Decorated constitutional lawyer Fadzayi Mahere is struggling to clear her name following widespread criticism over her role in the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) corruption scandals after it emerged she represented Metbank against the social security authority.
Social media has been awash with messages in which people claim opposition lawyers are double dipping by criticizing corruption yet at the same time they represent the same criminals fingered in corrupt shenanigans.
“The joke mukoma is that the Metbank lawyer @advocatemahere also happens to be the MDC Secretary for Sports & she also represented the current but embattled Zimbabwe Cricket chairman who is a ZANUPF MP. @nelsonchamisa you guys are not serious. Senator @DavidColtart deal with this,” wrote one Twitter user.
“This is a profession, Fadzie. You don’t owe anyone any explanation. You didn’t solicit for this case, would a Dr deny to treat Chiwenga just because he/she is MDC? That’s how you make a living. I hope you stop explaining yourself,” another user tweeted.
Mahere in her response to one of the Twitter users had this to say;
By A Correspondent- The government has blamed a third hand in the shooting and killing of protestors in Harare on August 1, 2018.
Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri said that the army will never turn its guns on people.
Addressing war veterans at Bazeley Bridge in Zimunya Marange on Saturday during the Manicaland war veterans’ inter-district conference, Muchinguri-Kashiri said:
My ministry’s position is that we do not point our guns at the people, our soldiers know their worth and that their job is to protect the masses and not to shoot them.
When demonstrations broke out in August there were enemies that had been planted to shoot at people and later we saw that the bullets that had been fired were not ours.
They joined the demonstrations so that we will be blamed but we are carrying out investigations to flush them out.
Those that are organising demonstrations only want to soil Zanu-PF’s image.
That is what they are looking for and that is why they keep provoking us but as the army, we are very disciplined and would not shoot at people.
Wherever we have gone like Somalia we have done well. We have an impeccable record. Our enemies are using different tactics so we all need to be on the lookout.
She accused some Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) of working with “the enemy” to train people for subversive activities.-StateMedia
The Commissioner-General may, with the approval of the Minister, award to any person, not being an employee of the Authority or a near relative of an employee of the Authority, a monetary reward for information provided or any measure taken which results in detection of smuggling or any other offence against any of the Acts specified in the First Schedule, and the recovery of revenue which would otherwise have been lost.…
The amount to be awarded in terms of the mentioned Section 34B of the Revenue Authority Act is at a rate of ten per cent of the recovered revenue.
The revenue has to be paid first by the person investigated before the whistleblower is paid.
The 10% reward is deducted from the revenue paid by the person being investigated.
BY DR MASIMBA MAVAZA| In Goromonzi 45 miles from the capital Harare lies a village called Mavaza village. We arrived in this village at around 10 pm.
The villagers were already gathered at the headman’s compound. The headman was an old bearded man his name was Josiah Mavaza if I was not mistaken. We did not announce our arrival we just surrounded the village head’s compound. We had our code. If anyone walks into our net we would ask a question. “Who is it. The answer would be and who are you then the security code is complete. The code will change everyday.
Cde Deska Chatambudza was pumped. It was the start of Operation That year was called the year of Gukurahundi not the Gukurahundi after the war. We named all the years and there was the year of the people then Gukurahundi and the year of the people’s power. This was the year we attained our independence.
Gukurahundi was the guerrilla led military offensive designed to flush out and destroy the white oppressors and their sympathisers we called Zvimbwa sungata. I started my favourite song which was Muzorewa tomufananidza nani vakomana. Others would say tomufananidza na tsindi. It was a morale booster. This operation was so personal to me. For some reasons I was ordered to operate in my area. Not my really area it was an area where my mother was born. My mother was a Mavaza va Chihera vedzinza ra Nehanda Nyakasikana.
In the morale of the Pungwe we did not know that we were riding into battle alongside 20 troops of the ZANLA forces. If intelligence reports were correct, there were between 100 and 250 enemy fighters holed up in the mountains twenty kilometres from us. The Rhodesian soldiers were in Nyaungwe mountains in the Chikupo village. They had very strong binoculars which could see us. The message got to us very late in the morning. We could not hide in the cover of darkness.
They were hiding in the extensive cave network buried in the mountain ridges around the valley. We decided to dress up as ladies and put our guns in the water buckets used to fetch water.
We would then walk to the primary school which was nearby. We instructed the teachers to continue teaching as normal. We have had reports that we were under surveillance and that helicopters were on their way to the village. Maybe our night Virgil sold us out. But reports can be wrong. Minutes after the combat-ready troops stormed down the rear ramps of the helicopters, we came under heavy fire from the high ground overlooking our position at the primary school.
It was called Mavaza St Judes Primary school. In few minutes we were pinned down by nearly 1000 enemy fighters it was at Mavaza primary in Mavaza village in ibchief Chikwakas kingdom. Me and my comrades stared eventual death in the face. My name for the war was cde Kapfumotepa.
Eighteen relentless hours of hell were just beginning. With machine-gun bullets kicking up the dust and rock around our feet, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades bursting among us and with a quarter of the cdes sustaining injuries, it seemed that the cdes had been cut off and trapped. But there was no way Kapfumotepa was going down without a fight. Nor were the men he was with. Holding off the enemy at close range, rescuing the injured, dodging the bullets, counterattacking alone. We gave all that we had, and more. And as dusk and the enemy began to close in, i was determined i was not going to die on my mother’s soil of birth , not at the hands of the white enemies.
This is the gripping true story of how a forgotten hero fought the fight of his life against the world’s deadliest terrorists in the most dangerous corner on earth and came out victorious, a saviour to his fellow troops and a forgotten hero in his homeland. It is the clearest account yet of one of the fiercest engagements in the history of the ZANLA forces war of freedom.
I saw many soldiers coming our direction we had to retreat in the Mountain nearby. Below the mountain was a river called Masekandauya. I looked down to the school the enemy had entered the school fence. I saw the headmaster of the school being pushed to the assembly point. We head a gunshot the head master was down. He died on the spot. His name was baba Ruth or teacher Matsika. His death was painful. He died protecting us yet we had guns.
His death gave us more courage. We clutched our guns and cried out loud. Our cries became a song which said” Tinofa tichienda muzimbabwe kudzamara tinosvika muna zambezi kudzamara tino svika muzimbabwe. Nehanda komborera mhuri ye Zimbabwe nehanda komborera varimumakomo nehanda komborera varimumakomo. We then took courage and ran back to the school. I aimed and fired i saw the enemy troop falling down like a deck of cards.
With support of Nehanda i saw the troops retreating and driving off in a hurry. I continued firing i could not count how many I put down. It was after a while That i realised the enemy had disappeared.
I looked for cde Deska for command. He was not there. I realised he was dead. I looked around my comrades were gone. I was the sole survivor. How i pushed away hundreds of soldiers was not heroic. It was divine help from Nehanda and God almighty.
But now Kapfumotepa the Hero of Mavaza battle sits as nobody all have forgotten him. He fought side by side with General Chiwenga he fought with honourable Shiri. Now no one even looks back at him. He cries. Is this the freedom.
Freedom is yet to come for many comrades who toil and crawl in the poverty they were fighting. This Heroes day may we shed a tear for these comrades.
Minister of @InfoMinZW Hon Senator Monica Mutsvangwa has been appointed acting Minister of @Min_ICTCS_ZW from 4-6 August 2019 while Hon Kazembe Kazembe is away on official business.
— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) August 6, 2019
By Victor Bhoroma| The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) reintroduced the Zimbabwean Dollar and outlawed the use of multicurrencies on the local market on the 24th of June 2019, despite widespread concerns on burning the midnight oil on implementing monitory reforms before addressing core issues that support the currency value. It was also apparent that the introduction of the Zimbabwean Dollar was rushed without proper considerations on the impact of removing the multicurrency regime on the viability of key economic sectors such as aviation, tourism, financial markets, insurance and pensions, mining, energy and other government institutions such as the Registrar General. Massive confusion ensured and the central bank had to issue two exchange control directives so far relaxing earlier conditions and exempting certain payments that can now be done in multicurrency. Even though the Zimbabwean Dollar is now the legal tender, petroleum companies, chrome miners, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), embassies and multinational corporations operating locally can use foreign currencies for local transactions through the foreign currency accounts (FCAs). This also applies to payment of Import Duty for the importation of certain commodities classified as luxuries by the government.
A lot of exemptions were made
and more are expected especially in mining, tourism and other institutions of
government that desperately need foreign currency to operate. Businesses in
Victoria Falls have rejected the Zimbabwean Dollar just as some Small to Medium
Enterprises (SMEs) in auto parts, equipment and pharmaceutical retailing have
done. There is no doubt that the local economy is partially dollarized and the
situation is bound to get worse as local production plummets and inflation
persists above the 175.66% recorded in June 2019.
Zimbabwe’s treasury
department demonetized the Zimbabwean Dollar on 12 June 2015 and vowed never to
introduce a local currency until local production had improved beyond 80% and
key economic fundamentals aspects such as debt and government expenditure had
been restructured. In February 2016, the introduction of the Bond Note was
communicated as a solution to the cash crisis in the market. The Bond note was later
introduced in November 2016 with a decreed exchange rate of 1:1 to the US
Dollar but its introduction did not address the communicated purpose. At that
time, authorities highlighted that a separate account for foreign currency was
not needed by account holders. However in October 2018, the central bank gave
local banks an ultimatum to separate the so called US Dollar accounts and FCAs.
During this period up to June 2019, the government dismissed any talk of
re-introducing the Zimbabwean Dollar while Treasury and central bank authorities
issued conflicting statements on monitory reforms. In February 2019, the RTGS
became a currency with an official rate of 2.5 to 1 US Dollar. In June 2019,
the Zimbabwean Dollar was introduced despite all fundamentals being in the
negative. All these policy pronouncements have wiped value from personal and
business savings, pension funds, local credit lines, financial assets and investments
at each turn.
Apart from the regular
central bank policy ultimatums, Zimbabwe’s history is marred with policy
inconsistency in almost every economic sector; From the heavy handed
implementation of indigenization policy on selected commercial entities since
2008 and its overhaul in November 2018; Introduction and removal of the STEM
initiative in education; Awarding and cancellation of roads and infrastructure
tenders; Amalgamation of Diamond mining entities by the previous government and
relicensing them individually in 2019; Land expropriation and the frequent
threats to seize selected farms by government officials today despite promises
for protection of property rights; Banning of imports for products manufactured
locally through Statutory Instrument 64 of 2016 to suspending the regulations; Back and forth on the alignment of various
laws to the 2013 constitution; Plans to trim the civil service in October 2018
to a summersault on the plan the following month; Re-engaging the European
Union, United States and Commonwealth with a push towards key reforms to
announcements that the government is not desperate in its reengagement process
and, announcing a raft of austerity measures in October 2018 only to abandon
ship less than 1 year into the policy before any positive results of the
austerity programme show on the economy.
Policy inconsistencies and poor
succession planning in government can write a voluminous book yet there are no
lessons learnt from previous experiences. Yesteryear blunders are repeated
while failed policies from years back are dusted and tabled as new policies
without any due diligence on why they failed initially. Sound government
policies are suspended not because of their demerits to the economy but for
political reasons. The authorities expect businesses and the market at large to
adjust immediately and adopt the new policy direction without any considerations
on the impact to economic production or financial losses.
Policy
consistency is a fundamental piece to the economic puzzle, without which it
becomes difficult to attract both domestic and foreign investment. Zimbabwe’s
foreign direct investment inflows average $350 million in the last 10 years
against a SADC regional average of $1.2 billion. Despite the abundance of
natural resources and massive opportunities in the local market, investors shy
away from Zimbabwe and invest in countries that may have limited resources. There
is a direct relationship between market confidence and policy consistency, thus
the continued decline of the Zimbabwean Dollar against major currencies can
largely be explained by lack of confidence. A severe confidence shortfall
is costing Zimbabwe billions each year as large amounts of foreign currency are
externalized to safe havens by local business people (including government
officials). Exporters and other organizations in the economy are holding onto
over $1.1 billion in their foreign currency accounts despite calls to liquidate
or trade the foreign currency on the interbank market. The market is simply not
sure of the next policy pronouncement and hedging against losses through
savings in the US Dollar have become the norm. Investors adopt a wait and see
approach to the detriment of economic growth.
The government is a
key player in the economy and its policies chat the path to economic progress,
but an economy has various players in the value chain that derive utility from
interconnected relationships to other sectors. A major policy pronouncement in
agriculture does not affect agricultural production alone but the entire
economy. The same can be said with all the central bank directives in the
financial sector, announcements on petroleum and energy, salary adjustments in
the civil service, prosecution of corruption cases, the upcoming fiscal budget
review and privatization of State Enterprises and Parastatals (SEPs) among
other topical policies or government interventions at the present moment. There
is an urgent need to separate key institutions such as central bank operations
(monitory policy) from political decisions. It’s also vital for the government
to consult key stakeholders and practice due diligence before announcing market
defining policies today before changing direction tomorrow. A long term view on economic policy allows
for stable economic growth, employment creation, investment and business
continuity.
Victor Bhoroma
is economic analyst. He is a marketer by profession and holds an MBA from the
University of Zimbabwe (UZ). For feedback, mail him on [email protected] or alternatively follow him on Twitter @VictorBhoroma1.
By A Correspondent- A senior government official on Monday suggested that Auditor-General Mildred Chiri’s audit reports could not be trusted.
The acting Finance secretary, Zvinechimwe Churu, appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to answer questions relating to issues of financial impropriety in his ministry where US$3,2 billion was unaccounted for in 2017 and 2018.
When Committee Chair, Tendai Biti reminded Churu that the AG (Chiri) in her report concluded that the Ministry made allocations of US$3,2 billion to line ministries, which had not even requested for the amounts and without providing her with supporting documents, Churu responded:
I am surprised by those audit observations by Chiri.
Biti advised Churu to withdraw his statement as he was implying that Chiri lacked integrity.
Said Biti:
We cannot accept that you accuse the AG of lack of integrity and if you continue to do that then we are finished as a country because you cannot challenge audit reports.
We advise you that you withdraw any statement that seeks to impeach on, directly or indirectly an insinuated attack on the AG.
Churu however, denied that he was questioning Chiri’s integrity.
He said:
I did not attack the AG. I am only saying can you also please give the Accountant-General in the Ministry of Finance Daniel Muchemwa the benefit of the doubt.
I have a lot of respect for this committee and MPs, but it is also unfair for MPs to say they have a position on my character.-Newsday
The United States intelligence agencies have warned of a possible retaliation from al-Qaeda following the purported death of Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza.
UK Mirror quoted a security sources as saying: “There is a strong will still out there for another 9/11 so the bin Laden nightmare is far from over – even though it is likely the founder’s only possible terrorist heir has been killed.”
The source described Hamza as inexperienced “operationally” but added that he was as “irresistible” as “a scion of the most famous terror mastermind the world has known”.
The source added that the world’s number one terrorist, Bin Laden hoped that his son would someday “take up the challenge of leading al-Qaeda so he could not be allowed by the West to rally support for a new and more dangerous al-Qaeda.”
The remarks come after NBC News cited three US officials as saying in late July that Hamza bin Laden is dead.
Officials did not elaborate on where or when Hamza died or whether the US played any role in his death.
Hamza, who earlier urged al-Qaeda followers to attack the US for killing his father, was regarded as the likely successor to the terrorist group’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The US State Department, in turn, offered a reward of $1 million for information on the whereabouts of bin Laden’s son.
Osama bin Laden was killed on 2 May 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan, during a US Navy SEAL special operation following a 10-year manhunt. It was initiated as part of a response to the terrorist attacks in the US on 11 September 2001 that claimed the lives of about 3,000 people.
Government says civil servants will get their bonuses for the year in November, amid expectations that the amounts could be increased to improve the workers’ welfare.
This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday during a post Mid-Year Budget Review and Supplementary Budget breakfast meeting in Harare.
“I insist that the civil servants will get their bonuses again this year, on time at the end of November. All of them will get paid, (because) we want to make sure that we keep that track record in paying civil servants.
“You know there was a few moments in the past when they didn’t know when they would get paid, now they know exactly when they will get paid.
“Who knows what I would do if we end up with a small surplus at the end of the year? We may even try to over-perform on bonus payment to the civil servants.”
Last year, the Government paid civil servants bonuses on pensionable salaries only, moving away from the previous practice where it used to pay the 13th cheque on gross earnings (including allowances).
Prof Ncube urged the private sector to look after their employees, who continue to bear the brunt of high prices of goods and services.
His call comes as the private sector has been increasing prices of the goods they make and services offered, but not adjusting workers’ salaries.
ZIMBABWE’S major power plant, Kariba Hydro Power Station, will likely be shut down next month due to continued critical low water levels, a development that will pave way for deeper power cuts in the country, an official has said.
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) business performance manager Bernard Chizengeya told journalists yesterday during the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera)’s energy journalism workshop in Harare that water levels at Kariba Dam were so critical to an extent that it might be decommissioned by September.
“We are going to reach what we call a minimum level where if we reach that level, we cannot use the remaining water to generate (electricity). Why is it so? The minimum level is 475 metres and currently, we are on 478m. So we are three metres above the minimum level,” Chizengeya said.
“If we keep on generating the way we are doing, by September [this year] we will actually shut down Kariba. There will be no power coming from there. So, we need to manage it,” he said.
The country is currently facing its most severe power crisis in decades, with manufacturing companies and households going for up to 18 hours a day without electricity, putting the country’s economy at risk of total collapse.
The southern African nation imports electricity from Mozambique and South Africa, but due to an acute foreign exchange shortage, the country has failed to retire debts to South African power utility Eskom and Mozambique’s Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa.
As a result, Eskom cut down the power it sells to Zimbabwe from 450 megawatts to a mere 50 megawatts.
To make matters worse, other power stations like Bulawayo, Harare and Munyati have passed their lifespans.
Hwange is also facing technical challenges.
“So, when we get to this 475m, which is not very far, we are predicting that if we don’t change the way we are doing things, we will actually shut down Kariba and possibly, we will then have to wait for the inflows,” Chizengeya said.
“So that will only leave us with one power station, which has also passed its expected lifespan. We don’t have foreign currency to buy spares. We cannot do life extension. So, such is our situation in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Foreign exchange shortages have had a negative bearing on electricity supplies in Zimbabwe, with the current electricity import bill standing at $83 million, according to Energy minister Fortune Chasi.
As a result, neighbouring countries are reluctant to supply electricity to Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution and Transmission Company is owed $1,2 billion, with the largest chunk being by local authorities who owe the utility in excess of $300 million and government departments $32 million.
Jane Mlambo| Former South African minister Bathabile Dlamini has bemoaned the state of the Zimbabwean economy saying it breaks her heart to see a once thriving country becoming a sad liberation movement story.
Posting on Twitter, Dlamini said she hopes South Africa will not walk the Zimbabwe path due to political infighting and heavy dependence on government.
What is happening in Zimbabwe is just heartbreaking ?. What was once a thriving economy is now a sad liberation movement story. I hope we don't walk that path with our political in-fighting and heavy dependence on government. #MondayMotivaton
Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has been told to explain the leaked emails that appear to suggest he misled Parliament about the fund-raising campaign for his ANC presidency.
The EFF on Sunday accused Ramaphosa of misleading the country while the DA called on him to go public and explain his claim that he did not know the identities of those who funded his 2017 ANC presidential campaign.
This comes after News24 published emails showing that Ramaphosa was getting consultation from his campaign managers regarding fund-raising for his bid to go up against Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma at the party’s conference.
EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu took to Twitter, saying the emails were proof that Ramaphosa had misled the country.
“This exposes the lies being told by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, and once again, Jamnandas (PG) confirms that his travel costs were paid by CR17 & this was never disclosed in Parliament. When we report this to the public protector and Parliament, we are defenders of state capture,” Shivambu said.
DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said Ramaphosa had to now come out and explain himself. “The challenge now to the president is for him to come out and answer the question. “He must show leadership and take ownership of some of the errors that his campaign made,” Malatsi said.
Last month, Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane found Ramaphosa to have lied to Parliament in regard to the R500 000 donation from controversial Bosasa chief executive Gavin Watson for his campaign. Ramaphosa told the National Assembly that the money was a result of a contract which his son, Andile, had with Bosasa when he was asked by DA leader Mmusi Maimane about the funds.
He subsequently wrote to Parliament indicating that the money was a donation from Watson for his presidential campaign but that he was not aware of the funds as he did not directly interact with or know about those who had funded his campaign.
In one the emails, Ramaphosa’s campaign manager Donne Nicol allegedly asked Ramaphosa to contact Macsteel founder Eric Samson and thank him as well as ask for a further R10 million.
Announcing his decision to take Mkhwebane’s report on urgent judicial review, Ramaphosa insisted that his campaign managers had taken a conscious decision where they said he must not be involved or know about the finer details of the fund-raising.
“Of course I knew that money was being sourced but I was never told about the intricate issues that they got involved in. I never got to know about all the other details that went into the funding of the campaign,” Ramaphosa said.
The emails also detailed the central role played by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan in raising the funds for Ramaphosa’s campaign. South Africans and political leaders took to social media to weigh-in on the possible implications which could be triggered by the revelations.
Political analyst Xolani Dube of the Xubera Institute warned that the leaks would arm Ramaphosa’s critics and opponents within the ruling party to say “we are all dirty”.
“Those who have been viewed as anti-patriotic are saying, Cyril, you are dirty just like us and so now you can’t go out and claim that you are immaculate, you are also dirty.”
Meanwhile, as the controversy around the president continued to rage, Twitter users had a field day, pointing out how some of the people who had helped to fund the campaign were later rewarded with positions in embattled state-owned companies such as Eskom.
The Presidency had not responded at the time of publication.
Eskom has confirmed it will start selling large quantities of electricity to Zimbabwe again soon, fully reinstating a power export arrangement it curtailed after Zimbabwe had failed to pay its debts.
“Eskom can confirm that we have agreed on a payment plan for the outstanding debt and that proof of payment has been received,” the South Africa utility told Business Insider South Africa on Monday.
“Eskom and ZESA [the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority] are at the late stages of concluding an agreement.”
Eskom did not say how much of its arrears Zimbabwe had settled. But at a meeting in Harare on Monday, Zimbabwe’s secretary for finance, George Guvamatanga, said at least $10 million (the equivalent of around R149 million) was paid last week to foreign electricity suppliers – which he did not name – with an additional payment due this week..
The Zimbabwean government had previously promised such payments, and even said they had been made, but Eskom refused to continue discussions until it had actually seen the money in its bank account.
Eskom told Business Insider it would reinstate supplies once payment guarantees – which should prevent future debts from piling up – are in place.
Once the financial engineering is in place, Eskom will sell Zimbabwe up to 400MW, it said. But only 50MW of that will be contracted on a “firm basis”. The remainder, a total of some 25% of Zimbabwe’s estimated national electricity needs, will be on a “non-firm” basis.
When South Africa goes into load shedding “any non-firm exports are reduced to zero and firm exports are reduced proportionally in accordance to the loadshedding stage,” Eskom said.
Political activist Jim Kunaka’s docket is now complete and is under final inspection before the trial commences. Kunaka who is facing charges of subverting a constitutionally elected government had a remand hearing at the Harare Magistrates Court on Thursday and was further remanded to September 5.
The state said it is now ready for trial and there will not be further delays with the case. Prosecutor Charles Muchemwa said Kunaka’s indictment papers should be ready by the next sitting.
Kunaka’s defense has alleged that the state does not have a strong case and is applying delaying tactics. His lawyer, Mr Job Sikhala told the court that the state has to provide indictment papers by the next sitting or they will appeal.
“We consented with the state to further remand the matter to the next date. We will write to the Prosecutor General seeking variation of the bail conditions because the accused has been on remand since January and the dates keep being deferred.
“On September 5, if the state fails to provide indictment papers, the accused is going to make an application for removal of remand for want of prosecution,” Mr Sikhala told the court.
FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube was yesterday taken to task by captains of industry for suspending the production of annualised inflation figures, saying the policy move can trigger rampant speculation.
With inflation hovering around 176%, Ncube last week scrapped publication of annual inflation data during a presentation of the mid-term fiscal statement. Market watchers raised the alarm, noting that the Treasury boss was attempting to mask Zimbabwe’s rising inflation.
Speaking at the mid-term budget review hosted by Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) in conjunction with Zimbabwe Economic Society, captains of the industry warned Ncube against the move.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry chief economist Tafadzwa Bandama said by suspending announcement of annual inflation figures which surged to 175,66% in June, up from 97,85% in May, the effect would be to give fodder to speculators to announce figures that could influence the exchange rate.
“The suspension of inflation figures creates a void in the economy and somebody else is going to occupy that space. Already, we have Professor (Steve) Hanke who has already put the latest figure at 558% year-on-year, even if it may not be correct.
“What happens is that speculators are going to follow him, because he says he is the only game changer in terms of announcing inflation data for Zimbabwe. So that information is fodder for speculators who will run on the exchange. We all know the results of that on the exchange rate,” Bandama said.
Businessman Nigel Chanakira weighed in, saying the annual inflation data actually reveals the harsh reality on the ground.
“What is most worrisome is the graph on annual inflation. I have absolute conviction, Minister, that between us, we can set and have an annual figure so that we are chasing targets.
“I am not fully persuaded that we cannot work out proxies for inflation because that is the reality that is being encountered by the civilians. So, as economists, we don’t look too good. From an optics, we appear hurt somewhat if we do not act and empathise with the public,” Chanakira said.
Ncube, however, took a swipe at the methodology devised by Hanke to measure Zimbabwe’s inflation, saying it was flawed.
“Then on the issue of inflation that if you create a vacuum, someone will fill it. It is okay. I want the vacuum to be filled by the Zimbabwe Economic Society. You know, I have engaged professor Steve Hanke. I met him at the Carter Institute in April this year. In terms of methodology, the methodology is not correct. Why? It is based on the price of a security, which is the Old Mutual share price,” he said.
Ncube added: “For those of you who did some finance, the equilibrium price for a security is driven by returns on that security plus the risk premium.
“Therefore, when you use the price of a security to try and translate it into a price of a physical good like tomatoes, how do you get your risk premium? So, you can see that there is a methodical fallacy. The price of security cannot be translated into the price of a physical good.”
TOURISM Minister Prisca Mupfumira is likely to face more serious criminal charges that could earn her 40 years behind bars, the High Court heard on Monday.
After her recent arrest, the prosecutor general (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi issued a certificate classifying her case as a complex one seeking her incarceration for 21 days while investigations are underway, a unique case in the country’s prosecution.
During her bail application hearing before High Court Judge Justice Erica Ndewere on Monday, prosecutor Michael Reza opposed her granting of bail saying current investigations have unearthed more gross offences the minister allegedly committed before she became Tourism minister.
“So far she is likely to face a minimum of three charges including fraud, money laundering and criminal abuse of office. The evidence so far available is sufficient to convict her on all three counts. Money laundering attracts 25 years imprisonment, criminal abuse attracts 15, she is 68, simple arithmetic shows that if she is to be convicted now she will come out of jail aged 108.
“When she was sent to prison for 21 days, she cried because she couldn’t stand one day. The jail term she is facing will definitely cause her to abscond because she is not a woman of straw,” said Reza.
Reza also persuaded Ndewere not to grant Mupfumira bail saying her alleged offences are contrary to what is expected of her as a minister.
He blamed the suffering of pensioners on Mupfumira saying they remain poorer because of corruption charges preferred against her.
“Nssa money had a purpose. The people who did not benefit at all. These are pensioners and to date, if we are to go to Nssa house you will find them in endless queues. The money they get is not even sufficient to take them back to Chiendambuya where they came from just to get that money.”
The court also heard that Mupfumira, who is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million, has properties in South Africa, Dubai and the United Kingdom.
Mupfumira will also be charged with fraud and money laundering with the State saying it had completed investigations into the fresh charges and will be ready to commence trial on the fresh charges once all due processes have been completed.
Reza, who is representing the State along with Mrs Sharon Fero, alleges that Mupfumira directed NSSA to deposit money into her CBZ personal account, leaving room that she could also have externalised some of the money.
“She is on remand on seven counts of criminal abuse of office and from that time investigations on three counts have been completed where trial can commence.
“The three charges are complete and the applicant will be made aware and information on the investigations papers have compelling reasons to deny her bail.
“She has a personal account 04422647590013 at CBZ that money was deposited into. This money came from companies applicant had directed NSSA to deal with.
“There is no reason why that US$9 182 was paid to her,” said Mr Reza while opposing bail for Mupfumira at the High Court.
The State further opposed to granting of Mupfumira bail alleging that she also ordered another US$13 600 to be transferred into her CBZ Chinhoyi account from Metbank.
It also alleged that Mupfumira filed medical reports with the State raising fears that once granted bail, she would abscond trial.
“I once handled another case where an accused said he was at stage four with cancer and wanted to go for medicals.
“That accused even asked the court to pray for him and he was granted bail and up to this day he was never seen.
“The applicant has mansions in South Africa, Dubai and the United Kingdom. I am sure they will tender title deeds for a house in Harare. That will be a donation as she will not feel anything,” said Mr Reza.
The State called the investigation officer into the matter, who is attached to ZACC, Sergeant Trust Chinembiri, who also revealed that they needed three more months to dig further into the case.
Sergeant Chinembiri also revealed that Mupfumira had planned to flee into South Africa, where she is believed to own a mansion in the leafy suburb of Sandton, on July 24 with the aid of her Chinese friends to avoid arrest.
He also said Mupfumira had two passports with a 10-year United Kingdom visa.
Mupfumira, through her lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri, who is acting on lawyer Charles Chinyama’s instruction, said one of the passports was for her official duty as a Cabinet minister.
He said his client had no intentions to avoid trial as she availed herself to the police despite being aware of the allegations she was facing.
Adv Uriri also argued that Mupfumira will not interfere with investigations and witnesses as the State’s fears will be cured by a compelling court order.
By Linda Masarira|Long before you became Zimbabwe’s finance minister, the ZANU-PF elite, fuel cartels and some well-connected businessmen having been milking state coffers dry. Fast forward into 2018 you came in, months later you introduce “austerity for prosperity.
You always reiterate that “we” have to suffer to fix Zimbabwe. Who is this “we” you always allude to, because no one from those who have been involved in massive corruption, beneficiaries of illicit financial flows and money launders feel the effect of this so-called “austerity”.
It is the same ordinary Zimbabwean who has been robbed of his socioeconomic rights who continue to suffer and feels the hard slap of this austerity of yours.
The Midterm budget review you did had nothing to do with the people of Zimbabwe as it was just a presentation to please those whom you want to continue to borrow from.
You asked for time to fix the economy and I must say your bookish economic theories are not working for the majority of Zimbabweans. All you have done is to plunge Zimbabweans into deeper poverty and financial doldrums.
One problem that you, so learned men have, is you think you know everything yet in that arrogance of your perceived knowledge you keep messing things up.
Engage Zimbabweans, they know what needs it be done. We have the solutions that will work to fix our economy.
These austerity measures have bought immense suffering and pushed a lot of people into dishonest, unethical and corrupt financial activities to sustain their livelihoods. Our people are now masters of bribery and believe that bribery is the only way to survive.
Zimbabwe should be open for business for Zimbabweans. There is no way you can fix the economy without a conducive environment for wealth creation for every Zimbabwean.
Wealth should come as a reward or as a harvest of the value we have created and not through exploitative means.
We do not grow wealthier by earning deceitfully, we grow poorer. The man who steals to feed today has sold his future.
The amount of money we get through dishonest means is the same amount of money we eventually lose. The RBZ should stop fueling the black market.
ZACC should investigate the Reserve Bank’s unethical and illicit trading on the black market in Zimbabwe. We can’t continue to turn a blind eye to the architects of the economic doldrums in Zimbabwe. As a patriotic Zimbabwean, I want to see economic and social justice.
Polar bears are hunted by putting blood on the edges of sharp knives firmly planted in the ground. When these bears come to lick up the blood, the sharp edge of the knives cut them open, and they continue to lick the blood unaware that the blood is their own.
Eventually, they bleed to death. This is what happens to those who earn by dishonest means. They feed on their blood with the thought that they are feeding on another’s blood. So long you don’t make things work for ordinary Zimbabweans y’all going to bleed to death.
To train the African child to be wealthy, teach him to work for what he wants. Teach him to offer his services in honesty and not fall for the attraction of money that he has not honestly earned.
Mthuli Ncube and your RBZ crew stop corrupting our youth by making them money launderers on the black market. Selling one burning money is not a job.
The poor, honest man will be rich in no time, and the dishonest, rich man will soon be poor. Africa is poor because we seek to earn without creating value. Let’s concentrate on creating value.
I have formally lodged a complaint with the Editor at NewsDay about their journalist Xolisani Ncube who for the past 4 weeks has been running errands for sacked former NSSA board chair Robin Vela to harass & intimidate us into removing stories covering alleged corruption at NSSA.
CITE|The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) says they are constantly retrieving items such as television sets and broken down furniture inside sewer manholes, which lead to frequent blockages and sewer pipe bursts.
Council also said it is losing manhole lids, which are stolen and reportedly melted and molded into cast iron pots.
One of the BCC civil engineers, Faith Nkonde, said council was having a tough time fixing the burst pipes.
The council is carrying out sewerage treatment works at the Southern Areas Sewage Treatment works (SAST).
“For the SAST project we have two lines coming from Emganwini and Pumula. Currently we are working on the Pumula line that is 675 metres. This has become one of the sewer hotspots and one of the many different hotspots that we have to unclog,” she said during a tour of the Bulawayo and Sewerage Services Improvement Projects (BWSSIP) last week.
Nkode noted that residents were responsible for the sewer pipe bursts in the city.
“As you can see we had to clear sand from the pipeline. We can talk of old infrastructure that has to be replaced and rehabilitated but people are also at fault,” she said pointing at the heap of sand that was extracted.
The engineer claimed a lot of clutter was found inside the pipeline such as used diapers, while in some parts of the pipeline, the manholes had been vandalised.
“Sometimes, the rain comes with sand but more often it us residents who are the cause of our sewer problems. You should have seen what came out from this pipeline and some of you would not believe it. Imagine retrieving a television set inside a man hole meaning someone threw inside,” she said.
“People are also mischievous, as they open the manhole and dump their litter. Others vandalise the manhole, remove the lids that are made up of cast iron. People use the material to make cast iron pots. This has become a serious concern nowadays, maybe its hunger – we don’t know but it is dangerous.”
Nkode urged city councillors to educate residents on how sewer systems works to avoid such in the future.
“Councillors and resident associations must tell people that we are trying to drain sewer to treatments plants to produce treated water but we can’t. Water can’t drain leading to hotspots where the pipes burst as there is no drainage due to all the sand and stones. Instead residents turn and say council is failing to service sewer systems properly,” said the engineer.
She also noted some residents deliberately blocked sewer pipes so they could divert the water in into their gardens.
Meanwhile, a contractor whose company provides consulting services to BCC, Zulu Mangani, said lack of electricity was also affecting normal pumping of water and effluent.
“If the pipes do not pump then we have a back-flow and that means the catchment area is also affected,” he highlighted.
Mangani added that another challenge was the acquisition of equipment, as there were delays caused by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) at borders.
“Since we have an old system, the pipelines are made from old cement that is not found locally. The pipes were made using Sulphur resistant cement and this is imported from Botswana or South Africa. But the challenge is the importation process where delays occur at the border. Anyway the issue is sorted, we have engaged ZIMRA to speed up all processes that are required for this for the BWSSIP,” he said.
A member of the Nairobi Central SDA Church Geoffrey Asanyo (right) argues with Flying Squad chief Musa Yego at the church on Saturday
There was drama at the Nairobi Central Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church in Kenya, over the weekend after two splinter groups nearly engaged in a fistfight.
The Saturday service was stopped by the police who ordered the presiding church elder from the pulpit and directed worshipers to leave the church following a public spat of the senior church officials.
GSU, regular police as wells as officers from the Flying squad were deployed to the church to separate the warring parties.
Hell broke loose after a group opposed to the running of affairs at the church took to the pulpit to express their anger and blocked a preacher from delivering the sermon.
The group shouted down the preacher and even attempted to grab the microphone from him.
At the centre of the protracted battle is millions of shillings offered as tithe by the faithful who include senior government officials and top businessmen.
At one time, Flying Squad officers had to force the protesting members from the pulpit to stop the verbal confrontation from degenerating into a fist fight.
Flying Squad chief Musa Yego, who was among the senior officers dealing with the matter, threatened to have all parties arrested and locked up if the confrontation continued.
Worshipers watched in disbelief as the confrontation unfolded. Some walked away while others remained behind in the church compound.
Jerry Magutu, a church elder said the division in the church has taken a tribal angle. The church has been divided as two ethnic groups that have traditionally dominated the membership of the church engage in supremacy battles.
Mr Magutu, who was among the worshipers who spoke at a meeting convened to reach a truce, blamed the church’s top management for failing to deal with grievances that emanated from election of the church leaders.
He claimed that a certain pastor had introduced a new system of elections that saw the faithful divided along tribal lines.
Magutu said the new system, that requires that leaders come from certain communities was to blame for the wrangles witnessed on Saturday.
He added that efforts by a group that was opposed to the system to reach out to the church leadership failed after they were ignored and blocked by the pastors. “We feel alienated and we cannot air our grievances.”
However, Lias Ochola, an elder in the church, defended the pastor accused of introducing the contentious election system.
He said the election of new officials followed the laid down procedures as prescribed by the church’s constitution.
Resorted to violence
Ochola blamed the rival group for failing to follow church regulations in resolving the stalemate.
He claimed that the rival group resorted to violence after a court case challenging the decisions of the church flopped.
“The church guidelines provide a mechanism of addressing all these problems but the same has not been followed,” he said.
On July 30, the senior pastor Jean Pierre Miywa and the clerk Samuel Oyombra wrote to DCI chief George Kinoti to probe four members of a rival group.
They asked Mr Kinoti to also investigate three cases of assault that have been reported to the police.
In their letter Maiywa and Oyombra said past meetings to reconcile the two groups have failed and accused the four members of sabotaging peace deals in the church.
The MDC-ALLIANCE leadership is under scrutiny from members and supporters following a string of recent defeats to the ruling party, Zanu-PF, this is according to state media.
The media claims that disgruntlement in the party, led by Nelson Chamisa, was loud and clear since the weekend defeat of the party in parliamentary and council by-elections in Matabeleland North.
According to the ruling ZANU PF aligned media, some MDC supporters blamed the loss on party secretary-general Chalton Hwende, who is accused of imposing candidates, failing to organise elections and coming up with tangible ideas that could be sold to voters.
A Teboka Maja, said the party lost because of its tribalism and imposition of candidates.
“Prepare for more losses to come. You gave Zanu-PF political mileage by your corruption and tribalism tendencies as what happened at Bulawayo City Council,” said Mr Maja.
This comes after the MDC was defeated by ZANU-PF in the Lupane East by-election over the weekend.
Mbongeni Dube of Zanu-PF garnered 6 369 votes while MDC-Alliance candidate Mr Dalumuzi Khumalo got 4 505 votes.
Zanu PF also retained two council seats in Bubi Ward 22 and Nkayi Ward 23, a few weeks after also winning council by-elections held in Bikita East’s Ward 31 and Nyanga South’s Ward 26.
In March, MDC also lost Bulawayo’s Ward 28 by-election, with ZANU-PF candidate Kidwell Mujuru defeating the party for the first since year 2000.
Said an unnamed state media source: “Tensions continue to rise in the MDC since party president Nelson Chamisa failed to meet a target of attracting 4,5 million votes in the 2018 during the July 30 general elections. The Lupane East by election loss has worsened temperatures in the party with most members fearing that if we continue like this, we could be extinct by 2023.”
State Media|Government says civil servants will get their bonuses for the year in November, amid expectations that the amounts could be increased to improve the workers’ welfare.
This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday during a post Mid-Year Budget Review and Supplementary Budget breakfast meeting in Harare.
“I insist that the civil servants will get their bonuses again this year, on time at the end of November. All of them will get paid, (because) we want to make sure that we keep that track record in paying civil servants.
“You know there was a few moments in the past when they didn’t know when they would get paid, now they know exactly when they will get paid.
“Who knows what I would do if we end up with a small surplus at the end of the year? We may even try to over-perform on bonus payment to the civil servants.”
Last year, the Government paid civil servants bonuses on pensionable salaries only, moving away from the previous practice where it used to pay the 13th cheque on gross earnings (including allowances).
Prof Ncube urged the private sector to look after their employees, who continue to bear the brunt of high prices of goods and services.
His call comes as the private sector has been increasing prices of the goods they make and services offered, but not adjusting workers’ salaries.
“We’re going to negotiate transfer of power. Are you hearing me? I am giving ED 2 weeks from now, for him to pick chiphone chake and call Adv Chamisa our President, to say I want to negotiate…failure [which], you know the results, the people are speaking here in their thousands…”
Sikhala @JobWiwa : "Transfer of power…I am giving @edmnangagwa 2 weeks from now for him to hold the phone and call Pres Adv Nelson Chamisa and say, come I want to talk to you. " pic.twitter.com/aocopqoFyR
Sikhala @JobWiwa : "Transfer of power…I am giving @edmnangagwa 2 weeks from now for him to hold the phone and call Pres Adv Nelson Chamisa and say, come I want to talk to you. " pic.twitter.com/aocopqoFyR
Forgotten Zimbabwean ‘#ThisFlag’ founder Evan Mawarire has resurfaced giving South African Talk Radio 702 an interview outlining his future plans in Zimbabwe and the problems faced by Zimbabweans.
Mawarire has been arrested six times over the past three years for charges ranging from treason to planning to topple the government.
Speaking to Azania Mosaka, Mawarire speaks of the challenges faced by Zimbabweans.
Some quotes from the interview:
“Freedom of humanity is eternally valuable and something worth risking your life for—”
“There is one place I call home and it’s Zimbabwe. I was not invited to Zimbabwe, I was born there.—”
“I have never wanted to see the government in Zimbabwe toppled, our journey has always been to challenge them to respects the rights of our people, to respect our constitution and allow us to participate in building our nation.— “
Standard|Civil society groups and political parties have accused the government of side-lining people from Matabeleland when appointing boards for parastatals and perpetuating the marginilisation of the region.
The government last week unveiled new boards for the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), ZBC, Transmedia and Zimtrade, which have been described as not representative of the country’s ethnic diversity.
Zapu spokesperson Iphuthile Maphosa said the appointment of the boards was not done on merit, but on ethnic grounds.
“The only qualification one needs is being of a particular ethnic extraction because the system in the country runs on ethnic hegemony,” he said.
“People from Matabeleland, unfortunately, are not of the tribe that is benefiting from the hegemonic system and as such, we are not surprised they don’t appear
on three boards that were announced on a single day. It’s tribalism and nothing else.”
Anglistone Sibanda, the chairman of the Church and Civic Society Joint Forum, said the boards proved that the region was marginalised.
“It is a challenge for us in Matabeleland to find a solution to the systemic and institutionalised marginalisation and it calls for unity of purpose and coming
together as a people,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by Habakkuk Trust CEO Dumisani Nkomo who argued that the selection of the boards showed that the marginilisation of the region was
systematic.
Mthwakazi Republic Party spokesperson Mbonisi Gumbo took a swipe at the Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services ministry, saying the ZBC, BAZ and Transmedia boards did not reflect that Zimbabwe had more than one tribe.
“It is irresponsible to, therefore, appoint only people from one tribe in decision making boards,” he said. “But we are not surprised by this, it only serves
to confirm that we are justified in calling for Mthwakazi Restoration and self-determination.”
Information Permanent Secretary Nick Mangwana could not reached for comment.
Birds of prey Emmerson Mnangagwa and Robert Mugabe
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has shown his deep affection for his predecessor Robert Mugabe the man he overthrew in a military started assisted coup in November 2017.
Mnangagwa dispatched a high powered government and ZANU PF delegation to visit Mugabe in hospital in Singapore last week.
Mugabe, who has been admitted to a Singaporean hospital since April is in a stable condition, but remains hospitalised at the insistence of his physicians.
This was said by Mnangagwa in a statement yesterday to update the nation on the health of the former leader.
“Former president and founding father of our nation, Cde R.G Mugabe remains detained at a hospital in Singapore where he is receiving medical attention.
“Unlike in the past when the former president would require just about a month for this, his physicians this time around determined that he be kept under observation for much longer, from early April this year when he left for his latest routine check-up,” President Mnangagwa said.
“Last week on 30th July, I sent on my own behalf a high-powered team of officials led by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda to Singapore to check on the former President and to get an update on his progress from the medical team attending to him including any additional requirements towards his full care and speedy recovery.”
“From the report the team gave me at the weekend, I am greatly pleased to inform the nation that the former president continues to make steady progress towards eventual recovery and that his condition is remarkably stable for his age,” President Mnangagwa added.
He reiterated that Government would continue taking care of the well-being of the country’s first leader who turned 95 this year.
“He is responding very well to all treatment. The team further advised that because of the good progress he is making, Cde Mugabe could be released fairly soon. Once that happens, Government stands ready with appropriate and adequate arrangements for both his return and continued care and treatment here at home respectively until he fully recovers fully,” he said.
The President urged the nation to pray for the former statesman.
By A Correspondent| Scores of parents spent the (last) night fuming alleging that Filchrist Hill High School Principal Jebes Muchapondwa is sexually, physically and emotionally abusing learners at the institution.
Situated in Shamva, Filchrist Hill Institute of Agriculture and Academics is a private institution run by Jebes Muchapondwa which offers boarding facilities to both male and female learners.
According to the concerned parents, Muchapondwa, who hung his phone up when contacted by ZimEye on Monday evening, abuses the learners by sexually molesting them and beating them on their buttocks, makes them work long hours and also verbally and emotionally abuses them.
Parents also said Muchapondwa who is on controversial preacher Walter Magaya’s payroll, is in the business of cutting the hair of female school kids which he then takes away to the church for suspected ritual purposes. Parents told ZimEye they are concerned their children are being groomed by Magaya.
Said one parent:
“Female pupils are called to the headmaster’s office at 10pm where “discussions” are held between the headmaster and pupils behind closed doors. There is no matron at the school and the headmaster walks in on the female learners at their hostels anytime and even when they are bathing.
“My daughter was verbally abused and told that she had jelly buttocks and when I confronted him about it, he blocked me.”
Another parent said, “we were told from the start that the headmaster is from Walter Magaya’s PHD. We would later discover that Magaya regularly comes to the school to anoint the pupils.”
Contacted by ZimEye, Mr Muchapondwa spoke briefly before abruptly hanging up. He said he would “speak in due course and I will give you the story,” to which our reporter demanded urgency seeing there are issues of Child Protection and safeguarding concerns.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Walter Magaya were fruitless at the time of writing, and the preacher broke his promise to avail an interview session last week Wednesday.
Muchapondwa has for years been on Magaya’s payroll as a ministry worker. His duties was to host VIP delegates, and to respond on on the preacher’s behalf on social media if they is anything story about Magaya.
Secretary for Finance and Economic Development George Guvamatanga
Government has made sensational claims that electricity supply situation will considerably improve from today on claims that Government has started to make weekly payments to service its legacy debt with regional power utilities.
The latest promises by government come at a time when Zimbabwe Power Company engineers warning of the decommissioning of Lake Kariba’s hydro power plant soon.
Secretary for Finance and Economic Development George Guvamatanga dismissed the blackout fears yesterday during a post-Budget breakfast meeting in Harare.
He said the arrangements put in place on electricity should guarantee increased power supply beginning today or tomorrow.
“In terms of the debt, I think the first instalment was made last week (and) we are going to be making weekly instalments for the legacy debts and we have also agreed that we pay on current basis for the supply of new imports,” said Mr Guvamatanga.
Government has also made arrangements with the private sector to “ring-fence adequate resources” to pay for at least 400MW of electricity per month.
“We certainly expect the power situation, having concluded with one of the suppliers, to improve starting tomorrow (today) or from Wednesday.
“We are going to be engaging other suppliers as well to try and see if we can put into place a similar structure,” said Mr Guvamatanga.
However, he said there was need to find resources that will be ring-fenced to pay for power imports.
Rolling power outages have seen most parts of the country going without electricity for over 18 hours.
A 14 year old girl in was given a drink laced with an unknown substance and she became unconscious. She later woke up 9 hrs later and discovered that she had been raped. Parents/guardians are urged to warn youths against being lured and given goodies that may be laced with drugs. – ZRP UPDATES
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) business development manager Engineer Bernard Chizengeya yesterday expressed fears that Lake Kariba could be decommissioned next month as water levels are fast dwindling.
Electricity generation at Kariba is now down to 180MW, which is not enough to power Harare alone.
Eng Chizengeya said the country may be plunged into darkness by September or beginning of October unless solutions such as sustained imports to complement local generation are implemented.
Speaking at a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) media workshop in Harare yesterday, Mr Chizengeya said Kariba Dam level is at 478m and power production will cease when it gets to 475m, which is likely to occur in September or October.
“At Kariba Dam, there is a level that cannot be used for power generation. The minimum is 475m level and we are at 478m, which means we are left with only three metres, so by September we may not be able to generate electricity from Kariba,” he said.
Industry has bemoaned power shortages, which have significantly cut down on production and increased cost since alternative energy sources such as generators are unsustainable.
As at yesterday, the national power generation capacity was 746MW against a national demand of 1 700 MW.
Apart from the low water levels, ZPC has bemoaned old machinery and lack of foreign currency for importation of turbines and generators to increase output.
ZESA Holdings is also owed $1,2 billion by power consumers.
Eng Chizengeya pleaded with consumers to pay their bills.
“Debts have crippled ZESA, we should have a culture of paying for what we use,” he said.
Zimbabwe owes South Africa’s Eskom and Mozambique’s Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) about US$74 million, resulting in the two power utilities reducing exports supplies.
Between 1939 and 1945, during WW 11, an estimated number of 7 million Jews perished at the hands of Hitler and the German Nazis. The International Military Tribunal was set up in Nurenberg in 1945 to investigate and conduct trials on crimes committed.
Specifically, it was to look into the following: crimes against peace, interference with the law, crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, enslavement and persecution. From 1945 to 1946 the IMT prosecuted over 22 Nazi officers. Needless to say, Nazi surviving collaborators are still rounded up and deported to Germany by the then Allies.
No two historical scenarios are the same. However, what works in one situation has been known to work as well or better in another if conditions permit. President Mnangagwa will be wisely advised to cobble together an international panel comprising representatives of SADC countries to carry out investigations and trials associated with the genocide that occurred in Zimbabwe in the 1980s otherwise known cynically as GUKURAHUNDI.
Logic had it that Germany and the Nazis were the wrong entity to investigate and try themselves. Surely, that logic is equally applicable to Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU/PF. The GUKURAHUNDI atrocities that claimed more that 20,000 mostly Ndebele innocent civilians were as reprehensible as those of the Holocaust. ED, do the right thing!
The highly criticised Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill (MOPA) is set to sail through Parliament after the Parliamentary Legal Committee withdrew an adverse report that it had issued against the Bill.
The withdrawal of the adverse report comes after Government brought some few amendments to accommodate concerns raised on the initial bill.
MOPA is currently before Parliament and is set to replace the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), though critics have highlighted that the two instruments are still basically the same describing MOPA as just a renamed POSA.
The PLC chaired by Mudzi South MP, Jonathan Samukange had issued an adverse report a fortnight ago on the Bill citing some clauses which it felt were not consistent with the Constitution.
Following the issuance of the Adverse Report in Parliament, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi tabled amendments before the PLC.
PLC’s decision to withdraw its adverse report was announced by one of its members, Makoni South MP Misheck Mataranyika in the National Assembly last week.
“I would like to move a motion to withdraw the adverse report passed on the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill. The committee met on the 1st of August and considered the notice of amendments signed by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and resolved to withdraw the adverse report previously issued as the notice of amendments addresses the committee’s concerns. I so move Mr Speaker Sir,” said Mataranyika.
Arising from the motion, Parliament subsequently agreed to withdraw the adverse report.
Some of the concerns raised by PLC about the Bill included Clause 4 (2) which empowered a regulatory authority, which is the police, powers to issue a temporary prohibition through the media of possession of certain weapons within particular areas.
In its view, the committee felt that the clause was restrictive in terms of dissemination and was in violation of Section 62 (1) and (2) of the Constitution which stipulated that every person had a right to access information held by the State.
The committee also felt that Clause 10 which prohibits public gatherings in the vicinity of Parliament, courts or places declared to be protected places as unconstitutional.
“Parliament is a public institution that is open to members of the public, for the reason that it is the place where elected representatives meet to consider and legislate on matters of public interest. It is the committee’s view that Clause 10 unreasonably limits the right to petition Parliament, as enshrined in section 149 of the Constitution,” the report reads.
Clause 14 requiring a person above the age of 18 to carry an identity documents was also felt to be unconstitutional as “the practice is a remnant from the oppressive colonial laws and must be done away with”.
It was also the view of the committee that Clause 7 (5) of the Bill criminalising failure to give notice of a public gathering as unnecessary and unreasonable in a democratic society.
The offence attracts imprisonment of a period not exceeding one year and Level 12 fine or both.
“This is excessive for citizens exercising their fundamental rights accorded by the Constitution. The intention of Clause 7(5) is clearly to curtail the citizen’s right to freedom of expression and conscience,” reads the committee’s report.
The committee felt that Clause 3 of the Bill empowering the police as regulating authority to limit freedom of assembly and association as unconstitutional.
State Media- Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira will face two fresh charges after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) reportedly established that she was involved in money laundering and fraudulently ordered companies dealing with the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) to transfer money into her personal bank account.
The court also heard that Mupfumira, who is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office involving US$95 million, has properties in South Africa, Dubai and the United Kingdom.
Mupfumira will also be charged with fraud and money laundering with the State saying it had completed investigations into the fresh charges and will be ready to commence trial on the fresh charges once all due processes have been completed.
Mr Michael Reza, who is representing the State along with Mrs Sharon Fero, alleges that Mupfumira directed NSSA to deposit money into her CBZ personal account, leaving room that she could also have externalised some of the money.
“She is on remand on seven counts of criminal abuse of office and from that time investigations on three counts have been completed where trial can commence.
“The three charges are complete and the applicant will be made aware and information on the investigations papers have compelling reasons to deny her bail.
“She has a personal account 04422647590013 at CBZ that money was deposited into. This money came from companies applicant had directed NSSA to deal with.
“There is no reason why that US$9 182 was paid to her,” said Mr Reza while opposing bail for Mupfumira at the High Court.
The State further opposed to granting of Mupfumira bail alleging that she also ordered another US$13 600 to be transferred into her CBZ Chinhoyi account from Metbank.
It also alleged that Mupfumira filed medical reports with the State raising fears that once granted bail, she would abscond trial.
“I once handled another case where an accused said he was at stage four with cancer and wanted to go for medicals.
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“That accused even asked the court to pray for him and he was granted bail and up to this day he was never seen.
“The applicant has mansions in South Africa, Dubai and the United Kingdom. I am sure they will tender title deeds for a house in Harare. That will be a donation as she will not feel anything,” said Mr Reza.
The State called the investigation officer into the matter, who is attached to ZACC, Sergeant Trust Chinembiri, who also revealed that they needed three more months to dig further into the case.
Sergeant Chinembiri also revealed that Mupfumira had planned to flee into South Africa, where she is believed to own a mansion in the leafy suburb of Sandton, on July 24 with the aid of her Chinese friends to avoid arrest.
He also said Mupfumira had two passports with a 10-year United Kingdom visa.
Mupfumira, through her lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri, who is acting on lawyer Charles Chinyama’s instruction, said one of the passports was for her official duty as a Cabinet minister.
He said his client had no intentions to avoid trial as she availed herself to the police despite being aware of the allegations she was facing.
Adv Uriri also argued that Mupfumira will not interfere with investigations and witnesses as the State’s fears will be cured by a compelling court order.
High Court judge justice Erica Ndewere reserved judgment in the matter.-state media
Zanu PF Member of Parliament for Silobela Mthokozisi Manoki Mpofu was left counting his losses after thieves broke into his shop at Cross Roads Business Centre and made off with groceries and $13 000 cash.
The robbers, who are still on the run, also broke into other shops at the business centre and got away with grocery items.
Mpofu, who runs a chain of grocery and liquor shops at the business centre, confirmed the incident. “I can confirm that the thieves broke into my shop which houses our offices and stole money and some groceries. I was away in Bulawayo on parliament business when the incident occurred,” he said.
Mpofu said the theft incident was only discovered the following day by his wife when she intended to take the money to buy new stock.
“My wife is the one who first discovered that there was a break in and theft at the shop when she entered the shop intending to collect money to do some orders,” he said. He said the thieves also broke into four other shops that same night.
“I am told they also broke into another shops here at Cross Roads where they stole some grocery items. “We reported the matter to the police and they are doing their investigations,” he said.
Cde Mpofu said the thieves were taking advantage of long hours of darkness due to power load shedding to break into shops.
“They are taking advantage of darkness due to load shedding and I understand they also broke into some shops near Nkayi business centre recently,” he said.State media
STAR midfielder Emmaculate Msipa scored four times as the Mighty Warriors blew Eswatini away to set up an explosive COSAFA Women’s Championship semi-final clash against South Africa.
Winger Mavis Chirandu weighed in with a brace while Rudo Neshamba got the other goal to ensure the Mighty Warriors stayed in the hunt for their first COSAFA title since 2011. They beat Banyana Banyana 1-0 in that final.
The win also meant Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15’’ Sibanda’s charges progressed to the knock-out stages of the tournament as Group C leaders with nine points from three matches. Msipa now sits at the top of the goal-scorers charts with six goals, one ahead of teammate Rudo Neshamba and South Africa’s Refiloe Jane, who are both tied on five goals.
“She has been splendid, she has got a great work rate. It’s game number three and I hope she carries that to the last game,” Sibanda said. “It was a great game. We didn’t expect to score so many goals. We watched them and assessed their play and we had individuals, unfortunately, who didn’t come to the party.
“The most important thing was maintaining our structure.’’ And, what about taking on Banyana Banyana?
“One is that they are hosts and secondly they are the defending champions. It’s going to be a tough match but I’m thinking, at the end of the day, we have to devise a game plan,” she said.
“We need to measure our strength and maintain that and work on our weaknesses. “We have an idea of how South Africa play.’’State media
DIVERSIFIED telecommunications giant, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, has discontinued its media offering Kwese TV service and apologised to customers. Despite being embraced by thousands of Zimbabweans since its launch in 2017, Econet group chief executive officer, Mr Douglas Mboweni, said it was regrettable that the business unit could not be sustained.
He blamed the difficult economic conditions, particularly the challenges with foreign currency payments to third party content providers. “We regret to announce the discontinuation of the Kwese TV Satellite service with effect from August 5, 2019 (today), Mr Mboweni said in a statement yesterday.
“The third party content providers, on whose content we rely, require payment in foreign currency. With the prevailing economic conditions in Zimbabwe, and the current business operating environment — characterised by an acute shortage of foreign currency, sustaining the Kwese Satellite service was no longer viable.”
Zimbabweans who had embraced the Kwese service as an alternative source of news, sport and entertainment, have said they were dismayed by the low shelf life of the local Satellite TV, channel.
However, Mr Mboweni said those who had subscribed to the service in advance can redeem their credits from the company.
“Once again we apologise for ending this service and take this opportunity to thank our customers for their valued support,” said Mr Mboweni.State media
THE Zifa technical and development committee has reportedly settled for Chicken Inn coach Joe Antipas as Sunday Chidzambwa’s replacement in the Warriors’ dugout.
He is set to be assisted by Rahman Gumbo and Tonderai Ndiraya. Former Warriors’ hitman Agent Sawu replaces Wellington Mpandare as the senior national team manager, while Highlanders goalkeepers’ coach Tembo Chuma takes over from Brenna Msiska.
Chidzambwa resigned a few days before the Warriors flew out for the first round first-leg African Nations Championship qualifier against Mauritius last week.
The association then announced that its technical and development committee would meet on August 3 to select the veteran gaffer’s replacement and appointed Gumbo interim coach for the Chan first round match.
“The guys met on Saturday in Bulawayo and considered a number of names, local and foreign, but in the end they settled for Antipas. Some wanted a foreign coach but financial issues came into focus,” said a source privy to the development.
Committee chairperson and Zifa board member Bryton Malandule was non-committal on the identity of their new man but confirmed that they had met and decided on who will be the coach.
“Look it’s only proper that we follow due process before rushing to the media. I will be forwarding the recommended name to the board which will then make an announcement next week after having also formally consulted the person. It’s a local name though so be patient and allow us to complete all the formalities,” he said.
Antipas, when contacted yesterday, said he was in the dark about what he said was an honour to ‘work for my country’.State media
Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has defended his decision to blackout publication of year-on-year inflation statistics for the next six months, saying continuing to do so does not make sense theoretically and statistically, but retaining month on month figures.
Last week, in his 2019 Mid-Term Budget Review Statement, Minister Ncube said deferring publication of inflation figures “will ensure that we compare like with like in terms of currency regimes.”
“Given this transition, Zimstat will defer publication of year-on-year inflation while building up data of prices in mono-currency for a period of 12 months to February 2020. Year-on-year inflation publication will therefore resume after February 2020, alongside with month-on-month inflation publication,” said Minister Ncube.
Speaking at a Mid-Term 2019 Budget Review breakfast meeting, Minister Ncube argued that prices had not gone up in US dollar terms. He gave an example of Mazoe, which he said was still within the US$3 range from last year using the current exchange rate.
He said the CPI indexes must be able to compare like for like. “That’s why I recommended that because of this confusion, let’s do what we did in 2009 when we moved into the multi-currency system from the Zim dollar system. Let’s suspend the calculation of year-on-year inflation.
“It’s not making sense theoretically and statistically. Let’s focus on month-on-month inflation because month-on-month inflation is correct. Keep going with that until February 2020. Then we will do things properly,” he said.State media
Government says civil servants will get their bonuses for the year in November, amid expectations that the amounts could be increased to improve the workers’ welfare.
This was said by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday during a post Mid-Year Budget Review and Supplementary Budget breakfast meeting in Harare.
“I insist that the civil servants will get their bonuses again this year, on time at the end of November. All of them will get paid, (because) we want to make sure that we keep that track record in paying civil servants.
“You know there was a few moments in the past when they didn’t know when they would get paid, now they know exactly when they will get paid. “Who knows what I would do if we end up with a small surplus at the end of the year? We may even try to over-perform on bonus payment to the civil servants.”
Last year, the Government paid civil servants bonuses on pensionable salaries only, moving away from the previous practice where it used to pay the 13th cheque on gross earnings (including allowances).State media
THE Zanu-PF Youth League yesterday said the party’s resounding victory in the Lupane East by-election held on Saturday was confirmation of the revolutionary party’s goal of empowering youths in mainstream politics.
The Youth League’s Deputy Secretary for Education Mbongeni Dube polled 6 371 votes beating close rival Mr Dalumuzi Khumalo who got 4 500 votes to win the seat left vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo in April this year.
The Youth League Deputy National Secretary for Administration, Mabutho Moyo, said the New Dispensation under President Mnangagwa was committed to empowering youths, with 16 now in Parliament on the party’s ticket.
“The fact that our Deputy Secretary for Education polled more than 6 000 votes means a lot as that’s a very high figure for a by-election because usually we get a third of registered people voting, but Cde Dube beat that.
“We are very happy as the Youth League that Cde Dube has opened a lot of doors for youths in the province by the fact that he managed to stand. This gives hope to a lot of youths that they can be MPs,” he said.State
A CABINET Minister has slammed some church pastors for milking their congregants to poverty through cash demands.
Women Affairs, Community and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Minister Dr Sithembiso Nyoni yesterday said most prosperity preachers are known for living lavishly yet their congregants lead miserable lives.
The Minister said this while officially opening Wolanani Supermarket and Wolanani Manufacturing in Mbembesi, Matabeleland North.
The supermarket and the manufacturing centre is run by community members after getting sponsorship from the Apostolic Faith and Action Church whose aim is to capacitate local women and youths in self-help projects which include manufacturing products such as soap, juices and candles among others in what they call rural industrialisation. The community members are also involved in poultry projects and Dr Nyoni donated 1 000 chicks towards their endeavours.
She said churches should emulate the apostolic church which does not only preach about the gospel but is also directly involved in practical works to end poverty in areas where it is operating from.
“There are those churches which come to communities to wipe off money. Many churches are created to make wealth for themselves and not for God and the people.
“That is a fact. Some of the church leaders are filthy rich and have even contracted body guards; even their wives have body guards. If you are a believer your body guard should be Jesus and angels. But some of these churches, their leaders are there to enrich themselves,” said Dr Nyoni.State media
.@mdczimbabwe Chief Whip says sitting allowances are not that important considering what #Zimbos are going through, however they will challenge the Speaker of Parliaments decision to block their allowances from being paid for not attending Parly last week. pic.twitter.com/4a5DJNiTMc
Farai Dziva|A Zimbabwean political and social activist, Freeman Chari has accused the country’s main opposition party MDC of making noise without a proper plan.
Chari is based in the United States of America.
“The biggest problem in MDC is making noise without a plan.
Last year there was so much noise about Voter’s Roll and then ZEC released it and MDC members went silent- they didn’t have anyone to analyse it.
We had to scramble and eventually Team Pachedu was born. Zvondigwadza ini ,” tweeted Chari.
He was commenting on the results of the weekend by-elections.
Farai Dziva|Zanu PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu has claimed that the results of the weekend by-elections prove that the ruling party is “a party that considers people’s interests.”
ZANU-PF won the Lupane East, Bubi by-elections in controversial circumstances.
Mpofu claimed the party’s victory shamed the country’s detractors.
“The results dispel all beliefs and perceptions that are being floated around the globe and within the country that the people of Zimbabwe are in a worse situation than they were before,” Mpofu told a state run daily paper.
“We have been saying that whatever is happening, there is no Government in this world which can come up with policies which are meant to demoralise the people, so everything that Government is doing is meant to better the people’s lives.”
Farai Dziva|A former member of the G-40 faction, Veronica Makonese has died.
Makonese was also one of former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s advisors.
The former Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Women’s League Chairlady collapsed and died at her farm in Hippo Valley.
At the height of political tension in Zanu PF Makonese accused former Minister of State for Masvingo Shuvai Mahofa of stealing donations meant for Bona Mugabe’s wedding.
By A Correspondent| Concerned parents here have alleged that Filchrist Hill High School Principal Jebes Muchapondwa is sexually, physically and emotionally abusing learners at the institution.
Situated in Shamva, Filchrist Hill Institute of Agriculture and Academics is a private institution run by Jebes Muchapondwa which offers boarding facilities to both male and female learners.
According to the concerned parents, Muchapondwa, who hung his phone up when contacted by ZimEye on Monday evening, abuses the learners by sexually molesting them and beating them on their buttocks, makes them work long hours and also verbally and emotionally abuses them.
Parents also said Muchapondwa who is on controversial preacher Walter Magaya’s payroll, is in the business of cutting the hair of female school kids which he then takes away to the church for suspected ritual purposes. Parents told ZimEye they are concerned their children are being groomed by Magaya.
Said one parent:
“Female pupils are called to the headmaster’s office at 10pm where “discussions” are held between the headmaster and pupils behind closed doors. There is no matron at the school and the headmaster walks in on the female learners at their hostels anytime and even when they are bathing.
My daughter was verbally abused and told that she had jelly buttocks and when i confronted him about it, he blocked me.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from Walter Magaya were fruitless at the time of writing, and the preacher broke his promise to avail an interview session last week Wednesday.
Farai Dziva|Veteran football administrator Willard Manyengavana has died.
The football family has been plunged into mourning following the of the ZIFA Northern Region chairman.
Manyengavana collapsed while working out at a gym in the morning and had to be carried to hospital for assistance.
“It is so sad, Willard had to go this way. He was unhappy with the way football was captured.”
“The situation never changed, even when he became a member of the finance committee. Death has robbed us of a very important figure in our game. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” said a ZIFA official.
Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
By A Correspondent| Vaya Lift has offered to transport nurses and doctors throughout the country free of charge.
The service is said to be available for 30 days effective from the 15th of August when the Vaya Carpool and a minibus service called Vaya Shuttle will be launched.
News Day reports that the Vaya Carpool will be open to all members of the public and allows people to share a car and cut costs whilst Vaya Shuttle is an On-Demand Service that uses minibuses instead of cars.
The Vaya business unit within Cassava Smartech Group, the listed entity that spun out of Econet, Dorothy Zimuto, said:
As long as you have at least 10 employees going to an area, you will be able to schedule their pick up using the Vaya Corporate Shuttle.
Zimuto added that the decision to provide transport to medical experts free of charge was necessitated by the deteriorating economic conditions in the country.
She added that Cassava will pay the drivers for the collections during the 30 days.-Newsday
Farai Dziva|MDC secretary for elections, Jacob Mafume, has said the weekend by-elections were characterized by intimidation and vote buying.
“On behalf of the party I would like to thank those who voted against all odds.
National and provincial leaders showed biblical resilience in the face of Pharaoh.Dedication is unparalleled.lessons are invaluable.Let’s free our pple street by village by village,” Mafume wrote Twitter.
“Intimidation is ever present.Reminders are awash of the abuse that will follow an opposition victory.It’s a wild process.
State institutions are an actor in the elections- favouring ZANU PF .The CIO, Police all Parastatals are headed by losing Zanu PF candidates and sympathisers.
They donate and provide resources to ZANU PF.
They need to desist from this behaviour.
Food distribution happens during voting processes .This clearly an abuse of state resources .All reports about it are ignored,” added Mafume.
By A Correspondent- A seemingly sex-starved married man landed himself in trouble after he tried to seduce and solicit for sex from a fellow married tenant by sending her nude pictures and at least four pornographic videos through WhatsApp.
Precious Dlamini (40)’s desperate bid to seduce Samukeliso Khumalo (37) backfired when the latter reported him to the police.
For that disrespect, Dlamini was charged with four counts of sending by phone offensive or grossly obscene messages when he appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Gladmore Mushove.
Representing the State prosecutor Kenneth Shava told the court that on 20 June, Dlamini using his mobile phone, intentionally sent pornographic and grossly offensive and obscene messages to Khumalo.
The offensive images were also supported by audios in which Mr Dlamini was proposing love to Khumalo. In the five to 27 seconds audios, Dlamini was coaxing Khumalo into a deal whereby they would have an affair behind her husband’s back, and kept on asking what the woman had to say about his proposal to which Khumalo fumed that she felt disrespected as a married woman since she referred to Dlamini as her “uncle”. As the audios continued, she threatened to tell the man’s “wives” and even her husband.
After offensive material kept on coming, an offended Khumalo went and reported the matter to the police, leading to Dlamini’s arrest.
A remorseful Dlamini didn’t waste the court’s time when he pleaded guilty and apologised to the court for his undignified actions.
Dlamini, however, heaved a huge sigh of relief when he was fined $150 or 30 days in prison.-BMetro
By A Correspondent- STAFFERS and customers at a shop in Emakhandeni suburb were left wondering if human waste, faeces and urine, could be “remotely” deposited in a supermarket when they were suddenly confronted with a foul smell of human excreta “dumped” in the middle of a grocery shop.
The bizarre incident first happened last Sunday when customers buying food to prepare evening meals alerted shop attendants that the place was suddenly reeking with the stench of human excreta.
The following morning, in a bottle store next to the shop but housed in the same building, a barman was again met with a foul smell of human waste after opening the premises in the morning.
Nothing was missing in the bottle store as all the alcohol, cigarettes and soft drinks were accounted for.
“The first time it happened, the shop was full of customers in the evening when suddenly there was a foul smell and one of the customers pointed to human excreta and urine in the middle of the shop.
“There is no way anyone could have relieved themselves in the shop without being noticed because even if there was no electricity on that particular day, the grocery shop was powered by a generator and the whole place was brightly lit,” said Mandla Khumalo, a barman.
It was the first time the mysterious incident has happened at the supermarket, and as bizarre as it was, the human excreta was thrown out and the spot cleaned, according to Khumalo.
Little did they know that it would not be the last time for the place to be turned into a “toilet”.
“After the first incident we locked the shop and bottle store at closing time as usual but the next morning when I opened the bottle store, again there was a stool.
“At first I assumed someone had broken in at night but after checking our stock nothing was missing and all the burglar bars and locks were still intact,” said Khumalo.
After notifying his bosses of the second deposit of human excreta, in the bottle store, the barman was ordered not to throw away the waste but cover it up with a box until further instructions.
He, however, would not say what transpired when his bosses arrived.
“People are coming up with different theories ranging from witchcraft to goblins but who knows?”
“What I know is that this is the first most of us that work here have ever seen anything like this,” he said.
Earlier this year, the same shop is one of the few in Bulawayo that was left intact when demonstrators went on the rampage breaking into shops and looting anything of value.BMetro
A Bulawayo man, Innocent Tawiringana Chitura, has approached the courts seeking a protection order from his ex wife who is a nurse accusing her of physically, emotionally and verbally harrasing him.
The man claimed he had suffered verbal, emotional and physical abuse from his estranged wife Sibusisiwe Khumalo who constantly comes to his workplace and house to harass him.
A self-employed Chitura who apparently could no longer stand the abuse said Khumalo who is employed as a nurse at a private clinic in Barham Green, at one time came to his workplace and caused a scene when she jumped over a counter which is about 1,3 metres high before she physically assaulted him.
He said so dramatic is Khumalo that she also throws stones and breaks into his vehicle adding that their problems started after he annulled their customary marriage some time in September 2018.
“I have suffered physical, emotional, and verbal abuse from my ex-spouse. The incidents took place on 14 April and 4 June this year at my workplace and residence respectively.
“I am now seeking a restraining order that stops her from coming to my workplace, house and that also stops her from insulting me,” begged Chitura who is now married to another woman.
He further said his estranged wife was also inciting their children to go against him. Khumalo, who didn’t come to court, but was being represented by her lawyer was not opposed to the granting of the order.
“The respondent is not totally opposed to the granting of the protection order sought by the applicant as it will not affect her. This is because they are going through the process of divorce. Applicant should, however, clarify the owner of the house since the property was acquired during the subsistence of their union and as such both parties are entitled to it as their residence,” reads in part submissions by Khumalo’s lawyer.
Her lawyer maintained that though the two parties were now living separately their customary union was still subsisting.
He added: “The parties had initially agreed that they will move into the property after its completion. So our bone of contention is that he (Chitura) has since moved in with another woman and he is now trying, through his application for a protection order, to bar the respondent from moving into that house also.”
He also pleaded with the court to grant a reciprocal order saying Chitura should also not be allowed anywhere near his client’s workplace and lodgings.
His plea was, however, dismissed by the presiding magistrate Sheunesu Matova who said there was no basis that warranted the court to make a reciprocal order since there was no evidence that his client was being provoked by the applicant.
The magistrate went on to order Khumalo not to physically assault or threaten her estranged husband with any form of violence. She was also ordered to stay away from his workplace.-BMetro
By A Correspondent- The Ministry of Health and Child Care has started to receive online applications from aspiring nurses countrywide.
The recruitment follows an advertisement flighted in the media over the weekend.
Applications are being submitted using the Health Ministry’s electronic platform hh://mohcc.go.zw with August 31, 2019 being the cut-off date.
“The cost of accessing the electronic application form is RTGS$10 payable to MoHCC’s merchant code 334085 (no additional payments are required as this the only fee to be paid),” read the advert.
“The invitations for interviews which will be held at specified venues will be through the MoHCC e-recruitment electronic platform. Only candidates that meet the recruitment criteria will be shortlisted for interviews.”
Government has since revised the nurse recruitment policy, adding Mathematics to the two key subjects of the 5 “O” Levels required which used to be English Language and a Science subject.
A cut-off age of 17 and a half years to 30 years has also been added to the eligibility criteria, which has received overwhelming support from the health fraternity.
Meanwhile, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo has strongly warned would-be offenders who prey on unsuspecting applicants by pretending they can organise training vacancies for them that they would be dealt with severely.
“We are aware that a lot of our people are going to fall victim to both cyber criminals and some hospital workers into believing that they will be assisted to get training vacancies, but I want to warn that we will deal decisively with such rogue elements in our hospitals.
“No monies must be paid to anyone and this new recruiting method was made to avert corruption. Prospective candidates must utilise our platform and make sure it is the official platform. Individuals who are caught duping people will face the music. We are saying ‘zero tolerance to corruption in student nurse recruitment’.
Student nurse recruitment has been marred by corruption over the years with unsuspecting applicants being made to pay as much as US$2 000 to appear for an interview alone without any guarantee whatsoever of securing a place. This prompted Zacc to get involved in the recruitment processes last year.
By A Correspondent- Scores of commuters were injured when a Tombs Bus contracted by Zupco to ply the Kwekwe-Redcliff route veered off the road and plunged into a ditch near Ziscosteel plant in Redcliff today.
When The Herald news crew arrived at the scene, some panic stricken commuters were still jumping out of the bus through the windows while others had already found their way out.
Kwekwe’s Ward One Councillor, Munyaradzi Mnikwa who was at the scene said although there were no critical cases, several people were rushed to Kwekwe District hospital for medical examination.
“We got rapid response from Kwekwe and Redcliff Municipalities whose ambulances ferried people to the hospital,” he said.
The driver of the bus, which was on its way to Torwood, only identified as Mr Mhaka said the accident was as a result of brakes failure.
By Patrick Guramatunhu| “Highly placed sources from Harare have indicated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is vetting MDC MPs who are under consideration to form a quasi-government of national unity,” reported a local publication.
“Insiders from the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation’s National security department known as Branch 5 who spoke to this reporter have indicated that there is an internal process which is underway and is being kept a closely guarded secret to do background checks and ensure that the MDC candidates handpicked to be part of the cabinet will accept the appointments.”
When Mnangagwa and his cronies booted Mugabe out of office in the November 2017 military coup the putsch were cocksure they would revive the country’s comatose economy.
“Zimbabwe is open for business!” crowed Mnangagwa at every opportunity. Now two years since the coup the penny has finally dropped that the expected flood of investors and new money to kick-start the economy was not coming.
As much as Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF regime would hate to admit it, it is nonetheless crystal clear the regime has no clue what to do to fix the economy.
Meanwhile the economic meltdown is getting worse and worse as the soaring inflation, chronic shortages, etc. show. Anyone with half a brain can see the economic situation in Zimbabwe is socially, politically and morally unsustainable.
No one is therefore surprised to hear that Mnangagwa is now actively pursuing the option of sharing power with Chamisa and his MDC party. “I have the key to unlock the economy!” Chamisa claimed.
Every analyst worthy of the name has dismissed the claim as political posturing but the very fact that Mnangagwa is taking this up goes to show just how desperate he must be. Desperate people do desperate things!
As for the report of CIO carefully sifting through MDC leaders to make sure those selected to be cabinet ministers “will accept the appointments”.
This is just a waste of time because not even one MDC leaders will refuse. They all participated in last year’s elections knowing fully well the whole election process was flawed and illegal.
They also knew that Zanu PF would be giving away a few gravy-train parliamentary or senatorial seats and it was these seats they were after. A cabinet post is a significant upgrade none of them would refuse.
“Number 1 is a man who comes from an intelligence background and all his political moves and steps are from a position of intelligence,” the source told a local publication.
“You need to understand who Emmerson Mnangagwa is by training in order to decipher his moves. His moves come from a counter-intelligence strength and his political plays are very complicated yet effective.”
NAME ONE, JUST ONE, EFFECTIVE MOVE, COMPLICATED OR OTHERWISE, MNANGAGWA HAS EVER MADE IN HIS WHOLE LIFE! I found myself shouting at the screen.
Mnangagwa “intelligent” whose “moves are complicated and yet effective”! What a big laugh! Mnangagwa, just like Mugabe before, is a corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and ruthless and murderous thug; yes. Intelligent, certainly not!
Zimbabwe is one of the few countries in human history that has suffered some of the most rapid economic decline because of the sheer incompetence of the country’s leaders.
There was no war, no natural disaster, nothing but the blundering incompetence of the country’s leaders.
Some of Zanu PF’s voodoo economic policies defied logic and common sense. How some of those Zanu PF ever got their University degrees, PhDs, professorships, etc., etc. is a mystery.
If Mnangagwa was smart then he would have realised a long time ago that the Zanu PF dictatorship was doomed to implode because the system was rotten to the core.
He would have realised that Mugabe had completely destroyed the country’s economy and platitudes like “Zimbabwe is open for business!” were not enough to revive the economy.
He should have realised too that he would not get away with yet another rigged elections.
If Mnangagwa was intelligent, he would know that the best and only course of action was for him to acknowledge he rigged last year’s elections and agree to step down without any further ado!
If Mnangagwa goes into this political marriage of convenience with MDC, it is Mnangagwa who will end with a lot of egg on his face.
Chamisa and company will secure gravy train seats and Mnangagwa will gain nothing because the economic meltdown will not end.
As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent, vote rigging and murderous thugs the country’s economy will never recover. No one investor likes to do business with thugs. Adding Chamisa and a few other MDC leaders to the Zanu PF regime will not fool anyone much less the savvy investors!
Mnangagwa intelligent – what a laugh! What else did you want him to do to finally convince you he is just a village idiot who got luck and was promoted way beyond his level of competence!
PRESS RELEASE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT CDE E.D. MNANGAGWA, ON THE STATE OF HEALTH OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT, R.G. MUGABE
Former President and Founding Father of our Nation, Cde R.G. Mugabe, remains detained at a Hospital in Singapore where he is receiving medical attention.
Unlike in the past when the former President would require just about a month for this, his physicians this time around determined that he be kept under observation for much longer, from early April this year when he left for his latest routine check-up.
Last week, on 30th July, I sent on my own behalf a high-powered Team of officials led by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr M.J.M Sibanda, to Singapore to check on the former President, and to get an update on his progress from the medical team attending to him, including any additional requirements towards his full care and speedy recovery.
The Team included the former President’s personal physician, Professor Jonathan Matenga, and the Director General in my Office, Ambassador Isaac Moyo.
From the Report the Team gave me at the weekend, I am greatly pleased to inform the Nation that the former President continues to make steady progress towards eventual recovery, and that his condition is remarkably stable for his age.
He is responding very well to all treatment. The team further advised that because of the good progress he is making, Mugabe could be released fairly soon.
Once that happens, Govenment stands ready with appropriate and adequate arrangements for both his return and continued care and treatment here at home respectively, until he recovers fully.
The former President who was in high spirits, and his family, greatly appreciated Government’s concern and continued support towards his medical care and recovery, which we all hope will be more rapid going forward.
In the meantime, I urge all our Church leaders to continue to lead our Nation in praying for his full recovery and good health.
By A Correspondent- An investigating officer handling the corruption case of jailed Tourism minister, Priscah Mupfumira, has claimed that the minister wanted to escape to neighbouring South Africa and only turned herself in when she realised that her plans would not be successful.
Trust Chinembiri told the court that Mupfumira wanted to run away to South Africa after she realised that the net was closing in on her.
He said this while testifying against Mupfumira’s bail request and said:
“She only handed herself over to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) when she realised that there was nowhere to run to. She then sent her lawyers to Zacc saying she would avail herself the following day.
She wanted to leave on July 25. She was not prepared to face arrest as she even planned to travel to South Africa with some Chinese (nationals).
Mupfumira who is currently in custody was denied bail by a Harare Magistrate following her arrest over seven counts of corruption allegations at NSSA on July 26 by ZACC.
During her tenure as Public service minister, Mupfumira allegedly swindled the parastatals of over US$95 million.
By A Correspondent| Concerned parents here have alleged that Filchrist Hill High School Principal Jebes Muchapondwa is sexually, physically and emotionally abusing learners at the institution.
Situated in Shamva, Filchrist Hill Institute of Agriculture and Academics is a private institution run by Jebes Muchapondwa which offers boarding facilities to both male and female learners.
According to the concerned parent, Muchapondwa abuses the learners by sexually molesting them and beating them on their buttocks, makes them work long hours and also verbally and emotionally abuses them.
Said one parent:
“Female pupils are called to the headmaster’s office at 10pm where “discussions” are held between the headmaster and pupils behind closed doors. There is no matron at the school and the headmaster walks in on the female learners at their hostels anytime and even when they are bathing.
My daughter was verbally abused and told that she had jelly buttocks and when i confronted him about it, he blocked me.”
By Own Correspondent- Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Mr George Guvamatanga, has confirmed reports suggesting that the power crisis will start getting better from Tuesday (tomorrow).
This development is attributed to the payment plan the government secured with regional power suppliers.
It is expected that the deal will see the country adding 400 megawatts to the national grid.
Guvamatanga was speaking during a post-budget seminar held in the capital on Monday (today) where he said:
Government is to start gradually phasing out load-shedding from tomorrow (Tuesday) after the successful agreements with regional power suppliers. 400MW will be imported from a regional power supplier after a weekly power payment arrangement was secured with Treasury.
His remarks come when the country is facing a huge power deficit that has seen most parts of the country going without power from 0400 and 2200 hours daily.
Local power utility, ZESA, has attributed the deficit mainly to dwindling water levels at Kariba Dam and to ageing equipment at Hwange thermal power station.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- Veteran play writer, Stephen Chifunyise has died.
He was 70.
Chifunyise was born on September 21, 1948, in Nhema, Shurugwi, in the Midlands province of the then Southern Rhodesia.
He attended St Linus Matoranjera School in Chitomborwizi, Chinhoyi, for his Sub A up to Standard I.
He then moved to Shamweti Primary School, Mumbwa, Zambia in 1960 for his Standard II, transferring to Chisengalumbwe from 1961 to 1964 to pursue Standard III up to VI.
Between 1965 and 1969 he moved from Libala Secondary School to St Mark’s Secondary School to complete his high school education. The following year in 1970 he enrolled for his BA with education at the University of Zambia.
He went abroad to the USA where he successfully completed his MA in Theatre Arts in 1977 returning to Zambia the same year to take up a post as drama lecturer at UNZA until 1979.
By Gregory Shumbambiri | My father, Rev Dr Matafeni Shumbambiri, a Hero of Faith, whose life and Ministry consistently touched and transformed the lives of many people for more than four decades. Will always be grateful to God for having given me a Father whose life has made me to become who I am today.
Through out his Ministry and By THE GRACE OF GOD, many people received Christ, others were called into Ministry, others received the Gifts of the Spirit, marriages were transformed, the sick were healed, the oppressed were delivered, many received word of prophecies over their lives and the list is endless.
Without much education but with the Annointing of God, he became a Father to several Bishops, Prophets, Apostles, Teachers & Pastors, the Rich & the Poor, the Educated and the Uneducated….
He fought a good fight of Faith and I am certain that I will meet him if I remain in the teachings, advice and guidance he gave me as his Son.
Above all, I cherish the moments he would lay his hands on me and speak the anointing and blessings over my life. Iam glad that I shared most of the testimonies with him of things he prayed for and were answered in my life before he was promoted to Glory.
Even in tears and in unexplainable pain, may the Name of Jehovah, my God, be glorified. He is worthy to receive unconditional praise and worship in all times for there is non like him.
I will continue to lift up his name for he is worthy of all my praise. There is nothing that will separate me from the love of God in my life, for in my weakness, I am strong. I will continue to serve and lift his name on high all the days of my life.
South African Rand coins are seen in this photo illustration taken, file. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s rand slipped to seven-week lows against the dollar in early trade on Monday, as prospects of a sharp escalation in the U.S.-China trade war turned investors risk-averse.
At 0605 GMT, the rand was 0.71% lower at 14.8950 per dollar, trading at its weakest levels since June 13.
“After cutting through the R14.80/$ support level, there seems so be no end in sight for the ZAR’s woes as it continues to weaken with ease,” Bianca Botes, a treasury partner at Peregrine Treasury Solutions said in a note.
“The trade war remains the focus point for the time being.”
Beijing said on Friday it would retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to slap 10% tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of Chinese imports, a move that ended a month-long trade truce.
In fixed income, the yield on the benchmark government bond due in 2026 added 7.5 basis points to 8.445% in early trade.
Elizabeth “Mimmie” Williams, 38, was arrested on Friday and appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town – An Elsies River nurse who forced her boyfriend’s mistress to eat dog poo is in jail after cops arrested her on assault charges.
Elizabeth “Mimmie” Williams, 38, was arrested on Friday and appeared in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on the same day after a video of her assault on Ivodene “Dienkie” van Niekerk, 28, went viral on social media.
Dienkie told Daily Voice the attack happened on 26 July when she was lured to Mimmie’s house under false pretences.
She explains she met Mimmie’s boyfriend, Jubie, through her previous boyfriend Durran Hendricks.
“Durran went to jail and Jubie would just klop aan (flirt). Two months ago I gave in and had sex with him once but she never caught us,” she said.
“On Friday, two girls came to my house and said there were people who need their nails and hair done but I must come to them.”
Dienkie says she was beaten with a knobkierie and a dog chain by the nurse who works at Tygerberg Hospital, before being forced to eat a bag of dog poo.
She says the nurse also drew her blood to conduct tests and forced her to drink abortion tablets.
Dienkie reported the matter to police and an assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm case was opened.
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana, confirms: “A 38-year-old woman was arrested on Friday morning and appeared in court on the same day and was remanded in custody.”
The case has been postponed to 8 August for a bail information hearing.
Dienkie was not available for comment on Sunday but a relative, who asked not to be named, says detectives came to their Clarke Estate home on Friday to tell them Mimmie had been sent to jail.
“Dienkie is OK now. They sent her to Karl Bremer Hospital for blood tests because we don’t know if the needles used on her were clean.
“The detectives said Mimmie has gone to Pollsmoor and they will let us know when Dienkie must come to court.”
Tygerberg spokesperson, Laticia Pienaar, says Mimmie has not been suspended but that an internal investigation is under way.
Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced that former President Robert Mugabe is still in Singapore since April following his doctor’s request that he be kept under observation for much longer.
In a press release today, Mnangagwa said he send a delegation led by Chief Secretary Misheck Sibanda to visit Mugabe in Singapore who gave him feedback that he is continuing to make steady progress towards eventual recovery.
“Last week on 30th of July I send on my own behalf a high powered team of officials led by the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr MJM Sibanda to Singapore to check on the former President and to get an update on his progress from the medical team attending to him including any additional requirements towards his full care and speedy recovery.
“From the report the team gave me at the weekend,I am greatly pleased to inform the nation that the former president continues to make steady progress towards eventual recovery and that his condition is remarkably stable for his age. He is responding well to treatment. The team further advised that because of the good progress be is making, Cde Mugabe could be released soon,” said Mnangagwa.
THE steep hike in tollgate fees by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube is unconstitutional and legislators must unanimously block the move, a top MDC official has said.
Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya and also the MDC secretary for transport and logistics, said that it is ultra vires the Constitution for government to make free movement unaffordable.
In his recently tabled supplementary budget, Ncube hiked fees for tollgates. Light motor vehicles would now be required to pay $10 up from $2, mini-buses $15 up from $4 and conventional buses will now pay $20 up from $5. Heavy vehicles and haulage trucks will now pay $25 and $50, respectively.
However, Chikwinya, said Ncube had erred.
“Access to transport and affordability of the same is a basic right enshrined under the freedom of movement in our Constitution. So to levy road access by the proposed increment goes against the letter and spirit of Freedom of movement,” Chikwinya said.
He highlighted that the increases have piled more misery on the people, particularly civil servants.
“As things stand in the proposed budget, a married teacher cannot travel using public transport to see his or her spouse in Bulawayo or Harare using their salary. Basically, if approved, it means public transport in Harare or Bulawayo will now cost more than $150 per trip for a single person. A light motor vehicle will incur $50 on toll fees alone. That is ridiculous,” Chikwinya said.
“An MDC government will ensure safe roads that are accessible at reasonable fees commensurate with the income of the majority of our citizens who are civil servants.”
Route authority application fees have been increased from $25 to $125, operator’s licence application fee have been reviewed to $250 from $50. Original motor vehicle plates now cost $400 from $80, while changing number plates will attract a similar fee.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently hurriedly dispatched a high powered government and ZANU PF delegation to Singapore to check on ailing former President Robert Mugabe in hospital.
According to a statement issued by Mnangagwa on Monday afternoon, Mugabe has been in Singapore since April where he is getting medical attention.
According to Mnangagwa, the delegation reported that Mugabe is recovering well.
Highly placed sources from Harare have indicated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is vetting MDC MPs who are under consideration to form a quasi-government of national unity.
Insiders from the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation’s National security department known as Branch 5 who spoke to this reporter have indicated that there is an internal process which is underway and is being kept a closely guarded secret to do background checks and ensure that the MDC candidates handpicked to be part of the cabinet will accept the appointments.
The source said, “Number 1 is a man who comes from an intelligence background and all his political moves and steps are from a position of intelligence. You need to understand who Emmerson Mnangagwa is by training in order to decipher his moves. His moves come from a counter Intelligence strength and his political plays are very complicated yet effective.”
The source revealed that Emmerson Mnangagwa had taken heed of his intelligence analysts who had told him to start preparing a form of government of national unity as well as implement political reforms in order to get much needed multilateral support for Zimbabwe’s economy.
The reports allege that the appointment of James Maridadi to the position of Ambassador was a sign of goodwill which sought to open up channels of communication between Chamisa and Mnangagwa.
Those reported to be undergoing the process of vetting (whether knowingly or not) are said to include Joanna Mamombe, Fortune Daniel Molokele Mguni, and two other unnamed MDC MPs.
The MDC MPs will be incorporated into a quasi-government of national unity will be expected to table and support a motion in parliament which seeks to relieve General Constantine Chiwenga of his duties due to ill health in accordance with the constitutional provision section 97.
The source added that President Mnangagwa was already moving to remind hardliners where power lies in government and where their loyalties should be, and this was happening with the help of the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission.
Metbank has been ordered to pay back $20 million worth of Treasury Bills to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), after a judge said the bank’s court bid to keep the TBs had come “tumbling down in humpty-dumpty fashion”.
The case around the TBs forms part of the separate case in which Prisca Mupfumira, the former Labour Minister, is being charged for abuse of office.
In a judgement reached in June but only recently made available, High Court judge Nicholas Mathonsi ordered Metbank to return to the three TBs it had been holding as security.
Metbank had, in 2017, controversially secured the TBs from NSSA as security for some third party borrowings, but the bank failed to return the bills by June 2018 as agreed. After negotiations over the bills failed, NSSA then went to court, seeking the return of the three TBs or a payment of $20 million, plus a 5% per annum penalty fee on the $20 million, collection commission and costs of suit on the adverse scale.
NSSA, represented by advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, told the court that Metbank had ignored a notice on 7 August, 2018, to remedy the breach of contract.
Through its legal representative, advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Metbank insisted it did nothing wrong, saying “there is no agreement between the parties” and that NSSA had not delivered any “formal agreement” to Metbank. Mahere argued that NSSA was in fact demanding the TBs back before they were due.
While Zhuwarara argued that the 2017 document the parties signed was a binding and enforceable security lending agreement under which Metbank was required to return the TBs, Mahere had insisted that what NSSA and her client had agreed to were negotiations that would be part of a formal agreement.
After pre-trial conferences, only two issues were left for the court to decide on; firstly, whether there was indeed a binding agreement on the TBs, and whether Metbank had any lawful basis to keep the TBs. However, Metbank then raised a preliminary issue.
“She (Mahere) submitted that a litigant who seeks the return of its property must proceed by way of vindication proceedings. It is incompetent for such litigant to plead its claim in contract,” Mathonsi noted. “In Ms Mahere’s view, when a claim is pleaded in contract and a breach is alleged, the competent relief is to seek specific performance or damages.”
However, Zhuwarara, for NSSA, described Mahere’s point in limine “as being the fruit of an idle mind fixated on buying time in the most callous manner”. He argued that NSSA’s claim was based entirely on a contract and that the claim before the court said so. – NewZwire
Professor Jonathan Moyo has alleged that ZANU PF won the recently held by-election in Lupane through deploying thousands of soldiers who are acting as Heritage Officers.
Posting on Twitter Moyo said, ” Zanu PF won the Lupane East by-election? Let’s get the bearings right Cdes. ZanuPF sweated to RETAIN Lupane East via intimidation & blackmail from embedded soldiers and Obadiah Moyo bribery!”
"ZANU PF WINS LUPANE EAST BY-ELECTION"@ChronicleZim 5 August 2019
ZanuPF won the Lupane East by-election? Let's get the bearings right Cdes. ZanuPF sweated to RETAIN Lupane East via intimidation & blackmail from embedded soldiers & Obadiah Moyo bribery!https://t.co/d6ZaSQ733vpic.twitter.com/nuqbBDywsV
When questioned the authenticity of his claim Moyo said, “Ignore it for all you want. But 2,000 soldiers were embedded in rural areas before the coup and the numbers ballooned to 5,000 after the coup, in the runup to the 2018 general election. The embedded soldiers are now known as Heritage Officers. Again, you can ignore it as you want!”
Zimbabwe’s Econet Wireless will shut its African pay-television unit due to the country’s economic condition and shortage of foreign currency, group CEO Douglas Mboweni said.
“We regret to announce the discontinuation of Kwese TV Satellite Service with effect from 5 August,” Mboweni said in a statement on Sunday. The service was offered by Econet Media, an affiliated company.
“The third-party content providers on whose content we rely require payment in foreign currency,” he added. “With the prevailing economic conditions in Zimbabwe, and the current business operating environment — characterised by an acute shortage of foreign currency — sustaining Kwese and Kwese Satellite Service was no longer viable.”
Econonet Media operates in more than a dozen countries under the Kwese brand and is owned by Zimbabwe’s richest man, Strive Masiyiwa. Last month, the company went into voluntary administration and appointed accountants Ernst & Young to manage the process as it pays its creditors.
Zimbabwe stopped recognising the US dollar, South African rand and other foreign currencies as legal tender in June as it tries to curb black-market trading that’s contributed to surging inflation. The country’s finance minister last week responded to the worsening economic crisis by blacking out inflation statistics for the next six months.
Man who says the MDC has failed to account for £20,000 @nelsonchamisa funds, says ED has "a grand vision and mission to make Zim great again." Do @DavidColtart and @DrNkuSibanda know of this promotion ED's vision & the author's offensive opinion poll drive accusing MDC? @hwendecpic.twitter.com/maP8aI7uSR
The candle’s image is isolated against a black background and fades into a shadow.
Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has revealed that the intense load-shedding currently crippling the country is set to improve in the coming two weeks owing to a breakthrough in negotiations with South Africa’s Eskom.
Addressing the media at a Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) workshop today, (ZETDC) Commercial Services Manager Corporate Engineer, Richard Marowa said the load-shedding period was largely reliant on the performance of the biggest power station in Hwange.
However he reiterated that the situation is likely to improve in a few weeks.
“The load-shedding we are having now depends on the actual performance of Hwange being the best load power station. When it has a shortfall that goes below 520 megawatts that means we have to load-shed more. In essence that means longer load-shedding hours.
“It is the main reason we were not meeting the eight hours and stretching the load shedding into excess that is fifteen hours.The situation is likely to improve, we are getting this sense from the minister who has been negotiating on our behalf with his counterparts in South Africa. We are hopeful that towards the end of the month things should start to look upward.
“There is now legality in us accessing United States Dollars which is the critical currency that is required in order for us to pay for imports. Our imports are denominated in the US dollars and with that we will be able to import power for the nation.” explained Mariwa.
Mariwa revealed that their target is 1000 to 1050 megawatts at any particular time.
The director-general of the department Peter Mogosi said they were investigating an assassination plot.
GABORONE – The intelligence department in Botswana confirmed on Monday that there was a plot to assassinate the country’s President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi.
This came ahead of this year’s elections which would be highly contested.
Former President Ian Khama endorsed the newly formed party Botswana Patriotic Front after he and some members of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party broke away.
With just two months ahead of the elections in neighbouring Botswana, tensions were seemingly rising high.
The country’s intelligence unit said Masisi’s life was under threat.
The director-general of the department Peter Mogosi said they were investigating an assassination plot.
“It is a fact that… it is unfortunate that I cannot divulge but it is a fact. We won’t take is simple, we will take it seriously.”
The new head of the intelligence division said they intensified the fight against corruption, leading to several arrests of high-profile figures, most of whom were believed to be allies of the former president.
Michael Job,a US preacher and actor (Fake Jesus) was on Thursday reportedly dead moments after attending an interdenominational Christian event as a guest speaker.
Medics at Heyn Hospital have confirmed that Michael Job succumbed to pneumonia while receiving treatment.
Photos and videos showing him dressed as Jesus Christ have been widely shared on social media across Africa.
He was this week deported from Kenya while arresting pastors who invited him.
Source: Kenya Live News
Legend has it that once upon a time a legendary fool lied to the whole village that he has seen a dead kudu in the thicket.
It is said the whole village which was queuing on a water well rushed to the bush in ecstasy to get a share of meat from the dead kudu.
What is fascinating from the tale is that the fool surprisingly too started to believe his own lie that somehow there might be a dead kudu in the bush hence he took to heels in pursuit of others.
The tale’s didactic nature explicitly helps to draw a parallel to the current Zimbabwean situation under Emmerson Mnangagwa’s fake ‘New Dispensation’.
Like the legendary fool who believed his own lie, the Mnangagwa administration exhibiting utter sheer madness somehow believes that the current austerity economic measures will somehow solve the economic question.
This is a regime whose Minister of Finance and Reserve Bank Governor once lied to the whole nation that the bond note is at par with the US dollar.
Just as the legendary fool believed his own lie, Mnangagwa in his wisdom or lack of it even proclaimed that the bond note is the region’s strongest currency.
Just like as the Mugabe regime believed the Chinhoyi diesel lie, the Mnangagwa administration even went a step further by lying to the whole nation that ‘bush bakeries’ will solve bread shortage problems.
Probably the biggest joke and lie is Mnangagwa’s self belief that the legitimacy question is best solved by dialogue with political dwarfs and nonentities like Brian Mteki when it is clear that Zimbabwe currently answers to one name- Nelson Chamisa!
This is the same regime that is grotesquely sunk in a false belief that increasing fuel prices, toll gate fees and switching the country into darkness will elongate their stay in power.
So callous is this anti people administration that they somehow believe they can easily abuse the army to wipe out the entire nation for exercising the constitutional rights.
It is unfortunate for Mnangagwa to repetitively keep on selling the old tired lie that the country is heading for prosperity when we all know its becoming worse than a hellhole.
The mood in the country is indicative that people have realised they have nothing to lose except their poverty.
People have realized the only way to extricate themselves from poverty is by confronting the authors of their problems- the Mnangagwa administration!
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma is MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson.
.@mdczimbabwe Chief Whip says sitting allowances are not that important considering what #Zimbos are going through, however they will challenge the Speaker of Parliaments decision to block their allowances from being paid for not attending Parly last week. pic.twitter.com/4a5DJNiTMc
By Problem Masau| Sweden based cultural ambassador Luckson Chikutu has urged the government to chip in and revive the annual Zimbabwe Music Festival Bira (Zimfebi) in a bid to promote the country’s culture.
“I appeal to government to have a budget to promote cultural activities such as Zimfebi. Festivals like this put the country on the map and it helps to attract tourists,” he said.
“The festival’s objective is to bring people together through celebrating cultures from different parts of the world. We also aim to promote awareness through music,” he said.
The festival was last held in 2015 when Manlukerz was involved in an accident.
Meanwhile, Manlukerz’s cultural book Flashback Identity will be published in English on October 6.
“I am putting finishing touches on the book and it will be published on my birthday,” he said.
The book which was published in Swedish is now being translated into English.
Popularly known as Manlukerz in the entertainment industry, Chikutu says the book is a bridge between cultural and generational gap.
“After a long period of persistent writing and endless patience, finally came the result, a book titled Flashback Identity.
“The writing of the book has been a long journey with positive insights I received and a high ambition to write about my family’s history, the cultural heritage I learnt when I was growing up. The book also captures how music and dance are used to influence humanity in Zimbabwe,” said Manlukerz.
Manlukerz’s hope is that the book be used in schools to teach pupils about the rich cultural heritage of Zimbabwe.
“I really want the book to be used in schools. This is my small contribution to Zimbabwe,” he said.
The same UK based marketing blogger who says the MDC party has failed to account for £20,000 Chamisa Election petition funds, has published a promotional saying ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has “a vision and mission to make Zimbabwe great again” (SEE PICTURES).
Has the MDC failed to account for the election petition funds? Has the MDC failed on accountability standards? The man, only identified as Munyaradzi Hoto (a London based marketing agent), ran a persuasive poll which attracted more than 4,900 votes. It is that poll which has pushed the MDC Treasurer General David Coltart, to respond.
The same author in his article, acknowledges there is a full report published on how the funds were disbursed, but goes on to demand a list of the names of the Trustees of the Nelson Chamisa Foundation. Already published by MDC officials, are not one, but two reports. There is a second one which lists all ledger postings to the donations account, one by one. PICTURES:
Man who says the MDC has failed to account for £20,000 @nelsonchamisa funds, says ED has "a grand vision and mission to make Zim great again." Do @DavidColtart and @DrNkuSibanda know of this promotion ED's vision & the author's offensive opinion poll drive accusing MDC? @hwendecpic.twitter.com/maP8aI7uSR
Farai Dziva|Veteran football administrator Willard Manyengavana has died.
The football family has been plunged into mourning following the of the ZIFA Northern Region chairman.
Manyengavana collapsed while working out at a gym in the morning and had to be carried to hospital for assistance.
“It is so sad, Willard had to go this way. He was unhappy with the way football was captured.”
“The situation never changed, even when he became a member of the finance committee. Death has robbed us of a very important figure in our game. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” said a ZIFA official.
Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
.@mdczimbabwe MP Prosper Mutseyami says they didn't boycott Parliament last week. MDC MPs had gone to commemorate the lives of the people killed on August 1 2018 after the elections. #OpenParlyZWpic.twitter.com/solH6syvwn
By Problem Masau|Gospel sensation Rhoda January is making waves across Limpopo with her debut song titled Ndinovimba Nemi.
The song is about trusting in God in all times. So popular is the song that it is topping charts in South Africa.
“I am humbled by the support and in fact I am grateful with the airplay that I am receiving in South Africa,” said the soft spoken January adding that “It is my wish for the song to be played on the local national stations”.
The song is available on YouTube and Oyos Digital Store.
“The song has opened new avenues for me, I have been invited to perform at several events and managed to attract some sponsors. The theme of the song is reminding people about God’s love for us. I hope to release the video in the following months,” said January.
The song was co-written by January and her husband Victor Sibiya who is also, a musician; it was recorded at SK Sounds Studio, mastered and produced by Tawanda Midzi at Eternity Studios in Pretoria, South Africa.
“I began singing as a child and led the school choir. I am the last born in a family of six and my parents were musicians and have a huge bearing on my career. I am working on releasing an album and I hope it will transform lives,” she added.
It is seems as a family affair as her husband Victor is also an established musician who released his debut album in 2003. Since then he has established himself as a renowned gospel in South Africa.
