VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
In the video below, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Obadiah Moyo has announced he is leaving the doctors’ strike matter to the courts. He said government is waiting for the Labor Court to determine the legality of the employee action which began on September 3.In the melee, the Hospital Doctors’ Association president Peter Magombeyi was kidnapped and the police was exposed for abusing him after he was found 5 days later. Meanwhile, the hearing is on today.
Zanu PF’s Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Kazembe Kazembe and Bindura North MP Kenneth Shupikai Musanhi nearly came to blows on Saturday after accusing each other of sabotage during an inquest into poor attendance at an event for first lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa.
Saturday’s event in Bindura was supposed to be a family fun day which she said was designed to “promote economic development through sport tourism.” however there were delays to the starting time and there was a poor turnout.
The first Lady is said to have demanded answers and asked for heads to roll over the poor attendance.
A source who attended the meeting told ZimLive:
“Kazembe and Musanhi exchanged harsh words and were literally restrained to avoid a physical altercation. There was a dispute over who was to blame over the low turnout.
“Musanhi at one point told Kazembe that ‘ndokum*’, and he in turn shot back saying, ‘age haina basa topedzarana pa fight’ (age doesn’t matter, let’s settle this in a fight). They were restrained by Mashonaland Central provincial state intelligence officers.”
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.”
— BMetro
State Media|THE Apex Council has requested an urgent National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting tomorrow, to map a way forward on salaries that correspond with the continuously escalating cost of living.
The council, which represents all civil servants wrote to the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare and also demanded salaries indexed to the interbank rate.
“The Apex Council requests the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to convene an urgent NJNC meeting on or before October 9, 2019 to map the way forward on continuous escalating cost of living.
“The council also wishes to bring to the attention of the ministry that it maintains its demand of salaries payment to be indexed to interbank rate, basing on the salary scale of October 2018,” reads the letter.
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) president Mr Richard Gundane said it was important for the Government to adjust salaries monthly considering high inflation in the country.
“We are pressing for a new round of talks following the recent spike in prices of goods and services.
“The price increases rendered the cost of living adjustments (COLA) a non-event. Teachers are worse off after the COLA.
“In this hyperinflationary environment, monthly adjustments would assist in closing the gap between salaries and prices. Government should, as a matter of urgency, also ensure that its workers have access to cash from the banks. There is more value in cash than alternative ways of transacting,” said Mr Gundane.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza could not comment on the issue yesterday, saying she needed to speak to the NJNC chairman first.
In August, Government increased civil servants’ salaries by 76 percent, a development that saw the lowest paid worker earning $1 023 up from $582.
Civil servants were demanding at least $4 750 for the lowest paid worker.
Prices of basic commodities have continued to increase, pushing the prices beyond the reach of many.
Apart from the various monetary incentives to cushion the civil servants, Government has promised to offer non-monetary incentives.
The Apex Council’s request comes when the Ministry of Health and Child Care brokered a deal with striking doctors by offering them a 60 percent increase in allowances and ordered all health workers to report to work or face disciplinary action for breaching their contracts.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Health Services Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP) agreed to a 60 percent increase on Health Specific Allowances despite the doctors walking out on the negotiations demanding a higher percentage.
The 60 percent was an improvement on the previous offer by Government of 30 percent, which was rejected by the Health Apex Council.
BULAWAYO Province has recorded the least number of Aids-related deaths in Zimbabwe as the country continues to aim at reaching global targets of ending Aids by 2030, latest statistics from the National Aids Council (NAC) show.
According to NAC, Bulawayo recorded 1 175 Aids-related deaths in 2018 with highest being reported in Harare at 3 856 followed by Midlands at 2 958. Matabeleland North and Mashonaland Central also recorded 1 364 and 1 602 deaths.
“Aids-related deaths have been on the decrease since 2005 and at the moment provincial statistics show that Bulawayo has the least deaths at 1 175, followed by Matabeleland North, Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland South,” reads the NAC HIV and Aids Situation Analysis.
“The top four provinces include Harare at 3 856, Midlands at 2 958, Manicaland 2 410 and Mashonaland East at 2 345.”
The report shows that although Bulawayo recorded the least number of deaths, the province still had the third highest HIV prevalence rate in the country after Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces.
“In terms of reaching the 2020 90-90-90 global Aids targets, we have achieved the first goal of ensuring that 90 percent of people know their status. We are currently at 91 percent and on the second goal which is to ensure that at least 90 percent of infected people are on antiretroviral treatment we are at 83 percent. We are also working on the third 90 which is to ensure that 90 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression and we are at 77 percent,” says the document.
Zimbabwe recorded a decrease in newHIV infections from 44 000 to 38 000 cases annually, a development which the UNAIDS 2019 report projects may lead to a decline in prevalence.
According to a report released recently, 28 percent of prisoners in Zimbabwe are HIV positive though the country does not have data on how many of the prisoners are accessing anti-retroviral therapy or HIV prevention methods like condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
“The number of new HIV infections in Zimbabwe has gone down to 38 000 from 45 000 in 2015. Just like in many HIV heavily-burdened countries, Zimbabwe had also managed to halve the number of Aids-related deaths from 54 000 in 2010 to 22 000 in 2018,” the UNAIDS report reads.
State Media|Chitungwiza councillor for Ward 13 Kiven Mutimbanyoka (Zanu-PF) has urged Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo to suspend all the town’s councillors citing poor service delivery.
Cllr Mutimbanyoka told state media that there was an urgent need for Government’s intervention and allow a commission to run the affairs of the council while investigations were being undertaken.
“I strongly feel that all the 25 councillors, including myself, should be suspended and the Minister of Local Government should put in place a commission to run the council for the next three months as prescribed in the Urban Councils Act so that we do away with the politics that is impeding service delivery.
“Such that at least our people can actually get the services that they are yearning for all the trust and confidence that the residents had in us are all gone,” he said. He said the processes leading to the suspension of the Town Clerk, Dr George Makunde, last month by Mayor Lovemore Maiko and the appointment of Engineer David Duma as Acting Town Clerk were illegal and suspicious.
He said under the circumstances, according to the law, chamber secretary was supposed to become the acting town clerk. Mayor Maiko appointed Eng Duma barely a few days after he was arrested by the police on allegations of corruption and abuse of office regarding land deals and the matter is still pending before the courts.
“At one point the mayor himself, Engineer Duma and Councillor Kudakwashe John were arrested together prior to them suspending the town clerk, but then why did the mayor rush to appoint Eng Duma, who has a case before the courts, and whose bail conditions prohibit him from interfering in council operations,” he said.
Eng Duma this week informed residents that regularisation of illegal properties had resumed. He also appointed a new chamber secretary, Mr Raymond Wenyeve, on the basis that the position was previously being held by a person who had no law qualifications.
“I think that after these guys realised that the game was up, the so-called acting town clerk and Mayor Maiko they are now sanitising their corrupt activities by intensifying the regularisation exercise and appointing an acting chamber secretary in retrospect.
“He has appointed a junior legal officer to the post of chamber secretary, which is not provided for in the Urban Councils Act.”
Cllr Mutimbanyoka alleged that the MDC-run council had illegally taken over managerial functions at Town House.
State Media|Survivors of the Gweru-Kwekwe bus accident, which claimed 12 people told harrowing stories on how they cheated death.
Ten people were killed on the spot, while 43 others were injured when a Gokwe-bound cross-border bus, Mandeep Tours collided head-on with a Govasberg bus near Kwekwe River along the Gweru-Kwekwe highway on Sunday morning.
Two more people died on admission to hospital.
State media reporters visited some of the survivors at Kwekwe District Hospital who narrated their terrifying experiences.
Mr Tsaurayi Mativenga, who runs a grocery business at Nembudziya, Gokwe, and was travelling from Beitbridge said he had taken a nap when he was awakened by deafening noise followed by shrieks and yells.
“I tried to raise my head to see what had happened, but I realised that I was trapped underneath some seats.
“As the screams of pain and anguish reached a crescendo I could not help, but join in hoping my screams were louder than everyone else to attract immediate help,” recalled Mr Mativenga.
He said the accident occurred at around 4.30am and he only found this out after he managed to free himself from the wreckage of the Mandeep bus at around 5am.
“It was still dark as I pulled myself from under the seats and crawled in the blood drenched bus floor until I was finally out of the bus,” he said.
Mr Mativenga, who sustained a deep cut on the left eye, lips after he freed himself, fell to the ground after realising he had dislocated a hip.
He said the driver was tired and this could have caused the accident.
“We had some near misses before the accident because the driver was dosing and swerving from side-to-side. We complained, but he kept going.
“He eventually fell asleep and our bus encroached into the lane of the Govasberg Bus resulting in the head-on collision,” he said.
Another survivor, Ms Sandra Sibanda, who was in the Govasberg bus said it was by God’s grace that she survived to tell the story.
“I had just boarded the Govasberg bus in Kwekwe when the accident occurred less than 30km on. It happened in a twinkle of an eye.
“When the buses collided the impact threw me to the back seat and was thrown on top of people.
“I realised that some of them were already dead. It was a really harrowing experience,” she said.
Mr Last Gurinde, who was also in the Govasberg bus, said he watched in anguish and hopelessly as people died around him.
He said when he got out of the bus through the window, he saw more dead bodies.
“This will haunt me for ever. I watched helplessly as a pregnant woman approximately in her eighth or ninth month, frothing and dying in anguish.
“The two drivers were also trapped for nearly an hour until they died. The fire brigade only arrived approximately an hour after the accident maybe because it was still early in the morning when the accident occurred,” he said.
State Media|PRESIDENT Mnangagwa leaves for Uganda today for that country’s 57th Independence Day celebrations slated for Sinkoro District, about 211 kilometres from the capital, Kampala, tomorrow.
He was invited by his Ugandan counterpart President Yoweri Museveni to attend the celebrations as a special guest.
The celebrations will be held under the theme: “Consolidation of National Unity, Security, Freedom and Prosperity.”
Uganda gained independence from Britain on October 9, 1962.
Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr George Charamba, who is also the Presidential spokesperson, confirmed the invitation.
“The President was invited to Uganda as a special guest to the country on their National Day,” said Mr Charamba.
Last Tuesday, Ugandan Minister of Presidency Esther Mbayo said Presidents Museveni and Mnangagwa will use the time to discuss areas of cooperation between the two countries.
“President of Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will be the chief guest and he has invited another special guest, His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe to grace the occasion,” she said.
President Museveni visited Zimbabwe in April this year to officially open the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
State Media|The Labour Court is this afternoon expected to make a determination on the legality of the 36-day mass job action by medical doctors who have repeatedly snubbed the employer’s plea to return to work.
The doctors have also rejected offers tabled by the Government.
This was said by Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo last night.
Government last Friday urged the striking doctors to return to work with effect from yesterday or face disciplinary action.
Dr Moyo yesterday said most doctors remained defiant, leaving Government with no option, but to institute legal proceedings.
“Further to the statement issued by Ministry of Health and Child Care on Saturday, October 5, 2019, regarding the ongoing withdrawal of labour by some doctors, Government today (yesterday) the 7th of October 2019 has made an assessment of the situation at public health institutions and noted that some doctors did not take heed of the appeal and still chose to stay away from their work stations.
“Government is therefore allowing due legal process to continue with the Labor Court scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, 8 October 2019 at 14:30 hours wherein the Labor Court will determine the legality of the mass job action,” said Dr Moyo.
He commended the few doctors and some health workers who continued providing services during the ongoing job action.
“The Government continues to be grateful to those doctors and other health care workers who have remained on their posts of duty delivering care, saving lives and alleviating suffering.
“Patients’ lives are paramount,” said Dr Moyo.
In a statement last Friday following the Health Services Bipartite Negotiating Panel from which doctors rejected Government’s offer of 60 percent, all doctors were called to report for work beginning yesterday at 8am.
It was argued that those who fail to do so would be breaching their contracts of work and could face disciplinary action.
ALL is not well in the National People’s Party (NPP) led by the Dr Joice Mujuru as failure to restructure, defections and general apathy by the electorate in Masvingo is reported to be the order of the day.
The Herald understands that the party has vainly tried to regroup to come up with formidable structures ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.
NPP spokesperson Mr Jefres Chitando, who defected from the MDC led by Mr Nelson Chamisa, yesterday said he was optimistic that the party would formulate sound structures.
“We are putting up structures that will successfully challenge Zanu-PF in the forthcoming elections.
“Some people are viewing the NPP as a smaller party or just a political outfit which will never rule this country. No! We are determined to take over power from Zanu-PF,” said Mr Chitando in an interview.
He denied that some of his party supporters had since defected to MDC-Alliance, while others no longer participated at meetings.
“Elements within Zanu-PF are lying about our party. We are still strong. There are no defections affecting the party,” he said.State media
The Central bank which has already converted US dollars to bond notes (in citizens’ bank accounts), yesterday said it is not true that it is raiding foreign currency accounts.
The RBZ was responding to the below ZimEye investigative article which it said was mere social media news.
In 2016, the RBZ made citizens to stash their US dollars into their bank accounts together with local bond notes promising them that the two are at par, at the rate of 1:1. Within the space of just a few months however, the central bank had by deception raided US dollars (hard currency) and billions were stolen by politicians. The parliamentary portfolio for Public Accounts committee has found evidence that in the space of just 5 months alone for instance, over USD5,9 billion vanished from the coffers without a payment voucher.
Announcing on its Twitter portal yesterday, the RBZ said, “The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe would like to dismiss the social media reports suggesting that Nostro Accounts will be raided by the RBZ and Ministry of Finance & Economic Development.”
But while the RBZ is not raiding nostro accounts, per se, they are just forcibly converting the balances into RTGS balances, in just about the same way they did in 2016. The announced restrictions on these accounts make this conversion go smoothly. – COMMENT
But you have been on the job doing exactly that, through simple conversion, or is it diversion(?) And can you also explain the USD5,9 billion (hard currency) looted in 5 months alone, Nov 2017 to Mar 2018. Surely, how can people trust you @ReserveBankZIM ? pic.twitter.com/RYvB1zd6M0
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 8, 2019
– ORIGINAL ARTICLE BELOW –
It was just a year ago when Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube was at London’s Chatham House institute challenged by ZimEye’s Simba Chikanza on touching foreign currency accounts, and he promised British investors Zimbabwe will never raid nostro accounts. (watch video below). Today the very opposite is happening.
VIDEOS LOADING BELOWThe Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) will, starting today (yesterday), be demanding written requests from people who earn in US dollars for them to withdraw their money while banks will also be ordered to convert all unutilised bank balances not withdrawn in one’s nostro foreign currency account within 30 days from day of deposit to local currency using prevailing interbank rates.
CHATHAM HOUSE ADDRESS:
This was revealed in a leaked FBC Bank instruction circular at the weekend, a development which has seen the central bank facing litigation for plotting to “raid” people’s foreign currency earnings.
RBZ governor John Mangudya at the weekend confirmed the new rules, saying the document would deal with funds from exporting companies.
There are also fears that the move by the Reserve Bank will see individuals preferring to keep their funds offshore.
MDC Vice President and Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has, however, blasted the move, describing it as illegal and in contravention of section 71 of the Constitution.
“Government and the RBZ cannot be experts in doing lawless things because all these are desperate actions by a desperate, despicable regime. You cannot have a government that generates the suffering of its people on a day to day basis,” Biti said.
“Besides, this issue is unlawful and unconstitutional because a salary is protected by section 71 of the Constitution and no one has a right to appropriate anyone’s salary as this will simply force companies and employees to relocate their accounts offshore to countries like Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.”
Section 71 of the Constitution speaks on property rights, which includes pensions, annuity, gratuity, and similar allowances, and it states that any person anywhere in Zimbabwe has a right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.
Biti added: “This is foolishness being done by government which is desperate for foreign currency and they are now trying to grab every dollar of forex. We are generating about US$5 billion from our exports and so the issue is that the money is being spent by thugs and crooks.
“The issue is how government is using the foreign currency. Actually, forex must be credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Parliament must be the one to distribute foreign currency through the Appropriation Account.”
Last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa released a long list of individuals and companies he said had externalised millions of funds to offshore destinations. However, noone was ever arrested.
The death toll in the Kwekwe bus accident involving a Gokwe-bound cross-border bus, Mandeep, which collided head-on with a Govasberg bus near Kwekwe River on Sunday morning, has risen to 12 after two more people succumbed to their injuries in hospital.
This comes as police have so far named four people who perished in the accident after their next of kin had been informed.
Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi identified the four as Gideon Magwaza (40) of Vuravhi Village under Chief Madhlangove in Chivi, Shareck Muyinisi Chirombe of Chirekwa Village under Chief Nyashanu in Buhera, Tafadzwa Shambare of Epworth, Harare, and Richard Muchenje (40), whose address was not given.
Kwekwe District Hospital officials announced the death of the two additional people during a visit to the hospital by the Kwekwe District Civil Protection Unit team yesterday to check on the state of 43 injured passengers that were admitted there.
The district CPU chairman Mr Fortune Mpungu said one of the two latest victims died upon admission at Kwekwe District Hospital on Sunday, while another victim died at Gweru Provincial Hospital where she had been transferred.
“It was a sad experience and as we mourn with those who lost their loved ones, our prayers are also with those in hospital and we wish them a quick recovery,” he said.
“We visited the hospital as Kwekwe District CPU and we learnt with sadness that two more people had died.
“One died upon admission at Kwekwe on Sunday and the other victim died this morning (yesterday) at Gweru Provincial Hospital where she had been transferred.”State media
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa leaves for Uganda today for that country’s 57th Independence Day celebrations slated for Sinkoro District, about 211 kilometres from the capital, Kampala, tomorrow.
He was invited by his Ugandan counterpart President Yoweri Museveni to attend the celebrations as a special guest.
The celebrations will be held under the theme: “Consolidation of National Unity, Security, Freedom and Prosperity.”
Uganda gained independence from Britain on October 9, 1962.
Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr George Charamba, who is also the Presidential spokesperson, confirmed the invitation.
“The President was invited to Uganda as a special guest to the country on their National Day,” said Mr Charamba.
Last Tuesday, Ugandan Minister of Presidency Esther Mbayo said Presidents Museveni and Mnangagwa will use the time to discuss areas of cooperation between the two countries.
“President of Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will be the chief guest and he has invited another special guest, His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe to grace the occasion,” she said.
President Museveni visited Zimbabwe in April this year to officially open the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
In his address, President Museveni described Ugandans and Zimbabweans as one people, saluting the latter for remaining in charge of their country 39 years after attaining independence, despite economic setbacks.State media
ASTON VILLA have reacted with outrage, with the club saying they are ‘‘disgusted and appalled’’ by footage showing some of their fans racially abusing Marvelous Nakamba on Saturday.
The ugly chants, by a small section of the Villa fans, have once again thrown racism in football under the spotlight just a few weeks after FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, vowed to eliminate the cancer from the game.
It also marred Villa’s five-star show in which Nakamba was outstanding at Carrow Road where they crushed injury-hit Norwich City 5-1, under the gaze of royalty with their number one fan, Prince William, and his family.
Six-year-old Prince George, third in line as heir to the throne in British monarchy, even wore a Villa T-shirt.
This was the first time the Birmingham side had scored five goals in an English Premiership match away from home since a 6-0 win at Derby County in April 2008.
Villa also became the first promoted side to score five goals, away from home, in the Premiership since Bolton Wanderers at Leicester in August 2001 while Norwich suffered their biggest home defeat in the top-flight since April 2012 when they slumped to a 1-6 loss against Manchester City.
It was also Villa’s first away win in the Premiership in 1 519 days.
The racist Villa fans chanted Nakamba’s father was a ‘‘rasta,’’ and the player’s Scottish midfield teammate John McGinn was his ‘‘master,’’ while also mocking the Zimbabwean’s manhood.
The footage was widely shown on social media and led to Villa reacting strongly yesterday.
‘‘Aston Villa is disgusted and appalled by footage circulating on social media of supporters chanting a racist song which makes reference to two of our first team players (Nakamba and McGinn),’’ the club said in a statement.
‘‘The club wholly condemns the chant and urges other supporters to help us identify those responsible.
‘‘Chants of this nature besmirch the good name of Aston Villa Football Club and our fans. If the perpetrators are identified, they will be dealt with in the strongest manner by the club and be reported to the police immediately.
‘‘Our security staff will be vigilant at forthcoming games to ensure that anybody attempting repetition of this chant will be dealt with severely.
‘‘We know we can rely on the assistance of the majority of our fans to eradicate this toxic behaviour immediately. If anyone has any information please contact the club on 0121 327 2299.’’
The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust on Sunday also released a statement in which they condemned the fans for their chants.
“AVST is disappointed to hear about the chanting directed towards Marvelous Nakamba. It’s a cheap and insulting stereotype that has no place in this day and age,’’ the statement read.State media
THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has halted installation of prepaid water meters saying the project has become too costly.
Bulawayo Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Simela Dube revealed this on Friday as he told a gathering attending the Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project Service (BWSSIP) delivery indaba held at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre that changes in the economic environment have led council to have a change of heart regarding implementing the policy.
BCC for years has been pushing for the implementation of prepaid meters saying it would improve ways of generating revenues as rate payers were defaulting payments.
“The issue of prepaid meters that was also raised by my colleague which obviously the city has looked at. One of the biggest challenges at the moment is that most of them (prepaid meters) are actually imported. We changed our currencies while council had actually approved a policy forward,” said Eng Dube.
“You will find out that the prepaid meters and what we are billing does not make any business sense.
“The cost of a prepaid meter is between US$300 to US$500 per unit. But our bill of water after effecting 42 percent increase the water bill could be ZW$1 per cubic metre.
“On average people use between 15 to 20 cubic metres. So, to look for a US$350 device in order to collect ZW$15 wouldn’t make sense. However, that policy has not been thrown away. We will continue to review it as the economic environment stabilises. But currently that’s where our challenges are with the policy.”
Residents associations had in the past strongly opposed the prepaid water system.State media
London — Liverpool have lived through enough near misses in 30 years not to take anything for granted in October, but an eight-point lead in the Premier League gives Jurgen Klopp’s men a golden opportunity to end that long wait.
The European champions came agonisingly close to fulfilling their title dreams in May, losing out to Manchester City by just one point, despite posting the third-highest points tally in top-flight English football history, with 97.
But they bounced back quickly to lift the Champions League in June and have shot out of the traps with eight straight league wins to take a commanding lead.
Liverpool have not always shone this season. Their past three league wins have come by a solitary goal, but they have shown the tenacity and hunger to get the job done at the same time as an injury-hit City, going for their third title in a row, have lost their edge.
High-flying Leicester’s visit to Anfield on Saturday offered City hope they could cut the five-point gap separating the sides heading into the weekend.
Deep into stoppage time, the Foxes seemed set to do the champions a favour with the sides locked at 1-1, until Sadio Mane tumbled in the box and James Milner coolly slotted away a 95th-minute penalty. “They didn’t look for a second like a team who won so many games that they don’t have the desire anymore to win another one,” said Klopp.State media
The nation at large and the Kwekwe community in particular yet again witnessed a horrific and fatal road traffic accident in the morning of Sunday 6 October 2019.
The accident which authorities have so far confirmed to have resulted in more than 10 fatalities with hospital authorities fearing more deaths could be recorded due to the ongoing challenges in the medical fraternity where there are no doctors, no medication and staff morale is at its lowest because of the government’s failure to address genuine grievances raised by medical staff.
The accident was as a result of a head-on collision which occurred along the Harare- Bulawayo at the 267km peg towards Bulawayo, some 20km outside Kwekwe. The carnage is one of the many road traffic accidents in the public transport sector that have claimed so many lives in recent times.
The MDC continues to bemoan the narrow state of our highways which increases the risk of head- on and side-swipe accidents. The MDC remains worried at the continuous misuse of government funding in other non essential areas like foreign trips by the executive yet such funds could help speed up the dualisation of our highways.
The unaccountability of public funds by ZINARA remains the main reason behind the government’s failure to provide for safe highways that preserve life and property. As part of our SMART transport policy, MDC parliamentarians have moved for the adoption of the Road Traffic Accident Victims Compensation Fund, which fund is supposed to genuinely assist all victims of road traffic accidents.
It is sad that while Parliamentarians across the political divide have agreed to this motion, the government, despite twice committing to implement the same, continues to be lethargic while lives are being lost without any compensation being dispensed. The fund is supposed to be supported from a percentage of road licence fees as well as a percentage from Road Insurance without passing the cost to road users. Debate can ensue on the funding model but the principle as agreed to in Parliament is that victims of all road accidents must get compensation including taking care of the welfare of the bereaved, especially children.
The MDC pays its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. We wish all those injured in this latest tragedy a speedy recovery.
Hon Settlement Chikwinya
Secretary for Transport and Logistics
Movement For Democratic Change
The Great Zimbabwe Project
By Privilege Nyamukondiwa | Zimbabwe we’re right at the dawn of a real new Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe for all, a Zimbabwe for equality and peace and prosperity. A Zimbabwe built on constitutionalism, love, unity, patriotism and democracy.
The current quagmire we find ourselves in has provoked a deep thought within us on what could be really wrong and what could be done to heal our land with the most focus and emphasis on what could be done rather than finger pointing
Is there a solution, a permanent one for Zimbabwe, the answer is an emphatic yes, and this solution doesn’t need anyone from anywhere but us as Zimbabweans and the Almighty God!
The solution is known already, it is a one united Zimbabwe which can only be born out of a genuine multi-stakeholder dialogue not just political dialogue because Zimbabwe is not for politicians alone but for every Zimbabwean, to be more blunt in Zimbabwe just like in any other country the politician is the problem, nevertheless the same politician can be a wonderful solution if they from their hearts decides to put politicking with the lives and destinies of citizens and nations aside and begin to truly work for the common good of all in the society.
Zimbabwe right now is a very polarized nation because of politics, but now is the time to put all that behind us and be Zimbabweans and be the generation that will enforce the age old desire of all nations to build a successful and enviable country.
Taking the example of the USA in which their strength is in their uniting fifty states to become one nation under the belief that all man (citizens and non citizens, politicians and none, rich and poor, black, brown, white or orange) are all created equal under God.
But it didn’t come easy for them, there was a time they were divided into southern and northern states and all that the division produced was a painful civil war.
Out of the war they discovered their folly, and madness that division will only destroy but unity is the greatest strength of any society and ever since that rude and painful awakening in the 1860s under the man voted the greatest American of all time President Abraham Lincoln the USA has been advancing and is by very far the great country in the world.
Out of the pains, the misery, the poverty, the darkness, the gloom the pandemonium and hullabaloo we as the Zimbabwean people are right at the verge of the same great awakening that will see this small but powerful Southern African nation rise to rub shoulders with the giants.
We can do this and we will do it, God Almighty is demanding it be done, so it’s either you’re on board or get out of the way or be forced out of the way, the choice is yours.
These three choices are first presented to the two gentlemen at the helm of our politics President Emerson Mnangagwa and President Nelson Chamisa. Gentlemen here’s an opportunity for you to become the true heroes of Zimbabwe and humanity. As a matter of fact let me open your eyes to this reality, this issue solely is the determinant of your eternal legacies and the major reason God Almighty will either prolong or cut short your roles and influence in Zimbabwe. Gentlemen you need each other more than you think, Zimbabwe as a whole needs you to see this like yesterday and set aside your egos and prides for the people’s sake. Our Shona proverb says ‘Chara chimwe hachitswanyi inda’ one finger can’t crush a lice in literal translation.
Here’s an opportunity our leaders to press reset and begin afresh and build a new Zimbabwe we can all be proud of now and in posterity for we all owe a united, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe to the coming generations.
I urge you, your power brokers, your supporters, your sympathizers and your families to consider the glorious results of putting the people first then yourselves last, that’s the only way to become the most successful leaders and that’s how the successful nations have built and sustained development and prosperity in their nations, and you can do the same if you want. Whilst I’m urging let me also warn you that God is watching and He now wants an end to this madness happening in our country that’s causing the untold and unnecessary suffering to His people.
Let this be known to you and to all Zimbabweans, our enemy is no one and nothing but ourselves. The Holy and sacred “Psalm 133:1 says Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity and harmony.” Zimbabwe is not pleasant or good at the moment because brothers are fighting and there’s no national cohesion, no shared vision at all hence no matter what policy or even an angel from heaven can rescue us from where we are. Unity and love works like magic, try it and see. Even nature will respond, even the heavens will open and pour a good rain upon the land. Look at the unprecedented calamities that’s befalling our nation lately, the likes of cyclone idai, mysterious fires, tragic road accidents, etc. It’s all because the blessing can only be commanded upon a united and harmonious society.
The “Chinhu chedu” and the “Jecha” politics is helping no one including yourselves and you know that. It’s time for a new strategy, a national strategy!
Without delay set aside your differences, and lead the nation into dialogue and this dialogue must have all representations including the politicians, the workers, the churches, civil society, the disabled, the students and the youth etc and see how this country will emerge an international wonder like we became in November 2017, it was all because of national unity, sadly it was short-lived.
Look closely Southern Africa is no longer attracting investment, but investors are out there waiting for Zimbabwe to solve it’s internal challenges so that they may pour billions of dollars into this rich in everything country, if you choose to see it this way I don’t see any further delay in initiating the multi-stakeholder dialogue and reforms that will map the way forward and start the mighty work of rebuilding a new Zimbabwe that I advocate it be renamed The Great Zimbabwe!
Let’s find each other, let’s talk, and let’s rebrand our country and present an irresistible Zimbabwe to the whole world! Thank you see you in the prosperous The Great Zimbabwe!!!
Monday 07 October
2019 – 02:48am
Apostle Privy
Graceland Ministries Inc*The Great Zimbabwe Project*
Zimbabwe we’re right at the dawn of a real new Zimbabwe, a Zimbabwe for all, a Zimbabwe for equality and peace and prosperity. A Zimbabwe built on constitutionalism, love, unity, patriotism and democracy.
The current quagmire we find ourselves in has provoked a deep thought within us on what could be really wrong and what could be done to heal our land with the most focus and emphasis on what could be done rather than finger pointing
Is there a solution, a permanent one for Zimbabwe, the answer is an emphatic yes, and this solution doesn’t need anyone from anywhere but us as Zimbabweans and the Almighty God!
The solution is known already, it is a one united Zimbabwe which can only be born out of a genuine multi-stakeholder dialogue not just political dialogue because Zimbabwe is not for politicians alone but for every Zimbabwean, in fact to be more blunt in Zimbabwe just like in any other country the politician is the problem, nevertheless the same politician can be a wonderful solution if they from their hearts decides to put politicking with the lives and destinies of citizens and nations aside and begin to truly work for the common good of all in the society.
Zimbabwe right now is a very polarized and sharply nation because of politics, but now is the time to put all that behind us and be Zimbabweans and be the generation that will enforce the age old desire of all nations to build a successful and enviable country.
Taking the example of the USA in which their strength is in their uniting fifty states to become one nation under the belief that all man (citizens and non citizens, politicians and none, rich and poor, black, brown, white or orange) are all created equal under God.
But it didn’t come easy for them, there was a time they were divided into southern and northern states and all that the division produced was a painful civil war.
Out of the war they discovered their folly, and madness that division will only destroy but unity is the greatest strength of any society and ever since that rude and painful awakening in the 1860s under the man voted the greatest American of all time their 16th President Abraham Lincoln the USA has been advancing and is by very far the greatest country in the world.
Out of the pains, the misery, the poverty, the darkness, the gloom the pandemonium and hullabaloo we as the Zimbabwean people are right at the verge of the same great awakening that will see this small but powerful Southern African nation rise to rub shoulders with the giants.
We can do this and we will do it, God Almighty is demanding it be done, so it’s either you’re on board or get out of the way or be forced out of the way, the choice is yours.
These three choices are first presented to the two gentlemen at the helm of our politics President Emmerson Mnangagwa and President Nelson Chamisa. Gentlemen here’s an opportunity for you to become the true heroes of Zimbabwe and humanity. As a matter of fact let me open your eyes to this reality, this issue solely is the determinant of your eternal legacies and the major reason God Almighty will either prolong or cut short your roles and influence in Zimbabwe. Gentlemen you need each other more than you think, Zimbabwe as a whole needs you to see this like yesterday and set aside your egos and prides for the people’s sake. Our Shona proverb says ‘Chara chimwe hachitswanyi inda’ one finger can’t crush a lice in literal translation.
Here’s an opportunity our leaders to press reset and begin afresh and build a new Zimbabwe we can all be proud of now and in posterity for we all owe a united, peaceful and prosperous Zimbabwe to the coming generations.
I urge you, your power brokers, your supporters, your sympathizers and your families to consider the glorious results of putting the people first then yourselves last and cheer you on, that’s the only way to become the most successful leaders and that’s how the successful nations have built and sustained development and prosperity in their nations, and you can do the same if you want. Whilst I’m urging let me also warn you that God is watching and He now wants an end to this madness happening in our country that’s causing the untold and unnecessary suffering to His people.
Let this be known to you and to all Zimbabweans, our enemy is no one and nothing but ourselves. The Holy and sacred “Psalm 133:1 says Behold how good and how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity and harmony.” Zimbabwe is not pleasant or good at the moment because brothers are fighting and there’s no national cohesion, no shared vision at all hence no matter what policy or even an angel from heaven can rescue us from where we are. Unity and love works like magic, try it and see. Even nature will respond, even the heavens will open and pour a good rain upon the land. Look at the unprecedented calamities that’s befalling our nation lately, the likes of cyclone idai, mysterious fires, tragic road accidents, etc. It’s all because the blessing can only be commanded upon a united and harmonious society.
The “Chinhu chedu” and the “Jecha” politics is helping no one including yourselves and you know that. It’s time for a new strategy, a national strategy!
Without delay set aside your differences, and lead the nation into dialogue and this dialogue must have all representations including the politicians, the workers, the churches, civil society, the disabled, the students and the youth etc and see how this country will emerge an international wonder like we became in November 2017, it was all because of national unity, sadly it was short-lived.
Look closely Southern Africa is no longer attracting investment, but investors are out there waiting for Zimbabwe to mature and solve it’s internal challenges so that they may pour in billions of dollars into this rich in everything country, if you choose to see it this way I don’t see any further delay in initiating the multi-stakeholder dialogue and reforms that will map the way forward and start the mighty work of rebuilding a new Zimbabwe that I advocate it be renamed The Great Zimbabwe!
Let’s find each other, let’s talk, and let’s rebrand our country and present an irresistible Zimbabwe to the whole world! Thank you see you in the prosperous The Great Zimbabwe!!!
Monday 07 October
2019 – 02:48am
Apostle Privy
Graceland Ministries Inc
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said the country’s roads need urgent attention.
“Our roads in Zimbabwe need urgent expansion and upgrade to minimize such head-on collisions.10 people died, several others injured in an accident involving 2 buses along Bulawayo-Harare road.
We pour out our hearts as we grieve with the bereaved families & pray for the injured,” said Chamisa.
The MDC notes with great concern the continuation of the escalating energy crisis in Zimbabwe that is being worsened by the cluelessness of Mr Emerson Mnangagwa government in solving the country’s multi-layered crisis.
The MDC notes that every Sunday since September 2019, there was a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority ( ZERA) upward review of the prices of fuel but at no point during the same month was there an announcement on salary increases.
Four fuel price increases means four increases in prices of goods and services and Zimbabweans simply can no longer cope. Such increases lead to higher expenditure on transport for the poor families and they result in dwindling contributions to medical aid schemes, pension funds and family investments.
The MDC calls for the abolition of fuel-blending monopoly and reiterates its call for government to convene a multi stakeholder conference on energy and power development in Zimbabwe. Government can no longer afford to ignore the need to increase participation of more players in the fuel sector. Ideas on how best we can solve the energy crisis can only come from a conference of key actors both inside and outside of government.
The MDC would wish to inquire from the Minister of Energy on whether or not the ZERA board meets to deliberate on these increases or they are written by an individual from their jacuzzi on a Sunday afternoon.
Serious consideration must be made to address power allocation for the formal and informal mining sector as they are the main source of the much needed foreign currency. The 45% foreign currency being retained by government should be ring-fenced for payment of electricity importation for the key sectors of our economy.
Rural electrification should be stopped forthwith and government instead should invest in solar energy for the rural energy sector and the government must offer incentives to encourage more investment in the use of solar energy.
Hon. Jasmine Toffa
Secretary for Energy and Power
It never rains but pours, it’s not just pain but thorns, for Kazembe Kazembe; previously in trouble with former first lady Grace Mugabe, the man who has neither surname nor firstname has fallen into hot soup with Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife. The tale is perhaps lyrically told that Kazembe has fallen from God’s Grace into an auxiliary of fire: the experience told of by state residence employees who say- we once had a first lady who used to verbally scold us at podiums, but this new one, she physically bashes us. – COMMENT
Paul Nyathi|First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura was poorly attended amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance.
According to ruling party insiders, the First Lady took almost two hours grilling Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mavhunga and chairperson Kazembe Kazembe behind closed doors, accusing them of failing to properly mobilise people for her event.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event.
Emmerson Mnangagwa has on two occasions cancelled his scheduled rallies in the province and has not visited the province since last year’s general election, amid reports of wide rifts emerging within the party’s top leadership.
In her brief address, the First Lady said the event was meant to promote economic development through sport tourism and diplomacy.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event.
Marvelous Nakamba has become the latest victim of racist abuse following offensive chants from a small portion of Aston Villa fans after the game against Norwich on Saturday.
The midfielder has created a huge fan-base since joining the EPL side in the pre-season, and his performance has earned him praises from the club fans.
But there was a chant by some supporters meant to praise him but contained racist connotations.
The lyrics included calling the Zimbabwe international a son of a ‘Rasta’, and his ‘master’ is John McGinn.
Several people who shared their views on social media condemned the song which has been reported to racism charity Kick it Out, who have yet to make a statement.Soccer 24
Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya has admitted the absence of Simba Nhivi, Evans Katema and Archieford Gutu has brought an impact on the team after registering another draw on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys played out to a 1-1 stalemate against Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro Stadium.
They had a difficult time to break their opponents’ defence and didn’t create any meaningful opportunity in the first half.
In his post-match presser, Ndiraya noted the absence of the trio who arrived at the club in the mid-season has affected the team going forward.
“I think the absence of Simba Nhivi, Evans Katema and Archieford Gutu, who are injured, was felt in this match,” he said.
“The trio would make a huge difference if available, and without them, we find it difficult to get results. It’s like we have gone back from where we started without them.”
The coach added that he was happy to see to captain Edward Sadombo returning to action from an injury and made a significant contribution in the game.
The skipper started in the first XI and scored the opener early in the second before Farawu Matare equalised for Chiefs moments later.
Ndiraya said: “I am happy for Sadomba. He came back from a long lay-off, and we did not want to put too much pressure on him by expecting a lot. It was going to be unfair, but he did well and got us a goal.”Soccer24
BY MACDONALD DZIRUTWE| HARARE – Striking doctors defied a government ultimatum to return to work on Monday, after rejecting a 60 percent pay rise offer they say is not enough to keep up with soaring prices of basic goods.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
Zimbabwe’s economy is grappling with its worst crisis in a decade, with triple-digit inflation, rolling power cuts and shortages of U.S. dollars, medicines and fuel that have revived memories of the 2008 hyperinflation.
The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA), the union for junior and middle level doctors in the public sector, on Monday pulled out of the Health Apex Council that represents public health workers in negotiations with the government, saying it no longer served their interests.
The association said the government offer was “ridiculous” as it would take their monthly salaries to around 1,700 Zimbabwe dollars (US$111), well below their demand of a 400 percent salary hike.
More than 100 of its members marched at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare on Monday demanding higher pay and vowing not to return to work.
The doctors have been on strike since September 3, which has seen some patients being turned away from public hospitals already struggling with shortages of medicines.
ZHDA in a statement said that the government was not willing to address their concerns but had instead responded with “intimidation and threats of disciplinary action or dismissals.”
“The will and desire is there but the means to execute their (the doctors’) duties does not exist,” it said.
Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, who on Saturday issued the ultimatum for doctors to return to work on Monday or face disciplinary action, said he could not immediately comment.
Tapiwa Mungofa, the ZHDA treasurer, later told reporters that the World Health Organisation and other United Nations agencies should help raise funding for Zimbabwe’s health sector and broker a solution to end the strike.
The doctors want their salaries indexed to the U.S. dollar because the Zimbabwe dollar is losing value against the greenback daily while earnings are being eroded by inflation, which the International Monetary Fund said stood at nearly 300 percent in August.
The government lifted the price of diesel and petrol by up to 27 percent on Saturday, days afterpower utility ZESA hiked tariffs by over 200 percent. The price increases were followed by hikes in the prices of goods like sugar, cooking oil, milk and transport.
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa pleaded for time and patience to revive the economy.
Hopes that it would quickly rebound under Mnangagwa, who took over after former president Robert Mugabe was deposed in a coup in November 2017, have faded fast, as Zimbabweans grapple with inflation that has eroded earnings and savings. – Reuters
Farai Dziva|Auxillia Mnangagwa came face to face with Zanu PF factional fights when ruling party members snubbed her Family Fun Day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura at weekend.
The event was marred by low attendance, amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled to start at 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance, according to NewsDay.
Mwonzora whe he was in Sweden recently
Former MDC-Alliance secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora has called on political parties to abandon the politics of hate and embrace “tolerance and rational disputation”.
Writing on his Twitter handle, Mr Mwonzora yesterday said: “A review of Zimbabwean politics over the last few weeks leads us to one conclusion: We need a new approach to our politics.
“We need to jettison the politics of hate, toxicity and acrimony and replace it with politics of tolerance and rational disputation.”
A number of Twitter users praised Mr Mwonzora for calling for “a new approach” to politics, saying confrontational politics was hurtful and impoverished supporters of all political parties.
Businessman Mr Mutumwa Mawere said; “Yet the call must start with the individual author. What am I prepared to do to ensure that the idea of common purpose is real and finds best expression in actions and not words or slogans?”
Mr Lincoln Mpofu also suggested that “unity for the sake of people is the only way to go”. Twinsisters said: “#sanctionsmustgo, lets blow our trumpets against these ruinous sanctions”.
Another Twitter user with the handle, @theman19711, said a review of the “entire regime change policy top to bottom was needed ages ago”.
Others encouraged the MDC-Alliance to get a few notes from the South African opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who do niot invite sanctions on their country despite differing with the ruling ANC.
A Twitter user with the handle, @fidelischax proposed that Mr Mwonzora should lead the opposition outfit as he was “sober”.
“I surely believe you are a sober head and should lead the main opposition.”
However, he was not short of critics, with some calling him a ZANU-PF agent who should join the revolutionary party.
But Mr Mwonzora shot back: “You say I should join Zanu PF because I have spoken against hate, intolerance and toxicity? Those are not the values of the MDC, are they?”
Moderates in the MDC-Alliance are understood to have told some party leaders to swallow their pride and join the political actors’ dialogue to find a lasting solution to Zimbabwe’s economic challenges, instead of calling for sanctions.- State Media
A fraudster who masqueraded as former High Court judge Justice Mafios Cheda and swindled several Government officials of large sums of money was jailed for an effective three years and two months.
Tinashe Munhuweyi (36), of Mufakose in Harare, would call the victims and introduce himself as Justice Cheda and would pretend to be desperate and in urgent need of financial help.
He conned Deputy Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs Victor Matemadanda, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Dr Sekai Nzenza and Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Richard Moyo.
Other victims include Great Zimbabwe University Professor Ben Siyakwazi and a relative to late retired High Court judge, Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe, Naboth.
The named victims lost a total of over $12 000.
Munhuweyi was convicted by magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa after a full trial.
In aggravation, prosecutor Ms Patience Chimusaru called for a lengthy prison term, arguing that Munhuweyi brought the name of Justice Cheda into disrepute.
Convinced by the State’s submissions, the magistrate said there was need for a deterrent sentence which would send a message to would-be offenders.
She then sentenced Munhuweyi to 56 months in prison before setting aside six months on condition of good behaviour and a further 12 months were suspended on condition he restitutes all the victims on or before January 1, next year.
She effected 38 months, but failure to pay back the money, Munhuweyi will serve an effective 50 months.
On September 17 last year, Munhuweyi contacted Cde Matemadanda while purporting to be Justice Cheda and misrepresented that he had two trucks which had run out of fuel at Chirundu Border Post.
He requested for $600 to refuel the trucks and pay for other expenses. Munhuweyi asked Cde Matemadanda to transfer the money into a supplied EcoCash account and promised to repay the debt.
Munhuweyi became evasive after receiving the money. When Cde Matemadanda testified during trial, he said when he received the call for help from the imposter, he was made to believe it was Justice Cheda since they had met on several occasions.
He said when Munhuweyi became evasive, he then conducted his own investigations and later spoke to the real Justice Cheda, who knew nothing about the transactions.
According to Cde Matemadanda, Justice Cheda even said he had also received various complaints of people who had been duped in his name.
On November 28, Munhuweyi, the court heard, contacted Minister Nzenza masquerading as Justice Cheda and lied that his nephew had a truck carrying fertiliser which had a breakdown on its way from South Africa.
He asked for $825 to fix the truck before asking for a further $863 the following day which he said was for fuel. The money was sent via EcoCash.
Minister Nzenza became suspicious due to the unending demands and made her own investigations which unearthed the scam.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi defrauded Professor Siyakwazi after misrepresenting that his son “Christian Cheda” had died while on his way to India for medical attention.
He then said he was looking for financial assistance towards his son’s funeral.- state media
Manchester United’s woes continue after they were edged 1-0 by Newcastle at St James’ Park today.
Matty Longstaff’s second half goal was all Steve Bruce’s men need to pile more misery on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United.
This was United’s second consecutive away defeat in the Premier League after they also lost 2-0 to West Ham three weeks ago.
United have the lowest points tally after 8 games since the 1989-90 season and they are now in 12th position on the table heading into the international break.Soccer24
Farai Dziva|MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka has said there is need to set up a transitional mechanism that will eventually lead to free and fair elections.
See Tamborinyoka’s argument :
Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals. Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week. This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people. That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018. As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because the people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground. His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
Wellington Chindara, the director and actor in Sabhuku Vharazipi, one of the most famous plays of recent times has been nabbed by Police for alleged theft.
Chindara (46), was arrested on Monday evening when he was allegedly caught red-handed trying to steal an empty 200litre plastic drum at the Salvation Army Church in Masvingo.
Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula confirmed the story and told The Mirror that investigations are underway.
Sources told The Mirror that Chindara who stays along Josiah Gondo Street in Mucheke was arrested at the Salvation Army Church at around 3am when he entered the premises, emptied the drum that was filled with water and then attempted to carry it away.
Chindara was allegedly spotted by Tagwirei Mazulu (42), a pastor at the church and he threw the drum away and left.
A report was made to the Police leading to Chindara’s arrest. -Masvingo Mirror
Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals. Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week. This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people. That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018. As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because the people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground. His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
Victims of Zanu PF torture reveal how they were tormented by the ruling party in the video footage below :
In the video footage below Chief Svosve exposes Emmerson Mnangagwa’s brutility and how his government is abusing human rights. ..
The senior doctors herein represented by the SHDA interim committee, noted with concern some of the statements being made regarding the incapacitation of the senior doctors and other doctors. They would like to set the record straight as to what they mean by “incapacitation.”
The following are the key constraints we are facing at most government hospitals.
1.Incapacitation.
1.1. Equipment Major and essential medical equipment is either unavailable or broken down, or obsolete hence requiring urgent replacemant. Life span of procured equipment is often reduced due to la. of service contracts. Specialist doctors have all along struggled to continue offering quality service under these conditions. We acknowledge the initiative by the ministry of health to procure sorne equipment but the impact has been negligible. The rnajority of equipment acquired is not in use either due to missing components, such as the neonatal ventilators or is unusable such as the anaesthetic machines which are completely incompatible with our system. The rest remains boxed and awaiting commissioning by the authorities.
1.2 Dysfunctional hospitals- The fundamentals for safe provision of healthcare are not in place. The central hospitals are prirne referral and specialist centres. Clinicians have gone out of their way to get training abroad in open-heart surgery and rnanaged to resuscitate the service in February 2016. They have sadly since been forced to discontinue the programme since November 2018 due to unavailability of equipment, drugs and laboratory support. The same local doctors who separated conjoint twins have stopped doing such ground-breaking operations for the same reasons. Harare Hospital neonatal unit (NNU) for instance has inadequate numbers of incubators, erratic heating, no oxygen blenders, not enough equipment to monitor babies. The unit is also overcrowded and unhygienic. There is also no working ventilator at the Harare hospital NNU unit and the sister unit at Parirenyatwa is overcrowded. This environment is emotionally draining for the doctors and staff in these units. This is to highlight but a few of the challenges.
1.3 Maternity services- Harare Central Hospital maternity unit is one of the busiest referral centers in the country and receives some of the most complicated cases. This u. has one functional operating theatre of the two available. The equipment received from ministry for this uot included a theatre table with to maximum weight limit of 60kg which is inappropriate for use for rnost of Zimbabwean pregnant women. As mentioned previously, the anaesthetic machine cannot be used. Having only one functional theatre rneans there are inevitable delays in performing caesarian sections timeously to deserving mothers, resulting in delivery of avoidable brain damaged babies, neonatal deaths and endangering lives of mothers.
1.4 Surgical services. There is erratic water supply in theatres. Inadequate supply of cleaning and disinfectant materials making preparation for surgery unsafe. CSSD departments to sterilize linen and utensils frequently break down. There are inadequate surgical consumables such as appropriate suture material resulting in surgeons having to improvise. Inadequate supply of theatre attire and linen. Supplies of simple medical supplies, antibiotics and painkillers are erratic. Protective clothing such as gloves and gowns are not always available. Doctors are forced on frequent occasions to perform emergency procedures, deliveries and resuscitations without protective clothing. We are aware that these problems are affecting other hospitals outside of Harare and Bulawayo to varying degrees.
1.5 Intensive care unit KU) capacity- Parirenyatwa has been reduced from 10 to 4 adult ICU beds over the past years. HCH which has a bed capacity of over 1200, now has only 3 ICU beds. This is due to unavailability of simple ventilators, rnonitors, infusion pumps and staff. As a result elective major surgery has been markedly reduced. Critically ill emergency patients are kept waiting for unduly long periods in the casualty department and on the wards due to the unavailability of beds. 1.6 Cancer units- There are persistent shortages of basic oncology drugs for both children and adults. The radiotherapy machines are frequently and currently broken down and can take up to 4 months to be repaired. This is against a background of an increasing burden of cancer in Zimbabwe.
1.7 Flexi hours- Government sanctioned nurses, radiographers, lab scientists and other support staff to corne to work 3 days per week because they could no longer afford come to work every day. This is called “flexi hours”. This was on a background of an already inadequate workforce and vacancies. This has effectively cut the number of workers available to give service at any given tirne, thereby increasing the workload and compromising on quality. Standard overlap shifts for nurs. have been abandoned compromising effective handover.
1.8 Financial incapacitation- The adjusted health specific allowances announced by the minister were imposed without agreement of the doctors and do not include University of Zimbabwe consultants. UZ consultant have continued to offer clinical services despite the ministry of health refusing to pay them health specific allowances. The adjustrnents referred to are inadequate and are being eroded on a daily basis by inflation. The doctors remain financially incapacitated.
2. The threats for disciplinary action against doctors. We are ready to negotiate to resolve the current crisis and find a lasting solution to the deteriorating standards in the public health sector. We find threats of disciplinary action as unfortunate and are clear signs of negotiation in bad faith.
3. Conclusion Doctors at all levels are being made to watch patients die from avoidable conditions and work in unsafe environments. The oft-mentioned Hippocratic oath states that doctors ought to never give dangerous services, “first do no harm.” We remain incapacitated to deliver safe and effective care to our patients. However, we continue to be available to engage in meaningful dialogue fora speedy and long-terrn resolution to this crisis in the interest of our patients, the communities and the profession.
The MDC is appealling for solidarity for both our national Organising Secretary Amos Chibaya and his Deputy Sibusisiwe Bhuda Masara.
The two people’s movement leaders are due to appear at the Harare Rotten Row Magistrates courts on Tuesday 8th October morning at 8:30am.
The duo are already out on bail.
They were both arrested on the clearly politically motivated charges of failing to comply with a police prohibition order banning our Free Zimbabwe March on 16th August 2019.
The MDC is once again urging all our leaders and members to turn out in their large numbers in active solidarity on Tuesday morning.
MDC: Celebrating 20 Years of Courage, Growth and the People’s Victories
Daniel Molokele
MDC Spokesperson
By A Correspondent- National University of Science and Technology (NUST) students expected to graduate on November 8 have protested against exorbitant graduation fees.
In a memo sent to their administration, the graduants petitioned their leaders by saying:
We the undersigned Nust graduands would like to express our discontentment following the unanticipated 700% increase in the graduation fee.
We are not unmindful of the current economic downturn, but our parents are peasant and they haven’t had complementary increases in their salaries.
We are appealing to your higher office to bid a commendable farewell to the future leaders and afford families and friends to celebrate the academic successes of their own by reviewing downwards the graduation fee to a reasonable and justifiable amount, which is a reflection of what other State universities are charging under the same economic hardships,
-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Police in Bulawayo have intensified stop and search patrols in the central business district (CBD) and in the residential areas following a surge in violent robberies.
A Bulawayo-based milling company was however recently left seething with anger after police on night patrol arrested and detained overnight its employees coming from a night-shift after accusing them of being thieves.
However, police spokesperson, assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said police were not taking chances, hence the intensification of the night patrols to eradicate crime in the city.
“We have witnessed a lot of robberies in the city. As a result, we have intensified stop and search patrols in our fight against crime and we urge residents to carry with them identity particulars,” Msebele said.
Directors of Rite Price Foods milling company, Alex Goosen and Abednico Bhebhe, however, were not amused by the arrest of their employees who spent Thursday night at Bulawayo Central Police station holding cells after they were nabbed during the police stop and search operation.
They were arrested on their way from work in the CBD and only released yesterday morning following the intervention of their employers.
“The arresting officers and the one who detained them violated the police charter. The very essence of the charter that allows for investigations before arrest was violated,” Bhebhe said.
“We want those cops punished because that kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated…we will be pursuing court action against the police if there is no disciplinary action against the arresting officers.”
Goosen added: “I had to bring the company time book to show that indeed they were coming from work to facilitate their release. Their arrest is not only shocking, but is also a violation of their rights to work.”
-Newsday
By A Correspondent- First lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura on Saturday was marred by low attendance, amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled to start at 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance.
According to ruling party insiders, the First Lady took almost two hours grilling Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mavhunga and chairperson Kazembe Kazembe behind closed doors, accusing them of failing to properly mobilise people for her event.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has on two occasions cancelled his scheduled rallies in the province and has not visited the province since last year’s general election, amid reports of wide rifts emerging within the party’s top leadership.
In her brief address, the First Lady said the event was meant to promote economic development through sport tourism and diplomacy.
-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Eight armed robbers allegedly raided a family in Bulawayo’s Kumalo suburb and got away with more than US$17 000 among other valuables using their victim’s car which they later abandoned.
The incident occurred on Thursday at about 8pm after the suspects ambushed a 46-year-old woman as she was entering her home.
The suspects allegedly forced the four house occupants into a room before demanding cash while threatening to harm them.
In a statement on Friday, National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police were investigating the armed robbery.
“Police are investigating an armed robbery case where eight unknown male adults robbed a Bulawayo family at gunpoint in Kumalo suburb. The accused persons pounced on a 46-year-old woman as she arrived at her house at around 8pm and force-marched her into the house where three other occupants were confined into a room.
“The accused force-marched the woman from room to room and ordered her to show them the safe. Property which includes, cash amounting to RTGS$5 500 and US$17 360, Samsung J6 cellphone, Huawei P8 Lite cellphone, four HP laptops, three gold rings, silver Ipad Mini cellphone was stolen. The accused persons fled from the scene using the complainant’s vehicle a Volvo X C60 which was later abandoned,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He urged members of the public to avoid keeping huge amounts in their homes as this increases risk of them being raided by criminals.
The incident occurred just four days after three gun wielding robbers raided a house at Inyathi Business Centre getting away with US$1 800 and $33 000, in what cops suspect could be an inside job.
Asst Comm Nyathi appealed to those with information regarding the matter to report to the nearest police station or national complaints desk on 0242-703631.
Meanwhile, police arrested three suspects in connection with theft of copper cables while four others escaped.
Asst Comm Nyathi said detectives arrested Kudakwashe Tsuro at his home in New Lobengula before he led them to his co-accused Founders Ndlovu (33) and Bhekani Ndlovu (40) in Nketa 9 suburb.
“They found him in possession of a salter scale, some copper wire, and 1kg block of copper. Further investigations led the police to a house in Nketa 9, Bulawayo where the other two suspects were arrested and four others escaped.
“The suspects were caught in the act while loading copper wire into a South Africa registered Mercedes Benz Sprinter. A total of 567kgs of copper wire was recovered packed in sacks and tyres. The Mercedes Benz which was destined for South Africa was impounded by the police,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He warned members of the public to desist from illegally dealing in copper as the law will be applied without fear or favour.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Kwekwe City Council is set to demolish a block of houses in Mbizo 7’s single quarters and build better housing units.
This was revealed by acting Kwekwe Town Clerk Lucia Mkandla in a telephone interview with a local publication.
She said:
There is an ongoing project to upgrade Mbizo 7 whereby the council will demolish some rooms there and build better structures.
Those who will be affected by the operation shall be relocated to other areas where we are building houses for them.
Meanwhile, Mbizo 7 residents are not pleased by the council’s failure to inform them of its plans. The residents said that they learnt of the looming “Operation Murambatsvina” through social media.
-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Jealousy Mawarire, the spokesperson of the National Patriotic Front Party (NPF), believed to have been linked to the late former President Robert Mugabe alleges that President Emmerson Mnangagwa rejected advice from the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC), calling his own advisors “alarmists”.
Mawarire says a meeting between Mnangagwa and PAC was held on 30 September 2019 where the advisors appraised him of the dire economic conditions prevailing in the country.
Writing on Twitter, Mawarire said:
After meeting PAC on 30 Sept 2019, President Emmerson Mnangagwa accused PAC [Presidential Advisory Council] members of being “alarmists” after the group gave him an appraisal of the dire economic conditions.
PAC members were shocked by his reaction and are convinced he doesn’t appreciate hardships faced by people or he doesn’t care.
The Presidential Advisory Council is a group of individuals brought together by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to advise him after violent mass protests in January 2019 and a violent crackdown on Zimbabweans by the military and police that followed.
It includes notable individuals in business and religious leadership such as Natalie Jabangwe (leader at EcoCash), Shingi Munyeza (outspoken cleric), Kudakwashe Tagwirei (established entrepreneur) and Trevor Ncube owner of AMH.
Paul Nyathi|Zimbabweans have overwhelmingly declared ZANU PF government as pathological liars regarding targeted sanctions imposed on the Southern Africa country by the world giant.
In a poll conducted by ZimEye.com online, 74% of those who expressed their opinion felt ZANU PF was lying that the so called sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are crippling the nation.
The USA this week declared that ZANU PF has been misinforming its citizens on the kind of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.
Below is how the online voting proceeded.
An ARTUZ member crafted this ahead of 14 October.
INFLATION AND SALARY FIASCO
Civil servants’ salaries have never been hit by inflation. How can inflation have an effect on something that is not there? Civil servants’ salaries have long been scrapped by austerity measures and not even a resemblance has been left.
ln its place a SLAVE WAGE took form. It will only be a mere waste of time trying to explore and explain the effects of something on another thing that is not in existence.
A soccer commentator can’t spend ninety minutes of commenting on a match declared walkover owing to the failure of another team to show up.
The bottom line is inflation is just making a walkover on civil servants’ salaries which have been stolen by austerity measures.
COME OCTOBER 14 I’M WITHDRAWING MY SERVICES
I WANT MY STOLEN SALARY BACK
A BIG NO TO SLAVE WAGES!!!!!!!
Paul Nyathi|First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura was poorly attended amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance.
According to ruling party insiders, the First Lady took almost two hours grilling Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mavhunga and chairperson Kazembe Kazembe behind closed doors, accusing them of failing to properly mobilise people for her event.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has on two occasions cancelled his scheduled rallies in the province and has not visited the province since last year’s general election, amid reports of wide rifts emerging within the party’s top leadership.
In her brief address, the First Lady said the event was meant to promote economic development through sport tourism and diplomacy.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is running out of time to turn the club’s fortunes around, according to Martin Keown.
“You start to look at where the system is, where the intensity is, and I think the belief now is ebbing away,” Keown said.
“I think this could be the beginning of the end for this manager.
“I don’t want to see a former player come in and leave the job.
“But there has to be a spark, there has to be a reaction.
“It seems to be just spiralling out of control at Manchester United at the moment, that was a really poor result today.”
Lee Sharpe has told Manchester United they need to spend £300million and sign someone like Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
“I think you are looking at least £300million,” Sharpe told talkSPORT.
“You need someone like a Harry Kane for £200m/£220m that is going to score you 25 goals a season and you’ve got a different outlook in the team.
“So it is not going to be a cheap one.
“It’s difficult to keep up with the likes of Man City and Liverpool when they’ve set such high standards.
“You’ve got to stop comparing this team to Liverpool and City and great United teams of the past.
“They need to be given the chance to grow and educate themselves and become potentially what they could be in a year or 18 months’ time.”
Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer another injury blow.
The youngster has pulled out of the England Under-21 squad with a back problem.
A statement on United’s website read: “Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood has been forced to withdraw from the England Under-21 squad.
“The 18-year-old, who made his debut at that level against Turkey last month, had been selected for the upcoming games against Slovenia and Austria.
“He came on as a second-half substitute in the Reds’ 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday but has pulled out of coach Aidy Boothroyd’s group due to a back problem.”
Mirror
Paul Nyathi|The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has announced that a national strike has been called for the 14th of October.
The date clashes with the start of the Zimsec October – November examination leaving the sitting of examinations in doubt.
Artuz is demanding a fair living wage that is equivalent to the United States Dollar interbank rate.Currently teachers are paid a salary less than USD$100.
In a statement ARTUZ said, “The 14 October job action is protected by the law. We feel duty bound to defend our salaries within the confines of the law. We therefore urge all teachers to join this job action which is protected by the laws of the country.”
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe leader Raymond Majongwe said the government seems not willing to engage the workers.
“Our demand to be paid in USD or the equivalent at the interbank rate still stands. Teachers out there are demanding that we join the Doctors in demanding for a living wage. Government is not even keen to engage its workers. The pressure is building.”
The Citizen|The Department of Home Affairs is working on a number of changes to South Africa’s visa regime, in an effort to make the country more accessible for visitors, investors and people with skills that are critical to building the economy.
Presenting at the monthly Presidential Working Committee on Monday (7 October), Home Affairs minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said that his department has lowered turnaround times for critical work skills visas, which are now issued within four weeks in 88.5% of applications.
By comparison, business and general work visas are issued within eight weeks in 98% of applications.
“In November, the Department of Home Affairs will embark on a pilot scheme for the issuing of e-visas, which applicants will be able to access online, eliminating the need for applicants to visit South African missions abroad.
“The department has also located visa services within the offices of various investment facilitation agencies around the country.
“In addition, visa requirements have been simplified for countries such as China and India, which are key markets for tourism to South Africa,” he said.
New countries can now visit South Africa visa-free
Motsoaleid added that the government also recently waived visas for travellers from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, New Zealand, Cuba, Ghana and Sao Tome and Principe.
In July, a spokesperson told BusinessTech that the Department of Home Affairs will also enter into talks with their counterparts in a number of countries to allow visa-free access for South African travellers.
While countries such as Qatar and Ghana already have visa-free or visa on arrival agreements with South Africa, it would be considered a serious boon if South Africans could travel visa-free to countries such as the UAE and New Zealand.
Department spokesperson Siya Qoza said that Home Affairs was currently in talks with these countries on two main issues.
“We have entered negotiations with these countries with the first priority being an implementation date for visa-free access to South Africa.
“Once this has been confirmed, our second priority is reciprocity.”
Qoza said that initial conversations held with these countries have been positive, with talks expected to be concluded by September.
He added that Home Affairs may expand these negotiations to other countries.
“We are consistently looking at which countries would be of a trade and tourism benefit to South Africa,” he said.
MDC Media Statement|Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals.
Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week.
This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people.
That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018.
As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground.
His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
Paul Nyathi|As the fallout resulting from the burial of former President Robert Mugabe at his rural home village continues, his widow Grace has been accused of grabbing a project donated to the country by the Chinese and personalising it.
According to the Zim Morning Post, Grace allegedly grabbed the US$7 million Mazowe Orphanage project which had been donated by the Chinese and turned it, into her own despite the fact that the project had been donated to the country of Zimbabwe. Grace was only supposed to be the patron of the project and not the owner. However, Grace is alleged to have grabbed the project which was meant to cater for orphans and turned it into her own sumptuous state of the art private schools.
A source close to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government who spoke to the Zim Morning Post said,
“This project is the same project with the Defence College of Zimbabwe where the National Army was brought in this deal as an implementing partner and after its completion, it was handed over to Government that is what Grace was supposed to do.”
However, when reached for comment, the government insisted that all questions regarding the issue will be better answered by the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Deputy Information minister Energy Mutodi distanced Mnangagwa’s government from the matter saying,
“This is just grapevine, the executive does not investigate anyone rather this is done by the police and the anti-corruption commission
“It is from these institutions that you can get an indication if an investigation has been opened against Grace Mugabe.
“Government is not a law unto itself. The law operates separately through institutions mandated to administer it.”
The Mnangagwa government has been accused of allegedly targeting Grace Mugabe because she refused to give in to their demands for Robert Mugabe to be buried at the National Heroes Acre. Just days after the burial of Mugabe at his home village in Zvimba, the Mnangagwa government was accused of unleashing gold panners at the Mugabe family’s farms in Mazowe.
Source: Zim Morning Post
Chinese businesses are taking advantage of the rising demand for renewable sources of energy in Africa to dump substandard solar panels on the continent’s market, energy experts say.
In Zimbabwe, Nobert Mataruse, an engineer with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), recently warned people to be cautious about substandard products.
“In recent months, we have witnessed an influx of solar products which are not appropriate,” said Mataruse, as cited by the government-owned newspaper The Herald.
Zimbabwe, like many countries in Africa, is facing an energy crisis, and the government is advocating for the wider use of solar energy. But many products entering the market are not meeting local standards.
A vast majority of the currently failing and defective solar panels can be traced back to Chinese manufacturing plants, Tawanda Chitiyo, an energy expert based in Zimbabwe, told The Epoch Times.
“The growth of the local market has resulted in high inflows of PV [photovoltaic] products in the country. That’s resulted in many substandard products finding their way into the market, with negative consequences for consumers,” said Chitiyo, who is also the director of Tawanda Energy.
Tawanda Energy operates in the energy, biofuel, petrochemical, and related industries, utilizing community-scale bio-refineries to produce diesel, natural gas, electricity, and bio-char from sewage sludge and waste plastic.
Chitiyo said the lure of a bargain is strong, and saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars is an attractive proposition, especially when the quality deficits of lower-priced panels aren’t immediately apparent, making Africa a dumping ground for cheap and defective solar panels.
“Like all manufactured goods, solar panels and other solar energy system components degrade and gradually generate less electricity over time. But the rate of failure of Chinese solar panels is now a great concern. There are no industry-wide figures about defective solar panels; no one is sure how pervasive the problem is,” he said.
Counterfeit solar products in the marketplace are now a key challenge facing solar energy in the country, Chitiyo said.
“Products from such suppliers often suffer from uneven performance and low power output, and do not perform according to specifications written on their data plates. Another problem is low-quality components and fittings, which sometimes lead to the complete failure of solar panels,” he said.
Solar panels, he said, are relatively uniform in appearance and have no moving parts, so it’s difficult—if not impossible—for the average consumer to gauge a particular panel’s quality when compared to another, even side by side.
“Most suppliers offer a 25-year warranty, but malfunctions and failures usually surface a few months from purchase, especially solar lighting systems, leading to losses,” he said.
Chitiyo said these issues have also created a new problem of how to dispose of these solar panels, resulting in environmental problems since there is insufficient expertise in the safe disposal of solar panels.
Tawanda Energy is collaborating with European technology providers, including Danish company infinityPV, and is in the process of setting up innovative proprietary processes that will enable them to manufacture and deliver leading-edge solar products while cutting the cost.
“We plan to start the local production of organic solar cells. These solar cells are a third-generation printed solar photovoltaic technology for energy production in small-scale niche applications to large-scale installations such as building-integrated photovoltaics,” Chitiyo said.
He said the government and vocational training institutes in Zimbabwe must invest more in local research and development in the production of photovoltaic panels.
“We need more solar technology programs at our training institutes to generate reliable solar experts. We are also advocating for the local manufacture of solar panels and products, a move that would enable the majority of Zimbabweans to purchase the equipment at cheaper prices and in the local currency compared to imported solar products,” he said.
Chitiyo said the government through ZERA should inspect all solar products at points of entry and should start conducting impromptu inspections to seize all substandard solar products sold in retail shops.
He called on local entrepreneurs to establish independent testing labs that will be able to track the quality of panels.
“Lack of suitable environment, lack of affordable funds, lack of awareness, and lack of capacity building seems to sum up the barriers to PV penetration and thus explain the Zimbabwean and African PV paradox, whereby the best-served countries in terms of solar radiation are the lowest in terms of PV installations,” he said.
Paul Nyathi|A leading civil society election observer has been assassinated in Mozambique’s Gaza province, where Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri is, barely a week before the polls, Club of Mozambique reports.
According to the report, Anastancio Matavel, an observer for Sala da Paz, a Mozambican Election Observation platform, was shot dead just after he finished training other national observers.
His killers are said to have followed Matavel’a car, fired at him ten times before they were involved in a road accident in which two of them were said to have died, while one was arrested by the police.
An escalating insurgency, attacks on political campaigners and a terrified population have set a worrying scene for Mozambique’s election on October 15.
Despite a recent peace deal, human rights experts say they suspect the accord will not last.
“Killing of a leading election observer this morning, 8 days to the voting day, is the latest of many incidents since the start of the campaign. Silence of the Electoral Commission and the inability of the police to stop it, are fueling the violence and impunity, Human Rights Watch researcher Zenaida Machado said on Twitter.
The polls are seen as a milestone, as they take place after the death of longtime opposition leader Afonso Dhlakama and in the wake of an accord with his party, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), meant to put the country on the path of a lasting peace.
By A Correspondent- In an interview with ZimEye Monday, Health Services Board Chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikosana dispelled claims that doctors are on strike and are not reporting for duty saying doctors are at work.
Commenting on the doctors’ letter signalling that they had pulled out of the Health Apex Council which was submitted today morning at the HSB offices, Dr Sikosana said the pull out pointed to the need in changing the current legislation which governed the negotiating forum between the doctors and their employer.
He said:
“….The negotiating forum that is there is governed by certain legislation. For them to exit and get another negotiating forum, we need to change the legislation and its not a day’s thing.”
Responding to a question on how long this process to change the legislation will take, Dr Sikosana revealed that he did not know.
He said:
“For the process to be completed, I would not know.”
When quizzed on the way forward following the doctors rejection of the 60 percent salary increment that was announced by government, Dr Sikosana dispelled reports that doctors are not at work.
He said:
“They are at work. They are at work.”
Watch the video below for this and more….
Mthwakazi Liberation Organisation Leader Paul Siwela who was a top aide to the late Dumiso Dabengwa has sensationally alleged that the late national hero was poisoned during the November 2017 coup that ended 37 years of Robert Mugabe’s rule.
According to Siwela, who worked close to Dabengwa in the revival of ZAPU, before going Mthwakazi way, Dabengwa was poisoned by the same group of people who also poisoned ailing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Posting on Facebook siwela said, “I can not resist the feeling that our national hero cde Dumiso Dabengwa was poisoned either towards , during or immediately after the 17th November 2017 military coup in Zimbabwe that toppled the long time dictator Robert Mugabe from power. The same person or group of persons is the same that poisoned Gen Constatino Chiwenga.”
Dabengwa was buried in Ntabazinduma after snubbing heroes acre burial.
Siwela further claimed that Joana Mafuyane the wife of the late Father Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo was also poisoned for revealing that former First Lady Grace Mugabe was a daughter to Stephen Nkomo.
“Mrs Joana Nkomo, nee Mafuyana was also poisoned for revealing that Mrs Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe was the daughter of cde Stephen Jeqe Nyongolo Nkomo, the young brother to cde Joshua Nyongolo Nkomo and so was Maurice Nyagumbo and many others in zanupf. The next guys who need to be very careful is Obert Moses Mpofu and Jacob Mudenda and one of the two may not be successful. Watch this space.”
The Nkomo family is yet to respond to the allegations.
The ruling Zanu PF party has declared that government will only give jobs to its supporters only.
The ZANU PF National Secretary for security, Lovemore Matuke made the declaration when he was addressing his party’s Masvingo Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held in Masvingo town recently.
The free speaking Matuke told the party members that Zanu PF faced a security threat if it’s youth remain unemployed and will be made worse if opposition MDC youths are seen in government employment at their expense.
“We have a new security threat; when our youths are not employed it’s a threat so we want to make sure that our people are employed.
“We were in China recently and they told us that they needed a lot of teachers so we need to make sure that our degreed youths get are given that opportunity. However, they have to be taught the party ideology and those who do not want will not benefit because we have to make sure that when they go they will serve our interests,” said Matuke, who is also the Deputy Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare.
Matuke also claimed that the MDC Alliance rigged the 2018 elections by issuing fake identity documents to people who were under the legal age of voting.
Matuke claimed that since the Zanu PF security department picked intelligence to that effect, the party was now doing a follow up with the office of the registrar general.
“In 2018, thousands of young people below the age of 18 were issued with fake IDs that allowed them to register to vote. You would see that this person is too young to vote but when you check the ID, you see that he/she is eligible to vote
“We then did some investigations and noticed that some people were given IDs but they are not in the registrar general’s data base,” said Matuke.
He warned against complacency in terms of voter registration saying the opposition had intensified its voter registration programmes for next election.
“The opposition has intensified its voter registration programmes and most of the young people registering to vote now belong to MDC and we should do more than them. Let’s make sure that our people are registering as we prepare for 2023 elections,” Matuke said.
Speaking at the same event, politburo member Josaya Hungwe claimed that the MDC used the same strategy to rig the elections in 2008.
He claimed the MDC had connived with the Masvingo provincial registry for the issuance of fake IDs to people sympathetic to the opposition party.
Hungwe also said they should go and investigate the recent Zaka East election and find out where the over 1000 people who voted for the MDC ‘came from’.
“Go to Zaka and find out the villages of the people who voted for the opposition so that when we go to 2023, those people will be accounted for,” said Hungwe
Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda warned MPs against marginalising President Emmerson Mnangagwa in their 2023 election campaigns.
“We will need a list of people who got more votes than the President’s and unless we are told that they have reformed, we will not allow them to contest in 2023 election. In 2023 we are targeting five million votes and we can get them by making sure that each one of us recruits one new voter because last time we got 2.5 million votes,” said Matemadanda.
Marvelous Nakamba has become the latest victim of racist abuse following offensive chants from a small portion of Aston Villa fans after the game against Norwich on Saturday.
The midfielder has created a huge fan-base since joining the EPL side in the pre-season, and his performance has earned him praises from the club fans.
But there was a chant by some supporters meant to praise him but contained racist connotations.
The lyrics included calling the Zimbabwe international a son of a ‘Rasta’, and his ‘master’ is John McGinn.
Several people who shared their views on social media condemned the song which has been reported to racism charity Kick it Out, who have yet to make a statement.Soccer 24
Manchester United’s woes continue after they were edged 1-0 by Newcastle at St James’ Park today.
Matty Longstaff’s second half goal was all Steve Bruce’s men need to pile more misery on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United.
This was United’s second consecutive away defeat in the Premier League after they also lost 2-0 to West Ham three weeks ago.
United have the lowest points tally after 8 games since the 1989-90 season and they are now in 12th position on the table heading into the international break.Soccer24
Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya has admitted the absence of Simba Nhivi, Evans Katema and Archieford Gutu has brought an impact on the team after registering another draw on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys played out to a 1-1 stalemate against Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro Stadium.
They had a difficult time to break their opponents’ defence and didn’t create any meaningful opportunity in the first half.
In his post-match presser, Ndiraya noted the absence of the trio who arrived at the club in the mid-season has affected the team going forward.
“I think the absence of Simba Nhivi, Evans Katema and Archieford Gutu, who are injured, was felt in this match,” he said.
“The trio would make a huge difference if available, and without them, we find it difficult to get results. It’s like we have gone back from where we started without them.”
The coach added that he was happy to see to captain Edward Sadombo returning to action from an injury and made a significant contribution in the game.
The skipper started in the first XI and scored the opener early in the second before Farawu Matare equalised for Chiefs moments later.
Ndiraya said: “I am happy for Sadomba. He came back from a long lay-off, and we did not want to put too much pressure on him by expecting a lot. It was going to be unfair, but he did well and got us a goal.”Soccer24
The MDC notes with great concern the continuation of the escalating energy crisis in Zimbabwe that is being worsened by the cluelessness of Mr Emerson Mnangagwa government in solving the country’s multi-layered crisis.
The MDC notes that every Sunday since September 2019, there was a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority ( ZERA) upward review of the prices of fuel but at no point during the same month was there an announcement on salary increases.
Four fuel price increases means four increases in prices of goods and services and Zimbabweans simply can no longer cope. Such increases lead to higher expenditure on transport for the poor families and they result in dwindling contributions to medical aid schemes, pension funds and family investments.
The MDC calls for the abolition of fuel-blending monopoly and reiterates its call for government to convene a multi stakeholder conference on energy and power development in Zimbabwe. Government can no longer afford to ignore the need to increase participation of more players in the fuel sector. Ideas on how best we can solve the energy crisis can only come from a conference of key actors both inside and outside of government.
The MDC would wish to inquire from the Minister of Energy on whether or not the ZERA board meets to deliberate on these increases or they are written by an individual from their jacuzzi on a Sunday afternoon.
Serious consideration must be made to address power allocation for the formal and informal mining sector as they are the main source of the much needed foreign currency. The 45% foreign currency being retained by government should be ring-fenced for payment of electricity importation for the key sectors of our economy.
Rural electrification should be stopped forthwith and government instead should invest in solar energy for the rural energy sector and the government must offer incentives to encourage more investment in the use of solar energy.
Hon. Jasmine Toffa
Secretary for Energy and Power
Farai Dziva|MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka has said there is need to set up a transitional mechanism that will eventually lead to free and fair elections.
See Tamborinyoka’s argument :
Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals. Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week. This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people. That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018. As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because the people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground. His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
The son of former President Jacob Zuma, Duduzane, will find himself in the hot seat today. The right-hand man to the Gupta’s vast business empire makes his appearance at the State Capture Inquiry, just less than three months after his father caused quite a stir there.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Farai Dziva|MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka has described Emmerson Mnangagwa as an arrogant political figure.
See Tamborinyoka’s argument :
Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals. Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week. This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people. That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018. As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because the people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground. His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
Fuel prices went up over the weekend, triggering price hikes of basic commodities and further worsening an economic calamity whose roots lie in a legitimacy crisis arising out of the stolen election of July 2018.
Mr Mnangagwa must disembark from his high horse of arrogance and engage for dialogue with the people’s President, Advocate Nelson Chamisa. Morale is at a low ebb in all private and public institutions especially schools and hospitals. Villagers, urban dwellers, the old, school children and the vulnerable can barely make ends meet in the current crisis where prices and transport fares are going up several times in a single week. This regime continues to bury its head in the sand even as fuel prices increase every week, further straining the lives of ordinary citizens who are surviving on barely US 30 cents day.
So dire is the national crisis that the president who came from the courts must urgently engage the President who came from the people. That dialogue must be aimed at scaffolding the country upon the firm foundation of a sincere, meaningful and genuine dialogue process that must address the unfinished business of 2018. As we state in our RELOAD document, the dialogue must ensure that the country breaks away from the vicious cycle of disputed elections through an agreed national transitional mechanism whose mandate will be to implement a raft of comprehensive reforms that must culminate in a free, fair and credible election as the only way to return the country to legitimacy.
Arrogance and pride will not help because the people are suffering. It does not help that Mr Mnangagwa seeks to re-engage the world when he is not engaging nationally with a key national player who has over two million supporters in the country, even by ZEC’s rigged figures.
Mnangagwa must not hoodwink himself through his constant rhetoric on dialogue that is not backed by any substantive action on the ground. His political soliloquy as evidenced by the self-serving political actors’ dialogue (POLAD) process is inconsequential as he is essentially speaking to himself because all the so-called political actors are a choir that is singing in agreement with him. The POLAD platform is essentially a monologue as it is not dialogical.
The deteriorating national crisis is crying out for a meaningful dialogue process and Mr Mnangagwa must take the national situation seriously before the people peacefully and constitutionally stampede him onto the dialogue table. It is their democratic right.
MDC@20: Celebrating courage, growth and the people’s victories
Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy National Spokesperson
Victims of Zanu PF brutality relate how they were tormented and persecuted by the ruling party…
In the video footage below Chief Svosve exposes Emmerson Mnangagwa’s brutility and how his government is abusing human rights. ..
Farai Dziva|Auxillia Mnangagwa came face to face with Zanu PF factional fights when ruling party members snubbed her Family Fun Day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura at weekend.
The event was marred by low attendance, amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled to start at 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance, according to NewsDay.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has railed against ministers who should be bringing Bills before Parliament for crafting, but have not been industrious enough.
This was after only nine Bills out of the 29 that he announced will be crafted during the First Session of the Ninth Parliament were enacted.
“The law must be a universal instrument of development and, as such, the slow pace in this august House, which has resulted in a low number of Bills passing through Parliament, cannot be allowed to continue,” Mnangagwa said in his State of the Nation Address on Tuesday.
“I thus challenge MPs in their individual and collective capacities to play their part in speeding up our parliamentary processes. Equally, reports of mismanagement of public finances as exposed by the office of the Auditor-General (AG) and brought before this Parliament, must never be condoned.”
While MPs, during the First Session of the Ninth Parliament, failed to impress in terms of introducing motions that clocked several months on the Order Paper without being debated, their conduct at Parliamentary Portfolio Committees was very impressive and robust.
For example, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was very industrious in terms of exposing graft as detailed by the AG Mildred Chiri’s audit reports of 2016 to 2018.
Different committees of Parliament have also made recommendations that have seen alleged corrupt individuals now facing the music, or leaving their posts.
For instance, the PAC, led by Tendai Biti, recommended that Accountant-General in the Finance ministry Daniel Muchemwa be fired for doing transactions that were outside the Public Finance Management Act, which included unauthorised allocations to the Command Agriculture programme of US$3,2 billion during 2017 to 2018.
Recent reports show that Muchemwa ended up leaving his post. Several Zinara officials are also before the courts on graft allegations after Parliament used the AG’s audit reports to expose them.
Recommendations by the Mines Committee also saw former Mines ministry secretary Francis Gudyanga being removed from his post and arraigned before the courts on graft charges.
On issues of truancy by ministers during Parliament’s question and answer sessions, Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda last month disclosed that he had written to Mnangagwa twice, asking him to take action on his ministers.
— NewsDay
Farai Dziva|Lead president Linda Masarira has accused USA of plotting to attack Zimbabwe.
“We are trying to show the world that even if
@ZANUPF_Official
is failing our call is like that of America.
Zimbabwe first. No war will be fought on Zimbabwean soil. Our clarion call as @LEAD_2019 is ” Let’s unite and rebuild our country for prosperity and posterity.
” The justification they are looking for is a civic uprising of the people. This is where MDC comes in, to psyche the people to revolt,” Masarira tweeted.
“When we demonstrate against Sanctions we are trying to make sure that public upheaval does not happen. We need to fix Zimbabwe together.
Sanctions have nothing to do with the well being of Zimbabwe but about the American interests in Zimbabwe. We know that America’s next move is an all out military attack. America cannot attack without justification,” she added.
Farai Dziva|Dr Tapiwa Mashakada has said Zimbabwe cannot be an investment destination as result of policy inconsistencies.
See Dr Mashakada’s presentation below :
The economic meltdown has reached alarming proportions. Several factors have all combined to engender the collapse of the economy: State capture, a parasitic elite, corruption, weekly fuel price increases, domestic currency debauchery, poor foreign currency inflows/earnings, hyperinflation and the parallel market have triggered an unprecedented collapse of the Zimbabwean economy.
Whilst the cyclical nature of economic growth is acknowledged, it is unacceptable for authorities to look like they have surrendered everything to the market jungle. Policy paralysis and policy inconsistencies have not helped the situation.
Last month(September) the RBZ released its Monetary Policy Statement in which it announced the introduction of Foreign currency denominated Savings Bonds.
Barely a month later, the RBZ has outlawed fca nostros for employees whose salaries are paid in USD. Moreover all fca nosttos will be raided inside 30 days of deposit at the prevailing interbank market rate.
This is illegal. I am sure the RBZ may be sued. The de ja vu case is that of a local bank which sued the RBZ and won after the RBZ had raided the bank’s Fca nostro in 2008. As we in the MDC have always said, Zimbabwe cannot be an attractive investment destination with such policy ambiguities.
Other policy reversals were the freezing and unfreezing of bank accounts of the big companies that were found trading on the black market. Recently the RBZ banned the Cash-in, Cashout and Cash back facilities but backtracked and unbanned the facilities within 2 days. These policy inconsistencies show that the economic crisis has gone beyond control. Where else have you seen fuel prices being adjusted on a weekly basis since February 2019, without consequences. Which country can you find prices of basic commodities being adjusted weekly without consequences?
To be frank, the Minister of Finance should do the honourable thing and resign because he has failed to steer the economy. His Economic Stabilization programs(or ESAPs) are a monumental failure. In fact the whole regime should resign.
Otherwise, the only solution is for the 2 interlocutors ( MDC and Zanu PF) to sit down and agree on political dialogue in order to rescue the economy, and not to share power. In the mean time, the market has now completely dollarized and it follows that Authorities must redollarize the economy as a back stop measure to avert further economic Armageddon which will worsen the economic genocide and deepen the current macroeconomic, financial and fiscal conondrum.
Farai Dziva|Dr Tapiwa Mashakada has said the economic meltdown has reached “a shocking level.”
See Dr Mashakada’s presentation below :
The economic meltdown has reached alarming proportions. Several factors have all combined to engender the collapse of the economy: State capture, a parasitic elite, corruption, weekly fuel price increases, domestic currency debauchery, poor foreign currency inflows/earnings, hyperinflation and the parallel market have triggered an unprecedented collapse of the Zimbabwean economy.
Whilst the cyclical nature of economic growth is acknowledged, it is unacceptable for authorities to look like they have surrendered everything to the market jungle. Policy paralysis and policy inconsistencies have not helped the situation.
Last month(September) the RBZ released its Monetary Policy Statement in which it announced the introduction of Foreign currency denominated Savings Bonds.
Barely a month later, the RBZ has outlawed fca nostros for employees whose salaries are paid in USD. Moreover all fca nosttos will be raided inside 30 days of deposit at the prevailing interbank market rate.
This is illegal. I am sure the RBZ may be sued. The de ja vu case is that of a local bank which sued the RBZ and won after the RBZ had raided the bank’s Fca nostro in 2008. As we in the MDC have always said, Zimbabwe cannot be an attractive investment destination with such policy ambiguities.Other policy reversals were the freezing and unfreezing of bank accounts of the big companies that were found trading on the black market. Recently the RBZ banned the Cash-in, Cashout and Cash back facilities but backtracked and unbanned the facilities within 2 days. These policy inconsistencies show that the economic crisis has gone beyond control. Where else have you seen fuel prices being adjusted on a weekly basis since February 2019, without consequences. Which country can you find prices of basic commodities being adjusted weekly without consequences?
To be frank, the Minister of Finance should do the honourable thing and resign because he has failed to steer the economy. His Economic Stabilization programs(or ESAPs) are a monumental failure. In fact the whole regime should resign.
Otherwise, the only solution is for the 2 interlocutors ( MDC and Zanu PF) to sit down and agree on political dialogue in order to rescue the economy, and not to share power. In the mean time, the market has now completely dollarized and it follows that Authorities must redollarize the economy as a back stop measure to avert further economic Armageddon which will worsen the economic genocide and deepen the current macroeconomic, financial and fiscal conondrum.
The economic meltdown has reached alarming proportions.
Several factors have all combined to engender the collapse of the economy: State capture, a parasitic elite, corruption, weekly fuel price increases, domestic currency debauchery, poor foreign currency inflows/earnings, hyperinflation and the parallel market have triggered an unprecedented collapse of the Zimbabwean economy. Whilst the cyclical nature of economic growth is acknowledged, it is unacceptable for authorities to look like they have surrendered everything to the market jungle.
Policy paralysis and policy inconsistencies have not helped the situation. Last month(September) the RBZ released its Monetary Policy Statement in which it announced the introduction of Foreign currency denominated Savings Bonds. Barely a month later, the RBZ has outlawed fca nostros for employees whose salaries are paid in USD.
Moreover all fca nosttos will be raided inside 30 days of deposit at the prevailing interbank market rate. This is illegal. I am sure the RBZ may be sued. The de ja vu case is that of a local bank which sued the RBZ and won after the RBZ had raided the bank’s Fca nostro in 2008. As we in the MDC have always said, Zimbabwe cannot be an attractive investment destination with such policy ambiguities.Other policy reversals were the freezing and unfreezing of bank accounts of the big companies that were found trading on the black market. Recently the RBZ banned the Cash-in, Cashout and Cash back facilities but backtracked and unbanned the facilities within 2 days. These policy inconsistencies show that the economic crisis has gone beyond control. Where else have you seen fuel prices being adjusted on a weekly basis since February 2019, without consequences. Which country can you find prices of basic commodities being adjusted weekly without consequences?
To be frank, the Minister of Finance should do the honourable thing and resign because he has failed to steer the economy. His Economic Stabilization programs(or ESAPs) are a monumental failure. In fact the whole regime should resign.
Otherwise, the only solution is for the 2 interlocutors ( MDC and Zanu PF) to sit down and agree on political dialogue in order to rescue the economy, and not to share power. In the mean time, the market has now completely dollarized and it follows that Authorities must redollarize the economy as a back stop measure to avert further economic amagedon which will worsen the economic genocide and deepen the current macroeconomic, financial and fiscal conondrum.
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has said the country’s roads need urgent attention.
“Our roads in Zimbabwe need urgent expansion and upgrade to minimize such head-on collisions.10 people died, several others injured in an accident involving 2 buses along Bulawayo-Harare road.
We pour out our hearts as we grieve with the bereaved families & pray for the injured,” said Chamisa.
Farai Dziva|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is a gifted preacher in his own right.
Chamisa was invited to minister as a guest preacher at Shammah Worship Centre.
“Amazing..Just finished preaching at a church where I was invited as a guest preacher by bretheren at Shammah Worship centre.
Oh,the anointing was so strong…the Holy Spirit leads! It’s all about Jesus.
Shared from John 4.The theme being.. ‘Jesus Christ -The Well of wells’,” said Chamisa.
A 33-year-old se_x worker from Gweru’s Mkoba suburb has been slapped with a six-month imprisonment term after she stole money and cellphone from her client.
The self confessed thigh vendor, Constance Mhango pleaded guilty to theft when she appeared before Gweru magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipha.
Mhango stole $600 and a Samsung S6 cellphone from her client, Philemon Muzenda, who had hired her for an all-night se_x service.
In her plea, Mhango told the court that she wanted to use the money to pay school fees for her two children.
“Your Worship, I admit that l stole from my client. I desperately needed the money to pay school fees for my children. I deeply regret what l did, and may this honourable court be lenient towards me as l still need to fend for my children since l am a single mother,” she said.
Mrs Msipha dismissed Mhango’s plea saying she was only sorry because she had been caught.
She sentenced Mhango to six months in prison and two months were suspended on condition that Mhango restitutes Muzenda $600 and his cellphone.
It is the State’s case that on August 8, Muzenda asked to spend a night with Mhango and he was charged $20.
The two went to a lodge and Mhango was paid for her services upfront. The accused, however, took advantage of Muzenda who was drunk and stole from him, before fleeing from the scene. Muzenda woke up and found himself alone. He cried like a baby.
Muzenda reported the matter to the police leading to Mhango’s arrest.
Gracious Rongai prosecuted.
-State Media
NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) students, who are expecting to graduate on November 8, have petitioned their administration over exorbitant graduation fees which they described as more like punishment for learning at the institution.
Nust has pegged the graduation fees at $600 from $85, excluding graduation gown and food. In a petition dated October 1 and signed by the students representative council president Dennis Mwashita and his deputy Billy Muchiphisi, the graduands said the graduation fees were exorbitant.
“We the undersigned Nust graduands would like to express our discontentment following the unanticipated 700% increase in the graduation fee,” read the memo.
“An amount of $600 is ludicrous, unbearable and was established without the consultation of the students.”
“We are not unmindful of the current economic downturn, but our parents are peasant and they haven’t had complementary increases in their salaries. We are appealing to your higher office to bid a commendable farewell to the future leaders and afford families and friends to celebrate the academic successes of their own by reviewing downwards the graduation fee to a reasonable and justifiable amount, which is a reflection of what other State universities are charging under the same economic hardships.
For instance, the University of Zimbabwe $240, Chinhoyi University of Technology $300, Great Zimbabwe University $350 and Midlands State University $300,” read the memo.
“We recommend that, in your planning for the big day, eliminate unnecessary costs which are burdening your resources.”
The students said if their plea is ignored, they would demand that the event be postponed.Contacted for comment, Nust spokesperson Felix Moyo said he was busy and asked Southern Eye to send questions on his WhatsApp account, but had not responded by the time of going to print.
-Newsday
PROPORTIONAL Representative legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga (MDC-T) has welcomed plans by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to impose stiffer penalties on rap_ists 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 would be brought before Parliament to protect children and women from various injustices.
“The Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, the Child Justice Bill and Mandatory Sentencing for Rap_e and Se_xual Offences Bill, must incorporate acceptable customary norms, human rights standards and international best practice,” Mnangagwa said.
In previous parliamentary sessions, female MPs advocated for stiffer sentences of up to 30 years or more, with some even suggesting castration. Misihairabwi-Mushonga described this as one of the most positive moves Mnangagwa has taken.
“For me, what struck me most during the President’s speech was the issue of se_xual offences around mandatory sentences for rap_e. If that Bill is brought before Parliament, it will solve one of the fundamental issues around violence against women,” she said.
“Some of us (legislators) are about to leave Parliament and if the issue of mandatory sentences for rap_e 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 rap_ists 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.”
Chief Fortune Charumbira also commended efforts being made 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,” Charumbira said.
He then castigated the stance taken by the main opposition MDC to walk out of Mnangagwa’s speech, saying problems in the country cannot be solved by demonstrations.
“Problems cannot be solved by fighting. We attained peace by putting guns down and they must not play to the public gallery. Political parties should respect the President,” Charumbira said.
— NewsDay
A TOP government official has accused some Cabinet ministers of often painting a rosy picture and falsifying reports of their achievements when they present progress reports to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, resulting in a monitoring unit being created.
Speaking during a tour of a cattle fence constructed along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Highway last Friday, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring of Government Projects Joram Gumbo said: “Some ministers do not tell the truth when they are reporting to the President and it is my role to monitor their work. I have been touring government projects in Matabeleland to see if the reports we receive are factual.”
“Ministers report what they did not do,” Gumbo said, confirming the general feeling among Zimbabweans that Cabinet ministers just pay lip service to their duties.
Gumbo, who once served as both Transport and Energy and Power Development minister during and after the late former President Robert Mugabe’s tenure, said the $170 million cattle fence was expected to reduce animal-induced road accidents.
He also said most government projects were being derailed by Cabinet reshuffles, adding that his transfer from the Transport ministry disturbed flow of work on the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
“When I was head of that ministry, we had already segmented the road and moving towards allocating it to contractors to start work, but then I was moved to another ministry and a new minister will have his own approach,” Gumbo said.
“This results in delays in implementing the projects because you start planning again and this becomes a problem. At times, it takes up to five years to fine-tune a project and if you are moved, it means all that planning is time lost.”
Several companies, including Geiger International, were awarded the contract to dualise the Harare-Chirundu Road, but the contracts were terminated under unclear circumstances.
A Chinese firm was recently awarded the contract, but is yet to begin work after indicating that it was still scouting for finances for the project.
— NewsDay
A HEALTH disaster is looming in Masvingo town in the wake of reported unhygienic disposal of medical waste by staff at Masvingo General Hospital.
This is emanating from the health institution’s failure to access coal, a major fuel used to incinerate the waste.The hospital is also supposed to offer incineration services to Population Services International.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source said the hospital has now resorted to piling the waste outside the hospital, where a Ministry of Health truck, registration number GHCW 1257, is being used to dump the refuse.
“What is happening at the hospital is pathetic, it indeed is a health hazard, especially to the person responsible for incineration of waste at the institution who has to resort to using latex gloves instead of heavy duty gloves for handling the waste,” the source said.
The untanable situation at the hospital is said to have begun in January this year.Efforts to get a comment from authorities were fruitless as personnel contacted over the issue kept referring NewsDay to the provincial medical director (PMD) Amadius Shamhu.
Shamhu is said to be overally in charge of the province with the final say in any health-related issue.“I really cannot give a comment on this, but I can only refer you to the PMD for a proper comment over the issue,” said an official who declined to be named.
Efforts to get a comment from Shamhu since Monday last week have been fruitless as he kept giving flimsy excuses and when further contacted by the time of going to print yesterday, he told NewsDay to contact him today.
“You can get in touch tomorrow morning,” Shamhu said in a WhatsApp message.In many clinics and hospitals across developing countries, all medical and non-medical waste is often mixed together and burned in incinerators.
The World Health Organisation defines medical waste as “waste generated by health care activities, including a broad range of materials, from used needles and syringes to soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials.”
-Newsday
By A Correspondent| Chief Johannes Karigamombe was involved in a road accident this morning.
The chief, who was in the company of his wife is currently at Chinhoyi general hospital where his condition could not yet be established.
However, he reportedly sustained serious head and leg injuries after the car he was travelling in was involved in a head on collison with a truck.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
Refresh this page for latest updates.
By Own Correspondent| Hwedza South MP Tinoda “Tinmac” Machakaire has challenged several government ministers to make follow ups on projects that are dotted
around the country as a way of fostering development in communities.
He was speaking at an event where he donated four ECD blocks in his
constituency.
Machakaire said most ministers play mick mouse games when approached
by MPs and he threatened to name and shame them if they fail to
cooperate.
“We ask these ministers to foster several projects in our communities
but they play mick mouse games yet our people need development. Gone
are the days when politicians just go and make empty promises to their
constituencies because this is new dispensation,” he fumed.
Machakaire is one of the few MPs who have worked to develop their
constituencies.
Chief Svosve hailed the young MP for his love for the constituency.
“We have never seen this before in this constituency, this young man
has done more than good for us. We are grateful,” he said.
Over the weekend he invited primary and Secondary education minister
Paul Mavima who then donated books and fees for 10 children at St
Mary’s Makanda Primary.
Mavima said government was constructing schools in different parts of
the country and would work to have some in Mashonaland East.
He said this year they will finish 70 schools and next year their target is 100.
Mavima also highlighted that donors are not willing to fund heritage
studies in Zimbabwe and the government was looking for money to fund
the studies.
A form 4 student Clemence Makanga a dancehall singer emerged the
biggest winner at the event as he got sponsorship for his fees and
members of the Young Achivers promised to facilitate a collaboration
with dancehall musician Soul Jah Love.
NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (Nust) students, who are expecting to graduate on November 8, have petitioned their administration over exorbitant graduation fees which they described as more like punishment for learning at the institution.
Nust has pegged the graduation fees at $600 from $85, excluding graduation gown and food.In a petition dated October 1 and signed by the students representative council president Dennis Mwashita and his deputy Billy Muchiphisi, the graduands said the graduation fees were exorbitant.
“We the undersigned Nust graduands would like to express our discontentment following the unanticipated 700% increase in the graduation fee,” read the memo.
“An amount of $600 is ludicrous, unbearable and was established without the consultation of the students.”
“We are not unmindful of the current economic downturn, but our parents are peasant and they haven’t had complementary increases in their salaries. We are appealing to your higher office to bid a commendable farewell to the future leaders and afford families and friends to celebrate the academic successes of their own by reviewing downwards the graduation fee to a reasonable and justifiable amount, which is a reflection of what other State universities are charging under the same economic hardships.
For instance, the University of Zimbabwe $240, Chinhoyi University of Technology $300, Great Zimbabwe University $350 and Midlands State University $300,” read the memo.
“We recommend that, in your planning for the big day, eliminate unnecessary costs which are burdening your resources.”
The students said if their plea is ignored, they would demand that the event be postponed.Contacted for comment, Nust spokesperson Felix Moyo said he was busy and asked Southern Eye to send questions on his WhatsApp account, but had not responded by the time of going to print.
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s decision to tighten regulations on withdrawals of foreign currency by Zimbabweans who earn their salaries in foreign currency faces litigation, while analysts warned the move would result in people spiriting away their money to offshore accounts.
A leaked FBC Bank instruction circular at the weekend indicated that the RBZ will, from today, be demanding written requests from people who earn in US dollars for
them to withdraw their money while banks will also be ordered to convert all unutilised bank balances not withdrawn in one’s nostro foreign currency account within 30 days from day of deposit to local currency using prevailing interbank rates.
RBZ governor John Mangudya at the weekend confirmed the new rules, saying the document would deal with funds from exporting companies.
Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has, however, blasted the move, describing it as illegal and in contravention of section 71 of the Constitution.
“Government and the RBZ cannot be experts in doing lawless things because all these are desperate actions by a desperate, despicable regime. You cannot have a government that generates the suffering of its people on a day to day basis,” Biti said.
“Besides, this issue is unlawful and unconstitutional because a salary is protected by section 71 of the Constitution and no one has a right to appropriate anyone’s salary as this will simply force companies and employees to relocate their accounts offshore to countries like Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.”
Section 71 of the Constitution speaks on property rights, which includes pensions, annuity, gratuity, and similar allowances, and it states that any person anywhere in Zimbabwe has a right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.
Biti added: “This is foolishness being done by government which is desperate for foreign currency and they are now trying to grab every dollar of forex. We are generating about US$5 billion from our exports and so the issue is that the money is being spent by thugs and crooks.
“The issue is how government is using the foreign currency. Actually, forex must be credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Parliament must be the one to distribute foreign currency through the Appropriation Account.”
Economist Kipson Gundani weighed in, saying: “Clearly, we have got a monetary regime which is transitioning from a dollarised environment into a mono-currency environment of the Zimdollar and what the authorities are then trying to do is to avoid a big-bang approach, where you overhaul things and overnight there is an effect.
“They are now trying to give precedence to bonafide United States dollar earners, but it distorts the market. If one is to access the US dollar and they access it through the banks, then they will be tempted to open off-shore accounts. These are some of the unintended effects that will happen if at all this is operationalised.”
Another economist, who preferred anonymity, said if the RBZ implemented this, then it would be a drastic measure with serious consequences.
“If it is real, then we can brace up for a fight because it will affect a lot of businesses and people. The effect is that foreign currency will be externalised and the RBZ will whip away the little confidence and trust remaining,” the economist opined.
The economist also described the RBZ move as synonymous to what happened in 2008 during former RBZ governor Gideon Gono’s era when he raided foreign currency accounts belonging to private businesses and foreign aid organisations to help sustain troubled government ministries.
In the year that followed, many then opted to stash their forex abroad and in 2017, an adviser to government on the ease-of-doing business, Ashok Chakravarti, called for an investigation into the externalisation of funds, as it had emerged that US$5 billion could have been siphoned out of the country since dollarisation in 2009.
The money was said to have been taken out and deposited into offshore accounts, thus depriving the country of the much-needed foreign currency.This subsequently plunged the country into serious financial crisis.
-Newsday
The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows:
USD = ZWL$15.2701
ZWL$ = RAND0.9881
Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
Black Market Rates:
USD = ZWL$17.80 zimrates
USD = ZWL$17.50 zwl365
USD = ZWL$17.00 bluemari
USD = BOND11.60 zimrates
More: Marketwatch
WATCH VIDEO BELOW…
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
Four women and 25 men
Average age 64.5
Oldest (77) and Youngest (34)
Seven first degrees
Six Masters degrees
Four PhD’s
Four lawyers
One medical doctor
No engineers
WATCH VIDEO BELOW
THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s decision to tighten regulations on withdrawals of foreign currency by Zimbabweans who earn their salaries in foreign currency faces litigation, while analysts warned the move would result in people spiriting away their money to offshore accounts.
A leaked FBC Bank instruction circular at the weekend indicated that the RBZ will, from today, be demanding written requests from people who earn in US dollars for
them to withdraw their money while banks will also be ordered to convert all unutilised bank balances not withdrawn in one’s nostro foreign currency account within 30 days from day of deposit to local currency using prevailing interbank rates.
RBZ governor John Mangudya at the weekend confirmed the new rules, saying the document would deal with funds from exporting companies.
Former Finance minister Tendai Biti has, however, blasted the move, describing it as illegal and in contravention of section 71 of the Constitution.
“Government and the RBZ cannot be experts in doing lawless things because all these are desperate actions by a desperate, despicable regime. You cannot have a government that generates the suffering of its people on a day to day basis,” Biti said.
“Besides, this issue is unlawful and unconstitutional because a salary is protected by section 71 of the Constitution and no one has a right to appropriate anyone’s salary as this will simply force companies and employees to relocate their accounts offshore to countries like Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.”
Section 71 of the Constitution speaks on property rights, which includes pensions, annuity, gratuity, and similar allowances, and it states that any person anywhere in Zimbabwe has a right to acquire, hold, occupy, use, transfer, hypothecate, lease or dispose of all forms of property, either individually or in association with others.
Biti added: “This is foolishness being done by government which is desperate for foreign currency and they are now trying to grab every dollar of forex. We are generating about US$5 billion from our exports and so the issue is that the money is being spent by thugs and crooks.
“The issue is how government is using the foreign currency. Actually, forex must be credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Parliament must be the one to distribute foreign currency through the Appropriation Account.”
Economist Kipson Gundani weighed in, saying: “Clearly, we have got a monetary regime which is transitioning from a dollarised environment into a mono-currency environment of the Zimdollar and what the authorities are then trying to do is to avoid a big-bang approach, where you overhaul things and overnight there is an effect.
“They are now trying to give precedence to bonafide United States dollar earners, but it distorts the market. If one is to access the US dollar and they access it through the banks, then they will be tempted to open off-shore accounts. These are some of the unintended effects that will happen if at all this is operationalised.”
Another economist, who preferred anonymity, said if the RBZ implemented this, then it would be a drastic measure with serious consequences.
“If it is real, then we can brace up for a fight because it will affect a lot of businesses and people. The effect is that foreign currency will be externalised and the RBZ will whip away the little confidence and trust remaining,” the economist opined.
The economist also described the RBZ move as synonymous to what happened in 2008 during former RBZ governor Gideon Gono’s era when he raided foreign currency accounts belonging to private businesses and foreign aid organisations to help sustain troubled government ministries.
In the year that followed, many then opted to stash their forex abroad and in 2017, an adviser to government on the ease-of-doing business, Ashok Chakravarti, called for an investigation into the externalisation of funds, as it had emerged that US$5 billion could have been siphoned out of the country since dollarisation in 2009.
The money was said to have been taken out and deposited into offshore accounts, thus depriving the country of the much-needed foreign currency.This subsequently plunged the country into serious financial crisis.
-Newsday
By Own Correspondent| Sweden based musician cum author Luckson Chikutu popularly known as Manluckerz on Sunday launched his much-awaited book titled Flashback Identity.
“I am thrilled to have launched this book. The hardcopy and e-book are already there, thanks to my publishers Vulkan Media,” said the ecstatic Manluckerz adding that “Plans are at an advanced stage to engage a Zimbabwean publisher so that the book can be distributed locally”.
The book will be on the shelves at the Stockholm African Festival on November 16.
The book which has been translated into English following its success in Swedish has been described by cultural enthusiasts as rich in preserving the Zimbabwean culture.
Manluckerz said his wish is for the book to be used in schools.
“I really want to share it with the new generation and adults about how best we can document our Zimbabwean culture and history. I will be happy to see the book being used in schools.
“I want to inspire my fellow country men about how one could achieve his or her goals through determination, dedication and discipline. This book is about how to preserve our identity and culture,” he said.
The musician- cum-author said writing his debut book has been an experience.
“The writing of the book has been a long journey with positive feedback. It was motivated by the need to document the cultural history I received when I was growing up,” he said.
“The writing of the book has been a long journey with positive insights I received and a high ambition to write about my family’s history, the cultural heritage I learnt when I was growing up. The book also captures how music and dance are used to influence humanity in Zimbabwe,” said Manlukerz.
As young black leaders gathered Friday in the White House for the Young Black Leadership Summit, one voice split the room asking for a moment to pray for President Donald Trump.
Turning Point USA’s Benny Johnson shared video of what happened when the president brought the young woman to the podium. Mahalet, once an abandoned, impoverished orphan from Ethiopia, earned smiles and cheers from the president and the gathered crowd.
WATCH:
Mahalet was born in Ethiopia.
Abandoned by her parents, she lived as an impoverished orphan.
Mahalet was adopted by a loving, Christian American family at 11.
This week @TPUSA brought her to the WH. She asked to pray for our President. He brought her onstage-then this happened:
“I’m not really good with prayers or anything like that but I just want to say thank you, Mr. President, and I know we have a political warfare right now, but I strongly believe that it is a spiritual one as well,” Mahalet said to cheers from the crowd
“And I want to make sure that I mean, I know that Americans are gonna wake up and we’re gonna get back to looking to God instead of social media and we’re gonna look back to Jesus because Jesus saves and this country was founded upon the Constitution, was built on Godly principles and we’re gonna fight for that,” she said. “And I just want to encourage you guys to pray every day for this nation.”
“Dear God, I’m not really good at this,” Mahalet laughed. “But I just want to say thank you so much for giving us this opportunity to be in the White House. Thank you for giving us a great leader like Trump, Mr. Donald Trump, and I would like to thank you for waking up our nation.”
She continued, asking God for protection both for the nation and for the President adding, “God, I believe that you gave him to us and I believe that he’s gonna accomplish so much more. I know you have more for us.”
“Jesus I ask you to protect us and walk with us and in Jesus’ name the enemy tries to attack us every single day,” Mahalet concluded. “He tries to discourage us but he has no room. He has no room, no more, and that’s all I have to say.”
Marvelous Nakamba has become the latest victim of racist abuse following offensive chants from a small portion of Aston Villa fans in the game against Norwich on Saturday.
The midfielder has created a huge fan-base since joining the EPL side in the pre-season, and his performance has earned him praises from the club fans.
But there was a chant by some supporters meant to praise him but contained racist connotations.
The lyrics included calling the Zimbabwe international a son of a ‘Rasta’, before alluding to another racial stereotype.
Several people who shared their views on social media condemned the song which has been reported to racism charity Kick it Out, who have yet to make a statement.
Dear Editor|Some years ago, a branch of one of the large supermarkets chains found itself in the news for the wrong reasons. Shoppers took to the internet to complain that the retailer was robbing them by posting different prices on the shelves and at the till. Some damage control was done and the fuss died down after a while.
In the meantime, other supermarket chains were growing around the country, including new entrants from overseas. Suddenly, there were several to choose from and the best part was that they were nicely spread out so there was one around almost every corner.
Then recently, I made a rather disturbing discovery. I was expecting guests at home and went shopping for the things I would need. Because my budget was limited, I made a point of noting down the price of every item I picked to keep track of my spending.
But when I got to the till, I was shocked to find that the cashier’s total over-shot mine by about ZWL$100! When I expressed my surprise at the discrepancy, the man laughed dismissively and said only the prices at the till mattered. I protested that shelf labels were meant to guide shoppers and if there was any discrepancy, then it meant shoppers were being misled. He kept silent as I reluctantly opted to leave some items behind so I could stick to my budget.
As I left, vowing not to shop there again, I realised that the unfortunate incident felt familiar and remembered that within a span of two months I had encountered the same thing twice at another retailer that is popular for its wide variety of goods and very competitive prices. I then thought about how many times I have shopped without really checking prices, especially when I have a full shopping trolley. How many times have I gotten so busy unloading my shopping at the till that I fail to pay any attention to the prices flashing on the screen? How many $100 have I left in these supermarkets? And how many others are like me?
If I do some really rudimentary mathematics and imagine that 200 people walk into a typical Zimbabwean supermarket in one day; if 75 are picking one or two items whose prices they are already sure about and therefore have the exact cash needed, that leaves 125 others doing a fair amount of shopping and picking items off the shelves without really noting the prices. If these 125 all leave an extra $100 behind because of prices that do not match, how much extra money will the supermarket have made in just that one day? In one week? One month?
The next time I went shopping, I picked a small shop in my neighbourhood where each item has the price written on a small sticker. No computer-generated, bar-coded labels on the shelf, just a simple handwritten sticker per every single item.
Having learned my lesson, I did my calculations, got to till and told the cashier that I fully expected his numbers and mine to match. I was pleasantly surprised when they did. Now this little shop sells things at slightly higher prices than the mainstream supermarkets, but I decided that I was ready to pay more for items rather than lose money through inconsistencies that might just border on unarmed daylight robbery.
About a week after that I was too late to get to the little shop and opted for a supermarket around the corner – a small branch of the same retailer that had received bad press for mismatched pricing years ago. As I walked in, I spotted a supervisor and asked him if I could expect to find matching prices on the shelves and at the till. He confidently said yes, but I still promised that if even one item was off, I was paying what the shelf indicated. When I reached the till, there was a mismatch on one item and my heart sank. Thankfully, it was my mistake – I had misread the price. As I left, the cashier said they liked customers like me who “keep us on our toes”!
Paul Nyathi|With the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe providing never unending policy changes in the banking sector, some ZimEye.com readers have been wondering if it’s possible to bank outside Zimbabwe particularly in South Africa which has a stable banking sector.
In case you want to open a Non-Resident account In South Africa, you can do so at FNB Bank. To do so you will need to have the following:
The benefits of opening such an account include:
For people in other parts of the world, you can also have a read of Best Bank
Account For Millionaires.
Paul Nyathi|The price of fuel went up again on Sunday, this time by more than 25%, the latest blow in a country battling out-of-control inflation.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority (ZERA) announced the price of diesel would immediately rise to 16.64 Zimbabwe dollars (about US$1), while gasoline would go up to 14.97 Zimbabwe dollars for Harare motorists with other areas paying a lot more.
At those prices, a full tank of fuel costs more than a month’s salary for an average government worker and more than half a month’s salary for a doctor.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) condemned the move in a tweet Sunday.
The government was piling more misery on to already suffering Zimbabweans, MDC said. “Surely this madness must stop.”
Already in January, the government almost tripled fuel prices and has regularly increased the prices since then.
The January announcement sparked violent protests that were put down by the security forces. When troops opened fire on the demonstrators they killed 17 people and wounded dozens more.
Zimbabwe, once known as the bread basket of southern Africa, has been trapped in a financial and economic crisis for nearly two decades now.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa,who took over from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after he was forced from power at the end of 2017, has promised to revive the economy, but so far without results.
Zimbabwe is shackled by a devalued currency, mass unemployment, runaway inflation, and shortages of essential items including fuel, electricity, and water.
According to the International Monetary Fund, prices had risen by nearly 300% year-on-year in August. Analysts at the Bloomberg agency put inflation at 900%.
On Tuesday last week, tickets for the state bus company ZUPCO doubled in price to one Zimbabwe dollar.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
@MthuliNcube 1yr ago told UK investors, "the foreign currency accounts they're safe under my watch,they will not be raided," @ChathamHouse, 8th Oct. Today, he's begun raiding them @BitiTendai @ZLHRLawyers
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) October 7, 2019
@nickmangwana @UKinZimbabwe @nelsonchamisa @ReserveBankZIM @MakomboreroH pic.twitter.com/qgSFUErumE
NEWS REVIEW –
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
THE South African Communist Party (SACP) has come out guns blazing and accused the Zimbabwe government of pursuing anti-people policies through unleashing of violence against the people instead of concentrating on resuscitating a ‘dead’ economy.
Speaking at the launch of the party’s ‘SACP Red October Campaign 2019-2020’ launch in Mthatha, South Africa, the SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, also castigated the repression by the State of trade unionists in Zimbabwe.
He said the repression and the economic challenges that Zimbabwe was going through had forced thousands of its citizens into forced migration in search for means of livelihoods or fleeing political repression.
“The best way to deal with this situation is to build solidarity with the victims, in essence ‘economic and political refugees’, and confront the causes and driving forces behind the push factors resulting in forced migration,” Nzimande who is also South Africa’s Higher Education Minister told thousands of SACP members at the launch.
He said he once confronted senior Zanu PF officials over the political repression in Zimbabwe and was told the government was dealing with agents of imperialism.
“I told them; ‘but they are the same people who were with you in the trenches’,” said Nzimande in reference to the liberation struggle that brought independence to Zimbabwe.
“It is a problem with you as Zanu PF. We cannot have solidarity on the basis of wrong things. The SACP strongly condemns the violence by (Eswatini King) Mswati’s dictatorship and repression of trade unions in both Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Over and above the economic collapse, the State in Zimbabwe is still having the tendency to unleash violence against sections of its people.”
Nzimande said former liberation heroes had become the new oppressors of the people adding the SACP strongly condemned those fighting against the victims, and called for solidarity to tackle looting and repression in Africa, and drive the African revolution.
He also called for democratisation and development of the Sadc region.
“In order to succeed, this African revolution must be intensified to uproot the domestic looting class, the predatory elite, tyrannies and repressors in every African country. They have digressed from the African revolution and are complicit in forging post-colonial predatory states.
“Associated with all of these is the rise of the securocrat features of the predatory State, unleashing repression against sections of the people. We need to unite, forge peaceful co-existence and together carry out the African revolution to fix and develop our region and continent,” the tough talking Nzimande said.
The SCAP leader said the challenge of African leaders in failing to run the economies of their countries had left South Africa battling to feed the whole continent.
“Now unlike prior to 1994, labour from the rest of Southern Africa is occupying the very same informal settlements occupied by South Africa’s largely unemployed labour, as a shared social reproductive space. It is also to be found in overcrowded spaces in major cities,” he said.
This, Nzimande said, had pitted the poor against the poor, and the working class against the working class.
“This has increased pressures on housing, schools and the public healthcare sector, among other areas of government services and programmes. Increasing forced economic and political migration from other parts of Africa and elsewhere is also adding its own impact.
“This is deepened by the tendency of many unscrupulous employers who are exploiting migrant workers as a source of super-cheap labour, by paying them absolutely close to nothing, taking advantage of the situation that forced them out of their respective countries,” he said.
All Africa.com
Paul Nyathi|Amalgamated Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe have said that the time was now conducive for citizens to stand against austerity measures. The statement comes after the government has put in place austerity measures which it says are meant to kickstart the collapsed economy. See ARTUZ’s statement below.
Time to take a stand against austerity.
The teachers of Zimbabwe are earning less than US$ 50 per month, a big slash from the US$ 500 of the pre austerity measures era. The teachers are living in extreme poverty and all efforts to demand a living wage have been thwarted by the use of extreme violence by the State. The State has further sponsored divisions through yellow Unions.
The current teacher salary is not enough to secure basic needs for our hard working civil servants. Healthcare, education, shelter, transport, food and all other basics are now beyond our reach. A teacher’s salary cannot afford to buy 20kg of maize seed. Traditionally our teachers have engaged in subsistence farming to supplement their meagre earnings. This farming season teachers are totally excluded from farming. The rest of our peasant farmers will certainly fail to take to the fields further threatening the food security of our people.
The austerity induced economic crisis is set to deepen as production is being halted across sectors. The value addition chains have been disrupted and worse days are coming.
We have to take a stand as a people.
In August 2019 the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, ARTUZ warned government that if they fail to address the salaries crisis we will be forced to disrupt examinations. We were patient in August and September as we received the worst eroded salaries ever. We gave them a long rope but they chose to tie themselves.
We have concluded our nationwide consultations and our members will be indefinitely withdrawing their labour beginning 14 October 2019. We will not be reporting back for duty until we receive an interbank equivalent of our former US$ salaries.
We have written to other Unions inviting them to participate in this job action.
The teachers are suffering and we have to take a stand.
We warn Prof Mthuli Ncube to urgently address the salary crisis or risk collapsing the Civil Service.
