and family. Let everyone see how many we are!

 By A Correspondent- A Bulawayo law firm, Vuyile Jamela Mpofu and Associates and a local resident have been dragged to court for their alleged involvement in a residential stands scam.

The law firm’s two lawyers Vuyile Jamela Mpofu (52) of Queens Park and Mayor Kazingizi (35) of Cowdray Park appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Jeconiah Ncube on Saturday facing four counts of fraud.

The two reportedly made fake agreements of sale between sellers and Bulawayo City Council and fake copies of identity cards and fraudulently sold stands to unsuspecting homeseekers. They were remanded to October 30 on $3 000 bail each.

The court heard that in September this year and at Charter House in Bulawayo, Mpofu and Kazingizi misrepresented to Rumbidzai Chimbunde that Khulumani Mpofu was selling residential stand number 13560, Pumula South.

It is alleged that the two introduced Chimbunde to an imposter who was paid R56 100 for the stand.

It is further alleged that the two again duped Linah Takura of R60 000 by making her pay yet another imposter after purporting that Judith Moyo was selling residential stand number 12239 in Pumula South.

The court was told that using the same modus operandi, in August they again misrepresented to Angela Chikanya that Nomsa Sibanda was selling residential stand number 5343, Emganwini and Chikanya paid R40 000 for it.

Last month, they misrepresented to Douglas Tizirai that Khumbulani Gatsheni was selling residential stand number 3333 Emganwini and he paid R60 000.

Reports filed by the complainants to the police led to the arrest of the two lawyers.

-Newsday

Government has cancelled the US$400 million deal with Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group-Transnet consortium meant to revive the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) after the group failed to comply with contractual timelines.

Apart from failing to meet agreed timelines, Government re-tendered the deal after DIDG cut ties with South Africa’s publicly-owned rail operator, Transnet, which was part of the consortium agreed in the initial tender award, raising legal complications.

The DIDG-Transnet consortium was awarded the tender by the then State Procurement Board in August 2017 for the revival of the rail operator’s operations.

In a statement yesterday, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said Government had re-tendered the project.

He said after the consortium was awarded the tender, NRZ was given Cabinet authority to enter into negotiations with the consortium.

“On October 16, 2017, Cabinet granted authority for the NRZ board to negotiate with the consortium and once agreed, to come back and seek Cabinet approval through the Joint Venture Unit,” Mr Mangwana said.

“On February 14, 2018, a Framework Agreement was signed between the parties for the purpose of performing mutual due diligence. An interim solution to plug the NRZ gap while negotiations continued was arrived at. The framework agreement was valid for 12 months.

“It is the Framework Agreement and a separate Interim Solution Agreement that led to the delivery of 13 locomotives, 200 wagons and six passenger coaches on a lease arrangement.”

Mr Mangwana said after due diligence by both parties, negotiations were initiated in October 2018, but could not be concluded within 12 months as per the Framework Agreement.

“In February 2019, both parties made representations to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development seeking an extension to the Framework Agreement,” hesaid.

“Government granted a conditional extension on 21 March 2019 for a period of six months starting from 14 February 2019. Part of the conditions was that the ‘exclusive clause’ in the Agreement be expunged and that the consortium was to provide proof of funds and shareholder approval before 14 August 2019.”

Mr Mangwana said the consortium submitted an appeal against the above conditions and wanted the extension period to commence on the date of signing and the “exclusive clause” restored.

“Several meetings between DIDG and NRZ leadership took place at which they also raised the concerns that were subject of their appeal,” Mr Mangwana said.

“On June 13, 2019, the Honourable Minister J.B Matiza met the NRZ Board and informed them that the appeal to vary the conditions of the Framework Agreement Extension had been unsuccessful. They were reminded that the six-month extension was due to expire on August 14, 2019.

“Government insisted on getting proof of funds from the consortium before the deadline. NRZ also committed not to enter a competing funding arrangement for the project before August 14, 2019.”

Mr Mangwana said on August 30, a Joint Plenary Session was held at a Harare hotel at which it emerged that there were serious differences between DIDG and Transnet.

“It is important to note that at this point, the parties had still not signed the Framework Agreement Extension they had applied for in February 2019 and therefore, there was no subsisting agreement between the parties,” he said.

“Government indulged the consortium by working with them outside the Framework Agreement. Regardless; they failed to present a common position. DIDG presented a funding structure based on funds sourced internationally, which excluded Transnet.

“The exclusion of Transnet had a legal impact on the tender which had been awarded to them as a consortium. In light of the foregoing, Government took a position to issue a new tender. If any of the former members of the consortium want to compete, they are still eligible to make bids and will be adjudged fairly.”

HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s public sector unions said on Tuesday they were unable to go to work because of soaring prices, adding to the government’s problems as it struggles to revive the economy.

The unions however stopped short of calling a strike to give the government more time to respond to their salary demands.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is grappling with triple-digit inflation, shortages of dollars, fuel and bread, and rolling power cuts that have hit mines and industry.

His government’s moves to end subsidies on fuel and electricity and a decision to re-introduce the Zimbabwe dollar have accelerated inflation and dimmed hopes of economic recovery.

The Apex Council, which groups 14 public sector unions, said it had told the government on Monday that its 230,000 members – which exclude workers from the security and health services – no longer had the capacity to go to work.

Asked if this amounted to a strike, Apex Council co-chair Thomas Muzondo said workers would report for duty only when they were able to do so.

“Here is a situation where one has no capacity to go to work. The person wants to go to work but has no capacity. It is a different scenario to a stay-away,” Muzondo told reporters.

Unions are demanding that government employees should be paid U.S. dollar-indexed salaries. They want the least-paid workers – who get 1,023 Zimbabwe dollars ($67) a month – to receive the equivalent of $475.

In shops, prices of sugar, cooking oil and maize meal are rising at least once a week in line with the weakening local currency, but salaries have fallen behind.

Some public sector doctors have been on strike since Sept. 3 to demand higher pay and have vowed not to return to work even though a court ruled their action was illegal.

The government is caught between placating restive workers and keeping the share of public wages in the national budget low, in line with commitments under an International Monetary Fund programme that ends next year.

The worst economic crisis in a decade, worsened by a drought that cut farm output, has angered citizens. Mnangagwa’s government is anxious to avoid violent protests like those in January after a sharp fuel price hike.

The crisis has echoes of the dark days under late president Robert Mugabe, when hyperinflation reached 500 billion percent and workers stopped reporting for duty as salaries and pensions became worthless.

As the month of November nears, the payment of bonuses for the majority of the country’s workforce hangs in the balance, with the government also still undecided over the 13th cheque for the civil servants.

Ministry of Finance and Economic Development officials on Monday told Parliament the government had not yet made a decision on whether civil servants will be paid bonuses this year as they needed to consult workers’ representatives first.

The government is currently in salary negotiations with civil servants who are now demanding US$475 or local currency equivalent for the lowest paid worker.

Bonuses in Zimbabwe have traditionally been paid in November to boost workers’ income as they enter into the festive season, but since the economy took a nosedive a number of companies stopped paying them.

The government, which has maintained the practice despite economists having warned it was unsustainable to continue doing so, paid bonuses on basic salaries only last year.

Other allowances such as housing and others were not catered for.

Employers Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) president, Israel Murefu, told CITE they did not have one standpoint as employers on the payments of bonuses.

“On such issues, we do not have one position,” he said.

“Each organisation will have to look at its own circumstances and if they are able to pay bonuses, they can go ahead and pay. However, most of them are struggling and I will not be surprised if they fail to their workers bonuses.”

He said a number of challenges including energy, water and foreign currency availability were negatively affecting businesses.

Murefu added it did not make any economic sense for businesses struggling to surpass their targets or operating on losses to pay bonuses.

Economist, at the National University of Science and Technology’s Department of Banking and Investment promotion, Stevenson Dlamini, said conditions under which Zimbabwean companies are operating defeat the whole purpose of bonus payments.

“The whole idea behind bonus payment is to celebrate a surplus and a productive year but companies are downsizing and closing and therefore it would not make any economic sense to pay bonuses,” he told CITE.

Dlamini said companies should instead reinvest the little money that they have to create more jobs instead of wasting it on bonuses.

Staffers at the State broadcaster ZBC have threatened to go on strike over non payment of salaries. 

The staffers last got paid in August and are yet to receive their September wages. 

According to insiders, the workers committee at the country’s biggest media institution wrote to management indicating that they could not continue coming to work while salaries were outstanding. 

The committee said the salaries were also paltry that even if they were paid, they can only report for duty once a week. 
The management is expected to respond by the end of the week.

CITE|Commuter omnibus owners, operating under the banner of Tshova Mubaiwa in Bulawayo have rejected a move by the government to have their vehicles placed under the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) franchise citing a number of reasons.

The government, which is battling to address the urban transport crisis, is mobilising over 200 kombis to service urban routes in addition to a few ZUPCO that have been failing to cope with demand.

The move is aimed at having affordable fares for commuters in the city.

ZUPCO held a meeting in Bulawayo with kombi owners to explain the newest scheme in the transport sector.

“I am just from the meeting between kombi owners and ZUPCO officials and they (kombi owners) have rejected the move to put their Kombis under ZUPCO,” Tshova Mubaiwa Chairman, Atlas Moyo, told CITE.

“They said their vehicles will not be subjected to work from 4 am up to 10 pm, so they refused to have their vehicles operate under ZUPCO.”

Under the scheme, transport owners only provide drivers while ZUPCO avails conductors, something the former says is for transparency purposes.

Moyo said kombi owners shot down that down, arguing they cannot abandon their touts with whom they have worked for years.

“They also rejected the move to not use their conductors, saying it was difficult to just drop people they have worked with over the years,” said Moyo.

“They said they want to use their drivers and conductors. They also said that they have also managed to discipline their workers for over the years. As operations we have had disciplinary committees for over the years and we have also managed to put order.” said.

Expricoss Chairperson, Nsikelelo Ngangezwe Khumalo, said their association had not yet been consulted.

Expricoss is an association mostly made up of operators whose use small vehicles.

“As an association, we have not been consulted, we only heard the news through media; we have been isolated,” said Khumalo.

“We cannot join something which we have not been consulted on. As an association we have ways of running these associations; we cannot just be part of something which we were not approached about in the first place.

He, however, said they were also having challenges with fuel and also looking forward to being rescued from that.

We have also had challenges of fuel and eager to be rescued,” he said.

 Director of Bulawayo United Public Transport Association (BUPTA), Morgan Msipa, told CITE he did not attend the meeting.

“I was not part of the meeting so I cannot comment on that as I was not part of,” he said.

ZUPCO Bulawayo manager,  Modreck Zivende, said proper documentation was a prerequisite to operators registering their kombis under the company.

“Anyone can register their  Kombi under ZUPCO, associations or even individuals,” said Zivende.

THE MDC Member of Parliament for Magwegwe Constituency in Bulawayo, Anele Ndebele, has been arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a high school pupil. 

Ndebele is accused of raping the Upper Six pupil who learns at a school in Kezi, Matabeleland South Province.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the MP’s arrest yesterday.

“I can confirm that we received a rape report against a 47-year-old male who is a politician. He is a member of the House of Assembly for Magwegwe Constituency. The victim in this case is a minor therefore I cannot divulge further details. The matter is under investigation and the accused is assisting us with investigations,” said Asst Commissioner Nyathi. 

 According to sources the matter came to light when the pupil, whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons, fell pregnant.

Ndebele is alleged to have first met the girl in March this year when he proposed love to her but was turned down. 

He then allegedly started raping her in April and May after offering to pay for her school holiday lessons.

The girl reported the matter to the police after discovering that she was pregnant.

“Ndebele met the school girl at Kezi Business Centre in March and she told him she was a Form Six pupil. He allegedly met the pupil again the following month in Kezi during the school holidays and asked her why she was not attending holiday lessons like other pupils. The complainant is alleged to have informed him that she had no money to pay for the holiday school programme. He is alleged to have offered to pay for her holiday school lessons and gave her 100 rand and some local currency,” said a source.

Ndebele allegedly proposed love to the pupil and was shot down. 

“After he was rejected by the school girl, he then forced himself on her. After the rape he gave her money and left,” said the source.

Ndebele is alleged to have seen the girl again in May this year after calling her from school to meet him by his car. 

He reportedly drove to a house under construction in the area where he dismissed all construction workers.

“He told all workers to leave and then went into the house with the school girl. He raped her four times before he let her go. He gave her ZWL$60 and took her back to school where he dropped her off at the gate,” said the source.

The matter allegedly only came to light when the complainant discovered that she was pregnant and filed a police report.

State Media|THE Consumer Rights Association says bread is now beyond the reach of many consumers as retailers this week increased the price of bread to almost $16 a loaf from around $10.

Consumer Rights Association spokesperson Mr Effie Ncube said they were troubled by the continuous increases in the cost of basic commodities including bread which was now beyond the reach of consumers.

“We are very much concerned about the ever-increasing cost of basic commodities, like bread that has been priced beyond the reach of the majority of the people of Zimbabwe.

“As a result, in the morning everyday where you are supposed to have bread on the table, people are not affording that, so children are going to school without bread; spending the whole day without food,” he said.

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the Poverty Datum Line for a family of five as at the end of August was pegged at $1, 826,99 while a majority of middle-income earners were earning way below $1 000.

Leading bakery, Bakers Inn, a business unit of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Simbisa Brands had its bread sold at $15,65 by major supermarkets in the Central Business District.

Oceans Supermarket which also operate a confectionery was selling its factory-produced bread at $15 a loaf.

In a separate interview, the Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) media and public relations manager Mr Garikai Chaunza said flour supply by the millers across the country was constant.

National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Dennis Wallah said his association does not prescribe prices individual members should charge on their products, adding that the association was only able to engage the Government on cost changes.

“As an association, we don’t actually prescribe prices to our members. But we conscientise the Government to say when the costs are moving like this and in the event that nothing is done, obviously chances are there that price movements on bread are going to take place,” he said.

THE Zanu-PF Politburo has endorsed newly-elected Harare District Coordinating Committee (DCC) executive members as part of a restructuring exercise to strengthen the party ahead of 2023 national elections.

Zanu-PF is starting from DCCs as the basis of setting up party structures in Harare and Bulawayo since the provincial structures were dissolved earlier this year by President Mnangagwa after reports of divisions that rocked the restructuring process.

The Politburo yesterday endorsed former Harare provincial chairman Godwills Masimirembwa as the DCC chairman for Zone 4, former provincial youth chairman Godwin Gomwe (Zone 2), Ephraim Fundukwa (Zone 6), Kudakwashe Damson (Zone 5), Mafuratidze Goodwell (Zone 1) and George Chiminhi (Zone 3).

Addressing a Press conference after the special session yesterday, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Obert Mpofu said the Politburo endorsed the DCC elections outcome.

“This is a special edition of an extraordinary session of the Politburo which was called by His Excellency President Mnangagwa to address the outcome of the DCC elections which took place here in Harare,” he said.

“We received a detailed report from the National Political Commissar, Cde Victor Matemadanda, and the report was comprehensive and identified areas that needed to be addressed.”

Generally, Dr Mpofu said, the exercise was accepted in its entirety, including the results of that exercise.

“You will notice that the exercise was conducted by six provinces, six representatives who supervised the six zones that were restructured,” he said.

“We have chairpersons, in fact, the whole structure of DCC has got structures whose leadership has been fully endorsed by the Politburo. These are the outcomes of a very contested process which saw quite a number of comrades taking part.”

The newly elected DCC Harare executives will undergo the party ideological training to instil discipline.

“The Politburo has also directed that all the recently elected leaders in Harare

for all the zones should be compelled to undergo ideological training as we reaffirm discipline and ideological understanding of our revolution,” said Dr Mpofu.

He urged party members to stop interfering with party processes, saying they risked expulsion.

“It was observed also that there was some mischief by some certain elements who are prone to using money to cause confusion within the party process and the Politburo has directed that in future such characters if found and proven that they are using money to interfere with our internal electoral process this should warrant an instant dismissal from the party,” said Dr Mpofu.

“We want to warn those who would want to use unorthodox methods in seeking for positions in the party to refrain from activities that are meant to divide or corrupt the system.”

State Media|Sacked Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister and Zanu-PF Politburo member Prisca Mupfumira, who is on $5 000 bail for alleged criminal abuse of office, was ejected from yesterday’s extraordinary session of the Politburo.

The former minister arrived just before the start of the meeting at 9am and took her seat among other Politburo members.

She, however, emerged from the meeting before debate started minutes later and left.

Sources said members of the party’s protocol were instructed to eject Mupfumira from the meeting because her presence was undesirable.

Before entering the meeting room, the erstwhile minister had attended an anti-sanctions day preparatory meeting at the party headquarters.

Mupfumira was recently granted bail after spending nearly two months in custody. She is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million.

President Mnangagwa relieved Mupfumira of her duties in early August on the basis that her conduct was not in line with that expected of a Government minister.

The President has made it clear that he does not tolerate corruption, and those engaging in it risked punishment despite their standing and positions.

The Zanu-PF Mashonaland West Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) has since resolved to recall Mupfumira from her position.

Party provincial chairman Ziyambi Ziyambi said the province resolved to recall her from being a Central Committee member and Senator.

Mupfumira’s criminal abuse of office charges date back to her time as Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister.

During her application for bail, it emerged that Mupfumira had properties in South Africa, Dubai and the United Kingdom.

She was granted $5 000 bail by High Court judge Justice Amy Tsanga recently, that was coupled with stringent conditions.

Justice Tsanga ordered her to surrender her two passports or any other travel documents and title deeds of house number 51 Fairway, Mt Pleasant.

Mupfumira is to report twice a week at Avondale Police Station, not to interfere with State witnesses and to continue residing at her Mt Pleasant, Harare, home.

She is set to be charged with fraud and money laundering, with the State saying it had completed investigations into the fresh charges and will be ready to commence trial once all due processes have been completed.

Maputo — The Mozambican police have detained a member of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party, named as Afonso Henriques, for alleged electoral fraud, reports the election observation team from the anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Public Integrity.

Henriques was supposedly caught in the possession of 12 extra ballot papers all marked in advance in favour of Frelimo, while he was trying to slip them into the ballot box in a polling station in the Angoche municipality of the northern province of Nampula.

In a polling station in Mopeia district, in Zambezia province, a member of the polling station staff named Selma Francisco was found with ballot markers also marked in advance for Frelimo. The report did not say how many she was carrying.

In Dachua locality, in Milange district, also in Zambezia, a citizen was found with six extra ballot papers, and was arrested.

In the same district, a polling station monitor for the main opposition party, Renamo, caught a man trying to slip extra ballot papers into a ballot box in the locality of Chitambo. According to the CIP correspondents, the man concerned works for the district immigration services. In his case, the police took no action.

According to the coalition of observer groups known as Sala da Paz (Peace Room), people have also supposedly been found with ballot papers marked in advance for Frelimo in Nampula city and in the Zambezia districts of Mulumbo and Mocuba.

So far, it is not known whether these ballot papers are authentic, or how they reached the hands of the people who intended to slip them into the ballot boxes.

CIP also noted a number of other irregularities at polling stations. Thus, at a station in the Zona Verde neighbourhood of Maputo, the deputy chairperson of the station was suspended for unauthorised use of a cell phone. Polling station members of staff are forbidden from using cell phones, except for the chairperson and them only to communicate with STAE.

In the Caliu administrative post of Angonia district, Tete province, a citizen who had already voted was detained by the police, when he returned to the polling station. He was said to be making “strange movements”. A citizen was detained in the Angonia district capital Ulongue, because he had been collecting voter cards. In both case, these individuals turned out to be members of Renamo.

The Health Services Board (HSB) is likely to commence disciplinary hearings against doctors who ignored last Friday’s Labour Court ruling ordering them to return to work within 48 hours.

This followed revelations that the provision for arbitration in the ruling was based on the doctors’ return to work, which they defied.

Furthermore, striking doctors who spend more than 30 days without reporting for work were not paid October salaries.

Speaking from Harare Central Hospital where he was assessing the situation, including availability of medicines and equipment, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said Government was still open for dialogue and would want the striking doctors to return to work while negotiations continue.

“The arbitration process as of today, I have been advised by the Attorney-General that, because the doctors did not meet the deadline, they didn’t turn up for work, so that provision now falls away,” said Dr Moyo.State media

Farai Dziva|Former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s is facing eviction from her Mazowe Farm.

A Mazowe gold miner she displaced during her late husband, Robert Mugabe’s reign, is now seeking to evict her and repossess the farm where the mine is located, according to NewsDay.

The miner, Langton Chapungu, approached the High Court seeking the former First Lady’s eviction together with two other individuals who were only identified in court papers as Tongai and Jemwa.

Grace is facing similar threats from Harare property owners who were displaced to pave way for expansion of Mugabe’s Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale.

“The first and second respondents (Tongai and Jemwa) are doing illegal mining activities in my plot and the third respondent (Grace) is also doing her farming activities in that same plot of mine, to an extent that she had even erected some structures at my place,” Chapungu argued.

“The defendants have gone further threatening me with unspecified action if I continue disturbing them from their illegal activities in my plot.

In spite of the demand to vacate, the defendants have refused and offered flimsy and fabricated reasons to justify their continued illegal stay at my place, leaving me with no option except to approach this honourable court for relief.”

Watch Video below. ..

Farai Dziva| A United Kingdom based think tank has claimed the MDC does not have the capacity to defeat Zanu PF in 2023.

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a member of The Economist Group has also predicted a comfortable win for Zanu-PF in the 2023 harmonised elections.

See part of the report below :
“In the most recent presidential election, in July 2018, President Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent of the votes just enough to avoid a run-off against his nearest rival, Nelson Chamisa of the MDC.”

“Mr Chamisa secured 44,3 percent of the vote, with the remainder spread across the other 21 candidates.

“In the legislative election, which was held at the same time, Zanu-PF secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority, with 179 out of 270 seats. Zanu-PF remains in a dominant position because any group splitting from the ruling party would lose access to the benefits of incumbency.

“The opposition has little political authority or ability to hold the government to account. The next presidential and legislative elections are due to be held in 2023. We expect Zanu-PF to win comfortably given its stranglehold on the political scene.”

“Government revenue will decline in 2020 as the economy contracts by almost 13 percent.”

“However, as economic activity increases steadily in 2021-24, and government capacity to collect taxes improves, we forecast that revenue will pick up steadily.

“In 2021-24, as revenue increases, expenditure will rise steadily, as the government seeks to repair infrastructure following years of underinvestment, support broader economic growth and maintain the substantial public-sector wage bill. We expect the fiscal deficit to narrow slightly in 2020, to 6,3 percent of GDP, before trending down in 2021-24, to 5,9 percent of GDP in 2024, as revenue growth out paces spending growth.”

A Zimbabwean family perished in a horrific accident in South Africa last weekend.

The accident claimed eight lives and some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition.

The crash occurred in KwaZulu-Natal, with one of the vehicles bursting into flames.

According to the police, all the four occupants were burnt beyond recognition -State media

By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwean couple and their minor children perished in a horrific road accident in South Africa last weekend which claimed eight lives, some of them burnt beyond recognition.

The crash occurred in Ladysmith, KwaZulu Natal, with one of the vehicles, a Porsche Cayenne, bursting into flames on impact. According to the police, all four occupants of the vehicle were burnt beyond recognition.

The husband and wife Zimbabwean couple and their two children aged 10 and five who were travelling in the other vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner, died at the scene of the accident.

SA Police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said circumstances surrounding the tragedy were being investigated.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is assisting the relatives of two families with the bereavement.

Traffic officials were working with police to establish the owner of the Porsche, as the car had no registration numbers.

Police identified the Zimbabwean family as: Tonderai Godfrey Sithole (38) – Driver, Faith Sithole – Wife (36), Shalom Sithole – Female (10), Shekinah Sithole – Female (5).

Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli said he was saddened at the continued loss of life and extended his condolences to the families of the dead. He pledged the support of the department.

“I’m deeply saddened at the continued loss of lives. Losing an entire family in just one accident is such a great tragedy. In this particular accident we have lost two families,” he said.

“We once again extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and our officials will continue supporting the families as the make arrangements to bury their loved ones.

“What is most worrying is that it seems as though motorists are not adhering to our road rules and speed limits, which in the main is leading to these accidents.”

Local councillor Zakhele Myende said the area where the accident occurred was notorious for speeding vehicles.

“We don’t often have such accidents, but are aware of the issue of cars speeding at the spot where the accident happened,” said Myende.

“There are a lot of trucks going in and out of Ladysmith towards Newcastle, and motorists often speed to try to overtake these trucks. We have reports that there are lots of speeding tickets issued on that part of the road.”

-Agencies

A CHIVHU communal farmer has lost his entire head of 12 cattle after spraying them with a wrong dipping chemical.

Taziva Madondo’s cattle died on Monday soon after he had finished spraying them with Diazinon 30 EC, an insecticide for garden use.

Chikomba district veterinary doctor, Tafadzwa Mashawi confirmed the incident.

“I received information that a farmer had sprayed his cattle with a wrong chemical, but I have not yet received finer details from the vet officer who attended the scene,” Mashawi said.

Madondo, of Chirinda village in Chief Chivese’s area, told NewsDay that he purchased the insecticide from a pharmacy in Chivhu intending to kill insects in his fowl run and he assumed that it would also work on cattle ticks.

“Unfortunately, all the cattle reacted negatively soon after I had finished spraying them so I couldn’t do anything to save them. Luckily, I had not yet used it in the fowl run,” he said.

The villager said since he uses cattle for draught power, this farming season could be a difficult one after losing his entire head.

Media Statement|The MDC would like to put it on record that it has not been involved in any meeting with Zanu PF either formal, ad-hoc or informal.

As the party that won the 2018 election, the MDC is committed to resolving the socioeconomic problems facing the country in keeping with its promise to the people of Zimbabwe at the 2018 Election.

The MDC understands that the deepening crisis is a direct consequence of the unresolved 2018 Presidential election wherein popular will was disregarded and the MDC was prevented from executing its mandate as the winning party. We therefore, believe that it is fundamental that there be genuine dialogue aimed at resolving this legitimacy question and to attend to political and economic reforms.

The MDC believes that the platform for this dialogue must be convened by a neutral arbitrator or institution and that the outcome of the dialogue and its execution be guaranteed by SADC, AU or the UN.

The MDC would like to reassure its members and the nation that we have not digressed from the path to dialogue as explicitly expressed in the RELOAD document.

Chalton Hwende
Secretary General
Movement for Democratic Change

Police are investigating a suspected murder case of a 26-year-old woman after she was allegedly pushed in front of a moving car by her boyfriend after an altercation got out of hand.

A woman only identified as Melissa, was allegedly involved in a brawl with her boyfriend Lawrence Chimombo on their way from Pabloz Bar in Gweru.

The fracas occurred at the 264-kilometre peg along Harare-Bulawayo highway around 4 am on Sunday.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Joel Goko said they were still investigating the case.

“The man is alleged to have quickly driven away in a Ford Ranger registration AEX 6370 after the accident.
“Police are investigating this case to find out the reasons behind the fight in the middle of the road and circumstances leading to the accident.
“Members of the public are being urged to desist from irresponsible driving.
“People are also being cautioned not to fight in the middle of the road in order to avoid accidents,” he said.

A witness who attended the deceased’s funeral said the man who hit the woman took pictures of Chimombo and his car at the scene.

“Chimombo sped away after realising that the man who hit his girlfriend had seen that he pushed her while they were quarrelling in the middle of the road.

”Mellisa left Pabloz Bar with Chimombo after a night of fun.
“She then sent a text message to her best friend informing her that she was having a misunderstanding with Chimombo.
“Surprisingly Chimombo had a lavish birthday bash the day after the incident and did not pay any condolences to Melissa’s family.
“It does not make sense why someone can enjoy a birthday party knowing that he pushed a person in front of a car the night before.
“The police are still investigating the matter and the family is yet to take action,” said the source.

Paul Nyathi|Prophet Magaya has been spotted dancing SA’s famous Kwaito hit song Kokota.

According to informants, the PHD leader was dancing in front of his congregation as he celebrated the third anniversary of his Yadah Hotel.

Its not the first time Magaya has hit headlines dancing to the so called earthly songs. He once made headlines after dancing Clarks to one of Tocky Vibes song Mari and the video went viral.

Watch the video of the Prophet dancing downloading below…

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has assigned roles to his three vice-presidents months after they were elected at a party elective congress in Gweru.

Vice-president Tendai Biti was assigned the powerful responsibilities of shaping policy and ideology in the party, while also overseeing the arms of local government.

Welshman Ncube will lead the diplomatic arm of the party, as he is now in charge of international relations and the general administration of the MDC.

Lynette Karenyi-Kore takes the role of party building and Parliament, where she will interact more with parliamentarians and how they deliver their roles in the constituencies.

Highly-placed sources said in assigning roles to the VPs, Chamisa was hoping to establish order and avoid duplication of roles.

Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda could neither confirm nor deny the latest move, saying he needed time to check with his boss.

“I have to check and get back to you,” he said.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ notes with disgust the shambolic manner in which the 2019 national examinations are being conducted. We have received reports of examinations being written without invigilators as teachers have embarked on an industrial action.

We implore the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council, ZIMSEC to shelve the writting of examinations until the situation in our schools normalise.

We call upon government to expeditely resolve the salary crisis to save our education from collapse.

We demand interbank rate indexed salaries.

*ARTUZ INFORMATION DEPARTMENT.*

Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has informed the public that it will revert to stage 2 of load shedding.

This has been caused by a shortage of capacity faced by South Africa’s Eskom.

Eskom exports electricity to Zimbabwe through ZETDC.

“The Eskom alert will affect Power Imports. As such load shedding will be implemented at Stage 2 today.

PowerAlert Due to a shortage of capacity stage 2 load shedding is to be implemented.”

According to NewZwire Zimbabwe’s 400 Megawatts deal with South Africa stipulates that during this time when Eskom implements its own stage 2 of load shedding, it reduces domestic electricity exports to Zimbabwe to zero but electricity exports for businesses “are reduced proportionally to the load shedding stage”.

A BULAWAYO man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his wife on the buttocks, scratching her with a steel nail and assaulting her with a brick resulting in her losing her front tooth.

Zibusiso Mthethwa (29) of Selborne Park suburb allegedly assaulted Ms Gugulethu Moyo (25) of the same suburb accusing her of cheating on him.

Mthethwa was not asked to plead to physical abuse when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Ulukile Mlea-Ndlovu.
The magistrate remanded him in custody to October 22.

Prosecuting, Mr Mufaro Mageza said on September 29 this year at around 2 PM, Mthethwa arrived home and found his wife in their bedroom.

“The accused person told the complainant that he was hungry,” he said.

As Ms Moyo left to prepare food, Mthethwa allegedly followed her into the kitchen where he punched her on the forehead and scratched her with a steel nail on the back.

Mr Mageza said Ms Moyo went to hospital for medical treatment and came back the following morning at around 5AM.

“The accused person insulted the complainant and threw a brick at her causing her to suffer head injuries,” he said.

Mr Mageza said Mthethwa got hold of Ms Moyo’s leg and hand before pushing her to the ground.
He allegedly stabbed her on the buttocks with a broken bottle.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Mthethwa’s arrest.
— Chronicle

Wednesday, 16 October 2019

President Nelson Chamisa is concerned with the deteriorating situation in the country and recognises the urgent need for the people of Zimbabwe to engage this crisis immediately.

All social and economic stakeholders must plan to end this crisis. Our young people have a lot at stake and must not allow this country to implode.

Over the last few days the President has been preparing an alternative government for our country. To begin this process, he has made appointments and assigned duties to officials in the party, to ensure readiness.

Today the President is announcing two bold steps taken as part of the elaborate and carefully thought process of preparing to serve the people of Zimbabwe and make our country great.

The President is doing this in preparation while the citizens consider the resolution of our national crisis.

In preparing the MDC’s task as a government the President understands that our problems emanate from the lack of integrity and accountability in our public work. The President emphasises that public officials are the human interface between the state and the citizens.

He wants local governments, run by his party to be an exemplary interface that is accountable and of high integrity. President Chamisa has zero tolerance for corruption and any lack of efficacy in public officials.

The President has with immediate effect constituted an Integrity and Accountability Panel (IAP) which shall enforce his zero tolerance to corruption policy. He has provided this team with terms of reference are specific and definitive.

This committee shall perform its duties through a process that includes meeting with all stakeholders such as residents and organised local groups.

The five member strong panel, that has been carefully verted, will be led by a very highly regarded lawyer in this country. One who has to this day served this country with integrity and commitment, Advocate Thabani Mpofu.

The President will require him to execute his duties with continued honour and hard work and has instructed him to remain uncompromising in his commitment to the highest standards.

Secondly the President has assigned duties to his Vice Presidents, as a way of ensuring better efficiency and a smoother operating political party in preparation for an all-star and high calibre government. He wants a machine that is properly oiled with all its nuts and bolts properly positioned and tightened.

Our country cannot take any chances and does not have the luxury of time, and this has informed the President’s assignment of duties to the Vice Presidents.

The President has allocated these responsibilities to ensure the effective execution of his mandate to transform the MDC into a modern 21st century Party of Excellence.

These assignments are put in place in order to ensure the MDC can define a new Zimbabwe and prepare to form the next government and do so very soon. The Vice Presidents shall hold these responsibilities on a rotational basis as shall be determined by the President, from time to time.

In line with the Constitution the President has designated that with immediate effect the Vice President shall resume working on the following areas.

Vice President, Honourable Lynette Karenyi, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to two clusters, which are:

1. Parliament, and
2. Party Building

Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to the following clusters:

1. Administration, and
2. International Relations and Diplomacy

Vice President, Honourable Tendai Biti, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to:

1. Policy and Ideology, and
2. Local Government

Dr Nkululeko Sibanda – Presidential Spokesperson Movement For Democratic Change

A Harare City Parking marshal yesterday had to be saved from mob justice after he grabbed a steering wheel causing a woman to be hit by the car.

The incident occurred at corner Albion and Cameron streets when the unidentified marshal tussled with one William Mazvimbura while grabbing his steer-ling wheel

During the tussle, the car turned violently and hit a lady who was crossing the road with her groceries.

The woman fell to the ground injuring her leg in the process

The injured woman was taken by parking marshals to their offices before the crowd dispersed

By A Correspondent- A self-proclaimed prophet and his nephew who ganged up and allegedly robbed two shops at Jalukange Business Centre in Beitbridge District after firing 25 bullets, shooting two people leading to the death of one of them appeared in court yesterday.

The prophet, Christopher Chamisa (26) and his nephew, Garikai Siziba (19) both of Village 4 Munyamani, Chief Maranda in Mwenezi District allegedly armed themselves with an AK56 rifle and raided two shops before they went away with cash amounting to $114, US$70 and R11 608.

Chamisa and Siziba appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese facing a murder charge in connection with the death of Mr Dion Muleya (48) of Beitbridge.

Prosecuting, Ms Nokuthaba Ngwenya said on May 27 at around 5PM, the pair went to Jalukange general dealer and found the complainant who is the storekeeper at the store, Ms Sibusisiwe Moyo, attending to a customer, Mr Thulani Ndlovu.

They were armed with the rifle and Chamisa stood at the door demanding cash.

Mr Ndlovu asked Chamisa if he was joking but he fired two shots and missed him.

Mr Ndlovu jumped over and joined Ms Moyo behind the counter.

The court heard that Siziba went to the counter where Mr Ndlovu was hiding and demanded cash.

“Fearing for her life, Ms Moyo surrendered R7 518 and $114, which was in a plastic bag. The accused persons left the shop and while outside they indiscriminately fired shots from the veranda during which some patrons were injured,” said Ms Ngwenya.

From there, they stormed Jalukange Special Bar at the same building and confronted, Ms Perseculiar Singo who was with Mr Muleya.

They allegedly shot Mr Muleya in the abdomen while demanding cash from Ms Singo.

Ms Singo tried to escape through the back door but Chamisa fired one shot that hit her in the back but she managed to flee. They ransacked the bar and took a cashbox containing R4 090 and US$70 and fled from the scene.

Ms Singo was admitted to Beitbridge District Hospital while Mr Muleya, who was in a critical condition, was referred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where he succumbed to the injuries.

According to the post mortem report, the deceased died due to gunshot wound in abdomen, assault and peritonitis.

A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the two accused persons and the firearm was recovered in a disused well about 500 metres from the scene of the crime.

They indicated that they had picked up the firearm in a cave at a mountain in Maranda in Mwenezi.

Mr Task Vhiki and Ms Mary Nyika from Liberty Mcijo and Associates are representing Chamisa while Ms Nonhlanhla Moyo of SKM Sibanda and Partners is Siziba’s lawyer.

In their defence, both accused persons tendered a limited plea to a lesser charge of culpable homicide, arguing that it was not their intention to kill Mr Muleya.

The trial continues today.

-StateMedia

Farai Dziva|Former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s is facing eviction from her Mazowe Farm.

A Mazowe gold miner she displaced during her late husband, Robert Mugabe’s reign, is now seeking to evict her and repossess the farm where the mine is located, according to NewsDay.

The miner, Langton Chapungu, approached the High Court seeking the former First Lady’s eviction together with two other individuals who were only identified in court papers as Tongai and Jemwa.

Grace is facing similar threats from Harare property owners who were displaced to pave way for expansion of Mugabe’s Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale.

“The first and second respondents (Tongai and Jemwa) are doing illegal mining activities in my plot and the third respondent (Grace) is also doing her farming activities in that same plot of mine, to an extent that she had even erected some structures at my place,” Chapungu argued.

“The defendants have gone further threatening me with unspecified action if I continue disturbing them from their illegal activities in my plot.

In spite of the demand to vacate, the defendants have refused and offered flimsy and fabricated reasons to justify their continued illegal stay at my place, leaving me with no option except to approach this honourable court for relief.”

Farai Dziva| A United Kingdom based think tank has claimed the MDC does not have the capacity to defeat Zanu PF in 2023.

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a member of The Economist Group has also predicted a comfortable win for Zanu-PF in the 2023 harmonised elections.

See part of the report below :
“In the most recent presidential election, in July 2018, President Mnangagwa won 50.8 percent of the votes just enough to avoid a run-off against his nearest rival, Nelson Chamisa of the MDC.”

“Mr Chamisa secured 44,3 percent of the vote, with the remainder spread across the other 21 candidates.

“In the legislative election, which was held at the same time, Zanu-PF secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority, with 179 out of 270 seats. Zanu-PF remains in a dominant position because any group splitting from the ruling party would lose access to the benefits of incumbency.

“The opposition has little political authority or ability to hold the government to account. The next presidential and legislative elections are due to be held in 2023. We expect Zanu-PF to win comfortably given its stranglehold on the political scene.”

“Government revenue will decline in 2020 as the economy contracts by almost 13 percent.”

“However, as economic activity increases steadily in 2021-24, and government capacity to collect taxes improves, we forecast that revenue will pick up steadily.

“In 2021-24, as revenue increases, expenditure will rise steadily, as the government seeks to repair infrastructure following years of underinvestment, support broader economic growth and maintain the substantial public-sector wage bill. We expect the fiscal deficit to narrow slightly in 2020, to 6,3 percent of GDP, before trending down in 2021-24, to 5,9 percent of GDP in 2024, as revenue growth out paces spending growth.”

MDC President Nelson Chamisa has appointed an Accountability and Integrity Committee to be chaired by top lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu.

Addressing the press this morning, Chamisa’s Spokesperson Dr Nkululeko Sibanda said his boss believes the country lacks public integrity and accountability and has with immediate effect formed a committee to deal with it.

Thabani Mpofu was Chamisa’s lawyer when he unsuccesfully challenged the outcome of the July 2018 elections and he resurfaces again as the chairperson of this critical committee.

Below is the full statement;

President Nelson Chamisa is concerned with the deteriorating situation in the country and recognises the urgent need for the people of Zimbabwe to engage this crisis immediately. All social and economic stakeholders must plan to end this crisis. Our young people have a lot at stake and must not allow this country to implode.

Over the last few days the President has been preparing an alternative government for our country. To begin this process, he has made appointments and assigned duties to officials in the party, to ensure readiness.

Today the President is announcing two bold steps taken as part of the elaborate and carefully thought process of preparing to serve the people of Zimbabwe and make our country great. The President is doing this in preparation while the citizens consider the resolution of our national crisis.

In preparing the MDC’s task as a government the President understands that our problems emanate from the lack of integrity and accountability in our public work. The President emphasises that public officials are the human interface between the state and the citizens. He wants local governments, run by his party to be an exemplary interface that is accountable and of high integrity. President Chamisa has zero tolerance for corruption and any lack of efficacy in public officials.

The President has with immediate effect constituted an Integrity and Accountability Panel (IAP) which shall enforce his zero tolerance to corruption policy. He has provided this team with terms of reference are specific and definitive.

This committee shall perform its duties through a process that includes meeting with all stakeholders such as residents and organised local groups. The five member strong panel, that has been carefully verted, will be led by a very highly regarded lawyer in this country. One who has to this day served this country with integrity and commitment, Advocate Thabani Mpofu.

The President will require him to execute his duties with continued honour and hard work and has instructed him to remain uncompromising in his commitment to the highest standards.

Secondly the President has assigned duties to his Vice Presidents, as a way of ensuring better efficiency and a smoother operating political party in preparation for an all-star and high calibre government. He wants a machine that is properly oiled with all its nuts and bolts properly positioned and tightened. Our country cannot take any chances and does not have the luxury of time, and this has informed the President’s assignment of duties to the Vice Presidents.

The President has allocated these responsibilities to ensure the effective execution of his mandate to transform the MDC into a modern 21st century Party of Excellence. These assignments are put in place in order to ensure the MDC can define a new Zimbabwe and prepare to form the next government and do so very soon. The Vice Presidents shall hold these responsibilities on a rotational basis as shall be determined by the President, from time to time.

In line with the Constitution the President has designated that with immediate effect the Vice President shall resume working on the following areas.

Vice President, Honourable Lynette Karenyi, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to two clusters, which are:

1. Parliament, and
2. Party Building

Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to the following clusters:

1. Administration, and
2. International Relations and Diplomacy

Vice President, Honourable Tendai Biti, will be responsible for supervising all party activities relating to:

1. Policy and Ideology, and
2. Local Government

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

ZimEye will be livestreaming a press conference set to be addressed by the presidential spokesperson Dr Nkululeko Sibanda at Morgan Tsvangirai House this morning.

Refresh this page for latest updates

A 25-YEAR-OLD female police detective in Marondera died under unclear circumstances at her boyfriend’s house on Monday.

Detective coffinnstable Antonete Silopa, who was stationed at Marondera Central Police Station, was pronounced dead upon arrival at Marondera Provincial Hospital.

Silopa reportedly died at her boyfriend Artwell Mafukidze (38)’s house in Elmswood Park.

Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza refused to comment on the matter, referring all questions to his superior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

Asked to comment on the issue, Nyathi said he was yet to get the details from Marondera.

According to a police internal report seen by NewsDay, on Monday, at around 2pm, Silopa, who was in the company of Mafukidze, proceeded to Cosco Sports Diner where they drank beer until around 9pm.

The two later left the watering hole with the deceased driving, before she dropped Mafukidze at his place while she proceeded to her own residence.

At around 11pm, Mafukidze heard a crashing sound outside his house and upon checking, he discovered that Silopa had rammed into a water tank with her Honda Fit vehicle.

It is reported that Silopa disembarked and staggered towards Mafukidze before she collapsed. She reportedly told Mafukidze that she had drunk poison. Mafukidze used his own car to ferry his lover to Marondera Hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

As of yesterday, police were still to establish the cause of the death.

-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| Health and Child care minister Dr Obadiah Moyo has appealed to striking doctors to return to work whilst government finds a lasting solution to their incapacitation.

“I want to appeal to doctors that our doors are always open. We are open to dialogue until we get solutions, but let us dialogue while we are at work,” Dr Moyo said.

Hospital doctors have been away from work for over 42 days and despite a labour court order compelling them to report for duty, they have continued to cite incapacitation to go back to work.

Government has since announced that they will deposit doctors’ salaries including the 60 percent increment into their bank accounts while negotiations for an end to the impasse continues.

By A Correspondent- Government remains open to dialogue with striking doctors to find a lasting solution, but those discussions should be carried out while health workers are at work, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said yesterday.

Crucially, Government will implement the 60 percent salary adjustment that was agreed with the medical practitioners during recent collective bargaining.

Further, Government was unequivocal that it was unable to pay health workers in United States dollars, nor in local currency at the interbank rate, but would implement the percentage-based increment agreed during the negotiations.

Dr Moyo said all provisions of the law will be pursued in an effort to locate permanent solutions to challenges bedevilling the health sector.

He said this yesterday while fielding questions from journalists during the 36th Cabinet decision matrix in Harare yesterday.

“I want to appeal to doctors that our doors are always open,” said Dr Moyo.

“We are open to dialogue until we get solutions, but let us dialogue while we are at work.”

On the 60 percent salary adjustment agreed during collective bargaining, Dr Moyo said: “That approval stands. Government is guided by the law. That is why we went to the courts. We are following what the law states and we shall follow the law. There is no way we will go against what the law says.”

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Cabinet noted that the strike by doctors disregarded efforts made by Government.

“The strike action disregards the significant efforts demonstrated by Government in its unwavering commitment to address their concerns,” she said.

“Such efforts include the recent upward review of their salaries and allowances, which should be in their accounts before the end of this month.

“The doctors, by continuing with the job action, are also in flagrant defiance of the court order which ruled their strike as illegal and ordered them to return to work forthwith. Doctors should value the sanctity of human life above all else and offer their critical services to patients.”

In an interview with the state media last night, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said Government was keen to continue engaging the National Joint Negotiation Council (NJNC) to discuss civil servants’ welfare.

“A number of consultations with the Apex Council through the NJNC have to take place,” she said. “Once a figure has been agreed upon, we then seek Treasury concurrence.

“The price hikes continue to affect the purchasing power. I am hoping that the bonuses will help ease the burden of rising costs, especially of basic commodities.”

Minister Nzenza’s intervention followed a statement from the Apex Council yesterday that said “civil servants are severely incapacitated” and may struggle to report for work.

Apex said the 76 percent of cost of living adjustment (COLA) negotiated last month has been eroded by inflation.

Meanwhile, Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet had also been briefed by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo on progress made on the roll-out of the Expanded ZUPCO Mass Transit System.

The strategy by Government was meant to further cushion the commuting public, including civil servants, from the prevailing rising costs of public transport services.

“The expanded ZUPCO Mass Transit System incorporates commuter omnibuses and more significantly, will extend the ZUPCO bus service to rural areas,” she said. “The Minister (Cde Moyo) informed Cabinet that an assessment exercise undertaken by ZUPCO indicated that a total of 923 conventional buses are required to fully satisfy demand.

“The current deficit of 415 conventional buses will thus be covered by the 1 000 commuter omnibuses, which are now being incorporated under the ZUPCO Mass Transit System.”

— Herald

By A Correspondent- MDC president Nelson Chamisa has assigned roles to his three deputies, namely, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and Lynette Karenyi-Kore.

Chamisa was elected president unopposed at the party’s elective congress held in Gweru in May while his trio of deputies shrugged off competition from rivals.

According to NewsDay, Biti was assigned to oversee the shaping of policy and ideology in the party, while also overseeing the arms of local government.

Ncube was put in charge of international relations and general administration of the party.

Meanwhile, Karenyi-Kore will monitor the party’s MPs and how they deliver their roles in the constituencies.

Chamisa reportedly made the move in order to establish order and avoid duplication of roles.

By Wilbert Mukori| Albert Einstein, one of the greatest physicist and innovative thinker to ever walk the earth, explained that psychologically, our beliefs and axioms rest upon our experiences. There exists, however, no logical path from experience to an axiom, but only an intuitive connection based on our interpretation of the experience, which is always subject to revocation. 

These interpretations shape our beliefs and perceptions which determine our theories about the world. Finally, our theories determine what we observe in the world and, paradoxically, we only observe what confirms our theories which further hardens our beliefs and axioms.

Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, had the antidote against one following a course of action based long held and hardened beliefs and axioms which are, nonetheless, erroneous. He argued that beliefs, axioms, everything must be subjected to rigorous examination. 

Socrates was a great proponent of freedom expression, democracy and  the importance of and educated citizen for a healthy, functioning and prosperous society. 

Four decades of Zanu PF dictatorship; in which all debate and democratic competition were stifle, no freedom of expression and free media so the only voice to be heard was that on the dictator and his minions, etc.; has produced highly opinionated individuals. Their opinions have never been subjected to any serious cross-examination and hence are, more often than not erroneous! 

In fact, Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because for the last four decades the nation has plough the same erroneous fallow set by dumb and stupid Zanu PF and MDC leaders. They are so dumb they have repeated the same mistakes again and again whilst considering it beneath them to listen to advice.

Zanu PF leaders’ “Misstra know it all” arrogance, as the great Steve Wonder so aptly put it, is insufferable! 

“Rome can’t continue to burn while we watch,” and something is evidently going very wrong in our country and I apologise upfront if I offend as I attempt to share national experiences that helped similar challenges in the recent past,” wrote Walter Mzembi, Zimbabwe’s former minister of tourism now living in exile in SA.

“Proverbs 1:9 will acquit me: “What has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.”

“Great 15th century historian Thucydides rhymes the same: “It is the very nature of humans to act in the future as they did in the past.”

“History repeats itself, and humanity learns from past mistakes and recalibrates its decisions and actions based on these past experiences.

“What can we, in pursuit of solutions to the current crisis, learn from the Zanu/PF-Zapu talks of 1987 which resulted in a broad-based unity government; or distil from the Zanu PF/MDC talks that resulted in the Government of National Unity (GNU) of 2009 and how both talks were triggered?”

The article rubbled on and on enumerating the “success” of the 2009 GNU and arguing Nelson Chamisa and Emmerson Mnangagwa to put aside their pride and selfish interests and do the same.

“Contrary to what is happening now, we soon learnt, and this is absolute reality and advice to the Harare administration, that legitimacy is conferred by your political opponents, not by self, your choir, or opportunity and job hunters. It was Tsvangirai’s legitimacy lobby and endorsement that became the lifeblood of the inclusive government as Nelson Chamisa can do for Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government, God-willing and common-sense prevailing,” argued Mzembi.

Poor Mzembi he had the presence of mind to quote Proverbs and Thucydides but clearly lacked the intellect to digest and understand the wisdom behind the quotations. Having accomplished the initial challenge of correctly identifying past mistakes no one would knowing repeat the same mistake. What Mzembi had failed to grasp is that the “recalibration” based on the same erroneous data will lead to the same wrong destination or be it by another circuitous route. 

In this case Mzembi saw the both the 1987 Unity Accord and the 2009 GNU as great success when they were in fact failures. It is no secret that from the time they took power in 1980, Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies had worked feverish to create a de facto one-party state. Whilst they felt the legal and political constrains slowing them from achieving their objective the signing of the Unity Accord removed most of these constrains!  

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and tyrannical one-party dictatorship for the last four decades. It was the 1987 Unity Accord that made it possible for Zanu PF to impose the dictatorship.

The primary objective of the 2009 GNU was to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed in the 2008 Global Political Agreement so that the blatant vote rigging and wanton violence of the 2008 elections will not be repeated ever again. The GNU failed to get even one reform implemented and so Zanu PF rigged the 2013 elections and last year’s elections. 

Mzembi acknowledges Mnangagwa’s regime has the same legitimacy problems because he rigged last year’s elections just as Mugabe had the same legitimacy problems after he rigged 2008 elections. However he is once again woefully wrong in believing “legitimacy is conferred by your political opponents”. Legitimacy is conferred by winning the majority vote of the people of Zimbabwe in a free, fair and credible elections. 

The 2009 GNU was an interim administration appointed to implement the reforms and hold fresh elections. Whilst we need to appoint a similar body again this time, it would be foolish, to say the least, to entrust the same individuals, Zanu PF and MDC leaders, to implement the reforms when they failed to get even one token reform implemented last time.

Mzembi knows that implementing reforms will end Zanu PF’s carte blanche dictatorial power to rig elections and to use wanton violence. Need to implement the reforms to end the culture of rigged elections, the root cause of bad governance. Mzembi’s primary concerned is to make sure Zanu PF remains in power at all cost; even if that means the economic and political mess and the tragic human suffering and deaths get even worse; hence the reason he does not want any reforms mentioned. 

“If we had less of him

Don’t you know we’d have a better land!

He’s Misstra Know-It-All

Hey you talk too much you worry me to death”

Sound advice from Master Blaster, Steve Wonder!

By A Correspondent- The managing director of Fertiliser, Seed Grain (FSG) Steve Morland denounced officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development for lying to Parliament that they advanced more US$400 million for Command Agriculture fertiliser to his company.

Morland appeared before the parliamentary portfolio committee on Agriculture chaired by Gokwe Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena on Tuesday.

He said:

The funding we received is a total of just over 400 million in RTGS and Treasury Bills. I can categorically state that we never received even US$1 from government and we can prove that because we have all the documentation.

A few months ago Ministry of Finance principal director Zvinechimwe Churu and director of budgets and capital expenditure Fidelis Ngorora told the Tendai Biti-led portfolio committee on Public Accounts that FSG had been advanced the amount. They also said the firm had no known address or contact person.

-DailyNews

By A Correspondent- Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has dismissed as fake a Laboratory Technician training advertisement circulating on social media platforms. In a statement, the hospital said:

Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals wishes to advise the public that there is a fake laboratory technician training intake circulating on social media platforms.

The advert is purporting to end on 31 October 2019. Members of the public are hereby informed to disregard the fake advert.

Below is the fake advert in question:

PARIRENYATWA GROUP OF HOSPITALS

LABORATORY TECHNICIAN TRAINING– JANUARY 2020 INTAKE

Applications are invited from interested candidates for a 3yr Laboratory technician Training programme

QUALIFICATIONS

*A minimum of 5 O Levels at Grade C or better including English Language, a Science subject and Mathematics (IN NOT MORE THAN TWO SITTINGS) (Fashion and Fabrics, Woodwork, Metal Work, Building and Technical Graphics are not acceptable

*Applications to be accompanied by certified copies of birth, O Level, A-Level and National Identity certificates

Age 18-40 yrs

No Hand post Applicants to submit 2 contact telephone numbers Applications should be addressed to The Group Chief Executive Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals PO Box CY198 Causeway Harare Attention: Principal Tutor -Courses applied for should be clearly indicated on the envelope

Closing Date: 31 October 2019

Paul Nyathi|An entire Zimbabwean family and members of a Kwazulu Natal family were all killed in horrific head-on collision shortly after 10pm on Saturday night (October 12) just outside Ladysmith, KZN in South Africa.

The collision, between a Porsche SUV and a Fortuner SUV, took place on a bend and caused one of the vehicles (the Porsche) to burst into flames.

All four occupants in the Porsche were burnt beyond recognition, causing delays in removing the bodies.

Emergency services responding to the scene included Ladysmith Public Safety, Ladysmith Fire Brigade, SAPS, RTI, KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services (KZN EMS) and mortuary services.

The occupants of the Fortuner included two young children as young as five years old.

The bodies were cut free using the jaws-of-life.

The names of the Zimbabwean family and the South Africans have since been released.

South African police released a media statement on Tuesday saying that the Zimbabwean family had been identified as: Tonderai Godfrey Sithole (38) – Driver, Faith Sithole – Wife (36), Shalom Sithole – Female (10), Shekinah Sithole – Female (5).

The names of the South Africans were: Dheeraj Sureshchand Singh – Driver (41), Ronithah Singh – Wife (40), Suman Singh – Male (21) and Sanjana Singh – Female (16)

Ward councillor Zakhele Myende said the area where the accident occurred was notorious for speeding vehicles.

They had had roadblocks to try to address the issue. “We don’t often have such accidents, but are aware of the issue of cars speeding at the spot where the accident happened.

“There are a lot of trucks going in and out of Ladysmith towards Newcastle, and motorists often speed to try to overtake these trucks. We have reports that there are lots of speeding tickets issued on that part of the road,” he said.

Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Bheki Ntuli said he was saddened at the continued loss of life and extended his condolences to the families of the dead. He pledged the support of the department.

“I’m deeply saddened at the continued loss of lives, particularly as we just laid to rest six people who died in another accident last week in Peacevale.

“What is most worrying is that it seems as though motorists are not adhering to our road rules and speed limits, which in the main is leading to these accidents.

“I’ll be meeting Road Traffic Inspectorate officials to see how we can increase our visibility particularly in the hot spots over the weekend. We’ll also continue using our October Transport Month programmes to preach road safety ,” said Ntuli.

Police spokesperson Nqobile Gwala said circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is assisting the relatives of two families with the bereavement. Traffic officials worked around the clock with the assistance of SAPS to find out who the owner of the Porsche is as the car had no registration.

“Losing an entire family in just one accident is such a great tragedy. In this particular accident we have lost two families. We once again extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and our officials will continue supporting the families as the make arrangements to bury their loved ones,” said Ntuli.

Watch video downloading below:

Paul Nyathi|Zimbabweans were this morning caught by a huge surprise with the price of bread hiked to RTGS$15.75 from $9.50.

Though the new bread price is slightly above US$1.00 at the interbank market rate, in real terms it is staggering considering that less than a year ago a loaf of bread was priced at less than RTGS$0.90.

The new price officially declares bread as a luxury in the country as the salaries of the majority of workers does not come close to matching the new price.

Paul Nyathi|ZBC allegedly banned Leonard Dembo’s Dambudzo Watinetsa song and Zimbabweans have responded with fury to the banning but incidentally reviving the old song’s popularity.

The song talks about a problem that has caused severe pain to the people. So we think the song has been banned due to the critical conditions we are facing in the country and being given that our president goes by the same name which was used in the song some decades back.

If you don’t know about the song well, here is the song below

Paul Nyathi|Yet to be confirmed reports just received from MDC sources in Bulawayo indicate that party spokesperson Daniel Molokele has resigned from his position.

The sources indicated that Molokele tendered his resignation to MDC Secretary General Charlton Hwende after he got frustrated of being side-lined as prominence is being given to his deputy, Luke Tamborinyoka.

The resignation by Molokele is said to have been acknowledged and accepted by Hwende who is said to have already made some moves to appoint Tamborinyoka as the new national spokesperson.

Vice president, Professor Welshman Ncube is reported to be against the resignation as he wants Molokele to retain the position for regional balance. Professor Ncube persuaded Molokele to withdraw the resignation

The sources revealed that Hwende has strongly refused to reverse the resignation despite a directive to do so by party leader Nelson Chamisa.

Efforts to get a comment from both Hwende and Molokele were not successful at the time of writing.

Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson, George Charamba, is the talk of social media after he shared graphic pornographic stuff on his exposed Twitter account before deleting the account in disgrace.

Charamba was using the Twitter handle @jamwanda2 which he confirmed to be his last week when he posted pictures of President Mnangagwa eating sadza and mazondo during a flight from France.

The tweet that stirred controversy was, “Mouth-Watering MILF Org_sms” and was accompanied by a video of a naked white woman touching her g_nitals.

The controversial tweet was posted around 11 PM on Tuesday and soon after, Charamba posted again:

“Whoever does this is despicable, and I suggest it stops immediately. I am disgusted.”

His followers, however, would have none of that and continued to bombard him accusing him of having shared the pornographic material he had been drooling on, to the site without realising.

“… zvaiwana ngwarati!! Of course, my good friends will enjoy this intrusion and milk it to the last ounce!! Meanwhile, Aluta Continua!!!, one of his followers said.

After several of his followers poked fun at him, Charamba eventually deleted the account.

State Media|Government on Tuesday fired a salvo on the local NGO report questioning the independence of the Judiciary and described it as “tired and old rhetoric” that should be smoked for its inequity.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi was reacting to the report; “State of Human Rights Report Zimbabwe 2018”, prepared by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum launched in the capital yesterday.

The report claimed widespread misgivings over the independence of judges, magistrates and prosecutors.

Minister Ziyambi picked holes in the report and dismissed it as biased in light of the progress so far made in the reforms which President Mnangagwa’s administration has undertaken since July 2018.

“I think it’s a tired and old rhetoric that the Judiciary is captured,” he said.

“We have several judgments against the State and who had captured them when they ruled against the State?

“I as Minister of Justice have never issued any directive pertaining to any case before our courts and as Government we strictly respect our Constitution and the separation of powers principle.”

According to the report, judges and magistrates were not free from the tentacles of the Executive, especially on matters with a political bearing.

It also claims that the members of the Judiciary and prosecution are beholden to the Government for receiving farms and other lucrative benefits and outright corruption.

Further the report claims that the courts and National Prosecuting Authority seemed to operate under third party instructions in certain cases, particularly those viewed as politically-sensitive or involving certain individuals.

But Minister Ziyambi said both the Judicial Service Commission and National Prosecuting Authority derive their independence from the Constitution.

As the Executive, he said, they uphold the Constitution.

“Every Zimbabwean who wanted a farm benefited from the agrarian reform programme and magistrates and judges also have ancestors who had their land stolen so were entitled to get what was rightly theirs,” he said.

The minister said election petitions are disposed according to the dictates of the Electoral Act and the question of Executive capture does not arise.

Paul Nyathi|Following the collapse of the government Public Sector Investment Programme, PSIP, where government was seconding funding for capital development to local authorities, the MDC run Harare City Council has decided to go it alone to raise funds for the projects through its business community.

The city is mulling a new tax under which all registered businesses in the capital will contribute a certain percentage for capital development.

This came out yesterday when Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba, town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango and acting finance director Mr Stanley Ndemera, appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development on Financial Devolution.

The committee is chaired by Chikomba Central legislator Felix Mhona.

“We are also looking at other taxes that are charged by business which we don’t have access to. We are expecting to say if some reforms can be made to say that a percentage of the actual business that is done by businesspeople in Harare, there is a tax that automatically comes to the city so that we can then develop infrastructure and also other services so that we can build our city,” said Eng Chisango.

It was not immediately ascertained what percentage the council was aiming to collect.

Eng Chisango further said the current property tax they were collecting was way too low for them to engage in meaningful development.

He pleaded for the city to be permitted to follow the United States model where central government collects revenue and allocates a certain percentage to the provincial local authority.

Eng Chisango requested that central Government should fund council’s capital projects.

“We are looking at issues of infrastructure and issues of investment where we are saying we are behind on water and roads infrastructure,” he said.

As City of Harare moves into the budget process for this year, he said, it had restricted itself to looking at essential issues.

“We are just looking at water, sanitation and roads issues to work on the infrastructure, to see if we can catch up, but we also need assistance at national level in terms of these budgets.

“We are looking here at sources of water, new water sources that we have been talking about, Kunzvi and Musami dams, which can bring relief to Harare and sister local authorities of Chitungwiza, Ruwa and Norton.”

Source: State Media