24th July 2019
HON SIKHALA TO APPEAR AT COURT TODAY
Our MDC national Vice Chairman Hon. Job Sikhala will today at 0830 hours, appear at the Bikita Magistrates Court
We are urging all our leaders and members to express their full solidarity with Hon. Sikhala
Daniel Molokele
MDC National Spokesperson
Citizen|Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane is spot-on with her findings that President Cyril Ramaphosa was required to declare donations to his ANC presidential campaign, as he was a member of parliament at the time, constitutional experts have said.
Mkhwebane last week found that Ramaphosa was bound by the code of ethical conduct and disclosure of members’ interests for assembly and permanent council members to declare all the donations.
Advocate Paul Hoffman, director and founder of Accountability Now, said Ramaphosa was an MP at the time of the donations and could not be allowed to escape a sanction and rebuke simply by becoming president.
“He cannot escape by simply going upstairs and becoming a president. The disclosure regime in terms of the ethics code applies to him,” said Hoffman.
“That it was a personal campaign does not absolve him from saying, ‘I have had donation from the following people.’ This is meant to stop business people from owning politicians.”
According to Hoffman, Ramaphosa’s argument that Mkhwebane had no business probing his CR17 campaign and making 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, was flawed.
He said this argument would not help Ramaphosa because “his funding has to be disclosed”.
Hoffman criticised the argument that the public protector’s findings could be interpreted to include party political funding in general and that parties must reveal their donations and sources.
He said that in Ramaphosa’s case, the funding was not for the party to campaign for elections against other parties but was for a campaign within the party.
However, Hoffman said the disclosure part was the only finding and remedial action he agreed with, saying the ruling that Ramaphosa should be investigated for money laundering was simply wrong.
Mkhwebane found there was prima facie evidence that money laundering could have taken place with the R500,000 donation from Bosasa to his campaign and that the money was transferred to the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation account, from where it was also transferred to other beneficiaries.
She found that the money went through several intermediaries, instead of going straight to the CR17 campaign.
But Hoffman said that for someone to make themselves guilty of money laundering meant that person had criminal intent.
“[Ramaphosa ] can’t be found guilty of money laundering, which requires criminal intent. The fact that he tried to give the money back demonstrates that he had no criminal intent,” Hoffman said.
He said it was also incorrect for Mkhwebane to say Ramaphosa deliberately misled parliament, saying she seemed to confuse “wilfully and inadvertently”.
University of SA’s constitutional law expert Professor Shadrack Gutto agreed with Hoffman that Ramaphosa should face the music for his failure to declare the donations.
“It shows her level of understanding regarding the separation of powers. He was a member of the executive and the executive is answerable to parliament,” he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said nothing new or earth-shattering during his media briefing at the Union Buildings last night.
He has previously said Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s investigative report about him was irrational, illegal and deficient in terms of fact and the law.
He also gave notice, after Mkhwebane’s release of her findings on Friday, that he would be launching a judicial challenge of the report.
But last night’s address to the nation – for that is what it also was – was notable for what he didn’t say, in so many words.
He continued with his “all things to all people” approach, preaching his gospel of unity in the ANC – above all costs, it sometimes seems – and refusing to be drawn into any discussion of the elephant in the room: the increasingly determined and bitter fightback by former president Jacob Zuma and those loyal to him.
Yet, one could not miss the iron fist in the conciliatory velvet glove worn by Ramaphosa, the diplomat.
He made it plain that he – and those loyal to him in the ANC and government – would not be deflected from their commitment to reverse the damage of state capture and to eradicate corruption.
Then, while he made soothing noises about respecting the office of the public protector and the person presently holding it, he also made it clear that he expected the judicial review process to not only absolve him, but also to “strengthen” the institution of the public protector.
That can only mean that if Ramaphosa wins in court, Mkhwebane will lose … and lose badly.
In that case, she will be shown up as the weakness in her office and strengthening it can only mean one thing: she will go, sooner or later.
Sowetan Opinion|Jacob Zuma has finally appeared before the Zondo Commission. To be frank, the whole week was a waste of time. Zuma went to the commission with a two-pronged strategy: play victim and claim not to know or remember anything.
The victim part of his strategy was woven around a pseudo-intelligence conspiracy theory. As the ANC’s former intelligence chief, Zuma calculated that most people would believe whatever he said about intelligence. The conspiracy theory is one of “three intelligence organisations” working for many years to bring innocent Zuma down.
Everyone and anyone who ever said or wrote anything negative about Zuma fits perfectly in the grand satanic plan to sabotage the man from Nkandla. If you are Redi Tlhabi, and you happen to be fascinated by Zuma’s rape case, you become the ideal agent in the man’s pseudo-intelligence conspiracy theory.
If you are Thuli Madonsela, and you happen to write a “State of Capture” or “Secure in Comfort” report, you become the right candidate of Zuma’s dark forces.
If you are Jacque Pauw, and you happen to write a book, you become the perfect tool for those working to soil the good name of the innocent man from Nkandla.
The victim conspiracy theory also entangles Zuma’s children. Not only have the dark forces been trying to bring Zuma down; they apparently have been working hard to destroy his children too.
Let us state it categorically – this is all nonsensical smoke and mirrors. None of Zuma’s pseudo-intelligence hocus pocus exists.
How do we prove that someone has been trying to kill Zuma, or that Zuma is not the one who organised someone to call his own PA to “tell Zuma that we will kill him and his children”?
Zuma knows that the average Joe in KwaZulu-Natal watching television will not ask questions when their Msholozi says: “Last night between 7 and 8 someone called my PA.”
The unthinking ruralitarian reaction there is almost predictable: “Mayibaboooo!”
When you bring in children, the dramatic effect intensifies – even though the lies are obvious. If anyone were to conduct a family audit, it is unimaginable that there would be a single child from Zuma’s mass choir who got poorer after their father became president.
Zuma’s parental formula has been to tell his jobless children to “go to Durban”. The children who listened to their presidential father returned to Johannesburg very rich.
The fact is simple: Khulubuse Zuma’s stomach ballooned further when his uncle was president, and Duduzane became a millionaire after his father became president.
If this is what it means to be victimised, many of us would be happy to be victims.
The other fact is that you and I cannot prove that Ngoako Ramatlhodi, or Jacob Zuma for that matter, was or was not a spy. Read The Communistisation of the ANC by Gerard Ludi, and you will realise that Zuma himself may very well have been an apartheid spy.
We can conclude, therefore, that everything that Zuma said in his opening harangue at the Zondo commission is nothing more than a heap of nonsense.
Then followed his “I don’t remember” component of his strategy. It all left us with the impression that, during Zuma’s term, SA had no president. He was either asleep or his ministers did as they wished. For a whole week, Zuma treated the SA public and the Zondo Commission as if we are all a bunch of idiots.
Fortunately, it is Zuma himself who is the idiot.
State Media|Government has granted project status to the 20MW solar farm being constructed in Bwoni Village, Seke rural, at a cost of almost US$25 million by Harava Solar.
Projects awarded national project status get preferential treatment, which includes exemption from paying import duty and other taxes.
The granting of national project status is expected to speed up the implementation of the key project which comes at a critical moment when the country is contending with long hours of load shedding due to low water levels in Kariba Dam and obsolete equipment at thermal power stations.
Harava Solar co-founder and chief executive officer Mr Ainos Ngadya confirmed the granting of the national project status to The Herald during a tour of the solar park on Monday.
“The project was awarded national project status by Government, so as most of the components come through Zimra (the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority), they don’t pay tax,” said Mr Ngadya.
The project entails the building of a 20MW solar farm, with all the power earmarked to be fed into the national grid through the Dema 330kV substation.
A 132kv transmission line spanning 10km from the solar park to Dema Substation is in the process of being set up.
The pylons used in power line construction are already on site and were supplied by Chinese firm, Taikai Power Engineering, one of the biggest players in that space.
Taikai Power generates US$30 billion revenue per year and has done 400km transmission lines in the SADC region.
Mr Ngadya said the 20MW is enough to power almost 40 000 households.
“It involves 22 hectares of solar of panels, (which would be) 72 000 solar panels of 330W sizes. So we have a 25-year power purchase agreement with ZETDC (the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company) and we intend also to expand.
“We think construction is going to be completed by December this year, then we commission the 20MW plant and we immediately move in to expand by commissioning another 20MW next to this project, till probably we reach 100MW in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Ngadya.
Land for another 20MW solar farm is already there. Harava Solar converts light into electrical energy, so even when there are no clear skies, the company will still produce energy, albeit on a lower scale.
Mr Ngadya could not be drawn into divulging the tariff they negotiated with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) “because of privacy”, but said it was “almost close to the end user tariff model” and “a bit competitive”.
The solar panels to be used are supplied by Jinko Solar, the world’s biggest solar panel manufacturer, shipping 11,4 gigawatts of modules last year.
Jinko Solar, which is head-quartered in Shanghai, China; has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2010 and generated revenue of US$3,64 billion last year.
A Germany company, Soventix Powerful Returns, is the installation contractor, which was selected from 15 other bidders that included Power China.
Harava Solar chief operating officer Engineer Brian Chindondondo said they wanted a company that has done over three solar parks of 20MW.
The winning company, Soventix, has done over 50 solar parks across the world. It has since sent a few technicians, with the rest of the work being done by local employees.
“We met the local leadership to get a database of skills possessed by locals, be it electricians, engineers, among others.
“So we turn to that database when vacancies arise. But where a position cannot be filled by a local person because of skills gaps, we can get from anywhere in the country,” said Eng Chindondo.
In line with ZESA regulations that dictate that a 132kv line should not pass through homesteads as it goes to Dema Substation, Harava has relocated 11 families and constructed decent houses for them.
The housing project gobbled over US$100 000.
More importantly, Harare has crafted an empowerment scheme called the Bwoni Village Community Share Ownership Trust, in which locals hold 7,3 percent.
Mr Ngadya said the Trust has a “very clear mandate” of constructing solar-powered 330W boreholes in the village, establish small irrigation schemes, and also light up local schools and clinics with solar power each time a dividend is declared to them. The Trust will provide scholarships to local students especially those studying engineering, and the underprivileged. The Bwoni Village, in collaboration with Chief Seke, are spearheading the project, while Harava Solar representatives are also Trust members to ensure there is no abuse of resources.
By Sports Reporter| The Zim Gems who flew out of Manchester Airport last night have touched down in Dubai.
ZimEye can reveal the Gems are now in the UAE having arrived early Wednesday morning.
The Zimbabwe netball team, basking in the flaming glory of breaking Rhodesian history, are now set for Harare after their short stay in the United Arab Emirates. They will arrive late afternoon, Wednesday.
While ZimEye could not perform a head count of the delegation last night, unconfirmed reports suggested over 5 chose to remain in the UK. These include a relative of one of the senior Netball Association leaders who disappeared from the team base several hours before the jet had lifted off. “The guy has disappeared from our base and is nowhere to be found. He was actually a surprise delegate here as he is not even an executive member of the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina). He only came by because he is a younger brother to one of the executive committee members. It turns out he just wanted to get a United Kingdom visa using netball and Zina officials knew that. Authorities here have been informed,” an anonymous source was quoted by the state owned Chronicle saying.
Meanwhile, below were the LIVE scenes as their jet flew out of Manchester Airport.
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Some sugarcane farmers in southeastern Zimbabwe are resorting to irritating their crop during the night while working on plans to shift to solar energy due to serious shortages of electricity in the country.
Louis Vhudzijena, leader of a consortium of 35 sugarcane farmers at Mapanza sugarcane estate in Chiredzi running a 500-hectare farm said because of the shortage of power during the day, farmers are currently irrigating their plants during the night when electricity was better available.
This, he said, was posing danger to farmers’ lives.
“Since the beginning of load shedding by ZESA, we get electricity for only four hours at night and all the farmers cannot equally share the water. Most farmers end up failing to irrigate their fields and are now contemplating to downsize their fields,” Vhudzijena said.
The power deficit afflicting the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Holdings is affecting the operations of companies in the country already performing below capacity.
He said solar energy was the only alternative energy to help them out of the current situation.
Work is in progress at the local Njiri dam pump house where farmers are setting up a solar grid that will help pump 5 000 cubic litres persecond to the fields.
Enviroplus, a local consultancy, is implementing the project.
It is anticipated to complete the project in a month.
Luke Mhaka, Enviroplus director, said solar energy was the most sustainable power source considering the Lowveld had the longest periods of sunshine in Zimbabwe.
“Farmers can immensely benefit from the abundance of sunshine by harnessing it into energy for irrigation,” Mhaka said.
He said the advantages of solar energy outweighed its cost.
“I am sure these farmers will enjoy their profits from farming using solar energy because they won’t be paying electricity bills anymore,” Mhaka said.
Elisha Tamirepi, newly-elected Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Farmers Association Chairman, hailed the initiative at Mapanza.
He said solar energy would shield farmers from high electricity charges.
“ZESA is the most expensive component in sugarcane farming and as farmers we were always looking for alternative ways of minimizing ZESA costs. With solar irrigation technology, our prayers have been heard and answered. We are fully going to embed it,” Tamirepi said.
OK Zimbabwe has reportedly closed its shop in Rusape due to power cuts.
The country is having a huge electricity shortage which has seen local power utility, ZESA, rolling out a load-shedding schedule that has seen most parts of the country going without power between 0400 hours and 2200 hours daily.
The closure of Rusape OK Shop was revealed on Twitter by political analyst Rashweat Mukundu on his Twitter page.
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More than 1,3-million Zimbabweans living with HIV/Aids are at risk as the cash-strapped government battles to raise $6m needed to unlock $400m in donor funding for antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
The nation is facing critical shortages of medicines and patients are being asked to pay for their prescriptions in hard currency, sometimes US Dollars. The elite and top government officials are seeking medical treatment abroad to avoid the country’s dire health services.
Most people on ARVs rely on drugs supplied by public hospitals through a facility funded by the Global Fund.
To access the $400m for ARVs from the organisation Zimbabwe must pay $6m as a compulsory contribution.
Harare’s failure to raise the funds has prompted fears that Aids-related deaths will rise.
People living with HIV and activists last week petitioned parliament to compel government to urgently secure the funds. They also complained of receiving expired drugs and that their advance supplies had been reduced from three months to two weeks.
Zimbabwe’s justice minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi, said in response to the petition that only $2.9m had been raised.
He said minister of health Obadiah Moyo and the finance ministry had confirmed $2.9m was paid but that $6m was needed.
“What is required is to pay the $6m so that we can access the benefits. If we do not pay it means that we will not be able to get the ARVs. I will follow up and advise accordingly,” Ziyambi said.
Parliamentary portfolio committee on health chair Ruth Labode implored the government to act urgently, saying the situation was desperate.
In the petition HIV activists accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of spending state funds lavishly while ignoring the plight of ordinary citizens.
Mnangagwa has continually hired a jet from Dubai for his frequent international trips and to fly even to local destinations.
Los Angeles – Juventus star, Cristiano Ronaldo, will not face any charges over an alleged rape in Las Vegas a decade ago after US prosecutors said on Monday they did not have enough evidence to proceed.
A district attorney in the state of Nevada said it would not prosecute the Portuguese soccer player because it “cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt” that a sexual assault occurred.
Kathryn Mayorga, a former model, alleges that Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward reached a financial settlement with her one year after the incident.
He has always denied allegations of sexual assault, insisting their encounter was consensual.
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office said it had received a report from Mayorga — who it identified only as “V” — on June 13, 2009, reporting that she had been the victim of a sexual assault.
Police could not conduct “any meaningful investigation” at the time because she declined to say who assaulted her or where it occurred, the office said in a statement.
As a result, detectives were “unable to search for and impound vital forensic evidence,” and video showing Ronaldo and Mayorga together was lost, it added.
Mayorga contacted police in August of last year to ask that the case be reopened, at which point she named Ronaldo as the alleged assailant.
The case was reopened “in spite of the passage of over nine years,” prosecutors said. “Based upon a review of the information presented at this time, the allegations of sexual assault against Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” prosecutors said. “Therefore, no charges will be forthcoming.”
Mayorga’s attorney has stated that she agreed to an out-of-court settlement to keep her name from going public, but was later inspired to speak out by the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment.
Mayorga has also said that her emotional trauma at the time did not allow her to participate in the mediation process for the financial settlement.
Neither Ronaldo’s nor Mayorga’s lawyers responded to AFP’s request for comment on the decision to end the investigation.he player has yet to respond on social media.AFP
Harare City Council’s decision to hike clamping and tow-away fines to $700 with effect from August 1 has been widely condemned, with motorists describing it as outrageous and irrational.
Some said the hefty fines will fuel corruption as motorists will be tempted to pay a lesser amount to a marshal for release of their cars.
Wheel-clamping fines for light motor vehicles have sky-rocketed from $57 to $500, while the tow-away penalty was reviewed from $60 to $700. The development comes at a time many workers are getting low salaries, some equivalent to or less than the clamping fines.State media
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday met representatives of teachers with disabilities to have an appreciation of their plight in the discharge of the educational duties.
The meeting was held at the initiation of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe who raised several challenges teachers with disability are facing .
In an interview soon after the meeting at the President’s Munhumutapa offices, PTUZ secretary for teachers with disabilities, Mr Abiot Moyo, described their meeting with the President as fruitful and productive.
“We had a positive, fruitful and productive engagement with the President. The meeting was held at our request.
“The issues that we raised are transport, visual impairment, albinism and wheelchairs,among others. Other issues related to our assistance whose allowances are taking long to be paid. The President directed that the Public Service Commission look into it,” said Mr Moyo.
He said other issues related to disability grant which they implored Government to introduce given the teachers with disabilities’ challenges.State media
BCCI is playing the waiting game given that the matches are still some months away.
ZIMBABWE cricket has fallen into an abyss of darkness as the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended the nation from international cricket with immediate effect.
This not only ended a few careers of the players, but has also put a question mark before some of the future series that the team is scheduled to play in.
The ICC found Zimbabwe Cricket violated Article 2.4 (c) and (d) of its constitution, which imposes an obligation on members to provide a process for free and democratic elections.
This has led the ICC to cut off funding to ZC with immediate effect and representative teams from the African nation will not be allowed to participate in any ICC event.
Suspension of the Zimbabwe cricket team has now put its upcoming tour to India in serious trouble, given that no team representing the country can play any international cricket.
India are scheduled to play three T20Is in Guwahati on January 5, Indore on January 7 and Pune on January 10.
Zimbabwe and India last played international cricket in 2016 when the Men in Blue travelled to the African nation for ODI and T20I matches.
“Right now, we are not really thinking of any back-up plan. We will wait for the ICC quarterly meeting on October 16.
Since they have been given three months to get their house in order, it is only prudent that we wait,” a senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official privy to the developments in ICC was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
The BCCI is playing the waiting game given that the matches are still some months away. But the scene might change if ZC fails to get clearance from the ICC for the tour.
“Yes, that’s our dedicated home window. We hope they get their house in order or else we will have to have some plans in place,” he further added.State media
State Media – Chaos has gripped the Zimbabwe Gems camp in the United Kingdom after a member of the travelling delegation reportedly disappeared from team base hours before the team departs for home tonight.
“The guy has disappeared from our base and is nowhere to be found. He was actually a surprise delegate here as he is not even an executive member of the Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina). He only came by because he is a younger brother to one of the executive committee members. It turns out he just wanted to get a United Kingdom visa using netball and Zina officials knew that. Authorities here have been informed,” said a source from the UK who preferred anonymity.
Zimbabwe Gems finished eighth in their maiden Vitality Netball World Cup appearance where their performance warmed the hearts of many supporters across the global stage. – The Chronicle
THE exploits of the Zimbabwe senior netball side at the just-ended Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England, continue to get recognition with the Mayor of Harare, Herbert Gomba, set to host the team when it returns home.
The Gems are scheduled to touch down at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport at 5:10 PM today aboard an Emirates Airlines.
The Harare City Council, through Mayor Gomba, have put in place plans to welcome the team although the cocktail party, which was supposed to be held immediately after the team’s arrival tonight, has been moved to a later date.
The Gems, who went to Liverpool ranked 13th, finished the tournament at number eight and flew the country’s flag high with some good performances.
This attracted the attention of a full Harare City Council meeting where it was resolved that the team would be hosted at the Town House at a date to be advised during the course of this week.
According to a letter written by the acting Chamber Secretary, Charles Kandemiri, and addressed to the councillors, plans are in place for a lavish cocktail party for the Gems.
“Please be advised that the proposed reception for the Gems has been cancelled. Council will advise of any programmes to host national teams when as is necessary,” Kandemiri said yesterday.State media
A Harare man appeared in court yesterday on allegations of attempted murder after stabbing Takudzwa Mushaya with a knife at Corner Robert Mugabe Road and Cameroon Street in Harare over a stolen hat.
Tinashe Joseph (19) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko, facing charges of attempted murder.
He was remanded in custody to August 6 and was advised to apply for bail at the High court.
It is the State’s case that on July 22, 2019 at around 0015 at corner of the said streets, the informant, Shingai Moyongove went to the complainant Takudzwa Mushaya and told him that Joseph had stolen his hat.
Mushaya confronted Joseph and asked him for the hat.
This did not go down well with Joseph, who drew a knife from his pockets and stabbed Mushaya on the stomach. Mushaya suffered a deep cut, while Joseph ran away from the scene.
Joseph was apprehended by the police who were on patrol and was taken to Harare Central Police Station.
Mushaya was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital.State media
Farai Dziva|A Zanu PF youth leader has claimed that Emmerson Mnangagwa is the right person to lead the economic recovery process.
ZANU PF Youth League national commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu told party supporters at the weekend Mnangagwa was doing his best to better people’s lives.
“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.”
A teacher at Mandressa Islamic School, who was arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for possessing a fake passport recently, was on Monday convicted and fined $500.
Failure to pay will earn Twaibu Sabili (46) a two months jail term.
Sabili pleaded guilty to contravening Section 36(1)(a)(ii) as read with Section 36(1)(i) of the Immigration Act Chapter 4:02, which speaks to possession of or use of a permit or travel document, or any other certificate or document whatsoever, which he or she is not entitled to possess or use.
In passing sentence, Harare magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo said Sabili was a first offender and had pleaded guilty, hence did not waste the court’s time and resources.
The passport was forfeited to the State.
Asked where he got the passport, Sabili said a worker from the passport office had sold it to him.
It is the State’s case that on July 19, Sabili went to Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Harare, intending to exit the country for the United Arab Emirates.
During the process of checking in at the Immigration Department’s exit point, it was discovered by Blessing Chirumarara, an Immigration Department official that Sabili was in possession of a suspected fake Zimbabwean passport bearing his image and particulars. This led to his arrest.
Verifications were made with the Registrar-General’s Department and it was established the passport presented by Sabili was fake.
The original passport was issued to Forget Haruzivikani Wachenuka.
The fake passport was produced in court as exhibit.State media
Farai Dziva|A government spokesperson has castigated the MDC for disrupting the prevailing peace in the country.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana claimed the MDC was posing a serious threat to the peace prevailing in the country.
“The SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC region.
It is mandated to steer and provide member states with the direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region.
His Excellency, President Mnangagwa is its incoming chair (designated).
Zimbabwe is one of the most stable countries in the region with its only threat coming from the opposition which first threatens to overthrow a legitimate administration (recognised to be so by the whole world) then run to Sadc crying that there is a security situation in Zimbabwe.
Whilst those self-serving dramatics may find currency within juvenile corridors, SADC is composed of mature statesmen and stateswomen who are not swayed by overemotional histrionics,” said Mangwana.
Farai Dziva|Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya is still dreaming of winning the PSL Title.
Ndiraya, who reinforced his squad with the introduction of experienced Godknows Murwira, Archford Gutu, Evans Katema and Simba Nhivi, is confident that his side can overhaul the 11 point gap between them and log leaders FC Platinum should his team pick up the right form.
“We are Dynamos and we should not be satisfied with just adding numbers,”Ndiraya said.
“We should be fighting for titles every season, so I believe that if the players get the right fitness level, we will be able to grind better results going forward.
“We are not really far off the mark from the leading pack, and we can still catch up with them should we continue working harder.”
The Dynamos coach reiterated that he will continue to hammer his players should they continue to play below the expected standards associated with the club.
“I will not stop criticising them because this is Dynamos not any other team. There are expectations at Dynamos so if a player can’t meet it, he needs to work harder because Dynamos demands a lot.”
Farai Dziva|The International Cricket Council has barred four Zimbabwean cricketers from travelling to England to take part in a series of T20 games against Kia Super League teams at the end of July as a result of political interference.
The cricketers, Zimbabwe women’s captain Mary-Anne Musonda and squad members, Anesu Mushangwe, Tasmeen Granger, and Sharne Mayers had been selected for the Women’s Global Development Squad.
The ICC has also barred Zimbabwe Women Cricket coach, Adam Chifo, who was supposed to accompany the team to gain vital experience.
In an email written to Chifo, ICC Women’s Cricket Manager, Holly Colvin, said:
“As I’m sure you are aware, the ICC Board has taken the decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect and place a restriction on the Zimbabwe national team participating in ICC events.
Unfortunately this also extends to their participation in the Women’s Global Development Squad program, and so it is with great regret that I write to inform you that Adam as Head Coach and the four Zimbabwe players will no longer be able to take part in the UK edition of the tour next week.”
The ICC suspended Zimbabwe over alleged government interference with the sport.
The Minister of Sports, Kirsty Coventry, has denied allegations of political interference .
It often happens: a person who always looks healthy has passed away at night.
We often hear stories of people saying: ” yesterday, I was talking with him, why did he die suddenly? The reason is that when you get up at night to go to the toilet, it often happens quickly.
We stop immediately and the brain does not have blood circulation. Why are the “three and a half minutes” so important? In the middle of the night, when the desire to urinate wakes you up, the ecg pattern can change.
By suddenly rising, the brain will be anemic and will cause heart failure for lack of blood. It is advisable to practice the three minutes and a half, which are:
This can happen no matter the age. Young or old.
Your family should also follow it.
By Own Correspondent| MDC Deputy National Chairperson Job Sikhala had the wheels to his car stabbed by unknown assailants on his way home to Chitungwiza from Harare.
Sikhala, who was in the company of his friend and colleague Tafadzwa Musekiwa told ZimEye how he struggled to control his car as it dragged to the right and almost landed in the bush about 5 kilometers from take off.
This was after the tyres had been stabbed while the duo decided to eat some food at Paramount in Hatfield.
Said Sikhala:
Ladies and gentlemen I wanted this to pass as I am not a coward but later decided to share it with you.
My vehicle the Mercedes had its two brand new tyres one on the back left side and another one the right front stabbed by a knife.
The back tyre took about two kilometers to go flat. I bought another brand new straight away, only for the vehicle to pull heavily to the right after 5 kilometers. A clear knife stab is so glaring on the two tyres.
This happened (Tuesday) after we decided to have food at Paramount Signature along Seke Road in Hatfield with my friend Hon Tafadzwa Musekiwa.
Unfortunately, it was reckless of us to leave the car unattended. I wonder how this could have happened had we been more alert.
We were supposed to just have our food with our car attended. Also it was naive on our part not to question and realize that a number of motor vehicles that were parked around our vehicles were not present when we initially parked ours.
When we parked ours, it was the only one and by the time we left, our car was now surrounded by more than 10 motor vehicles.
Anyone who did it is a coward and must know that when someone is carrying God’s mission it will backfire to you. The authors of cowardice shall reap their results. This I swear. My God and my ancestors will fight my battles.
The People’s mission to witness their freedom will never ever be stopped or terminated by the wickedness of the men of flesh.
Such wicked antics will never scare some of us.
Job Wiwa Sikhala
MDC National Vice Chairman
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Said Wedza North legislator David Musabayana:
“I want to thank the Government of Zimbabwe for coming up with a Monetary Policy Statement that is pro-poor – [HON. MEMBERS: Aaah, Aaah!] – because we know there are very few people in this nation who were accessing the US$. The US$ was only accessible to those people who were doing direct exports and to those who had connections to certain sectors of the economy. The decision by the Government to de-dollarise the economy came at the correct time
we also propose that we have a currency board to restore confidence in the financial sector. The currency board will make sure that there is proper allocation of currency to the needy sectors of the economy, mining, agriculture and other capital projects. We also want to ensure that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is independent in its operations. The independence of the RBZ will also inspire confidence with our monetary sector.
If we do not have a properly constituted board that manages currency in our economy, we will also end up with issues to do with corruption where certain people are given preference or jump queues when they approach the bank. So, we want a situation where there is proper allocation of the available foreign currency to the needy sectors of the economy. To underpin why I think the Government took a correct and bold stance in going back to the Zimbabwean dollar; we have many other nations in the world which have taken the same route; Sierra Leone’s Government in 2015 expressed the desire to de-dollarise the economy and the Central Bank Governor of that country, Dr. Kaifala Marah took bold steps to de-dollarise the economy. There was a presidential appeal where they chose to de-dollarise the economy. Mexico and Pakistan also implemented a more rapid and forced de-dollarisation and it was sustainable. However, this comes at a cost because of macro-economic imbalances that happened and there was huge capital flight and less financial intermediation.
By A Correspondent- MDC MP for Kambuzuma, Willus Madzimure has lamented the dire consequences of power shortages in the country saying the frequent power cuts was resulting in deaths due to gas leakages.
Madzimure said this during parliament. He said:
The issue of electricity has gone to a situation where it is no longer bearable. Madam Speaker, we have now experienced deaths being caused by the gas leakages because every house is now depending on gas. The price of gas is continuously going up.
The industry is being switched off from 0700 hrs in the morning to 2200 hrs in the evening. Madam Speaker, this as a result diminishes any chances of economic revival.
Madam Speaker, the biggest tragedy is that there is no good reason being advanced, if it is because we cannot purchase more electricity then let it be known that we cannot. The issue of the water levels in Kariba – it is known that until our worst we have rains falling in Angola, DRC and Zambia there will not be any in-flows into the lake. So, with that in mind and it is a fact, can the Hon. Minister, I was actually going to ask for the Vice President to come and address this august House – [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] – and inform the whole nation whether the Government has completely failed to deal with the issue of electricity.
Madam Speaker, the Auditor-General’s reports are revealing shocking corruption to the extent that $120 000.00 that is required to pay off our electricity debt can easily be paid off by the Government if the Government could look after the money that flows into Government. The situation is dire and people are being mugged when going to join shifts at 2200 hrs in the evening because no industry has electricity.
So Madam Speaker, I ask for a high-powered Ministerial Statement because the Hon. Minister of Energy and Power Development has failed to give an understandable reason as to why we do not have electricity. It seems he is completely in the dark – he knows nothing about what is happening. So either he resigns or a high-powered Government representative comes here to explain to the nation.”
Said Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa:
“Good afternoon Madam Speaker. I rise on a point of privilege. I continue arming you with more information in terms of the welfare of the Members of Parliament. The first issue is, whilst some had gone to pick a $50 000 car others have been given an allowance of $55 000 and these are members of the Speaker’s Panel, Standing Rules and Orders members and Chairpersons.
The question that I bring to you Madam Speaker is, if that is the correct position, I would like to know where they got the extra $5 000 from because $50 000 is what was said was the cap. Are we today not the same, are we different today?
So Madam Speaker, it is important that you also look into it. I saw a letter myself which gave others $55 000 and the majority had $50 000. – [AN HON. MEMBER: We are all Members of Parliament.] – Madam Speaker, regardless of the number of votes that you got, as long as you won you are entitled.
The second issue is – can the Administration of Parliament furnish the nation of Zimbabwe with our remuneration because people think we are getting a salary of $5 000 or $10 000. It is important that Parliament of Zimbabwe puts in the Herald what we are being given, that is $2 000 and allowances because each time we come to this House and we push for our welfare they think we are being selfish. Ministers are still being given Land Cruisers and Mercedes Benz.
So, how can the austerity measures be targeted to Parliamentarians only and not the Executive yet we know for a very long time, it is the Executive that has been spending a lot of money.
Madam Speaker, I am also told there are people who had a choice to buy Isuzu vehicles from Paza Buster. I am told again that ugly head of corruption has visited our august House where people are now being told where to buy vehicles and are being told not to go to Paza Buster. Madam Speaker, can you also look into that and find out why Paza Buster is not part of the list because other people prefer Toyota and others prefer Isuzu. It means that even those who want to marry must be given a wife at the end of the day yet you have a choice of a wife.
I think it is important that we are treated like adults, we are not young children and we are constantly being treated like young children. That must stop. We have a choice of association. The Constitution itself talks about freedom of association, so whether I go and buy a vehicle from Croco Motors or Paza Buster, it is my choice. I thought Madam Speaker, I should raise these issues.
Finally, let me talk about the diplomatic passport. The President approved for every Member of Parliament to have a diplomatic passport. Who is working against the President in not taking the order from the President? – [AN HON. MEMBER: Seva ipapo.] – The President, the Head of State has said all Members of Parliament must be given diplomatic passports. We do not have them. So, who is stopping that from happening? There are people working against the President and soon they shall be exposed.
Madam Speaker, let me move on to our welfare. We shall stop debating any other issues in Parliament until our welfare is taken care of. We are tired of passing Bills, we are tired of passing laws yet we are nothing at the end of the day. So, Madam Speaker, I thank you very much and I know Madam Speaker, as a mother you feel for us your children. I know your heart is aching, we are your children, please advance this for us. Thank you.
THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER (TSITSI GEZI): Order Hon. Mliswa, I have noted all your concerns, I am going to look into them and will give a ruling later. I want you to give me the letter which you referred to.
HON. T. MLISWA: Madam Speaker, the Administration of Parliament is the one that sent that letter. I managed to see it in one of the companies; unless they say they did not write the letter, I will bring the letter. They have the letter that they wrote for $55 000. Madam Speaker, I just managed to bump into the letter when I went to one of these car sales companies. The $55 000 was for Chairpersons, SRC, Speakers Panel and I think Hon. Mutomba’s name was not on the list, I do not know why because he is on the Speaker’s Panel. That letter did not have Parliament letterhead. So, I do not know where it came from, if they cannot give you that letter by today, tomorrow I will produce it. I will go and ask the letter from the company that I saw it from.
Ward Seven, a Harare Residents’ Association has raised the flag over load shedding alleging that there are senior government officials whose houses are directly connected to power lines hence are not affected by load shedding.
The association said the current energy crisis needs urgent attention arguing that viable solutions to the current crisis should be immediately implemented considering that local power generation and imports continue to shrink.
Below we paraphrase the possible solutions the Association’s suggested.
By A Correspondent| 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.
Live video downloading below:
By A Correspondent=Sugar producing company, Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe, have said that they have the capacity to increase ethanol production from 40 million litres per annum to nearly 60 million litres. The company further said that it would need financial support in order to meet that goal.
This was revealed by Tongatt Hulett Zimbabwe Acting Managing Director, Mr Aiden Mhere, during his presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development in Triangle. Mhere said:
Given our expansion projects that include the Kilimanjaro project that will see more than 3 000 hectares of virgin land turned into cane fields we are looking forward to increased production of sugarcane that also translates to increased production of ethanol from our molasses, however, for us to reach our target of 60 million litres there is need for capacitation in terms of increased funds.
The committee chairperson, Mr Joel Gabbuza said that supporting the company was essential given that the country is facing fuel challenges.
Gabbuza said:
We are satisfied from what we have witnessed today at Triangle Ethanol Plant. Considering our blending ratio of unleaded petrol with ethanol, it is important that such companies just like the biggest ethanol producer, Greenfuel be supported.-StateMedia
Below is the circulating fake message:
By A Correspondent- OK Zimbabwe has reportedly closed its shop in Rusape due to power cuts. The country is having a huge electricity shortage which has seen local power utility, ZESA, rolling out a load-shedding schedule that has seen most parts of the country going without power between 0400 hours and 2200 hours daily.
ZESA attributes the shortage of power to low water levels at Kariba Dam which supplies Kariba South Hydropower plant. The crisis is also attributed to ageing equipment at Hwange Thermal Power plant.
To make matters worse, South Africa and Mozambique power utilities, in that order, ESKOM and Hydro Cahorra Bassa have reduced volumes of electricity they are supplying to Zimbabwe arguing that their neighbour needs to clear its debt first.
The closure of Rusape OK Shop was revealed on Twitter by political analyst, Rashweat Mukundu, who tweeted:
“This shop in Rusape closed owing to power cuts. Time this power crisis is declared a national crisis and all GVT efforts focused on finding a solution if anyone cares. @edmnangagwa @fortunechasi @nickmangwana @MthuliNcube”
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Aids Network has petitioned parliament over failure by government to settle a US$6 million debt in order to unlock US$400 million from the International Health Fund to buy Anti-retro viral drugs.
Said the deputy speaker of parliament Tsitsi Gezi:
“I have to advise the House that on the 25th of June 2019, Parliament of Zimbabwe received a Petition from the Zimbabwe Aids Network on the failure by Government to contribute US$6 million to the Global Fund in order to access US$400 million from the International Health Fund to buy Anti-retro viral drugs. The petition has been referred to the Joint Thematic and Portfolio Committees on HIV and AIDS and Health and Child Care respectively.”
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on Health and Child Care Dr Ruth Labode is on record pleading with Finance minister Professor Mthuli Ncube to settle the debt arguing that the health and welfare of people living with HIV was hanging in the balance if Zimbabwe failed to access the Health Fund whose deadline was fast approaching.
Said Labode:
This issue has been raised here twice and the minister (of Finance Mthuli Ncube) gave a response last time that he will respond and pay. Those were his words. He said he will pay and right now, we are about to lose almost US$400 million because we cannot pay US$6 million.
Madam Speaker, twice I have raised on a point of privilege that Zimbabwe committed itself to be part of the Global Fund. Right now, we are lobbying to get $20 billion to control HIV, Malaria and TB from that US$20 billion. Our share as Zimbabwe has been US$400 million. One of the things we committed ourselves to do is that we will meet our own counterpart in order for us to be able to get that US$400 million. We will produce our own share as a nation to show political commitment towards the fund, which was US$6 million.
Here we are now, we are desperate. I know there is a letter which has been written to the Speaker from the National Aids Council requesting something to be done as a matter of urgency. We have over two million people on HIV drugs and we do not spend not even one cent as a nation on HIV drugs, tinongomapiwa (we just get them for free). We desperately need to do something, US$6 million ngaitsvagiwe (it must be sourced).”
By A Correspondent- Villagers in Chivi Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 20 are not happy with Murowa Diamonds’ operations which they say are extending to school grounds and other unsuitable places thereby creating a big hazard in the community.
Villagers accused the company is violating their rights through its ‘grossly irresponsible’ diamond prospecting and mining work.
Many people in the area claim that when the company arrived in March 2018, villagers were told that only feasibility studies to determine whether or not mining was sustainable were being done.
“When they came, Murowa’s people never engaged the community in an honest manner and there is a lot that they are hiding. We were told they will only be taking samples for six months or so but now they have been mining for over a year. The reality is they are already mining and the community is not benefiting in any way.
As a matter of fact, their mining activities disrupted our way of life and now we have to live with many health hazards. As a community, we want a meeting with the company so that they clearly explain their operations and how they intend to involve us and deal with the risks they have created for the community,” said Tinashe Mkandi, a villager in the area.
The Zimbabwe Environment Lawyers Association (ZELA) held a meeting with villagers and advised them to desist from signing any papers they did not understand as they could be tricked into signing agreement forms with the mine.
During the meeting, villagers stated that Murowa Diamonds’ main operations were situated barely 50 metres from St Simon’s Zhara Primary School classrooms.
They said they were not happy with this because the mining activities were noisy and distracting school pupils’ learning.
“The mine is barely 50 meters away from our primary school. How will our children concentrate in all that noise from the drilling?” said one villager who refused to be identified.
Residents also lamented that the company was now mining in school grounds and was using the school’s boreholes.
Some villagers said they suspected that the school head, Lazarus Ivhurinosara could be working in cahoots with the diamond mine in return for favours known only to him.
Ivhurinosara was given a letter from the residents’ lawyers stating that parents wanted to know if he had any agreement with Murowa.
“Our clients told us that Murowa Diamonds is mining on school grounds (and is) making a lot of noise to pupils thereby making their learning difficult. Our clients instructed us to demand to know from you what type of arrangement you have with Murowa Diamonds,” read part of the letter from Matutu and Mureri Legal Practitioners.
Villagers also claim that some of their domestic animals (turkeys and cattle) died after they drank waste water from the mining operations.
Ward 20 Councillor Alec Nhundu said that the community had engaged lawyers and was now waiting to be advised on the way forward.
The community was supposed to have a meeting with mine officials on July 17 but mine officials later called the community’s lawyers asking for a postponement.
They, however, did not give any reason why they wanted a postponement and neither did they suggest a date more convenient to them.
The villagers say they are ready to demonstrate if that is what it will take to force the company to the negotiation table.-TellZim
ZIMBABWE’s courts have been commended for handling wildlife crimes effectively, with eight in every 10 prosecutions involving elephant ivory or protected species ending in convictions.
According to the first major survey of trial outcomes released by Space for Giants, the conviction rate for elephant cases is 83 percent and 76 percent for specially protected species.
An international conservation organisation Space for Giants worked with a local group Speak Out For Animals to carry out the survey as part of an EU-funded project to combat the illegal trade in the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Trans frontier Conservation Area, a swathe of southern Africa, the size of Spain that includes parts of Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe.
The survey found 345 recorded wildlife poaching cases between 2015 and 2018 in the southern part of the country. Of the accused, 77 percent were Zimbabweans, 22 percent were Zambians and one percent of them were Chinese.
“In 60 percent of the cases, there was only one accused person. Guilty pleas were entered in more than 75 percent of general wildlife cases while guilty pleas were entered in only 39 percent of elephant cases and 31 percent of cases involving specially protected species.
“Most cases involved bush meat, mainly kudu, impala and buffalo. There were also 35 elephant cases involving 195kg of ivory, 21 pangolin cases, five python cases and one involving 21kg of rhino horn cut into 49 pieces,” reads part of the survey.
It said approximately 70 percent of wildlife cases were concluded within one week of their first arraignment in court. “The conviction rate for elephant cases was 83 percent and 76 percent for specially protected species.
The accused were sent to prison in 96 percent of elephant cases, with 80 percent receiving a term equal or greater to the minimum nine-year mandatory sentence.
“For specially protected species, 81 percent of the cases resulted in a custodial sentence and over 80 percent received the mandatory minimum nine-year sentence or greater,” said the survey. Space for Giants director of Wildlife Law and Justice and the lead author of the survey, Mr Shamini Jayanathan said the organisation was committed to supporting the judicial authorities in each country to strengthen prosecutions against suspected wildlife criminals.
He said the survey assessed cases registered between 2015 and 2018 at the main magistrates’ courts that fall within the KAZA region’s jurisdiction.These include Victoria Falls, Hwange, Lupane, Binga and Kariba, Bulawayo, Plumtree and Tsholotsho.
NPA Chief Public Prosecutor, Mr Chris Mutangadura said the authority welcomes the illuminating report and thanked the European Union, Space for Giants and Speak Out for Animals for their endeavour.
“Having examined the data and the findings, we whole heartedly endorse the recommendations and trust that all the authorities involved in fighting the scourge of wildlife crime will take these findings and build upon the successes and challenges identified,” said Mr Mutangadura.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority head of wildlife crime investigations, Mr Amos Gwema, described the report as very good, saying it depicted what was happening in the country’s courts.
“It highlights the successes and the challenges we face and strengthens our commitment to fight wildlife crimes which are a threat to our natural resources.”
In its recommendations, Space for Giants called for the review and reform of the Parks and Wildlife Act, particularly in relation to the range of offences and sentencing provisions for ivory cases.
It also called on the raising awareness to the judiciary and prosecution services on aspects of the Parks and Wildlife Act relating to specially protected species, given sentencing disparities in different cases involving pythons or pangolins.
The organisation also recommended the issuing of sentencing guidelines to achieve consistency and proportionality in sentencing and increase prosecutorial training to prioritise prosecution-led investigations by the NPA, ZRP and ZPWMA, as well as build capacity to conduct cross-border investigations with neighbouring jurisdictions.Community and public engagement regarding the value of wildlife and the penalties for wildlife crime was also recommended.-StateMedia
By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwean government has projected that the desperate situation will persist for up to about three years.
This was revealed by Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister, S. B. Moyo when he appeared before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs Monday.
Moyo said:
We need appropriate fiscal policies and so far government has done well and has squeezed money supply because there was too much government expenditure and it means that things are going to be tighter to a maximum of three years, and by then we should have done all painful activities and then go to a stage when things are going to normalise.
Zimbabwe is submerged in socio-economic and political crises which analysts say are interlinked. The country has an acute shortage of power which has seen most parts of the country going without electricity for the good part of the day.
The Southern African country is also facing severe starvation due to the El-Nino induced drought and Tropical Cyclone Idai that wrecked the eastern parts of the country. The failure of the government led Command Agriculture Programme to produce expected results due to corruption and climate change worsened the already dire situation.
Other issues bedevilling the country include the soaring inflation which has eroded salaries of workers who have for the past few months been threatening to protest against their employers.
The country also does not have adequate fuel and medicines in medical institutions.-Newsday
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By Own Correspondent| An MDC MP is building a sub-police station in his rural constituency.
Livingstone Chimina, who represents Chiwundura in the National Assembly, said that he was permitted by relevant police authorities to build the structure.
He said:
The first step we made was to liaise with relevant police authorities and they gave us a go-ahead to build the police post, after which we will hand it over to them.
We then approached Vungu Rural District council and acquired the land on which the project is being developed. So far, work is in progress and must be completed in two months.
The development was welcomed by Vungu RDC Ward 16 councillor Parirenyatwa Nyika who expressed hope that once the police are stationed in the area, there will be less crime.
He said:
We are very happy with the assistance we got from the MP. As Woodlands residents, in conjunction with the ward development committee, we are also assisting in terms of providing labour.
We are currently facing a spate of criminal activities like robberies, housebreakings, violence and juvenile delinquencies because police are based far from us.
So, when the police base becomes closer to us, we hope there will be less crime here.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- Retailers have warned consumers of an imminent increase in commodity prices as a result of a recent change in fuel prices.
Fuel prices were recently reviewed up to ZWL$7.19 and ZWL$7.47 for diesel and petrol respectively.
Confederation of Retailers Association president, Denford Mutashu, said that an increase in fuel prices had a trickle-down effect on businesses.
He said:
The increase in fuel prices will push business to pass on the additional costs to the consumers by adjusting prices upwards by same margin averages, fuel used to add the cost of commodities by an average of 4% to 10% in the retail sector before the sapping load-shedding which has forced players to run solely on generators adding another huge cost.
The unrelenting inflation has already eroded salaries of workers who have since through their representative, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), announced that they will confront the government over the matter.
ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said:
The latest move will break the camel’s back. Everything is going up except the value of the workers’ earnings which in real terms are going down. The price of fuel means life has just gotten worse for the worker and if government does not have a solution to our problems it’s time we force them to come up with the solution.
Fuel prices will have an impact on businesses considering that they have embraced the use of generators as a panacea to the crippling power cuts.-Newsday
Indisposed Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, reportedly solemnised his marriage to Mary Chiwenga (nee Mubaiwa) early this month at a highly secretive function in Borrowdale, Harare.
A local publication reports that Chiwenga, who is in China for further medical tests, and former model, Marry, were married under customary law in 2011 but had not formalised the marriage under Marriage Act Chapter 5:11.
The marriage was reportedly presided over by acting provincial magistrate, Munamato Mutevedzi.
A source said:
“The couple married on July 3 in Borrowdale Brook at a highly secretive event.
Munamato Mutevedzi was the marriage officer and there were murmurs that the marriage was rushed to ensure that there are no complications in the distribution of the VP’s estate basing on his complicated health condition.
It is nothing new in our Shona culture to plan for the future that is why you see some relatives are relocated to the rural home if their health conditions worsen.
It’s not a death prediction but its cultural.”
Chiwenga has for the past months been in and outside the hospitals. Recently, President Emmerson Mnangagwa reported that his deputy was recovering in South Africa.
This report was followed by revelation which indicated that Chiwenga had been flown to China where doctors from Zimbabwe, China, India and South Africa are attending him.-ZimMorningPost
By A Correspondent- Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Midlands province Larry Mavhima is strongly set on a collision course with Minister of State Security in charge of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation Owen Mudha Ncube over a gang formally known as Al Shabaab and now known as “vakomana ve mabhemba” or simply mabhuru.
Mavhima is reportedly accusing Ncube of using the Amakorokoza militia to run the province in a mafia style that undermines the elected and appointed structures on ZANU PF and of the government.
The majority of these panga wielding gangsters and artisanal miners claim allegiance and loyalty to Owen Mudha Ncube aka Touch Bhomba.
The minister of provincial affairs has written to the President seeking his intervention to no avail the source has said.
The Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), which Ncube now takes charge of, was known in the past for abductions, extrajudicial killings and causing the disappearence of political opponents of former President Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa, who deposed Mugabe in a military coup last November before winning a disputed election in July, had promised to change.
Movement for Democratic Change Deputy Chairperson and Zengeza West legislator Job Sikhala has dared President Emmerson Mnangagwa to come out and kill him than subject him to undue persecution.
Sikhala addressed a rally on Sunday afternoon at Hopely, Harare after being released on ZW$5 000 bail in Masvingo, for treason.
Watch video downloading below:
Sikhala was arrested on the 16th of July 2019 in Harare for allegedly subverting a constitutionally elected government. He was then appeared before Bikita magistrate few days ago.
His trial will commence on July 24 at Bikita Magistrate court.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday congratulated the newly elected British Prime Minister Mr Boris Johnson who defeated rival Jeremy Hunt in the contest to replace Theresa May as Conservative party leader and as Britain’s premier.
Mr Johnson won the election by 66 percent.
Before being elected as British Prime Minister, Mr Johnson served as the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Mr Boris Johnson was declared the winner of the bruising battle against Jeremy Hunt as the two sat side-by-side in a dramatic ceremony at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in Westminster on Tuesday.
Posting on his twitter account, President Mnangagwa said: “Congratulations @BorisJohnson on your election as leader of the Conservative Party and on becoming Prime Minister of the UK. I wish you good luck for the journey ahead, and look forward to building ever closer ties between our two nations under your leadership”.
Details to follow
Local renewable energy firm, Harava Solar, has expended an investment of $25 million for the design and construction of a solar power plant in the Seke District, Zimbabwe.
The 20 megawatts (MW) plant is expected to save the country up to $4 million per year when the firm starts to supply the national grid.
The project is valued at $27.9 million and spans 20 hectares of land. It is projected to start generating power from January 2020 while the commissioning should be around December this year, Harava Solar Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Ainos Ngadya, told The Herald.
“Harava Solar is an independent power producer licensed to develop, design and construct an initial 20MW solar array at Bwoni Village in Seke,” said Ngadya, who is also CEO and founder of Invest Solar Africa giant.
According to the executive, the firm was licensed in 2018 by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) and approximately $25 million has been invested to bring the project to commissioning around December 2019. “All energy generated will be fed into the national grid, thereby saving the country at least US$4 million per year in power imports,” the CEO revealed.
The investment in the Harava Solar project comes at a time Zimbabwe is suffering from massive power shortages, which have forced the government to resort to long hours of power cuts to manage demand.
This shortage of power does not only affect individual and homes but has had negative implications on companies especially those whose output is centred on electricity. Miners, manufacturing companies, cable providers, local organizations are among those affected by the load shedding as overall industrial activity slows.
In response, the government has switched attention to solar sources of power generation. On Tuesday, the country’s Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, announced the removal of import duties on solar-energy-related products including batteries and cables. The government has also mandated that all new construction in the country include solar systems to deal with the power shortages, as repeated droughts impede hydropower generation.
The country will now “promote the importation (and) local production of solar equipment and the use of solar power as an alternative energy source,” Mutsvangwa said. The government also has a target to get at least 1,575 megawatts of power from solar by 2030. This, according to Reuters is about the same amount of electricity the country produces today from a range of sources.
Furthermore, focusing on solar energy development would help save the government huge amounts of money in power imports. Presently, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) owes South Africa’s Eskom and Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) a combined $74 million for power imports. The government recently released $10 million to the country’s national power utility to pay part of its debt obligations to both regional power utilities.
The move by the government to waive duty on solar equipment is “a positive improvement and will certainly unleash further investments in the clean energy sector,” Ngadya said while commending the Zimbabwean government.
Prof Welshman Ncube’s comments on BCC goings-on
We never learn.
Less than 2 yrs ago some among us were busy cheering and ululating the unconstitutional overthrow of the Mugabe regime and fantasizing that his storm troopers would usher in a new era of democracy and economic prosperity and here we are witnessing Byo repeat same mistake
Today a strange coalition of seemingly well meaning residents and organisations are once again cheering and urging July Moyo to do a coup against an elected Council and install an unelected Commission just because we have been offended by the actions of a tiny minority of the Councilors.
One is easily reminded of the old adage of a drowning man clinging to a serpent.
Those who are busy hallucinating that ZANU PF will appoint a professional Commission for Byo will be rudely awakened when they learn that ZANU PF never hands over any power except to its incompetent self.
What ever are the mistakes we have made as MDC or as Councillors they are all capable of correction and rectification by us within the democratic ethos without inviting a coup government to do a coup against an elected Council.
How I wish we could learn the lessons of history.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH THIS PAGE FOR MORE
Highlands Park striker Tendai Ndoro has simply advised Kaizer Chiefs forward Khama Billiat to go for financial security.
Ndoro believes that his countryman who has reportedly received a multi million Rand offer from Angola’s Petro Atletico, to take the financial opportunity.
“He (Billiat) must do what’s best for him and his family…you understand what I am trying to say? You go there in (the) Arab world, you are a millionaire within a week,” Ndoro told The Sowetan newspaper.
“Some of our moves are based on that (money and safeguarding the future).”
Ndoro in warm-up action for Highlands Park.
Ndoro went to on us remind us that he had taken a similar decision when he left Orlando Pirates to spend a season with Al-Faisaly in Saurdi Arabia in 2017.
“To be honest, for me, when I went to Saudi Arabia, it was more about securing the future of my family…to know that I was going to be tax-free made me not think twice.”
“I just thought of my family and my life after football, maybe tomorrow I won’t be playing, and what was going to happen?”
“I put my daughter first…now anything can happen to me, I am covered. I was getting a lot of money there compared to what I was getting in SA at the time,” concluded Ndoro.
It now remains to be seen if Billiat will get on the phone with Ndoro to discuss the possibility ahead of the new season.
AFFAIRS of the City of Bulawayo might soon be run by an administrative commission if a government probe rolled out last week finds councillors and officials guilty and complicit in corruption activities, it has emerged.
A team of investigators dispatched by Local Government minister July Moyo arrived in Bulawayo last week to probe corruption and mismanagement allegations in the country’s second-largest city.
Mayor Solomon Mguni yesterday confirmed that the probe had already been completed.
“The investigators did conclude their mission and have gone back to Harare. I cannot comment further. For more information, you can contact the minister,” Mguni said.
Moyo could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
Sources close to the developments revealed yesterday that government could be forced to “fire” councillors whose fingers would be caught in the cookie jar.
A list of 22 names to constitute the potential commission have reportedly been forwarded to Moyo to choose from. The list includes names such as Moffat Ndlovu, who is the city’s former town clerk and proposed commission chairman, Ntombizakhe Mlilo, a board member at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and Ingwebu Breweries, one of the council’s subsidiaries, Gilbert Mlilo (Gwanda town clerk), as well as other representatives from the church and civic society.
It would not be the first time for government to appoint a commission to run the affairs of a city in the event its elected council was suspended.
In the former President Robert Mugabe-era, then Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo appointed several commissions to run local authorities that were said to be under distress.
“Those investigators simply came to confirm what is now known; that there has been too much corruption in Bulawayo. This is corruption that dates back to the old council which people have been sitting on and trying to suppress.
“Now that it is in the public domain, we are likely to see drastic action being taken by the government on the City of Bulawayo, for the first time. This (appointing of a commission for Bulawayo) has been something that government has been eager to do, but did not have a way through which they could realise their wish,” a source said.
BCC, lauded as a doyen of urban local authority management, has been on smouldering fire since last year following an exposé in which the city fathers were accused of soliciting for bribes from potential service providers and tender bidders. At the time, it appeared the scandals were limited to housing stands only, with many hoping the matter would be solved amicably.
However, there appeared to be more than meets the eye in Bulawayo as more evidence of corruption continued to emerge at City Hall.
Allegations of impropriety on the part of councillors have also emerged, with some of them being accused of soliciting for bribes from companies bidding to run a carpark management programme in the city.
Last year, four Bulawayo councillors were fingered in an alleged carpark scam, in which it is said they were pampered with hotel accommodation and other goodies in a move by potential bidders to help influence the outcome of the tender process.
By A Correspodent| After several weeks of media pressure, the Netball President, Leticia Chipandu finally released some of the allowance money to the Zim Gems.
Zimbabwe’s Netball team were set to fly out of the United Kingdom without a penny of their allowances had journalists (British and Zimbabwean) not performed the crucial role of revealing their plight.
All this came amid denials by Leticia Chipandu who kept insisting that all was well and as late as Sunday, claimed that the British Telegraph newspaper published falsehoods when it quoted the coach saying there was only £30 for the entire team to buy training equipment.
WATCH THE BELOW VIDEO AND ALSO, THE PICTURES OF THE DONATIONS.
It’s not only me been busy this week @NetballWorldCup my mum has too! She’s helped me collect & donate unused netball kit for Team Zimbabwe @ZimbabweNetball to take home for their young aspiring netballers. ?? #ChangeTheGame pic.twitter.com/LnjUp4HVCK
— Geva Mentor CBE (@GevaMentor) July 19, 2019
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
It all began on the 1st July 2019, when ZimEye exclusively revealed that all was not well with the Netball team’s fund. ZimEye promtly engaged the Sports And Recreation Commission in Harare to rectify the matter. Then on the 5th July, Leticia Chipandu while at Manchester Airport told ZimEye there was no problem at all with the allowances. She even got to the point of claiming that she had the players’ contracts to make public and would reveal them by the weekend.
But nearly 3 weeks later, Mrs Chipandu was still to pay anything and despite a promise on Thursday night, nothing was done. There was neither a contract signed per the promise.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW (21:40 to 23:00)
It had to take media pressure to get money to be released, in the same way, it had to take a lot of media pressure to get (ankle support) shoes 2 weeks before.
There was also another matter concerning the food for the team and several women spent days cooking for the Gems, two of them in the below LIVE footage.
A Mental Health professional, Suku Moyo Mckenzie who visited the Gems, alleged that the Gems were being threatened and intimidated. It was McKenzie who then announced that she was calling for police assistance.
While it was not clear how much the national association and the players had agreed on for their allowances, 3 players told ZimEye they received a payment after ZimEye pursued Leticia Chipandu for answers (Saturday and Sunday).
While others would not reveal numbers, one player alleged they were given amounts ranging between USD600 (subs) and USD1,000 (active) per player. The rest of the allowances are to be paid in Zimbabwean Dollars.
They told ZimEye, “some have been paid USD600 and others USD1,000.”
Another player was quoted by the state owned Chronicle saying, “I think we have done well and I think, in between there, our morale has gone down because of some issues. But I think we have done so well. Even though we have those issues we have proven that we can do it all the time, whether we have issues or not. But I think we have done it.
“I think the main issue for us, to tell the truth was money and I think it’s still the issue but we have managed to come this far to be here without that money,’’ they said.
They continued saying, “it just lowers the morale for the players because sometimes we just think I am playing for nothing.
“We have been given some money but it’s not enough.
“I think, moving forward, before we take on the plane to go anywhere, we sign our contracts, we agree we are going to get this and this, those who want to get that, get on the plane, go and represent the country.
“Because, just to leave your country without anything, not knowing what you are getting, not knowing the contract, what’s in the contract, it’s not good, it’s not professional.’’
By A Correspondent| Four more councillors have been sucked into the Bulawayo City parking tender storm after it emerged that they were hosted at a Harare hotel for 8 days by City Parking.
Councillors Sikhululekile Moyo of Ward 17, Mlandu Ncube of ward 1, Frank Javangwe of Ward 13 and Sinikiwe Mutanda of Ward 10 were hosted by City Parking at Monomotapa hotel from the 9th to the 17th of May 2019 where they were allegedly discussing the modalities of the tender.
According to receipts in our possession, the four checked in on 9 May and stayed 8 days.
Said the source:
“Councilor Solomon Mguni who is also Bulawayo Mayor joined them the following day.”
Another Harare source confirmed that Mguni was flown into Harare to attend this meeting on 10 May.
Bulawayo residents are up in arms with their city fathers and blaming the Deputy Mayor Tinashe Kambarami for the City Parking debacle.
Said the source
“The ones that are behind this deal want to look clean and implicate Kambarami and several others and yet they are the ones behind the negotiations with the Harare based company.
“The stories published are a smear campaign against Kambarami. Javangwe and team are pushing a tribal card to make it look like they are not also involved. But the Mayor is also involved in all this because he was with this team from 09 July to 17 July discussing the modalities of their deal.”
Press release by Bulawayo Independent Residents Association this 18th of July August 2019
Re: Unfair Tribal claims on the dispute between the town clerk and some councillors
We refer to the above incident and regret to observe that a purely overseer management dispute between some of the Bulawayo councillors and the town clerk of this great city has turned tribal. It is very unfortunate that the main media channels and some surrogate online groupings have said little towards informing the public objectively.
It is in view of this background that we call for all the stakeholders to observe the following concerns.
It often happens: a person who always looks healthy has passed away at night.
We often hear stories of people saying: ” yesterday, I was talking with him, why did he die suddenly? The reason is that when you get up at night to go to the toilet, it often happens quickly.
We stop immediately and the brain does not have blood circulation. Why are the “three and a half minutes” so important? In the middle of the night, when the desire to urinate wakes you up, the ecg pattern can change.
By suddenly rising, the brain will be anemic and will cause heart failure for lack of blood. It is advisable to practice the three minutes and a half, which are:
This can happen no matter the age. Young or old.
Your family should also follow it.
Farai Dziva|The International Cricket Council has barred four Zimbabwean cricketers from travelling to England to take part in a series of T20 games against Kia Super League teams at the end of July as a result of political interference.
The cricketers, Zimbabwe women’s captain Mary-Anne Musonda and squad members, Anesu Mushangwe, Tasmeen Granger, and Sharne Mayers had been selected for the Women’s Global Development Squad.
The ICC has also barred Zimbabwe Women Cricket coach, Adam Chifo, who was supposed to accompany the team to gain vital experience.
In an email written to Chifo, ICC Women’s Cricket Manager, Holly Colvin, said:
“As I’m sure you are aware, the ICC Board has taken the decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect and place a restriction on the Zimbabwe national team participating in ICC events.
Unfortunately this also extends to their participation in the Women’s Global Development Squad program, and so it is with great regret that I write to inform you that Adam as Head Coach and the four Zimbabwe players will no longer be able to take part in the UK edition of the tour next week.”
The ICC suspended Zimbabwe over alleged government interference with the sport.
The Minister of Sports, Kirsty Coventry, has denied allegations of political interference .
Farai Dziva|Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya is still dreaming of winning the PSL Title.
Ndiraya, who reinforced his squad with the introduction of experienced Godknows Murwira, Archford Gutu, Evans Katema and Simba Nhivi, is confident that his side can overhaul the 11 point gap between them and log leaders FC Platinum should his team pick up the right form.
“We are Dynamos and we should not be satisfied with just adding numbers,”Ndiraya said.
“We should be fighting for titles every season, so I believe that if the players get the right fitness level, we will be able to grind better results going forward.
“We are not really far off the mark from the leading pack, and we can still catch up with them should we continue working harder.”
The Dynamos coach reiterated that he will continue to hammer his players should they continue to play below the expected standards associated with the club.
“I will not stop criticising them because this is Dynamos not any other team. There are expectations at Dynamos so if a player can’t meet it, he needs to work harder because Dynamos demands a lot.”
Farai Dziva|A tweet by one Ncube Mxolisi on the need to pray for Constantino Chiwenga has sparked debate on various social media platforms.
“Zimbabweans: Let us pray for Vice President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga…”Mxolisi Ncube tweeted.
However, Ncube has been widely criticized for calling on the nation to pray for Chiwenga.
Yesterday the government released a statement on Chiwenga’s health.
Angry Zimbabweans have lashed out at Ncube saying he should not sympathize with Chiwenga but is there anything wrong with the call to pray for the former army commander?
Farai Dziva|A government spokesperson has castigated the MDC for disrupting the prevailing peace in the country.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana claimed the MDC was posing a serious threat to the peace prevailing in the country.
“The SADC Organ on Politics Defence and Security is responsible for promoting peace and security in the SADC region.
It is mandated to steer and provide member states with the direction regarding matters that threaten peace, security and stability in the region.
His Excellency, President Mnangagwa is its incoming chair (designated).
Zimbabwe is one of the most stable countries in the region with its only threat coming from the opposition which first threatens to overthrow a legitimate administration (recognised to be so by the whole world) then run to Sadc crying that there is a security situation in Zimbabwe.
Whilst those self-serving dramatics may find currency within juvenile corridors, SADC is composed of mature statesmen and stateswomen who are not swayed by overemotional histrionics,” said Mangwana.
Congratulations @BorisJohnson on your election as leader of the Conservative Party and on becoming Prime Minister of the UK. I wish you good luck for the journey ahead, and look forward to building ever closer ties between our two nations under your leadership
— President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) July 23, 2019
Farai Dziva|Warriors forward Tendai Ndoro has advised Khama Billiat to prioritise money and move to North Africa.
The Kaizer Chiefs star has become a target of many clubs especially those in the Arab region after putting a great performance at the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.
In an interview with The Sowetan, a South African newspaper, the Highlands Park forward said: “He (Billiat) must do what’s best for him and his family …you understand what I am trying to say. You go there in [the] Arab world, you are a millionaire within a week.”
Ndoro left Orlando Pirates for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Faisaly in 2017, and the striker admits that the move was motivated by money.
“Some of our moves are based on that (money and safeguarding the future).
“To be honest, for me when I went to Saudi Arabia, it was more about securing the future of my family… to know that I was going to be tax-free made me not think twice,” Ndoro explained.
“I just thought of my family and my life after football, maybe tomorrow I won’t be playing and what was going to happen?
“I put my daughter first … now anything can happen to me, I am covered. I was getting a lot of money there compared to what I was getting in SA at the time.”
Angolan side Petro de Luanda have also expressed interest in Billiat and reportedly offered big money to the 28-year-old in an attempt to lure him to the club.
Farai Dziva|Warriors midfielder Thabani Kamusoko has joined Zambian side Zesco United on a 3-year-deal.
Kamusoko moves to Zambia after leaving Young Africans in the Tanzanian league.
The midfielder who was part of the Warriors squad at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt recently becomes the latest Zimbabwean player to trek north and join the Zambian league which is luring several nationals from across the continent.
Ali Sadiki last week joined Kabwe Warriors from FC Platinum together with former Shabanie Mine striker Farai Mususunye.
Kabwe Warriors are also home to former FC Platinum and Shabanie striker Nelson Maziwisa.
Ex Warriors defender Elisha Muroiwa is at Mufulira Wanderers together with Davies Kamanga who was with Mushowani Stars.
Former Caps United midfielder Tafadzwa Rusike is at Zanaco while Tatenda Mukuruva, the former Warriors goalkeeper is at BuildCon.
Farai Dziva|Marvellous Nakamba is still missing in action.
The 25-year-old’s ‘self imposed exiled’ is on account of his desire to join English Premier League returnees Aston Villa and is reportedly frustrated by Brugge’s reluctance to accept Villa’s £11 million offer.
Het Nieuwsblad, a Belgian outlet, confirmed that Nakamba still hasn’t reported for training.
“The midfielder has been illegally absent for a week now, hoping to force a transfer like this.
“Aston Villa is interested and, according to the entourage of the player an agreement would soon be found between the English and Club Brugge, which wants twelve million euros for the Zimbabwean.
“Villa is by the way the most concrete for him, but there are also other teams in the running. “The chance that Nakamba will ever play in the blue-black shirt is virtually non-existent.” reports the publication.
Farai Dziva|MDC Masvingo Provincial Youth Chairperson Kudakakwashe Bhadharai has urged party members to ignore calls for a purported Congress.
See Bhadharai’s statement below:
Revolutionary Salutations fellow Masvingo Cdes. There comes a time when silence is betrayal.
The Masvingo Provincial Youth Leadership wants to put it on record that MDC as a people’s party and indeed party of excellence ,.is run procedurally and within the confines of the constitution, party constitution.
The Provincial Youth Assembly leadership is disturbed and worried by the various messages circulating on whatsapp, calling for the so called Congress in the province.
We want to reiterate here and now that Masvingo Congress came and is gone , and as a province ,our pre occupation now is the pending bye elections in Masvingo,.which we cant afford to lose. Its also important to note that MDC as a party of excellence , has different organs serving different purposes , and such organs are the ones mandated and tasked to make different resolutions ,which then are communicated through official channels and protocol ,and this has preserved the party and allow it to continue operating professionally .
Meanwhile ,as Masvingo Provincial Youth Assembly , we are ceased with preparations and crafting of strategies for bye elections campaigns in Zaka East and Masvingo North. Our focus is more on mobilising the young voter to vote in their numbers, but most importantly, liberate the predominantly rural Masvingo from the shackles of Zanu PF.
Together Stronger.
Kudakwashe Bhadharai
Chairperson
Masvingo Youth Assembly
Gout is characterized by sudden, severe attacks of pain, redness and tenderness in joints, often the joint at the base of the big toe.
Gout a complex form of arthritis can affect anyone. Men are more likely to get gout, but women become increasingly susceptible to gout after menopause.
The affected joint is hot, swollen and so tender that even the weight of the sheet on it may seem intolerable.
Fortunately, gout is treatable, and there are ways to reduce its reoccurrence.
SYMPTOMS
The signs and symptoms of gout almost always occur suddenly. They include:
•Intense joint pain. Gout usually affects the large joint of your big toe, but it can occur in your feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists.
•The pain is likely to be most severe within the first four to 12 hours after it begins.
•Lingering discomfort. After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks. •Inflammation and redness. The affected joint or joints become swollen, tender, warm and red.
•Limited range of motion. Decreased joint mobility may occur as gout progresses.
CAUSES
•Gout occurs when urate crystals accumulate in your joint, causing the inflammation and intense pain of a gout attack. Urate crystals can form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood.
Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines — substances that are found naturally in your body, as well as in certain foods, such as steak, organ meats and seafood. Other foods also promote higher levels of uric acid, such as alcoholic beverages, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose)
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Farai Dziva|The country’s main opposition party, MDC, has launched a live chat programme to enhance interactivity with its members.
See the MDC statement below:
Sixty Minutes Live With the MDC
The MDC has launched a weekly live-chat programme here every Wednesday between 1800hrs-1900hrs. The weekly programme is dubbed “Sixty minutes live with the MDC.” This week, the party’s elections supremo, Cllr Jacob Mafume, speaks on the by-elections currently being held and how, among other issues, Zanu PF continues to manipulate the same.
The weekly live chat programme is meant to enhance interactive communication between the party and the citizenry. The inaugural session began last week when the party spokesperson Hon. Fortune Daniel Molokele was unpacking the MDC’s RELOAD document, the party’s roadmap to Economic Recovery, Legitimacy, Openness and Democracy.
Watch this weekly programme, enjoy and join the conversation.
Farai Dziva|A Zanu PF youth leader has claimed that Emmerson Mnangagwa is the right person to lead the economic recovery process.
ZANU PF Youth League national commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu told party supporters at the weekend Mnangagwa was doing his best to better people’s lives.
“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.”
Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund Manager Leonard Rwambiwa is at the centre of s.e.x assault storm after he allegedly fondled a female co-worker without her consent.
According to the local tabloid, the H-Metro, it is alleged that on the 9th of July this year, Rwambiwa pounced on the complainant and grabbed her from behind, fondling her buttocks without her consent.
Rwambiwa was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Yeukai Chigodora who remanded him to July 24.
The state represented by Moses Mapanga claimed that the incident occurred in Rwambiwa’s office after the complainant had served him with tea as part of her duties.
The matter only came to light after the complainant told her friends and workmates, Nomatter Tsomondo and Candies, who confronted the accused about the issue. Rwambiwa denied the allegations.
A BABY girl “born with three heads” has baffled doctors in India, according to reports.
Family members are said to be “in shock” following the unusual birth last Thursday.
The mum was admitted to a health centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district after suffering extreme pain in the build up to her labour.
But relatives and doctors were stunned when she delivered a baby with three “heads”.
The baby girl has two large protrusions formed from the back of her skull – rare birth defects that are known as encephaloceles.
Medics said the mum had not experienced any complications during her pregnancy.
She was later referred to the District Hospital in Etah as the health centre lacked advanced medical facilities.
Doctors said that they would conduct a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to determine the medical condition that caused the abnormality.
“This is a very rare medical condition,” explained Rajesh Thakur, Chief Medical Superintendent, District Hospital, Etah.
“The child’s body has not fully developed. We will perform an MRI scan and then perform a surgery to separate the ‘heads’”.
Although rare, there have been other reports of babies being born with more than one head, especially in African nations.
This type of birth defect is referred to as an encephalocele.
According to the NHS, an encephalocele is a rare congenital type of neural tube defect where part of the skull has not formed properly.
So a portion of brain tissue and associated structures are outside the skull.
According to reports, babies diagnosed with an encephalocele have a 55 per cent survival rate.
The long-term prognosis for survival becomes less likely if there are other complications, such as associated defects or syndromes or if brain tissue protrudes into the sac.
Approximately 75 per cent of these infants who do survive have varying degrees of mental deficit.
On March 4, an expert team of neurosurgeons at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) successfully operated on an infant with two heads.
According to reports, the father of the newborn had tried to bury him alive, fearing he would not be able to afford his treatment.-wires
By A Correspondent- Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi said that the electricity crisis the country is facing is no longer a challenge but has now become a huge problem.
In a speech read on his behalf by deputy minister Magna Mudyiwa at the Mine Entra conference in Bulawayo last week, Chasi called upon all citizens and corporates to actively participate in dealing with the problem of power shortages.
He said:
We are in a dire situation as a country and as I keep saying, it has graduated from being a challenge to being a huge problem.
The way forward is for all of us to share the pain and play an active role in alleviating this problem we all face collectively.
Gone are the days where the government used to provide all solutions; we now call for citizens and corporates to take active participation in all issues to do with the economy.
Chasi said that it is not necessary to point fingers at each other as everyone is responsible for the current crisis.
He added:
We have all been irresponsible in our role as electricity consumers and as such, we have lost the moral high ground to criticise Zesa or my ministry for the load-shedding we are currently experiencing.-Newsday
By A Correspondent- MDC Mashonaland East provincial women assembly chairperson Brightness Mangora at the weekend brought smiles to three widows of the 2008 political violence victims through donation of various foodstuffs.
A number of MDC activists were reportedly abducted and killed by suspected State security agents and Zanu PF militia in Marondera at the height of 2008 political violence that saw a number of women becoming widows with some of the activists yet to be found.
Mangora, who is also a legislator (proportional representation), honoured three of the late MDC activists’ widows, as more victims are set to be assisted in kind every month.
“As a woman, I understand the plight of these women (widows). And if we look at the current economic situation, it means they are suffering because their husband died due to political violence. They lost breadwinners and I was there when it happened, I understand what they went through. I forked out the little from my allowances to buy groceries for them and their children. I want this programme to be a monthly thing so that more political violence victims will be assisted,” she said.
Those who were assisted include the widow of the late chairperson Kainos Betera who was reportedly abducted in 2008 by unknown people and is still missing.
Another beneficiary was the wife of the late Stephen Nakomo, who was the first MDC driver in the province before he died after he was beaten by suspected Zanu PF thugs. The last to be honoured was the wife of one Ruchaka who was an MDC ward chairperson in Marondera before his abduction and torture that led to his death.
“We are still looking for more resources so that we assist these widows and other victims. If those who are working fails to buy a bar of soap what more to these widows?” Mangora said.
The MDC claims that more than 400 of its party supporters were killed during the 2008 political violence by suspected State apparatus and Zanu PF militia during the then former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.-Newsday
The team of the moment, #ZimGems arrive in Harare at 5.30pm on Wed 24 July 2019. Over to you guys back home, we did our part this end. Its your turn to welcome them the best way they deserve. @bustoptv @kubatana @263Chat @NewsDayZimbabwe @iMisred @HeraldZimbabwe @TeeKayZim pic.twitter.com/ZM6QsMIEHQ
— Hillary Musarurwa (@HillaryMusarurw) July 23, 2019
By A Correspondent- State power utility, ZESA paid some US$396,000 to companies that supplied it with fuel, cars and insurance in 2015 without going to tender as required by law, an audit by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) has revealed.
The report fingers former top managers and directors who include those suspended late last year and details irregularities in ZESA Enterprise (ZENT) procurements.
ZESA flouted regulations by evading the State Procurement Board (SPB) in a series of payments worth US$396,794, 84 it made to Cell Insurance, Total Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd and car supplier Quest Motor Corporation in 2015.
“Cell Insurance was awarded a contract to provide insurance services to ZENT without going to tender. As the ZESA Group owns a combined 44.28% shareholding in Cell Insurance, the company is an Associate of the ZESA Group.
“Cell Insurance was supposed to have been appointed via an informal tender process. Tender documents and quotes from other insurers were not on file,” further reads the report.
“As a result of the appointment of Cell Insurance without following the correct informal tender process, ZENT incurred costs amounting to US$243,141.42 for insurance services.
“Mr. (Tererai) Mutasa and Mr. (Norman) Chengeta breached Section 5(3) of the SI 171 of 2002 by selecting Cell Insurance without following informal tender procedures.”
Also implicated in the report is former ZENT Finance Director Farai Tichawangana in the deals.
Mutasa and Chengeta are part of the 16 top ZENT bosses who were suspended late last year at the height of investigations by PWC.
Cell Insurance received seven payments ranging between US$23,941.51 and US$52,816.44 without going to tender.
After invoicing US$123,400, ZENT paid US$103,500 to Quest Motors for the supply of four JMC vehicles without going through the SPB.
To conceal the act, ZENT approached the SPB for approval a month after paying a US$50,000 deposit on 21 August 2015.
Total Zimbabwe received just over US$50,000 to supply fuel to ZENT only because they could offer a smart card facility.
ZESA is battling to deal with a power crisis that has threatened to leave the whole country in a blackout.
Energy Minister Fortune Chasi has blamed consumers’ failure to pay bills as the major reason the parastatal is failing in its mandate to supply electricity.
By Blessing Ivan Vava| The leaked audio featuring a conversation between Mnangagwa’s wife Auxillia and an army commander named as one Murombo has exposed the power struggles in the “New Dispensation” administration.
In the audio, Auxillia Mnangagwa claims that the army is trying to ‘get Mnangagwa ‘ through’ her, clearly asserting that all is not well in the cockpit and that the army is out to remove Mnangagwa.
These revelations thus vindicate my postulations in my previous blog article, where I warned that Zimbabwe was on the brink of another military takeover based on Mnangagwa’s dismal failure to handle and manage the transition, and failing to cure the coup. I posited that the ghost of November 2017 continues to hunt us, and this is a call to the progressive forces to layout and undertake a political programme of action to remove ZANU PF from power.
It is now crystal clear that the system that replaced Mugabe is not new at all, despite trying to decorate it with funky terms like the “2nd Republic, New Dispensation etc.” It is as old as it was during Mugabe, with the only new thing being the voodoo scarf which he awfully dons even in the hot Savanna temperatures and has also become Mnangagwa’s symbol of failure.
As a leader who took over from Mugabe, Mnangagwa has so far done badly, because after securing political power, he failed to utilize it to transform society, and most importantly the economy. To think that this is a man who for decades wanted to be president is utterly shocking as it has emerged that he only wanted to wear a scarf, have those endless foreign trips and debauchery.
The Mnangagwa administration sold a dummy to the people of Zimbabwe, it failed on its promises to transform and reform the systems of governance, improve the economy for the upliftment of the livelihoods of Zimbabweans. To his credit, what Mnangagwa only did was to remove an unpopular, hated and feared dictator and that change of power were greeted with much hope and satisfaction.
However, let me hasten to say that the coup was not in any way revolutionary in character and form, though the masses supported it, the revolutionary element was probably only limited to the rhetoric of the military conspirators, that it was indeed a ‘’peoples revolution.’’
Consequently, it is correct to argue that the coup was undue influence in the politics of Zimbabwe, in that it abrogated the country’s supreme law, the constitution and thus compromised the spirit of constitutionalism in Zimbabwe. It was an illegal act that should have never happened and set a wrong precedent for our country.
Dumisani Muleya, in his article, Coup: Of usurpers and judges in the Zimbabwe Independent of the 20th of July 2018 posited that whenever there is a military coup anywhere in the world, the executive, legislature and judiciary — are usually shaken to their foundations or collapse.
This is largely true, particularly when we take a closer look at the judiciary. On top of it all, since assuming power, the actions of the coup government have equally shown a complete disregard of the constitution based on the many illegalities that we can count since the time of them assuming power.
On the judiciary, a case in point being the shocking High court ruling of 24 November 2017 which ruled that the military takeover leading to ex-President Robert Mugabe’s resignation was legal, and therefore not a coup d’état.
At the same time, another court ruled that Mugabe’s sacking of his former deputy, current President Emmerson Mnangagwa was illegal and this points to fears over judicial independence. Above all, Zimbabwe is now being governed by decrees, with the amending of some principal legislation being done by Ministers thereby usurping the role of parliament as what happened on S1 142 of 2019 a clear violation of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act.
However, it can also be argued that the coup was necessary for exposing where the real power lies. Zimbabweans are now dealing with the real power behind Mugabe’s façade, the real enemy and elephant in the room (the military) is now right before us in full glare. There is no longer hiding, Mugabe was just its figurehead. This then calls for revised strategies especially for the progressive social and political forces on how to confront this beast which is now in full glare.
The regime’s propensity for the use of force in response to peaceful protests shows that they are in panic So, their only option is fear and violence. However, they have now been exposed that in the long run if they are continually exposed the resort to brute force will expire.
To date, the coup regime has surpassed Mugabe in his 37 years in power with a high number of activists being charged with treason. The threats on the deployment of the military to quell civil unrest by the minister of defence Oppah Muchinguri shows that brute force is the only language they understand. It is in this light that I argue that brutal power will have to be brought to the table of reform, force is overwhelming but it eventually wields to the people.
In light of the prevailing situation, Zimbabwe’s progressive social and political forces need to quickly re-engage, re-mobilise, re-organise and re-group to build an alternative country through sustained political action. Relying on the crippling economy or some Sarajevo moment will simply not work.
The citizens require decisive leadership, there is no Sarajevo moment waiting to happen unless there is sustained radical political action on the ground. ZANU PF will not budge unless pressure has been mounted, otherwise, a rush into another GNU will only be suicidal and will mark the end of opposition politics in Zimbabwe.
Subsequently, the progressive forces must work on a massive mobilisation programme of action, that will result in the seizure of political power from ZANU PF.
Capturing the state is as it were the premise upon which Zimbabwe can be protected from corruption, covetousness, mediocrity, directionless and add up to disregard of the economic interests of the people by the current government. Anybody who accepts and considers that ZANU PF will lead society into economic emancipation is living in Cloud cuckoo land. Blessing Vuvuzela Vava is a blogger who is based in Chipinge. He can be contacted on [email protected]
FOREIGN Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo yesterday told Parliament that Zimbabwe is working on normalising relations with the United States and British governments to end decades of isolation.
Moyo appeared before the Kindness Paradza-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs to speak on Zimbabwe’s foreign policy, re-engagement efforts to remove the country from isolation, the Diaspora policy and foreign missions.
Moyo said Zimbabwe has been a pariah State for two decades, with a high country risk for business and impeded availability of lines of credit, but under the new dispensation, government was making efforts in changing the foreign policy towards re-engagement through focusing on foreign direct investment, securing markets, increase tourism into the country, increasing Diaspora remittances that are around $1 billion and ensuring diasporans also invest in the country.
“We realised that our biggest problem to end isolation of Zimbabwe has been the Western countries and we started refocusing our re-engagement process to the Western world; firstly, to normalise relations with the United Kingdom and then develop into Europe and the Americas.”
He said efforts were being made to ensure President Emmerson Mnangagwa meets with United States President Donald Trump to discuss re-engagement efforts, as well as British Prime Minister Theresa May’s successor.
Moyo said it was also imperative to sort out ease of doing business in the country to attract foreign direct investments, adding this would be achieved through crafting of the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency Bill.
The Foreign Affairs minister said government would rationalise foreign missions and close those that are not bringing value, but would open new embassies in Rwanda, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
He said ambassadors’ performance would determine their salary scales, and if an ambassador does not bring any investment, tourists and value to the country, their salary and status would be degraded or they may face recall.
Moyo said his ministry had purchased a new fleet of vehicles for ambassadors who had to hitch-hike, and was planning to purchase some buildings for embassies instead of renting, which was very expensive.
“For example, if you have been renting a chancellery from 1980 to date, you could have bought five chancelleries,” he said.
Moyo said Zimbabwe continued to strengthen bilateral ties and engage Western countries to unlock investments, as well as in Asian and Brics countries, with Mnangagwa having visited countries such as Russia, China twice, the Middle East, Kazakhstan, Belarus and others in Africa.
On the incident in which water was poured on him in London by Zimbabweans in the diaspora, he said “never mind the water pouring as long as we are engaging”.
Asked by Paradza to explain if failure to align problematic laws with the Constitution was not going to hinder the re-engagement process, taking into cognisance complaints that the new Maintenance of Order and Peace (Mopa) Bill and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy replacement Bills were even worse than the original Bills, Moyo refuted the perceptions.
“In fact, Cabinet’s busiest schedule is pre-occupied with legislative reforms. On Mopa, what they are saying is that there is need for clarity on who deploys the military and under whose command. We said what has happened with Mopa is that it has taken the exact words in the country’s Constitution and if soldiers are deployed to support the police, they will always be under the command of the police,” he said.
“The other issues are rules of engagement, but you do not put rules of engagement in the Act. They are going to be subsidiary to the Act, which means issues like at what point are you going to fire live ammunition. You go to the demonstration as a non-military person, but carrying a weapon, but what controls you is the issue of engagement. So, issues in Mopa are actually in conformity with the Constitution.
“We cannot put tactical issues in an Act and you cannot say in an Act that you will use rubber bullets.”
On re-engagement with the Commonwealth, Moyo said the team from the bloc was in the country two weeks ago, but they are yet to release a report on the second phase of their assessments.
Moyo also defended Mnangagwa’s globe-trotting, saying that when a President is elected, the first thing is to meet his counterparts in the region.
“Every new head of State does exactly the same and they travel to Sadc countries because it is the first line of defence and it is not that the President travels because he enjoys travelling, but he is there to maintain close relationships,” he said.-Newsday
Eskom’s Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg was on lock-down on Monday after Soweto residents barricaded all entrances leading to the offices…
Disgruntled residents embarked on the protest action after the power utility cut electricity to some parts of the township over non-payment of bills.
Staff members who were already inside the premises were unable to leave while those who were outside were unable to gain access.
Eskom had warned residents to pay up or the utility would not repair faulty and damaged substations and transformers.
News24 previously reported that the township alone owes Eskom over R17bn in unpaid electricity bills.
Last week Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba, promised to engage with Eskom officials over the power utility’s threats
He said he had received complaints from residents demanding his intervention.
Eskom spokesperson Dikatso Mothae said residents seemed not to be pleased with the utility’s stance of requesting access to audit meters in order to fix the outages experienced in some parts of the area.
“The reason why we are saying this is because we have seen that to just reconnect infrastructure in those areas, without dealing with the root cause of illegal connections, we found we just reconnect then the infrastructure three days later fails or explodes and we have to replace [it] which is quite expensive,” Mothae said.
She said the groups who blocked entrances were from Protea South and Dlamini. No damage to property was reported and employees were safe, Mothae added.
The residents handed over a memorandum and have since dispersed.
Mothae said the memorandum has been received and the power utility would revert to the residents in due course.
“With these issues, we continue to engage with communities as best as we can but what is paramount is that they allow us in to do those meter audits,” she said.
By A Correspondent- 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 reported.
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.
In February, 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.”
Beyond the current energy agonies born out failure to plan & a deficit of leadership, we must dare to dream SMART& BIG. We shall get there and soon.We must act to be that change & make prosperity possible.This tram is in Melbourne, Australia.#makechangehappen #changethatdelivers pic.twitter.com/XwSgyJcdRh
— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) July 23, 2019
