ZIMBABWEANS should be wary of agents of regime change who come under the guise of human rights activism as they seek to unseat Government.

This was said by Zanu-PF Politburo member Munyaradzi Machacha, who is also the Principal of Chitepo School of Ideology, while addressing students from five tertiary institutions at a symposium organised by his college at Lupane State University.

The three-day workshop started on Friday and ended yesterday evening with about 200 students from the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Lupane State University (LSU), Bulawayo Polytechnic, Hillside Teachers’ College and United College of Education (UCE) attending.

The students were drawn from the Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu).

Machacha said the programme is an orientation exercise by the Chitepo School of Ideology targeting all patriotic Zimbabweans including party supporters and ordinary citizens who care and love their country to defend its heritage.

The orientation develops some basic fundamental knowledge, skills and attitudes for youths so they can explore the socio-economic and political future.

“This is a training symposium for Zicosu members in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North to become better informed Zanu-PF cadres who appreciate the prevailing socio-economic and political challenges.

“We are saying patriotic Zimbabweans should be wary of agents of regime change masquerading as human rights activists. These activists are crisispreneurs who don’t have the interests of the people of Zimbabwe at heart. They are only interested in dislodging Zanu-PF government from power so they replace it with a puppet government which they will use to reverse the gains of the liberation struggle.

Their tactics include causing unrest through violent demonstrations and abuse of social media to spread alarm and despondency,” said Machacha.State media

VICE President Kembo Mohadi said there is a need for Zimbabweans at all levels to engage each other and find common ground to bring to finality the issue of Gukurahundi which affected people in the Midlands, south-western and Matabeleland provinces.

Meeting chiefs from the Midlands Province, consulting them on national healing, peace and reconciliation mechanisms as part of efforts to address issues of Zimbabwe’s fractious past in Gweru last Wednesday — the Vice President said Gukurahundi was a topical issue which needs to be talked about openly.

This follows President Mnangagwa’s policy to open up and resolve historical conflicts like the 1980s’ civil disturbances in the Midlands, south-western and Matabeleland provinces, commonly referred to as Gukurahundi.

Vice President Mohadi said talking about Gukurahundi openly is going to assist in healing wounds and finding a lasting solution for the country to prosper adding that peace
(ukuthula/runyararo ) has been and remains a permanent ideal and aspiration as well as a right and duty for Zimbabweans.

VP Mohadi has already been to four provinces — Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North, Mashonaland East and Matabeleland South — consulting all chiefs in their areas of jurisdiction on how to build and sustain peace in the country as well as how to resolve conflicts that arise from time-to-time.

“We had Gukurahundi; it happened here in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces. We can only talk about it because there is a 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,” said VP Mohadi.State media

By Own Correspondent- Peter Mutasa, the ZCTU president, has lamented the plight of workers adding that workers are now worse off than during the reign of former president Robert Mugabe’s era.

Mutasa said his organisation was organising a mass stayaway and the alleged death threats would not deter them from calling for the stayaway.

In an interview with The Standard, Mutasa said:

“Yes, the situation is now worse than January 2019.

It is also much worse than what we experienced with former president Robert Mugabe in late 2017.

We are currently collating data about some of the issues arising like job losses, non-payment of wages, levels of salaries erosion, pension losses etc.

Workers are the hardest hit because despite earning almost nothing, they still have to continue reporting for work. As a result, many workers are borrowing money for transport and some are walking to work. Due to ill-advised policies, prices of goods and services are pegged in US$, while salaries have remained in valueless RTGs.

This has resulted in a serious disequilibrium that is hurting workers and the poor citizens.

A lot of workers’ families are starving as their salaries are barely sufficient to cater for a oneweek food basket.

Most families are now affording only one decent meal a day.

Schoolchildren are going to school hungry and many without adequate winter clothing.

Workers and their families are dying in homes or in public hospitals because they can no longer afford medical care.

Drugs are expensive and medical aid schemes are now dysfunctional.

A visit to a doctor requires one to borrow a loan for consultation alone because it now costs two or three months’ salary.

Many schoolchildren are dropping out or will do so due to failure by their parents to pay school fees. In short, we have a humanitarian crisis of gigantic proportions.”- TheStandard

By A Correspondent- A Mwenezi man who claims to be a victim of domestic violence has approached the Mwenezi Civil Court seeking a protection order against his wife whom he claimed to be abusive.

Self-employed electrician Munyaradzi Mungawau pleaded with magistrate Honest Musiiwa to save him from his wife Vonai Mapingire.Mangwau.

Explained his troubles, Mungawau showed the court the scars he claimed were a result of the abuse.

“Your Worship, one day I came back home a bit late after spending some time at my second wife’s place. Though I was a bit drunk, I understood what was happening. She beat and attacked me with a half-brick on my face.

I beg this court to intervene so that my wife does not beat me and we refrain from fighting as has become the norm. I also ask the court to order my wife to return my cell phones and work tools which she forcefully took after the scuffle.”

Responding to the allegations, Mangawau’s wife denied the allegations and said it was her husband who was abusive.

Mapingire claimed it her husband was very abusive and had once assaulted her in public before leaving her for dead.

“I just took his cell phone but I never beat him, he is lying. In fact, he is the one who is very abusive. On that day, he beat me in public and there are many eyewitnesses. I was left severely bleeding and I filed a police report.

When I came back to him for some money for medical treatment, he refused. He beat me and this affected a surgical operation I have on my body.”

Presiding magistrate Musiiwa took his time to counsel the couple and advised them to always observe peace and refrain from fighting.-TellZim

By A Correspondent-  Leadership here is at logger heads over the stewardship of the $610 000 devolution money given to the Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC).

A report by a local publication said the local authority resolved to construct their new offices while legislators in the district are demanding that the money be channeled towards “people oriented projects”.

A few weeks ago, Chiredzi RDC councillors resolved to use the $610 000 to construct new offices but Members of Parliament Roy Bhila and Farai Musikavanhu have come out guns blazing against council resolutions saying the money should be channeled towards people’s project.

Chiredzi district is one of the biggest and poorest districts in Masvingo Province with poor health facilities, infrastructure and educational facilities and it got a huge chunk of devolution funds owing to the high poverty index.

Chiredzi RDC chairman, Edward Matsilele, said they made consultations over the use of the devolution funds and have shelved the motion of constructing their offices and channel the money towards development projects.

“Considering that we do not have offices as a local authority, we had thought of constructing our offices but through various consultations from stakeholders, we have redirected the funds towards improving our rural health facilities,” said Matsilele.

ZANU PF Secretary for information, Ronald Ndava reprimanded the local authority for failing to realise the importance and use of devolution funds as he called construction of council offices using devolution funds as pagan.

Ndava said devolution funds are aimed at improving lives through upgrading health systems, infrastructure (roads and bridges), irrigation schemes as well as educational facilities.

“Devolution funds should just target life changing projects like irrigation schemes such as Chilonga and Rupangwana.

“The grassroots should feel it, the devolution thrust is not aimed at benefiting local authority but constituencies they serve. Construction of local authority offices using devolution money is nonsensical and rubbish,” said Ndava.

Chiredzi North MP, Roy Bhila said council was not supposed to make resolutions before consulting stakeholders as devolution money was supposed to target life changing projects, which they will identify rather than diverting all the money on the construction of offices.”Devolution funds should devolve to the wards.

We wrote to the council chairman and minister complaining over directing all the devolution chunk to the construction of their offices as if they do not have anywhere to use, the money should cascade to life changing projects in wards, not only my wards but wherever there is need,” said Bhila.TellZim

By A Correspondent- A multi-million dollar mansion in Harare’s plush Glen Lorne suburb believed to belong to Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa has torched a social media storm reviving debate that some church leaders are reaping off their followers for financial gain. 

 Human Rights activist Pedzisayi Ruhanya posted on Twitter a picture of what he said was Makandiwa’s house under construction saying church leaders are swindling congregants through various offerings.

Said Ruhanya:  

“I know you will call me the son of Lucifer, but these Papas of yours are reaping you off in the name of seeding to Papa while constructing multi-million properties. Makandiwa House in Harare’s Glen Lorne under construction,” said Ruhanya. 

Just as he had anticipated attacks from Makandiwa faithfuls, Ruhanya was roasted by some followers for his post. 

Charles Paidamoyo respondent:

“Would you love to share with us his personal businesses before you touch on the Ministry. I am sure the readers will benefit from that knowledge and if his investments cannot build him any house of his choice without a cent from the offerings?”

Another follower Durban Marukutira said:

“Law of natural attraction. If Makandiwa is able to build such a beautiful house out of the proceeds from his flock, then it speaks volumes about his anointing and his flock is prospering under him, hence that house! Same would go to an Oldman who gave birth to Doctors.”

Said the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe president Tafadzwa Goliath:

” A Trip Trans bus driver was today crushed to death by his own bus in Mutare.

The driver allegedly authorised his conductor to drive the bus and as he tried to get onto the bus while it was in motion, he missed a step and fell.

His head was crushed by the bus’ back wheels and he died on the spot.”

By Own Correspondent- Zanu Pf Secretary for Finance Patrick Chinamasa was allegedly instrumental in the disbursement of USD$ 3 billion worth of Treasury bonds which disappeared through the Command Agriculture program. 

Professor Jonathan Moyo has urged the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to investigate Chinamasa accusing him of starting the treasury bills (#TBGate) scam.

Said Moyo:

“Parliament’s public accounts portfolio committee should summon Patrick Chinamasa to account for the looted US$3 billion. It’s him who released the loot as finance minister between December 2017 and  September 2018. It’s also him who started the #TBgate scam!”

On Thursday the Ministry of Lands Finance Director and the Permanent Secretary said they know nothing about finances that were released by the Treasury for Command Agriculture because they are not in control.

They revealed that Command Agric is run by the Office of the President and Cabinet as a sub ministry. 

Chinamasa was the Minister of Finance when the TBs were disbursed. 

Professor Moyo is on record saying the program was diverted from its original intention by self-serving individuals. 

In 2017 Prof Moyo said,

“VP Mnangagwa’s Command Ugly-Culture, disguised as Command Agriculture, is a corruption of a noble objective and is, thus, totally unacceptable! The noble objectives of Command Agriculture, first enunciated by Dr Grace Mugabe, have been corrupted by VP Mnangagwa into an Ugly-Culture!”

By A Correspondent- Economist Eddie Cross in a flowery article has said the time to panic a little is now.

Writing for The Zimbabwean Eddie narrates the horrors that engulfed the country in 1992. He said he was staying in the Lowveld by that time.

Writes Cross:

“We had a business there and my son was down there living and working. It got so hot that we closed the office at 10 and came back to work when it cooled off a bit. Birds were dying in the trees and falling to the ground. The Ministry of Education closed the schools.”

Eddie then talks about the economy of the country around that time and the operations of the feeding store of the nation the GMB.

“The GMB is not what it was in those days – a well-run organisation with a clean audit record and a reputation for managing stocks that was unparalleled in Africa.

We have just had a disaster of a season – the Official estimate of what maize will be delivered is 350 000 tonnes – 20 per cent of demand. The Official figure for maize in stock is 430 000 tonnes. Not too bad you say. But a snap audit by the Army has revealed that actual stocks are not even half of this quantity and then much of it (most?) is unfit for human consumption.

Eddie then bemoans what was happening a few years ago where the government through GMB was buying a tonne of maize for $390 and then resale it for $240 and labels it corruption. He says the situation is a mess because we could be down to 6 weeks supply of staple food and 28000 tonnes are needed for now. He said the problem is that we have no financial reserves, the GMB has a lousy reputation for payments and is no longer trusted by grain traders.

Lastly, Eddie agrees swift action is needed and if the government doesn’t do anything things will deteriorate.

“Do we have to panic, sure, if we do nothing? This situation calls for swift and decisive action. We first need to understand the extent of our problem – audit the stocks immediately and make the results known to decision makers. But even while we wait for this we need to get maize moving. My solution would be to talk to South Africa and have them release stocks to us from the Transvaal so that our transport distances are not too far. They would then replace the stocks by sea from abroad.

By Own Correspondent- Kenya on their 100% going green by 2020 initiative have launched the biggest power plant on the continent.

The biggest wind power plant in Africa seeks to address Kenya’s electricity generation capacity. The plant to contribute about 310 MW to Kenya’s electricity grid.

The plant will be powered by Turkana corridor wind, a low-level jet stream originating from the Indian Ocean and blows all year round, according to the Kenyan government statement.

Quoting President Uhuru Kenyatta the CNN wrote:Today, we again raised the bar for the continent as we unveil Africa’s single largest wind farm.

Kenya is without doubt on course to be a global leader in renewable energy.Over the last few years, Kenya has invested in clean energy and seek to reach their 100% going green by 2020.-CNN

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a Robert Greene student who knows how to destroy the reputation of his opponents while building his own a political analyst Fortune Mlalazi has said.

South African based political analyst Fortune Mlalazi was commenting on the recent revelations by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that ailing Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is getting better and can now do exercises on his own.

Said Mlalazi, “What you are seeing is a shrewd political tactician who knows very well that he is under siege from a factional clique aligned to Vice President Chiwenga. He then subtly pokes holes at the enemy by revealing that he is incapacitated from doing anything. If you listen to his statement well when he says the General can do things on his own it means previous he could not and he was a candidate for being relieved of his duties.

“Do not forget that in the past months he used the same tactic when he told the nation that Mugabe is now wheelchair-bound and cannot do anything on his own. That is a way of poking holes at the reputation of the enemy while yours remain intact.”

Commenting on the same matter Journalist Edmund Kudzayi said, “Yesterday President Mnangagwa said VP Chiwenga is recovering in SA and is now able to exercise. Question is why government designated him a leader at a recent cleanup knowing full well he was incapacitated? Clearly a malicious attempt to illustrate that he is unwell and unavailable.”

Chiwenga has been unwell since the bloody  November 2017 coup that ended 37 years of Mugabe’s iron rule.

The coup claimed lives on many individuals including CIO Boss Peter Munetsi.

By Own Correspondent| The family of the late veteran MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirayi is mourning yet another family member barely 6 weeks after the sad passing of Glen view South legislator Vimbayi Tsvangirayi Java and her cousin Tafadzwa Mhundwa.

Susan Tsvangirayi’s mother Mbuya Mhundwa passed on today the MDC Secretary-general and Kuwadzana East MP Chalton Hwende tweeted.

Said the MDC:

Mbuya Mhundwa was mother to Susan Tsvangirai, the first wife to the late MDC icon Morgan Tsvangirai.

The Mhundwa family in 2 months have lost 2 of their own and their niece Vimbayi Tsvangirayi.

VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi has said government will soon review traditional leaders allowances because their earnings are meagre given the prevailing economic situation.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting with Midlands chiefs on Wednesday in Gweru, Mohadi said the traditional leaders had raised concern over their welfare and that government was going to address their grievances.

“During our closed-door meeting, the chiefs raised burning concerns, including that of their welfare,” Mohadi said.

“We must understand that chiefs don’t have much in terms of allowances and we are definitely going to review their allowances.”

Mohadi, however, did not disclose how much the traditional leaders were demanding as an increment.

The demands by chiefs come at a time when government critics have questioned the pampering of chiefs given that government is struggling to meet demands tabled

by civil servants.

On Tuesday, government offered its workers a 50% cushioning allowance for July and salary increment of ZW$116 per individual from August to December.

Workers’ representatives, however, rejected the offer, saying the lowest paid civil servant should earn at least ZWL$4 750.

Last year, chiefs were given brand new Isuzu double-cab vehicles with government promising them more benefits such as land, houses and fuel, among others.

In December last year at the chiefs annual conference in Kadoma, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to exempt traditional leaders from paying land tax and

would be given more land and benefit from the command livestock initiative.

Critics, however, say the packages showered on chiefs are a vote-buying gimmick by the ruling Zanu PF party, which uses traditional leaders to coerce rural

voters to vote for the party.

But government maintains that since traditional leaders are custodians of the land, their welfare should be a top priority.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa will address two high-profile rallies in Lupane East ahead of the parliamentary by-election in the constituency on August 3 where the opposition party will try to wrestle the seat back from Zanu-PF.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo of Zanu-PF in April.

Both Zanu-PF and the MDC have rolled out elaborate campaigns in the constituency in Matabeleland North.

MDC Matabeleland North provincial chairperson Prince Sibanda said members of the party’s standing committee had been deployed in the constituency to drum up support for its candidate Dalumuzi Khumalo.

“I can confirm that Chamisa will be visiting the constituency where he will hold rallies in two wards,” he told Sunday Southern Eye.

“As I speak, I am making final arrangements to book for the two rallies. On Saturday we had rallies in all the 14 wards in the constituency where all members of the national standing committees, who include the vice-presidents, were addressing rallies and preparing ground work for the president.”

Sibanda said the MDC was poised to win back the constituency it lost in 2002 in a by-election following the death of its MP David Mpala.

He said Zanu-PF does not care about the people of Matabeleland North and only shows interest when it needs votes.

He castigated the Zanu-PF government, saying it was taking people from the region for granted.

“Matabeleland people are dehumanised by Zanu-PF as they only get drugs because they lost an MP,” Sibanda said.

“Zanu-PF is only interested in getting votes from the people and does not care about them.

“This time we are prepared for them.”

Sibanda said MDC had also stepped up preparations for by-elections in Bubi’s ward 22 and Nkayi’s ward 23, which will also be held on August 3.

Standard|Descendants of King Lobengula say they want the government to give them back land where the Bulawayo State House was built to restore their heritage.

The King Lobengula Royal Trust wants to turn the area in Sauerstown into a cultural hub that will help preserve Ndebele culture.

Prince Zwide Khumalo said time had come for the government to consider returning the land to its rightful owners.

“The politics of the right to claim ownership of Bulawayo lies in the bitter history of oppression by white colonialists,” he said. “Cecil John Rhodes grabbed

the King’s palace, eMahlabathini, and built his house on that land.

“In our culture no one builds his house on another man’s yard (unxiwa) unless with the express permission of the owner of the land.

“The identity of one’s homestead is anchored on the rituals of establishing the home (isikhonkwane). Cecil John Rhodes did not know or care to observe the

Ndebele culture when he aggressively grabbed and occupied our land.

“In fact, there is no history record that indicates that isikhonkwane for our palace was ever removed.”

Khumalo said the area where the State House was built used to be King Lobengula’s palace.

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, 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

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Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe’s stinking corrupt dealings involving a Chinese contractor Sino Hydro has been exposed amid revelations that Zambia got a better deal at half the figure paid by Zimbabwe to get a paltry 150MW of power supply onto the national grid.

In two separate reports below, President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned 150 MW Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station expansion constructed by Sinohydro at a cost of USD$533 million while our nothern neighbors commissioned a 360MW plant built at a cost of USD$278 Million.

This lays bare the fact that the country’s current power challenges are a creation of a corrupt click within government who have also been accused of scuttling Econet Wireless Founder Strive Masiyiwa’s US250 Million proposed project that was going to add about 500MW onto the national grid.

With such a revelation, isn’t it time to revisit Zimbabwe’s projects against inflation of figures and corruption?

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

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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.”