Farai Dziva|Professor Jonathan Moyo has revealed why former President Robert Mugabe wanted Sydney Sekeramayi to succeed him.

The outspoken politician said contrary to claims that Mugabe’s intention was to elevate his wife Grace to the Presidency, Sekeramayi was and is still regarded as a level headed figure in the party.

” It wasn’t going to be a Mugabe/Sekeremayi issue in those simplistic terms.

You are reducing the discussion to the level of simpletons. Zanu PF needed a Kibaki, to calm the older (Maputo) generation while inspiring the new generation (to takeover from him) and Sekeremayi was one,”said Moyo.

A POLICE officer allegedly kidnapped and brutally assaulted a 16-year-old boy who was suspected to have stolen a mobile cell phone at his uncle’s car wash premises to force him to admit he had taken the gadget.

Constable Munashe Shumba (30), who was the investigating officer in the case, allegedly went to the minor’s home with two of his co-accused persons, a Bulawayo City Council security guard Millister Shumba (43) and the owner of the phone Manfred Nhemachena (43).

The trio appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube facing a charge of assault and they all pleaded not guilty.

They were remanded out of custody on free bail to Monday for continuation of trial.

Constable Shumba told the court that the three did not kidnap the boy but instead went to his home to take him to the police station for questioning and he tried to escape.

“He got out of the house and after telling him that we were taking him to the police station. He tried to escape and I ran after him while Shumba and Nhemachena followed us in a car.

“I finally caught him after he fell in an awkward way and then I discovered he had badly injured himself,” he said.

The prosecutor, Mr Tapiwa Solani said on April 24 at around midnight, the trio went to the minor’s home intending to take him to Western Commonage Police Station.

“Instead they drove the minor to a bushy area. Constable Shumba, who was driving, stopped the car and got out. The trio dragged the minor out of the car and forced him to take off his pants.

“They questioned the minor on the whereabouts of the phone but he told them he knew nothing. After a few questions, they assaulted the minor forcing him to admit that he had stolen the phone,” he said.State media

Zimbabwe Chiefs’ Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira has dismissed a Twitter handle where controversial comments pertaining to President Mnangagwa and other political issues in the country were posted on Thursday.

Chief Charumbira told The Herald here where he was attending the Second Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) which ended yesterday, that he has never opened a Twitter account in his life.

He said those behind the fake Twitter handle were shameless impostors bent on soiling his image for cheap political gain.

Chief Charumbira added that no amount of smearing will break his strong association with the ZANU-PF Government and President Mnangagwa because of his high respect of the country’s liberation ethos.

One of the handles going under the name @CharumbiraChief, reads, “President@edmnangagwamust humble himself and start serious dialogue with @nelsonchamisa as well (sic) all know according to @Zeczim he has support base of 2.6 million supporters. Samadzishe isu tinoti please hatidi kuti vana varambe vachitambura, Zimbabwe has suffered for too long. ”

The tweet was posted at 5:31pm on Thursday.
Another post under the same handle two minutes later read, “As the Chief President am tired of being partisan
please@ZANUPF_Official let us respect our Citizens. Am tired of lying before the Television from now own(sic) this twitter handle will tell you the exact burden in my heart not zviya zvepamusangano.”

Chief Charumbira, who is also the vice president of PAP dismissed the Twitter accounts.
“I have never used a Twitter handle in my life, I am not on Twitter and whoever created that handle is doing it out of mischief to earn cheap political scores,” he said.State media

Farai Dziva| The President of the Chiefs Council Of Fortune Charumbira has declared that he will continue to draw inspiration from Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF.

While Chief Ndiweni is being subjected to relentless attacks by Zanu PF sympathizers, Charumbira continues to utter political statements reflecting allegiance to Zanu PF.

Charumbira distanced himself from a twitter handle using his name.Derogatory remarks about Mnangagwa were posted using the twitter handle.

“This is a well-orchestrated plan to soil my reputation and standing. It is clear that there is a lot of politics at play.

“Let me make it clear that my views have never changed.
I am totally inclined towards the liberation ethos which in Zimbabwe are represented by the Zanu-PF Government.”

He added that he has great respect for Mnangagwa, who leads the country on the back of a clear mandate he got after convincingly winning last year’s harmonised elections.

“I also have great respect for the President owing to the journey he travelled in the pre and post-independence periods to put Zimbabwe where it is today,” said Chief Charumbira.

The Chiefs’ council boss has also said the fake Twitter handles in his name typify everything that is wrong with social media, in so far as it can be used to politically assassinate innocent characters.

He vowed to continue drawing inspiration from the Zanu PF liberation ethos and the ruling party’s respect of the traditional leadership’s institution as evidenced by the party’s drive to restore traditional leaders’ status which had been condemned by the racist Rhodesian regime.

A MBARE man has been accused of physically and verbally abusing his mother because she failed to pay back his money.

The matter came to light at the Harare Civil Court where Margret Chidowa was applying for a protection order against Gift Chidowa who she said physically and verbally abuses her.

“Your worship he beats me up, insults me and chases me with harmful objects because of the money l borrowed him on behalf of his sister.
“His sister was in an emergence state that required her to borrow some money and l asked him to lend her money since l did not have it.

“My daughter failed to return that money on time and unfortunately she went out of the country where she is now staying.

“Your worship, l have had sleepless nights because of my son’s torturous behaviour.
“He damages my property and harasses me in public. H-Metro

opular socialite Pokello Nare says her leaked tape some seven years ago was the worst experience in her life. The self-styled queen of swag said the video leak was something she never planned. Her two-minute clip with an ex-boyfriend, Desmond ‘Stunner’ Chideme enjoying some unprotected s.e.x went viral on social media networks during the time.

In the video, the love birds ended their business with some passionate kissing. “That was actually a mistake,” Pokello told a group of University of Zimbabwe female students recently. “It leaked; it was not for public viewing or public consumption.”

She was speaking at the launch of the She Roars brand, a platform that allows young women to share their success stories and offer advice on many other issues. “It wasn’t that good, it was not worth the kind of attention it got now and then.” Following the leak, Pokello was later chosen Zimbabwean representative to a season of the popular Big Brother Africa.

She added, “But I was able to turn around that situation and use it in my favour. So I don’t encourage young girls to do controversial things thinking it will propel them into stardom.

A court in Kenya has ordered former President Daniel arap Moi to pay 1.06bn shillings ($10.5m; £8.2m) in compensation to a widow for illegally seizing her land.

Mr Moi transferred to himself 53 acres of land belonging to widow Susan Cheburet Chelugui, the judge ruled.

The land was illegally grabbed 36 years ago but only transferred to Mr Moi’s name in 2007.

Ms Chelugui’s husband Noah Chelugui was a local chief during Mr Moi’s rule.

The former president, who remains Kenya’s longest-serving leader, was accused by Ms Chelugui and her son David Chelugui of transferring their family land into his name two years after Ms Chelugui’s husband passed away.

Mr Moi is then said to have sold the land to Rai Plywood Limited, a timber firm, the BBC’s Mercy Juma reports from Nairobi.

Judge Anthony Ombwayo said Mr Moi had behaved in a way that was “unconstitutional, irregular, unprocedural” and “tainted”.

Mr Moi became Kenya’s second president in 1978 and served until 2002.

He ruled the country with an iron fist and was accused of human rights abuses.

Under international pressure, he allowed multi-party elections in 1992, which were marred by widespread violence and allegations of rigging.

This ruling is hugely significant for Kenya.

There have been numerous cases of land grabbing by high-ranking government officials and wealthy business people over the years but the victims generally have neither the will nor the money to fight back.

Corruption in the judiciary is another huge problem. When disputes are taken to court, they often drag on for many years.

Many hope that this will come to be seen as a test case and that it will send a message to powerful people that they can no longer simply seize land belonging to the poor.-BBC

By Own Correspondent- President of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, has distanced himself from a Twitter account which reportedly posted advice to President Emmerson Mnangagwa telling him to humble himself and start serious dialogue with opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

His office said:Chief Charumbira does not have a Twitter account and all accounts purporting to be him are fake.

Said the office:

“We want to place it on record so that Zimbabweans are not misled by ghost accounts (that are) out to misrepresent the views of Chief Charumbira or the Chiefs’ Council.”

The statement follows a recent tweet under his name which urged president Mnangagwa to humble himself and start a serious dialogue with opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

The tweet read:

President @edmnangagwa must humble himself and start a serious dialogue with @nelsonchamisa as well all know according to @ZECzim he has a support base of 2.6million supporters. Semadzishe isu tinoti please hatidi kuti vana varambe vachitambura, Zimbabwe has suffered for too long.”

The chief has however since distanced himself from the tweet suggesting that the tweet came from a ghost account.

Former Warriors, Zimbabwe Saints and Dynamos star midfielder, Ronald ”Gidiza” Sibanda is reportedly broke and homeless after he was allegedly evicted by his live-in girlfriend, who sensationally accused him of threatening suicide to stop her from dumping him.

The angry lover identified by court papers as Lovie Nkosilathi Dube who works at Mpilo Central Hospital claimed that she was fed up of the ex-footballer who was using suicidal threats as a manipulation tool.

The matter only came to light at the Bulawayo Civil Court after Dube approached the court seeking an interim order to bar Gidiza from abusing her and to have him evicted from her residence.

” I am applying for an interim protection order against my live-in boyfriend Ronald Sibanda, a commentator. He is physically abusing me and has on several occasions hit me and threatened me with a knife. He is also verbally abusing me and destroys property. He has suicidal ideas and has tried to hang himself a number of times and he once took the detergent in a bid to try and kill himself. I now fear for my life as he is refusing to leave my home to an extent that on 25 April this year I had to go and sleep at a neighbour’s house,” said Dube.

The B-Metro reports that presiding magistrate Franklin Mkwanazi granted the order In a bid to provide immediate protection to Dube, which compelled Sibanda not to verbally assault or threaten his girlfriend.

The ex-footballer was also ordered by the magistrate to vacate his girlfriend’s premises on or before 26 April. After the temporary ruling, the magistrate ordered the couple to come back on May 10.

The estranged couple allegedly failed to come to court to have the interim protection order granted and put into final order.

Rachael Mukanga then removed the matter from the roll.

statemedia

South Africa has urged Zimbabwe to look for a mediator to facilitate meaningful dialogue between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition parties as Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Nelson Chamisa on Friday snubbed a launch of the Political Actors’ Forum in the country’s capital, Harare.

South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mphakama Mbete, made the call when he addressed delegates attending the meeting, who included Mnangagwa, MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe and scores of other opposition party leaders and civic society representatives.

Mbete said, “… For credibility the leadership of Zimbabwe wishes to consider a facilitator outside Zimbabwe. We as a region we will be ready to propose names from the African continent. At this point we would like to appeal to the political formations, to the political leaders who are now yet part of the political dialogue to join the national dialogue.”

Zimbabwe is currently facing an economic crisis stemming from lack of foreign direct investment, capital constraints in reviving collapsing industries, an unpredictable financial system, high investment risk factors and other issues.

Mbete’s call was embraced by the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa, who has criticized Mnangagwa’s political dialogue with small opposition parties, which he thinks are seeking relevance in Zimbabwe following their dismal performance in the 2018 general elections.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume praised Mbete, saying the Zimbabwean president should engage in direct talks with Chamisa facilitated by an eminent person from outside Zimbabwe in order to tackle the current economic crisis.

“In any dialogue there are some people who are supposed to mediate. Engaging these small parties is a waste of time, it won’t take us anyway as it won’t resolve the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

“We are surprised that Mnangagwa wants to pursue this kind of dialogue to the extent that people will start eating baboons while wallowing in poverty.

“The economic situation is bad in Zimbabwe and continues to deteriorate. Chamisa says he is prepared to engage in any meaningful dialogue mediated by a person from outside Zimbabwe so that he will talk with Mnangagwa about moving the country forward so that there are jobs and people can live a normal life.”

Mnangagwa, who officially launched the Political Actors Dialogue Forum aimed at creating harmony among all stakeholders in the country, could not immediately react to Mbete’s call for an external mediator.

He told people attending the meeting that unity was key in developing Zimbabwe. “Let us all come to the big tent of unity … Let us all come to this tent to spread love, peace and harmony as we develop our country …”

Speaking at the same meeting, Khupe urged Chamisa to embrace the Forum, saying that would help in the transformation of Zimbabwe, which is currently ranked by some international organizations as one of the poorest nations in the world.

The MDC still maintains that Chamisa beat Mnangagwa in the last presidential election though the Constitutional Court ruled that the president won the poll. 

First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is reported to have been lampooned by bystanders in Masvingo when she entered and exited one of the supermarkets on Friday afternoon.

This comes after the growing unpopularity of the first lady who has been on a charm offensive since Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office in November 2017.

263 chat reports that Auxillia, who is the country’s health ambassador, was in Masvingo assessing the drugs situation at the General Hospital.

According to witnesses, the first lady was met by a hostile audience when she headed towards OK Supermarket.

“I was at OK and she was doing her shopping with her super security all over the place.

“Passerbys vabva vambomira kufamba vachiona and only a few people were ululating .

“When she was about to leave, people some started booing her showing their displeasure but she seemed unbothered as she went to her car, waving with a fist,” said the source.

The first lady made headlines a few weeks ago when she torched storm after accusations that she was meddling in government business circulated, amid claims that her modus operandi is similar to that of the much-loathed former first lady Grace Mugabe.

Dear Editor|There are striking similarities between the rise of Nelson Chamisa to the helm of the MDC-T and the current on-going attempts by Felix Ndiweni to grab the Ndiweni Chieftainship of Ntabazinduna in Matabeleland North. Interestingly, both cases are before the courts of law.

While Chamisa snatched power at Tsvangirai’s funeral wake, Felix the fourth child of the late Ndiweni circumvented all the traditional practices usually followed to install a new chief following the death of his father Chief Khayisa Ndiweni.

The rightful heir to the Ndiweni chieftainship according to custom is Jorum Thambo Ndiweni the eldest son of the late Chief Ndiweni. Felix is number four coming after his sister Lydia.

But how did he come to be recognised by Government to an extent of receiving allowances and a vehicle.

His unheralded arrival in Zimbabwe after he was deported from the United Kingdom coincided with dirty machinations of the now fallen G40 proponents.

To be precise, in Felix the G40 key proponents Prof Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao found a traditional weapon in Matabeleland region gullible enough to advance their cause.

Zhuwao who at some point superintended over the Community Ownership Trust used stipends drawn from the programme to lure the poverty struck Felix. Zhuwao would never miss a trip to Ntabazinduna whenever he was on state or private business in Bulawayo. When the then two ministers had Felix where they wanted him to be, they moved on to coerce senior Government officials within the Ministry of Local Government’s Mhlahlandlela Complex in Bulawayo to initiate paper work to have Felix recognised as the Acting Chief. The rest is history and is now being rectified.

But for a man who spent two decades in the United Kingdom and incorporated as a beneficiary of the Crown Queen why did he come back to Zimbabwe following the death of his father. Read on.

Felix who claims to have at least 15 degrees including that of Law, did not actually complete his studies in the UK. He enrolled as an Engineering student but never sat foot into the classes as he squandered tuition fees that was being wired to the UK by his late father on alcohol and women. The late Chief Ndiweni died a bitter man over the irresponsible actions of his stray son. His brother Thambo also disowned him as a result of his rogue behaviour.

As life became difficult for him in the UK after the late Chief stopped sending him “tuition” fees and his allowances from the Crown Queen stopped, Felix sought a job where he ended up being employed as a security guard. But once he had money in his pocket he would revert to his wild habits of partying and women and forget to report for duty. He was later fired. He sued his former employers in vein.

With the loss of his job and now enmeshed in poverty, Felix became a nuisance resulting in his deportation from the UK. The circumstances surrounding his deportation is a story for another day.

Felix did not mourn his father who passed on in 2010. While the rest of the Ndiweni clan where still in mourning like Chamisa, Felix wrote his script to snatch the throne. He stopped resisting his deportation and was flown back home. He now had his eyes set on the throne that would in turn become his new source of income.

Not being that stupid, Felix knew the hurdles back home that would stall his machinations. The major hurdle would be his younger brother Douglas who would team up with their elder siblings in the UK. Manipulating her old mother, Felix sought a peace order barring Douglas from entering the Ndiweni palace. This was despite the fact that Douglas was the only child who had remained with his parents in Zimbabwe when the rest of the siblings went to UK.

Then with Douglas out of the way and with the assistance of the aforementioned former G40 ministers and gullible Ministry of Local Government officials the troublesome Ndiweni was created and he continues on the path he was created for. But will he triumph, we live to see that, as the drama unfolds.

By and large Felix, who was deported from the United Kingdom where he had spent over two decades is understood to be entering the political space as a ploy to get a political asylum ticket that might help him over turn his London persona non grata status.

From A ZANU PF Supporter

Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed his inter party dialogue with certainly irrelevant opposition political parties.

Going on social media on Friday evening after the launch of the dialogue in Harare, Mnangagwa said he will sink or swim with his rogue opposition parties.

“The culture of dialogue, which we have begun today, must be synonymous with us as a people and nation. Whatever our differences, we are all Zimbabweans. We will sink or swim together. Let us build our future in peace, love and unity,” said Mnagagwa

Video Loading below……

Own Correspondent|Scores of Bulawayo Residents and Mthwakazi activists took to the streets of Bulawayo on Friday to express their solidarity with under siege Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni.

The group of residents congregating at the statue of ex-State Vice President Joshua Nkomo to show support for the defiant traditional leader.

Chief Ndiweni torched a storm recently when he said the West and the US should maintain their sanctions on Zimbabwe.

He said the embargo was befitting of a Zanu PF led regime that remains unaccountable, and for that, subjecting poor citizens to abject penury.

His comments invited both verbal and physical attacks by Zanu PF with war veterans secretary general Victor Matemadanda going all out to attack the chief.

The outspoken chief was also subjected to physical abuse by some suspected Zanu PF youths in the city centre of Bulawayo on Wednesday.

But as Zanu PF takes a hostile stance towards the Ndebele chief, residents in the city have stood firmly behind him.

A group of residents gathered around Nkomo’s statue, singing for close to an hour while police in riot gear and some members of the public looked on.

One of the organisers of the event, Josphat Ngulube said they failed to march in the streets as had originally planned because they felt the march was going to be hijacked for other reasons.

“The purpose of today’s intended march was to show support to our chief who is being victimised by Zanu PF. As people of Bulawayo, we are 100 percent behind our chief,” he said.

Ngulube, who contested last year’s parliamentary elections in Bulawayo South as an independent candidate and lost, said the government should protect and respect chiefs regardless of their tribes.

He also urged the government to desist from the habit of involving traditional leaders in partisan politics.

“The government should stop abusing chiefs by aligning them to Zanu PF. The government should also stop selectively treating chiefs,” he said.

Last year, the High Court found president of Chiefs Council, Fortune Charumbira in contempt of the national constitution when he publicly pledged traditional leaders’ support for Zanu PF ahead of last July’s elections.

There has been no condemnation by any government officials towards Charumbira.

News Agents

By Own Correspondent- Gospel musician Mathias Mhere’s brother Lovemore died yesterday in South Africa.

Lovemore was involved in an accident last month and succumbed to the injuries he sustained. He was 38.

“My brother died in South Africa where he was nursing wounds following a road accident he was involved in last month. “I am in pain, my brother. I was in South Africa to see him but I came back home last week. “He was my elder brother and he was the third born in our family.

“We are yet to hold a meeting as a family and see how best the body can be repatriated home,” he said before breaking into tears. The Favour singer further told this publication that the much publicised album has been postponed to a further date.

“I have cancelled my album launch due to this incident. “As I have told you earlier on, everything was ready but for now I am postponing it to a later date.

“I am mourning my brother who died after suffering for almost a month,” he said. A close family member also said Lovemore has been on life support for several days.

“The situation was not looking good, Lovemore anga atambura but we all wished for the best but God took him to a safe place. “The accident was a fatal one and he was lucky not to perish on the spot.

“The doctors tried their best but God himself saw it worth to take him away today. “He was in pain, it’s unfortunate we lost our close family member,” said one of the close family member.

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamonds Company, ZCDC, has confirmed that its security guards shot and killed alleged illegal diamond miners in Marange last Tuesday.

ZCDC spokesperson Sugar Chagonda confirmed the shooting in an interview on Friday.

Reports initially received from ZimEye.com sources indicated that two people were killed and over forty injured when the ZCDC guards fired at miners who had found a new diamonds deposit outside the protected concession area.

Chagonda disputed the claim saying that only one person was killed and a number he could not specify injured.

Chagonda defended the guards’ brutal act claiming that they shot the hapless miners in self defence.

According to him, the guards were dispatched to go and clear the miners from the area by the government owned mining company which is holding sole rights to mine diamonds in the area.

“When the guards got to the area, the illegal miners refused to disperse and armed themselves with shovels and peaks and advanced to fight the guards,” he said.

“Fearing for their lives, our guards fires three warning shots to the air but the miners who out numbered the guards continued advancing which forced the guards to shoot at them,” he added.

Speaking in a seperate interview, Director of the Centre for Natural Resource Governance Trust, Farai Maguwu claimed that the guards indeed killed two innocent people and injured forty others.

According to him, the matter was reported to Mutare Rural Police who however would not comment on the matter.

By Own Correspondent | Vice President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga is unwell again barely 3 months after his medical trip to India and as his boss Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed, he also failed to attend the political dialogue meeting at the Harare International Conference Centre.

The former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander who removed former president Robert Mugabe, has for weeks crept out of the public eye and been spending more time indoors. ZimEye also found that he has been skipping church for the past three weeks.

Sources privy to the developments told ZimEye, that VP Chiwenga has for nearly 3 weeks to date been summoning ambulances full of medics to his rescue at his home residence.

Sources told ZimEye:

“He has been quiet and more indoors lately.”

Other sources also told ZimEye: “different ambulances full of medics are regularly being summoned to him whereever he will be, including his house.

“This is happening just about every other day,” they added albeit failing to reveal if the ambulances are civilian or military ones.

When Mnangagwa flew to Botswana earlier in the month, he left the country in the hands of Chiwenga’s side-swipe, Kembo Mohadi, another infirm.

Today more eyebrows were raised as VP Chiwenga, who was recognised in his absence has also been conspicously absent in parliament, a development which has seen opposition legislators raise the issue to the speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda on Wednesday.

Addressing delegates at the National Dialogue launch Friday, Mnangagwa recognised Chiwenga in absentia.

He however said regarding the National Dialogue launch:

“This marks a significant history in our Second Republic. It’s the first of its kind in Zimbabwe and the dialogue will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on our politics and help contribute to the economic turnaround… It must a platform through which we proffer solutions to the challenges that affect us as a people the culture of dialogue must be synonymous with us a s a people and as a nation it must lead us into improving our democratic practices and our culture. It must lead us to compete while guided by national interest.”

Watch the live video below for this and more..

Farai Dziva|Respected political analyst Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya says even if Emmerson Mnangagwa meets the the political parties that signed the dialogue agreement a thousand times nothing will materialize.

“IF LEGALITY is the fundamental ingredient of LEGITIMACY why is ED and ZANU PF struggling to run Zim after the Constitutional Court ruled in his favour over electoral dispute?

Legality is a subset of legitimacy; what matters most is POLITICAL LEGITIMACY, Court of Public Opinion.”

“If Mnangagwa meets Ruhanya today, the political and economic problems in Zimbabwe will not be resolved.

The fact of the matter is that I am not a critical stakeholder in the governance/political dispute in Zimbabwe. ED can meet those political parties 1000 times but hapana chobuda.

In The Return of the Political, Chantal Mouffe(1993)argues that liberal democracy misunderstands the problems of ethnic, religious and nationalist conflicts because of its inadequate conception of politics.”

Kana paine anozivawo sekuru avo tibatsireiwo kuzivisa hamadzavo vakarasika tinavo pa ZRP RUWA, zvavarikutaura hazvisI kunzwisisika meaning if there is anyone who knows the old man in the picture above please help us notify his relatives because he is here with us at ZRP Ruwa in Harare. We cannot make sense out of what he is saying.

Farai Dziva|MDC secretary for policy and research Jameson Timba has expressed disappointment at the failure by secretary general Douglas Mwonzora to “defend” the party position in the High Court case.

” Well, I think Mwonzora should speak for himself regarding certain issues.

My only concern as a member and a leader is why he failed or neglected to defend the party position by filing an opposing affidavit in this case.

He is the custodian of party records and privy to all documents pertaining to this case. On this case, it is my view that he owes our membership an explanation as to why in his central party position, he did not defend the known collective party position on the issues before the court irrespective of his own views. He had a duty of care to do so in my humble opinion,” Timba told Daily News.

By Own Correspondent| The social media was this afternoon awash with photos showing Bulawayo central business district being surrounded by anti-riot police in armoured vehicles.

The police had also deployed water tankers which were on standby to disperse people in case things went out of control

The development followed information reports that there would be a solidarity peace march in support of Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni starting at Joshua Nkomo statue in the heart of Bulawayo.

By Own Correspondent| The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa has said that the political dialogue led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a waste of both labor and state resources.

MDC National Spokeaperaon, Jacob Mafume said Mnangagwa was talking to himself:

“We cannot have a situation where he talks to himself among his own cheer-leaders and then says he is having a dialogue. He has no conflict with those small parties or motley crew of individuals that he has with him, why is he allowing himself to pretend to have a national dialogue when clearly the person who represents over 50% of the nation is not there at the dialogue.

How does he think it will solve the nation, a person who has almost all the urban councils and that number of MPs and rural councillors too, is not there at that dialogue?

That is a pure waste of time, resources and lying to himself and why he continues lying to himself and pretends to think the nation believes his lies is a mystery to us?”

President Mnangagwa invited all political parties which participated in the presidential elections in 2018 to a national dialogue.

The dialogue was expected to suggest ways of addressing both the economic and political crises.

The MDC led by Chamisa boycotted the dialogue after the party and ZANU PF failed to find each other on the issue of Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.-Newsday

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has dismissed the United States’ advisory warning Americans against travelling to Zimbabwe. The advisory said Zimbabwe was an unsafe and insecure destination.

The ZRP insisted that Zimbabwe was safe noting that the police has intensified security for both civilians and tourists. In a statement, ZRP noted:

Contrary to the Zimbabwe Travel Advisory Level 2 issues by the Americans, the ZRP wishes to assure all Zimbabweans and visitors who include tourists to all parts of the country that the country remains safe, peaceful and secure.

The ZRP is conducting general patrols, blitz, stop and search patrols in all central business districts, industrial sites, residential areas and other places which are usually frequented by the public with a view of getting rid of the malady criminality.

Members of the public who include visitors to the country should feel free to seek clarity on security from the ZRP.

The US State Department travel advisory had warned its citizens that they should exercise increased caution in Zimbabwe. It also advised US citizens to monitor the local media for updates. The advisory said:

Violent crime such as assault, carjacking, and home invasion, is common (in Zimbabwe).” The US provides levels of advice ranging from 1 to 4, with Level 1 as the lowest advisory level for safety and security risk, while level 4 highly condemns travel to the nation.

Smashing the windows of cars with the intent to steal, which can harm the driver or passengers, is also common. Local police lack the resources to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents.

Jane Mlambo| Zimbabweans have warned President Emmerson Mnangagwa against engaging in dialogue with powerless political parties and find common ground with opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa if he is to entertain any hopes of achieving turning around the country’s economic fortunes.

Soon after the official launch of the Political Actors Dialogue Platform (POLAD) in Harare today, Mnangagwa tweeted a group picture with all the 2018 presidential candidates except Chamisa and a few others.

But he got a rude awakening after Zimbabweans swarmed his Twitter account with calls to dump all the political leaders and talk to Chamisa.

Read messages below.

Isaac Mutsau: Key stakeholders are not there. Therefore what we see is just a gathering of politicians enjoying tax payer’s money. Otherwise there is not much to expect from it.

Peter Evans: ED , ED, ED how many did l call you? Simply call that young man tonight wega and you see everything zvichiendeka, kumagumo kune nyaya , remember it’s you who told me that.

Lawrence: All these people with you there are already on your side; the one you need (Chamisa) is the one you are avoiding; when you engage him tge true dialogue begins. For now mahumbwe.

M-Jay: Kodak moment with the political nonentities. These theatrics must stop Mr President. Our country is burning. The only dialogue needed is between you and @nelsonchamisa. Leave the excesses out. They bring nothing of value to this dialogue. We didn’t vote for them!

DocLawo: Lol dialogue of one illegitimate soul and a bunch of so called leaders with no followers. You are insincere in your approach to this political dialogue – for that reason nothing will change chief. Consider a one on one with those frm whom the vote was stolen. Simple

VIDEO LOADING BELOW..

As leaders, we must also pledge to to be exemplary; leaders of our nation at every level must say no to sanctions, and say no to all conduct and speech that will bring harm to our people. It is when there is unity that God will come and all blessings upon a land – @edmnangagwa pic.twitter.com/wVEFOjZq3r

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) May 17, 2019

FULL VIDEO BELOW….

A 15 year-old boy is suing the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) after he
was brutally assaulted by a police officer, who was reportedly
investigating the theft of a mobile phone handset in Mutare’s
high-density suburb of Sakubva.

The 15 year-old boy, who is represented by Peggy Tavagadza of Zimbabwe
Lawyers for Human Rights, recently served ZRP with a notice of
intention to sue for inhuman and degrading treatment after he was
handcuffed and assaulted in March by Jefinias Mazambani, a police
officer, who accused him of stealing a cellphone before detaining him
at Sakubva Police Station in Mutare, Manicaland province.

However, the 15 year-old boy was released from police custody without
being charged.

According to Tavagadza, the 15 year-old juvenile bled profusely as a
result of the assault by Mazambani.

Despite being released from police custody without any charges pressed
against him, Tavagadza said some ZRP officers continued making
impromptu visits to the juvenile’s residence and continued assaulting
him.

Tavagadza will soon issue summons against ZRP, where she will indicate
the total amount of damages suffered by the 15 year-old boy as a
result of the ill-treatment by the law enforcement agents

THREE opposition political party legislators have slapped government
with a lawsuit demanding more than $20 000 as compensation for
violation of their fundamental rights when some law enforcement agents
assaulted them in Parliament in November 2018.

The three opposition MDC party legislators namely Hon. Lynette Karenyi
(Proportional Representation), Hon. Thabitha Khumalo (Proportional
Representation) and Hon. Amos Chibaya representing Mkoba constituency
were manhandled and assaulted by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)
officers who invaded Parliament in November 2018 to eject them
following an instruction by Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob
Mudenda after they refused to rise to attention when President
Emmerson Mnangagwa entered Parliament to attend the 2019 national
budget presentation in protest against the ZANU PF leader’s claim to
victory in the July 2018 elections.

In summons filed recently at Harare Magistrates Court by the
legislators’ lawyer Tinomuda Shoko of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human
Rights, the lawmakers, who cited ZRP Commissioner-General Godwin
Matanga and Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema
as respondents, charged that some ZRP officers assaulted them using
clenched fists and open hands and had their clothes torn during the
scuffle.

Shoko charged that the assault of the legislators amounted to
violations of their constitutional rights to be treated humanely, with
respect, with dignity, with integrity and not to be subjected to
physical, psychological torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment guaranteed in sections 50, 51, 52 and 53 of
the Constitution.

Hon. Karenyi, who fell down as she was forcefully grabbed by three
police officers and suffered injuries on her right arm as a result of
the assault is demanding $9 000 for damages emanating from shock,
pain, suffering and past and future medical expenses.

Hon Chibaya is demanding compensation for payment of $9 000 being
damages for pain, suffering and medical bills he incurred for
treatment, while Hon Khumalo, who is asthmatic and lost her breath
during the Parliament fracas and sustained some bruises on her hand
and right hip as a result of being manhandled by ZRP officers, is
demanding payment of $9 000 for shock, pain and suffering and for past
and future medical expenses.

Opposition MDC President Nelson Chamisa has met with constitutional law expert and losing parliamentary candidate for Mt Pleasant Fadzayi Mahere in Harare today.

Though he did not divulge what they discussed, Chamisa tweeted that their vision for the future is the force behind the need for unity.

VIEW PICTURES BELOW….

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa confirmed the absence of his deputy Vice President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga at today’s launch of the Code of Conduct for National Dialogue but would not avail further details of his whereabouts.

VP Chiwenga, who was recognised in his absence has also been conspicously absent in parliament in a development which has seen opposition legislators raise the issue to the speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda on Wednesday.

Addressing delegates at the National Dialogue launch Friday, Mnangagwa recognised Chiwenga in absentia.

He however said regarding the National Dialogue launch:

“This marks a significant history in our Second Republic. It’s the first of its kind in Zimbabwe and the dialogue will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on our politics and help contribute to the economic turnaround… It must a platform through which we proffer solutions to the challenges that affect us as a people the culture of dialogue must be synonymous with us a s a people and as a nation it must lead us into improving our democratic practices and our culture. It must lead us to compete while guided by national interest.”

Watch the live video below for this and more..

By Own Correspondent- US based Chimurenga guru Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo’s daughter Matinyanya who was studying Medicine will be graduating in Atlanta on Sunday.

Speaking to a local publication from his Oregon family home, Mukanya could not hide his elation after his daughter made the family proud.

“Thank you God for all these blessings and favouring my family,” said Mukanya in a telephone interview.

“Congratulations to Zimbabwe because it is said it takes the whole village to bring up a child and every child is for us all.

“It makes everyone happy to see their children prospering like this because their prosperity is ours too.

“So I personally beg all parents and guardians to care and educate them up to the end.

“To all pupils and students, discipline is important because education is for your own good for life,” he said.

Mukanya urged students to abstain from sexual activities and concentrate on their studies.

“Fun is endless but mind your health and always remember that there is death,” he said.

On life after his daughter Matinyanya’s graduations, Mukanya said he was wishing her to start a family.

The Blacks Unlimited Spirits founder urged Matinyanya to support and respect her husband when she gets married.

Mukanya said his daughter who came to America aged two years had difficulties in speaking English but has excelled.

He said his daughter would learn English at a neighbour’s place.

He also said Matinyanyanya had problems in adjusting to the new diet.

Mukanya’s wife Vena was equally excited by Matinyanya’s achievements saying they owe it to God.

“Only God knows where we came from, where we are at present, where we must be, what our rewards are and what our answers are to only Him.

“As Dr Thomas Mukanya Mapfumo’s family, we owe God a lot for what he has done for us as a family, for what He is still doing for us, imagine my other child will be graduating on 29 May this 2019.

“I have run short of words to praise God, please help me I am over excited, your child’s single step brings a shade on you, I personally do not like a public life, ndinonyara zvekuti, ndezvana Mukanya izvi,” she said.

Venna urged guardians and parents to take good care of their children by education them despite challenges.

“I wish my all graduating students the best and wish the best to all pupils and students studying globally and those in Zimbabwe, to all mothers, let care and educate our children at all challenges, let us be like born brave hens which feeds after weaning its chicks for months,” added Vena.-H Metro

By Own Correspondent- Lovie Nkosilathi Dube employed at Mpilo Central Hospital claimed that she was fed up of her ex-footballer lover, Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda who was using suicidal threats as a manipulation tool. 

The former Zimbabwe Saints, Dynamos and Warriors star midfielder was allegedly evicted by his live-in girlfriend, who sensationally accused him of threatening suicide to stall her from dumping him.

The matter came to light at the Bulawayo magistrates court.

She said:

” I am applying for an interim protection order against my live-in boyfriend Ronald Sibanda, a commentator. He is physically abusing me and has on several occasions hit me and threatened me with a knife. He is also verbally abusing me and destroys property. He has suicidal ideas and has tried to hang himself a number of times and he once took the detergent in a bid to try and kill himself. I now fear for my life as he is refusing to leave my home to an extent that on 25 April this year I had to go and sleep at a neighbour’s house.”

Presiding magistrate Franklin Mkwanazi granted the order In a bid to provide immediate protection to Dube, which compelled Sibanda not to verbally assault or threaten his girlfriend.

The ex-footballer was also ordered by the magistrate to vacate his girlfriend’s premises on or before 26 April. After the temporary ruling, the magistrate ordered the couple to come back on May 10.

The estranged couple allegedly failed to come to court to have the interim protection order granted and put into final order. Rachael Mukanga then removed the matter from the roll-B. Metro

By Own Correspondent- A local publication reports that the proliferation of the refusal rate for entry into Europe has been triggered by the worsening economic conditions as many Zimbabweans are deemed ineligible to sustain themselves in a foreign land.

According to the report, some western countries have recorded an 80% refusal rate for Zimbabweans seeking green pastures over the past year as embassies continue to tighten their stranglehold on entry requirements.

This comes as Australia, Britain and Canada have stopped processing visas in Harare, with applicants forced to apply at the Pretoria consulate, which has weakened the chances for many Zimbabweans. 

”Our Schools might want Zimbabwean students and our institutions might want Zimbabwean workers but, this is economy is not favourable for their applicants.

The currency exchange rate and the restrictions in sending money outside the country have negatively impacted the applicants,” a diplomatic source told the Independent. 

An effort by the publication to get the refusal rate from The United Kingdom embassy were unfruitful, with an official at the embassy maintaining that every application was treated individually.

” All UK visa applications are considered on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence available and in line with the UK immigration rules,” an embassy spokesperson said. The United States embassy in Harare said most visa refusals are because of lack of proof that the applicant was entitled to non-immigrant status.

”We do no comment on visa refusal rate for applicants. Most applicants are refused under 214b, which is from the Immigration and Nationalisation Act and presumes that all applicants are intending immigrants unless they can demonstrate otherwise to the consular office,” an official from the US Embassy Public Affairs Section said.

By Staff Reporter- Vice President Kembo Mohadi, who several weeks ago hit the headlines for wielding an axe at his former wife Tambudzani Mohadi demanding property has told Chinese delegates that Zimbabwe is a safe and secure tourism and investment destination.

In his keynote address at the Zimbabwe China Business Forum in Harare today, Mohadi said:

Zimbabwe is just a gem, an awakening giant, a safe and secure tourism and investment destination.

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure the Chinese delegates that Zimbabwe has unique resources across sectors and as Zimbabweans, we are of high intellect, resilient, and have a great work ethic only identical to us.

These unique attributes point to our resourcefulness and thus a sure guarantee of our economic growth potential and a significant return to your investment.

The vice president also applauded the strategic partnership between Zimbabwe and Touchroad, a Chinese travel and tourism company, saying it will boost the country’s image in the world in general, and China in particular.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Leader of the opposition MDC party, Nelson Chamisa has said that he and his colleagues fear for their lives alleging that the government has placed them under 24-hour surveillance.

The Daily News reports that the government suspects that the opposition party is planning mass demonstrations against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Speaking to the Daily News, MDC Vice president Morgen Komichi said that the worsening economic situation in the country coupled with the fear of Chamisa has unsettled the government. Komichi said:

President Chamisa is very unsafe because he is viewed by Mnangagwa’s government as its biggest enemy … together with several other senior party officials who have been put under surveillance because they realise that with the economic situation becoming worse in the country, the chances that people will go into the streets anytime are more than 70 percent.

Addressing mourners on Wednesday during the funeral wake of Tafadzwa Mhundwa, Chamisa indicated that he had since changed his traveling patterns. He said:

After we ended our programme in Bulawayo, I told Komichi that we were now leaving for Harare to which he told me that he does not travel at night.

I maintained that I would be travelling at night and told him to rest. My travelling at night has a reason. “When we travel, we do not publicise it because we are always in danger. We are swimming in a river full of crocodiles.

Chamisa’s remarks are a reminiscence of remarks that were made by the party’s spokesperson, Jacob Mafume last year.

By Own Correspondent- A Harare lawyer and academic, Fadzayi Mahere, said the current situation with power cuts is a clear indication that President Mnangagwa and his government have dismally failed and should simply resign.

She added that the entire system is dysfunctional, corrupt and toxic.

On the issue of dialogue, Mahere opined that it is pointless to talk with someone who gives John Mangudya (RBZ governor) another 5-year term. She said:

This business of only having power for a couple of hours while we are asleep is not sustainable.

We’ve hit rock bottom but they continue to dig in. The government has failed.

ED and friends must accept responsibility for their failure and resign. The entire system that they run is dysfunctional, corrupt and toxic.

The Zanu PF culture will choke any strategy that anybody suggests for lunch. My solution is therefore that they must go.

… There was a moment when dialogue could have been a plan but then the powers that be adopted a bogus version thereof.

It will take a lot more to restore confidence. How do you have a dialogue with someone who gives Mangudya another 5-year term and hopes for economic success?

Video loading below…

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has implored political party leaders to move away from the election mode and join hands with hims as the legitimate elected leader of the nation in rebuilding a better nation for all.

He said thsi at the launch of the Code of Conduct for National Dialogue at the HICC in Harare today.

Said Mnangagwa:

“Just as i said in my inauguration speech, I am a listening President and i will continue to listen. I embrace those who are willing to join hands in the re- building of our nation. Every Zimbabwean is important…..It does not serve any purpose to continue in election mode.. when citizens are yearning for social growth.”

By Own Correspondent_ Addressing delegates at the launch of the Code of Conduct for political parties in the National Dialogue, President Emmerson Mnangagwa implored the country’s leaders to be exemplary in their conduct.

Said Mnanngagwa:

“As leaders, we must strive to be exemplary. We must say no to all forms of hate speech and conduct that will bring harm to our people. When there is unity, God will command blessings to our nation.”

Video loading below…

By Own Correspondent- Professor Welshman Ncube, MDC deputy president has claimed that the late party leader Morgan Tsvangirai anointed him to be Nelson Chamisa’s assistant before he died.

Speaking on the sidelines of the MDC Mashonaland West provincial caucus meeting on Tuesday, Ncube said:

The most important thing is that when president Tsvangirai was to pass on, he specifically and entrusted me with the responsibility of assisting president Chamisa in the struggle against the junta regime that we have in Zimbabwe today. I promised him in the presence of Chamisa that I will do all I can.

He also said that selection of the deputy president must be on merit as the president needs proper assistance.

He added:

Our people believe that we are an inclusive country. We are a tolerant party, we must select and elect people who will honestly and properly assist the president in his task, so there is absolutely no risk of that happening.

Ncube was MDC’s founding secretary-general, with Tsvangirai as president in 1999.

By Own Correspondent- Addressing leaders of parties who are part of the political parties National Dialogue initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa today, Justice Commissioner Sello Nare revealed the 15 key guidelines to be adhered to by all parties as they dialogue.

Nare added that the doors to dialogue were still open to all political parties at whatever stage.

Said Nare:

“The doors to dialogue are open to all and it does not matter whether you have joined or not.”

Those who signed the Code of Conduct were presidential candidates or their representatives from the following political parties:

Bethel Christian party, Coalition of Democrats, Democratic Opposition Party, Independent, the Movement for Democratic Change led by Dr Thokozani Khupe. Nationalist Alliance Party, National Constitutional Assembly, the New Patriotic Front, Rebuilding Zimbabwe Party, the United African National Council, United Democratic Front, United Democracy Movement, People’s Rainbow Coalition, #1980 Presidential Candidate, Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity Party, #1980 Freedom Movement for Zimbabwe and Zanu Pf.

Farai Dziva|Bryn Mteki has praised Emmerson Mnangagwa for inviting opposition parties to the national dialogue process.

Mteki made the remarks at the launch of the National Dialogue at the HICC in Harare.

“Your Excellency we salute you for inviting us to this noble discussion platform.

We have to bury our differences and move the nation forward.Let us digress from lady politics to national politics,” said Mteki.

“We believe this is the right platform for us to lay the foundation for building our nation,” added Mteki.

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa is attending the Political Parties Dialogue Launch at the Harare International Conference Centre.

ZimEye will be livestreaming the event.

Refresh this page for latest updates.

Farai Dziva|Former MDC official Lucia Matibenga has attacked MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa for snubbing the Zanu PF initiated National Dialogue.

Speaking at the launch of the National Dialogue in the capital today Matibenga said:”If you are a Zimbabwean and if you are patriotic then you have to be part of this dialogue.

That is why I am part of the dialogue.If you choose to stay away from this key national process then you are unpatriotic,” said Matibenga.

Chamisa argues the national dialogue process is meant to legitimize and authenticate Mnangagwa’s controversial victory in the 2018 polls.

Analysts say Mnangagwa is using the dialogue process to coax the restive Zimbabwean population.

Farai Dziva|Former MDC member Lucia Matibenga has said Emmerson Mnangagwa was given the mandate to rule the country during last year’s elections.

Matibenga urged the opposition to accept the outcome of the 2018 polls to enable the nation building process to commence.

“There is no need to argue about the outcome of the 2018 polls because we are all aware of the fact that a winner was officially announced.

Our focus should be on how to develop our nation,” said Matibenga.

By Own Correspondent| Controversial businessman who has in the past hogged the lime light for allegedly duping the country’s power utility ZESA of millions of dollars has responded to the newly appointed minister’s statement instructing ZESA to recover the money lost to him.

Wicknell Chivhayo, whose statement reflected that he appeared unfazed by the threats showered praises on the newly appointed Energy Minister Fortune Chasi describing him as a level headed politician who would act accordingly once properly briefed of the correct facts of the Gwanda solar project.

Said Chivhayo:

Hon Minister Chibabest is not only a very Senior Advocate but a seasoned level headed politician of unquestionable integrity. When he’s fully briefed of the correct facts on the ground I’m optimistic and confident he will come up with a different conclusion based on an informed position. I can only but celebrate that with a pragmatic Minister like him “against all odds” success of the project is inevitable…???…???…???…?‍♂️?‍♂️?‍♂️…???

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Government is committed to sustainable growth of the tourism sector through the implementation of various initiatives.

He said this during a cocktail he hosted for a visiting 343-member Chinese tourist delegation at State House last night.

The delegation comprising tourists, buyers and journalists, is part of a tourism project organised by Touchroad International Holdings Group dubbed “Tour Africa — The New Horizon”.

Said Mnangagwa:

My Government has adopted various strategies to ensure sustainable long-term growth of the tourism sector.

These include increasing tourist arrivals and promoting investment in tourism-related infrastructure. We therefore continue to encourage investment in infrastructure such as hotels and other facilities that will widen our tourism products.

The introduction of a number of incentives will further help promote investments into the sector. These include the declaration of a Tourism Special Economic Zone, which covers Victoria Falls, Binga and Kariba tourism corridor, among others.”

President Mnangagwa added that duty exemptions were also available for the importation of tourism capital goods and safari vehicles.

“Government is also scaling up efforts to rehabilitate and modernise airport infrastructure as well as road networks connecting tourist resorts. To this end, the Belt and Road Initiative spearheaded by His Excellency Xi Xinping will go a long way in enhancing interconnectivity with countries to facilitate not only trade but also tourism and people to people exchanges. Hence tourists can use Zimbabwe as a gateway to other tourist destinations in the Southern African region.

“Our country’s tourism sector has received international recognition and endorsements which saw us being nominated as the 3rd Best in Travel in the World, and we are among the top 10 ‘must visit’ destinations and chosen the Sustainable Destination of the Year during the recent ITB Berlin Travel Show.

This commitment of monthly tourist delegations by Touchroad International Holdings Group is yet another welcome endorsement and recognition of Zimbabwe as a safe and must-visit destination.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- A group of shady organisations from Zimbabwe with links to the opposition MDC-Alliance has in recent months been hard at work laying the groundwork for civil unrest set to be unleashed next month, a report by The Herald has alleged.

Foreign organisations are coordinating workshops and training in Zimbabwe, the region and overseas to effect illegal regime change.

Also in the mix are individuals that security services in Zimbabwe have been watching.

According to information at hand, the organisations are seeking to unleash a wave of violent demonstrations beginning next month, with ring leaders of civil unrest having received training in the Czech Republic and the Maldives

Further, The Herald has been told that after the training, the groups briefed MDC-Alliance president Mr Nelson Chamisa.

Currently, there is a group training in the Maldives, which began on Tuesday and ends on Sunday and is being conducted by Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS), a Serbian organisation which trained MDC activists who were involved in the coordination of the January 14 to 16 violent protests.

Eight local activists, including a multimedia journalist from NewsDay, are attending the programme and will be instrumental in training and instigating mayhem to be rolled out in June.

The eight are drawn from civic organisations which include Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellency, Centre for Community Development, Trust Africa, Rozaria Memorial Trust, and Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Trust.

CANVAS was founded in 2003 by Serbian nationals Srdja Popovic and Ivan Morovic and has been involved in the training of anti-government activists in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Lebanon, Tibet, Ukraine and Venezuela.

MDC activists who attended the training in the Czech Republic were sponsored by Trust Africa (Zimbabwe) which is headed by Mr Briggs Bomba, who also heads Zimbabwe Alliance, a donor collaborative sponsoring regime change efforts in the country.

According to documents leaked from Mr Chamisa’s office, the MDC and Trust Africa seconded six members to the workshop, which was held in Prague, from May 6 to 10.

The purpose of the workshop was to share plot to unleash violent protests unearthed transitional experiences of countries such as Argentina, Georgia, Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic, among others. The workshop was funded by National Endowment for democracy (NED), an American private and non-profit organisation which focuses on “strengthening democratic institutions”.

Although Mr Bomba did not return calls as promised by his office, a source at Morgan Tsvangirai House – the MDC headquarters – confirmed details of the workshop held at CEVRO Institute, a private university in Prague, owned by a civic organization with the same name.

According to the CEVRO website, the organization was established in 1999 in Prague, as a non-profit organization “seeking to support democratic development home and abroad”.

“The workshop was held at CEVRO Institute, Jungmannova 17, 111000 Prague 1, Room Number 218. The workshop topics focused on dismantling of the State Security apparatus and the investigation and prosecution of the crimes of the regime, among others.

“Case studies on the transition experiences were drawn from Georgia, Estonia, Argentina, Poland and Czech Republic. The activists also toured the Chamber of Deputies and Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

“The workshop follows efforts to push for the formation of a transitional authority in Zimbabwe in the aftermath of the 2018 harmonised elections,” the source said.

The workshop was also attended by activists from Vietnam, Armenia, Azerbaijah, Bolivia, Burma, Burundi, North Korea, Uganda and Venezuela.

According to the training programme, topics were based on the Georgian, Estonian, German, Polish, Russian and Czech experiences and centered on the dismantling of state security apparatus, prosecution of regime crimes and transformation of political system.

Presenters included CEVRO director Jiri Kozak; Anton Vacharadze, direction head at the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information; Gabriela Ippolito-O´Donnell, director of the School of Politics at the University of El Salvador; and Franciszek D?browski, a lecturer at the Academy of Warfare in Warsaw.

“The workshop focused on how to unseat authoritarian regimes using peaceful means. Modus operandi for the unseating would include massive demonstrations, sit-ins, student protests, civil disobedience and online activism.

“What we want to do is to pressurise the regime into concessions with protestors. The most powerful tool to be used is grassroots mobilization and use of the internet for sharing information. This is exactly what we did during the January protests, we used the internet,” the MDC source said.

“We have been told that the security sector’s top hierarchy is disgruntled with the current regime and is willing to work with Nelson Chamisa but are fearful of their future in the aftermath of regime change. We have suggested that Chamisa should approach the security sector’s top hierarchy and assure them of no reprisals if the MDC wins.”

The MDC has previously denied instigating and coordinating public violence, especially on August 1, 2018 and January 14 to 16 this year.

The August 1 post-election violence left six people dead and property worth millions of dollars was destroyed in Harare.

Prior to the election, Mr Chamisa has threatened that he would make Zimbabwe ungovernable if he did not win.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa is under increasing pressure from Western countries to implement security sector reforms, a report claims.

In recent months, Mnangagwa has retired several senior military figures who perpetuated “toxic politics”, some of whom will be deployed to diplomatic missions.

Some of the retired commanders are Major-General Anselem Sanyatwe, who was the commander of the Presidential Guard; former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) chief-of-staff (administration) Douglas Nyikayaramba, chief-of-staff responsible for service personnel and logistics, Major-General Martin Chedondo, and Air Vice-Marshal Sheba Shumbayawonda.

In an article on April 28, Mnangagwa’s blue-eyed boy, Nick Mangwana said that the changes were part of the security sector reforms.

Mangwana’s sentiments are considered to be those of Mnangagwa.

Said Mangwana:

President Mnangagwa has redeployed those members of the security services who have served their country with distinction to other areas of the establishment to strengthen Zimbabwe’s democracy.

These include General Constantino Chiwenga (Rtd), who is now Vice President, Major-General Sibusiso Moyo (Rtd), who is now Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and a host of other eminent sons who have been redeployed to the party and diplomatic service.

He has also permanently retired those members who perpetuated toxic politics of yesteryear and appointed and elevated other patriotic cadres to replace them.

However, a retired army commander who spoke to the Zimbabwe Independent said that it was not possible to drive out the military from politics completely as Mnangagwa lacks popular political support having initially risen at the behest of a military coup. The retired commander is quoted as saying:

It is an implausible scenario to say Mnangagwa is undertaking security sector reform as Mangwana claims.

What Mnangagwa is doing is changing faces within the command element to consolidate power and protect himself from possible removal by the same military.

In the first place, Mnangagwa and his military allies, before the new splits, thwarted security sector reform under Mugabe because of militarised politics and the succession battle.

So they won’t embrace it now because the military is the foundation of his administration; overhauling it means he will be left exposed and won’t survive politically.

Remember he has no popular electoral support and this was demonstrated during last year’s general elections.

He relied on the military to assume power, he depended on it to controversially win the election and still relies on it to remain in power.

What he has done and is still doing is merely replacing commanders he doesn’t want or those he doesn’t trust with those who are loyal to him.

The military infrastructure remains the same because he is aware that he can’t institute genuine security sector reforms without collapsing his rule.

By Own Correspondent- Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube reportedly clashed with ZANU PF MPs on Wednesday morning over a number of issues.

The MPs were summoned for a caucus before they went to Parliament where Ncube was expected to make a presentation.

The party had gathered intelligence that the MPs intended to grill Ncube over the deteriorating economy as well as their welfare.

As a result, the party pre-empted an ugly clash between Ncube and the MPs.

Reports indicate that the angry MPs accused Ncube of sabotaging the party through his damaging policies.

The Zimbabwe Independent spoke to a number of MPs who attended the caucus who revealed that the irate legislators took  Ncube to task over his austerity measures.

One of the MPs who spoke to the publication had this to say about Ncube:

The meeting turned chaotic as MPs confronted Ncube.

Some accused him of being a sellout and a traitor who had introduced policies that will cost the party in the next elections. He didn’t take that particular criticism lightly.

Instead of retreating, he stood up and launched counter-accusations against MPs and started banging tables in a fit of rage.

He insisted that the policies would work if they had the support of the party.

This further infuriated the MPs and the scene became dramatic as some started walking out, while others kept on locked in heated exchanges him.

In the end, Togarepi calmed down the situation and ended the meeting.

By Own Correspondent- Cash-strapped Chitungwiza Municipality owes former and current workers close to $29 million in salary arrears and terminal benefits.

A recent council report reveals that current employees are owed over $16 million while the human resources department could not ascertain the arrears for March.

“The balance of salary arrears stood at $28 843 892 of this $16 854 762 is for current employees. All former employees are owed a total of $4 634 762,” reads the report.

“We could not establish a reasonable basis for March 2019 employment costs because of increased difficulties associated with estimating salaries for one payroll because the human resources department inherited a payroll which was behind by seven months in September 2018.

Mrs Mary Mukonyora, the human resources director, said the continued failure to meet monthly obligations could result in litigation.

“There is a monthly obligation of $88 000 that should be paid to former workers. Challenges facing the department are the late payment of salaries.

“Whilst council has enjoyed a stay in terms of labour related issues due to payment plans and deeds of settlement, council is struggling to fulfil its obligation which may result in resurgence of court cases,” she said.

“There were 89 cumulative labour cases recorded during the month under review from the previous 88 cases recorded the previous the month.

“Of these 89 cases, 45 are being handled by human resources whilst council lawyers are handling 44 cases.” -StateMedia