Own Correspondent|Zimbabwe started implementing load-shedding on Monday, after the government announced it was facing critical power shortfalls and had to introduce rotational power cuts in order to “balance the power supply available and the demand”.

Power utility supplier the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission & Distribution Company (ZETDC) last week said it had been forced to cut power generation at its Kariba Dam power plant due to low water levels. The dam, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, is only 34% full and cannot generate electricity at optimal capacity.

The ZETDC said in a statement it was also facing generation constraints at Hwange Power Station, and limited imports from Eskom in South Africa and from Mozambique.

“Please be advised that ordinarily, load-shedding will be within the morning and evening peak periods of 05:00 to 10:00 and 17:00 to 22:00 respectively,” the power distributor said Sunday.

“[However] the the durations may be longer in the event of increased power shortfall to avoid the collapse of the National Electric grid.”

Zimbabwe has two stages of load-shedding, compared to eight in South Africa. 

Analysts say the impact of the power cuts will be significant to industry, which cannot easily turn to the use of generators amid limited availability of fuel.  

By Farai D Hove | At a time when all court cases against his opponent (in the still to be produced Malaba judgement), Nelson Chamisa, are fast tracked, ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he is “disappointed that corruption cases are not moving.”

Mnangagwa said this on Monday while addressing judges, lawyers, magistrates, ministers who were all guests at the commissioning of the new Labour Court in Harare.

Mnangagwa said: “I am disappointed that corruption cases are not moving.

“While we may be experiencing teething challenges, I implore all those who play a role in this mammoth task to remain steadfast, honest and upright in the execution of their duties.

“The success in this regard is imperative as it impacts on our quest to establish a corrupt free society, accelerate development and speedily improve the quality of life of our people.”

Farai Dziva| Ntabazintuna Chief Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni is unfazed by government threats, it has emerged.

The government has lambasted the traditional leader for reportedly calling on Western countries to impose more sanctions on Zimbabwe.

The outspoken chief has always been at loggerheads with the Harare administration over issues related to the perceived marginalisation of Matabeleland provinces as well as the 1980s genocide, also known as Gukurahundi whose victims were mainly of Ndebele ethnic origins.

Sources in the chief’s area have revealed he is ready to speak out his mind despite immense pressure on him to retract his comments.

Farai Dziva|Hard-hitting social media analyst has described Thokozani Khupe as a “desperate and hopeless political misfit.”

See Taruvinga’s statement below:
By mere looking at it, two things make Khupe’ s letter an uninspiring joke:

1. The logo used isnt the MDC logo
2. The English used at the end (leave on) can never come from the president’s office. This actually is an assault on Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

It baffles many that a person who was VP for more than two 5 year terms doesn’t even know the actual logo of the party.

The war she has embarked on will only leave her with permanent bruises. She is fighting a whooping 2.6 million men and women. The people always win.

Farai Dziva|A clearly bitter MDC T vice president Obert Gutu has sensationally claimed MDC A leaders are a “pathetic lot.”

“When they’re outmanoeuvred and outsmarted they always fall back into their default mode : accuse us of being a Zanu PF project. This pathetic lot! We will clobber them and relegate them exactly where they belong i.e. to the cleaners!” Gutu thundered.

He continued : The next few days are going to be very, very interesting indeed. Tamba tamba chidembo muskwe takabata. Soft Power vs Hard Power. Warumwa, Warumwa.”

“Hatidzore tsvimbo nekuti gudo rabata kumeso! Povo yaramba zvemadhisinyongoro! Povo yaramba zvema ILLEGITIMATE power grabbers! Musanyeberwa…zizi harina nyanga!!”

“You don’t run with the hares and hunt with the wolves! Zimbabweans are not stupid! They know a dictator when they see one! If you don’t respect court orders and constitutionalism…. you’re dangerous! Povo yaramba zve illegitimacy!!

We will continue to talk about ILLEGITIMACY until the cows come back home! Court orders have to be respected if we are talking about the rule of law. Beware of dangerous charlatans who lampoon, denigrate and malign the integrity of our country,” claimed Gutu.

Reuters|Zimbabwe’s state power utility imposed the worst rolling blackouts in three years on Monday, May 13, 2019, with households and industries including mines set to be without electricity for up to eight hours daily.

The country last experienced such serious blackouts in 2016 following a devastating drought.

But the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), citing reduced output at its largest hydro plant and ageing coal-fired generators, said power cuts would start on Monday and last up to eight hours during morning and evening peak periods.

Meanwhile, Isaac Kwesu, Chief Executive of Chamber of Mines, which groups Zimbabwe’s biggest mining companies said critical industries like mining should be spared from the black-outs, locally known as load shedding.

“Mining requires electricity for both operations and safety. It will be very costly to have production stoppages, that is why we will be engaging ZETDC to find ways to minimize any costly disruptions due to the electricity cuts,” Kwesu told Reuters.

The power cuts are bound to stoke, mounting public anger against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government as Zimbabweans grapple with an economic crisis that has seen shortages of U.S. dollars, fuel, food and medicines as well as soaring inflation that is eroding earnings and savings.

Many Zimbabweans say life is getting harder and that Mnangagwa is failing to deliver on pre-election promises last year to rebuild an economy shattered during Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule.

Mining accounted for more than two-thirds of Zimbabwe’s $4.8 billion in total export earnings last year and any power cuts in the sector will affect production and exports.

In the past, some of the big mines, including platinum and gold producers, have resorted to directly importing electricity from neighbouring countries like Mozambique and South Africa.

“The power shortfall is being managed through load shedding in order to balance the power supply available and the demand,” ZETDC said in a public notice.

Aside the power cuts, the country is also experiencing shortages of fuel, forcing motorists to queue for hours and the government has so far failed to deliver on previous promises to end the shortage.

The southern African nation, which is producing 969 MW daily against peak demand of 2,100 MW, is entering its peak winter power demand season, which will increase electricity consumption.

Energy and Power Development Minister Joram Gumbo was quoted by a local newspaper saying he would travel to Mozambique this week to try to agree an electricity supply deal with that country’s power utility Hydro Cahora Bassa.

Credit: Reuters.com

By Own Correspondent- Shocking details of the circumstances behind the suicide of prominent academic and Lupane State University Centre for Continuing Education director Dr Ndabezinhle Ncube who died at his house in Manningdale suburb in Bulawayo on Friday last week have emerged.

A local publication revealed that Dr Ncube, who was also active in football as a match commissioner in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) allegedly hanged himself in one of the cottages at his house barely a few hours after his wife Evon Ncube approached the courts claiming he was emotionally abusing her by singing or playing music which was suicidal.

It then appears Dr Ncube couldn’t fathom the idea that his wife had dragged him to the Bulawayo Civil Court seeking a protection order against him, also claiming that he was cheating on her with several women.

In court papers in possession of this publication, Evon, who is employed as a lecturer at the United College of Education in Bulawayo claimed her husband was always saying hurtful words and sang songs that had painful meanings against her and the children.

“I am married to Ndabezinhle Ncube since 16 December 1991.There are two children born of the marriage and all have attained majority status. The respondent and I are still residing together in the same house but occupy different bedrooms since 2016. The respondent has become verbally and emotionally abusive towards me and the children. 

“He often says hurtful words and sings songs that have painful meanings and insinuating that I am a harlot and that our children are not his. He has a tendency of singing or playing music which is suicidal.

“He has been seeing other women since 2014 and no longer hides it to an extent that he puts his phone on louder speaker in my presence and the children whenever he is communicating with them,” Evon’s application reads in part.

Evon further said her husband was no longer financially supporting the family.

She added: “He closes water when the children or me are bathing. He also no longer eats what the children and I cook. His way of communication has been through songs and talking alone but directing/ referring to any of us in the house. 

“He once entered into my room and cut off my bags. I fear with his continued behaviour he may start being violent towards me and our children. I hereby pray for a protection order against him so that he may refrain from verbally and emotionally abusing me and the children.”

She also stated that her husband had on several occasions threatened to assault her.

Apparently, fearing the humiliation of a trial, Ncube sneaked out of the court leading the presiding magistrate Racheal Mukanga to grant an order in his absence compelling him not to verbally, physically and emotionally abuse his wife or threaten her in any way. 

The magistrate also ordered him not to close water from the main switch when his wife was bathing. After the court session Evon is reported to have left Bulawayo for Harare to attend a workshop.

A bottle of Kontakil poison which was bought on the day in question was also found next to his lifeless body. Dr Ncube is also alleged to have left three suicide notes in which he was accusing his wife of cheating on him.

“She slept around in hotels years after marriage. Now she thinks the law is on her side, and indeed it is. Let her reap where she did not sow. I am gone. Enjoy my sweat with your relatives. Now the sister is coming here to finish off their ritual. These evil people should not come anywhere near my body,” reportedly read one of the suicide notes.-BMetro

Mother’s Day Message : By Honourable Paurina Mpariwa

Mother’s Day is a day for many people to show their celebrations, appreciation towards mothers and mother figures worldwide. Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Even is your mother passed away you still have ana Mainini, Maiguru, Gogo etc.

What Do People Do?

Many people remember their mothers and mother figures on Mother’s Day. Mother figures may include stepmothers, relatives, mothers-in-law, a guardian (eg. a foster parent), or a family friend. There are many different ways to celebrate Mother’s Day. They include (but are not limited to):

Giving cards, flowers, or cakes.Family gatherings or visits.Family breakfasts, brunches, lunches, and dinners either at home, at a café or at a restaurant.

Personal phone calls, particularly from children who live away from their mothers and/or mother figures. Mother’s Day poems and messages. Gifts of chocolate, jewelry, accessories, clothing, hobby equipment or tools, handmade items, or gift vouchers.

Mother’s Day is celebrated in different countries, including Zimbabwe.

Mothers are most concerned about the direction of our economy. If our children cannot get jobs, mothers cannot sleep. We will not be silenced!!! Justice will prevail and our voices will be heard loud and clear. As MDC incoming National Women’s Assembly Chairlady Paurina Mpariwa let’s all unite because coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success…

Amai Paurina Mpariwa Is Calling For ROAD TO MDC NATIONAL CONGRESS PRAYER… Let’s pray for our beloved Zimbabwe and let’s pray for our Party. As all roads leads to Gweru Midlands. Let’s go and Rearrange, Restrategize, Recharge hakuna tsaona ichaitika mumigwagwa.

To all the amazing Women- Mother’s out there, please have a fantastic International Mother’s Day!…

Hon Paurina Mpariwa

By Own Correspondent- A Mvuma man will rue the day he asked for sex from a woman who in return scalded him with boiling water.

The woman, Mberikunashe Chipiwa(23), who resides at Carval Bar in Mvuma was dragged to court by Josphat Mukwavaya (35) following the incident.

She pleaded guilty to the charge when she appeared before Mvuma magistrate Mr Tafadzwa Mhlanga and was released on $50 bail.

She told the court that she acted in self-defence as she thought the complainant wanted to rape her.

“I was defending myself because l thought he wanted to rape me. He mentioned that he wanted to sleep with me and he started walking towards me. I panicked thinking that he wanted to rape me that’s why l poured hot water on him,” she said.

Representing the State, prosecutor Michael Kazemba told the court that on April 17 at Carval Bar around 9pm, the accused and the complainant had a misunderstanding over mealies which the complainant had taken from the accused’s pot.

A heated argument ensued between the two and Mukwavaya accused Chipiwa of being sexually starved saying it was the reason why she was short tempered. He then advanced towards Chipiwa saying he wanted to help her relieve her sexual frustrations.

This did not go down well with the accused who took a pot of boiling water from the stove and emptied the contents on the complainant’s body.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Chipiwa’s arrest.-BMetro

Farai Dziva|Hard-hitting social media analyst has described Thokozani Khupe as a “desperate and hopeless political misfit.”

See Taruvinga’s statement below:
By mere looking at it, two things make Khupe’ s letter an uninspiring joke:

1. The logo used isnt the MDC logo
2. The English used at the end (leave on) can never come from the president’s office. This actually is an assault on Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

It baffles many that a person who was VP for more than two 5 year terms doesn’t even know the actual logo of the party.

The war she has embarked on will only leave her with permanent bruises. She is fighting a whooping 2.6 million men and women. The people always win.

Farai Dziva| MDC A Midlands Province has described the High Court ruling on the party presidency as “callous and biased.”

See Midlands Provincial secretary for Information and Publicity, Takavafira Zhou’s statement below:

Noting the 8th of May High Court ruling by Justice Edith Mushore as callous, a tissue of misrepresentation and a monument of Zimbabwean injustice.

Guided by institutional memory on the election of leaders in MDC since its formation in 1999, and in other political parties nationally, regionally, continental and globally.

Aware that our late icon and father of democracy in Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, used the powers vested in him by the 2014 National Congress to Appoint Engineer Mudzuri and Advocate Nelson Chamisa as Vice Presidents.

Realising that before his death, our iconic leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, mooted the broad MDC Alliance, and confided in leaders like Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti to support Chamisa in the pursuit of revitalising the spirit of unity in MDC as in 1999.

Aware that Thokozani Khupe had become a renegade, prejudiced and narrow-minded leader even before the death of Tsvangirai.

Cognisant of the fact that it was the National Council, as the highest decision making body in between Congress, that appointed Adv Nelson Chamisa as acting President and finally as President until our National Congress, which Congress is pencilled for 24 to 26 May 2019.

Aware that in pursuit of unity after the death of Tsvangirai, President Chamisa condemned violence in MDC and sent emissaries to the then Vice President Khupe to no avail.
Noting that President Chamisa has fit squarely into the shoes of our late iconic leader, Tsvangirai, carrying the struggle of the people; the struggle for food and jobs; peace; dignity, decency and democracy; equal distribution of resources; and justice, transparency and equality of all Zimbabweans.

Knowing that he has continued to carry the explicit democratic agenda of democratising the state through a peaceful transition of the ballot box as opposed to the bullet and in the process increased the democratic dividend votes to 2.6 million.

Convinced that the MDC is on course in its preparation of a National Congress in Gweru from 24th to 26th May 2019.

Ready to host that National Congress as Midlands Province, comprising 28 districts.

We now therefore, unreservedly, unswervingly, unwaveringly, unshakably, trustily, solidly, steadily, unflinchingly, valiantly and gallantly declare our loyalty and support to our dynamic, enthusiastic, considerate and forward looking President, Nelson Chamisa.
We declare as Midlands Province, without any rancor or equivocation that never in history have courts given political parties their leaders.
At any rate Nelson Chamisa is President of the MDC and not MDC-T.

While the national leadership focus on how best to respond to the courts we want to make it clear that Khupe has lost any fibre to be our President. She has conducted her own Congress with her own supporters and abandoned us.
We stand where we stood under Tsvangirai and will continue to stand there under Chamisa. No amount of legal ruling can change this reality. No legal ruling or Zanu PF flirtation or romance with any MDC discarded residue can stop an idea whose time is up.
Adv. Chamisa is our best foot forward, and as Midlands Province will guard jealously such best foot.

Dr Takavafira M. Zhou
Midlands Province Spokesperson

Farai Dziva| Ntabazintuna Chief Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni is unfazed by government threats, it has emerged.

The government has lambasted the traditional leader for reportedly calling on Western countries to impose more sanctions on Zimbabwe.

The outspoken chief has always been at loggerheads with the Harare administration over issues related to the perceived marginalisation of Matabeleland provinces as well as the 1980s genocide, also known as Gukurahundi whose victims were mainly of Ndebele ethnic origins.

Sources in the chief’s area have revealed he is ready to speak out his mind despite immense pressure on him to retract his comments.

Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition MDC has said that president Mnangagwa will not succeed in destabilising the MDC because he is not God.

Officially opening the MDC Midlands caucus in Gweru on Friday, Chamisa claimed that ZANU-PF was behind the recent High Court ruling that nullified his leadership of the MDC. Chamisa said:
” Zanu PF is panicking … now they are trying to stop our congress. They will not have everything go their way. ED (President Mnangagwa) is not God. He cannot have all his wishes succeed.

Look at the economy, it is giving him problems. He is failing to deal even with sewerage blockages in towns.
Chamisa assured party members that the elective congress slotted for the 24th to the 26th of May will go on as planned. He also claimed that Zanu PF was diverting the focus of the masses from teething economic issues.

He also warned that beyond the congress, there will be a witch-hunting exercise meant to remove elements he said were working with ZANU PF.

These bold claims come at a time when both Douglas Mwonzora, the current MDC secretary-general, and deputy president Elias Mudzuri, have been accused of working with Zanu PF.

Meanwhile, whilst presenting his manifesto during the caucus, Mwonzora pledged his loyalty to the party and to Chamisa. He also narrated his experience and contribution to the party.Newsday

Farai Dziva|A clearly bitter MDC T vice president Obert Gutu has sensationally claimed MDC A leaders are a “pathetic lot.”

“When they’re outmanoeuvred and outsmarted they always fall back into their default mode : accuse us of being a Zanu PF project. This pathetic lot! We will clobber them and relegate them exactly where they belong i.e. to the cleaners!” Gutu thundered.

He continued : The next few days are going to be very, very interesting indeed. Tamba tamba chidembo muskwe takabata. Soft Power vs Hard Power. Warumwa, Warumwa.”

“Hatidzore tsvimbo nekuti gudo rabata kumeso! Povo yaramba zvemadhisinyongoro! Povo yaramba zvema ILLEGITIMATE power grabbers! Musanyeberwa…zizi harina nyanga!!”

“You don’t run with the hares and hunt with the wolves! Zimbabweans are not stupid! They know a dictator when they see one! If you don’t respect court orders and constitutionalism…. you’re dangerous! Povo yaramba zve illegitimacy!!

We will continue to talk about ILLEGITIMACY until the cows come back home! Court orders have to be respected if we are talking about the rule of law. Beware of dangerous charlatans who lampoon, denigrate and malign the integrity of our country,” claimed Gutu.

Farai Dziva|MDC A president Nelson Chamisa has said good governance and rule of law are the “second nature” of the party.

Chamisa remains unfazed in spite of the hullabaloo emanating from the controversial High Court ruling.

“I’m in Bulawayo today for the provincial caucus debates.Yesterday, I thoroughly enjoyed the Mat north provincial debate in Lupane.The beauty of internal democracy and a festival of ideas is exceptional.The party of excellence is a party of ideas.Grassroots support is plenty plus!”

“Good governance and rule of law are second nature to us.Constitutionalism matters to us in the MDC.We follow both the party and national constitutions in all our critical resolutions and steps.All our decisions were and are fully backed by the provisions in the party constitution,” argued Chamisa.

Farai Dziva|MDC A leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa has described his biological mother as a source of hope and inspiration.

“I thank God for this humble woman from Chiwara Village of Gutu who toiled to take me through all learning processes .

This woman is an entrepreneur and a hardworker.They call her Mbuya vaAshy or Mai Neri.Please take time to salute your mother,our mothers.. alive or departed!” Chamisa wrote on Twitter.

“Happy Mothers’ Day to all lovely moms out there. You are the pillars that hold families and nations together.

God created you for all our needs before and during birth, in all childhood adulthood.All of us know the true meaning and value of a mother, God bless.”

Farai Dziva|Hard-hitting social media analyst has described Thokozani Khupe as a “desperate and hopeless political misfit.”

See Taruvinga’s statement below:
By mere looking at it, two things make Khupe’ s letter an uninspiring joke:

1. The logo used isnt the MDC logo
2. The English used at the end (leave on) can never come from the president’s office. This actually is an assault on Dr. Morgan Tsvangirai’s legacy.

It baffles many that a person who was VP for more than two 5 year terms doesn’t even know the actual logo of the party.

The war she has embarked on will only leave her with permanent bruises. She is fighting a whooping 2.6 million men and women. The people always win.

Bargain hunters yesterday morning thronged former president Robert Mugabe’s dairy farm to buy equipment and other farming implements at a private auction.

Gushungo Holdings’ dairy enterprise, trading as Alpha and Omega, is on a recapitalisation drive, according to its human resources manager Farai Jemwa.

“We are not shutting down, but simply clearing out old equipment such as tractors and other junk so that we are able to do our job properly. There is a lot of junk around here, hence this auction,” said Jemwa as he showed TimesLIVE new tractors parked outside a shed.

Buyers in their hundreds were looming outside the farm before the auction could go ahead. Bidding for the property was pegged at US$2 000 or RTGS $5 000 for entry cards.

An employee at the farm said selling the equipment was the best option since repairing it had become costly because most of it had become obsolete.

While Mugabe’s Gushungo Holdings is a private company, Ricky Mukonza, a political analyst, said there was a perception that the wealth owned by Mugabe and many other current and former Zanu PF politicians was ill-gotten.

Mukonza pointed out that during Mugabe’s era there was rampant abuse of public resources for private gain, which would justify the general perception that what may appear to be their private property in actual fact belonged to the public.

“This conflation between private assets of politicians in positions of power is a cause for concern. What could be a solution going forward is for public officials and politicians to declare their privately-owned assets for accountability purposes,” he said.

Maxwell Saungweme, a development analyst, said whatever operational problems were bedevilling Mugabe’s company proved that black empowerment anchored on abuse of political power, violation of property rights, theft and plunder was not sustainable, especially when entrepreneurship skills were not developed or imparted.

“It is a typical case of a business empire built on a mirage of political power fizzling out and fading when political power departs. It’s now clear who was sustaining and bankrolling that business venture — the taxpayer,” said Saungweme.

— Timeslive

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed that his rival Thokozani Khupe will not be allowed to take over leadership of the party despite the High Court declaring his elevation null and void.

Justice Edith Mushore last week ruled that the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai violated the party’s constitution after he appointed Chamisa and Ellias Mudzuri as his deputies in 2017.

Chamisa used the appointment to outsmart both Khupe and Mudzuri to take control of the party.

Khupe yesterday declared that she was preparing to take over from Chamisa and lead the party to an extraordinary congress as ordered by the court.

However, a defiant Chamisa told party structures in Gweru on Friday that the MDC’s congress at the end of the month would seal Khupe’s fate.

“We went to elections as the MDC Alliance,” he said. “Khupe went to elections with her party MDC Thokozani (MDC-T).

“It is unthinkable that she can now come to our party to take it over.

“A man from next door cannot come to your house and take over your wife and start eating and staying inside.

“So, Khupe is our sister, she can come to Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House (MDC headquarters) , but only as a visitor.

“Her fate in MDC is on our agenda at the congress. That is where it will be decided, then we part ways formally.”

Khupe said she had already met MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora to discuss the court ruling and was eager to talk to Chamisa on the way forward.

Chamisa accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of interfering in the party’s internal processes.

He said after the congress set for May 23 and 24, the party would step up pressure on the government and force Mnangagwa to negotiate with the MDC to solve the country’s economic and political crisis.

-The Standard

By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa last Thursday received a huge boost after two traditional chiefs from Matabeleland threw support behind him saying Zimbabwe must “do away with old school politics”.

Traditional leaders have in the past faced accusations of being an appendage of Zanu PF with Chiefs Council president Fortune Charumbira often in the forefront in openly supporting the ruling party.

Charumbira at the Zanu PF conference held in Esigodini, Matabeleland South in December said chiefs belonged to Zanu PF.

On Thursday, Chamisa, alongside his deputy Morgan Komichi and chairperson Tabitha Khumalo met representatives of Matabeleland Chiefs led by outspoken Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni (Ntabazinduna) and Vezi Maduna (Filabusi) at the party offices in the capital.

Khumalo and Ndiweni on Friday confirmed the meeting, with the latter adding that Matabeleland chiefs’ wanted to appraise themselves on Chamisa’s views on how he wanted to move the country forward, should he be in power, among other issues.

“Chamisa shows maturity because he has intellect, he has youthfulness behind him and can accept ideas very quickly and so the meeting was much more receptive.

“We need something new, fresh that has not been tried and not done before,” Ndiweni said in an interview.

“The other pool of politicians around is much older than him and in many instances is stuck in their positions; it is difficult sometimes to teach someone who is old new tricks.

“What I am talking about is that we need a mind that can move very quickly, but what is really clear that old school politics will not fix Zimbabwe.”

Khumalo was, however, non-committal about disclosing more details on what was discussed in the closed door meeting.

Ndiweni and Maduna have been very vocal against government, particularly on the Gukurahundi massacres that killed an estimated 20 000 people in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

-The Standard

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa last Thursday received backed from two traditional chiefs following a meeting with the traditional leaders from Matabeleland who threw support behind him saying Zimbabwe must “do away with old school politics”.

Traditional leaders have faced accusations of being an appendage of the Zanu PF with Chiefs Council president Fortuner Charumbira often in the forefront in openly supporting the ruling party.

Charumbira at the Zanu PF conference held in Esigodini, Matabeleland South in December said chiefs belonged to Zanu PF.

On Thursday, Chamisa, alongside his deputy Morgan Komichi and chairperson Tabitha Khumalo met representatives of Matabeleland Chiefs led by outspoken Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni (Ntabazinduna) and Vezi Maduna (Filabusi) at the party offices in the capital.

Khumalo and Ndiweni on Friday confirmed the meeting, with the latter adding that Matabeleland chiefs’ wanted to appraise themselves on Chamisa’s views on how he wanted to move the country forward, should he be in power, among other issues.

“Chamisa shows maturity because he has intellect, he has youthfulness behind him and can accept ideas very quickly and so the meeting was much more receptive.

“We need something new, fresh that has not been tried and not done before,” Ndiweni said in an interview.

“The other pool of politicians around is much older than him and in many instances is stuck in their positions; it is difficult sometimes to teach someone who is old new tricks.

“What I am talking about is that we need a mind that can move very quickly, but what is really clear that old school politics will not fix Zimbabwe.”

Khumalo was, however, non-committal about disclosing more details on what was discussed in the closed door meeting.

Ndiweni and Maduna have been very vocal against government, particularly on the Gukurahundi massacres that killed an estimated 20 000 people in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.

-The Standard

Zanu PF offices at Mutoko centre were last week encircled by a group of angry war veterans who were protesting against local party leadership for sowing discord. NewsDay reports that the former liberation fighters brought a new padlock and locked doors in a bid to prevent party officials from gaining access. The offices were later re-opened on the same day following the intervention of top party leaders who on Wednesday sent a delegation to resolve the impasse.

Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial secretary for administration Kudzai Majuru confirmed the report but could not disclose more details.

A ZANU PF source who spoke to the NewsDay said:

Last week, a group of war veterans besieged the party offices and locked the main entrance, accusing local party leaders of bringing discord within the party as well as running parallel structures. The war veterans also accused some Zanu PF leaders in Mutoko of harassing the district administrator and other civil servants.

The war veterans had to re-open the offices following the intervention of party bigwigs at a no-holds barred meeting on Thursday. The outcome of the meeting and recommendations will be sent to provincial chairperson (Joel Biggie) Matiza. A lot is needed to be done in Mutoko for Zanu PF is in shambles.

-Newsday

By Own Correspondent- Zuva Petroleum has been awarded three International Standards Organisation certifications from the British Standards Institution (BSI), namely the Quality Management Systems, Environmental Management and Occupational Health and Safety Management.

As a result, Zuva Petroleum becomes the only company in Zimbabwe’s fuel sector to do so.

The company’s chief executive Bethwell Gumbo said:

The achievement of quality standards in administrative procedures clearly demonstrates our willingness to establish and operate effective, efficient and transparent systems.

It recognises that in seeking to achieve the highest standards we are prepared to open our systems to independent scrutiny and evaluation and to adapt to best practices.

The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Joram Gumbo said that is is the government’s desire that all local companies attain international standards.

He said:

My ministry is proud to see Zimbabwean companies achieving international standards. This is what we yearn for as government.

It is the government’s desire to see all Zimbabwean companies, not just energy companies, producing goods and services that meet international standards in order to be competitive on the global market.

According to a report, less than 1 per cent of Zimbabwean companies are certified.-Newsday

By Own Correspondent- The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe intends to start developing own commercial farms, targeting at least 100 000 hectares across the country to anchor production and support cotton value chains, managing director Pious Manamike said.

Currently, Cottco is administering Government’s multi-million dollar inputs programme meant to support vulnerable households.

The programme has been running for the past three seasons and has resuscitated the cotton industry after boosting output from a record low of 28 000 tonnes in 2015 — the lowest in nearly two decades — to 142 000 tonnes last year.

Nearly 400 000 households are currently benefiting from the inputs support programme with each farmer getting planting seed, fertilisers and chemicals among others.

The Government intervened when it became apparent that the industry was heading for collapse and this was partly due to migration of farmers to cash crops like tobacco.

The exit of private companies such as Cargill, which cited persistent losses largely resulting from poor recoveries of invested funds also resulted in production taking a steep decline.

Cottco has already identified land for the new project, which will be largely under irrigation.

“In this regard we are cropping up large tracts of virgin land in Mashonaland Central, Kanyemba area (along the Zambezi Valley), Masvingo, and also large tracts of land in Matabeleland North in Binga area,” he said.

“We are looking to get a minimum of 100 000ha that should be irrigated and that should be able to anchor production to support the value chain within the cotton to clothing sector.”

The latest development is likely to boost the cotton industry, which of late has attracted strong interest from potential investors.

With proper regulation of the industry, analysts believe private participation could be critical to boost current production levels.

Speaking at a Cottco stakeholders meeting in Sanyati in Mashonaland West Province on Tuesday, Cotton Producers and Marketers Association chairman Mr Steward Mubonderi told farmers that the revival of the cotton industry was critical as it would help support the entire cotton value chains, including the textile industry.

Mr Mubonderi noted that cotton farming was “a low hanging fruit” with potential to generate the much needed foreign currency. Last year, Zimbabwe exported ginned cotton, which at some point was referred to as the white gold, worth nearly US$90 million.

“Government needs foreign currency and cotton will bring in the much desired foreign currency. The Government also wants to open companies like David Whitehead, Kadoma Textiles and others with potential of generating hundreds of thousands of jobs,” he said.

Speaking at the same function, Cottco agronomist Mr Collin Nyawenze explained how the Presidential Scheme resulted in the resuscitation of cotton production in Sanyati.

“From 2016 backwards, Sanyati as a business unit was closed,” he said. “We were left with three business units in Chiredzi, Muzarabani and Gokwe. In 2017 we discovered that Sanyati was rising and we decided to make it a business unit on its own.

“In 2018, of the 127 000 tonnes bought by Cottco, 27 000 tonnes were from Sanyati. This justifies the opening of Sanyati as an independent business unit for Cottco.”

Cottco held similar stakeholder meetings in Gokwe and Muzarabani ahead of the 2019 marketing season. The validation exercise to determine projected output is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, farmers have implored Government to honour their promise and pay part of their proceeds in foreign currency to cushion them from erosion of RTGS dollars values.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe stipulated that cotton farmers will be paid 50 percent of their proceeds in foreign currency while the remainder will be paid in RTGS dollars.

“We look forward to Cottco to give us a stable US dollar price,” Sanyati farmer Onias Mayavo said. The Government pegged the price of cotton at $1,95 per kg, up from 47c last year.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- The trial of jailed RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura and his six accomplices on charges of attempting to escape from prison will proceed after an application by the legal counsel, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, for its postponement by a week was dismissed.

Mr Madhuku had informed the court that the postponement was to enable his clients to file for a review at the High Court of a judgment by the lower court dismissing their application for discharge at the close of the State case recently.

Gumbura, Blessing Chauke (29), Lucky Mhungu (42), Taurai Dodzo (51), Thomas Chacha (41), Elijah Vhumbunu (42), and Lucky Matambanadzo (43 are facing charges of attempting to escape from lawful custody, incitement in aggravating circumstances or alternatively conspiracy in aggravating circumstances for malicious damage to property.

For the State, Mr Michael Reza had opposed the application. He told the court that he sympathised with Mr Madhuku because he worked on instructions from his clients.

“There is no order to stay these proceedings before the court and nothing can stop Mr Madhuku from making the application for review of the judgment or for stay of proceedings at the High Court.

“The State is therefore making an application that we proceed with the defence case,” he said.

Harare magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo dismissed Mr Madhuku’s application saying the accused persons should have made an urgent chamber application for stay of proceedings at the High Court.

He said there was nothing before him, therefore the application was dismissed.

It is alleged that during the morning of February 13, 2015 in B Hall, Gumbura allegedly incited other inmates to protest over the quality of food they were being served.

Chauke, Matambanadzo, Mhungu, Dodzo, Chacha, Vhumbunu, and three other inmates — who are now deceased — allegedly also influenced inmates to reject the porridge they were served, which did not have sugar, to aid their escape.

This resulted in prisoners vandalising property estimated at $500 000. -StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- The trial of former Minister of Energy and Power Development Elton Mangoma, Zesa chief executive Joshua Chifamba and managing director of Zesa Enterprises Tererai Mutasa, failed to kickstart after it emerged that the state prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga was sick.

The trio, are facing charges of criminal abuse of office after they allegedly entered into a technology transfer partnership with a South Korean company, Techpro Company Limited, for the manufacturing of switchgears without due process.

They however, all pleaded not guilty to the charges being leveled against them.

Mr Brain Vito, who stood in for Mr Macharaga, told the court that he was seeking a postponement of the matter because his colleague was not in attendance as a result of illness.

Harare magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo deferred the matter to May 22 and 23.

Allegations are that the trio allegedly entered into a technology transfer partnership with Techpro Company Limited for the manufacture of switchgears without due process.

Competitive bidding process
Five years down the line, Techpro failed to execute the project afte receiving an initial payment of $850 000.

The State is alleging that this happened in 2010 when Choi Young Jin of Techpro met Mangoma at his offices in Harare.

They signed a technology transfer partnership between Zesa Enterprises and Techpro for the manufacture of the switch- gears.

Mangoma allegedly instructed Mutasa to liaise with Techpro with a view of establishing the partnership.

The court heard that Mutasa wrote to the State Procurement Board seeking advice on the procedures to be followed in such partner- ships.

He was advised to proceed with Section 49 of the repealed Procurement Regulations Act Chapter 22:14.

Mutasa was further advised to seek assistance from State Enterprises Restructuring Agency (SERA) on how to proceed.

SERA advised Mutasa to prepare a memorandum for Mangoma to submit to Inter-Ministerial Committee on Commercialisation and Privatisation of Parastatals (IMCCP) recommending the identification of a technical partner for the technological transfer through a competitive bidding process.

On receiving the proposal and bid documents for tender, Chifamba and Mangoma allegedly connived to bypass the approval by IMCCP and the competitive bidding process and favoured Techpro Company. Limited.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- A security guard from Bulawayo is reportedly on the run after killing his girlfriend over a text message.

Absolom Ndlovu who is employed by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) strangled his girlfriend Vonai Mhoya to death on Saturday night over a misunderstanding of a text message. 

The guard left a detailed note in which he outlined his reasons for the murder and threatened to also kill the victim’s mother.

The victim’s mother alleged that she became concerned after her daughter was not picking up her phone calls well after 10 am.

She went to the couple’s home but found all the doors and windows locked. However, she managed to open the door as she knew where the keys were hidden, only to discover the lifeless body of her daughter.

Part of the note Absolom left at the crime scene reads.

Nanso isiphetho sesiwule lonaLinda uyalandela. Lisale kuhle mawule afuze unina yimi elimzondayo elifuna imali yakhe. (This is the end result of prostitution and Linda’s mother is next. Farewell, you prostitutes who are like your mother. I’m the one you hate, whose money you are after). ”

By Own Correspondent- The pharmaceutical sector in Zimbabwe has been besieged by shrewd business people without medical background who have seen the industry as an Eldorado to mine super profits at the expense of national health.

Following last week’s expose that the sector was largely controlled by a cartel of agents, with exclusive dealership agreements for critical medicines from particular manufacturers, investigations by The Herald also revealed that only two of the top five wholesalers have a medical background.

The rest are non-pharmacists and have no medical experience or qualifications but are merely businesspersons who have seen an opportunity to make money in this loosely regulated industry.

This has also seen even those running retail pharmacies enticing recent pharmaceutical graduates into fronting their business empires to enable them get operating licences.

“Most of the people behind this wholesaling business are simply business people who have found an opportunity of making money. This is why they find it easy to charge exorbitant prices because they have no ethical considerations to worry about. All they want is money,” said a pharmacist who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity.

They said the same situation is obtaining in the retail sector, where operating conditions stipulate that 51 percent shareholding must be held by a pharmacist.

“What they are simply doing is that they lure some of these recent graduates to take up 51 percent ownership but in essence the business persons are the ones that would be calling the shots. This shows that the sector has been besieged by greedy and selfish people who were not trained to serve but to take advantage of people’s conditions,” added the source.

These claims were corroborated by another source who called The Herald following the publication of the first story last week.

The source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that he used to buy Timolol — a medication for the eyes — for RTGS$12 but was recently charged US$7 by a local pharmacy.

“The pharmacist said no other pharmacy had that medicine except them and we had to choose to either buy it at that price or return home empty-handed,” said the source.

Investigations further revealed that some Indian generic medicines were marketed here in Zimbabwe with different brand names yet they were supplied by the same manufacturer.

For example, Tadaloyil tablets for erectile dysfunction manufactured by Macleods, is marketed here in Zimbabwe as Skypharm Tadalofil and in India as megalis. Both have the same quantities.

However,. in India, this drug costs at most US$2,21 in retail pharmacies against US$12 being charged by local retail pharmacies.

Another drug levofloxacin —  an antibiotic — again manufactured by Macleods is marketed here as Skypharm Levofloxacin and in India as Levomac. The antibiotic, which comes in the form of tablets, costs US$0,61 in India and US$5 in Zimbabwe.

“We do not know whether the changing of brand name is a marketing gimmick to overprice these products but it is a cause for concern particularly when we see such price disparities,” said another source.

By Own Correspondent_ Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to step up his position as party president.

The statement follow Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi’s utterances calling on Chamisa to relinquish his position to Thokozani Khupe, leader of another faction of the MDC-T.

Mutodi said if Chamisa respected the rule of law as a democrat, he would step down from the helm of the MDC and allow Khupe, already leading her own MDC-T party, to takeover Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House (formerly Harvest House).

Harvest House is the main opposition party headquarters.

Chamisa took the mettle left vacant following the death of founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai on February 14 last year.

He also took over the MDC party headquarters.

“After being declared an illegitimate president of the MDC and usurper of the power in an opposition party that purports to stand for democracy, the honourable thing for Nelson Chamisa (to do) is simply to resign. No court on earth can endorse an illegality, even a court of appeals,” Mutodi said.

The deputy minister’s statements come at a time the MDC has accused Zanu PF of using government arms to interfere in the internal opposition party politics.

However, Chamisa hit back, saying the Zanu PF regime and Mutodi should keep their “hands off” and stop meddling in the affairs of a voluntary organisation.

The opposition leader said Mutodi’s utterances all but confirmed the allegations that Zanu PF had a hand in the MDC party internal politics.
“How does a government get so interested in the affairs of a voluntary organisation? You think that they want a strong opposition when they are not sleeping because of us?” Chamisa queried.

“We are not even an opposition to them. We are not in the business of opposing. They are the opposition. We are the alternative. The opposition is Zanu PF, which is opposing people, their freedom and happiness. We are the alternative.”

Chamisa vowed to “step up and not step down” from his position as MDC leader.

“I will step up, the desires and aspirations of the people. I lose sleep because of the failed economy, the poverty that is pervading fellow Zimbabweans, not this judgment. It is not final, it will be challenged,” he said.

By Own Correspondent- Opposition MDC president Nelson Chamisa said that good governance and the rule of law are second nature to his party.

Chamisa was responding to his party colleague, former Education Minister David Coltart who earlier on tweeted castigating MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe for her response to Justice Mushore’s High Court ruling.

Writing on microblogging site Twitter on Monday, Chamisa said:

Good governance and rule of law are second nature to us.

Constitutionalism matters to us in the MDC.

We follow both the party and national constitutions in all our critical resolutions and steps.

All our decisions were and are fully backed by the provisions in the party constitution.

Coltart had earlier slammed Khupe’s response as “more farcical than the reasoning of the judgement itself”.

Said Coltart:Madam Khupe’s response to the judgment of Mushore J is more farcical than the reasoning of the judgment itself. Her claim to be the leader of t

he very party she opposed in the 2018 election and has vilified since is utterly spurious. Courts cannot create supporters for politicians.

Khupe’s faction has of late received a new lease of life following High Court Judge Justice Mushore’s ruling on Wednesday last week that she is the legitimate president of the MDC following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai

Own Correspondent|The Ambassador of Caribbean Islands of Antigua & Barbuda to Nigeria, Brigadier General Dr Wallace Williams landed in the country and in an instant declared that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is running the country well.

Williams expressed confidence in the leadership of Mnangagwa saying Zimbabwe has made significant progress since he tookover in November 2017.

Having been in the capital Harare, where streets have been narrowed by meandering fuel queues, Williams’ sentiments leave a lot of people wondering where in Harare the Mnangagwa regime took him for him to see a better Zimbabwe.

Williams also visited the ageing Midlands province capital of Gweru where without doubt he would have had a glimpse of the collapsed industries in Kwekwe and Gweru that would have given him an opportunity to give a better assessment of the situation in the country.

In an interview on the sidelines of Pan African Business Summit held in Gweru on Saturday, Dr Williams shockingly said the dispensation under Mnangagwa has increased investor confidence when in actual fact more industries are closing down due to the financial uncertainty in the country.

“I am very happy to be in Zimbabwe and am excited to note that the country has made significant progress since President Mnangagwa came into power. He has been saying that Zimbabwe is open for business and indeed it is open for business considering the reforms that are taking place under the new dispensation and l can guarantee you that the impact will be felt in the shortest possible time,” said Dr Williams.

Dr Williams however managed to realise that Mnangagwa and his government are not applying right economic policies and called on the country to come up with right policies and develop human capital for it to move forward.

Dr Williams said what is encouraging is that investors now have confidence in the Zimbabwean economy.

“What l know now is that there is investor confidence because investment opportunities have been clearly identified. What is left is to translate the investors’ commitments into deliverables,” he said.

The summit, which was organised by River Valley Holdings, was attended by captains of industry, politicians and business people.

Foreign delegates who attended the summit include the Executive Director of Pan African Leadership Development Centre Dr Babalola Omoniyi, Director of Administration and Planning Dr Ayanlola Ayanyimika and Head of Media Zubair Rashid Olanrenwaju.

By Own Correspondent| The amount of money  Boeing and Company and its insurers will pay to the families of those who perished aboard two doomed jets will be dictated in part by one particularly grim calculation: How long did the victims know they were plunging to their deaths.

That measure is just one part of an expanding legal fight to determine financial liability after Boeing 737 Max crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people in the span of five months.

The passengers’ families also could win damages for grief, sorrow, loss of companionship — and paychecks that will never be earned.

While settling all those claims could cost a billion according to a Bloomberg Intelligence estimate based on prior cases, legal experts agree the payouts could be even higher if evidence shows Boeing knew about flaws in the planes before the tragedies. That’s already prompted investor lawsuits claiming the company hid safety risks.

“The bottom line is Boeing’s exposure is much more substantial than in any other case that I’ve been a part of in my quarter-century of representing families’’ in plane-crash cases, said Brian Alexander, a New York aviation lawyer for victims of the Ethiopian Airlines jet that went down March 10. “You get into ‘What did you know and when did you know it.”

The Ethiopian disaster, following the October crash of a Lion Air flight, led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max, the revamped version of a plane model that accounts for a third of Boeing’s operating profit. Among multiple investigations is a U.S. Justice Department probe of how American regulators certified a flawed part of the plane’s flight-control system.

While the precise causes of the crashes are still being determined, the preliminary evidence is raising the liability risk for Boeing, said Robert Rabin, a Stanford University law professor. “It would be in Boeing’s best interest to settle,’’ he said.

That’s because it could be considerably more expensive to go to trial. Cases involving airliner crashes rarely are decided by juries because companies want to avoid the risk of big damage awards as well as the bad publicity of fighting claims by multiple victims.

“There is a tendency for defendants to settle and get on with their business,” Rabin said.-Bloomberg

Own Correspondent|In an instant moment of madness, the man who in recent weeks was arrested for public nuisance after threatening to arrest President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his two deputies, has taken to social media to unleash a shock attack on MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

Tinashe Jonasi who without reason calls himself the President of Zimbabwe, left people doubting his mental fitness when he from nowhere decided to unleash verbal attack on Chamisa declaring that he hates the young opposition leader and is prepared to even shoot him dead.

According to the post, Jonasi believes that Zimbabweans should be led to a full-fledged war against the government and ZANU PF saying that Chamisa is misleading Zimbabweans by going to elections.

Below is the full outburst by Jonasi against Chamisa as posted on his Facebook page.

#I Hate You Nelson Chamisa

You are a Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF project.You ,Pastor Evan Mawarire and Jonathan Moyo (Baba Jukwa ) is the kingpin of all this nonsense.They faked Coup as Zanu PF renewal.

Chamisa you are equally illegitimate as your boss idiot Mnangagwa.You were trained to hook gullible Zimbabweans who hate Zanu PF A to come to Zanu PF B that is run by you.

You give brain-dead Zimbabweans hope that you will win elections you know ,you will never.You give foolish Zimbabweans hope that demonstrations against soldiers will topple Mnangagwa.Go on charm stupid citizens to believe in politics of speech,rallies and joining The Chamisa Chete Chete Choir of Lunatic,whilst you prolong the Zanu PF reign.

You know there is only one solution in Zimbabwe and that is an Armed uprising / Third Chimurenga.Anything else is Chamisa madness and G40,

(Basikiti&Mashayamombe)o hell with you.

Wish i can shoot you dead.

State Media|THREE miners died in two separate mine accidents which occurred in Maphisa and Colleen Bawn, Matabeleland South province.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incidents which occurred at Antelope East Extension Mine, Maphisa and Dip 7 Stream Mine in Colleen Bawn on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said in the first incident Jabulani Moyo (30) fell into a 30 metre deep shaft after a rope he was using snapped. Chief Insp Ndebele said in the other incident Pios Sibanda and Chris Dube both aged 25 were working in a five metre deep shaft when it collapsed.

“I can confirm that we recorded two mining accidents in Matabeleland South province which resulted in the death of three miners. In the first incident Jabulani Moyo of Mloyi Village in Kezi was working at Antelope East Extension Mine with other miners. They lowered him down the shaft in a bucket which was tied to a rope.

“After Moyo was done in the shaft he signalled his workmates to pull him up. While he was on his way up, the rope snapped and Moyo fell down the shaft. He sustained serious injuries as a result of the accident and was ferried to Maphisa District Hospital where he was further referred to Mpilo Central Hospital where he died the following day,’’ he said.

Chief Insp Ndebele said Pios Sibanda and Chris Dube were illegally panning at Dip 7 Stream Mine in the middle of the night on Wednesday when the shaft collapsed on them.

He said Sibanda and Dube sustained severe injuries and died on the spot. He said on the following day Sibanda’s sister became worried after realising that her brother had not returned home the previous night. Chief Insp Ndebele said she went to check at the mine and found some clothes which belonged to her brother outside the shaft.

He said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene leading to the recovery of the two bodies.

Five artisanal miners died at Nugget Gold Mine in Matobo after a tunnel collapsed following a gold rush on Monday last week. About 1 000 fortune seekers swarmed the area after news spread that rich gold deposits had been found at the abandoned mine.

State Media|Police in South Africa have launched a manhunt for five Zimbabweans and two South Africans, who escaped from remand prison in Modimolle, Limpopo province on Saturday evening. Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed the developments yesterday.

He said the seven broke out of their holding cells at around 8pm during a routine service by the police. Col Ngoepe said the circumstances surrounding their escape would be made available after they have completed their investigations.

“It is alleged that these prisoners escaped during the routine service by the police and they were identified as follows : Philani Ndebele (Zimbabwean), Thapelo Mello (South African) and Themba Ncube (Zimbabwean), who were all arrested for contravening sections of the explosives Act,” he said.

“The other suspects are Sello Rengane (South African), who was arrested for rape, Mpho Obvious Lesese, Kenneth Shumba and Kazen Dhliwayo – all Zimbabweans – who were arrested for armed robber and house robbery. Anyone with information that can lead to the re-arrest of these escapees is requested to contact Captain Richard Boshomane at 079 894 5501 or the crime stop number 0860010111 or the Crime Line SMS 32211 or the nearest Police Station.”

The incident comes a few months after two other Zimbabweans along with seven South Africans escaped Kutama Sinthumule Correctional Centre outside Makhado town in Limpopo Province. The gang escaped from lawful custody after scaling the roof of a police van while being taken to court for trial.

The prisoners who serving for robbery and murder were later re-arrested in Ivory Park.

They are Chris Faku (37), Jabulani Isaac Mahlangu (32) from Pretoria in the Gauteng Province, Ntshengedzeni Manukha (26) from Thohoyandou, Ntshavheni Thomas Munyai (30) from Riverside, Rapheal Nyota, Justice Makamo (28) from Zimbabwe and Phathutshedzo Namadodzi (34) from Dididi village outside Thohoyandou.

Own Correspondent|Leader of the opposition MDC-T Thokozani Khupe who has been riding on cloud nine in the last week over an ambiguous High Court ruling giving her some more claim into the stakes of the MDC-T is in for a baptism of fire after a South African company has taken the party to court over an outstanding debt of 5 Million South African Rands.

The South African wholesale textile company and a Bulawayo garment manufacturing firm, supplied MDC-T with 200 000 T-shirts and head scarves in 2008, approached the High Court in Bulawayo seeking an order directing the opposition party to pay nearly R5 million for the consignment.

The T-shirts and head scarves were for use by MDC-T during its campaign ahead of the 2008 Presidential runoff, which the late Morgan Tsvangirai opted out of alleging acts of violence against his party supporters.

The manufacturing firms, Cabat Trade and Finance (Pvt) Ltd of Johannesburg in South Africa and Security Mills (Pvt) Ltd of Belmont in Bulawayo want about R4,6 million from MDC-T for the consignment of party T-shirts and regalia supplied.

The money was supposed to be paid in South Africa, including the value added tax. The two companies, through their lawyer Pineas Madzivire of Joel Pincus Konson and Wolhuter Legal Practitioners filed a court application for garnishee at the Bulawayo High Court citing MDC-T and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi as respondents.

Minister Ziyambi was cited in his capacity as the Government official responsible for administering and distributing funds in terms of the Political Parties Finance Act.

The two firms want a court order that compels Minister Ziyambi to garnishee R4 560 935,37 from the money allocated to MDC-T under the Political Parties Finance Act.

In his founding affidavit, Mr Madzivire, who is acting on behalf of the companies, said the application for a garnishee order is premised on a Supreme Court judgment obtained against MDC-T in November last year. Mr Madzivire said despite the judgment, MDC-T was failing to pay them the money.

“In terms of the Political Parties Finance Act, which is administered by the second respondent (Minister Ziyambi), the State is obliged to fund any political party that gets at least 5 percent of the vote in a general election hence it is the deponent’s belief that the garnishee is or will be indebted to the judgment debtor.

Khupe’s MDC-T currently has only one proportional representation member in parliament and may not be eligible for political parties financing through government.

“This application is being made in terms of Rule 377 of the High Court Rules, which provides that a judgment creditor who has obtained a judgment order for the recovery or payment of money may make a court application for a garnishee order,” he said.

The applicants want MDC-T to pay R4 560 935,37 or its equivalent in RTGS$ or any other currency using the prevailing bank rate.

Supreme Court judge Justice Bharat Patel sitting with Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza and acting judge of appeal Justice Martin Makonese on circuit in Bulawayo ordered MDC-T to pay Security Mills R4,5 million together with 5 percent interest calculated from April 2008 to the date of final payment.

Khupe controversially claimed the reigns of the MDC-T which was led by the founding President of the opposition party Morgan Tsvangirai. In a court plea, Khupe claimed custody of the party and got herself elected leader of the party in a congress held in Bulawayo in 2017.

She cunningly disposed off people’s favourite Nelson Chamisa to the helm of the party. Chamisa eventually assumed leadership of a new set up the MDC Alliance in the run up to the 2018 elections. The party has since integrated the alliance partners to establish the MDC which Chamisa is leading.

State Media/ ZimEye.com

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwean government has come out boasting that only 2 600 cases of corruption involving Government employees and former employees have been recorded in the past 10 years in a country where corruption especially in the public sector has collapsed the country.

Latest corruption statistics indicate that Zimbabwe ranks joint 154th out of 176 countries in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking it alongside Turkmenistan. On a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean), the Corruption Perceptions Index marked Zimbabwe 2.2 making amongst the most corrupt countries in the world.

According to the government report, Criminal abuse of office and bribery make up the majority of the 2600 cases.

The findings of a survey commissioned by Transparency International Zimbabwe found that Zimbabwean citizens regarded the public sector as the most corrupt sector in the country.

In this survey respondents favoured the police as being most corrupt followed by political parties, parliament/legislature, public officials/civil servants and the judiciary. A Transparency International director at one time announced that Zimbabwe loses US$5 million to corruption every day.

With 2600 people arrested over ten years, it means that only 260 people are arrested in a year declaring a less than one person arrest in a day.

The statistics were presented to the National Assembly last week by Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi. “The police received a total of 2 644 corruption cases involving Government employees and former employees in the last 10 years,” he said.

“The accused were convicted in 589 of the cases, signifying 22 percent of the total figure. Cases of criminal abuse of office dominated the list, signifying 62 percent of the total.”

Of the cases reported to the police, 1 644 involved criminal abuse of office as a public officer with 301 people accused of the crimes being convicted, 923 cases of bribery were reported resulting in 271 convictions, 56 cases involved corruptly concealing a transaction from a principal saw 10 convictions, while 21 cases involving corruptly concealing a personal interest in a transaction had seven convictions.

Minister Ziyambi also told Parliament that fighting corruption remained a priority of President Mnangagwa’s administration in the Second Republic.

“Fighting corruption is one of the key pillars of the Second Republic and President Mnangagwa has stated that his administration’s goal is to build a new Zimbabwe based on transparency, accountability and hard work,” he said.

“Therefore, Government has already taken the initiative and established institutions to deal with corruption. This has seen the establishment of the Special Anti-Corruption Courts. In addition, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has since formed the Police Anti-Corruption Unit under the Criminal Investigations Department to deal with these cases.”

He added that various institutions tasked with fighting the scourge would continue to be capacitated.

“The Government is also capacitating the Zimbabwe Judicial Commission, the National Prosecution Authority, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission, with the requisite skills to investigate and prosecute crimes related to corruption. Similarly, Government is expediting the establishment of a Commercial Crimes Court to fast-track the prosecution of such offenders,” he said.

In an interview with the ZBC ahead of the Independence Day celebrations President Mnangagwa bemoaned the low conviction rate citing corruption within the justice delivery system itself.

The chairman of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the President’s Office (Sacu), Mr Thabani Mpofu, also concurred with the President in an exclusive interview with The Herald recently.

“The President was 100 percent correct in saying that corruption is deep-rooted in all our spheres of activity. It is not just Government, but beyond as well. But coming back to what the President has said, in our experience, we have seen that those that are corrupt are represented in every step of the justice system and that getting matters even to commence as trial is a matter that involves many corruption hurdles. Yes, the President was correct that fighting corruption is not a matter that can be swatted away easily,” Mr Mpofu said.

State Media/ZimEye.com

By Talent Gondo_In a statement, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said Chief Ndiweni’s utterances were deplorable, parochial, inhuman and against the country’s cultural beliefs.

‘‘Chief Ndiweni’s sentiments are deplorable, parochial and ignorant coming from a traditional leader,’’ he said.

‘‘It is tragic that one of those constitutionally expected to uphold our customary values and community cohesion has chosen to not only to be a controversial political player but to repeat a shameful familial history by calling for suffering to be visited upon the people of Zimbabwe.’’

Mr Mangwana added: ‘‘It is unfathomable that a community leader from a deprived section of the community has chosen the path of underdevelopment by calling for the escalation of sanctions against the country in the misguided and futile hope that it will help collapse President’s Mnangagwa’s Government.”

Mr Mangwana also said sanctions have so far failed to bring down the Zimbabwean Government in the last 18 years of their existence and they are not going to succeed now just because one of our chiefs has chosen the quisling route and be a relentless fraterniser.

“What sanctions have succeeded in doing is to bring untold suffering upon the poor sections of our communities and increasing the gap between the haves and have-nots,” he said.

“Empirical evidence has shown that Zimbabwe has lost over $50 billion worth of development, thanks to sanctions, and this reversal has disproportionately affected the poor and rural  folk.”

Mr Mangwana urged chiefs to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner since they are the custodians of our cultural norms and values.

‘‘Chiefs should be spearheading development in their communities and not embracing poverty and using it as a political tool against the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We expected Chief Ndiweni to know this. Alas, he is back in familiar territory as it will also be recalled that his family has a history of collaborating with the enemy and waging this anti-people war from as far back as the liberation struggle.

“Those who know history would be awake that certain statements are informed by the sitting configurations that obtained at the Lancaster House Conference with some on the side of the people and others on the side of the intrusive Western powers.”

In view of Chief Ndiweni’s remarks and others, especially in the opposition who have invited sanctions on Zimbabwe, Mr Mangwana said it was time  Zimbabwe considered legislative solutions to deal with such acts of treachery.

‘‘For, how different are sanctions imposed by foreign powers and the same powers coming to invade our shores? ” he asked

“Both kill the innocent and vulnerable and both debilitate the economy and both terrorise the innocent. Why then do we have laws against one and not the other?

‘‘May we remind Chief Felix Ndiweni that Government and the people of Zimbabwe are watching and watching closely as he goes on with his politics that are clearly not guided by the national and community interest but inspired by some dubious narrow, parochial interests.”

Chief Ndiweni, who has openly declared support for the opposition MDC-Alliance, has on numerous occasions caught out on some mischief since he returned home from the United Kingdom where he stayed for about 40 years.

In 2017, he allowed one political party to hold a rally in his area against police decision barring the party to proceed with the rally in Ntabazinduna because the police did not have enough manpower.

Chief Ndiweni also had a stand-off with the then Umguza MP Obert Mpofu accusing him of meddling in his and other chiefs’ affairs.

Last year, he took the Chiefs Council President Chief Fortune Charumbira and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to court seeking nullification of provincial assembly and national chiefs’ council election results held in 2017, arguing that the whole process was marred with irregularities.

He was also fingered as the one behind the revival of the Ndebele Kingdom after he presided over the secret installation of King Bulelani Khumalo.

Government has since declared the push for the Ndebele Kingdom illegal.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Illegal mining continues unabated at one of Kwekwe’s richest gold mines even after the government deployed soldiers to stop the marauding Zanu PF-linked militias from looting the precious mineral.

Zanu PF politicians have been pushing for the takeover of the privately owned Gaika Mine in defiance of court orders and this forced the government to deploy soldiers last month.

The mine was sealed off by soldiers and police officers who are armed to the teeth, but this has not stopped the illegal activities, investigations have revealed.

It emerged during a visit to the mine that the illegal miners still have access to mine and loot gold ore under the cover of darkness.

Blasts at the mine could be heard from the nearby Gaika and Chicago residential areas,

Thamsanqa Ndlovu, an illegal miner from Zhombe, said most of them were now working with the soldiers that were deployed to block the militias from gaining access.

“We are now working for the soldiers and police officers,” he claimed. “They allow us to dig for gold ore and we share the proceeds.”

Gaika Mine manager Carel Hendrick Meyer was forced to hire a private security company, which uses sniffer dogs to police the “guards”.

The looting of gold ore by police and soldiers was exposed recently when angry Zanu PF youths smoked out a police officer who was allegedly behind the illegal gold mining, resulting in his arrest.

Danmore Nyashanu, a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Support Unit deployed to guard the mine, was caught at Stewart and Lloyd’s compound where he had allegedly employed a group of women to process the looted gold ore.

Nyashanu was apprehended by Zanu PF youths led by Petros Makonde, and was handed over to the police.

Makonde told police that they were tipped off about Nyashanu’s activities by other panners who were allegedly being abused by the military and police guarding the mine

Zanu PF youth leader Tapiwa Muto seemed to be blaming the Gaika Mine owners for the lawlessness, saying the youths were turning to crime because they were unemployed.

Muto is alleged to be behind the illegal mining at Gaika together with other Zanu PF bigwigs.

“He told them that confronting the soldiers would embarrass both the party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa,” said a source.

Midlands Provincial minister Larry Mavima said the government was committed to ensure that the rule of law was observed at Gaika.

“Criminal elements will always be there and the fact that there are arrests means as a government we are committed to the rule of law,” he said.-TheStandard

By Own Correspondent- President Mnangagwa recently dispatched a high powered inter-ministerial delegation to investigate the evictions at Chemagora farms in Gokwe about two months ago that left over 100 families living by the road side.

Speaking soon after a closed door meeting that lasted over two hours, Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri, who was leading the delegation, said they were going to brief the President on their findings and that Government was working on addressing the plight of the affected families.

“As you might be aware, after the land reform, we had illegal settlements that continued to mushroom throughout the country. Government is now conducting a clean-up exercise to do away with these illegal settlements,” he said.

“We are doing this countrywide and Chemagora was one of the affected areas so we are here on a fact-finding mission.

“Government is doing everything to resettle the affected families, but as you must bear in mind that the country is not expanding. We will however, not leave the affected people stranded.”

There has been accusations and counter accusations over the Chemagora evictions prompting the Deputy Minister of Defence, Cde Victor Matemadanda, who is the Member of Parliament of the area to send an SOS to Government to quickly find an alternative place for the affected families.

Other members of the inter-ministerial delegation were Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Paul Mavima, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Sekai Nzenza and Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs, Cde Larry Mavima.

Cde Matemadanda also attended the meeting-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| The Vice Presidents in Zimbabwe get paid $14,000 each, a month.

The amount comprises a $7,000 basic salary and a further $7,000 in allowances.

The figure was revealed in divorce court documents of one of the VP’s Kembo Mohadi.

Part of the court documents filed by his former wife, Tambudzani (also a politician), say:

As a vice-president, the respondent (Mohadi) has more than enough financial means to meet his maintenance obligation post- divorce.

As a vice-president, the respondent is entitled to annual pension equivalent to (an) annual salary in terms of section 2 (1) (a1) of the presidential pension and retirement benefit.

The respondent’s pension constitutes extra income demonstrating his financial capacity.

MDC renegade and leader of the MDC T party, Thokozani Khupe is hoping the courts will create supporters for her.

When she launched her party before the 2018 elections, Khupe led less than 20 individuals. Now after last week’s High Court judgement, she has made public claim that she is now the new leader of the MDC party which she deserted 6 months before the death of former leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The MDC’s treasurer hopeful, David Coltart has said Khupe’s claim to be the leader a party that she has opposed in the 2018 elections and attacked since, is facicial. Coltart said, “Madam Khupe’s response to the judgment of Mushore J is more farcical than the reasoning of the judgment itself.

“Her claim to be the leader of the very party she opposed in the 2018 election and has vilified since is utterly spurious.

“Courts cannot create supporters for politicians.”

Commenting on the Justice Mushore judgement that placed Thokozani Khupe in charge of the MDC party, Nelson Chamisa said that Khupe would be dealt with at the party’s upcoming congress in May.

Chamisa was speaking at an MDC event in Gweru on Friday. He said Khupe was only welcome at Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, the headquarters of the party, as a visitor.

Said Chamisa:

We went to elections as the MDC Alliance. Khupe went to elections with her party MDC Thokozani (MDC-T). It is unthinkable that she can now come to our party to take it over.

A man from next door cannot come to your house and take over your wife and start eating and staying inside.

So, Khupe is our sister, she can come to Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, but only as a visitor. Her fate in MDC is on our agenda at the congress. That is where it will be decided, then we part ways formally.

On Saturday Thokozani Khupe announced that she had sent her lawyers to invite Chamisa’s MDC to dialogue in order to map a way forward following the High Court judgement. She, however, threatened that if her dialogue invitation is not accepted then she would use other legal ways.

Farai Dziva|The mother of Brandon Zimba, the teenager who died mysteriously while drinking beer blamed bad friends for the tragedy.

The tragedy happened in Bulawayo last Saturday.

Sithembiso Zimba said she was devastated by her son’s death.

She said his behaviour completely changed when he moved to a new school – as a result of influence from bad friends.

“Never at any point in my life did I ever imagine that my child would drink himself to death. Growing up, he was obedient and brilliant in school. He started school in South Africa and came home for his secondary.

I took him to Sizane High School and his school performance was very pleasing.”

“The school, however, hiked fees and I was forced to transfer him. I regret that move because it has led to the death of my son.

At the new school, I started receiving reports that he had started drinking. The elders who stayed with him would sit him down and each time he apologised and promised to change,” said Zimba.

She decried the growing culture of juvenile delinquency and said she believed her child’s demise was a result of bad friends.

By Own Correspondent- Government has castigated Ntabazinduna Chief Felix Ndiweni for calling on Western countries to impose more sanctions against the country claiming the existing embargoes were “tiny”.

Chief Ndiweni bizarrely argued at the Bulawayo Press Club last week that the sanctions “serve as measures to make those in authoritative positions see sense”.

In a statement, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said Chief Ndiweni’s utterances were inhuman and against our cultural beliefs.

‘‘Chief Ndiweni’s sentiments are deplorable, parochial and ignorant coming from a traditional leader,’’ he said.

‘‘It is tragic that one of those constitutionally expected to uphold our customary values and community cohesion has chosen to not only to be a controversial political player but to repeat a shameful familial history by calling for suffering to be visited upon the people of Zimbabwe.’’

Mangwana added: ‘‘It is unfathomable that a community leader from a deprived section of the community has chosen the path of underdevelopment by calling for the escalation of sanctions against the country in the misguided and futile hope that it will help collapse President’s Mnangagwa’s Government.”

Mangwana also said sanctions have so far failed to bring down the Zimbabwean Government in the last 18 years of their existence and they are not going to succeed now just because one of our chiefs has chosen the quisling route and be a relentless fraterniser.

“What sanctions have succeeded in doing is to bring untold suffering upon the poor sections of our communities and increasing the gap between the haves and have-nots,” he said.

“Empirical evidence has shown that Zimbabwe has lost over $50 billion worth of development, thanks to sanctions, and this reversal has disproportionately affected the poor and rural  folk.”

Mr Mangwana urged chiefs to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner since they are the custodians of our cultural norms and values.

‘‘Chiefs should be spearheading development in their communities and not embracing poverty and using it as a political tool against the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“We expected Chief Ndiweni to know this. Alas, he is back in familiar territory as it will also be recalled that his family has a history of collaborating with the enemy and waging this anti-people war from as far back as the liberation struggle.

“Those who know history would be awake that certain statements are informed by the sitting configurations that obtained at the Lancaster House Conference with some on the side of the people and others on the side of the intrusive Western powers.”

In view of Chief Ndiweni’s remarks and others, especially in the opposition who have invited sanctions on Zimbabwe, Mangwana said it was time  Zimbabwe considered legislative solutions to deal with such acts of treachery.

‘‘For, how different are sanctions imposed by foreign powers and the same powers coming to invade our shores? ” he asked

“Both kill the innocent and vulnerable and both debilitate the economy and both terrorise the innocent. Why then do we have laws against one and not the other?

‘‘May we remind Chief Felix Ndiweni that Government and the people of Zimbabwe are watching and watching closely as he goes on with his politics that are clearly not guided by the national and community interest but inspired by some dubious narrow, parochial interests.”

Chief Ndiweni, who has openly declared support for the opposition MDC-Alliance, has on numerous occasions caught out on some mischief since he returned home from the United Kingdom where he stayed for about 40 years.

In 2017, he allowed one political party to hold a rally in his area against police decision barring the party to proceed with the rally in Ntabazinduna because the police did not have enough manpower.

Chief Ndiweni also had a stand-off with the then Umguza MP Obert Mpofu accusing him of meddling in his and other chiefs’ affairs.

Last year, he took the Chiefs Council President Chief Fortune Charumbira and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to court seeking nullification of provincial assembly and national chiefs’ council election results held in 2017, arguing that the whole process was marred with irregularities.

He was also fingered as the one behind the revival of the Ndebele Kingdom after he presided over the secret installation of King Bulelani Khumalo.

Government has since declared the push for the Ndebele Kingdom illegal.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Leader of opposition political party Transform Zimbabwe, Jacob Ngarivhume, says national dialogue through the convergence of Zimbabweans in a respectful manner is the solution to the current economic crisis.

Ngarivhume expressed these sentiments in an interview with a local publication.

He said:

Genuine leaders should realise that we can’t be in election mode forever. We need to come together and converge as Zimbabweans. So the idea of national dialogue is important.

We need to dialogue and set aside our differences, respectfully and genuinely and not the approach that Mnangagwa and Zanu PF are taking whereby they want to mediate and be the referees of that discussion. They want to be convenors and chair that discussion.

Asked if former President Robert Mugabe and incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa are different, Ngarivhume said that the two are not different, rather they are just one person.

They are not even Siamese twins; they are just one person, one individual. It’s just two-in-one; the way they are governing and the way they are doing everything is the same, nothing is different and if you want to force the separation of the two then ED is worse.

Ngarivhume revealed that his party is fighting for electoral reforms and vowed not to participate in an election where there are no reforms first.-DailyNews

By Own Correspondent- A nurse at Bulawayo’s Mpilo General Hospital volunteered to accompany Cherish Muchegwa to India for reconstructive surgery.

This was revealed by Zanu PF legislator and deputy minister of Industry and Commerce, Raj Modi.

He said:

Meet Sister Sinanzeni Moyo, the nurse with a good heart. She volunteered to accompany Cherish Muchegwa to India, leaving her husband and children behind for a week.

We thank her husband for allowing her to fly out. We must also thank Mpilo Hospital for releasing her.

Muchegwa sustained serious injuries after she was bitten by the dogs resulting in her being hospitalised at Mater Dei Hospital before she was transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) as she could not afford the bills at the private hospital.

Modi coordinated the raising of close to US$10 000 from well-wishers needed for the woman to travel to India and be operated on.

She was bitten by her landlord’s 5 rabid dogs. The dogs have since been put down.

Farai Dziva|MDC T president Thokozani Khupe has said she has never joined Zanu PF and she will never join the ruling party.

Speaking at a news conference today Khupe said :” I am a founder member of the MDC and I have never joined Zanu PF. I will never join Zanu PF.

I am not a selfish person.I was invited to the national dialogue by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and I attended because the whole essence is to move the country forward.”

“On the 8th of May the High Court handed down a judgement regarding our party MDC and placed its leadership to the 14th of February 2014 status.

I accept the judgement and I stand by the order -the judgement places me back as the leader of the MDC .

I accept the the huge responsibility that it places on me. MDC was founded on the principle of non violence constitutionalism and… the judgement has raised legal issues to which I have the responsibility to and to which my colleagues have responsibility to- the judgement also raises political issues to which I have a responsibility to and to wish my colleagues have a responsibility to and in this regard we have no choice but to wind find a way returning to February 14th.

We have to find a way of returning to the period after February 14th.”

“I think the court ruling is very clear, it has nullified everything which happened after the 14th of February 2014 going back to 2016,” Khupe said .

By Own Correspondent- Passengers Association of Zimbabwe (Paz) has expressed concern over the recent increases of public transport fares arguing that the development has greatly inconvenienced commuters.

President of the association, Tafadzwa Goliath lamented the commuter fare hikes adding that it forced commuters to use unsafe transport methods such as overloaded open trucks.

Said Goliati:

The commuting public is being forced to use other forms of transport such as open trucks, which will be overloaded.

In many instances, school children end up sitting on each other’s laps in order to cut down on the amount of commuter omnibus fares that they will be paying.

In addition, many people are getting home as late as 10pm because of shortage of commuter omnibuses. This affects children, mothers and some people who live in areas where it’s not safe to walk during late hours. The mass transportation system introduced by the government is inadequate and most people still depend on commuter omnibuses (kombis) for daily commuting to work or school.

We recommend that the Government of Zimbabwe should prioritise and allocate fuel to commuter omnibuses who are in associations, for the convenience of the commuting public.