Farai Dziva|Outspoken Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba has accused Zanu PF honchos of blocking dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa.

According to Chinotimba dialogue between the two politicians will save the country from further chaos.

“I see nothing wrong with a dialogue between @edmnangagwa
and @nelsonchamisa
to save the country.

Imi regai vakuru vataurirane makutoshatisa zviro worse. Thank you,” tweeted Chinotimba.

By A Correspondent| Simon Khaya Moyo, the spokesperson of the ruling ZANU PF has notified members of the politburo of an extra-ordinary meeting scheduled for Wednesday 16 October at the party’s headquarters in Harare.

The Meeting is being held when government workers have declared incapacitation and intentions to “withdraw services until their situation has been adequately dealt with”.

Public health institutions are without medicines, equipment and personnel as both doctors and nurses are on industrial action over unsustained remuneration and poor working conditions.

The country is also facing a huge power deficit, water shortages, cash crisis, and food shortages which demand the government’s undivided attention.

The meeting is also held when there are incs=reasing calls, even from the ruling ZANU PF for president Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa to have a dialogue over the deteriorating state of affairs.

The issues above are expected to top the agenda of the meeting.

CITE|Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for the reinstatement of former ward 3 councillor Tinashe Kambarami as the city`s deputy mayor pending his Supreme Court appeal.

In August, the Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa, nullified Kambarami’s election as councillor for Ward 3 and the city’s Deputy Mayor following an application by political pressure group, 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement Trust.

In a letter addressed to Bulawayo Mayor, Solomon Mguni, dated 14 October 2019, MDC Alliance Bulawayo Provincial Secretary, Ernest Rafamoyo said Kambarami must be reinstated as deputy mayor with the same conditions, privileges and benefits until the appeal is finalised by the Supreme Court.

“After taking into consideration all the developments around the above specifically the High Court ruling, the Supreme Court appeal, communication and interpretation from Councillor Kambarami’s lawyers, the challenge from Umthwakazi Republic Restoration Movement and the opinion from the Council Lawyers.

“The position of the party in consultation with National Leadership is that Councillor Kambarami remains the Deputy Mayor with the same conditions, privileges and benefits until the appeal is finalized by the Supreme Court,” said Rafamoyo.

1893MRM had argued that Kambarami was unfit for public office due to his criminal record.

Kambarami was in July 2018 convicted of theft by Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate, Sharon Rosemani for stealing an extension cord from an electrician he had hired to work at his office.

However, Kambarami’s lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court arguing that the High Court had no jurisdiction over the matter since the application was an election petition which was supposed to be heard by the electrical Court.

Councillor Kambarami’s lawyers had also written to the City Council’s attorneys saying it cannot prohibit their client from reporting for duty.

DESPITE vigorous denials at the time – which even resulted in journalists at The Financial Gazette being charged and incarcerated for criminal defamation for reporting the fact – it has now been confirmed that the late former president Robert Mugabe married Grace in 1992 and not in 1996, the Daily News on Sunday can reveal.

Close family members corroborated this yesterday – in the wake of the recent death of the nonagenarian – revealing further that Mugabe used his nephew Leo to cover up the marriage at the time, after his first wife Sally had died earlier in the year after battling a serious kidney ailment.

After the 1992 traditional marriage, Mugabe later had a white wedding with Grace on August 17, 1996 – about four-and-a-half years after Sally died. The much-loved Ghanaian was interred at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.

These revelations come as damaging details are also emerging that Mugabe and Grace had experienced serious marital problems – amid allegations of infidelity, and with former vice president Joice Mujuru apparently intervening on numerous occasions to save the marriage.

Mugabe died on September 6 at a top-notch Singaporean hospital, and was buried at his Zvimba homestead in Mashonaland West on September 29 – at the insistence of Grace and in opposition to the wishes of the larger Mugabe family and traditional chiefs that he be interred at the National Heroes Acre.

Controversially, Grace chased away close family members on the day of Mugabe’s burial in a tamper-proof coffin, while also barring mourners from viewing the body, which raised eyebrows and suspicions at the funeral.

The close family members who spoke to the Daily News On Sunday confirmed that Mugabe had used Leo as a smoke screen to marry Grace towards the end of 1992, after the ex-president had carried out an adulterous relationship with her for years while Sally was battling illness – which resulted in the birth of Bona in 1988.
The family members also confirmed that Grace initially conducted her relationship with Mugabe while she was still married to a soldier, Stanley Goreraza – with the two only divorcing officially in the mid-1990s, after Mugabe had already paid lobola to her family.

“An impression was created that Leo had married Grace for himself … but Sally was not fooled and confronted Leo about this,” one of the relatives said.
Leo is the son of Mugabe’s late sister Sabina, a national heroine who is also buried at the Heroes Acre.

Presented with the irrefutable evidence, a coy Leo confirmed that he had played a key role, along with his late brother Innocent, in paying lobola to Grace’s family – the Marufus.
“The story is that I was sent by sekuru (Mugabe) to go and marry Grace in Chivhu. Indeed, most people believed I had married Grace for myself. I was sent by sekuru to marry her.

“I was accompanied by my late brother Innocent. Sekuru told me to use my cattle to pay the lobola, with the promise that he would replace them.

“Later, sekuru declined to replace my cattle, arguing that my father had not paid lobola fully when he married our mother. Still, I was happy for sekuru when he married Mbuya Grace, as he wanted children,” Leo said.

Mugabe, who was a strict Catholic, admitted years later that he had had an adulterous relationship with Grace – claiming that Sally, who could not bear him children because of health complications, had allegedly approved of the affair.
Speaking to stunned mourners during the funeral of his mother-in-law in September last year, Mugabe confessed: “Yes, we got involved when Sally was still alive. I had to”.

“Grace and I never dated. I was just introduced to her and I said to myself she is a beautiful girl. So she came as a secretary and there were many of them.

“I just looked at them and then it was love at first sight with Grace. Then I said to her one day ‘I love you’ and she didn’t respond.
“I then grabbed her hand and I kissed her. She didn’t protest or refuse, and then I said to myself now that she has accepted to be kissed, it means she loves me,” Mugabe said then.
Talking further about Grace, some of Mugabe’s relatives said they had crossed paths with her many times because of the manner in which she used to treat them and the former president.

“Our problems with her started over stories of abuse … she was said to be abusing him (Mugabe). When the family tried to intervene, that is when relations turned sour,” one of the family members said.

Over the years, another relative said, reports of infidelity started to emerge – with Mugabe, at one point, allegedly pushing to divorce Grace.

“There were marital problems that emanated from infidelity. At some stages, Mai Mujuru had to intervene to stop the collapse of the marriage,” the close relative said.

“A few years later, Mugabe used this wise counsel from Mai Mujuru to stop the marriage between an army general and his wife from breaking up.

“It was public information within the security circles that it was not all roses in the late president’s marriage,” the relative added.

– dailynews

NewsDay|Lawyers have urged Chief Justice Luke Malaba to remove the presidential immunity clause from the country’s statutes to ensure that a sitting President is not insulated from criminal proceedings.

The call was made when Malaba was giving a public lecture at Great Zimbabwe University last Friday when lawyers called for the amendment of section 98 of the Constitution which insulates a sitting President from civil or criminal trials.

But Malaba said the section cannot be scrapped off without a referendum as the supreme law of the land was a product of the people. He said the best Zimbabweans can do about the clause is “to debate about it”.

“The question of immunity, I do not want to interpret it. It is a constitutional question, I hope you understand what I mean. It (the clause) cannot go beyond something, it cannot be taken away when it’s legislated by the Constitution itself,” Malaba said.

“We must accept that the people of Zimbabwe who are the midwives of the Constitution, decided that. They then decided we will have this situation for us as Zimbabweans. Whether it applies in South Africa or somewhere else, they are not interested.”

He added: “So who am I, being under the Constitution and not being above the law, who am I to say no, this is wrong? I cannot. It is an important question, but I think it is a philosophical question. I think the best we can do is to debate it until there is an amendment.”

Section 98 reads: “(i) While in public office, the President is not liable to civil or criminal proceedings in any court for things done or omitted to be done in his personal capacity. (ii) Civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted against a former President for things done or omitted to be done before he or she became President or while he or she was President.”

Paul Nyathi|National Patriotic Front Spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has urged President Emmerson Mnangagwa  to apologise for the ritual killings happening in the country caused by a group of people called Mashurugwi who are illegal gold panners or resign.

In a Twiiter thread on Tuesday Mawarire said President Mnangagwa must emulate South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa who apologised for xenophobic attacks that recent took place in that country.

Read the full thread below:

Issue of machete armed Mashurugwi who have become a law unto themselves should be tackled now! It’s a fact these murderers have support from high offices and are spilling blood as part of planned, government supported rituals, otherwise why the nonchalant approach to combating this evil?

If ED can’t deal with this menace, he should leave office now! These Mashurugwi have killed more Zimbabweans , in more brutal ways, than the xenophobic attacks in SA, yet

Mnangagwa has done nothing about it, not even apologizing for his ineptitude in dealing with these murderers.

While Cyril Ramaphosa has apologised to Zimbabweans after 6 Zimbabweans were butchered during the last xenophobic attacks in SA, Mnangagwa hasn’t said a word, let alone apologize, for the actions of his fellow Midlanders (Mashurugwi) who have murdered hundreds in the past months.

These ritual killings by Mashurugwi should end. Zimbabweansd should hold Mnangagwa accountable. What kind of a President who doesn’t care when citizens are being butchered in broad daylight? Pamberi nekuzvitonga! Pasi nemhondi dzemabhemba!! Pasi nevanodzituma! Pasi nen’anga dzavo!

Mashurugwi are the worst kind of sanctions imposed upon Zimbabweans by a bloodthirsty, ritualistic, rogue regime that is spilling blood of innocent citizens thru some voodoo practices to wade off growing loss of popularity. Let’s say no! no! no! to these ritual killings.

Paul Nyathi|POLICE yesterday questioned Mitchel Chibwe in connection with the Zimbabwe Republic Police anti-riot and city council helmets which were recovered in the basement of Robinson House on Saturday night.

Chibwe’s lawyer Mr Kudzai Rangarirai of Mtisi Law Chambers confirmed that his client was invited to Harare Central Police Station for questioning and later released without any charges.

“He (Chibwe) bought the helmets at ABC Auctions, however by the time we went to the police we did not have the receipts and the police instructed us to bring them as soon as possible.

“The police were satisfied with our clarification and my client was released unconditionally.”

But did it really have to take so much of a fracas for police to deliberately forget that they auctioned their helmets? In the first place how do they get to auction such security equipment? Don’t they see the risk of the equipment being misused against their name?

Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations into the matter were still in progress.

“Investigations into the helmets which were recovered in the basement of Robinson House are ongoing.”

Police recovered 210 anti-riot and 46 municipal police helmets after they pursued a group of thugs that had attacked a police officer who was reportedly waiting for his sister at the building.

When the hooligans saw that they were now being overpowered, they ran into the basement with the officers in pursuit. It was during the chase that they came across the helmets stashed in one of the rooms in the basement. At least 12 people have since been arrested in connection with the violent incident.

It was during the chase that they came across the helmets stashed in one of the rooms in the basement.

At least 12 people have since been arrested in connection with the violent incident.

Paul Nyathi|Government workers in Zimbabwe can’t afford to go to work and may be forced to stay at home after surging inflation slashed the value of their pay by more than 90%, the main public-sector union said.

Zimbabwe is grappling with galloping price increases and a plunging currency that have spawned shortages of fuel and food. A currency devaluation earlier this year means that state employees who previously earned an average of $500 a month now earn $40, the Apex Council Chairwoman Cecilia Alexander said in a statement on Tuesday.

As a result, some workers have become incapacitated and are having to borrow money for transport to get to work, Alexander told reporters in the capital, Harare.

“The council officially served government with a notification of incapacitation,” which may mean staff won’t be able to get to work, the council said. “We want to keep the system running, but we are urging government to create an enabling environment.”

The government in September offered workers a 76% cost-of-living adjustment to offset the impact of inflation, which has not been eroded by price rises, the council said. It proposed that salaries be adjusted in line with inflation.

Prices climbed 17.7% in September from a month earlier, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency said earlier on Tuesday. While the country has suspended the publication of annual data, that rate is estimated in a range of 230% to 570%.

Paul Nyathi|For the millionth time, the price for data bundles has once again been reviewed upwards.

Here’s what you’ll now pay for daily data bundles:

• $4 – 40MB
• $10 – 150MB
• $13 – 250MB
• $20 – 600MB
• $35 – 1.2GB

Weekly data bundles:

• $$3 – 25MB
• $6 – 60MB
• $14 – 160MB
• $28 – 350MB
• $55 – 700MB

Monthly data bundles:

• $28 – 270MB
• $70 – 700MB
• $110 – 1.15GB
• $180 – 2.1GB
• $230 – 3.1GB

Outside of data bundles with expiry dates SMS bundles have also seen an increase in pricing. For daily SMSs;

• $0.30 – 5 SMS
• $0.50 – 10 SMS
• $1 – 25 SMS
• $1.50 – 35 SMS

Weekly SMSs:

• $3 – 75 SMS
• $4 – 125 SMS
• $5 – 200 SMS
• $9 – 300 SMS

Farai Dziva|Outspoken Buhera South MP Joseph Chinotimba has accused Zanu PF honchos of blocking dialogue between Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa.

According to Chinotimba dialogue between the two politicians will save the country from further chaos.

“I see nothing wrong with a dialogue between @edmnangagwa
and @nelsonchamisa
to save the country.

Imi regai vakuru vataurirane makutoshatisa zviro worse. Thank you,” tweeted Chinotimba.

By A Correspondent- Gweru Town Clerk Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza has been suspended on allegations of mismanagement as the fight for the control of council affairs continues.

Ms Gwatipedza was served with a suspension letter yesterday afternoon.

In an interview, Ms Gwatipedza confirmed that she has been suspended.

“Yes I have been suspended,” she said.

Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe said the matter would be made public today during a Press conference which he has called.

“This and other issues will be dealt with during a Press briefing tomorrow (today),” he said.

Sources said Ms Gwatipedza was served with a suspension letter by the mayor at around 4PM when she was chairing a management meeting.

The sources said Clr Makombe accompanied by council police then ordered her to pack her belongings and locked her office.

“She was suspended at around 4PM when she was busy chairing a management meeting which the chamber secretary — Mr Chikwekwe — was also part of.

The mayor then ordered that she removes her belongings from the office before he locked the door and took away the keys. Even Ms Gwatipedza’s secretary was told to leave her office,” said the source.

“The mayor accused her of failure to supervise departments and mismanagement. This is about politics as she is thought to be Zanu-PF working in an MDC Alliance led council.

“Initially it was the chamber secretary who was supposed to be suspended on allegations of abusing a council fuel facility but they decided to go for the town clerk first.”

In July, Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube was also suspended by the town’s deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami but the suspension was subsequently lifted by council.

The town clerk later approached the courts which ruled that the suspension had been unlawful. 

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Government workers have said that they are now incapacitated to carry out their duties and responsibilities as a result of the erosion of their salaries.

The Apex Council which represents government workers observed that on average, workers used to receive US$500 but now are getting an average of US$40 and the salary is continuously losing value.

They say that the government has been neglecting and or failing to address their grievances for too long and as a result of incapacitation, they are now suspending their services until their situation has been adequately dealt with.

Their declaration of incapacitation comes at a time when health workers in public medical institutions have since the 3rd of September been on industrial action as a result of incapacitation.

The Apex Council said that government workers are the ones carrying the burden of austerity measures which the government introduced alleging that they will quick- start the economy.

Farai Dziva|
In what could be a sign of bad omen, a windstorm hit Bulilima district last week and destroyed solar panels at a San community irrigation project funded by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.

According to NewsDay the panels were used to run a water pump to water vegetables tendered by the San people.

The windstorm, which hit Bulilima last Wednesday afternoon, left a trail of destruction in the area, including the solar panels sourced by Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation.

A team led by District Development Fund officials went to the scene on Thursday to assess the damage and make repairs.

Bulilima district coordinator (formerly district administrator) Nyasha Majonga yesterday confirmed the damage, but said the problem had since been rectified.

“Yes there was some blowing off of solar panels, but as I speak to you, the problem has been rectified and it is business as usual,” Majonga told NewsdayNewsDay.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

Zanu PF youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu has been sued for defamation by businessman, Frank Buyanga.

In summons filed with the High Court last Friday, Buyanga says Matutu named him on a list of corrupt individuals who had manipulated the country’s “land acquisition process.”

“The publication referred to the fact of the plaintiff (Buyanga) being on the list of fraudsters of the land acquisition process. The aforesaid publication wrongfully and maliciously, with injurious intent stated of the plaintiff that: the plaintiff has prejudiced the general public by manipulating and defrauding the country’s land acquisition process thereby portraying the plaintiff as a fraudster and an unethical businessman,” Buyanga’s lawyers Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners said in court papers.

The allegations were according to the businessman, published in the media on August 7.

Buyanga says that the story also insinuated that he is “an individual who has benefitted from alleged lack of accountability in the (late) Robert Mugabe-led government and owns multiple farms acquired during the land reform programme.

“Furthermore, the allegations published as aforesaid, in the context of the story, were wrongful and defamatory to the plaintiff in that they were intended and understood by the readers to mean that the plaintiff is cruel and a dishonest individual who unjustifiably grabbed vast pieces of land at the expense of the generality of Zimbabweans,” the lawyers said.

Buyanga wants Matutu to retract his utterances by publishing an apology, as well as paying him $4 million for defamation.

The case is pending.

-Zimlive

Popular actor Lazarus Boora who rose to fame in the Gringo drama series is seriously ill and is set to undergo a surgery at a Harare hospital this afternoon.

His sister Linda Boora said Lazarus had an appendix rapture.

More to follow…

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

USD = ZWL$15.3525
ZWL$ = RAND0.9639
Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates:

USD = ZWL$19.10 zimrates
USD = ZWL$18.70 zwl365
USD = ZWL$18.50 bluemari
USD = BOND12.40 zimrates

– Marketwatch

Controversial businessman Wicknell Chivhayo has roped in a United Kingdom based lawyer Advocate Adrian Phillip de Bourbon to fight his Zimbabwe Power Company case.

VIEW PICTURES BELOW

By A Correspondent- Acting spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Association (ZHDA), Dr Mthabisi Bhebhe, said that doctors will stay at home until the government pays them what they are owed.

Writing on microblogging site Twitter, Dr Bhebhe said that as doctors, they did not take oaths to be slaves.

He wrote:

Day 44. Hospitals remain desolate and without doctors across the country.

We shall remain in our homes no matter how long it may be until Dr Obadiah Moyo and his Ministry pay what is owed to us.

No doctor in Zimbabwe or any part of the world has ever taken an oath to be a slave.”

Doctors have been on strike since September 3 this year demanding salaries that are in line with the rate of inflation.

On Friday, the Labour Court ruled that the doctors’ strike was illegal and gave them 48 hours to return to work, a directive which the doctors refused to comply with.

NewsDay|THE November 2017 coup brought new dreams and hopes among the citizens, many who believed the new regime would knock corruption off very high perch. However, after ad infinitum calls against the corruption cancer and no practical action, citizens’ hopes are fast fading away.

Corruption continues to hurt the economy, slowing down development and the fight against poverty is going off rails. It can only take a competent leadership and political will to stem corruption – and all that is in short supply in Zimbabwe at the moment.

Since coming to power through a coup, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been waxing lyrical about fighting corruption. In his quest to fight the scourge, Mnangagwa established a special anti-corruption unit in his office and dissolved the disgraced Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc). The President then appointed a new Zacc board, chaired by Loice Matanda-Moyo, after the previous Zacc body was accused of corruption and lacking the “teeth to bite”.

Last year, Mnangagwa gave us a long list of individuals and companies accused of externalising nearly US$1 billion. The list provided fodder for Zacc to start investigations and bring the culprits to book, but it seems the case has suffered a still-birth. In July, Matanda-Moyo said the commission had received Auditor-General (AG) Mildred Chiri’s report and investigations had commenced in respect of ministries, parastatals and State entities involved in corruption and misappropriation of funds. Chiri’s report revealed that the government last year had a $2 billion budget overrun without parliamentary approval, when parastatals, State entities and local authorities unashamedly flouted accounting procedures. According to the AG’s report, the government was supposed to spend $4,6 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, but ended up spending $7,1 billion.

The Zacc boss said the report was fodder for investigations into corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds and abuse of power and or any other improper conduct committed in the public sector, adding that Zacc had received at least 38 corruption reports since assuming duty, of which a dozen were high-profile cases.

While we have not witnessed many arrests or convictions, other than catch-and-release shows, last week we were told Zacc was casting its nets wider to recover ill-gotten wealth stashed in foreign lands by engaging regional governments in the fight against corruption. Have we exhausted the AG’s report? What has happened to the externalisation list? What has happened to 15 top Zanu PF and government officials, including Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, Cabinet ministers and business leaders who were accused by the ruling party youth league of running illegal foreign currency rings?

This lackadaisical approach is corruption in itself – it’s self-defeating. What Zimbabweans are expecting is action, not sloganeering and posturing. There is no excuse because evidence of corruption is readily available. What is now needed is for Matanda-Moyo to bite the bullet and descend on the big fish in high offices, not herrings.

This gung-ho approach in fighting corruption will not help the Zimbabwean cause. What we have seen so far is not a genuine anti-corruption campaign, but a pursuit of personal and political agendas and vendettas disguised as zero tolerance to graft.

A handful of people who have been arrested on corruption charges are either in the wrong basket or small fish. Former Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira is a good example. A fish rots from the head. The anti-corruption fight has gone to the dogs. At this rate, no one, including those in his inner circle, still take Mnangagwa’s anti-graft rhetoric seriously. It’s a case of all bark, no bite!

Zimbabweans must have a buy-in and own the fight against corruption. The fact that small fish and a few people perceived to be anti-establishment are the ones the corruption dragnet has caught raises questions. The command “ugly-culture” is one vehicle that well-to-do and connected individuals have been using to loot and self-enrich. This programme should be disinfected.

If he wants to be believed, Mnangagwa must urgently confront dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, fraud and theft, as well as other criminal activities. What is needed is political will to tackle corruption in all its various manifestations. Granting Zacc prosecutorial powers will yield nothing if not accompanied by political will.

The judiciary is the last frontier in the fight against corruption with growing calls for this arm of government, charged with implementing the law, to be reformed.

In South Africa, judicial officers are performing much better than their counterparts in the region. Prosecution and trials of accused persons is conducted as quickly as legally permissible. Judges are expected to hand down written judgements that are automatically loaded online within 30 days of concluding a case. Zimbabwean courts can learn something from their colleagues from across the Limpopo River. They have to start delivering judgments soon after trials are concluded, not the current scenario where full judgments are only made available in many instances nearly two years later.

How does this help? Making full judgments available helps dispel the notion that the bench is captured or influenced as more often than not everyone can read for themselves the reasoning behind the judge’s decision. This would go a long way in making justice transparent and people could judge for themselves if justice is being done.

It seems Matanda-Moyo is biting more than she can chew. While Zacc has not hit the ground running on the local front in terms of recovering the local loot, she is already talking about recovering illegally-acquired assists in Sadc countries. Madam Matanda-Moyo, charity begins at home. Common criminals are occupying government offices, driving posh cars, building mansions in leafy suburbs, while the anti-graft body is engaging in catch-and-release shows. It is either the teeth that Zacc got have fallen off or the commission is now captured or both.

A man from Mwenezi who separated from his wife in August 2018 caused drama at Matava Village under Chief Maranda when he impounded and drove away two beasts he paid as lobola after finding out that his wife was not at her parents’ home.

Kabalika Mukupe had come to reconcile and take his wife and children back home when he was told that his wife had since left and no one knew where she was.

Killion Dube, the father in law brought the matter before resident Magistrate Honesty Musiiwa claiming that his son in law drove away the cattle without his consent knowing that they now belonged to him since he paid them as pride price.

Mukupe’s mother in law said the two separated in August 2018 and the husband never bothered to follow his wife and settle their differences until their daughter went to an unknown place in December that same year.

Mukupe decided to come and claim his wife and children on February 20, 2019 and he was told that she was not there.
He demanded that they give him back his cattle but Dube told him to come with a go between.

 It is alleged that, the accused opened the kraal and drove away with the cattle without anyone’s consent. Dube tried to stop him to no avail.

The matter will be heard again next week. 

• Masvingo Mirror

Paul Nyathi|In yet another very embarrassing incident for First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, villagers in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s farming area of Sherwood in Kwekwe declared that they did not know who she is.

Mrs Mnangagwa got the shock of her life from the villagers on Monday where she was the guest of honour at the launch of the Midlands Province Integrated Environment in the Sherwood farming community where President Emmerson Mnangagwa owns a huge farming and mining area

Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Larry Mavhima tried to introduce Mrs Mnangagwa before she could address the gathering saying that Auxillia was a well known individual in the farming block since she was a parliamentarian in the area before becoming First Lady.

“The person I am introducing to you is not new in this area. She has been working very hard for this community both as an MP and also as the First Lady.

“Our First Lady’s work ethic and hard work has earned her not only plaudits in the country but also accolades across beyond the borders that she was recently rewarded for being hardworking First Lady in America.

“Our First Lady is not new to any of us, is there anyone who doesn’t know her?” Mavhima asked.

But a section of the villagers said they did not know her.

“We don’t know her…” some villagers who were part of the programme responded, back leaving Mavhima amazed.

The First Lady however had a few words for the women who said they did not know her.

“I think those who said they did not know me are the newly married ones in this area because this is my community and I have worked for this community for a very long time.

“I can take those who did not know me as my new daughters-in-law who must start performing their customary duties and bring some water for me as their mother-in-law,” she said, tongue-in-cheek.

“You may be new in the area where you are married but where you come from you are taught manners to recognise and respect your mother-in-law and father-in-law,” she said.

Auxillia Mnangagwa, was early this year left with egg on her face when she was booed by a crowd of bystanders in Masvingo central business district.

The incident happened as she entered and exited a supermarket in the city.

She had visited Masvingo to assess the drugs situation at Masvingo General Hospital in her role as an ambassador for the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Last week, Mrs Mnangagwa was turned into another mockery when ruling party members snubbed her Family Fun Day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura.

The event was marred by low attendance, amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.

The programme, which had been scheduled to start at 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance,

Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s immediate next rival, G40 leader, Saviour Kasukuwere has charmed South African ANC supporters after he led the singing of Jacob Zuma made popular song Umshini Wami.

Watch video downloading below:

The self exiled former Cabinet Minister charmed members of South Africa’s African National Congress during a Robert Mugabe lecture series which was delivered by former President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Mhlanganyelwa Zuma recently.

After the lecture, Kasukuwere took to the podium and sang Zuma’s signature song Umshini Wami.

Kasukuweere and Patrick Zhuwao have been instrumental in keeping the memory of Mugabe alive by organising lecture series in South Africa. The initial one was organised by the Economic Freedom Fighters and delivered by Julius Sello Malema.

Paul Nyathi|An undated video has surfaced on social media showing a long convoy of ZANU PF branded all-terrain vehicles queuing for fuel.

Team Pachedu, a social media group of activists critical of the government has questioned how the ruling party owns more cars than ambulances at the country’s hospitals.

NewsDay|A GROUPING of civic groups, under the banner Matabeleland Collective (MC), has threatened to disrupt nurse training lessons at Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) to force government to address reports of unfair recruitment of student nurses at the two institutions.

This comes amid reports that at Mpilo, 20 out of the 24 trainee nurses recruited last week were not from Matabeleland. The same reads for United Bulawayo Hospitals where only four out of the 27 nurse trainees are from Matabeleland.

Mpilo clinical director Solwayo Ngwenya, who also heads the school of nursing, reportedly claimed that the selection process was done in Harare after the introduction of an online nurses’ application portal.

The MC said the move by the Health ministry flies in the face of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s promises, as outlined in the implementation matrix produced after the March engagement at the Bulawayo State House.

Mnangagwa, under the social services cluster, pledged to ensure that government devolves such processes by giving locals first preference in job training or in filling vacant posts.

“MC pledges to shut down some of these training centres if government does not intervene to reverse these unfair practices from these nursing training institutions. MC also urges government to immediately implement devolution of power in order to curb these unfair structural practices that favour other regions over the other,” the MC said in a statement.

On Sunday, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, while promising redress, condemned the questionable nurse training recruitment at Mpilo and UBH.

“We are not happy and as government, we will address this issue. Government policy is that the recruitment must be done equitably. We don’t want bias in that regard.

“We are going to look into it so that it is rectified,” Mohadi said after a de-briefing on the issue by Bulawayo Metropolitan Affairs minister Judith Ncube at Zanu PF’s Bulawayo Davies Hall provincial offices. Ncube last week also threatened to force the reversal of the “unfair” nurse trainee selection process.

Full Statement By The Collective:

Matabeleland Collective Press Statement on tribal recruitment of student nurses in Matabeleland.

Matabeleland Collective strongly condemns the unfair, tribal motivated recruitment of student nurses at Brunapeg, Mangwe, Gwanda, only one student at St Lukes, over 95 % of student nurses at Mpilo School of Nursing and is disappointed and taken aback by glaring Institutionalised Discrimination in the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Matebeleland Collective is shocked by findings revealed by the Chronicle Newspaper that UBH only recruited one student each from Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South but 10 from Harare. Only four are from Bulawayo and Midlands also contributed.“St Anne’s Hospital in Brunapeg, Mangwe recruited no students from Matabeleland South or North provinces. Gwanda hospital also in the same region recruited zero students from Matabeleland South where it is located just like St Luke’s Hospital. The mission hospital in Lupane only got one student from Matabeleland North,”
Matebeleland Collective calls for an investigation for this scandal that was also confirmed by Mpilo clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya who also heads the school of nursing confirmed that this time around, the selection and interviews were done from Harare and none of them from Mpilo of Nursing was consulted. He told state owned Chronicle Newspaper of 06 October 2019 that they received the 24 names of the student nurses who started on Monday and all these were a recommendation from the head office in Harare.

The move by the Ministry of Health and Child Care also flies in the face of what President Mnangagwa promised in the Implementation Matrix produced at the 21 March engagement meeting. The Head of State in number 9 – Social Services pledged to ensure that his government will devolve government processes by prioritising local businesses in the awarding of local tenders and GIVING LOCALS FIRST PREFERENCE WHEN FILING POSITIONS”
This is also a violation of:
Section 3 (f) recognition of the equality of all human beings (Founding Principles),
Section 13 (4) “The State must ensure that local communities benefit from the resources in their areas.”
Section 18 (2) reads” The State and all institutions and agencies of the State and government at every level must take practical measures to ensure that all local communities have equitable access to resources to promote their development.”
Section 56 (3) Every person has the right not to be treated in an unfairly discriminatory manner on such grounds as their nationality, race, colour, tribe, place of birth, ethnic or social origin, language, class, religious belief, political affiliation, opinion, custom, culture, sex, gender, marital status, age, pregnancy, disability or economic or social status, or whether they were born in or out of wedlock.”
Section 264 (d) to recognise the right of communities to manage their own affairs and to further their development; (e) “To ensure the equitable sharing of local and national resources;..”
Matabeleland Collective pledges to shutdown some of these training centres if government does not intervene to reverse these unfair practice from these nursing training institutions. Matabeleland Collective also urges government to immediately implement devolution of power in order to curb these unfair structural practices that favour other regions over the other.”

Matebeleland Collective also invite legislators and other political players from this region to take note of such divisive actions/ discrepancies and assist in the broader collective to nip them in the bud.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

State Media|The ruling ZANU PF party says that it has finalised arrangements for the October 25 SADC initiated anti sanctions day where they will hold marches throughout the country against sanctions imposed on some ZANU PF leaders by the Western countries.

Harare hosting the biggest protest that will culminate at the National Sports Stadium where President Mnangagwa is expected to give an address.

After President Mnangagwa’s address, there will be a soccer match between some of the biggest football clubs in the country, and an all-night musical gala where top musicians will perform.

The events follow the declaration of October 25 by SADC as solidarity day against the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe, with member states pledging to conduct various activities in their own countries to resoundingly call for the immediate removal of the embargo.

Director of Media Services in the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Dr Anywhere Mutambudzi said yesterday that all was set for the day.

“The march will start at the Africa Unity Square where people from all walks of life are expected to start gathering as early as 6am, they will then embark on the march around 8am heading to the National Sports Stadium,” he said.

“We expect that other people who will not be able to join the march from the city centre will make their way from their areas to the stadium for this important event.”

Dr Mutambudzi said other activities around the anti-sanctions day will include a schools competition in poetry and drama on the theme of the removal of the sanctions.

He said academic papers will also be presented as part of the call against the sanctions.

“We are calling on musicians and artists to join a competition for composing the best anti-sanctions song that will get a prize,” said Dr Mutambudzi.

Source: State Media

Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa with a battalion of advisers says that he has only just recently discovered that just about ten percent of graduates produced at the country’s institutions of Higher Education are absorbed into formal employment.

Accordingly, Mnangagwa has asked his lieutenants to organise probably the most hostile gathering he will ever have, where he has instructed the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to call for an indaba between him and the unemployed graduates.

The Deputy Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke confirmed the development.

“We have been sent by the President to compile a database for unemployed graduates countrywide.

“The President has realised that every year he goes around capping graduates at tertiary institutions, but only about 10 percent manage to secure employment.

“Now we are coming up with a programme around Zimbabwe of mobilising graduates from certificate level to honours degrees from all tertiary institutions,” said Deputy Minister Matuke.

He said the programme will be held on Thursday.

Source: State Media

State Media|Government has made considerable progress in implementing reforms under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), especially on the alignment of laws, currency reforms and infrastructure development, setting the stage for economic rebound from next year.

This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube in a document titled, “Key milestones and progress on policy reforms”.

“Implementation of reforms outlined in the TSP is on course, with notable milestones on fiscal consolidation, monetary policy restoration, liberalisation of the foreign exchange market, structural and governance reforms, re-engagement, investment promotion and support for the productive sectors.

“These reforms are at different levels of implementation, but all present a strong foundation for economic rebound in 2020 and beyond,” said Prof Ncube.

He said Government recognises the importance of transforming governance systems including the rule of law, freedoms of expression and association, respect for human and property rights, and zero tolerance to corruption, among others.

Prof Ncube said progress has been made in the areas of aligning laws to the Constitution, with 159 laws out of 206 having been aligned.

The process is aimed at guaranteeing constitutional provisions, fundamental rights and freedoms.

Further, Government has set up and operationalised all independent constitutional commissions mandated to promote good governance.

The commissions are Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, National Prosecuting Authority, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Zimbabwe Gender Commission, Zimbabwe Land Commission, Zimbabwe Media Commission, and the Judicial Service Commission.

The 2019 Budget has allocated $202 million to the institutions “for their operations and capacitation”.

“Establishment of these commissions have seen some progress in the areas of fighting corruption with many cases now being dealt with by ZACC, robust systems for planning and executing elections as demonstrated during the 2018 harmonised general elections, reconciliation and bringing together of different political parties to discuss national issues, through the political dialogue,” said Prof Ncube.

As part of efforts to reform the political environment, the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill that repeals the Public Order and Security Act (Posa), awaits Presidential assent.

Government has also enforced the retirement policy by retiring staff that had reached 65 years and those without required qualifications, among other measures.

State Media|Government and striking doctors are now heading for arbitration following the expiration of the 48-hour ultimatum given by the Labour Court last Friday.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare yesterday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Labour Court had a provision for arbitration, which Government was now pursuing.

He said the process should be done within 14 days.

“The Labour Court ruling allows for arbitration; it makes life easy for everyone. There would be an arbitrator, who will be able to oversee negotiations.

“As part of that arbitration, we should be able to come up with results,” said Dr Moyo.

The minister said Government was still open for negotiations and hoped the arbitration process would break the deadlock.

“The process has to be completed within 14 days from the ruling. We had our team approaching the court to ensure that the process takes place, so this is the best form of negotiation for both parties and I think within 14 days, this whole process should have been completed,” said Dr Moyo.

For continuity of service provision, Government has made provisional arrangements for patients to be seen at local authority health facilities.

The arrangements include beefing up stocks and associated support for the clinics to be able to attend to the overwhelming number of patients, some of whom could have otherwise been treated at central hospitals.

Dr Moyo said Government had extended the free blood policy to local authority institutions for access by pregnant mothers in need of it.

“We have planned that we will empower the hospitals belonging to local authorities, especially in Harare and Bulawayo, and give them as much support as possible because they are becoming overwhelmed,” said Dr Moyo.

Speaking at the same occasion, Health Services Board (HSB) chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikosana said

Government was hoping the junior doctors were going to take heed of the court order and resume their duties.

Meanwhile, Dr Sikosana said the 60 percent adjustment recently awarded by Government to health all workers will not reflect on today’s payslip owing to some delays in the implementation process.

“By the time the adjustments were approved, the Salaries Services Bureau (SSB) had already shut down their payroll for October. We were then advised to seek supplementary funding from Treasury.

“The adjustment will however be paid before the end of October and will not reflect on tomorrow’s (today) payslip,” said Dr Sikosana.

Doctors downed tools on September 3 citing incapacitation.

Efforts by Government to lure them back to work have been in vain as the doctors demand a salary adjustment they say should be in line with the rate of inflation.

Economic sanctions that were imposed on Zimbabwe are detrimental to economic growth as they negatively affect the living standards of its people, Zaka District war veterans leader Handei Mufundisi has said.

Addressing Zanu-PF supporters here recently, Mufundisi said it was important for every Zimbabwean to stand tall and march against illegal sanctions imposed on the country.

“As war veterans, we are appealing to the Government to make October 25 a public holiday so that everyone takes part in a solidarity march against illegal sanctions,” he said.

“The anti- sanction campaign is a very important move and we are calling for everyone to demonstrate so that the whole globe can see how Zimbabweans are being affected by these sanctions,” he said.

He described the opposition MDC-Alliance and its leaders as a misguided elements who are bent on destabilising the country’s economy and cause disharmony amongst peaceful citizens.

“There are some misdirected political elements who still want to give the white man support to suppress Zimbabweans,” he said.

“Sanctions are meant to punish us as a nation for these imperialists to take charge of the economy,” he said.State media

Watch video below. ..

Farai Dziva|The former First Lady of Zimbabwe, Grace Mugabe has been ordered to surrender part of her Blue Roof property by Wednesday.

According to Daily News, the High Court ordered Grace to surrender part of her Blue Roof yard.

The Sherriff reportedly issued Grace with a warrant of ejection that she should surrender the property she is holding onto by Wednesday.

The warrant of ejection sent to Grace on 4 October reads:
Now therefore you are required and directed to eject … all persons claiming through it, its goods and possessions from and out of all occupation and possession whatsoever of the said premises, and to leave the same, to the end that the said Farai Nigel Chitsinde and Nyasha Amanda Chitsinde duly represented by Constance Tsitsi Chitsinde may peaceably enter into and possess the same, and for so doing this shall be your warrant.

By A Correspondent- In a development likely to inspire changes in the proposed Marriages Bill that seeks to have unregistered customary law unions itemised, a High Court judge has called for a countrywide database of married individuals to reduce bigamy.

Bigamy occurs when a legally married person enters into a second marriage contract with another without dissolving the first.

Currently, individuals wishing to marry are required to provide passport size colour photographs of their images and fingerprints to discourage bigamy.

However, Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba said this was not enough in this era of technology.

She said there was nothing that prohibited the Registrar of Marriages from having a real-time online database for all married persons.

“Every marriage officer must be mandated to search the database whether or not the person intending to marry is free from other legal impediments,” said Justice Chirawu-Mugomba.

“Additionally, or alternatively, every person who intends to marry must produce a certificate of ‘present status’ obtained from the Registrar of Marriages as a form of clearance.”

The judge made the remarks while handing down judgment in the case in which a widow, Ms Susan Mobape, was suing Master of the High Court Mr Manyadzwa Kamuchira N.O. and Ms Cynthia Chaitezvi, over maintenance from the deceased estate.

Justice Chirawu-Mugomba’s remarks come against the backdrop of the proposed Marriages Bill and even proposed criminal sanctions for those found lying under oath.

She said the Registrar of Marriages could also consider obtaining affidavits from intending spouses declaring that they are nor married to anyone else under customary law (including unregistered customary law unions) or general law in addition to a certificate of present status.

“Those found to have lied under oath about their marital status must face the wrath of the law,” the judge said. “Perhaps these measures will reduce the number of bigamous marriages.”

Ms Mobape had approached the High Court seeking a review of the Master of High Court’s decision to dismiss her application for maintenance in the estate of her late husband Lovemore Mobape.

The Master of High Court threw out Ms Mobape application on the basis that she lacked the required legal footing in terms of Section 2 of the Deceased Persons Family Maintenance Act.

She was asking for a combined US$1 380 maintenance to cover herself for groceries, salaries for drivers, two security workers, church meetings, car maintenance and licensing fees.

The couple had lived together as husband and wife for 42 years under unregistered customary law union until the demise of the former in November 2017.

During the subsistence of their unregistered customary law marriage the couple had founded a church, New Gospel Church of God. But at the time of his death, Mr Mobape was still married to Ms Chaitezvi under civil law (Marriage Act (Chapter 5: 11).

The Master of the High Court had ruled that Ms Mobape was not entitled to an award of maintenance from the deceased estate in question.

In her ruling, Justice Chirawu-Mugomba upheld the decision by the Master of High Court saying Ms Mobape was not qualified to be a dependent in the estate of the deceased.

“In the final analysis, the applicant (Ms Mobape) has failed to show that she is dependent as contemplated in Section 2 of the Deceased Persons Family Maintenance Act,” she said.

Justice Chirawu-Mugomba directed the registrar of the High Court to distribute her judgment to the attention of the Master of the High Court, executive secretary of the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ)and chairperson of the Estate Administrators Council of Zimbabwe as well as the registrar of marriages.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- A report has claimed that government is aware of clandestine plans by rogue opposition activists and the civil society to infiltrate and capitalise on the anti-sanctions campaign scheduled for October 25 to engage in criminal activities.

Speaking during a Zanu-PF rally at Stanley Square in Bulawayo’s Makokoba suburb yesterday, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said police will be deployed in numbers to maintain law and order and ensure public safety during the march.

“As Government, we have got information that there are covert plans by some members from the opposition and the civil society who want to take advantage and infiltrate. In fact, they want to engage in acts of violence and looting shops like what happened in January. It is therefore important for police to be ready and they should be out in full force to deal with such elements,” he said.

Sadc has declared October 25 as the solidarity day against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and resolved to conduct various activities in their respective countries on the day to resoundingly call for the immediate removal of the sanctions.

Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda said the party has lined up a number of programmes to accommodate all political parties.

VP Mohadi said the United States, the UK and their allies imposed sanctions against Zimbabwe because of the land reform programme.

“We took back our land because it is our wealth. The land is the anchor of our nationhood and that is why we repossessed our land, which is why the British decided to impose sanctions against us,” he said.

“As long we are still there as your leaders, we will overcome the sanctions because we liberated this country without any help from the West. I therefore urge the people of Zimbabwe to be patient because I know we have so many doubting Thomases. We are going to turn around this economy whether they like it or not on our own volition.”

VP Mohadi said the Government has started engaging and re-engaging other countries to drive the economy in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of achieving an upper middle-income status.

“Things are going to change economically because through our re-engagement and engagement efforts we are raking in billions through foreign investments hence we want every citizen to live a better life by 2030. We want our per capita to be at least US$1 000 or more a month and we are going to do that. We have got all the plans in place to achieve that,” he said.

VP Mohadi said the Government anticipates to rake in US$12 billion from the mining sector in the next four years.

He said the Government is aware of the plight of citizens and efforts were underway to address economic challenges.

He urged Zimbabweans to unite and shun tribalism, saying Zimbabwe is a unitary State under one flag and National Anthem.

-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore Madhuku (LM) has justified why his party joined POLAD arguing that opposition parties should engage new tact in fighting Zanu Pf.

Said Madhuku in an interview with a local publication:

“The system has to be fought and we continue to fight it, but we have to change the methods. So there are people who are totally lost when they look at us adopting a different method as if we have given up. Why would we give up? We have created massive movements.

Those in MDC Alliance believe that the person who is fighting for democracy is the person in the MDC Alliance. That is nonsense. What you have to take into account is what are people doing in their various stations. When we fought against Zanu PF, we were fighting against one-party domination and we will also fight against a two-party domination.

Domination and oppression does not change because you have increased the number of players. Where I stand, I am contributing to a situation where we have a real genuine multi-party environment of more than three parties.”

— NewsDay

By A Correspondent- The government has come under fire for allegedly awarding magistrates with large salaries and allowances when health workers are on strike over paltry salaries and poor working conditions.

For some analysts including Alex Magaisa, a former adviser to the late Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, increasing salaries and allowances of members of the judiciary at this particular moment in time is indicative of a government that does not care about the health sector.  Magaisa posted on Twitter saying:

Revelations that government clandestinely awarded magistrates hefty wage increases as opposed to its treatment of doctors & other civil servants are signs of a desperate & paranoid regime which is obsessed with buying justice & preparing for repression.

The regime doesn’t care much for doctors & nurses because the leadership does not use the local health system. But it needs the magistrates on its side because they are in charge of the justice system. It’s typical of authoritarian regimes to want to capture the justice system.

Doctors have been on strike since the 3rd of September this year asking the employer to increase their salaries which they say were eroded by inflation long ago.

Nurses have also joined the strike also citing incapacitation.

-NewsDay