A 47-year-old teacher from Pumula South Suburb allegedly raped a 12-year-old pupil that he was providing English extra lessons.
Shadreck Kantsholo is alleged to have gone to the minor’s place under the guise of providing extra lessons and reportedly fondled her.
“He taught her the English subject and during the lesson he went behind minor’s back, stretched his arms and fondled her breasts, and pressed them against the table,” said State prosecutor Kenneth Shava at the Western Commonage magistrates courts when Kantsholo appeared in court.
The court heard that after fondling the pupil he undressed and also ordered the minor to take off her clothes. He allegedly went on to remove his clothes and also ordered the minor to remove her clothes. The minor complied.
He allegedly raped her but stopped midway after noticing that the door was open.
The minor then bolted through the front door and alerted neighbours, leading to the arrest of Kantsholo, the court heard.
Kantsholo pleaded not guilty before magistrate Gladmore Mushove and was remanded in custody to 10 October for trial.
“I did not do that Your Worship,” said Kantsholo.B-Metro
Farai Dziva| Highlanders legend Madinda Ndlovu has been discharged from hospital.
“Awesome, Madinda Khathazile Ndlovu, Zimbabwe and Highlanders legend has been discharged from the hospital in Botswana.
He had a blood clot which led to a stroke and has been in hospital for a couple of weeks. We thank the almighty God, Doctors and good hearted people who prayed for his recovery. He is gone home for rehab and will be back up and running soon. We love you Shacky,” said Ezra Tshisa Sibanda.
Farai Dziva|Controversial businessman, Wickell Chivayo has sensationally claimed poor people do not want to get rich.
Chivayo believes the greatest challenge of any rich man is a poor man since poor people do not want to get rich but desire the rich to get poor.
Chivayo expressed the sentiments in a tweet.
A “BRIBE” where there’s technical backing of a behemoth with a reputation worldwide… ABSOLUTE NONSENSE.!!! I’ve grown to realise that the greatest challenge of any rich man is a poor man… Poor people actually don’t wish to be rich but they wish all the rich to be poor like them,” claimed Chivayo.
By A Correspondent- Prosecutor General, Mr Kumbirai Hodzi has reportedly appealed against High Court order that reversed the confiscation of the mansion belonging to former Cabinet minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.
Kasukuwere skipped the country’s borders after a temporary release of his passport was granted on grounds that he wanted to seek medical attention.
He never returned, prompting the state to move for his Nyanga mansion which he had registered as surety.
High Court judge, Justice David Mangota, however, ruled against the confiscation of the mansion after Kasukuwere’s legal team applied against the State decision.
Hodzi now wants Mangota’s judgment reversed saying that Kasukuwere “cannot seek justice from the court which he is running away from”.
By A Correspondent- Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s bid to have his passport back hit a brick wall yesterday after he refused to submit title deeds to his Douglasdale home in Bulawayo as part of the conditions.
Mphoko, through his lawyer, Zibusiso Ncube, had applied for the passport to be returned to enable him to travel to South Africa to meet his business associates over five working days.
Mr Ncube assured the court that Mphoko would not abscond since all his family is in Bulawayo and has business interests in the country.
He also indicated that his client was ready to stand trial at any time.
“My client has never defaulted on his reporting conditions, interfered with the State witness and has never violated the trust entrusted in him by the court, he strictly adhered to his bail conditions,” he said.
“The administration of justice will not be tampered with if he is given his passport even if we were to be given a trial date tomorrow, the trial will not kick off in five days.”
The State, led by Mr George Manokore, opposed the application on the basis that the accused had not furnished the court with concrete details of his business trip and had also not complied with the condition set for the release of the passport.
“We told the defence that we wanted security in the form of title deeds to his property namely number 19 Douglasdale Road, Douglasdale in Bulawayo during the five days he will be in South Africa,” he said.
“We had agreed that we will hand over the passport when he gives us the title deeds and we will return them when he comes back from South Africa and surrenders the passport, but that did not find favour with the accused person.
“It is our belief that the failure by the accused person to hand over the title deeds points to the fact that he does not want to attach himself to the risk that will arise if he hands over the title deeds.”
Mr Ncube, however, argued that it was not proper to view his client as a flight risk without evidence. He said his client was worried about entrusting the State with his title deeds and had instead offered to surrender share certificates worth US$300 000 that the Government owes him.
“The title deeds are there, but we do not trust the State with them. My client is a former Vice President and we might wake up to find that the property belongs to the ruling party,” he said.
He accused the State of having a tendency of expropriating people’s properties.
Harare Provincial magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya threw out the application on grounds that there was no proof place the court that shows the Government owes Mphoko more than US$300 000.
He also indicated that the accused person has immovable property that is his house and other properties, but there is lack of trust between the accused and the State.
“The fact that the State is promising to give a trial date does not mean an accused person cannot get his passport, but no sufficient facts have been placed before me to support the application.”
Mr Mujaya, however, granted another application by the defence to have their court appearance yesterday deferred to October 10.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo says the commission has recovered property worth over $100 million from looters as efforts intensify to combat graft.
She said ZACC had registered an increase in criminal convictions of late and was working with academics to come up with legal structures to enhance the fight against corruption.
Justice Matanda-Moyo said this in an interview on the sidelines of a signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ZACC and other stakeholders such as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), the Immigration Department and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), among others.
She said ZACC was only dealing with the forfeiture of properties and money, while the NPA was going to court for confirmation.
“The goods we are holding on to run into hundreds of millions of dollars and right now we are in the process of preparing papers for the recovering of properties in the leafy suburbs. In Borrowdale we are looking at over 10 properties of high value, and we have got so many vehicles now which we have targeted, others are already in our possession,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
She said there had been a surge in the number of convictions, but more needed to be done to reform legal instruments.
“In the past, the investigations have not been thorough but if you have followed events recently there are now convictions. Investigations have actually improved. Our laws are not user friendly, so we want these academics to help in the formulation of new laws. We want to bring in academics, we want those universities to help us in formulation of laws,” she said.
“Definitely there is need for legal reforms, even the rules of the courts must change, as you can see right now, we have got anti-corruption courts but only at magistrate level, once you go to the superior courts, corruption matters are not given priority. We also need that to change, we need corruption matters to be handled faster.
“They must be dealt with efficiently and effectively so that we can also be able to recover the loot. If we take too long dealing with corruption matters, then we will not be able to recover anything.
By the time we are through with a criminal matter the person would have moved all the funds and we will not be able to recover anything. So we really need those laws to be changed so that it is easier to deal with corruption.”
By Nomusa Garikai- Professor Lovemore Madhuku, one of Zimbabwe’s opposition party leaders, said President Mnangagwa’s speech to mark the opening of parliament proffered no solutions to the country’s myriad of economic, social and political problem.
“They are worse than (the late former President Robert) Mugabe, especially the level of indecision. I read a useful article which said Mnangagwa, through his Sona last year, set an ambitious target that has not been achieved. It does not begin to even address the basic issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Madhuku said his party was only participating in the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD) with the hope that it would bring positive change to Zimbabwe and also to ensure that the Zanu PF government does not collapse.
Madhuku is 100% correct Mnangagwa’s speech “did not proffer any solutions” to the myriad of problems the nation facing. But that comes as no a surprise; the man is corrupt, incompetent and utterly useless, taking over the leadership of Zanu PF was not going to change that reality.
As much as Mnangagwa has tried to distance himself from Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown and political tyranny of the 37 years Mugabe as the Zanu PF top dog; he cannot. He was a senior member of Mugabe’s government throughout the 37 years. Why did he not resign if he disapproved with the regime’s policies.
Indeed, Mnangagwa was Mugabe’s Chief enforcer and henchman. If was none other than Mnangagwa himself who went so far as to orchestrate the blatant “cooking up” of the March 2008 election result to deny Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC party the victory.
He went on to direct Zanu PF operatives, war veterans and security services personal to harass, intimidate, beat, rape and even to murder of over 500 innocent civilians in cold blood for the purpose of punishing the people for rejecting Zanu PF and forcing them to vote for Mugabe in the run-off.
Of course, Mnangagwa must bear his share of the blame blame for all the economic mess, corruption and the innocent blood that was shed during the Mugabe days. He stifled debate and democratic competition and even killed to keep Mugabe and Zanu PF in power!
Even if we gave Mnangagwa the benefit of the doubt and absolved him from all responsibility for the failures, chaos, etc. during Mugabe’s days. He has failed to accomplish anything in the last two years he has been in power.
He promised to end mismanagement and corruption; there are still rampant. He promised to hold free, fair and credible elections; he blatantly rig the elections. The silence all dissent against the rigged elections he ordered the soldiers to shoot to kill. 17 civilians were killed.
Zanu PF under Mnangagwa, is still a party of corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs; same as under Mugabe. Nothing has change!
Of course, the opposition parties including MDC and Professor Madhuku’s NCA all participated in last year’s elections knowing fully well that Zanu PF had not change and will rig the elections. The opposition knew Zanu PF would give away a few gravy train seats and a share of the Political Party Finance (Act) payout for all who get 5% or more of the vote. It was this bait that the opposition are after; they did not care how flawed and illegal the election process was.
By participating in last year’s elections the opposition gave the flawed and illegal process some modicum of respectability and, by the same token, gave the illegitimate Zanu PF regime some modicum of legitimacy.
So Professor Lovemore Madhuku admits Mnangagwa is corrupt and incompetent; after 39 years of Zanu PF blundering from pillar to post, that is obvious. And yet, surprise, surprise he also admits to keeping Zanu PF from collapsing! How stupid is that!
Since President Mnangagwa has no clue how to get Zimbabwe out of this economic mess; “he did not proffer any solutions,” as Madhuku rightly put it; Zimbabwe is going to sink deeper and into the economic mess.
What is frustrating is unless we have free, fair and credible elections, we are well and truly stuck with this Zanu PF regime. And it is none other than Madhuku, Chamisa and the rest of the opposition village idiots whose participation in rigged elections are helping to keep Zanu PF in power!
Zimbabwe is in a real mess because the country has been stuck with a corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical de facto one-party Zanu PF dictatorship for 39 years and counting. The country has been desperate for change for decades and the very people, the opposition, who should be delivering the change are the ones stopping change!
By Nomusa Garikai- Professor Lovemore Madhuku, leader of the opposition party the National Constitution Assembly, should wash his mouth with bleach; the foul insults coming from him are intolerable.
“Go to a by-election, you find that the majority of those who turn out to vote, vote for them notwithstanding the economic hardships, notwithstanding political repression. When next time around we have an election people must vote out this government that’s the way to go,” said Madhuku.
All the reputable election observers in last year’s elections have confirmed there was political coercion and other vote rigging problems.
“Notably, major shortcomings in the pre-election environment impacted on the free expression of the will of electors, state resources were misused in favour of the incumbent and coverage by state media was heavily biased in favour of the ruling party,” stated the EU Election Mission final report.
“Further, the electoral commission lacked full independence and appeared to not always act in an impartial manner. The final results as announced by the Electoral Commission contained numerous errors and lacked adequate traceability, transparency and verifiability.
“Finally, the restrictions on political freedoms, the excessive use of force by security forces and abuses of human rights in the post-election period undermined the corresponding positive aspects during the pre-election campaign. As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards.”
What is infuriating here is that Madhuku and the rest of his fellow opposition politicians knew the elections were flawed and illegal, they knew ZEC had failed to produce something as basic as a verified voters’ roll although this was a legal requirement. Worse still, they also knew that by participating they will be giving some modicum of credibility to an otherwise illegal process as David Coltart readily admitted in his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” wrote Senator Coltart.
“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”
Coltart was MDC minister in the 2008 to 2013 GNU; they failed to implement even one reform in five years although this was the primary purpose of the GNU.
“We must invest heavily in conscientizing the majority of our people. I believe the only way forward for this country is to make people alert because despite what these people in government are doing they still enjoy support,” continued Madhuku.
What we need is to warn our people against supporting corrupt and incompetent opposition politicians who have not only sold-out on implementing the reforms but are now participating in flawed and illegal elections and giving the process credibility. The sell-outs even have the chutzpah to blame the people, the victims of their betrayal, for the rigged elections!
By A Correspondent- A long distance athlete, Chrispen Tichaona Chiguma was on Tuesday found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in jail for raping his ex-wife during her visit to his house to collect some money.
Chiguma (33) had four years of the initial sentence set aside on condition of good behaviour by regional magistrate Mrs Lucy-Anne Mungwari, at Rusape Magistrates’ Court.
Ms Event Dhliwayo prosecuted.
Chiguma, an athlete who often represents Zimbabwe in long distance marathons and the ex-wife were once cohabiting as husband and wife. The complainant left for her parents when the marriage broke up. Ms Dhliwayo told the court that on January 26, 2019 the complainant received a text massage from Chiguma inviting her to come and collect the US$270 he owed her.
Then the complainant was in Harare.
“The ex-wife proceeded to Nyanga where Chiguma stays and arrived at his homestead around 7pm. Chiguma was not home, but the dining room was unlocked, so she entered and sat in the dining room.
He returned home around 11pm, entered the bedroom and invited his ex-wife to join him. He handed her the US$270 cash while seated on the bed.
“Chiguma then tried to lure his ex-wife to bed, but she refused. He then pushed her on the bed, closed her mouth and raped her. The victim spent the night on the same bed with Chiguma. She could not go out since the door was locked. She only managed to get out the following morning and immediately reported the matter to the police,” said Ms Dhliwayo.
AFRO-POP singer Ammara Brown is over the moon after she was nominated for two continental awards to be held in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire next month in recognition of her growing music brand.
Ammara is in line for the Best Southern Africa Female Artiste award under the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) in Nigeria and Best African Female Artiste under the African Talent Awards in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Mukoko hitmaker told NewsDay Life & Style that she was delighted by the double nomination, which confirmed her growing brand as a musician of note.
“This being my second year in a row nominated by Afrima, it shows me that my consistency is appreciated on a continental scale. I’m so grateful and so blessed,” she said.
“These are two completely different award ceremonies! I’m in, amid two amazing lists of female powerhouses, so I’m grateful to every single one of you who has been voting for my Afrima and the African Talent Awards nominations.”
Ammara said the African Talent Awards nomination left her speechless because she was competing with the best not only in southern Africa, but the whole continent.
“African Talent Awards! This is truly incredible because my nomination isn’t based on the region. It’s Best African Female, which means the continent. It’s breathtaking. I’m genuinely honoured,” she said.
The singing sensation will be battling against Africa’s finest in the category which has been dubbed the most competitive considering that it also features the most powerful women voices in the industry across the African continent.
The songbird scooped the same award at the fifth edition of the Afrimma held in Texas last year after strong competition from some household names in the region including Shekinah, Babes Wodumo, Mampi, Cleo Ice Queen and Busiswa.
Ammara said although the nominations came as a surprise, she was confident that she would clinch the Afrima crown.
By A Correspondent- A Rusape businessman Cleopas Mugomba was last week acquitted by regional magistrate Mrs Bianca Makwande on charges of sexually abusing his maid and stealing her mobile phone.
Mugomba (44), who is married to a High Court judge, was facing charges of rape, attempted rape and theft.
The burly businessman, through his lawyers Mr Admire Rubaya and Mr Oliver Marwa, had pleaded not guilty to the three charges.
In her judgment, Mrs Makwande said the State failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the three offences and “the accused person is therefore acquitted”.
She said the medical affidavit that was produced in court showed that indeed there was penetration, but lacked evidence on when the alleged rape occurred.
“I have difficulties in accepting the manner in which the complainant told the court she was raped. Among other things, my reservations are steeped in the following. Firstly, the layers of clothing that the complainant was in, make it impossible, in my view, for a man of the stature of the accused to have been able to peel off using two hands while the same person concentrated with subduing the complainant,” Mrs Makwande’s judgment reads.
Mrs Makwanda further said in her ruling that the complainant appeared to have made the false report after being asked to show her phone, which Mugomba suspected she was using to communicate with his brother-in-law despite instructions otherwise.
The court also observed that the allegations were fabricated to tarnish the image of the judge married to Mugomba.
“The accused in his case highlighted the hate that characterised the relationship between his wife and himself on the one hand and his wife’s brother and his wife on the other hand. This, the accused graphically demonstrated by the photographs and various lawsuits that flew between the parties. Besides admitting through her teeth that when the accused demanded the phone she was on the WhatsApp platform, she rushed to switch off the phone instead … The alleged theft of the cell phone in count 3 could actually be a red herring. The complainant might actually have gotten rid of the cell phone in order to obliterate any evidence implicating her in the strict rule against associating with the enemy.”
“I find some difficulties in accepting the manner the complainant says she was raped by the accused person,” she said.
Mrs Makwande said another confusing aspect was that the complainant alleged that before she was raped Mugomba looked for a banana-flavored condom which he allegedly wore.
She said if what the complainant said was saying the truth then why didn’t she escape from the room when Mugomba was looking for the condom since the doors were open.
Mrs Makwande said the complainant, as an adult, never reported the rape to anyone when she got home.
“The complainant is an adult who is sexually active and did not report the matter to anyone when she got home, which raises suspicion,” she said.
In her testimony, the complainant told the court that she was afraid to report the matter because of the accused’s wife’s status.
The state broadcaster ZBC has finally apologized over its tweet in which it joined the social media hype around the image of opposition legislator Job Sikhala.
Posting on Twitter, ZBC said their action was beneath the dignity of a public broadcaster to demean Sikhala over his choice of dressing.
By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwe Parks official stationed in Chimanimani, who was allegedly caught red-handed bedding a married woman in her matrimonial bedroom, is lucky to be alive after he was accidentally shot by his firearm following a scuffle with the woman’s husband and son.
Tendai Katerere (36), who in court papers was cited as a game ranger with the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management, was allegedly shot on the left leg and was still admitted at Mutambara Mission Hospital for treatment.
The suspects who were allegedly involved in the scuffle – Lazarus Matiza (46) and Malvin Rori (23) – both of Mutekesanwa village under Chief Chikukwa, have since been arrested on attempted murder charges.
They appeared before Chipinge magistrate Mr Poterai Gwezhira last Friday who remanded them in custody to October 11 for trial.
Matiza and Rori – who were self actors when they appeared in court – pleaded not guilty to the charge.
However, Mr Gwezhira advised them to engage a lawyer as they were facing a serious offence.
Mr Gift Bikita prosecuted.
Mr Bikita told the court that on September 25, 2019 at around 9pm, in Mutekesanwa village, Matiza and Rori arrived at their home and allegedly found Katerere in bed with Edina Rori in her matrimonial bedroom.
Edina is customarily married to Matiza.
“Edina is married to Matiza and is the mother to Malvin Rori. The two (allegedly) found Katerere sleeping with Edina, armed with an AK47 riffle (serial number 1963300ZA). The firearm had 14 rounds of live ammunition,” he said.
The two accused persons allegedly wrestled with Katerere and disarmed him.
“During the scuffle the accused persons (allegedly) shot Katerere once on the left foot. Upon realising that they had shot Katerere, the two allegedly released him. Katerere disappeared into the darkness.
“The two seized the firearm and surrendered it to the police in Chimanimani and were coincidentally arrested. Katerere later made a police report and the scene was attended. The accused persons led police to the scene and eight cartridges were recovered. The complainant was referred to Mutambara Mission Hospital, where he is still admitted for specialist treatment. He sustained a wound on the left foot,” said Mr Bikita.
By A Correspondent- A 25-year-old man who kidnapped a Mutare Junior pupil while on his way to school and attempted to put him in a car boot has been slapped with a two-year jail term after he was convicted of committing the offence.
Jerry Musimwa of House Number 79 Tongogara Street in Palmerstone was found guilty after a full trial. He was jointly charged with his three accomplices Terrance Nyambo (26), Grammer Nyanzira (24) and Paul Muzondo (30) but the trio was acquitted.
District public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, appeared for the State while the suspects were being represented by lawyers Medusa Simango and Chris Ndlovu.
Of the two years senior magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe set aside six months on condition of good behaviour.
Mr Mutyasira told the court that on April 6 this year at around 6.45am and at Zuva Service Station near Mutare Polytechnic, the accused persons stopped their vehicle, a Toyota Alex (ADU 0884) in front of the complainant who was on his way to Mutare Junior School with his friend.
Musimwa disembarked from the vehicle which was being driven by Muzondo. Musimwa broke an empty beer bottle and started running after the complainant, shouting ‘mbavha, mbavha’ meaning thief.
Musimwa caught the complainant who had run away for less than five metres and carried him on his shoulder.
He took him to the parked vehicle where the boot was already open.
“He tried to put the complainant in the boot but failed to do so after the pupil bit him on the hand and left him loose.
The pupil ran away. At school, the complainant told his teacher what had happened.
The teacher escorted the pupil to Mutare Central Police Station to file a report.
Police officer Joel Rukara and other officers pursued the suspects’ vehicle and arrested them along 11 Avenue.
By A Correspondent- Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), Jestina Mukoko, says she is still haunted by her abduction and torture by State security agents 11 years ago.
Mukoko revealed that she has an eerie feeling whenever she recognises some action that it strange, and the abductions of Itai Dzamara and recently, Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) acting President, Dr Peter Magombeyi, have caused a regression in her healing.
She said:
“I get afraid if I see people who I feel uncomfortable around and when I recognise some action that is strange. I have become very observant.”
Mukoko was abducted by six unidentified men who stormed into her Norton home at 5 am on December 3, 2008. She was dragged in her nightdress, tortured for 22 days and dumped at a police station.
By A Correspondent- In a last-ditch attempt to punish her thieving husband who is also teaching their minor child to steal from neighbours, a furious wife resorted to an extreme measure when she applied for an order to have him chucked out of the house.
Behlulekile Banda from Makokoba suburb decided to punish her thieving husband Mpumelelo Mahlangu apparently for bringing shame to their family by allegedly teaching their son to steal from their neighbours.
Banda said she was sick of her irresponsible husband’s light fingers, and evicting him from the house was the only measure to curb his criminal ways.
She said Mahlangu, whom she was no longer sharing a bed with for the past two years, was also verbally and physically abusing her, adding that he turned violent whenever she reprimanded him over his uncouth behaviour of selling their household property and food in order to raise money to buy beer.
“My husband has been verbally, physically and emotionally abusing me in front of our kids. He steals food and other household property which he sells to raise money to buy beer.
“He is also teaching our son to steal from our neighbours. Whenever I try to reprimand him, he turns violent and insults me using vulgar language.
“We are staying together but for the past two years we have been sleeping in separate rooms. He doesn’t pay rent or buy food for the family. For the 15 years we have been staying together at my parents’ house, I am the one who has been buying food and paying school fees for our children.
“I am, therefore, asking the court to help me by evicting him from the house and subsequently granting me a protection order that stops him from verbally and physically abusing me,” begged Banda.
Turning to her safety and that of her children, Banda suggested that her husband should be immediately evicted from the house. She further said her husband had also threatened to kill her on three separate occasions and commit suicide afterwards.
“He threatened to take away my life and that of our children on three separate occasions and commit suicide thereafter. He also harasses me in front of children calling me a prostitute, especially when he is drunk,” complained Banda.
Mahlangu who apparently feared humiliation, didn’t come to court to defend himself leading presiding magistrate Rachael Mukanga to grant an order which bars him from verbally, physically and emotionally abusing his wife or threaten her in any way.
By A Correspondent- A bishop with Word Apostolic Church in Mahatshula North, Bulawayo has been accused of wrecking church members’ marriages by ordering married congregants to divorce their partners who would have stopped coming to church.
It is alleged Bishop Philip Chipato, who also doubles up as a prophet, encouraged married male congregants to divorce their wives who no longer attend church services.
A pastor who requested anonymity said Chipato ran a series of sermons and lessons castigating married female congregants who had somehow stopped coming to church.
It is further said as a result Bishop Chipato reportedly ordered one of his pastors, Cleopas Midzi, to divorce his wife Vimbai Denhere who had stopped attending church services.
“Vimbai stopped coming to church and after about two weeks Bishop Chipato started to teach a series of lessons demonising married partners who would have stopped coming to church. He also ran a series of sermons preaching against such truant members while encouraging their partners to divorce them,”said a source.
An elder of the church who requested anonymity said as a result Midzi divorced his wife.
“(Cleopas) Midzi had to divorce his wife Vimbai and is cohabiting with Felistas Manase. As a result the issue caused a lot of uproar in the church. Some members had to pull out of the church and so far up to 100 members have deserted the church over time as they felt the issue had a potential of wrecking their marriages or creating rifts in their marriages,” said the source.
Contacted for a comment Vimbai said: “I stopped going to that church (Word Apostolic Church) because I did not like the things that were done at that church. His teachings were not in conformity with the word of God. After a month Chipato influenced my husband (Midzi) to divorce me and left me with two children and he is not taking care of them.”
An elder who only identified himself as Moyo said Bishop Chipato would prophesy matching an elder whose wife would not be coming to church with one of the female congregants.
“He would say to a married elder whose wife is no longer attending church services that he (Chipato) saw a partner in the spirit and the elder has to divorce his wife and marry that partner,” said Moyo.
After spirited efforts to get a comment from Bishop Chipato, he only said: “There is nothing like that.”
By A Correspondent- A Nkulumane woman left a court shell shocked after revealing that she was tormented by her son who was in the habit of defecating in the sitting room, forcing her to clean up his mess afterwards.
Lovelleta Nkiwane is fed up of her 25-year-old son, Brighton Nkiwane, who comes home late at night drunk often then dirties the living room.
“I wish to apply for a protection order against Brighton Nkiwane who is my son. The respondent usually comes home drunk anytime. He also defecates in the sitting room and I am the one to remove his faeces,” said Lovelletta.
She added that Brighton was also very violent and as a result she did not want to stay with him anymore.
“He damages my property including sofas and window panes. He also insults me using vulgar words even when he is sober. He also chases me out of the house. He also assaulted me using a kitchen chair, and I sustained injuries. He also once assaulted his sister and also stole her cellphone.
“He stole my property and sold it. May the court assist me so that the respondent may move out of my house as soon as possible and stay somewhere else. I no longer want to see him anywhere near me. I wish to live peacefully,” she said.
Western Commonage magistrate Urgent Vundla granted an interim order pending a final decision.
By A Correspondent- An inmate who is serving jail time for armed robbery at Kwekwe Prisons, left a trail of destruction at the Kwekwe magistrates’ courts after he vandalised property demanding that he be set free as he was not the one behind the crimes that he was convicted of.
Business temporarily came to a halt at the courts as armed police details had to be called in to rein in Tichaona Chacha (34), a popular bouncer who was sentenced to four years in prison for a spate of armed robberies around the mining town, who threatened to reduce the court building to a heap of rubble.
ZPCS and ZRP officers who tried to apprehend him had a torrid time as they were thrown against the walls by the highly charged bouncer.
Chacha was in August slapped with a combined 54 months in jail for a spate of robberies he committed in cahoots with three other accomplices.
Twelve months were, however, set aside by the magistrate on condition that he restitutes a total of $61 020 to the said complainants before 30 September, which he failed to do.
He was therefore dragged to the court to answer to failure to restitute charges.
All hell broke loose when magistrate Storey Rushambwa effected the 12 months that were set aside.The bouncer tore the booth into pieces leaving court attendees scampering for cover.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officers had a torrid time as they tried in vain to handcuff the charged Chacha who threw anything at anyone.
Court officials also left in a huff adjourning the court proceedings immediately as they ran for dear life.
When this news crew arrived at the scene, entry points to the court were locked and armed ZPCS officers and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) manned the gates while some were trying calm the situation while inside.
Chacha was still inside the court room where he was still destroying property and shouting at the top of his voice demanding that he be released.
“I did not commit any crime, I want to be released. Why is it you never questioned the people we purportedly robbed where they got such amounts of money. They are part of the cabal that is destroying the economy, I want justice and I want to be released. I am not going to stop until I am released,” he yelled.
It was after about an hour of negotiating that composed ZRP and ZPCS officers managed to handcuff the bouncer who seemed to have run out of steam before he was whisked away to the police to face fresh charges.
By A Correspondent- Teachers’ unions have warned the government that their members will go on strike soon if their remuneration is not reviewed as a matter of urgency.
The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA), the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) all agreed that teachers’ salaries should be urgently reviewed.
ARTUZ president Obert Masaraure said:
There is no need for us to continuously negotiate for salaries because with the rate of inflation the only solution will be to revert back to US dollar salaries.
With the current situation, the moment you leave the meetings with an agreement on salaries, the money will be long gone and will no longer be enough to buy anything.
The government awarded civil servants a 76 per cent cost of living adjustment in August this year. The wage adjustment has, however, been eroded by galloping inflation which, according to global expert, Steve Hanke, is now at 765% per year.
By A Correspondent- Hundreds of Gweru residents scrambled for gold in Adelaide suburb, a residential area located to close to the Midlands State University (MSU).
There was a rush for the precious stone on Thursday morning in the suburb before police and military officers cordoned off the area.
A Gweru resident who spoke to a local publication said:
The people who might have made a killing are those who managed to pan for the gold throughout the night.
Most of us who came in the morning didn’t get a chance to enter the area because soldiers and the police had cordoned it off.
The Daily News says it was not able to verify if there was indeed gold deposits in the area. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Gweru spokesperson, Joel Goko, could not comment on the development.
By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is currently recovering in China after being operated on, has reportedly fired security officials attached.
Chiwenga dismissed the security details fearing that they were spying on him and giving his political rivals information on his recovery bid.
The Independent quotes its sources as saying:
He remained with two security aides by the name Ncube and Kadengu, who are from the military.
… Besides, he also believed they were giving updates to his political rivals, including Mnangagwa about his progress.
Chiwenga has been in and out of the hospital several times, as he visited India, South Africa and now China for medical treatment.
The former army general is expected to remain in China for several months, surrounded by family members, including his son, though his wife, Marry, is in Zimbabwe.
By A Correspondent- MDC-T legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has welcomed plans by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to impose stiffer penalties on rapists as part of efforts to deal with the crime.
In his speech during the official opening of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament on Tuesday, Mnangagwa announced that laws will be brought before Parliament to protect children and women from different injustices.
“The Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, the Child Justice Bill and Mandatory Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Offences Bill, must incorporate acceptable customary norms, human rights standards and international best practice,” Mnangagwa said.
In previous Parliament sessions, female MPs have been advocating for stiff sentences for rapists, of up to 30 years or more.
Misihairabwi Mushonga described this as one of the positive moves that Mnangagwa has taken.
“For me what struck me most during the President’s speech was the issue of sexual offences around mandatory sentences for rape. If that Bill is brought before Parliament it will solve one of the fundamental issues around violence against women,” Misihairabwi Mushonga said.
“Some of us (legislators) are about to leave Parliament and if the issue of mandatory sentences for rape is imposed that will be part of our legacy if this is our last term because we have been advocating for that for a long time.
“We have been waiting for this for years and nothing was happening. We proposed the issue of mandatory sentences for rapists during the late former President Robert Mugabe’s time and the law never saw the light of the day given the male dominated systems of Parliament.”
Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira also commented efforts to address the cash crisis in the country.
Mnangagwa announced that his government was pursuing removal of arbitrage in order to address the cash situation.
“We are impressed with the delivery made by the President because he touched on core issues and measures that the Executive is taking to ensure that issues of the exchange rate that have been causing problems in the country are addressed,” Chief Charumbira said.
He then castigated the stance taken by the main opposition MDC to walk out of Mnangagwa’s speech saying that problems in the country cannot be solved by demonstrations.
“Problems cannot be solved by fighting. We attain peace by putting guns down and they must not play to the public gallery. Political parties should respect the President,” chief Charumbira said.
By A Correspondent- Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has taken Duly’s Motors (Pvt) Ltd, to the High Court demanding a US$60 000 refund and a $400 000 compensation after the company allegedly sold him a defective Ford Ranger.
Biti, who is also MDC vice-president and Harare East MP, recently filed summons against Duly’s Motors saying all his efforts to seek redress from the firm have failed to yield any positive results.
In his declaration Biti said he bought a Ford Ranger Limited Edition from the firm sometime in February 2013 and there was an express term of the agreement between the parties that the vehicle, being brand new, would be free of latent defects and fit for use on any public roads.
“At the time of the sale and unbeknown to the plaintiff (Biti), the motor vehicle suffered from the following defects; the challenge of overheating with the temperature gauge not reflecting the details and challenges in the gearbox, resulting in the vehicle stalling and not moving,” Biti said in his declaration.
“On various occasions between 2015 and 2016, the vehicle had engine seizures arising from overheating, resulting in the defendant (Duly’s Motors), replacing on two occasions and supplying new motor vehicle engines.”
Biti further said despite the company replacing the engines, the vehicle continued developing the same challenge of overheating with the result that in 2017, the company ended up replacing the vehicle with a totally new one, but the problem persisted.
“Despite the replacement of the vehicle and despite the fact that the new vehicle has clocked less than 80 000km, the same continues to suffer from the same latent defects of overheating with the temperature gauge not reflecting the changes in temperatures in the engine,” he said.
Biti said his new Ford Ranger vehicle has broken down on more than four occasions while the firm has failed to permanently rectify the problem.
“The defects on the vehicle are of such a nature that the vehicle can no longer be used on a public road. Had plaintiff known of the defects, he would not have purchased the vehicle at all….over the years the vehicle constantly broke down while the plaintiff was driving the same, in faraway places like Murewa, Mutare, Harare central business district, sometimes in the middle of the night, thereby causing plaintiff humiliation, pain, shock and suffering mental and physical abuse and injuria,” Biti said in his claim for US$60 000 and $400 000 respectively.
The late former President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Leo Mugabe has opened up on how the extended family was left out of the decision to proceed with the former ruler’s burial in Zvimba.
In an interview with Zimbabwe Independent, Leo said they had a fallout with Grace who accused him and Zvimba chiefs of taking bribes from the government.
He added that the extended family was left out of the final decision which he felt should have bee effectively communicated.
“The extended family was then left out, but it’s normal in every family. It should have been properly communicated to others so that people don’t feel they are being pushed out,” Leo said.
By A Correspondent- Harare City Council’s health services director, Prosper Chonzi has allayed fears of a cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa saying the watery diarrhoea experienced by many residents in the area was caused by drawing water from unprotected sources.
The cholera scare arose after a non-governmental organisation, Community Water Alliance sent enumerators to ward 39 in Dzivarasekwa to undertake parallel typhoid, diarrhoeal and cholera tabulations which results pointed that the majority of those affected had dysentery (diarrhoeal with blood).
The health committee then asked Chonzi whether there was a cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa as alleged by the residents.
“There was no cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa, but due to erratic water supplies residents resorted to drawing water from unprotected sources resulting in some residents suffering from watery diarrhoeal diseases,” he submitted.
Chonzi warned that as long as water supplies were not consistent, such cases would spread to other areas.
Community Water Alliance programmes manager Hardlife Mudzingwa said most of the affected residents in Dzivaresekwa were women and youth.
“We sent enumerators to ward 39 in Dzivarasekwa to undertake parallel diarrhoeal and cholera tabulations and the results we got from the assessment is that 71,81% of victims of typhoid are youths, 65,60% of the victims are women. Our findings demonstrate beyond doubt that in Dzivarasekwa young women comprise the majority of victims. A majority of those affected had dysentery,” Mudzingwa said.
He told NewsDay that a borehole along 11th Street Gunhill seems to be the main source of contamination of water in Dzivarasekwa.
However, Chonzi said the situation was under control and they had set up a rapid response team which is on standby in case of any outbreak.
He added that there was a team on the ground providing treatment as well as distributing some water treatment tablets and carrying out educational awareness campaigns.
FORMER President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Leo, and some close relatives snubbed the former president’s burial in Zvimba last Saturday after being accused by ex-first lady Grace Mugabe of taking bribes from government to ensure the late leader is buried at the National Heroes Acre against his wishes.
Before his death in Singapore on September 6, Mugabe had told his family he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre, a North Korea-styled hilltop shrine in Harare.
He informed the family he did not want President Emmerson Mnangagwa to preside over his burial and pontificate over his dead body.
Grace also accused long-time family friends such as former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono of being sent by the state and acting to curry favour with Mnangagwa.
Despite negotiating on Mugabe’s behalf at the height of the 2017 military coup that catapulted Mnangagwa to power, Gono did not attend the burial as well.
Family sources told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that Grace unleashed her wrath on Leo during a family meeting held on Saturday morning hours before the burial.
Family members revealed Grace launched a verbal tirade on Mugabe’s nephew and other relatives, accusing them of betraying the family and taking bribes from government agents, along with Zvimba chiefs, to influence the family’s decision. The former first lady labelled Leo and other relatives “sell-outs”.
Leo, according to family members, stormed out of the meeting, trailed by a number of family members, who included some chiefs from the clan.
Leo, Mugabe’s late sister Sabina’s son and family spokesperson during negotiations between the government and family, confirmed the fallout in an interview with the Independent this week.
He, however, denied ever taking bribes from government agents.“We had a fall-out on Saturday around 11am before the burial. We fell out because she said I took a bribe from Mnangagwa to influence the decision to bury my uncle at the Heroes Acre. It is not true to accuse chiefs of taking bribes. Those are some of the accusations,” Leo said.
“It’s normal to fall out. It’s not new really because I don’t tolerate nonsense. My uncle knew that I would argue and put across my point. I am a principled person. Can you imagine I did not eventually attend my uncle’s funeral.”
Leo also said some family members expressed disappointment during the meeting, accusing Grace and a small cast of family members, who included her children and former mines minister Walter Chidhakwa, of making a unilateral decision to take Mugabe’s body to Zvimba.
“The extended family was then left out, but it’s normal in every family. It should have been properly communicated to others so that people don’t feel they are being pushed out,” Leo said.
“This is why the chiefs never showed up. There was one chief there. I think the situation could have been handled better. Certainly it could have been handled better.
“The bigger council should have been informed because it is the one that had gone to President Mnangagwa. It would have gone back to the president to say stop constructing the mausoleum because of the new plans.
“So that communication was not there, it was very poor. We regret that and personally I would apologies to the chiefs to say, we are sorry for the miscommunication, it was uncalled for.
“I don’t think an apology has gone to the chiefs. It’s even seen in the accusations that are now coming to me, to the effect that we sold out and we were bought by Mnangagwa. It is nonsense, total nonsense.
“Nobody was bought. Nobody was given money. Nobody was coerced into taking my uncle to the shrine.”
A close family friend told the Independent that Grace was consulted throughout the process before government announced that Mugabe would be buried at the National Heroes Acre.
“There were so many turns and twists. The Heroes Acre place was chosen and rituals were performed by Chief Zvimba (who also did not attend the burial), Robert Jr, Chatunga, Leo, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, representing government and Mnangagwa, and Ministry of Home Affairs officials.
“The designs of the Mausoleum were approved by Grace and relatives. Permission to construct the mausoleum came from Grace, only to change her mind later and leave everyone in the dark,” he said.
After agreeing that he should be buried at the National Heroes Acre, Mugabe’s family made an about turn last Thursday when it took a decision to honour his last wish by burying him in Zvimba.
HARARE – The government on Thursday failed to deny claims by central bank adviser Eddie Cross that a new currency will come into circulation in November.
Cross, recently appointed to a newly-established Monetary Policy Committee advising the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, told the ZBC on Wednesday that a new currency was due in November.
In a statement on Thursday, government spokesman Nick Mangwana said Cross “does not speak for the government of Zimbabwe, neither does he speak for the RBZ.”
“His views are personal and not indicative of the government’s policy thrust,” Mangwana said.
Crucially, the information ministry secretary did not deny claims by Cross that a new currency will come into circulation in November. Cross stood by his claims.
“The RBZ will regularly inject money into the economy in a measured way. The government will continue to give the nation updates on currency reform as and when necessary,” Mangwana added.
Recent currency changes by the RBZ have caught the public by surprise, starting with the decision to allow the RTGS currency to float in February.
In June, when the RBZ announced an end to the use of a basket of foreign currencies and the return of a currency called the Zimbabwe dollar – made up of the RTGS and bond notes and coins – the notice was issued less than 24 hours before the directive became effective.
On Thursday, Cross stood by his comments to the ZBC.
“It’s nothing new (what he said). The president announced a few months ago that we will have a currency by November. The delays were because of printing otherwise it would have been introduced in September,” he insisted.
Cross had told the ZBC that “we have insufficient cash in the system to meet people’s needs for transactions.”
He added that the new currency “should do away with the queues at the banks and people then should have adequate money for daily use.”
Last week, the government banned cash-in and cash-out services on mobile currency transactions. In announcing the moves, the RBZ said it would be injecting cash into the banking system soon to address a cash shortage that had opened arbitrage opportunities for mobile money traders.
“The RBZ will be injecting cash into the economy without changing money supply,” governor John Mangudya said in an October 1 statement clearly pointing to an ongoing process to print billions in new notes. “In this regard, banks will exchange existing RTGS balances for cash thus maintaining the monetary base unchanged.”
In February, Zimbabwe had around RTGS$10 billion in RTGS balances in the banking system, but very limited bank notes and coins in circulation which has seen pensioners, war veterans and workers who need cash spending hours in bank queues to be given just Z$100 – which is now just enough to buy a chicken and a loaf of bread.
State Media|THE National Oil Company of Zimbabwe says that the country has registered a positive improvement in fuel supplies and measures are being taken to restore normal services.
This was said by the chairperson of the National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC), Engineer Daniel Mackenzie-Ncube ignoring the fact that the high price of fuel has made it very unaffordable to most motorists.
He said recent interventions by Government through its various departments in a bid to resolve the fuel crisis seem to be yielding positive results as fuel supplies have recently improved.
Long queues, which had become the order of the day, have since disappeared in some parts of the country while major cities, which have a higher vehicle population, have seen reduced queues, said Eng Mackenzie-Ncube in an interview.
“The fuel situation has improved immensely and this is attributed to a combination of factors that are being implemented by Government through its various arms. As NOIC, we are working round the clock to ensure that fuel supplies improve across the country,” he said.
Eng Mackenzie-Ncube said his department, working hand in hand with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority (Zera), has introduced a raft of measures that have resulted in sanity prevailing in the fuel sector. Among the measures, he said, Zera has introduced a concept whereby all fuel stations and garages would account for the fuel received in a bid to curb diversion of supplies to the black market.
“A lot of sanity that is prevailing is attributed to Zera through an introduction of some measures that helped in stabilising the situation. We are going to continue working together to ensure that there is enough supply of fuel in the country,” said Eng Mackenzie-Ncube. He also attributed the improvement to economic reforms undertaken by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Treasury. “We are fighting the situation as Government. You will also find that the massive improvement is attributed to a price gap between the interbank rate and the retail price of fuel. This goes on to stop a lot of arbitrage as people stop selling fuel on the parallel market,” Eng Mackenzie-Ncube said.
An elderly man narrates an allegation saying ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership wanted to steal body-parts of his late former boss Robert Mugabe. VIDEO
State Media|ZANU-PF has slammed the MDC Alliance for its attempt to trivialise Government’s business after its legislators walked out as President Mnangagwa delivered the State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Tuesday.
The ruling party said the MDC claims that they were protesting President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy were hypocritical as election matters were put to rest last year in August.
Zanu-PF national spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said the opposition party is trying in vain to keep the nation in election mode through its childish antics to gain political mileage.
“The so-called illegitimacy claim is nonsensical as confirmed by the Constitutional Court of the Republic. Further, His Excellency the President Cde ED Mnangagwa has a surplus of close to half a million votes ahead of his nearest rival in the 2018 Presidential vote, which confirms the trust which the people have on his leadership abilities,” said Khaya Moyo.
“With this reality in mind, the revolutionary party Zanu-PF condemns the latest childish antics by the MDC-Alliance which seek to trivialise national institutions and its persistent attempt to keep the nation in perpetual election mode, in the vain hope that it will extract political dividend out of such retrogressive manoeuvres.”
He said while the MDC tries to please its Western handlers, Zimbabweans have continued to reject the opposition party as witnessed by its series of losses in recent by-elections.
Khaya-Moyo said it was shameful that the MDC Alliance wants to project itself as a democratic party but fails to respect the tenets of democracy by accepting President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.
“The pathetic antics exhibited yesterday (Tuesday) by the opposition MDC-Alliance confirmed the true nature of this disorientated puppet organisation masquerading as a democratic outfit. Their clumsy walk-out during His Excellency Cde ED Mnangagwa’s address served the ideal purpose of exposing them as a clueless so-called democratic movement with hardly any interest of Zimbabwe and its heroic people. Their bid is to pander to the machinations of their Western founders and funders whose interests have always been inimical to Zimbabwe. For MDC Alliance to lay claims of illegitimacy on the Office of His Excellency, the President Cde ED Mnangagwa is not only hypocritical but fallacious as it borders on hallucinations,” he said.
Khaya-Moyo said the opposition should dedicate its energies on the 2023 elections which the ruling Zanu-PF will also win.
Harare City Council’s health services director, Prosper Chonzi has allayed fears of a cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa saying the watery diarrhoea experienced by many residents in the area was caused by drawing water from unprotected sources.
The cholera scare arose after a non-governmental organisation, Community Water Alliance sent enumerators to ward 39 in Dzivarasekwa to undertake parallel typhoid, diarrhoeal and cholera tabulations which results pointed that the majority of those affected had dysentery (diarrhoeal with blood).
The health committee then asked Chonzi whether there was a cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa as alleged by the residents.
“There was no cholera outbreak in Dzivarasekwa, but due to erratic water supplies residents resorted to drawing water from unprotected sources resulting in some residents suffering from watery diarrhoeal diseases,” he submitted.
Chonzi warned that as long as water supplies were not consistent, such cases would spread to other areas.
Community Water Alliance programmes manager Hardlife Mudzingwa said most of the affected residents in Dzivaresekwa were women and youth.
“We sent enumerators to ward 39 in Dzivarasekwa to undertake parallel diarrhoeal and cholera tabulations and the results we got from the assessment is that 71,81% of victims of typhoid are youths, 65,60% of the victims are women. Our findings demonstrate beyond doubt that in Dzivarasekwa young women comprise the majority of victims. A majority of those affected had dysentery,” Mudzingwa said.
He told NewsDay that a borehole along 11th Street Gunhill seems to be the main source of contamination of water in Dzivarasekwa.
However, Chonzi said the situation was under control and they had set up a rapid response team which is on standby in case of any outbreak.
He added that there was a team on the ground providing treatment as well as distributing some water treatment tablets and carrying out educational awareness campaigns.
1.The Marange Community head last night said over 10 people have been shot and he says he personally witnessed 4 being shot at close range, 3 rounds of bullets one after the other at the fields. Then there are the magwejas and also women who are used by soldiers for cheap labour.
By Own Correspondent| The Marange community were on the 3rd October outraged against the Zimbabwe government which has denied that there is ongoing forced labour which “has continued” at the diamond fields.
The government spokesman, Nick Mangwana rushed to pull a side comment from a US embassy employee hoping to discredit a library of video footage at the fields running for several years since 2008, showing brutalities that have continued even into the last 3 months.
Mangwana has denied that there are complaints from the Marange community in recent years and in a discussion with ZimEye yesterday, he said these abuses ended during the Robert Mugabe days.
The Zim government is fighting to get Marange stones reinstated as clean diamonds by US authorities following a ban earlier this week.
A top aide of Chief Marange’s who is also the Marange Diamond Community Trust leader, Moses Mukwada, saying the government spokesman is not being truthful, however narrated the opposite saying that forced labour as well as torture by soldiers, are on the rise in the last 3 months at the Marange Diamond Fields.
He also confirmed ZimEye video footage from a November 2018 visit which shows a man brutally bitten by guard dogs at the fields.
Speaking to ZimEye via phone Thursday evening, Moses Mukwada said in comparison to the November 2018 days, the latest alleged military brutalities “have worsened and in the last 3 months alone, there have been several shootings.”
In deeply disturbing graphic detail, Mr Mukwada described one of the attacks saying an officer would consciously load 3 bullets one after the other into a victim’ body.
He also spoke concerning a group of local miners known as Mangwejas he said are being coerced into forced labour by the military and then poorly remuerated.
“Things haven’t changed, they have actually worsened,’ said Mukwadi.
He continued saying,
” at one time it was just the dogs being used on people, this time this year we have a lot of people numbering up to 10 who have been shot with guns by security guards. We with our own eyes witnessed about 4 of them who were shot and killed.
“Direct shooting to the extent that the gun will be firing 3 rounds of bullets, one after the other into one person.
“There is another one who came out on studio 7 who had a lot of bullets in his body,” he added.
He also described the issue of forced labour saying that soldiers usually target a group of young men from the local area who bear the title magwejas. He said this group after being found digging for diamonds are captured by soldiers and forced into working for the military officers and the paid in kind.
He said, ” when we look at the case of the magwejas, these magwejas go on their own into the fields to pick up what they can. At that point they are captured by the soldiers and then they take them away.
” I witnessed one such incident 2 months ago, the people were being dropped into a bowser of water (sic) [likely for cleaning the stones]. And then when the diamond is sold off, they are paid only an appreciation; everything else they (soldiers) take.
“We could never say that things have improved. Things have actually gone worse,” he said. [timeline 3:50 to 4:30].
Mukwada also said some of the forced labour involves local residents who originate from other parts of the country but are now part of community as a result of of consequences such as marriage. He alleged that even married women if found to have identity cards that show that they were not born in the local area, they are immediately seized by the soldiers and taken away for forced labour to do worn such as closing up open cast mines left open by the magwejas. (LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE 2 LIVE AUDIOS BELOW)
Independent|FORMER President Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Leo, and some close relatives snubbed the former president’s burial in Zvimba last Saturday after being accused by ex-first lady Grace Mugabe of taking bribes from government to ensure the late leader is buried at the National Heroes Acre against his wishes.
Before his death in Singapore on September 6, Mugabe had told his family he did not want to be buried at the National Heroes Acre, a North Korea-styled hilltop shrine in Harare.
He informed the family he did not want President Emmerson Mnangagwa to preside over his burial and pontificate over his dead body.
Grace also accused long-time family friends such as former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono of being sent by the state and acting to curry favour with Mnangagwa.
Despite negotiating on Mugabe’s behalf at the height of the 2017 military coup that catapulted Mnangagwa to power, Gono did not attend the burial as well.
Family sources told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that Grace unleashed her wrath on Leo during a family meeting held on Saturday morning hours before the burial.
Family members revealed Grace launched a verbal tirade on Mugabe’s nephew and other relatives, accusing them of betraying the family and taking bribes from government agents, along with Zvimba chiefs, to influence the family’s decision. The former first lady labelled Leo and other relatives “sell-outs”.
Leo, according to family members, stormed out of the meeting, trailed by a number of family members, who included some chiefs from the clan.
Leo, Mugabe’s late sister Sabina’s son and family spokesperson during negotiations between the government and family, confirmed the fallout in an interview with the Independent this week.
He, however, denied ever taking bribes from government agents.“We had a fall-out on Saturday around 11am before the burial. We fell out because she said I took a bribe from Mnangagwa to influence the decision to bury my uncle at the Heroes Acre. It is not true to accuse chiefs of taking bribes. Those are some of the accusations,” Leo said.
“It’s normal to fall out. It’s not new really because I don’t tolerate nonsense. My uncle knew that I would argue and put across my point. I am a principled person. Can you imagine I did not eventually attend my uncle’s funeral.”
Leo also said some family members expressed disappointment during the meeting, accusing Grace and a small cast of family members, who included her children and former mines minister Walter Chidhakwa, of making a unilateral decision to take Mugabe’s body to Zvimba.
“The extended family was then left out, but it’s normal in every family. It should have been properly communicated to others so that people don’t feel they are being pushed out,” Leo said.
“This is why the chiefs never showed up. There was one chief there. I think the situation could have been handled better. Certainly it could have been handled better.
“The bigger council should have been informed because it is the one that had gone to President Mnangagwa. It would have gone back to the president to say stop constructing the mausoleum because of the new plans.
“So that communication was not there, it was very poor. We regret that and personally I would apologies to the chiefs to say, we are sorry for the miscommunication, it was uncalled for.
“I don’t think an apology has gone to the chiefs. It’s even seen in the accusations that are now coming to me, to the effect that we sold out and we were bought by Mnangagwa. It is nonsense, total nonsense.
“Nobody was bought. Nobody was given money. Nobody was coerced into taking my uncle to the shrine.”
A close family friend told the Independent that Grace was consulted throughout the process before government announced that Mugabe would be buried at the National Heroes Acre.
“There were so many turns and twists. The Heroes Acre place was chosen and rituals were performed by Chief Zvimba (who also did not attend the burial), Robert Jr, Chatunga, Leo, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, representing government and Mnangagwa, and Ministry of Home Affairs officials.
“The designs of the Mausoleum were approved by Grace and relatives. Permission to construct the mausoleum came from Grace, only to change her mind later and leave everyone in the dark,” he said.
After agreeing that he should be buried at the National Heroes Acre, Mugabe’s family made an about turn last Thursday when it took a decision to honour his last wish by burying him in Zvimba.
Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwean businessman Justice Maphosa, who helped stranded veteran politician Emmerson Mnangagwa in November 2917 when he fled the country and sought refuge in neighboring Mozambique after he was sacked by then president Robert Mugabe for allegedly undermining him, will not step his foot in the country claiming that Mugabe wants to eliminate him for rescuing Mnangagwa.
Maphosa runs Big Time Strategic Company which bank rolls the Gwanda Gospel Music Show which kicks off in Gwanda on Friday and ends on Sunday.
The South Africa-based businessman was hardly known until he emerged with his annual concert in Gwanda five years ago.
He built his name further with his act of brotherhood to ‘rescue’ Mnangagwa when death was knocking on his doors from Mugabe.
Mnangagwa illegally crossed the border at night and landed in Mozambique with a few bodyguards, who are said to have blocked attempts by Zimbabwean state security agents from arresting the fleeing vice president and his entourage.
The multi-millionaire, who describes himself as a non-corruptible God-fearing businessman, says when he sent his private jet to pick up Mnangagwa, it was an act of kindness.
Maphosa claims that Mnangagwa phoned him seeking help while he was still in Zimbabwe.
“Come that day I get a call from him … ‘Maphosa I am in a situation. I have been fired. My life is in danger. I need to get out of the country. My first call was, where are you? Where are you going? Where will you be in 2 hours, in 4 hours in 6 hours?’ … Which he told me and we went to pick him up and we brought him into the country.”
However, he said now there are people who want to eliminate him due to his close links to the president and his act of kindness and will this year like he did last year miss his high cost gospel music concert.
Maphosa, 44, was born in Gwanda, Matabeleland South province, where he did part of his education before proceeding to South Africa. He did computer studies with a bias on Information Communication Technology.
In 1998, together with a friend, he launched his first company the Computer Inc. and Media Solutions, whose core business was to recycle computer ink cartridges. Today he is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Big Time Strategic Group, with 17 subsidiaries across Southern Africa.
Despite the threats on his life and his business, Maphosa says he is in the process of launching nine companies in Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile, Organisers of the annual Gwanda International Gospel Festival have unveiled a star-studded line-up for the event.
Swaziland’s Ncwandeni Christ Ambassadors and Shongwe with his Khuphuka Saved group will headline the fest alongside Sipho Makhabene, Takesure Zamar, Vocal Ex, Mathias Mhere and Indosakusa: The Morning Star.
The festival, now in its fifth edition, will be held at its usual venue, Phelandaba Stadium from tomorrow until Sunday.
Denzel the Pianist from Cape Town, Mkhululi Bhebhe, Joyful Praise from Gweru, Hybrid Sounds from Gwanda and Harvest Music Super Choir from Bulawayo will make up the rest of entertainers.
NewsDay|THE Zimdollar has devalued by 135,7% to $15,25 against the greenback on the interbank market since it was declared the sole legal tender on June 24, owing to persistent foreign currency shortages and the deteriorating economic environment.
When the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe scrapped the use of a basket of other foreign currencies, the Zimdollar was trading at US$1:2,5, but as of yesterday, the interbank rate stood at US$1:$15,25.
The interbank foreign exchange market was introduced in February this year to allow companies to trade forex, but access to foreign currency has remained challenging for businesses.
On the parallel market, the local currency was trading at 1:$17 against the greenback, a testimony of serious hard currency scarcities battering the economy.
This comes after the International Monetary Fund team which was in the country for the Article IV Consultation that coincided with the first review of the Staff-Monitored Programme last month told authorities that there was need to contain fiscal spending consistent with non-inflationary financing, tighten monetary policy to stabilise the exchange rate and start rebuilding confidence in the national currency.
The Washington-based Bretton Wood institution noted that weakening confidence, policy uncertainty, a continuation of foreign exchange market distortions and a recent expansionary monetary stance has increased pressure on the exchange rate.
Economist John Robertson said the country should increase its exports to generate more foreign currency and have an increased ability to create its own money.
“We need to increase our exports by increasing production in order to earn more foreign currency and reduce our imports. We also need to increase the ability to create our own money so that we will not have to rely more on using foreign currency,” Robertson said.
He added that the prevailing economic environment is not conducive for investors because it kills market confidence.
“We are not getting any investors in the country because this environment is hostile to investors. We have created an economy that is harmful to ourselves. Some people are saying money is losing value, hence they are taking their money and banking it somewhere else which is not in this country, hence we still have cash shortages.
Last week, the RBZ issued a directive to all banks to freeze the accounts of companies suspected of engaging in money-laundering activities and fuelling the foreign currency parallel market.
Before lifting the prohibition order, the central bank also banned all cash-in, cash-out and cash-back transactions, in a bid to eliminate the buying and selling of cash at a premium.
All these efforts have proven fruitless as the hard cash and foreign currency shortages persist.
HORDES of agitated pensioners and war veterans Thursday besieged the People’s Own Savings Bank (POSB) Head Office in Harare demanding the release of their payments as the current cash crunch took a toll on the former workers.
The pensioners have been frequenting the banking hall to try and withdraw their pensions with no success.
They ran out of patience on Thursday and started demanding their dues from the financial institution.
“We fought for this country, but we are now being ill-treated,” said one pensioner, who identified herself as Sarudzai Mawokomatsva.
“I left my children at home without food. What do I do now without my money? I can’t even send my children to school anymore. The situation is just unbearable.
“Last month it was the same thing. If they continue treating us this way, we will invade the finance minister’s office because we want answers.”
Sixty-nine-year-old Vitalis Mhizha came from Murehwa and was among some of the desperate pensioners who travelled during the night hoping to withdraw his money.
Because of continued failure to access cash and continued price increases, 68-year-old Simon Mavaye said he has been forced to default on his medication.
“I take BP tablets but sometimes I don’t get them because I don’t have money.
“We are told that SSB (Salary Service Bureau) released our money to this bank but now they are denying us our money. I have to buy my tablets today (Thursday). So they have to give me my money.
“We have to rely on traditional healers now. We have no choice. I cannot go to a hospital when I have no capacity to pay for tablets from a pharmacy. It is very expensive for us.”
Two POSB officials who attempted to calm the situation at the Head Office’s foyer were met with insults by angry pensioners.
The pensioners also directed their anger towards Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and central bank governor, John Mangudya who they blamed for causing chaos in the economy.
Independent|VICE-President Constantino Chiwenga, currently recovering at a top hospital in China, where he underwent two operations to clear his blocked oesophagus, amid poisoning fears, last month dismissed security officials attached to him fearing they were spying on him and giving his political rivals information on his recovery bid.
Chiwenga, who swopped his military fatigues for political office after leading a military coup which toppled former president Robert Mugabe in 2017, leading to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rise to the seat of power, dismissed all security aides from the Central Intelligence Organisation attached to him. “He remained with two security aides by the name Ncube and Kadengu, who are from the military,” a state security official revealed.
The Zimbabwe Independent’s security sources said Chiwenga did not feel secure under the watch of CIO operatives he was not close to.
“Besides, he also believed they were giving updates to his political rivals, including Mnangagwa about his progress,” an official said.
Chiwenga was airlifted to Beijing from South Africa in July at a time he was wasted, bed-ridden and in critical condition. He was rushed to hospital on landing, where he was admitted in the intensive care unit of a state-of-the-art hospital in a high security area, before being moved to a private ward.
The former army general underwent a major operation to clear part of his oesophagus in August, before undergoing another operation last month.
The oesophagus is a muscular tube which connects the mouth to the stomach. When swallowing food, the walls of the oesophagus contract, enabling food to move to the stomach. Because of the blockage, officials revealed, Chiwenga was unable to eat, resulting in him becoming emaciated due to illness and lack of food.
Family sources say Chiwenga is recovering and is now able to walk. He has also gained weight and is weighing around 80 kilograms having been flown to China when he was weighing 50kgs.
Chiwenga is expected to remain in China for several months. He is surrounded by several family members, including his son, although his wife Mary is in Zimbabwe.
Chiwenga’s close associates say he was poisoned by his political rivals, although the vice-president has not revealed the cause of his ailment.
Zanu PF insiders told the Independent in August that Chiwenga’s health woes have ignited frenzied jostling for his seat, with Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri emerging as the front-runner. At the time many Zanu PF officials were convinced the former military general would not survive.
Although Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were allies ahead of the coup, they fell out soon after Mnangagwa assumed the reins as they battled to control heart and soul of Zanu PF.
Before last year’s elections, Mnangagwa publicly spoke about an inside plot to impeach him.Mnangagwa also spoke about an attempted assassination after an explosion at a rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo which killed two security aides and injured many other people in June 2018.
Insiders say initially, the coup deal was that Mnangagwa would come in as a civilian face and serve one term and go, leaving power to Chiwenga.
However, Mnangagwa’s repeated talk of two terms soon after assuming power widened the rift between the two. Soon after the coup, differences between the two also emerged around several issues including the transitional arrangement, critical appointments, and dismissals, especially in the security sector, business deals and the direction of the administration.
Mnangagwa preferred to appoint Oppah Muchinguri as vice-president but Chiwenga insisted that the job should be given to him. He also seized the responsibilities of defence and war veterans from co-vice-president Kembo Mohadi, while Mnangagwa took security amid fears his deputy would become too powerful.
Mnangagwa also preferred to appoint war veteran Victor Matemadanda as political commissar but the army insisted that the job be given to Major General Engelbert Rugeje – one of those that traded military fatigues for civilian suits.
Paul Nyathi|The ruling ZANU PF party has all but conceded that Economic Freedom Fighters of South Africa leader Julius “Juju” Malema played a critical role in the snubbing of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s dream of burying late former President Robert Mugabe at the National Heroes Acre.
In an interview with state media Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu said EFF leader Julius Malema, who was recently in the country, should not meddle in the internal politics as he is turning out to be G40’s mouthpiece.
“If you look at what happened when Julius Malema came into the country, Julius came here because he was sent by Kasukuwere and Zhuwao, who are in South Africa, to come and convince the former First Lady that they cannot allow former President to be buried at the Heroes Acre, why?
“Because their political game will not work.
“The person that is making a mistake is Julius Malema because I don’t think that it is proper for him to interfere with internal politics of Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe in general.
“He is a South African and in South Africa, no one will go there from any other country.
“So he has become the spokesperson and representative of G40 fugitives who are outside the country, but I don’t think it is good for him. I know for a fact that the president of G40 is Saviour Kasukuwere,” said Matutu.
Matutu said the decision to bury the former President in Zvimba was part of a money-making scheme.
Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, has actually credited EFF leader Julius Malema for pushing Zimbabwe’s government to honour his uncle’s burial wishes.
Mugabe died in a Singapore hospital on September 6 and was buried on Saturday.
On his website, Zhuwao thanked Malema for an interview he did in Zimbabwe in which he pushed the government to honour the former president’s wishes to be buried in his hometown in Zvimba instead of at Heroes Acre in Harare.
This despite Zanu-PF accusing Malema of demeaning the legacy of Mugabe and taking cheap shots at Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“Thank you to the EFF and its Commander in Chief Honourable Julius Malema for consoling us and assisting the family of the late President Mugabe to have his wishes honoured on where he would like his mortal remains to be interred.
“After the family of the late President Mugabe expressed its desire to proceed with his burial in Zvimba, the government of Zimbabwe, in its press release dated 26 September 2019, indicated that it is co-operating with the family. The government of Zimbabwe will render all the necessary support to give the late President Mugabe a fitting burial led by the family,” said Zhuwao.
In a somewhat shocking move, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) through state media says it welcomes proposals by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Authority to further increase power tariffs
CZI national vice president Mr Walter Chigwada told state media on Thursday that as industry they welcome plans by Zesa Holdings through its subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), to increase electricity tariffs from 38,61 cents per kilowatt hour on a promise that electricity supply will improve.
“As long as the power tariff is within reason, something that is affordable and improves electricity supply, it’s welcome. Already industry has got a lot of stress from the challenges prevailing and the issue of power is one of the key enablers for us to be able to move forward,” said Mr Chigwada.
“We need to have affordable power. We need to move away from those days where power was just too cheap for anyone to be able to be supplied.”
ZETDC said the existing power tariff of 38,61 cents/kWh was no longer viable.
It further said local electricity production has been negatively impacted by low water levels in Lake Kariba. The power company said this has restricted electricity production to an average capacity of 190 megawatts at Kariba, which is Zimbabwe’s major power station with an installed capacity of 1 050MW.
As of yesterday, the Zimbabwe Power Company indicated on its website that the country was generating a total of 700MW from all its power stations.
Mr Chigwada said in light of the prevailing power challenges facing the economy, it was critical for the country to move with speed in addressing the issue adding that electricity imports were key going forward.
ZETDC has said the electricity tariff applied for would enable it to raise the required working capital for the improvement of among other things, local electricity generation, procurement of critical spares for maintenance as well as electricity imports to reduce load shedding.
Contacted for comment on the matter, Zera acting chief executive, Mr Edington Mazambani said: “You were too early because when they (ZETDC) put that advert, it kick-starts the whole process of reviewing and consulting on the tariffs.
“We are currently doing that, so the number can only be shared after the full consultation process has been done.”
Presently, the country’s demand for power hovers around 2 000MW. However, due to ageing equipment, existing power plants are generating far below the national requirement and this has prompted Government to embark on extension works at its major power stations.
Zimbabwe has been witnessing a wave of massive price increases, following the fiscal policy reviews by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.
In the mid-term 2019 fiscal review announced on August 2, 2019, Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube increased electricity tariffs threefold.
Electricity charges increased from 9,86 cents (US1 cent) per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 27 cents/kWh (3 US cents.)
Paul Nyathi|FORMER Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s bid to have his passport back hit a brick wall yesterday after he refused to submit title deeds to his Douglasdale home in Bulawayo as part of the conditions raising fears that the state may turn his house into a ZANU PF property.
Mphoko’s fears come after shocking details that ZANU-PF has title to late former President Robert Mugabe’s houses — the imposing Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale and a Mount Pleasant property occupied by his daughter, Bona.
Mugabe family spokesperson Mr Leo Mugabe confirmed after Mugabe’s death that Zimbabwe’s late founding father did not own the houses.
President Mnangagwa is now working on modalities to transfer the title deeds of the two houses to Mugabe’s family but after threats by ZANU PF Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu that the party will take over the properties and turn them into museums to raise funds for the party.
Mphoko, through his lawyer, Zibusiso Ncube, had applied for the passport to be returned to enable him to travel to South Africa to meet his business associates over five working days.
Mr Ncube assured the court that Mphoko would not abscond since all his family is in Bulawayo and has business interests in the country.
He also indicated that his client was ready to stand trial at any time.
“My client has never defaulted on his reporting conditions, interfered with the State witness and has never violated the trust entrusted in him by the court, he strictly adhered to his bail conditions,” he said.
“The administration of justice will not be tampered with if he is given his passport even if we were to be given a trial date tomorrow, the trial will not kick off in five days.”
The State, led by Mr George Manokore, opposed the application on the basis that the accused had not furnished the court with concrete details of his business trip and had also not complied with the condition set for the release of the passport.
“We told the defence that we wanted security in the form of title deeds to his property namely number 19 Douglasdale Road, Douglasdale in Bulawayo during the five days he will be in South Africa,” he said.
“We had agreed that we will hand over the passport when he gives us the title deeds and we will return them when he comes back from South Africa and surrenders the passport, but that did not find favour with the accused person.
“It is our belief that the failure by the accused person to hand over the title deeds points to the fact that he does not want to attach himself to the risk that will arise if he hands over the title deeds.”
Mr Ncube, however, argued that it was not proper to view his client as a flight risk without evidence. He said his client was worried about entrusting the State with his title deeds and had instead offered to surrender share certificates worth US$300 000 that the Government owes him.
“The title deeds are there, but we do not trust the State with them. My client is a former Vice President and we might wake up to find that the property belongs to the ruling party,” he said.
He accused the State of having a tendency of expropriating people’s properties.
Harare Provincial magistrate Mr Hosea Mujaya threw out the application on grounds that there was no proof place the court that shows the Government owes Mphoko more than US$300 000.
He also indicated that the accused person has immovable property that is his house and other properties, but there is lack of trust between the accused and the State.
“The fact that the State is promising to give a trial date does not mean an accused person cannot get his passport, but no sufficient facts have been placed before me to support the application.”
Mr Mujaya, however, granted another application by the defence to have their court appearance yesterday deferred to October 10.
Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared first Friday of every month a national clean up day where everyone in the country is expected to take two hours from 8am to 10am cleaning the area around them.
Since the launch of the exercise, the President and other senior ZANU PF officials have been taking the opportunity to gather people in the pretence of clean up but to hold mini ZANU PF campaign rallies where speeches not related to cleaning the country dominate the day.
The programme of the clean up day normally dedicates half an hour to picking up a few pieces of paper before people are grouped for over two hours listening to ZANU PF politics followed by some eating and drinking.
President Mnangagwa will today continue with his campaign trail headlining the 10th National Clean-Up Campaign at Mzimba Shopping Centre in Chinhoyi.
Mashonaland West provincial development coordinator Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo said everything was now in place for the clean-up.
“It is all systems go for the National Clean-Up where the President (Mnangagwa) will lead a brief ceremony as he has another commitment at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).
“The centre of activity will be Mzimba Shops in Cold Stream suburb. Preparations have been going on and we are ready to host the President as a province,” said Mrs Chitiyo.
After the clean-up, the President will preside over the graduation ceremony at CUT where thousands are expected to graduate in the faculties.
EMA spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata said while the main event will be in Chinhoyi, other dignitaries will lead clean-ups in other parts of the country.
The First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa will take her extensive helicopter to, while Vice President Kembo Mohadi will lead the clean-up in Gwanda.
Mr Kangata said some ministers will be at Letombo Spar in Msasa, Harare, while Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu and officials from his ministry will be at Sunway City PPC gate, also in Msasa.
Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) public relations officer Dr Simon Matingwina said they will be involved in the clean-up at Queensway Shops.
“The AFZ will join the nation in commemorating the national clean-up campaign in partnership with the corporate world at Queensway shops corner Airport Road and St Patrick’s Road. We will team up with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), Tobacco Research Board (TRB), Davies Granite and Dankwerts Farm,” he said.
The national clean-up, which is conducted between 8am and 10 am on the first Friday of every month, has seen people becoming increasingly aware of the need to keep their environment clean but questions remain why the day can not be dedicated to mere clean up without the ZANU PF politics.
By Own Correspondent| The Marange community last night were outraged at the Zimbabwe government which has denied that there is ongoing forced labour which “has continued” at the diamond fields.
The government spokesman, Nick Mangwana rushed to pull a side comment from a US embassy employee hoping to discredit a library of video footage at the fields running for several years since 2008, showing brutalities that have continued even into the last 3 months.
Mangwana has denied that there are complaints from the Marange community in recent years and in a discussion with ZimEye yesterday, he said these abuses ended during the Robert Mugabe days.
The Zim government is fighting to get Marange stones reinstated as clean diamonds by US authorities following a ban earlier this week.
A top aide of Chief Marange’s who is also the Marange Diamond Community Trust leader, Moses Mukwada, saying the government spokesman is not being truthful, however narrated the opposite saying that forced labour as well as torture by soldiers, are on the rise in the last 3 months at the Marange Diamond Fields.
He also confirmed ZimEye video footage from a November 2018 visit which shows a man brutally bitten by guard dogs at the fields.
Speaking to ZimEye via phone Thursday evening, Moses Mukwada said in comparison to the November 2018 days, the latest alleged military brutalities “have worsened and in the last 3 months alone, there have been several shootings.”
In deeply disturbing graphic detail, Mr Mukwada described one of the attacks saying an officer would consciously load 3 bullets one after the other into a victim’ body.
He also spoke concerning a group of local miners known as Mangwejas he said are being coerced into forced labour by the military and then poorly remuerated.
“Things haven’t changed, they have actually worsened,’ said Mukwadi.
He continued saying,
” at one time it was just the dogs being used on people, this time this year we have a lot of people numbering up to 10 who have been shot with guns by security guards. We with our own eyes witnessed about 4 of them who were shot and killed.
“Direct shooting to the extent that the gun will be firing 3 rounds of bullets, one after the other into one person.
“There is another one who came out on studio 7 who had a lot of bullets in his body,” he added.
He also described the issue of forced labour saying that soldiers usually target a group of young men from the local area who bear the title magwejas. He said this group after being found digging for diamonds are captuured by soldiers and forced into working for the military officers and the paid in kind.
He said, ” when we look at the case of the magwejas, these magwejas go on their own into the fields to pick up what they can. At that point they are captured by the soldiers and then they take them away.
” I witnessed one such incident 2 months ago, the people were being dropped into a bowser of water (sic) [likely for cleaning the stones]. And then when the diamond is sold off, they are paid only an appreciation; everything else they (soldiers) take.
“We could never say that things have improved. Things have actually gone worse,” he said. [timeline 3:50 to 4:30].
Mukwada also said some of the forced labour involves local residents who originate from other parts of the country but are now part of community as a result of of consequences such as marriage. He alleged that even married women if found to have identity cards that show that they were not born in the local area, they are immediately seized by the soldiers and taken away for forced labour to do worn such as closing up open cast mines left open by yhe magwejas. (LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE 2 LIVE AUDIOS BELOW)
VOA Journalist Blessing Zulu orders people to label Mnangagwa "Head Of State" and Chamisa just "Advicate" | WILL YOU LISTEN TO HIM? pic.twitter.com/LmpCo7ntFp
THE ruling Zanu-PF is intensifying its membership recruitment drive aimed at building a strong membership base that can give the party at least 65 percent of the vote in the 2023 harmonised elections.
Addressing a recent extraordinary Midlands Province Coordinating Committee meeting at the Zanu-PF Winery Convention Centre in Gweru, Political Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda said strengthening party structures should be every member’s concern.
“We know we have 2,5 million to start with, who voted for the party in the last elections and that should be the base or where we start from. We are saying let’s intensify recruitment of more members from the cell to the national structures. If, say, each of the 2,5 million people who voted for the party in the last election recruits at least one member, it means we will have a strong five million voters who are able to give us at least 65 percent of the vote in the 2023 harmonised elections.
“This is very possible and we should go out there from the cell chairperson, district chairperson, and provincial chairperson to recruit more members. We need to grow this number for our party and leader President Mnangagwa,” he said.State media
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Zimbabwe has called out the United States of America for trying “to hide behind the finger” by describing its sanctions regime as merely restrictive measures.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi yesterday condemned the posturing after US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mr Tibor P Nagy, dismissed the outcry against the embargo as “a very false narrative”.
“This unacceptable statement is a public stunt by America and her cronies meant to demonstrate to other countries of the world that there was nothing wrong in what the United States was doing, but just a normal diplomatic way of handling a disagreement between two countries when in fact the sanctions are hurting even the innocent citizen in more ways than one,” said Minister Ziyambi.
The minister also lashed out at latest attempts by the US to stifle Zimbabwe’s diamond industry by alleging that they were being produced under exploitative conditions.
“I checked with the courts, police, ZACC (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). We don’t have any reports of child forced labour, particularly in Chiadzwa and also in other mining sectors,” he said.State media
FORMER Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has approached the High Court seeking an order directing the Government, through the Public Service Commission (PSC) to award him more than US$300 000 in benefits and monthly pension payouts.
Mr Mphoko, through his lawyer Mr Zibusiso Ncube of Ncube and Partners, on Wednesday filed an application for declaratur at the High Court in Bulawayo, citing Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutaunashe, Salary Services Bureau paymaster Mr Brighton Chuzingo and PSC pensions master, one K Makiwa, as respondents.
He wants an order declaring the withholding of his pension by the Government as illegal and unconstitutional.
Mr Mphoko is also seeking an order directing the respondents to facilitate and pay him US$308 000 or the equivalent in local currency at the prevailing interbank rate.
In his founding affidavit, Mr Mphoko said having joined the civil service in October 1981, he was entitled to his benefits and pension.
“This is an application for a declarator to declare unconstitutional the withholding of my pension by the respondents and for ancillary relief. I joined the civil service in October 1981 and served as an Ambassador of Zimbabwe to various countries. On December 10, 2014, I was appointed to the position of Vice President of the country, a position I held until I was removed from office in November 2017,” he said.
Mr Mphoko argued that in terms of Section 102(3) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, he was entitled to a pension which is equivalent to the salary of a sitting Vice President. “From the time I left office, I have not received a single dime in respect of my pension.
“The current Vice President receives a monthly salary of approximately US$14 000 or the equivalent at the previous interbank rate.
“This, therefore, means that to date, the arrears are in the sum of US$308 000 or the equivalent at the prevailing interbank rate. Neither have I received any of my benefits,” he said.State media
Farai Dziva|National Constitutional Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed Mnangagwa’s Sona saying it was uninspiring.
According to Newsday, Madhuku said the SONA was high on words, too ambitious and did not proffer any solutions for the people of Zimbabwe.
“They are worse than (the late former President Robert) Mugabe, especially the level of indecision. I read a useful article which said Mnangagwa, through his Sona last year, set an ambitious target that has not been achieved. It does not begin to even address the basic issues affecting the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Madhuku said his party was only participating in the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) with the hope that it would bring positive change to Zimbabwe and also to ensure that the Zanu PF government does not collapse.
The water situation in Harare has become a state of disaster and all stakeholders must work together to stem a calamity that could threaten the lives of the people.
The council is doing all it can to avert the disaster but there is need for collective action, given our observation as the MDC Local government secretaries during our tour of the water facilities in Harare.
Harare is located on a watershed that feeds into Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame and if not treated at the sewage plants, all pollution generated from the city’s industries, households and the small and medium enterprises will find its way into the city’s water bodies, thereby compromising and endangering the lives of residents.
Blue-green algae is making it almost impossible to treat water and the raw water parameters are no longer easy to treat as they have exceeded design capacity. The suction level has plummeted to just 4-5 metres above the lowest extraction level in the lake and below that level, the little water left will suck unacceptable dirt and endanger aquatic life.
The present level of chemicals in stock on all treatment plants ranges from 3-27 days, with major treatment chemicals such as chlorine, lime and aluminium sulphate only enough for 4, 11 and seven days respectively. The treatment capacity of the water works has been reduced to a parlous 300 mega litres per day, out of a potential 614 ML a day, a quantum that is inadequate to cater for the city’s residents.
As a party, we have held a meeting with the city authorities and we understand their predicament. We therefore recommend the following to avert the crisis in Harare:
That council takes quick steps to ensure that residents are updated on the dam levels and the water supply situation regularly.
That council liaises with central government and that government in turn ensures urgent provision of foreign currency to enable the city to have at least one month’s supply of chemicals in stock.
That council works on urgent rehabilitation work to ensure efficient treatment of both water and waste water.
That there be consultative and feedback programmes by councilors on the water and waste water situation in Harare.
That an appeal be made to residents and government to pay their bills to ensure sustainability of services.
That partnerships be established with all interested parties to rescue the situation by ensuring improved revenue collection. Council is also urged to be creative in terms of finding alternative ways of mobilizing resources by creating new revenue streams using local innovation and technology.
That council officials, particularly the town clerk and other technical staff, diligently do their work and stop playing politics given the dire situation in Harare.
That residents stop stream-bank cultivation as agricultural activities along the streams and valleys of Harare and Chitungwiza have caused a lot of siltation at Lake Chivero.
That government and council work together and rein in ZESA to rescue the water situation in Harare and other towns and cities in the country so as to avoid a time bomb due to poor sanitation and drainage failures.
All stakeholders must work together to avoid a calamity in Harare and as the MDC local government team, we are monitoring all towns and cities to avert potential crises. We reiterate our call on government to provide all council authorities with adequate foreign currency to ensure a consistent supply of safe water to residents across the country’s towns and cities.
As a permanent solution to the water challenges in Harare, we urge government to prioritize the construction of Kunzwi and Musami dams, which have been on the cards for a long time with nothing tangible happening on the ground. Sloganeering around these key projects will only worsen the situation.
Eng. Elias Mudzuri
Secretary for Local Government
Movement for Democratic Change
ZANU PF Youth League members are burning in jealousy of President Robert Mugabe’s favoured G49 group.
Gnashing its yellow-teeth, the Mnangagwa controlled state media reported saying self-exiled members of G40 want to gain cheap political mileage by taking advantage o President Robert Mugabe’s death, at the same time using his burial site in Zvimba as a money-making scheme.
Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao, who are now based in South Africa, were alleged to be the ringleaders of the plot and are working with an opposition party in that country, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu was quoted by the state owned Herald saying EFF leader Julius Malema, who was recently in the country, should not meddle in the internal politics as he is turning out to be G40’s mouthpiece.
“If you look at what happened when Julius Malema came into the country, Julius came here because he was sent by Kasukuwere and Zhuwao, who are in South Africa, to come and convince the former First Lady that they cannot allow former President to be buried at the Heroes Acre, why?
“Because their political game will not work.
“The person that is making a mistake is Julius Malema because I don’t think that it is proper for him to interfere with internal politics of Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe in general.
“He is a South African and in South Africa, no one will go there from any other country.
“So he has become the spokesperson and representative of G40 fugitives who are outside the country, but I don’t think it is good for him. I know for a fact that the president of G40 is Saviour Kasukuwere,” said Matutu.
Matutu said the decision to bury the former President in Zvimba was part of a money-making scheme.
Farai Dziva| An MDC Official has has scoffed at the ruling made by National Assembly Speaker, Advocate Jacob Mudenda on MDC MPs’ allowances.
Mudenda indicated that Parliament would withhold sitting allowances for MDC MPs after they walked out while President Emmerson Mnangagwa was delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
MDC secretary-general, Chalton Hwende, said :
The Speaker of Parliament thinks that the MDC Alliance MPs are deployed to Parliament to get allowances?
He is wrong, we are there to represent the 2.6 million voters who voted for Nelson Chamisa.
Our Parliamentary agenda is to ensure that those votes are made to count.”
By Own Correspondent| The Marange community last night were outraged at the Zimbabwe government which has denied that there is ongoing forced labour which “has continued” at the diamond fields.
The government spokesman, Nick Mangwana rushed to pull a side comment from a US embassy employee hoping to discredit a library of video footage at the fields running for several years since 2008, showing brutalities that have continued even into the last 3 months.
Mangwana has denied that there are complaints from the Marange community in recent years and in a discussion with ZimEye yesterday, he said these abuses ended during the Robert Mugabe days.
The Zim government is fighting to get Marange stones reinstated as clean diamonds by US authorities following a ban earlier this week.
A top aide of Chief Marange’s who is also the Marange Diamond Community Trust leader, Moses Mukwada, saying the government spokesman is not being truthful, however narrated the opposite saying that forced labour as well as torture by soldiers, are on the rise in the last 3 months at the Marange Diamond Fields.
He also confirmed ZimEye video footage from a November 2018 visit which shows a man brutally bitten by guard dogs at the fields.
Speaking to ZimEye via phone Thursday evening, Moses Mukwada said in comparison to the November 2018 days, the latest alleged military brutalities “have worsened and in the last 3 months alone, there have been several shootings.”
In deeply disturbing graphic detail, Mr Mukwada described one of the attacks saying an officer would consciously load 3 bullets one after the other into a victim’ body.
He also spoke concerning a group of local miners known as Mangwejas he said are being coerced into forced labour by the military and then poorly remuerated.
“Things haven’t changed, they have actually worsened,’ said Mukwadi.
He continued saying,
” at one time it was just the dogs being used on people, this time this year we have a lot of people numbering up to 10 who have been shot with guns by security guards. We with our own eyes witnessed about 4 of them who were shot and killed.
“Direct shooting to the extent that the gun will be firing 3 rounds of bullets, one after the other into one person.
“There is another one who came out on studio 7 who had a lot of bullets in his body,” he added.
He also described the issue of forced labour saying that soldiers usually target a group of young men from the local area who bear the title magwejas. He said this group after being found digging for diamonds are captuured by soldiers and forced into working for the military officers and the paid in kind.
He said, ” when we look at the case of the magwejas, these magwejas go on their own into the fields to pick up what they can. At that point they are captured by the soldiers and then they take them away.
” I witnessed one such incident 2 months ago, the people were being dropped into a bowser of water (sic) [likely for cleaning the stones]. And then when the diamond is sold off, they are paid only an appreciation; everything else they (soldiers) take.
“We could never say that things have improved. Things have actually gone worse,” he said. [timeline 3:50 to 4:30].
Mukwada also said some of the forced labour involves local residents who originate from other parts of the country but are now part of community as a result of of consequences such as marriage. He alleged that even married women if found to have identity cards that show that they were not born in the local area, they are immediately seized by the soldiers and taken away for forced labour to do worn such as closing up open cast mines left open by yhe magwejas. (LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW IN THE 2 LIVE AUDIOS BELOW)
THE fear of poisoning has once again come to the fore within Zanu PF and government circles following allegations by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s close associates that the ailing former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, currently hospitalised in China, could have been poisoned by his political rivals.
Chiwenga, who has been hospitalised at a top Beijing hospital since July, underwent a delicate operation last month, amid frenzied manoeuvring within Zanu PF by party heavyweights angling for the vice-president’s position.
Specialists partially cleared, through an operation, the ailing vice-president’s clogged oesophagus.
Prior to his emergency trip to China for treatment, Chiwenga was admitted to a hospital in South Africa.
Chiwenga orchestrated the military coup that toppled late Mugabe in November 2017, catapulting Mnangagwa to the presidency. However, he is said to be harbouring presidential ambitions, much to the discomfort of Mnangagwa and his loyalists.
The vice-president last year revealed he fell ill during the military operation which toppled late former president Robert Mugabe from power.
Allegations of poisoning were also topical last month following last month’s protests by former vice-president and ex-spy Phelekezela Mphoko that he feared being arrested as he could be poisoned while in detention.
Mphoko fled from Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) officials at the Bulawayo Central Police Station, fearing detention over abuse of power allegations.
Mphoko, who served alongside President Emmerson Mnangagwa as vice-president to Mugabe, was arrested by Zacc for allegedly facilitating the illegal release from police custody of former Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) acting chief executive Moses Juma and non-executive director Davison Norupiri. Juma and Norupiri were arrested in 2016 on allegations of defrauding the authority US$1,3 million.
The former vice-president has since surrendered to the police, before appearing in court where he was granted bail with stringent conditions.
He succeeded in avoiding police detention.
At the height of succession battles in Zanu PF in 2017, Mnangagwa, who was leading a faction fighting for the heart and soul of the party with a rival group that had coalesced around former first lady Grace Mugabe, was taken ill at a rally in Gwanda after allegedly being poisoned.
His supporters claimed at the time that he had eaten ice-cream laced with toxins.
He was flown to Gweru in a military helicopter, and later South Africa for treatment. His supporters accused the G40 camp of plotting to eliminate him through poisoning.
At the time, Mnangagwa’s doctors confirmed that he was indeed poisoned.
“I never said that I was poisoned in Gwanda, but that I fell ill in Gwanda,” Mnangagwa told a press conference in October 2017 at the height of factional fights engulfing Zanu PF over Mugabe’s succession.
“During the briefing with His Excellency, the President, comrade RG Mugabe, the medical doctors who attended to me ruled out food poisoning, but confirmed that indeed poisoning had occurred and that investigations were still in progress. They, however, established that poisoning had indeed occurred and investigations were in progress.”
Mphoko’s utterances, as well as Chiwenga’s deteriorating health, sources said, also added impetus to swirling speculation that a number of political figures, including the late former prime minister, and MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai were poisoned.
Tsvangirai succumbed to colon cancer in South Africa on February 14 2018.
His condition deteriorated sharply after the collapse of the inclusive government which he had entered with Mugabe between 2009 and 2013 following talks brokered by the Southern African Development Community.
Tsvangirai’s supporters believe that although he was diagnosed with cancer, his condition could have been compounded by poisoning either during the inclusive government period or when he was in detention.
Zapu cadres also believe former Zipra commander Lookout Masuku was poisoned while in prison.
Masuku, who deputised the late army commander Solomon Mujuru after independence, was arrested in 1982 on allegations of plotting to overthrow Mugabe ahead of the Gukurahundi massacres from 1982 to 1987.
Masuku died in 1986 after being detained for four years, with his death described as suspicious.
— Zimbabwe Independent
BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA| The SONA, which is often broadcast, serves as a means to inform the nation about its present economic, political, and social condition.
More than a litany of the current leadership’s accomplishments whether real or imagined, the SONA is supposed to be a platform for the President to inform the nation about the state of the country and for the nation’s leader to recommend to the legislature measures which he deems important.
The annual State of the Nation address is the keynote speech by the president to the nation in which he sets out his agenda for the next year, highlights his accomplishments to the people, and shapes a political message.
It is a requirement of the constitution that the president “shall from time to time give to Nation information of the State of the Nation and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.
On the First October 2019 at Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa commenced his annual speech conveying to the country what the state of our nation is. The President’s speech is special for many reasons, a prominent one is that it marks the official start of the Parliamentary year where Members of Parliament (MP’s) act as our voices, speak on our behalf and fight the fight for the people.
The opening of Parliament is attended by both houses (National Assembly and the Senate ) and the pomp and ceremony begins with MP’s parading their fabulous ensembles down the red carpet.
Although attending a Parliamentary Committee meeting can be (at times) boring, the opening Parliamentary proceedings have been spiced up by the introduction of new political parties who have continuously challenged the decorum and status quo in the house. According to news reports, well over 4 million Zimbabweans tuned in to watch SONA 2019. If it was not for electricity problems 10 million will have checked in.
The popularity of the event has undoubtedly grown over the years, and this year was deemed to be one of the most pressing addresses since Mugabe was overthrown by the army and replaced by our current President in 2017.
The State of the Nation Address is important for all Zimbabweans because it tells us what government’s programme of action is for the year ahead. The programme of action is government’s plan for the people of Zimbabwe.
The speech is important because it makes us aware of what government is doing, everyone can become involved and also take part in government’s plan to build a better life for all, informing the citizenry about the plans to make our economy work. The situation in Zimbabwe affects all people. They look up to their members of parliament to participate strongly in the changes on their lives. These changed are cross examined in parliament.
The President addressed pertinent issues facing the country. Other issues like economy like education, job creation, infrastructure development and youth unemployment while offering solutions to the issues currently plaguing the nation.
If you did not follow what government has achieved or failed at throughout the year, the State of the Nation Address is a good way to “catch-up” and get an overview of government’s efforts and plans. This will be debated in parliament for the whole session.
The greatest feature of SONA is seeing democracy in action-when opposing parties practise their democratic right not to exit the sitting. This is where MDC A has failed its mandate.
6. The State of the Nation Address is directly linked to the Budget Speech, it gives us a good indication of where our money as tax payers will be going. How on earth will the MDC A know what to argue in the next sitting. The MDC A MPs had a democratic right to be stupid but they have no right to disadvantaged their constituencies. They must always do their work to the best interest of the constituencies.
The President highlighted new programmes people can get involved in, old programmes seeing success and innovative programmes yet to be implemented.
SONA is also the opportunity for the President to boast about the good things happening in the country, after all we need to celebrate our successes as well. It was again the time to tell us that the government now has cleared debts and that the good is near. How are the walkout MP’s be able to debate these things.
The nation needed to understand what future we are going to inherit, what will that future look like, how will government ensure an equal future for all? SONA is the roadmap to finding the answers to these questions.
If you’re not interested in the plan for the country, then you’re not allowed to complain. So watch SONA, and you’re given a free pass to complain
The MDC A parliamentarians must know that The SONA is an opportunity for the President to take stock of challenges faced by the nation but also of progress made.
The address embraces all Zimbabweans and all sectors of society and reflects the lived experience of all citizens, regardless of political persuasion. It focuses the minds and energies of all Zimbabweans on the values that bind them together and on the actions they need to take to build and sustain a shared future.
“We should make a call again to all Zimbabweans to have an interest in the SONA too.
It should be understood that it is not the political party that wins the elections which will be spelling out its direction and plans for the country. It is actually the president of the nation who is addressing, it is not a ZANU PF leader but indeed it is a leader of Zimbabwe.
Government belongs to the people of Zimbabwe and that is why it is important for citizens to take an interest in what the President is going to say.
The MDC A parliamentarians are a shame to the nation. They must be removed from the parliament. They let down their voters now they will not be able to debate positively as they do not know what was said during SONA.
Zimbabwe needs to move on and these walking out pretenders must be sanctioned seriously.
Farai Dziva| The MDC has described the water situation in Harare as a state of disaster.
See the opposition party’s full statement below:
The water situation in Harare has become a state of disaster and all stakeholders must work together to stem a calamity that could threaten the lives of the people.
The council is doing all it can to avert the disaster but there is need for collective action, given our observation as the MDC Local government secretaries during our tour of the water facilities in Harare.
Harare is located on a watershed that feeds into Lake Chivero and Lake Manyame and if not treated at the sewage plants, all pollution generated from the city’s industries, households and the small and medium enterprises will find its way into the city’s water bodies, thereby compromising and endangering the lives of residents.
Blue-green algae is making it almost impossible to treat water and the raw water parameters are no longer easy to treat as they have exceeded design capacity. The suction level has plummeted to just 4-5 metres above the lowest extraction level in the lake and below that level, the little water left will suck unacceptable dirt and endanger aquatic life.
The present level of chemicals in stock on all treatment plants ranges from 3-27 days, with major treatment chemicals such as chlorine, lime and aluminium sulphate only enough for 4, 11 and seven days respectively. The treatment capacity of the water works has been reduced to a parlous 300 mega litres per day, out of a potential 614 ML a day, a quantum that is inadequate to cater for the city’s residents.
As a party, we have held a meeting with the city authorities and we understand their predicament. We therefore recommend the following to avert the crisis in Harare:
That council takes quick steps to ensure that residents are updated on the dam levels and the water supply situation regularly.
That council liaises with central government and that government in turn ensures urgent provision of foreign currency to enable the city to have at least one month’s supply of chemicals in stock.
That council works on urgent rehabilitation work to ensure efficient treatment of both water and waste water.
That there be consultative and feedback programmes by councilors on the water and waste water situation in Harare.
That an appeal be made to residents and government to pay their bills to ensure sustainability of services.
That partnerships be established with all interested parties to rescue the situation by ensuring improved revenue collection. Council is also urged to be creative in terms of finding alternative ways of mobilizing resources by creating new revenue streams using local innovation and technology.
That council officials, particularly the town clerk and other technical staff, diligently do their work and stop playing politics given the dire situation in Harare.
That residents stop stream-bank cultivation as agricultural activities along the streams and valleys of Harare and Chitungwiza have caused a lot of siltation at Lake Chivero.
That government and council work together and rein in ZESA to rescue the water situation in Harare and other towns and cities in the country so as to avoid a time bomb due to poor sanitation and drainage failures.
All stakeholders must work together to avoid a calamity in Harare and as the MDC local government team, we are monitoring all towns and cities to avert potential crises. We reiterate our call on government to provide all council authorities with adequate foreign currency to ensure a consistent supply of safe water to residents across the country’s towns and cities.
As a permanent solution to the water challenges in Harare, we urge government to prioritize the construction of Kunzwi and Musami dams, which have been on the cards for a long time with nothing tangible happening on the ground. Sloganeering around these key projects will only worsen the situation.
Eng. Elias Mudzuri
Secretary for Local Government
Movement for Democratic Change
A 34-YEAR-OLD Bindura man has been arrested on charges of killing his wife’s alleged boyfriend with a hoe.
Paradzai Parafini of Showground Compound was not asked to plead when he appeared before Bindura magistrate Ruramai Chitumbura, who remanded him in custody to October 10.
The State alleges that on August 1 at around 11pm, Parafini received information that his wife was seen coming out of the now-deceased, Arineshito Zhuwawo Janhi’s bedroom in a suspected infidelity affair.
He teamed up with his friend, who is still at large, and allegedly stormed Janhi’s homestead armed with a hoe.
The duo allegedly broke into the deceased’s house and assaulted him, killing him on the spot.
Tariro Janhi represented the State.
In another case, a Glendale man, Subbert Gorerino was slapped with a five-year jail term by Concession magistrate Ruth Moyo for cultivating 21 mbanje plants in his garden.
One year of the sentence was suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Prosecutor Kumbirai Nyamvura said the convict was arrested on September 9 after a tip-off.Newsday
By A Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission Chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, has said that the anti-graft commission has recovered properties and goods worth over $100 million from looters.
Speaking to the Herald in an interview on the sidelines of a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between Zacc and other stakeholders such as the National Prosecuting Authority, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s Financial Intelligence Unit, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Immigration Department, and the University of Zimbabwe, the ZACC chair said:
We are only forfeiting as Zacc then we take it to the NPA who will go to court for confirmation. As Zacc the goods we are holding on right now goes into hundreds of millions of dollars because right now we are in the process of preparing papers for the recovering of properties in our leafy suburbs.
In Borrowdale we are looking at over 10 properties with high value, and we have got so many vehicles now which we have targeted, others we already have in our possession.
ZACC was this year given arresting powers whilst efforts underway to establish legislation that allows the confiscation of wealth alleged to have been solicited corruptly or illegally.
VOA Journalist Blessing Zulu orders people to label Mnangagwa "Head Of State" and Chamisa just "Advicate" | WILL YOU LISTEN TO HIM? pic.twitter.com/LmpCo7ntFp
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The MDC national Secretary for Organising, Amos Chibaya, will be appearing at the Gweru Magistrates courts on Friday 4th October at 8.00am.
Leader Chibaya, who is already out on bail; is facing false charges of subversion.
It is the MDC’s strong view that the State’s case against leader Chibaya is very weak so much that it is so shocking that he is still facing trial up to now.
The false charges against leader Chibaya must be withdrawn immediately. Simple.
The MDC urges all our party leaders and members to turn out in their large numbers in solidarity with leader Chibaya at court tomorrow morning.
MDC @ 20: Celebrating Courage, Growth and the People’s Victories.
STATEMENT ON MR EDDIE CROSS’S CURRENCY PRONOUNCEMENTS.
We have received a lot of Media Enquiries regarding the pronouncements by Mr Eddie Cross on Currency Reforms. Mr E. Cross pronounced that Zimbabwe will be introducing a new currency in November 2019. We would like to make it clear that Mr E. Cross does not ‘speak for the Government of Zimbabwe. Neither does he speak for the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). His views are personal and not indicative of Government’s policy thrust. The Reserve Bank will regularly inject money pinto the economy in a measured and responsible way. Government will continue to give the nation updates on currency reform as and when necessary.
The Marange Diamond Community Trust leadership on the 3rd October 2019, speaks to ZimEye narrating that: contrary to the government’s denials, forced labour and gross abuse of miners to the extent of even extrajudicial killings through shooting, are on the rise in the last 3 months… VIDEO:
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) has dismissed as fake claims by the United States of America that rough-cut diamonds from Marange are obtained from the use of forced labour.
Speaking to the state media in an exclusive interview, ZCDC Acting Chief Executive Officer, Rob De Preto, said:
This is fake news, obviously aimed at creating some sort of hype. Remember ZCDC is accredited by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) and everything is accredited by them.
Preto’s remarks come after the USA issued a Withhold Release Order for the rough cut diamonds on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Natural Resource Governance communications officer, Simiso Mlevu, called on the USA to share its findings with civil rights groups saying that they have never received reports of forced labour in Marange where they worked since 2012.
By A Correspondent- A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official stationed at Plumtree Border Post, has appeared before Bulawayo magistrate facing charges of fraud and criminal abuse of duty after he allegedly forged customs documents to facilitate the smuggling of 50 cars into the country.
The State alleges that the officer, Norest Ushe, who was working at the Zimra private imports section had the password into the ZIMRA system since he was responsible for the clearance of private goods. Prosecutor Mufaro Mageza said:
The SAP profile password which he had until September 26, 2019, was deactivated after investigations of misuse. Between May and September 24 this year, Ushe clandestinely captured into the Zimra system, information of 50 cars smuggled into the country thereby generating an equipment number which if punched would display the particulars of the vehicle and enable printing CCC on the serialised forms at any Zimra station or printing of protected format document on bond paper.
Mageza added that Ushe continued using the password even after being redeployed to a section that had nothing to do with data capture.
Ushe’s actions are said to have robbed the State of US$432 767, 54 and $1, 4 million in potential revenue.
The Marange Diamond Community Trust leadership on the 3rd October 2019, speaks to ZimEye narrating that: contrary to the government’s denials, forced labour and gross abuse of miners to the extent of even extrajudicial killings through shooting, are on the rise in the last 3 months… VIDEO:
By A Correspondent- The High Court has granted an order compelling the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to pay back US$1,2 million to Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) borrowed to send the Warriors to Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon in 2017.
High Court Judge Justice Owen Tagu granted the consent order.
Zifa was given US$225 000 when the Warriors travelled to Guinea for an Afcon qualifying match and US$1 million for the tournament.
However, Zifa have failed to settle the debt for the past three years despite demand by Potraz.
Former Zifa’s president, Phillip Chiyangwa, in his capacity as the then Zifa board chairperson, executed an acknowledgement of debt in January 2017.
“The plaintiff’s (Potraz) claim is based on an acknowledgement of debt executed by Phillip Chiyangwa in his capacity as the defendant’s board chairman, and dated January 6, 2017. In terms of the document an amount of $1 225 000 together with interest at the rate of 5 percent per annum is payable to the plaintiff,” read the court papers.
According to the acknowledgement of debt Zifa requested the loan to facilitate travel, accommodation and participation costs of the national soccer team at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon.
“The debtor shall pay the capital sum in 24 instalments of not less than US$46 666 the first of which is payable on or before February 28, 2017 with each subsequent instalment paid before the last day of every succeeding month,” reads the document.
“All payments made by the debtor will be appropriated firstly towards payment of interest and lastly in reduction of the capital sum…if any single instalment is not paid strictly on due date thereof, then the creditor will have the right to claim payment of the full balance of the capital sum and interest on the outstanding amount.”
Zifa was supposed to clear the debt by January 1 this year. Potraz approached the High Court seeking an order compelling Zifa to pay the debt with interest at the rate of five percent per annum from February, 2017 to date of full payment.
A number of significant people on social media have reacted to government’s announcement that Zimbabwe will get new currency in November.
The announcement frustrated people, saying that the government is now confusing them.
“Your report must not confuse people like this. The new Zim dollar currency was already introduced, what will be issued are new notes and coins. Is that too difficult to get,”Cde Never Maswerasei.
“You can change this useless, valueless currency as many times as you like- but it won’t work,your problem is you, biased, propagandist regime media and your incompetent owner Zanupf,”Cazawaty#freepoliticalprisoners.
“How is this going to address the economic situation we are in? Already we have Zim dollar in so called bond dollars.Whats the difference that makes you think the new money will fix the economy @TichZindoga mr editor,” Ishe Mukati.
“So what we gonna call this one? 1 Austerity dollar or 1 mausoleum?? Feels we have exhausted all currency names,” Dziva.
“haa confusion yacho so ndopaunoona kuti zvikoro zvekuhondo hapana zvaidzidzwa shuwa economy yacho iri kuitwa trial and error tactics mapofu akutungamidzana mugwenga,”dukeayden.
“Changing currency won’t solve the current problems but escalate them.my suggestion is let’s stop price increases anything that stabilizes the prices is much needed at the moment than anything else,”Edwell Diza.
A member of the newly appointed Monetary Policy Committee Eddie Cross said the new currency will be introduced next month in a move to curb cash shortages in the country.
By A Correspondent- Constitutional law expert Professor Lovemore Madhuku has said Zimbabweans are stuck between a ruling Zanu-PF which has no clue how to change the fortunes of the economy, and an opposition MDC whose leaders are “arrogant and think they have a monopoly on opposition.”
“I don’t see Zimbabweans in 2023, still thinking that they are choosing between Zanu PF and MDC. By 2023, everyone would have seen that there is no leadership coming out of the MDC Alliance,” says Madhuku, who is leader of the National Constitutional Assembly as well as POLAD participant.
POLAD is a national dialogue platform initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Madhuku told a national daily that Zanu-PF has people who have no clue how to turn around the fortunes of the economy. He also said the much-hyped “new Dispensation” has nothing new to offer at all.
“You find people in government who have no clue as how to change the economic situation, how to turn around the economy, that is what we have at the moment. So there is no new dispensation at all.
“We must invest heavily in conscientising the majority of our people. I believe the only way forward for this country is to make people alert because despite what these people in government are doing they still enjoy support.
“Go to a by-election, you find that the majority of those who turn out to vote, vote for them notwithstanding the economic hardships, notwithstanding political repression. When next time around we have an election people must vote out this government that’s the way to go,” Madhuku said.
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa maintains that the problem facing Zimbabwe is political. The opposition party says it will not participate in the dialogue process initiated by the ‘illegitimate’ President, who Chamisa does not recognize.
Zanu-PF Chivi South MP and businessman Killer Zivhu has survived a push to expel him from the party by his Masvingo province.
The province had written to the party’s national disciplinary committee calling for Zivhu’s expulsion after he called on the spouses of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to facilitate dialogue between their husbands.
However, Zanu-PF sent its national commissar Victor Matemadanda to Masvingo where he called for unity.
Matemadanda said the province should concentrate on building structures and not expelling officials.
“We should be able to rehabilitate our comrades who go wayward, rehabilitation should come first before expulsion because if you want to expel people then we will be left with no one,” said Matemadanda.
He also spoke against factionalism in the party saying it was the cause for divisions.
“We want you to unite and shun divisions, we must learn from the past, factionalism causes these divisions but our wish is that you remain united so that we are stronger as a party,” said Matemadanda.
Masvingo province had accused Zivhu of treachery for calling for dialogue between Chamisa and Mnangagwa and wanted him to be ejected from the party and recalled from Parliament.
Nigerian President Muhhamadu Buhari and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
AP|Nigeria’s president was meeting with South Africa’s leader on Thursday after a wave of attacks on foreigners angered many African countries and led to an extraordinary airlift to take hundreds of Nigerians home.
The talks between Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is also a meeting of Africa’s two largest economies, with more than $3.3 billion in trade between them in 2018.
South Africa has been making efforts to mend ties with Nigeria and others after its government faced criticism for not explicitly speaking out against xenophobia at first but instead framing the violence as crime.
More than 12 people were killed and more than 700 arrested after bands of South Africans in Johannesburg and the capital, Pretoria, launched attacks against foreign-owned shops and stalls, looting and burning the small businesses and attacking some shopkeepers.
Nigeria’s foreign minister called the attacks “sickening” and the government recalled its high commissioner to South Africa. South Africa temporarily closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria, citing concerns over staff safety.
In Nigeria’s megacity Lagos, operations of South African telecommunications giant MTN were targeted in retaliatory attacks.
South Africa’s president now says his government is “totally committed” against attacks on foreign nationals. He acknowledges frustration about the country’s high unemployment and sluggish economy but has told countrymen not to take it out on foreigners.
Outbreaks of violence against Nigerians and citizens of other African nations have regularly erupted in South Africa in recent years, with some South Africans accusing foreigners of peddling illegal drugs or taking jobs.
The attacks on Nigerians have led to growing sentiments against South African companies doing business in Nigeria, with many people calling for their closure.
The periodic violence against foreigners in South Africa is in sharp contrast to the hospitality that other African nations showed to black South Africans during their long fight against the harsh system of white minority rule known as apartheid, which ended in 1994.
Former first lady Grace Mugabe risk losing all her properties in Mazowe – including her famed Gushungo dairy operations and top-notch school there – after the government indicated that it could re-allocate the farms under her control to miners which were displaced from the area during her late husband’s tenure in power.
This comes as there continues to be lingering about what lies ahead for the irascible and once untouchable widow of former president Robert Mugabe, following his recent death and his contested place of burial.
Former President Robert Mugabe and his wife, Grace, along with their family business, Gushungo Holdings were evicted from a Mazowe farm following an application by three farmers who were claiming ownership of the land.
Adonia Makombe, Sahungwe Hungwe and Nyika Chifamba issued summons at the High Court against Mugabe in June last year, seeking his eviction from Lot 1A Teviotdale Farm in Mazowe district of Mashonaland Central province.
The three argued that they were holders of offer letters for the land, which they grabbed at the height of the land reform programme in 2000.
But, Mugabe and his wife challenged the farmers’ assertion, arguing the letters were not an entitlement to the land and that they had no right to demand the eviction over land for which they themselves had no lawful authority to use, possess or occupy.
Mugabe argued that only the Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement minister could exercise that right, but High Court judge Justice Helena Charehwa ruled in favour of the farmers and ordered the former President off the land.
In their application, the three cited Mugabe, Grace, Gushungo Holdings, Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement and Home Affairs ministers Perrance Shiri and Cain Mathema and police chief superintendents only identified as Nhubu and Kunene, as respondents.
“It is ordered that an order be and is hereby made against fourth to eighth defendants in terms of R182 (ii) for (1) the restoration of possession of sub-division 1, 2 and 3 of Lot A of Teviotdale Farm, Mazowe district to first, second and third respondents (Makombe, Hungwe and Chifamba) respectively.
The judge also ordered the “eviction of all persons claiming occupation through fifth defendant (Lands minister) of sub-division 1, 2 and 3 of Lot A of Teviotdale Farm, Mazowe district Mashonaland Central Province” plus payment of costs on a higher scale.
However, soon after being evicted from the piece of land, Mugabe, Grace and Gushungo Holdings filed an appeal at the Supreme Court on February 15, 2019 challenging Justice Charehwa’s order and the matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
On February 18, the farmers also filed an urgent chamber application seeking an order for executing their judgment pending Mugabe’s appeal and the matter is also yet to be set down for hearing.
Meanwhile, Gushungo Holdings is reportedly on the verge of collapse after it emerged that the company was struggling to keep afloat and was failing to pay workers’ salaries since September last year.
According to one of the workers’ leaders, a Dr Elson Sweva, Gushungo Holdings owes workers substantial amounts of money in salaries and commission.
Sweva said the situation worsened when the company reduced salaries without the workers’ consent.
“Things have not been going on well since March last year, but the situation became worse after our salaries were reduced from $250 to $100 in September,” Sweva said.
He said the company stopped paying commission last year as it was experiencing high product returns.
He said most workers received a two months’ salary of $196 following a meeting held on February 1.
“Following a meeting on February 1, we were given two month’s salary totalling $196 and, surely, what would one do with that amount in this economy? Even housemaids are paid better salaries,” Sweva added.
But Gushungo Holdings managing director, Lameck Chinoera said the company does not owe workers outstanding dues, claiming that it was the other way round because some employees were still to repay advanced loans.
“We don’t have anyone who is owed a salary. Those who work for commission are paid for what they would have worked for. It’s not for the company to give people extra commission, it’s calculated. I have a payroll indicating that some people actually have loans,” said Chinoera.
On the viability of the company, Chinoera said they were being affected by foreign currency shortages like any other business in the country.
“We might have closed down one or two products on account of shortages of forex like most companies, but we are actually working on two shifts,” he said.
Sources said Gushungo Holdings reduced its workforce by half since March last year and has been hit by resignations of key personnel.
Last year, Grace told 106 workers at Gwina Farm in Banket that she was not going to pay them terminal benefits even if they went to court.
Gwina Farm was reportedly grabbed by Grace from Supreme Court judge Justice Ben Hlatshwayo, who was then allocated another land.
According to reports, the former First Family owns over 10 farms in the country.
Some members of the crumbling Matabeleland Collective during one of its hugely subscribed meetings in Bulawayo before Mnangagwa Captured the organisation.
CITE|The Matabeleland Collective (MC), a grouping of civil society organisations and clergy from the southern region, is reportedly on the verge of collapse with some former members revealing that the grouping failed to come up with a strategy and a narrative to drive its vision.
MC, whose membership included over 60 organisations, was caught in the political crosshairs when they met President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Bulawayo State House in March, to discuss some of the pertinent issues affecting the region, including the emotive Gukurahundi atrocities.
The capture. Mnangagwa with some of the leaders of the collective pose for a picture after the crack meeting.
The meeting attracted a lot of criticism from several quarters with some people accusing MC of attempting to spruce up the president`s image in the region.
The consortium became a subject of debate at a recent Critical Thinking Workshop, during a session on Civil Society and State Politics in Matabeleland where participants questioned the role of grouping.
Participants questioned whether the consortium was a practical solution to the region’s challenges and if its approach to the government was wise.
Former spokesperson of the collective, Dumisani Nkomo, who has since left the grouping, said the idea was well-intentioned but acknowledged that they lacked a strategy on how to control its narrative.
Nkomo admitted he was involved in the formation of the coalition, from the genesis, to the meeting at State House in Bulawayo and other preparatory meetings that took place.
“The idea and issues of the collective were clear and they were clearly identified historical issues that were affecting the region. There were four key issues: Gukurahundi and National healing, devolution of power, the issue of equalisation and economic recovery plus structural inclusion,” he said.
The collective, Nkomo said, involved about 60 organisations, which made the collective the largest coalition in Matabeleland.
“We reflected on those particular four issues over two days. What then lacked was strategy because we wanted to do consultations in Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and Bulawayo but there were no resources for that. So eventually we found ourselves in a space where we said we are going to engage the National Peace Reconciliation Commission, which we did,” he said.
He also said they planned to engage the chiefs and started working with the traditional leaders two years ago.
“We met with Chief Ndiweni and others. The idea was the chiefs would come from another angle as traditional leaders and push the agenda of Gukurahundi and devolution and so forth,” the activist noted.
The presentations by the collective before President Mnangagwa were good and Nkomo said the presenters laid the issues straight to him.
“We spoke of devolution and its immediate implementation, that government must put money into the Zambezi water project, the prioritisation of locals’ employment, issue of languages and culture. Unfortunately, Gukurahundi then took precedence from a presentation under social inclusion,” he said.
But, Nkomo concedes failure to manage the success, if any, and the narrative was to be the collective’s downfall.
“We were not in charge and in the end, we didn’t own the narrative, which the state began to run with. The narrative also came from social media and it became so toxic that beyond that, the meeting was about massaging Mnangagwa’s ego,” he said.
He also conceded that the collective’s leadership became too excited and naïve as well.
“At times you have to distinguish advocacy work and what the rules of engagement are. Eventually, some within the collective became coopted. But the collective idea was something good yet it mutated into a monster. Its genesis and position of issues were well-intentioned but media management was terrible, the advocacy strategy – terrible, risk management strategy – terrible,” the activist said.
Nkomo said the collective’s failures were a lesson learned as they failed to do political analysis of their meeting with President Mnangagwa.
“We failed to do power mapping again in political analysis we didn’t factor in G40, how it would respond because they felt we are cleaning up Mnangagwa. We didn’t factor Mnangagwa had an agenda as well, obviously a tick in his box to say we met the collective and Gukurahundi is being dealt with. For him it was a public relations exercise so we didn’t do in-depth political analysis,” he noted.
“I think some were too excited to meet the president and some people lost it. If you spend so much time in the trenches and didn’t have much engagement then there is an opportunity to engage some people become confused. When they do that for the first time and don’t have the skill or craft competence to actually engage in that level of advocacy, so it was a lesson learned…”
Mbuso Fuzwayo, secretary-general of Ibhetshu Likazulu which is part of the collective said he believed organisations in Matabeleland must work together.
“Now the challenge is how to deal with the leadership of the collective,” he said, noting challenges that came with how those in leadership behaved.
“We have said funding is not the main thrust of the collective but rather the issues of Matabeleland that we must talk about.”
VOA journo Blessing Zulu opened his town house program by telling people to label MDC President, Mr, and his counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa, “President”.
State Media|TWO Zvishavane villagers, who gang-rap_ed a 51-year-old woman who had her nine-month-old grandchild strapped on her back and brutally murdered her before taking turns to have se_x with the corpse, have been sentenced to death by hanging.
The villagers, the court heard, threw the body down a disused mine shaft together with the child crying and still strapped to the body’s back.
Givemore Mutumba (25) and Tatenda Ngwenya (22) both of Chief Mazvihwa’s area, were convicted of murder with constructive intent by Bulawyo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva on Circuit in Gweru. Passing sentence, Justice Takuva said the duo’s level of cruelty was shocking.
He said the murder was committed in aggravating circumstances and therefore death sentence was the only appropriate punishment.
He said it was shocking that Ngwenya and Mutumba even raped the corpse and thereafter threw the body in a disused mine shaft with the baby still strapped to the back of the body.
“You committed a heinous crime in a horrific manner, your level of cruelty is shocking as you acted with untold brutality.
“The murder was brutal, callous and committed on an innocent elderly woman out of greed and not need. You decided to satisfy your sexual needs on an innocent woman. There was some premeditation and you threw her body down a seven-metre deep shaft while her grandchild was still strapped on her back,” said Justice Takuva.
“Your degree of cruelty in this murder is shocking and such people should not be allowed back in society. The courts have a duty to protect the sanctity of life because this kind of conduct cannot be tolerated. You are both hereby found guilty of murder with constructive intent and you are both sentenced to death by hanging.”
For the State, Mr Samuel Pedzisayi told the court that on December 21, 2017, Ngwenya and Mutumba hatched a plan to rob the deceased of her property. He said the duo proceeded to her homestead armed with a machete and found her preparing to retire to bed around 8:30PM.
At the homestead and in the kitchen, the court heard, were the deceased’s four other grandchildren.
“The accused persons threw stones into the hut. The deceased heard her grandchildren’s cries of help and ran to the kitchen where she blocked the door from opening with her body,” said Mr Pedzisayi.
He said Ngwenya inserted a machete through an opening and forced open the door.
Mr Pedzisayi said the woman and her grandchildren escaped to a neighbour’s homestead.
“The deceased decided to go back to her homestead the same night and she had her nine-month old grandchild strapped to her back. Ngwenya and Mutumba attacked her with a machete and dragged her to a nearby bush before ransacking her home,” he said.
Mr Pedzisayi said acting in common purpose the two accused persons took turns to rap_e her before and after she died while her grandchild was still strapped to her back.
“They dragged the lifeless body which still had the child strapped to its back and threw it in a seven-metre deep disused mine shaft. The following day around 2AM — a villager heard the cries of the baby from the shaft and retrieved the body of the deceased,” he said.
Mr Pedzisayi said the deceased’s body had multiple bruises on the face and neck, a deep cut on the left side of the forehead and semen on the private parts.
The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Ngwenya and Mutumba.
Zimbabwean citizens residing in Zimbabwe have had their constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms denied by the Zanu Pf led Emmerson Mnangagwa government. ABDUCTIONS, TORTURE, RAPE, MURDER by state agents ordered by Zanu PF are the order of the day for anyone trying to or exercising their right to petition, demonstrate against these gruesome Human Rights Violations. From Gukurahundi to most recently Dr Magombeyi, Zanu PF has continued on a path of brutality on any opposing individual or group. Since January 2019, more than 50 activists have been abducted tortured and left for dead by the state sponsored Zanu PF, and yet not even one person has been arrested. The UN Special Rapporteur to Zimbabwe recently confirmed this in his report on the Zimbabwean crisis: http://zw.one.un.org/newsroom/news/end-mission-statement-united-nations-special-rapporteur-rights-freedom-peaceful
1) We believe Zanu PF has employed some supporters in the diaspora to terrorize and intimidate other Zimbabweans who oppose their views. These Zanu PF supporters falsified asylum applications to get documentation in Canada. They have been prominent on Whatsapp, Twitter and Facebook intimidating other Zimbabweans mainly MDC supporters who do not support their “new dispensation”.We therefore suggest that anyone supporting the regime by terrorizing other Zimbabweans must relocate to Zimbabwe to enjoy the purported “new dispensation”
We approach your respectable office seeking the removal of the following individuals :
a) Perpetua Chizive Mutsikamahwe of Brampton, Ontario, Canada
b)Jones Musara of Edmonton, Alberta Canada
and many other Zanu PF supporters who falsified their asylum applications and are now acting as agents of Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu Pf. These Zanu PF supporters are terrorizing Zimbabweans in Canada and the diaspora and we believe they must be relocated back to Zimbabwe.
2. They have said statements that are equal to intimidation of the Zimbabwean citizens both abroad and within Zimbabwe on various social media platforms, so we kindly seek the intervention of your good office by relocating them back to Zimbabwe. 3. We believe that these two individuals, and some other Zanu PF supporters were granted their Canadian immigration status after providing Canadian Immigration authorities with fake supporting documents to the effect that they are asylum seekers running away from persecution from the same regime they are supporting now.
The High Court will on the 3rd of October (today) hear a petition by the Community Water Alliance Trust (CWAT) which intends to compel president Emmerson Mnangagwa and the government to ensure water availability.
Below is the case outline presented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights:
03 October 2019
HIGH COURT HEARS WATER RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS PETITION TO AVERT WATER CRISIS
HIGH Court Judge Justice Owen Tagu will on Thursday 3 October 2019 preside over the determination of an urgent chamber application filed by Community Water Alliance Trust (CWAT) seeking an order to compel President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government to urgently act and ensure the provision of water to Harare residents and avert a crisis and potential loss of lives including the outbreak of diseases.
Justice Tagu was initially scheduled to hear the urgent chamber application on Monday 30 September 2019 but he postponed the hearing to Thursday 3 October 2019 at 2:30 PM to enable lawyers from the Attorney General’s Office to seek further instructions from President Mnangagwa, who is cited as the third respondent but was not represented in court.
In the application, which was filed at the High Court on Wednesday 25 September 2019, CWAT represented by Denford Halimani of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, wants President Mnangagwa to declare a state of disaster in the capital to enable resources to be chanelled towards the water crisis in Harare.
CWAT argued that despite the calamity of the water crisis, President Mnangagwa had inexplicably not exercised his powers to declare a state of disaster, which would allow for the intervention of central government and donor support to avert a foreseeable imminent disaster.
Residents in most of Harare’s suburbs have gone for long periods without access to running water after City of Harare announced on Monday 23 September 2019 that it was shutting down Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant citing foreign currency shortages to purchase water treatment chemicals.
CWAT argued that local and central government’s failure to supply safe, clean and potable water constitutes a breach of residents’ rights enshrined in section 77 of the Constitution and indicated that the right to water is necessary for the enjoyment of other human rights such as the right to life, human dignity, health and food.
The water rights campaigners said President Mnangagwa, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Hon. July Moyo, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Nqobizitha Ndlovu and City of Harare should find alternative means to supply safe, clean and potable water to the affected residents of Harare so as to avert a crisis and potential loss of lives and outbreak of diseases.
All Africa|Barely a week after United Nations (UN) special rapporteur Clement Nyaletsossi Vaule delivered a damning report on Zimbabwe’s state of human rights and eager to please the world, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set up a special team to look into the violence that has rocked the country since last year.
Mnangagwa, who is struggling to convince the West that he is leading a ‘new dispensation’ that respects people’s basic rights, told Parliament on Tuesday that he was going to set up an inter-ministerial task-force to investigate the matters. In his State of the Nation address to Parliament on Tuesday, the President said he was going to investigate accusations of rights abuses.
“The ongoing democratic reforms must entrench constitutional rights and freedoms for all Zimbabweans and therefore the culture of fear and violence must be uprooted from our societies,” said Mnangagwa.
“In line with this commitment to defend our democracy, I have set up an inter-ministerial task-force to look into the political, electoral, legislative and administrative issues raised by the 2018 electoral observer missions and indeed the (former South African President Kgalema) Motlanthe Commission.”
Some six civilians were gunned down by the military on August 1 last year after protests broke out against electoral body, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s late announcement of presidential results.
Another 17 more civilians were killed by the army in January during a three-day national shutdown triggered by a 150% fuel hike announced by Mnangagwa.
Abductions of opposition political players and human rights defenders have further worsened his image.
As a result, Mnangagwa has had a torrid time courting the West for their much needed Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) whose absence has further weakened the already poor economy.
America and European states have demanded tangible reforms before re-engagement with Harare.
The European Union (EU) has also been savage on its analysis of his human rights record since taking over from Mugabe in a coup November 2017.
A desperate Mnangagwa had to lie during last week’s UN General Assembly address, misrepresenting that two of Zimbabwe’s most notorious laws had been repealed when they have not.
Jane Mlambo| Speaking exclusively to an online media organisation, opposition MDC Deputy chairperson Job Sikhala has added fire to the debate on his trending picture in an under-sized waistcoat.
Sikhala had this say after being asked about his reaction to picture, “It’s good that people talk about one of their own. It really shows that Zimbabweans follow those whom they hold in high esteem. The surprise only came when I realized that I have shut the social media down.
“The picture has circulated more than any trending news for sometime. It exceeded even the time when I was arrested. Although the waistcoat is a photoshop I enjoyed the funny as well.
“It’s not about allegations of being corrupt or anything negative. It’s people who just found light moments under the difficult circumstances under an unmatched dictatorship we are under. So let the people trend the picture,” Sikhala.
Eagle Life Assembly leader, Dr Prophet Blessing Samuel Chiza anointed Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba in 2014 and told him that he is going to play in Europe.
In a video that has surfaced on the internet Chiza is seen praying over Nakamba on 25 May 2014 and telling him that he is going to play for European teams so that people may see that God is there.
The church posted the following message on their Facebook page recently:
The Prophet said Marvelous NAKAMBA shall be very rich (5 years ago) & Zimbabwe shall see it. For sure Marvelous was signed @ fee of £11m. Becoming the first “2020 Young Zimbabwean” to play in the prestigious English Premier League after Peter Ndlovu & Benjani to be signed for such a fee.
NOTE: After this PROPHECY & prayer truly truly NAKAMBA has since played for 2 other European Big Top League Teams, before Aston Villa FC. He has played for the Netherlands FC Vitesse and Belgium Top club FC Brugge.
We say congratulations to u Marvelous. May God continue to lift u up. U are now a Marvelous player indeed! We are proud of u as Zimbabwe soccer lovers. U are lifting our flag Higher. We continue praying for you.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp seems to have changed his attitude towards Khama Billiat following the player’s Man of the Match performance against Golden Arrows on Tuesday.
Middendorp and Billiat had a fall out a few weeks ago after the coach berated the winger on the radio over a decision to play for Zimbabwe during the last international break.
But after putting a great performance in the 2-0 victory, the 29-year-old earned plaudits from his mentor who awarded him a near-perfect rating.
“Khama Billiat contributed to the team performance in terms of his transition from attack to defence,” said Middendorp in his post-match press conference, according to Kick-Off.com.
“This is a process, and this is something where he really not only earned man of the match but he really, in my respect level, he’s close to being 10 out of 10.
“This is something where we really have to mention it, we always say, ‘Ay, okay, no, leave him just for [attacking] – no, if you want to challenge and be successful, you need each and every player in your attacking and your defending.
“This is so much going on at the moment, not only with the players we see on the field but also with the players on the training ground at the moment.”
Billiat won the penalty, which was converted by Daniel Cardoso in the first half before Nkosinathi Sibisi’s own-goal came directly off his header that crashed onto the upright in the second half.
MDC MPs walked out on President Emmerson Mnangagwa while delivering his SONA. Zanu Pf has said the MPs must be expelled from parliament over their conduct, & by elections must be held to replace them. Do you think MDC MPs should be expelled from parliament?
The Premier Soccer League has released the Match-day 25 fixtures.
The games will be played over the weekend with three matches lined-up on Saturday while six are scheduled on Sunday.
Match-day 25 Fixtures:
Saturday, October 5 ZPC Kariba vs FC Platinum (Nyamhunga Stadium) Yadah vs Ngezi Platinum (Rufaro Stadium) Chicken Inn vs Chapungu Stadium (Luveve Stadium)
Sunday, October 6 Dynamos vs Bulawayo Chiefs (Rufaro Stadium) Herentals vs Highlanders (NSS) Mushowani Stars vs CAPS United (Trojan Stadium) Hwange vs Black Rhinos (Colliery Stadium) Triangle United vs Harare City (Gibbo Stadium) TelOne vs Manica Diamonds (Ascot Stadium)
By A Correspondent| Former Vice President, Phelekezela Mphoko’s application for the temporary release of his passport was dismissed by a Harare Magistrate on the basis that he is a flight risk.
The former vice president is facing charges of criminal abuse of office and he is out on ZWL$1 000 bail.
Harare Magistrate, Hosea Mujaya, dismissed the application on the grounds that he was a flight risk as he failed to supply tittle deeds for his Bulawayo property as surety.
The State led by prosecutor, George Manokore, had dismissed the application on the basis that, the court had nothing in terms of surety to ensure Mphoko returns to stand trial.Mphoko was applying for the release of his passport to enable him to travel to neighbouring South Africa for business.
Mphoko was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations that sometime in 2016, he ordered the release of Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) officials. The then ZINARA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Moses Juma, and Non-executive Director, Davison Norupiri, had been arrested by ZACC on allegations of defrauding the national road agency of US$1,3 million.
HIGH COURT HEARS WATER RIGHTS CAMPAIGNERS PETITION TO AVERT WATER CRISIS
HIGH Court Judge Justice Owen Tagu will on Thursday 3 October 2019 preside over the determination of an urgent chamber application filed by Community Water Alliance Trust (CWAT) seeking an order to compel President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government to urgently act and ensure the provision of water to Harare residents and avert a crisis and potential loss of lives including the outbreak of diseases.
Justice Tagu was initially scheduled to hear the urgent chamber application on Monday 30 September 2019 but he postponed the hearing to Thursday 3 October 2019 at 2:30 PM to enable lawyers from the Attorney General’s Office to seek further instructions from President Mnangagwa, who is cited as the third respondent but was not represented in court.
In the application, which was filed at the High Court on Wednesday 25 September 2019, CWAT represented by Denford Halimani of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, wants President Mnangagwa to declare a state of disaster in the capital to enable resources to be chanelled towards the water crisis in Harare.
CWAT argued that despite the calamity of the water crisis, President Mnangagwa had inexplicably not exercised his powers to declare a state of disaster, which would allow for the intervention of central government and donor support to avert a foreseeable imminent disaster.
Residents in most of Harare’s suburbs have gone for long periods without access to running water after City of Harare announced on Monday 23 September 2019 that it was shutting down Morton Jaffray Water Treatment Plant citing foreign currency shortages to purchase water treatment chemicals.
CWAT argued that local and central government’s failure to supply safe, clean and potable water constitutes a breach of residents’ rights enshrined in section 77 of the Constitution and indicated that the right to water is necessary for the enjoyment of other human rights such as the right to life, human dignity, health and food.
The water rights campaigners said President Mnangagwa, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Hon. July Moyo, Environment, Water and Climate Minister Nqobizitha Ndlovu and City of Harare should find alternative means to supply safe, clean and potable water to the affected residents of Harare so as to avert a crisis and potential loss of lives and outbreak of diseases. ENDS
By Eunice Chipachini & Simba Chikanza | REPUB| In Emmerson Mnangagwa’s official words, below is a list of business investments that are not safe in Zimbabwe as the country loses more than USD41 billion in revenue this year. There are at least six of them. They are:
1. Law firms.
2. Medical Practice.
3. Mining business.
4. Railway Construction.
5. Road Construction.
6. Various businesses cited in Motlanthe Commission report.
FULL ARTICLE…
1. Law firms. This industry is a large income generator, and in the tiny island nation of the UK for instance, it brings more than £25 billion into the country annually. Zimbabwe’s economy by value is a paltry USD 10 billion. Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier in February 2019 while threatening to shorten the lives of demonstrators, addressing a crowd in Mwenezi, said any lawyer who accepts consultancy business for a perceived protester, suffers the wrath of the state security. (See video). The total value of legal services to the UK economy is £25.7 billion annually.
2. Medical Practice.
This industry is also a major income generator. Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier in February 2019 while addressing the same crowd in Mwenezi, said, any doctor who treats a perceived protester, suffers the wrath of the state security. (watch video below).
Mnangagwa in Mwenezi threatening to shorten the lives of demonstrators. "Hallelujah to those who choose peace and may their days be increased in the land ruled by black people. But those who chose to demonstrate their days will be shortened (shrunk)." @UNZimbabwe@IntlCrimCourtpic.twitter.com/zJple7WzQQ
In an undated video, Emmerson Mnangagwa says anyone who does mining in the country has to report to his party and must first of all respect it. He said, “We (Zanu PF) must be respected, we are the majority, the people, the government, the army, the airforce, the police & everything you can think of. We determine who can do mining, construct a railway line or build a road in Zimbabwe. No other party can do so, ” added Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa says ZANU PF is everything in Zimbabwe and must be respected. We are the police the army….we are everything in this country pic.twitter.com/HrRFrSGUoh
4. Railway Construction. In the same video recorded address(above), Mnangagwa said all railway construction business is done by people who “respect” his political party, meaning when one is found or deemed to fall short of mere “respect” for his party, they will loose the business opportunity. There is no qualification as to when that can happen, meaning it can happen at any time.
5. Road Construction.
6. Various businesses cited in Motlanthe Commission report.
According to the Motlanthe Commission report, the country lost over USD16 billion dollars last year August alone, when the military opened fire on innocent civilians in an effort to change election results so they would favour Emmerson Mnangagwa “we shall work hard with the ZDF….with a margin greater than the one we did in 1980,” as officially announced by Mnangagwa’s advisor, Christopher Mutsvangwa in his presence on the 15th Dec 2017.
BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA| The SONA, which is often broadcast, serves as a means to inform the nation about its present economic, political, and social condition.
