A TOP government official has accused some Cabinet ministers of often painting a rosy picture and falsifying reports of their achievements when they present progress reports to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, resulting in a monitoring unit being created.

Speaking during a tour of a cattle fence constructed along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Highway last Friday, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring of Government Projects Joram Gumbo said: “Some ministers do not tell the truth when they are reporting to the President and it is my role to monitor their work. I have been touring government projects in Matabeleland to see if the reports we receive are factual.”

“Ministers report what they did not do,” Gumbo said, confirming the general feeling among Zimbabweans that Cabinet ministers just pay lip service to their duties.

Gumbo, who once served as both Transport and Energy and Power Development minister during and after the late former President Robert Mugabe’s tenure, said the $170 million cattle fence was expected to reduce animal-induced road accidents.

He also said most government projects were being derailed by Cabinet reshuffles, adding that his transfer from the Transport ministry disturbed flow of work on the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.

“When I was head of that ministry, we had already segmented the road and moving towards allocating it to contractors to start work, but then I was moved to another ministry and a new minister will have his own approach,” Gumbo said.

“This results in delays in implementing the projects because you start planning again and this becomes a problem. At times, it takes up to five years to fine-tune a project and if you are moved, it means all that planning is time lost.”

Several companies, including Geiger International, were awarded the contract to dualise the Harare-Chirundu Road, but the contracts were terminated under unclear circumstances.

A Chinese firm was recently awarded the contract, but is yet to begin work after indicating that it was still scouting for finances for the project.

— NewsDay

A HEALTH disaster is looming in Masvingo town in the wake of reported unhygienic disposal of medical waste by staff at Masvingo General Hospital.

This is emanating from the health institution’s failure to access coal, a major fuel used to incinerate the waste.The hospital is also supposed to offer incineration services to Population Services International.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source said the hospital has now resorted to piling the waste outside the hospital, where a Ministry of Health truck, registration number GHCW 1257, is being used to dump the refuse.

“What is happening at the hospital is pathetic, it indeed is a health hazard, especially to the person responsible for incineration of waste at the institution who has to resort to using latex gloves instead of heavy duty gloves for handling the waste,” the source said.

The untanable situation at the hospital is said to have begun in January this year.Efforts to get a comment from authorities were fruitless as personnel contacted over the issue kept referring NewsDay to the provincial medical director (PMD) Amadius Shamhu.

Shamhu is said to be overally in charge of the province with the final say in any health-related issue.“I really cannot give a comment on this, but I can only refer you to the PMD for a proper comment over the issue,” said an official who declined to be named.

Efforts to get a comment from Shamhu since Monday last week have been fruitless as he kept giving flimsy excuses and when further contacted by the time of going to print yesterday, he told NewsDay to contact him today.

“You can get in touch tomorrow morning,” Shamhu said in a WhatsApp message.In many clinics and hospitals across developing countries, all medical and non-medical waste is often mixed together and burned in incinerators.

The World Health Organisation defines medical waste as “waste generated by health care activities, including a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials.”

-Newsday

By A Correspondent| Chief Johannes Karigamombe was involved in a road accident this morning.

The chief, who was in the company of his wife is currently at Chinhoyi general hospital where his condition could not yet be established.

However, he reportedly sustained serious head and leg injuries after the car he was travelling in was involved in a head on collison with a truck.

This is a developing story. More details to follow.

Refresh this page for latest updates.

By Own Correspondent| Hwedza South MP  Tinoda “Tinmac” Machakaire has challenged several government ministers to make follow ups on projects that are dotted
around the country as a way of fostering development in communities.
He was speaking at an event where he donated four ECD blocks in his
constituency.

Machakaire said most ministers play mick mouse games when approached
by MPs and he threatened to name and shame them if they fail to
cooperate.

“We ask these ministers to foster several projects in our communities
but they play mick mouse games yet our people need development. Gone
are the days when politicians just go and make empty promises to their
constituencies because this is new dispensation,” he fumed.

Machakaire is one of the few MPs who have worked to develop their
constituencies.

Chief Svosve hailed the young MP for his love for the constituency.
“We have never seen this before in this constituency, this young man
has done more than good for us. We are grateful,” he said.

Over the weekend he invited primary  and Secondary education minister
Paul Mavima who then donated books and fees for 10 children at St
Mary’s Makanda Primary.

Mavima said government was constructing schools in different parts of
the country and would work to have some in Mashonaland East.

He said this year they will finish 70 schools and next year their target is 100.
Mavima also highlighted that donors are not willing to fund heritage
studies in Zimbabwe and the government was looking for money to fund
the studies.

A form 4 student Clemence Makanga a dancehall singer emerged the
biggest winner at the event as he got sponsorship for his fees and
members of the Young Achivers promised to facilitate a collaboration
with dancehall musician Soul Jah Love.

NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) students, who are expecting to graduate on November 8, have petitioned their administration over exorbitant graduation fees which they described as more like punishment for learning at the institution.

Nust has pegged the graduation fees at $600 from $85, excluding graduation gown and food.In a petition dated October 1 and signed by the students representative council president Dennis Mwashita and his deputy Billy Muchiphisi, the graduands said the graduation fees were exorbitant.

“We the undersigned Nust graduands would like to express our discontentment following the unanticipated 700% increase in the graduation fee,” read the memo.
“An amount of $600 is ludicrous, unbearable and was established without the consultation of the students.”

“We are not unmindful of the current economic downturn, but our parents are peasant and they haven’t had complementary increases in their salaries. We are appealing to your higher office to bid a commendable farewell to the future leaders and afford families and friends to celebrate the academic successes of their own by reviewing downwards the graduation fee to a reasonable and justifiable amount, which is a reflection of what other State universities are charging under the same economic hardships.

For instance, the University of Zimbabwe $240, Chinhoyi University of Technology $300, Great Zimbabwe University $350 and Midlands State University $300,” read the memo.
“We recommend that, in your planning for the big day, eliminate unnecessary costs which are burdening your resources.”

The students said if their plea is ignored, they would demand that the event be postponed.Contacted for comment, Nust spokesperson Felix Moyo said he was busy and asked Southern Eye to send questions on his WhatsApp account, but had not responded by the time of going to print.

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s decision to tighten regulations on withdrawals of foreign currency by Zimbabweans who earn their salaries in foreign currency faces litigation, while analysts warned the move would result in people spiriting away their money to offshore accounts.

A leaked FBC Bank instruction circular at the weekend indicated that the RBZ will, from today, be demanding written requests from people who earn in US dollars for
them to withdraw their money while banks will also be ordered to convert all unutilised bank balances not withdrawn in one’s nostro foreign currency account within 30 days from day of deposit to local currency using prevailing interbank rates.

RBZ governor John Mangudya at the weekend confirmed the new rules, saying the document would deal with funds from exporting companies.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has, however, blasted the move, describing it as illegal and in contravention of section 71 of the Constitution.

“Government and the RBZ cannot be experts in doing lawless things because all these are desperate actions by a desperate, despicable regime. You cannot have a government that generates the suffering of its people on a day to day basis,” Biti said.

“Besides, this issue is unlawful and unconstitutional because a salary is protected by section 71 of the Constitution and no one has a right to appropriate anyone’s salary as this will simply force companies and employees to relocate their accounts offshore to countries like Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.”

Section 71 of the Constitution speaks on property rights, which includes pensions, annuity, gratuity, and similar allowances, and it states that any person anywhere in Zimbabwe has a right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.

Biti added: “This is foolishness being done by government which is desperate for foreign currency and they are now trying to grab every dollar of forex. We are generating about US$5 billion from our exports and so the issue is that the money is being spent by thugs and crooks.

“The issue is how government is using the foreign currency. Actually, forex must be credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Parliament must be the one to distribute foreign currency through the Appropriation Account.”

Economist Kipson Gundani weighed in, saying: “Clearly, we have got a monetary regime which is transitioning from a dollarised environment into a mono-currency environment of the Zimdollar and what the authorities are then trying to do is to avoid a big-bang approach, where you overhaul things and overnight there is an effect.

“They are now trying to give precedence to bonafide United States dollar earners, but it distorts the market. If one is to access the US dollar and they access it through the banks, then they will be tempted to open off-shore accounts. These are some of the unintended effects that will happen if at all this is operationalised.”

Another economist, who preferred anonymity, said if the RBZ implemented this, then it would be a drastic measure with serious consequences.

“If it is real, then we can brace up for a fight because it will affect a lot of businesses and people. The effect is that foreign currency will be externalised and the RBZ will whip away the little confidence and trust remaining,” the economist opined.

The economist also described the RBZ move as synonymous to what happened in 2008 during former RBZ governor Gideon Gono’s era when he raided foreign currency accounts belonging to private businesses and foreign aid organisations to help sustain troubled government ministries.

In the year that followed, many then opted to stash their forex abroad and in 2017, an adviser to government on the ease-of-doing business, Ashok Chakravarti, called for an investigation into the externalisation of funds, as it had emerged that US$5 billion could have been siphoned out of the country since dollarisation in 2009.

The money was said to have been taken out and deposited into offshore accounts, thus depriving the country of the much-needed foreign currency.This subsequently plunged the country into serious financial crisis.

-Newsday

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

USD = ZWL$15.2701
ZWL$ = RAND0.9881
Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

Black Market Rates:

USD = ZWL$17.80 zimrates
USD = ZWL$17.50 zwl365
USD = ZWL$17.00 bluemari
USD = BOND11.60 zimrates

More: Marketwatch

WATCH VIDEO BELOW…

WATCH VIDEO BELOW

WATCH VIDEO BELOW

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s decision to tighten regulations on withdrawals of foreign currency by Zimbabweans who earn their salaries in foreign currency faces litigation, while analysts warned the move would result in people spiriting away their money to offshore accounts.

A leaked FBC Bank instruction circular at the weekend indicated that the RBZ will, from today, be demanding written requests from people who earn in US dollars for
them to withdraw their money while banks will also be ordered to convert all unutilised bank balances not withdrawn in one’s nostro foreign currency account within 30 days from day of deposit to local currency using prevailing interbank rates.

RBZ governor John Mangudya at the weekend confirmed the new rules, saying the document would deal with funds from exporting companies.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has, however, blasted the move, describing it as illegal and in contravention of section 71 of the Constitution.

“Government and the RBZ cannot be experts in doing lawless things because all these are desperate actions by a desperate, despicable regime. You cannot have a government that generates the suffering of its people on a day to day basis,” Biti said.

“Besides, this issue is unlawful and unconstitutional because a salary is protected by section 71 of the Constitution and no one has a right to appropriate anyone’s salary as this will simply force companies and employees to relocate their accounts offshore to countries like Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.”

Section 71 of the Constitution speaks on property rights, which includes pensions, annuity, gratuity, and similar allowances, and it states that any person anywhere in Zimbabwe has a right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.

Biti added: “This is foolishness being done by government which is desperate for foreign currency and they are now trying to grab every dollar of forex. We are generating about US$5 billion from our exports and so the issue is that the money is being spent by thugs and crooks.

“The issue is how government is using the foreign currency. Actually, forex must be credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Parliament must be the one to distribute foreign currency through the Appropriation Account.”

Economist Kipson Gundani weighed in, saying: “Clearly, we have got a monetary regime which is transitioning from a dollarised environment into a mono-currency environment of the Zimdollar and what the authorities are then trying to do is to avoid a big-bang approach, where you overhaul things and overnight there is an effect.

“They are now trying to give precedence to bonafide United States dollar earners, but it distorts the market. If one is to access the US dollar and they access it through the banks, then they will be tempted to open off-shore accounts. These are some of the unintended effects that will happen if at all this is operationalised.”

Another economist, who preferred anonymity, said if the RBZ implemented this, then it would be a drastic measure with serious consequences.

“If it is real, then we can brace up for a fight because it will affect a lot of businesses and people. The effect is that foreign currency will be externalised and the RBZ will whip away the little confidence and trust remaining,” the economist opined.

The economist also described the RBZ move as synonymous to what happened in 2008 during former RBZ governor Gideon Gono’s era when he raided foreign currency accounts belonging to private businesses and foreign aid organisations to help sustain troubled government ministries.

In the year that followed, many then opted to stash their forex abroad and in 2017, an adviser to government on the ease-of-doing business, Ashok Chakravarti, called for an investigation into the externalisation of funds, as it had emerged that US$5 billion could have been siphoned out of the country since dollarisation in 2009.

The money was said to have been taken out and deposited into offshore accounts, thus depriving the country of the much-needed foreign currency.This subsequently plunged the country into serious financial crisis.

-Newsday

Paul Nyathi|The price of fuel went up again on Sunday, this time by more than 25%, the latest blow in a country battling out-of-control inflation.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority (ZERA) announced the price of diesel would immediately rise to 16.64 Zimbabwe dollars (about US$1), while gasoline would go up to 14.97 Zimbabwe dollars for Harare motorists with other areas paying a lot more.

At those prices, a full tank of fuel costs more than a month’s salary for an average government worker and more than half a month’s salary for a doctor.

The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) condemned the move in a tweet Sunday.

The government was piling more misery on to already suffering Zimbabweans, MDC said. “Surely this madness must stop.”

Already in January, the government almost tripled fuel prices and has regularly increased the prices since then.

The January announcement sparked violent protests that were put down by the security forces. When troops opened fire on the demonstrators they killed 17 people and wounded dozens more.

Zimbabwe, once known as the bread basket of southern Africa, has been trapped in a financial and economic crisis for nearly two decades now.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa,who took over from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after he was forced from power at the end of 2017, has promised to revive the economy, but so far without results.

Zimbabwe is shackled by a devalued currency, mass unemployment, runaway inflation, and shortages of essential items including fuel, electricity, and water.

According to the International Monetary Fund, prices had risen by nearly 300% year-on-year in August. Analysts at the Bloomberg agency put inflation at 900%.

On Tuesday last week, tickets for the state bus company ZUPCO doubled in price to one Zimbabwe dollar. 

THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has come out guns blazing and accused the Zimbabwe government of pursuing anti-people policies through unleashing of violence against the people instead of concentrating on resuscitating a ‘dead’ economy.

Speaking at the launch of the party’s ‘SACP Red October Campaign 2019-2020’ launch in Mthatha, South Africa, the SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, also castigated the repression by the State of trade unionists in Zimbabwe.

He said the repression and the economic challenges that Zimbabwe was going through had forced thousands of its citizens into forced migration in search for means of livelihoods or fleeing political repression.

“The best way to deal with this situation is to build solidarity with the victims, in essence ‘economic and political refugees’, and confront the causes and driving forces behind the push factors resulting in forced migration,” Nzimande who is also South Africa’s Higher Education Minister told thousands of SACP members at the launch.

He said he once confronted senior Zanu PF officials over the political repression in Zimbabwe and was told the government was dealing with agents of imperialism.

“I told them; ‘but they are the same people who were with you in the trenches’,” said Nzimande in reference to the liberation struggle that brought independence to Zimbabwe.

“It is a problem with you as Zanu PF.  We cannot have solidarity on the basis of wrong things.  The SACP strongly condemns the violence by (Eswatini King) Mswati’s dictatorship and repression of trade unions in both Swaziland and Zimbabwe.  Over and above the economic collapse, the State in Zimbabwe is still having the tendency to unleash violence against sections of its people.”

Nzimande said former liberation heroes had become the new oppressors of the people adding the SACP strongly condemned those fighting against the victims, and called for solidarity to tackle looting and repression in Africa, and drive the African revolution.

He also called for democratisation and development of the Sadc region.

“In order to succeed, this African revolution must be intensified to uproot the domestic looting class, the predatory elite, tyrannies and repressors in every African country. They have digressed from the African revolution and are complicit in forging post-colonial predatory states.

“Associated with all of these is the rise of the securocrat features of the predatory State, unleashing repression against sections of the people.  We need to unite, forge peaceful co-existence and together carry out the African revolution to fix and develop our region and continent,” the tough talking Nzimande said.

The SCAP leader said the challenge of African leaders in failing to run the economies of their countries had left South Africa battling to feed the whole continent.

“Now unlike prior to 1994, labour from the rest of Southern Africa is occupying the very same informal settlements occupied by South Africa’s largely unemployed labour, as a shared social reproductive space. It is also to be found in overcrowded spaces in major cities,” he said.

This, Nzimande said, had pitted the poor against the poor, and the working class against the working class.

“This has increased pressures on housing, schools and the public healthcare sector, among other areas of government services and programmes. Increasing forced economic and political migration from other parts of Africa and elsewhere is also adding its own impact.

“This is deepened by the tendency of many unscrupulous employers who are exploiting migrant workers as a source of super-cheap labour, by paying them absolutely close to nothing, taking advantage of the situation that forced them out of their respective countries,” he said.

All Africa.com

Paul Nyathi|Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe have said that the time was now conducive for citizens to stand against austerity measures. The statement comes after the government has put in place austerity measures which it says are meant to kickstart the collapsed economy. See ARTUZ’s statement below.

Time to take a stand against austerity.

The teachers of Zimbabwe are earning less than US$ 50 per month, a big slash from the US$ 500 of the pre austerity measures era. The teachers are living in extreme poverty and all efforts to demand a living wage have been thwarted by the use of extreme violence by the State. The State has further sponsored divisions through yellow Unions.

The current teacher salary is not enough to secure basic needs for our hard working civil servants. Healthcare, education, shelter, transport, food and all other basics are now beyond our reach. A teacher’s salary cannot afford to buy 20kg of maize seed. Traditionally our teachers have engaged in subsistence farming to supplement their meagre earnings. This farming season teachers are totally excluded from farming. The rest of our peasant farmers will certainly fail to take to the fields further threatening the food security of our people.

The austerity induced economic crisis is set to deepen as production is being halted across sectors. The value addition chains have been disrupted and worse days are coming.

We have to take a stand as a people.

In August 2019 the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ warned government that if they fail to address the salaries crisis we will be forced to disrupt examinations. We were patient in August and September as we received the worst eroded salaries ever. We gave them a long rope but they chose to tie themselves.

We have concluded our nationwide consultations and our members will be indefinitely withdrawing their labour beginning 14 October 2019. We will not be reporting back for duty until we receive an interbank equivalent of our former US$ salaries.

We have written to other Unions inviting them to participate in this job action.

The teachers are suffering and we have to take a stand.

We warn Prof Mthuli Ncube to urgently address the salary crisis or risk collapsing the Civil Service.

The Zimbabwean government, which is facing a crippling industrial action by doctors working in state hospitals, is planning to haul hundreds of doctors before the Labor Court in an effort to end the 35-day strike initiated by junior doctors, earning less than US$200, who are demanding better salaries and improved working conditions.

The strike has been joined by some specialists, senior and middle-level doctors that are making similar demands. According to Dr. Paulinus Sikosana, chairperson of the Health Service Board which employs doctors, their move to walk away from negotiations following a state offer of a 66 percent cost of living adjustment, prompted the Ministry of Health to take the matter to the Labor Court.

In an interview, Dr. Sikosana said the Labour Court has to make a determination by Tuesday on the legality of the doctors’ industrial action.

“In terms of the labor law that governs health worker employees, if they are not at work for more than five days we have to take the legal action in terms of the Labor Act and the Minister of Public Service, Labor and Social Welfare has already issued a show cause order and there will be a hearing Tuesday which will determine whether the job action is legal or illegal and we will take it from there in terms of the provisions of that Labor Act …

“We have been negotiating since last year. The rest of the civil service, the rest of the health workers have conceded … This is an interim agreement in which the government offer has been accepted by all the health workers on the condition that this is not the end of all negotiations of cost of living adjustments and the agreement is premised on fact that we will continue with the negotiations. We can’t say it’s an unfriendly way of resolving the issue that concerns the doctors.”

Dr. Sikosana said all striking doctors are expected to report for work Monday.

“Negotiations at the time being have been concluded. We have a collective bargaining agreement with the health workers during which negotiations the doctors decided that they would unproceedurally walk out of the negotiations before they were concluded. So, the issue now, the way forward is that there is an agreement all health workers are expected to be back at work by tomorrow 8 oclock.

“The majority of the workers are at work. All the consultants and the specialists at the United Bulawayo Hospitals are at work, all the consultants at Mpilo Central Hospital are at work and have been at work. The consultants at Harare Central Hospital who had been put on the duty rosters, they were at work. The problem that we have been having is specialists and senior doctors at Parirenyatwa Hospital. In terms of the middle management and middle doctors and junior doctors, interns who are just from the universities they have continued not to come to work.”

Asked if this is the correct route to take in order to stop the crisis, Dr. Sikosana said, “The rule of law basically … We have been negotiating since last year. The rest of the civil service, the rest of the health workers have conceded and we continue, this is an interim agreement in which the government offer has been accepted by all the health workers on the condition that this is not the end of all negotiations of cost of living adjustments and the agreement is premised on fact that we will continue with the negotiations. We can’t say it’s an unfriendly way of resolving the issue that concerns the doctors.”

He noted that junior doctors are not supposed to engage in industrial action as they are still undergoing training in state hospitals.

“You must recall that junior doctors are on contract and that contract actually prohibits them, they are still in training, you should be aware of that … A person in training decides that they will walk away from their responsibilities, how do you expect the employer respond when they have been given an opportunity for negotiations. Its only last week that we had an engagement with them, we met with them. So, I don’t know what you expect the employer to do at the end of a month when your employees are not coming to work while they are opportunities for negotiations which they refused to participate in.”

But Dr. Masimba Ndoro, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association, said the government does not need to take this matter to the Labor Court.

“It’s up to them to take such action but that’s not the best way of doing things. As far as we are concerned we have not yet reached any agreement with the government over our call allowances, salaries and other issues.”

Some patients are being turned away at government officials with a large number of patients having serious ailments.

Dr. Sikosana said in the face of this crisis in hospitals, some of the institutions have merged certain wards that deal with related conditions in order to take care of patients’ needs.

Former first lady Grace Mugabe fears that the government will go after her husband’s sprawling empire that consists of commercial farms and a mansion in Harare, it has been revealed.

Grace had a serious fallout with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government after she insisted on honouring Mugabe’s wish not to be buried at the Heroes Acre in Harare.

Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 and his death triggered an ugly fight for his corpse between his family and the government.

He was eventually buried in his rural home in Zvimba on September 28 when Mnangagwa was out of the country.

Mnangagwa assured Grace that she would not lose the Blue Roof mansion and another house in Harare’s Mt Pleasant after this publication revealed that they were registered under Zanu PF and that some government officials had tried to use the issue of title to arm-twist the family to change plans for Mugabe’s burial.

The government, however, last week made the first moves to repossess four of the farms linked to Mugabe and his widow in the mineral rich Mazowe area. They are Manzou Farm, Smithfield, Arnold and Foyle Estate.

Mugabe’s Gushungo Holdings is housed at Foyle Estate. Last week Grace reportedly made frantic efforts to meet government officials to discuss the status of the farms to no avail.

She is also said to be considering approaching regional leaders that had close ties with Mugabe in an effort to sAVE the former Zanu PF’s leader’s sprawling empire.

“The former first lady had been trying to stop the impending takeover of the farms, but it seems she is fighting a losing battle,” a Mugabe family insider said. Standard

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has allegedly been rocked by divisions with some commissioners said to be unhappy over the government’s lack of commitment in addressing past human rights abuses and conflicts.

Commissioners that spoke on condition of anonymity said the NPRC was financially handicapped and said they feared the constitutional body was becoming “a talk-show platform with nothing to show for its existence”.

The NPRC has already lost six years of its 10-year lifespan as it was not operational from 2013 as expected after the promulgation of the new constitution due to lack of an enabling Act to operationalise it.

It has a backlog of cases. In February, MDC Alliance proportional representation legislator Concillia Chinanzvavana had to take President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the Masvingo High Court, seeking a ruling forcing him to extend the tenure of the NPRC by 10 years from 2018.

Justice Joseph Mafusire ruled in Chinanzvavana’s favour, meaning the NPRC will be operational until 2028, but to date, its lifespan has not been extended and is set to expire in 2023.

The NPRC was allocated

$1,7 million in the 2019 national budget against its $4,7 million bid, a figure dismissed as grossly inadequate at the time to fund its operations.

In December, the NPRC appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and Senate’s Thematic Committee on Human Rights and pleaded incapacitation because of inadequate funding from the Treasury.

In August, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube allocated an additional $125,5 million to the NPRC which was too be shared with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC), Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and the Zimbabwe Judiciary Services Commission (ZJSC).

“There is a big challenge when it comes to funding the operations of the NPRC, and it all appears to be deliberate,” said a disgruntled commissioner.

“For example, we are supposed to be going to rural areas for various work, but to date there is no funding and other resources for that and we have to do with a shoe-string budget.

Another commissioner claimed that the NPRC was being destabilised from within.

“There are some even amongst us in the NPRC who are also clearly sabotaging NPRC programmes, they are a stumbling block to frustrate the NPRC and one is left questioning whose interests they are representing, the state or the commission?

“There is no political will, hence the NPRC has nothing to show for it besides being more of a talk-show body,” the disgruntled commissioner lamented.

NPRC chairperson Justice Selo Nare, however, brushed aside the allegations claiming that the commission has been working very hard to fulfil its mandate.

“We are working so hard,” he said. “We have been having meetings and so forth and on Monday. We are on the ground on Monday (tomorrow). We will be meeting members of the Ukuthula Trust in Bulawayo.”

Bulawayo-based Ukuthula Trust is an independent body of forensic archaeologists and forensic anthropologists that has carried exhumation of the Gukurahundi victims, the last being the bodies of Justin Tshuma and Thembi Ngwenya in Tsholotsho’s Enkwalini community in May who were killed by the Fifth Brigade in March 1983.

Government officials have sought to stall the exhumations and re-burials of Gukurahundi victims with Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage deputy minister Mike Madiro saying they should be stayed until a policy on carrying out the process is crafted.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa opened dialogue on the 1980s mass killings holding the first meeting with the clergy and Matabeleland civic groups under the banner Matabeleland Collective and then traditional leaders at State House in Bulawayo.

He has announced a cocktail of measures in addressing the issue such as facilitating exhumations and reburials.

However, little or nothing has taken place since the March meeting at Bulawayo State House despite several commitments.

“The government is not sincere at all when it says it wants to address the Gukurahundi atrocities. It’s just talk and delay. It has not been walking the talk on this one. If it had been sincere, it would have turned the talk into practical solutions on the ground by now,” said Effie Ncube, a Bulawayo-based political analyst.

Paul Nyathi|Doctors have responded to the government’s order which directed them to return to work on my Monday 7 October without fail.

We present below the doctors’ full statement.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) on Saturday hiked fuel prices, a development which, the public fear, is likely to trigger price increases of other commodities.

In a statement, Zera said for Harare the maximum pump price per litre is $15,64 for diesel while blend is $14,97 from an average of $12,42 and $11,76 respectively.

It attributed the fuel price increase to factors in the international market. 

“The changes in the fuel prices are due to FOB (Free on Board) price movement and revised duty regime (SI161 OF 2019). Operators may however, sell at prices below the cap depending on their trading advantages,” reads the statement.

In August, Zera announced that fuel would have different prices per area factoring in transportation costs, a development which has seen the commodity’s prices in Matabeleland region being much higher.

In Bulawayo yesterday diesel was selling for $16,01 per litre at most fuel stations while blend was being sold between $15,31 and $15,41 per litre.

Motorists and members of the public said the fuel prices were having a direct effect on prices of other goods.

Paul Nyathi|At least 10 people died on the spot, including both drivers, while several others were injured when two buses – Govasburg and Mandeep Tours – collided head-on just before Kwekwe River along the Gweru-Kwekwe road on Sunday morning.

Officer Commanding Kwekwe District, Chief Superintendent Conrad Mubaiwa, who was at the scene of the accident, confirmed the disaster.

He said the number of the deaths could rise.

“We have 10 people who died on the spot including the two bus drivers but we are still at the scene.

“We will do a follow up on those who were rushed to Kwekwe District Hospital,” he said.

State Media|THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has intensified its efforts to recover ill-gotten wealth from the country being stashed in foreign lands by engaging with SADC members in the fight against corruption.

President Mnangagwa is on record as saying the Government will put stringent measures towards recovering of the illegally externalised funds and assets and declared graft the country’s number one enemy.

In an interview, ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said in a bid to recover ill-gotten assets outside the country, ZACC is set to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Botswana and Zambia to facilitate the process.

“Yes, we are focusing on investigations for purposes of prosecutions and investigations for purposes of asset recovery. As you know, when I was appointed, I made it a point and stressed that the new ZACC will concentrate on asset recovery.

“People should not benefit from the proceeds of crime.

We have also been busy with coming up with agreements with other countries.

“In two weeks’ time, I will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Botswana. I should be signing one again with Zambia soon, so that it will be easier for us to recover assets across the borders and internationally as well,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

ZACC, she said, was committed to recovering all wealth acquired illegally.

“So we want to make sure that we recover everything that was stolen from the nation. So right now we are also concentrating on, apart from the criminal investigations, linking evidence to the properties that were purchased with a view to recovering those properties whether in Zimbabwe or outside,” she said.

Last year, President Mnangagwa named individuals who failed to return nearly US$1 billion they had externalised in the past years.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said investigations are being made to recover externalised funds.

“We are investigating on our own. We have got our own list. Once we do criminal investigations and there is evidence of looting of some funds, we then try to track those funds, wherever they are.

“We are in the process of also signing agreements with international institutions who are going to help us in tracing and tracking those funds so that where know where the funds are then we recover those funds,” she said.

Justice Matanda-Moyo said: “In terms of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, I am glad to say these countries have got an obligation to actually cooperate with member states to recover those funds illicitly siphoned outside the country. “Therefore, it should be easy because it is mandatory for those countries to cooperate with member states,”.

TEN people died on the spot while several others were seriously injured when the buses they were travelling on collided head-on at the 232km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway, between Kwekwe and Gweru, yesterday.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Larry Mavima confirmed the accident which occurred around 4:30am when a Gokwe-bound cross-border bus, Mandeep Tours, collided head-on with a Govasberg coach that was going towards Gweru.

It is understood that on approaching the 232km peg, the Mandeep driver dozed off and lost control of the bus, which encroached onto the right lane ahead of an oncoming Govasberg bus, resulting in the crash.

Mavima said 10 people died on the spot.
“I can confirm that 10 people died in an accident when two buses collided head-on between Kwekwe and Gweru,” he said.

“It is suspected that the driver of the bus which was coming from South Africa going to Gokwe slept and the bus veered to the right while there was an oncoming bus going towards Gweru resulting in the collision.
“Police are still gathering facts and we are yet to ascertain the actual number of people that were aboard each bus as most of them were rushed to Kwekwe General Hospital.”

Mavima also said they were yet to assess the condition of those that had been hospitalised.

The deceased were taken to Kwekwe Hospital mortuary.
Minister Mavima said the province has approached the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde July Moyo, to declare the accident a State of Disaster.

“We have informed Minister Moyo, who is in charge of the Civil Protection Unit, to declare the accident a national disaster. Their families will get assistance.
“It is unfortunate that we lost lives this way; we would want to urge all drivers to value life and exercise caution. This accident was caused by human error and it could have been avoided,” he said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi also confirmed the accident saying police would release the names of the victims once their next of kin were informed.

“I can confirm that there was an accident this morning (yesterday) at the 232km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway. We are still to find out the actual number of passengers that were on the buses. One of the buses was coming from South Africa and the other one was going towards Gweru. The names of the victims will be released once their families are informed,” he said.
A survivor of the horror crash, Mrs Mollen Ngara, who was in the Govasburg bus, said the accident could have been caused by fatigue on the part of the Mandeep bus driver “who swerved and encroached onto our lane resulting in the accident”.State media

This week on a day like Sunday when most Zimbabweans seek mental and soul purity, a whole deputy Minister by the name Energy Mutodi chose to misdirect his energy on a wrong cause.

While the majority of ordinary citizens are grappling with astronomical prices of basic commodities, a misdirected bundle of Energy chose to sink so low by equating a generational success (Nelson Chamisa) to a hill while plummeting a heap of hubris (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to a mountain.

When one takes into account that Mutodi is just but a failed Ndombolo musician and not a politician, it becomes easier to see a desert of deep thoughts in Mnangagwa’s disastrous Deputy Minister.

Surely it does not need a political scientist to differentiate a mountain of mediocrity that Emmerson Mnangagwa has become and a hill of excellence that Nelson Chamisa is gravitating towards!

That a whole deputy minister can equate a failure who has successfully presided over shortages in electricity, water and food a success and mountain glaringly exposes the deficiencies of leadership running the affairs of our motherland!

At this point in time Zimbabweans across the political divide are yearning and craving for excellence in service delivery and not some cheap bootlicking to please political godfathers.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

I write to you with a profound sense of shame proffering my most sincere apologies for the deplorable manner in which your kind gesture of honouring the legacy of the late revolutionary icon, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe has been maligned and abused by Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime.

As a Zimbabwean, I feel obligated to apologise and take responsibility for the bad behaviour of Mnangagwa and his band since they are my compatriots.

The objective of the abuse and disparagement is to deflect attention from how Mnangagwa’s regime and its associated entities hounded and tormented President Mugabe into his death in exile. Mnangagwa has tried to bully and threaten President Mugabe’s family into burying him at Heroes Acre.

He failed. After failing, Mnangagwa continues on a programme of retribution against President Mugabe’s widow and family. They have set illegal panners onto the family farm.

It is appalling that the Mnangagwa government owned and controlled Sunday Mail newspaper has been consistently abusing you for honouring the memory of President Mugabe.

Mnangagwa’s media is pushing a blatantly false narrative that President Mugabe anointed Honourable Saviour Kasukuwere for president in a bid to downplay President Mugabe’s respect for democratically electing leaders.

These narratives are then taken on by state-run social media ghost accounts that seek to further undermine President Mugabe by stoking tribalism.

It is also unfortunate that some individuals have also given hostage to fortune by injudiciously seeking to publicise the so-called Zimbabwe Generation 40 political party as being associated with some of us who are labelled as G40 stalwarts.

Whilst I acknowledge that individuals have a right to harbouring and furthering their own personal political ambitions, I also have a right to dissociate myself from such ambitions as I hereby do.

Apart from which, I am still mourning and grieving for my uncle, President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, to engage myself in such political shenanigans.

Asante Sana. Iwe Neni Tine Basa. Umsebenzi lo Umkhulu.
Yours comradely
Patrick Zhuwao

This week on a day like Sunday when most Zimbabweans seek mental and soul purity, a whole deputy Minister by the name Energy Mutodi chose to misdirect his energy on a wrong cause.

While the majority of ordinary citizens are grappling with astronomical prices of basic commodities, a misdirected bundle of Energy chose to sink so low by equating a generational success (Nelson Chamisa) to a hill while plummeting a heap of hubris (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to a mountain.

When one takes into account that Mutodi is just but a failed Ndombolo musician and not a politician, it becomes easier to see a desert of deep thoughts in Mnangagwa’s disastrous Deputy Minister.

Surely it does not need a political scientist to differentiate a mountain of mediocrity that Emmerson Mnangagwa has become and a hill of excellence that Nelson Chamisa is gravitating towards!

That a whole deputy minister can equate a failure who has successfully presided over shortages in electricity, water and food a success and mountain glaringly exposes the deficiencies of leadership running the affairs of our motherland!

At this point in time Zimbabweans across the political divide are yearning and craving for excellence in service delivery and not some cheap bootlicking to please political godfathers.

Stephen Sarkozy Chuma
MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson

OPPOSITION MDC’s structures in the Midlands province have resolved to start preparations for the harmonised elections constitutionally set for 2023 with the view of wresting rural seats from the ruling Zanu-PF
.
MDC Midlands provincial spokesperson Takavafira Zhou told Sunday Southern Eye that the party’s main objective was to grab all 28 constituencies in the province.

In the July 2018 polls, the MDC won only four parliamentary seats in the Midlands, which are Mbizo, Redcliff, Mkoba and Gweru Urban while Zanu-PF took the lion’s share of 24.

“The majority of the 28 constituencies are rural and in preparation for the 2023 elections, the province would roll out outreach programmes starting this month into rural district constituencies,” he said.

“The strategy involves inter alia: Revitalising branch leadership and structures in order to foster supremacy of branches.

Zhou said one of the reasons why people in rural areas have been snubbing the MDC in elections is fear caused by intimidation by State apparatus and Zanu-PF activists.

“We will be taking stock of victims of recent violence particularly in Gokwe, Kwekwe and Mberengwa, and identifying the culprits, and police accomplices with the intention to name and shame them, let alone consider litigation against such thuggery,” he added.

“We have had cases of thuggery that saw our provincial youth leader (Sekai Marasha) assaulted in Kwekwe, while Prince Paradza was assaulted in Gokwe and lost three teeth in the process, while many other activists suffered abductions, attempted abductions and assaults.”

Zhou said the MDC will also tackle partisan food aid distribution where its supporters in rural areas have been allegedly denied access to drought relief, a development he said cost the opposition party votes in past elections.

“The MDC Midlands province would also compile evidence of partisan distribution of inputs in rural areas of Midlands and deliberate discrimination of MDC activists from State food assistance and agricultural inputs,” he added.

“The intention will be to challenge this through Parliament and ensure fair distribution of government food aid and inputs in a non-partisan manner.

“If need be, we could also build a critical force to peacefully demonstrate against partisan food and input distribution in rural areas.”

As part of the 2023 elections preparations, Zhou said the MDC would also initiate self-help projects for villagers in order to sway them out of “politics of the stomach”.

“The leadership would also engage grassroots structures in order to identify low cost programmes that can be done in rural areas to benefit party members,” he added.

“Leadership is, therefore, ready to grow the party in the rural areas and thus make inroads in Zanu-PF-dominated areas, and at the same time take stock of challenges faced in both rural and urban areas so as to proffer alternative solutions,” he said.

NewsDay|The month-long strike by doctors at public hospitals is taking its toll on patients as more people are being turned away without getting any treatment.

Junior doctors from across the country went on strike on September 3 after the government offered them a measly 60% salary increment.

The health practitioners, who early this year embarked on another crippling job boycott, also want the government to ensure the provision of equipment and medicines at public hospitals where standards have plummeted over the years.

Senior doctors joined the strike last Thursday citing “appalling and disgraceful conditions” at public hospitals.

At Parirenyatwa Hospital, Zimbabwe’s largest referral hospital, a teary 84-year-old Chistine Mahakwa feared she would die if she was not attended to by a doctor urgently.

She was among tens of people milling around the hospital last week after they were turned away because there were no doctors on duty.

Mahakwa, whose tummy was swollen, said she had no idea what was afflicting her and was in great pain.

“I am afraid to eat anymore because I am not able to relieve myself,” she said.

“I feel so much pain and I have spent the whole day lying down here.

“Soon others will be attending to their fields when the rains come, but I do not think I will live to see the next harvest.”

A young mother, who only identified herself as Mirriam, said her 10-year-old son had been struggling to get treatment for almost a month.

She said the boy has been suffering from severe bouts of headaches and dizziness, but had not received any form of treatment because doctors were yet to diagnose his condition.

“Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and saying he is hearing voices,” Miriam said. “Maybe someone bewitched him.”

The situation was the same at Chitungwiza Central Hospital where only critical cases were being handled by the few doctors at work.

“We have been told to go back home because they consider our conditions not to be life-threatening, but what if I die?” said an elderly woman as she left the outpatients department.

Alex Gasasira, the World Health Organisation country director in Zimbabwe, said vulnerable people, were being turned away from hospitals.

“We hear that many patients are being turned away, some of them with very serious conditions,” he told the Voice of America.

“So we are concerned that the most vulnerable people, who are in most need of services, would not be able to access the services that they would require if their doctors keep being away from work. So, that is a big concern for us.

“So that is why we would hope that this could be resolved and they returned to work soonest.”

Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo yesterday ordered the striking doctors to return to work tomorrow morning or face disciplinary action.

Moyo said the government had tried its best to address the doctors’ grievances and it was “appalled that doctors have walked out from the negotiating table and from their patients who are in dire need of their care”.

Senior doctors, however, said the government had ignored their grievances for far too long. They said Zimbabwean doctors were poorly paid compared to their regional counterparts.

For instance, senior doctors in South Africa get a basic salary of between 80 000 rand and 120 000 rand a month, in Zimbabwe they get an average of $500, the doctors said.

Consultants receive a basic salary of $1 010.

“No effort has been taken to address any of our concerns, giving the impression that there is no interest on the part of the government to address those concerns,” the Senior Hospital Doctors’ Association said in a letter addressed to the Health and Child Care ministry, which was copied to the Health Services Board (HSB).

Since junior doctors went on strike, nurses had been holding fort, but they also work between two to three days a work because they do not have transport money.

Senior doctors said the situation had seen them work under a lot of pressure.

“It is for this reason that we scaled down our operations to the provision of only emergency hospital services,” the association added.

HSB chairperson Paulinas Sikhosana said the body was aware of doctors’ grievances and believes that they could be addressed through dialogue.

“The issue of the state of the hospitals affects the work environment and motivation and ability of health workers to perform their professional tasks effectively,” he said.

“The HSB is aware of the regional remuneration framework for health workers in neighbouring countries.

“We have undertaken the necessary surveys in order to try and benchmark our salaries to these to the extent that government can afford the salary bill.”

Sikhosana urged senior doctors to use available platforms to negotiate with the government for better working conditions.

“In terms of negotiations the Health Apex is the forum where negotiations between the HSB as the employer and health workers take place,” he said.

“Senior doctors have a seat reserved for them at the table. It would, however, seem that they do not use it preferring instead to cede it to the junior doctors.”

Gasasira said the problems facing health sector workers were universal among employees in Zimbabwe who are reeling from a collapsing economy.

“As you may know, the complaints of the doctors are factored around the economy, the current economic condition of the country, which is really the higher level than just the health sector,” he added.

“Their main complaints, as you may know, are around the payments, the conditions of service.

“So these factors are affecting many sectors, not just that, in fact all aspects of life.”

The International Monetary Fund put Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate at 300% for August following a spike in prices that followed the rolling-out of currency reforms.

In June, Zimbabwe ended a decade of dollarisation and adopted a local currency, which has been losing value against the United States dollar rapidly.

The local currency, which was at 1:1 against the US dollar in January, has plunged to 1:16 against the greenback.

Civil servants, including nurses and doctors, have been hit by the skyrocketing prices as the government has not been reviewing their salaries regularly.

While the rest of the civil service has not resorted to strikes yet, doctors have been on a collision course with the government since late last year as they demanded better living conditions.

In April last year, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga ordered the dismissal of all striking public hospital nurses and ordered the recruitment of unemployed nurses. Retired nurses were also recalled to cover the gap.

Zimbabwe’s health delivery system, once the envy of many in Africa, has been collapsing over the years due to poor funding and a brain drain that has been blamed on poor remuneration of critical staff.

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe has in its latest report revealed that the number of internet bundles users has deteriorated sharply in the most recent months.

POTRAZ Director-General, Gift Machengete, attributed the decrease in the use of the internet to the deteriorating economy. He said:

The 1,1 percent (91 000) decline in total active data and Internet subscriptions is attributable to the depressed demand in the economy.

What this means is that, it could actually be a function of affordability where now a lot of people prefer to use free Wifi.

Machengete revealed that despite the sharp decrease in internet usage which is attributed to the high cost of internet bundles, the regulator intends to review up the prices of data, voice calls and SMS.

He added that this is meant to protect mobile network operators from the inflationary economy.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has purged some of his security aides and banned his wife from visiting him, ZimLive reported.

Chiwenga, hospitalised in China over suspected poisoning, ordered his wife, Mary, to return home and also sacked two security aides from the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) whom he accused of spying on him.

Mary legally married Chiwenga during a secret ceremony in June, just days before the former army general, who has been battling ill-health for over a year, relapsed and was flown to South Africa before being transferred to China.

But family friends say the marriage is on the rocks. Chiwenga has told his Chinese hosts not to issue a visa to the former model.

Chiwenga has also stripped his security to just two military aides with the rest seconded by the Chinese government, the Zimbabwe Independent reports.

“He believed they (CIO aides) were giving updates to his political rivals, including President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa about his progress,” a source told the paper.

Chiwenga was treated in India and South Africa before he was finally airlifted to China where he is admitted to a top military hospital. Reports say he was admitted with oesophageal motility disorder, and has since undergone two operations.

One report says he has been fitted with an artificial oesophagus and told by his doctors to retire from politics.

According to the Zimbabwe Independent, he is now able to walk and has substantially gained weight from a low of 50kg to about 80kg.

A family friend who asked not to be named told ZimLive: “It should be understood that very little is coming out from China. It however appears that the decision to limit the information that is shared, and restricting the number of people who can see him, was taken in consultation with Chinese authorities.

“One can only imagine this is linked to suspicions of poisoning. Until the source of the poison is established, access to him will be very limited, and it appears even his wife – for now at least – is not trusted. When you are gravely ill, it’s a natural expectation that your spouse should be around, but not so in this case and that’s not normal.”

In August, Chiwenga’s wife shared an undated picture of herself with Chiwenga on social media. It later emerged that it was an old image.

Mary was guest of honour last week when residents of Borrowdale Brooke in Harare commissioned a sewage treatment plant.

Chiwenga was the army general who led the coup that ousted former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017 after conspiring with Mnangagwa. But the two men quickly fell out in a contest for authority: Mnangagwa seeking to dilute Chiwenga’s influence over the military and Chiwenga seeking to position his lieutenants in key position in the government and Zanu-PF party.

Chiwenga’s poor health has left his supporters without a captain, and handed the initiative to Mnangagwa whose supporters are now openly backing him to lead the party into the next election.

President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa will soon become a media proprietor by acquiring a stake in private Zimbabwe newspaper Alpha Media Holdings Group owned by Trevor Ncube.

Insiders have revealed that a 30% stake in the group will be controlled by Mnangagwa through his son-in-law Gerald Mlotshwa.

Ncube has been highly critical of the government and Mnangagwa’s use of a proxy to represent his interests in the group is to evade public resentment over the deal.

The president, who recently appointed Trevor Ncube as his advisor thought as a new partner he would influence editorial independence at the stable.

Whether newspaper group will retain its editorial policy remains to be seen as the deal as already claimed a long serving editor Dumisani Muleya who announced his departure from AMH yesterday.

Muleya was effectively forced out and Faith Zaba is tipped to take over as the new investor has specifically demanded.

Zaba has very strong personal links with Mnangagwa .Sources revealed that despite Ncube being an advisor to the president, he used Zaba as the link to work his way to the head of state.

Standard|Former Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira’s corruption has taken a new twist following revelations that she had government authority to buy cars using National Social Security Authority (NSSA) money.

Mupfumira was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) in August on charges of corruption and criminal abuse of office US$95 million.

She was only freed two weeks ago on $5 000 bail after spending two months in remand prison.

One of the charges was that sometime in 2014, Mupfumira unlawfully instructed a Labour ministry top official secure a loan advance of US$90 000 from NSSA for the purchase of a ministerial vehicle.

According to ZACC, Mupfumira knew that NSSA had no provision to issue such loans. Documents, however, show that the former Zanu-PF heavyweight obtained Cabinet authority for the purchase and that the loan advanced to the ministry was repaid.

Ray Ndhlukula, the former deputy chief secretary to the president in a letter dated July 13, 2015, advised the Labour ministry to “proceed as requested … on the understanding that NSSA will be reimbursed of the funds they avail to you once Treasury has allocated the required funding.”

“Proceed as requested and purchase an E 300 Mercedes Benz vehicle. This is on the understanding that NSSA will be reimbursed of the funds they avail to you once Treasury allocated the required funding,” Ndhlukula wrote to Ngoni Masoka, the Labour ministry secretary.

In another letter to the NSSA general manager on June 26, Masoka wrote: “Honourable Mupfumira was appointed as the new Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare in December 2014.

“Among the issues to do with her conditions of service is the provision of a Mercedes Banz for her official duties.

“Requests have been made to Ministry of Finance and CMED for the purchase of this vehicle but due t financial constraints Treasury has indicated that funding of the said vehicle will be made available when cash inflows improved.

“In order for this vehicle to be purchased for the minister, you are kindly requested for the release of an amount of US90 000 as an advance payment from NSSA.
“Repayments of this advance will be made as soon as the funding is made available by Treasury.”

And on July 1, 2015, then NSSA GM James Matiza wrote to Masoka promising to put funds together for the vehicle.

“We take note of your requests and we are in the process of putting the funds together. We are working towards paying the full $90 000 on Wednesday, July 8, 2015,” reads the letter.

“In the meantime, could you furnish us with the bank details? We would want to disburse the money through your ministry.”

It also emerged that Mupfumira was appointed in December 2014 and the car was bought in 2015, but ZACC papers claimed the former minister swindled NSSA in 2014.

The payment for the car was only made on July 8, 2015.

Watch video below. ..

Watch video below. ..

Motormouth deputy information minister Energy Mutodi is at it again after mocking opposition leader Nelson Chamisa and his South African counterpart Julius Malema saying they are small hills that will never grown into mountains.

Mutodi who is no stranger to controversy has always been the receiving end of social media users who feel he just say things without thinking through considering his position as a member of the executive.

Posting on Twitter today, Mutodi touched raw nerves when he dismissed former Zanu PF Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere whom he equated to Chamisa and Malema.

Small hills will never grow into mountains. Often, they face the risk of being washed away by floods. I hope Tyson, Malema & Nero will understand this metaphor.

— Hon. Dr Energy Mutodi (PhD) (@energymutodi) October 6, 2019

FORMER Tourism Minister Priscah Mupfumira who is facing corruption charges related to the National Social Security (Nssa) scandal may not have committed any offence after all if emerging details are anything to go by.

According to sources privy to the case, charges that Mupfumira could have abused her position as Public Service Minister around 2015, to force Nssa to buy her a vehicle may have been unfounded.

In a June 26, 2015 letter to Nssa general manager at the time James Matiza , then Public Service permanent secretary Ngoni Masoka who is also on trail for abuse of office charges related to the scandal at the government pensions administrator, made the request.

“Among the issues to do with her (Mupfumira)’s conditions of service is the provision of a Mercedes Benz for her official duties.

“Requests have been made to the Ministry of Finance and the CMED for the purchase of this vehicle but due to financial constraints, Treasury has indicated that the funding of the said vehicle will be made available when cash inflows improved,” said Masoka then.

“In order for this vehicle to be purchased for the Minister, your are kindly requested for the release of an amount of $90 000 as an advance from Nssa. Repayment of this advance will be made as soon as the funding is made available by Treasury.”

In response Matiza on July 1st the same year wrote to Masoka confirming receipt of the request and that it would be actioned.

“We take note of your request and we are in the process of putting the funds together. We are working towards paying the full $90 000 on Wednesday 8 July, 2015. In the meantime could you please furnish us with your bank details. We would want to disburse the money through your Ministry,” said Matiza’s letter in part.

On July 8th the money reflected in the Ministry of Public Service’s account and recorded under “sundry debtors” reference number DFC1098/15 as an “advance to purchase Minister’s vehicle to be refunded by Treasury when budget is approved.”

An FBC Bank slip is also available showing the money was indeed moved from Nssa to the Ministry and signed by authorised signatories as required and recorded as had consistently been done elsewhere.

However a red-flag in the transaction is that Masoka seems to have skipped processes only requesting Cabinet authority a week after the money had been released.

In response to what should have been a letter requesting Cabinet authority for the purchase of the vehicle, Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Ray Ndhlukula gave Masoka green-light to but Mupfumira the car.

“Proceed as requested and purchase an E300 Mercedes Benz vehicle. This is on the understanding that Nssa will be reimbursed of the funds they avail to you once Treasury has allocated the required funding,” said Ndhlukula in the letter referenced “request for Cabinet authority to purchase condition of service  and utility vehicles for Honourable P Mupfumira, Minister of Public Service and Social Welfare.”

The letter was dated 13 July 2015. The car was subsequently purchased from a local car dealer.

Mupfumira, was arrested in late July and slapped with a litany of charges including allegations of fraud, money laundering and abuse of office involving US$95 million.

At least 10 people died on the spot, including both drivers, while several others were injured when two buses – Govasburg and Mandeep Tours – collided head-on just before Kwekwe River along the Gweru-Kwekwe road this morning.

When The Herald crew arrived at the scene around 8:30 am, Gweru and Kwekwe Fire Brigade were using cutters to try and retrieve the bodies of the two drivers trapped on the seats.

Officer Commanding Kwekwe District, Chief Superintendent Conrad Mubaiwa, who was at the scene of the accident, confirmed the disaster.

He said the number of the deaths could rise.

“We have 10 people who died on the spot including the two bus drivers but we are still at the scene.

“We will do a follow up on those who were rushed to Kwekwe District Hospital,” he said.

More to follow…

Zimbabwe Newspapers Limited (Zimpapers) has announced new cover prices for all its publications with effect from Thursday 3 October 2019. In a statement, Zimpapers said:

Zimpapers would like to advise its valued customers of new cover prices for all its publications with effect from Thursday 3 October 2019. The increases come as a mitigatory measure in the face of increasing costs of production.

The new prices which come into effect are as follows:

• Herald – ZW$10
• Chronicle – ZW$10
• SundayMail – ZW$15
• Business Weekly – ZW$15
• Sunday News – ZW$10
• H-Metro – ZW$5
• B-Metro – ZW$5
• Kwayedza – ZW$5
• UMthunywa – ZW$5
• Manica Post – ZW$6

In what could be a major overhaul of the local voting system, Government will assess the feasibility of introducing Diaspora voting to Zimbabweans living in foreign lands, The Sunday Mail can reveal.

Current legislation limits voting rights to Zimbabweans who are on official Government assignments.

Any other Zimbabwean living in a foreign land is required to physically present themselves at their registered polling station to cast their vote.

Zimbabwe has a large Diaspora in countries such as South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told The Sunday Mail that an international study will be commissioned next year.

“We want to commission a study to see how other jurisdictions are implementing the Diaspora vote and hopefully we will be done with that by June 2020,” said Minister Ziyambi.

“Once we have seen how others do it, we will then be able to make a decision on whether we need to amend the law to give effect to it or not.”

Election Resource Centre (ERC) executive director Mr Tawanda Chimhini said Government’s intention to consider introducing the Diaspora vote is welcome.

“The Diaspora vote is there in our statutes but it is just restricted to people on Government business,” said Mr Chimhini.

“They vote at their designated polling stations through postal voting.

“What is needed is to extend postal voting to all voters in the Diaspora on the condition that they register to vote.

“There will be need to change the Electoral Act to extend postal voting, not only to people on Government business, but to all people who are registered voters.

“But what is clear is that the Diaspora vote cannot be extended to every country where there is a Zimbabwean voter.”

He said other African countries have Diaspora voting systems that ensure citizens are not disenfranchised.

“They extend the right to countries where there is a significant population from their countries.

“The only difference is that they have different electoral systems from ours.

“In Mozambique, for example, they have created a Diaspora constituency, where they vote for a Diaspora representative.

“In South Africa they have proportional representation, which means that voters cast their ballots for political parties, not necessarily for individuals.

“We already have a postal voting system that works, the same provision can be extended to everyone.

“It is important for Government to carry out this study so that we can come up with a system that works for us,” he said.

-State Media

A leaked intelligence report mapping out strategies on how to deal with MDC Alliance demos in Chiredzi District has sent chills down the spines of activists.

The report which was confirmed by several sources as an authentic document from the Chiredzi District Joint Operations Command specifies which individuals to put under surveillance, how to deal with them and thwart any machinations.

Activists who talked to The Mirror said the report is disturbing particularly in view of the rising number of alleged abductions in the country.

In Chiredi there are a number of activists who have disappeared in the past including ZESA manager Dumisani Hapazari in 2008 and Kariborn Nyemba. Nyemba later escaped from his abductors but the whereabouts of Hapazari are still unknown.

The report which was prepared on August 16 2019 accused MDC leaders in Chiredzi of planning to host a heavily armed insurgence team from South Africa to destabilize the district.

The report placed six MDC members including Chiredzi Town Council Chairman Gibson Hwende, former MP for Zaka West Festus Dumbu and Chiredzi MDC District Chairperson James Kampota as potential threats.

Other people named as security threats are Menias Gangata who is an MDC activist and one named Sisokisi.

The homes of Gangata, Dumbu, Hwende, Gilbert Mutubuki, and Kampota were identified as potential threats.

When contacted for comment Dumbu said MDC did not seek to unsit the Zanu PF Government through unconstitutional means.

“I saw the report but it`s fortunate that it leaked to the public but we know that they always track us,” said Dumbu.

-Mirror

Zimbabwe’s largest platinum producer Zimplats recorded a 36,1% slump in production volumes to 415,72kg in August as rising inflation, coupled with power cuts and foreign currency shortages, took a toll on the extractive sector, it has been revealed.

Zimplats’ production in the first eight months was pegged at 5 230,584kg.

The Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) subsidiary retained US$150,9 million and US$98 million respectively from platinum sales.

Figures, however, indicated that Zimplats was getting a lot of value from other metals that form part of the platinum group of metals (PGMs), particularly palladium and rhodium sales.

Zimplats recently put its US$23 million refinery project on hold citing lack of a clear government road map on the mineral beneficiation policy.

“The SMC Base Metal Refinery refurbishment project remains on hold pending finalisation of the national beneficiation road map.

“The project total expenditure as at 30 June 2019 was US$23,6 million,” the company said in statement accompanying its year-ended June 30 results.

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)-listed miner was upbeat about the future despite the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe. Its shareholders continue to inject more capital into the company.

“The group spent a total of US$115 million in the full year-ended 30 June up from US$135,3 million spent on capital projects (stay in business, replacement mines and expansion projects) during the year compared to US$135,3 million spent in 2018,” the company added.

Zimplats said it had successfully navigated Zimbabwe’s turbulent currency market because most of its revenues were in foreign currency.

“Revenue is generated from sales of platinum group metals. We traced, on a sample basis, payments received in US$ to the relevant bank statements, noting no material exceptions,” the company said.

“We considered factors impacting the operating subsidiary’s access to foreign currency by inspecting relevant exchange control regulations and underlying agreements and obtained an understanding of the underlying terms and conditions.

“We found management’s conclusions to be reasonable.

“We inspected the expenditure disclosed for the operating subsidiary and noted that the operating subsidiary transacted using a combination of United States dollars, bond notes and real time gross settlement (RTGS).

“(We looked at) underlying agreements and noted that all long-term debt and borrowings were denominated in US$.”

Zimplats said the scrapping of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Regulations was expected to attract more players into the mining sector.

-The Standard

CHIEF Dobola of Binga District has been fined $800 for negligence and driving without a licence after he crashed his newly Government issued Isuzu double cab pick-up truck last year.

Chief Dobola whose name is Edward Munkombwe (44) of Binga was on Tuesday convicted on his own plea of guilty to charges of “driving without a licence” and “negligent driving” by Hwange provincial magistrate Mr Gift Ntando Dube.

He was fined $400 for each charge and in addition was suspended from driving any class of vehicle for a month. Prosecuting, Mr John Mutyakaviri said on 11 October 2018 at about 7am, Munkombwe was driving an unregistered Isuzu double cab pick-up along Tinde-Pashu Road with no passengers on board. The court heard that when he reached the 23km peg, he lost control resulting in the vehicle veering off the road and hitting a tree before overturning. Munkombwe sustained minor injuries and was ferried to Kamativi Clinic where he was treated and discharged.

The vehicle was damaged during the accident as its windscreen was shattered, had dents on the left side, passenger door and loading box. It was recommended that the vehicle be taken to VID Hwange for examination.

The State relied its case on particulars of negligence which include failing to keep the vehicle under proper control, failing to stop when accident was imminent and travelling at an excessive speed under the circumstances.

Last year Mnangagwa’s Government, distributed cars to chiefs as part of improving their mobility to execute traditional roles.

State Media

Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo and her team of commissioners were recently provided with firearms for personal security amid reports that they have been receiving death threats from unknown people over high profile graft cases under investigation.

About a fortnight ago, Justice Matanda-Moyo and the commissioners underwent a firearms training at the Zimbabwe Republic Police shooting range at Morris Depot in Harare before being issued with arms.

In an interview, Justice Matanda-Moyo said she personally received incessant phone calls from members of the corruption cartels involving cases of high profile political figures under investigation and a firearm becomes a necessary self-defence weapon.

“I have received a number of calls from people instructing me to drop certain cases involving political figures and other prominent people.

“I still receive the calls with others threatening my life. Others were trying to influence me on how ZACC should operate, particularly telling me who should and should not be investigated,” she said.

The callers, Justice Matanda-Moyo said, complain about the investigation of certain individuals.

It has since emerged that the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s advisor Christopher Mutsvangwa is top amongst those people who have been threatening Justice Loice Mtanda-Moyo.

According to weekend media reports, Mutsvangwa is among those who are said to have called the Zacc chairperson accusing her of fronting a G40 agenda following the arrest of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority board chairperson Callisto Jokonya early last month.

Jokonya appeared in court on charges of abuse of office after reportedly showing favour in extending Zimra Deputy Commissioner General Happier Kuzvinzwa’s contract for another four year term.

“Kuzvinzwa is a war veteran and Mutsvangwa was not happy with what he thought was Jokonya’s harassment over the re-appointment of a member of his association.

“The other thing is that Kuzvinzwa and (Zimra Commissioner General Faith) Mazani are not on talking terms. There is tension between them and she was happy his term had come to an end only to be shocked by the re-appointment,” a top source told online media nEWS263zim.com.

Zacc then pounced on Jokonya who is currently on on bail. Mutsvangwa was unamused and took this as an attack on veterans of the liberation struggle.

“The war veterans think they should not be touched. They want a hear no evil see no evil approach. But its wrong and while a lot more people called Justice Matanda-Moyo, Mutsvangwa also did,” the source said.

Justice Mtanda-Moyo is wife to Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo who is not in the best of relations with Mutsvangwa.

Zimbabwe’s largest platinum producer Zimplats recorded a 36,1% slump in production volumes to 415,72kg in August as rising inflation, coupled with power cuts and foreign currency shortages, took a toll on the extractive sector, it has been revealed.

Zimplats’ production in the first eight months was pegged at 5 230,584kg.

The Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) subsidiary retained US$150,9 million and US$98 million respectively from platinum sales.

Figures, however, indicated that Zimplats was getting a lot of value from other metals that form part of the platinum group of metals (PGMs), particularly palladium and rhodium sales.

Zimplats recently put its US$23 million refinery project on hold citing lack of a clear government road map on the mineral beneficiation policy.

“The SMC Base Metal Refinery refurbishment project remains on hold pending finalisation of the national beneficiation road map.

“The project total expenditure as at 30 June 2019 was US$23,6 million,” the company said in statement accompanying its year-ended June 30 results.

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)-listed miner was upbeat about the future despite the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe. Its shareholders continue to inject more capital into the company.

“The group spent a total of US$115 million in the full year-ended 30 June up from US$135,3 million spent on capital projects (stay in business, replacement mines and expansion projects) during the year compared to US$135,3 million spent in 2018,” the company added.

Zimplats said it had successfully navigated Zimbabwe’s turbulent currency market because most of its revenues were in foreign currency.

“Revenue is generated from sales of platinum group metals. We traced, on a sample basis, payments received in US$ to the relevant bank statements, noting no material exceptions,” the company said.

“We considered factors impacting the operating subsidiary’s access to foreign currency by inspecting relevant exchange control regulations and underlying agreements and obtained an understanding of the underlying terms and conditions.

“We found management’s conclusions to be reasonable.

“We inspected the expenditure disclosed for the operating subsidiary and noted that the operating subsidiary transacted using a combination of United States dollars, bond notes and real time gross settlement (RTGS).

“(We looked at) underlying agreements and noted that all long-term debt and borrowings were denominated in US$.”

Zimplats said the scrapping of the Indigenisation and Empowerment Regulations was expected to attract more players into the mining sector.

-The Standard

VIEW PICTURE BELOW…

By Own Correspondent| The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo, has brokered a deal with striking doctors by offering them a 60 percent increase in allowances and ordered all health workers to report to work tomorrow or face disciplinary action for breaching their contracts.

In a statement, Dr Moyo said the Health Services Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP) agreed to a 60 percent increase on Health Specific Allowances despite the doctors walking out on the negotiations.

“ . . . the doctors’ representatives walked out on the negotiations as they preferred a higher percentage. The 60 percent was an improvement on the previous offer by Government of 30 percent which was rejected by the Health Apex Council,” he said.

Dr Moyo said they were, however, appalled by the conduct of the doctors whose duty is to save lives as they abandoned their work stations.

“Government is appalled that doctors have walked out from the negotiating table and from their patients who are in need of their dire care. Government is grateful to those doctors who remained at their posts of duty delivering care, saving lives and alleviating suffering.

For the sake of saving lives and patients we now call on all doctors to (Ministry of Health and University Consultants) to report to their posts of duty on Monday the 7th of October 2019. Those who fail to do so are reminded that they are in breach of their contacts of employment and will face disciplinary action,” he said.

Dr Moyo said the proposed new allowance rates would cover night duty allowance, nurse managers allowance, on call allowance, special health allowance and a standby/call out allowance.

“The parties to the meeting also agreed on the locum rates for nurses and paramedics to be reviewed from the current $4 to $16 per day hour and from $6 to $24 per night hour. 

“Locum rates for doctors were also reviewed from the current $7 to $28 per day hour and from $10 to $40 per night hour,” he said.

Dr Moyo said uniform grant was reviewed from $75 to $300, uniform maintenance allowance moved up from $75 to $300 while those who are in the psychiatric department will see an increase in allowance from $20 to $100 per month. Out of residence allowance has been reviewed from $250 to $500 each month while post basic allowance now stands at $150 from $70 each month and additional post basic allowance would be increased from $10 to $25 per month for the first additional qualification.

Dr Moyo stressed that the Government was concerned with the working conditions of doctors.

Our Harare Bureau understands that the latest offer tabled by Government, will see senior doctors pocketing between $8 000 and $11 000 monthly in salaries and allowances while junior doctors earn slightly less.

“Government has shown its sincerity by continuously engaging the health workers to address their challenges including implementing programmes that ensure that they have the needed medicines and equipment to deliver health care.

Their remuneration packages have been reviewed constantly in the context of the obtaining economic climate,” said Dr Moyo.

Doctors, who downed tools weeks ago, had argued that they were unable to continue reporting for duty citing poor working conditions and poor salaries together with lack of adequate working equipment at central hospitals.

Contacted for comment Zimbabwe Hospitals Doctors Associating acting vice-president Dr Dean Ndoro said doctors rejected the offer but were still looking at the other contents of the Minister’ statement. 

He said doctors were also pulling out of the Health Apex Council. Sources said doctors wanted to be paid at United States dollar interbank rate.

“We have peculiar grievances which are unique to ourselves and the Bipartite Negotiating Panel is not addressing them. We are seeking an alternative association to belong to,” he said.

-StateMedia

OUTSPOKEN independent MP Temba Mliswa has made sensational claims legislators from both the ruling Zanu PF and opposition MDC parties coax him into making some demands from Parliament.

Mliswa claimed most MPs don’t want to come in the open with their demands for allowances and other trinkets because they are scared to lose their political positions and a backlash from their parties.

He was speaking at #TheHubUnconference, the opening platform of Shoko Festival in Harare last week Friday.

His statements come barely a week after some 290 parliamentary vehicles were delivered for the MPs at Croco Motors in Harare.

This is despite massive uproar from the public that the all terrain vehicles that will gobble US$410 million are too expensive.

“If you ask yourself who in parliament makes the most noise, it is me, not because I am good but because I am independent.

“In fact, I actually help the MDC and Zanu PF MPs because they cannot speak out on issues to do with cars, they are afraid but they want those V8 vehicles because they are durable,” said Mliswa.

“So they send me to bite and tell me that they will not clap hands after my address because they will be recalled, they are smart.”

In July, Mliswa threatened to sue President Emmerson Mnangagwa over failure by Parliament to give MPs their perks which it had promised them. The promised perks include residential stands, a hike in allowances, among other things.

Mliswa was the most vocal in demanding vehicles and diplomatic passports from government with MDC and Zanu PF legislators both hesitant on issues to do with these benefits.

He argued that 4×4 vehicles will make their work much easier as they will be able to access far flung areas in their constituencies.

Parliament then offered all legislators a Vehicle Loan Scheme with a cap of US$35 000 to purchase Ford Ranger all terrain vehicles from Croco Motors.

Government will pay the amount over eight months with MPs paying for the vehicle over the next five years.

1/3 I am not saying whatever Nelson Chamisa did was right or wrong, everyone does have his own opinion! But my challenge with these Feminist movements is they only resurfaces when it’s Nero only! Old ladies were beaten in town last months and I am yet to hear their voices!

2/3 Don’t tell Women Coalition of Zimbabwe never saw that picture of an old woman who was beaten for exercising her constitutional right and was left for dead by our law enforcement agents, they never said a single word up to now! If they want the pics or videos I have them

3/3 Many women were beaten up and raped by soldiers in Jan this yr and I have a relative who is a victim! Where was there Women Collation Group? Never heard their voice at all, and suddenly after Nero took the mic from his wife they are demanding a public apology?

VIEW PICTURE BELOW

VIEW PICTURE BELOW…

In what could be a major overhaul of the local voting system, Government will assess the feasibility of introducing Diaspora voting to Zimbabweans living in foreign lands, The Sunday Mail can reveal.

Current legislation limits voting rights to Zimbabweans who are on official Government assignments.

Any other Zimbabwean living in a foreign land is required to physically present themselves at their registered polling station to cast their vote.

Zimbabwe has a large Diaspora in countries such as South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told The Sunday Mail that an international study will be commissioned next year.

“We want to commission a study to see how other jurisdictions are implementing the Diaspora vote and hopefully we will be done with that by June 2020,” said Minister Ziyambi.

“Once we have seen how others do it, we will then be able to make a decision on whether we need to amend the law to give effect to it or not.”

Election Resource Centre (ERC) executive director Mr Tawanda Chimhini said Government’s intention to consider introducing the Diaspora vote is welcome.

“The Diaspora vote is there in our statutes but it is just restricted to people on Government business,” said Mr Chimhini.

“They vote at their designated polling stations through postal voting.

“What is needed is to extend postal voting to all voters in the Diaspora on the condition that they register to vote.

“There will be need to change the Electoral Act to extend postal voting, not only to people on Government business, but to all people who are registered voters.

“But what is clear is that the Diaspora vote cannot be extended to every country where there is a Zimbabwean voter.”

He said other African countries have Diaspora voting systems that ensure citizens are not disenfranchised.

“They extend the right to countries where there is a significant population from their countries.

“The only difference is that they have different electoral systems from ours.

“In Mozambique, for example, they have created a Diaspora constituency, where they vote for a Diaspora representative.

“In South Africa they have proportional representation, which means that voters cast their ballots for political parties, not necessarily for individuals.

“We already have a postal voting system that works, the same provision can be extended to everyone.

“It is important for Government to carry out this study so that we can come up with a system that works for us,” he said.

State Media

Paul Nyathi|The government of the United States has once and for all come out blunt, candid and unwavering about the status of bilateral relations with Zimbabwe declaring that it has no sanctions at all against Zimbabwe and they have always made the fact clear to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Responding to a question from the state run Sunday Mail Newspaper journalist Norman Muchemwa in a Telephonic Press Briefing the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor P. Nagy, Jr, implored that Zimbabwe must begin telling the truth about the relationship with the United States.

Tibor P Nagy, Jr emphasised unequivocally that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s “leadership understands what the United States is looking for, before we can begin to have a normal, constructive, positive relationship with Zimbabwe.”

We produce below extract of the transcript of the interview:

MODERATOR: Thank you. The next question goes to a listening party at U.S. Embassy Harare. Operator, please open the line.

OPERATOR: What was the location?

MODERATOR: Embassy Harare, Zimbabwe.

OPERATOR: Thank you. And that line is now opened.

QUESTION: Okay, good afternoon. My name is Muchemwa Norman from Sunday Mail in Harare, Zimbabwe. And my question is as you mentioned earlier on that you hoped for Africa and that is an encouragement for American businesses to invest in Zimbabwe. You know that Zimbabwe is open for — in Africa, rather, you know that Zimbabwe is open for business. What measures are there in place for a win/win arrangement regarding the issue of investment for the benefit of the long-suffering Zimbabweans?

ASST. SEC. TIBOR NAGY: Well I love that question too because I’ve had occasions several times to have dialog at highest levels of your government and our dialogue has been very frank and honest and I’m not going to go into details because those are private discussions. But your leadership understands what the United States is looking for, before we can begin to have a normal, constructive, positive relationship with Zimbabwe.

Now, I told you guys this before, that I have a very special place in my heart for Zimbabwe because not only did I help open up the embassy there shortly after the Lancaster House Agreement in 1980, I think my vehicle was the second one to cross the Chirundu Bridge going from Zambia to Zimbabwe. But my kids first trip was born in independent Zimbabwe were born in Harare. So I really, really appreciate the country. I appreciate the tremendous talents, the positive attributes. Unfortunately it’s no secret, we have a problematic relationship with Zimbabwe. There’s the ZIDERA Act which restricts to a certain extent what the United States can and cannot do.

However, there’s a very false narrative out there which I want to correct. Some people say that the United States has sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We do not, repeat, do not have sanctions against the country of Zimbabwe. We have sanctions against certain individuals and certain corporations and there could be greater detail on that, but not against the country of Zimbabwe. There is nothing to stop U.S. businesses from investing in Zimbabwe, from going to Zimbabwe.

However, again, let’s be very frank. Zimbabwe has a reputational problem. We have great concerns over how the government treats its own citizens. We have great concerns over the space that’s available for democracy and governance in Zimbabwe. We have been alarmed with how the government has treated its own citizens. So those are the issues. But as I said, we’ve had very frank, honest and open discussions between ourselves and the highest levels of your government. So you know, hopefully, again, you know my dream and prayer is that we can have fully normalized positive relations with every country in Africa. And Zimbabwe is near the top of my wish list.

Again, given the personal connections I’ve had with your beautiful, beautiful country and your wonderful people. Over.

Read the full transcript below:

https://ng.usembassy.gov/transcript-telephonic-press-briefing-with-assistant-secretary-of-state-for-the-bureau-of-african-affairs-tibor-p-nagy-jr/