Zimbabweans have revealed that they are forced to part with at least US$200 bribe to get a passport that normally costs ZWL$52.
Sources who spoke to ZimEye.com said that authorities in the offices charge as high as US$600 to the rich who want to get their passports issued immediately at the Harare passport offices.
Since the beginning of last year, government has been failing to process passport applications with people who applied in March last year still waiting to get their passports.
Though government has been making assurances that the situation will improve following acquisition of new processing equipment, things have actually been getting worse on the ground with further delays being experienced as those paying bribes by past the long queue of outstanding passports.
Meanwhile, Registrar General Clemence Masango has called on Zimbabweans to stop paying bribes to his officials when seeking for passports and any other identity documents.
Speaking to the media after a tour by the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee at the Registrar General’s Department of Passport Production Centre in Harare on Thursday, Masango said there was no justification in Zimbabweans parting with any extra fee other than the one stipulated for passport application.
“Do not pay. There is no justification for that. Corruption is a crime. Everybody must take responsibility in resisting it, fighting it and reporting it,” said Masango an ex police officer.
“If anybody has paid more than the statutory fee and there is no receipt obviously please come and also feel free to report to the police. The law will take its course. We will not condone corruption, we will not protect corruption.
“The President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made a very strong statement which we all must take responsibility to implement and give effect to.”
Masango said the department is governed by the civil service regulations and those who fail to follow the rules and regulations would be liable to penalties.
“If anyone offends those regulations, there are also clear regulations for punishment. I have always said that it is easy to allege corruption but it is always not easy to prove it.
“But I do not find most of our people willing to cooperate which make it impossible for law enforcement agents to detect for prosecution purposes. Why are we doing that?” he said.
The Zimbabwean passport remains a much sought after document by locals who are keen to find greener pastures outside.
Mozambiquen fishermen living in gadget danger of Islamic militants
Five people, including four fishermen, have been beheaded by suspected Islamist militants in Mozambique’s northern province of Cabo Delgado.
Reports say four fishermen, from the village of Nacotuco in Macomia district, were returning home from the sea when they were brutally attacked along a main on Tuesday.
The fifth victim was reportedly caught by the insurgents near Simbolongo village in the same district as he was cutting thatch for the roof of his hut.
Last Friday, insurgents shot dead two villagers in Nangade district who were returning home after spraying their cashew trees with pesticides.
Later the same day, three people died in an attack on an outlying neighbourhood of Nangade town.
The militants, who are known locally as “al-Shabab” although they are not linked to the Somali group of the same name, have been terrorising some areas of the gas-rich Cabo Delgado since 2017.
It is believed they are making millions of dollars from selling timber and rubies.
Since the crisis began, more than 200 people, most of them defenceless villagers have been killed.
The witness says unknown men asked her family members about her whereabouts and an attempt was made to break into her house.
A witness at the commission of inquiry into state capture, Babadi Tlatsana, has left the country “in fear for her life”, the chair of the inquiry, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, heard on Thursday.
Tlatsana is a North West businesswoman and sole owner of Koreneka Trading and Projects who appeared before the commission in June and had testified about how her company won a R51 million airports job in the province without having experience and without a tender process being followed.
Evidence leader at the commission senior counsel Kate Hofmeyr told Zondo that after her testimony she was requested to provide a further affidavit to the commission in which she would account for the R51 million paid into Koreneka.
Hofmeyr said in the process of obtaining the said affidavit, the commission interacted with Tlatsana’s legal representative, Julian Knight, who indicated that the businesswoman had been threatened and intimidated after her testimony, which led to her fleeing the country “in fear for her life”.
Hofmeyr said Knight submitted an affidavit with the commission which outlines Tlatsana’s fears.
Hofmeyr said Knight stated in the affidavit that he was advised by Tlatsana that “out of fear for her safety” she decided to leave the country to a destination unknown to him.
Knight stated in the affidavit that Tlatsana had told him that she had observed “suspicious activity” around her place of residence in Mahikeng and that unknown men, who did not identify themselves, had approached her family members to enquire about her whereabouts.
Tlatsana further told Knight that an attempt was allegedly made to gain entry to her house.
Hofmeyr said Knight stated that Tlatsana had advised him that she had appointed an auditor for the purposes of completing the additional affidavit the commission had sought.
Hofmeyr said the commission took this information very seriously and has engaged its investigators to deal with matters relating to security and for them to provide regular updates.
Zondo said the threats and intimidation to Tlatsana were quite concerning and requested that he be kept up to date about the matter.
Tlatsana is not the first witness to raise security-related issues.
Former president Jacob Zuma told the commission in July that a threat to his life was made following the first day of his testimony at the inquiry.
Earlier in the year, a senior police officer informed the legal team of the commission that former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi’s life was under threat following his marathon testimony at the inquiry.
Last year, a teary-eyed Vytjie Mentor, the former ANC MP, told the commission that she was worried about her safety in the hotel she was staying at while she testified at the inquiry.
Zondo also said it was concerning that police in Mahikeng, North West, had seemingly made no progress in a separate case of intimidation that Tlatsana had lodged more than a year ago.
Hofmeyr said Tlatsana lodged the case at Mahikeng on 4 January 2018.
The evidence leader said a senior police official said after perusing the docket, officers “were in dismay to learn that there was nothing positive that the investigator did in the docket and there was no command and control from the commander’s side”.
She said this led to the investigator in the matter being removed from the investigation and the case now is being investigated by the police’s provincial office.
Furthermore, a disciplinary probe has been instituted against the said investigator.
“It appears as if no investigation whatsoever was done on it and that raised concerns to the provincial commissioner,” Hofmeyr said.
She added that the commission’s investigators are seeking to take up aspects of that intimidation case and work with the police.
The commission will hear the testimony of Vivien Natasen, the director of Neo Solutions, who is back on the witness stand for a second time.
Finance union Sasbo said on Thursday it was calling on its 73,000 members across South Africa to strike on 27 September in protest against the economic crisis in the country and job losses
Sasbo, which started 1916 as the South African Society of Bank Officials and is an affiliate of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) said the protest action was legally protected under section 77 of the Labour Relations Act and would result in a total shutdown of the finance sector.
“We will be calling on our members to down tools … in protest against the contemplated and current job losses in the country but we are in particular expressing our dismay (at) what is happening in the finance sector,” it said in a statement.
“We are worried about the high level of unemployment (29 percent) in our country and the wretched state of our economy. Coupled with this is our concern that the finance sector should have already taken drastic steps to up-skill their workforce in preparation for the future “world of work” and the 4th industrial revolution.”
Sasbo general secretary Joe Kokela said the union would soon communicate the logistics of the protest to its members.
Watch video downloading below as COSATU endorses the strike.
A group of Nigerians Thursday staged a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa’s capital.
The protesters, mostly victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, according to Channels TV, said they are angered by the recent massive looting of foreign-owned shops in the city by some South Africans.
Many of the protesters lamented that they have lost their goods and business investments to the looting spree, which occurred on Wednesday at Pretoria Business district.
The protesters in separate interviews told Channels Television that the protest was needed because they are now feeling unsafe in the foreign country.
They claimed that Nigerian representatives in South Africa were slow towards responding to their plight.
“They came to my shop and burnt everything to zero,” one of the victims told Channels Television.
“We are appealing to our Consulate via the High Commission here to please intervene in this whole situation. We are so unsafe in this country,” another victim said.
However, Defence Adviser, Nigerian High Commission in South Africa, Abubakar Mustapha condemned the protesters for venting anger on the commission by destroying some property.
“The way they went about it (the protest) was quite unfortunate; they scaled the fence and almost destroyed the gate,” Mustapha said, adding that the quick intervention of security officers curtailed the incident.
Nigeria High Commission officers later visited the scenes of the looting spree to see the level of destruction on shops owned by Nigerians.
The acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Umar Bako later assured those who came to complain of their losses that quick actions would be taken to intervene in the matter.
Violence was recorded on Tuesday in Pretoria Business district as South African indigenes who were apparently angered by the killing of a taxi operator by a yet-to-be identified man, on Tuesday resorted to looting shops owned by foreigners in their country.
South Africa police have since arrested 17 people in connection with the looting spree.
THE ED Pfee singer who was on Tuesday denied bail for rape allegations by the court and ordered to seek bail at the High Court was yesterday brought to the same court and granted bail by another magistrate under unclear circumstances.
Admire Sanyanga, who was initially denied bail by magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, was yesterday granted $200 by magistrate Barbara Mateko after the intervention of the Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi.
The State on Wednesday opposed bail, saying Sanyanga should approach the High Court, but surprisingly, the State yesterday said the PG’s Office was now consenting to bail.
According to the law, an accused who has been denied bail by the lower court can approach the High Court for bail.
He or she can approach the lower court when there are changed circumstances, but Sanyanga was brought to court after he had been remanded in custody to another date.
It is suspected that there was interference in the case of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s praise singer.
Sanyanga is accused of raping a maid employed at a house where he was receiving spiritual healing.
The 18-year-old complainant was allegedly raped at Sanyanga’s apartment after he asked her to assist him with his luggage.
The alleged rape came to light when the complainant’s employer read her diary and came across the recorded statement.
While addressing the court, prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa indicated that the State had shifted its position and was consenting to Sanyanga’s admission to bail.
No reasons justifying the position were proffered.
Mateko granted the accused person bail and ordered him to report to the nearest police station twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.
She also ordered him not to interfere with witnesses and to continue residing at the address he gave to the police until the finalisation of the matter.
He will be back in court on September 6, and not the initial remand date of September 10.
Allegations are that on July 30, 2019 at around 1pm, Sanyanga asked the complainant to assist him carry his luggage from the house where he was receiving spiritual healing to his house and she agreed.
When they arrived at Sanyanga’s flat, the complainant stood outside the door, but he invited her inside, an invitation she declined.
He allegedly dragged the girl to get into the apartment, where he then raped her.
The girl recorded down the rape in her diary and hid it in her bedroom and the matter came to light when her employer came across the diary and went through it. A police report was made, leading to Sanyanga’s arrest.
Independent|THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, last week disconnected power supplies to farms belonging to former president Robert Mugabe and Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, among other high-profile individuals, over unpaid bills.
They were, however, reconnected after the intervention of Energy and Power Development minister Fortune Chasi.
Sources told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that Zesa switched off Mugabe’s Gushungo Dairies Farm in Mazowe, about 40km north of Harare last week after the family failed to settle an undisclosed electricity bill.
However, the sources said, former first lady Grace Mugabe approached Chasi for assistance to have power restored while working on a payment plan.
Zesa officials also revealed the power utility disconnected electricity supplies to Mutsvangwa’s farm, as Zesa moves to recover ZW$1,2 billion it is owed by clients.
Mutsvangwa is said to have personally approached Chasi.
The sources said following the development, Chasi called senior Zesa executives and ordered them to immediately reconnect all affected farms after her farm was switched off.
“As you know, Zesa is owed huge amounts of money by some of its clients and farmers are among the biggest culprits. So it was decided that there should be no sacred cows and everyone who is indebted to Zesa must have power disconnected at their properties,” a senior official said.
“This is how Mugabe and Mutsvangwa ended up having their farms disconnected. But they are not the only ones, there are hundreds others. However, last week, the minister called management to a meeting and told them that they needed to immediately reconnect the affected farmers and work out a payment plan while allowing them to continue with their operations.”
Chasi confirmed the developments when contacted by the Independent this week. He said he ordered Zesa to reconnect the farmers to avert a potential food crisis if operations at farms were disrupted because of the disconnections, which came at a time the country is in the middle of the winter wheat season.
Other crops grown during winter include peas and horticultural products.
In the case of Mugabe’s farm, the disconnection meant the disruption of milk production.
Currently, the country is facing a major bread crisis after running out of stocks and is solely reliant on wheat and flour imports.
“What I can say is that last week Zesa disconnected several farmers, including some very prominent people who I cannot name, that owe it huge amounts of money in electricity bills. Some of them then approached me and I decided that they should immediately be reconnected while we work towards a payment plan and to solidify payment arrangements,” Chasi said.
“Whilst disconnection is the ultimate weapon where people are not paying, the timing is not appropriate because we are having a food deficit and we need not be food insecure. We could incur further costs at a time we are already having serious food shortages. So anything that worsens it would not be good for us.”
Chasi said he was in the process of tabling a proposal in cabinet for electricity to be considered a strategic input in the government’s controversial specialised agriculture input scheme — command agriculture.
“If you look at it, you realise that costs for water, seed, fertilisers and agro-chemicals are covered under the command agriculture scheme except for electricity which is also a very critical input. So I am going to propose in cabinet that it should also be included among those inputs and, that way, farmers can be able to relax a little bit,” he added.
Mutsvangwa denied approaching Chasi, saying her farm bills are handled by the farm manager.
“As is the practice, farmers negotiate to settle bills as they get paid on season deliveries to the market. I have a farm manager who deals with Zesa issues and this does not involve the minister at all. My manager organises such payments from time to time and he says he is in a satisfactory standing,” she said.
Zesa’s acting chief executive officer Patrick Chivaura disclosed in May this year that the power utility is owed over ZW$1,2 billion by its customers.
He said the company, currently bedeviled by a major power deficit caused by a sharp decline in water levels at Lake Kariba which has seriously affected production at the Kariba hyro-power plant.
The situation has been worsened by frequent breakdowns at Hwange Thermal Power Plant.
The country has had to turn to neighbouring countries South Africa and Mozambique to augment power supplies.
Zimbabwe is importing 400 megawatts from South Africa and intends to import an additional 400MW from Mozambique.
Media Statement|The people’s party, MDC remains resolute in its recently launched course of public action and now plans to intensify the people-led Free Zimbabwe Campaign.
The people-led Free Zimbabwe Campaign was formally launched at Harare on Friday 16th August 2019
The Free Zimbabwe Campaign is an essential part of the implementation process of the people’s party strategic RELOAD document.
Under RELOAD, the people’s party, MDC has proposed a 5 step process towards the full restoration of a legitimate and popularly elected people’s government in Zimbabwe:
Political and Diplomatic Pressure
Broad based and lnclusive all-Stakeholders National Dialogue
Agreement on a national Transitional Mechanism
lmplementation of Comprehensive Reforms
Free and Fair Elections leading to an undisputed popularly elected people’s government
As such, RELOAD emphasises the fact that Zimbabwe will only be able to embark on the true path towards sustainable socio-economic recovery only under an undisputed and popularly elected people’s government.
This then explains why the MDC as a people’s party, remains unshaken by the illegitimate regime’s rather desperate efforts to stop the Free Zimbabwe Campaign.
lndeed, during the past two weeks, the illegitimate regime has used all the available tricks in the book
The illegitimate regime’s desperate efforts include unleashing a wave of personal abductions, violent assaults, unjust arrests and political detentions, and a determined attempt to characterise the people’s peaceful Free Zimbabwe Campaign as a criminal and violent one.
Added to that, there has been a high handed response from the clearly politically compromised police, coupled with the apparent blanket ban of all street marches or demonstrations; through the indiscriminate issuance of wholesale prohibition orders.
This of course is manifestly in blatant violation of Section 59 of our national Constitution that guarantees all citizens of Zimbabwe the Right to Demonstrate and Petition in a peaceful manner.
To this end, the people’s party has decided to take a step back this week and call for progress review consultation meetings with the intention of boosting the already existing efforts under the Free Zimbabwe Campaign
The review process is set to start at the end of this week, with the holding of the crucial meeting by the people’s party’s highest decision making body in between the Congresses; the National Executive Council (NEC)
The NEC meeting will then be followed by further consultations with local party leaders and members especially at a district level with the ultimate aim of boosting and renewing the already existing momentum that the Free Zimbabwe Campaign has clearly gained during the last two weeks.
THE High Court yesterday nullified the election into council of beleaguered Bulawayo deputy Mayor, Councillor Tinashe Kambarami.
The ruling by Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa, followed an application by 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement Trust, through its lawyer Mr Godfrey Nyoni of Moyo and Nyoni Legal Practitioners seeking an order nullifying the Kambarami’s election as councillor for Ward 3 and the city’s deputy Mayor.
In papers before the court, Kambarami, the Bulawayo City Council, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and MDC were cited as respondents.
Justice Mabhikwa ruled that the election of Kambarami was in violation of section 119 (2) (e) of the Electoral Act following his conviction of theft.
Kambarami was in July last year convicted of theft by Bulawayo provincial magistrate, Ms Sharon Rosemani, under case number CRB 1981/18.
He was fined $80 or 18 days in prison for stealing an extension cord from an electrician he had hired to work at his offices.
“It is the court’s finding that once the first respondent (Kambarami) was convicted of theft on 27 June 2018, which was before the election day, he was obliged, not only by his conscience and inner conviction, but also by the law, to advise the third respondent (MDC-Alliance) and even fourth respondent (Zec) that he was no longer eligible to stand for a public office,” said Justice Mabhikwa.
He said Kambarami’s failure to notify his party and Zec was in itself an act of dishonesty and an illegality, which rendered his subsequent election a nullity.
“I am convinced therefore that indeed in this case, it is not the outcome of the election results that is being challenged but simply the first respondent’s suitability to hold public office wherein he may especially in the office of deputy mayor, be called upon at some stage or another, to deal with public finances or assets,” said Justice Mabhikwa.
“Clearly, this court cannot, as it were, and in the circumstances bury its head in the sand and pretend that nothing happened. It would run the risk of setting a precedent that is very bad at law.”
Justice Mabhikwa said the court cannot condone an illegality with a limited mental vision following a criminal offence.
“The court has to protect the rule of law and doctrine of legality. Accordingly, it be and is hereby declared that the election of first respondent as councillor for ward 3 in Bulawayo was in contravention of section 119 (2) (e) of the Electoral Act following his conviction of theft at the Bulawayo magistrate’s court under CRB number 1981/18 on 27 June 2018. It (Kambarami’s election) is therefore set aside on account of it being null and void and his unsuitability to hold public office,” ruled the judge.
Justice Mabhikwa ordered Kambarami to pay the costs of suit on an ordinary scale.
In its application, 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement Trust sought an order declaring Kambarami’s nomination and subsequent election as councillor for Ward 3 in Bulawayo null and void on the basis that he was convicted for stealing an extension cord from an electrician he had hired to do manual work at his offices.
In her founding affidavit, Ms Dorothy Ndlovu, who is the applicant’s secretary, said the application is premised on the provisions of the Electoral Act which disqualify a convicted person from being nominated as a candidate for council elections.
“It has come to our attention as an organisation that the first respondent (Clr Kambarami) has a criminal record and should not have submitted his nomination papers to Zec.
“He was charged and convicted of theft on July 27, 2018 under case number CRB1981/18,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu said as an organisation they could not sit back and watch an illegality being perpetuated.
According to section 119 (2) (e) of the Electoral Act, a person shall be disqualified from being nominated as a candidate for or from election as a councillor if he or she has been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty.
Kambarami was convicted on his own plea of guilty to theft.
Mr Nyoni said the election of Kambarami as councillor and deputy mayor was a nullity right from the onset.
He said the law disqualified Kambarami and whatever then happened thereafter was not in terms of the law. “Kambarami failed to disclose his criminal record to Zec prior to his nomination in the run up to the July 30 harmonised elections,” he said.
Mr Nyoni said 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement Trust represents citizens of this country who have a direct interest in this matter since it is in the interest of the public and their constitutional right.
He said Kambarami was given a chance to voluntarily relinquish his posts as councillor and deputy mayor and he declined.
Kambarami’s lawyers, Messrs Dickson Moyo and Maqhawe Ndlovu of Samp Mlaudzi and Partners, argued that the High Court had no locus standi to handle the matter, arguing that the application was an election petition.
They said the application was a petition, which was supposed to be heard by the Electoral Court as defined in terms of the Electoral Act.
“The Electoral Court, which existed through the General Notices, expired on December 31, 2018, and extending its tenure through this court would be improperly constituted,” said Kambarami’s lawyers.
They further argued that there has to be a tribunal that was set in terms of section 174 of the constitution to handle the disqualification of Kambarami.
Section 41 (7) of the Urban Councils Act states that a councillor who is convicted of an offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a period of six months or more shall forthwith cease to exercise his or her functions or to be entitled to any remuneration as a councillor, and subject to subsection (8), he or she shall cease to be councillor at the expiry of 30 days from the date of such sentence.
On August 1, 2017, Kambarami engaged the complainant, Mr Washington Chirikuudzi (68), to do some manual work at his offices.
Kambarami then asked the complainant to leave his tools at his offices inside a safe before knocking off.
When the complainant returned the following morning, he discovered that his extension cord was missing.
When Mr Chirikuudzi inquired about the whereabouts of his cable, Kambarami admitted that he took it and promised to return it.
However, Kambarami did not return the cable despite pleas from the complainant.
Mr Chirikuudzi reported the matter to the police leading to Kambarami’s arrest.
Kambarami was elected deputy mayor in September last year after beating his closest rival, Clr Mlandu Ncube of Ward One.
War veterans have hailed President Mnangagwa for what they claim is his commitment in reviving the economy.
The liberation war fighters claim that Mnangagwa’s policies have brought unity of purpose among Zimbabweans.
Speaking on the sidelines of a war veterans, war collaborators, ex-political prisoners, detainees and restrictees executive meeting in Harare yesterday, war veterans spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said President Mnangagwa had no other mission other than reviving the economy for the benefit of society.
“Zimbabweans must come on board to assist the President to achieve his vision of reviving the economy,” he said.
“This will remove antagonism amongst the people of Zimbabwe and further reduce contradictions amongst the people.”
Mahiya said war veterans fully supported President Mnangagwa’s re-engagement exercise, as it was the right path to follow, which will result in the improvement of people’s livelihoods.
He urged Zimbabweans to unite and throw their weight behind President Mnangagwa as he continued with the re-engagement exercise which will lead to the country’s economic revival.
“The President is re-engaging and his mantra ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’, is getting full support from the war veterans because it is the way to go,” said Mahiya.
“Let’s unite as Zimbabweans to ensure that we go behind our President and be able to fight against imperialism and capitalism by growing our own economy and be able to deliver economic benefits to our people. The President is on record as gearing everything to ensure that Zimbabwe becomes an upper-middle income economy by 2030.”
The war veterans congratulated President Mnangagwa on assuming chairmanship of the Southern African Development Committee (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, saying the appointment showed that he was a force to reckon with.
Mahiya said they were organising an event to celebrate President Mnangagwa’s appointment and all the war veterans will be in attendance to show their full support.
Independent|IN May 2018, when the Zimbabwe Independent interviewed British peer Lord Peter Hain — a prominent critic of former president Robert Mugabe’s regime — he was optimistic about the birth of a new era in Zimbabwe and was hopeful the country could rise from the ashes.
One year after the interview, Hain is now singing from a different hymn book: he is publicly saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is a disaster and a mirror reflection of the old Mugabe era.
His dramatic volte-face is an indication of how Mnangagwa’s re-engagement drive, which initially had global goodwill, is stalling within just 12 months.
In 2017, when he took over power on the back of a military coup, Mnangagwa heightened expectations for a country ruined by decades of mismanagement and corruption as he promised to open Zimbabwe for business, observe human rights and make bold economic and political reforms, which would put Zimbabwe on the growth trajectory.
His first 12 months as an elected president has seen international support and goodwill dissipating as he has dismally failed to live up to the billing. Hain’s somersault symbolises that.
Hain was so hopeful about what he saw as a real opportunity to revive Zimbabwe’s economy, he even assumed an advisory role in a leading mining company in the country, African Chrome Fields (ACF), run by the Moti Group to partly assist rebuild the country.
In a conversation with the Independent this week, Hain — an internationally respected British politician and businessman — said he believed Mnangagwa has betrayed his promises to turn around the country.
He described Mnangagwa’s tenure so far as “disastrous”.
Hain also referred the Independent to sentiments he shared on Twitter.
“Excellent article by @ianbirrell @thetimes on @edmnangagwa disastrous repressive Zimbabwe government betraying every promise he made to rebuild and renew after Mugabe despotism,” Hain wrote on Twitter last Thursday.
Hain also said he was no longer doing business in Zimbabwe after ending his relationship with the Moti Group in February this year. He was an adviser to the group, which mines chrome in Midlands.
“My year’s agreement as adviser to the Moti Group ended six months ago in February 2019 and I decided amicably not to continue,” Hain said.
During his visit to Zimbabwe in March 2018, Hain held meetings with Mnangagwa, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as well as several ministers.
“… I think what is very clear to me is that President Mnangagwa understands the need for Zimbabwe to engage with the rest of the world on a business basis to bring investment, create jobs like Moti Group is doing and also to comply with international best practices,” he said at the time.
Hain, however, said he was still keen to advise on good labour relations, working conditions and environmental protection policy issues as well as community relations by local corporates.
Last week, the European Union delegation together with the missions of France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom as well as Australia, Canada and the United States issued a statement condemning the brutal crushing of demonstrations and attacks human rights defenders and activists.
“Intimidation, harassment and physical attacks on human rights defenders, trade union and civil society representatives, and opposition politicians — prior to, during and following the demonstration in Harare on 16 August — are cause for great concern,” the heads of mission said.
“The Zimbabwean constitution guarantees the right to personal security from violence and prohibits physical or psychological torture. The Heads of Mission urge the authorities to respect these fundamental rights, and to hold perpetrators of violence legally responsible.
“The Heads of Mission call on the authorities to respect the constitutional rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression as well as to peaceful protest, and urge all political party leaders and supporters to abstain from threats and incitement to violence as well as acts of violence or vandalism.
“The security forces must adhere to their Constitutional mandate and exercise restraint and proportionality, while maintaining public order.”
The hard-hitting statement was dismissed by government as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
EU head of delegation in Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen publicly condemned human rights abuses during a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) campaign launch, angering Mnangagwa who was in attendance.
Okkonen did not mince his words, condemning government’s banning of the MDC demonstrations, abductions and crackdown on civil liberties.
“Unfortunately, we are witnessing these days several developments that put constitutionalism and the respect for the rule of law in question. Zimbabwe should show that it genuinely has made a break from the past,” Olkkonen said.
In a rant akin to former president Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa retorted: “Your Excellency (Mr Olkkonen) you referred to human rights. However, this platform was for corruption. May I urge civil society to restrict themselves to their mandate. The rule of law observance is not needed for the purposes of pleasing other countries; we need it because it is proper for ourselves.”
State Media|Police yesterday arrested Chitungwiza Mayor Lovemore Maiko, a councillor and an engineer on allegations of abuse of office through corrupt activities involving the sale of commercial stands.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is fighting hard to implement the President‘s call which has started yielding results as there are no sacred cows despite political affiliation with former Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and Zanu-PF member Minister Prisca Mupfumira among several bigwigs who have been arrested.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi last night confirmed the arrest of the trio, saying they were still assisting with investigations at St Mary’s Police
“I can confirm that we arrested ward 7 councillor Chitungwiza mayor Lovemore Maiko, ward 2 councillor Kudakwashe John and works director David Duma and they are currently assisting police with investigations.
“The trio are being charged with criminal abuse of office involving the selling of commercial land in Chitungwiza, 2 000 square metres at Chigovanyika Shopping Centre. They later sold 1 500 of land to the wife of the mayor after a council resolution they made,” he said.
However, reports from sources at Town House said another councillor who is also alleged to be deeply involved in the scam Richard Chamutsa is said to be on the run.
The sources close to the on-goings said the councillors were bribed and allocated some commercial stands at Chigovanyika shopping centre without a proper council resolution.
“Mayor and his other councillors were bribed by a suspected MDC top official and sold out commercial stands at Chigovanyika for allocation of a service station without the knowledge of the town clerk Dr George Makunde.
“The whole this was not procedural, no certificates from either ZERA or EMA were submitted and presented before full council meeting,” said one of the sources.
The recommendation to sell the land at Chigovanyika was shot down by councillors during a recent full council meeting due to many grey areas, but the trio allegedly proceeded with their decision.
City fathers argued that it was not proper to have a service station in the area which was too close to residential houses as it was dangerous because of its vicinity to residential houses.
The sources further allege that Maiko was no longer seeing eye to eye with Dr Makunde’s whom he was now undermining as the town clerk and is said to have written him a letter on Wednesday warning him to be effective in his duty threatening to fire him.
We understand that Mayor Maiko has not been in good books with the town clerk Dr George Makunde.
“As such he wrote a letter warning Dr Makunde that he must report for work daily and attend council meetings since he is usually absent most of the times. This did not go down well with him”.
Informal land deals have been the order of the day at Chitungwiza Town house mostly being spearheaded by councillors in connivance with some members of management and some junior employees.
Dr Makunde last night could not respond to the allegations saying he was yet to get information regading the arrest of the trio.
In April 2017 Government suspended former Chitungwiza Mayor Phillip Mutoti and 24 other councillors for allegedly corruptly allocating themselves tracts of land worth over $7 million.
Zesa HOLDINGS has reverted to Stage Two load-shedding schedule hardly two weeks after assuring consumers of significant relief.
Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira earlier this month said they had downgraded load-shedding from Stage Two to Stage One after it started receiving 400MW from Eskom of South Africa.
However, before most consumers had improved supplies, Zesa yesterday announced increased load-shedding due to depressed generation of power.
Writing on his Twitter handle yesterday, Mr Gwasira said load-shedding was now at Stage Two.
“Load-shedding is at Stage 2. The small Stage 1 generators, whilst online, are producing very little and a major Stage 2 unit gone out for repairs. Shedding has increased phenomenally,” said Mr Gwasira.
However, Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi who only last week had been screaming that there is a huge improvement in power supply changed his stance to say that improved electricity supplies could be witnessed in September.
Minister Chasi said following the return to service of Unit 5 at Hwange Power Station, adding 160MW to the grid, power supply had improved, but Zesa was prioritising the productive sector.
He said Government negotiations with Mozambique to increase power imports were also underway.
“Following the return to service of Unit 5 at Hwange adding 160MW to the grid, we expect to see improvement in power supply.
“Unit 6 will be opened up for inspection on the first week of September for fault diagnostic,” said Minister Chasi.
“Currently, Zesa is prioritising the productive sector such as mining, winter wheat and the manufacturing sector.
“Our intention is to ensure that we are giving as much power to the productive sector.
“The Government wants to make sure that the mines are operating. On the farms, particularly now, there is winter wheat, we want to make sure the farmers have got power.
“So the domestic consumer admittedly will find that there will be load shedding, but we should look at the global picture and what our priorities are,” said Minister Chasi.
He added that it was the responsibility of Zesa to inform consumers on changes in load-shedding, especially in residential areas.
“I must admit that there has been a bit of regression over the past few days, that is not a permanent situation.
“It will be resolved very soon. Zesa should publicise load-shedding schedules to customers so that they make informed decisions.
“It has been due to challenges we faced on a number of units in Hwange.
“They are actively being sorted out.
“We want to continue to improve the availability of power and I want to assure the public that we are working very actively around the clock on the challenges facing the country,” said Minister Chasi.
By Terence Rusirevi| The MDC need to consider withdrawing all their MPs from parliament in order to really kick start a proper struggle against this regime.
There has been another incident in the Zimbabwean parliament involving discovery of more government corruption. The Minister of Finance is being summoned to answer questions from a parliamentary group. Many of my comrades on the progressive side of politics are salivating over this latest exposé of the vile maxim of this government, but not me. Here is why:
In a military dictatorship such as the one in Zimbabwe, parliament or parliamentary procedures are what the English call ‘vague and inconsequential prancing about’. In other words, it will lead to nothing. Even if corruption is exposed (something which is not hard to do in Zimbabwe), there is no way of enforcing the law because the law protects the dictatorship. How so?
Well, the law enforcers and the judiciary are elements which work entirely work for the junta. So to then jump up and down as if we have made a devout discovery is an old song that’s getting tired. I mean, it’s as clear as day that Zanu are thieves. It’s evident that this government is illegitimate because Mnangagwa came into power via a coup and then rigged the election. The ghastly judiciary validated the coup and the rigged election – it would have been more honest of the judges if they wore Zanu t-shirts instead of the self important 17th century pageantry which they were trying to project during those hearings.
Anyway, we know that law enforcement officers kill and torture people on behalf of Zanu. It’s obvious that Zanu ministers and their cronies steal money everyday. As I’m writing this there is a Zanu minister stealing money somewhere and using some of it as bait to plough young women. What I’m saying is this: finding a piece of paper which shows that money has been stolen by this regime is not a monumental discovery. It leads to nothing.
See, this is not a crisis of democracy – it’s a struggle, it’s a war between two sides, one side is led by a few old men who control the military, their cronies and the knuckle draggers who support Zanu and the other side has the hapless Zimbabwean general public. We should desist from celebrating and gushing over things which lead to nothing. It’s a ‘false consciousness’ to invest hope in parliament or any of the prancing about that occurs there. It leads to nothing. It will not lead to a cessation of corruption. It will not lead to the arrest of the criminals. This is why I’m absolutely against the notion of parliament in Zimbabwe while there is this dictatorship in place.
By having MDC MPs in parliament, we are essentially contributing towards validating this dictatorship by giving a false impression that Zimbabwe is a democracy when it’s not. Of course, I know our party needs the money from the remunerations awarded to political parties by central government. But we need a much better economic model to avoid this conflict of interest. Another problem with having MPs in this farcical parliament is that it creates divisions within our party whereby our MPs become part of the ruler class and are subsequently disconnected from the general masses.
Moreover, when MPs collect their salaries, and enjoy the opportunities for wealth which come with that position, the last thing they will want to do is to take an approach to this war which puts them out of business. They will want to pursue these ‘democratic procedures’, not because they believe in them, but because it’s their business – they make a living out of it.
I think the time has come for the MDC to withdraw all its MPs from parliament and really make this a proper struggle against the regime. This would be the ultimate ‘stay away’ demo. It’s a move that will take off the mask of democracy which has been protecting Zanu pf. It’s a move that would take this struggle exactly where it needs to be and that is in people’s hands, feet, hearts and minds. MPs, for far too long, have been giving people a false hope that keeps us going round in circles in one position, doing daft things like participating in an election that we know is already rigged.
Look, I’m not saying we shouldn’t dilate over findings of corruption by this Zanu government. I mean, so long as we have our MPs in there, they might as well ask the government tough questions about what’s happening. All I’m saying is that even if Mthuli is given the third degree in parliament and caves in by admitting that the money was stolen, nothing is going to happen to him or the thief who nicked the money. This is a military junta not a democracy where government is held accountable. If we are having MPs in order to get funding from central government then its time to create a sustainable economic model.
I have adumbrated what needs to be done on various platforms where I spoke about the three essential layers which are business capital, intellectual capital and activism. I said and I will keep saying that the party needs to have a 24 hour online radio and TV station (if that’s possible) but definitely a radio station.
There also needs to be an aggressive crowd funding effort and the party needs Chamisa to front this because he is the ‘superstar and the big draw in many people’s eyes, no offence to the others. Having raised money, the party would need to invest some of it in profitable businesses (outside Zimbabwe). A weekly newsletter of the parties activities will also need to be published. Last but not least, the party needs to carry out ‘smart’ activism which should include doing things which people can actually point at not just talking and making promises. These things can include building bridges, boreholes, women’s health and education.
Some people have told me that it would be difficult to raise money, but I beg to differ. People will donate and fund an organisation if they like it’s products or service. Churches in Zimbabwe are raising millions every year because people like the ‘service’ and the sense of hope they get from the church leaders, in spite of the fact that a lot of these church leaders are magician spivs in funny costumes who use the Bible as part of their act. For the MDC the product and service would be the online TV + radio, the newsletter, the humanitarian activism and the hope of regime change. All this is achievable. I have been contacted by a few of the MDC big wigs who read my blog and they are in agreement about the need for a sustainable economic model, they are exploring ways of putting this into action, thank goodness.
By
Terence Rusirevi
MDC UK
The views expressed here are my own and not the official position of the MDC in UK and Ireland and the MDC in Zimbabwe.
Amid all the video recorded evidence, the below apologist has written in defence of the controversial preacher, Walter Magaya. Nicholas Ncube claims politicians are after the preacher. He however fails to name even one such. FULL TEXT:
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries found and preacher Walter Magaya is a household name in Zimbabwe. Magaya commands crowds that would make any politician jealous and envious of the preacher. Walter Magaya’s crowds flock to him voluntarily without persuasion or coercion unlike political crowds who need motivation and persuasion to attend a rally. Magaya has enough numbers to swing votes to any particular side that he might desire, if he wanted to run for Political office Magaya would be a serious contender and tough opponent. A man in Walter Magaya’s position does not get to that level without enemies, debts or people seeking to extort money from him. It is not a surprise to see Magaya in the papers and in the courts now and again, after all a Magaya headline is a crowd puller.
I put it to you dear reader that Magaya has powerful enemies who seek to destroy him and the very existence of PHD Ministries.
Magaya was at one time labelled a G40 Prophet because he attended functions and donated to the former first lady Dr. Amai Grace Mugabe. Several G40 aligned MPs and cabinet ministers attended Magaya’s church but so did Lacoste MPs and figures.
Magaya has gone through a lot of trouble under the new dispensation, it makes one wonder if it is the rule of law that they seek or personal scores being settled. Magaya has probably appeared in court more than any clergyman in the history of Zimbabwe. Court cases sprout like weeds in the Magaya field.
A number of the court cases that Magaya has gone through are yet to be decided.
In February 2019, Prophet Magaya made headlines when he announced AGUMA a drug which was said to cure or reduce the viral load in HIV patients. Prophet Magaya pleaded guilty and was convicted for contravening sections of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act through manufacturing and marketing an anti-HIV drug without first clearing with the regulatory authorities.
A month after that or so, in May 2019 to be precise Magaya was dragged to the High Court over failure to repay a Homelink loan amounting to US$23 million. It was a church loan but Magaya and his wife had served as the guarantors of the loan. That case was settled out of court, and we never heard anything from it, but Magaya’s name and reputation had already suffered severe bruises.
In June 2019 Magaya was once again at the forefront of controversy, this time it was the taxman coming after Magaya. It is claimed that the courts ruled that evidence retrieved from computers seized from PHD church can be used as evidence in the church’s ongoing tax evasion trial. Magaya ‘s church PhD ministries is alleged to have prejudiced the taxman Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) of over $28 million. From a $23 million court case to a $28 million case, clearly someone is out to bankrupt Magaya and leave him back in the gutters of Mhondoro where he was born.
As if those multi million dollar legal battles were not enough in June 2019, one of the Magaya’s bodyguards, James Dzamu, was dragged to court for issuing death threats. This came after actress or is it former actress Charity Dhlodhlo claimed that Dzamu had told her that she might lose her life if she continued to drag the prophet’s name through the mud. Again another very serious allegation which has the potential of tanking Magaya and his ministries straight into oblivion.
Good news for Magaya though as the court held that the State had failed to prove its case and acquitted Dzamu.
Recently a string of videos surfaced with the parents of a woman, Mrs Chenai Agatha Maenzanise-Hassan, claiming that she had been manipulated, raped and impregnated by Magaya. Let’s face it rape is a serious crime with very serious consequences. In a wild and weird turn of events as synonymous with any Magaya case , the “victim” surfaced to clear Magaya’s name and ask for forgiveness. Clearly something fishy right there!
Magaya’s lawyer Admire Rubaya a very talented legal mind who ranks highly with the likes of the hawkish legal czar Rungano Mahuni, has been a very busy man. Rubaya is Magaya’s lawyer and has had his hands full with Magaya laundry. Lawyers are paid to do their jobs and it is not surprising if Rubaya walked away a few thousands richer. However what is really surprising and alarming is the acres of space that have been used in state media outlets against Magaya. Clearly well orchestrated hatch jobs have been featured in state media. Magaya doesn’t have a strong media or PR team and he has been losing the public relations battle especially on social media. There is no way that state media would run an orchestrated hatch job against such a figure without powerful political guns behind it.
Now Magaya becomes the first clergyman to be dragged before the Gender Commission, more of tax dollars and time being used in an anti Magaya crusade.
Does Walter Magaya have a case to answer if victims are withdrawing and changing their stories?
Is someone or some people extorting money from Magaya through these cases and hurdles that Magaya has been jumping over?
Is Magaya innocent or is he a clever operator who knows how to cover his tracks?
Who stands to gain a lot from Magaya’s demise? The biggest question however is this one : Is Walter Magaya considering to run for public office??
Magaya has the numbers and the funds to run for public office, but with a criminal record and a handful of court cases he cannot focus his attention on any public office. I put it to you dear reader that maybe in all the Magaya hullabaloo someone somewhere has an axe to grind and that person really enjoys antagonizing Prophet Magaya. Magaya should beef up his media and PR team and fight back against these hatchet jobs lest his reputation suffers irreparable damage.
The Local Solutions Council would like to register its outrage at the prima facie evidence of inadequate preparation by President Mnangagwa and his delegation at the 7th TICAD meeting being held from the 28th of August to 30 August 2019.
At the core of pictures taken in Yokohama, Japan is that President Mnangagwa and his delegation are evidently unprepared and lost in the meeting with their Japanese hosts.
Moreover, a top government negotiator noted that one would be forgiven to think that the Zimbabwean delegation was ambushed at the last minute and diplomatically nudged into meeting with the Japanese.
Preparing to Fail
However, the Local Solutions Council has it on good authority that government foreign trips that include the president are usually planned at least a year in advance.
Infact, there are no excuses why the delegation was evidently unprepared especially without strategy papers in front of them or note pads for analysing crucial points both during and after the meeting.
Crucially, researchers have observed that top negotiators worldwide argue that “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
Therefore, the Local Solutions Council would like to caution the Zimbabwe Government that when it comes to negotiating, there are no guarantees that preparation will get you the deal you seek, but not preparing is a recipe for failure.
Gender Diverse
It was also surprising that in the 21st century, the Local Solutions Council noted that the Zimbabwe delegation was not gender diverse as it did not have a single woman at the top table in clear contrast to their Japanese counterparts.
Research has evidently highlighted that having both women and men in teams means the government will benefit from the different points of view and approaches that come from different life experiences.
More importantly, researchers have observed that women have stronger skills in reading non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues are strategically vital in unlocking an opponent’s negotiating tactics especially in such crucial meetings were important issues of national interest are at stake.
Negotiation Outlook
In conclusion and in line with the 7th TICAD debacle, the Local Solutions Council is appealing to the Zimbabwe Government to focus on its preparations for negotiations, for “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
And finally, the Local Solutions Council is calling on the Government to be gender sensitive in its key appointments especially in naming delegates who represent the country both locally and abroad. – Source: Darlington Nyambiya
AN illegal gold panner died after a shaft he was working in collapsed along Umzingwane River in West Nicholson.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele, confirmed the incident which occurred on Tuesday at around 10AM at a panning site along the river in Njeni.
He said Charles Moyo (45) of Dombodema Village in Mwenezi was working in the shaft with his son and another person when the incident occurred.
“His son and the other work mate went down into the mine in order to rescue him but he was already dead. The matter was reported to the police who attended the scene and the body was taken to the Gwanda Provincial Hospital mortuary.’’
Chief Insp Ndebele urged people to desist from engaging in illegal gold panning as that puts their lives at risk. He said activities of illegal gold panners were of huge concern as they were causing land degradation.—State media
ZIMBABWE will not send developmental teams to the Cosafa Under-17 and Under-20 tournaments, with Zifa citing the prevailing economic challenges.
The comes against the backdrop of frosty relations between Zifa and the regional body, after the former had their attempts to recall Cosafa president, Philip Chiyangwa, snubbed.
Both Cosafa and Zifa confirmed that Zimbabwe will not be represented at the inaugural edition of the girls’ Under-17 finals to be held in Mauritius from September 20-29.
Zimbabwe will also miss out the boys’ Under-17 finals to be held in Blantyre, Malawi, from October 11-20.
“We received a letter from Zifa earlier this week advising us that Zimbabwe will not participate in the 2019 editions of the Cosafa Under-17 and Under-20 Youth Championships. It is the prerogative of any association to participate or not and is not in itself unusual,” said Sue Destombes, the Cosafa secretary-general.
Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela said withdrawal of junior teams was part of the association’s “austerity measures” meant to “cut costs”.
However, the move to withdraw development teams could return to haunt the senior teams, as the group of players that could have benefitted from exposure in regional competitions would have missed out.
“Due to the harsh economic environment we will not be sending any junior teams for regional tournaments. Zifa operates within dynamics of the economy and as such, we have not been spared by economic challenges. The move to withdraw from these Cosafa tournaments is part of the austerity measures to cut costs,” said Gwesela.State media
HARARE City’s revival story under new coach, Lloyd Chitembwe, continued with this impressive Castle Lager Premiership victory at Rufaro yesterday.
Ishmael Wadi was the star of the show as he opened the scoring before setting up the second for William Manondo in the first half.
The Sunshine Boys took their tally to 25 points and climbed up the ladder from 14th to 11th place and just two points now separate them with ninth-placed Chapungu.
They completed a double over over the airmen as they also won the reverse tie 1-0 at Mandava. It was Chitembwe’s second win, in as many matches, since he took over from Mark Mathe a fortnight ago.State media
HIGHLANDERS gaffer Mandla Mpofu’s woes continued yesterday after his side fell to in-form Triangle in a Castle Lager Premier League match at Gibbo.
The defeat came after reports Mpofu was this week handed a three-match ultimatum to collect, at least six points from three matches, starting against Triangle.
The hosts, however, had other ideas with Allan Tavarwisa and Ralph Kawondera’s goals, either side of a Nqobizita Masuku header, powering them to victory.
Bosso have now lost three matches on the trot. Mpofu now needs to collect maximum points against Mushowani Stars and Hwange to save his job. Yesterday’s result, though, was not a true reflection of the game in which Bosso dominated and could have, at least, got a draw.
“I don’t despair, I don’t lose hope. The performance is something I can control and today I have to appreciate what my guys did.
“This is the industry where we rely on results, the most important thing is can I channel all the energy that I have into the team and see if they play well and win games.
“If I am not a good coach I will go and if I am a good coach I will stay with team,” said Mpofu.
Triangle’s win means they have, for the first time, managed back-to-back league wins against Bosso and they have stretched their unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions.
Coach, Taurai Mangwiro, conceded Highlanders were the better side. Highlanders played better than us but you attribute that to fatigue,’’ he said. “This is the fifth game we are playing inside 18 games and, of the seven who started today, they have played in each of those games,’’ he said.State media
Farai Dziva|MDC Treasurer General David Coltart has said Energy Mutodi must apologize for calling Chief Felix Ndiweni an enemy of the state.
Said Coltart: Enemies of the State? How can a Chief who is clearly a Zimbabwean patriot be an enemy of the State? I suggest you apologise. I find that when one is in a hole it makes sense to stop digging.”
Mutodi castigated Chief Ndiweni on Twitter.
“Chief Ndiweni’s release on bail proves judicial independence, a free and democratic society where enemies of the state are protected by the law.
His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa has taken the rule of law to another level in Zimbabwe,”wrote Mutodi.
Ichi chiri kupisa as vafanha would say, Volume Bho!
You see, instead of coming up with ideas and plans to fix the mess that they have created, ZANU PF and its useless crude propaganda machinery spends every minute available creating lies, smear and embarrassing narratives! SAD
Delegitimisation of opposition leaders with lies and smear will not change the fact that Mai Tizirai is going to bed on an empty stomach!
They attempted to lie that Nelson Chamisa has a home in Sandton, then Zororo Makamba was like, wait a minute, that is my father’s home.
Yaenda Musango Propaganda! Yarova Madziro. These people destroyed all that goodwill through corruption, incompetence, nepotism, mismanagement and theft.
Chamisa is not the government, he is not responsible for the State plunder and failure to put medication in public hospitals!
Farai Dziva|War veterans leader Douglas Mahiya has claimed that former President Robert Mugabe is to blame for the economic crisis in the country.
Mahiya also appealed to citizens to complement Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to restore the country’s economy.
Mahiya blamed Mugabe’s administration for ruining the economy.
“ We have to look at what we achieved when we stopped the G40. However, things did not go according to plan when we removed Mugabe,” he said.
“The whites seized the revolution and recruited other new members to remove the new administration led by Mnangagwa.
But I want to reiterate that the government is trying to resuscitate the economy which was destroyed by Mugabe.
Mnangagwa cannot do that on his own. Zimbabweans must come on board to assist the President achieve this and this will remove antagonism among the people of Zimbabwe and further reduce contradictions among the people.”
Bishop Magaya says Zimbabwe has endured a “horrible trail of violence” from Gukurahundi atrocities to land repossession, to the creation of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change where violent acts are done during electoral periods pic.twitter.com/DhoLPURWfa
By A Correspondent| Former President Robert Mugabe’s preferred successor Sydney Sekeramayi has been dragged to court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) after failing to settle a $311 000 electricity bill.
The struggling power utility company issued court summons against Sekeramayi who is also former Defence Minister on August 28, 2019.
It claimed that Sekeremayi has refused to pay despite numerous demands.
“On the 28th of September in Harare, the applicant and the respondent signed a Deed of Settlement in terms of which it was agreed that the respondent would pay the applicant a total sum of $319 000 being charges for electricity supplied by the latter to the former,” reads ZETDC declaration.
According to the court application, it was agreed that the amount would be paid in monthly instalments from September 2018 until September 2020.
It was also agreed that in the event of the respondent’s failure to pay any instalment due in terms of the Deed of Settlement, then the whole amount outstanding would become due and payable.
Sekeramayi, in breach of the agreement, has only paid $7 500 which he paid in instalments.
“By reason of the said breach, the respondent is now obliged to pay the said sum of $311 500 to the applicant,” said the power utility.
Sekeramayi is yet to file his response to the application.
By A Correspondent- The Ambassador EU Delegation in Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen said the EU does not favour any political party but is only amplifying what is prescribed in the Zimbabwean Constitution.
He said this while speaking at SAPES Trust Dialogue Forum, Thursday held under the topic “The Deepening Crisis In Zimbabwe.
He said:
“I have been accused of driving a partisan agenda. I just want to say that we deny that. We are not favouring any political party; everything that myself and my colleagues have been saying; basically it is all reflected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe…issues that have been highlighted in the national transition stabilisation program.
… These are our references and we have these concerns in our discussions with the government… Obviously we want to see Zimbabwe succeed. I have seen all sorts of conspiracy theories about how we have an agenda to foil efforts of making Zimbabwe prosper.
Obviously these accusations, they are smokescreens obviously to divert attention. Why would we want to see Zimbabwe fail?”
By A Correspondent- The new dispensation has structurally liberalised Zimbabwe’s economy to make it open for investment to all willing investors from any part of the world, President Mnangagwa has said.
In an interview with Japan media houses on the sidelines of the three-day Tokyo International Conference for African Development (TICAD) summit that kicked off in Yokohama Wednesday, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s engagement and re-engagement drive does not close the door on any worthy investment.
He said:
“The new dispensation which I lead decided that despite the sanctions which the West decided to have on us – in particular the Americans under Zidera – we open our economy and liberalise the economy on all fronts.
We then came up with the engagement and re-engagement policy. Engagement meaning we are willing to engage and work with any member state of the United Nations. Re-engagement meaning that we would like to re-engage with those countries that disengaged with us a result of sanctions. So we have opened up.”
Asked if Zimbabwe was seeking credit lines from China or Japan, Mnangagwa said Harare had opened its doors to potential investors from any part of the world.
“I will be meeting the Japanese Prime Minister to continue to support us in our endeavour to revive our economy.
With regards to China, there is the FOCAC, where African countries are invited to participate and apply for funding for projects. It is the same platform as TICAD.
Most of the member states of the EU are now in discussions with us. We have discussions with France, German has sent a Minister to discuss and open old ties that we had.
Italy has done the same. Brussels has also done the same. With regards to the EU, there is a lot that is unfolding towards Zimbabwe. But with the US, that is where we have the problems but we are doing everything possible to appeal to the Trump administration to revisit the Zidera sanctions.
When we are in this transition to open up, our currency had to find a level to which it stabilised. Now it has stabilised around between 8 and 10 on the exchange rate.
For us to leapfrog and catch up with the rest of the region, we have opened up and we are inviting global capital to come into the country by creating an environment that is conducive to attract global capital.”-StateMedia
MDC Deputy National Organiser, Hon Sibusisiwe B. Masara was on Thursday afternoon taken into custody at Harare central police station and will appear for a bail hearing on Friday at 9 am. Hon Masara was the deputy Convenor of the 16 August.
The party’s national organising secretary, Amos Chibaya was arrested last week for failing to stop a demonstration by MDC supporters in Harare on 16 August. He was however released on bail after spending the weekend behind bars.
“Our meeting with young people from various districts to discuss developmental issues was today stopped by the police after they charged we had not given notification though the youths were drawn from our structures The police who arrived in a small truck were heavily armed with Ak 47 s ,truncheons and tear gas cannisters,” Dumisani Nkomo
Below is the letter written by the world football body FIFA to president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son-in-law, Gerald Mlotshwa who was seeking to remove the current ZIFA leadership:
Situation of the Zimbabwe Football Association.
Dear Chairman,
We refer to your letter dated 14 August 2019, through which you requested FIFA to appoint a normalisation committee for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), namely because of allegations of financial mismanagement.
At the outset we would like to underline that FIFA encourages close cooperative relations between its member associations and national governments. In addition, we expect our member associations to be fully accountable for and, if required, submit to the authorities all relevant information regarding the use of public funds, if any are provided, in line with the pertinent national legislation.
Regarding funding provided by FIFA, we would like to inform you that every member association receiving FIFA Forward development funds, including ZIFA, is subject to rigorous controls in the use of these funds. This includes an annual central audit review which is undertaken by an independent professional auditor appointed by FIFA. Adverse findings noted by the auditors are reported to the FIFA Audit and Compliance Committee and may result in a restriction or even suspension of funding. Furthermore, in the event of any suspicion of the misuse of funds, the matter is referred to the competent FIFA judicial body. As a consequence of the above, we deem that the conditions for setting up a normalisation committee for ZIFA in line with art. 8 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes are not fulfilled. In this context, we must remind you about the contents of art. 14 par. 1 let. i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, which stipulate that all member associations are obliged to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties.
Therefore, should the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts & Recreation of Zimbabwe, upon recommendation of the Sports and Recreation Committee (SRC), decide to appoint an interim committee to administer the affairs of ZIFA, it would be considered undue influence in the sense of the FIFA Statutes. Consequently, the matter would be presented to the relevant FIFA bodies for consideration and possible action, which may include the suspension of ZIFA.
Finally, we would like to inform you that FIFA is engaged in assisting ZIFA with its debt servicing strategy. In this regard, we would like to underline that we remain at the authorities’ disposal to discuss, if possible, joint efforts to address ZIFA’s current financial situation. We thank you for taking note of the above and trust in your understanding. Yours sincerely, FIFA Alasdair Bell Deputy Secretary General (Administration)
This media brief seeks to draw your attention to the socio-political and economic challenges currently facing the country. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) is deeply concerned about the deteriorating socio-economic conditions and closure of democratic space in Zimbabwe.
We are worried about the political situation in our country and with an escalation of human rights violations and the collapse of the economy and resultant social service nets resulting in the millions of citizens seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and beyond. Fresh cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and abductions of unarmed civilians and civil society leaders are being reported.
Multiple threats and intimidation by government officials against trade unions, civil society leaders and ordinary Zimbabweans are continuing unabated. To date, about 22 civil society leaders and human rights defenders and opposition leaders have been charged with subversion since the beginning of the year.
In August alone, police arrested over 80 citizens in Bulawayo, Chitungwiza and Harare on allegations of committing public violence.
In Harare, medical facilities have recorded more than 20 cases of people who were brutally assaulted by police including a journalist, Fani Mapfumo, who was covering a peaceful protest on the 16th of August 2019. The injured include women and children.
The democratic space continues to shrink and Zimbabwe with the banning of demonstrations in all major towns signalling a state of emergency.
The judiciary is now heavily compromised and is being systematically used to deny the people their fundamental rights as enshrined by Section 59 of the constitution and the expansive bill of rights in the Zimbabwean charter.
We fear that if the situation continues unchecked, there are greater chances of an escalation of social unrest and instability in Zimbabwe. This might result in regional instability as Zimbabweans seek food, shelter and refugee in neighbouring countries.
Consequently, this month, the government of Zimbabwe, through their mouthpiece the Herald newspaper on the 16th of August 2019 made sensational allegations that civil society leaders who were attending the SADC People’s Summit in Tanzania were planning to demonstrate against President Mnangagwa and were being trained to commit acts of banditry.
The state went on to publish over 20 names of civil society leaders that they claim were planning to smear the image of the country.
The allegations resulted in the detention and harassment of the activists upon their return to Zimbabwe. We view this move as calculated and desperate tactics by the government to instil fear amongst activists and the civil society in general.
Regionally, we participated at this year’s SADC Peoples Summit held at the National Museum in Tanzania from the 13th to the 18th of August 2019 and the summit urged SADC to ensure the continuation and deepening of the political reform processes in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Lesotho and Zambia in terms of human rights, democratization, constitutionalism, free and fair elections and protection of the rights of the citizens.
It is our view, therefore, that the political processes in Zimbabwe must seek to promote and consolidate democracy, peace and human security and we also maintain that resolving the current political crisis in the country is a pre-requisite for democracy and economic development.
Similarly, in May this year, Zimbabwean authorities arrested 7 civil society leaders upon their arrival from a meeting in the Maldives and charged them with subversion despite the absence of evidence that shows that they were trained in banditry.
Turning to the economy, there is a perpetual economic meltdown (resulting from the current political crisis) which has resulted in high levels of inflation and an increase in domestic debt which has compromised the government’s capacity for the provision of social services and social protection for ordinary citizens.
Zimbabwe’s economy is collapsing under the burden of a) grand corruption and b) the power of a military elite which is subverting constitutional processes.
The recent 76% cost of living adjustment offer to civil servants which will see the least-paid worker taking home $1 023 (less than USD100) per month is inadequate due to the high cost of living.
Equally, a majority of Zimbabweans are surviving on less than USD1 a day is impacting negatively on ordinary citizens and has the potential of fuelling more conflicts in Zimbabwe.
Thought the government through Statutory Instrument SI 142 of 2019 outlawed the use of multiple currencies, prices and cost of living remain benchmarked in foreign currency, hence the need to peg wages and earnings to the united states dollar.
The country is also facing an extreme drought with estimated figures of nearly 5.5 million people–a third of Zimbabwe’s population needing food assistance by 2020, according to a UNICEF report in June.
Going forward
Based on the above background, which should be understood in the context of the ongoing political and economic crisis bedevilling the country, we propose the following urgent interventions:
1) We reiterate our call for internal and inclusive stakeholders’ dialogue in Zimbabwe. It is our conviction that the dialogue process must involve all stakeholders and a national visioning process that has a civil society, government, political parties, business, religious groups and labour unions among other critical stakeholders on board. As an import of the dialogue process should produce a clear timed roadmap to the demilitarization of civilian political processes and the restoration of normalcy by focusing on key political, economic and social reforms.
2) We urge regional and international blocs to promote and support efforts at arresting the economic downturn in Zimbabwe based on a clear reform roadmap and encourage Zimbabwe to adopt and implement pro-poor and inclusive economic policies.
Efforts at economic transformation, stabilization and growth should be aimed at achieving inclusive sustainable economic growth and development.
3) We urge the Government of Zimbabwe to stop the crackdown on human rights defenders, activists, media and the opposition, uphold and guarantee citizens’ rights as enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution and other regional and international human rights treaties and statutes.
The Global Political Agreement (GPA) issues guaranteed by SADC/AU remain at the centre of the crisis especially the constitutional reform process. Therefore, the full implementation of the country’s constitution is equally important in promoting democracy in Zimbabwe.
4) We urge SADC and the AU to decisively ACT by urgently and adequately intervening in the Zimbabwe situation. We are concerned that SADC is focusing on the non-event of the so-called sanctions when the country is in flames as the regional body is rendering itself irrelevant as it surely is not showing leadership on the political question in Zimbabwe.
Without addressing the political and legitimacy crisis, the socio-economic dislocations will send shock waves to the entire region.
5) Call upon the Zimbabwe, government to prioritize and prepare for humanitarian assistance programs for the millions facing starvation in Zimbabwe.
Zambian opposition leader Chishimba Kabwili of National Democratic Congress was yesterday arrested on allegations of defaming the President Edgar Lungu and his ministers.
Kambwili was arrested following a video circulating on social media in which he allegedly implied that Lungu was a dog.
In a video Kambwili had said “Some dogs from Chawama do not get tired of travelling,”
He is accused of committing the offence contrary to the Zambian laws of Section 61,the Panel Code Chapter 87.
Fifa has told the Sports and Recreation Commission and the Ministry of Youth Sport, Arts and Recreation not to dare touch the Zimbabwe Football Association
Zifa President Felton Kamambo PIC: Zifa website
The key aspects of the statement said:
Therefore, should the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts & Recreation of Zimbabwe, upon recommendation of the Sports and Recreation Committee (SRC), decide to appoint an interim committee to administer the affairs of ZIFA, it would be considered undue influence in the sense of the FIFA Statutes.
Consequently, the matter would be presented to the relevant FIFA bodies for consideration and possible action, which may include the suspension of ZIFA.
And it gets more
Finally, we would like to inform you that FIFA is engaged in assisting ZIFA with its debt servicing strategy. In this regard, we would like to underline that we remain at the authorities’ disposal to discuss, if possible, joint efforts to address ZIFA’s current financial situation.
By Nomusa Garikai- “As long as Ramaphosa plays big
brother to an illegal president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) then we (Zimbabweans in
SA) are staying put and not going anywhere,” twittered Kudakwashe Kadenhe
There is no doubt that Ramaphosa,
together with all the other SADC and AU leaders, should have condemned
Zimbabwe’s last elections because Zanu PF rigged. Still, Zimbabweans must admit
that it was none other than our own oppositions leaders who must take the
lion’s share of the blame here.
It is a matter of historic record
that Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends failed to implement even one
meaningful democratic reform in five years during the 2008 to 2013 GNU. Not
even one reform!
SADC leaders fought hard to get MDC
to implement the reforms, but all their warnings were ignored. The regional
leaders made one desperate attempt to have the 2013 elections postponed until
reform are implemented but that too failed.
“In 2013 the Maputo Summit, in June
2013, before the elections, the Maputo Summit was all about having the
elections postponed – the SADC summit. I went there,” explained Dr Ibbo
Mandaza, in an interview with Violet Gonda.
“I was there at the Summit and Mugabe
pretended to agree to a postponement of the elections. If you recall, the
postponement was based on the need to reform at least electoral laws.
“And after that Summit, Morgan
Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, all of them were called to a separate
meeting by the Heads of State of SADC in the absence of Mugabe, that same
evening. And they were told; I was sitting there outside the room with Mac
Maharaj; they were told ‘if you go into elections next month, you are going to
lose; the elections are done’.”
As we know MDC participated in the
2013 elections with no reforms and Zanu PF blatantly rigged the elections.
History was to repeat itself in 2018, as it always does with those who refuse
to learn from the past.
What is particularly annoying here is
that MDC leaders know that by participating in these flawed and illegal
elections they are giving the process some credibility and Zanu PF some
legitimacy; as Senator David Coltart has readily admitted.
“The electoral process was so flawed,
so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC
to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and
MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the
elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility,” confessed Senator
David Coltart in his Book The Struggle
Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe.
So, Zimbabweans like Kudakwashe
should not blame outsiders like President Ramaphosa for propping up this
illegitimate Mnangagwa regime when it is none other than MDC leaders who are
whitewashing the Zanu PF dictatorship and undermining efforts to bring about
meaningful democratic change in Zimbabwe.
The solution to Zimbabwe’s political
paralysis and economic meltdown is ending the country’s curse of rigged
elections. And what better way of doing that than declaring “winners” of rigged
elections illegitimate and demanding that the said regime steps down.
We must denounce the corrupt and
incompetent MDC leaders who are giving the illegitimate Zanu PF dictatorship
legitimacy. MDC leaders have been running with the hare and hunting with the
hounds; this must not be allowed to continue.
It is up to us, Zimbabweans, to find
the solutions to the myriad of problems we have created for ourselves and
should not be blaming outsiders our failures and suffering. We must stop seeing
the speck in the outsider’s eye when we cannot see the log in our own eyes!
By A Correspondent- ED Pfee singer Admire Sanyanga (32), who is also known as Chief Shumba, has been granted $200 bail by a Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko.
Sanyanga, who is facing rape charges, was instructed not to interfere with state witnesses and to continue residing at his given address as part of the bail conditions.
The matter will be heard on September 6.
It is the state’s case that Sanyanga allegedly raped a housemaid who works at a Waterfalls home where he receives spiritual healing.
The incident took place on July 30 this year when Chief Shumba asked the victim to assist him carry his luggage from the house where he was receiving treatment to his house.
When they arrived, Sanyanga invited the complainant into the room but she rejected the offer. He reportedly dragged her inside and raped her without using any protection before he threatened her with unspecified action if she reported the matter.
The maid recorded the incident in her diary which was later discovered by her employer who made a police report leading to Chief Shumba’s arrest..
READY TO POUNCE—MDF officers captured in LilongweTAKING NO CUSTOMERS—MDF soldiers wait in an open lorry for portents of trouble
There was heavy presence of police and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) personnel in the country’s three cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu despite a Supreme Court order that stopped Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and its leadership from organising demonstrations that were scheduled for Wednesday through to Friday.
Police armoured vehicles were stationed along the Masauko Chipembere Highway in Blantyre, and the stretch from Area 18 Roundabout to Lumbadzi in Lilongwe while the scenes were also familiar in strategic places such as Mzuzu University, Katoto Secondary School Ground and volatile townships such as Chibavi, Chiputula and Luwinga in Mzuzu City.
WE DO NOT SLEEP—Law enforcers seem to say
Police officers in patrol vehicles and on foot were spotted throughout the cities.
HRDC has been leading protests aimed at forcing Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) Chairperson Justice Jane Ansah to step down after the May 21 tripartite elections.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Appeal stopped HRDC and its Chairperson Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence from organising demonstrations for a period of 14 days to give room to talks with the Attorney General (AG), Kalekeni Kaphale, on how the former will ensure peaceful demonstrations.
The AG appealed to the Supreme Court to restrain HRDC, Mtambo and Trapence from organisning protests.
While some residents in Blantyre welcomed the postponement of the demonstrations, others said they were ready to take part.
One of the residents Esther Linyama said although the country’s security was important, her right to freedom of expression and demonstration should not be compromised.
“It is a court order [stopping the demonstrations] so it has to be respected. But next time there are demonstrations, I am surely taking part,” she said.
In Lilongwe, the situation remained tense in the morning as people were not sure the demos would take place or not.
Some shops remained closed as business owners exercised caution. However, some banks remained open.
One resident Thomas Phiri, who operates a minibus said business was affected by the tension.
“Whether demonstrations [are taking place] or not, business has been affected and we are not expecting to make money as a lot of people are not travelling today [yesterday],” Phiri said.
ARMED TO THE TEETH—MDF personnel position themselves on top of an anti-riot vehicle
In Mzuzu, the MDF mounted a spot check at Vigwagwa an entrance into the city, and Chiputula where vehicles were being searched.
The city had been quiet in the morning as only few people braved the tension to operate their businesses.
However, the tension was over later in the afternoon as prospective demonstrators got wind that there would be no demonstrations.
“We will wait for HRDC, the court and the government to discuss but if the 14 days go by without any tangible resolution, we will be forced to go to the streets on our own,” Moses Kayira said.
A statement from HRDC, released on Tuesday, says although the coalition called off the protests, they will continue fighting for the rights of citizens.
“In respect of the orders highlighted, HRDC finds it necessary to follow the Supreme Court order to engage with the Attorney General on matters as directed,” the statement reads.
“HRDC will never relent and let Malawians down. As such the coalition will soon announce new dates for the demonstrations outside the 14 days of the order of the Supreme Court of Appeal,” it reads.
MDC Deputy National Organiser, Hon Sibusisiwe Masara was on Thursday afternoon picked up by police officers from the Law and Order section at Harare central police station on charges that she failed to stop a demonstration where she was listed as the convenor.
The charge is listed in the disputed Public Order and Security Act and also carried into the new MOPA Bill that seeks to repeal POSA.
She is expected to appear in court on Friday at 9 am for bail hearing.
The party’s national organising secretary, Amos Chibaya was arrested last week for The same offence. He was released on bail.
MDC Deputy National Organiser, Hon Sibusisiwe B. Masara has just been detained at Harare central police station and will appear for a bail hearing tomorrow at 9am. Hon Masara was the deputy Convenor of the 16 August #FreeZimbabweCampaign#ThePeopleShallGovern@nelsonchamisa
— Citizens' Coalition for Change (@CCCZimbabwe) August 29, 2019
A huge section of Bulawayo residents went into ecstasy that had stretched into the night following a High Court ruling by Justice Thomson Mabhikwa that controversial Ward 3 councillor Tinashe Kambarami was not eligible to hold a council seat as he has a criminal record.
Justice Thomson Mabhikwa on Thursday morning passed the ruling in a case where 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement Trust was seeking an order nullifying his election as ward councillor, citing his criminal record.
Clr Kambarami was in July last year convicted of theft by Bulawayo provincial magistrate, Ms Sharon Rosemani, under case number CRB 1981/18.
He was fined $80 or 18 days in prison for stealing an extension cord from an electrician he had hired to work at his offices.
The ruling by Justice Mabhikwa means Kambarami ceases to be both a councillor and the city’s deputy mayor.
MDC Youth Assembly National leadership today paid a courtesy call to two hospitalized MDC Midlands youth leaders, Sekai Marashe and Alfonso Mugwagwa at Kwekwe General Hospital.
The delegation was led by MDC National Vice Chairperson Cecelia Chimbiri, Spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, Secretary for Defence and Security, Tafadzwa Chirombe and Harare Provincial Chairman Stanley Manyenga who were in accompany of National Secretary for Public Service and Social Welfare Maureen Kademaunga.
Marashe who is the MDC Midlands Provincial Chairperson narrated about the gruesome ordeal he suffered at the hands of ZANU PF sponsored Midlands infamous terror group, Al Shabab on Tuesday this week.
The visibly bruised Midlands chairperson said she was assaulted by a gang of ZANU PF youths who were wielding iron bars and machetes.
Earlier today in the morning another MDC Youth leader, Alfonso Mugwagwa who is Ward 3 Chairman for Mbizo was heavily assaulted by six armed known ZANU PF youths on his way to work.
The notorious ZANU PF youth terror group is currently domiciled at their party’s offices where a torture base has been set up.
As MDC Youth Assembly we strongly condemn ZANU PF youths’ provocative behavior and we would like to warn the perpetrators that definitely they will have their judgement day.
Yes, we believe in peaceful means to solve differences but that should never be mistaken as a sign of cowardice.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
President Mnangagwa meets Afreximbank president Professor Benedict Okey Oramah on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit underway in Yokohama
State Media|President Mnangagwa on Thursday successfully negotiated a fresh financial package for Zimbabwe after meeting African Export – Import Bank (Afreximbank) president Professor Benedict Okey Oramah on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit underway in Yokohama.
Afrimaxmbank is famous in Zimbabwe for guaranteeing the out of favour Bond Notes.
The Bond notes were introduced in November 2016 backed by a $200 million loan from Afreximbank.
The small denomination notes and coins have no value outside Zimbabwe.
Details of the the “mega deal” are still sketchy at the moment.
Five members of the Mthwakazi Republic Party were on Wednesday arrested in abduction style outside the Bulawayo High Court on Wednesday for what court records reveal that they sang a song accusing Shona people of killing Ndebeles.
The police classified their case as participating in a gathering to promote public violence , breaches of peace and bigotry or alternatively disorderly conduct in public place.
Partrone Xaba, Mongameli Mlotshwa, Prince Mazilankatha, Ackim Ndebele and Ndabazelizwe Ncube were arrested during a Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni hearing on Wednesday.
A warned and cautioned statement signed by Mazilankatha said, “It is alleged that I disturbed peace, security and order of the public by singing lingamashona labulala obaba and waving placards inscribed Free Ndiweni and Bulawayo Magistrate for Bulawayo people.”
Mazilankatha is perfoming artists and radio DJ who is popular for promoting maskandi music.
Business Times|Zimbabwe shares political and economic ties with the UK as it played a key supporting role in colonial times and in the immediate post-independence era. Over time, political tensions saw the ties weaken as Zimbabwe grew increasingly isolated from the global community. The exit of Robert Mugabe saw rising hope of the prospect of re-establishing the severed ties with the U.K. Newly instated UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson even hailed it as a “moment of hope” for Zimbabwe. However, recent political developments in both nations have seen hopes of renewed ties weaken.
For the UK, the issue of Brexit has increasingly dominated the political landscape, culminating in the exit of Prime Minister Theresa May following her failure to deliver an agreeable Brexit deal. In line with that Johnson came to the fore under the promise of delivering a swift Brexit, deal or no deal. As a resolution to the long standing debacle seemingly approaches, it is worthwhile to consider the possible implications for Zimbabwean relations with the U.K.
The sentiment shared globally among SMEs for years is that of all possible Brexit scenarios, businesses fear a “no deal” situation the most. If the U.K. leaves the EU without a deal on Oct. 31, say the documents, the country could face…
Shortages of fresh food, medicine, and fuel
Disruptions at ports for several months
The closure of two oil refineries
Social unrest and the restoration of a “hard border” with Ireland
Michael Gove, the minister leading no-deal preparations, said the docs were out of date but conceded that leaving the EU without a deal would cause “bumps in the road.” Meanwhile industry groups say there are only so many bumps small businesses can absorb. The latest statistics on UK trade illustrate the significant economic ties with the EU, with the union accounting for 45.6% of UK exports and 64% of imports in 2018.
The effects of a no deal Brexit could stretch into everything for the UK, from banking and insurance to lawyers, musicians and chefs. No deal also means immediately leaving EU institutions such as the European Court of Justice and Europol, its law enforcement body. Membership of dozens of EU bodies that govern rules on everything from medicines to trade marks would end. Currently the standards of products produced in the UK have to conform to EU standards, changes on this front may also see some benchmarks for quality either dipping or rising.
The EU membership required the UK to contribute £9bn a year towards funding of the regional block. This will no longer be required in a “no deal” Brexit. Pro “no deal” politicians believe this money is better served on home soil promoting British sovereignty and development. New prime minister Boris Johnson said he’s going to take the U.K. out of the EU by Halloween, deal or no deal.
A no deal Brexit would also mean the UK service industry would lose its guaranteed access to the EU single market. Additionally, the added taxes and tariffs that will be charged to UK manufactured goods and services could make UK exports less competitive. This is expected to shrink the UK economy until access to new markets is established. It is that there that observers suggest could be an opportunity for the African market to create synergy with the UK and benefit from the scenario. For Zimbabwe there is undeniably scope to improve trade ties, with only US$4.9 million exports to the UK since 2017 versus US$396 million in imports over the same period.
There is still a sense of uncertainty on what Boris Johnson’s policy on Africa and Zimbabwe will be going forward. Some would argue Zimbabwe has the advantage of potentially capitalizing on its history with the UK to negotiate for a bilateral trade and migration deal. According to statistics, the UK’s biggest exports to the EU are business and financial services while its biggest import travel services, which include tourism services. Both present mutual opportunities given the local need to develop the financial services sectors and the expected role of tourism as a key economic sector. Beyond that, Zimbabwe represents a potential market for UKs manufactured EU exports like pharmaceuticals and industrial equipment.
The nationalistic posturing behind his hard-line stance on Brexit suggests whatever dealings will occur between Zimbabwe and the post Brexit UK will be primarily geared towards the latter’s favour. In any case, the UK has always been firm on what it expects from Zimbabwe in order to improve relations and engagement. While it is more than likely that the Brexit could yield opportunities, Zimbabwe is not exactly at the front of the line to exploit them. In that sense, it is difficult to see any developments around bilateral relations that will not be exploitative or extractive, unless the local government yields to some of the reforms demanded by the UK. The most recent developments in diplomatic relations suggest the window of opportunity is getting smaller with the UK minister for Africa, Harriett Baldwin saying the country supports an extension of EU sanctions against Zimbabwe and will not back its plan to return to the Commonwealth.
FORMER President Robert Mugabe’s preferred successor Sydney Sekeramayi has been dragged to court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) after failing to settle a $311 000 electricity bill.
The struggling power utility company issued court summons against Sekeramayi who is also former Defence Minister on August 28, 2019.
It claimed that Sekeremayi has refused to pay despite numerous demands.
“On the 28th of September in Harare, the applicant and the respondent signed a Deed of Settlement in terms of which it was agreed that the respondent would pay the applicant a total sum of $319 000 being charges for electricity supplied by the latter to the former,” reads ZETDC declaration.
According to the court application, it was agreed that the amount would be paid in monthly instalments from September 2018 until September 2020.
It was also agreed that in the event of the respondent’s failure to pay any instalment due in terms of the Deed of Settlement, then the whole amount outstanding would become due and payable.
Sekeramayi, in breach of the agreement, has only paid $7 500 which he paid in instalments.
“By reason of the said breach, the respondent is now obliged to pay the said sum of $311 500 to the applicant,” said the power utility.
Sekeramayi is yet to file his respond to the application.
"We are not favouring any political party; everything that myself and my colleagues have been saying; basically it is all reflected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe…issues that have been highlighted in the national transition stabilisation program…" –@euinzim's @TimoOlkkonenpic.twitter.com/eEeE90KNFE
"We are not favouring any political party; everything that myself and my colleagues have been saying; basically it is all reflected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe…issues that have been highlighted in the national transition stabilisation program…" –@euinzim's @TimoOlkkonenpic.twitter.com/eEeE90KNFE
"We are not favouring any political party; everything that myself and my colleagues have been saying; basically it is all reflected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe…issues that have been highlighted in the national transition stabilisation program…" –@euinzim's @TimoOlkkonenpic.twitter.com/eEeE90KNFE
Below is the letter written by the world football body FIFA to president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son-in-law, Gerald Mlotshwa who was seeking to remove the current ZIFA leadership:
Situation of the Zimbabwe Football Association.
Dear Chairman,
We refer to your letter dated 14 August 2019, through which you requested FIFA to appoint a normalisation committee for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), namely because of allegations of financial mismanagement.
At the outset we would like to underline that FIFA encourages close cooperative relations between its member associations and national governments. In addition, we expect our member associations to be fully accountable for and, if required, submit to the authorities all relevant information regarding the use of public funds, if any are provided, in line with the pertinent national legislation.
Regarding funding provided by FIFA, we would like to inform you that every member association receiving FIFA Forward development funds, including ZIFA, is subject to rigorous controls in the use of these funds. This includes an annual central audit review which is undertaken by an independent professional auditor appointed by FIFA. Adverse findings noted by the auditors are reported to the FIFA Audit and Compliance Committee and may result in a restriction or even suspension of funding. Furthermore, in the event of any suspicion of the misuse of funds, the matter is referred to the competent FIFA judicial body. As a consequence of the above, we deem that the conditions for setting up a normalisation committee for ZIFA in line with art. 8 par. 2 of the FIFA Statutes are not fulfilled. In this context, we must remind you about the contents of art. 14 par. 1 let. i) and art. 19 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, which stipulate that all member associations are obliged to manage their affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties.
Therefore, should the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts & Recreation of Zimbabwe, upon recommendation of the Sports and Recreation Committee (SRC), decide to appoint an interim committee to administer the affairs of ZIFA, it would be considered undue influence in the sense of the FIFA Statutes. Consequently, the matter would be presented to the relevant FIFA bodies for consideration and possible action, which may include the suspension of ZIFA.
Finally, we would like to inform you that FIFA is engaged in assisting ZIFA with its debt servicing strategy. In this regard, we would like to underline that we remain at the authorities’ disposal to discuss, if possible, joint efforts to address ZIFA’s current financial situation. We thank you for taking note of the above and trust in your understanding. Yours sincerely, FIFA Alasdair Bell Deputy Secretary General (Administration)
29-08-2019 (Harare) – The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) notes with concern the timing of the drilling of 15 boreholes by the District Development Fund (DDF) in Glen View South which ZANU-PF seems to have taken advantage of in its campaigns ahead of a by-election scheduled to be held on 7 September 2019 in the Constituency.
While ZESN acknowledges that Section 77 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe requires the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve progressive realization of the right to food and water, it appears the prioritisation of the service delivery has been influenced by political considerations. ZESN observers have reported on the official opening of some of the boreholes by ZANU-PF during its ongoing campaigns in the Constituency. They have also observed DDF trucks carrying borehole rigs moving in convoys with vehicles carrying ZANU-PF supporters in their full party regalia heading for the borehole drilling sites. This can be viewed as a form of vote buying or attempts to influence voting preferences.
Vote buying, according to, The Electoral Knowledge Network (ace) includes promising, offering or giving money; goods; services and/or other inducements (such as promises of employment or special favours or treatment) to voters and/or others, including voters’ families or communities in the run-up to an election, after an election has been announced, or during the campaign, by a political party candidate or others (agents) operating on their behalf in a way which is intended or reasonably could be expected to influence how voters cast their vote or would likely do so. Whenever it happens, vote buying has the effect of making the playing field uneven. Yet, critical for a free and fair electoral context is a pre-election environment devoid of irregularities and malpractices that include vote buying.
The act is also in contravention of, among others, Section 4.1.4 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections which stipulates that “Member States shall take all necessary measures and precautions to prevent corruption, bribery, favouritism, political violence, intolerance and intimidation.”
The Networkis concerned with the timing of the drilling of the 15 boreholes in an area that is scheduled to have a by-election soon when there are so many other areas in Harare and other cities and towns that are facing rampant water shortages and erratic water supplies. It is also disturbing that essential service delivery now seems to be tied to electoral campaigns. This perception is reinforced by another incident that was observed by ZESN on 11 May 2019 in Ward 10 of Mutasa Rural District Council by-election where a borehole was drilled on the actual polling day. Further, concerns about vote buying were also raised in the Lupane East National Assembly by-election when a letter replying favourably to a request, by the ruling party, for medicines to be supplied to Lupane in support of the party’s campaign was leaked. This letter widely circulated on social media during the run up to the by-election and its contents were not refuted.
The Network reiterates the need for clear legislative measures prohibiting vote buying as well as the enforcement of Section 156 (c) (i) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe that requires ZEC to ensure the establishment of appropriate systems and mechanisms to eliminate vote buying mars the pre-election environment.
ZESN remains committed to support the promotion of democratic electoral processes that are in line with best practices outlined in regional and international instruments governing the conduct of democratic elections.
Farai Dziva|War veterans leader Douglas Mahiya has claimed that former President Robert Mugabe is to blame for the economic crisis in the country.
Mahiya also appealed to citizens to complement Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to restore the country’s economy.
Mahiya blamed Mugabe’s administration for ruining the economy.
“ We have to look at what we achieved when we stopped the G40. However, things did not go according to plan when we removed Mugabe,” he said.
“The whites seized the revolution and recruited other new members to remove the new administration led by Mnangagwa.
But I want to reiterate that the government is trying to resuscitate the economy which was destroyed by Mugabe.
Mnangagwa cannot do that on his own. Zimbabweans must come on board to assist the President achieve this and this will remove antagonism among the people of Zimbabwe and further reduce contradictions among the people.”
Ichi chiri kupisa as vafanha would say, Volume Bho!
You see, instead of coming up with ideas and plans to fix the mess that they have created, ZANU PF and its useless crude propaganda machinery spends every minute available creating lies, smear and embarrassing narratives! SAD
Delegitimisation of opposition leaders with lies and smear will not change the fact that Mai Tizirai is going to bed on an empty stomach!
They attempted to lie that Nelson Chamisa has a home in Sandton, then Zororo Makamba was like, wait a minute, that is my father’s home.
Yaenda Musango Propaganda! Yarova Madziro. These people destroyed all that goodwill through corruption, incompetence, nepotism, mismanagement and theft.
Chamisa is not the government, he is not responsible for the State plunder and failure to put medication in public hospitals!
Farai Dziva|Marvelous Nakamba made an impression during his competitive debut for Aston Villa in a League Cup tie on Tuesday.
The midfielder was named in the first XI and played the entire ninety minutes as his team went on to beat Crewe 6-1.
Nakamba’s performance in the game was commendable and his figures were not bad, managing an overall rating of 7/10.
The draw for the third round of the competition was made last night and Villa will face fellow EPL side Brighton and Hove.
17-year-old Zimbabwe-born Tivonge Rushesha who made his senior debut in Swansea’s second round win over Cambridge United on Wednesday will be hoping to be included in the squad again when the Championship side take on Watford.
Andy Rinomhota’s Reading will travel to Wolves while injured Tendayi Darikwa will miss the trip to Arsenal.
The ties will be played the week beginning 23 September.
Farai Dziva|The 2019/20 UEFA Champions League group stage draw ceremony will be held this evening in Monaco.
Here is everything you need to know about the draw.
Time and Venue:
The draw takes place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco and the ceremony starts at 7 pm CAT.
How to watch the Draw:
The draw will be streamed live on Uefa’s official website and will also be available to watch live on SuperSport.
Seedings:
Pot 1
Liverpool
Chelsea
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain
Zenit
Pot 2
Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Napoli
Shakhtar Donetsk
Tottenham
Ajax
Benfica
Pot 3
Lyon
Bayer Leverkusen
Salzburg
Olympiacos
Club Brugge
Valencia
Inter Milan
Dinamo Zagreb
Pot 4
Lokomotiv Moscow
Genk
Galatasaray
RB Leipzig
Slavia Prague
Red Star Belgrade
Atalanta
Lille
Draw Procedure:
– The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four teams and play each other in a double round-robin system. The eight group winners and eight runners-up proceed to the knockout phase.
– Pot 1 consists of the holders (Liverpool), the Europa League winners (Chelsea) and the champions of the six highest-ranked nations. Pots 2, 3 and 4 are determined by the club’s Uefa coefficient ranking.
-Teams from the same country cannot be drawn together and clubs from Russia and Ukraine must not be drawn in the same group.
Group Stage Calender:
Matchday one – September 17/18
Matchday two – October 1/2
Matchday three – October 22/23
Matchday four – November 5/6
Matchday five – November 26/27
Matchday six – December 10/11
Farai Dziva|The MDC youth assembly has described Douglas Mahiya’s remarks during a media conference yesterday as reckless and unfortunate.
See the MDC Youth Assembly statement :
MDC Youth Assembly is highly incensed by unfortunate utterances attributed to the war mongering ZLWVA spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya by the press.
Exhibiting immaturity and disrespect to the lives lost during the long protracted war of liberation, Mahiya stupidly threatened to upset national peace by unleashing anarchy and violence just to protect Emmerson Mnangagwa’s parochial power ambitions.
Not only does Mahiya’s reckless utterances expose his thuggish and terrorist behavior, but more importantly it lays bare his questionable war credentials.
Real war veterans loathe war for obvious reasons that it is a retrogressive mechanism of problem solving.
Only pretenders and bogus liberation war veterans calls for a repeat of such a traumatic and painful experience that left thousands dead, maimed, displaced and homeless.
A small dig into the liberation archives clearly shows that Douglas Mahiya was no where near the liberation war front nor was he at worst a war refugee.
Unlike his garrulous war mongering friend, Victor Matemadanda who at least crossed the borders to be a taxi driver in Zambia, Mahiya was domiciled in Mbare where pickpocketing was his daily routine.
Clearly Mbare is not and can never be Mgagao, Chifombo, Chimoio or any other liberation war base where our esteemed liberation war veterans received their training.
We know there is a clear ploy by ZANU PF apologists like Mahiya and Matemadanda bent on pilfering and soiling the image of real liberation war heroes.
Key to the ethos of liberation war is the principle of one man-one vote, respect of civil and political rights and the land question.
Unfortunately Mahiya’s employers ZANU PF and his master, Emmerson Mnangagwa have all but lost the liberation war moral campus.
By stealing the July 2018 elections, they defiled the principle of one man-one vote and by killing innocent civilians on 01 August 2018 and banning demonstrations, they soiled the liberation agenda of creating a society that respect civil and political liberties.
It is for that reason why the European Union has effected targeted embargoes and clearly MDC is not EU and neither the vice versa is true!
As young social democrats, our ethos tap into those of real war veterans!
War and abductions surely is not going to chase hunger and starvation from the doorsteps of long suffering Zimbabweans.
As an Assembly is equally important to warn Douglas Mahiya and cabal that any attempt to provoke the already angry masses will responded to in a suitable fashion.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
Farai Dziva|The Mighty Warriors suffered a heavy 0-5 drubbing at the hands of She-Polopolo of Zambia but what really went wrong?
Below is analytical exerpt published by Soccer24.
The senior women’s national soccer team, the Mighty Warriors endured a catastrophic second half in which they were breached five times by Zambia and suffered one of their heaviest defeats ever yesterday.
Sithethelelwe Sibanda’s charges, who ussually stand toe-to-toe with She-Polopolo, as evidenced by previous meetings which to some extent they dominated, totally crumbled in the second half after a goalless first half in Lusaka.
To say the Mighty Warriors prepared well for the tie would be a contender for ‘lie of the year’. Put simply, they didn’t and their situation was made worse by the fact that they had to travel to Lusaka by road, amid the Zimbabwe Football Association’s “austerity measures”.
Additionally, if the reports suggesting that they are still owed allowances from COSAFA Women’s Championship are true, then ZIFA might just be expecting too much from the girls- they simply lack motivation, understandably so, because they don’t even knowing when or if they will be rewarded for their efforts.
For a team which only last year, won 1-0 in Zambia to be massacred 5-0, with virtually the same players and same coach, means something is not right in the manner in which the game is being administered.
The MDC Youth Assembly is highly incensed by unfortunate utterances attributed to the war mongering ZLWVA spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya by the press.
Exhibiting immaturity and disrespect to the lives lost during the long protracted war of liberation, Mahiya stupidly threatened to upset national peace by unleashing anarchy and violence just to protect Emmerson Mnangagwa’s parochial power ambitions.
Not only does Mahiya’s reckless utterances exposes his thuggish and terrorist behavior, but more importantly it lays bare his questionable war credentials.
Real war veterans loathe war for obvious reasons that it is a retrogressive mechanism of problem solving.
Only pretenders and bogus liberation war veterans calls for a repeat of such a traumatic and painful experience that left thousands dead, maimed, displaced and homeless.
A small dig into the liberation archives clearly shows that Douglas Mahiya was no where near the liberation war front nor was he at worst a war refugee.
Unlike his garrulous war mongering friend, Victor Matemadanda who at least crossed the borders to be a taxi driver in Zambia, Mahiya was domiciled in Mbare where pickpocketing was his daily routine.
Clearly Mbare is not and can never be Mgagao, Chifombo, Chimoio or any other liberation war base where our esteemed liberation war veterans received their training.
We know there is a clear ploy by ZANU PF apologists like Mahiya and Matemadanda bent on pilfering and soiling the image of real liberation war heroes.
Key to the ethos of liberation war is the principle of one man-one vote, respect of civil and political rights and the land question.
Unfortunately Mahiya’s employers ZANU PF and his master, Emmerson Mnangagwa have all but lost the liberation war moral campus.
By stealing the July 2018 elections, they defiled the principle of one man-one vote and by killing innocent civilians on 01 August 2018 and banning demonstrations, they soiled the liberation agenda of creating a society that respect civil and political liberties.
It is for that reason why the European Union has effected targeted embargoes and clearly MDC is not EU and neither the vice versa is true!
As young social democrats, our ethos tap into those of real war veterans!
War and abductions surely is not going to chase hunger and starvation from the doorsteps of long suffering Zimbabweans.
As an Assembly is equally important to warn Douglas Mahiya and cabal that any attempt to provoke the already angry masses will responded to in a suitable fashion.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
Farai Dziva|MDC Treasurer General David Coltart has said Energy Mutodi must apologize for calling Chief Felix Ndiweni an enemy of the state.
Said Coltart: Enemies of the State? How can a Chief who is clearly a Zimbabwean patriot be an enemy of the State? I suggest you apologise. I find that when one is in a hole it makes sense to stop digging.”
Mutodi castigated Chief Ndiweni on Twitter.
“Chief Ndiweni’s release on bail proves judicial independence, a free and democratic society where enemies of the state are protected by the law.
His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa has taken the rule of law to another level in Zimbabwe,”wrote Mutodi.
I hear the crazy regime has issued a warrant of arrest against me for not turning up at court on the 23rd of August 2019 while I was detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. I am liaising with my lawyers on the matter. No amount of illegal arrests will deter me.
I hear the crazy regime has issued a warrant of arrest against me for not turning up at court on the 23rd of August 2019 while I was detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. I am liaising with my lawyers on the matter. No amount of illegal arrests will deter me.
I hear the crazy regime has issued a warrant of arrest against me for not turning up at court on the 23rd of August 2019 while I was detained at Chikurubi Maximum Prison. I am liaising with my lawyers on the matter. No amount of illegal arrests will deter me.
Bishop Magaya says Zimbabwe has endured a “horrible trail of violence” from Gukurahundi atrocities to land repossession, to the creation of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change where violent acts are done during electoral periods pic.twitter.com/DhoLPURWfa
Abraham Chingawawa: However, the issue of illegal immigrants flooding into SA should be scrutinized from different angles,it is quite undisputed that us foreigners have a negative impact on the general lives of locals,we have invaded all workplaces, formal and informal , as for Nigerians they have brought all illegalities to the land in South.
Zimbabweans l can’t tell,we have made Pretoria a bigger Harare, Com on guys we have our own nation we need to build,we can’t hide forever,it is clear that we have overstayed our welcome.
l wish the SA gvt could engineers a plan,a peaceful one jus to see that foreigners have been send back home especially Zimbabweans so that they can face reality in their own land,Munonyanya kubva mati zii
Brian Mazorodze: When you say let us go back to build our country kahle what do you mean? Let’s say you have packed your bags and go to Zimbabwe and you have arrived in Chivhu, where do you start?
There is no electricity, no water, no jobs, high inflation, high corruption, low salaries, strong abuse of human rights, drought. Let us be realistic.
Where do you start? Open a tuckshop? For who? Every house with a durawall has one. Open an industry? With no electricity? Demonstrate and get killed? Oppose the government and disappear? Look for a jobs which are non-existent? Tell us exactly how we will build our country in these circumstances.
Harare Central Police have called in journalist Lovejoy Mtongwiza for a meeting this morning. The agenda of the meeting is currently not clear. MISA Zim has assigned lawyer @ChrisMhike to accompany Mtongwiza to ensure that his rights are not violated. More to follow. @LJaymut10
By A Correspondent| Politician and former Minister of State for Masvingo province Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has described the war veterans leader Douglas Mahiya as a flip flopping “sadza vet” who is nothing but a joke.
Bhasikiti said this while responding to a statement by Mahiya Wednesday who trashed as cheap propaganda reports of abductions by state security agents of opposition MDC members, human rights defenders and artist Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya.
Said Bhasikiti:
“Don’t be fooled by Mahiya. Yesterday when fleeing from former president Robert Mugabe terror, he cried “this is not what we fought for” and invited MDC to remove RGM . Now that he eats, everything is OK and those fighting current dictatorship are imperialists, What a joke! Zita tachinja he is now a Sadza vet” meaning his name has changed to Sadza veteran.
Don't be fooled by Mahiya,yesterday when fleeing from Mugabe terror,he cried "this is not what we fought for" ,invited MDC to https://t.co/CnBODYBbRt that he eats,everything is OK &those fighting current dictatorship are imperialist.What a joke.Zita rachinja Sadza Vet. pic.twitter.com/DNajGFirig
By A Correspondent- Speaking during a press briefing before the start of the public hearings in Bulawayo Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission chairperson, Dr Elasto Hilarious Mugwadi said the commission will conduct public hearings in all the country’s 10 provinces until the end of November.
He said:
“The main objectives of this national inquiry are to inquire into challenges in accessing national documents and the extent to which they affect people in Zimbabwe. To determine the factors that hinder easy access to national documents. To assess the impact of lack of documentation on the enjoyment of human rights.
To review the effectiveness of existing laws, policies, procedures and institutions relating to access to national documents and to formulate recommendations and follow up actions for addressing barriers identified in accessing national documents.”-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Public hearings on the national inquiry on access to documentation in the country are underway in Matabeleland South Province with witnesses giving accounts on challenges faced in accessing the vital documents.
The hearings being conducted by the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) started on Tuesday at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic in Gwanda.
The ZHRC has held public hearings in three other provinces namely Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Mashonaland Central.
Community members from various districts narrated challenges they were facing in accessing documents.
Staff from the Registrar General’s office present during the hearings enlightened people on procedures to follow to solve their problems.
Ms Nomvelo Bianca Ndlovu (43) from Fort Rixon said she did not have a birth certificate and National Identity Card and efforts to obtain these documents had been fruitless.
“My father died during the liberation struggle while we were staying in Nkayi. Because of the difficulties during the war my mother fled with me and we settled in Fort Rixon where I’m staying now. Since my father died during the liberation struggle it was difficult for me to obtain a birth certificate and as a result I don’t have an ID either,” said Ms Ndlovu in tears.
“My mother and I have tried to get the documents several times but without luck as they keep telling me that I have to go to Nkayi where I was born. I have two children aged 10 and 15-year-old and they don’t have birth certificates too and it’s difficult for me to get these documents for them because I also don’t have them myself.”
Ms Senzeni Sine (46) also from Fort Rixon said she was struggling to obtain a passport.
She said she was born in Zimbabwe but her birth certificate states that she was from Malawi as her father was Malawian.
Ms Sine said she has visited the Registry Office over the matter and was advised to bring her father’s death certificate which she does not have.
Mr Alfred Mpengesi said he was looking after his two maternal grandchildren aged 11 and 13 who both do not have birth certificates. He said he did not know the whereabouts of his daughter who was their mother or the children’s father.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent| Zanu Pf has moved its 18th annual National People’s Conference from Murape Secondary School to Mandedza High School in Seke district.
The development comes after the Zanu PF leadership led by National Chairman, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri visited Murape Secondary School to assess the suitability of the venue to host the conference.
The team agreed that the venue did not meet the expected standards, hence the shift to Mandedza which is a few kilometres away.
Said Muchinguri:
“I think we have to settle for Mandedza as it has more space and facilities. Murape, although it was the province’s choice, did not meet the expected standards.”
The conference will be held from the 10th to the 15th of December at Mandedza High School, Mashonaland East Province.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has said called upon the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) to come up with a formula for reviewing workers’ salaries.
ZCTU secretary-general, Mr Japhet Moyo, in an interview that workers’ salaries were not in sync with reality on the ground.
Moyo said:
The cost of living is not just above the food basket, which has risen several times. There is transport, rentals, utilities and school fees and so on. Government has put in place a formula for fuel pricing in line with inflation trends and businesses can easily pass on the cost burden to the consumer, but workers have nowhere to turn to.
His remarks come when workers have been demanding that their salaries be increased as they have been constantly been eroded by the soaring inflation.
Recently, the government reviewed civil servants’ salaries by 76% which saw the lowest paid worker getting $1 023 from $582 a month.
Workers accepted the offer although they have argued that the money was not enough considering the high cost of living.
Prices of basic commodities have been going up when salaries remained stagnant.
ZCTU has earlier threatened to take it to the streets in protest of the paltry salaries which workers are getting.
The labour organisation, however, reportedly shunned the demonstrations after consulting its stakeholders and also after receiving several threats from unknown people.
In the weeks following Zimbabwe’s recent election, the government has kept unabated pressure on opposition leader Joshua Nkomo. Mr. Nkomo is regarded by the government of Prime Minister Robert Mugabe as the man solely responsible for guerrilla unrest in the western areas of the country.
In a show of force over the weekend, police confiscated the passports of both Nkomo and his wife and arrested Nkomo’s brother, Steven.
But while the actions of the government are some of the most serious to be taken against the opposition leader since Zimbabwe became independent five years ago, it has stopped short of physically restricting Nkomo’s freedom, or outlawing his party.
In the last three weeks, Nkomo, leader of the Zimbabwe African People’s Union — Patriotic Front (ZAPU), has been deprived of his bodyguards and his household staff — later allowed to return — during police swoops on his residences in Harare, the nation’s capital, and Bulawayo, the capital of the western province of Matabeleland. ZAPU draws nearly all of its support from the Ndebele-speaking population of Matabeleland.
Arrests have also been used to weaken ZAPU. The party’s chief whip, Sydney Malunga, was arrested outside Parliament and was still in detention on unspecified charges at the weekend.
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Immediately after the early July elections for the country’s black voters, Mugabe declared that ZAPU, with its block of 15 seats in Parliament, was the main stumbling block to total unity,'' a phrase generally regarded here as meaningone-party state.” Since then Mugabe has publicly stated that he proposes to put an end to ZAPU if the party does not cease its alleged guerrilla acgivities.
It is evident that the guerrillas back ZAPU and are fighting against domination of the country by Mugabe’s party — the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). But the government has yet to convict any senior ZAPU official for links with the guerrillas.
Mugabe’s terms for peace between ZAPU and ZANU-PF require that ZAPU’s leadership join ZANU-PF. The guerrillas would not accept such an agreement, and they are likely to ignore all appeals to throw down their arms and join ZANU-PF.
Mugabe will then be obliged to implement his promise: If ZAPU does not stop bandits, we will stop ZAPU.'' At a recent rally he said that severalagents” had been deployed by ZAPU into Harare townships to foment unrest during the elections, and that they would appear in court. A conviction would strengthen Mugabe’s case against ZAPU, allowing him to move more quickly to “stop” the party.
The government said the police action directed at Nkomo concerned investigations into guerrilla activities. In one of the swoops on Nkomo’s homes the government said it had arrested a guerrilla.
Nkomo has kept a low profile, avoiding Parliament and seldom leaving his home. He appeared resigned to what he termed police harassment'' and told newsmen,Do not be surprised if you hear I am dead. It is horrible.”
Visitors calling on Nkomo have also been arrested. Just being seen at the Nkomo household in Bulawayo has begun to be regarded as dangerous.
Observers here say that any precipitate action against Nkomo, who is still a hero of the liberation war, could create dangerous antagonism among the people of Matabeleland, who are already strongly resentful following two antiguerrilla campaigns in Matabeleland.
VOA|The outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Bishow Parajuli, says the current crackdown targeting opposition demonstrators and activists is “intolerable,” because the country’s constitution allows citizens to protest.
The U.N. envoy expressed concern about the situation, telling reporters that sanctions imposed by some Western countries are not directly responsible for Zimbabwe’s slow economy.
“The constitution provides space for people to participate in a peaceful means of demonstrations,” Parajuli told reporters during his last address in Harare. “I would say all means of peaceful demonstrations should not be threatened through violent means. And that can only add negative image on Zimbabwe, frankly. Zimbabweans are very peaceful people, that is what I have seen, and tolerant people. And going to people in the evenings in masks and beating, that is absolutely intolerable. That should not be the right thing to do.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has said it is investigating who is behind abductions, which have left many activists injured after taking part in recent anti-government demonstrations.
Tatenda Mombeyarara, the leader of the activist group Citizens Manifesto, is recovering in a private hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug. 28, 2019. (Photo: C. Mavhunga / VOA)
Tatenda Mombeyarara, the leader of the activist group Citizens Manifesto, is recovering in a private hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, Aug. 28, 2019. (Photo: C. Mavhunga / VOA)
Tatenda Mombeyarara, the leader of the activist group Citizens Manifesto, is still recovering in a private hospital in Harare, after he was abducted by about 10 armed men. He still insists the people who abducted, injured, tortured and left him for dead are security forces.
“The people who attacked me had AK-47s. The people who attacked me did it in a choreographed manner,” he said. “The people who attacked me acted as a unit, so these cannot be random or untrained people. So it must be one of the units of the security forces. My very best guess would be one of the trained people and I would put army at the top.”
Mombeyarara is one of the activists Harare accuses of attending a meeting in the Maldives earlier this year to plot against Mnangagwa’s government. He and several other activists are facing charges of treason.
Meanwhile, the outgoing U.N. boss in Zimbabwe urged Mnangagwa’s government to continue engaging the west as part of efforts to remove sanctions imposed on the country’s leadership in 2002 following reports of election rigging. Sanctions, he says, have little to do with Zimbabwe’s current economic problems.
“If you dissect the element of sanctions, some of the countries with restrictive measures are the largest supporters of Zimbabwe from a humanitarian development point of view. So they care (about) Zimbabwe,” he said. “Yes, the perception of sanctions can mislead certain interests in terms of potential but I have seen strong interests coming to invest from some of these countries. Not necessarily these restrictions limit investments from these countries. But I think the major challenge in my perception has been wrong policies.”
The U.N. diplomat urged the Zimbabwe government to enact investor-friendly laws and to continue engaging countries that imposed sanctions on senior officials of the government and some state-owned companies in 2002. Parajuli is moving to India to head the World Food Program after serving in Zimbabwe for five years as the country’s U.N. resident coordinator.
Used tyres piled at Richard Chimwendo’s home in Dowa
Malawi Congress Party Dowa East legislator Richard Williams Chimwendo-Banda is currently stranded with hundreds of used car tyres that he took from local market sellers in Dowa in preparation for HRDC demos that were slated for 28 to 30 August 2019. Cables have uncovered communication between Chimwendo and Dowa East vendors who have since begun to demand payment for the used tyres from the MP.
The MCP Youth Director’s plan was to distribute the tyres to violent young villagers so that they can be used to mount illegal roadblocks across the Central region. They were meant to be paid for immediately after the UTM and MCP thugs would bring together items they would loot from privately-owned shops.
Unfortunately, the planned HRDC violent demos have been been foiled by the Supreme Court decision to place a moratorium on any demos till after 14 days.
This has left Chimwendo stranded with the tyres and also rounded up by owners of the commodities who are saying that according to them, the tires must be paid for whether demos happened or not.
Originally born as Richard Chimwendo the Dowa East MP was raised in Blantyre and migrated to Mvera in Dowa together with his parents when they bought land in the district. When Chimwendo miserably failed to pass his MSCE, he was enrolled as a messenger at World Vision using his Junior Certificate (JCE) qualification.
Due to the requirements of Parliament when Chimwendo first contested for the Parliamentary seat in 2014, he inherited an MSCE certificate belonging to his deceased relation by the name of Williams Banda — which forced him to illegally change his name to Richard Williams Chimwendo Banda in order to be using the stolen education credentials. To date, Richard Chimwendo uses the MSCE certificate bearing the name ‘Williams Banda’.
Former opposition UDF Balaka North MP Lucius Banda (now UTM) was convicted in 2006 for presenting a fake MSCE to a person employed in public service.
The premier soccer league matchday 21 fixtures proved to be the fixture of the season following displays of entertaining football.
A total of 24 goals were harvested in seven games.
As the season nears to closure, teams are either fighting for the big price or survival.
MatchDay 21 seem to support that it’s no longer business as usual after more than 20 goals were recorded in seven matches.
Though they failed to maintain a clean sheet, rejuvenated Dynamos scored the fastest goal of the season, 34 seconds to beat Herentals by 3:2.
Their next door rivals, Caps United under the new coach Darlington Dodo secured a last minute victory over tittle contenders Black Rhinos.
The game ended 2:1 in favour of Caps United.
Champions FC Platinum’s title hopes were dented by hosts Hwange following 1:1 at Colliery Stadium.
ZPC Kariba seem to have struck the right cord towards the tittle competition after dismissing relegation candidates Bulawayo Chiefs by 3:0.
In Gweru, newly appointed TelOne head Rahman Gumbo who suffered a 3:0 defeat against ZPC Kariba in his first game, thumped hapless Yadah Stars 4:1.
Following some dismal performances in their previous matches, Joey Antipas’ men are now back to winning ways after a 2:0 victory over visiting Ngezi Platinum at Luveve Stadium.
Mushowani Stars who are financially crippled squandered two opportunities to allow cash rich Manica Diamonds to twice come from behind to snatch a point.
FULLTIME SCORES
Herentals 2:3 Dynamos Caps United 2:1 Black Rhinos Hwange 1:1 FC Platinum TelOne FC 4:1 Yadah Stars ZPC Kariba 3:0 Bulawayo Chiefs Chicken Inn 2:0 Ngezi Platinum Mushowani Stars 2:2 M/ Diamonds
Laundry From Rusape Hospital Being Done At Rusape River
Social media was on Tuesday inundated with pictures of a heap of laundry alledged to be from Rusape Hospital being done at Rusape River.
Government through the Ministry of Health has denied the claim but residents in the town insist that the scenario is fact.
One Charles musembwa @cgmusembwa said:
Don’t say its fake. The truth is its happening but its another gvt institution in Rusape
Remember kwa Rusape ikoko kune vanhu so musatiitire chizanu zanu pano chekuramba zviripachena (Reember there are people in Rusape, Shun this ZANU PF behaviour of deying things which are clearly happening).
Zimbabwe will not bend the law to please the opposition and its sympathisers who are supporting the recent attempts to embark on illegal protests, President Mnangagwa has said.
Western embassies have in the past two weeks openly sided with the opposition after police stopped a series of futile illegal protests that had been organised by the MDC-Alliance.
Responding to questions from Japan’s media organisations on the sidelines of the three-day Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the law cannot be applied selectively.
The journalists had asked President Mnangagwa to comment on the so-called crackdown of opposition protesters
“We apply the rule of law, those who commit crime, the law must apply. You cannot have double standards where the rule of law is concerned. If people funded by the Americans commit crimes, we should not touch them? No! Zimbabwe is a unitary state and our laws apply to every citizen, whether you are in the opposition or you are in Government or you don’t belong to any political party at all.”
The President added: “If you commit murder you get arrested, if you commit corruption you get arrested, any violent act you get arrested. That is the rule of law which we observe.”
“I would like you to quote an action where Zimbabwe has acted outside the rule of law and I would like to hear that.”
President Mnangagwa said Government was committed to political, economic and legislative reforms.
“There is POSA and AIPPA which are in the process of being repealed. We are not repealing to please America, we are repealing because it is necessary for us. It is for Zimbabwe and if it helps the Americans so be it,” he said.
ABC News|Queen Elizabeth has approved a request by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament, a move that appears designed to thwart opposition lawmakers from blocking Brexit, prompting protests in cities across the United Kingdom.
Johnson spoke to the Queen on Wednesday to request an end to the current Parliament session in September. The shift gives opposition lawmakers less time to block a no-deal Brexit before the U.K.’s Oct. 31 deadline to leave the European Union.
Johnson, who helped lead the push to exit the EU in a national referendum three years ago and took over from Theresa May in July, has insisted the suspension of Parliament had nothing to do with blocking scrutiny of his Brexit plans, and was instead about delivering on his domestic policy agenda.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II attends a special exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria which marks this year’s Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace in London, July 17, 2019.
“To deliver on the public’s priorities we require a new session and a Queen’s Speech,” he said. “Parliament will then have the opportunity to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill required for ratification ahead of 31 October.”
In a letter circulated to all members of Parliament, Johnson said that “the Government will take the responsible approach of continuing its preparations for leaving the EU, with or without a deal.”
The suspending of Parliament is known as“proroguing” Parliament. When this happens, any motions or questions lawmakers have put forward then lapse until Parliament formally opens again.
A man in a giant Boris Johnson head digs a grave at the foot of a pretend tombstone outside Downing Street in London, Aug. 28, 2019.
However, the highly controversial move has dragged the monarch into the Brexit debate for the first time. The last time a British government asked the monarch to suspend Parliament in order to avoid opposition to government policy was 1948, five years before Queen Elizabeth II assumed the throne, according to the Institute for Government.
While the Queen’s powers are almost entirely symbolic, her approval paves the way for her to open the next session of Parliament with her traditional Queen’s Speech on Oct. 14. Under that schedule, opposition lawmakers will have less than three weeks to scrutinize the government’s Brexit plan.
Prime Minister Johnson has said that the UK will leave the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal, despite critics of a no-deal Brexit warning that it would have a disastrous economic impact on the British economy.
This handout image provided by the Privy Council shows a notification that the Queen has approved a request to suspend Parliament, on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019.
The leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has asked to meet the Queen to block the move, and vowed to do “everything we can to stop Boris Johnson’s smash and grab against our democracy.” Corbyn has opposed a no-deal Brexit, the default outcome on Oct. 31, as in reality “a Trump-deal Brexit” that would put the UK “at the mercy of the big US corporations.”
President Trump meanwhile has weighed in to back the current prime minister.
“Would be very hard for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, to seek a no-confidence vote against New Prime Minister Boris Johnson,” the President posted on Twitter. “Especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for, & will prove to be “a great one!” Love U.K.”
Within hours of the announcement, demonstrations were held in cities across the U.K. to condemn Johnson’s plan as a coup. In London, thousands of protesters marched from Parliament toward the prime minister’s office at 10 Downing Street, waving EU flags and holding up signs that read: “Defend Democracy: Resist the Parliament Shutdown.”
An anti-Brexit protester holds a placard outside the Houses of the Parliament in London, Aug. 28, 2019.
Just after 11 at night local time, an online petition saying “Do not prorogue Parliament” had reached more than a million signatures.
The immediate reaction to the news from the majority of lawmakers opposed to the Johnson government was one of shock.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, whose role is to preside over Parliamentary debates, described the move as a “constitutional outrage.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a press conference in the Bellevue hotel conference room at the conclusion of the G-7 summit on Aug. 24, 2019, in Biarritz, France.
The leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon, tweeted that “today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy.”
Anna Soubry, a lawmaker who is in favor of remaining in the EU and is campaigning for a second Brexit referendum, said the move was “outrageous.”
However, James Cleverly, a Conservative lawmaker who serves in the current Johnson government, played down the news. “Put it another way,” he tweeted. “Government to hold a Queen’s Speech, just as all new Governments do.”
Protesters from the European Movement in Scotland hold a walking vigil outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to demonstrate against Prime Minister Boris Johnson proroguing Parliament, in Scotland, Aug. 28, 2019.
Prime Minister Johnson said from Downing Street that, despite the suspension, lawmakers would still have “ample time” on both sides to debate Brexit in the coming weeks.
Opposition lawmakers could mount a legal challenge to the government, as advocated by former prime minister John Major, or call a no confidence motion in the government which, if successful, would force a general election.
Zesa Holdings is owed $360 million by local authorities, forcing Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi to intervene.
In an interview with The Herald yesterday, Minister Chasi said there was need for debtors to honour their obligation for zesa to realise its potential.
“The local authorities owe the power utility $360 million,” he said. “We have engaged their parent Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to work on how we can deal with the issue of debts, which is crippling the power utility.”
The non-paying local authorities include Harare, which owes zesa $145 million, Bulawayo owes $112 million, while Gweru City Council has a $28 million debt.
Kwekwe owes $18 million, while Kadoma owes $10 million, with Victoria Falls owing $5 million, Kariba $4 million, Marondera $3 million, Chegutu $3 million and Mutare $2 million.
Minister Chasi said they engaged the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to address the concerns of the local authorities.
“We have also engaged the ministry to see how we can work with the local authorities on power generation to ease power outages in the country,” he said.
“We recognise that local authorities have a lot of weight behind them, so we believe there is need to work together and bring investors willing to invest in renewable energy. We want investors willing to invest in waste management so that local authorities can be liberated.”
With regards to institutions with legal issues with zesa, Minister Chasi said there was need to work in harmony with a view to ensure sanity in the energy sector.
He encouraged all debtors to engage the power utility and make payment plans to clear their debts.
“Those owing zesa are advised to pay up or arrange credible payment structures with them without delay,” said Minister Chasi.
zesa is owed in access of $1 billion by both private and public entities in mining, manufacturing, agriculture and domestic users and local authorities.
Minister Chasi said the country had vast resources in the form of agricultural and municipal waste.
The Ministry of Energy and Power Development, through Rural Electrification Fund, is installing domestic and institutional biogas digesters around the country.
Biogas can be used for cooking, heating, lighting and electricity generation.
Minister Chasi said a number of companies expressed interest in making use of waste dumping sites such as Pomona to generate electricity.
ZANU PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri speaks to President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the last ZANU PF conference in Esigodini Matabeleland South.
State Media|Zanu-PF has approved Mandedza High School in Seke constituency in Mashonaland East as the venue for the 2019 annual national conference.
The approval of the venue marks the beginning of preparations for the event.
Speaking after touring the place yesterday, party national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said they were happy with the venue.
“After touring several places which were listed, we finally settled for this place as the venue for this year’s conference,” she said.
“We now need to work on all the necessary developments in preparation of the conference, but we are impressed by this venue.”
Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Joel Biggie Matiza called on all provincial party members to join hands and make the event a success.
He commended the part leadership for awarding the province the honour to host the conference.
“It is good that the national chairperson has toured venues we suggested for the upcoming conference and has settled for this place,” said Matiza.
“This means fully-fledged preparations are commencing, we are confident that we will beat the deadline.
“As the provincial chair, I am happy and would like to commend our leaders for this honour of hosting such a big conference. It is an important event for us and we want to make it a resounding success. To the whole province, this is our opportunity to shine.”
Seke legislator Munyaradzi Kashambe commended the party leadership for allowing the event to be hosted in the constituency.
“It is a very welcome development in my constituency, you know when you are an MP you will be focusing on developing your constituency and this move will surely bring that development,” he said.
“As a constituency, we are grateful to the party leadership at national and provincial level for allowing us to host an event of this magnitude.
“Preparations are starting as soon as possible and we will make this conference a memorable one.”
Kashambe, who is one of the Zanu-PF youths to win a constituency in the 2018 harmonised elections, commended the revolutionary party for giving youths a chance to prove their worth in executing party and national duties.
“As you are aware, I am one of the youths who won in the 2018 harmonised elections, and now I am hosting the biggest annual event,” he said.
“I am so confident that the event will be a success.”
