Jane Mlambo| Top comediennes Madam Boss and Mai Titi who have been engaged in a bitter social media war calling each other names have finally made peace in what has been received with mixed feelings.
Posting on Facebook, Madam Boss said;
Dear Felistas Edward : I acknowledge the pain you were in and am glad you took responsibility .To err is human to forgive is Divine.We had our fair share of flaws and unfortunately often are times that sisterhood took away its hit.i truly accept your apology . I pray for the right vibes and better days to come.Peace is better than war.
On the other hand, Mai Titi posted a skit they did together with the message below;
N behold there was peace. Kutoshaya hope hangu. My heart feels lighter. Thank you God for allowing such a beautiful thing to happen before something terrible was going to happen. Forgiveness is the way to go because life is too short. I am that hard nut to crack but I must say I been cracked. Love you still Madam boss.
The two have not been seeing eye to eye over a litany of issues including jealousy as Mai Titi often dismissed Madam Boss for using ‘makumbo’ to gain fame and money.
Jane Mlambo| Following the proclamation of the 3rd of August 2019 by President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the date for the Lupane East by-election, unconfirmed reports from both Zanu PF and opposition MDC have it that two Professors Mthuli Ncube and Welshman Ncube will square off to fill the post left vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo in April this year.
Professor Mthuli Ncube joined government as one of the technocrats brought by Mnangagwa and had not been involved in politics raising questions if Zanu PF rules will have to be bent to accommodate him to contest without serving the in the revolutionary party.
On the other hand, Professor Welshman Ncube has been actively involved in the politics of Zimbabwe and is a founder member of the opposition MDC which he left in 2005 following disagreements with the late leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
He returned back to the main MDC first as part of the MDC Alliance before his readmission and re-appointment as the Vice President.
Should both Ncube’s contest in the by-election, it would be an interesting by-election whose stakes would be high for Zimbabwean politics.
Letitia Gaga, the Baines Avenue Clinic finance and administration director, has been re-elected for a second term as president of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe.
She was re-elected at the institute’s annual general meeting at its headquarters, Dzidzo House, in Harare on May 22. Dr Sipithi Nkomo and Mrs Gladys Mudyahoto were elected vice-presidents.
Mrs Gaga, who was first elected president in May last year, is a seasoned financial expert with more than 20 years’ experience in both public and private sector finance. Her core areas of expertise include organisational development, strategic management, investment promotion, operations management and employee relations.
She chairs the Baines Avenue Clinic’s board of trustees. She is currently spearheading the clinic’s establishment of a Paediatrics Hospital.
Mrs Gaga
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe and a past chairperson of the institute’s Harare Branch, Mrs Gaga is a registered public accountant.
She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a Diploma in Transformational Leadership and Leadership for Women from the Success Motivation Institute.
She is a member of the Board of the Private Hospitals’ Association of Zimbabwe and chairperson of the Conference Committee of Private Hospitals.
Dr Nkomo, who is retired, was, before his retirement, People’s Own Savings Bank risk manager and compliance officer. He is also a former distribution director for Cairns Foods.
A Fellow of the institute, he holds an MBA degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Management from the Chinhoyi University of Technology.
Mrs Mudyahoto, who is also a Fellow of the institute, is executive director for finance and administration at the Scientific and Industrial Research Centre (SIRDC).
She holds an MBA degree from the University of Zimbabwe. She is chairperson of the MARSH Umbrella Fund Board of Trustees and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Korea Programme on International Agriculture (KOPIA). –
Are elements of the Zimbabwean state intent on sabotaging the govts reengagement strategy or is this now the government's strategy? The government is either directing operations or not in control of its security agents. https://t.co/MhZH5iVJAV
Report by ARTUZ| The president of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) was reportedly abducted from his Waterfalls home by unknown assailants who took him, stripped him naked and assaulted him for several hours.
The union, which called for a 3-day strike starting on Monday this week, said in a statement:
ARTUZ president abducted from his Waterfalls home in view of his wife and children. They took all cell phones in the house.
He was taken to a remote area along Seke Road where he was stripped naked, severely assaulted and interrogated for hours about ARTUZ’s industrial action.
ARTUZ condemns this shocking violation of the rights of our President and the continued assault against our union in response to our legal and peaceful actions to address legitimate labour issues. We call on the State, as the Employer, to immediately stop the persecution.
By Patrick Guramatunhu | When President Mnangagwa took over the reins of power from Robert Mugabe 18 months ago, he was cocksure he was going to revive Zimbabwe’s comatose economy.
He was cocksure his “Zimbabwe is open for business!” was going to attract a flood of investors and lenders.
Today, 18 months since the clarion call it is clear that the flood of
new investments has failed to materialise, for whatever reasons. Mnangagwa and
his Zanu PF regime rigged last year’s elections and now realise they cannot rig
economic recovery too.
With unemployment rate a nauseating 90%, the country’s basic services
such as supply of water and health care all but collapsed, 3/4 of the
population now living on US$30 or less per month, etc.; the economic situation
is serious. It is socially, politically and morally unsustainable. Mnangagwa
and his Zanu PF junta know they MUST do something to revive the economy but,
more pointedly, they know not what to do other than step up their use of
violence to silence protest against the worsening economic situation.
“In the Second Republic, let us shun the culture of militancy,
disharmony and demonstrations. We must develop a greater understanding of each
other’s perspectives,” said Mnangagwa after launching the Tripartite
Negotiating Forum (TNF).
The regime has already passed a law making street protests illegal until
all channels of wage negotiations have been exhausted. No doubt the regime will
see to it that the negotiations are a long drawn out process taking months if
not years!
The regime is banning all street protests such as the 1st August 2018 to
protest the rigged elections and the January 2019 to protest the fuel price
increases. As far as the regime is concerned all protests are a confrontation
born out of failure to hold peaceful dialogue.
“Like one writer says, ‘Most problems would disappear if people talk to
each other more, instead of talking about each other. Differing positions
must be permissible within our country, however, these must never divide us or
result in conflict,” continued Mnangagwa.
“Violence must never be used as a tool to gain a temporary advantage, at
the expense of the people we must serve and protect.
“The old, retrogressive culture will only serve to widen our fissures
and exacerbate our socio-economic challenges, and further delay the prosperity
that our country so much needs and our people deserve.”
How long have the people of Zimbabwe called for the implementation of
the democratic reforms, the pre-requisite for holding of free, fair and
credible elections and you, Mr Mnangagwa, has dismissed the calls with
contempt.
“Zanu PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!” (Zanu PF
will rule! And rule! Whilst you (calling for reform) bark! And bark!) Mnangagwa
has boasted on countless occasions.
Zanu PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections. The regime failed to
release something as basic as a verified voters’ roll, for Pete’s sake.
When some people dared to vent their anger and frustration at yet
another rigged elections, the regime unleashed soldiers with orders to shoot to
kill. You did the same when the people dared to protest the fuel
increase.
Mr President, you keep wittering about the need to talk; what is there
to talk about when present the people with consequences of the fait accompli of
your incompetent, corrupt and tyrannical oppression. All the people can do is
cry but even that you do not want them to do – you want them to “talk”!
Mnangagwa is behaving like the bad wolf accusing the sheep, drinking
down stream, of mudding his drinking water. Mnangagwa knows that the worsening
economic meltdown is causing heart-breaking human suffering and many are dying
of poverty related diseases and hunger, he is just looking for an excuse to
ruthless silence all those who dare voice their suffering.
Mnangagwa blatantly rigged the elections to deny the people a meaningful
say in the governance of the country and now he is seeking to deny them the
right to peaceful demonstration to demand that the regime steps down. He rigged
the election but has failed to rig economic recovery and is now seeking to deny
the people the voice to protest their economic suffering and deaths.
TWO MDC activists were reportedly abducted by suspected State security agents in Gokwe early Tuesday morning and their whereabouts were still unknown last night.
MDC Midlands provincial spokesperson Takavafira Zhou confirmed the development and identified the missing activists as Prince Paradza and Edify Vushoma from Gokwe Central.
A missing persons report was made at Gokwe Police Station.
Sources told Southern Eye that last weekend, the two had an altercation with individuals suspected to be State operatives who accused them of pulling down President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s campaign poster during last year’s elections. The poster was pasted at Gokwe centre bus terminus.
“During the altercation by their tormentors, the two MDC activists were given four hours to either replace the poster or disappear. We strongly believe that the threat has been put into action,” said one source. Zhou also concurred with the source.
“The duo was falsely accused of removing Mnangagwa’s poster and was given a four-hour ultimatum. However, they politely indicated that there were not the ones who had pulled it down and so they could not replace it,” he said.
The opposition spokesperson highlighted that the poster in question had, in fact, been pulled down by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officers ahead of the 2018 elections since it was in the vicinity of a polling station.
“As a legitimate party that has chosen to change government through the ballot box, MDC is perturbed by the abduction and harassment of its members who are not in any way a security threat … our activists must be immediately released from unlawful detention and harassment,” said Zhou.
He also pointed out that human rights violations should be avoided at a time the government was trying to go back into the community of nations and emerge from economic doldrums.
“Zimbabwe, which is at crossroads at this critical juncture, does not need such unpalatable violations of rights of innocent citizens, but respect of the dignity and inalienable rights of law-abiding citizens. We appeal to the powers-that-be to reign in renegades masquerading as Central Intelligence Officers,” Zhou said.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was yet to get a briefing on the matter.
“I am not aware of the case, can you talk to Inspector Joel Goko the spokesperson for Midlands, he is on the ground perhaps he can shed more light,” he said.
A police officer stationed at Lion’s Den tollgate outside Chinhoyi was last week robbed of her AK-47 assault rifle while on duty, NewsDay has learnt.
Mashonaland West police spokesperson Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara confirmed the incident and said police were hunting for the suspected robber.
“Police are hunting for the culprit who robbed our officer of her gun at Lion’s Den tollgate last week. That’s all I can say for now concerning the issue. It is not unusual as people would want to believe,” he said
Mabgweazara said this was the second time an officer had been dispossessed of a gun in the province.
“This is not the first time an officer on duty had the gun forcibly taken away, as this happened in Norton, but we managed to apprehend the culprits and recovered our FN rifle,” he said.
Such robberies are happening at the backdrop of increasing armed robbery cases in the country. – Newsday
ZANU PF supporters in parts of Masvingo province have threatened a protest vote in the 2023 election over the recently completed command livestock programme, which they claim was skewed in favour of party bigwigs and traditional leaders.
The command livestock programme was launched last year by the Lands ministry to help resuscitate the beef industry.
Party supporters, who spoke to Southern Eye on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said only those in positions of power got beasts, adding that disgruntled members were now going to vote for the opposition MDC in the next election.
“As youths and women who are driving the party at the grassroots we feel we are being used by these big guys, because every time a new programme is introduced they are the first to benefit. Enough is enough. We have resolved to give back all the constituencies to MDC like what happened in 2008,” a disgruntled Zanu PF activist said.
“We are starting to realise that most big guns are into this not because they love the party or the sitting President (Emmerson Mnangagwa), but because they just want to line their pockets and benefit from party programmes.
If this corruption is not investigated and action is taken to avert this decay they will get the shock of their lives come 2023. We have so far decided to vote the opposition.”
A protest vote, Bhora musango, rocked Zanu PF in the 2008 elections when party members dumped their presidential candidate, Robert Mugabe and voted for then MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, resulting in an embarrassing loss for the ruling party.
However, the results of the elections were withheld for six-long weeks by the stunned Zanu PF regime, amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud.
A run-off then ensued, with Zanu PF militia engaged in an orgy of violence which saw hundreds of MDC supporters killed, forcing Tsvangirai to withdraw from the race and Mugabe declared himself winner after a widely-condemned one-man race.
Some of the notable figures who allegedly benefitted from the command live stock programme in Bikita are traditional leaders, Zanu PF provincial and district leaders. The traditional leadership who include Lazarus Mazungunye, the current Chief Mazungunye, Mudhe Phillip, the reigning Chief Marozva, and Clemence Munyika the sitting headman Mpakwa, who all got three beasts each.
Ignatius Murindi, the Masvingo provincial war veterans chairperson got five beasts, businessman Busai Mutema got his share; losing parliamentary candidate, Ignatius Matenga (five), war veterans district chair Simon Masosonere, ward 24 councillor Chipo Munyoro and Joseph Chigiya, a school head, also benefited.
Murindi, however, blasted some traditional leaders describing them as greedy, but was quick to defend the distribution, saying most of the beneficiaries owned farms with vast grazing lands.
“This is a government programme which is meant to benefit a lot of people. I don’t see anything amiss with the allocation because these people can quickly breed the cattle and pass them on to other beneficiaries because they have the capacity unlike those complaining,” he said.
“The government is in dire need of foreign currency, so we can export the beef and ease some of the problems that the country is currently facing. Unfortunately, there are some traditional leaders who feel they should benefit from every government programme. That is greediness because they should let their subjects benefit first.” Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said he could not comment on the issue and referred questions to the Lands ministry.
“I cannot comment on the matter at the moment. On the issue of the beef breeding programme, why don’t you ask the minister responsible?” he said
However, efforts to get comment from Lands minister Perrance Shiri were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
We publish below reactions to Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana’ s statements that Zimbabwe is not the only country experiencing power cuts.
Said:
Hon Learnmore K Magorimbo: What worries me much about this worsening situation in our country examplary this issue of power shortage is very artificial and it stipulates the how much this Monster of Transport and Energy and he is not the only corrupt person in the government.
We are all using pre paid power from fuel to electricity how then does the government run out of resources and be incapacitated to pay for the electricity and fuel that they import is it sunctions or it is corruption?
They are telling us that we should bicycles because they have failed to meet fuel demands on the market what about electricity, water, etc???
Hospitals without medicines are just halls, courts without justice, schools without education, banks without money and money without value are as a result of illegitimacy and lack of common sense by the Ministers. We no longer trust these wolves to make decisions and spend our tax money for more than 3 months.
Tanya Sawadye: Back to empty incompatible comparisons??♀️ what does power cuts in mars or Jupiter have anything to do with Zimbabwe? You won’t send yr kids to school or feed them Cz your neighbor isn’t? WHO is experiencing 16hrs of no power? WHY are they experiencing the cuts? WHAT have they and are they doing about it? WHEN do they plan to restore them? HOW long and frequent are the power cuts? Etc answer those questions side by side and see if you are saying nonsense.
Lita Amuna: Handisiri ini ndiri ndega ndiri Kuba, or kuponda or ndarepa vamwe ard doing it. What a lame excuse from a gvt official, really Nick you can give such fucked statement yet you know this problem is largely caused by corruption. How on earth you pay huge sum of mo ey tho this fat dude chivhayp and no job do e plus he is a convict.
Newsday|PF supporters in parts of Masvingo province have threatened a protest vote in the 2023 election over the recently completed command livestock programme, which they claim was skewed in favour of party bigwigs and traditional leaders.
The command livestock programme was launched last year by the Lands ministry to help resuscitate the beef industry.
Party supporters, who spoke to Southern Eye on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation said only those in positions of power got beasts, adding that disgruntled members were now going to vote for the opposition MDC in the next election.
“As youths and women who are driving the party at the grassroots we feel we are being used by these big guys, because every time a new programme is introduced they are the first to benefit. Enough is enough. We have resolved to give back all the constituencies to MDC like what happened in 2008,” a disgruntled Zanu PF activist said.
“We are starting to realise that most big guns are into this not because they love the party or the sitting President (Emmerson Mnangagwa), but because they just want to line their pockets and benefit from party programmes.
If this corruption is not investigated and action is taken to avert this decay they will get the shock of their lives come 2023. We have so far decided to vote the opposition.”
A protest vote, Bhora musango, rocked Zanu PF in the 2008 elections when party members dumped their presidential candidate, Robert Mugabe and voted for then MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, resulting in an embarrassing loss for the ruling party.
However, the results of the elections were withheld for six-long weeks by the stunned Zanu PF regime, amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud.
A run-off then ensued, with Zanu PF militia engaged in an orgy of violence which saw hundreds of MDC supporters killed, forcing Tsvangirai to withdraw from the race and Mugabe declared himself winner after a widely-condemned one-man race.
Some of the notable figures who allegedly benefitted from the command live stock programme in Bikita are traditional leaders, Zanu PF provincial and district leaders. The traditional leadership who include Lazarus Mazungunye, the current Chief Mazungunye, Mudhe Phillip, the reigning Chief Marozva, and Clemence Munyika the sitting headman Mpakwa, who all got three beasts each.
Ignatius Murindi, the Masvingo provincial war veterans chairperson got five beasts, businessman Busai Mutema got his share; losing parliamentary candidate, Ignatius Matenga (five), war veterans district chair Simon Masosonere, ward 24 councillor Chipo Munyoro and Joseph Chigiya, a school head, also benefited.
Murindi, however, blasted some traditional leaders describing them as greedy, but was quick to defend the distribution, saying most of the beneficiaries owned farms with vast grazing lands.
“This is a government programme which is meant to benefit a lot of people. I don’t see anything amiss with the allocation because these people can quickly breed the cattle and pass them on to other beneficiaries because they have the capacity unlike those complaining,” he said.
“The government is in dire need of foreign currency, so we can export the beef and ease some of the problems that the country is currently facing. Unfortunately, there are some traditional leaders who feel they should benefit from every government programme. That is greediness because they should let their subjects benefit first.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said he could not comment on the issue and referred questions to the Lands ministry.
“I cannot comment on the matter at the moment. On the issue of the beef breeding programme, why don’t you ask the minister responsible?” he said
However, efforts to get comment from Lands minister Perrance Shiri were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered.
Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has denounced the abduction and torture of Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) President Obert Masaraure by suspected state security agents last night.
Masaraure was abducted at his house last night, tortured and dumped in the early morning as his union prepares for another teacher stayaway to force government to pay them in United States dollars.
Posting on Twitter this morning, Chamisa said the political situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated accusing Mnangagwa of turning the country into a pariah state and banana republic.
“Civil society leader Obert Masaraure abducted, tortured & dumped the usual way in Zim.7 other civil society activists in jail on trumped up charges.Political situation deteriorates.Zim turned into a pariah state and banana republic,” said Chamisa.
The MDC condemns in the strongest terms the abduction and brutalising of ARTUZ leader,Obert Masaraure by suspected state security operatives.
A State which perpetrates violence on men and women who stayed behind to serve the education system even when most teachers were leaving the country is shameless and ungrateful.
All they demand and rightfully so, is a living wage indexed in US dollars, better working conditions, reasonable teacher-student ratio and suitable facilities for the learners.
That is not criminal.
Masaraure has committed no crime, he is a patriot who is demanding better public delivery of education services.
It is quiet clear that he is being targeted for his dissenting views.
In January, he was thrown in the supermax state penitentiary with robbers and rapists.
Now armed bandits are sent to his house petrifying his family, torturing him, striping him naked and leaving him for dead.
The dark days are still with us.
Even signs of Goodwill from the EU are being washed down the drain by reckless and ruthless behavior.
The MDC demands an end to the terrorising of CSO and Union leaders.
Those in prison must be given back their freedom unconditionally and those who attacked Masaraure must be brought to Justice.
By Own Correspondent- The MDC has said that its two members from Gokwe were abducted by suspected State security agents on Tuesday morning.
MDC Midlands provincial spokesperson Takavafira Zhou said that their whereabouts were still unknown last night.
The missing activists are Prince Paradza and Edify Vushoma from Gokwe Central. A missing persons report was made at Gokwe Police Station. Witnesses told Southern Eye that the duo had an altercation with individuals suspected to be State operatives who accused them of pulling down President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s campaign poster during last year’s elections. The source said:
During the altercation by their tormentors, the two MDC activists were given four hours to either replace the poster or disappear. We strongly believe that the threat has been put into action.
Zhou also concurred with the source said:
The duo was falsely accused of removing Mnangagwa’s poster and was given a four-hour ultimatum. However, they politely indicated that there were not the ones who had pulled it down and so they could not replace it.
He added that the poster in question had, in fact, been pulled down by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officers ahead of the 2018 elections since it was in the vicinity of a polling station. He also said that the MDC was disturbed by the abduction and demanded the immediate release of the duo.
THE Castle Lager Premier Soccer League has increased gate charges by 100 percent, with the cheapest ticket for the rest of the ground now costing $10.
The new gate charges are with effect from this weekend’s games. PSL clubs were notified on Tuesday about the gate charges.
“This serves to advise that gate charges for Premier Soccer League matches have been reviewed with immediate effect. The new gate charges are as follows: Rest of Ground: RTGS$10, VIP: RTGS$20, VVIP: RTGS$50.
“Clubs that wish to maintain the old prices are advised to inform the PSL by Friday, 7 June 2019 to enable proper allocation of match tickets,” wrote the PSL to clubs.
The new charges are meant to cushion clubs that are faced with steep match day related costs, with camping budgets said to have skyrocketed from $4 000 to $14 000.
Yesterday state media reported that Bulawayo giants Highlanders had moved their camping base for home games, with the new accommodation base reportedly taking in five players per room.
Even corporate sponsored clubs like Chicken Inn are failing to cope up with escalating costs, resorting to camping for a single night instead of two nights when playing away.
Club officials that chose to remain anonymous said they had to review their budgets to survive.
“To be honest we no longer afford camping where we used to. It’s also difficult to plan now because service providers are saying we have to pay on the day we’re coming for camp and can’t give us the quotation in advance. Locally, some of the service providers do agree to a deal where we bring our own food, but when you are away they don’t want that kind of environment,” said one club official.
Another club official said they are faced with a dilemma of re-engaging their sponsor to revisit the accommodation issue.
“Look, we agreed with a sponsor say in December that they will pay say $2 000 for camp and now it’s difficult to go back and say things have changed. We understand the economic challenges sponsors are also facing hence we are trying to find how best to address the issue.
“What we are grateful for is that the league has raised charges which we hope will cushion clubs but service providers like Zifa, SRC, local authorities and the police among others, will still take a huge chunk,” said an official.
A 60-YEAR-OLD woman reportedly collapsed and died after she received news from the Bulilima district administrator’s office that she was being evicted from her illegal settlement at Sibantubanye.
The elderly woman, whose name could not be immediately verified, collapsed and died on Monday afternoon at her homestead at Sibantubanye Resettlement area, a few kilometres outside Plumtree Town, along Thekwane Road.
According to reports, the resettled farmers were declared illegal settlers on State land.
The DA’s office then gave the affected farmers 30-day notices to vacate the area or get forcibly removed.
On receiving the news, the woman reportedly collapsed and died on the spot.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele yesterday confirmed receiving a report of sudden death from Plumtree.
“I don’t have the full details, but I received information of a sudden death of a 60-year-old woman from Thekwane area, who collapsed and died on Monday. I am still to get her full name and other details. Her body was conveyed to Plumtree District Hospital for post-mortem,” Ndebele said.
A source close to the matter said the elderly woman was part of several families resettled at Sibantubanye area of Thekwane.
“On Monday, the villagers received notices of eviction from the DA’s office, informing them that they were illegal settlers who should vacate the area or face forced evictions. The granny did not take the news lightly and started gasping for air,” he said.
“She collapsed and other villagers tried to resuscitate her, but it was too late as she had already died. Police came and collected her body to Plumtree District Hospital mortuary.”
Government embarked on evictions of resettled farmers in December last year, arguing that it was rationalising the land reform programme and weeding out illegal settlers.
Following this and other heinous crimes of this regime, I have released the statement below:
Zimbabwean leader of the Teachers movement Obert Masaraure was abducted and severely tortured by state agents at mid night. Our resolve for a better Zimbabwe is and remains unshaken. Our search for justice against those who perpetrate these dastardly acts remain very solid. We will continue to use peaceful and non-violent methods to pursue a better and greater Zimbabwe and to search for more democratic and compassionate leaders who will treat the citizens of this country with respect and humanity. We hold President Mnangagwa and his illegal illegitimate and criminal government directly responsible for these heinous crimes. We continue to insist on the urgent need for an all inclusive national dialogue to resolve the escalating economic and political crisis and we hope and pray that the regional and international community will exercise their duty to protect unarmed and defenceless citizens and human rights activists in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe and E.U engagement in Harare on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe and the European Union began political talks on Wednesday aimed at turning the page on hostile relations during Robert Mugabe’s rule, a step that could enable a resumption of direct financial aid for the ailing economy.
During Mugabe’s four-decade rule until 2017, he would routinely blame European “colonialists” for Zimbabwe’s problems, and snarled at EU and U.S. sanctions for rights and vote abuses.
The EU has only kept sanctions on Mugabe, his wife and the state arms manufacturer, but is yet to resume direct funding to the new government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, preferring to channel money through local charities and U.N. agencies.
With the economy afflicted by dollar shortages, fuel queues, power-cuts, and soaring prices, Mnangagwa has said restoring ties with the West and multilateral lenders like International Monetary Fund is one of his major priorities.
At the start of the open-ended talks between diplomats and officials in Harare, EU Zimbabwe delegation head Timo Olkkonen said they would discuss issues including economic development, trade, investment, rights, rule of law and good governance.
The government has already signed up to an IMF monitoring programme where it has committed to political and economic reforms in a bid to set a track record of fiscal discipline that could earn it debt forgiveness and future financing.
At a separate event in a Harare hotel, Mnangagwa signed a new bill creating a tripartite negotiating forum intended to bring labour, business and government together to shape policy.
The 76-year-old leader is under pressure to deliver on pre-election promises and wants to avert a repeat of violent protests over a steep fuel price hike in January.
Later on Wednesday, the government is expected to start wage negotiations with public sector unions, who say a pay rise of up to 29% they received in April had already been eroded by inflation, now at a 10-year high of 75.86 %.
Mnangagwa has promised to break with his predecessor and says his “open for business” mantra will woo foreign investors. But critics say under his rule the economy shows no signs of improving while security forces have continued to crush dissent.
The Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS) firmly condemns the illegal arrest of seven (7) Zimbabwean civil society activists on their way home from attending a training workshop organized by CANVAS in the Maldives from May 15 to 19, 2019.
All of them have been denied bail so far. Six are remanded in person. The seventh person has serious health issues – she is remanded in a public hospital and denied the right to seek treatment in her preferred private clinic.
Their names are George Makoni, Nyasha Frank Mpahlo, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura, Farirai Gumbonzvanda, Stabile Dewa, and Rita Nyampinga. During the workshop, the State-controlled newspaper, The Herald, published an article that falsely accused participants of plotting to unleash violence in Zimbabwe in a bid to overthrow the Government.
CANVAS would like to inform Zimbabweans and the international community that the charges against these activists are blatantly false. The charges include: “subversion”, “counterintelligence”, and “being trained in use of small arms”. The activists could face up to twenty years in prison for these charges. The workshop focused on advocacy and civic engagement capacity building such as: Developing Shared Vision of Tomorrow; Civic Engagement; Effective Communications; Protecting Privacy and Security; and Organizational Planning.
For a decade and a half, CANVAS’ mission has been focused on the fact that nonviolence is morally and ethically superior to violence, and more likely to produce constructive outcomes and build strong and stable societies.
The arrests clearly violate provisions of the Zimbabwean Constitution on freedom of assembly and expression, and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. Basic universal principles of due process, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and conducting an unbiased investigation before arrest need to be upheld.
As long as the Government continues to violate the fundamental rights the constitution confers to Zimbabweans, it will not be seen by citizens and the international community as democratic or law abiding.
CANVAS calls on the Government of Zimbabwe to immediately and unconditionally release the seven (7) activists and follow the rule of law.
Participation in a workshop with a focus on peacebuilding and nonviolence should never be considered a crime, as the practice of nonviolence and peaceful assembly are fundamental human rights.
South AFRICAN-BASED Zimbabwean journalist, Mike Chimombe, was fatally shot in Cape Town on Sunday in a horrific robbery where his assailants also took away his vehicle.
Chimombe (37), was the first son of veteran journalist and farmer Emilia Zindi.
A devastated Zindi said her son, who was due to return home permanently in August, was shot after he refused to hand over his car keys to the robbers.
“I am told, on Sunday around 6pm he drove home and parked by the gate to open it. As he went back to his car, three guys had jumped into the vehicle. One of them was already on the steering wheel. As he tried to wrestle them out, one shot him before driving off,” she said.
The car was recovered a few kilometres away from the scene, she said.
“He had earlier told me he wanted to finish the instalment for his car in August and then come home permanently. It was so near, yet so far,” Zindi said in tears.
“We are working on repatriating his body. We are not sure of the burial dates yet, but we need R20 000 to get his body to Beitbridge from where our funeral house will take over.”
A 2002 Harare Polytechnic journalism graduate, Chimombe did his internship at The Herald.
After failing to secure employment in the country, he joined the great trek to the neighbouring country.
Veteran journalists who are on a social platform with Zindi, consoled their colleague who during an interview was besides herself with grief and pain.
“We will continue to lose our children to these violent deaths because some selfish politicians fail to sort the mess they created. We have lost . . . loved ones and our dignity to misrule pioneered by (former President) Robert Mugabe and we need a break,” said one veteran journalist.
Chimombe is one of the many Zimbabweans to meet a violent end in South Africa particularly in Cape Town where people can be killed for mobile phones.
Cape Town petrol attendant Nkosikho Mbele went the extra mile when he helped a customer who forgot her bank card at home. He should prepare to travel many more miles, as Shell has exciting overseas plans for him.
The company told News24 on Tuesday that it had nominated Mbele to represent South Africa at the next Shell Global Service Excellence Awards, which would take place at an international location next year.
He is also expected to travel to Zanzibar next month to be celebrated at their Regional Service Excellence Awards.
“His story will be shared with the Shell global community to inspire others further. We will also donate R500 000 to a charity organisation of his choice to pave [the] way for many more others,” it said.
“Shell is very proud of Nkosikho’s act of kindness and willingness to go an extra mile in assisting a customer pay for much needed fuel. We believe that this is a true spirit of Ubuntu and a commitment from our people to make our customer’s journey better.”
‘It’s because you did the right thing’
Mbele was overwhelmed and shocked when the company’s chairperson in South Africa, Hloniphizwe Mtolo, phoned to congratulate him and give him the news personally.
He had to ask twice whether he was actually going to go to the awards and said someone needed to splash him with water.
“Yes brother, it’s because you did the right thing,” Mtolo replied with a smile.
At least R460 000 has been donated for Mbele, 28, following his kind act last week.
He paid for Monet van Deventer’s petrol from his own pocket when she stopped at a petrol station on the N2 near Makhaza on her way to Cape Town, having realised she had forgotten her bank card.
“He saw my petrol light and looked so worried and stressed,” Van Deventer said.
‘I didn’t care about the money. I saw gratitude’
In a video interview with News24, Mbele said that Van Deventer returned later that day with the R100 he had loaned her, and some chocolate.
“I didn’t care about the money. I saw the gratitude in her eyes. I saw that she appreciated what I did. That made me happy,” he said.
Mbele will have full control of the funds, but has asked BackaBuddy to administer it on his behalf because of safety concerns.
He said he hadn’t taken a decision about the money but will sit with his mother, brother and children to decide on the way forward.
He wants to be his own boss eventually.
“I want to start my own business. I want something that will support me for a lifetime,” he said.
Head of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Timo Olkkonen
The European Union has commended Government’s political and economic reform agenda saying it shows its seriousness in moving the country forward.
This was said by Head of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe Ambassador Timo Olkkonen while addressing a Press conference soon after the launch of the formal dialogue between Zimbabwe and the EU.
“We think the Government is serious about its reform agenda and we have seen positive steps in terms of the constitutional alignment, and new legal proposals (Bills) are coming up and that testifies the seriousness of Government moving forward.
“Also that there is a staff-monitored programme by the IMF in attempts to reform the economy is a positive development,” said Ambassador Olkkonen.
Under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), Government has committed to political and economic reforms to deepen personal freedoms and democratic principles while making the country attractive to investors.
Parliament has since passed a number of laws to align them with the constitution while others are at various stages of promulgation.
However, Ambassador Olkkonen said the EU was concerned about recent arrests of seven members of various civic organisations on charges of subversion.
This is despite the fact that due process is taking place and that the arrests followed alerts on the potential for violent uprisings against a background of similar actions in January this year and last August.
The seven activists were arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport upon arrival from the Czech Republic and the Maldives where they were reportedly receiving training to cause terror in the country and unseat President Mnangagwa.
The training was allegedly sponsored by the Centre for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), an NGO based in Belgrade, Serbia, which specialises in training regime change activists in various countries.
However, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador James Manzou said the issue of the seven activists could not be discussed as it was before the courts.
“This is a dialogue that we have embarked on and this is a dialogue meant to build trust between the two sides. Let me say all issues are on the table for discussion,” he said.
“We discussed everything including the issues of sanctions on the Republic of Zimbabwe which must go. We discussed everything, including the issue of NGOs (that) the EU raised, but I think you know very well that is a tenet of law that issues before the courts are sub-judice and therefore those issues should be left to the courts to decide.
“The issues cannot be commented on at this moment.”
Ambassador Manzou said the dialogue would be an ongoing process with the parties meeting twice a year.
The launch was attended by several ambassadors from EU member States and several senior Government officials.
After Egypt’s 2011 revolution, the military soon acted to retake power. Today, Sudan’s military is behaving and talking in the exact same way.
African Argument|2011, mass protests led to the downfall of President Mubarak. In 2013, the military retook power in a coup.
A revolution is like a train journey. As such, you need to make sure not to get off too early or at the wrong stop. And you cannot afford to allow the military, who might crash or throw you off before you reach your destination, to take over.
Sudan’s revolutionary train journey began on 19 December 2018 with enormous demonstrations across towns and cities. The people protested against the economic crisis and called for President Omar al-Bashir to step down after nearly 30 years in power.
The demonstrators arrived at their next significant stop on 11 April with the removal of al-Bashir. That was also, however, when the military council boarded the train and the last two months have seen the civilian movement and Transitional Military Council (TMC), who ousted al-Bashir, wrestle for control of the tottering vehicle.
This week, after months of peaceful demonstrations and negotiations over the form the democratic transition should take, the military turned on the demonstrators. They stormed the main protest camps in Khartoum with soldiers killing at least 60 people, according to the latest estimates. The TMC scrapped all previous agreements made with the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and announced that elections will be held within nine months.
“Guardians of the revolution”?
For those of us who took part in Egypt’s revolution in 2011, events in Sudan look all too familiar. For me, this week’s violence is particularly reminiscent of the Rabaa massacre of August 2013. In that event, Egypt’s military and security forces raided two protest camps and attacked opposition demonstrations, killing more than 800 people in one day.
That massacre occurred two months after the military overthrew Egypt’s first elected president. Now, two months after al-Bashir’s departure, Sudan’s own military council appears to be reading from the same manifesto as their Egyptian counterparts.
In Egypt, our military leaders repeatedly told us they were the guardians of the revolution and their only aim was to protect the state against instability. They insisted that they had no appetite for power. General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who led the coup, has reasserted this claim many times ever since, despite recently changing the constitution in ways that consolidate the military’s power and allow him to rule until 2030.
These exact same arguments are being made by Sudan’s military leaders now. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the TMC, and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka “Hemedti”), have similarly talked of themselves as protectors of the revolution and insisted that they want to eventually see a civilian state.
When you hear this, our advice from Egypt is to be warned. Whatever they might say, these military leaders have no intention of allowing civilians to govern Sudan. They are planning to take full power soon and, just like in Egypt, proceed to repress every single type of opposition.
Testing the international community
In Egypt, the military bided their time from the 2011 revolution to their coup in 2013. In that period, they tried to maximise the role of the army in the new government while spreading rumours about their political opponents. They issued propaganda painting the military as Egypt’s last hope, a belief that eventually made it easier for them to overthrow the government and take power.
More worryingly, it was not just through words that Egypt’s army prepared to tighten their grip on power. Before the Rabaa massacre, security forces used violence on smaller scales, almost as a way to test the reactions of the people and the international community. They killed more than 50 people protesting the coup on 8 July 2013, then killed more than 150 people a few weeks later. The reaction domestically and internationally was muted. The Rabaa massacre happened the next month.
As soldiers believed to be from the influential paramilitary known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) storm demonstration camps in Sudan, it seems like this may also be a test. The TMC will be waiting to see the reactions from the likes of the UN, the African Union and Western partners and if any meaningful action will follow.
But it is not just these foreign bodies that the TMC will be keeping an eye on. In Egypt, President Sisi repeatedly thanked Saudi Arabia and the UAE for supporting him from day one. Going from audio which I myself leaked before having to flee Egypt, it came to light that these Gulf countries gave the Egyptian military over $40 billion to face down the opposition and Muslim Brotherhood.
It is therefore very unsettling to find out that in the last three weeks, members of Sudan’s military council have been visiting Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE too. Some of these trips took place just days before they attacked demonstrators and their camps.
Dealing with the military
Arguably, the most critical aspect of any revolution is the unity of the movement. This is essential in upholding the people’s demands and counteracting the power of a self-interested military. In Egypt sadly, different factions fell outand the relationship with the military council changed several times. This allowed the army to take advantage and, later, kill or arrest anyone who opposed them.
In Sudan, the Forces of Freedom and Change have faced a similar dilemma. They first tried to negotiate with the military, but the TMC has rewarded them by cancelling all agreements, attacking protesters, and throwing around false accusations. The protest organisers, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), have now called for a campaign of mass civil disobedience.
In the coming days, the movement will face several difficult decisions. The revolutionary train is in danger of being completely hijacked and going somewhere none of the protesters want to go. If there is one lesson Egypt’s failed revolution can offer at this critical junction, it is this: Whatever they may say, do not trust the military or their self-serving foreign allies.
Mabel Chinomona addressing ZANU PF Women’s League leaders
The Zanu-PF Women’s League has joined the barrage of terrified ZANU PF structures who are speaking against the opposition MDC’s resolution to engage in countrywide peaceful demonstrations against continued economic hardships in the country.
The Zanu-PF Women’s League secretary Mabel Chinomona issued a statement to state media claiming that the MDC is instead preparing to unlawfully dislodge President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government through violent protests.
“The Zanu-PF Women’s League is deeply disturbed by the tendency by some sections of the country’s opposition political parties colluding with certain civil society organisations with a culture of agitating for the use of various forms and acts of political violence and intimidation as a way of achieving their goals,” she said.
“Political violence impedes our collective attainment of national interests and also the full exercise of equal opportunity in political participation by all citizens.”
Chinomona said: “In that regard, the Zanu-PF Women’s League strongly castigates the reckless utterances and disturbing calls by the leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Alliance party, Nelson Chamisa, encouraging the nation to carry out violent anti-Government protests for the purpose of unlawfully removing a constitutionally elected Government.”
She said the calls were made during the MDC-Alliance party’s 5th Congress held at Ascot Stadium in Gweru recently.
“It can be recalled that the MDC-A, working covertly in cahoots with rogue civil society organisations, has in the past unleashed violent demonstrations that have resulted in loss of precious lives and wanton destruction of property,” said Chinomona.
“In recent times, the country experienced the catastrophic MDC-A led post-election violence on August 1, 2018, as well as the January 2019 shutdown.
Chinomona said they have taken heed of President Mnangagwa’s call for the country to embrace political and economic reforms in the Second Republic. She said the reforms were intended to propel the country towards a middle income economy by the year 2030.
“In both incidences lives were lost and there was malicious damage to both public and private properties. As the Zanu-PF Women’s League, we unequivocally condemn such evil and irresponsible calls that exacerbate the vulnerability of all citizens, particularly women and children and those living with disabilities. Organised despondency breeds destruction, hence consequences of social fragmentation are heavily felt by women.”
Chinomona said as women, they urge political actors in the country to use the existing constitutionally mandated institutions such as the legislature, various commissions, the political actors dialogue as well as other lawful mechanisms to exercise their democratic rights.
“It is from this background that the Zanu-PF Women’s League urges the whole nation to remain united, vigilant, calm and steadfast in our quest towards maintaining peace and tranquillity as these are pre-requisites to sustainable socio-economic development,” she said.
“The Women’s League reiterates its total support and loyalty to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, who is also Zanu-PF’s First Secretary, His Excellency Cde Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and his Government.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa|Today, (yesterday) we commissioned the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF); a transparent platform for crucial dialogue. As we progress our audacious development agenda, let us shun the culture of militancy & solve our differences by talking to each other.
With unjustified price increases affecting all, we are demanding a stronger and more responsive social dialogue, protecting both our workers and our reforming economy.
Zimbabwe will only be truly open for business when collaboration is put ahead of confrontation.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Manzou
Zimbabwe and the European Union (EU) yesterday launched a formal dialogue process based on Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement that governs relations between member States of the African-Carribean-Pacific regions and the EU in a major realisation of President Mnangagwa’s re-engagement policy which seeks to reintegrate Zimbabwe into the global family of nations.
Zimbabwe and the European bloc have endured underwarm relations in the past two decades and the dialogue opens a fresh page that will have major geopolitical implications and benefits for Zimbabwe, whose international relations adversely affected domestic prospects for growth economically and socially.
The dialogue is being co-chaired by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Manzou and the Head of the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Timo Olkkonen.
In his remarks, Ambassador Manzou said the launch was a culmination of three years of informal dialogue between the two parties.
“This event that brings us together marks another milestone in the Government’s re-engagement efforts and indeed in the strengthening of relations between Zimbabwe and the EU,” he said.
“As you are all aware re-engagement, particularly this one with the EU is one of the foreign policy priorities of the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe. Looking back at the informal meetings we have had this year and the year before I am convinced that we have laid the ground work for a frank constructive engagement on all issues aimed at strengthening our relations.”
Ambassador Manzou added that through Vision 2030 the Government under the guidance of His Excellency, President Mnangagwa, has committed to transforming the country into an upper middle income economy by 2030.
“This is a huge task but one that we think is doable. We continue to count on the support our EU partners in our noble endeavour.
“Government is already making significant strides in carrying out political and economic reforms that are key in creating a conducive environment for business and more importantly for improving the life of ordinary Zimbabweans,” he said.
Ambassador Manzou said stronger Zimbabwe-EU relations would help in the attainment of Vision 2030.
In his remarks, Ambassador Olkkonen said the platform offered an opportunity to discuss areas of common interest.
“We hope that formal political dialogue will from now on become an integral part of the relations between the EU and the Republic of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“This should provide a useful platform to exchange views on topics that are of common interest and identify areas where we can deepen our relationship. It also provides a forum for a frank exchange of views on issues we might not agree upon and foster mutual understanding. Our commitment is to a relationship that we are building together, as partners.”
“In all our activities, we want to engage Zimbabwe on an equal footing, based on shared values, such as respect of human rights and the sustainable development goals agenda. A strengthened relationship between Zimbabwe and EU holds promise of increased investment and trade opportunities.”
The issues under discussion range from economic development, trade and investment, climate change and its humanitarian impact, human rights, democratisation, rule of law and good governance, as well as development cooperation, migration and regional and international cooperation.
Meanwhile, ambassador Manzou said the dialogue would be an ongoing process with the parties agreeing to meet twice a year while the next meeting is scheduled to be held within the first two weeks of November.
Hon. Mudenda said ZEC has not acted constitutionally as it has not yet submitted the 2018 Harmonised Elections Report before Parliament 11 months down the line
Sandra Ndebele entertains the crowd at the celebrations
The Bulawayo @125 celebrations that were held at the Large City Hall car park on Tuesday brought cheers to the city’s residents as they were treated to quality entertainment with food served in abundance.
The daylong celebrations started with a carnival around the city in the morning and culminated with a concert which had the city’s finest artistes.
First on stage were Mzoe 7 and Msiz’Kay who warmed up the stage for Clement Magwaza of the Kokotsha fame.
Magwaza was greeted by the hundreds that had congregated at the venue with wild cheers, whistles and ululations. His dancers complemented him well as they showed their skills, while another left the crowd in awe as he danced while balancing two bicycle wheels.
However, the fun was short-lived as Magwaza, after performing two songs, left the stage, much to the dismay of the crowd.
Next on stage was Novuyo Seagirl who was a tad bit nervous after the horrific experience during the ZITF Shutdown Show where she was booed off stage.
Fortunately for her, she was warmly received this time and even got people to sing her two tracks, Bambelela and AEIOU.
She then paved way for Madlela Skhobokhobo who also performed two songs Majazana and his break out track, Ngamnanka.
Before Sandra Ndebele closed off the show, there was a fireworks display which was a big highlight as it stole the show. People quickly took out their phones to capture the moment.
Earlier in the day, the commemorations of the city began with two processions, the first at Inxwala site and second at the National Railways of Zimbabwe train station.
These processions passed through various historical sites around the city.
The first procession started off at Inxwala site, which was a place the Ndebele nation used during the sacrificial ceremony of giving the first fruits of harvest to the ancestors.
The long meandering parade passed through another significant location, “The Hanging Tree” (down Joshua Mqabuko Street, between First Avenue and Masotsha Ndlovu).
“The Hanging Tree” (a False Marula tree) was used by the European settlers to hang blacks during the 1896 uprisings at the height of Matabele uprisings.
Passing by the “Hanging Tree”, the local authority recognised the brutality of the settlers as they colonised the Ndebele nation.
The city’s Mayor, Councillor Solomon Mguni who was on board the mayoral vintage car, a black 1971 Daimler Limousine, was part of this procession.
The colourful and vibrant parade which included schools drum majorettes and army band led the march along the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street.
The procession also had traditional dancers and horse -riding city council employees in true reflection of the mode of transport that was common back then.
Scores of the city’s residents watched the spectacle unfold with some of them wondering what was actually happening. But all the same, they joined in the fun and had a good day.
Own Correspondent|Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday met United States of America Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols where the US emphasised to him the importance of political reforms to aid economic reforms.
The duo also talked about the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Staff Monitored Programme (SMP).
Prof Ncube tweeted, “Met with @usembassyharare Ambassador Nichols. Discussed progress of broad #Zimbabwe economic reforms, IMF Staff Monitoring Program and Zimbabwe investment opportunities for American companies.”
Met with @usembassyharare Ambassador Nichols. Discussed progress of broad #Zimbabwe economic reforms, IMF Staff Monitoring Program and Zimbabwe investment opportunities for American companies. pic.twitter.com/d9bcKkjT8X
“Ambassador Nichols met Finance Minister @MthuliNcube. They discussed the progress on SOE (State owned Enterprise) privatisation, US investment opportunities, land & agricultural reforms, implementation of Staff Monitoring Program & the importance of political reforms which must accompany economic reforms,” tweeted the US embassy.
Ambassador Nichols met Finance Minister @MthuliNcube. They discussed the progress on SOE privatization, US investment opportunities, land & agricultural reforms, implementation of Staff Monitoring Program & the importance of political reforms which must accompany economic reforms pic.twitter.com/LqYr6v5hcQ
Recently, Ambassador Nichols said the economy can recover, but cautioned it won’t happen “overnight” and not without commitment to change by the Zimbabwean government.
Emmerson Mnangagwa with Robert Mugabe during the Gukurahundi era.
Zimbabwe’s President Mnangagwa has called for open debate on massacres in the 1980s that he allegedly masterminded. Many are unconvinced.
President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa was Minister for State Security at the time of the Gukurahundi massacres.
In 1983, Nqobizitha Mhlaleri was ten years old when a bloody massacre in western Zimbabwe destroyed his community and left him an orphan.
“I was made to step on dead bodies including my parents’,” he says, now aged 46. “The soldiers were ruthless. They left a trail of disaster.”
Nobuhle Ndlovu, 68, recounts a similar tale of violence.
“I was pregnant then when six men arrived at our home enquiring of any suspicious men around the village,” she says. “They accused us of harbouring dissidents. I was told to lie face down… The next thing were gunshots and they left. When I went to check, I saw my husband in a pool of blood. He had been shot in the head.”
In Matabeleland and the Midlands, many people have similarly traumatic experiences from the 1980s when political tensions spilled into mass atrocities. Zimbabwe became independent in 1980 to much jubilation, but from the start, tensions simmered between two rival groups: Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which won the 1980 elections, and Joshua Nkomo’s Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).
In 1983, their antagonism erupted into violence when ZANU-led government decided to crack down on ZAPU supporters. The Fifth Brigade, a military unit trained by the North Korean army, swept through provinces in Matebeleland and the Midlands, where ZAPU support – much of which came from the minority Ndebele people – derived. The operation was codenamed Gukurahundi, which translates in Shona as “the rain that washes away the chaff”. From 1983 to 1987, security forces targeted thousands of Ndebele with torture, detention and summary execution. An estimated 20,000 people were killed.
The man widely alleged to have masterminded the massacres, Emmerson Mnangagwa, became Zimbabwe’s president in 2017.
A moment of madness?
This period of violence effectively ended in December 1987 when former President Mugabe and Nkomo signed the Unity Accord. As part of this, ZANU and ZAPU merged to become the ZANU-PF party. In the following months, an amnesty was announced for both security forces and dissidents who had committed violations.
The Gukurahundi massacres ended but the underlying issues and impact of the chaos remained unresolved and unaddressed. President Mugabe commissioned an NGO report and appointed the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence. But the commission’s findings were never made public. Many Ndebele communities were left devastated and alone to cope with the trauma and loss, passing on the pain from generation to generation.
“The Gukurahundi issue is still unresolved 36 years after it occurred,” says David Coltart, Zimbabwe’s former minister for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture. “There are no memorials. There are still mass graves. There was never any compensation of victims.”
According to Coltart, the closest the government has come to apologising for the havoc it wrought was in 2000 when Mugabe referred to the massacres as “a moment of madness”. Beyond that, little has been done to atone for the widespread violence. Many Ndebele still suffer from the wounds of the Gukurahundi, which were made even harder to bear when Mugabe was removed from office and replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa in November 2017.
At the time of the Gukurahundi, Mnangagwa was the minister for state security and oversaw the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). He is widely believed to have played a central role in the massacres. He now not only occupies Zimbabwe’s top job, but has brought other key figures accused of leading the massacres with him.
“The First Brigade was then headed by Dominic Chinenge and the Fifth Brigade was headed by Perence Shiri,” says Coltart. “The CIO provided lists of ZAPU private operatives to the Fifth Brigade who deployed troops to villagers, whilst the First Brigade provided with logistical support.”
Dominic Chinenge (aka Constantino Chiwenga) is now Vice-President. Perence Shiri is Agriculture Minister.
“We need to talk about reparations, justice, and truth-telling”
Since coming to office, President Mnangagwa has made some efforts to address the grievances of the Ndebele community. In March 2019, for instance, he agreed to meet with representatives of the Matebeleleland Collective, a consortium of regional civil society organisations. For Jenny Williams, convener of the collective, the time was right to meet with the new government.
“Despite the pain still felt and shared by people of this region, we realistically told each other that it is time to engage the government of Zimbabwe,” she says.
That decision may have borne some fruit. In the weeks following the meeting, Mnangagwa appealed to Zimbabweans to talk freely about the massacres. “Let’s open a debate so as not to fear anything”, he said. The government also suggested plans to exhume and rebury victims, provide counselling and medical services, and issue documents to displaced survivors.
These moves have so far split opinion. Dr Dumisani Ngwenya, a member of the Matebeleleland Collective, is cautiously optimistic.
“It does seem as if there is a more of a movement now than previously… People are a little freer to talk about it in public,” he says. “Only time will tell whether this is a genuine move or not, but for now we have no reason to doubt the intention at least.”
Many others, however, are far less convinced. Political analyst Gift Ostallos Siziba, for instance, suggests that it is “folly” to believe progress is being made without more comprehensive redress.
“We need to talk about reparations, justice, and truth-telling,” he says. “These are fundamentals that need to be discussed.”
He stresses Mnangagwa’s alleged role in the Gukurahundi massacres and suggests the president is obscuring the reality of what happened.
“He is not going to open up. That’s why he was arresting those viewed as threats to the process of truth telling,” says Siziba, referring to the arrest of journalist Zenzele Ndebele after he called on the president to address what happened in the 1980s. “Mnangagwa is putting lipstick [on the issue], trying to cajole the international community [by] talking about something that he is a perpetrator of.”
Researcher Tjenesani Ntungakwa echoes some of these views and suggests that only an independent body can honestly adjudicate.
“Everyone who was involved in these atrocities does not want to come out clean,” he says. “There is a need to have an independent commission manned by the church. The first people to bring facts on the issue [of human rights abuses committed in the Gukurahundi massacres] was the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP).”
A collective healing
Across Matebeleleland and the Midlands, the impact of the violence in the 1980s continues to be felt. For survivors like Nqobizitha, the lack of redress has made it hard to move on.
“It continues to haunt me even in my sleep,” he says.
He and thousands of others are still awaiting acknowledgement from the government, an apology and meaningful compensation. It is hard to say whether the fact that Mnangagwa – the man many believe to have been the violence’s key architect – is now president helps their cause or not.
Either way, for many, the Gukurahundi massacres continue to loom over Zimbabwe 36 years after they began. On the one hand, these ongoing grievances feed into the minority Ndebele’s long-standing feelings of marginalisation. But on the other, some argue that the issue is about more than just one group; it strikes at the heart of the kind of nation Zimbabwe should be.
“You cannot say it should be a Matebeleland thing,” says researcher Mbuso Fuzwayo. “It is something where national resources were spent to carry out the exercise and we should approach it with the national outlook to say: ‘What form of Zimbabwe do we want?'”
Read the original of this report, including embedded links and illustrations, on the African Arguments site.
General Sani Abacha with Pope John Paul just before his death in 1998.
Own Correspondent|Nigeria, the United States and the Island of Jersey are to share about $267 million, which was plundered from the treasury by former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
Reports by the BBC and JERSEY EVENING POST said the cash was seized from a Jersey bank account.
It is, however, different from previous seizures from the late head of state.
According to reports, about $268 million was paid into the Island’s Civil Asset Recovery Fund from assets channelled to Jersey from Nigeria after being laundered through the USA.
The money was laundered from the United States and paid into Jersey accounts by a British Virgin Islands shell company, Doraville Properties Corporation.
After a five-year legal wrangle, the money, which was frozen in 2014, but has now been recovered, will be split between Jersey, the United States and Nigeria.
The huge sum will be held in Jersey while an asset-sharing agreement is struck between the USA, Nigeria and the Island.
It was however, unclear how much each of the three nations will get as no sharing formula has been agreed upon.
It was learnt that more money held by the shell company might be seized and paid into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund in the future.
More than $450 million was frozen in 2014 by the US Department of Justice, in what it described as the biggest kleptocratic forfeiture in its history. Abacha, who died in 1998, is believed to have embezzled and stolen billions during his five years dictatorship and stashed most of it in accounts throughout Europe.
A suspected hooker was found dead in a lodge in Bulawayo with 666, biblically known as the mark of the beast and a star associated with the occult, inscribed on her belly with a red substance.
The suspected satanic ritual killing occurred at Silver Sands Lodge situated at number 13 Connaught Avenue between Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and Jason Moyo Street.
A cleaner at the lodge stumbled on the body which had been stashed under a bed on Monday morning.
Sources at the lodge said the woman checked into Silver Sands with a man who gave a Pumula South address as his home at around 3AM on Sunday.
“She appeared drunk and was carrying a bucket with ice and beer. Around 10AM on the same day, a staff member knocked on the door to tell them it was time to check out. The man partially opened the door and paid for an extra day saying his companion was still drunk,” said a source.
The source said around 2PM the man left the lodge saying he was going to buy food and never returned.
“On Monday at around 10AM a staff member went to clean the room and inform the occupants that it was time to check out. She knocked without a response and eventually opened the door. We heard her screaming saying someone was dead in the room,” said the source.
The police, added the source, were called and the full horror of the situation was revealed.
The source said there were no visible marks on the woman’s body but blood and a strange fluid were coming out of her mouth.
“We think it was a satanic ritual killing. The number 666 is known as a mark of evil as shown in the Bible in Revelations 13. A police officer said the star that was painted on her tummy is used to summon evil spirits,” said the source.
Bulawayo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said investigations were underway to determine the cause of death.
“I confirm that police are investigating a case of a woman who was found dead under a bed at Silver Sands Lodge in the CBD. The body was discovered by a cleaner while she was spreading sheets on the bed and she alerted her superiors who reported the case,” she said.
Ass Insp Msebele said the body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for postmortem.
“We have not yet established the cause of death. We will provide finer details after investigations. The police have not obtained the name of the deceased as well as residential address of the man the deceased was allegedly in the company of,” she said.
The dead woman was wearing blue jeans, a brown jacket, black bra and black top. Recently an unknown woman from Bulawayo was allegedly raped and killed in a bushy pathway between Richmond and Mzilikazi suburbs.
A passerby called police after stumbling on the body. The woman was found half naked. -state media
Farai Dziva| Veteran journalist and political analyst Hopewell Chin’ono says the economy is already demonstrating against Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Chin’ono has urged the opposition MDC to desist from mass protests because that will be playing into the hands of the government.
Chin’ono believes the economy has already taken to the streets.
Writing on Twitter, Chin’ono said:
“I have argued that the MDC shouldn’t put people in the streets because this is what this regime wants.
The economy is already in the streets demonstrating against the incompetence, corruption, nepotism, lack of Political Reforms and looting of natural resources by this government!”
The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Fortune Chasi, has called for greater private sector participation in the generation of renewable solar energy to help complement Government’s electricity supply.
Speaking during a tour of Distributed Power Africa’s (DPA) recently commissioned solar power plant at Econet’s Willowvale office complex in Harare, the new Energy Minister commended Econet and DPA for leading in the adoption of renewable energy.
“I would like to congratulate the Econet group and DPA for taking the lead in driving the use and adoption of renewable energy which reduces the load on the national power grid,” the minister said.
The installation of the 466KW grid-tied solar system, which was constructed under an Independent Power Producer (IPP) Licence issued by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), marks DPA’s largest commercial and industrial project to date.
Zimbabwe has been experiencing power shortages that have prompted the national power utility company ZESA to introduce an aggressive load-shedding schedule in a bid to manage power consumption across industry, business and domestic users.
Minister Chasi said Government supported efforts by private sector players such as DPA to deploy solar energy generating plants, as this would reduce dependency on the national grid, lower the energy importation bill and save scarce foreign currency.
“Government fully supports the use of solar power and sees the adoption of renewable energy as a sustainable, clean and long-term option to the challenges of inadequate power supply,” the minister said.
The country’s power deficit has been made worse by the current hydro-power challenges at Kariba Dam, where the water level is dangerously low at only 29 percent full.
“But solar energy can alleviate the country’s dependence on both hydro-power energy and non-renewable fossil fuels, and it can significantly reduce the importation of energy and save scarce foreign currency, which can be used for other national developmental programmes,” the minister said.
He said Government was ready to engage the private sector to create an enabling environment when it comes to power generation, and to ensure an energy policy framework that facilitates for ease of generation and adoption of renewable energy.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe group CEO Mr Douglas Mboweni said Government’s support was key in the success of renewable energy adoption in Zimbabwe.
“We cherish the Minister of Energy’s visit and his interest in what we are doing. We are encouraged by his commitment to encourage the private sector to participate in contributing to sustainable energy generation,” said Mr Mboweni, pledging that Econet was ready to play its part.
Econet has installed grid-tied solar systems at nearly all of its major business premises around the country, including Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.
DPA Zimbabwe’s CEO, Mr Divyajeet Mahajan, whose company has successfully installed over 1MW in Zimbabwe, said DPA’s business model lent itself to speedy deployment, at minimum risk to the client.
“We believe that with our zero-risk asset financing model, the adoption of solar energy will significantly increase, and it is our hope that more businesses will take up this opportunity as energy remains a critical pillar in Zimbabwe’s economic transformation,” said Mr Mahajan, adding that DPA had a project pipeline of 150MW.-State Media
Farai Dziva| Warriors captain Knowledge Musona says the team is working hard on rectifying the mistakes from the previous Afcon edition.
Zimbabwe were knocked out in the group stage, managing only a point at the 2017 tournament.
The squad was composed of players without the Afcon experience as the country had last made their last appearance over a decade before.
In an interview with Reuters at the Warriors’ training camp in Durban, Musona believes the selection, which has a couple of new faces, is now capable of getting beyond the first round.
“We have a good team with good quality, and we are working hard to correct the mistakes from the last tournament,” said the skipper.
“We have enough experience and our initial target is to pass out from the group stages for the first time.”
Zimbabwe are in Group A, and they start their campaign on the opening Match-day against hosts Egypt on June 21.
They will play Uganda and DRC in the coming days, and Musona, who is contracted to Belgian side Anderlecht but played part of last season on loan at Lokeren, says the team is targeting to pull an upset on the group favourites.
“We have the hosts and they are always going to be favourites. DR Congo have a strong team and they will know what to expect from us. Uganda are a very good team also.
“Zimbabwe are the only underdog in the group, but that in itself should give is motivation to say we are the Ajax Amsterdam of the Nations Cup.
“We are going there to fight and give disappointment to other teams,” he said, alluding to the Dutch club’s surprise run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals this season.
State Media-A 19 year-old Bindura-born flying sensation, has become the youngest pilot in the country after passing his aviation studies with flying colours.
Mr Simbarashe Machigere was awarded a commercial pilot licence on May 5, 2019 by the East African Aviation School based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Before him, the youngest pilot in the country was 21 year old Mr Kalenga Kamwendo, who is based in Zambia.
Machigere attained his qualification in style, after shattering the aviation academy’s record for flying solo at 29 hours of training.
ZIMBABWE Warriors’ two-year dominance of the COSAFA Cup came to an agonising end last night when they crashed out of the tournament after losing to bitter rivals, Zambia, in a semi-final decided by a penalty shoot-out at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban last night.
Despite the heroics of goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze, who was named man-of-the-match and virtually booked his place in the team for the AFCON finals, the Warriors could not find the winning magic that had driven them to winning this tournament in the past two years.
The decision to throw in some of the regulars, who will today travel to Nigeria for a friendly international set for Saturday, will be debated because many of them appeared to be playing with their minds already on the plane to the West African country.
And, it became clear, that many of them were also worried about picking an injury which could rule them out of the AFCON finals and could not commit themselves to the tackles the way they usually do.
As promised, the Warriors made wholesale changes to the team which defeated Comoros in the quarter-finals, with eight changes to their starting XI, and they still started strongly as they dictated the pace of the game.
However, while there was accuracy in their passing, their moves were pedestrian and the Zambians would easily regroup to provide the cover they needed in defence and ensure the Zimbabweans didn’t threaten their danger area as much as their possession merited.
The first chance for the defending champions came in the 16th minute when some good work down the left channel saw Divine Lunga charging into the box, but Admiral Muskwe could not push his effort home.
The Zambians sparked into life midway into the game and twice, within a minute, forced goalkeeper Chipezeze to make decent saves with the Zimbabweans guilty of taking too much time in midfield where Thabani Kamusoko, man-of-the-match in the victory over Comoros in the first match, appeared to be trying to impress too much.
After the half-hour mark, Chipezeze justified the voices that have been grumbling for his inclusion in the Warriors with a spectacular point-blank save, flying to his left to pluck the ball over the bar, although the effort could have been ruled out for offside had it gone in.
Seven minutes later, Comoros referee, Ali Mohamed Adelaid, whose handling of the first half was very biased in favour of the Zambians, somehow, decided to ignore what appeared a genuine call by Zimbabwe skipper, Knowledge Musona, for a penalty.
The Smiling Assassin skinned his marker on the left side, fooling him with twists and turns and leaving him for dead, before roaming into the space where he was tackled from behind only for the referee to award the Warriors a corner kick instead of the penalty they were screaming for.
A minute later, the ball appeared on the other side and when it brushed part of the shoulder of Teenage Hadebe, who was already turning the other side, Adelaid shocked all and sundry by pointing to the spot.
“That, to me, will be the worst penalty you will see,’’ said SuperSport analyst, William Shongwe.
“That’s where VAR would have come handy for me, I don’t have to doubt my feelings about that one.’’
Austin Muwowo took responsibility and directed his effort to the right of the ’keeper and Chipezeze dived the right way to produce a fine save with the Zambian then kicking him on the head as he chased the rebound to earn himself a yellow card.
Zimbabwe had 63 percent possession in the first half.
Chipezeze then saved well again on the hour mark from range before a big cheer erupted inside the stadium when Khama Billiat was introduced for Tafadzwa Kutinyu.
Musona then fooled his marker and fired a near post bullet which the Zambian goalkeeper did well to push for a corner.
The pace of the game decreased in the middle of the second-half, but right at the end, substitute Tino Kadewere could have won it for the Warriors.
Billiat carried the ball well down the right avenue and Musona sold the Zambians a dummy, the ball rolling kindly to Kadewere who went for both power and the top corner only to direct his effort wide.
It was a great chance and, on reflection, Kadewere knows he should have buried that opportunity.
The match then spilled into a penalty shoot-out and it started in horror fashion for the defending champions when Billiat appeared to slip, just before the connection, and his effort was saved by the goalkeeper dividing to his left.
Admiral Muskwe, who had a quiet game, was handed the responsibility to try and bring the Zimbabweans back into the game but his effort was wild and floated over the goal by a distance.
It was probably the biggest miss, in terms of height cleared, since Wilfred Mugeyi fired a great chance over the bar in the first 2004 AFCON finals game against Egypt.
The Zambians kept converting their penalty kicks and despite the successful conversions by late substitute Marvelous Nakamba and the impressive Tendai Darikwa, the Zimbabweans crashed out.
Having beaten their opponents in the previous two finals, the Zambians will feel they deserved their chance to smile and will now meet Botswana in the final on Saturday.- state media
A 22-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo who allegedly broke into a pregnant soldier’s house and attempted to rape her has been charged with unlawful entry.
Bandlalwenkosi Ncube from Douglasdale pleaded not guilty to an unlawful entry charge when he appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.
He was remanded in custody to Friday for commencement of trial. Ncube is unemployed whereas the complainant is a soldier based in Plumtree.
The court heard that Ncube allegedly unlawfully entered the complainant’s house and proceeded to her bedroom. Prosecuting, Ms Tarisai Kamema said on May 30 this year at around 12.35AM, the soldier woke up and realised that her bedroom lights were off and her door was open. She woke up and closed the door.
“When she was going back to bed, Ncube grabbed her from behind and told her to be quiet, threatening to stab her if she screamed.
“Ncube fondled her breasts, patted her tummy and undressed her. When he tried to rape the woman, she overpowered him and screamed for help.
“Ncube bit the complainant on her right shoulder and fled from the house,” said Ms Kamema. The court heard that Ncube dropped his cellphone on the bed and it was used to track him, leading to his arrest.
He was arrested on the same day he allegedly committed the offence.State media
THE head of a gold panner from Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb was left hanging by a shred of flesh following a savage attack in a fight over gold in Mphoengs, Plumtree.
Ficson Mkandla was killed on Saturday in the vicious confrontation pitting a gang from Insuza, in Matabeleland North and another from Nkayi, in the same province.
Chronicle yesterday visited Mkandla’s home where his elder brother Collen narrated the grisly killing.
A group of gold panners were also present to mourn their colleague. Collen said the family was devastated and saddened by his younger brother’s gruesome death.
“I’m based in South Africa. I wasn’t there when this incident occurred but will only narrate what I was told by his friends and my other brother who escaped the fatal attack. I’m told a gold war erupted in Mphoengs on Saturday where these guys from Nkayi, which my brother is part of, were involved in an altercation with a gang from Insuza. The gang from Insuza were overpowered during the scuffle and escaped only to emerge later with reinforcements,” said Mr Mkandla.
He said the gang from Insuza ambushed his brother’s team who were already panning for gold in shafts.
Mr Mkandla said as Ficson’s team retreated, he was struck with a stone on the head.
“The Insuza gang was in hot pursuit. The gang pounced and axed him on the head, splitting his skull open and nearly decapitating him. He had four deep cuts and his hand was also nearly cut off. He died at the scene. It was a horrific scene and sadly no one has been made to account for his death,” said Mr Mkandla.State media
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North meets in Lupane this weekend where the candidacy of Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube in the Lupane East by election is expected to be discussed.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Sithembile Gumbo in April this year following a long illness exacerbated by injuries sustained in an accident in 2014.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa promulgated August 3 as the date of the by election.
“The idea of deploying Mthuli in the by election has been discussed in the province but no concrete decision was reached,” said a Zanu-PF official.
“It is expected that the matter will be finalised on Saturday so that preparations for the by elections start. We do not anticipate that Mthuli’s candidacy will be opposed by anyone.”
The province is also expected to discuss the humiliation of provincial affairs minister and Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Richard Moyo during the burial of struggle icon Dumiso Dabengwa in Ntabazinduna on Saturday.
Moyo is also the Zanu-PF Umguza legislator under which Ntabazinduna falls.
Moyo, representing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was forced to cut his speech within four minutes after he was booed by members of the public.
“The provincial leadership is not happy about the humiliation suffered by Moyo during the burial. There is a feeling that the humiliation was instigated by Chief Ndiweni and elements of the Nelson Chamisa MDC,” said a Zanu-PF member.
Own Correspondent|The Confederation of African football have decided to replay the Champions League final following the scandalous scenes in Radès last week.
This became clear at CAF’s emergency meeting in Paris, to discuss the mayhem that took placeon the second leg of the Champions League final between Wydad Athletic Club and Espérance de Tunis.
The visitors had a goal wrongly disallowed after 60 minutes of play and when the VAR system proved not to be working, they refused to continue, resulting in Espérance being handed the title.
But the case has now gone to the CAF executives, which now have decided to replay the final on neutral ground, with results from the previous legs cancelled out. There’s still unclarity surrounding when the game would be played, although it looks like we’d have to wait until after the summer, with Africa Cup of Nations soon approaching.
CAF’s president had since weighed in on the matter, suggesting that Wydad got the short end of the stick in the second leg of the final.
“If somebody did not see WAC’s goal as legitimate, he then should change his hobby and to stop watching football,” Ahmad told Moroccan sports news outlet Almountakhab.
“The goal was legitimate and the Video Assistant Referee is not necessary to prove that.”
Ahmad also provided some clarity regarding the lack of VAR in the second leg.
“Everything has been unfair towards Wydad,” he told HeSPORT.
“We have had an agreement with a company to supply VAR; however, they informed us they wouldn’t be apply to provide it for technical reasons just before the game.
“I have no answers to give you. I am even so frightened after what happened.”
Community Water Alliance ward 43, 33 and 32 Committees visited Budiriro District Offices of the City of Harare registering their displeasure on water consumption charges on households where water has not been provided for the past 4 years in Ngungunyani and Goshen areas in Budiriro.
A copy of the letter was delivered and the District Officer immediately called CWA Committees for a meeting.
The meeting resolved the following:
1) Community Water Alliance ward 43 committee will collect information on all affected households in Ngungunyani and Goshen and present details of House Numbers including water meter readings to local district offices of the City of Harare.
2) Local District Officer agreed to remove erroneous charges on water bill upon submission of affected households by CWA. She however said that the timeframe for this will be determined by the capacity of central office at Rowan Martin to ensure the new billing system functions within the shortest period.
CWA Ward Committees will soon be doing ward engagement meetings to collect more cases on arbitrary water disconnections in Budiriro, encourage payment for services rendered and bank rolling community stewardship to water infrastructure
By Talent Gondo| A 32 year old man from Gwanda has been jailed 15 years for raping his friend’s wife after he found her alone at her home while her husband was at work.
Bukhosi Nyathi of Tshoboyi pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape when he appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira, but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment and three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. He will serve an effective 12 years.
In his defence, Nyathi, who was being represented by Mr Bukhosi Ncube of Mlweli Ndlovu and Associates, said the complainant had consented to having sexual intercourse with him as they were having an affair.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has spoken strongly against the culture of holding demonstrations as they create disharmony among citizens.
He added that the culture of violence is retrogressive and will only serve to worsen the socio-economic challenges facing the country.
Mnangagwa said this during the launch of Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) at the Rainbow Towers in Harare on Tuesday.
He said:
In the Second Republic, let us shun the culture of militancy, disharmony and demonstrations. We must develop a greater understanding of each other’s perspectives.
Like one writer says, ‘Most problems would disappear if people talk to each other more, instead of talking about each other.
Differing positions must be permissible within our country, however, these must never divide us or result in conflict.
Violence must never be used as a tool to gain a temporary advantage, at the expense of the people we must serve and protect.
The old, retrogressive culture will only serve to widen our fissures and exacerbate our socio-economic challenges, and further delay the prosperity that our country so much needs and our people deserve.
The Chikurubi Maximum Prisoners band leader Felix Sadza confessed that he was jailed for raping a 14-year-old, adding that while he committed the offence, he was not supposed to be caught.
Felix notes that schooling like what other prisoners do is not into him because he likes singing and dancing.
“I am the band leader and also the choir master amongst all the prisoners,” he said.
He also notes that he once had a goblin and was once tsikamutanda in Karoi.
“I once had a goblin which every year was supposed to kill my relative so that I become rich.
“I was also capable of helping people to catch witches and wizards making payments in form of cattle,” said Sadza.
Sadza alleged that he raped but he wasn’t supposed to be caught but then people saw that he was making a lot of money whilst his relatives were dying. To take care of his children and make money he is also doing business though he is a prisoner.
“I used to have three wives but they all went away when my father returned my goblin because they realised that they had been sleeping with goblin to make me rich.
“Though I am 28, I already have nine children and only five of them still visit me.
“My relatives became jealous because I was making money and they reported me.
“To take care of my children whilst I am still in prison, I make shoes, hats, ladies’ hand bags and sell them or do barter trade with the other prisoners,” said Sadza.
One of the police officers who engaged in a conversation with Sadza’s father said Sadza’s father has been telling them that they have been seeing his son around the streets and sometimes he comes home so they suspect he’s still being used by the goblin.-HMetro
By Talent Gondo- A couple’s marriage has ended after a dispute over allowing a sangoma into their home.
Violet Machipinda claims she left her matrimonial home after a misunderstanding with her husband Medium Viki who had brought a Sangoma to conduct a ceremony.
Machipinda made the revelation at the Harare Civil Court where she applied for a protection order.
“We were staying together in Kambuzuma where I moved out last month because he had brought a sangoma into our home.
“He claimed there was a ceremony that had to be conducted after his brother’s death and I did not approve of it since it is against my Christian values,” said Machipinda.
She added that the sangoma was still conducting the ceremony and she was afraid that her children might be sexually abused.
“I have two girls aged 15 and 18.
“My children told me that during the night the sangoma knocks on their door saying that he wants to come do cleansing on them,” she said.
She added: “I once reported him to the police for assaulting me and he was warned that if he continued to assault me he would be charged.”
Viki disputed the claims saying that the man at his house was his relative.
“The man at our house is not a sangoma, he is my relative who will be staying with us,” said Viki.
He also laid accusations against his ex-wife.
“I caught her with her boyfriend and I lost my temper. She used to come home at around midnight lying that she was coming from work. I have never assaulted her,” said Viki.
Presiding over the matter, magistrate Noah Gwatidzo granted the protection order in favour of Machipinda.-StateMedia
Farai Dziva| Warriors captain Knowledge Musona says the team is working hard on rectifying the mistakes from the previous Afcon edition.
Zimbabwe were knocked out in the group stage, managing only a point at the 2017 tournament.
The squad was composed of players without the Afcon experience as the country had last made their last appearance over a decade before.
In an interview with Reuters at the Warriors’ training camp in Durban, Musona believes the selection, which has a couple of new faces, is now capable of getting beyond the first round.
“We have a good team with good quality, and we are working hard to correct the mistakes from the last tournament,” said the skipper.
“We have enough experience and our initial target is to pass out from the group stages for the first time.”
Zimbabwe are in Group A, and they start their campaign on the opening Match-day against hosts Egypt on June 21.
They will play Uganda and DRC in the coming days, and Musona, who is contracted to Belgian side Anderlecht but played part of last season on loan at Lokeren, says the team is targeting to pull an upset on the group favourites.
“We have the hosts and they are always going to be favourites. DR Congo have a strong team and they will know what to expect from us. Uganda are a very good team also.
“Zimbabwe are the only underdog in the group, but that in itself should give is motivation to say we are the Ajax Amsterdam of the Nations Cup.
“We are going there to fight and give disappointment to other teams,” he said, alluding to the Dutch club’s surprise run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals this season.
Farai Dziva| Bayern Munich have confirmed that they will not activate their purchase option on James Rodríguez, whose two-year loan from Real Madrid expires at the end of the month.
The Colombia international will now return to his parent cub after the Bavarians decided against activating a €42 million buying clause.
“I thank James on behalf of FC Bayern Munich for two successful years,” Bayern’s chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the club’s official website.
“We have twice won the German Championship and the DFB Cup with him. In addition, we reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with him last season.
“James made an important contribution to all these successes. We wish James all the best for his future.”
Rodríguez, 27, netted 14 goals and made the same number of assists in 43 Bundesliga games during his loan spell but consistently struggled to hold down a place in the starting line-up.
Meanwhile, the forward is unlikely to make a stay at Santiago Bernabeu and has been linked with a move to Manchester United, Juventus and Napoli.
Farai Dziva|MDC deputy Tendai Biti has said Emmerson Mnangagwa rigged the election but he cannot rig the economy.
Speaking in an interview with ZimEye.com Biti said: Well this issue is not about Tendai Biti, it is about the economy and the suffering people of Zimbabwe.
Our message to Emmerson Mnangagwa is very clear, you can rig an election but you cannot rig the gas station, you cannot rig the supermarket.
You don’t have to like me personally but just look at what is happening on the ground.”
“The fuel queues we are seeing in Zimbabwe were last seen in Rhodesia around 1973.”
Farai Dziva| Veteran journalist and political analyst Hopewell Chin’ono says the economy is already demonstrating against Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.
Chin’ono has urged the opposition MDC to desist from mass protests because that will be playing into the hands of the government.
Chin’ono believes the economy has already taken to the streets.
Writing on Twitter, Chin’ono said:
“I have argued that the MDC shouldn’t put people in the streets because this is what this regime wants.
The economy is already in the streets demonstrating against the incompetence, corruption, nepotism, lack of Political Reforms and looting of natural resources by this government!”
Farai Dziva| Respected Constitutional Law expert and political commentator, Fadzayi Mahere has said the thriving black market will literally remove Emmerson Mnangagwa from power.
Mahere has said the economic crisis is “beyond Mnangagwa’s reach.”
“Economy sent Blackmarket onto the street to protest against Ed. Blackmarket ran riot. The army tried to shoot Blackmarket but shot Wages instead.
Bond joined the protest but was sprayed with RTGS and ran away. They looked for the US but we refused to protest and hid under our mattresses,”said Mahere.
Farai Dziva|Masvingo residents have been angered by the fact that local taxi driver Josiah Rimai was brutally murdered near Masvingo Central Police Station.
The alleged killers allegedly bribed workers at Backpackers Lodge before brutally killing Rimai.
After hearing Rimai screaming for help the Backpackers Lodge workers never bothered to alert the police.
The lodge is situated 100 metres from Masvingo Central Police Station.
“We are not happy with the fact that the workers at Backpackers Lodge did not bother to alert the police as Rimai was calling for help.
Above all we expect police officers to be alert,” fumed one taxi driver.
Farai Dziva|The ancient city of Masvingo has been shaken by the gruesome murder of a local taxi driver,Josiah Rimai.
See below an account of how he was allegedly murdered:
Matsotsi awandisa. Munin’ina wangu akaponderwa sahwira wake waanoshanda naye paPik N pay.
He was hired by a couple who seemed to be booked paBackpackers opp Central..
The couple vakazoinda nadriver neshamwari yake kunogocha kwaDunira kumashops kuRanch uko…Because they were now 4 the driver and his friend plus the couple hanzi pakazotengwa nyama yakawanda sahwira wadriver ndokusara achigocha nyama ava ndokumboti tisvitse mutown.
Farai Dziva|A Taxi driver was brutally murdered in the city of Masvingo on Sunday evening.
According to the police Josiah Rimayi was murdered by one Kambarami and her female accomplice.
“Josiah was hired by the couple on Sunday after the two had indicated they wanted to tour the Great Zimbabwe ruins.
The two then offered to pay Josiah USD 100 and he became suspicious.He called his friend Lucky who then accompanied him during his errands with the couple.
The couple then left Lucky at a braai spot in Mucheke Suburb.
Upon arrival at Backpackers Lodge, Kambarami and his girlfriend assaulted Josiah and he died on the spot,” police said.
“The two dumped Josiah’s body near Masvingo Teachers’ College and Kambarami was then arrested near Beatrice.”
Kambarami and his girlfriend are in cells at Masvingo Central Police Station.
Prof Mthuli Ncube, Special Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissions new Zupco buses that Government acquired in an effort to ease transport woes in this file photo. The recently introduced ZUPCO subsidies are helping many Zimbabweans on a daily basis as a direct result of a budget surplus. Sensible economics always trickles down
A
former US Secretary of the Treasury once noted that, “the budget is not just a
collection of numbers, but an expression of our values and aspirations.”
Indeed,
a culture of overspending and irresponsible finances trickles down and spreads
like a disease. It undermines our very basic values and aspirations. And that
is why, the most important step, and perhaps the most difficult, in reforming
an economy is that initial act of balancing the budget.
In
record time, we have made it over this first hurdle. Revenues at RTGS$1.9
billion have outperformed targets (RTGS$1.8 billion) throughout the first
quarter of 2019. While expenditures have been contained at RTGS$1.5 billion
against a target of RTGS$1.7 billion.
This
has led to savings of RTGS$218.9 million, and a budget surplus of RTGS$443.1
million. Government is finally earning more than it is spending.
No
deficit. Not even breaking even. But a real budget surplus for Zimbabwe.
However, the question I keep hearing is “what does this surplus mean to us?”
Well,
the values enshrined in responsible economics have already started to bear
fruit.
Even
with the uncontrollable outside factors from Cyclone Idai and drought; our
progress remains. Our foundations for long-term stability are being
built. Indeed the surplus has already allowed us to tackle these
particular crises head on, and with many successes.
Government,
for example, had initially earmarked RTGS$50 million towards mitigating the
impact of Cyclone Idai; resources which the targeted welfare of survivors,
infrastructure rehabilitation in the areas of roads, bridges, water and
sanitation, schools and health facilities, amongst others.
The
above allocation, however, has since been doubled to RTGS$100 million to cover
the emergency requirements. This would be impossible without the budget
surplus.
Likewise,
the recent ZUPCO subsidies which are helping so many Zimbabweans on a daily
basis are a direct result of this budget surplus. Sensible economics always
trickles down.
The
structural reforms introduced under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme
are therefore providing us crucial breathing room, protecting the economy from
failure.
Of
course, inflation is yet to be fully tamed. However, fiscal consolidation
measures, reinforced with a tight monetary policy stance together with the
liberalisation of the exchange rate, are containing previously uncontrolled
inflationary pressures.
We
must continue to tackle the widespread indiscipline in the foreign exchange
market which is still a major source for parallel exchange market premiums
feeding into inflation.
This
austerity program cannot merely be about balancing the budget.
We
have a duty to ensure that we continue to invest in the development of our
people and our nation.
During
the first quarter, RTGS$12 million was disbursed towards education in support
of teaching and learning materials as well as programmes such as student
stipend support, school feeding and special needs education.
Likewise,
health support amounted to RTGS$33.9 million, including preventative health and
medical supplies, primary health care (child and maternal health) and hospital
care (hospitals and health care centres).
Not
just a balanced budget, therefore, but an ongoing expression of our values and
aspirations.
Furthermore,
RTGS$16.5 million was disbursed towards a whole variety of social protection
programmes such as BEAM, Harmonised Social Cash Transfer, drought mitigation
and sustainable livelihoods.
The
fiscal position of the country has therefore been turned around in just six
months. We leapfrogged the breakeven point, and jumped straight from
month-to-month deficit, to month-to-month surplus.
However,
this is just the beginning. And patience is required from all as the process of
reform gathers pace. We must regain control of our monetary and fiscal policy.
Indeed,
what we did on the first of October last year was to begin the process of
restoring monetary policy as an additional tool to deal with macro-economic
issues.
It
is a complicated matter, but crucial to understand. As long as we were pegged
to the dollar, we could not respond, or manage our monetary policy; inflation
was out of our control.
It
is quite clear that we need to move towards having our own domestic unit
account and the RTGS$ is the beginning of that. But it is a process. You
cannot run before you can walk.
And
our economic legs have been broken for too long, we must first recover and get
back on our feet before racing ahead with a full on new domestic unit.
We
must continue to fine tune the interbank market making it more efficient whilst
also putting in place the micro institutions for making sure that monetary
policy begins to work.
One
of the things that we have done in order to boost our balance of payment
position, is to put in place a US$500 million facility which we have sourced
from outside of Zimbabwe in order to deal with demands for meeting external
payments from importers and others.
While
this of course is not a long term solution, a wounded economy sometimes needs
crutches, aid, or support from friends on the tough road to recovery.
But
we are making great strides, and progress is real. We have a surplus in both
RTGS and US$.
This
is no small achievement. This is the culmination of tough economic
decisions, a nation pulling through and working together, and a new economy
being rebuilt for a new Zimbabwe, on the shared values of responsibility,
progress, and aspiration towards prosperity.
Hon. Prof Mthuli Ncube Zimbabwe’s Minister of Finance and Economic Development
ZimEye brings our viewers, readers and listeners LIVE coverage of the Deputy MDC President Tendai Biti’s address before ChathamHouse in London. – More follows
By Talent Gondo- Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has dismissed as “rumours” reports that government was in the process of reviewing civil servants’ salaries.
Ncube said this following claims that Treasury has set aside $500 million for civil a servants’ salary hike this month.
Addressing the media on Tuesday in a post cabinet briefing, Ncube said:
“Government has not set aside RTGS$500 million to cushion civil servants. We would have to enter first a proper process which we always do before reaching any figure.
However, government is always sensitive to the plight of civil servants and we can review (their salaries) from time to time. But this has to be within our means and within our coffers. Currently, we have not set aside RTGS$500 million.”
4 JUNE 2019- Kariba – The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) is holding an Electoral Reforms Petition workshop to review the legal framework governing elections in light of the petition submitted to Parliament by ZESN on the 3rd December 2018. The workshop is attended by the Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Advocate Jacob Mudenda and Members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs in Kariba from 4 – 5 June 2019. The workshop comes against the backdrop of a plethora of recommendations that were proffered by ZESN and other Election Observer Missions to the Zimbabwe 2018 Harmonised elections.
In light of the foregoing, it is incumbent upon Zimbabwe to undertake electoral and political reforms to ensure future electoral processes are not disputed as well as complying with domestic, regional and international standards that govern the conduct of democratic electoral processes.
In his Opening Remarks, the Speaker of Parliament Honourable Advocate Jacob Mudenda also echoed the sentiments noting that, “This petition, comes at the most vital moment in that it creates thorough leverages to interrogate and take stock of our electoral laws, identify gaps and shortcomings in our electoral system that can be refined in order to promote and enhance democracy, transparency and an effective democratic electoral system.”
Honorable Mudenda commended ZESN for utilising the Constitutional provisions, in particular Sec 149 to petition Parliament. He also applauded the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Portfolio Committee for taking the petition process seriously and for demonstrating its commitment and institutional accountability in seeking more clarification and engaging with ZESN.
Mindful of the need for free, fair and credible elections in 2023, the Speaker is elated that the public inclusive of ZESN is consciously responding to the dictates of the Constitution regarding their rights.
“It is, therefore, appropriate and salutary that the petitioners are now desirous of seeing Electoral Law reforms which beckon Zimbabwe to embrace and implement its commitments under the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance as well as the SADC Principles and Guidelines for Democratic Elections so that the Electoral law creates clear voting related rights,” says the Speaker of Parliament.
The workshop brought in local and regional experts to get a more in depth engagement with the Portfolio Committee, reiterating ZESN’s calls for political, administrative and legal reforms that are needed to enhance the credibility of Zimbabwe’s electoral processes as expounded in the Petition.
The key demands in the ZESN Petition for consideration include the need to ratify and domesticate the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance which Zimbabwe is signatory to, the independence of ZEC and other Chapter 12 institutions; reviewing provisions around the delimitation of constituencies; incorporation of a Code of Conduct for traditional leaders to ensure they are apolitical; reviewing results management and transmission systems; the repeal or amendments of Acts that restrict the enjoyment of fundamental rights key in electoral processes, review legislation relating to public media to ensure equal coverage of all political parties, ensuring compliance with Constitutional provisions for the equal representation of women in all key decision making positions; and streamlining election dispute mechanisms.
ZESN applauds the Speaker of Parliament in particular and Parliament in general for demonstrating commitment to the electoral reform process as an investment in the promotion of peace, good governance and democracy in light of the residual mistrust amongst some election stakeholders as a result of continual contested electoral outcomes.
By Talent Gondo- Convicted rapist former RMG End Time Message leader, Robert Martin Gumbura, has revealed that he admires raunchy dancer Beverly Sibanda.
Gumbura revealed this at Chikurubi Maximum Prison following a performance by Bev at musician Sulumani Chimbetu’s 37th birthday celebrations.
Gumbura, who had 14 wives before being incarcerated, described Bev as a beautiful woman begging for a selfie with her.
Gumbura could not hide his joy at seeing Bev revealing that he admires her dance moves.
“I want a selfie with her because she is beautiful and i admire her dance moves.”
The Sexy Angels leader left male inmates drooling with her ‘waist tactics’ and suggestive acrobatics.
“I am happy. I admire her moves. “That is the reason I requested for a picture with her,” he said. He thanked Bev for entertaining them saying he had relieved some form of stress after watching her performing.
“She actually relieved a bit of stress from me after watching her,” he said. Gumbura had Sulu to thank after he requested to help him in cake cutting subsequently leading him to see Bev.
By Talent Gondo- Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa and government officials for snubbing the burial of national hero Dumiso Dabengwa last Saturday
The outspoken chief, who has been warned by the government to be careful, tore into Mnangagwa and Zanu Pf while giving a graveside speech during the burial of the late ZAPU president’s funeral.
He said:
“Our tradition tells us that death unites people despite the differences that people might have. When there is a funeral people come together.
They could be here just to see if we have laid him to rest properly.
Maybe we might have done it the wrong way here; they could be here to say ‘no, this is not it!’ But above all, this whole scenario points to a situation that things are not well in our country.”
Jane Mlambo| Outspoken Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has castigated government for failing the nation and stealing from its people saying the present situation in the country is synonymous with a bus without a driver.
Addressing villagers in his constituency, Mliswa accused government of promising to pay tobacco farmers with foreign currency for their produce before reneging on its commitment.
BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF WHAT MLISWA SAID
Iye zvinezvi nyaya ye food is now a problem, tobacco, mukanzwa kuti tobacco ndiyo inoita kuti vanhu vararame, ma farmer e tobacco akanzi tichakupai 50 percent mu foreign currency, 50 percent iri kupi, 50 percent iri kupi, kubira vanhu mari pachena, ndanga ndiri ku parliament manje manje ndichibvunza minister of finance kuti ihurumende chete chete iri kubira vanhu mari, momboti bond ne dhora zvakafanana, mangwana moenda ku RTGS matora mari dzevanhu, unoshaya kuti tiri papi, imi muri kutobata vanhu venyu khaki, ndiyani munhu angaisa mari munyika imomo imi muchitobata vanhu venyu khaki, saka ini ndiri kutouya kuzokuudzai kuti the situation is terrible, ndo news dzandinadzo, dzekutaura kwamuri, kana mune zvimwe zvinopfuura zvandataura izvi ah tinga waster time panapa nzara futi yonya, moti futi ndikutengerei chikafu chacho handina, mazuwa ano ndongofamba nemvura chete
By Ndaba Nhuku| The founder syndrome prevalent among our organizations, political parties, charity organizations, churches and companies is sickeningly retrogressive!
This applies to those angry that some founder menbers of the MDC who worked for many years with its late president Morgan Tsvangirai (may his dearest soul rest in peace) were not elected as leaders at its recent Congress.
Founder member leadership mentality stops organisation s’ growth and success and the injection of new ideas. It can be tolerated in companies and possibly blindly accepted in churches as they deal with spiritual and prophetic matters determined by the founder.
However, in political parties, the founder syndrome must not be tolerated or accepted at all. Whilst we voluntarily become members of political parties as we do in churches, the huge difference is that political parties are aimed at governance.
Once in power, they rule over EVERYONE in the land, whether you support them or no. Therein lies the need to not allow founder ownership of political parties.
Parties belong to the collective members who elect their leadership. Founder members are not lifelong leaders. Parties members can choose new leaders and move on. A typical example is that Ndabaningi Sithole and others founded Zanu but were sacked from the party with Mugabe taking over.
Mugabe was consequently fired in a coup by the army that opted to impose Mnangagwa. ANC, the oldest political party south of Sahara changed leadership many times firing some of the founders.
A political party can not be owned by individuals as that would be beginning of a dynasty which the world long awakened to its dangers.
There is therefore no need for purportedly enlightened democratic forces in Zim to go about telling us about founder members of MDC as entitled to continue as leaders of the party.
Once they fail to deliver, or members feel they don’t want them to continue leading for whatever reason, they have a right to kick them out. Being a member of a party, let alone a leader, is something based on acceptance and voluntary identification with the party. It is not an act of permanent identity like your family or clan.
Members can fire you whenever they feel you are no longer effective to the aims of the organisation. That can be failure to articulate, to attain or pursue its collective members’ goals. This being a founder doesn’t mean you will continuously be able to do this.
A founder has a right to leave the organisation should s/he feel the majority of the members and leaders have since ceased pursuing it’s aims. Noone is forced to remain a member as if it’s a mafia organisation.
MDC and those who have left it for whatever reasons must know that MDC doesn’t belong to founder members. It is a party that belongs to its members as does Zanu and any other political party unless specifically formed as a party whose purpose is to fulfill the objectives of the founder members installed as lifelong leaders.
Zimbabwe has not yet seen such a party. All are formed as voluntary democratic organisation anyone is free to join or leave. Democracy will only prevail if we stop seeing political leaders as demigods and when we stop taking founder leaders of political parties as lifelong leaders even when they clearly cannot serve the organisation effectively anymore.
The Constitution and aims of the organisation must be it’s soul that determines the choosing of an effective leadership. In democracy, noone should has an automatic right to political leadership of a political organization.
By Fanuel Chinowaita| The situation in Zimbabwe has become unbecoming. People are crying from every corner.
The different between the working class and the unemployed is just the same. The noise is now very high…..People are asking for the signal. They need a better Zimbabwe where everyone has equal opportunity.
A Zimbabwe with industries. A Zimbabwe with stable economy. A Zimbabwe with rule of law and a Zimbabwe with a capable President.
The message has been clearly sent to Dambudzo that he has failed the nation. People demonstrated and he unleashed riot police and army with button sticks and fire arms.
This is inhuman!!!
Our brothers and sisters died, reminding us of Gukurahundi where about 20 thousand people from Matabeleland died. That is up to 1987 right…after what we so called independence.
In 2002 people were also beaten and killed for belonging to an Opposition. In 2005, there was Operation Murambatsvina where property worth millions were destroyed and people died again.
2008 is the year most of politicians were butchered, the likes of the late Morgan Tsvangirai, Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and so many activists. That’s when Robert Mugabe was on television bragging that, ” tinovadashura”. Many People died in that year. We lost Tonderai Ndira, Kauzani, Betty Mafikeni and so many other cadres. About 2 thousand people died.
People who died during the liberation struggle are more than people who died during what we call independent Zimbabwe. This is uncalled for.
Zimbabweans are not stupid. They are not cowards and they will not be silent.
The signal is coming, Zimbabwe will be a bread Basket of Africa Again.
Jane Mlambo| Sydney based Zanu PF sympathizer, Reason Wafawarova has made startling revelations that former Information minister Professor Jonathan Moyo directed the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) board to fire top Disc Jockey Ezra Tshiza Sibanda for refusing to play the late Cde Chinx’s hondo yeminda on national radio.
Yesterday, Professor Moyo and Sibanda engaged in a social media fight with the latter accusing the exiled former cabinet minister of pushing for his dismissal while the former claimed to only know him when he was begging to join Zanu PF in 2014
But posting on Facebook today, Wafawarova said Moyo knew Ezra and the reason why the popular DJ was fired was because he refused to play Hondo yeminda every 15 minutes.
“Jonathan Moyo directed to have Ezra fired from the ZBC for refusing to play Hondo Yeminda on radio every 15 min. He knows Ezra.” said Wafawarova.
By Talent Gondo- Information secretary Nick Mangwana has said that the new Protection of Personal Information Bill shall see Political parties prosecuted and penalised for accessing citizen’s personal mobile phone numbers and using them to solicit votes.
Said Mangwana:
The Protection of Personal Information Bill came from section 75 of the constitution which is our rights to privacy.
You know every one of us go to the Registrar General’s Office and you give your information.
You then start receiving text messages from certain political parties and when formulating this bill, people gave an example of the previous elections when people started receiving text messages from certain political parties asking for your vote and you start questioning and asking yourself where they got your information, it makes people uncomfortable because they want their information protected.
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Zimbabwe must step up efforts to increase foreign currency supply and allow exporters to sell their earnings directly on the interbank market to improve liquidity.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) introduced the market back in February as part of monetary measures to facilitate the availability of foreign currency and tame a thriving parallel market, but the platform has failed to excite the market with few trades taking place.
Business has on several occasions complained about unavailability of hard currency on the interbank market.
“Deepening the interbank foreign currency market is essential for it to function as the basis for a market-determined exchange rate and to close the parallel market spread. Staff encouraged the authorities to take steps to increase the supply of foreign currency in the market, including by allowing exporters to sell directly into the interbank foreign currency market the amount they are required to surrender to the RBZ, which would allow for an effective price formation,” the fund said in a recent statement.
The IMF has approved a Staff Monitored Programme for Zimbabwe which will run to the end-December 2019.
“Existing exchange controls, which limit foreign currency purchases in the official interbank market for current account transactions, would continue to control demand for foreign currency, but the sanctioning and enforcement framework would be applied transparently and uniformly,” the statement added.
The IMF added that to move towards a unified exchange rate, any subsidies for specific goods or sectors such as fuel and medicine should be channelled through the budget, not through administered exchange rates. Authorities have since removed fuel subsidies.
RBZ deputy governor, Kupukile Mlambo, told a recent business meeting that around US$120 million had been traded on the platform since February.
Economist Persistence Gwanyanya, however, said the market was still not well developed to encourage trade.
By Own Correspondent- Sulumani Chimbetu’s 37th birthday celebrations saw him teaming up with sungura musicians, Romeo Gasa, Simon Mutambi and Tendai and Morgan Dembo to perform before hundreds of inmates at Chikurubi maximum prison.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) ambassado teamed up with other artists and performed at the prison during his birthday celebrations.
Raunchy dancer, Beverly Sibanda, also joined the ‘behind the walls’ birthday celebrations in a development which saw jailed RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Gumbura asking for a photo moment with Bev.
Sulu belted his yesteryear hits much to the excitement of the inmates who danced and sang along throughout his performance.
He was later joined on stage by Bev who excited the convicts with her raunchy dances.
Sulu could not hide his joy and said it was out of his personal volition to celebrate with the inmates.
“I thought of these people and decided to celebrate with them. I am humbled by the response that I got from these inmates,” he said.
Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has warned President Emmerson Mnangagwa against following in the footsteps of tyrants by arresting and detaining activists and human rights defenders.
Posting on Twitter, Chamisa said the recent arrest of seven civil society leaders is a confirmation that there is nothing new in Mnangagwa’s dispensation.
” The recent arrest & detention of 7 activists,cases of crackdown against opposition,labour & civil society activists confirm that NOTHING IS NEW in Zimbabwe.ED stop adopting the same old tactics used by tyrants to repress,harass, embarrass & terrorize citizens. Free the #Zimbabwe7,” said Chamisa.
The recent arrest & detention of 7 activists,cases of crackdown against opposition,labour & civil society activists confirm that NOTHING IS NEW in Zimbabwe.ED stop adopting the same old tactics used by tyrants to repress,harass, embarrass & terrorize citizens. Free the #Zimbabwe7pic.twitter.com/P3UXoc0VEF
By Talent Gondo- A Bulawayo s_ex worker was found dead with 666, biblically known as the mark of the beast and a star associated with the occult, inscribed on her belly with a red substance.
Sources at the lodge said the woman checked into Silver Sands with a man who gave a Pumula South address as his home at around 3 AM on Sunday.
“She appeared drunk and was carrying a bucket with ice and beer. Around 10 AM on the same day, a staff member knocked on the door to tell them it was time to check out. The man partially opened the door and paid for an extra day saying his companion was still drunk,” said a source.
The source said around 2 PM the man left the lodge saying he was going to buy food and never returned.
“On Monday at around 10 AM a staff member went to clean the room and inform the occupants that it was time to check out. She knocked without a response and eventually opened the door. We heard her screaming saying someone was dead in the room,” said the source.
The source said there were no visible marks on the woman’s body but blood and a strange fluid were coming out of her mouth.
“We think it was a satanic ritual k!lling. The number 666 is known as a mark of evil as shown in the Bible in Revelations 13. A police officer said the star that was painted on her tummy is used to summon evil spirits,” said the source.
Speaking to the state media, Bulawayo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said investigations were underway to determine the cause of death.
I can confirm that police are investigating a case of a woman who was found dead under a bed at Silver Sands Lodge in the CBD. The body was discovered by a cleaner while she was spreading sheets on the bed and she alerted her superiors who reported the case,” she said
Own Correspondent|Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has yet again scored a victory over beleaguered President Emmerson Mnangagwa after a new law was set up criminalising sending of messages on private cellular phones.
According to the new law, political parties will be prosecuted and penalised for accessing personal mobile phone numbers and using them to canvas for votes from the electorate under the new Protection of Personal Information Bill, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Secretary Nick Mangwana has said.
The new law is a victory for MDC leader Chamisa who in the run up to last year’s elections also castigated Mnangagwa for the move and led a mass demonstration of MDC supporters and citizens who received the messages from Mnangagwa to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
Zanu PF has been caught with its hands in the cookie jar. There is no legal way for any political party to access voter phone numbers. A govt that does illegal things can’t deliver prosperity and happiness. Join me tomorrow July 11 as we demonstrate against ZEC. We will prevail. pic.twitter.com/5yRVohr46e
President Emmerson Mnangagwa used the method last election sending millions of messages to citizens on their mobile phones in the process attracting heavy criticism from the citizens who felt their right to privacy was infringed on.
Most people blamed mobile phone service providers for providing Mnangagwa with their contact details without their approval.
Mnangagwa’s election campaign sms which also had wrongly spelt IsiNdebele words
In the just ended South African elections Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC also used the same strategy leaving South Africans bitter and demanding for legislation that will prohibit the practice.
Speaking during the belated Press Freedom Day commemorations in Kwekwe recently, Mangwana said there were complaints and concern from the general public in the last elections when the electorate received messages on their mobile phones from political parties canvassing without them having provided them with their mobile phone numbers.
“The Protection of Personal Information Bill came from Section 75 of the Constitution which is our right to privacy,” said Mangwana.
“You know every one of us go to the Registrar-General’s Office and you give your information. You then start receiving text messages from certain political parties and when formulating this Bill, people gave an example of the previous elections when people started receiving text messages from certain political parties asking for your vote and you start questioning and asking yourself where they got your information, it makes people uncomfortable because they want their information protected.”
Mangwana said Government was internationalising data protection and every personal data collected will be protected under the new Bill.
“Every one of us is a data subject,” he said.
“We are data subjects and being a data subject you need some protection, for example when applying for a job you submit your CV which has a lot of personal information.
“There is an expectation that information will be treated with integrity and for the purpose that you submitted it and not for anything else, if you find out that information has been abused, you have the right to complain.”
Mangwana said the Bill, which is now awaiting approval from the Executive, was in line with international standards with regards to the protection of personal information.
“What we are doing is basically standardising our practices with international practices to the protection of people’s information,” he said.
“For example, when people visit our country, when they get to the airport their information is collected because they have become data subjects. They do not want their information published anywhere else.
“So, the fact that we have internationalised our practices is good for the country. It also puts the country in a better light. We provide for the prohibition of processing of genetic biometric information and data except where consent is given. Your information can only be used for the purposes it has been collected.”
With regards to elections, Mangwana said officials in his ministry were leading the Sadc media observer mission in African countries that were conducting general elections.
He said the ministry studied the Zimbabwe 2018 election observer mission reports in a bid to improve the 2023 election in terms of media coverage.
“Most of the directors in my ministry were out observing elections — in South Africa, Malawi and Madagascar,” he said.
“The Zimbabweans were leading the media observer missions.
“We have also gone through the observers’ reports pertaining to our last elections and we are learning lessons from those reports and we hope and believe that the reports that will come up in the 2023 elections will be different.”
Own Correspondent| Suspended Choppies CEO, Mr Ramachandran (Ram) Ottapathu has hit out at the company for criticising him in Stock Exchange News Services (Sens) announcements in Botswana and South Africa.
He was responding to a Sens announcement
published by Choppies today (3 June 2019) which claimed his suspension was “valid and proper” and
related to “an aggregation of activities and conduct” by him, which would “in due
course be made known to shareholders, once the various investigations referred
to in previous announcements by the Company are completed.”
To date, and despite numerous requests from
his legal representatives, Choppies have failed to provide any particular facts
about the charges against him.
Mr Ottapathu said: “This is simple character assassination which does not give
me a chance to defend myself. I was suspended without notice and without a
hearing.
“I deny the insinuations and allegations that I have done anything wrong. I
have said repeatedly that I have not been involved in material wrongdoing or
that I benefited financially from any of the
transactions which have now been under investigation since our shares were
suspended almost a year ago.
“I am going to challenge my suspension in court at the soonest opportunity – as
I do not believe it is justified or that it was done in a manner which was
valid or proper. I have also called on the board to convene an Extraordinary
General Meeting of Shareholders at which this issue will be raised and where I
will propose that various changes be made to the Board of Directors in order to
ensure that it properly represents the interests of shareholders.”
He added: “The company criticises me for comments made in the media. Yet they
use their access to Sens, which access is denied to me, to attack me.”
“The recent arrest and detention of 7 activists upon increasing cases of crackdown against opposition, labour and civil society activists and progressives confirm that NOTHING IS NEW in Zimbabwe. ED must stop copying and adopting the same old tactics used by tyrants to repress, harass, embarrass and terrorize citizens. Free the #Zimbabwe7” Nelson Chamisa
CONVICTED Chipinge white farmer, who shot and injured his employee, claiming that he had mistaken him for a stray dog and later blamed the victim for the incident, has taken the trial magistrate and Prosecutor-General Kumbirayi Hodzi to the High Court.
Joubert Francois Johannes (36) of Lushof Farm, was last month convicted by Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware for negligently causing serious bodily harm to his employee, Frank Makuyana.
After convicting him, Nembaware stopped the proceedings and remanded the matter to June 11 for sentencing as the court sought the Prosecutor-General (PG)’s Office to increase its sentencing jurisdiction.
However, Johannes applied to Masvingo High Court, seeking an order barring the magistrate from applying for an increased sentencing jurisdiction, describing his decision as traumatic.
“The decision to stop proceedings, seeking increased jurisdiction made by the first respondent (Nembaware), thus grossly irregular in that there’s simply no sound basis upon which that decision was arrived at. It’s gross miscarriage of justice that I have been made to wait and endure the delay and anxiety … as I now fear that justice will not be done,” submitted
Johannes in his application filed by his lawyer Langton Mhungu.
“It’s clear that first respondent intends to give me a long imprisonment in excess of five years when in fact there are other possible sentencing options available in terms of section 90 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act. The trauma that the first respondent’s decision has caused and is causing is unbearable.”
In his defence, he said his employee Makuyana was to blame for not being at his usual workplace at the time of the shooting.
“I was not negligent at all. It’s the complainant who is to blame. Had the complainant not moved away from his usual workplace, he wouldn’t have been shot,” Johannes said.
In convicting him, the magistrate noted that Johannes did not take proper care in the circumstances.
“In convicting the accused, the court noted that the accused didn’t act like a reasonable person in the circumstances. He didn’t exercise proper care and wasn’t even remorseful. He blamed the complainant for his negligence,” Nembaware said.
In mitigation, through his lawyer, Johannes pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, arguing that he was a first offender who had no intention to injure the complainant. However, in aggravation, prosecutor Gift Bikita called for a deterrent sentence.
Bikita told the court that on October 5 last year, Johannes and Makuyana were under a dairy shed at around 6am. Johannes then saw stray dogs which had entered his kraal and went to his farmhouse to collect his shotgun. While shooting at the dogs, a stray bullet hit Makuyana.
Sudan’s military on Tuesday announced that elections will be held within nine months, adding that it had decided to cancel all that had been previously agreed with protesters about the country’s transition.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s announcement came the after Sudan’s military forcefully broke up a weeks-long sit-in outside Khartoum’s army headquarters calling on the country’s ruling generals to hand over to civilian rule, leaving more than 30 dead.
“The Military council decides on the following: cancelling what was agreed on and stopping negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change, and to call for general elections within a period not exceeding nine months,” Burhan said in a statement broadcast on state television early on Tuesday.
The Military council decides on…cancelling what was agreed on and stopping negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change.
Burhan added the election would take place under “regional and international supervision”.
The Transitional Military Council ousted president Omar al-Bashir in April after months of protests against his authoritarian rule.
What had been agreed with protesters
It had agreed a three-year transition period for transferring power to a civilian administration and that parliament be composed of 300 members for the transition, with around two-thirds from the protest alliance and the rest drawn from other political groups before talks broke down on May 20.
Thousands of people remained camped outside the military headquarters calling for the generals to cede power before security forces used force to break up the sit-in, leaving some 30 people dead and hundreds wounded, according to doctors close to the protesters.
It drew sharp international criticism, with both the US and the UN condemning the breaking up of the sit-in.
The UN Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Tuesday to discuss Sudan, after Britain and Germany requested the talks, diplomats said.
The Alliance for Freedom and Change had announced “the end of all political contact and negotiations with the putschist Council” following the deaths.
Burhan said that the military council would order an investigation into it.
“The military council promises an investigation into today’s events and invites the general prosecutor to take that over,” he said in the address.
Businesses in Zambia have warned that a move to ration electricity to non-mining businesses could hurt industrial production and commercial services.
The country began rationing power on Saturday to address a daily electricity deficit of 273 Megawatts (MW), said Henry Kapata, spokesman for state power utility Zesco.
“If generation is maintained at the current level, Kariba dam will drain to minimum operating level by November,” Kapata said, referring to Zambia’s largest hydropwer plant.
All customers shall be subjected to this for four hours daily.
“All customers shall be subjected to this for four hours daily but mining companies have their own agreements, which we signed with them.”
Zambia is Africa’s second-largest copper producer and copper exports account for 70% of its total export earnings and 12.2% of its gross domestic product.
Mining industry sources said electricity rationing had not affected the sector but was likely to if the situation worsened.
The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), an industry body, said the electrity rationing would push up production costs as firms switch to other forms of energy.
Firms that cannot afford to switch to alternative sources of electricity like diesel power may be forced to cut output and lay off workers, said ZACCI President Michael Nyirenda.
“We already have other serious issues like the depreciation of the kwacha and planned introduction of sales tax next month, so the power rationing will just make it worse,” Nyirenda said.
A new non-refundable sales tax replacing value-added tax (VAT) was meant to have been introduced on April 1, but has been postponed until July to allow more consultation.
Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) President Roseta Chabala said her organisation would ask Zesco to reduce the power rationing for manufacturers.
“We have some concrete proposals on how the load shedding time can be reduced,” Chabala said, referring to the electricity rationing.
A SUSPECTED hooker was found dead in a lodge in Bulawayo with 666, biblically known as the mark of the beast and a star associated with the occult, inscribed on her belly with a red substance.
The suspected satanic ritual killing occurred at Silver Sands Lodge situated at number 13 Connaught Avenue between Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and Jason Moyo Street.
A cleaner at the lodge stumbled on the body which had been stashed under a bed on Monday morning.
Sources at the lodge said the woman checked into Silver Sands with a man who gave a Pumula South address as his home at around 3AM on Sunday.
“She appeared drunk and was carrying a bucket with ice and beer. Around 10AM on the same day, a staff member knocked on the door to tell them it was time to check out. The man partially opened the door and paid for an extra day saying his companion was still drunk,” said a source.
The source said around 2PM the man left the lodge saying he was going to buy food and never returned.
“On Monday at around 10AM a staff member went to clean the room and inform the occupants that it was time to check out. She knocked without a response and eventually opened the door. We heard her screaming saying someone was dead in the room,” said the source.
The police, added the source, were called and the full horror of the situation was revealed.
The source said there were no visible marks on the woman’s body but blood and a strange fluid were coming out of her mouth.
“We think it was a satanic ritual killing. The number 666 is known as a mark of evil as shown in the Bible in Revelations 13. A police officer said the star that was painted on her tummy is used to summon evil spirits,” said the source.
Bulawayo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said investigations were underway to determine the cause of death.
“I confirm that police are investigating a case of a woman who was found dead under a bed at Silver Sands Lodge in the CBD. The body was discovered by a cleaner while she was spreading sheets on the bed and she alerted her superiors who reported the case,” she said.
Ass Insp Msebele said the body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for postmortem.
“We have not yet established the cause of death. We will provide finer details after investigations. The police have not obtained the name of the deceased as well as residential address of the man the deceased was allegedly in the company of,” she said.
The dead woman was wearing blue jeans, a brown jacket, black bra and black top.
Recently an unknown woman from Bulawayo was allegedly raped and killed in a bushy pathway between Richmond and Mzilikazi suburbs.
A passerby called police after stumbling on the body.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi took the fight against his predecessor, Ian Khama, a notch higher when on Friday he dispatched the head of civil service, Permanent Secretary to the President (PSP) to discredit the former president.
Although PSP, Carter Morupisi, was supposed to brief the media about issues of national interest, it turned out that the only subject was Khama’s conduct and decisions during his reign.
For two hours, Morupisi sought to absolve the current administration from any blame while demonstrating how Khama made poor unilateral decisions and wasted public funds. Now, acting unlawfully to accommodate amendments forced by Khama to his retirement benefits has come back to haunt the Office of the President, said Morupisi, admitting to the blunder on Friday.
Morupisi conceded that they violated the law when dealing with the benefits and entitlements for Khama. To buttress their blunder and blind loyalty Morupisi revealed that Khama has additional 13 staff members, which contravenes the law governing the benefits of former presidents.
“We did that because when he asked for additional staff members to help him settle in his new position we agreed on the basis that after settling down they will be recalled. Now that is proving to be a challenge,” he revealed.
According to Morupisi, Khama was allowed to use the two Chief Catering Officers from State House because it was still being renovated while the current President, Mokgweetsi Masisi, was using State House 2. Each former president is also entitled to four staff members at their residential place including two maids, one gardener and a nursery man. “The arrangement was that when President Masisi moves to State House they will go back to their designated posts but it seems there will be a problem. We are going to correct this thing and ensure the law is followed to the letter,” said Morupisi.
Morupisi could not explain why technocrats at the Office of the President (OP) approved decisions, which he confessed were unlawful. He would not even say why nobody is facing criminal charges for breaking the law as it happens with all other public officers, regardless of their position.
Instead of enforcing the law, Morupisi said they have adopted a reconciliatory approach to find a reasonable resolution to the issues. “The truth is that Khama made some decisions about his retirement package and benefits for former President while he was still in office. President Masisi has also raised questions about some of those decisions that clearly were meant to benefit Khama, and how they were sanctioned. I did not have the answers. So we could only apologise and promise to correct that,” said Morupisi, explaining that Khama made unilateral decisions and disregarded their advice.
SKI troublesome
In not so many words Morupisi narrated a very difficult relationship between OP and Khama. Comparing Khama to other former presidents, he said OP has never had any issues with the late Sir Ketumile Masire or his successor Festus Mogae.
“Whenever they sent a request and it was not honoured due to certain circumstances they always understood but with the other one (Khama) is a problem,” he said.
Morupisi said had they known that Khama was going to give them problems they could have done things differently, especially refusing to bend the law to suit his needs.
Morupisi also revealed that there was major disagreement recently when Khama demanded that government foot the bill for food, transport and accommodation for his social club, Super XI. OP refused. “Super XI is a not a national team and paying the bill for its expenses will be against the law,” said Morupisi.
Although Khama still claims that Super XI was disqualified mysteriously from a football tournament during the recent Khawa Dune Challenge, the team participated and emerged champions. Detailing how government is ill-treating him, Khama recently told multitudes of his supporters in Serowe that his social football team was banned from competing at Khawa Dune Challenge.
Khama wasteful
Morupisi also took a swipe at Khama for wasting public funds in his pet projects, saying in most cases money was spent on his soup kitchen and his football team Super XI. Using the example of staff overtime allowances, which are allocated to offices of former Presidents, Morupisi revealed that in the 2018/19 budget Khama’s office was allocated P650, 000 from which he used up P540, 000.
In comparison former President Festus Mogae’s office was allocated P160 000 in the same financial year and only used up P109, 000 as payment for overtime allowance. “You can make your interpretations; I will not say anything further,” said Morupisi.
Govt aircrafts
One of the thorny issues that have led to the fall out between Masisi and Khama is the use of government aircrafts. Khama has on many occasions complained that he is being denied the use of government aircrafts despite that he is entitled according to benefits for retired presidents.
Morupisi said the issue of aircrafts is the main cause of trouble between the Office of the President and Khama. “Out of the 13 requests sent by Khama for the use of government aircraft, seven were approved by President Masisi while four were denied,” he revealed, explaining that OP is acting within its powers and that they follow provisions of the law, which they will continue to abide by.
The Dalai Lama
In March 2019 Khama travelled to Dharamshala, the residence of exiled Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile. The trip did not sit well with Botswana government as it threatened the relationship with the Chinese government.
Morupisi revealed that they tried everything without success, to convince Khama not to go to Dharamshala as it will soil the relationship with Beijing. “I even went to the extent of appealing to the representatives of Dalai Lama in South Africa begging them to cancel the invitation but that too didn’t bear any fruits,” he said.
At that time government through Directorate of Intelligence Services (DIS) withdrew his security details but they defied the orders and travelled with Khama. Khama has since taken government to court after they refused to reimburse him the money he used to travel to India.
On his trip to Dalai Lama, Khama accused the Masisi administration of trying to do bidding for the Chinese government. “Because of these new-struck relations [between] the current administration of Botswana and China, I think they feel they have to do China’s bidding and have succumbed to pressure from China to have no contact with people the Chinese do not like,” Khama was quoted saying.
Morupisi said when the Dalai Lama was supposed to come to Botswana in 2017, cabinet tried to convince Khama not to allow him as it will come at a cost for the country. “China is one of our biggest trading partners and consumes 20% of our diamonds. Remember that they were threatening to close their embassy in Gaborone but Khama didn’t budge,” said Morupisi, who was one of Khama’s trusted allies.
President’s Housing Appeal
After taking office in 2008 Khama’s administration actively promoted the President’s Housing Appeal as an initiative to afford dignity for the less privileged. Khama has been at loggerheads with the current administration demanding to continue overseeing the project claiming that it was his personal initiative. The issue has contributed to a major rift between the parties.
On the other side, Government has maintained that it was not Khama’s personal pet project but rather belongs to the Office of the President. Morupisi said he reminded Khama that the presidential housing appeal is a twin government programme with the Destitute Housing Programme. “The Presidential Housing Appeal was started by former President Quett Ketumile Masire in 1994 then called small borrowers fund. I wanted to remind Khama that the presidential housing appeal is not his pet project,” he said.
Was Tlhalerwa fired?
Last year Khama accused OP of acting in bad faith and refusing to renew the contract of his long time Senior Private Secretary Brigadier George Tlhalerwa. In response Morupisi stopped short of accusing Khama of lying; saying Tlhalerwa terminated his contract while it was still left with a year.
“On the 1st of May 2016, Tlhalerwa’s contract was extended by three years meaning it will end in May 2019. On the 1st of April 2018 he was deployed to the office of the former president but still with his benefits. On the 12th of June 2018, Brigadier Tlhalerwa informed me that he wants to terminate his contract because he was over burdened by the work and the working conditions were not conducive,” Morupisi said, but refused to share more details.
Khama then submitted the name of former Director General of the Directorate of Intelligence and Security Services (DISS) Isaac Kgosi to be hired as his private secretary, which was rejected by the Office of the President.
After Kgosi was rejected, Khama submitted another name of his ‘golden boy’ Tsaone Nkarabang, an employee at the Office of the President, to be appointed his senior private secretary. Khama has in past interviews expressed shock when he learnt that after his nomination Nkarabang was transferred to Sowa Town as deputy District Commissioner.
Morupisi rubbished the suggestion, explaining that before Khama submitted his name for consideration Nkarabang was already transferred to Sowa Town. “I again told him that Nkarabang was on E2 salary scale and it was not possible for him to skip other scales to F2. That will be irresponsible on our part,” he lashed out, adding that another big challenge is that most public officers do not want to work at Khama’s office.
ZANU-PF has expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the Government is addressing the issue of so called illegal settlers in the country.
The so called illegal settlers were incidentally settled in the areas by a ZANU PF system ahead of general elections in a bid to boost their numbers.
In a statement, the ruling party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Simon Khaya Moyo, said: “Zanu-PF notes with tremendous satisfaction the manner in which the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement is addressing the issue of illegal settlers of land in the country.”
Khaya Moyo said having successfully undertaken the fast track land reform exercise, the ruling party and Government continue to collaborate in the mutual bid to further consolidate gains achieved so far. He said the challenges were being addressed with compassion and utmost consideration.
“It should be recalled that the land question was at the core of the liberation struggle hence its judicious management is always an issue of prime concern to the party. In view of that reality, the party through the appropriate arm of government, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, is satisfied with the current process of rationalisation of the land where all cases of those in need of it are given,” said Khaya Moyo.
“The continuous refinement of the processes of rationalisation is an indication of the party and Government’s utmost desire to ensure that the land is at the centre of economic rejuvenation and ultimately its stability.”
He said the economy is agro-driven hence the ongoing scientific recalibration of the agriculture sector was a necessity to unlock its potential.
Khaya Moyo commended the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Retired Chief Air Marshal Perrence Shiri and his team for the exceptional work of reorganising and retooling the country’s agricultural sector.
He said Zanu- PF will continue to render support to that venture.
A Form 3 pupil from Gweru has been jailed for four years for raping a two-year-old child. The 17-year-old boy, who is a repeat offender, will serve a total of seven years after Gweru regional magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa added three years which were suspended in 2015 when he was convicted of a similar charge of rape.
He was convicted against his own plea of not guilty after a full trial.
In passing sentence, Mrs Msipa said as a repeat offender, the teenage boy deserved custodial sentence which she said will also act as a deterrent to would be offenders.
“This is not your first time appearing before the court facing a similar charge,” she said. “In 2015 you committed a similar offence and you were sentenced to a three year suspended sentence on condition you do not commit a similar offence within five years. That time frame hasn’t lapsed and you have committed another similar offence.
“There is a difference in age of 15 years between you and the complainant and you were supposed to protect the complainant, therefore a custodial sentence will serve justice to this case.”
It was the State case that on April 21 around 3pm, the complainant was playing with the accused’s siblings at their house.
The accused, the court heard, called the complainant into his room and raped her once without protection.
The matter came to light when the complainant indicated to her mother that she felt pain on her private parts while she was bathing her.
The court heard that the mother examined her and noticed some bruises.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused.
A 22-year old man from Bulawayo who allegedly broke into a pregnant soldier’s house and attempted to rape her has been charged with unlawful entry.
Bandlalwenkosi Ncube from Douglasdale pleaded not guilty to an unlawful entry charge when he appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza.
He was remanded in custody to Friday for commencement of trial. Ncube is unemployed whereas the complainant is a soldier based in Plumtree.
The court heard that Ncube allegedly unlawfully entered the complainant’s house and proceeded to her bedroom.
Prosecuting, Ms Tarisai Kamema said on May 30 this year at around 12.35AM, the soldier woke up and realised that her bedroom lights were off and her door was open. She woke up and closed the door.
“When she was going back to bed, Ncube grabbed her from behind and told her to be quiet, threatening to stab her if she screamed.
“Ncube fondled her breasts, patted her tummy and undressed her. When he tried to rape the woman, she overpowered him and screamed for help.
“Ncube bit the complainant on her right shoulder and fled from the house,” said Ms Kamema.
The court heard that Ncube dropped his cellphone on the bed and it was used to track him, leading to his arrest.
He was arrested on the same day he allegedly committed the offence. – state media
Own Correspondent|Political parties will be prosecuted and penalised for accessing personal mobile phone numbers and using them to canvas for votes from the electorate under the new Protection of Personal Information Bill, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Secretary Nick Mangwana has said.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa used the method last election sending millions of messages to citizens on their mobile phones in the process attracting heavy criticism from the citizens who felt their right to privacy was infringed on.
Most people blamed mobile phone service providers for providing Mnangagwa with their contact details without their approval. MDC leader Nelson Chamisa also castigated Mnangagwa for the move.
Zanu PF has been caught with its hands in the cookie jar. There is no legal way for any political party to access voter phone numbers. A govt that does illegal things can’t deliver prosperity and happiness. Join me tomorrow July 11 as we demonstrate against ZEC. We will prevail. pic.twitter.com/5yRVohr46e
In the just ended South African elections Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC also used the same strategy leaving South Africans bitter and demanding for legislation that will prohibit the practice.
Speaking during the belated Press Freedom Day commemorations in Kwekwe recently, Mangwana said there were complaints and concern from the general public in the last elections when the electorate received messages on their mobile phones from political parties canvassing without them having provided them with their mobile phone numbers.
“The Protection of Personal Information Bill came from Section 75 of the Constitution which is our right to privacy,” said Mangwana.
“You know every one of us go to the Registrar-General’s Office and you give your information. You then start receiving text messages from certain political parties and when formulating this Bill, people gave an example of the previous elections when people started receiving text messages from certain political parties asking for your vote and you start questioning and asking yourself where they got your information, it makes people uncomfortable because they want their information protected.”
Mangwana said Government was internationalising data protection and every personal data collected will be protected under the new Bill.
“Every one of us is a data subject,” he said.
“We are data subjects and being a data subject you need some protection, for example when applying for a job you submit your CV which has a lot of personal information.
“There is an expectation that information will be treated with integrity and for the purpose that you submitted it and not for anything else, if you find out that information has been abused, you have the right to complain.”
Mangwana said the Bill, which is now awaiting approval from the Executive, was in line with international standards with regards to the protection of personal information.
“What we are doing is basically standardising our practices with international practices to the protection of people’s information,” he said.
“For example, when people visit our country, when they get to the airport their information is collected because they have become data subjects. They do not want their information published anywhere else.
“So, the fact that we have internationalised our practices is good for the country. It also puts the country in a better light. We provide for the prohibition of processing of genetic biometric information and data except where consent is given. Your information can only be used for the purposes it has been collected.”
With regards to elections, Mangwana said officials in his ministry were leading the Sadc media observer mission in African countries that were conducting general elections.
He said the ministry studied the Zimbabwe 2018 election observer mission reports in a bid to improve the 2023 election in terms of media coverage.
“Most of the directors in my ministry were out observing elections — in South Africa, Malawi and Madagascar,” he said.
“The Zimbabweans were leading the media observer missions.
“We have also gone through the observers’ reports pertaining to our last elections and we are learning lessons from those reports and we hope and believe that the reports that will come up in the 2023 elections will be different.”
