Grace Ntombizodwa Mugabe (née Marufu; born 23 July 1965) is the second wife of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. She served as the First Lady of Zimbabwe from 1996 until her husband’s resignation in November 2017, a week after he was ousted from power.
Starting as a secretary to President Mugabe, she rose in the ranks of the ruling ZANU–PF party to become the head of its Women’s League and a key figure in the Generation 40 faction. At the same time, she gained a reputation for privilege and extravagance during a period of economic turmoil in the country.
She was expelled from the party, with other G40 members, during the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d’état.
Zimbabweans have this morning been wishing her happy returns on her 54th birthday with some claiming that she is being missed.
By A Correspondent- Home Affairs secretary Melusi Matshiya on Monday warned that security forces, who are deployed to man the country’s border posts without receiving allowances, are prone to corruption and underhand dealings.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Security, chaired by Zanu PF MP for Umzingwane Brigadier-General (Retired) Levi Mayihlome, Matshiya revealed that security details deployed at border posts were living in squalid conditions without proper tools to prevent smuggling of goods and people.
Matshiya told the committee that police officers at the border posts were being deployed without allowances and food in some cases due to budgetary constraints.
“It is something that I am ashamed of, but this is the reality. Yes, we have mechanism in place to discipline them, but they are exposed. I am their boss and I have to tell the truth, we send a police officer for 30 to 40 days away in the bush without money and we expect them to work. They will be tempted,” he said.
Matshiya said at least US$1,5 million was required to buy monitoring equipment for the border posts to curb smuggling.
The permanent secretary who was accompanied by police Deputy Commissioner General Levi Ncube, Immigration principal director Respect Gono and Registrar-General, Clemence Masango, said the issue of subsistence allowances for police officer deployed at border posts should be dealt with urgently to ensure that those tasked to guard the country’s borders are well taken care of.
The committee wanted Matshiya and his crew to explain strategies they were undertaking to deal with smuggling of goods and people at border posts across the country.
The committee was told that the country’s border posts were porous and minerals such as gold and diamonds were being smuggled to South Africa and at times officers deployed there get involved in the illicit trade.
“This is bleeding the economy, at some point we had more than 20kg of gold smuggled through Zambia. We also had diamonds that were taken through South Africa and they found their way to the United Arab Emirates,” Matshiya said.
Beitbridge East MP, Albert Nguluvhe (Zanu PF) took the secretary and the police boss to task on allegations that the police details deployed at border posts were abusive and at times assisting smugglers to conduct their trade.
So far, according to Matshiya, 187 immigration officers have been charged with corruption and 177 of those have been convicted, while in the Registrar-General’s Office 26 officers were accused of graft and 19 of them convicted.-Newsday
The online publication, Spotlight Zimbabwe, which is reported to have links to Zimbabwe’s Military Intelligence Directive (MID) has claimed that ailing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga will be administered with an antidote for poisoning by Chinese medical experts.
This comes after Chiwenga was airlifted to China from South Africa where Chinese medical experts will now join their counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in trying to heal the sick former General who is believed to have been poisoned.
The publication has written a series of articles with fantastic claims concerning the presidency and the military. The publication is notable for correctly writing about the November 2017 military coup against former President Robert Mugabe before it occured.
PRETORIA– Vice President, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, is in China to receive an antidote for his poisoning from Chinese military doctors, as a last ditch effort to help him heal, Spotlight Zimbabwe, can exclusively reveal.
According to a diplomatic source with close links to a Chinese military attache at their embassy here in Pretoria, Beijing believes it can turn around Chiwenga’s troubling health woes as their medical experts in the military have developed a special antidote to administer to him.
Spotlight Zimbabwe, has also been told that Chiwenga is being treated at a top and reputable military hospital called, The General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army (PLAGH) in Beijing.
The institution has provided health and medical care to the leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, the PLA’s general headquarters, and to the troops stationed in the Chinese capital.
“China believes they have a cure for the Zimbabwe vice president, and will administer an antidote for his poisoning ailment in a few days at the General Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army,” said the diplomat whose mission is also situated in the South African capital. “The whole operation involves China and Zimbabwe’s military intelligence units. After the Indians failed to diagnose him recently, a set of blood and urine tests were done on him by Chinese military doctors when he was back in Zimbabwe from India in June. The doctors actually flew to his private residence in Harare for the tests, and based on the confidential results an antidote has been found.”
Chiwenga was left as Acting President by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in late June, when he left for Mozambique to attend the United States-Africa Business Summit. However Chiwenga, was not seen in public and is said to have perfomed his presidential functions via teleconferencing from his home, owing to poor health.
This publication was the first to report about Chiwenga’s poisoning in February, after high level sources in the defence ministry disclosed that the VP had been rushed to India aboard a private plane through the Manyame air base in the capital, for urgent treatment, as military intelligence officials suspected that the former Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) boss, could have ingested the deadly polonium-210 poison, possibly administered using food by his political enemies.
The government yesterday, through presidential spokesman, George Charamba, took the unusual and rare step to issue a statement on Chiwenga’s health saying that he had left South Africa for China for further medical tests, without revealing that the vice president was actually in China for the cure, as the matter is classified as a state secret.
“Following last week’s Presidential statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests,” Charamba said.
“His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President. The Office will keep the nation updated on the progress the Vice President continues to make towards full recovery.”
Last week we also reported that Chiwenga is thought to have been allegedly poisoned, during a private lunch meeting with Mnangagwa at a luxury hotel in Harare last year.
Mnangagwa himself is a victim of ice-cream poisoning, which his supporters claim he suffered at the hands of former first lady, Grace Mugabe, at a ruling party rally in Gwanda, in 2017.
Vincent Tsvangirayi has won the internal MDC election to stand in September’s by-election for Glen View South constituency. The seat fell vacant following the death of Vincent’s sister, Vimbayi Tsvangirai-Java, last month.
Posting on Twitter, the opposition party said:
Vincent Tsvangirai son to our late icon and MDC founding leader, will represent the party in the Glen View South by-election slated for 7 September this year after beating seven other contestants in the primaries held today.
Earlier reports had suggested that there were nine prospective candidates for the MDC primary election.
MDC secretary for Education, Fadzai Mahere, and former representative of the constituency, Paul Madzore, were on the list. Mahere however later refuted the claims.
Glen View National Assembly seat fell vacant following the death of Tsvangirai Java who succumbed to injuries that she sustained following a car accident on her way from Bulawayo.
Lawsuits and threats will not stop the Zanu-PF Youth League from naming and shaming corrupt individuals, youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu has said.
Addressing hundreds of party supporters at St Barnabas Business Centre in Wedza South constituency over the weekend, Tsenengamu said they will not be stopped by cheap threats.
“We will not be stopped by threats or lawsuits because we want President Emmerson Mnangagwa to achieve his vision to have a corruption-free country,” he said.
He hailed Wedza South MP Tino Machakaire, who was named among corrupt officials, for providing evidence to clear his name.
Machakaire is said to have recently availed his personal and company bank accounts to the Youth League for scrutiny.
“He did the right thing by coming to prove to us that he was not involved in corrupt activities,” said Tsenengamu. “That is what we want; people should come and clear their names, not to threaten us or slap us with lawsuits. That shows they are hiding something.”
Tsenengamu urged people to be patient with President Mnangagwa’s policies, saying though they were painful, they would lead to stability.
“We have to be very patient with President Mnangagwa’s policies because they are taking the country in the right direction,” he said. “He will not get in shops to control prices, but he is doing all his best to make sure everything is in its rightful place.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Machakaire said he would not focus on the allegations, but on issues affecting his constituency.
“We don’t want corruption at all, but we are requesting the Youth League not to use the crusade to extort money,” he said.
He said he was focusing on fighting hunger and exorbitant pricing in his constituency. “I will not have much focus on the allegations because our people are hungry,” he said. “There is a drought in Hwedza, our ordinary people cannot afford these exorbitant prices charged here. I have since approached relevant authorities to deal with such issues.”
Kelvin Mutsvairo, the Youth League chairman for Mashonaland East, said Machakaire had done the right thing to clear his name.
Chief Ruzane thanked the Youth League for coming to the area to clarify the issue.
Botswana Civil servants are threatening to paralyse service delivery by engaging in massive demonstrations to force government to resume negotiations with trade unions, and implement recommendations contained in the PEMANDU report.
The threat was delivered by civil servants from various trade unions who gathered in Gaborone and Francistown on Thursday to map the way forward as they strongly believe that government has adopted delaying tactics to avoid implementing PEMANDU recommendations.
Established in September 2009, Malaysia’s Performance Management & Delivery Unit (PEMANDU) are public service specialist consultants who were engaged by Botswana government, through the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) in 2017 to review salaries and conditions of service for public officers, in comparison with global and regional trends and make recommendations.
Top of the PEMANDU recommendations, which has attracted a lot of attention from civil servants, is the double digit increment for different cadres proposed in the report. Fuelling the demand for higher salary increment is the recent decision by Government to make hefty adjustments for members of the discipline forces which has become commonly known as ntlole.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane’s revelation on Tuesday that government does not have funds to support any salary increment for other civil servants in the current financial year has only aggravated anxiety among government workers who feel unfairly treated.
Tsogwane made the announcement at a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) monthly briefing, saying other cadres whose salaries have already been increased earlier this year should refrain from being jealous of soldiers and police officers over ntlole. He said while other political parties talk about paying P3000 minimum living wage the BDP government does not want to shock workers by promising them figures that will not be sustainable. Consequently, Tsogwane said salary negotiations for this year have been closed and will only resume next year.
One civil servant who attended the Francistown meeting, Lux Mboni said the union leadership has been treating government with kids’ gloves despite the employer’s habit of deliberately postponing salary negotiations.
“Le rona re batla ntlole. We need to engage on weekly demonstrations to show the employer how serious we are about the issue of salary increase and improved conditions of service. If the need arises we should engage in an industrial action like we did in 2011,”Mboni declared amid ululations from multitudes who attended the gathering at the civic centre hall.
Another public officer, Isaac Mogapi, observed that they need to pile pressure on government to conclude salary negotiations before the current winter Parliament session adjourns.
“Once the current parliament session is dissolved it will be very difficult to seat on the negotiating table with employer because the leadership will now focus their attention at the upcoming general elections and that will be a big blow to us,” he added, supported by Keletso Kalaotswe who reiterated that engaging in a massive strike is the only viable option that will force the employer to take them seriously.
Kalaotswe said all public servants should engage in that industrial strike so that the employer can respond swiftly to their demands.
Earlier on, the Coordinator of a team representing six public sector trade unions currently negotiating with Government, Tobokani Rari, had informed the gathering that government is playing hide and seek when asked to implement the recommendations of the PEMANDU report.
The outspoken Rari revealed that, in their research PEMANDU consultants had found that civil servants in Botswana are underpaid compared to their counterparts in parastatals and private sector.
“The report also found that public servants in Botswana are paid below the market as compared to other countries in Southern Africa such as South Africa, Lesotho and Namibia,” Rari declared.
According to Rari, the report therefore recommended a salary hike of 15 per cent for public servants at lower scales while those in higher scales should receive a 10 per cent salary increment. He noted that as trade unions they welcome such recommendations as they have been advocating for a meaningful salary increase for public servants who are impoverished due to low wages.
Rari said they were shell shocked when Vice President Slumber Tsogwane announced during a Botswana Democratic Party(BDP) monthly press briefing on Tuesday that there will be no salary increment for this year. Rari said Tsogwane was disingenuous and misdirected himself to make such a declaration.
“The Vice President is not part of the negotiations and as such he is an intruder. Tsogwane misled the nation when he said trade unions are the ones delaying salary negotiations,” he charged.
Rari explained that as trade union leaders they were supposed to meet with Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) officials on June 3 to kick start negotiations but DPSM requested a postponement as they wanted to engage in internal consultations first and to seek mandate from their superiors.
“We then agreed to the postponement and both parties agreed that negotiations should resume on June 25. On that date when we arrived at DPSM offices, we were shocked when they informed us that their internal consultations have not been completed,” he pointed out.
The six trade unions then wrote a letter to DPSM requesting them to set a date convenient for them to resume negotiations. In response DPSM set July 10 but the date has since passed without any progress, Rari said.
He stated that they have now come to the conclusion that government does not want to come to the party as they have learnt that the convener of salary negotiations will not be available until July 27, which is seen as another delaying tactic used by the employer.
Malawi’s main opposition party, which has been lobbying to annul the result of the May presidential election, said Monday its headquarters were burnt to the ground in an arson attack.
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) said the offices in the commercial capital Blantyre had been “bombed” on Sunday evening, though police said there was no confirmed cause of the fire.
Months of protests have erupted in usually stable Malawi since President Peter Mutharika won a second term in a disputed vote count.
Lazarus Chakwera, leader of the MCP, alleges he was robbed of victory by fraud after losing by a narrow margin.
Mutharika claimed the protests were aimed at unseating his government and has vowed to end them.
The MCP and the United Transformation Movement (UTM) party, which came third in the polls, have launched a legal battle against the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the electoral commission.
The next court hearing in the case is due on Monday.
Allegations of electoral fraud included that many result sheets were altered using typewriter correction fluid.
President Peter Mutharika has filed his response and sworn statements in opposition to the consolidated petitions of UTM Party president Saulos Chilima and Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) at Constitution Court challenging results of the presidential race in the May 21 Tripartite Elections which favoured Mutharika.
Lawyer Frank Farook Mbeta representing the President wants the court to throw out the applications for lacking evidence of irregularities and wasting court time
Chilima and Chakwera filed separate petitions disputing the May 27 Malawi Electoral Commission declaration of Mutharika as winner of the presidential race with 1 940 709 votes representing 38.57 percent followed by Chakwera with 1 781 740 votes representing 35.41 percent with Chilima finishing third and ahead of four other aspirants with 1 018 369 votes representing 20.24 percent.
The petitioners cite irregularities, especially in the results management process, as some of the factors justifying nullification of the presidential election.
The High Court consolidated the petitions into one case and referred the matter to Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda who subsequently certified it as a constitutional matter and assigned a five-judge panel to hear the case as a Constitutional Court.
The five-judge panel comprises Healey Potani, Mike Tembo, Dingiswayo Madise, Ivy Kamanga and Redson Kapindu.
Through private practice lawyers led by Frank Farouk Mbeta, President Mutharika, a professor at law, is asking the court to dismiss the petitioners’ case.
Mutharika has filed sworn statements in support of his case through the worn statements of Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri (Minister of Local Government), Bob Chimkango a private practice lawyer and more than 50 monitors who witnessed the whole process from voting to counting of the votes in the areas alleged by Chilima and Chakwera to have irregularities.
According to court documents seen by Nyasa Times, President Mutharika discredited the evidence of the petitioners as “lacking and wanting in all material respects.”
In response, Mutharika through lawyer Mbeta argue that the Chilima and Chakwera have heavily relied on the use of the alteration fluid known as Tippex as a basis to nullify the election.
“The Petitioners have deliberately failed to adduce the source documents ( Forms 60C) which are the stream results in order to contradict the results sheets that were relied upon by MEC (form 60c) when announcing the results,” lawyer Mbeta argues for Mutharika.
“The Petitioners have miserably failed to tell the court the effect of the alterations on the votes polled by the candidates.
“The petitioners have also failed to tell the court the fact that alteration fluid used was only for reconciliation of the figures and not to change the votes of the candidates.”
According to Mutharika’s response, Chilima and Chakwera have failed in their evidence (sworn statements) to prove the alleged irregularities.
Furthermore, Chilima and Chakwera have failed to show how the alleged irregularities if at all they existed, affected the outcome of the results.
President Mutharika has also filed Skeletal Arguments buttressing the arguments as contained in the sworn statements.
Mutharika is asking the Court to dismiss the Petition as it lacks merit and is a waste of courts time and resources.
Zanu-PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu says an apology by President Emmerson Mnangwagwa’s government over the Gukurahundi atrocities will be a disaster for the ruling party and the administration.
In a two part article published by a Bulawayo based weekly, Mpofu, who defected from PF-Zapu to Zanu in the 1980s, says it’s time to let bygones be bygones.
“Let bygones be bygones, if Government is to be dragged into formally apologising, this will open closed wounds which may be catastrophic to the party and government,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu further argues that the Gukurahundi which saw more than 20 000 people, largely supporters of PF-Zapu, from Matabeleland and Midlands massacred by the army and state agents in the early 1980s was resolved by the signing of the Unity Accord in 1987.
“The Gukurahundi issue was resolved on 22 December 1987 by former President R G Mugabe and the late Vice-President J Nkomo. If discussions on Gukurahundi are to happen, Zanu-PF as the custodians of the Unity Accord should define the agenda and own the process,” said Mpofu.
He said discussions on Gukurahundi should be on identifying the victims and help them to access basic social services such as identification if there is need.
“Like any other disaster, a crisis of this sort is bound to create victims who have lost economic and social livelihoods. Some of these things can never be fully restored, instead the Government can recognise these people as victims and try to establish centres where they can be assisted,” said Mpofu.
Zimbabwe has awarded controversial former Eskom acting CEO Matshela Koko a deal to build a 100MW solar power plant, with energy minister Fortune Chasi saying Harare is not concerned about allegations involving Koko at SA’s power utility.
Reports in March said Koko had been accused of promising Swiss-based engineering giant ABB future contracts worth R6.5bn if it subcontracted work at the Kusile power station to Impulse International, a company partially owned by his stepdaughter, Koketso Choma.
The company is one of 11 international engineering giants said to be under investigation by the Special Investigating Unit for their role in the looting of about R139bn during the building of Medupi and Kusile power units.
Both Koko and Impulse International’s Pragasen Pather have since denied the allegations.
Zimbabwe, which is experiencing power outages of up to 18 hours a day, is desperate for new investors to add power to the national grid.
Another solar plant project that was earmarked to be built in Gwanda, Matebeleland South, stalled after allegations that funds were misappropriated at Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo.
Matshela Energy’s solar power plant will be built in Gwanda. The licence is for 25 years.
In an interview on Monday, Chasi confirmed the government’s deal with Koko. He said his country was going to benefit from the investment.
“What is important about this deal is that Matshela Energy has the requisite expertise in energy given its experience in South Africa. We need investors in our country, more so in energy because we are in a crisis.
“This deal is good for us because Matshela Energy will bring in an investor from the US. So our country is going to benefit and the people in that area are also going to benefit through employment and development.”
Asked if Harare trusted Koko, Chasi said: “The difference between Koko and Chivayo’s contracts is that the South African company will raise private funding for the power plant, while Chivayo was paid through Zesa.
“So Matshela Energy is going to invest money into this project. It is going to be a BOT (built, operate and transfer). So government is not going to pay a cent but it is leaving everything in the hands of the investors and if Matshela fails to deliver, it will be their own baby,” said Chasi.
A post on Koko’s Twitter account shows him celebrating the deal.
“Matshela Energy brings to the region a 100MW Solar PV power plant with 240MWh of battery storage. I was forcefully diverted to my destiny by president @CyrilRamaphosa & @mgigaba. Little did they know they were pushing me to greater heights,” he tweeted.
Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, ZERA, confirmed the issuing of the licence in a public notice and said the plant would be established at Timber Farm for purposes of generation and supply of electricity.
“The generation licence is hereby granted to Matshela Energy (Private) Limited . . . to own, operate and maintain the 100MW solar power plant called Matshela Energy — Gwanda Timber Farm Solar Power plant at Gwanda Timber Farm, Gwanda in Matabeleland South Province,” said Zera.
“The licensee may supply electricity to any transmition, distribution or supply licensee who purchases electricity for resale and, with the approval of the Authority, to any one or more consumers.”
The issuing of solar plant licences by Zera comes as a short to long term solution to ending the electricity crisis in the country.
BULAWAYO Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube reportedly tried to warn the city’s Deputy Mayor Councillor Tinashe Kambarami and his sidekick Councillor Silas Chigora, among others, against flouting procurement procedures saying they risked arrest for corruption.
This is contained in a nearly five minute audio recording that has been circulating on social media.
Clrs Kambarami and Chigora were recently at the forefront of violently ‘suspending’ Mr Dube accusing him of corruption, among other accusations.
Bulawayo Mayor Clr Solomon Mguni rescinded the suspension the following day.
Bulawayo councillors are reportedly divided between two factions angling to control the awarding of tenders and the Town Clerk has stood as a stumbling block to their shenanigans.
In the audio, Mr Dube explains to Clr Kambarami council procurement procedures warning that they would remember his advice when things go sour.
“Deputy Mayor let me tell you, now the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has been given arresting powers.
There are so many things that would lead to the arrest of certain individuals.
So I have tried to correct you as the city fathers.
I don’t gain anything in this. But it is my duty and obligation to tell you that this thing is not correct, do it this way. I thought I should call you and sit down together with the three other councillors . . . ,” says Mr Dube.
“Chigora in his capacity as chief whip and finance and development committee chair, I’m trying to advise you.
You see you will remember me tomorrow that uDube tried to advise us and it’s up to you to accept or discard my advice. I would have done my part.”
In the audio, the Town Clerk further educates Clr Kambarami on what procurement entails as he seems not to understand.
Clr Kambarami asks whether the issue of parking is a procurement issue to which Mr Dube says it is.
The Deputy Mayor insists:
“No it’s a bit different Town Clerk, you know why I’m saying that because when you are reading on procurement, Procurement Act the first thing is on definition of procurement and procuring is acquiring but are we buying anything in that case?”
Mr Dube responds: “We are buying services from those people. Yes we are acquiring services from those people Deputy Mayor. I’m advising you as your Town Clerk. That is a procurement issue.”
Mr Dube, Clrs Kambarami and Chigora could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday.
The standoff between the Town Clerk and some councillors allegedly started after he resisted their moves to interfere with council management operations.
The councillors are said to be angry that the Town Clerk has refused to involve them in the distribution of the $5 million ward retention fund as well as the allocation of stands and premises.
Four suspected armed robbers allegedly pounced on three men who were parked in the Avenues area in Harare while counting their cash in a car and went away with more than US$70 000, $1 600 bond and other valuables.
The robbers, the Harare Magistrates’ Court heard, went on a shopping spree and bought vehicles using the money.
Elisha Munhanga (53), Conwell Kasambarare (26), Liberty (27) and Musafare Mupamhanga (45) denied the charges when their trial commenced.
The gang applied for discharge at the close of the State case and ruling has been set for July 30.
Prosecutor Mr Ephraim Zinyandu alleged that on September 28, last year, Fabiola Gonye, Livemore Mavula and Valentine Unganai were seated in Gonye’s motor vehicle at corner Ninth Avenue and Selous Street, Harare, counting Gonye’s money.
Two unregistered vehicles suddenly appeared and blocked the complainant’s vehicle before four men wearing masks came out of the vehicles.
The gang threatened to shoot the complainants before ordering them to lie down and they complied.
The gang stole US$71 402, $1 600 bond and mobile phones and sped from the scene.
On October 1, police detectives received information that Manhanga had given his nephew large sums of money for safe keeping on the same day the crime was committed.
A follow-up was made and Manhanga was arrested.
On October 8, detectives received information and arrested Kasambarare in Highfield after a high-speed chase.
It is the State case that Kasambarare used part of the proceeds to buy a Toyota Runx.
Liberty and Musafare, who had also bought a vehicle with the stolen money, were arrested on October 30.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo (centre) presents oral evidence before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade in the august House yesterday. He is flanked by Special Advisor Ambassador Stuart Comberbach (left) and Acting Director Policy Research Mr Shepherd Gwenzi.
State Media|The country’s diplomats serving at various missions will now have their performance measured in line with the Second Republic’s thrust of promoting economic diplomacy with those failing the test being recalled.
This was said by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Busi Moyo when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade yesterday.
“His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) will not just deploy, but he will ensure that he deploys ambassadors who have the same vision and thrust of economic diplomacy,” he said.
“We have taken time to train our ambassadors before deployment this time so that we actually reorient them and they have got specific targets and their targets are given like for every quarter how many tourists have come from your country of accreditation.
“We can count easily your performance, how many companies or investors have come from your country of accreditation and what new markets have you secured for this country.
“We can actually measure that so that we have a pro-forma which they fill to say this is what I have done and this is what I have not done and we can assess.
“If an ambassador cannot perform, the President has the prerogative to recall that ambassador so we prefer to have performing ambassadors.” Minister
Moyo said they were rationalising the country’s foreign missions to reflect the policy thrust of Government.
“The ministry is in the process of rationalising its foreign missions in order to correctly reflect the realities in the international community and most importantly the Second Republic’s thrust of engagement with everyone,” he said
“The rationalisation process includes but is not limited to closing down some sections where there is hardly any trade, opening new diplomatic missions and increasing staff at missions with multiple accreditation. The Government is in the process of opening three new diplomatic missions in Rwanda, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.”
He added that they would also introduce a ranking system for ambassadors where they would be paid according to their rank.
“We have decided to have what we call a rank of ambassadors. Instead of saying all ambassadors are the same, we rank them so that we can reduce the salaries of those who are ranked lower and that will create a saving in that regard and we believe it is a way to cut cost,” he said.
He added that they also wanted the foreign missions to coordinate Diaspora activities that he said had an important role to play in the development of the country.
ASTON Villa transfer target Marvelous Nakamba remains AWOL from Club Brugge’s pre-season training camp as he looks to push through a move to the Premier League club.
The west-Midlands outfit has already brought in eight new additions this summer.
But according to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad , Nakamba may become the ninth in the coming weeks.
The publication claims the midfielder is still holding out for a move to Villa, with his entourage believing an agreement will be found soon.
Nakamba failed to return to the Belgian outfit last week, sparking fears he would go on strike to engineer a move away.
Club Brugge want €12m (£10.7m) for the 25-year-old Zimbabwe international, who was recently at the African Cup of Nations.
But Aston Villa are believed to have only offered in the region of £8m so far this summer.State media
The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West in the past two decades have cost the country over US$70 billion in lost revenue and lines of credit, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo has said.
He said this yesterday when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to brief them on his ministry’s programmes and activities.
Minister Moyo said Zimbabwe continues to deal with the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western countries, which have negatively affected the most vulnerable groups of citizens in particular, and the economy in general.
“It is estimated, for those who have done the studies, that Zimbabwe has lost an estimated US$42 billion in revenue because of the sanctions,” said Minister Moyo.
“The country lost multi-lateral donor support which is estimated at about US$4,5 billion annually since 2001 and US$12 billion in the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank loans which could have developed infrastructure in this country and commercial loans estimated at US$18 billion which could have gone to the private sector and into other areas and as a result of that, a reduction of GDP of over US$21 billion .
“Now that’s a picture of what has been the impact of the sanctions in the past two decades.”
Minister Moyo said the heavy cost to the economy has necessitated Zimbabwe’s policy thrust of re-engagement to ensure the country returns to the community of nations.
“This is the main reason why our foreign policy at the moment targets at re-engagement with those countries who have seen us in negative a way and who should therefore unlock this particular area. That’s why since his inauguration, His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) has dynamised Zimbabwe’s quest to normalise relations with the West through re-engagement.
Serious and focused dialogue has already been initiated with key constituent countries among them the United Kingdom, the US, Germany, France, Sweden and Australia.
“The main objective of the re-engagement is to normalise all aspects of the country’s relations by ending Zimbabwe’s isolation and re-opening all lines of communication.”State media
TWO Bulawayo brothers who were savagely tortured before being executed in South Africa recently were yesterday buried on the outskirts of Bulawayo as police in the neighbouring country announced that one person had been arrested in connection with their deaths.
Sydney (41) and Edmore Gwatsvaira (37), who had changed their surname to Ncube, are said to have been running a flourishing transport company which operated buses and trucks in South Africa.
They were buried yesterday at Umvutshwa Private Cemetery. However, new details emerged yesterday that before engaging in legitimate businesses they were hard-core criminals and were arrested locally for armed robbery and carjacking.
The brothers were reportedly kidnapped by unknown assailants almost a month ago in Johannesburg before their bodies were dumped in Mpumalanga. The bodies were found nearly two weeks ago.
The Chronicle news visited their family residence in West Somerton suburb yesterday afternoon with the intention of speaking to their relatives as information regarding their death remains sketchy.
Their brother who only identified himself as Mr Washington, also based in South Africa, declined to comment on circumstances leading to his siblings death.
“I can’t speak to you at the moment. I guess no one else would. What you can do is take my WhatsApp number and send me a message later during the week maybe I will be able to respond to your questions,” said Mr Washington, who was putting on a T-shirt with an inscription “RIP Game Changer.”
The T-shirt has a photograph of the duo. Several other people were also wearing similar T-shirts and most of the mourners were from an apostolic sect.
A neighbour who declined to be named said as residents who knew the family they are shocked that the pair was considered as businessmen and not in jail.
“We know that the two brothers are well known criminals in the country who were involved in serious crimes. We thought that they are supposed to be in jail but we got shocked to learn that they were in South Africa.
“They were once arrested for armed robbery and carjacking crimes. Maybe their death is related to their past life or what they were doing,” said the neighbour.
Sydney was, sometime in October 2003, arrested together with Gilson Mutembedza, Leroy Pita and Neil Charles for allegedly stealing a Mitsubishi Pajero in Harare.
Mutembedza had around the same time allegedly been involved in a P672 164 robbery of the Bank of Baroda in Gaborone.
In July 2012, Sydney, said to be 40 at the time, was arrested at a prayer session in Marondera and fined $100 for entering the country using a passport bearing a Mozambican national’s name. He was sentenced to the fine or two months in prison for entering the country illegally and using a fake travel document. The passport had the name Fernando Paulo Mula and Sydney’s photograph.State media
THE crippling power outages being experienced across the country have escalated operational costs and compromised the quality of service delivery in the telecommunications sector, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, has said.
In a statement yesterday, Econet apologised to its customers following the mobile network collapse at the weekend, which it said was “triggered by Zesa power outages” at its network operations centre in Harare.
Thousands of subscribers countrywide were left stranded on Saturday as they could neither make calls or conduct transactions using EcoCash.
Econet said the level of power cuts had reached unsustainable levels and was threatening the viability of the telecoms sector.
The listed firm said provisional measures to mitigate the impact on service quality and network performance through use of diesel generators at base stations were being hampered by prevailing fuel shortages.
“Even with these contingency measures, the increased fuel allocation is still inadequate to ensure the required optimum network performance and at current regulated pricing levels, the related costs are not sustainable,” said Econet.
“The severe shortage of both electrical power and diesel fuel means that some of our base stations will not be operational when there is no Zesa power or when fuel runs out on a site.
“This inevitably results in the degradation of all services supported by the network in terms of service availability, call setup, call success rates, dropped call rates and speech quality.”State media
THE ruling party, Zanu-PF, has said it will not turn a blind eye on anarchy following acts of extreme provocation by the Mr Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-Alliance, which has escalated its violence to the international arena.
Addressing journalists at Zanu-PF Headquarters yesterday, the party’s secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo said they had been closely following the behaviour of the MDC-Alliance which is in pursuit of its doomed unconstitutional regime change agenda.
His remarks follow recent attacks on Zanu-PF Politburo member and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo by MDC-Alliance activists in London.
“The recent assault on Honourable Moyo and his team in London by MDC hoodlums masquerading as human rights activists while they were on official Government business, firmly demonstrates the aversion of the opposition to the principle of respect for the rule of law and peaceful protests as set out in the national Constitution and international human rights laws,” said Khaya Moyo.
“However, the attack in London on SB Moyo cannot be taken in isolation as it is part of the beleaguered opposition’s grand plan to foment chaos within Zimbabwe and create false impression of a failed State.”State media
A WOMAN from Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and cutting off a rival’s finger in a fight over a man.
Beauty Siziba (23) from Old Lobengula suburb stabbed Ms Loreen Moyo (30) from Pelandaba on the stomach and cut off her little finger with a knife.
She pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Mafios Moyo and was remanded out of custody to August 3 for continuation of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa said on December 1 last year at around 5PM, Ms Moyo disembarked from a taxi when she saw Siziba who had parked her vehicle at the road side after a breakdown.
He said Ms Moyo’s attempts to help Siziba were reciprocated with accusations of dating the latter’s husband. “Siziba accused Ms Moyo of dating her husband.
Siziba went on to grab Ms Moyo’s neck and drew a knife from her pocket and stabbed Ms Moyo on her stomach,” Mr Manyiwa said.
He said Siziba was targeting Ms Moyo’s face but Ms Moyo deflected the knife using her left hand and her little finger was cut off.
Mr Manyiwa said Siziba further stabbed Ms Moyo on her stomach and blood started gushing from the wound.
He said Ms Moyo was rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital following Siziba’s arrest.—State media
Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda Grace Chingoma, Harare Bureau THE Mighty Warriors, and their Under-20 counterparts, are expected to go into camp today to begin preparations for the Cosafa Women Championships.
The tournament will be staged in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, from next Wednesday.
Zimbabwe will take on Angola in the opening match at the Nelson Mandela Bay. The following day, August 1, the Young Mighty Warriors will meet South Africa in the opening match of the inaugural developmental tournament.
Mighty Warriors coach, Sithethelelwe “Kwinji 15” Sibanda, had indicated that good preparations were key and had wanted a longer training period. As for the Under-20 team, new coach Rosemary Mugadza will also have to work round the clock to assemble a competitive side.
Yesterday, Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said they will only announce the Cosafa squads after they have finished sending invitational letters to the players.
The senior team are in a group that also features Angola, Mozambique and Eswatini.State media
The illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West in the past two decades have cost the country over US$70 billion in lost revenue and lines of credit, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo has said.
He said this yesterday when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to brief them on his ministry’s programmes and activities.
Minister Moyo said Zimbabwe continues to deal with the illegal sanctions imposed by some Western countries, which have negatively affected the most vulnerable groups of citizens in particular, and the economy in general.
“It is estimated, for those who have done the studies, that Zimbabwe has lost an estimated US$42 billion in revenue because of the sanctions,” said Minister Moyo.
“The country lost multi-lateral donor support which is estimated at about US$4,5 billion annually since 2001 and US$12 billion in the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank loans which could have developed infrastructure in this country and commercial loans estimated at US$18 billion which could have gone to the private sector and into other areas and as a result of that, a reduction of GDP of over US$21 billion .
“Now that’s a picture of what has been the impact of the sanctions in the past two decades.”
Minister Moyo said the heavy cost to the economy has necessitated Zimbabwe’s policy thrust of re-engagement to ensure the country returns to the community of nations.
“This is the main reason why our foreign policy at the moment targets at re-engagement with those countries who have seen us in negative a way and who should therefore unlock this particular area.
That’s why since his inauguration, His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) has dynamised Zimbabwe’s quest to normalise relations with the West through re-engagement.
Serious and focused dialogue has already been initiated with key constituent countries among them the United Kingdom, the US, Germany, France, Sweden and Australia.
“The main objective of the re-engagement is to normalise all aspects of the country’s relations by ending Zimbabwe’s isolation and re-opening all lines of communication.
The engagement with the EU, until the advent of the Second Republic, the EU refused to recognise the legitimacy of the outcomes of any election accusing (the) Zimbabwe Government of vote rigging and human rights abuses.
“However, the new dispensation has enabled the thawing of relations with the EU as seen by their observance of the July 31 elections and continued exchange of high level visits,” said Minister Moyo.
He added that the launch of dialogue between Zimbabwe and the EU in May was another sign of improving ties between the two, adding that it was a “precursor of other beneficial engagements with other countries like the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand”.
Minister Moyo also told the Portfolio Committee that an assessment team from the Commonwealth was also in the country a fortnight ago to see the situation prevailing on the ground.
The team also met various stakeholders from political parties and civil society organisations.
Zimbabwe has applied to re-join the club of former British colonies as part of its re-engagement drive.-state media
Farai Dziva|A Zanu PF official has claimed that “agents of regime change” are plotting to destabilize the peace in the country.
Agents of regime change come under the guise of human rights activism as they seek to unseat Government, claimed Zanu PF Politburo member, Munyaradzi Machacha.
Machacha is also the Principal of Chitepo School of Ideology.
Machacha made the remarks at a symposium at Lupane State University.
“This is a training symposium for Zicosu members in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North to become better informed Zanu-PF cadres who appreciate the prevailing socio-economic and political challenges.
“We are saying patriotic Zimbabweans should be wary of agents of regime change masquerading as human rights activists.
These activists are crisispreneurs who don’t have the interests of the people of Zimbabwe at heart.
They are only interested in dislodging Zanu-PF government from power so they replace it with a puppet government which they will use to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle.
Their tactics include causing unrest through violent demonstrations and abuse of social media to spread alarm and despondency,” said Machacha.
Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube reportedly tried to warn the city’s Deputy Mayor Councillor Tinashe Kambarami and his sidekick Councillor Silas Chigora, among others, against flouting procurement procedures saying they risked arrest for corruption.
This is contained in a nearly five minute audio recording that has been circulating on social media.
Clrs Kambarami and Chigora were recently at the forefront of violently ‘suspending’ Mr Dube accusing him of corruption, among other accusations.
Bulawayo Mayor Clr Solomon Mguni rescinded the suspension the following day. Bulawayo councillors are reportedly divided between two factions angling to control the awarding of tenders and the Town Clerk has stood as a stumbling block to their shenanigans.
In the audio, Mr Dube explains to Clr Kambarami council procurement procedures warning that they would remember his advice when things go sour.
“Deputy Mayor let me tell you, now the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has been given arresting powers. There are so many things that would lead to the arrest of certain individuals.
So I have tried to correct you as the city fathers. I don’t gain anything in this. But it is my duty and obligation to tell you that this thing is not correct, do it this way. I thought I should call you and sit down together with the three other councillors . . . ,” says Mr Dube.
“Chigora in his capacity as chief whip and finance and development committee chair, I’m trying to advise you.
You see you will remember me tomorrow that uDube tried to advise us and it’s up to you to accept or discard my advice. I would have done my part.”
In the audio, the Town Clerk further educates Clr Kambarami on what procurement entails as he seems not to understand.
Clr Kambarami asks whether the issue of parking is a procurement issue to which Mr Dube says it is. The Deputy Mayor insists: “No it’s a bit different Town Clerk, you know why I’m saying that because when you are reading on procurement, Procurement Act the first thing is on definition of procurement and procuring is acquiring but are we buying anything in that case?”
Mr Dube responds: “We are buying services from those people. Yes we are acquiring services from those people Deputy Mayor. I’m advising you as your Town Clerk. That is a procurement issue.”
Mr Dube, Clrs Kambarami and Chigora could not be immediately reached for comment yesterday. The standoff between the Town Clerk and some councillors allegedly started after he resisted their moves to interfere with council management operations.
The councillors are said to be angry that the Town Clerk has refused to involve them in the distribution of the $5 million ward retention fund as well as the allocation of stands and premises. – state media
Farai Dziva|The government has said Constantino Chiwenga is set to undergo further medical tests in China.
See Press Statement below :
Following last week’s President Statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
The office will keep the Nation updated on the progress the vice President continues to make towards full recovery.
Farai Dziva| Medical experts in China will examine Constantino Chiwenga as the government steps up efforts to secure treatment for the former army general.
Constantino Chiwenga
Below is a statement released by government on Chiwenga’s health:
Following last week’s President Statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
The office will keep the Nation updated on the progress the vice President continues to make towards full recovery.
Farai Dziva|
A Mutare man was shocked beyond beyond belief when he caught his wife in bed with her boyfriend in their matrimonial home.
According to The Manica Post, Ishmael Madhochi of Sakubva, Mutare, unexpectedly came back home from Harare around 3 am on Tuesday, only to find his wife Faith in bed with her lover Livingstone Gwandura.
Ishmael managed to contain himself and did not assault the lovebirds but called his relatives instead to witness the shameful act.
One of Ishmael’s sisters who spoke to The Manica Post publication said:
It was around 3 am when we heard about the incident. My brother alerted us saying he caught his wife with a boyfriend.
We are worried because our brother is a caring and loving husband. We are shocked that this woman had to do this.
This is disgraceful. Our daughter-in-law (Faith) is a disgrace to the family. We were shocked by the incident and we are now about to deliberate on the way forward. We are glad that at least our son Ishmael did not injure the boyfriend or do anything that he would regret later.
Ishmael came back home after a tip-off and we are glad that it came to light.”
The MDC Youth Assembly is highly incensed and riled by the stinking corruption scandals largely traceable to ZANU PF linked cartels.
As overtly laid bare by the Auditor General’s report, there is some worrisome, saddening and disheartening reports on how ZANU PF officials swindled the nation of a sum large enough to be the country’s annual budget hiding under Command Agriculture rhetoric.
The recent 3 billion corruption new comes hot after another 15 billion diamond money that went missing some years ago.
Just like in the past where Robert Mugabe was at the center of the missing diamond money, this time around Emmerson Mnangagwa is the epicenter of the Command Agriculture corruption scandal since he was the main man in charge of program.
That the corruption scandals are unfolding at a time when the country is hard hit by continuous rising prices, fuel shortages and electricity blackouts only aid in adding salt to the wounds of suffering masses.
Amidst the crisis, ZANU PF’s carefree attitude towards the debilitating economic crisis and corruption only but helps to sow seeds of discontentment on the masses.
The ordinary people have been pushed too far and for long!
At this rate, a civil unrest of magnitude proportions is on the horizon and is sure to happen.
This regime’s carelessness on critical issues that affect citizens is a cause for concern as far as national peace is concerned.
As young social democrats and peace-loving Zimbabweans, we urge the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa to do the honorable thing by resigning to pave way for a pro-people leadership.
It is becoming increasingly clear that only a leader with a good social contract with the masses, which in this case is Nelson Chamisa, can move the country forward.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
The ruling Zanu-PF party has embarked on an intensive drive to persuade the nation to give President Emmerson Mnangagwa a chance to “prove his capabilities” as the country’s economic woes continue to mount.
The youth league national political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu told Wedza villagers over the weekend that Mnangagwa’s policies might be tough but will eventually bear fruits.
This comes as prices of basic commodities continue to shoot on the backdrop of fuel prices increases, which have become regular in recent weeks.
Tsenengamu said, Mnangagwa, unlike former President Robert Mugabe, will not force business owners to reduce prices in their shops as this will cause total industry collapse.
He said the Mnangagwa government is aware of the people’s plight and he is “working around the clock” to rectify the challenges.
“We have to be very patient with President Mnangagwa’s policies because they are taking the country in the right direction. He will not get in shops to control prices but he is doing all his best to make sure everything is in its rightful place,” he said.
“If Mnangagwa goes around controlling prices, investors will stay away and we will continue to suffer,’ Tsenengamu said.
Ironically, when Mnangagwa came into power, his promise was premised on bringing in investors who would channel in funds which would see the reopening of industries which have been lying idle for years.
After the 2018 election, there was hope that Mnangagwa’s promises would bear fruits but the brutality at the hands of the military post-election and in January when citizens protested against fuel prices and a shrinking economy, has hampered chances of him attracting the much needed foreign direct investment.
With the current acute power shortages, the remaining functional companies have been threatened as the business has been slow.
Tsenengamu said the citizens have a right to demand a good life from a sitting President since they voted for him but he said the job ahead needed a collective effort.
“We are used to a President who interferes with business, but he is one a person who will not do so. President Mnangagwa will do the right thing but he needs your support for the economy to function,’ said the youth leader.
Wedza South Member of Parliament, Tinoda Machakaire said people should be patient with President Mnangagwa’s austerity measures saying there are good for the country.
He bemoaned the high levels of starvation in his constituency saying all focus should be on finding solutions to the challenges people are facing.
“Our people are hungry, there is drought in Wedza, our ordinary people do not afford these exorbitant prices charged here. I have since approached relevant authorities to deal with such issues,” he said.
Machakaire donated several tonnes of rice saying it will cushion villagers from exorbitant charges.
By Own Correspondent- A woman from Zibombo Village 2 in Shangani area in Matabeleland South left her community shocked when she reportedly kicked out her husband of 17 years from their matrimonial home allegedly as punishment for not paying bride price for her.
Julian Chiza, who felt her husband Tuesday Moyo could not continue enjoying her affection without giving her parents a token of appreciation for raising a woman who bore him three children reportedly told her husband that she could not sleep with him or accept him until he paid lobola.
Narrating his ordeal to B-Metro over the phone, Moyo who is now staying with a friend, said he was still to come to terms with his wife’s nasty move of evicting him from their home over failure to pay lobola.
“My wife kicked me out of the house because I had not paid lobola. She threw all my belongings outside. When I confronted her she started shouting at me with vulgar language saying she could not stay with a man who has not paid lobola for her,” said a devastated Moyo adding that he could not do so at the moment as he could not afford to.
He said his wife was also not allowing him to have access to their children.
“She is also refusing me access to our children. I tried to engage the village head and her family over the matter but to no avail. Her family said they will only entertain me after I had paid something,” said Moyo.
After realising that his in-laws had refused to entertain him, Moyo sought the intervention of the courts in the form of a peace order against his wife.
His application reads: “Julian Chiza is my wife and we got married in 2002. We have three children together and I want a protection order against her because she chased me away from our matrimonial home in February this year saying I didn’t pay lobola for her. She also insults me with vulgar language and I want the court to assist me so that I can go back and look after my children,” begged Moyo.
He said although the order was granted in his favour, he didn’t receive any joy after the presiding magistrate “ignored” his request to stop his wife from chasing him from their matrimonial home.
The wife was only ordered not to verbally abuse him with vulgar language.
Chiza was, however, not available for comment but according to evidence she led in court she admitted to chasing away her husband from home as punishment for not paying lobola.
She also said her husband once ill-treated her when he deserted her soon after giving birth to their first child.
“After he impregnated me in 2002, he disappeared. He returned in 2006 and we started staying together. I chased him away because I can’t say we are married since he didn’t pay lobola for me for all those years we had been staying together. He was also accusing me of poisoning him,” she responded.-BMetro
By Own Correspondent| Council is acquiring 20 water bowsers to cart water to areas not receiving supplies.
A Special Council which sat Tuesday to discuss the water crisis, health issues and the next 100 day plan resolved that 20 Bowsers be urgently acquired.
Council also approved Mayor Herbert Gomba’s plans to send a team to South Africa to acquaint themselves with the operations of mobile water treatment plants.
Said the Harare City Council in a statement:
“Harare plans to acquire similar equipment. Environment Management Committee chairperson Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe will lead the delegation which also include Acting Harare Water director Engineer Phakamile Moyo and Supply Chain manager Mr Never Murerwa.”
By A Correspondent- A couple from Ndandulo Village in Gokwe under Chief Mkoka has gone for more than 10 years without the duo having sex, a condition that the woman says she can’t take anymore.
Alice Njanji (52) has approached Chief Mkoka’s traditional court seeking a solution to the matter which she claims has put a strain on her marriage as her husband Nhlanhla Balamanje (56) prefers masturbating than to have sexual intercourse with her.
The couple has been married for 30 years and they have nine children.
Chief Mkoka confirmed receiving a complaint from Njanji saying he was yet to preside over the matter.
“Njanji laid a complaint that her husband no longer wants to have sex with her. She said they haven’t had sex in more than 10 years.
“She said the matter is serious such that her husband has gone to greater lengths of using his hand to pleasure himself while she is lying next to him,” said Chief Mkoka.
Chief Mkoka said Njanji also complained that Balamanje gets angry and sometimes assaults her if she tries to initiate sex.
“She also complained that her husband has a tendency of beating her up if she tries to have sex with him. Sometimes he allegedly gets angry and yanks her hand off saying he is tired,” he said.
Chief Mkoka said if the allegations about Balamanje were true they should be condemned as he must fulfil his conjugal obligations.
“If that is what he is doing it is not fair at all. Sex is the reason why they got married in the first place. If he no longer wants the woman, he must just divorce her rather than to make her suffer like this.
“If he says he wants to divorce her, obviously I will not force him to stay but I won’t allow him to treat another person like that,” said Chief Mkoka.-BMetro
The secretary-general of the MDC Alliance has revealed that NetOne refused their request to have a biller code for their party. However, NetOne extended the service to Zanu PF.
This was revealed by MDC secretary-general Chalton Hwende on Twitter:
Representing a communal farmer&a philanthropist, @BitiTendai of @ZLHRLawyers files application in High Court challenging restrictive measures banning the sale of maize grain in Zim&giving state-run Grain Marketing Board (GMB) a monopoly over trade in the commodity. pic.twitter.com/vjGpkwJpQv
By A Correspondent- The first officer to hold a “full” general’s rank in post-Independence Zimbabwe General Andrew (Sandy) Maclean has died.
His promotion was announced by current President and then Minister of State Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Maclean was promoted to full general in overall command of the country’s army and air force as the supreme commander of Zimbabwe’s defence forces by (then) Prime Minister Robert Mugabe in 1981 at the age of 49.
Maclean was the commander of the Rhodesian army and one of the men who led the fight against Mugabe’s nationalist guerrillas during the seven-year independence war which ended late in 1979.
This is developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
By A Correspondent- A 32-year-old man from Gondo Village in Gokwe under Chief Nemangwe brought a hooker to his home and forced his wife to watch him have sex with the thigh vendor on their matrimonial bed.
After the deed, he instructed his wife to prepare food for the “girlfriend”.
The matter was heard when Tafara Mzembe was dragged by his wife Atalia Sibanda to Chief Nemangwe’s traditional court. A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Mzembe who is an artisanal miner, was in the habit of buying sex from sex workers at Gondo Business Centre.
“He is a miner and as such he usually has lots of money that he usually spends on sex workers at the growth point.
On the fateful day, he hired the services of a certain hooker called Betty Masamba and he decided to take her home.
“Upon arrival in the wee hours, he woke his wife up and forced her to watch him bed the hooker on their bed saying he wanted her to learn various sex positions from Masamba,” said the source.
After the deed, Mzembe who was heavily intoxicated ordered his wife to prepare Masamba a meal as she had complained of hunger.
“After having sex with the hooker, he instructed Sibanda to go to the kitchen and prepare a meal for the ‘visitor’ as a token of appreciation for showing her sex positions,” said the source.
Contacted for comment, Chief Nemangwe under whose jurisdiction the area falls under, confirmed the matter saying he ordered Mzembe to pay three cows to his wife for disrespecting her in such a manner.
“I can confirm presiding over such a matter and l ordered Mzembe to pay his wife three cows. He abused his wife and we do not tolerate women abuse in this area.
“When l inquired why he was sleeping with hookers yet he has a wife, he said his wife had lost sexual flavour,” said Chief Nemangwe.-BMetro
GOVERNMENT’s devolution agenda has taken off in earnest, as provinces begin to utilise development funds under the $310 million facility set aside by Treasury.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the amount will be increased in the next cycle.
Government allocated the funds to be shared among the 10 provinces based on a number of factors such as poverty levels in all rural districts, quality of infrastructure and size of population.
The state media reported that most provinces had started using the funds for construction of schools, clinics and roads, among other projects aimed at facilitating development.
Addressing the third Rural District Council Chairpersons’ Indaba in Victoria Falls recently, Prof Ncube said Treasury was considering increasing the amount being allocated, but would not do so until provinces and local authorities utilise what was allocated to them last year.
He said he had a poverty map for the country and knew all projects taking place under devolution.
By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe versatile cricket player, Solomon Mire, has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect following International Cricket Council’s decision to suspend Zimbabwe.
Fears abound that more players would follow in the footsteps of the 29-year-old. Zimbabwe was recently suspended by the ICC over allegations of government interference in the sport.
In a statement on his Instagram account, Mire said that it was with a heavy heart that he was making the decision.
By A Correspondent- ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Chakari Constituency, Andrew Nkani, has appeared before the court for allegedly defrauding 100 teachers of $63 000 in a land scam.
Nkani is jointly accused with the Ministry of Small to Medium Enterprises which introduced Nkani to the teachers.
Nkani is appearing before Harare magistrate, Yeukai Chigodora after he allegedly squandered $63 000 from 100 teachers.
The teachers reportedly formed a Housing cooperative after Nkani had assured them that he can allocate them residential stands.
The State alleges that the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe Housing Cooperative chairman, Andrew Karongo, formed the cooperative with other 99 teachers in 2011.
The cooperative was issued with a registration certificate and was also introduced to Nkani who was said to be an auditor who had a running project with the city of Harare.
Nkani then revealed to the cooperative that he had 100 stands in Budiriro which would demand that each member pays $8000. PTUZ reportedly paid $63 000 to the accused.
The accused allegedly failed to deliver the stands as he was supposed. He, however, demanded an additional $2 000, $5000 and $4000 for a land development permit, drawing of sewer and water diagrams and offer letters respectively.
PTUZ allegedly exerted pressure on Nkani who only availed 40 stands of which 5 were double allocations.-263Chat
By A Correspondent- Government takes the diaspora community as a critical sector that cannot be left out in the country’s turnaround strategy and achievement of Vision 2030.
Addressing Zimbabweans living in Birmingham, England during her visit last week, Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Prisca Mupfumira, said Zimbabwe’s re-engagement and re-construction as guided by the Transitional Stabilisation Programme and Vision 2030, will be difficult to attain without the participation of the diaspora community.
The Minister’s re-engagement train started in London, straddling Glasglow, Liverpool, Huntingdon and Manchester.
At each step of the way tourism authorities have been urging Zimbabweans to come back home and invest in the economy especially within the tourism sector.
Minister Mupfumira, who led the engagement drive, shared with delegates and ordinary Zimbabweans in Birmingham on the synergies available and encouraged Zimbabweans to take part in development and joint venture initiatives under the new dispensation.
“Since the ushering in of the Second Republic, Zimbabwe has been generating renewed confidence and interest throughout the world as a result of a vibrant re-engagement strategy and the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra,” she said.
“We are already working with business partners including airlines that will ease your travel back home to enjoy what the country has to offer.
“This will be made possible, for example, through the introduction of special fares and packages for Zimbabweans in the diaspora. This in our view will not only reduce your travel costs but also make tourism packages relatively affordable.”
The engagements were being held on the back of the tourism sector recording an increase in tourist arrivals and growth in the number of investment inquiries from both local and foreign prospective investors.
“The unprecedented growth on the backdrop is riding on a number of factors that include aggressive marketing efforts, political transition ushering in a new political dispensation, harmonised elections, traffic boom, increased air seat capacity and Government’s new marketing mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”. Indeed Zimbabwe is open for business,” said Minister Mupfumira.
“In this positive trajectory, as Government we feel it would be amiss for us not to pay attention to you, the Zimbabwe diaspora, in this quest of rebuilding our beloved country. You are a very important and special constituency, which we cannot do without.
“Apart from contributing to tourism expenditure you are critical to boosting both domestic and international tourist arrivals. This is especially important given that conservatively we have more than four million of our people in the diaspora”.
By A Correspondent- Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is now heading to China for treatment, Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba has revealed.
The state media reports that the decision to transfer Zimbabwe’s Vice President follows the decision by Zimbabwe and China to allow Chinese experts to join fellow experts in Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
VP Chiwenga has been recovering in South Africa with President Mnangagwa last week confirming that the Vice President’s health was improving.
Last week, President Mnangagwa said VP Chiwenga was now able to do physical exercises on his own, an indication that he was on the road to recovery.
In a statement on Monday, Presidential Spokesman, George Charamba confirmed the latest developments.
“Following last week’s Presidential statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
“His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
“The Office will keep the nation updated on the progress the Vice President continues to make towards full recovery,” said Charamba.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has left South Africa for China for further medical tests.
This follows the decision by Zimbabwe and China to allow Chinese experts to join fellow experts in Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
VP Chiwenga has been recovering in South Africa with President Mnangagwa last week confirming that the Vice President’s health was improving.
Last week, President Mnangagwa said VP Chiwenga was now able to do physical exercises on his own, an indication that he was on the road to recovery.
In a statement on Monday, Presidential Spokesman, Cde George Charamba confirmed the latest developments.
“Following last week’s Presidential statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
“His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
“The Office will keep the nation updated on the progress the Vice President continues to make towards full recovery,” said Cde Charamba.
President Mnangagwa’s clarification is set to pour cold water on some sections of the media who have been publishing speculative stories on VP Chiwenga’s health.—The Herald.
By A Correspondent- The government of Zimbabwe has reportedly started working on the Diaspora Strategy. The strategy is premised at creating synergies between Zimbabwe and the diaspora community.
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Rita Likukuma, who was addressing the Diaspora Community in the UK. Likukuma said:
There is strong thinking and realisation that Zimbabwe cannot turn around its economy and without the participation of its huge diaspora community. We want the Diaspora community to easily visit home and invest.
There has been realization that Zimbabwe cannot easily achieve Vision 2030 that of creating an upper-middle-class economy without the full participation of its Diaspora community.
We have therefore, started working on a Diaspora Strategy to enable us and our people living abroad to work together, trusting each other.
Lukukuma added that the strategy also provides for the protection of investment. She noted that there were some diasporans who previously tried to invest back home only to be duped by those on the ground.
She added:
We are aware of how some people who have tried to invest back home have ended up being cheated and losing everything or part of their investment.
In that strategy is the need to protect investments of our Diaspora Community, and we might float a bond to ring-fence those investments because we are aware of many people having been cheated of their investments in the past.
She added that the problems Zimbabwe is facing needed concerted efforts by all stakeholders including diasporans. -Statemedia
Kenya’s finance minister has surrendered himself to the police after the chief prosecutor ordered his arrest over allegations of corruption.
Henry Rotich is accused of flouting procurement procedures in awarding a contract worth over $450m (£405m) for the construction of two dams to the Italian company CMC de Ravenna.
In March Mr Rotich denied any wrongdoing in a large newspaper advert.
The company has also denied the accusations.
Director of public prosecutions Noordin Haji is also investigating how the tender was awarded for $170m more than was in the original contract.
“It was established that the conception, procurement and payment process for the dam projects were riddled with massive illegalities,” he said.
He has ordered the arrest of more than 20 other people accused of being involved in the contract, including other top officials and the directors of CMC de Ravenna.
Earlier this year, local media reported that files from the investigation revealed purchases that didn’t appear to make sense for a dam construction project, including at least $38,000 that had allegedly been spent on bedding.
Mr Haji told the BBC’s Ferdinand Omondi that “the contracts that were entered into and the loans that were taken were not in the interests of Kenyans but were serving other interests” and “the country has lost quite a bit of money”.
More than $200m has already been spent on the dam projects – yet the dams do not exist yet.
Members of Advocate For People’s Right And Justice on peaceful a protest in Abuja in April 2015, over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
A Nigerian teenager, Chinonso Dennis Obiaju, 17, has been shot dead in Johannesburg.
This is coming a month after Mrs Obianuju Ndubuisi-Chukwu, a Nigerian Insurance chief, was murdered in South Africa on June 13 in her hotel room.
The President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Mr Adetola Olubajo, who confirmed the killing said the deceased high school student lived in Roodeprt, with his guardian.
Olubajo told NAN on the telephone that, “Chinonso went to buy from a shop with his friend and someone chased and opened fire on them, killing him.’’
He added that the family would be burying him in South Africa, noting that the union’s leaders in Johannesburg would be contacting him on developments.
Olubajo said they were going to the Police on Monday to finalise on the registry and provision of his papers.
“He was born here I learnt and the Mother is in the U.S.
He implored the Federal Government to urgently protect Nigerians in the Diaspora.
More than 200 Nigerians has been killed in xenophobic attacks between 2016 and this year.
According to unofficial sources, up to 800,000 Nigerians, mostly young people reside in South Africa.
As is often the case in South Africa, there seem to be two completely incompatible narratives regarding the recently released report by the public protector, which found President Cyril Ramaphosa guilty of having violated the constitution and misled parliament.
Both of these schools of thought appear to be advanced by people who have watched too many Hollywood movies, and so assume that this is a clear-cut situation involving a good guy and a bad guy.
Those on the pro-Cyril side of things see the gains he’s made in the fight against corruption, and either think this means any wrongdoings on his part must be overlooked or that they are entirely fabricated.
The public protector’s supporters, extremely vocal on social media, allege there’s a plot by white monopoly capital, Pravin Gordhan (who advancers of this agenda believe is the real president of South Africa), and of course Ramaphosa to silence Busisiwe Mkhwebane so the “Thuma Mina” brigade can capture the state.
Who is right? Neither, or, more accurately both – albeit only a tiny bit.
The pro-Mkwhebane narrative sees a strange truce – or more than this, a collaboration – between the so-called “Zuma faction” in the ANC and the EFF, who were once sworn enemies.
The Zuma loyalists – both in the ANC and in more marginal breakaway parties such as the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and Black First Land First (BLF) – believe that Zuma is innocent, that the influence of the Guptas and their alleged capture of the state was at best overstated and at worst completely fabricated, and that Ramaphosa’s presidency represents the fight-back of those who oppose radical economic transformation and support big business – often taken to mean white – interests.
The EFF’s take is slightly different. According to them, the Guptas and Zuma did indeed capture the state, but that the same thing is now happening under Ramaphosa, with party leader Julius Malema going so far as to say going that what is happening now is the “real fight” and that their earlier battle against Zuma was nothing in comparison.
These theories, doused as they are in paranoia, conspiracy and bias, make it tempting to believe those who seem to think that the sun – to use the crudest analogy – shines out of the backsides of Ramaphosa and his allies.
Those on this side of the spectrum seem to see any criticism of Ramaphosa as necessarily tied into the pro-Zuma/EFF/public protector narrative.
What this does, sadly, is obscure the genuine questions that should be asked about the donations hugely controversial company Bosasa – and others – made to the CR17 campaign which led to Ramaphosa becoming president of the ANC.
It’s not that these questions aren’t being asked, it’s that they are being drowned out by those who have already convinced themselves of who is right or wrong. So allow me to amplify some.
The Citizen’s print edition carried a lead story this morning by Sipho Mabena, who spoke to advocate Paul Hoffman, director and founder of Accountability Now.
According to Hoffman, Mkhwebane’s finding that Ramaphosa was required to declare donations to his ANC presidential campaign, as he was a member of parliament at the time, is correct.
Hoffman also said that some of Ramaphosa’s arguments, advanced at a press briefing where he announced that he would seek a judicial review of the report, were flawed.
These include that Mkhwebane lacked the power to probe funding to his CR17 campaign or make findings, as her powers are limited to issues concerning public administration and the improper exercise of public or statutory powers, and that the campaign and its fund-raising operations did not concern the public.
According to Hoffman, these arguments do not take away from the fact that Ramaphosa’s “funding has to be disclosed”.
He added, however, that Mkhwebane’s finding regarding her suspicions of money laundering was simply incorrect, and that the part of the report relating to disclosure of funds is the only part he agreed with.
On eNCA political analyst Prince Mashale said that, at Ramaphosa’s press briefing yesterday, the president “failed to answer critical questions about him and his relationship with Bosasa”.
He added that this didn’t necessarily mean Mkhwebane can be trusted.
And on both Twitter and his 702 show, Eusebius McKaiser argued that Ramaphosa’s answers to questions from journalists following the briefing were not convincing.
McKaiser acknowledged both the flaws of Mkhwebane’s report – such as her flip-flopping regarding whether Ramaphosa had “deliberately” or “inadvertently” misled parliament, as well as her credibility issues, but said neither of these factors prevented the president from frankly answering political and ethical questions surrounding disclosure of funding.
He also said that the flaws in Mkhwebane’s report appeared to be used by Ramaphosa to obscure the fact that he may have genuine questions to answer – the “lawfare is convenient” for him, as McKaiser puts it.
“Because the public protector report isn’t watertight, he can focus on her and the urgent review,” McKaiser added, but as citizens “we must frame this as being about the links between money and political power in our society”.
These concerns can’t cease to matter because the guy in charge is the one we like.
Things aren’t looking good for the public protector, following the ConCourt finding that she must personally pay 15% of legal costs incurred by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) after her report involving them was overturned, and not just from a financial perspective – our apex court found that Mkhwebane was dishonest, acted in bad faith and even “put forward a number of falsehoods” in court, “including misrepresenting under oath”.
This ruling will only make it easier for those who have picked sides to advance their agenda – that either the president or the public protector are being targeted.
It must be comforting to believe that one of these two characters is the good guy and one the bad.
But unlike in an action movie, the truth probably lies somewhere closer to the middle.
Zanu-PF Youth League Political Commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu addressing party supporters in Wedza 20 July 2019
The ruling Zanu-PF party has embarked on an intensive drive to persuade the nation to give President Emmerson Mnangagwa a chance to “prove his capabilities” as the country’s economic woes continue to mount.
The youth league national political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu told Wedza villagers over the weekend that Mnangagwa’s policies might be tough but will eventually bear fruits.
This comes as prices of basic commodities continue to shoot on the backdrop of fuel prices increases, which have become regular in recent weeks.
Tsenengamu said, Mnangagwa, unlike former President Robert Mugabe, will not force business owners to reduce prices in their shops as this will cause total industry collapse.
He said the Mnangagwa government is aware of the people’s plight and he is “working around the clock” to rectify the challenges.
“We have to be very patient with President Mnangagwa’s policies because they are taking the country in the right direction. He will not get in shops to control prices but he is doing all his best to make sure everything is in its rightful place,” he said.
“If Mnangagwa goes around controlling prices, investors will stay away and we will continue to suffer,’ Tsenengamu said.
Ironically, when Mnangagwa came into power, his promise was premised on bringing in investors who would channel in funds which would see the reopening of industries which have been lying idle for years.
After the 2018 election, there was hope that Mnangagwa’s promises would bear fruits but the brutality at the hands of the military post-election and in January when citizens protested against fuel prices and a shrinking economy, has hampered chances of him attracting the much needed foreign direct investment.
With the current acute power shortages, the remaining functional companies have been threatened as the business has been slow.
Tsenengamu said the citizens have a right to demand a good life from a sitting President since they voted for him but he said the job ahead needed a collective effort.
“We are used to a President who interferes with business, but he is one a person who will not do so. President Mnangagwa will do the right thing but he needs your support for the economy to function,’ said the youth leader.
Wedza South Member of Parliament, Tinoda Machakaire said people should be patient with President Mnangagwa’s austerity measures saying there are good for the country.
He bemoaned the high levels of starvation in his constituency saying all focus should be on finding solutions to the challenges people are facing.
“Our people are hungry, there is drought in Wedza, our ordinary people do not afford these exorbitant prices charged here. I have since approached relevant authorities to deal with such issues,” he said.
Machakaire donated several tonnes of rice saying it will cushion villagers from exorbitant charges.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who has been in South Africa for the last couple of weeks was earlier today flown to China for further medical attention after the Zimbabwean government engaged its Chinese counterparts to help rescue the ailing former army commander.
According to a press statement by presidential spokesman George Charamba “his relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest levels between the governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was made to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.”
The Spotlight Zimbabwe website has previously claimed that Chiwenga was poisoned during a private lunch meeting with President Emmerson Mnangagwa at a luxury hotel in Harare last year.
This article first appeared on Spotlight Zimbabwe.
LONDON – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidential exit is all but sealed amid reports that China will likely help in his removal from office, after he recently allegedly angered Beijing by giving exclusive diamond exploration and mining rights to Russia ahead of the Asian powerhouse, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told.
Mnangagwa’s tenure in office is already hanging by a thread, as a faction in the military close to Vice President, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, wants him to voluntarily resign and make way for Chiwenga, after he has dismally failed to resuscitate the country’s economy, which is now nearing total collapse in the face of the worst and unseen power outages in the nation’s history of up to 18 hours a day, growing fuel and water shortages, a wave of extortionate taxes by his regime, and uncontrollable price escalations.
According to diplomatic sources in the capital, diamond company executives and an official in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), who survived Mnangagwa’s purges after former leader, President Robert Mugabe’s ouster in November 2017, China is upset with the ruling Zanu PF leader, and she is reportedly about to play a hidden hand in his removal from power, as Mnangagwa has reneged on a political deal to give China unlimited and preferential access to Zimbabwe’s vast diamond deposits.
Last week Mnangagwa’s administration gave Russian diamond exploration and mining giant Alrosa, a massive 70 percent stake in a joint venture with government owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in Manicaland with a contract provision for possible expansion across the territory of the whole country. Alrosa is the world leader in diamond mining, accounting for over 25% in the global diamond production in terms of carats.
Russia is the world’s biggest diamond miner, while China is the world’s second biggest diamond consumer market after the US.
Prior to Alrosa’s Zimbabwe entry, China had enjoyed access to mining diamonds in Marange, which is thought to be home to the globe’s biggest diamond find carats wise in more than a century, with plans by Beijing to explore other deposits in the country, before it’s flagship diamond mining firm in the area, Anjin Investments, had it’s licence controversially terminated by Mugabe in 2015 over accusations of diamond looting and corruption.
Anjin is a joint venture between a Chinese company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Co. Ltd., and Matt Bronze Enterprises, which was formed by the Zimbabwe Defense Ministry and the Zimbabwe Defense Forces through an intermediary company.
“China though they might say otherwise actually removed Mugabe over the fallout in Marange diamonds mining,” said one of the envoys last week. “From what we understand in our circles your new leader made a political deal with the Chinese, to grant them exclusive diamond mining and exploration rights in Zimbabwe post-Mugabe, as they had facilitated his passage to becoming president. However he appears to have reneged on the pact, and has decided to choose Russia over China, now that’s a very dangerous game and they (China) will help remove him (Mnangagwa), because their economic interests in your country are increasingly coming under threat, from the Russians and the West. China is the one keeping Zimbabwe running, and they will make sure that a leader who protects their interests is in power.”
China has over the years and before his dethronement, funded Mugabe’s presidential campaigns and Zanu PF’s power retention agenda, through the direct intervention of the Chinese Communist Party, and financial support said to have topped US$1 billion from diamonds alone, according to news organisation 100Reporters.
A diamond company executive based in the port city of Antwerp, in Belgium, with close links to a former presidium member, yesterday in a telephone briefing told Spotlight Zimbabwe that, Mnangagwa had courted Alrosa and favoured them with diamond mining in Zimbabwe instead of China, because he wanted political and financial support from Russia in his bid to run for a second term as president in 2023, but the whole strategy will backfire.
“The Chinese have written Mnangagwa off and are not interested in funding his stay in office anymore,” said the executive. “He has courted Alrosa with the intention to receive funding and support from Russia, in his remote bid to remain president and run again as Zanu PF’s 2023 presidential candidate, because China stopped to bankroll the ruling party when Mugabe chased their companies away from mining diamonds in Marange. It’s going to backfire, and he’ll soon be desposed as leader. China made his presidency, and they’re now going to annul it over the war on Zimbabwe diamonds with Russia.”
The OPC official said the recent Alrosa joint venture with ZCDC in Manicaland, and another US$3 billion platinum project with Russia in Darwendale, has won Mnangagwa invitation to the inaugural Russia-Africa Summit in October in Sochi, but he might not be in office or it will be his very first and last Russia-Africa Summit, as he was definately leaving the presidency in 2020, whether he liked it or not.
“The Chinese are not happy with Mnangagwa because of the diamonds saga,” said the OPC staffer. “Even communication channels are no longer direct, these days. President Mugabe always had a direct line to speak with the Chinese leader, but now we have to go through the Chinese Embassy, that tells you that all is not well. He’s definately leaving the presidency in 2020, whether he likes it or not, but you already know that.”
Outspoken Independent legislator for Norton, Temba Mliswa, last month warned that Mnangagwa faces the danger of either being captured or removed by Chinese nationals operating various businesses in Zimbabwe.
Speaking in parliament on a point of privilege, Mliswa accused the Chinese of disrespecting the laws of Zimbabwe.
“Government must review relations with China. I was kidnapped yesterday (Wednesday) in my constituency. Chinese have no respect for the laws of this country. Today it is Mliswa but next it will be the President (Mnangagwa) Mr Speaker Sir,” Mliswa said.
China has previously been accused of orchestrating Mugabe’s removal via a military coup, but has vehemently denied any involvement, calling such speculation “complete nonsense, and purely fictitious”.
It’s embassy in South Africa during the time said in a statement: “Some people are trying to link China to the political crisis that is taking place in Zimbabwe in order to drive a wedge between China and Africa and to undermine China’s image.” Such allegations were “illogical, inconsistent and filled with evil motives”.
“China has long enjoyed friendly relations with Zimbabwe. When Zimbabwe was facing isolation and sanctions from the west, China stood firm on its principles and remained by Zimbabwe’s side, developing mutually beneficial cooperation, which brought benefits to both countries and peoples.”
Alrosa says it has targeted various areas for further diamond exploration. The company’s chief executive officer Sergey Ivanov told State media last week, that: “We expect to have more than four spots in Zimbabwe where we see potential and where we need to invest in exploration. We hope to get discoveries in all these. We see some exploration perspectives on the border with South Africa, the border with Botswana, (the) border with Mozambique; we see that there are some promising geological data and perspectives for new discoveries,” Ivanov was quoted.
They have been reports of recent diamond deposits and discoveries in the Sese area of Chivi, Masvingo Province, Chihota in Marondera West and Penhalonga just outside Mutare.
Information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, whose husband is a former Zimbabwean Ambassador to China, was not reachable for comment last night, while the Chinese Embassy was closed.
The senior national netball team had a commendable Netball World Cup.
The South African national netball team players will be smiling all the way to the bank after it emerged that they would share a R1‚2-million bonus from sponsors SPAR for finishing fourth place at the World Cup in England on Sunday.
The supermarket chain had initially promised the players a share of R1m for winning the tournament‚ R750‚000 for second place‚ R500‚000 for finishing third and R200‚000 for reaching the semifinals.
But Netball South Africa president Cecilia Molokwane announced that the 12 Proteas players would be rewarded with R1.2 million in appreciation for their sterling effort in the tournament.
South Africa lost 58-42 to hosts England in the third and fourth play-off match that was followed by the New Zealanders being crowned champions after a narrow 52-51 win over Australia on Sunday.
Proteas veteran wing defence Karla Pretorius was named Player of the Tournament.
“I feel honoured to have been named the best player of the World Cup‚” Pretorius said in appreciation of the effort of her teammates.
“You are only as good as those around you and the team did so well at this World Cup‚ and even though we won’t return home to South Africa with a medal I know that we all put our hearts and souls into each and every game in Liverpool and can hold our heads high.
“This good run obviously was what inspired me to play as well as I did and I am grateful to have been recognised by the tournament and given this very special award.”
The last South African to win this award was Erin Burger at the 2011 Netball World Cup in Singapore and ironically‚ she was Pretorius’ roommate in England.
“When Erin won the award eight years ago it really inspired me‚” said Pretorius.
“I have always believed that we can compete with the best in the world even though we don’t play as often as we would like against the top nations.
“Me winning this award shows that South Africa have the talent‚ players and team to go to the top. I am excited about the future of the Proteas.”
Pretorius returned to Australia on Monday to rejoin her team Sunshine Coast Lightening team for the remainder of the Super Netball League.
By Itai Mushekwe| LONDON – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s presidential exit is all but sealed amid reports that China will likely help in his removal from office, after he recently allegedly angered Beijing by giving exclusive diamond exploration and mining rights to Russia ahead of the Asian powerhouse, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told.
Mnangagwa’s tenure in office is already hanging by a thread, as a faction in the military close to Vice President, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, wants him to voluntarily resign and make way for Chiwenga, after he has dismally failed to resuscitate the country’s economy, which is now nearing total collapse in the face of the worst and unseen power outages in the nation’s history of up to 18 hours a day, growing fuel and water shortages, a wave of extortionate taxes by his regime, and uncontrollable price escalations.
According to diplomatic sources in the capital, diamond company executives and an official in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), who survived Mnangagwa’s purges after former leader, President Robert Mugabe’s ouster in November 2017, China is upset with the ruling Zanu PF leader, and she is reportedly about to play a hidden hand in his removal from power, as Mnangagwa has reneged on a political deal to give China unlimited and preferential access to Zimbabwe’s vast diamond deposits.
Last week Mnangagwa’s administration gave Russian diamond exploration and mining giant Alrosa, a massive 70 percent stake in a joint venture with government owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in Manicaland with a contract provision for possible expansion across the territory of the whole country. Alrosa is the world leader in diamond mining, accounting for over 25% in the global diamond production in terms of carats.
Russia is the world’s biggest diamond miner, while China is the world’s second biggest diamond consumer market after the US.
Prior to Alrosa’s Zimbabwe entry, China had enjoyed access to mining diamonds in Marange, which is thought to be home to the globe’s biggest diamond find carats wise in more than a century, with plans by Beijing to explore other deposits in the country, before it’s flagship diamond mining firm in the area, Anjin Investments, had it’s licence controversially terminated by Mugabe in 2015 over accusations of diamond looting and corruption.
Anjin is a joint venture between a Chinese company, Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Co. Ltd., and Matt Bronze Enterprises, which was formed by the Zimbabwe Defense Ministry and the Zimbabwe Defense Forces through an intermediary company.
“China though they might say otherwise actually removed Mugabe over the fallout in Marange diamonds mining,” said one of the envoys last week. “From what we understand in our circles your new leader made a political deal with the Chinese, to grant them exclusive diamond mining and exploration rights in Zimbabwe post-Mugabe, as they had facilitated his passage to becoming president. However he appears to have reneged on the pact, and has decided to choose Russia over China, now that’s a very dangerous game and they (China) will help remove him (Mnangagwa), because their economic interests in your country are increasingly coming under threat, from the Russians and the West. China is the one keeping Zimbabwe running, and they will make sure that a leader who protects their interests is in power.”
China has over the years and before his dethronement, funded Mugabe’s presidential campaigns and Zanu PF’s power retention agenda, through the direct intervention of the Chinese Communist Party, and financial support said to have topped US$1 billion from diamonds alone, according to news organisation 100Reporters.
A diamond company executive based in the port city of Antwerp, in Belgium, with close links to a former presidium member, yesterday in a telephone briefing told Spotlight Zimbabwe that, Mnangagwa had courted Alrosa and favoured them with diamond mining in Zimbabwe instead of China, because he wanted political and financial support from Russia in his bid to run for a second term as president in 2023, but the whole strategy will backfire.
“The Chinese have written Mnangagwa off and are not interested in funding his stay in office anymore,” said the executive. “He has courted Alrosa with the intention to receive funding and support from Russia, in his remote bid to remain president and run again as Zanu PF’s 2023 presidential candidate, because China stopped to bankroll the ruling party when Mugabe chased their companies away from mining diamonds in Marange. It’s going to backfire, and he’ll soon be desposed as leader. China made his presidency, and they’re now going to annul it over the war on Zimbabwe diamonds with Russia.”
The OPC official said the recent Alrosa joint venture with ZCDC in Manicaland, and another US$3 billion platinum project with Russia in Darwendale, has won Mnangagwa invitation to the inaugural Russia-Africa Summit in October in Sochi, but he might not be in office or it will be his very first and last Russia-Africa Summit, as he was definately leaving the presidency in 2020, whether he liked it or not.
“The Chinese are not happy with Mnangagwa because of the diamonds saga,” said the OPC staffer. “Even communication channels are no longer direct, these days. President Mugabe always had a direct line to speak with the Chinese leader, but now we have to go through the Chinese Embassy, that tells you that all is not well. He’s definately leaving the presidency in 2020, whether he likes it or not, but you already know that.”
Outspoken Independent legislator for Norton, Temba Mliswa, last month warned that Mnangagwa faces the danger of either being captured or removed by Chinese nationals operating various businesses in Zimbabwe.
Speaking in parliament on a point of privilege, Mliswa accused the Chinese of disrespecting the laws of Zimbabwe.
“Government must review relations with China. I was kidnapped yesterday (Wednesday) in my constituency. Chinese have no respect for the laws of this country. Today it is Mliswa but next it will be the President (Mnangagwa) Mr Speaker Sir,” Mliswa said.
China has previously been accused of orchestrating Mugabe’s removal via a military coup, but has vehemently denied any involvement, calling such speculation “complete nonsense, and purely fictitious”.
It’s embassy in South Africa during the time said in a statement: “Some people are trying to link China to the political crisis that is taking place in Zimbabwe in order to drive a wedge between China and Africa and to undermine China’s image.” Such allegations were “illogical, inconsistent and filled with evil motives”.
“China has long enjoyed friendly relations with Zimbabwe. When Zimbabwe was facing isolation and sanctions from the west, China stood firm on its principles and remained by Zimbabwe’s side, developing mutually beneficial cooperation, which brought benefits to both countries and peoples.”
Alrosa says it has targeted various areas for further diamond exploration. The company’s chief executive officer Sergey Ivanov told State media last week, that: “We expect to have more than four spots in Zimbabwe where we see potential and where we need to invest in exploration. We hope to get discoveries in all these. We see some exploration perspectives on the border with South Africa, the border with Botswana, (the) border with Mozambique; we see that there are some promising geological data and perspectives for new discoveries,” Ivanov was quoted.
They have been reports of recent diamond deposits and discoveries in the Sese area of Chivi, Masvingo Province, Chihota in Marondera West and Penhalonga just outside Mutare.
Information minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, whose husband is a former Zimbabwean Ambassador to China, was not reachable for comment last night, while the Chinese Embassy was closed.- Spotlight
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi is reported to have late this afternoon been admitted a private hospital in Harare.
According to highly placed sources, Ziyambi is believed to be suffering from acute high blood pressure.
This comes a few hours after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was hurriedly airlifted to China also in a critical condition.
ZESCO United has signed Zimbabwean midfielder Thabani Michael Kamusoko from Tanzanian giants Young Africans on a three-year deal.
And Zesco Limited has appointed new office bearers for the club.
Club Chief Executive officer Richard Mulenga confirmed in an interview that the club concluded the deal for Kamusoko who is now a Zesco player for three years.
“Yes, Kamusoko has signed for the club. We have concluded the deal. It is a three-year deal and we are hoping for the best services from him,” Mulenga said.
The 31-year-old Kamusoko was on the cards of Young Africans since 2015 but has also played for Platinum and Dynamos of Zimbabwe as well as Underhill and Njube Sundowns.
Joice Takaidza of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka. Liverpool, UK – 12 Jul 2019
Opinion By Michael Kariyati|”The national team is the pride and display window of the nation. There is nothing that can thrill the nation more than the success of their national team when playing international games,” remarked former Bayern Munich coach Rudi Gutendorf.
That is exactly what is happening in Zimbabwe and that thrill has been brought about by the Zimbabwe national netball team — the Gems — which has made the whole world sit up and take notice after splendid performances at the 2019 Netball World Cup.
Even some who do not follow sport now know that there is a Zimbabwe team called the Gems while those in foreign lands now know that in Zimbabwe there is a formidable national netball team.
“When I heard people saying Gems, Gems, at first, I thought people were talking about diamonds. Only to realise later what exactly it was, the Zimbabwe netball team,” says football follower, Oliver Musongoro, who supports Dynamos football club.
Unfortunately, the ordinary Zimbabwean does not know Ursula Ndlovu, Perpetua Siyachitema, Mercy Mukwadi, Joice Takaidza, Sharon Bwanali, Patricia Maoladi or the names of the players who make up the Gems otherwise those names would have become the talk of the streets rights now.
Whatever it is, what the Gems have done will be talked about for as long as there is a country called Zimbabwe, and for the likes of team captain Siyachitema and her colleagues, what they have done will remain in their lives forever.
More importantly is the fact that this team has an average age of 25 years, which makes qualifying for the next World Cup to be held in South Africa a strong possibility.
Yet this is a team that was completely forgotten even after qualifying for the World Cup — the pinnacle of any sport on the planet. In fact, the team’s finances only got intact a few days before departure for Liverpool after begging through a video that circulated on social media.
That is the tragedy of Zimbabwean sport that those who really need help do not get it and then when success comes, everyone wants to be associated with them as was the case with three Cabinet ministers accompanying the team to Liverpool.
Everyone agrees that the Gems were fantastic and what even made their achievement sweeter was the fact that it came through the hands of women, who over the years have recorded the best sporting achievements for Zimbabwe but without getting the recognition they deserve.
It is on record that Zimbabwe’s first ever Olympic medal came courtesy of the women’s hockey team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. This was followed by the seven medals that Kirsty Coventry won at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and the Zimbabwe women soccer team’s qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Sadly, though, the achievers have not received the sort of respect they deserve as upon return from the Olympic Games in 2012, the Mighty Warriors received an insulting $5 thank you from the authorities, while the Gems’ preparations were not the best due to inadequate funding..
Ironically, at the same time, the Zimbabwean government was busy mobilising financial support for the men’s soccer team, the Warriors, who were going to a far much less important tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations.
It is a matter of debate what could have been of the Gems had they not been neglected and received the sort of support in their preparations as happened to the other 15 teams that made the journey to Liverpool for the netball festival.
Their success, and worldwide acclaim, however, could force a rethink in the manner women’s sport is perceived in the small southern African nation. What the
Gems have done should be a lesson for the government and Zimbabweans at large that all national teams are important, be it a women’s or men’s team, a football or a hockey team.
What remains now is for the government to set a good example by rewarding the Gems handsomely for painting good Zimbabwe’s name on the international front.
Money is important, but not the most important, and the girls need something they will in their lives, reflect on and say: “This is what I got for doing Zimbabwe proud at the 2019 Netball World Cup.”
That will help to spur other sportsperson to strive to do even better than what the Gems have done. The whole world saw what the Gems did and they are watching
what will happen to the team when they get back home.
Farai Dziva|
A Mutare man was shocked beyond beyond belief when he caught his wife in bed with her boyfriend in their matrimonial home.
According to The Manica Post, Ishmael Madhochi of Sakubva, Mutare, unexpectedly came back home from Harare around 3 am on Tuesday, only to find his wife Faith in bed with her lover Livingstone Gwandura.
Ishmael managed to contain himself and did not assault the lovebirds but called his relatives instead to witness the shameful act.
One of Ishmael’s sisters who spoke to The Manica Post publication said:
It was around 3 am when we heard about the incident. My brother alerted us saying he caught his wife with a boyfriend.
We are worried because our brother is a caring and loving husband. We are shocked that this woman had to do this.
This is disgraceful. Our daughter-in-law (Faith) is a disgrace to the family. We were shocked by the incident and we are now about to deliberate on the way forward. We are glad that at least our son Ishmael did not injure the boyfriend or do anything that he would regret later.
Ishmael came back home after a tip-off and we are glad that it came to light.”
Zimbabwe Gems’ star shooter Joice Takaidza did the country proud as she was among the Top 10 Tournament Top Scorers at the just concluded Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 in England.
The Australian-based Takaidza finished the tournament with 198 goals, good enough for 9th place as the Gems finished 8th at their first-ever Netball World Cup.
MDC Youth Assembly is highly incensed and riled by the stinking corruption scandals largely traceable to ZANU PF linked cartels.
As overtly laid bare by the Auditor General’s report, there is some worrisome, saddening and disheartening reports on how ZANU PF officials swindled the nation of a sum large enough to be the country’s annual budget hiding under Command Agriculture rhetoric.
The recent 3 billion corruption new comes hot after another 15 billion diamond money that went missing some years ago.
Just like in the past where Robert Mugabe was at the center of the missing diamond money, this time around Emmerson Mnangagwa is the epicenter of the Command Agriculture corruption scandal since he was the main man in charge of program.
That the corruption scandals are unfolding at a time when the country is hard hit by continuous rising prices, fuel shortages and electricity blackouts only aid in adding salt to the wounds of suffering masses.
Amidst the crisis, ZANU PF’s carefree attitude towards the debilitating economic crisis and corruption only but helps to sow seeds of discontentment on the masses.
The ordinary people have been pushed too far and for long!
At this rate, a civil unrest of magnitude proportions is on the horizon and is sure to happen.
This regime’s carelessness on critical issues that affect citizens is a cause for concern as far as national peace is concerned.
As young social democrats and peace-loving Zimbabweans, we urge the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa to do the honorable thing by resigning to pave way for a pro-people leadership.
It is becoming increasingly clear that only a leader with a good social contract with the masses, which in this case is Nelson Chamisa, can move the country forward.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
MDC Youth Assembly is highly incensed and riled by the stinking corruption scandals largely traceable to ZANU PF linked cartels.
As overtly laid bare by the Auditor General’s report, there is some worrisome, saddening and disheartening reports on how ZANU PF officials swindled the nation of a sum large enough to be the country’s annual budget hiding under Command Agriculture rhetoric.
The recent 3 billion corruption new comes hot after another 15 billion diamond money that went missing some years ago.
Just like in the past where Robert Mugabe was at the center of the missing diamond money, this time around Emmerson Mnangagwa is the epicenter of the Command Agriculture corruption scandal since he was the main man in charge of program.
That the corruption scandals are unfolding at a time when the country is hard hit by continuous rising prices, fuel shortages and electricity blackouts only aid in adding salt to the wounds of suffering masses.
Amidst the crisis, ZANU PF’s carefree attitude towards the debilitating economic crisis and corruption only but helps to sow seeds of discontentment on the masses.
The ordinary people have been pushed too far and for long!
At this rate, a civil unrest of magnitude proportions is on the horizon and is sure to happen.
This regime’s carelessness on critical issues that affect citizens is a cause for concern as far as national peace is concerned.
As young social democrats and peace-loving Zimbabweans, we urge the illegitimate Emmerson Mnangagwa to do the honorable thing by resigning to pave way for a pro-people leadership.
It is becoming increasingly clear that only a leader with a good social contract with the masses, which in this case is Nelson Chamisa, can move the country forward.
Stephen Sarkozy Chuma MDC Youth Assembly National Spokesperson
By Own Correspondent| A philanthropist and a farmer have hauled Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Hon. Perrance Shiri and the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) to court challenging the restrictive measures banning the sale of maize grain in the country and giving the state-run Grain Marketing Board (GMB) a monopoly over trade in the commodity.
In an application filed in the
High Court recently, Hon. Allan Markham, a philanthropist and Clever
Rambanapasi, a farmer, argued that Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 Grain
Marketing (Control of Sale of Maize) Regulations, 2019, which was recently
gazetted by government had made GMB the sole trader of maize in the country and
made it illegal for people to trade in maize among themselves and banned the
transportation of more than five bags of maize grain except in situations where
one is delivering to the state-run body.
The regulations also empowered
Zimbabwe Republic Police officers to seize maize grain suspected of being moved
without authority and compliance with the law.
But through their lawyer Tendai
Biti of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Hon. Markham, who is a
philanthropist who buys and sells maize in communities to support many charities
and Rambanapasi, a farmer based in Murewa in Mashonaland East province,
protested that through the regulations, Hon. Shiri had set up a monopoly and a
dangerous one which bars anyone who trades in grain whether he or she is a
buyer or seller to only do so through the GMB and at a fixed price.
Hon. Markham and Rambanapasi
charged that the consequences and effect of the restrictive regulations and of
declaring a product a controlled one is drastic as it affects the contractual
right of farmers and traders of buying grain from any party or individual and
has a serious effect on livelihoods especially in rural communities where
communal farmers produce subsistence maize.
Rambanapasi, who runs a small
piggery project in Murewa, argued that maize is an essential ingredient in pig
production and he buys the grain from rural communities in various villages to
feed his pigs while Hon. Markham, who as a philanthropist supports some
charities in the country, said he buys maize from communal farmers, which he uses
to feed vulnerable communities in high density suburbs.
The duo said the regulations had
affected people who engage in barter trade in communities and had also affected
the freedom to contract and freedom to trade as professional millers, retailers
and other organisations and individuals, who previously had the right to buy
maize everywhere could no longer do so except from GMB.
Hon. Markham, who is also the
legislator for Harare North constituency and is an entrepreneur with extensive
interest in the agriculture sector and Rambanapasi said the restrictive
regulations has an effect on due process rights protected under Section 56 of
the Constitution of Zimbabwe of which both procedural and substantive due
process requires that one has notice, and one has choices and opportunities,
which have been taken away by Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 Grain Marketing
(Control of Sale of Maize) Regulations, 2019.
The regulations on grain, Hon.
Markham and Rambanapasi said, has the effect of depriving one of his property
and appropriating the same to the GMB at a price that is already fixed and does
not make economic sense.
Hon. Markham and Rambanapasi want
Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 Grain Marketing (Control of Sale of Maize)
Regulations, 2019 to be declared as ultra vires the Constitution in particular
Section 56, 58, 64 and 71 of the Constitution.
The philanthropist and farmer
also want Part V and Part VI of the Grain Marketing Board Act particularly
Section 29, 33,34,35 to be declared ultra vires Section 56, 58, 64 and 71 of
the Constitution.
Farai Dziva|
Medical experts in China will examine Constantino Chiwenga as the government steps up efforts to secure treatment for the former army general.
Below is a statement released by government on Chiwenga’s health:
Following last week’s President Statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
The office will keep the Nation updated on the progress the vice President continues to make towards full recovery.
Jane Mlambo| Government has announced that the ailing vice President Constantino Chiwenga has been flown to China for further ‘medical tests’.
Chiwenga whose boss, Emmerson Mnangagwa described as terribly unwell, has not been seen in public for over two months now is according to government recovering and his trip to China is to allow the eastern giant’s medical experts to also attend to him.
There has been widespread speculation that Chiwenga was in a South African hospital while other sources who tracked a flight which he was reportedly using hinted that he was in India and government could have made the decision to shed light on his whereabouts to undo rumor mills around his condition.
Below is the full government statement on Chiwenga:
Following last week’s President statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests. His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
Farai Dziva|The government has said Constantino Chiwenga is set to undergo further medical tests in China.
See Press Statement below :
Following last week’s President Statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
The office will keep the Nation updated on the progress the vice President continues to make towards full recovery.
Cooking oil maker Surface Wilmer’s Chairman Somani talks to Deputy Trade Minister @RModiByoSouth & exposes @MthuliNcube’s comical talk of a surplus. He explains that he sends home 300 workers bc of power cuts. Finally, he says #Zimbabwe’s inflation figures are fake pic.twitter.com/5QZOlrd8ch
Jane Mlambo| Government has announced that the ailing vice President Constantino Chiwenga has left for China for further ‘medical tests’.
Chiwenga who has not been seen in public for over two months now is according to government recovering and his trip to China is to allow the eastern giant’s medical experts to also attend to him.
There has been widespread speculation that Chiwenga was in a South African hospital while other sources who tracked a flight which he was reportedly using hinted that he was in India and government could have made the decision to shed light on his whereabouts to undo rumor mills around his condition.
Below is the full government statement on Chiwenga…
Following last week’s President statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests. His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
Jane Mlambo| Government has for the first time shed light on Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s condition.
According to a pres statement, government said Chiwenga left for China where he is set to undergo further medical tests.
Below is the full statement signed by George Charamba…
Following last week’s President statement on Vice President CGDN Chiwenga’s health and recovery status, the Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the Nation that the Vice President this week left for the People’s Republic of China where he is set to undergo further medical tests. His relocation to China, which builds on the satisfactory recovery progress he has been making, follows weekend discussions at the highest level between Governments of Zimbabwe and China, at which a decision was taken to allow Chinese medical experts to join their expert counterparts from Zimbabwe, South Africa and India in attending to the Vice President.
The office will keep the Nation updated on the progress the vice President continues to make towards full recovery.
Farai Dziva|A Zanu PF official has claimed that “agents of regime change” are plotting to destabilize the peace in the country.
Agents of regime change come under the guise of human rights activism as they seek to unseat Government, claimed Zanu PF Politburo member, Munyaradzi Machacha.
Machacha is also the Principal of Chitepo School of Ideology.
Machacha made the remarks at a symposium at Lupane State University.
“This is a training symposium for Zicosu members in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North to become better informed Zanu-PF cadres who appreciate the prevailing socio-economic and political challenges.
“We are saying patriotic Zimbabweans should be wary of agents of regime change masquerading as human rights activists.
These activists are crisispreneurs who don’t have the interests of the people of Zimbabwe at heart.
They are only interested in dislodging Zanu-PF government from power so they replace it with a puppet government which they will use to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle.
Their tactics include causing unrest through violent demonstrations and abuse of social media to spread alarm and despondency,” said Machacha.
The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is finalising a strategy on dealing with the Gukurahundi issue that is expected to be completed next month and will, among issues, address the processes around public hearings, exhumations and reburial of victims.
This was said by NPRC Commissioner Patience Chiradza in an interview with The Herald.
She said the Commission had identified three areas that needed to be dealt with from past experiences, although the Gukurahundi era would be prioritised.
“We have a programme that our healing and reconciliation committee is working around in dealing with issues from the past,” she said.
“When we did our consultations, three epochs became clear— the pre-independence era which culminated in the liberation struggle, then the Gukurahundi era, which is about between 1983 and 1985, and then the electoral violence that started around 2000.
“So, those are going to be the three focus areas and I think we are clear as a commission that Gukurahundi has its priorities given the dynamics that are there. Given the issues that have been raised in Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo, Gukurahundi becomes a central theme.”
Commissioner Chiradza said the commission had been conducting consultations on the issue before the actual hearings begin.
“So, as a commission we have been doing a lot of work around that issue because before you get into that space you need to make sure that you have a proper strategy of how you are going to do the hearings,” she said.
“We have regulations that guide us. What are we going to do in public (and) what are we going to do in camera? Secondly, we are putting in mechanisms for witness protection because the NPRC Act obliges us to make sure that witness are protected.”
Commissioner Chiradza said they also wanted to ensure that there were measures to provide social-psycho support to people that may appear before the committee during the hearings.
“Thirdly, victim support, because if people come for the hearings they may have emotional breakdowns and need social-psycho support,” she said. “Do we have those mechanisms? So, what we are doing at the moment is working with partners so that when we kick-start the hearings we will have those mechanisms in place.
“So, the strategy we are finalising in dealing with the past is a strategy that will work for all the three epochs although we are set to give a special programme around Gukurahundi because we have issues traditional leaders are raising currently in their engagements with Government and what the Matabeleland Collective have raised in their engagements with the President.
“We are taking into account all those, in addition to our own special consultations.”
On the issue of exhumations and reburials, Commissioner Chiradza said the strategy will also explain how the processes would be done taking into account the laws of the land.
“We will have our programme . . . the strategy, it will explain how our exhumations are going to be done because we have to comply with the laws,” she said. “We have to engage with the police. We have forensic experts not only in civil society, but also within the police, so we are doing all those engagements.
“That’s why I said once that programme is finalised we will share it with the people so that people will know if you want reburials to be done with the commission, how do you go about it.
“We will have our own programme because inasmuch as we are doing our consultations . . . how do you want the reburials to be done, how do you want the exhumations to be done? There are issues of evidence that can be around that (so) we are consulting so that when we launch our programme people are clear of what the strategy is.
“So, I think by mid-August that programme should have been finalised.”
President Mnangagwa has decriminalised and encouraged discussions of issues around Gukurahundi and has met traditional leaders and civil society organisations under the banner of the Matabeleland Collective to hear the concerns.
Farai Dziva|Warriors fan Alvin Zhakata lost his passport in Egypt.
Zhakata lost the passport during the 2019 AFCON final between Algeria and Senegal.
Zhakata needed the passport in order to get into the game, as he did not have the Fan ID card.
“Fortunately, the passport was found by Senegal supporters in Alexandria, about 220km away, and it will be brought back to Alvin today,” said legendary soccer analyst Steve Vickers.
Farai Dziva|
Caps United head coach Lloyd Chitembwe is happy with his side’s draw with perennial arch rivals Dynamos.
The Green Machine settled for a 1-1 draw against city rivals Dynamos at Rufaro Stadium.
Joel Ngodzo broke the deadlock in the 45th minute but the Glamour Boys responded quickly with an equaliser in added time through new signing Simba Nhivi.
“I thought it was a very good game, especially for those that were watching,” said Chitembwe in his post match presser.
“Congratulations to both sets of players, I thought they really applied themselves. They gave the fans what they always want.
“The hunger was there. It meant so much for them and from that perspective I am very happy.
“I thought my team gave a very good performance. Our build-ups in the first half were precise and our ball retention was very good.
“A lot of things about our game today were very good save for the fact that we could not get a winner.”
Farai Dziva|The level of political polarization has reached astonishing levels in Zimbabwe.
MDC Secretary General Charlton Hwende has claimed that his party was denied a biller code by NetOne.
Hwende said NetOne turned down their request to have a biller code for the party.
Hwende tweeted: “Last year MDC introduced an electronic card system and approached Mobile operators for a similar service now extended to
@ZANUPF_Official by @NetOneCellular.
We were denied this service I will be sending someone again this week to see if we can now use thisplatform…”
Farai Dziva|The MDC has written a letter to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission expressing concern at the high incidence of vote buying by Zanu PF.
Below is MDC Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga’s statement on the matter:
MDC Secretary-General Charlton Hwende has written to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), raising concern over the politicisation of State institutions after Zanu PF instructed NatPham to disburse medicine in Lupane East constituency ahead of the upcoming by-election.
Early this month, Zanu PF commissar Victor Matemadanda wrote to Health minister Obediah Moyo asking for medicines to beef up their campaign in Lupane East. In turn, Moyo instructed his permanent secretary to act on the request with NatPham.
The move has drawn widespread condemnation among various stakeholders, who felt the abuse of State institutions must not have a place in modern times.
By A Correspondent- AN illegal gold panner raided a tuckshop in Matobo district at night and axed the shop owner to death while his wife watched helplessly before robbing the couple of US$248.
Nhlanhla Mlalazi (29), a gold panner at Syndicate Mine in Matobo district found Mr Vusumuzi Mhlanga (46) and his wife, Ms Dorothy Nduna (48), sleeping in their tuckshop.
He axed Mr Mhlanga before robbing him of the money.
Mlalazi appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa on Friday facing a murder charge in connection with Mr Mhlanga’s death in 2016.
Prosecuting, Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza said on September 20 in 2016 at around 11.55PM, Mr Mhlanga was sleeping in his tuckshop with his wife, Ms Nduna and their employee Ms Sibonokuhle Nyoni when the accused person came to his shop armed with an axe.
The court heard that Mlalazi destroyed the tuckshop door using the axe to gain entry.
“While inside the shop, the accused person found the deceased and other occupants already up after they were awakened by the sound of the door which was being chopped,” said Mr Jaravaza.
Mlalazi allegedly struck the deceased twice on the forehead and upper limb using the axe. He then allegedly robbed the deceased of a bag containing US$248 and fled from the scene.
A report was made to the police leading to Mlalazi’s arrest.The deceased was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where he later succumbed to the injuries.
According to a post mortem report, the cause of death was due to brain abscess, skull fracture and post assault head injury.
In her testimony, Ms Nduna, narrated how she witnessed her husband being brutally attacked by the accused person while she and their employee, Ms Nyoni, watched helplessly.
“We were sleeping in our tuckshop when we heard a loud bang on the door. My husband woke up first so that he could investigate and he switched on the lights. The accused person chopped off the door and stormed into the shop and started demanding money before striking my husband with an axe on the forehead and upper limb,” she said.
Ms Nduna said although the accused person was wearing a hat, she managed to positively identify him by a scar on his face.
“The accused person took a bag containing US$248 and disappeared but fortunately I managed to identify his face,” she said.
Mlalazi, in his defence, denied the charge saying he was not at the scene of the crime on that particular day. He also accused one Simba Shoko of having misled Ms Nduna into falsely incriminating him.
“There is bad blood between myself and Simba Shoko following a long standing dispute over a mining claim. I believe he is the one who misled Ms Nduna into making a false police report so that he gets an opportunity to take over my mining claim once I am incarcerated,” he said.
Mlalazi is being represented by a lawyer from T Hara and Partners Legal Practitioners.
Farai Dziva|Bulawayo based prophet, BS Chiza, has said God is ready to release the much awaited solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe.
Read Chiza’ s full statement below:
PROPHECY FOR ALL ZIMBABWEANS
A HEAVENLY CALL FOR ZIMBABWEANS TO SERIOUSLY PRAY:
ZIMBABWE, ZIMBABWE!Greetings to all wonderful people of Zimbabwe. God gave me series of accurate visions about current Zimbabwe economic situation since 2018. The Lord says; “Time has come for Zimbabweans to engage into serious United Prayer of Agreement.”
It’s not much about who is leading but togetherness.
The Agreement Prayer is the most powerful prayer and it unlocks the Heavens Matthew 18:19-20.
God wants to release solutions to Zimbabwe situation. God showed me that if we don’t rise up to pray, and just watch things happen, we will continue experiencing poverty and lack. We now need to consult the CREATOR seriously in prayer 2Chron 7v14. Is there anything too hard for God?
Can anyone fight God & win? After much prayer as a man of God I felt an impression that Saturday 27 JULY 2019 is the day all Zimbabweans, Black, White, Ndebele, Shona, Small, Great, Believer or Non Believer must Fast and Pray for our nation.
It’s up to us as Zimbabweans to decide to pray as a united team or not to. The Lord said; “if they pray, I Shall hear from heaven and release solutions to Zimbabwe situation.
After we pray unitedly, you shall all see what shall start to happen in Zimbabwe. The heavenly shakings, the surprises & the solutions. Have faith & Believe. God bless you Amen. Please pass this message to all Zimbabweans…
By A Correspondent- REGISTRAR-General Mr Clemence Masango has issued a stern warning to officials in his department who are capitalising on the challenges in the issuance of passports by demanding kickbacks from desperate citizens intending to acquire emergency travel documents.
Desperate Zimbabweans are parting with huge sums of money to pay bribes in order to obtain passports as the Registrar General’s office is battling an acute shortage of special paper and ink used to make passports, resulting in a huge backlog for travel documents.
In an interview, Mr Masango said Government officials should desist from taking advantage of the people’s desperate situation through taking bribes.
“Government policy as pronounced by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa including our Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage (Cde Cain Mathema) reiterates the same point, which is zero tolerance to corruption. We therefore appeal to everyone, our clients, citizens and officials to desist from corruption,” he said.
Mr Masango said those caught engaging in corrupt activities would face the full wrath of the law.
“Corruption is a punishable offence and the cases that we will be able to detect will be dealt with by law enforcement agents and consequences will follow. Our position as a department is that when it comes to corruption there is no excuse and officials caught accepting bribes from clients will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
“As civil servants we are already paid for the job that we are doing and there is no reason to extort or solicit for bribes. They (civil servants) are supposed to be content with the remuneration they are getting from the Government, if they feel the money is too little they should find elsewhere to go.”-StateMedia
Caller says: "I dont think Chiwenga will ever recover. It's a sad situation, because we needed someone to keep ED in check. @edmnangagwa doesn't care about anyone, all he knows is looting."
Farai Dziva|Zimbabweans have yet again been confronted by another wave of fuel price hikes at a time the government has predicted a phase of economic turnaround.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has hiked the price of fuel yet again with effect from Monday 22 July 2017.
The price of diesel has been raised to ZWL$7.19 while that of petrol has been increased to ZWL$7.47.
This is the second time the prices of fuel have been hiked in the past 10 days.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has claimed that the country’s economy has entered the “recovery mode.”
Parliament will (Monday) question the Zimbabwe Nationals Road Administration (Zinara) over the state of affairs at the parastatal which has, of late, hogged news headlines because of corrupt practices.
When Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza appeared recently before Parliament to answer on issues to do with corruption at Zinana, he admitted that the road authority lost millions of dollars to corruption and several malpractices in tender and job contracts.
Matiza promised the Tendai Biti-led Public Accounts Portfolio Committee, which expressed dismay over massive corruption at Zinara, that heads would roll at the institution, where managers enjoyed excessive allowances while the country’s roads were in very bad shape.
There was misuse of $71 million earmarked for special projects; awarding of millions worth of contracts to the same companies, for example, Univern without going to tender — prejudicing the country of millions of dollars through contracts that were poorly negotiated with Univern; and the $8 million graders tender scam and several issues of mismanagement, including hefty salaries and allowances for Zinara officials.
“The law is taking its course and some people are paying bail now for such rotten work at Zinara, and the new Zinara board, chaired by former deputy Transport minister Michael Madanha, has put in place a programme to ensure that there is financial probity at Zinara and the results will be foreseeable in the future and I can assure you that you will soon see things unravelling,” Matiza told MPs recently.
Meanwhile, the Defence, Home Affairs and Security Services Portfolio Committee, chaired by Umzingwane MP Levi Mayihlome, will also question Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and the immigration department on the challenges faced by their departments at Zimbabwe’s points of entry, where millions of dollars are said to be getting lost through smuggling.
The Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Parliamentary Portfolio Committee will also hear teachers concerns over poor salaries after the Zimbabwe Teachers Association and the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe raised concern that teachers’ salaries had been eroded by inflation.
They demanded that part of teachers salaries, $200, be paid in United States dollars, but government then introduced Statutory Instrument 142 of 2009, which re-introduced the use of the Zimbabwean dollar as the sole legal tender in Zimbabwe, effectively quashing the teachers’ demands.
Farai Dziva|A man from Chipinge committed suicide over his wife’s infidelity.
According to state media reports, Ben Muyambo (44), of Jongwe village, Chipinge, was found hanging from a tree near his homestead after an altercation with his wife over alleged infidelity.
Police in Manicaland confirmed the incident.
According to The Herald, Muyambo confronted his wife Patricia Simango over adultery allegations.
Simango then denied having an extra-marital affair, and instead counter-accused Muyambo of being jealous and a control freak.
It is alleged that Muyambo could not take it and left home to visit his cousin, Taurai Mashava, in Kaguvi village in the same area.
He wanted to seek counselling following the fallout between him and his wife.
Mashava failed to provide a lasting solution to Muyambo’s problems.
Villagers found Muyambo’s body in the bush and rushed to inform Mashava.
Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC Youths Assembly leader Obey Tererai Sithole has vowed to send President Emmerson Mnangagwa packing threatening that his administration will not last long as they are keen to put Section 59 into practice.
Section59 of the Constitution states that “Every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions, but these rights must be exercised peacefully.”
“Mnangagwa will not last long, we will definitely send him packing. We will put Section 59 into practice till Freedom,” said Sithole.
By Own Correspondent- The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) is finalising a strategy on dealing with the Gukurahundi issue that is expected to be completed next month and will, among issues, address the processes around public hearings, exhumations and reburial of victims.
This was said by NPRC Commissioner Patience Chiradza in an interview with a local publication.
She said the Commission had identified three areas that needed to be dealt with from past experiences, although the Gukurahundi era would be prioritised.
“We have a programme that our healing and reconciliation committee is working around in dealing with issues from the past,” she said.
“When we did our consultations, three epochs became clear— the pre-independence era which culminated in the liberation struggle, then the Gukurahundi era, which is about between 1983 and 1985, and then the electoral violence that started around 2000.
“So, those are going to be the three focus areas and I think we are clear as a commission that Gukurahundi has its priorities given the dynamics that are there. Given the issues that have been raised in Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo, Gukurahundi becomes a central theme.”
Commissioner Chiradza said the commission had been conducting consultations on the issue before the actual hearings begin.
“So, as a commission we have been doing a lot of work around that issue because before you get into that space you need to make sure that you have a proper strategy of how you are going to do the hearings,” she said.
“We have regulations that guide us. What are we going to do in public (and) what are we going to do in camera? Secondly, we are putting in mechanisms for witness protection because the NPRC Act obliges us to make sure that witness are protected.”
Commissioner Chiradza said they also wanted to ensure that there were measures to provide social-psycho support to people that may appear before the committee during the hearings.
“Thirdly, victim support, because if people come for the hearings they may have emotional breakdowns and need social-psycho support,” she said. “Do we have those mechanisms? So, what we are doing at the moment is working with partners so that when we kick-start the hearings we will have those mechanisms in place.
“So, the strategy we are finalising in dealing with the past is a strategy that will work for all the three epochs although we are set to give a special programme around Gukurahundi because we have issues traditional leaders are raising currently in their engagements with Government and what the Matabeleland Collective have raised in their engagements with the President.
“We are taking into account all those, in addition to our own special consultations.”-StateMedia
This was announced by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority which said the new prices of fuel will start Monday 22 July 2019.
In the statement on Monday ZERA said, “Please be advised that the fuel prices effective Monday 22 July 2019 are as follows; maximum pump price diesel $7.19 and blend $7.47.” FULL TEXT BELOW-
By A Correspondent- ZIMBABWE’S social protection interventions lack coordination and are generally under-financed as a result of the poor performance of the economy, a new report has shown.
A report titled: Action Research on Social Protection in Post-Independence Zimbabwe 1980-2019 prepared by Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, European Union, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations, details how the county has failied to come up with a proper policy to address social protection programmes in Zimbabwe.
“Social protection interventions are generally under- and irregularly financed as a result of the poor performance of the economy. In the National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF), the target was to consider as eligible for all forms of social assistance in the short to medium term all the 500 000 households which are deemed to be below the Food Poverty Line (FPL),” reads part of the report.
“On the basis of the budget (National Budget) allocated for social welfare in 2018, each household would get a meagre US$38,60 per year and US$70,55 in 2019. On the basis of the 415 900 vulnerable children to be reached with educational support as indicated in the Blue Book, the US$23 485 000 allocated to child welfare in 2018 works out at US$56,47 per child per year for 2018, while the US$31 592 000 allocated for child welfare yields a support level of US$75,96 per child per year.”
Challenges include a fragmented application of the instruments without a proper guiding structure; inadequacy and exclusionary nature of available services; and the lack of predictability, consistency, transparency and durability in most cases.
The report also found that social protection in Zimbabwe lacks a proper centralised coordination leading to incoherent and sector driven social protection under various ministries.
The report questions decision making processes in the ministries of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and the Ministry of Health and Child Care, which often create bureaucratic, complex situations.
Other weaknesses include a lack of mutually supportive and clear policy objectives leading to disjointed approaches, lack of awareness by people of what services they can access, their rights and entitlements, weak monitoring and evaluation systems, and the existence of various pieces of Zimbabwean laws and policy statements that may not be mutually supportive of each other.
“In view of the weaknesses highlighted earlier, there is need for an overarching social protection policy that can provide a guiding framework for social protection in the country. The need for a coherent social policy framework has become more pronounced in recent years given the high levels of poverty in the country which are associated with rising unemployment, underemployment, rapid de-industrialisation and informalisation of the economy,” reads part of the report.
“This social protection policy should also mitigate the problems of fragmentation and duplication discussed above. In addition, it should be designed in such a manner that it enhances predictability, consistency, transparency and accountability.”-Newsday
DISAPPOINTMENT, despair and heartbreak. These are the words Sikandar Raza used to describe the mood among his Zimbabwe teammates, as they frantically called each other and exchanged messages in the minutes following the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s decision to suspend Zimbabwe with immediate effect over “government interference”.
Raza said his teammates’ emotions were similar to the way they felt after the World Cup Qualifier last year, when their defeat to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) cost them a place in the 2019 World Cup.
But the situation was a lot worse, he said, as players remain in the dark over their immediate and foreseeable future. Zimbabwe are scheduled to play a T20 tri-series in September in Bangladesh, against the hosts and Afghanistan, in the lead-up to the Men’s World T20 Qualifier in October in the UAE.
While Zimbabwe remain suspended, representative teams will not be allowed to participate in any ICC events, making their presence in the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in August and Men’s World T20 Qualifier highly unlikely.
Effectively, Zimbabwe Cricket has to get its house in order by the next ICC meeting in October. Raza said the ICC could have applied the same conditions, but at least allowed them to play cricket.
“We are all pretty heart-broken at the moment” Raza told ESPNcricinfo. “We are still in shock to be honest, seeing how our international career can come to an end like that. Not just for one player, but for the whole country. I am not coming to terms with it so easily, and I am sure my team-mates feel the same way.
Where do we go from here? Is there a way out?
“I don’t know what is the way out. We have been told that we have been suspended, but not told for how long. [A] two-year [suspension] could basically bring an end to a lot of careers. I don’t know the conditions, but to totally suspend us from playing cricket, while you allow whoever is responsible to get our house in order, you basically stop cricket in Zimbabwe. I don’t know how one can do that but it has happened to us now.”
Raza feared it may be time for Zimbabwe players to think of alternative careers. Raza, himself, is a software engineer, and had also attended the Air Force College in Pakistan.
Although he picked up cricket as a profession later than most players, he has quickly built himself into a solid batting all-rounder in international cricket, and has picked up gigs in many of the T20 leagues around the world .
“If we miss the World T20 qualifiers, we will miss the T20 tri-series in Bangladesh [in September]. What if the house [ZC] is not in order? Is the ICC going to recognise the interim committee or the old committee? What is happening?
“I don’t know where we go as international cricketers. Is it club cricket or no cricket for us? Do we just burn our kits and apply for jobs? I don’t know what we have to do right now.”
Raza said that if the ICC had directly overseen the Zimbabwe Cricket elections in June, they may have quickly recognised why the government’s Sports and Recreation Commission dismissed the board in the first place.
“I genuinely thought that it would have been ideal if one member of the ICC had come and overseen the election process, for the reasons SRC dismissed the board, while we continued to play cricket. I thought that would have been a very good quick fix,” he said.
Last year, while accepting the Player of the Tournament award at the World Cup Qualifier in Harare, Raza had voiced his disappointment at the ICC’s decision to limit the number of teams in the 2019 World Cup. He maintained a similar stance regarding cricket’s decision-makers
“As much as I want to say, there’s nothing to say. Our cricket and livelihoods have been taken away from us,“ he said. “Whatever I say now will mean nothing. It will fall on deaf ears. I just thought the motto was to grow the game, and it keeps on shrinking.”
