26 August 2019
The MDC national Vice Chairman, Hon. Job Sikhala appeared at the Bikita Magistrates courts today.
Sikhala, who is already out on bail; was further remanded until the 1st of November 2019.
The MDC would like to thank all our party leaders and members who turned out in their large numbers today in solidarity with Hon. Sikhala.
MDC: Change that Delivers
Daniel Molokele
MDC Spokesperson
By A Correspondent- Public Accounts Committee on Monday heard that the Finance Ministry loaned US$68 million to unnamed parastals but could not furnish parliament with the supporting vouchers.
Speaking before the Tendai Biti chaired Publis Accounts Committee, Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Finance cast a shadow of doubt on whether government would be able to recover the loans.
Watch the video below for this and more…..
By A Correspondent- Speaking before parliament, Secretary for Finance and Economic Development revealed that government paid over USD$400 million to a company called FCG on the pretext that it would supply fertilisers for Command Agriculture.
However, the government official said that they have no clue where this company is, who it’s owner is and its location.
The Public Accounts portfolio committee chaired by Tendai Biti was also told that due process was not followed when FCG was awarded the contract since it did not even go to tender.
Watch the live video below for this more….
By A Correspondent- Tajamuka/Sesijikile leader Promise Mkwananzi was on Monday freed by the High Court on $1 000 bail following his arrest and incarceration over treason charges related to the January 2019 mass protests.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) revealed that Mkwananzi will report to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) three times per week as part of his bail conditions.
Mkwananzi had been on the police wanted list amid revelations that he country for the United Kingdom following a government crackdown on activists thought to be masterminders of the protests in January 2019.
He later moved to South Africa from where he called for a national shutdown in July which citizens however ignored.
Following the noise about the missing Ngoni Danzwa who disappeared on the 16 of August, MDC Youth Assembly leader Ostallos Siziba has reported that the missing activist has been found at Harare Remand Prison.
Siziba said he visited Harare Central law and order section looking for Danzwa where he was later referred to Harare remand.
Danzwa was arrested and charged with inciting public violence and will be appearing in court on the 2nd of September.
“Today l went to Harare central Law and order section to look for Ngoni Danzwa who was arrested on the 16th and his whereabouts were not clear.
After a long stay l was referred to Harare remand prison where k have located him.
“He is being charged with inciting public violence and will be appearing in Rotton Row court on the 2nd of September
“He is good spirit is focused,” said Siziba.
Danzwa was arrested with 27 others on the 16th of September, the day the MDC had planned its mega demonstration in Harare.
Former Co-Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration during the inclusive Government and founding member of the MDC, Mrs Sekai Holland, has said some reports of abduction of opposition and civil society members by alleged State security agents were false.
Mrs Holland, who is National Peace Trust (NPT) board of trustees chairperson, said it was critical for diplomats in the country to first verify abduction claims before circulating messages on social media.
“The National Peace Trust notes with concern statements coming from some quarters of the diplomatic community, civil society and political players on the situation in Zimbabwe,” said Mrs Holland in a statement yesterday.
“Some of these statements border on falsehoods, misinformation and outright malice and have the potential to further derail current fragile multiple peace building initiatives in Zimbabwe, a new and healthy feature which the NPT treasure, after the 52 years of Zimbabweans fear of one another and the painful silence our society has endured.
“Zimbabweans need to take advantage of the new spirit ushered in by the Second Republic to call for peace and to open new spaces for conversations.”
Yesterday, the US Embassy in Harare posted on Twitter that it remains “concerned about more abductions, violence & intimidation in Zimbabwe . . .”
In response to the tweet, irate citizens slammed the US Embassy for fomenting chaos in the country.
Said Nicole Hondo: “We are equally concerned about the . . . sponsorship of terrorism and fake abductions in Zimbabwe, all aimed at regime change.”
Another Twitter user, Simbarashe Shereni, told the US not to meddle in local politics: “Don’t meddle in our politics. You don’t tell us what to do. You stage-manage abductions to try and justify your stance against our beautiful nation.
“We are not that daft. Sadly, you have puppets here. But they will be defeated at all costs.”
-State Media
Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has slammed government for lacking sincerity and belief in genuine citizen participation in all national processes.
In a story carried in a local weekly, ZCTU leader Peter Mutasa said the reconstituted Tripartite Negotiating Forum had a false start as government had not given it the weight it duly deserves.
“The government does not believe in genuine and effective citizen participation. When we met on June 26, the inaugural meeting after the TNF Act came into effect; there was only one minister and two deputy ministers present.
All the other important ministers snubbed it as they normally do. The resolution of TNF for Cabinet to review Statutory Instrument 142 of 2009 taking into account inputs of both business and labour was also brushed aside,” said Mutasa.
SOUTH Africa based pop artiste, TK Hollun, says he is working on a massive project that will see him silencing his critics.
Born Tendekayi Mushekwi, the musician told H-Metro he is recording a new video that will serve as his comeback after a sabbatical.
Pictures of the Ndafunga Kure singer shooting the video in Durban have since gone viral after the musician engaged professional models that have left fans looking forward to the visuals.
“I was born to do quality music that is timeless and my fans know that every song is worth the wait.
“Anyone thinking that I am now a spent force is dreaming, I am not under pressure from anyone, I was just under the weather for some time but I am now back on my feet.
“I am currently recording my new video in Durban for the song-Blood Pressure and so far everything looks perfect,” said TK Hollun.
Pictures from the Durban shoot have also gone viral with the Ndafunga Kure singer riding on the wave.
“The video is lit and my fans should look forward to having a quality product on their screens.
“We engaged professional models casted from Tanzania, Burundi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe to come up with a good product,” he said.
TK Hollun also revealed how went through a trying time.
“I was hospitalised and went through an operation which almost threatened my life, I would like to thank my dear brother Nyasha Mushekwi and my wife for standing with me.
“I met a number of obstacles but promise my fans to share with them all finer details in my new album.
“I promise the album will not disappoint and being absent from the scene spending time with family helped me realise my potential,” he said.
He says he will be launching his forthcoming album back home in October.
Through his Shakestone Records, the musician has been able to get a few Zimbabwean artistes off their feet.
-State Media
Opposition MDC youth leader and human rights Activist Makomborero Haruzivishe’s court case has once again been postponed to next week Tuesday by the Harare magistrates court.
Haruzivishe was arrested early this year on allegations of shooting a video at the airport.
The case was postponed after the state witness failed to show up.
More to follow…
Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe’s workers body the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union has lashed at government for ignoring their call to dump its widely unpopular austerity measures saying the situation on the ground leaves workers with no option except to protest.
In a story carried in the weekly The Standard, ZCTU leader Peter Mutasa said government did not take heed to their call to do away with austerity measures which have been responsible for the suffering of the masses as prices of basic commodities have gone up by close to 700 percent.
“Workers and trade unions have tried to make government understand the folly of continuing in this direction of austerity measures, but this has been met with scorn and brutality, and as a result workers have no other option than to stop working and to protest until government is ready to listen,” he said.
Standard|Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe says Zimbabwe’s politics is very violent in nature with women and the opposition being the biggest victims.
The country’s youngest legislator made the remarks in an interview on The “A” List Show, a talk show hosted by dancer and actress Dalma Chiwereva and produced by United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean actress and choreographer Enisia Mashusha.
“Just like any journey or anything in life, obviously there are challenges that one has to face to be where they are today,” she said.
“One of the challenges is the personal risks, Zimbabwean politics is very violent in nature and it’s very patriarchal as well.
“You face resistance from your colleagues, that is the male counterpart.”
“Being in politics on its own is a challenge and also being a young person, and being a woman that is a challenge on its own.
“To penetrate politics when you are a woman is very difficult because of the nature of politics.
“Our systems and culture are very patriarchal in nature. So being a woman it becomes very difficult to penetrate those spaces and I am not an exception.”
The 26-year-old legislator said the older women who were already in politics can be a stumbling block as they do not want competition.
“There was a challenge where I also faced difficulties [to get] support from older women, not necessarily from Harare West constituency, but even from outside my constituency,” she added.
“They would comment about my being young and that I should take time. Also coming from a molecular biology background, they would say why can’t you go and practice in the laboratory? But my answer was that for the challenges that we are facing in Zimbabwe, the solutions are not going to come from the lab, we are going to get them from the ground, from Parliament, so this is where I am going to put my energy.”
Mamombe said those who want to get into politics must be determined and be prepared to face the personal risks.
“Politics, especially in opposition, comes with a lot of personal risks, the issues of harassment, abuses, torture and arrests,” she added.
“I have been arrested a lot of times. I have been beaten up, slept in jail for months.
“I have slept on a hospital bed after being admitted after being beaten up by the police in this country — I have faced that.
“I have been charged with treason, they say I was the first female to be charged with treason after Mbuya Nehanda.
“This is abnormal in nature that somebody can be arrested and charged with treason for just speaking out about fuel prices.”
She also bemoaned the state of the country’s prisons.
“The conditions in our prisons, particularly in the female prisons are bad,” Mamombe said.
“Chikurubi female prison is not spared from the economic challenges that we are facing — the issues of water, the issues of electricity, all other issues we are facing as a country are a challenge.”
Mamombe said Zimbabwe needed to address its governance deficiencies for it deal with the economic crisis that has stretched for over a decade.
-The Standard
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says the country was now in a humanitarian crisis and accused government of ignoring the plight of workers and of downplaying the impact of its austerity measures.
In an interview with NewsDay, ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said workers were suffering, but their pleas were being treated with scorn and brutality after police arrested 10 officials from the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe last Friday, together with their lawyer, Douglas Coltart. The officials wanted to present a petition to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube over poor teachers’ salaries of around $500 a month.
“Due to shortages of (electricity) and low domestic demand, many companies are scaling down and some are closing shop with people losing jobs; and retrenchments are now common in the labour market. What we have now is a humanitarian crisis of gigantic proportions,” Mutasa said.
“Workers and trade unions have tried to make government understand the folly of continuing in this direction of austerity measures, but this has been met with scorn and brutality, and as a result workers have no other option than to stop working and to protest until government is ready to listen,” he said.
Workers from different sectors have declared incapacity due to the low wages.
In the past two weeks, the police have snuffed out five attempts by the opposition MDC to hold demonstrations to protest over government’s handling of the economy.
Zimbabwe’s economy is mired in its worst crisis in a decade characterised by rolling power cuts, and shortages of fuel, cash, medicines and increased clampdown on citizens by security forces.
“Everything is getting to a standstill and nothing is functioning despite the tomfoolery being displayed by some policymakers, especially the Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and government spokespersons,” he said.
Mutasa said workers could no longer afford to report for work, pay rentals, feed their families or pay school fees.
“No amount of brutality must lead to people surrendering their constitutional rights. Workers will never surrender their collective power. The ZCTU has completed its consultations and workers have emphatically demanded that we call for nationwide general strikes until the government starts to respect citizen engagement. We are announcing the form and dates soon.
“People are starving and dying in homes due to lack of medical care. The country is in total darkness and queues for fuel and even bread are the order of the day. What is a 76% increment from someone that has increased fees of all government services by over 500%? That is a mockery. Wages have been eroded by up to eleven-fold since Ncube adopted fascist economic experiments,” he said after the latest government offer to its workers.
While prices of goods and services keep going up daily, including exchange rate movements, salaries of both public and private sector employees have remained stagnant and they were robbed of their future through erosion of their pensions and savings, Mutasa said.
“The only solution is to redollarise and have workers earn the stable currency again or pay salaries based on the prevailing interbank exchange rate,” he opined.
Mutasa described Ncube’s financial measures as disastrous neo-liberal economic structural adjustment policies.
“We warned Ncube against Nazi-style economic authoritarianism of austerity. Instead of taking heed they brutalised and arrested us,” he said.
The ZCTU president added that the labour laws had been amended several times in favour of capital, further noting that the judiciary has been aiding the neo-liberal agenda through retrogressive judgments like the Zuva decision and many others over the years.
On the Tripartite Negotiation Forum (TNF), Mutasa said it was dysfunctional and lacked political will.
“The government does not believe in genuine and effective citizen participation. When we met on June 26, the inaugural meeting after the TNF Act came into effect; there was only one minister and two deputy ministers present.
All the other important ministers snubbed it as they normally do. The resolution of TNF for Cabinet to review Statutory Instrument 142 of 2009 taking into account inputs of both business and labour was also brushed aside,” he said.
He said demonstrations and any other collective actions were a legitimate means of exerting pressure on the decision-makers and were also guaranteed in the Constitution.
The call for nationwide protests comes as police recently banned MDC’s free Zimbabwe marches and beat up protesters who had gathered for the Harare demonstration on August 16.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Progressive Teachers Union secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said failure by government to give teachers a meaningful increment will seriously affect the November examinations.
“Third term might not even re-open as long as the issues of teachers are not addressed. We will not be deterred and we are sending a clear message to government that we are not going to allow them to do what they are doing by increasing prices of everything except wages,” Majongwe said.
Last week, government offered a 76% increase for civil servants, which will see the lowest getting paid slightly above $1 000.
Civil servants rebuffed the offer saying it “does not meet the stated position of the workers which is $4 750 for the least paid civil servant”.
-Newsday
Former Co-Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration during the inclusive Government and founding member of the MDC, Mrs Sekai Holland, has said some reports of abduction of opposition and civil society members by alleged State security agents were false.
Mrs Holland, who is National Peace Trust (NPT) board of trustees chairperson, said it was critical for diplomats in the country to first verify abduction claims before circulating messages on social media.
“The National Peace Trust notes with concern statements coming from some quarters of the diplomatic community, civil society and political players on the situation in Zimbabwe,” said Mrs Holland in a statement yesterday.
“Some of these statements border on falsehoods, misinformation and outright malice and have the potential to further derail current fragile multiple peace building initiatives in Zimbabwe, a new and healthy feature which the NPT treasure, after the 52 years of Zimbabweans fear of one another and the painful silence our society has endured.
“Zimbabweans need to take advantage of the new spirit ushered in by the Second Republic to call for peace and to open new spaces for conversations.”
Yesterday, the US Embassy in Harare posted on Twitter that it remains “concerned about more abductions, violence & intimidation in Zimbabwe . . .”
In response to the tweet, irate citizens slammed the US Embassy for fomenting chaos in the country.
Said Nicole Hondo: “We are equally concerned about the . . . sponsorship of terrorism and fake abductions in Zimbabwe, all aimed at regime change.”
Another Twitter user, Simbarashe Shereni, told the US not to meddle in local politics: “Don’t meddle in our politics. You don’t tell us what to do. You stage-manage abductions to try and justify your stance against our beautiful nation.
“We are not that daft. Sadly, you have puppets here. But they will be defeated at all costs.”
US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Brian Nichols and some officials reportedly visited MDC-Alliance deputy chairperson Mr Job Sikhala’s Chitungwiza home on the eve of a violent demonstration that had been planned for August 16.
-State Media
Business at Zimbabwe’s oldest high-density suburb came to a standstill after South-African based Socialite Luminitsa Dumbisa paid a surprise visit accompanied with her entourage.
Luminitsa who is Nyasha Mushekwi’s ex-wife and Grace Mugabe’s ex-muroora from her son Russell Goreraza, who is in the country, toured Mbare Matapi whilst in the company of her friends and also visited and shopped at Mupedzanhamo flee market.
Mupedzanhamo flea market area mainly thrives from trade in second-hand clothing.
View Pics Below…………..
The MDC has called on the region and international community to intervene in the wake of worsening human rights abuses and persecution of opposition members following the shooting that occurred at Marondera Central MP Caston Matewu’s home last week.
Some gunmen besieged Matewu’s residence and opened fire at his house.
Matewu was not hurt in the shooting, which left his house, vehicle and water tank bullet-riddled.
In a statement, MDC Marondera spokesperson Farai Nyandoro said there was need for the international community to intervene given the lawlessness prevailing in the country, which has seen opposition party members and rights activists being abducted and tortured.
“Marondera central district condemns in the strongest terms the barbaric attack and destruction of property that took place at MP Matewu’s residence. We call on Sadc and the international community to intervene in order to rein in this parallel junta,” he said.
Nyandoro, a former Marondera mayor, added that President Emmerson Mnangagwa should prevent lawlessness in the country.
“Surely, a genuine President cannot keep mum and remain on mute when lawlessness has reached unprecedented levels ever recorded in the history of Zimbabwe. Matewu has been discharging his duties in a non-partisan manner albeit some sabotage on projects he is carrying out in terms water delivery in Marondera,” Nyandoro said.
Police are currently investigating the shooting.
A number of activists and opposition party members have been abducted and tortured following the announcement of nationwide demonstrations by the MDC over the deteriorating economy.
The police banned all the protests.
-Newsday
A SMALL-SCALE miner, who recently told a public hearing that a member of national assembly was behind a plot to grab her gold mining claims on Friday approached Parliament seeking protection after she allegedly received threatening messages from a Zanu PF legislator.
Martha Thokozile Moyo from Silobela says she now lives in fear after giving oral evidence to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines which was gathering views on the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (Zela) petition on degradation, pollution by mining conglomerates and lack of corporate social responsibility programmes.
The law stipulates that whenever a person makes a contribution during public hearings, they are protected in terms of the Parliament Privileges and Immunities Act.
Moyo claimed that Silobela legislator Mthokozisi Manoki Mpofu (Zanu PF) was one of the individuals who were threatening her.
“When the Mines Committee came to gather oral evidence in Kwekwe, it was said we (participants) were going to be protected under the Parliament Privileges and Immunity Act, but I am concerned that I am now receiving threatening messages after I made contributions during the public hearing and this is haunting me,” Moyo told the committee.
“I fear for my life and my request now before the Mines Committee is that can I get Parliament protection because I was promised that protection.
“I am glad that the Silobela MP is here, but I am not working well with him and he is taking advantage of me,” she said.
Chairperson of the Mines Committee Edmond Mkaratigwa (Zanu PF) advised Moyo to submit her complaint in writing to the Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda for her to get a protection certificate in terms of the Parliament Privileges Act.
“Your issue is a special case and I can rightly tell you that you are protected by the Parliamentary Privileges and Immunity Act. We would require you to put your issue in writing and submit it to the Clerk of Parliament so that you can be protected. The Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda will give you a certificate of protection.”
In an interview with Southern Eye, Silobela MP Mpofu denied threatening Moyo.
“I do not know anything about that. I have never even spoken to her and I do not know who threatened her,” Mpofu said, adding that Moyo had problems with some gold miners over claims, and he did not know why she was dragging him into the squabble.
-Newsday
Movement for Democratic Change, MDC national organising Secretary Amos Chibaya has been granted RTGS400 bail after spending five days behind bars.
A Harare Magistrates court has this morning freed Chibaya and ordered him to report back to court on 12 September 2019.
Chibaya is facing a new charge of failing to stop the demonstration in Harare last week of which he was the official Convenor.
This means that Chibaya is now facing yet another charge apart from the already existing one of subversion.
By A Correspondent- The forthcoming Glen View South by-election set for September 7 will be a litmus test for Zanu-PF leader, President Emerson Mnangagwa, whose government is grappling to contain several challenges, including high unemployment, rolling power cuts, closure of industries and high cost of living, MDC Harare provincial chairperson Wellington Chikombo has said.
The seat fell vacant in June following the death Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on a stretch of road just outside Kwekwe going to Kadoma.
The MDC party has selected the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s son, Vincent, to fill the vacant post left by his sister. He will face Zanu-PF candidate Orphard Muchuwe and a host of other candidates.
In a bid to garner more votes, the MDC party has also recalled veteran politician, Grandmore Hakata, who stood as an independent candidate during the July 31, 2018 general elections to help campaign for the party.
Yesterday, Chikombo told a local publication that Hakata’s inclusion into the equation would spell doom for the Zanu-PF party given that he previously amassed more than 3 000 votes last year.
“In the previous election, Grandmore Hakata got over 3 000 votes as an independent. In my capacity as the chairperson of Harare, I said to him, ‘please come home’ and he came home. As I speak right now, I am with him and we are doing door-to-door campaigns canvassing support for Vincent so that we win resoundingly on September 7, 2019,” Chikombo said.
“With Hakata in the camp, all cylinders are operating at full throttle. Victory is certain for the MDC and, in fact, Glen View is going to stand as a litmus test for Mnangagwa’s government. We have a high unemployment rate in the country.
The industrial utilisation capacity is very low, we have power shortages in the country, and industry is closing down on a daily basis. So the people of Zimbabwe are going to send a message to the government of Mnangagwa through Glen View. The people’s mood politically will be determined through Glen View.”
Contacted for comment, Hakata confirmed the developments, but declined to shed more light, preferring to direct all questions to the party.
“I can only confirm to you that my blood flows with MDC and it is going to work with my party and we look forward to winning this election,” he said.
Asked about his future plans in MDC politics, Hakata simply responded: “We will cross the bridge when we get to the river.”
By A Correspondent| MDC National Organising Secretary Amos Chibaya has been granted $400 bail.
His passport however remains with the police in Gweru and he has been ordered not to interfere with witnesses.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
The current bank exchange rates for the ZWL$ today are as follows
USD to ZWL$: 10.3557
ZWL$ to RAND: 1.4828
Data according to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
Black Market Rates:
USD to ZWL$ zimrates.com 11.30
USD to ZWL$ zwl365.com 11.10
USD to ZWL$ bluemari.info 11.20
USD to BOND: zimrates.com 80.00
More: marketwatch.co.zw
By A Correspondent- A security guard who ruptured his genitals after an assault by two municipal police details accusing him of illegal vending has filed a $700 000 High Court claim against the Harare City Council.
Admire Chipusire is suing Harare and two of its employees, Munyaradzi Chaza and Patrick Matumbura, for assaulting him on spurious allegations that he was an illegal vendor.
Through his lawyer, Mr Emmanuel Hamunakwadi of Hamunakwadi and Nyandoro Legal Practice, Chipusire is seeking damages for pain and suffering to the tune of $700 000.
According to Mr Hamunakwadi, the physical attack resulted in the rapture of his client’s organ, part of which was subsequently removed following medical-surgical.
Harare is cited in the claim on account of vicarious liability, as Chaza and Matumbura’s employer.
The incident occurred on March 17 this year, when Chipusire was at his workplace at the corner of George Silundika Avenue and Innez Terrace in the capital, where he is employed as a security guard by the Zimbabwe Post (Private) Limited.
He claims that he was accosted by the two officers who accused him of illegal vending. Without giving him a chance to explain himself, Chipusire claims that Matumbura grabbed him by the arms and Chaza unleashed three fatal kicks on his genitalia.
After the gruesome episode, Chipusire was rushed to hospital where he was admitted for an emergency operation.
“The callous attempted murder committed by second (Chaza) and third (Matumbura) against plaintiff (Chipusire), during the course and scope of their employment and in pursuit of the first defendant (City of Harare)’s interests was blatantly unlawful and has absolutely no place in modern-day civilisation as it is a naked affront to the plaintiff’s constitutionally guaranteed right to life,” read the summons.
Harare City Council, which has 10 days to file its defense to the claim by Chipasure, has of late become a cash cow for litigants.
Some of the cases emanate from the city officials’ bungling in handling labor issues.
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VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
https://youtu.be/7-fjpEqleTE
By A Correspondent- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo has said the removal of sanctions by the West will increase investment in Zimbabwe and aid the implementation of land and security sector reforms.
Dr Moyo said in an opinion piece published by Foreign Policy magazine last week that President Mnangagwa’s administration had already started reforms in many areas.
“Lifting sanctions and increasing international investment will speed land and security sector reform and enhance the protection of human rights,” he said.
“Since the election of a new government for Zimbabwe one year ago, the administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in which I serve, has begun reforming our land policies, changing laws, and commencing a new compensation initiative to address the injustices of the recent past.”
Moyo said Government and white former commercial farmers were set to conclude negotiations on a final compensation figure for land improvements on acquired properties and payment mechanisms.
He said Government and the farmers conducted a parallel evaluation of how much was required in compensation and what remained was to come up with an agreed figure.
He was responding to issues raised by commentators regarding the compensation of the farmers.
“In parallel, the Government is completing a nationwide evaluation exercise in order to arrive at an overall compensation figure,” he said. “The farmers have already computed their own figure. What remains, therefore, is for the Government and the farmers to conclude ongoing negotiations to reach a final agreed compensation figure and payment mechanism.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The United Nations (UN) will next month dispatch its special rapporteur on human rights, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, to Harare – to assess the situation in the country, amid growing concerns over abductions and beatings of opposition and pro-democracy activists.
According to a local daily, this comes as political tension continues to rise in the country, while the government escalates its clampdown on critics, in a bid to neutralise the growing dissatisfaction by a restive populace over Zimbabwe’s worsening economic rot.
Western countries have condemned Zimbabwe’s heavy-handed crackdown on opposition demonstrations protesting the country’s deteriorating economic situation.
The European Union, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States released a statement on Tuesday expressing their concern over the attacks on opposition politicians and human rights activists, the East African reported.
“Intimidation, harassment and physical attacks on human rights defenders, opposition politicians – prior to, during and following the demonstration in Harare on August 16 – are cause for great concern,” read the joint statement.
“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 statement added that the brutal crackdown by security forces hindered President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s efforts to transform Zimbabwe politically, adding that only by addressing the human rights abuses would Harare’s credibility in tackling the various challenges facing it be restored.
The release of the critical statement followed the banning of another opposition protest, this time in the central city of Gweru.-DailyNews
Owami and Olwethu Mzazi believe they are “two bodies with one soul”. They say from birth they have been sharing everything – and they now share a husband.
The two say they have a bond that is “too deep” to explain, and didn’t have a hard time marrying the same man. They married TV director Mzukiseni Mzazi in 2011 in a traditional ceremony.
The twins say they were raised by their grandmother and were very poor. They say they were so poor that they even had to ask for money from people and couldn’t even afford sanitary towels.
After matric, they wanted to pursue a career in acting. In pursuit of their dream, they met their husband Mzukiseni, who was then working as a director on television drama ‘Muvhango’.
Instead of giving them a break based on their skill and talent, Owami claims Mzukiseni made moves on them.
“Because he was our mentor before [becoming] our husband, we said to him ‘we are young, passionate young girls who want to be actresses, but we need someone who can mentor us to be on TV’. He said ‘okay’, and later on we got an SMS saying ‘I can’t help you if you can’t be my wives’,” Owami says.
“We sat down and said maybe this is God. We said let’s take a chance. We said ‘we don’t love you, we don’t see you as a lover, but we will take a chance and we will learn how to love you’,” says Olwethu.
The twins say he told them he was okay with them learning to love him.
“We were in a marriage whereby we didn’t enter because we were in love with our husband. We got married because we were escaping the poverty that we were in,” says Owami.
The girls married the man within a few weeks of meeting him. At that time, they were only 21, and their husband was in his late 40’s.
The two aspiring actors say their husband took advantage of their poverty, and from the beginning of the marriage, the twins claim it was never easy.
“After three months of marriage, we found out that he has many kids and he wasn’t divorced. All those things he had hidden from us and the marriage started to be rocky, with lots of fighting. Since then we are living in a marriage where there is abuse emotionally,” the twins said.“We are tired now because there is a lot that we have experienced.”
The 29-year-old twins are currently in the process of divorcing their husband.
However, the twins say there is a lot they can’t talk about until the divorce is finalised.
“We are still holding things that happened, but after the divorce, we will reveal everything that was happening in our marriage.”
Olwethu says she has been wanting to divorce for years but had “fear of the unknown because I have a child and I am a freelancer.” But she says this year she told herself “even if I stay in a shack, I don’t care, enough is enough.”
The twins say they don’t believe their husband ever loved them, but he married them because they were virgins, and he was doing it to brag about being married to twins.
“I don’t think he was loving us. I think he was taking chances because he was impressed by the fact that he is starting to see virgins in Gauteng,” says Olwethu.
“For me, Owami, I would say there was no love. You know sometimes in marriage, it’s hard to leave, but for me from the few weeks into the marriage when I was reflecting on the marriage and writing what was right versus what is wrong, I could only write one positive thing, and the rest were bad things.”
“I always tell him ‘you never loved us’. You took advantage of our innocence,” she adds.
The two say they regret entering into marriage for the wrong reasons.
“The mistake we made was not allowing the process to know the kind of person he is. We rushed to get married as virgins because of the church. We knew him for two weeks, and in the third week, he sent a letter to our family to request our hand in marriage. The process took a month,” says the twins.
The two say they are in the process of starting their own business and writing a book about their life.
“We have to start afresh,” they say.
They say their marriage taught them valuable lessons.
“There are no shortcuts in life. Sometimes you do shortcuts, and life will take you back. Sometimes you try to run away from poverty, meanwhile, you are running to pain. Sometimes appreciate what you have and hold on there, because you don’t know what will happen the next day. Pray. There is nothing that beats prayer,” says Owami.
“I would speak to a young black child and say do not run away from poverty. Stay in your lane and wait for the process, wait for God’s blessings,” says Olwethu.
Another lesson the two say they have learned is the importance of self-love.
“Start by loving yourself. It starts there. Love yourself first before anyone else,” says Olwethu.
They say they hope to marry again and plan to marry the same husband because they are “two bodies with one soul”.
“This thing will continue. It’s too deep,” say the twins.
However, they say for the next relationship, they will “learn a person and how he will handle us as two” before tying the knot.
Outgoing Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi sought to downplay his stepping down from the helm after 44 years in power, saying this was not a big deal and that the party was bigger than him.
The IFP is the fourth largest party in Parliament after growing its support to 3.38% during the May 8 election, thus landing itself 14 seats in the National Assembly.
It also dislodged the DA as the official opposition in its stronghold of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), where it received 14.58% of the votes, equating to six seats in the provincial legislature.
Buthelezi, who turns 91 on Tuesday and is the oldest-serving MP in Parliament, has been at IFP leader since its inception in Ulundi, KZN, on March 21, 1975.
In his welcoming remarks at the IFP national elective conference in Ulundi on Friday night, Mangosuthu described the conference as “different” and a “watershed moment” for the organisation.
“[This conference] has been accompanied by unprecedented hype and speculation. Because in this conference, Buthelezi will step down,” he said, adding “this moment was planned a long time ago”.
NewsDay|THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) says the country was now in a humanitarian crisis and accused government of ignoring the plight of workers and of downplaying the impact of its austerity measures.
In an interview with NewsDay, ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said workers were suffering, but their pleas were being treated with scorn and brutality after police arrested 10 officials from the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe last Friday, together with their lawyer, Douglas Coltart. The officials wanted to present a petition to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube over poor teachers’ salaries of around $500 a month.
“Due to shortages of (electricity) and low domestic demand, many companies are scaling down and some are closing shop with people losing jobs; and retrenchments are now common in the labour market. What we have now is a humanitarian crisis of gigantic proportions,” Mutasa said.
“Workers and trade unions have tried to make government understand the folly of continuing in this direction of austerity measures, but this has been met with scorn and brutality, and as a result workers have no other option than to stop working and to protest until government is ready to listen,” he said.
Workers from different sectors have declared incapacity due to the low wages.
In the past two weeks, the police have snuffed out five attempts by the opposition MDC to hold demonstrations to protest over government’s handling of the economy.
Zimbabwe’s economy is mired in its worst crisis in a decade characterised by rolling power cuts, and shortages of fuel, cash, medicines and increased clampdown on citizens by security forces.
“Everything is getting to a standstill and nothing is functioning despite the tomfoolery being displayed by some policymakers, especially the Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and government spokespersons,” he said.
Mutasa said workers could no longer afford to report for work, pay rentals, feed their families or pay school fees.
“No amount of brutality must lead to people surrendering their constitutional rights. Workers will never surrender their collective power. The ZCTU has completed its consultations and workers have emphatically demanded that we call for nationwide general strikes until the government starts to respect citizen engagement. We are announcing the form and dates soon.
“People are starving and dying in homes due to lack of medical care. The country is in total darkness and queues for fuel and even bread are the order of the day. What is a 76% increment from someone that has increased fees of all government services by over 500%? That is a mockery. Wages have been eroded by up to eleven-fold since Ncube adopted fascist economic experiments,” he said after the latest government offer to its workers.
While prices of goods and services keep going up daily, including exchange rate movements, salaries of both public and private sector employees have remained stagnant and they were robbed of their future through erosion of their pensions and savings, Mutasa said.
“The only solution is to redollarise and have workers earn the stable currency again or pay salaries based on the prevailing interbank exchange rate,” he opined.
Mutasa described Ncube’s financial measures as disastrous neo-liberal economic structural adjustment policies.
“We warned Ncube against Nazi-style economic authoritarianism of austerity. Instead of taking heed they brutalised and arrested us,” he said.
The ZCTU president added that the labour laws had been amended several times in favour of capital, further noting that the judiciary has been aiding the neo-liberal agenda through retrogressive judgments like the Zuva decision and many others over the years.
On the Tripartite Negotiation Forum (TNF), Mutasa said it was dysfunctional and lacked political will.
“The government does not believe in genuine and effective citizen participation. When we met on June 26, the inaugural meeting after the TNF Act came into effect; there was only one minister and two deputy ministers present.
All the other important ministers snubbed it as they normally do. The resolution of TNF for Cabinet to review Statutory Instrument 142 of 2009 taking into account inputs of both business and labour was also brushed aside,” he said.
He said demonstrations and any other collective actions were a legitimate means of exerting pressure on the decision-makers and were also guaranteed in the Constitution.
The call for nationwide protests comes as police recently banned MDC’s free Zimbabwe marches and beat up protesters who had gathered for the Harare demonstration on August 16.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Progressive Teachers Union secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said failure by government to give teachers a meaningful increment will seriously affect the November examinations.
“Third term might not even re-open as long as the issues of teachers are not addressed. We will not be deterred and we are sending a clear message to government that we are not going to allow them to do what they are doing by increasing prices of everything except wages,” Majongwe said.
Last week, government offered a 76% increase for civil servants, which will see the lowest getting paid slightly above $1 000.
Civil servants rebuffed the offer saying it “does not meet the stated position of the workers which is $4 750 for the least paid civil servant”.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son Emmerson Tanaka Mnangagwa wedded Farirai Chieza at Borrowdale Country Manor today, Sunday, 25 August 2019.
The wedding was announced by a family relative and Norton MP Temba Mliswa who attended the event.
Posting on social media, Mliswa wrote:
Emmerson Tanaka is an artiste and he is younger brother to Emmerson Dambudzo Jnr.
SABC soccer analyst David Kekana has died. The 47-year-old passed away on Sunday.
Details surrounding his death were not clear, but it’s understood he had been admitted to hospital recently.
Kekana’s family was due to release a statement on Monday morning to provide further details.
He was best known for his work on SABC Sport.
Comedian Steve Harvey has shared a video of his of the mighty Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
The award-winning star posted it on his Twitter account which also showed visits to other parts of the continent including Ghana.
The video shows a video panning the view of the legendary gorge and its powerful waters thundering into the Zambezi River.
State Media|Government has warned the opposition MDC against breaking the law after the party notified the police that they intend to hold demonstrations in Bulawayo and other areas countrywide on Thursday and Friday.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema yesterday said law enforcement agents are on high alert to ensure that peace prevails nationwide and anyone caught transgressing will face the full wrath of the law.
This comes after police last week issued a prohibition order barring the MDC-A from demonstrating and the Bulawayo Magistrate’s Court upheld the ban.
The opposition party notified the police about its latest plans on Saturday. The two parties are expected to meet today ahead of the planned Thursday and Friday demos.
“Police will be on high alert to ensure that peace prevails in every part of the country. The constitution allows people to demonstrate but those who will be caught on the wrong side of the law will face the consequences. Zimbabwe is a democratic and peaceful country,” said Minister Mathema.
He urged members of the public not to allow the MDC Alliance to use them through senseless demonstrations.
“People should not allow the MDC Alliance to use them. The party should follow the constitution, which it took part in writing. They don’t know what they want. They run to the courts on every issue but they still don’t want to listen to the courts,” said Minister Mathema.
He said President Mnangagwa was the legitimate Head of State and it was unfortunate if the opposition party does not want to recognise his leadership.
Minister Mathema said it was important for the country to move away from the election mode and focus on the economy and development.
MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Swithern Chirowodza yesterday confirmed that the party plans to hold demonstrations this week, saying they have notified the police.
Mr Chirowodza could not be drawn into giving further details about the protests, saying the party was still in the process of organising.
“We’ve resolved to have nationwide peaceful demonstrations on August 29 and 30. I’m not privy to other details because we’re still organising as a party, but I can confirm that the protests will be nationwide.
“We’ve notified the police about our intentions and we’ll have a meeting tomorrow as part of our preliminaries and further consultations,” said Mr Chirowodza.
In a letter to the MDC-A dated August 24, Officer Commanding Bulawayo Central District, Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Phiri, invited the MDC Alliance to a consultative meeting.
“We acknowledge receipt of your notice dated August 24, 2019, which I received on the same date on notification to hold peaceful demonstrations on August 29 and 30, 2019.
“You’re invited in terms of section 26 of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) on August 26, 2019 to attend a consultative meeting at your earliest convenience at Bulawayo Central District Headquarters,” reads the letter.
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE
HARARE PROVINCE
25/08/19
It is with a deep sense of sadness that the MDC Harare Province announces the death of Sekuru Zephania Chikombo the father of Hon Wellington Chikombo the Chairman of MDC Harare Province and MP for Glen Norah Constituency.
Sekuru Chikombo died on Sunday 25 August in Buhera at the age of 75. He will be buried on Monday 26 August in Nyashanu, Buhera.
May His Dear Soul Rest In Peace.
COMMUNICATIONS DESK
MDC HARARE PROVINCE
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) late Sunday announced new prices of fuel effective Monday, the fuel prices have been staggered depending on the delivery costs from Harare.
The new prices are a move that suggests government is moving towards Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s wish to have it in line with the interbank value of US$1.
According to a Zera announcement the new price of petrol is now $10.01 from $9.50 and diesel now $10.32 up from $9.80 for motorists in Harare.
Below is the new price schedule:
BULAWAYO City councillors will this week engage council management with the hope of stopping the wave of water disconnections that the local authority embarked on since yesterday to recover what is owed to the council.
On Friday, the city’s town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube announced that they will be embarking on the water disconnections to recover over $180 million owed to the local authority.
However, acting mayor, Councillor Tinashe Kambarami yesterday said they were already engaging the city’s management with the hope of halting the disconnections, noting there was a need for the local authority to resort to other means of debt recovery outside the disconnections.
Clr Kambarami revealed that councillors had already advised management to identify other revenue streams that would see the local authority not relying on rates and rentals as their main source of revenue.
“This is something that we already spoke about as councillors during our supplementary budget presentation where we said there was an urgent need to identify new revenue streams. Actually we identified issues like parking, prepaid water meters and truck stops to mention just a few. Our vision is to copy what was done by the city of Cape Town where residents are paying next to nothing with the municipality there having diversified by identifying revenue streams outside the rates and rentals,” said the acting mayor.
He said there was a need for the local authority not to turn a blind eye to the plight of residents as a majority were unemployed with the few who were employed getting a meagre salary.
“We are in a situation where already residents are having constant electricity cuts therefore as councillors we feel that by disconnecting their water supplies we are worsening their burden, and not going in tandem with our goal of turning this city into a smart city.
“Further I believe we must consult our ratepayers with the goal of identifying other means of debt recovery outside water disconnections, bearing in mind that water is a basic human right and no one can survive without water,” said Clr Kambarami.
The acting mayor however, implored residents not to relax by not paying their rates but rather endeavour to pay whatever they could monthly.
In a statement, Mr Dube said the disconnections commenced in five of the city’s wards — wards 3, 20, 22, 23 and 24 — yesterday before spreading to other areas this week.
He further advised residents who may have challenges making full payments to approach the city council for negotiations on payment plans in order to avoid water disconnections.
“Residents are encouraged to avoid being inconvenienced by these necessary recovery measures by availing themselves to the following: Approach any of council’s revenue offices and enter into a payment arrangement that will protect you against any of the recovery measures being taken. Ideally, a payment arrangement acceptable to council involves an initial payment of 10 percent of the total outstanding debt followed thereafter by making monthly payments of current bill plus 10 percent (minimum) of the outstanding debt until it is paid in full,” said the town clerk.
“Honouring the arrangement made will have the effect of continuously protecting you against any of the recovery measures that council takes against debtors and also ensures that the account is interest free,” said the town clerk.
According to the latest council report the local authority is owed a total of $189 942 350 with residents owing the bulk of the amount at $110 705 072, industry and commercial debtors owe; $71 900 819, Government departments; $3 406 531 while parastatals owe; $3 929 928.
NewsDay|THE forthcoming Glen View South by-election set for September 7 will be a litmus test for Zanu PF leader, President Emerson Mnangagwa, whose government is grappling to contain several challenges, including high unemployment, rolling power cuts, closure of industries and high cost of living, MDC Harare provincial chairperson Wellington Chikombo has said.
The seat fell vacant in June following the death Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on a stretch of road just outside Kwekwe going to Kadoma.
The MDC party has selected the late founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s son, Vincent, to fill the vacant post left by his sister.
He will face Zanu PF candidate Orphard Muchuwe and a host of other candidates.
In a bid to garner more votes, the MDC party has also recalled veteran politician, Grandmore Hakata, who stood as an independent candidate during the July 31, 2018 general elections to help campaign for the party.
Yesterday, Chikombo told NewsDay that Hakata’s inclusion into the equation would spell doom for the Zanu PF party given that he previously amassed more than 3 000 votes last year.
“In the previous election, Grandmore Hakata got over 3 000 votes as an independent. In my capacity as the chairperson of Harare, I said to him, ‘please come home’ and he came home. As I speak right now, I am with him and we are doing door-to-door campaigns canvassing support for Vincent so that we win resoundingly on September 7, 2019,” Chikombo said.
“With Hakata in the camp, all cylinders are operating at full throttle. Victory is certain for the MDC and, in fact, Glen View is going to stand as a litmus test for Mnangagwa’s government. We have a high unemployment rate in the country. The industrial utilisation capacity is very low, we have power shortages in the country, and industry is closing down on a daily basis. So the people of Zimbabwe are going to send a message to the government of Mnangagwa through Glen View. The people’s mood politically will be determined through Glen View.”
Contacted for comment, Hakata confirmed the developments, but declined to shed more light, preferring to direct all questions to the party.
“I can only confirm to you that my blood flows with MDC and it is going to work with my party and we look forward to winning this election,” he said.
Asked about his future plans in MDC politics, Hakata simply responded: “We will cross the bridge when we get to the river.”
Zanu PF MP for Gutu West John Paradza was involved in a horrific accident yesterday.He sustained injuries. ..
Opposition MDC vice President Tendai Biti has blasted government for censoring statistical data on inflation saying it only happens in rogue regimes.
Posting on Twitter yesterday, Biti said inflation is currently above 700 percent with high chances it will hit 1000 before end of year.
Read Biti’s tweet below;
Standard|Harare West MP Joanah Mamombe says Zimbabwe’s politics is very violent in nature with women and the opposition being the biggest victims.
The country’s youngest legislator made the remarks in an interview on The “A” List Show, a talk show hosted by dancer and actress Dalma Chiwereva and produced by United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean actress and choreographer Enisia Mashusha.
“Just like any journey or anything in life, obviously there are challenges that one has to face to be where they are today,” she said.
“One of the challenges is the personal risks, Zimbabwean politics is very violent in nature and it’s very patriarchal as well.
“You face resistance from your colleagues, that is the male counterpart.”
“Being in politics on its own is a challenge and also being a young person, and being a woman that is a challenge on its own.
“To penetrate politics when you are a woman is very difficult because of the nature of politics.
“Our systems and culture are very patriarchal in nature. So being a woman it becomes very difficult to penetrate those spaces and I am not an exception.”
The 26-year-old legislator said the older women who were already in politics can be a stumbling block as they do not want competition.
“There was a challenge where I also faced difficulties [to get] support from older women, not necessarily from Harare West constituency, but even from outside my constituency,” she added.
“They would comment about my being young and that I should take time. Also coming from a molecular biology background, they would say why can’t you go and practice in the laboratory? But my answer was that for the challenges that we are facing in Zimbabwe, the solutions are not going to come from the lab, we are going to get them from the ground, from Parliament, so this is where I am going to put my energy.”
Mamombe said those who want to get into politics must be determined and be prepared to face the personal risks.
“Politics, especially in opposition, comes with a lot of personal risks, the issues of harassment, abuses, torture and arrests,” she added.
“I have been arrested a lot of times. I have been beaten up, slept in jail for months.
“I have slept on a hospital bed after being admitted after being beaten up by the police in this country — I have faced that.
“I have been charged with treason, they say I was the first female to be charged with treason after Mbuya Nehanda.
“This is abnormal in nature that somebody can be arrested and charged with treason for just speaking out about fuel prices.”
She also bemoaned the state of the country’s prisons.
“The conditions in our prisons, particularly in the female prisons are bad,” Mamombe said.
“Chikurubi female prison is not spared from the economic challenges that we are facing — the issues of water, the issues of electricity, all other issues we are facing as a country are a challenge.”
Mamombe said Zimbabwe needed to address its governance deficiencies for it deal with the economic crisis that has stretched for over a decade.
Nearly 1 000 indigenous sugar cane farmers in the Lowveld have called for an end to Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe’s unrivalled monopoly in the local sugar value chain for them to also benefit from the multimillion-dollar industry.
Tongaat has maintained a firm stronghold on the local sugar industry, with the South Africa-headquartered firm running rings in cane growing, milling and marketing, which rakes in millions of dollars annually.
The firm owns cane fields that straddle over 30 000 hectares at Triangle and Hippo Valley Estates and also owns the country’s only two sugar mills at the two estates in Chiredzi and Triangle.
The company charges new farmers 23 percent of their cane value as milling charge, a figure the farmers complain is way too high and enriches the Lowveld sugar producer.
Tongaat controls the marketing of sugar both on the local and international markets through the Zimbabwe Sugar Sales Board (ZSS).
Farmers now want increased representation on ZSS, arguing that the Tongaat-controlled board was operating surreptitiously.
Commercial Sugar Cane Farmers’ Association of Zimbabwe (CSCFAZ) chair Admore Hwarare said Government should intervene to break Tongaat monopoly.
Hwarare said new farmers were being shortchanged because of Tongaat’s monopoly of the entire sugar value chain.
“We are being shortchanged because of Tongaat’s monopoly because the company does not only control sugar milling, but also the marketing of the product,” he said.
“We need more representation as new farmers because we do not even know how much the company is making from our sugar.
“It does not make sense for Tongaat to control the marketing of our sugar which they charge us 23 percent to mill and then go on to sell for a price that is way far too high than what is paid to the farmer for a tonne of sugar.
“Right now a farmer is paid about $4 600 per tonne of sugar, but Tongaat sells the same tonne of sugar for about $7 600.
“Where is this difference of about $3 000 going to when it is not getting into the farmers’ pockets?”
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has said it has intensified investigations into the case of kidnapping and assault of artiste-cum-comedienne, Samantha Kureya, also known as Gonyeti, who works at Bustop TV.
She is alleged to have been abducted at her Mufakose home by three masked men, one of them carrying a firearm, at night before being allegedly assaulted and dumped in Crowborough North Phase 4.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said that investigations were in progress.
“It’s (the case) under investigation,” he said. “As we speak, police investigations into the case are in full swing.”
After being pressed to reveal if there are any leads in the matter, Asst Comm Nyathi said; “I am not making any further comment beyond assuring members of the public and the media that police have intensified investigations into the matter.”
In a video circulating on social media, Gonyeti said she heard a knock on her door, with the people identifying themselves as police officers. She said the people forcibly entered in the house, wearing masks and assaulted her sister.
Gonyeti alleged that she was dragged out of the house to a waiting car and after being driven for some minutes she was ordered out of the car and assaulted.
State Media|Government is negotiating with Mozambique for up to 400MW of electricity to continue alleviating power outages facing the country, Energy and Power Development Minister Advocate Fortune Chasi has said.
Zimbabwe is presently getting 50MW from its eastern neighbour, and is keen to access anything between 150MW and 400MW.
“We are actually in the process of engaging Hydro Cahora Bassa of Mozambique for more power imports,” said Minister Chasi in an interview last week. “Mozambique has been providing us with 50MW for quite some time and we hope that their capacity will be improving during the course of this month.”
Zimbabwe started getting 400MW from South African power utility Eskom a fortnight ago, bringing relief to businesses and consumers that had borne the brunt of severe load-shedding.
Minister Chasi said he was confident Zimbabwe would soon get increased power supplies from Mozambique.
“After we meet the authorities there, we will be able to ascertain the levels of power that we will be able to get,” he said. “I am very confident that we will get a significant amount of power.”
Minister Chasi said the relative increase in load-shedding for domestic users in the past few days was occasioned by challenges faced with some generation units at Hwange Thermal Power Station.
“I must admit that there has been a bit of regression over the past few days; that is not a permanent situation,” he said. “It has been due to challenges we faced on a number of units at Hwange.
“They are actively being sorted out. You have heard stories about Stage One, Two, Three and so forth, but we are still on Stage One. 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 that are at our thermostats.”
Minister Chasi said yesterday that Unit 5 at Hwange Power Station returned to service on Saturday night, adding 160MW to the grid.
“We expect to see improvement in power supply and Unit 6 is set to be opened up for inspections the first week of September for fault diagnostics,” he said. “This follows the recent payment of €490 000 for the inspection.
“Actual repair time is estimated at eight to 12 weeks and its return will make a meaningful difference. Unit 6 will add a further 160MW to the grid, bringing up Hwange power production to 670MW.”
Government wants to get as much power as possible to ensure uninterrupted power supplies, particularly to the manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors.
Farmers want stable electricity supplies at this point to irrigate their winter wheat crop.
Turning to the power tariff, Minister Chasi it was important to have a viable tariff to lure potential investors to increase power generation.
“We need to interrogate the tariff and continue to improve it so that ZESA continues to recoup sufficient revenue from consumers for it to improve its financial condition and for attracting investment,” he said.
“Anyone who wants to invest in the country must look at the capacity of ZESA to pay them for the investment they would have made and ZESA pays from the consumers.”
Government recently approved a tariff increase, which now sees non-exporting businesses paying an average of 45c/kWh (approximately USc5/kWh) from 9,86c/kWh.
Domestic consumers now pay an average of 27c/kWh (approximately USc3/kWh), which is subsidised, from an average of 9,86c/kWh.
ZESA is also implementing the stepped prepayment tariff for domestic consumers to replace the flat tariff of 14c/KWh, to promote optimal use of power within a calendar month.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement has allocated 10 hectares of land to the youth in every administrative district, which will be used for sustainable agricultural projects.
Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu disclosed the deal at a Zimbabwe Wellness and Tree Planting event held in Harare on Friday.
The initiative, Matutu said, will enable the youth to have a sustainable flow of income and positive impact on a socio-economic scale.
“Through the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, young people have been given 10 hectares per administrative district to allow them to kick-start viable agrarian projects that will enable them to have a sustainable income and impact positively on a socio-economic scale,” said Matutu.
“This initiative was set up to boost rural productivity and reduce rural to urban migration by young people. In addition to that, sustainable access to water and sanitation, particularly for young women and girls, can enable them to regularly and safely participate in productive activities.”State media
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo has said the removal of illegal sanctions by the West will increase investment in Zimbabwe and aid the implementation of land and security sector reforms.
Dr Moyo said in an opinion piece published by Foreign Policy magazine last week that President Mnangagwa’s administration had already started reforms in many areas.
“Lifting sanctions and increasing international investment will speed land and security sector reform and enhance the protection of human rights,” he said.
“Since the election of a new government for Zimbabwe one year ago, the administration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in which I serve, has begun reforming our land policies, changing laws, and commencing a new compensation initiative to address the injustices of the recent past.”
Dr Moyo said Government and white former commercial farmers were set to conclude negotiations on a final compensation figure for land improvements on acquired properties and payment mechanisms.
He said Government and the farmers conducted a parallel evaluation of how much was required in compensation and what remained was to come up with an agreed figure.
Dr Moyo was responding to issues raised by commentators regarding the compensation of the farmers.
“In parallel, the Government is completing a nationwide evaluation exercise in order to arrive at an overall compensation figure,” he said. “The farmers have already computed their own figure. What remains, therefore, is for the Government and the farmers to conclude ongoing negotiations to reach a final agreed compensation figure and payment mechanism.
“I am confident, given existing goodwill and the desire of all parties to resolve the issue of compensation, that we will soon be in a position to go public with an agreement.
“The issue of the land itself has been agreed and settled. For farms obtained under bilateral investment treaties, reimbursement shall be for both land and improvements to land. However, domestic deeds must be seen in a wider historical arc, one laden with colonial dispossession and racial subjugation. A select few held the finest farmland in Zimbabwe to the detriment of our society.”State media
A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo has appeared in court for allegedly stoning an elderly man at Manwele Beer Garden in Mzilikazi suburb after he told him not to disrespect his elders.
Mbongeni Bhebhe of Makokoba suburb who was in the company of several friends while coming from a soccer match at Barbourfields Stadium allegedly hit Mr Khumbulani Chulu (60) on the left side of his head and he started bleeding.
Bhebhe pleaded not guilty to an assault charge when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Ms Nomasiko Ndlovu.
The magistrate remanded him out of custody on free bail to September 30.
Prosecuting, Mr Ephraim Manongore said on July 25 at around 7PM, Bhebhe and his friends went to Manwele Beer Garden where they found Mr Chulu seated in the company of other elderly patrons drinking beer.
“The gang suspected of being drunk started making noise hitting benches with knobkerries disturbing other customers.
“Mr Chulu stood up and ordered them to leave the place as he said they were disrespecting elders who were also in the tavern,” he said.
The gang left but came back afterwards.
The accused person and his friends stood at the entrance and started throwing stones into the beer garden.
“One of the stones allegedly hit Mr Chulu on the left side of the head causing his left eye to bleed,” said the prosecutor.
Mr Manongore said police were called to the scene and Bhebhe together with his friends were taken to Bulawayo Central Police Station.
The accused person was identified by Mr Chulu during an identification parade which was done at the police station leading to his arrest.—State media
THE National Competitiveness Commission (NCC) is currently engaging manufacturers and producers countrywide to establish pricing formulae , a strategy meant to arrest the current distortions on cost of goods and services.
Since the adoption of a mono currency recently, Zimbabwe has witnessed a two-tier pricing model for goods and services pegged in bond notes and electronic transactions, resulting in profiteering by some business people.
It has been gathered that the NCC has over the past weeks been engaging industry players, giving recommendations to Government and the private sector on the state of the pricing regimes.
The widespread consultation by the commission has seen some players in the industry adjusting their prices in line with cost of production.
Government says it is also working on strengthening the Competitions and Tariff Commission (CTC) by putting in strong measures that promote competition and stiffer penalties for companies that violate competition laws.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Mangaliso Ndlovu said the measures would ensure prices of goods and services are ‘realistic’.State media
A POLICE officer based at ZRP Rusape Rural Police Station who allegedly resisted arrest and strangled his superior following a work-related altercation, has finally been cowed and arraigned in court for assault.
The suspect Callisto Tarutsvanga (39), a constable at Rusape Rural, allegedly pushed his superior Inspector Washington Kazinge (45), out of the charge office and strangled his neck while pressing him against the fence.
Tarutsvanga, who is represented by Mr Leonard Chigadza, of Chigadza and Associates Legal Practitioners, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He, instead, accused Insp Kazinge of assaulting him and further abusing his authority by filing a false report against him.
He appeared before magistrate Ms Rufaro Mangwiro facing assault charges as defined in Section 89(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23
Miss Ivy Mayimbo prosecuted.
She told the court that Tarutsvanga refused to take over duty from one constable Maboreke citing the presence of one female inmate (Lydia Musipa) in the charge office.
She said constable Maboreke took the matter to the officer-in-charge.
“Kazinge called the accused to his office and inquired from him why he was refusing to take over duty. The accused replied by insulting and threatening to assault the complainant.
“The complainant followed the accused and informed him that he was under arrest for his conduct. Tarutsvanga refused to be arrested, and pushed Kazinge out of the charge office, and strangled him while pressing him against the fence.
“Kazinge was rescued by other police officers that were nearby, leading to Tarutsvanga’s arrest,” she said.
The trial was adjourned to August 27, 2019.State media
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF Political Commissar Victor Matemadanda has described “reports of comedian Gonyeti’s abduction as the work of the ruling party’s political foes.”
“This is an attempt to tarnish the government’s image by detractors.”
Matemadanda was addressing war veterans and traditional leaders from Mashonaland East Province in Marondera on Friday.
“It is laughable to hear people saying the government is abducting its citizens. Surely what would we get from abducting a comedian like Gonyeti, that is the work of our detractors bent on tarnishing the image of the government,” claimed Matemadanda.
Liverpool have now scored 26 goals against Arsenal since Klopp took over in October 2015.
There have been more one-sided affairs than this, but at this stage of the campaign it was a showing of remarkable physical strength.
“It was a brilliant game from my side so early in the season,” said a beaming Klopp.
“It was outstanding. It was a performance full of power, energy, greed and passion, which I think you need to have against a team like Arsenal.
We were completely in charge of the game. We are not Disneyland, we do not need to excite everyone in every second. Our identity is intensity, and we showed that today.”
It was hard to know what was more frustrating for Emery: the defensive collapse or the wasted opportunities in the first half.
Arsenal had their chances in those opening exchanges, causing plenty of problems through the speed of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe, but their hope dwindled with every wayward shot and tame finish.
Was it an improvement on last year’s 5-1 thrashing here? Certainly. Was it enough of an improvement to make them think they are ready to seriously challenge sides like Liverpool and Manchester City? Absolutely not.
Arsenal remain worryingly frail under pressure, with Luiz’s addition seemingly doing little to paper over last season’s cracks.The Telegraph
England star Marcus Rashford was a victim of racist abuse on Twitter last night after his penalty miss proved costly in Manchester United’s shock defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
The 21-year-old crashed his second half spot kick against the inside of the post when United was trailing to a Jordan Ayew opener, in a game they ultimately lost 2-1.
Twiiter was awash with messages in reaction to Rashford’s miss, some of them racist, just days after Paul Pogba suffered the same predicament after missing one against Wolves.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer condemned the actions.
“We spoke about this before the weekend. We need to stop it,” said Solskjaer after the game.
“I’m lost for words. We keep having all these campaigns – no to racism, and they keep hiding behind fake identities. It’s just crazy that we’re talking about this in 2019,” he added-Soccer24
By A Correspondent| Former Co-Minister of State for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration during the inclusive Government and founding member of the MDC, Mrs Sekai Holland, has said some reports of abduction of opposition and civil society members by alleged State security agents were false.
Holland, who is National Peace Trust (NPT) board of trustees chairperson, said it was critical for diplomats in the country to first verify abduction claims before circulating messages on social media.
“The National Peace Trust notes with concern statements coming from some quarters of the diplomatic community, civil society and political players on the situation in Zimbabwe.
Some of these statements border on falsehoods, misinformation and outright malice and have the potential to further derail current fragile multiple peace building initiatives in Zimbabwe, a new and healthy feature which the NPT treasure, after the 52 years of Zimbabweans fear of one another and the painful silence our society has endured.
Zimbabweans need to take advantage of the new spirit ushered in by the 2nd Republic to call for peace and to open new spaces for conversations.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 20
Results at Glance:
Sunday
Highlanders 0-1 Harare City
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
Saturday
Bulawayo Chiefs 1-0 Black Rhinos
Chapungu 4-2 Caps United
Ngezi Platinum 1-1 Hwange
Yadah 1-1 Herentals
ZPC Kariba 3-0 Telone
CAF Champions League:
FC Platinum 3-2 Nyasa Big Bullets (FC Platinum proceeds to the next round after a 3-2 aggregate victory).
CAF Confederations Cup:
Rukinzo 0-0 Triangle (Triangle qualifies to the next round after winning the tie on 5-0 aggregate).
By Patrick Guramatunhu- It is now nearly two years since Mnangagwa launched his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” campaign. He was cocksure this was going to open the floodgates on new foreign and local investments. That has not happened, and many would say “Zimbabwe is open for business!” is dead in the water. The regime has not given up and is making a desperate attempt to revive the campaign.
President Mnangagwa is visiting Japan next week for the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) “a major engagement set to unlock mutually beneficial opportunities between Harare and Tokyo,” The Sunday Mail reported.
Zimbabwe needs “international help” during its reform process which Japan is willing to provide; Mr Kenichi Kasahara, Japanese embassy’s counsellor to Zimbabwe, told The Sunday Mail.
“The topmost point is that the President himself, President Mnangagwa, is going to Japan and he will meet Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe. We are actually arranging a bilateral meeting to be held on the sidelines of the summit,” explained Kasahara.
Of all the countries, Japan knows that Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by incompetent, corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs. Japanese investors have shied away from doing business in the country because the know no honest businessman or woman would ever want to do business with thugs.
Mnangagwa is hoping that a floodgate of Japanese investors will follow his visit to Japan; everyone knows he is a drowning man clutching straws!
The people of Zimbabwe have known these last 39 years that Zimbabwe is a pariah state ruled by incompetent, corrupt, vote rigging and murderous thugs. Powerless to remove the regime from office, the nation has tried work with the dictatorship and get on with their lives as best as they could. This has allowed the Zanu PF inspired mismanagement, corruption and lawlessness to grow and spread to the deadly cancers they are today!
In 2016 then President Robert Mugabe admitted that Zimbabwe was being “swindled” out of a staging US$15 billion in lost diamond revenue alone. We know the swindling had continued because his Minister of Finance, Patrick Chinamasa, told parliament in 2017 that government was getting 1/6 of the expected revenue from the diamond industry. By the time he was booted out of office in November 2017, he had not arrested even one diamond swindler nor recover one swindled dollar.
When Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe following the November 2017 military coup, he promised “zero tolerance on corruption”. It was just one of the many promises he made but failed to keep. It is now nearly two years since the coup and Mnangagwa is yet to arrest his first diamond swindler and recover his first swindled dollar!
No nation on earth can survive much less thrive given the extend of the economic haemorrhaging in Zimbabwe. For a country with whose GDP is a mere US$10 billion, losing US$ 15 billion through corruption is the equivalent of bleeding from the jugular artery! No wonder the Zimbabwe economy is in a comatose state!
As much as Zimbabwe needs help to revive its comatose economy it is clear the country needs to deal with the criminal waste of human and material resources that landed the nation into the economic mess in the first place. After 39 years of pretending we could work with the dictatorship; it is insane to do so for one more day.
Zimbabwe must now bite the bullet and demand an end to corruption, mismanagement and lawlessness which are only possible if the people’s democratic freedoms and rights are restored. We must bite the bullet and demand an end to bad governance and the Zanu PF dictatorship.
Yes, Zimbabwe needs “international help” in the form of generous injection of foreign aid and investment to revive the economy but what good will that do if the criminal waste of resources through corruption is allowed to continue. Zimbabwe needs international help to end bad governance, the jugular artery haemorrhage; as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state nothing of substance can ever be accomplished!
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” is dead his trip to Japan will do nothing to revive the mantra or the economy!
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Cassava Fintech, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Econet Group, says with effect from September 1, 2019, Zimbabweans sending money from the Diaspora will pay only 2.5% in remittance fees, a drastic reduction on a cost which usually runs between 8 and 15%, depending on the country from which the money is sent.
The company also announced a 30-day free promotion – which could be extended further depending on the market’s response – in which the remittance service, which is available on the Sasai App, will be for free.
Announcing the promotional offer in Harare on Friday, Cassava Zimbabwe CEO Eddie Chibi said the significant reduction in remittance fees would encourage Zimbabweans to send more money home to their families while also boosting foreign currency inflows into the country.
“By offering a free promotion, we are trying to create more foreign currency inflows into the country from outside Zimbabwe. We won’t make any money on it for now,” said Chibi, adding that the service would work from any country in the world and does not require any middle men or agents.
He said the timing of the offer was intentionally aimed at the month of September, when many Zimbabweans living abroad help their families back home with school fees payments.
Chibi said remitting money using the Sasai App, which works on any smartphone, ensured the money goes directly into the recipient’s EcoCash FCA account in Zimbabwe, adding that the money remained forex until the recipient decided to use it.
EcoCash last week launched a digital bureau de change which will allow EcoCash customers to instantly convert foreign currency from their EcoCash FCA account into local currency ready for use, from the convenience of their EcoCash mobile wallets.
The Sasai free remittance promotion by Cassava will be seen as greatly beneficial and convenient to millions of Zimbabweans.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same event, Chibi said Econet and Cassava Zimbabwe had decided to introduce a promotion called “Sasai Night Chat” which allows Sasai App users in Zimbabwe to chat on the platform for free for the next 30 days, between 10pm to 5am every day.
Chibi urged Zimbabweans with smartphones to download the free Sasai App and use it to talk to anyone inside or outside the Zimbabwe.
Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa, writing to his Facebook page – where he has millions of followers – said the service was aimed at all African countries.
Using the HashTag #RemittanceFeesMustFall, Masiyiwa said the new Sasai App was going to disrupt the cost of remittance fees worldwide.
Cassava is using Zimbabwe as a test case for the full integration of the Sasai App with EcoCash.
Other African countries with mobile money services are soon expected to follow, and integrate their mobile money services with Sasai.-Standard
By A Correspondent- In an audio which is doing the rounds on social media, an unidentified man claimed that the man in the picture above is called Maifeso Masakara and he took the minor that he is posing with in the picture and made her his wife.
The man in the audio said Masakara is in Southerton Harare. He also alleged that when they made a follow up on their daughter and asked him to return the minor, he dumped her in Tsakani and did not bring her back to the family.
Said the father of the minor:
“This is Maifeso Masakara (in the picture above), who took my daughter from here to make her his wife, that is my daughter, she is my daughter and she is only 15 years but he took her and slept with her as his wife. That is him. When we told him to bring back our child he did not bring her here he took her to Tsakani and she is in Tsakani. He took my 15 year old daughter and made her his wife. That is him.”
By A Correspondent- Highlanders Football Club registered their second straight defeat after losing 1-0 to Harare City at Barbourfields Stadium.
Bosso dominated proceedings throughout the game, but a 21st-minute goal from Jerry Chipangura spelt a bad day for the Bulawayo giants.
Prince Dube, MacClive Phiri, Peter Muduhwa and Brian Banda all created good chances but failed to hit the target.
Banda had the best opportunity falling on his way in the 17th minute but could not beat the keeper in a 1-v-1 situation.
Muduhwa also came close in the second but his strike hit the woodwork.
In Harare, Dynamos dropped points at home after a 1-1 stalemate with Chicken Inn at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys surrendered a first-half lead to record their second successive draw.
The visitors dominated possession in the opening minutes of the game with Innocent Muchaneka and Valentine Kadonzvo in the thick of things.
Dembare only came alive when they made their first meaningful attempt through Evans Katema whose flick was cleared off the line by Passmore Bernard. Ngandu Mangala followed up five minutes later with an effort which hit the side net.
The breakthrough only came just after the half-hour when Nigel Katawa headed home Tinotenda Muringani’s corner-kick.
The Gamecocks tried to make a quick response through Muchaneka, but his strike was superbly denied by Simba Chinani.
The keeper made another telling save on the stroke of half-time, parrying away a second Muchaneka attempt.
The second period had little chances created in the early moments, and the first real opportunity came on minute 72 when Simba Nhivi failed to mop in a spill by goalkeeper Pride Zendera.
Kadonzvo secured an equaliser for Chicken Inn with ten minutes left on the clock, handing his team a precious away point.
Results:
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
Highlanders 0-1 Harare City
By A Correspondent| A Chinhoyi woman is suing the Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and Minister of Home Affairs, Cain Mathema for the violence she suffered at the hands of 4 soldiers during the crackdown on citizens by the military and police following the January protests.
The woman, Jestina Jonga, is suing for $300,000 and is being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
Says Jonga’s court papers:
“On the day in question (Jonga) was at her place of residence when four officers invaded her home and questioned the plaintiff in relation to the violence that had reportedly occurred in Chinhoyi CBD on the same day.
The said officers proceeded to assault the plaintiff with sticks on her thighs and legs. As a direct result of this assault, the plaintiff was severely injured on her leg and endured excruciating pain.
At all material times, the Zimbabwe National Army officers, who unlawfully assaulted the plaintiff, were acting within the scope of their duties and in the course of their employment with the defendants.
Defendants are therefore vicariously liable for the unlawful actions of their subordinates.”-Standard
By A Correspondent| Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has accused the MDC of faking abduction to tarnish the government imageand to remain relevant.
He said the government is not involved in the recent political abductions in the country.
Said Ziyambi Ziyambi:
Why would we abduct people? To tarnish our own image? It is the MDC who are faking abductions, they are doing it so that they can remain relevant.
They have realised that they were becoming irrelevant. After the demonstration in January, all the other demonstrations that they tried have failed.
Who would abduct Gonyeti for Christ’s sake? Some people I began to know them after their abductions allegations.
Ziyambi joins other government officials who have also denied the government’s involvement in the recent abductions.
Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry, Nick Mangwana, and Deputy Defence minister Victor Matemadandaalso said the same recently.
By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum chairperson Jestina Mukoko has said that the government is behind the recent spate of abductions of politicians and activists in the country.
Her comments come after several government officials claimed that the abductions are not by the state but by a third force or just the MDC.
Said Mukoko:
“Where do some people other than them have access to guns? Even if you check my case, the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled that I was abducted by State agents.
So from my experience, it is the State behind all these. Abductions have been done by the State in the past.
I am sure the trend has not yet changed. The (former) minister of State Security (Didymus Mutasa) at one time stated in a certain document to protect those State agents.”
Jestina was herself once abducted by state agents in 2008 and spent 3 weeks with her location unaccounted for. She also spent more than 3 months in detention.-Standard
By A Correspondent- A Shamva man who could not stomach the thought of not having sex with his wife for one night will spend the next three months without getting his conjugal rights after he was jailed by a Bindura magistrate for severely assaulting his wife.
Emmanuel Chihuta aged 56 assaulted his better half after she refused to have sex with him arguing that she was not feeling well.
Chihuta (56), of Rather dale farm, Shamva, will spend three months behind bars after the magistrate Maria Msika conditionally suspended six months of the nine-month sentence.
Prosecutor Tariro Janhi said on August 17 at around 10pm, the man had a misunderstanding with his wife Plaxedes Makiti over conjugal rights. The wife refused to sleep with him that night because of back pain.
Chihuta flew into a rage accusing his wife of being a prostitute before assaulting her with a stick, punching, clapping and kicking her several times all over the body.
Makiti sustained a swollen face and back due to the assault.- Standard
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COUPLE from Zvishavane has appeared in court after being found in possession of marijuana and bottles of Broncleer cough syrup.
Clifford Mutero (35), and his wife Rivert Mahati (29) pleaded guilty when they appeared before Zvishavane Magistrate Mr Archie Wochiunga.
They were remanded out of custody to August 28 on $150 bail each.
Mr Wochiunga had no kind words for the couple saying they have destroyed many lives.
“Drug dealers should never go unpunished as they have no respect for human life.
“Drugs have destroyed many lives and it is the duty of the courts to make sure that those who sell drugs especially to the youths are handed stiffer penalties.
“The amount of drugs that you were found in possession of, shows that you have been dealing in drugs for a long time hence you have been ruining people’s lives for a very long time,” said Mr Wochiunga.
Representing the State, prosecutor Mr Lloyd Mavhiza told the court that police pounced on the couples’ home following a tip off.
“On July 25, detectives pounced on the couple’s home in Maglass suburb in Zvishavane after getting a tip off that the two were engaged in illicit drug dealings,” he said. Mr Mavhiza said police discovered various types of drugs at the couples’ home.
“Upon arriving at the house, police discovered 35kgs of dagga, Broncleer cough syrups, maragado drug and drums of fuel.
“The two were immediately arrested after failing to produce legal documentation which permitted them to be in possession of the drugs.
“The consignment was confiscated and was used as exhibit in court,” he said.
-State Media
Here’s something you don’t get to hear every day:
A Gauteng woman and her young daughter were left traumatized after she was assaulted for speaking to her child in English.
Patricia Ngobeni from Boksburg in Ekurhuleni was left with an Injured hand after a stranger attacked her while she and her daughter (6) were buying pies at a local shop on Saturday last week.
According to the victim Ngobeni, 29, It was a Saturday afternoon when she decided to go for a walk in town and bond with her daughter.
She said they decided to go get some pies during their walk and little did they know that an attack was awaiting at a local pie shop that they usually visit.
“When we arrived at the store, there was a Zulu-speaking man, who could be in his 50s, who was also there to buy a pie. After I picked a pie that I wanted, my daughter, speaking in English, picked hers. That’s when hell broke loose.
“The man attacked me by first poking his wallet into my eye and I retaliated by kicking him. He told me that he would kick me in the face. He then pushed me against the pie warmer and I fell on the floor and he continued to kick me.
“He told me I was stupid for speaking to my daughter in English yet white people don’t speak our languages.”
Ngobeni later opened a case with the local police.
Police spokesperson Justice Ramaube confirmed the case was opened but no arrestes have been made yet.
“I can confirm that a case of common assault was opened, but no one was arrested and investigations are continuing” said Ramaube.
The mother said what hurt her most about the incident was that her attacker seemed to have judged her without knowing her circumstances.
“He can’t teach me how to raise my child or which language I must use to talk to her.
“What if I’m coloured? Or what if my daughter was fathered by a coloured?
“I don’t understand why people walk around carrying so much anger in them and they take it out on the wrong people.
Ngobeni also revealed her daughter was still traumatised by the attack and, for that reason, she would do everything In her power to make sure the culprit gets arrested.
Jailed Nhlambabaloyi chief Felix Nhlanhlayamange Ndiweni had an early Christmas on Satrurday when he received various groups of visitors on Saturday at Khami prison where he is spending time for instructing the destruction of a subject’s property who had refused to adhere to the ruling of the Chief’s council.
The visitors that graced Ndiweni include the President of MDC Nelson Chamisa, his lawyer Dumisani Dube, Crown Council leader Effie Dlela Ncube, Social Democracy Forum and Ibhetshu lika Zulu which was represented by its Secretary General Mbuso Fuzwayo.
Speaking to this publication on Sunday Fuzwayo said, “We went to see the people’s Chief and he was very happy to see his subject standing in solidarity with him during these trying times that he is passing through. He urged us to send a message to the people of Zimbabwe that he is in high spirits and he is not broken. He said Zimbabwe and must continue with the work of defending their freedoms and to never lose focus.”
Fuzwayo said as Ibhetshu klika Zulu they were confident that the Chief will be granted his bail pending the hearing of his appeal against the conviction and the sentence.
Ndiweni was jailed for two years with sic months conditionally suspended.
“We believe that the appeal lodged by the legal team is strong enough to get the bail granted and the appeal sustained. He is the people’s Chief and we will give him a hero’s welcome when he comes back to reunite with his people.
Standard|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday visited jailed Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni at Khami Maximum Security Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo, where the traditional leader revealed he feared for his life.
Ndiweni told Chamisa that he was not taking any chances and was not having any food prepared by prison officials.
He also said a team of medical doctors have promised to have him undergo a full medical check-up once released.
Ndiweni is serving an 18-month jail sentence following his conviction by Bulawayo magistrate Gladmore Mushove for destroying a villager’s homestead. His co-accused, 23 other villagers, were ordered to do community service.
“I have not been taking food prepared by the prison. I have been extra-careful and ensuring that all the food I take is coming from outside, from the people I trust,” he said.
“Also, just yesterday [Friday], a team of medical doctors was here and promised a full medical check-up once I am released,” Ndiweni, who was in high spirits, told Chamisa.
Chamisa, who was mobbed by inmates during the visit, was accompanied by the chief’s lawyer Dumisani Dube and Senator Hellen Mpofu.
Chamisa told The Standard in an exclusive interview that the traditional leader was jovial and the prison stint had not sapped his energy.
“I was encouraged to see that the people’s chief is in high spirits,” he said.
“He is happy that he is not broken; he is not a broken man.
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“He continues to show courage and fortitude under extreme circumstances, but my coming here is just to express solidarity with him.”
Ndiweni has approached the High Court challenging his conviction and sentence.
He has also lodged papers seeking bail pending the determination of his challenge.
“He thanks the people of Zimbabwe for not being provoked to violence after his incarceration,” Chamisa added.
“He thanks people for continuing to be peaceful, and is encouraged and fortified that he now has a first-hand account of the rule of law and justice situation in our country so these things are going to be key when he leaves prison.”
Meanwhile, Chamisa condemned the recent abduction of opposition and civic society activists as terrorism, describing the kidnappings as akin to terrorist acts carried out by Al-Shabaab, a deadliest jihad group in sub-Saharan Africa, largely operating in Somalia.
“All our leaders at various levels even civic society activists are being terrorised,” he said.
“They are being terrorised for fighting for the terrorists and their terrorisers to also be happy.
“I don’t understand it because our problems are mutual, they are collective.
“A line has to be drawn in the sand. We can’t be back to Ian Smith’s days of Rhodesia, back to the days of repression under Mr [Robert] Mugabe.
“The same tactics that were being used against Zapu is the same template that is being used against the people now.
“The same old song is now being played and we must not dance to that music but also, we have to escalate this thing because we also have international instruments and international bodies that have a responsibility to protect the people.”
Castle Lager Premier Soccer League Matchday 20
Results at Glance:
Sunday
Highlanders 0-1 Harare City
Dynamos 1-1 Chicken Inn
Saturday
Bulawayo Chiefs 1-0 Black Rhinos
Chapungu 4-2 Caps United
Ngezi Platinum 1-1 Hwange
Yadah 1-1 Herentals
ZPC Kariba 3-0 Telone
CAF Champions League:
FC Platinum 3-2 Nyasa Big Bullets (FC Platinum proceeds to the next round after a 3-2 aggregate victory).
CAF Confederations Cup:
Rukinzo 0-0 Triangle (Triangle qualifies to the next round after winning the tie on 5-0 aggregate).
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A Chinhoyi woman is suing two ministers and the police chief for $300 000 after she was brutalised by four soldiers at her home during the army crackdown that followed the violent January protests.
Jestina Jonga has issued summons against Defence, Security and War Veterans minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, her Home Affairs counterpart Cain Mathema and police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga demanding compensation for the injuries.
Jonga wants damages for “unlawful assault, pain and suffering, contumelia and for loss of income” caused by the soldiers.
In the court papers, the woman’s lawyers said she was at home on January 14 when four soldiers raided her home.
“On the day in question (Jonga) was at her place of residence when four officers invaded her home and questioned the plaintiff in relation to the violence that had reportedly occurred in Chinhoyi CBD on the same day.
“The said officers proceeded to assault the plaintiff with sticks on her thighs and legs,” the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said.
“As a direct result of this assault, the plaintiff was severely injured on her leg and endured excruciating pain.
“At all material times, the Zimbabwe National Army officers, who unlawfully assaulted the plaintiff, were acting within the scope of their duties and in the course of their employment with the defendants.
“Defendants are therefore vicariously liable for the unlawful actions of their subordinates.”
Jonga is one of the many victims of assault perpetrated by the military and the police who have petitioned the court for compensation which is running into millions of dollars.
Her case is pending.
ZIMBABWE’S banking sector is skating on thin ice due to a illiquidity crunch that has drastically reduced the financial institutions’ capacity to lend following the reintroduction of a local currency, a report has revealed.
According to the report by brokerage research firm IH securities titled, The Zimbabwe Banking sector: Navigating a challenging monetary space, released on Friday, the currency reforms created a mismatch between foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities on some banks’ balance sheets.
The distortions have stifled the financial institutions’ lending capacity, the report says.
“The floating of the Zimbabwe dollar resulted in the translation of foreign currency denominated assets at the interbank rate,” reads part of the report.
“In cases where the banks have net liabilities denominated in foreign currency, [this] resulted in a larger increase in liabilities than assets.
“This will result in the decline in the capital of the bank ensuing a reduction in the lending capacity of the bank.
“As shown in the proforma 31 December 2018 balance sheets, Agribank and Ecobank would have been insolvent, further increasing liquidity risk within the banking sector.”
In June, the government made the real time gross settlement (RTGS) and bond notes the country’s sole legal tender, ending a decade of dollarisation.
The move was seen as another step towards the relaunching of the Zimbabwe dollar.
IH said in order for financial institutions to resume lending and improve funded income under the new dispensation, the banking sector would need to increase capital requirements.
It warned that the minimum capital requirement for commercial banks, which was set at US$100 million to be achieved by 2020, had effectively been reduced to US$10 million after the adoption of the mono currency regime.
“The implication is that the real value of capital is now US$10 million, which in our view, will cause most banks to re-assess risk and their lending capacity and further strain liquidity,” it added.
“Another point to note is that the assumption of the US$1,2 billion of legacy debt at a 1:1 by the central bank will result in the physical mopping-up of $1,2 billion from the banking sector, also effectively straining liquidity.”
IH said the indication that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) had no plans to increase the minimum capital requirements from $100 million after the promulgation of the local currency at a time when only four banks had reached core capital over and above the 2020 targeted prescribed minimum capital requirements of $100 million, spelt disaster.
The firm forecasts softening profitability and return on equity (ROEs).
It said a number of commercial banks might not be able to meet the $100 million target using retained earnings and would be forced to turn to shareholders for fundraising.
“According to the Reserve Bank’s supervision annual report for 2018, ZB and Metbank were the lowest capitalised banks at $69.86 million and $65.88 million core capital, respectively,” the report added.
“With retained earnings possibly being inadequate in terms of increasing the core capital to $100 million, we anticipate that some banks might need to turn to their shareholders for additional capital support through corporate actions such as rights offers and or consolidation for the banks that have common majority shareholders.”
IH said the $100 million minimum capital requirement for banks compared well with that of other countries in the region.
For instance, Angola requires banks to have a minimum capital of US$21,75 million.
Meanwhile, IH securities said the fact that funding for Zimbabwe’s banking sector continued to be dominated by transitory demand deposits contributing 64,94% to the total deposits meant there was a large liquidity mismatch between long-term assets created through the use of funded income.
Of the total $10,32 billion deposits registered within the banking sector as at December 31, 2018, the nostro foreign currency balance contributed 6,53%, translating to $673,81 million.
IH said for the interbank foreign currency market rates to converge with those on the parallel market, the RBZ must not play a significant role, hence the need for reforms.
“Reforms include the liberalisation of the market by allowing foreign currency generating companies to directly offload the foreign currency that is currently being retained by the central bank onto the market to increase liquidity of the market,” the firm said.
“Additionally, in line with the desire for the convergence of the parallel and formal rates, subsidies for specific goods or sectors (e.g. fuel or medicine) should be channelled through the budget, not through administered exchange rate,” IH said.
“We believe that under the right conditions, a functioning interbank market could provide a strong source of non-funded income for the banking sector — it is our view that the leading beneficiaries would be institutions that bank exporting clients creating a natural source of foreign currency liquidity — this would mostly be the international banks who are generally unlisted on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange with the exception of First Capital Bank (formerly Barclays Bank).”
Zimbabwe has been experiencing a liquidity crunch for a number of years due to the poor performance of the economy.
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A Shamva man who severely assaulted his wife after she refused to have sex with him because she was not feeling well has been jailed by a Bindura magistrate.
Emmanuel Chihuta (56), of Rather dale farm, Shamva, will spend three months behind bars after the magistrate Maria Msika conditionally suspended six months of the nine-month sentence.
Prosecutor Tariro Janhi said on August 17 at around 10pm, the man had a misunderstanding with his wife Plaxedes Makiti over conjugal rights. The wife refused to sleep with him that night because of back pain.
Chihuta flew into a rage accusing his wife of being a prostitute before assaulting her with a stick, punching, clapping and kicking her several times all over the body.
Makiti sustained a swollen face and back due to the assault.
Standard|President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has accused the opposition of staging-managing the abduction and torture of activists to soil the image of the country amid reports at least 18 people have been affected.
A number of MDC and civil society activists have in the last two weeks been allegedly abducted by armed gunmen who went on to torture them.
Popular comedian Samantha Kureya, who goes by the stage name Gonyeti, has been hospitalised after armed men seized her from her Harare home at night and tortured her.
The abductions coincided with calls by the main opposition party to stage countrywide protests against the deteriorating economic situation in the country.
Mnangagwa’s government has come under unprecedented pressure from the international community to stop the human rights violations.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the government was not involved in the abductions of the opposition party and civil society activists.
“Why would we abduct people? To tarnish our own image? It is the MDC who are faking abductions, they are doing it so that they can remain relevant,” he said.
“They have realised that they were becoming irrelevant. After the demonstration in January, all the other demonstrations that they tried have failed.
“Who would abduct Gonyeti for Christ’s sake?
“Some people I began to know them after their abductions allegations.”
Nick Mangwana, the government spokesperson, claimed people were being paid to stage the abductions.
This is despite the fact that Kureya’s tormentors also assaulted members of her family and left her severely injured.
“Actors are being paid to come up with performances and not so true accusations of abductions,” Mangwana claimed.
“The opposition has said it’s changing tactics from protests.
“It’s within logical reason to believe that they have moved to dirty tactics and dark arts supported by the former establishment people.”
Mangwana has also previously blamed the human rights violations on loyalists of former president Robert Mugabe who were dismissed from the country’s security establishment.
However, Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum chairperson Jestina Mukoko said there were reasonable grounds to suspect that the state was behind the abductions.
“There has been an increase in the number of abductions over the past few days, may be it was because of the demonstrations. It is inhumane and disgraceful,” she said.
“It is the State coming up with such statements that there is a third hand.
“Where do some people other than them have access to guns? Even if you check my case, the Constitutional Court unanimously ruled that I was abducted by State agents.
“ So from my experience, it is the State behind all these. Abductions have been done by the State in the past.
“I am sure the trend has not yet changed. The (former) minister of State Security (Didymus Mutasa) at one time stated in a certain document to protect those State agents.”
Mukoko said the Justice ministry had been claiming that Kureya stage-managed her abduction.
“Government should come out clearly and state its position. If not we are going in the dark, if someone commits crime, they should be arrested,” she said.
“Due process should be followed. Why abducting them? Those who abduct people should be held accountable.”
Mangwana yesterday insisted that Mugabe loyalists could be behind the abductions, claiming that it was possible they could be working with the opposition..
“We suspect it’s a serious team of former establishment people who are opposed to the reform agenda,” he added.
“They are also bent on ensuring that the ED presidency is not successful and are surely bent on derailing it.
“There is also a hypothesis that they are working closely with the opposition.”
MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele said they suspected the government was behind the abductions.
“Investigations are still ongoing, so, it is difficult to know exactly where it is, but my fears and suspicion is that these are being funded by the State,” he said, “So, there is a hand of the government in this, that is my suspicion, that it is the way the regime is reacting to intimidate and to instil fear in the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition regional coordinator Blessing Vava said abductions and torture were weapons used by the ruling party to intimidate and instil fear among citizens.
“It is naïve to think that that there is a third force that is orchestrating these abductions,” he said.
“We know that this has been Zanu PF practice over the years. It is clear it is the hand of the military, they are the ones that have guns.
“No ordinary Zimbabwean can do such an operation and it shows that these are people who are trained, these are people who know what they are doing.”
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they were investigating the abductions.
“As for us, we are conducting investigations, none has been arrested,” he said.
“We are investigating those cases which have been reported to us.
“We are investigating without rushing to conclusions. It is wrong for people especially the media to put in conclusions.
“I am appealing to the media to wait till investigations are over,” he said.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission chairperson Elasto Mugwadi said they could not comment on the issue because they were still carrying out investigations.
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been encouraged by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not to change his style after his error led to Crystal Palace’s winner at Old Trafford.
Pogba was robbed of possession by Palace enforcer Cheikhou Kouyate in stoppage-time and the breakaway ended with a stoppage-time strike from Patrick van Aanholt past a feeble David de Gea.
Against Wolves at home last season, Ruben Neves dispossessed Pogba and Wolves broke to equalise through Joao Moutinho and earn a point. Then-United manager Jose Mourinho afterwards accused Pogba of not being prepared for ‘a situation the players knew perfectly’ against renowned pressers Neves and Moutinho.
Pogba constantly demanded the ball throughout United’s defeat to Palace on Saturday and Solskjaer has no intention of tempering the Frenchman’s style on the back of his error.
“I thought, as the rest of the team, he grew in the game,” Solskjaer said. “He wins the ball really well for our first goal, plays some great passes, and he knows – and we know – he’s going to want the ball all the time.
“And he knows he lost the ball but he will lose the ball again and he will try again. So no problem with that.
“Well done Paul winning the ball back [for the first goal], we’re going forward and a great finish, top corner. Then in the last five minutes, we should have managed them better because Anthony [Martial] was injured, he was hobbling around. So he couldn’t really give us anything and we played with 10 men.
“So maybe we should have played a few more passes and they wouldn’t have come at us. But that happens and they scored a good goal.”
By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has accused the MDC of faking abduction to tarnish the government image.
He said the government is not involved in the recent political abductions in the country.
Said Ziyambi Ziyambi:
“Why would we abduct people? To tarnish our own image? It is the MDC who are faking abductions, they are doing it so that they can remain relevant.
They have realised that they were becoming irrelevant. After the demonstration in January, all the other demonstrations that they tried have failed.
Who would abduct Gonyeti for Christ’s sake? Some people I began to know them after their abductions allegations.”
Ziyambi joins other government officials who have also denied the government’s involvement in the recent abductions.
Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry, Nick Mangwana, and Deputy Defence minister Victor Matemadanda are also on record saying the same recently
The Mighty Warriors will not camp at the Zifa Village ahead of their Olympic qualifying match against Zambia this week.
The women national team is scheduled to play on Wednesday in the first leg of the second round encounter before travelling back home for the return fixture on Sunday.
According to Zifa, the ladies will camp at the Yadah Complex after owner Prophet Walter Magaya agreed to offer accommodation.
“The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) would like to express sincere gratitude to Prophet Walter Magaya and PHD Ministries for agreeing to our request to offer accommodation to the Mighty Warriors ahead of their departure to Zambia for the Women Olympic qualifier match against Shepolopolo,” the association said in a statement.
All women’s teams have been using the Zifa Village for camp, but they always complained about the sub-standards at the facility.
Manchester United star Paul Pogba has taken to social media to hit back at racism trolls with a powerful message.
Both Pogba and his teammate Marcus Rashford have been subject to foul racist abuse in recent days, with United quick to condemn the behaviour of a minority of fans.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was “lost for words” when asked about the Pogba abuse and then said it was “crazy” when more vile comments appeared to target Rashford.
United fans responded to the abuse of Pogba by displaying a flag that read ‘United against racism’, while they chanted ‘there’s only one Paul Pogba’ before kick off and during the game, with the player responding by applauding the Stretford End at Old Trafford.
And posting on Instagram, Pogba has reiterated his powerful stance.
He said: “My ancestors and my parents suffered for my generation to be free today, to work, to take the bus, to play football. Racist insults are ignorance and can only make me stronger and motivate me to fight for the next generation.”
Pogba posted the words alongside a picture of himself holding his baby son, with artwork which depicted American race campaigner Martin Luther King in the background.
“It’s the same as we spoke about before the weekend,” Solskjaer said. “It’s unheard of, and it needs to stop. I’m just lost for the words if it keeps going.
“We keep having all these campaigns, ‘no to racism’, and they still keep hiding behind fake identities, and it’s just crazy we talk about this in 2019.”
Liverpool have now scored 26 goals against Arsenal since Jurgen Klopp took over in October 2015.
There have been more one-sided affairs than this, but at this stage of the campaign it was a showing of remarkable physical strength.
“It was a brilliant game from my side so early in the season,” said a beaming Klopp.
“It was outstanding. It was a performance full of power, energy, greed and passion, which I think you need to have against a team like Arsenal.
We were completely in charge of the game. We are not Disneyland, we do not need to excite everyone in every second. Our identity is intensity, and we showed that today.”
It was hard to know what was more frustrating for Emery: the defensive collapse or the wasted opportunities in the first half.
Arsenal had their chances in those opening exchanges, causing plenty of problems through the speed of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe, but their hope dwindled with every wayward shot and tame finish.
Was it an improvement on last year’s 5-1 thrashing here? Certainly. Was it enough of an improvement to make them think they are ready to seriously challenge sides like Liverpool and Manchester City? Absolutely not.
Arsenal remain worryingly frail under pressure, with Luiz’s addition seemingly doing little to paper over last season’s cracks.The Telegraph
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF Political Commissar Victor Matemadanda has described “reports of comedian Gonyeti’s abduction as the work of the ruling party’s political foes.”
“This is an attempt to tarnish the government’s image by detractors.”
Matemadanda was addressing war veterans and traditional leaders from Mashonaland East Province in Marondera on Friday.
“It is laughable to hear people saying the government is abducting its citizens. Surely what would we get from abducting a comedian like Gonyeti, that is the work of our detractors bent on tarnishing the image of the government,” claimed Matemadanda.
