Former Pax Afro lead vocalist Yulith Ndlovu has described claims that she was sexually abused by former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo as “utter rubbish”.

An online publication caused a stir on social media when it published a story claiming that Ndlovu was now a drug addict as she failed to come to terms with the alleged abuse by Moyo, who was the brains behind Pax Africa.

The talented vocalist, who rose to prominence after the group released songs such as Let it Play and Tango Pal, told Standard Style in an exclusive interview

that Moyo was her uncle and there was no way he could have abused her.

Ndlovu married Ronald Mathe seven years ago and the couple is expecting their third child.

“Jonathan Moyo’s sister is my mother’s stepsister so that makes him my uncle,” she said.

“We discovered that we were related during the Pax Afro days. We didn’t know that we were related.

“The allegations that Moyo sexually abused me are utter rubbish. It did not happen.”

Ndlovu said Moyo, who was Information minister at the time, did not spend a lot of time with Pax Afro band members.

“I can’t say that Moyo could have raped other girls we worked with because he was hardly ever there when we were at work,” she said.

“It was mainly the band and the producer. He (Moyo) would come once in a while to oversee the works and make changes if need be.

“He didn’t even interact much with anyone at work.

“It was more like an eight to five job in the studio and Prof would normally come once or twice a week.

There was no time that one could say they had a conversation with him. He kept it as professional as possible.

“There was no time to joke and we didn’t joke about anything. It was strictly work.”

Ndlovu was flanked by her husband and their two daughters during the interview. She now sings at a church in Bulawayo where she is an active member.

The songstress said she had received a lot of messages from people that read the story or who had come across social media posts about the alleged abuse. However, Ndlovu said the rumours had not affected her family as they knew it was false.

“To be honest, I can’t really say that we as a family we are affected by these rumours, but my main concern is the people that are around me,” she said. “The

people I minister with in church are the ones that are unsettled by the stories because when it all came out I started getting messages and phone calls from

people who were shocked about the claims.

“I found out that it affected more people around me, but my family was not affected because they knew it was a lie. As you can see, we are a normal family.”

She also laughed off allegations that she was now a drug addict.

“I don’t know where this is coming from,” Ndlovu added. “As you can see, I am pregnant and I am happily married.

“We are a normal family with our kids. “In my condition I can’t even take alcohol left alone drugs.”

Ndlovu said she had not spoken to Moyo in a very long time. After Pax Afro disbanded, she relocated to South Africa before returning home to work with a number of music groups.

“I stayed in Cape Town for a while and did a couple of functions there before I decided to come back home and worked with Jazz Invitation for five years,” she

said. “I did a lot of functions with them and then worked with Kwekwe Band. I don’t know where they are right now.”

For now, Ndlovu is not thinking about producing music as she wants to concentrate on her family.

“At the moment I want to deal with my pregnancy and to take care of my family,” she said.

“I am still in music, but it’s different and not the way people wanted it to go. A lot of people keep asking me why I have been quiet for so long.

“But now Jesus Christ is at the centre of my life and my family. “It’s not easy for me to just get up and say I want to do this.

“What I am doing now has to add value and we are ministering in church. That’s my main preoccupation now.”

Ndlovu said she had been working on some songs over the years but she was not sure when they would be released.

Moyo, who is in exile, accused the Central Intelligence Organisation of fuelling the rumours through the online publication, Harare Post.

Zimbabwe’s public sector workers said on Thursday they had accepted a government pay offer, averting a potentially damaging strike in a country facing its worst economic crisis in a decade.

The workers had on Tuesday threatened to stay away from work unless the state raised wages to the equivalent of US$475 per month for the lowest paid — a move they said would only keep up with crippling inflation.

After negotiations which stretched into Thursday, the Civil Service Apex Council — a confederation of public sector unions — said the government had tabled an improved offer which it found acceptable.

“Through further negotiations and dialogue, we have achieved to make the government pay each and every civil servant the sum of 400 Zimbabwe dollars (US$45) as a once-off payment together with the salary of July, regardless of one’s grade,” the union said in a statement.

The union said it would continue talks with the government on another wage increase, which would take effect in August. — Reuters

Econet Wireless Group founder and chairman, Strive Masiyiwa has shared how he once tried to solve Zimbabwe’s power problem with a US $250 million project that would add 500MW of power to Zimbabwe’s national grid.

According to him, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe wanted to do it in order to ensure adequate power for its telecoms base stations.

Why I hate corruption!

In about 2007, as Zimbabwe lurched into hyperinflation, and foreign currency disappeared, our local management were faced with a big, big problem:

Electrical power!

The cell phone network is one of the biggest single consumer of electricity in the country. Over 10MW distributed nationally.

Base stations were collapsing, and service was degrading on a daily basis.

The management travelled to SA to meet the board and discuss an emergency solution:

We brought in experts including many former engineers of the national power company [ZESA] to try and understand what could be done.

There is no problem without a solution, if you bring in the right people!

Finally we came up with a plan, and we asked the CEO of Econet Zimbabwe to present it to the management of ZESA:

The plan would have unlocked over $250m in loans guaranteed by us, and over 500MW of power. It would have seen the country able to build new facilities.

The response from the ZESA management [at the time] was scandalous!

Totally scandalous!

They told us:“since you are not popular with government, they will not listen to you. Let’s form a private company with some of our own executives, and you can lend money to that company secretly!”

One even proposed his brother as a director of such a company!

I was stunned when I heard.

Next we approached the power regulator, and asked for an independent license to produce power. They told us that they had already given licenses to people who had not built, so they could not issue another license, even though they appreciated, we could build!

And guess what?!

The politically connected guys who had licenses were then tipped off, and they came rushing to see us, with the most ludicrous corrupt proposals:

“You provide 100% funding, and give me 51% for free” one demanded.

One guy even flew to SA in a bid to see me personally!

I refused to even see him!

Our board withdrew the efforts, and we just gritted our teeth to weather the storm.

We were forced to shut down large sections of our network.

-TechZim

By Own Correspondent- A Harare City Council senior staffer, Mr Joel Zizhou, has been hauled before a Harare court for allegedly demanding a US$450 bribe for the issuance of a shop licence.

The 53-year-old Mr Zizhou is employed as a senior environmental officer.

He recently appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Nyasha Lee Vitorini and was remanded in custody to July 23.

It is the State’s case that on July 3 this year, Mr Joseph Sokhani, who sells cellphones and related accessories, applied for a shop licence at HCC’s Rowan Martin offices.

He duly paid an inspection fee of $60.

He was subsequently advised to wait for an inspection officer to visit his premises before his application could be approved.

The court heard that the following day, Mr Sokhani’s shop was inspected and the environmental officer, Mr Zizhou, refused to approve the application ostensibly because the premises did not meet the minimum health requirements.

The State, led by prosecutor Mr David Vurayai, alleges that Mr Sokhani told Mr Zizhou that he had the capacity to facilitate the issuance of his licence if he paid US$450.

“The complainant reported the case to the CID anti-corruption unit and a trap was authorised, leading to the arrest of the accused person at Rowan Martin car park after he was handed US$50 trap money,” said Mr Vurayai.-StateMedia

The City Of Harare has revealed shocking pictures of the kind of raw water that they are forced to pump to the residents of the city.

The local authority published the message and pictures below in their official Facebook page at the weekend.

Dear Harare Residents
This is the present state of raw water in Lake Chivero. Council recently said the water situation in Harare should be declared an emergency issue so that we can marshal resources for the construction of new water sources such as the long awaited Kunzvi, Musami and Mazowe Dams. Heavy pollution and farming activities are contributing to the curent state. Artisinal gold mining on Kintyre Estate is also aiding in pollution. Council now requires upto 11 chemicals to treat the water to satisfactory levels. The bill in RTGs is now in the region of $20 million per month depending on the obtaining interbank rate.

ZIM 47 – 59 UGANDA

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Video loading below….

Former Pax Afro lead vocalist Yulith Ndlovu has described claims that she was sexually abused by former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo as “utter rubbish”.

An online publication caused a stir on social media when it published a story claiming that Ndlovu was now a drug addict as she failed to come to terms with the alleged abuse by Moyo, who was the brains behind Pax Africa.

The talented vocalist, who rose to prominence after the group released songs such as Let it Play and Tango Pal, told Standard Style in an exclusive interview

that Moyo was her uncle and there was no way he could have abused her.

Ndlovu married Ronald Mathe seven years ago and the couple is expecting their third child.

“Jonathan Moyo’s sister is my mother’s stepsister so that makes him my uncle,” she said.

“We discovered that we were related during the Pax Afro days. We didn’t know that we were related.

“The allegations that Moyo sexually abused me are utter rubbish. It did not happen.”

Ndlovu said Moyo, who was Information minister at the time, did not spend a lot of time with Pax Afro band members.

“I can’t say that Moyo could have raped other girls we worked with because he was hardly ever there when we were at work,” she said.

“It was mainly the band and the producer. He (Moyo) would come once in a while to oversee the works and make changes if need be.

“He didn’t even interact much with anyone at work.

“It was more like an eight to five job in the studio and Prof would normally come once or twice a week.

There was no time that one could say they had a conversation with him. He kept it as professional as possible.

“There was no time to joke and we didn’t joke about anything. It was strictly work.”

Ndlovu was flanked by her husband and their two daughters during the interview. She now sings at a church in Bulawayo where she is an active member.

The songstress said she had received a lot of messages from people that read the story or who had come across social media posts about the alleged abuse. However, Ndlovu said the rumours had not affected her family as they knew it was false.

“To be honest, I can’t really say that we as a family we are affected by these rumours, but my main concern is the people that are around me,” she said. “The

people I minister with in church are the ones that are unsettled by the stories because when it all came out I started getting messages and phone calls from

people who were shocked about the claims.

“I found out that it affected more people around me, but my family was not affected because they knew it was a lie. As you can see, we are a normal family.”

She also laughed off allegations that she was now a drug addict.

“I don’t know where this is coming from,” Ndlovu added. “As you can see, I am pregnant and I am happily married.

“We are a normal family with our kids. “In my condition I can’t even take alcohol left alone drugs.”

Ndlovu said she had not spoken to Moyo in a very long time. After Pax Afro disbanded, she relocated to South Africa before returning home to work with a number of music groups.

“I stayed in Cape Town for a while and did a couple of functions there before I decided to come back home and worked with Jazz Invitation for five years,” she

said. “I did a lot of functions with them and then worked with Kwekwe Band. I don’t know where they are right now.”

For now, Ndlovu is not thinking about producing music as she wants to concentrate on her family.

“At the moment I want to deal with my pregnancy and to take care of my family,” she said.

“I am still in music, but it’s different and not the way people wanted it to go. A lot of people keep asking me why I have been quiet for so long.

“But now Jesus Christ is at the centre of my life and my family. “It’s not easy for me to just get up and say I want to do this.

“What I am doing now has to add value and we are ministering in church. That’s my main preoccupation now.”

Ndlovu said she had been working on some songs over the years but she was not sure when they would be released.

Moyo, who is in exile, accused the Central Intelligence Organisation of fuelling the rumours through the online publication, Harare Post.

Africa University has hiked tuition fees for undergraduate and graduate students.

In a notice to students issued on 19 July 2019, the United Methodist Church-run institution wrote:

We write to you with regards the above-mentioned matter [RTGS/ZWL Fee Structure For 2019/2020 Academic Year] following the pronouncement of the Statutory Instrument 142/2019 which banned the multicurrency system and saw the introduction of the RTGS/ZWL.

Before the events that took place this year, the university has been charging fees in United States Dollars (USD) for both local and international students.

In alignment with new government policy and following consultations with our board of directors and the Student Representative Council Executive, we write to advise of the fees in RTGS/ZWL.

According to the notice, Tuition Fees for undergraduate students for the 1st and 2nd semester of the academic year 2019/2020 are RTGS/ZWL$3 920. This does not include accommodation.

Accommodation fees have been set at RTGS/ZWL$2 400 for both the 1st and 2nd semester.

State Media|THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is next month set to initiate a pilot project of displaying the voters’ roll outside a polling station during three by-elections to be held in Matabeleland North province.

The move is meant to improve transparency in the electoral management system in line with international best practices. Zec announced the development through a Twitter statement on Wednesday.

“Zec will pilot test the display of voters’ rolls outside polling stations during the Lupane East National Assembly Constituency, Ward 23 Nkayi RDC and Ward 22 Bubi RDC by-elections to be held on August 3, 2019. Objective is to direct voters to correct polling stations,” tweeted Zec.

Zec Chief Elections Officer, Mr Utloile Silaigwana, clarified the development in a statement yesterday saying the electoral management body was using the by-elections to assess new systems for possible future adoption.

“Zec intends to use the same system for all future elections. It is part of best electoral management practices already implemented in some countries including those in the Sadc.

“The display provides voters with a pre-poll inspection facility and assures them that they are on the voters’ roll thereby increasing electoral participation. 

“Secondly, it also helps reduce the number of voters turned away since a self-inspection is easily made prior to one entering the polling station.

“Thirdly, transparency is increased as all voters at a particular polling station are free  to inspect the final voters’ roll,” said Mr Silaigwana.

Previously, political parties, especially the opposition, have raised concern over delays in accessing the voters’ roll claiming it could contribute to electoral fraud.

Mr Silaigwana said the new developments are part of their drive to improve the management of elections in the country.

“It (voters’ roll) is displayed to the public for their information. Allegations of ghost voters are certainly dispelled.

“Stakeholder engagements and collaborations are the other measures in place for sharing vital information on the electoral process and allowing stakeholders to participate in some of the electoral activities to encourage co-ownership of the entire electoral process thus increasing transparency. 

“The Commission has also consolidated observations by stakeholders arising from the 2018 Harmonised Elections and has come up with proposals for inclusion in the Law reform agenda,” he said.  

By A Correspondent- Whistleblowers who lift the lid on corruption will soon be entitled to rich rewards while their security will also be guaranteed under a raft of new measures proposed by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) to fight festering rot in both the public and private sector.

The proposals, exclusively obtained by The Sunday Mail, are contained in the principles for the amendment of the Anti-Corruption Act, which are now before the Attorney-General’s Office and the Office of the President and Cabinet.

Under the proposed amendments, whistleblowers will now receive protection from the State as part of an elaborate witness protection programme. They also seek to broaden the scope of the existing Anti-corruption Act in order to reinforce existing legal statues. Through the envisaged law, informers will only pocket monetary rewards for alerting authorities if the volunteered information is passed as credible.

“…the law shall provide for rewards to whistleblowers only if the information leads to successful investigations, prosecution and recovery.

“Citizens who step forward to disclose wrongdoing, particularly when public safety, health or resources are at stake, should be acknowledged and protected and not to fear being punished or ostracised,” reads part of the recommendations.

Whistleblowers will also be guaranteed anonymity as well as protection against intimidation.

“The law shall protect the whistleblower against any disadvantage suffered as a result of whistle-blowing. This shall extend to all types of harm including dismissal, job sanctions, punitive transfers, harassment, loss of status and benefits and other issues,” the draft law further reads.

However, the graft-fighting body also proposes “reasonable sanctions to discourage false reporting”, but “honest and reasonable errors” would not be sanctioned.

Further, individuals who disclose information to enjoy immunity from disciplinary proceedings and “liability under criminal, civil and administrative laws, including defamation and official secrets act” would also get a waiver of liability.

Zacc’s legal experts told The Sunday Mail that the recommendations were in line with the Constitution.

“We are now awaiting for the advice from the Attorney-General’s Office as well as the Office of the President and Cabinet. We made these recommendation in line with Section 255 (1)(h) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20), 2013, which stipulates that Zacc has the function to make recommendations to Government and other persons on measures to enhance integrity and accountability and prevent improper conduct.

“We have made these recommendations after realising the gap in the legal framework, the absence of whistleblower and witness protection legislation,” said Zacc officials in off-the-record briefings.

The alignments, the experts also added, were in line with international conventions such as the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the African Union Convention on preventing and Combating Corruption, and the Southern African Development Community Protocol against Corruption, which all oblige signatory member states to ensure best practice and compliance on whistleblower and witness protection.

In her inaugural press conference last month, Zacc chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said the commission would prioritise opening its doors to whistleblowers.

“Zacc wishes to assure members of the public that whistleblowers would be protected. The commission has forwarded to the Attorney-General its recommendations for a comprehensive whistleblower framework which is in line with the requirements for the provisions United Nations Convention against Corruption and other best practices.”

Sting Operations

According to Zacc’s recommendations, new legal statutes should be promulgated to give the commission powers to embark on sting operations to nab culprits.

“The law shall empower the Commission to sanction the Commission’s investigators to set up valid traps because entrapment is very central in gathering evidence,” added the recommendations.

Other proposals by Zacc include reinforcing existing legislation for a new section that makes it a duty for all citizens to report corruption and penalise persons who intentionally fail to expeditiously report cases.

“The law shall penalise malicious reporting. The Botswana Act (Section 19) and the Zambian Act (Section 27) criminalise knowingly making a false report to the respective commissions. These Acts are quite consistent with Article 5(7) of the UN Conventions and Article 4 1(f) of the SADC Protocol,” reads the proposed amendments.

Last month, President Mnangagwa ordered the reinstatement of Zesa workers that were dismissed for whistleblowing on some of the scandals at the power utility.

The eight Zesa workers — Florence Taruvinga, Gibson Mushunje, Admire Mudzonga, Ackim Mzilikazi, Given Dingwiza, Tariro Shumba, Stephen Moyoweshumba and Joanes Chingoriwo — were victimised for exposing corruption scandals that plagued Zesa during the tenure of suspended chief executive officer Engineer Joshua Chifamba.

Some of the issues raised by the workers included the awarding of the Gwanda solar project to Wicknell Chivayo without following laid-down procurement procedures and payment of the US$5 million to him without bank guarantees, as well as a dodgy public relations project involving former Minister of Energy and Power Development Dr Samuel Undenge and Messrs Oscar Pambuka and Psychology Maziwisa.-StateMedia

ZBC|The opposition, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been called upon to stop being cry babies but focus on developing the lives of those it purports to represent.

In an interview after a series of campaigns in Lupane east, Zanu PF National Secretary for Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu said the ruling party will not be swayed from delivering its promises to the electorate.

“They are not visible. They are not people oriented. They are just used to complaining, accusing the party for everything instead of addressing the needs of the people. We in Zanu PF spend a lot of time listening  to people, addressing issues that affect our people, working with the people on the ground. If you go to most of the wards that are run by MDC counsellors, these were last seen during the elections. It is an opposition that is bent on complaining and being cry babies on literally everything,” said Dr Mpofu.

On the party’s success in a number of bye-elections conducted to date, Dr Mpofu highlighted that Zanu PF was people oriented hence its policies were starting to be appreciated by many.

“We have been doing well everywhere there has been a bye-election throughout the country. As the secretary for administration for the party, I’m so excited about this development. MDC has been struggling to even win their former seats. This is an indication that people realise that there is only one party in this country that can bring about development in an environment which is peaceful, democratic and orderly,” he said.

While Zanu PF is seeking to retain its seat through a vigorous campaign that has seen leaders from various levels going out to canvass for votes, the scenes on the ground have not shown any visibility by other contesting parties.

The Lupane east seat fell vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo and a bye-election is set for the 3^rd of August.

By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has condemned the propensity by political parties to use state resources to buy votes during elections.

ZESN’s position follows reports that the ruling ZANU PF party requested medicines from the Ministry of Health and Child Care for six clinics in Lupane East ahead of a by-election scheduled for August this year.

The statement by ZESN reads in part:

“While Zesn acknowledges the right of political parties to solicit for votes during the campaigning period, this act violates the principles of democracy.

The network does not condone the trend of vote-buying using food aid and other resources meant to benefit all citizens with no affiliation to a political party in line with the constitution.

… It is, therefore, disturbing to note that essential drugs and medicines, which should be readily available and accessible to every citizen, are now allegedly tied to a political party’s campaign for a National Assembly seat.

Critical for a free and fair electoral context is a pre-election environment devoid of irregularities and malpractices such as vote-buying and the misuse of
government resources where food aid such as maize and rice and other resources are being distributed along partisan lines.

This inevitably creates an uneven playing field for political contestants.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Bulawayo former mayor, Alderman Thaba Moyo has urged the government to reintroduce strict measures to vet aspiring councillors so that right people are elected to run council affairs.

Speaking during a meeting organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) on Friday, Alderman Moyo said:

“When I came into office in 2003 we were thoroughly vetted by the local authority, where we were required to have a property in the city, be residents and also council’s treasury had to see to it that we did not owe council anything.

This has been unfortunately changed which is why we have all these characters in office, the truth is we voted for people we do not even know.

Moyo revealed that the Aldermen’s council will meet with the city’s mayor, Clr Solomon Mguni to try to give guidance to him so that he would be aware of the source of problems facing the city.-StateMedia

On Thursday, the MDC Alliance summoned its councillors to a meeting in Harare to deliberate on the chaos and alleged corruption at City Hall. Twenty-two of the 28 MDC Alliance councillors attended the meeting which was chaired by the party’s secretary for Local Government Mr Clifford Hlatshwayo.

The MDC Alliance has resolved to investigate corruption allegations against Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube while city Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni reportedly survived an ouster bid by councillors who want to take full control of council operations.

In an interview yesterday, Mr Hlatshwayo said the party resolved that corruption charges levelled against the Town Clerk should be investigated hence the councillors would set up a special investigating committee.

“What we have said is that there could not have been smoke without fire. There could have been smoke somewhere. So we recommended that council institute a special committee to investigate the case as provided by Section 100 of the Urban Councils Act.

“So they are going to institute a special committee of investigation on the allegations of corruption, maladministration, the allegations of failing to execute his mandate and that committee will then inform council on the way forward. But at the moment he should continue executing his duties,” said Mr Hlatshwayo.

He said this time around, councillors should conduct their investigations procedurally in accordance with the Urban Councils Act.

Mr Hlatshwayo said they cannot determine when the committee would be set up and how long it would take to execute its mandate.

He said the MDC Alliance would also not sanction deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami and his sidekick Clr Silas Chigora for violently ejecting Mr Dube’s from his office.

“That is internal, that is political. What we are focusing on is something that hinders service delivery. What we want is to ensure that there is efficiency in service delivery,” Mr Hlatshwayo said.

Party sources said during the meeting held at the MDC headquarters at Harvest House, some of the councillors were pushing for the expulsion of the Mayor Clr Mguni.

“They were claiming that the Mayor undermined the authority of the acting Mayor Kambarami hence the party should expel him. But there were some serious objections from other councillors and that matter was put to rest,” said one of the councillors who attended the meeting.

Mr Hlatshwayo however, dismissed the claims saying the MDC Alliance has confidence in Clr Mguni’s leadership. Chaos erupted in Bulawayo last Thursday as Clr Kambarami and Clr Chigora sought to unprocedurally suspend Mr Dube from office.

After forcibly removing the Town Clerk from office, the deputy mayor locked the doors and Mr Dube only had access to his work station on Monday after the local authority had engaged the services of a locksmith. The tiff between the Town Clerk and some councillors allegedly started after he resisted their moves to interfere with council management operations.

The councillors are said to be angry that the Town Clerk has refused to involve them in the distribution of the $5 million ward retention fund as well as the allocation of stands and premises.

State Media|BULAWAYO residents have called upon Government to dissolve the Bulawayo City Council and appoint a commission to run the local authority saying they have lost faith in the councillors amid allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

The residents’ sentiments come at a time when the local authority has been at the centre of controversy after the city’s deputy mayor, Councillor Tinashe Kambarami and a clique of councillors attempted to suspend the Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube a couple of weeks ago.

The skirmishes have since seen Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo appointing a commission to investigate circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

Speaking during a meeting organised by the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) on Friday, residents blasted councillors saying they had shown that they were not true city fathers but were out to siphon the local authority and enrich themselves.

BPRA chairperson, Mr Ambrose Sibindi said factions of councillors were allegedly rushing to residents with incriminating evidence against each other which was evidence that all was not well within the local authority.

He said it was time the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing intervened.

“What we discovered is that these councillors wanted to use us to fight their battles, they were busy approaching us with accusations and counter accusations but what we have told them is that all we want is a corruption-free local authority.

These past couple of weeks, we have witnessed the image of our beloved city being destroyed by people without the city at heart, our call right now is for the commission to take bold steps in their investigations and appoint a commission to run the local authority,” said Mr Sibindi.

The residents’ chairperson said with the number of corruption allegations that seemed to be at the helm of the local authority there was also a need for Government to dispatch an audit team that would help unravel all that was happening at the council chambers.

“We demand a forensic audit to establish all that is happening at BCC, we have the evidence and anyone can approach us anytime and we will avail it to them. One thing which we can assure Government is that all is not well within the local authority,” said Mr Sibindi.

The association’s deputy chairperson Ms Patricia Tshabalala echoed Mr Sibindi’s sentiments saying residents had now lost all the respect they had for the councillors.

“As residents we work with these councillors on a daily basis and I will tell you that they themselves do not have any respect or dignity, they do not want to associate with us, telling us we are too old they would rather work with the youth.

I personally do not see us going anywhere at all with these councillors, it is shocking that they have not even spent a full year in office and already we are talking of all this corruption, imagine four years from today where will we be with them at the helm of the local authority,” said Ms Tshabalala.

Speaking at the same meeting, former Bulawayo mayor; Alderman Thaba Moyo called on the Government to reintroduce stringent measures for people to qualify to be councillors which will see true city fathers being elected into office.

“When I came into office in 2003 we were thoroughly vetted by the local authority, where we were required to have property in the city, be residents and also council’s treasury had to see to it that we did not owe council anything.

This has been unfortunately changed which is why we have all these characters in office, the truth is we voted for people we do not even know,” said Ald Moyo.

He said as the Aldermen’s council they will be meeting with the city’s mayor, Clr Solomon Mguni to try give guidance to him and understand what were the problems bedeviling the authority are stemming from

By Own Correspondent- Five houses that constitute the Mugabe chieftainship namely Dumbu, Chipfunhu, Haruzivishe, Mudavanhu, Chikanhe – Muzondo have petitioned authorities to register their displeasure with the on-going selection of substantive chief.

Dated May 24 and June 7, 2019 and signed by representatives of the five houses, the letters were copied to the Director Traditional Leaders Support Services, the office of the Minister of Masvingo Provincial Affairs and the President’s Office.

In the first letter, the aggrieved families say they were concerned that the process of choosing a substantive chief was not following traditions.

They accuse the team leading the process of acting corruptly, saying they were literally imposing Mudavanhu – who has been acting chief since 2009 – as substantive chief against the tradition of rotating the throne among all the royal families.

“We want to bring to your attention of that there (sic) is a backdoor activity trying to bring back an acting chief as substantive Chief Mugabe. This is against our customs and traditions. We are feeling that there is a great betrayer (sic) on us as a result of very corrupt people sent by the government to handle the selection process.

In the follow up letter, the Mugabes claim that the selection process had in the past been delayed unjustifiably to give the acting chief room to manoeuvre. They argued that custom demands that the next substantive chief be chosen from the Dumbu house.

“The customary principle of succession is quiet clear; it has remained based on rotation of the five houses. There is no time in our history where the chieftaincy has been passed from father to son as we now see being imposed on us,” reads part of the letter.

When contacted for comment, Mbetsa claimed he had not yet seen the petition, saying the matter was still at consultation stages within the provincial chiefs’ council.

“I am yet to see the petition but if Mudavanhu was indeed nominated, it’s them who know about it and the chief’s council. The matter is still at consultation stages and the provincial chiefs’ council is above the situation. They have not yet submitted their resolutions to my office,” said Mbetsa.

According to the Mugabes, Dumbu was the second chief after Mugabe who reigned before 1850. Dumbu was replaced by Chipfunhu who reigned from 1853 to 1894 and was succeeded by Mudavanhu who reigned between 1921 and 1927.

Chikanhe took over the reins from 1929 to 1934 and was succeeded by Muza who ruled from 1936 to 1943. Muza was Mugabe’s grandson and son to Haruzivishe and was the first to rule after Mugabe’s sons.

Muza was replaced by Chiminya the son of Dumbu who reigned from 1945 to 1951 before he was replaced by Mushuku son of Chipfunhu who ruled between years 1953 and 1959.

Chikudo son of Haruzivishe took over in 1962 and ruled up to 1973 before he died and was replaced by Dr Stanely Manyera son of Muzondo in 1975 who ruled up to 1997.

Muzondo was replaced by Mhute Mudavanhu, son of Mudavanhu, who ruled from 2000 to 2009 and was replaced by his son Matubede, the current acting chief whose suitability for the throne is being disputed.

According to the chronology, the Dumbu, Chikanhe-Muzondo, Chipfunhu and Mudavanhu houses ruled two times each and Haruzivishe ruled for three times. They therefore argue that it is yet again time for the Dumbu house to take the throne in accordance with the rotational sequence of choosing chiefs.

By Own Correspondent- Former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower has said that the drastic decision by the ICC may be because the world cricket body has had enough with the mismanagement at Zimbabwe Cricket.

The ICC decided to freeze all payment to Zimbabwe Cricket and barred the nation from participating in ICC events following weeks of drama between Zimbabwe Cricket and the Sports and Recreation Commission.

Said Flower to ESPNcricinfo:

I can understand the player’s frustrations, but unfortunately, with Zimbabwe cricket, it sounds like the ICC have just had enough.

Regarding money owed and money lent, and money the ICC gave Zimbabwe that they’re probably never going to see again, it sounds like maybe they’ve run out of patience.

I think over time, the ICC have just been worn down by all the corruption, the fraud, and the problems with Zimbabwe cricket not being able to get its house in order. Maybe they thought a jolt to their system would make some people realise what was expected of them. They would have reasoned Zimbabwe needed to understand that at some stage, you’ve got to put your house in order, and we can’t keep propping you up like we have been doing over the years.

We can go back so many years to when things were very badly run. It’s pretty obvious what was happening at the time and the people responsible who were involved. And I think the current crop of players and the interim board, who are really good people, are being punished because the ICC felt they needed to take a stand.”

By A Correspondent- A zoo keeper at Indonesia’s Surabaya zoo has been arrested and charged with sexual assault on animals and to extend of even impregnating a female orangutan.

According to the county’s local news agency “the Kalimantan Press” the 38-year-old zoo keeper was filmed in full action by series of hidden cameras put in place by the zoo’s security officials after doubts emerged about the man’s devious actions towards the zoo animals.

A colleague of the zoo keeper explained to the local press that some of the animals normally seemed sexually aroused anytime it is time to feed them.

“… what made us most suspicious was when we discovered that Marylin, our oldest orangutan, was three months pregnant. She has never been in contact with any other orangutans because of her aggressive nature, so it didn’t make any sense,” he explained.

The zoo officials admit it took them sometime before being able to accept what had actually happened.

“At first, we clearly did not comprehend what had happened. Marilyn has been secluded for the past 10 years, it was a total mystery. It is only when we placed several hidden cameras that we learned the horrible truth,” authorities said.

When local authorities confronted the offender, he earlier denied any wrong doing, but later explained that everything he had done was consensual.

“… I’m very sorry I have impregnated the orangutan.” He told local reporters.

He added that he did not know orangutans could get pregnant from humans.

By Own Correspondent- A former professional Zimbabwe Cricket player Godwill Mamhiyo has said that cricket players in Zimbabwe need to take some of the blame for the current ICC ban on Zimbabwe Cricket. 

Mamhiyo did a thread on Twitter to explain the basis of his statement.

Read the Full thread below:

While I feel for my fellow brothers and sisters at Zimbabwe Cricket. Some players must also take some of the blame for the breakdown of our structures. For far too long we have pinned all the blame on Admin. FYI this is not for performance but for off the field matters… So…

A few years ago a top administrator came out and labelled us players as uneducated fools (I was Tuskers Captain at the time). Hurtful, yes! True, possibly! We were asking to be paid more and we were told we did not deserve any more than we already got…

Long story short, players have never realised how much power they possess because truly, are uneducated! Is this a fault of their own? No, it is just the modus operandi used to cripple players. Players are pulled out of school and not encouraged to study so they can be stuck…

Paid peanuts and have no alternative. This has happened over generations and the divide and conquer strategy rules. Zimbabwe Cricket knows they only have to pay the “Big 5” well and everyone else will align. Not only are administrators selfish, but so are the players…

Taibu tried to enlighten guys, but no one listened. As long as players played, the ICC was happy all was well in Zimbabwe.Yet alas it was not. Some players even forced to pay a monthly allowance to some of their “mentors”! I know a guy who in 2014 signed a contract for lets say $1000

But his pay would come in as $600 cause so and so had a direct debit on their account pretty much. I saw the pain as he told me. I am also to blame as I never came forward. But this greed runs deeper amongst players. It was in 2014/15 season when i realised i was done…

We had not been paid for about 3 months. We were on strike and formed a players union. We sat out a scheduled game and amidst that, a senior player (one of the big 5) was phoning me instructing me as Captain to get the boys on the park. I had none of it, my team mates backed me

As a group of players we agreed the payout for the World Cup must be shared amongst all Players in the country..We started playing again on this principle. Yet when the money came in and the 15 national guys split it amongst themselves with the big 5 pocketing over USD400k each!

No franchise player got a bite and the issue was never addressed. We only got paid our outstanding salaries.. Life went on. I was tired of fighting and knew guys wont fight with, why, because the vast majority of players in the system have no plan B. Its Zimbabwe Cricket money or nothing..

Players in Zimbabwe are like little children.. Cry so much when there is no food.. They get crumbs and then suddenly all is forgotten.. Only when they broke will they want to complain. This hand to mouth mentality needs to stop. Cricketers need to be buying houses and not 2nd hand cars

As a professional athlete you can never perform with a $600 salary.. When : gym membership is $100 Proper diet $250 Rent $300 & more. You start taking short cuts which lead to poor performances. You think Virat K worries about gym membership fees? Recent results are no surprise..

We played Afghan A team in 2015 and their daily allowances were about 5 times ours.They an Associates.Are we surprised they in the world cup? Cricket is a game that needs one to be in a good frame of mind to perform.Sad the economy does not help but until when will sport struggle?

My plea is that this ban be a time that players unite (for once) and get what they truly deserve. As long as players do not stand up and be counted, we will soon be like Kenya, a team that once was…For the longest time, players have allowed trash like treatment . Wake up!

All in all the power truly lies with the players.

By A Correspondent- Econet founder and entrepreneur, Strive Masiyiwa has revealed how he tried investing in the energy sector only to be blocked by corrupt politicians and senior executives at ZESA.

Below is Masiyiwa’s shocking revelations:

Why I hate corruption! In about 2007, as Zimbabwe lurched into hyper inflation, and foreign currency disappeared, our local management were faced with a big, big problem:

Electrical power!

The cell phone network is one of the biggest single consumer of electricity in the country. Over 10MW distributed nationally. Base stations were collapsing, and service was degrading on a daily basis.

The management travelled to SA to meet the board and discuss an emergency solution:

We brought in experts including many former engineers of the national power company [ZESA] to try and understand what could be done.

There is no problem without a solution, if you bring in the right people!
Finally we came up with a plan, and we asked the CEO of Econet Zimbabwe to present it to the management of ZESA:

The plan would have unlocked over $250m in loans guaranteed by us, and over 500MW of power. It would have seen the country able to build new facilities.

The response from the ZESA management [at the time] was scandalous!

Totally scandalous!

They told us: “since you are not popular with government, they will not listen to you. Let’s form a private company with some of our own executives, and you can lend money to that company secretly!” 

One even proposed his brother as a director of such a company!

I was stunned when I heard. 

Next we approached the power regulator, and asked for an independent license to produce power. They told us that they had already given licenses to people who had not built, so they could not issue another license, even though they appreciated, we could build!

And guess what?!

The politically connected guys who had licenses were then tipped off, and they came rushing to see us, with the most ludicrous corrupt proposals:

“You provide 100% funding, and give me 51% for free” one demanded.

One guy even flew to SA in a bid to see me personally!

I refused to even see him! Our board withdrew the efforts, and we just gritted our teeth to weather the storm.

We were forced to shut down large sections of our network.

Sad!

Strive Masiyiwa

Zimbabwe has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa at 94 percent but it has a huge skills gap of 61.75 percent.

According to the Ministry of Information the biggest gap is in Natural and Applied Sciences which stands at 96.91 percent, Medical and Health Science at 95 percent and Engineering and Technology at 93.57.

Higher Education Minister Amon Murwira has been mourning about the skills gap in the country saying this can adversely affect the President’s vision 2030.

Addressing graduands recently Murwira said: “Our education has to work hard for us, it must produce industry for us. Our education must be relevant in areas of job creation and must have consciousness.

“The Zimbabwe we want requires people with relevant skills for today and tomorrow. The Zimbabwe and Africa we want is made today in our colleges and universities. Let us take these first steps together.”

To those who have been closely following Zimbabwean politics, a writing though still faint is appearing on the wall for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

His days in office appear to be diminishing with each passing day. If recent events are anything to go by, the same script that disposed his predecessor Robert Mugabe is playing underground, this time around, against him.

Many reports say he has crossed swords with the military, the very people who brought him up there.

At one point the same scenario happened during president Mugabe’s era. When the then First Lady Grace Mugabe sensationally claimed the military wanted to destroy her family.

Similarly as if playing back Grace Mugabe’s script, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa allegedly ranted at a top army commander in a leaked audio, for spying on and wanting to harm her.

The first lady was unhappy at what she said were military moves to “spy” on her, fronted by ‘Murombo’, believed to be reference to Colonel Samson Murombo, the commander of the 1 Presidential Guard Infantry Battalion based at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks (formerly KGVI Barracks). This section is responsible for securing the President and State House.

The audio recording, posted on the online, lays bare tensions between Mnangagwa and the military which secured him the presidency after overthrowing President Mugabe in 2017.

While everything is still sketchy, it is believed some senior military commanders have quietly withdrawn their loyalty to Mnangagwa over unfulfilled financial promises following Mugabe’s overthrow.

But political analyst Elder Mabhunu says Mnangagwa could be facing a payback time for “playing against” his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, to whom the military exhibited strong allegiance.

“The military seems to be unhappy with Chiwenga’s current health situation, he is the man the army can easily identify with, after having had been their boss.

“Chiwenga played a key role in the disposition of former president and dictator, Mugabe. And army is quite aware that if he were to go, then they would be side-lined by Mnangagwa.

Mabhunu adds that even if it true that the military bosses are disgruntled over the unfulfilled financial promise after Mugabe’s overthrow. Mnangagwa would not pay them at all, if Chiwenga were to succumb to the poisoning.

“Obviously, the military is not happy with the poisoning of their patron,” Mabhunu says.

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa has made several reshuffles of the military top brass, apparently to neutralise the threat posed by Chiwenga, the former Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander who led the coup.

Chiwenga is currently in a hospital in South Africa, battling failing health.

A publication linked to the military claims that he was poisoned at a popular Harare hotel.

An opposition political party leader, Linda Masarira has called upon the founder and leader of Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries, Walter Magaya to close his megachurch.

This follows the leakage of n*de pictures presumed to be those of Magaya. The controversial clergyman has been making headlines in the past few weeks for wrong reasons. Writing on Twitter, Masarira said:

Honestly, Prophet Magaya owes his congregation an apology and must do the honourable thing and close his church.

His pornographic pictures that have gone viral on WhatsApp are a disgrace to the Christian fraternity and all men of God. Men of God should be at least morally upright.

Two women, Sarah Maruta and Charity Dlodlo recently told a local paper that Magaya sexually abused them when they were attending his church. Surprisingly, the two women recanted of their confession, blaming the devil for using them.

By A Correspondent- Vice President Kembo Mohadi has warned drug dealers and organisers of vuzu parties, saying those engaging in these and other illegal activities will face the full wrath of the law.

Speaking in Bulawayo Friday at the ground breaking ceremony of a drug rehabilitation centre and Registrar General’s offices, he said:

“This task of rebuilding our nation can’t be achieved by people who are drug addicts or people whose mental capacity has been diminished by engaging in excessive behaviours at these Vuzu parties fuelled by drug abuse.

Abuse of drugs and vuzu parties must stop forthwith. Anybody found engaging in or organising these parties or any illegal activities shall face the full wrath of the law. This is in the interests of our future leaders of tomorrow.”

He commended the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage through the Zimbabwe Republic Police for the recent operation in Bulawayo which resulted in the arrest of three drug dealers and the confiscation of drugs worth $10 000.

VP Mohadi said the nation requires a population of able-bodied, skillful and mentally astute young people to take on the responsibility of pushing the economy forward.

“However, it’s sad to note that our young people’s future is decimated by social ills such as drug addiction at this crucial time of rebuilding our nation.

“It’s therefore appropriate that today we engage in this ground breaking ceremony not only for the RG’s office but also for the drug and rehabilitation centre,” he said.-StateMedia

Most Econet services were reported to be down much of Saturday in what is suspected to be linked to the ongoing 18 hour loadshedding scheme set up ZESA.

Services including Calling Services, EcoCash, Data/Internet services, USSD services and some apps run by the company were down throughout the day and at the time of writing.

Earlier in the week, mobile operators threatened that they would shut down their services during load shedding.

During load shedding, mobile operators have to keep services running using backup power generators which drastically increase the cost of keeping the network running. The backup generators use fuel which is currently in short supply in the country. The cost of fuel in ZW dollars has increased significantly in the past couple of months.

Mobile operators charge for their services in local ZW dollars, and in recent months, the government has not approved tariff hikes to match the increased costs. This likely means mobile operators are operating at a loss.

Service quality for the 3 main telecoms operators (Econet, NetOne and Telecel) has, therefore, declined severely for the most part of 2019.

By A Correspondent- Government has disbursed funds to the first batch of Bulawayo businesses that lost their goods and properties during the January protests which were characterised by looting and burning down of shops.

The money is part of the $19,5 million special fund set up to assist businesses that were looted during the violent protests.

An inter-ministerial team visited most of the affected areas in January before coming up with the fund.

Bulawayo province suffered the most devastating damage.

In an interview to the state media, Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi said the first batch of beneficiaries had received their funds.

“Most of them have received the money although some people could not have received theirs. I know the first batch of money has been given to its beneficiaries. I don’t have the exact figures of how much was disbursed but I am aware that the Government disbursed the money,” said Modi.

He expressed ignorance on claims that some people who were intended to receive the money did not get their allocations.

 “That one I don’t know about it. The application process was done in a transparent manner so I wouldn’t know those claims,” said Modi. 

Industrialists estimate that the economy could have lost business amounting to $300 million over the three-day forced shut-down.-StateMedia

By Patrick Guramatunhu- Of all the feeble excuses proffered by this Zanu PF regime for ending the use of the multi-currency basket in favour of the local currency as the only legal tender; Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube’s excuse takes the biscuit! Sanctions!

“There were certain banks that were told to stop supplying US dollars to Zimbabwe because certain transactions would involve entities in Zimbabwe that are under sanctions.,” he explained.

“CBZ was fined US$350 million for doing some transactions where they thought they were helping and we are still negotiating a way out of that liability.

“Therefore the more we used US dollar, the more we expose the transactors and businesses to fines.”

China, South Africa and Botswana have not imposed any targeted sanctions on anyone or any company in Zimbabwe so why did the Minister end the trade in the US$ and British Pound and retained local trade in the Yuan, Rand and Pula? 

The truth is the regime hurriedly enacted Statutory Instrument (SI) 142 banishing the basket of other foreign currency as legal tender to impose the local currency as the only legal tender to forestall the growing trend by traders and workers refusing to be paid in the local currency and demanding to be paid in the stable foreign currencies instead. The local currency had been losing its value as inflation has risen from about 10% in January 2019 to 97% at the time SI 142 was enacted.

Having impose the local currency as legal tender, government has been able to meet its soaring expenditure by printing more money at a time when its revenue has been sinking because to reduced economic activity due to the savage up to 19 hours a day power cuts, cyclone Idai, drought, etc.

Printing money has solved one problem but created an even bigger problem – it has fuelled inflation. Since the passing of SI 142 inflation has soared from 97% to 175%, almost double in three weeks!

The hyperinflation gene is out of the bottle, there is no putting it back! Zimbabweans remember only too well the hyperinflation of 2000 to 2008 when inflation peaked at 500 billion % and the local currency was not even the paper it was printed on, at Z$ 35 quadrillion (35×10^24) = US$1.00.

Most economic activity seized, it was impossible to do business and be paid in a currency who value was disappearing like water poured in the desert sand. It was not worthwhile going to work, shop shelves were empty and finding enough to eat and other essentials was a nightmare. We are heading for those 2008 nightmare days again!

The Z$ was scrapped and the multicurrency as legal tender was introduced in November 2008 to restore confidence in a stable currency. One only hopes that sanity will prevail and the stable currency reintroduced long before inflation hit the dizzying height of 2008 and survival is once again near impossible!

By Own Correspondent- Activist Josphat Ngulube, who was arrested for allegedly leading an illegal demonstration in the city, was yesterday released on $100 bail.

Ngulube (34) of Sizinda suburb appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Franklin Mkhwananzi facing charges of contravening a section of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) when he illegally convened a gathering without notifying the relevant authorities.

He was remanded out of custody to August 2. Ngulube was ordered to reside at his given address and to report once every two weeks at the Bulawayo Central Police Station (Law and Order Section) as part of the bail conditions.

He was also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses.

The prosecutor, Mr Mufaro Mageza, said on July 13, Ngulube submitted a notice of a public demonstration to the police who are the regulating authority seeking to demonstrate on July 17 and it was rejected as it was on short notice.

“The regulating authority noted the accused had not given the 7-day notice as required by the law. He was contacted and advised that the time of notice was not in compliance with the law and the route which they were to use amongst other requirements was not stated,” said Mr Mageza.

The court heard that on July 15, Ngulube was invited to the regulating officer’s office for consultations and amendment of his notice to meet the dictates of the law but he refused.

“On July 17 at around midday at corner 10th Avenue and Fort Street near Pick n Pay, Ngulube went ahead and convened a public demonstration where members of the public amounting to about 30 people gathered,” said Mr Mageza.

“Shelton Tembo and Goodson Phiri displayed a banner inscribed with the following, “Citizens demonstration, we have suffered enough, this nonsense must stop!!!

Our voices will not be silenced and Zimbabweans need solutions to the economic crisis now.”

Ngulube is facing another charge of participating in the violent protests that occurred in January.

He and four other assailants are being accused of burning a vehicle belonging to Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial women’s league chairperson Cde Eva Bitu in Sizinda.

The matter is still pending before the courts.

Mr Kholwani Ngwenya of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners is Ngulube’s lawyer.-StateMedia

By Wilbert Mukori- Last month the Mnangagwa government enacted the Statutory Instrument 142 (2019) in which the regime banish the use of the basketful of multi-foreign currencies as legal tender in Zimbabwe leaving the local currency in its multiplicity of formats and names; Bond Notes and coins, RTGS$ and Ecocash all to be known from hence forth as Zimbabwe Dollar (Z$). Zimbabwe is not the first nation to make such a bold move, one of the first to do so was the United States of America in 1862.

In an article “A currency backed by nothing”, eBusiness Weekly, also available in Bulawayo 24, explain is the simplest language why USA’s bold move worked and why Zimbabwe’s is doomed to fail.

“On February 25, 1862, United States President Abraham Lincoln signed the Legal Tender Act, a brainchild of Elbridge Spaulding. Those were terrifying times. The republic was at war with itself and would be till 1865,” wrote eBusiness Weekly.

“Through the Act, Treasury would issue federal dollars backed by nothing. The new currency was quickly nicknamed “greenback”, The greenback was to be used for all local transactions except custom duties and interest on government bonds which were to be paid for in the old gold-backed dollars or gold. The National Banking Act in 1863 would make it clear that banks could still issue own banknotes only that now, with the Legal Tender Act, such notes had to be backed by the greenback and not gold as before.

“They were worried inflation would soar once the anchorless currency circulated. They were wrong. Why? Well, war can be good business. Factories keep running because a lot of stuff must be produced and moved quickly to make way for more stuff to be produced. With such activity, the anchorless currency did not chase few goods, it oiled industry.”

In Zimbabwe SI 142 has enacted in a huff, inflation was soaring and traders, workers and everyone with the economic clout to pick and choose which currency to be paid in was doing so to the detriment of the local currency. SI 142 was enacted to banish all foreign currency as legal tender and force everyone to use the local currency. In a country with a skewed trade deficit and little local production, prices of goods and services are tied to foreign currency. Increasing the amount of local currency without increasing production and available foreign currency was bound to fuel inflation.

At the time SI 142 was passed inflation was already 97% and it opened the door for the regime to print more money to meet the lost buying power of the local currency. As slippery slope as this caused a new wave of price increases fuelled inflation. In the last four weeks inflation has already surged to 175% and is set to grow exponential as the latest price and wages increases of 40% and even 1 000% with zero and even negative increased production take effect.

“What made it (USA bold move) work? Hastily, some will say trust and confidence,” concluded eBusiness Weekly. “But, what we know and is irrefutable is that when the greenback was introduced in the early 1860s, industrial production, thanks in part to the war, made it work.

“We must, however, realise that production is an end, it is an outcome of peculiar knowledges and insights of what to produce and how to produce it. Zimbabwe and indeed Africa hasn’t quite figured that out. In this is the mission of our time.”

Well our mission is mission impossible in that power and authority to change anything is now invested and monopolized by those who believe they know best when in fact they know nothing.

“I know nothing and that is the only knowledge I have!” said the great Greek Philosopher Socrates (470 -399 BC). The Socratic paradox, given he is one of the “wisest”, as the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, readily acknowledged.

What made Socrates such a wise man is his humility to admit he does not know and thus opened his mind to learn and have everything questioned from all possible angles. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” he argued.

Socrates, like his fellow Greeks of his age, had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, embrace the need for freedom of expression and free speech and gave birth to democracy. Greece prospered and thrived. It was Greece’s golden age!

In Zimbabwe we are ruled by men and women who believe they have the divine right to rule and have been rigging elections to ensure they iron grip on power. They have stifled all meaningful debate there is no freedom of expression and no free media because they cannot bear being questioned much less held to democratic account.

SI 142 is doomed to fail; it is but one of the many Zanu PF voodoo economic policies to fail with disastrous economic consequences to the nation. Even after 39 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption and the national economy in ruins; Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies still believe they know best and are they only one competent to rule Zimbabwe.

Our mission is impress on these Zanu PF thugs that they are humans, like all humans, they do not have the monopoly of knowledge. And that after 39 years of blundering from pillar to post, proof their do not know best, they must accept they have failed to govern.

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies must accept they rigged last year’s elections, this Zanu PF regime is illegitimate and must step down.

 As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and unaccountable thugs, the country will continue to sink into the abyss; is the one thing I do know for certain.

By Own Correspondent- Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has said that ZESA load shedding is causing its current network outage and generators failing to kick in.

The company’s services (calls, internet data, EcoCash and other services) are currently all down due to a network outage.

The company has issued a statement saying that the problem has been caused by a power outage at its Network Operations Centre where generators failed to kick in.

ZESA, the country’s power utility company is currently load shedding the whole currently for about 18 hours a day.

“Our engineers are busy working to resolve a network fault that started when generators at our Network Operations Centre failed to kickoff following a ZESA power outage.

The problem has since been isolated and our technical teams are working flat out to resolve the issue.

We sincerely regret the inconvenience this has caused to our customers.”

By A Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa says Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was recovering in South Africa after being airlifted there for urgent treatment due to a persistent illness that has dogged him for several months now.

Addressing a Zanu PF women’s league national assembly meeting in Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa said Chiwenga fell sick weeks after his return from treatment in India in May and had to seek medical assistance in South Africa.

“Our Vice-President Cde Chiwenga is not well. He went to India for medical check-up and stayed there for a while. He returned home and reported for duty for some days, but he fell ill again and we had to send him to South Africa,” Mnangagwa said.

“He was very ill, but I am glad to let you know that he has improved in the past days. I talk to him almost on a daily basis and as when he is free. I am happy to know that he is now doing exercises on his own.”

The VP has been in and out of hospital in recent months and has visited India at least twice this year for medical attention. Informed government sources said Chiwenga was consulting oesophageal surgeons.

He was believed to have had difficulties eating and this was blamed for his dramatic weight loss.

Government spin doctors back then indicated that Chiwenga had gone to India for a minor surgery coupled with routine medical check-ups, but did not disclose his ailment.

Speculation was rife that the November 2017 coup architect was on his “death bed”.

Chiwenga has, for the duration of his illness, been billed to officiate at various government events, including yesterday where he was expected to make an address at the Zanu PF women’s assembly meeting together with his counterpart Kembo Mohadi and party chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.

Yesterday, Mohadi and Muchinguri-Kashiri were absent, but Mnangagwa did not disclose to party supporters their whereabouts.-Newsday

By A Correspondent- Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Association (CZRA) president Denford Mutashu has divorced his wife Nomusa Memory Ruvazhe following a 12-month separation.

The 5-year marriage was nullified by High Court judge Justice Alpheus Chitakunye after the couple separated citing irreconcilable differences.

Part of the couple’s court papers read,

…During the subsistence of the marriage, three children were born … The defendant (Ruvazhe) did not adopt the plaintiff’s surname.

The plaintiff (Mutashu) and the defendant (Ruvazhe) both agreed that the marriage has irretrievably broken down and consent to the granting of a decree of divorce subject to the terms herein alluded to being incorporated into the final order, which this honourable court may be inclined to grant.

…Plaintiff will provide maintenance for the minor children until each child reaches the age of 18 or become self-supportive, whichever occurs first. There shall be no maintenance obligation by either party to the other.

Mutashu made headlines back in 2014 when he sued controversial Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder, Walter Magaya for $500 000 accusing him of having an illicit se_xual relationship with his wife.

However, in a twist to the case, Mutashu later disowned the allegations and blamed lawyers for pushing him to lie against Magaya.

He went on to ask for forgiveness in front of thousands of congregants at Magaya’s church before withdrawing the adultery lawsuit,

However, in her affidavit, Ruvazhe claimed that the whole lawsuit was a ploy by her husband to extort the controversial preacher.

Throughout the whole time, Magaya insisted that he was innocent of the charges.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is recovering well from a South African hospital where he is receiving medical treatment, President Mnangagwa has said.

Addressing a Zanu PF Women’s League National Assembly meeting at the party headquarters, President Mnangagwa said VP Chiwenga was now able to do physical exercises on his own, an indication that he was on the road to recovery.

President Mnangagwa said he was in constant communication with VP Chiwenga and was gratified that he was recovering well.

By A Correspondent| The controversial preacher Walter Magaya has in a file video confessed he was once (video) recorded by a young woman he was in an affair with in 2015.

He describes the woman as “musikana,” meaning a young female.

The preacher has in recent days been named in discussions over pictures of a lookalike filmed raping a minor. VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By Cathy Buckle- A red light or high pitched alarm are the two most dreaded things in our lives in Zimbabwe today. They mean that the car has almost run out of fuel, the prepaid electricity meter is about to run out of money, the phone battery is almost flat, the internet connection has gone, the inverter battery is dying. And when the red lights go off completely we just grind to a halt.
 
After weeks of twelve to seventeen hour a day power cuts we are worn don to a frazzle. Getting up in the middle of the night, every night, to cook, charge batteries and electronic equipment, catch up on domestic chores, work on computers, meet deadlines and keep any sort of production going, is taking a heavy toll on all of us.

People running businesses are forced to put prices up to cover costs of using generators. Others are cutting staff down to one or two days a week and others are just closing their doors altogether. We hear of farmers ploughing in winter wheat crops as they cannot irrigate without electricity and cannot afford the hundreds of litres of fuel needed every day to run generators and remain viable. In my home town and many others, the water situation is dire.

As I write the whole town has had no water for over a week. Local authorities apportion blame to different departments and either say there is no money to buy chemicals, no electricity to run pumps or that they are doing refurbishments. Which one is true we mutter as we bend, stoop, fill and carry buckets and boil unsafe water on open fires outside.
 
This week the official inflation rate for June 2019 was announced; jumping from 97% in May to 175% in June. According to ZIMSTATS the “prices of basic goods from sugar to cooking oil to building materials soared during the month by as much as 200%.” In the month since the government banned trading in anything except Zimbabwe dollars, the new but mostly non-existent Zimbabwe dollar has lost 27.9% of its value.

The ability to change US dollars cash into Zimbabwe dollars cash is all but impossible, despite being required by law. Going into a bank in my home town I asked if they could change US dollars to Zimbabwe dollars. Oh yes, they said and told me the rate of exchange for the day. Trying then and there to change US$10 cash into Z$ cash wasn’t going to happen however.

“I can only do it if we’ve got the cash,” the teller said and advised me to come back every day to check if they had cash. “You never know when you’ll be lucky,” he said and went on to try and persuade me to open an account there; an account which attracts a minimum balance, administration and ledger fees, 2% mandatory government tax on transactions over $10,  debit card fees etc, etc.

Outside in the sun scores of people were just waiting to “be lucky,” either to be able to withdraw their meager monthly government pension of Z$80 in cash or to get the US dollars cash that had been sent to them by their relations outside the country via Western Union, Mukuru or other international currency remitters.
 
Absurdly, ironically, while getting Zimbabwe dollars out of the banks is almost impossible, the Reserve Bank Governor, John Mangudya said they were just about to revise upwards the weekly withdrawal limit of Z$300. Revising the limit upwards at a time when you can’t withdraw any Z$ at all; how does that work? Not to mention the fact that the existing weekly limit of Z$300 is the equivalent of less than US$5 a day.
 
Equally absurd is the claim made at every opportunity by the Minister of Finance that Zimbabwe has been recording a budget surplus since December 2018 and continues to do so. The Minister doesn’t mention the fact that it is us, the people, who have to pay 2% tax on every electronic transaction over $10 and we assume that’s where much of the budget surplus came from.

We also assume the 2% tax is the reason why it’s almost impossible to get cash because if you pay in cash you don’t pay the 2% tax. The Minister also doesn’t explain why the budget surplus isn’t used to pay off electricity debts and resume power imports from South Africa and Mozambique.
 
Behind all of this absurdity are the countless numbers of people of all ages and races across the country who are simply falling through the cracks. A man told me about the mountain of medical bills waiting to be paid for his 83 year old Dad who had been in a car accident. Medical specialists, no longer allowed to charge in US dollars, have multiplied everything by ten or more.

An anaesthetist’s charge, quoted at US$850 is now Z$9,000. Rural teachers who were earning US$438 a month now find their salary only worth the equivalent of US$49. In a petition to the Ministry of Finance they said “We have been robbed of our dignity. We have been reduced to paupers.”
 
An appeal from an Old Age Home in Harare, in operation for 50 years, who say they have reached a crossroads and do not know how to continue without urgent assistance. They are crippled by huge fuel prices needed to run generators during 17 hour a day power cuts.

Generators for preserving food, cooking, lighting, heating water and providing oxygen to elderly residents with breathing difficulties. They say their food prices have quadrupled, that their staff are struggling to feed their families. The Chairman of the Home writes that they need a miracle to remain “standing strong in the winds of change.”
 
Heartbreaking stories are all around us from the young and old and everywhere you look, in every shop and supermarket people look dazed and bewildered, looking at prices of the most basic items and leaving without them. As I write this letter the late winter annual slash and burn environmental devastation is underway: unchecked, unstoppable: cut the trees, burn the grass, acquire a piece of wetland, or green belt and call it your own “self apportioned plot.”  Zimbabwe burns while the lights are out.

By Nick Mangwana| Very few people doubt that Zimbabwe has been in need of radical changes in its politics, culture and institutions, touching the very nationhood of the Republic.

The question one may ask is whether that change has started or not?

The problem with progressive dispensationalism is that it is not desirable, but clearly a necessity.

It means it is not something that is easily acceptable. It may temporarily appear to negatively affect people’s social conditions.

There will always be those that will deny that things have changed.  Some will even refuse to change. President Mnangagwa and his administration are contending with both kinds of people.

The writer will do a three-part series covering Political Reforms, Legislative Reforms and Economic Reforms.

This week we are covering Political Reforms.  In this context “political reform” means changes to the political system, political culture and the interaction between the citizens with the State.

It includes a change in the political decision making and changes in how the State exercises power. Again, it bears the question, has there been any change?

The simple answer is affirmative.  The major political reform in Zimbabwe started being witnessed by simple gestures, like Zimbabwean citizens who had not stepped their feet in the country for as much as 15 years being able to come to the motherland.

This saw people like music icon Thomas Mapfumo and a journalist who had been an acerbic critic of the Government being able to hold political chat shows (still) attacking the Government of Zimbabwe, with no retribution coming her way.

She even did a number of provocative stunts at State House, but the State refused to be baited.More in Home

This is indeed a New Dispensation.  There are many who landed in Zimbabwe for the first time after spending years in exile.

It is not only these who were able set foot in Zimbabwe without molestation.

Zimbabwe had not hosted foreign media such as the British Broadcasting Corporation, Sky News and their ilk who had been outlawed in the previous era.

In the new order, Zimbabwe does not only host these, it has gone to establish permanent bureaux for some. BBC no longer shouts news about Zimbabwe from across the Limpopo, in South Africa.

It has access to the President, who even hosts its correspondents at his official residence for tea.  This was the beginning of the reform in the media sector, which is a key cog underpinning the democratisation agenda.

Last year, as Zimbabwe conducted its crucial elections, foreign media houses were allowed to come and report.

But it is not only foreign media that has benefited from the opening up of the democratic space, election observers from all sorts of hitherto banned countries were also allowed to come and witness those elections, write their reports unimpeded.

When they presented their reports with recommendations, those recommendations were received and are being taken seriously as part of the reform agenda.

There is a Cabinet committee that extrapolated every single one of those recommendations and put in place time-bound implementation matrix for the delivery of every single one of these deliverables.

Not everything went well with the post-election period.  Not everyone wanted this Zimbabwe which was at this point the toast of the progressive world:  anarchy was unleashed onto the streets of Harare on the 1st of August 2018.

There was clear intent to undermine the outcome of the election — which showed that President Mnangagwa had won — and de-legitimise his standing in the eyes of the international community.

Six people died in the regrettable blot of a process that had won a lot of plaudits from observers.  To get to the bottom of the issue and remedy the situation, a highly-respectable internationally-recognised Commission of Enquiry was put in place.

Not only were the testimonies broadcast to the world, but the report on the findings was published and remains on the website today.

Now the recommendations made by the Motlanthe Commission are also being dealt with by the Cabinet Committee on Reform.

The writer can confirm that not a single recommendation has been discarded or ignored.

All are getting their due consideration and there is an action plan matrix against each recommendation and there is a time limit by which this has to be implemented.

We are already somewhere with each and every single one of these. There is no record of such a transparent approach to governance and accountability in the history of this country prior to this.

President Mnangagwa has always said we need every shoulder to the wheel to make Zimbabwe work.

We can contest each other at elections, but soon after, let’s all focus on building our country until the next elections when we contest each other again. It is within that matrix that President Mnangagwa began a process of broaching arguably the most unpleasant of taboos of our young nation — the Gukurahundi issue, that had long been spoken of in hushed tones.

Part of the change in Zimbabwe’s political approach under President Mnangagwa was him opening discussions about Gukurahundi (and related subjects such as marginalisation and underdevelopment).

With that single act of candour, President Mnangagwa opened the way for national discourse and introspection and a healing process that will ensure that the country is at peace with itself.

No longer will the subject be considered anathema.

Following up on his inauguration speech pledge of being a “Listening President”, The Head of State acceded to a request for meeting by a group of civic organisations under the banner of the Matabeleland Collective.

Following the meeting, the President through Government, immediately facilitated the following:

• acquisition of identity documents for Gukurahundi victims,
• legal exhumations of Gukurahundi victims upon request from families,
• open discussion on Gukurahundi; and
• provision of medical assistance to Gukurahundi victims.

The President’s move to finally address Gukurahundi and its surrounding trauma and controversies has been widely hailed as an important step in rebuilding the nation.

Regarding the issue of devolution, which has also been a contentious issue and fodder for opposition parties in past decades, President Mnangagwa’s Government has kick-started processes to devolve power and administration by prioritising local businesses in the award of tenders and giving locals first preference when filling in positions.

In the meeting with the Matabeleland Collective, the President committed to engaging on input towards crafting the kind of devolution of power that will take power from central Government to provinces for them to set their own development priorities.

Apart from the Matabeleland Collective, President Mnangagwa has been meeting with chiefs, civic society, churches, political parties, private media and captains of industry as part of a broad-based engagement drive.

The local engagement drive has been buttressed by international re-engagement efforts which have seen him travelling to countries previously snubbed by the old dispensation and mending bridges while cementing others.

For more than a decade and half, there had not been any formal contact between the European Union (EU) and the Government of Zimbabwe. But now the era of berating bellicose against the West is over.

Negotiations between the Zimbabwe and the EU have started off at the ministerial level and will soon escalate to further diplomatic heights.

This is the hallmark of the re-engagement policy; a foreign policy based on new frontiers being opened and old diplomatic frontiers being revitalised.

The vibrancy of international engagement and re-engagement has shone through these past few months and during our national grief occasioned by Cyclone Idai in March, there was a lot of symbolism in the assistance that was extended to the country.

China came in as the old and dependable friend. United Arab Emirates came in as a new frontier of friendship. (This month alone, the country has received medical equipment from the UAE, the first of three batches donated by that country after its leader engaged with President Mnangagwa.)

Even countries such as the United States of America, chose the delicate moment to send a message of re-engagement.

Relations with the US are thawing at a decent pace, resulting in increased cooperation in sectors that will benefit Zimbabweans at large.

President Mnangagwa’s domestic policy on the political front has been one of rapprochement and giving birth to the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) platform which was launched in February this year.

Polad brings together over 18 political leaders and parties that participated in the 2018 harmonised elections and is an equal no-holds-barred platform for stakeholders to share ideas on how best to move the country forward.

Polad also incorporated civic leaders whose voice President Mnangagwa is on record saying he listens to. The history-making dialogue is being co-convened by National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Chairperson Retired Justice Selo Nare and Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) chairperson Mrs Margaret Sangarwe-Mukahanana.

Polad is not only a manifestation of President Mnangagwa’s inclusive brand of politics, but is also a fulfilment of one of the Mothlanthe Commission of Inquiry recommendations.

The commission was set following the 1 August 2018 violent demonstrations as opposition supporters demanded the immediate release of election results.

Part of the commission’s recommendations was “nation building and reconciliation, including an initiative for multi-party dialogue and cooperation and promotion of political tolerance, and responsible and accountable leadership and citizenry.”

To this end and beyond, President Mnangagwa has gone on record with a call for all progressive Zimbabweans to come together and build with him the Zimbabwe we want.

This call has been warmly received by political and civic society leaders, save for a few egomaniacs, witnessing the birth of a new culture of political tolerance.

President Mnangagwa has demonstrated proven zeal to fight the scourge of corruption.

In its 2019, Investment Climate Statement for Zimbabwe, the US Department of State noted that “the Mnangagwa Government has committed itself to eradicate corruption. Since December 2017, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested and brought before the courts a number of high-ranking officials . . .”

The Government also created a policy to improve the accountability in the use of State resources through the introduction of the Public Finance Management Act in March 2010.”

Hate him or love him, President Mnangagwa has carved and continues to carve for himself, a unique plaque in Zimbabwe’s political history.

To all intents and purposes, he looks set to go down in history as Zimbabwe’s first inclusive leader who managed to unite a deeply polarised country and rally everyone towards nation building.

This is down to his character and temperament — he has said, correctly so, that he is “soft as wool” — and it is his temperament that has helped the country to move forward.

There is an indissoluble nexus between reform and the attainment of Vision 2030 — achieving Upper-Middle Income Status.

Whilst there are international commitments Zimbabwe made regarding reform, what is good for Zimbabwean people — that which makes them attain their aspirations — remains the bedrock and motivation for reforms.

The writer is Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.

By Wilbert Mukori: Last month the Mnangagwa government enacted the Statutory Instrument 142 (2019) in which the regime banish the use of the basketful of multi-foreign currencies as legal tender in Zimbabwe leaving the local currency in its multiplicity of formats and names; Bond Notes and coins, RTGS$ and Ecocash all to be known from hence forth as Zimbabwe Dollar (Z$). Zimbabwe is not the first nation to make such a bold move, one of the first to do so was the United States of America in 1862.

In an article “A currency backed by nothing”, a very simple explanation in the simplest language is given why USA’s bold move worked and why Zimbabwe’s is doomed to fail.

“On February 25, 1862, United States President Abraham Lincoln signed the Legal Tender Act, a brainchild of Elbridge Spaulding. Those were terrifying times. The republic was at war with itself and would be till 1865,” wrote eBusiness.

“Through the Act, Treasury would issue federal dollars backed by nothing. The new currency was quickly nicknamed “greenback”, The greenback was to be used for all local transactions except custom duties and interest on government bonds which were to be paid for in the old gold-backed dollars or gold. The National Banking Act in 1863 would make it clear that banks could still issue own banknotes only that now, with the Legal Tender Act, such notes had to be backed by the greenback and not gold as before.

“They were worried inflation would soar once the anchorless currency circulated. They were wrong. Why? Well, war can be good business. Factories keep running because a lot of stuff must be produced and moved quickly to make way for more stuff to be produced. With such activity, the anchorless currency did not chase few goods, it oiled industry.”

In Zimbabwe SI 142 has enacted in a huff, inflation was soaring and traders, workers and everyone with the economic clout to pick and choose which currency to be paid in was doing so to the detriment of the local currency. SI 142 was enacted to banish all foreign currency as legal tender and force everyone to use the local currency.

In a country with a skewed trade deficit and little local production, prices of goods and services are tied to foreign currency. Increasing the amount of local currency without increasing production and available foreign currency was bound to fuel inflation.

At the time SI 142 was passed inflation was already 97% and it opened the door for the regime to print more money to meet the lost buying power of the local currency. As slippery slope as this caused a new wave of price increases fuelled inflation. In the last four weeks inflation has already surged to 175% and is set to grow exponential as the latest price and wages increases of 40% and even 1 000% with zero and even negative increased production take effect.

“What made it (USA bold move) work? Hastily, some will say trust and confidence,” concluded eBusiness Weekly. “But, what we know and is irrefutable is that when the greenback was introduced in the early 1860s, industrial production, thanks in part to the war, made it work.

“We must, however, realise that production is an end, it is an outcome of peculiar knowledges and insights of what to produce and how to produce it. Zimbabwe and indeed Africa hasn’t quite figured that out. In this is the mission of our time.”

Well our mission is mission impossible in that power and authority to change anything is now invested and monopolized by those who believe they know best when in fact they know nothing.

“I know nothing and that is the only knowledge I have!” said the great Greek Philosopher Socrates (470 -399 BC). The Socratic paradox, given he is one of the “wisest”, as the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, readily acknowledged.

What made Socrates such a wise man is his humility to admit he does not know and thus opened his mind to learn and have everything questioned from all possible angles. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” he argued.

Socrates, like his fellow Greeks of his age, had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, embrace the need for freedom of expression and free speech and gave birth to democracy. Greece prospered and thrived. It was Greece’s golden age!

In Zimbabwe we are ruled by men and women who believe they have the divine right to rule and have been rigging elections to ensure they iron grip on power. They have stifled all meaningful debate there is no freedom of expression and no free media because they cannot bear being questioned much less held to democratic account.

SI 142 is doomed to fail; it is but one of the many Zanu PF voodoo economic policies to fail with disastrous economic consequences to the nation. Even after 39 years of gross mismanagement and rampant corruption and the national economy in ruins; Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies still believe they know best and are they only one competent to rule Zimbabwe.

Our mission is impress on these Zanu PF thugs that they are humans, like all humans, they do not have the monopoly of knowledge. And that after 39 years of blundering from pillar to post, proof their do not know best, they must accept they have failed to govern.

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF cronies must accept they rigged last year’s elections, this Zanu PF regime is illegitimate and must step down.

As long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state ruled by corrupt, incompetent and unaccountable thugs, the country will continue to sink into the abyss; is the one thing I do know for certain.

By Own Correspondent- Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said government was committed to ensuring access to quality and affordable primary health care as a way of ensuring a healthy nation.

Dr Moyo said this in a speech read on his behalf by Health Services Board chairperson Dr Paulinus Sikhosana when he officiated at the 23rd Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) annual conference here Friday.

Dr Moyo said Government was committed to delivering efficient health services at community level, in line with the grand vision for universal health care being advocated for at continental level.

“As Government, we pledge to offer support to councils in the attainment of universal health coverage by providing an enabling and conducive environment in which individuals and communities are empowered and engaged in maintaining and enhancing their health and well-being,” said Dr Moyo.

He said Government will decentralise primary health care to the remotest communities for easy access by all.

Dr Moyo said to achieve this, there should be attractive incentives to newly qualified personnel as one of the ways of making the health sector competitive.

“This is important if we are to attract these personnel to work in our rural hospitals,” he said. “This conference aims to provide a platform where African and international medical regulators, policy makers and academics share ideas, experiences and learn from each other.”

Dr Moyo said despite remarkable progress in the provision of quality health care in the last decades, Africa continued to face a plethora of challenges as far as the health sector was concerned.

“No single state can address health challenges on their own, hence the amalgamated need to ensure a shared and coordinated approach through which medical regulatory authorities can exchange information and best practices on how to address these challenges, and devise mechanisms to uniformly compact issues of common concern for the benefit of all Africans,” he said.

Health experts drawn from health associations of medical councils of Africa and beyond are attending the conference which was organised by the Health Professions Authority and Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.

It is being held under the theme “The role of the health regulator in the delivery of universal health coverage”.

Chairman of the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council Dr Adolf Macheka said the main pillars of universal health care were availability, accessibility and affordability.

He called upon Government to remove the recruitment freeze on health workers, saying political will was needed for better health service in the country.

“A lot of African countries, including Zimbabwe, are working towards the establishment of such a system where you find human capital resources available at all healthcare centres,” said Dr Moyo.

AMCOA president Kgosi Letlape said the conference was aimed at activating member countries to come up with protocols that ensure equitable access to health service by all citizens regardless of social or political status.

He said countries should strive to minimise the number of citizens who sought healthcare in other countries by providing enough and affordable health services.

“We have a collective responsibility as countries and this is about vigilance, integrity across borders,” said Mr Letlape. “Without creating solidarity, we won’t be able to contain health risks. Countries should come up with legislated mechanisms on how to deal with litigation, which is becoming costly.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Health and Child Care Ambassador, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday took her cancer screening awareness campaign to Chikurubi Female Prison where she expressed concern on how the silent killer continues to be on the increase in the country.

She pledged to continue advocating and conducting awareness campaigns through her Angel of Hope Foundation in addressing the health problems.

The First Lady, who was briefed of the challenges the institution was facing among them shortage of medications in the prison’s clinics, sourced an ambulance and medicines through the Ministry of Health and Child Care which would be used by both Chikurubi male and female prisons.

“I am here today because I have a passion for the empowerment of women and transforming livelihoods of the vulnerable society,” she said.

“My working theme is; ‘Leaving No one Behind’. I do not want you to be left behind. Today I have brought my team, together with support from our partners to offer you services of cervical cancer screening, HIV counselling and testing, BP checks, blood checks and sugar level checks amongst other things.

“One of the areas which has lagged behind in health service delivery has been the issue of marginalised groups. You are least likely to get the services which you need. This is why I felt that you cannot be left behind.”

The First Lady urged the inmates to take advantage of her foundation’s mobile clinic and get checked for cervical and breast cancer.

“This place is for correction and rehabilitation. It just means when you come out, you are better positioned to be reintegrated into the society. So my wish is for you to come out of here in good health, hence I have decided to have you receive the health services whilst you are here,” she said.

She then urged the private sector, partners and Government to support cancer awareness activities.

“Cancer treatment methods are known and available. Let us translate this into action, ensuring universal health coverage in regard to cancer treatment,” she said.

Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo gave credit to the First Lady for advocating good  health.

“We noted that on taking up her role as First Lady of the country, Amai Mnangagwa, hit the ground running raising awareness on social issues especially health and hygiene HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and non-communicable diseases like cancer, hypertension and diabetes mellitus,” he said.

“Noting this great work we have not only made the First Lady Ambassador for Health. We are now finalising a Strategic Framework for Engagement with the Office of the First Lady on HIV, Health and Development.”

Speaking at the same occasion, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Commissioner-General Paradzai Zimondi applauded the First Lady for her commitment in the health sector.

The inmates thanked Amai Mnangagwa and Angel of Hope partners for remembering them and were screened for cervical and breast cancer.-StateMedia

MDC deputy president and former Finance minister Tendai Biti told a party rally recently that Mnangagwa could have blown in excess of US$200 million in travelling expenses since coming into power in November 2017.

But Mnangagwa yesterday told the Zanu PF women league that his never-ending trips were good for Zimbabwe.

“The media is busy saying I travel a lot. But look (at) what I bring. On Monday or so, we shall be receiving more medicines from the Arabs. They are giving us

for free,” the President said yesterday.

According to flightware.com, the luxury Royal Jet A6-RJX left Abu Dhabi at 0930hrs on Tuesday and arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare at 1420hrs.

It then left Harare for Victoria Falls on Thursday before departing the resort town on the same day at 1340hrs and arrived in Harare at 1643hrs.

Royal Jet, according to their website, offers luxury executive flight services and can provide their customers VIP treatment when necessary and can charter anyMore in Home

private jet anywhere in the world through their 24/7 charter brokerage service.

NewsDay Weekender understands that it costs between US$10 000 and US$30 000 per hour to fly the luxury jet.

From July 6 this month, the luxury jet has flown the President from Harare to Niger and Benin, and back before returning to its base in Abu Dhabi more than seven times, cloaking nearly US$1 million.

The country is currently facing massive electricity load-shedding lasting for as long as 18 hours a day, while most public hospitals are failing to dispense critical drugs, which many could not afford in pharmacies. Motorists are also spending days in fuel queues across the country.

Although Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has defended Mnangagwa’s frequent international trips, saying he had to travel to countries like China because deals could not be sealed over the phone, it is not clear whether such huge costs were necessary for local travel.

MDC secretary for international relations Gladys Hlatywayo said: “The extravagance displayed by Zanu PF in a sea of poverty, suffering and economic distress is deeply disconcerting. A thorough investigation must be made into these trips, something is just not adding up and there could be more than meets the eye! I fail to understand why Zanu PF would put in so much resources in traveling and get next to no returns for such an investment.”

-Newsday

SAD ANNOUNCEMENT

We are very sad to announce the untimely death of Enock Ngandi, the son of MDC Derby-Nottingham Branch Secretary Mr Temba Ngandi here in the United Kingdom.

Enock was only a young man in his early 20s. A bright shining light taken away too soon, our thoughts and prayers are with the Ngandi family.

To those who wish to help the Ngandi family financially through this hard time, the following are Mr Temba Ngandi’s Bank and contact details:
T. Ngandi
Sort Code – 521035
A/C Number – 14514397

Mobile Number +447411495111

For those wishing to pay their respects and comfort the Ngandi family, mourners are gathered at:
21 Birchfield Road
Burton on Trent
DE15 9PT

Funeral plans will be confirmed as soon as all arrangements are completed.

Shelton Nhamoinesu
MDC Midlands North District Sec for Information and Publicity

By A Correspondent- The Grain Millers of Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has so far procured food worthy $1 million to assist 10 schools that were affected by Cyclone Idai as part of its feeding programme.

Said GMAZ Chair Tafadzwa Musarara:

“The issue of transparency is very critical in this food aid programme. If there is transparency, this programme will go a very long way in feeding children affected by the cyclone.

We were deeply affected with the disaster. We never anticipated it. We asked for 10 schools for a start, but it’s not us who chose them.”

Local Government minister July Moyo and his Primary and Secondary Education counterpart, Paul Mavima, who helped identify schools to assist with food.

“We are not just providing food, but we are providing food that has nutritional requirements. In the morning, pupils will be given porridge and at around 10am, they will be given maheu, while at lunch they will get sadza and soya beans,” he said

Hangani Primary School headmaster Lovemore Timbira said the feeding project would go a long way in ending hunger at schools affected by the cyclone. “This is a good project and we are happy as school heads in Chimanimami, as we hope attendance will improve considerably,” he said.-StateMedia

By A Correspondent- Vice President Kembo Mohadi says talking about Gukurahundi openly is going to assist in healing broken wounds and finding a lasting solution for the country to prosper.

He said peace has been and remains a permanent ideal and aspiration as well as a right and duty for Zimbabweans.

VP Mohadi said this recently as he met chiefs from the Midlands Province.

He said:

“We had Gukurahundi; it happened here in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces. We can only talk about it because there is the need to find a lasting solution for the benefit of the country. We can’t afford not to talk about it (Gukurahundi). As leaders we must go out there and promote peace for each other and for our country. This is a topical issue.

I am very pleased to be here in the Midlands to have dialogue with you our traditional leaders from this province ye Nkabazwe, Rukuvhute, the navel of Zimbabwe, on peace building and conflict resolution in our beloved country, Zimbabwe.

The navel has some significance in our culture, kulemkuba yokulahla inkaba yomntwana. There are some rituals of disposing of the navel of a baby.”-StateMedia