State Media|THE anti- graft crusade by the Zanu-PF Youth League is being motivated by the desire to subject people to account and not political considerations, a party official has said.

The youth league’s deputy secretary, Lewis Matutu said the youth league is not motivated by a desire to tarnish other people’s images but to fight corruption, a cancer which has compromised the economy.

“The youth are the most vulnerable, hence there is need to speak with one voice to build the economy through fighting corruption. 

“We have had people that were trying to frighten us and use tribal cards in corruption cases, people trying to use issues of factionalism which do not exist but that has failed to work,” said Matutu. 

He applauded the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) saying those allegedly involved in corruption should clear themselves before the Commission and the courts.

 “If you are clean you will be proven so by the courts.

“We are also very happy about ZACC because for the first time President Mnangagwa has delivered in the fight against corruption.

“ZACC is very serious, they don’t care about individual opinion or interests, they care about public resources and their mandate is to deliver and we are very happy,” he said.

Matutu added: “Instead of clearing themselves they go for politicking but corruption issues have nothing to do with politics, corruption requires response, evidence and defence in court through prosecution,” he said.

He warned those fanning factionalism saying they will become unpopular. 

“The question is whose faction against whose? I assure you that under the leadership of President Mnangagwa you will be very unpopular to talk about factionalism and you actually isolate yourself. 

“There are people who do not want to be accountable and they would rather hide behind politics instead of clearing themselves from corruption allegations. 

“For people to think that what ZACC is doing is just political gimmick and perhaps they are just doing what the previous commission was doing, they will be fooling themselves. 

“People are going to be arrested if they were involved in corruption, because like the President said he has given ZACC teeth and they have big ones and they are biting so if people think that its politicking then they are misled,” he said.

He urged party members to desist from acquiring wealth through corrupt activities, but stand by the party’s ideology.

“As a party we should be able to say this is right, this is part of our ideology and this is in line with our norms and values and this is wrong, this must be corrected. 

“If you look at these cases, you will find out that these people were engaging in massive corruption. 

“So genuine people will genuinely support President Mnangagwa vision and are seen through their deeds not what they say.

“We must be an example as an organisation. If you look at the South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO) of Namibia and African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa, if there is anything in the organisation that is linked to corruption or anything that affects their governance, they attend to it including the President for example in the case of former South Africa President Jacob Zuma, he appeared before the commission of inquiry to find out what was happening and that is what a modern organisation should do,” he said.

He hailed the President for remaining steadfast in fighting corruption.

State Media|Electricity supplies are expected to improve significantly following a payment plan that was agreed on by Zimbabwe and South African power utility, Eskom, coupled with a US$2 million import facility through a local financial institution.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa while addressing the media on the 27th Cabinet decision matrix in Harare yesterday.

She said Cabinet had agreed on a cocktail of measures that will see power supply improving.

“Modalities to operationalise the above resolutions are being worked out. Furthermore, ZESA is now accessing 300MW during off-peak hours. This additional power is availed through the Southern African Power Pool Day Ahead Market under a US$2 million facility which was mobilised by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company from its own resources. This additional power has reduced the duration of load shedding in most areas,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said negotiations between ZETDC and Eskom were still underway on the 400MW and a more definitive position will be made public once remaining loose ends were tied.

Acting Minister of Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza weighed in saying a payment plan had since been agreed between Zimbabwe and Eskom.

“We can report that ZETDC has engaged local bank to the tune of a $15 million guarantee to unlock supply of 400MW from Eskom. At the same time, ZETDC, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Eskom have also agreed on a payment plan so that these initiatives that have been put into place will enable us to have more power,” said Dr Nzenza, who is also Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.

Earlier on, Minister Mutsvangwa said following the decision by Cabinet to allow exporting mining companies to pay their electricity bills in foreign currency, the business community had embraced the adoption of renewable energy, including participation in net metering and smart metering technologies.

She said it was also agreed to escalate energy efficiency, taking note of the SADC Industrial Energy Efficiency Initiative and implementation of the cost-reflective tariffs proposal for their members through a ring-fenced power arrangement.

She said Cabinet received the Food Deficit Mitigation Programme report from Minister Nzenza where it emerged that a total of 189 042,52 tonnes of grain had been distributed to vulnerable households in both the country’s rural and urban provinces.

In Harare, the areas covered were Zengeza, Seke, Budiriro, Glen View, Kuwadzana, Dzivaresekwa, Kambuzuma, Rugare and Glen Norah. In Bulawayo, the areas covered were Njube, Magwegwe, Nketa, Tshabalala, Nkulumane and Silwane.

Minister Mutsvangwa said following President Mnangagwa’s interaction with Zimbabweans in Namibia, Cabinet resolved that invitations for appointments in commissions, boards of public enterprises and Government ministries and agencies be also extended to nationals in the Diaspora.

“Furthermore, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage will actively engage its counterparts in the region in order to speedily resolve issues affecting Zimbabweans in those countries,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Electricity supplies are expected to improve significantly following a payment plan that was agreed on by Zimbabwe and South African power utility, Eskom, coupled with a US$2 million import facility through a local financial institution.

This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa while addressing journalists on the 27th Cabinet Decision Matrix held in Harare yesterday.

She said Cabinet had agreed on a cocktail of measures that will see power supply improving.

“Modalities to operationalise the above resolutions are being worked out. Furthermore, ZESA is now accessing 300 MW during off-peak hours. This additional power is availed through the Southern African Power Pool Day Ahead Market under a US$2 million facility which was mobilised by Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) from its own resources.

This additional power has reduced the duration of load shedding in most areas,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
She said negotiations between ZETDC and Eskom were still underway on the 400MW and a more definitive position will be made public once remaining loose ends were concluded.

Acting Minister of Energy and Power Development Dr Sekai Nzenza weighed in saying a payment plan had since been agreed between Zimbabwe and Eskom.

“We can report that ZETDC has engaged a local bank to the tune of a $15 million guarantee to unlock supply of 400MW from Eskom. At the same time, ZETDC, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Eskom have also agreed on a payment plan so that these initiatives that have been put into place will enable us to have more power,” said Dr Nzenza, who is also Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare.State media

SUGAR producer, Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe (THZ) has increased the price of brown sugar by a whopping 75 percent with immediate effect citing cost adjustments in line with the interbank exchange rate.

According to a new price table from the company a 1kg packet of brown sugar now costs $8,61 while a 2kg packet is now selling at $17,22 with 5kg selling at $43,05.

A10kg pack is going for $86,10. The last increase in sugar pricing was done sometime in June when it was increased to $9.98 for a 2kg pack from around $5.

However, the pricing table shows that white sugar remains unchanged at $5,22 for 1kg and $10,44 for 2kg with $26,10 for 5kg and $52,30 for 10kg respectively.

Zimbabwe Sugar Sales board member Mr Admore Hwarare confirmed the increases yesterday saying that, considering the interbank rates, the increases were reasonable. The interbank rate hovers around US$1:ZW$8,5- ZW$9,6
“Given the circumstances we find ourselves in as the sugar industry, the adjustments are reasonable. We, however, urge retailers and other players who get our sugar to desist from rent seeking behaviour through pegging the commodity at prices outside the recommended rates.

“We have some unscrupulous retailers who take advantage of the laxity of the market by unjustifiably increasing the prices,” said Mr Hwarare.

He said there was enough sugar in the market, which could last for the next three years and advised consumers against hoarding the product.State media

Farai Dziva|A Constitutional Law expert has said Constantino Chiwenga should not be removed from office although he is not feeling well.

According to Constitutional Lawyer Shepard Dube, leaders must be removed through elections.

“Removing Chiwenga will tilt the balance of power in Zanu PF and Zimbabwe.

History has taught us that is not a good thing. Chiwenga currently serves as the biggest check to Mnangagwa.

Left unchecked ED will become another Mugabe. Leaders should be removed through elections at Congresses, not through Coups and Underhand methods.

The Constitution says that the Senate and House of Assembly can jointly remove a president and his or her deputies,” Dube told an online publication.

By A Correspondent- Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has raised the flag over the conduct of the accountant general who since 2014 has not signed any paperwork to authorise government expenditure.

Mliswa said because of this, Zimbabwe has had a dysfunctional Government.  

Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir. Let me first of all commend the Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Hon. Biti, for a sterling job that they did in terms of highlighting a number of issues which have been outstanding for a long time.  

I think it is good that we have the Minister of Finance and Economic Development and it will certainly help him put things in order which have not been in order.  Part of his role is to take corrective measures.

The Accountant-General, does he really exist Mr. Speaker Sir, because if you look at all what is outstanding right now, it is under his purview.  We see and read about the Auditor General, but we have never read about the Accountant General.  

It is actually new for us to think that such a person exists and what is the role of the Accountant General in this regard?  One of the main roles of the Accountant General is to authorise, to issue a warrant for expenditure to every Ministry which means no Ministry can spend any money.  If they want $20 000 you must sign for that.

Mr. Speaker Sir, since 2014 there is no paper work which has been signed from him authorising that expenditure.  So, basically we have had a dysfunctional Government.  

We come to Parliament, we pass budgets and I think in a way Parliament has been lenient too in allowing the Budget to be passed without this due diligence being done.  

We must hold everybody accountable.  So, how do we then keep giving ministries money when there is no corporate governance?  We are seen wanting as Parliament. It is not the duty of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development will come with the Budget here and we pass the Budget, but I think it is important for Members of Parliament to understand the role of the Accountant General in this regard.

The Committees here must be able to give us the direction.  There are different Portfolio Committees in this august House which are responsible for ministries and they must be able to tell us no, we cannot pass this budget because of A, B, C and D.  In a situation like this, Mr. Speaker Sir, what do you do about the outstanding issues from now going back to 2014? Not only that, he has not even come to this House to seek condonation.  

While all those mistakes have been done, he has not come to this House to seek condonation so that this House allows the mistakes done and at the same time says, moving forward the processes must be followed.  So, condonation is not even brought to this august House.

Mr. Speaker Sir, the RBZ gives money to financial institutions but the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development borrows over what they are supposed to borrow which is 20%.  They have done that, they have not come here.  

This is the reason why you see so much money floating around, people changing money because these are transactions happening without the knowledge of this House.  The Treasury Bills that we are talking about were borne from these transactions.  Today you read stories and audits about command agriculture. 

Hon. Members, we cannot sweep things under the carpet.  For too long, we have been known to be sweeping things under the carpet and who suffers at the end of the day – it is the people, it is us.  The Auditor General has highlighted a number of issues and it is about time that we interrogate further and we are able to bring people to account. 

Today we are now having Ministers arrested for allegations which is a welcome move.  For a very long time, they were sitting safe and comfortable on these benches.  Today I think it was a miserable day in Cabinet when one of their own was not there and I am sure they were asking themselves where this person is. 

I hope it hit your conscience that when you are in public office, that is public money, it is not touched – especially when it is pensioner’s money. 

So I am glad that the President has now decided to emerge.  Popularly known as Ngwenya the crocodile, he had hunted the buffalo and went under water.   He has now finished eating the buffalo and he is out again.  So that is what we expected of the President,  to do exactly what he is doing so that any Minister who is close to him and who serves this country must go to the prison. 

 I am bringing this up because if Ministers were accounting, if they knew the accounting systems in the Ministry, they would not be going to jail.  At times you go to jail while you are innocent, but it is because of being complacent in not understanding what your subordinates must be doing.

Ministers today talk about the board but who does the board report to – the Minister.  So how can you be sleeping on duty?  Who does management report to – the board.  These are the corporate governance issues which they have been ignoring for a long time and now they are coming to eat them.  

So, it is important these issues that we are talking about, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development must spend time in educating these Ministers at the workshop on how they must account for this money, how they must know that if anything goes wrong, it is the Minister who is responsible.

We want to talk about the issues of the Minister of Finance and Economic Development equally coming to this House because we hardly hear of Ministers coming to this House for a supplementary budget.  We are in a situation where the money which we budgeted for is not enough, but because we budgeted for it, it must come through because that is an estimated budget.  

Failure to do that will not deliver.  Which means, Mr. Speaker Sir, all the civil servants we have are not doing anything because there is no money.  So, the question that I ask Mr. Speaker Sir is, what are civil servants doing in offices when they do not have tools for trade?

Basically, they are sitting there having coffee with heaters on.  You cannot blame them because there are no resources.  There is expenditure from the civil servants and at the same time there is no production which covers that expenditure.  You are constantly in the red.  So, Ministers must pay attention to detail or know these issues and so forth.

Mr. Speaker Sir, in this situation Hon. Biti must be commended.  I think he articulated this well, being former Minister of Finance and so forth, he was privy to these issues.  Thus the reason why even on that day, I was disappointed that Hon. Matangira would stop Hon. Biti from debating on something that he is knowledgeable about and no one takes that away from him.  

We have a situation where the Blue Book, we have a sovereign debt of $17 billion.  This is now the Blue Book from the same team, brings it to $9.6 billion.  To think that is not enough, the third Blue Book brings it to $9.4 billion. 

These are the same people.  From $17 billion, the same people are saying, it is $9. 6 billion and $9.4 billion.  Mr. Speaker Sir, I want you to understand this.  How did they reach the $17 billion, the $9.6 billion and the $9.4 billion?  If we were to continue, it would even come to $1 billion or to 1 cent.  

What I am trying to say here is there is no work being done at all.  These are figures which have a lot to do with the running of this country.  For me, it is important that we talk about the inconsistence of the figures.  When your figures are not coming in not very consistent, it has repercussions on the running of the country because you will budget high, then they come low.  To me, that needs to be looked into pertaining that.  The running of the budget in terms of the deficit of $2 billion in 2018 

Said Hwange East Member of Parliament, Tose Sansole:

“Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.  I think you will agree with me that sound financial management is at the core of any society.  So to have a whole Ministry of Finance and Economic Development that is supposed to supervise all other ministries in the conduct of their financial affairs failing to comply with legislation that regulates such as the Public Finance Management Act is unacceptable.

We have a Ministry of Finance and Economic Development that is expected to lead by example because it supervises all other ministries which failed to abide by legislation which governs financial affairs in Government.  I want to buttress the view expressed in the report that the Accounting Officer in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development was uncooperative and very defensive.  

Instead of explaining the matters that arose, he apportioned them to legacy issues and said that he was not there when they occurred.  As Accounting Officer, he is accountable for what happens in the Ministry regardless of the fact that he was not there because we look at the institution and not the person heading the institution.  The Accounting Officer is expected to take full responsibility for the activities that took place in the Ministry.

Apart from the failure to avail information relating to the State’s indebtedness, the Ministry failed to also allocate 5% of the nation’s revenues as expected in the Constitution in line with the devolution agenda.  

It failed to allocate 5% of national revenue to local authorities and to provincial councils that were to be set up in terms of devolution which is clearly spelt out in the Constitution.  There were cases of over expenditure which occurred without the Ministry seeking condonation from Parliament and no satisfactory explanation was given for those transgressions by the Accounting Officer.

Regarding the failure to submit monthly consolidated financial statements for the period and for each quarter, the Accountant-General could not give explanations.  The Ministry is expected every month to give financial statements for each month and subsequent to that, every other month, cumulative figures for the quarter and half year leading to the year.  The build-up also helps us in coming up with the budget for the ensuing year.

To date, the financial statements that have been prepared by the Ministry for the months of April and May 2019 contained numerous errors and that is not acceptable for a Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.  The Ministry’s failure to comply with Sections 11 (2); 13 (1); 20 (2) and 22 (2) of the Public Debt Management Act are all indicative of the lack of seriousness on the part of the Ministry in as far as the discharge of responsibilities is concerned.

The net effect of these transgressions is excessive borrowing with no regard to limits by the State and local authorities and that is not acceptable, Mr. Speaker Sir.

We also had incidents of keeping Parliament in the dark regarding such borrowings and that is also not acceptable because Parliament must be aware of the state of indebtedness of the country. 

 In addition, failure by the Ministry, except in 2019 where there has been an allocation, to allocate at least 5% of the national revenues to provinces and local authorities is a violation of the Constitution.  It is also a clear indication that the Government pays lip service to the issue of devolution.

As you can see from the report that was presented by the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, expenditure outside the budget has been a common occurrence for the past five years from 2014 and the Ministry has not bothered to come to Parliament to seek condonation for such excesses.  This will not be allowed going forward, Mr. Speaker Sir.  I think the Public Accounts Committee must use its teeth to bite and bite effectively.

Finally, I have noted that failure to comply with the law, particularly the Public Finance Act, is not only prevalent in the Ministry of Finance, we have found that in other ministries as well.  

There are directors in other ministries who are expected to provide their monthly and quarterly financial statements to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development who also failed to do so during the period under review.  We expect all ministries to comply and also to comply within the set timelines.  I want to thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.

By A Correspondent- Raising a point of priviledge in parliament Tuesday, MDC Vice President Tendai Biti challenged Finance Minister to disclose Government’s forex sources which was being used to finance external debt at a time the country had dumped the multi currency system.

Said Biti:

“On a point of privilege, Mr. Speaker Sir.  Hon. Speaker, last week the esteemed Deputy Speaker made a ruling that the Minister of Finance and Economic Development comes and gives a Ministerial Statement on the issue of foreign currency, 60% of which is going to an item called ‘others’ which we do not know – about $2 billion.  

I ask that on a point of privilege that I bring in terms of Standing Order 69, that when the Minister comes to make that Ministerial Statement, he also explains on the following –you recall Hon. Speaker that on 24^th June, 2019, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development himself gazetted and enacted Statutory Instrument 142 of 29 which demonetised the regime of multiple currencies and introduced the new Zimbabwean dollar which had been introduced by SI 33 of 2019.

The following day the RBZ Governor issued an exchange control directive in respect of which he directed that all companies that had external obligations should come and report their external obligations because the Central Bank had set aside the sum of US$1.2 billion that is going to cater for this external debt that is owed by these companies.  

The question that we would like the Minister of Finance and Economic Development to answer is – where is the RBZ getting this money from when we know that the central bank is broke?  Mr. Speaker, this is relevant because two years down the line we do not want this Parliament to be saddled with yet another Debt Assumption Bill.

By A Correspondent| Kenya’s Government has deported the man who has been posing as Jesus while reportedly going around, taking money from Kenyans to perform miracles, and secure seats for them in heaven.

The two church pastors who invited him, have also been arrested. The duo alkegedly hosted and moved around with the man, convincing believers that he was ‘Jesus Christ’, and he had finally come back as he had promised.–DaikyAfrika

By A Correspondent- ZANU PF is reportedly immersed in intra-party squabbles emanating from President Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption campaign.

Reports suggest that there are some party bigwigs who are disgruntled by Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption drive which seems like a calculated move to eliminate political enemies.

An unnamed party official who spoke to the News Day revealed that ZANU PF top officials are already meeting to deliberate on countermeasures.

The official said:

The President thinks he will earn public support, but, in fact, by arresting some top people who put their political lives on the line for him, this is now dividing the party. Top officials are now unsure of what is happening in the party. They feel they will be targeted too..

Some officials are meeting to find the best way to respond to this. They believed that if ever the President was sincere about fighting corruption, he should start in his own backyard, including arresting his own children and cartel leaders around him. Anything short of that is political targeting.

Top party officials expected Mnangagwa to protect them considering that they are the ones who helped him to ascend to power.

The source added:

The party bigwigs all have skeletons in their cupboards, but believe Mnangagwa himself is not clean from corruption and so are his children. They said he is sacrificing others for his political life. If he is serious about corruption, why doesn’t he start with those people directly linked to him who plundered command agriculture and fuel funds.-Newsday

By A Correspondent| Nokukhanya Mseleku (MaYeni), Busisiwe Mseleku (Mamkhulu), Musa Mseleku, Mbali Mseleku (MaNgwabe) and Thobile Mseleku (MaKhumalo) have made polygamy fashionable.

Celebrity polygamist Musa Mseleku says he does not use any imbiza (herbal booster) to prop up his sexual performance, but relies on prayer to keep the fire burning in the bedroom.

Mseleku, 44, who has been propelled to the top of the popularity charts by his reality TV show Uthando Nes’thembu on Mzansi Magic, told Sunday World that divine intervention was the reason for his successful polygamist marriages. 

Speaking during a lengthy interview in Joburg this week, Mseleku said he gets the strength to satisfy his four wives from a higher power.

Wearing a blue sports jacket and jeans, Mseleku, who is looking for a candidate to become his fifth wife, said he uses prayer as a weapon to give his wives sexual pleasure.

“God gives me strength as I go to bed. I believe when God created me he had all these plans in mind, so the strength to sexually satisfy my wives comes from Him,” he said.

He is currently married to MaCele who is also known as Mamkhulu, MaYeni, MaKhumalo and MaNgwabe, with whom he has 10 children.

The businessman said he doesn’t need to use any charm on his wives to respect him or stop them from cheating on him, noting that they were free to engage with him and to voice their views on any matter in their marriage.

“They are allowed to differ with me on matters that they don’t agree with and I never get offended and start to feel like I’m losing control. There is nothing I am using to make them submissive or narrow-minded. So there is no charm. In fact I wish I had one, I would be having wife number five by now,” he said laughing.

Mseleku said he was not really obsessed about the age of wife number five, but he was looking for someone matured and respectable.

“Sometimes being young comes with challenges so I want someone who will understand that she is not alone. I want someone who won’t be selfish about this.

“I want someone who will be open-minded and understand that she might be accepted or not accepted by the other wives. I want someone who will not make it so difficult for me, but who will ease the burden.

Wife number five must be someone who is accommodative around circumstances. I obviously would not allow a person to be abused because she is new, but I would want a person who is open-minded,” he added.

He said he only uses prayer to keep his household together, which explains why none of his wives have cheated on him.

“I pray because cheating is not because you are more than one in a man. Cheating is something that happens in a relationship. I guess we have no control over it except making sure we do our best on our side by giving them money, satisfy them sexually and give them quality time.

“If you are doing those things you are then saying, should I find you cheating you then have to have a good reason, if there is ever a good reason for a person to cheat.

“I only pray that my ancestors and God will prevent them from cheating on me.”

He also works hard everyday to ensure that the financial needs of his wives and children were taken care of.

“If it is love they need, I always make sure that I see them everyday. I always say to my wives I don’t want to be an absent husband or father to my kids,” said Mseleku.

He added that he ensured he gave equal time to his wives by making sure that he lays a head at each wife’s house after every three days.

But he said he makes sure he sees all of them every day if he was not away on business, adding that he was pursuing wife number five to fulfill his dream of having 20 children.

“I feel like I’m under-performing in that area of producing children. So far, it’s four wives and 10 kids. It should be four wives and 20 kids. So wife number five will help me grow my legacy.”

By Own Correspondent| The United Kingdom says that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has to implement the political reforms that he promised to Zimbabweans.

Speaking through its embassy in Harare, the UK also urged President Mnangagwa to fully implement the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry.

It said in a statement:

“A year after Zimbabwe’s elections, we reiterate our call to the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to work on delivering the genuine political reforms that it has committed to alongside the economic reforms needed to pave the way to a better future for all Zimbabweans.

We also call on the Zimbabwe authorities to ensure the recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry are fully implemented.”

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said that 3 poachers died after they engaged game scouts in a shootout in the Save Conservancy, police said in a statement:

Three poachers died after a shoot-out with game scouts at Bubi Valley Conservancy.

The poachers who were armed with a firearm resisted orders to stop ignored warning shots when they were spotted in the conservancy, instead they shot at the scouts but lost the battle that ensued.

In another development, ZRP said that 27 suspected smugglers were arrested in Beitbridge and have appeared before the courts of law;

Police in Beitbridge have intensified anti-smuggling operations in the border town and have so far intercepted five motor vehicles with smuggled goods and arrested 27 accused persons for possession of smuggled goods. All the accused persons have been arraigned before the courts.

Members of the public are urged to declare all their imported goods when entering the country.

By A Correspondent| Public Service Minister Sekai Nzenza was at pains justifying why she is delaying availing the NSSA audit report to parliament and the public amid damning allegations that she received a “bribe” to cover up the rot unearthed by the Auditor General Mildred Chiri.

Nzenza however confirmed that the NSSA Forensic Audit Report was a public document adding that it shall be made available to both parliament and the public soon.

“…We have internal processes which we have to go through and once that is done, then we will table it before parliament…yes it is a public document and like I have indicated I will table it before parliament soon,” she said.

Nzenza however described as “nonsensical” claims that she is part of the rot at NSSA adding that as far as she was concerned, she was not under any investigations from anyone including the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC).

Legislators last week called for parliament to charge Nzenza with contempt of parliament after she promised to avail the document only to change goal posts at the promised juncture.

WATCH the video below for this and more:

By A Correspondent- Police in Mutare’s Dangamvura high-density suburb are investigating an armed robbery case in which four suspects pounced on a house at night, looted foreign currency and an assortment of expensive gadgets following a vicious attack on the occupants.

Detectives handling the case revealed that the criminals who were armed with a pistol and various other dangerous weapons, targeted the house in the suburb’s Area 13 Section after an accomplice had tipped them that the family had received some money from the Diaspora meant for house renovations.

Contrary to their expectations of a big haul, the robbers walked away with US$290, laptops and cellphones.-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- A tremor struck Beacon Hill and Jersey in the south eastern district of Chipinge last night.

No damages or casualties were recorded.

Chipinge District Development Coordinator Mr Tedious Beto confirmed the tremor.

“I contacted someone there and he told me that no reports of casualties or damages were made. However, I am receiving conflicting reports on the tremor. Someone said the tremor was more powerful than the December one while another person said it was mild. I will get more official information soon,” he said.

Villagers in the affected areas said building vibrated at around 11pm but the shaking quickly subsided.-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has taken it upon herself to champion the creation of a national dress that will be appropriate for social and religious gatherings.

Preparatory meetings and consultations are already underway countrywide.

Speaking at an all stakeholders’ preparatory meeting at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Monday, Mnangagwa said:

“What brings us together today is a subject of great national importance which should have been concluded over the past 39 years of our independence.

As the mother of the nation, I am convinced that all Zimbabweans regardless of colour, creed, sex, age or location will be willing and keen to contribute to this national project involving my full participation.”

The dress should reflect a lot more on our traditions, history, national heritage and aspirations. It should also be appropriate for social and religious gatherings.

It should give us our national identity that conveys a message that I am Zimbabwean without even saying a word.

She said that an attempt in the past to come up with a national dress failed due to the lack of widespread consultation and politicisation of the process among other things.

By A Correspondent- Reverend Otis Bushiri, brother to South African based Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) founder and leader Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, will be in Shurugwi next month.

Bushiri will visit the chrome-mining town to conduct an evening service as part of his tour of Zimbabwe.

The Director of ECG international’s visit was confirmed to the Monitor by Pastor Tonderai Marobana leader of the Shurugwi Branch.

He said:

The national tour is set for August and he will be in Shurugwi on the 15th for an evening church service at the branch and we are expecting thousands of people to attend.

Reverend Otis Bushiri is the ECG Director and lives in Pretoria South Africa but for now, he is managing a church project in Malawi.

He will be touring all branches across the country where he will also be launching previous cells into full-fledged branches as the church grows.

The Shurugwi evening service will be conducted at Lobsides Hall.

ECG has branches and cells growing across the country in major towns and cities. They can be found in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Victoria Falls, Shurugwi, Chiredzi, Chitungwiza, Mutare, Mvuma Masvingo, Shurugwi among others.-MdlandsMonitor

Douglas Tapfuma Former Principal Director State Residences has been arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC) at around 1700hrs.

He is currently detained at Mabelreign Police Station. He is facing charges of Criminal abuse of office when he was the Principal Director at State House.

He imported personal vehicles using State papers. He will appear in court tomorrow 31 July 2019 at Rotten Row Magistrate Courts.

By Trevor Saruwaka| MDC activist, Maxwell ‘Gweje’ Gwechekweche, was murdered last night at Mutasa DC service Centre in a case of suspected political execution, possibly by the dreaded CIO.

Maxwell was last seen drinking at Chidokohori bar yesterday afternoon till evening. He was loudly boasting about being an MDC member challenging CIOs n soldiers that he was untouchable, that they could do nothing to him. Around 12midnight he was found groaning in pain along a path in the hill adjacent to the business centre. A call was made to the police who arrived almost two hours later, a distance of less than 2km away. He was rushed to Bonda where he died on arrival.

This is a case where if one adds one plus one one gets an answer pointing at political execution.

Gweje was a well known guy who survived by crashing stones n carrying luggage using his hand cart. He was a very hardworking man who lived an honest life. He was bitterly offended by Zanu PF rule hence his fearless attack of the system that has sustained Zanu PF in power for close to 4decades.

I hope the police are going to leave no stone unturned in their search for Maxwell’s murderers.

May his soul rest in peace.

Justice for Gweje

Trevor Saruwaka
Mutasa Central MP

Prominent lawyer and advocate, Thabani Mpofu has said on record that the State acted unlawfully by applying for cabinet minister Priscah Mupfumira’s further detention as it is not in line with the constitution.

Mpofu indicated that the section of the law in which the application was based on was illegal as it is not in line with the constitution, hence the need for the State to review and set aside its move.

“In terms of the Constitution which is the supreme law of the land and by which any law inconsistent with it is invalidated automatically an invalidated upon the coming in of the new constitution,” said Mpofu.

“A person who has been arrested and who appears in court for the first time is entitled to their immediate release with or without conditions, that is the right that sets in upon the arraignment of the person before a court, they must be released and that is why in terms of the procedure brought by the new constitution, no accused person has an obligation to apply for bail.

“The accused simply stands up in the court and indicates their desire to be admitted to bail, it is for the State to either consent or oppose bail and in that regard it is the State that must place before the court exceptional considerations which justify the continued detention of that person.

“Upon the arraignment of an accused person, that person must be admitted to bail with or without conditions, the constitution then contemplates the fact that there may be deserving cases and calls those exceptional cases, it says in those deserving cases and that are exceptional by nature they can be continued detention.

“What are those cases? those are the cases where the State manages to show, manages to prove that an accused person is not entitled to be released on bail.

“While it is true that Section 32 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act provides for this 21 days nonsense, the position which has already been taken by the Constitutional Court is that every law which is inconsistent with the Constitution becomes automatically null and void and became void upon the coming in of the new constitution there is actually no need for an order of court declaring the invalidity of the law, the law is invalid, what this means is that the State could not have legitimately and lawfully applied for the detention of the lady on which circumstances this issue has now arisen for debate.

“What the State did was unlawful, is reviewable and ought to be set aside and set aside urgently in the national interest. If the State believes it has a very strong case against this lady, what it must do is to set and to establish a basis upon which the court can deny her bail but to say she should not be given the opportunity to apply for bail is contrary to our constitutional order, contrary to our constitutional culture, contrary to law and it does not matter that one might not like her but the bottom line is that kind of illegality must not be allowed.”

This comes after the Acting chief Magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi remanded the Tourism Minister who is facing seven counts of criminal abuse of office to 21 days in custody.-zimpost

Controversial businessman and convicted fraudster Wicknell Chivayo has boasted that he is working out in anticipation of beating up the first person who accuses him of stealing ZESA funds.

Chivayo said that he is itching for the chance to bump into just one person who will tell him to his face that he misappropriated the money that he was given by Zesa and bought shoes instead.

Chivayo won a tender for the construction of the US$200 million Gwanda Solar Power Project in 2015 but is yet to show any meaningful progress apart from a few cabins and buildings, despite receiving a US$5 million advance from the government in irregular circumstances.

A GAS tank used by an informal trader for television and radio repairs reportedly exploded in the early hours of today leading to fire that destroyed a complex at Mbare Musika, with property worth thousands of dollars going up in smoke.

The incident occurred a few days after a part of Siyaso Informal Traders market in Magaba was ravaged by fire. Mbare Musika inferno is reported to have started at around 1 am, with Harare’s fire brigade team arriving at the scene when nearly all property in the complex was already burnt. Only a sewing machine was retrieved.

When news crews visited the area the victims were painfully narrating the incident that left them counting losses as they were still cleaning shreds and rags. Mr Netmore Mufunga whose shop is said to be the origin of the fire said he lost brand new and second hand electrical gadgets that had come for repairs including his personal cellphone and cash.

More to follow…

BREAKING NEWS: Cabinet resolves that section 40 which recognizes civil partnerships be removed from the Marriages Bill.

More to follow…

By A Correspondent- Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has challenged government to clarify the role of the Accountant General arguing that there is no paperwork to show due diligence on government expenditure since 2014.

“Does the Accountant General exist? There is no paperwork authorising government expenditure since 2014. Government has been borrowing without approval from parliament..”

Watch the video below for this and more.

Farai Dziva|A Constitutional Law expert has said Constantino Chiwenga should not be removed from office although he is not feeling well.

According to Constitutional Lawyer Shepard Dube, leaders must be removed through elections.

“Removing Chiwenga will tilt the balance of power in Zanu PF and Zimbabwe.

History has taught us that is not a good thing. Chiwenga currently serves as the biggest check to Mnangagwa.

Left unchecked ED will become another Mugabe. Leaders should be removed through elections at Congresses, not through Coups and Underhand methods.

The Constitution says that the Senate and House of Assembly can jointly remove a president and his or her deputies,” Dube told an online publication.

By A Correspondent- A tremor struck Beacon Hill and Jersey in the south eastern district of Chipinge last night.

No damages or casualties were recorded.

Chipinge District Development Coordinator Mr Tedious Beto confirmed the tremor.

“I contacted someone there and he told me that no reports of casualties or damages were made. However, I am receiving conflicting reports on the tremor. Someone said the tremor was more powerful than the December one while another person said it was mild. I will get more official information soon,” he said.

Villagers in the affected areas said building vibrated at around 11pm but the shaking quickly subsided.-ManicaPost

By A Correspondent- Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has urged Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to start preparing the country’s correctional centres including Chikurubi Maximum prison adding that the majority of senior government chefs including ministers were heading there over “stealing people’s money”.

Mliswa said this during parliament, Tuesday.Watch the video below for this and more.

Farai Dziva|The NSSA scandal is an indication of the Emmerson Mnangagwa led government’ s ineptitude, an MDC official has said.

Below is MDC Secretary for Welfare, Maureen Kademaunga, on the NSSA scandal.

The NSSA scandal is an indictment on the Mnangagwa government that it is rotten to the core and it cannot self-correct.

As the MDC, we applaud ZACC’s apprehension of one suspect in the person of Prisca Mupfumira but we firmly believe a complete overhaul of the institution is required in the wake of reports that some dockets have gone missing at the corruption watchdog.

At the centre of the effects of the NSSA scandal is the failure by the institution to honour its obligations on pensions. After decades of hard work and deductions, retirees become paupers due to the avarice of Zanu PF goons who seek to profit at the expense of the impoverished workers.

We restate the position we make in our SMART document that there is need for serious pension reform. There must be a clear separation between the investment arm of NSSA and the wing that deals with the administration of pensions. Internal and external governance mechanisms and investment controls must be put in place in order to isolate pension reserve funds effectively from undue political influence.

The core business of NSSA funds is to pensioners and not to connected oligarchs and political elites. The MDC is committed to fighting corruption which puts a huge premium not only on the pensions but on the economy as a whole.

The following suggestions will help combat corruption:

(i) Introduction of criminal sanctions for all corruption related offenses especially for public officials

(ii) Provision of and setting up special criminal courts to deal with corruption and economic crimes.

(iii) The right and mechanism for a direct recall of elected officials by the electorate.

(iv) Mandatory declaration of assets for public officials.

(v) Establishing, strengthening and institutionalizing the National Economic Crimes Inspectorate (NECI).

(vi) Regular State sanctioned life-style audits.

(vii) Limited Terms of office for all senior public executives including heads of State enterprises and parastatals.

(viii) Strengthening transparency mechanisms on State procurement including the introduction of public bidding on major public tenders.

(ix) Increased access to information for citizens including publication of terms and conditions of public and public- guaranteed contracts.

(x) Strengthened oversight role for parliament in all public enterprise.

(xi) Strengthened oversight role for the Civic Society and the Media.

An MDC government will also strengthen institutions that are key in combating corruption in the country. Focus will be on the following institutions whose independence shall be sacrosanct:

(a) Anti-Corruption Commission
(b) National Prosecuting Authority
© The Judiciary
(d) Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
(e) Auditor-General’s Office
(f) Zimbabwe Republic Police
(g) National Economic Crimes Inspectorate (NECI)

The MDC is committed to an efficient, corruption-free civil service whose primary objective is to serve the citizens.

MDC: Change that Delivers.

Maureen Kademaunga
Secretary for Public Service and Social Welfare

Farai Dziva|The Movement For Democratic Change has said the arrest of Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira is not enough to prove that Emmerson Mnangagwa is determined to eradicate corruption.

See the party’s full statement:
The MDC is not convinced that the recent arrest of Prisca Mupfumira is enough proof that the fight against corruption is finally being taken seriously.

The arrest of Mupfumira is a red herring meant to hoodwink the nation into thinking that the arrest of a serving Minister is an indication that at long last there is seriousness in tackling high level corruption.

The MDC can see through the ruse and the people of Zimbabwe must not be fooled.

We believe in comprehensive and holistic tackling of graft against all those who have been looting the national resources and the majority of them are fully entrenched in the system and remain untouchable.

What we find curious about Mupfumira’s arrest is that it has taken so long to effect.

She was removed by Mugabe on the very basis that she was implicated in something untoward which took place at NSSA when she was Minister of the Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, but when the so called new dispensation was ushered in, she was not only appointed to another Ministry but retained after the 2018 elections.

Yet there were undercurrents about shenanagins at NSSA which were conveniently ignored.

What does not surprise us is that Mupfumira’s woes have their genesis from the list produced by the Youth League and it becomes obvious that she has probably fallen out of favour for whatever reason and this has the hallmark of the usual selective application of the law and factional politics at play.

In the same vein there is a deafening silence regarding those implicated in the $3 billion Command Agriculture debacle and if there was any seriousness about tackling high level corruption one would expect heads to roll and arrests being made.

While we hold no brief for Mupfumira and we believe that she must have her day in court. We are concerned by the spirited efforts of her successor at the Ministry, Sekai Nzenza ensuring that the forensic report is not tabled in Parliament.

lt is evident that she has the full blessings of her superiors, which shows that there is something to hide.

Another matter of concern is the invocation of the Prosecutor General’s Certificate to have Mupfumira incarcerated for 21 days which reminds us of the notorious abuse of the now outlawed Section 121 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

The danger is that this will be used selectively and we in the MDC cherish the upholding of the rule of Law and anything that undermines that principle is a cause for concern.

We therefore believe that this Section is inimical to Justice and where Bail has been denied one must have a right to have the decision reviewed by a superior court within the shortest possible time and allowing issuance of certificates sets a dangerous precedent and is not in accordance with real and substantial Justice.

We therefore believe that the provision is patently unconstitutional and we will do what we can to challenge it so that the Judiciary is given the power to make appropriate decisions in real time.

MDC: (1999 – 2019) Celebrating 20 Years of Tenacity and Courage

Innocent Gonese
MDC Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs.

Harare, Zimbabwe – The International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) fielded a three-person delegation to Zimbabwe to provide an impartial assessment of the status of Zimbabwe’s electoral reform agenda at approximately one year following the country’s 2018 “harmonized” elections.

At the invitation of the Government of Zimbabwe, the IRI/NDI jointly formed the Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM) in 2018. In the spirit of international cooperation and with respect to the laws and sovereignty of Zimbabwe, the mission observed the presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections over a seven-month period. The mission analyzed the pre-election period, voting and counting on Election Day, the announcement of results, the resolution of electoral disputes and the taking of office by the winners.

On October 27, 2018, the mission published a comprehensive report outlining its observation findings and offered recommendations to improve future electoral processes based on IRI/NDI’s comparative experience in international electoral observation. The report concluded that, while the 2018 elections presented the country with an historic opportunity to break with the past 18 years of political crises and mark the beginning of genuine democratic transition, due to an accumulation of missed opportunities and flaws in the process—including the August 1 violent crackdown on unarmed civilians and other acts of repression directed against opposition leaders—the improvements, while notable, were insufficient to establish broad confidence in the process.  

Twelve months following the 2018 elections, IRI/NDI fielded a three-person delegation to Harare, from July 22 to 26, to assess the status of Zimbabwe’s electoral reform agenda and the space for democratic elections more broadly. Through this delegation, IRI/NDI seek to demonstrate the international community’s continued interest in and support for credible, peaceful elections; provide an accurate and impartial assessment on the reform process to date; and offer timely suggestions to improve future electoral processes. The delegation was led by former Ambassador to Zimbabwe and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Johnnie Carson; Regional Director for East and Southern Africa for NDI, Dickson Omondi; and Senior Technical Specialist for East and Southern Africa for IRI, Jessica Keegan. The delegation is grateful for the cooperation it received from all Zimbabweans with whom it interacted, including the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the Speaker of the National Assembly, political party leaders, government officials and leaders from civil society.

The delegation met with a variety of stakeholders to monitor and benchmark progress achieved since the 2018 electoral cycle. The assessment was guided by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation as well as regional and international standards for democracy, elections and good governance.

Notable efforts are now underway to address the longstanding deficiencies in Zimbabwe’s electoral framework, which merit further support and encouragement. At the same time, public trust in the country’s electoral institutions remains low due to the failure to address the political context within which elections are conducted and to open up democratic space. Reform must go beyond amending laws to changing behaviors and creating an environment whereby all citizens can equally participate in public life and elections. There is still the opportunity for meaningful reform. Zimbabweans can build on the nascent efforts of the past 12 months and expand them to include genuine changes in behavior and an improved political environment necessary for democratic space and credible elections.

Summary of Assessment

Legal Framework

The delegation acknowledges that the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs as well as the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC), and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services have taken steps to enact a comprehensive legislative reform agenda. The delegation commends the relevant institutions, parliamentary committees, and ministerial bodies for initiating legal reforms immediately following the seating of parliament.

The establishment of the Inter-ministerial Task Force chaired by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and the creation of a Committee for Political and Electoral Reforms at the cabinet level are two of the most significant actions to date. In order to ensure broad political consensus both ruling and opposition parties should fully participate in the reform effort at all stages. Further, citizen input is an essential component of a healthy democracy and is critical for sound legislative development, and the delegation urges the executive committees responsible for driving and enacting the reform agenda to routinely seek and include participation of civil society.

The parliament, acting upon the recommendations from numerous election observation missions dating back to 2000, has introduced legislation to repeal and replace the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Portions of these two laws were not in line with fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution and the Government of Zimbabwe has taken positive steps to repeal and replace the two restrictive laws.

The successor to POSA, the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill (MOPO), is currently before Parliament and the Justice Committee for debate. Likewise, the government has proposed replacing the AIPAA law with three new pieces of legislation: the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, the Data Protection Bill, and the Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill. The FOI has been gazetted and public hearings are expected to take place. The government has also approved the Broadcasting Services Amendment Bill, aimed at balancing Zimbabwe’s government-dominated media environment.

The delegation is pleased that its recommendation to amend and align Zimbabwe’s legal framework with the 2013 Constitution is being addressed and the delegation is optimistic that with continued focus and collective input from all stakeholders the laws that form Zimbabwe’s electoral and democratic framework can be improved. However, the delegation has heard concerns that the legislative details outlined in a number of the draft bills fall short of alignment. Insufficient consultation with CSOs about the substance of the bills and opacity in the legislative process raise concerns that the legislation will do little more than its predecessor to protect fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. The delegation urges parliament to ensure a genuinely consultative process and that the proposed new laws provide the broadest protection of fundamental rights in the Constitution.

The delegation is also encouraged that the Speaker of the National Assembly has announced that electoral reforms would be prioritized. Although no bill has been brought forth yet, we urge parliament to move as expeditiously as possible to bring forward a comprehensive piece of legislation that enjoys broad support of the main political parties and the public.

Media Environment

Advancements to promote a more balanced and fair media environment in Zimbabwe including the recently gazetted FOI bill contain progressive provisions for the disclosure of information and designation of information officers. However, the delegation has heard that the Bill may not provide easy and affordable access to public information.

It is also noted that there has been no action on the part of the Broadcasting Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) to issue community radio station licenses. Since enactment of the Broadcasting Services Act of 2001, not a single community radio station has been granted an operating license. Community radio stations provide an essential opportunity to transmit important information that citizens might not otherwise receive. The delegation urges enacting measures that foster a diverse media environment and that ensure equitable access to operating licenses.

Transparency and Public Engagement

A number of meetings and dialogues focused on reforms have taken place at the executive and parliamentary level. In December 2018, the National Assembly accepted and discussed a petition submitted by the Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (ZESN). ZESN also presented its recommendations to parliament in February which was then followed by ZEC hosting a multi-stakeholder conference. Both events signaled the beginnings of an inclusive reform process. The ZEC published its elections report, marking an effort to be transparent with the public about its successes and shortcomings. However, ZEC needs to do more to publicize its current and future plans to build greater public confidence in electoral institutions. The delegation expresses deep concern over the continued inadequacies in ZEC’s communication and public outreach efforts and recommends that the ZEC urgently adopt and implement an open and proactive communications strategy.

Leveling the Playing Field

Despite provisions in the Constitution explicitly forbidding traditional leaders from engaging in political affairs, unlawful involvement of traditional leaders persists. The conduct of some traditional leaders in by-elections, their perceived alignment with the incumbent political party, and impunity from the law, created an uneven playing field in the 2018 harmonized elections and the delegation continues to hear concerns regarding their undue influence on ordinary citizens.

As in the past, the delegation also continue to hear widespread reports of the distribution of government resources on a political basis. The delegation strongly recommends that effective mechanisms are introduced to ensure government resources do not serve partisan interests and that the constitutional provision prohibiting traditional leaders from engaging in partisan activities is enforced.  

Party Conduct

A desire by the different parties for dialogue to address the current social, political and economic shortcomings has been noted. The delegation encourages all political actors to rise above partisan interests and put the people of Zimbabwe first in order for the country to more effectively address its serious and ongoing economic problems.

The delegation received reports that the seven local government by-elections that have taken place since the 2018 harmonized elections were conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner. However, there were still concerns raised about vote buying and intimidation. The politicization of food aid, medical supplies and agricultural inputs continue to weaken electoral integrity.

Security Influence

The delegation heard multiple concerns about the role of the military in putting down public demonstrations and its expanding influence in government operations. Citizen groups expressed deep concern about the violence that transpired on January 14 in which the security forces reportedly used excessive force to breakup demonstrations of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. It is reported that at least 17 civilians were killed, more than a dozen women were raped or sexually assaulted and up to 1,055 people were detained. The violent and politically motivated attacks on civilians and the sustained intimidation of pro-democracy activists, opposition party leaders and their supporters based on their political beliefs contravenes protections within the constitution. We urge the government to respect and protect the rights of citizens to peacefully assemble and to carry out lawful political activities. Opposition protestors should also carry out their activities in accordance to the law.

Insufficient government investigation and adjudication for the perpetrators of violence has undermined public confidence in the government’s willingness to take action against those who engaged in political violence. Though the Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry was a positive step, the failure of the government to take any public or visible action toward the perpetrators of the August 1 shootings reinforces a culture of impunity and overshadows any progress that has been achieved. The delegation strongly recommends that the government take urgent action to ensure that effective complaints mechanisms are established to provide justice for victims of violence.

Conclusion

The delegation heard reports of low levels of trust in government institutions due to insufficient public outreach and systematic intimidation of opposition and civil society activists. Mismanagement of public funds and poor governance marked by inflation, currency instability, and shortages of fuel, food and medicines were also issues that were brought to the attention of the delegation. These serious issues overshadowed many of the positive actions taken by the government since the 2018 harmonized elections.

While notable efforts have been made to repeal and replace restrictive laws and to a lesser extent engage stakeholders, the delegation encourages the government of Zimbabwe, the ZEC and the Executive to address the fundamental deficit in the democratic space. The delegation strongly urges the government to continue to advance security and legal reforms that guarantee citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly. Enacting and enforcing these reforms will improve Zimbabwe’s democratic capital and help to advance the country’s economic recovery.

Despite the shortcomings identified by the delegation, there is still opportunity for Zimbabwe to enact the requisite meaningful political reforms to move the country forward. We urge the government to move swiftly to implement the political and electoral changes that will strengthen public confidence in the government and advance Zimbabwe’s democratic standing.

The delegation hopes that the assessment and recommendations presented in this statement contribute to constructive dialogue on Zimbabwe’s reform efforts and serve as a meaningful contribution to body of recommendations offered by other organizations including those of domestic observers, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU) and others. 

-Newsday

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption crusade has widened rifts in Zanu PF with some bigwigs in the ruling party accusing him of dumping them despite playing key roles in his ascendency to power.

Mnangagwa has promised tough action on graft and Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira was last Friday charged with corruption involving $95 million siphoned from State pension fund, National Social Security Authority (NSSA). She is the first senior government official to be interrogated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) under a new leadership which was appointed by Mnangagwa recently.

Mupfumira’s arrest by Zacc followed the release by Zanu PF youths of a list of senior party and government officials they alleged were corruption kingpins. The list, that included Mupfumira, had several names of party heavyweights such as Obert Mpofu, Joram Gumbo and Jacob Mudenda. The youths, believed to have the blessing of Mnangagwa, have threatened to release more names.

The naming and shaming of party bigwigs, the failure by Mnangagwa to defend them and the arrest of Mupfumira has sent shock waves in the party, with officials alleging that the President was using the crackdown on graft to get rid of potential sources of political trouble for him.

“This corruption thing is a new political battleground,” one top official said.

“The President thinks he will earn public support, but, in fact, by arresting some top people who put their political lives on the line for him, this is now dividing the party. Top officials are now unsure of what is happening in the party. They feel they will be targeted too.”

The source added: “Some officials are meeting to find the best way to respond to this. They believed that if ever the President was sincere about fighting corruption, he should start in his own backyard, including arresting his own children and cartel leaders around him. Anything short of that is political targeting.”

According to the officials, most top party members feel let down because they sacrificed their political lives to support Mnangagwa when he was hounded out of the party, government and country by former President Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe following a coup in November 2017 and party members are contemplating ganging up against him for failing to support them.

“They are saying Mnangagwa only thinks about himself and his family and no one else. They feel Mnangagwa is poor at protecting those who sacrifice for him, something they felt Mugabe was good at,” the source said.

“The party bigwigs all have skeletons in their cupboards, but believe Mnangagwa himself is not clean from corruption and so are his children. They said he is sacrificing others for his political life. If he is serious about corruption, why doesn’t he start with those people directly linked to him who plundered command agriculture and fuel funds.”

The sources added there is a growing consensus among some Zanu PF top chefs that Mnangagwa was a “selfish” leader and the sooner he is shown the exit door, the safer they will be.

Their concerns validate claims by the MDC at the weekend that they were working with some Zanu PF legislators in a plot to impeach Mnangagwa.

Former minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration, Mpofu and Labour minister Sekai Nzenza yesterday dared Zacc to arrest them, claiming they were clean.

Mpofu described his accusers as lunatics and that he had nothing to hide.

“No one has phoned me or asked me, but I am ready for anything because I know I have not done anything wrong and it will be proven whatever needs to be proven. I have nothing to worry about. It is just wishful thinking by some lunatics,” he told NewsDay in a telephone interview.

Nzenza, who was at the weekend reported to have fled the country to avoid arrest, yesterday at a Press conference, said: “I have a job to deliver and will not listen to nonsensical weekend stories on social media.

“Ask those who are saying I am under investigation; for what? I have nothing to hide. They can go on and investigate me. I am not dwelling on nonsensical stories. I have a mandate to deliver to ensure that money entitled to NSSA is managed properly within best practice of governance,”

At the weekend, Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana denied that the corruption hunt was a political exercise.

-Newsday

By Patrick Zhuwao| Dear Moms, Comrade SG. Since the November 2017 coup I have not been able to visit you and bring you flowers. So today as we commemorate nine years since your passing on, I am writing this letter to you instead. I am sorry to tell you that Zimbabweans who were the victims of “kuiitiswa” (being played) during the coup, are experiencing unprecedented levels of suffering and poverty. With violent crime spiralling out of control, there is real danger that the contagion of Zimbabwe’s economic and political meltdown will cause massive destabilisation within SADC.

As one of the political players who sought to manage ZANU PF’s leadership transition prior to the coup, I know that some actions that occurred should not have been allowed to occur, and that some of the things that should have been done were not done. It is so unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation where several of our fellow comrades from ZANU PF are in exile and compatriots that are in the diaspora are fast losing hope of returning to Zimbabwe.

Unfortunately, dishonesty in tackling and articulating issues has become the norm with knavery prevailing in policy prescriptions to such an extent that hunger, disease and poverty are now endemic. The knaves in control of the country have collapsed infrastructure with electricity available only at the dead of night, everything in short supply, and unemployment rampant.

These knaves have brazenly stolen from the nation and all Zimbaweans under the guise of the infamous Command Agriculture Programme. It is shocking that of the US$3 billion that cannot be accounted for under the Command Agriculture, US$1.7 billion was taken within twenty days of the coup. These knaves have reversed the gains of the land reform programme and destroyed the agricultural sector with tobacco seed sales declining to 54% meaning that foreign currency inflows from tobacco will be severely curtailed next year.

Civil servants who worked loyally for government are being dismissed without due process. Those that have remained at work are extremely demoralised, can barely afford to look after their families, let alone come to work. Most civil servants have resorted to turning up for work only twice a week. Service delivery has ground to a halt with birth certificates and passports not being accessible.

This crisis which encompasses and transcends political, social and economic dimensions requires the attention and energy of all Zimbabweans irrespective of political persuasion and affiliation. It is critical that Zimbabweans work together to reconstruct and rebuild our country. We need to harness energy from all of our people to work towards saving Zimbabwe as we get our farmers to produce, resuscitate industry, reopen our mines, rescue the judiciary, restore the rule of law, and engage the international community.

As part of my contribution, I am embarking on this third series of articles, Zhuwao Transformation Brief (ZTB), which seeks to contribute towards resolving the crisis in Zimbabwe. ZTB will discuss individual-centred approaches that focus on how to effect real and practical national transformations within the context of Zimbabwe’s socio-economic and political realities.

The ZTB is built on two pillars the first of which unpacks how we were all played (kuitiswa) to extents that ordinarily sober minded people contributed to and were persuaded to endorse the November 2017 coup. The second pillar focusses on how to take the lessons of “kuitiswa” to effect real transformations to resolve the Zimbabwean crisis.

The transformation theme draws heavily on lessons from 2014 from which time most Zimbabweans and the world were subjected to massive manipulation by a small group of kleptomaniacs. The ZTB will interrogate how to build personal resilience and strengthen individual livelihood options in ways that have impact at national levels. It is time to take charge of our personal and national destinies to free ourselves from the shackles of those who wrongly think they have control and authority over us.

It must be recognised that there are certain enabling aspects that are important facilitators for personal transformation and development. By way of an example, two thirds of our people who are farmers need to be enabled and facilitated to produce. Such facilitation requires that our farmers be accorded with title deeds in order to unlock the inherent value that exists in the land.

#AsanteSana. #IweNeniTineBasa. Umsebenzi lo Umkhulu.

By A Correspondent| The new fuel prices are effective Tuesday July 30 2019, according to an announcement by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).

Said ZERA, “The fuel price increase has been necessitated by the movements in the FOB movements.”

Below are the new fuel prices.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption crusade has widened rifts in Zanu PF with some bigwigs in the ruling party accusing him of dumping them despite playing key roles in his ascendancy to power.

Mnangagwa has promised tough action on graft and Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira was last Friday charged with corruption involving $95 million siphoned from State pension fund, National Social Security Authority (NSSA). She is the first senior government official to be interrogated by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) under a new leadership which was appointed by Mnangagwa recently.

Mupfumira’s arrest by Zacc followed the release by Zanu PF youths of a list of senior party and government officials they alleged were corruption kingpins. The list, that included Mupfumira, had several names of party heavyweights such as Obert Mpofu, Joram Gumbo and Jacob Mudenda. The youths, believed to have the blessing of Mnangagwa, have threatened to release more names.

The naming and shaming of party bigwigs, the failure by Mnangagwa to defend them and the arrest of Mupfumira has sent shock waves in the party, with officials alleging that the President was using the crackdown on graft to get rid of potential sources of political trouble for him.

“This corruption thing is a new political battleground,” one top official said.

“The President thinks he will earn public support, but, in fact, by arresting some top people who put their political lives on the line for him, this is now dividing the party. Top officials are now unsure of what is happening in the party. They feel they will be targeted too.”

The source added: “Some officials are meeting to find the best way to respond to this. They believed that if ever the President was sincere about fighting corruption, he should start in his own backyard, including arresting his own children and cartel leaders around him. Anything short of that is political targeting.”

According to the officials, most top party members feel let down because they sacrificed their political lives to support Mnangagwa when he was hounded out of the party, government and country by former President Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa took over from Mugabe following a coup in November 2017 and party members are contemplating ganging up against him for failing to support them.

“They are saying Mnangagwa only thinks about himself and his family and no one else. They feel Mnangagwa is poor at protecting those who sacrifice for him, something they felt Mugabe was good at,” the source said.

“The party bigwigs all have skeletons in their cupboards, but believe Mnangagwa himself is not clean from corruption and so are his children. They said he is sacrificing others for his political life. If he is serious about corruption, why doesn’t he start with those people directly linked to him who plundered command agriculture and fuel funds.”

The sources added there is a growing consensus among some Zanu PF top chefs that Mnangagwa was a “selfish” leader and the sooner he is shown the exit door, the safer they will be.

Their concerns validate claims by the MDC at the weekend that they were working with some Zanu PF legislators in a plot to impeach Mnangagwa.

Former minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration, Mpofu and Labour minister Sekai Nzenza yesterday dared Zacc to arrest them, claiming they were clean.

Mpofu described his accusers as lunatics and that he had nothing to hide.

“No one has phoned me or asked me, but I am ready for anything because I know I have not done anything wrong and it will be proven whatever needs to be proven. I have nothing to worry about. It is just wishful thinking by some lunatics,” he told NewsDay in a telephone interview.

Nzenza, who was at the weekend reported to have fled the country to avoid arrest, yesterday at a Press conference, said: “I have a job to deliver and will not listen to nonsensical weekend stories on social media.

“Ask those who are saying I am under investigation; for what? I have nothing to hide. They can go on and investigate me. I am not dwelling on nonsensical stories. I have a mandate to deliver to ensure that money entitled to NSSA is managed properly within best practice of governance,”

At the weekend, Information secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana denied that the corruption hunt was a political exercise.

-Newsday

By Own Correspondent|  In a move aimed at empowering communities in the wake of bread shortages, the ruling ZANU PF has come up with a bakeries project in a development which has seen the party erect model bakeries at its headquarters in Harare.

The move follows the opening of another rudimentary bakery by ministers Sithembiso Nyoni and Prisca Mupfumira early last week in Makonde, only for the bakery to close 24 hours later.

However, citizens blasted Zanu Pf and its leadership for dragging Zimbabwe back to the stone age.

We publish below some of the reactions to the construction of rudimentary bakeries at Zanu Pf headquarters.

By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has said that it is preparing for a mass stay-away over the deteriorating economic crisis.

ZCTU President, Peter Mutasa, told News Day that preparations were already underway.

He said:

We have a general council resolution to call for a stay-away. However, the dates will be announced as soon as our organising teams have completed the mobilisation.

Mutasa added that the protests against the government which runs the state of affairs were motivated by the deteriorating living standards in the country.

He said:

The majority of Zimbabweans are suffering and wallowing in poverty. Workers and their families are starving. They are failing to pay rent, school fees and for other basic necessities.

Workers and their families are dying in homes because many cannot access medical care or buy prescribed drugs. Transport to and from work is a nightmare, and we face huge energy costs as a result of load shedding as we have to use more expensive alternatives.

Mutasa also said that the soaring inflation had eroded the salaries of workers, making it unsustainable to perform their contractual duties and responsibilities.

ZCTU and the MDC have been planning demonstrations over the state of affairs. The MDC, however, has said that the time is not yet right for that since the party is preoccupied with internal affairs.

In January this year, ZCTU initiated a stay-away which did not end well as it became violent. Some protestors looted and vandalised shops. In response, security personnel fired live ammunition at protestors, killing many.-Newsday

Singer and aspiring television personality Rachel J described as “great” the experience of working with Rockford “Roki” Josphat on the song Badaboom whose video drops tomorrow as an appetizer to her forthcoming album.

The song, that was co-written by Rachel J and Roki, was co-produced by Ian, and Roki with the video scenes being shot in South Africa.

In an interview with NewsDay Life &Style, the Mzansi based singer-cum-entrepreneur said the video would be launched both locally and in Mzansi.

“Working with Roki on the song Badaboom was so amazing. He is full of life and talent. It was a hilarious experience. There is more in store with Roki,” she said.

“The song Badaboom is all about love. It is an expression of how the heart beats when you think about your lover. It is unfortunate that Roki is not on the sassy classy sexy video as he was committed with other projects at the time of the shoot.”

“I wrote the song with love in mind. Everyone is entitled to love and one must not forget to love himself or herself. It is about sassy and fast-beat, hence can be a party song too”

On the video, Rachel J worked with vixens from South Africa and the lingerie is part of her upcoming fashion collection from her new label set to be launched soon.

“I am currently working on my upcoming album to be released soon. I have engaged some of the greatest artistes who I cannot publicise as of now for collaborations,” she said.

Away from the studio, the Makwikwi hit-maker has featured on many Billboards and fashion magazines.

“As an artiste, I am much inspired by societal settings. I love fashion and music,” she said.

In her fashion designing work she has dressed several prominent personalities both in business and arts circles as she continues chasing after her passion and establishing herself as a guru in the fashion industry.

-Newsday

Zimbabwe’s economy is experiencing a series of price shocks as untamed market liberalisation takes effect. Prices of goods and service have been on a spiral since October 2018, when the process to disband the multi-currency began.

In subsequent months, rationale consumers have reacted to latest policy measures and the direction prices has taken has remained one sided, that is northwards.

Policy makers are really stunned at the moment despite posturing confidence as most of their predictions have been proved wrong.

A survey done by Equity Axis on the 29th of July across a number of mainstream retail shops shows the prices of most goods have moved by between 20% and 45% over the last 2 weeks alone.

Basics such as meat, eggs, sugar and vegetables have all gone up over the period, while basics such as bread are in short supply. Food carries the most weight on the CPI basket at 30.3%. The CPI is a calculation of inflation and officially computed ZIMSTAT.

The latest round of price increases comes on the heels of fuel price increases a week ago. The average cost of fuel increased by 23% barely 2 weeks after another increase, early in July.

Although fuel carries less weight on the CPI, the fact that it is a key factor of production means its ripple effect is severe. A minor movement in the price of fuel changes the operating cost structure of most industries and this consequently feeds to price increases as players pass on the cost to the consumer.

At the time the government reintroduced the Zimdollar in June, the initial reaction was that of a retreat in the parallel exchange rate as players panicked over the new measure. The decline was further buttressed by the expectation of improved flows on the interbank, which would naturally help stabilise the exchange rate.

The interbank rate initially realised improved flows and a quickening of the rate by over 100%, but the buying pressure has not yet subsided. RBZ reports that flows transacted to date are now above $700 million. This favourable stastic has not helped either as demand remains high. government is accused of placing its hand in the cookie jar to support some hanging subsidies and influence the market, thus deterring normal market forces and equilibration.

While the mechanics of the market remain elusive to the ordinary man, the implication of a morbid interbank have been visibly that of pushing the exchange rate further southwards.

Given the relaxation of SI122 in 2018, which banned importation of several goods in a bid to protect local industry, the economy has returned to a highly import dependant one, thus suscepting it to vagaries of the exchange rate.

The exchange rate is however a function of macroeconomic fundamentals which has been a subject of debate over a very long time as Zimbabwe pursued command policies which veiled the true state of the economy.

The unravelling situation since the promulgation of S1142 of 2019, has exposed the fundamental weaknesses prevalent in the economy.

The economy is proving not as strong as the government desperately wants the people to believe, it is now beyond confidence deficit but structurally defunct. Fundamentally the economy remains weak with low forex, weak demand, rising inflation and weakening production.

EQUITY AXIS NEWS

Zanu PF headquarters has now erected old fashioned bread ovens on its premises.

See shocking pictures below:

The United States Embassy in Harare has blasted the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana over his unfounded claims on censorship laws in the United States.

Trying to justify the government arrest of four prominent artists at the weekend over a film production, Mangwana inferred that government was justified in the purge as the USA would have done the same.

The United States embassy disclaimed Mangwana’s sentiments in a counter Tweet.

An elite private school in Masvingo has shocked the country after it hiked its school fees for the 3rd of 2019, to ZWL$35 000 per term.

In a letter to parents, Riverton Academy said that the move had been necessitated by the introduction of Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019, which abolished the multicurrency system and established the Zimbabwe Dollar as the sole legal tender.

The letter to parents reads:

Dear Parent,s/IGuardiatifs, RE: TERM 3 2019 AND AUGUST VACATION FEES

In view of Statutory Instrument (SI) 42 of 2019 in which the Zimbabwean dollar was made the sole legal tender in any transaction in Zimbabwe. Riverton Academy has revised the school fees for Term 3, 2019. The increase in the prices of most provisions for the dining hall, hostels, fuels and the quest by the Academy to maintain high educational standards of its products and services makes it unavoidable to increase school fees for Tenn 3. These developments are outside the control of the school and as a result. the Academy has set the school fees for Term 3, 2019 as shown in the table below:
LEVEL
1. SECONDARY SCHOOL BOARDERS – ZWLS35 000.00 
2. PRIMARY SCHOOL BORDERS – ZWLS26 500.00 
3. PRIMARY SCHOOL DAY SCHOLARS – ZWLS 9 000.00 
4. ECD – ZWLS 5 500.00 

Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commissioner Thandiwe Thando Mlobane said the ZACC files that were reported to be missing have been returned.

She was speaking during an interview with Star FM on Monday.

On Sunday ZACC chair Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo was quoted by The Sunday Mail saying  some dockets were missing.

“I received reports of former commissioners who took dockets and have not returned them. I have tasked the investigations department to compile the list of all dockets that are missing.

“However, I am yet to receive the information from the department. I assure the nation that once the information is received the perpetrators will be brought to book,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.

Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira has been the first high profile minister to face the music after ZACC arrested her over alleged corrupt dealing at NSSA when she was Public Service Minister.