By A Correspondent- Another Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Board Member, Precious Nyika, has resigned.

Nyika’s resignation comes following the recent resignation of board chair Osbourne Majuru.

Majuru resigned citing interference by the parastatal’s acting CEO Rita Likukuma whom he accused of taking instructions from the minister and not the Board as stipulated by the law..

In his resignation letter addressed to suspended Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira dated July 12, Majuru said the ministry was failing to recognise the function of the board.

“Honourable Minister my view is that the authority of the ZTA Board has been undermined and significantly eroded to the point of rendering the Board ineffective. The Acting CEO no longer takes instructions from the Board but from your office.

“The main reason for my resignation is that I genuinely feel that the authority of the Board has been materially undermined especially following the appointment of the Acting Chief Executive Mrs Rita Likukuma. Section 17.4 of the Zimbabwe Tourism Act clearly states that the Authority’s Chief Executive is subject to the direction and supervision of the Board,”

“This arrangement worked perfectly when Dr Karikoga Kaseke was in office but unfortunately things changed when he became medically bed ridden,”  

“Honourable Minister my view is that the authority of the ZTA Board has been undermined and significantly eroded to the point of rendering the Board ineffective. The Acting CE0 no longer takes instructions from the Board but from your office.

“The ongoing Skills Audit project is a case in point. Your Board mandated management in its very first interaction at Meikles Hotel (following our appointment) to commission a Skills Audit. We reiterated this position at the inaugural Strategy Retreat and subsequent Board meetings. 

“I was surprised when the Acting CEO gave my Board Members less than 48 hours to give their comments on the Skills Audit report from the Consultants via round robin because she needed to report to the Minister (a Board function).

“The Board had waited for this Skills Audit report for months, and we suddenly had to deliberate and give a verdict on a very critical project involving the retrenchment of a sizeable number of employees some of whom have saved the Authority admirably over their working life.

“As a Board we are responsible for the welfare of ZTA employees and we wanted to ensure that the rationalization plan was done with empathy and kindness. Last night she requested that I rubber stamp a press release on the staff rationalization and yet she has not given me a single update since our last Board meeting with regards to progress on the road map the Board gave management to follow in rolling out the Skills Audit implementation.”

“There were parallel instructions from the Board and your office on the Medical Boarding of Dr. Karikoga Kaseke yet it is very clear in terms of Section 17.1 that the appointing authority for the Chief Executive position (subject to the Minister’s approval) is the Board, not the Minister or Cabinet.”

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.

Farai Dziva|MDC deputy youth assembly chairperson Cecilia Chimbiri has said harassment of opposition members must stop with immediate effect.

Chimbiri was commenting on the alleged attempt by state security agents to abduct MDC Youth Assembly chairperson Obey Sithole.

“Intimidating people, putting them on your hitlist and plotting to kill them will not stop us from pursuing the route of democracy.

Those who have failed to run the affairs of the state should move aside.
This victimisation must stop,” said Chimbiri.

Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube has revealed that the return of ZUPCO buses has seen the Treasury releasing $13 million in subsidies every month.

The ZUPCO programme was introduced to cushion members of the public particularly workers who were no longer affording ever-increasing fares by public transport operators.

Speaking at a post-mid-term budget review meeting hosted by Alpha Media Holdings in conjunction with Zimbabwe Economics Society in Harare on Monday, Ncube said:

“Again, we have the Zupco programme in terms of mass urban transport system, a subsidy that is costing us $13 million per month.

We are committed to subsidise the transport so that the vulnerable can get transport. Of course, we are now figuring out how to accelerate the expansion into rural expansion. When government does this kind of reform, it’s good that you provide social protection.”

Some government critics have always questioned the sustainability of the programme given that fuel prices have been on the rise at least twice a month lately.

ZUPCO charges $0.50 per trip that is now charged about $3.00 by other public transport operators.

They have slammed president Mnangagwa’s populist policies saying that they have brought Zimbabwe to its knees. They noted that former President Robert Mugabe rejected advice from the then president of China, Deng who warned him against pursuing populist policies.

Recently, Mnangagwa concurred with them when he was talking about austerity
measures which he said were unpopular but necessary . News Day

Farai Dziva |A Buhera man bit an apostolic sect leader on the nose following a prophecy indicating his was involved in an adulterous affair.

Chance Materera (39) of Materere Village under Chief Nyashanu could not contain his emotions and attacked the prophet.

Materera appeared at Murambinda Magistrates Court facing assault charges.

“On July 12, 2019 at 5am at Materere Village the accused and the complainant had an argument while they were at a church service.

The accused bitterly complained against the complainant’s prophecy in which he said the former’s wife was adulterous,” the court heard.

Magistrate Dennis Mangosi sentenced Materera to 3 months in jail with an option of a fine.

Farai Dziva|Controversial MDC T vice president, Obert Chaurura Gutu has described MDC leaders as power hungry idiots.

Gutu was commenting on a statement released by the MDC on a demonstration set for August 16.

Gutu wrote: “They’re planning to kick off their violent and unconstitutional uprising on August 16, 2019.

They think that Zimbabweans are stupid. They’re not.

People of Zimbabwe will NEVER be used to satisfy the selfish, crude and destructive agenda of certain power-hungry idiots!”

By Tererayi Rushwaya| We can express our dismay at Zanu’s corruption for days on end, and we can complain about the rises in commodity prices and shortage thereof; we can snigger at Zanu stooges like that Lumumba chap when they find themselves being reprimanded by the Zanu system; we can pour scorn at Patrick Chinamasa for being that bald headed moron who took pride in grand opening a bin; we can ridicule the general’s vanity to use skin lightening cream or the scarf wearer, but all this is idle chatter since the country is continually rotting.

For people who want to see real political and economic progressive change in Zimbabwe there seems to be two ways of turning that into reality: a public revolt or a progressive coup d’état.

Public Revolt?

A civil uprising is labour intensive and is not for the faint hearted as it requires the public to go against the whole entire Zanu system which has a trigger happy army that will not hesitate to let off at the public. It strikes right at the heart of the average Zimbabwean’s weaknesses. A civil uprising requires unity and effective coordination amongst the public. But unity and coordination are two things which are notoriously and historically lacking within the Zimbabwean masses.

For the civil uprising to succeed they would have to be country wide, every major town and city would need to be flooded with protesters demanding this government to bugger off; Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Kwekwe, Masvingo, Mutare, Chitungwiza, Marondera, Norton.

The more I list these towns the more I realise just how impossible a civil uprising in Zimbabwe is. Then there is the issue of fear which to be fair is the number one impediment. People are scared, we all are scared of this Zanu juggernaut, we have seen it in action, it is brutal.

Moreover, it is not easy to provide an argument for the benefits of a civil uprising to a highly literate person who probably has one or two degrees under their belt to put everything aside and protest and risk their own life for the good of everyone. Mass educated people tend to be individualistic in their approach to problem solving.

Progressive coup d’état

This therefore leaves us with the option of a progressive coup de tat. The premise of this would be that a younger group (possibly born frees) within the military who have progressive political views and who are fed up with the corruption and cruelty of the old generation would rise up and remove the old dossiers at the top and then do a deal with the MDC (preferably do the deal before the progressive coup).

Some argue that this could result in an all out war, while others believe that so long as the half a dozen old men who control the military and Zanu are arrested, the rest of the turncoats will fall in line.

After all there were Zanu top officials who were publicly heaping opprobrium on the scarf wearer when he was being dressed down by the then first lady only to heap praises on him after the coup.

What about the war veterans?

Well, the war vets too have several turncoats in their membership. Nonetheless, the young coup leaders and the MDC would need to put out a statement to the war vets that they need not worry about their welfare since the new administration will continue recognising their heroic efforts during the liberation war.

What happens after this progressive coup d’état?

I believe a new constitution would need to be drafted which brings serious change to the way Zimbabwe is governed. I believe that for a generation or so, Zimbabwe should not be governed by a single party but by a coalition government. No single political party should be entrusted with a big task of turning around an economy in rigor mortis such as ours. Moreover, Zimbabwe ought to have a prime minister who is leader of government. The position of president should be removed.

What about the military’s role after this coup?

The army would be converted into a civilian army and a recruitment drive for maybe 20 000 young people would need to be carried out. The old army personnel will be given retrenchment packages or take civilian roles such as in infrastructure building and maintenance or other public services. In my upcoming book I will go into a lot more detail about this notion of a progressive coup.

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;

Which criminal case did I argue? What was the charge? https://t.co/hB5OwfzGf6

— Fadzayi Mahere ?? (@advocatemahere) August 5, 2019

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

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 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

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.

-Herald

By A Correspondent- South Africa’s opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has wished former President Robert Mugabe a speedy recovery.

Posting on its official Twitter handle, South Africa’s most radical party said:

“Get well soon President Mugabe. The EFF wishes you a speedy recovery  our prayers are with you.”

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.

-Newsday

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

— Bathabile Dlamini (@CdeBathaDlamini) August 5, 2019

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.

-News24

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.

Ndewere reserved Mupfumira’s bail ruling indefinitely.

“The ruling on the appeal is reserved. As soon as it is ready, the registrar will advise both parties,” she said.

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.

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.— “

Listen to the full interview below…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.”

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- 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 

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.

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.

May God continue to bless him and our Nation.

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.

The principal of Filchrist Hill High School Jebes Muchapondwa, who allegedly abused learners at his private school speaks:

video loading below….

Zimbabwe’s most celebrated playwright, Stephen J Chifunyise has died.

More to follow….

MDC President Nelson Chamisa has declared an end to his call for seven days of prayer and fasting declaring that the next stage is to take action.

Watch video downloading below: