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.

By Own Correspondent- The Old Mutual Group CEO, Jonas Mushosho, is set to leave the company by the end of 2019.

A report on his departure glimpsed by The Standard does not go into detail on why he’s leaving the group and where he will be moving to.

A source is quoted praising him:

He will be missed. They loved him across the group. That’s why he was given so much responsibility.

He understood the turbulent environment and steered the group through it all. He’s going to be difficult to replace.

Mushosho doubled as the CEO for Old Mutual Emerging Markets (Rest of Africa) which was all countries Old Mutual operates in on the content except Africa. He was pointed to this position in February 2010. Mushosho has reportedly been with the company for 28 years.

Own Correspondent|Beleaguered MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has failed to commit if the MDC Congress set for Gweru in a fort night will go ahead as scheduled.

Responding to a question by one of his followers on how certain he was that the party’s congress will proceed as planned, Mwonzora blatantly answered that he was not sure.

Mwonzora’s sentiments contradict those of his boss, party President Nelson Chamisa who has declared that nothing is going to stop the party congress from taking place.

*Dear Thoko Zanu Khupe….

You did your congress together with Gutu, Linda Masarira and others,, you were elected president and you indicated that your party is the original MDC- T,, you participated in the presidential race using the name MDC T and you got 0.9%….

Mr Chamisa also participated and got over 2 million votes,,, so I don’t see the logic why you are saying you want to lead the MDC,, which MDC????

You want to be a leader of 2 million people who didn’t vote for you really,,, this is total madness give us a break madam khupe…This will not work, you will not work,,Chamisa will work …simple…..

By Own Correspondent- 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.

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has all but conceded with MDC Deputy Chairman Tendai Biti that he did not announce the 2018 election results unlawfully before the electoral body made the announcement.

In an official Facebook posting ZEC Commissioner Qhubani Moyo all but cleared Biti when he said that people in the country are not aware of the fact that ZEC announces election results at polling stations as soon as counting is completed.

“What many people don’t know is that ZEC announces results at polling stations soon after closing and counting concluded. In most cases within 5hours most polling stations will have declared their results & posted them outside. It is very easy for political parties with a strong presence of polling agents to know their performance trend by morning after election day,” said Commissioner Moyo.

“Ignorance of our processes is the biggest problems of perception. It’s very unfortunate that even some senior leaders of political parties also don’t know our own electoral processes and they have become sources of misinformation,” Moyo added.

Biti was recently fined $200 by the courts allegedly for announcing election results without authority and before ZEC made the announcement.

He was being accused of unlawfully announcing results of the highly disputed election when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was still to give the official outcome.

Biti was facing two counts of contravening the Electoral Act and was convicted for both offences.

He said he did not announce the results, but simply interpreted what the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had officially posted outside its polling stations.

“In a normal election run by a normal elections commission, Advocate Nelson Chamisa would be the President right now. In my statement to the media, I said Chamisa won the elections in Manicaland, Harare, Matabeleland, Masvingo and Bulawayo and Zec did not dispute that in court, except in Mashonaland West province, where the results were not posted outside the polling station,” Biti told court.

Magistrate Takundwa ruled that the state proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that Biti indeed committed the offences.

“They presented his announcement as authentic and his actions had potential to undermine the official announcement by ZEC,” she said.

In passing sentence, Takundwa treated both counts as one.

Biti was fined $200 or 7 days imprisonment for the first count while in the second count, six months were wholly suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Farai Dziva|MDC T president Thokhozani Khupe has fired a broadside at his political rival Nelson Chamisa, accusing the youthful politician of lacking discipline and maturity.

In a statement yesterday, Khupe declared she would “assume total control of the opposition party.”

“There is an urgent need for dialogue between all the parties mentioned in this court order including the applicant on how we can implement it.

To achieve this we have instructed our legal counsel to engage the other party’s lawyers so that we can dialogue and together map a way forward.

This offer is being made without prejudice but let it be on record that in the event that other parties are not forthcoming we are still open to other legal remedies.

Zimbabwe deserves good and mature leadership if we are to build a prosperous and peaceful nation.

I continue as your leader of the movement to preach the gospel of rule of law, decency and servant leadership,” said Khupe.

By Own Correspondent-As part of the changes to the Marriages Act, cabinet last week approved changes that will spell it out clearly that homosexual marriages are illegal. The bill will proceed will be debated in parliament where it is expected to pass.

Said Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Priscah Mupfumira during a post-cabinet briefing on Friday:

The objectives of the Bill are … prohibition of same-sex marriages and recognition of the supremacy of the Constitution which invalidates, any law practice and custom
and conduct inconsistent with the Constitution.

Zimbabweans, in general, have frowned upon homosexuality and this is reflected in the new constitution which the amendments to the Marriages Act seek alignment to. Former President Robert Mugabe infamously said gays and lesbians were worse than pigs and dogs.

By Own Correspondent- Former cabinet minister and G40 kingpin Professor Jonathan Moyo has waded into the MDC leadership issue saying Dr Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora’s political careers are over.

The self exiled former minister in former President Robert Mugabe’s government said the actions of the two following the judgment last week show that they are a danger to themselves.

Moyo said on his Twitter on Sunday:

Thokozani Khupe and Douglas Mwonzora are a danger to themselves. They think a court order can revive their dead MDC political careers. Khupe’s died at the polls in July 2018 & Mwonzora’s died when he failed to get even one nomination for MDC-Alliance President ahead of Congress!

Asked if he was saying the court ruling was influenced by Mwonzora and Khupe, Moyo responded:

Especially of Mwonzora, while piggybacking desperate Khupe. That’s now a public secret, not least because @DMwonzora has been openly & shamelessly talking & gloating too much about it. He thinks it’s his sucker punch against @nelsonchamisa when it is a spectacular boomerang!

Moyo’s statements come after Mwonzora himself tweeted that he wasn’t sure if the MDC MAY Congress would proceed given the judgement by Justice Edith Mushore.

By Own Correspondent- Commenting on the recent judgement on the legitimacy of the MDC leadership, renowned academic and constitutional law expert, Alex Magaisa, has said that Zimbabweans risk not seeing the big political picture if they focus on the technicalities of the law only.

Writing on his BSR blog, Magaisa said that Judges are political actors and that the recent MDC leadership ruling is an example of the law being used to deal with political opponents.

Magaisa gave some examples of the political big picture in judgements that could have passed the technical analysis for correctness:

• The judgements during the 2017 coup that, according to him, sanitised what was essentially an illegal intervention of the army in politics
• The Daily News shutdown where in September 2003, the Supreme Court effectively silenced the most popular newspaper in the country when it refused to hear the company’s challenge of a law.

Magaisa argued that Mnangagwa has political motive to influence the judiciary to thwart the MDC given that he had successfully co-opted other opposition into his government’s advisors using the currently ongoing National dialogue process. The Chamisa MDC remains however has refused to be part of the process.

Says Magaisa in conclusion:

There is no doubt in my assessment that the judiciary and judges are important political institutions and actors respectively and their decision-making is also shaped by their politics and beliefs. What is critical though is that they are expected to exercise more discretion than other political actors, such as politicians.

Authoritarian regimes have long known that capturing referees, such as judges is fundamental to their way of ruling, which is why the conduct of the judiciary must be carefully watched and thoroughly scrutinised. It is also why judges must be guarded against the excesses of the powerful executive and protected from poverty because it makes them vulnerable and prone to capture.

Overall, understanding the role of judges as political actors helps us appreciate that they can play a key role in either aiding and abetting authoritarianism or resisting it.

CHEGUTU WEST legislator Dexter Nduna, who was facing charges of unlawfully discharging a firearm in public, was last week acquitted by the Mashonaland West Magistrates court after the State failed to prove a prima facie case against him.

It was the State’s case that on May 1 2018 during the Zanu-PF primary elections, Nduna allegedly fired four shots into the air at Chinengundu Primary School, Pfupajena, Chegutu.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing after successfully applying for discharge at the close of the State’s case.

In his application, Nduna, through his lawyers Chambati Mataka and Makonese, told the court that he had lawful cause to discharge the firearm, whose issuing purpose is self-protection and cash in transit security.

He further stated that on the day in question, violence broke out during the primary election.

One of his aides, Munyaradzi Simango, also known as Mahwiro, was beaten up and left for dead.
The attackers were also targeting Nduna as they advanced fiercely towards him.

His car, containing USD$4 000, was smashed in the process.
The legislator stated that he fired warning shots into the air to disperse the advancing crowd.

He said his actions were meant to avert further attack on his aides and to safeguard the money in his car.
Nduna said he did not point a firearm at anyone, nor did he behave in a disorderly manner or fail to have proper control of the firearm.State media

By Own Correspondent- It took about 30 minutes for Madinda Ndlovu to arrive for his post-match press conference.

Bosso were so poor that Ndlovu expressed doubts that he was the man to turn around the fortunes of the once mighty football giants who have gone for seven games without a win and a goal at their favourite hunting ground.

When he walked in he looked like a dead man walking and when he opened his mouth to speak, he sounded like a man on the verge of resigning after Highlanders were soundly handed a three-piece by Chicken Inn in a match played at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.

So good were Chicken Inn that the second goal, which caused a 20 minute-stoppage following crowd trouble, did not flatter a disjointed Highlanders who lost, thanks to the boots of two-goal hero Bret Amidu and the country’s leading Top Goal Scorer Clive Augusto.

All three goals were scored in the first half. Amidu drew first blood in the 26th minute after his well taken free kick from outside the box went past Bosso’s one-man wall and proceeded to beat a diving Ariel Sibanda on his right.

In the 37th minute, enterprising Amidu, released a defence-splitting pass that saw Augusto — now on six goals — outpaces a jittery Andrew Mbeba before he let loose a hard and low shot to make it two for Gamecocks.

Instead of playing to the whistle, the entire Bosso rearguard called for offside on Augusto but the second assistant referee Brilliant Sibanda kept his flag down and the goal stood. Consequently, Emagumeni briefly turned to a warzone, a development that saw Bosso followers, in protest, throw missiles into the pitch.

This resulted in the long break where local football enthusiasts shockingly witnessed one Bosso supporter jump the perimeter fence at Empakweni End before he proceeded into the field of play and temporarily manhandled an unfortunate Sibanda. A police reinforcement team had to be called to the venue and it was not long that sanity was restored.

However, Bosso went on to collapse under the weight of Gamecocks who got their third goal courtesy of an intelligent Amidu chip inside the box two minutes before the breather. The Chicken Inn midfielder took advantage of Mbeba’s indecisiveness and poked the ball home. “It was a bad day in office. We started off very well but the first goal dismantled us. We did not really match Chicken Inn.

“Even after trying to change our playing system the boys had already given up. It’s a pity to say that. I cannot tell the minute when change will happen in the team. Whether I’m there or not the boys need to soldier on. Do you think the situation is normal at Highlanders?” quizzed Ndlovu. His opposite number Joey Antipas praised his boys for a job well done.

“We planned for them and it perfectly worked for us. This is one game Highlanders wanted to win but I’m happy we soaked the pressure and hit them on the break. We put them on double pressing and they then fizzled out after creating lots of chances. However, our rhythm was disrupted by that lengthy stoppage,” said Antipas.

Meanwhile, Highlanders club president Ndumiso Gumede said on twitter after the match that going for seven games without a win was the club’s worst start for the 48 years. “Highlanders lost 3-0 to Chicken Inn and are now position 17 (last but one) on the log. This is the worst start since 1971.”

Today’s Fixtures

Triangle v CAPS United (Gibbo Stadium), Herentals v ManicaDiamonds (NSS), Yadah FC V Dynamos (Rufaro Stadium), TelOne v FC Platinum (Luveve), Hwange v Chapungu (Colliery)

Yesterday’s Results

Harare City 0-0 Bulawayo Chiefs, Mushowani Stars 2-0 Black Rhinos, ZPC Kariba 1-0 Ngezi Platinum

Chicken Inn 3-0 Highlanders

By Own Correspondent- The government, through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting, has provided information regarding a clash in the Harare central business district between police and some members of the public on Saturday 11 May.

According to the government, the clash started after Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers had arrested a suspected cellphone thief.

The officer were pelted with stones resulting in the damage of their vehicle. The suspect fled.

Said the ministry:

Today around Corner G Silundika and First Street, Police arrested a suspected cellphone robber but were pelted with stones and other missiles leading to the suspect escaping with the cuffs. A police car was damaged and tear smoke was deployed. 2 suspects are now in custody.

The information ministry did not clarify if indeed anyone had been shot by the police.

Yesterday, information posted on social media suggested that the police had clashed with street vendors resulting in one individual being shot.

By Own Correspondent- Illegal miners at Kwekwe’s Gaika Mine claimed that they are carrying mining activities at the mine under the cover of darkness.

Soldiers and police were deployed to guard the mine after ZANU PF linked politicians tried to seize operations using machete-wielding militias.

An illegal gold panner who spoke to a local publication about their illegal mining activities said:

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

A police officer, Danmore Nyashanu, from the Support Unit deployed to guard the mine was handed over to police by ZANU PF youths after they caught him at Stewart and Lloyd’s compound where he was involved in the processing of looted gold ore.

A ZANU PF youth leader Tapiwa Muto blamed the crimes committed to joblessness.

Said, Muto:

“It is clear that our government is respecting the rule of law and we respect that, but the owners of the mine should either cede the claim or alternatively open the mine and provide jobs for the youths because the people who used to mine here are now jobless and without income and are turning to crime.”-The Standard

By Own Correspondent| Ngangu, a township in Chimanimani, huge boulders carpeted the whole area.

, Scattered pieces of cups, plates, door frames, corrugated iron sheets and buckets is the only evidence of prior human habitation. 

Walking on the boulders was difficult and spoke volumes of the magnitude of the disaster.

Survivor Tinashe Gota (21) said communication about the impending cyclone first came through the WhatsApp platform.

“They said a cyclone was coming but people did not think it would come in the manner it did. There were strong winds and heavy rains; we had never experienced such weather. The rains did not allow people to go out of their houses,” Gota said.

“The day that the rains stopped, we went out of our home to see what had happened only to be met with a trail of big stones, with some houses missing. We started looking for friends and relatives and I found my aunt downstream under a tree, with no clothes. I still do not understand what kind of rains these were that even took off people’s clothes. And we could not explain the huge stones.”

For many, movement now entails jumping over huge boulders to get to the next houses and they do not know where their neighbours are or if they will ever be found.

Tsitsi Chinhori (31) recollected how that horrific night brought dead bodies to her home.

“The rains came and I remember the unending lightning which flashed red and blue. Then, suddenly the main door of my house opened with a huge bang. Alighting from the bed, I stepped into water that was already above ankle level. The children had been sleeping on the floor in the next room. Mud quickly filled up the kitchen,”Chinhori said.

“The electricity had gone and you could hear screams from other houses. It was dark and it was difficult to make out what was happening. The uninjured helped those who were trapped beneath the big stones. The lady we dragged out cried that she could not find her children.

“In the morning, I discovered four dead bodies of children strewn upon my yard. How can I stay in this compound when I constantly remember the sight of the bodies lying in my yard and the fact that I lost one of my children? This place is a constant reminder of the horror that befell it.”

At Ngangu Primary School the sad story of the huge boulders continued.

Here, children have found a playground where they pick various assortment of things, the only reminder of what used to be.

The smaller children go about oblivious of the disaster that engulfed their community.

So big are the boulders that huge uprooted trees are like match-sticks under the unyielding weight.

One old man, Danny Munovapei from Manase Village, is perturbed by the huge boulders.

 “I still do not understand this ‘mystery’ and where these huge stones came from. We are still in shock and the trail of destruction has left us numb. Our fear heightens every time we see clouds forming in the sky. Our hearts pound, the disaster is still fresh in our minds. We now have to leave the place we have called home all our lives; that is very difficult and heartbreaking,” said Munovapei.

Thandeka Munhundiani (23), a school teacher who was at Ndima High School when the disaster struck, said no-one thought much about the impending cyclone. They thought, like the others in the past, it would just pass without being eventful. 

“The rains came and even when the river was filling up, people just thought they would eventually go away. But the rains continued and became heavy. Then there was the sound like that of a haulage truck as the night progressed. Later in the night, the school guard came knocking on teachers’ quarters, alerting them of the impending danger. He said his house was now filled with water and that people needed to go to higher ground,” Munhundiani said.

“We only got our jerseys because we never thought it was serious but the water level kept on rising until the place where we call ‘Madhomeni’ and the police station were swept away. Some people had to climb up trees in order to survive while others went on roof tops.

“The rains did not stop until we were all soaked. Later someone said we needed to start a fire in order to keep warm. Suddenly we were marooned. 

“I have not been back to the school. When the water receded, we discovered huge boulders. We cannot explain where they came from,” she said.

Lyon Chirova (49), a businessman in the Ngangu area, lost his shop, stock and equipment.

“I used to rent a vegetable shop in the Ngangu area and everything in the block is gone. My workers left an hour before the disaster struck and just as well, otherwise they would have perished,” Chirova said.

“We recovered some things, like freezers, some kilometres away but everything else, like the goods that we sold, was completely destroyed. We have kept these as souvenirs because insurance only covered such things like fire. The insurance company told me that I should have insured specifically against natural disasters.”

Temporary shelters have been constructed, but here is a community desperately in need of psycho-social support.-ThePatriot

ZimEye would like to wish all the mothers in the world a Happy Mother’s Day.

May your day be filled with laughter, happiness and joy!

We appreciate your valuable role towards humanity.

ZimEye Team…..

Own Correspondent|Blessed Mhlanga a reporter with NewsDay has brought in a new dimension into the MDC saga where party Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora is accused of selling out on leader Nelson Chamisa at the High Court.

The Party accuses Mwonzora of having had access to the High Court ruling of the 8th of May such declared Chamisa as illegitimate leader of the opposition party days before the ruling was pronounced.

Mhlanga has dismissed the sensational claims that Mwonzora gave him a copy of the ruling a week before it was handed down.

This was after fellow journalist Hopewell Chin’ono disclosed on his social media page that Mwonzora had the High Court ruling a week before it was delivered. Chin’ono further claimed that “MDC folks are saying that he (Mwonzora) told a NewsDay journalist about it and that they chose to keep quiet to see how it will pan out…”

Mhlanga, has come out guns blazing against Chin’ono.

Mhlanga says he only reveals his sources to his Editor, and that he never talked to Mwonzora over the High Court judgement. He also claimed Chin’ono has since blocked him on social media.

“This is a new low for Award winning Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, I don’t reveal my sources to anyone except my Editor if need be. At no point did I ever talk to Douglas Mwonzora over this judgement before or after. No point did I even speak to Chin’ono who has blocked me on social media,” Mhlanga said in a tweet.

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The below is the transcript of a “prophecy” by a female Madzimai from Johane Masowe who alleges that within 2 months of March 2019, a jongwe is dying and a female leader taking over. The proclamation was reportedly made 2 weeks before the cyclone Idai attack.

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TRANSCRIPT:

Happiness to you, Happiness to you.

While we were at the shrine today, the sacred spirit told us, there are people who are here in Zimbabwe I have seen, you must read this – in a week and a half I have seen that there will be rain, but the rain will have lightning. But I have seen two places, but the secret spirit did not state the names of these two places. I have seen several people, many people who will be killed by this water I have seen houses that will be uprooted, I have seen trees that will be uprooted. But this water,because it has lightning, I have seen that it will be concluded by a big wind or whirlwind, but this water will rain a week and a half. You will hear of a place where rain has descended and people will be killed.

Secondly the great sacred spirit has said that it has seen, two months are too long. I have seen a discussion that has been held, but it has been held among the leaders of the country. There are some who said let’s do this while others have said let’s do this,it looked like a demonstration. But during the demonstration I saw that there was a scuffle, a strife, I saw bloodshed, I saw and you shall hear that so-and-so has died in this family so and so has died in that family. The great sacred spirit speaks the 3rd time saying I have heard people are saying that this year is a year of fulness, but it will be a year of Hunger. During the time of great hunger, I saw that donors will arrive and the donors wanted to bring food but that food I noticed that it is bringing diseases. I saw them bringing diseases in the head, I saw them bringing diseases in the stomach, I saw it bringing growths, this disease people will not be able to recognise it, they will continue in confusion. The sacred spirit continues once again saying what it once spoke on 31 December while we were sat at the Masowe while waiting to cross over the new year, and it said that I have seen a new level of argument that has begun in this great nation of Zimbabwe. I have seen a Jongwe of a certain house which rules in this country of Zimbabwe. I have seen this Jongwe, which will make noise after it has died. But this Jongwe will die because of God not because of death. But in its dying, I have noticed that this Jongwe will be buried at a place where heroes are buried. But in it being buried there are some who will refuse for this person to be buried there saying they do not deserve.

…CONTINUE READING BELOW…

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But in this same house where this Jongwe died, I saw there was fighting and there was bloodshed because people were fighting for positions. The sacred spirit says while we are sat at Masowe you babaJohane, I am asking that wherever you are, you must remain in prayer wherever you are you must remain in prayer remain in the heritage of the Father.

I saw two men wearing suits – the one who is in front is taller than the other(who is behind). These two men are running, racing to seize the flag of Zimbabwe. But the man who is taller, just before seizing the flag of Zimbabwe, I saw him suddenly stopped by the one who is Shorter. The one who is Shorter while he was just about to seize the flag of Zimbabwe, he was suddenly stopped by a woman. I saw the flag of Zimbabwe having been successfully seized by a woman. And then the father said to me, I have not given you the interpretation of what that is but when I saw the flag of Zimbabwe having been seized by a woman I saw a war erupting. But this war began at Mbare. The sacred spirit said to me right now the father is saying the throne of the leadership of Zimbabwe it does not have anyone who sits on it. The seat of the leader of Zimbabwe is in the sky, I am seeing it is oozing blood, but the father is telling me that yes you put someone there but there is no one who is sitting on it. So while we are at Masowe, the sacred spirit spoke to us and asked us to sing this verse, I heard it being sang saying: those who have the heritage of prayer, they will not struggle.

So the sacred spirit sang and sang saying kids of Baba Johane, you must remain on your knees praying because when it comes to issues of the country, the nation, Gabrieni did not give me a prayer to prevent this (thing from happening). Gabrieni told me to leave things as they are because this is the way of the Father. So I thought to share with all of you children of the Dare, telling you all kids of Jacob that where ever you are at the congregations, That whereever you are, please be praying for your families. Be praying for even your parents at home that they should not accept food from foreign donors. Because those foods are going to come with troubles they are going to bring diseases among black people so I thought to share with all of you that they should remain under prayer. READ MORE ON ZIMEYE.COM

By Stembile Mpofu| Confronted by the ever-rising cost of living the majority of Zimbabweans are holding their heads in despair, desperate for an end to the economic hardship. The work being done by the Ministry of Finance to put the economic fundamentals of the country right is still far from having a positive effect on the life of the ordinary man on the street. In fact at this point the effects are negative. It is not an easy time or place to think creatively because time is spent thinking about getting the basics in place to allow one’s family to live. Unfortunately some in the corporate sector have found it fit to make as much as they can from the situation by charging exorbitant prices for their goods. I was surprised to find that my local pharmacy was selling a 15g tube of skin ointment that had cost USD$5.00 before the advent of the bond note, for USD$8.00 or RTGS40.00. If I were to buy the same medicine in South Africa or Zambia as many people have resorted to doing, it is unlikely that the ointment will cost the equivalent of USD$5.00. There is no justification for charging such high prices for essential goods like medicines.

The normal fall back is to put the blame on government and its policies and not to look beyond that. However the problem goes beyond government. That is not to say that there are no deficiencies in the government’s economic policies, because there are, but to awaken us to the fact that there are other issues at play.

Firstly that there is a tendency by those who have greater market share for a specific product or products to hold consumers at ransom by charging prices that ensure they make huge profits. They benefit from the consumers inability to find an alternative or reluctance to do things differently. This is not a phenomenon that is the preserve of Zimbabwe but it is visible throughout the world in every economy. Consumers become so dependent on a particular lifestyle that relies on particular product offerings that they cannot consider other possibilities. Where alternatives exist they should be explored. When I realised that the price of the skin ointment I needed had inflated in US dollar terms, it was clear to me that the pharmacy’s intent was to take full advantage of my need. I researched and found that there is a natural remedy that is good for treating skin conditions. The Jatropha plant of Zimbabwe’s biodiesel frenzy is an effective natural remedy for many skin conditions. I used the leaves to great effect and will not be buying that particular medicine again; my energy will go into ensuring that Jatropha is accessible and growing well in my garden.

The same approach can be taken towards bread. Learning how to bake bread is not rocket science. Including the baking of bread into the normal daily cooking routine may result in some meaningful savings. Finding cheaper and healthier alternatives to bread may also be a viable solution. The idea of viable alternatives brings us to an untapped source of knowledge that we should consider. Many black Zimbabweans look back at the rural way of life and consider it as backward, whereas therein lie many opportunities to develop new goods and products. A challenge to the young STEM graduates across the country. The products used to meet the various physical needs of our forefathers and mothers were tested in a real life laboratory, making them ready for use in a modern world will not require a great deal of work. Ruredzo was used as soap and hair conditioner, what would it take to create a line of cosmetic products from it. We are importing a great deal of toiletry products at great cost, with the price of toothpaste making fresh breath a luxury. What properties are in the plant used to clean teeth and in ash as a mouth cleanser?

Looking to our indigenous knowledge systems and developing them creates great opportunities to create authentic products that don’t mimic or imitate those from other countries or those being developed by large corporations. We should however, be ready to embrace such innovations. We are burdened with a preference for goods and products that come from foreign lands. There does exist amongst us the mindset that African knowledge systems and the goods and products derived from them are inferior, making us our own worst enemies. We only accept that something is good after it has received affirmation from the west. We see this attitude manifest itself even in out attitudes to musicians. Bhundu Boys and Oliver Mtukudzi come to mind, local appreciation of their music increased greatly after their acceptance by foreign audiences.

We must be ready to innovate where we feel that the large corporations are taking advantage of the consumers. This type of push back challenges the same companies to innovate too and not rely solely on the same methods they have used for years. In as much as people organise themselves to protest against poor governance, they should be able to organise themselves to counter the voracious nature of big corporations. IT specialists designed programmes to track election results during the 2018 elections, can applications be designed that allow consumers to track pricing of goods and services. Such an application could create a more competitive environment that has those retailers who charge fair prices benefit from their honesty.

We must remember that diamonds are created as a result of coal being put under immense pressure. Where we do not rise to the challenge of a difficult situation we will be defeated. The current situation in Zimbabwe should be one that pushes us to think far beyond what we know and what we are used to. We should think and act in ways that make us innovate. Fighting for things to remain the same will result in defeat; working to take control of the change and shape it in ways that give birth to new things is the way to success.

By Own Correspondent-The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) on Sunday released load shedding schedules for various part of the country.

According to the statement, load shedding will be within 0500-1000 and 1700-2200 respectively.

However, the duration may be longer in the event of increased power shortfall.

The schedule released by ZESA is similar to the one that circulated on social media last week which ZESA claimed was fake. Below is the “correct” schedule:

MDC Matebeleland South Province Press Statement|As Matebeleland South Province we are not moved by the politically motivated High court ruling concerning our party and it’s leadership.

As a Province, we are behind our President Adv. Nelson Chamisa and the entire party leadership and we know our leaders were appointed according to the party statutes and it is worrying that Zanu PF wants to interfere in selection of MDC leaders using it’s proxies.

As a province we are not going to allow that and shall defend our president with all the tools at our disposal.

The High court or ZanuPF cannot choose Leaders for our party. MDC members are the ones who choose their leaders using it’s internal democracy.

We remain solidly behind our President and the entire leadership including those who have just been nominated by provinces.

We are currently seized with preparations for the Congress which is due on the 24th of May.

We are more than ready and keen to elect the new leadership under our able President, Adv. Chamisa.

No amount of intimidation and harassment shall stop the MDC train which is already in motion.

As a party, we shall be Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe.

Solani ‘Njemnyama’ Moyo
Matabeleland South Chairman.

By Farai Maguwu| The recent High Court Judgement on the MDC internal feuds has drawn massive public interest and divided opinion. Some are saying Nelson Chamisa must respect the court ruling to show that he respects the rule of law and national institutions as set up by provisions of the country’s Constitution.

Others however think the ruling was a political ruling by a politicized judiciary. They drew parallels to Emmerson Mnangagwa’s military-assisted ascendency to the presidency which the same High Court ruled to have been constitutional despite abundant evidence of military tanks having been rolled onto the streets and having former President put under house arrest for days and ultimately being forced to resign, something Mugabe himself would tell the media later. Some ministers survived assassination attempts on the fateful night

So how do we make sense of the double standards by the High Court of Zimbabwe which okayed a military coup and now outlawing the dramatic ascendency of Nelson Chamisa to the MDC presidency following the death of Morgan Tsvangirai. If the judiciary failed to interpret the National Constitution in the case of Mnangagwa whose rise violated, not just one, but several provisions of The Constitution, why would it all of a sudden read the rules to Nelson Chamisa

To understand this legal logjam, there is need to put this judgement into proper political and historical contexts. And the political context can only be understood if one goes back to 2000 and understand the metamorphosis of a once dynamic judiciary into a shadow of its former self.

Whilst all other state institutions such as the military, intelligence services, Police and public service had been politicized and ZANUfied at independence, the judiciary had remained the only institution that maintained some degree of independence until 2000.

When former President Robert Mugabe ran out of political capital due to economic mismanagement and an appalling human rights record and also as facing a calamitous electoral defeat at the hands of the then newly formed Movement for Democratic Change, he turned radical and declared war on the white farmers who seemed sympathetic to the MDC. Mugabe and ZANU PF, who had enjoyed the benevolence of the white community since independence, behaved like jilted lovers and became suicidal in every sense of the word. They regrouped the forgotten war veterans and armed some of them to deal with the MDC and the White community. Hundreds of MDC supporters and a few white farmers were killed. A revolutionary name was given to the violent land grabs – 3rd Chimurenga, meaning 3rd war of liberation. The first Chimurenga was fought between 1896 and 1898 whilst the second was fought from the early 60s to 1979. Whilst history has failed to estimate how many Zimbabweans were killed during the first Chimurenga, it is estimated the 2nd Chimurenga could have claimed as many as 50 000 lives. By naming the land grabs a war of liberation Mugabe and ZANU PF sought to encourage and justify the violence associated with the exercise. They had to strangle the law and the justice system to ensure injustice and criminality is institutionalised.

Chaos and violence characterised the farm grabs. More than half a million farm workers lost both livelihoods and shelter. Within a short space of time Zimbabwe turned from being a net exporter to a net importer of food. Most ZANU PF officials emerged with multiple farms and till now they are resisting a land audit.

The only institution that stood between order and chaos was the judiciary. When the judges ruled the violent farm invasions unconstitutional, ZANU PF threatened the judges. In about 15 months seven judges were forced off the bench by ZANU PF and replaced by those believed to be loyal to the party who went on to receive farms and benefitted from every economic – political decision that contributed to the destruction of our country, including the 2015 diabolic and criminal RBZ debt assumption bill which forced jobless and poor Zimbabweans to pay for the farm implements and finances borrowed by ZANU PF officials and their hangers-on. I must add that judges and magistrates have not been spared the effects of the socio-economic crinkum crankum brought upon us by ZANU PF where hard work, professionalism and honesty have been rendered unfashionable. Teachers and Nurses earn far far less than rank marshals, majority of whom primary or secondary school drop outs.

One of the world renowned judges, justice Anthony Gubbay, was forced to step down in 2001 after being threatened with violence by war veterans. Chinamasa, then Justice Minister, allegedly told him his physical security could not be guaranteed if he remained on the bench. Another High Court judge, Justice Michael Gillespie, who resigned and relocated to Britain, said he could not continue to serve on the bench when the conditions did not allow him to remain impartial: ‘The judges have been threatened publicly by war veterans with attacks upon, and occupation of, their homes… By this means the Executive has contrived to politicise the Bench, if not in fact, then at least in the perception of many ordinary people… A judge, finally, who finds himself in the position where he is called upon to administer the law only as against political opponents of the government and not against government supporters, faces the challenge to his conscience: that is whether he can still consider himself to sit as an independent judge in an impartial court’, he said

The capture of the judiciary between 2000 and 2002 by ZANU PF through forced resignation of judges and ‘packing’ of the bench with those considered to be politically correct has severely corroded the justice delivery system. A case in point is the 2002 court challenge by Morgan Tsvangirai where he disputed Mugabe’s victory. The High Court of Zimbabwe did not hear the case up to the time of the next election. In 2005 Tsvangirai approached the Supreme Court which reserved judgement. The petition was briefly heard by High Court Judge Ben Hlatshwayo and then put on hold…..to date. Morgan Tsvangirai has since died and three more hotly disputed Presidential elections have since been held.

Thus whilst the courts have done excellent work on cases such as child protection, rape and stock theft, they have been under extreme pressure where political cases are concerned. In fact I am not aware of a serious electoral case where Zimbabwe’s courts ruled against ZANU PF. Zimbabwe’s justice delivery system has also been found wanting when it comes to economic crimes. The government is filled to the brim with big criminals who must be languishing in prison for prejudicing the country of several billions. The liquidity crisis in Zimbabwe is artificial as powerful government officials and the ruling party are robbing the central bank at will. The Reserve Bank Governor in Zimbabwe is in reality the Secretary for Finance for ZANU PF! If Zimbabwe had a well-functioning judiciary most of our top officials in govt, both past and present, will be in maximum prison for undermining our national interests. We have scores of people who murdered political opponents and allowed to continue roaming the streets.

From time to time we also have had Judges who make very brave judgements but often there is a price to pay for the Judge or the ruling is simply ignored. I must emphasize that the problem is not the person of the judge but the Institution that has been brought under intense distress by the ruling party. This reminds me of my 5 weeks in detention in 2010. When I was finally granted bail one Magistrate told me to spare a thought for the magistrate handling my case. He said ‘don’t ever think he has anything personal against you. This matter was too hot to handle and decisions were imposed’.

I must conclude by saying ALL institutions in Zimbabwe are designed to serve the interests of ZANU PF and NOT the nation. This is why the country has been collapsing like a deck of cards in rapid fashion. Its because there are no functioning institutions. Our jails and police cells are designed to torture political opponents. Hence there is no running water in the cells, inmates are given very little, badly cooked food, no blankets, lice feast on you…they are meant to dehumanize, to torture the soul, mind and body of inmates. I remember well what Roy Bennett said when he came out of jail. He said the day he entered Prison they asked some inmates to defecate in a pair of prison garb. They then forced him the wear it whilst it was dripping with human waste. A day or two later Lawyers went to prison to check on him. The Prison officers then tried to give him clean clothes and he refused them.

And our Justice system has been conditioned to ensure ZANU PF officials do not see the inside of these torture chambers presented as prisons, unless they have crossed the path of the powers that be. Our financial system is criminal, rewarding those that do not work whilst prejudicing the hard working public who now spend long hours in banks trying to withdraw their money. They have dried up the financial system whilst stashing billions of USD in their homes. Our Police officers are NOT allowed to arrest ZANU PF officials. They have been transformed into the ruling party militia. Consequently every indicator of normalcy has died. No fuel, no water, no jobs, no electricity, potholes everywhere, buildings are decaying due to lack of maintenance. Everything is not working, simple!

To say Zimbabwe’s institutions need reform is an understatement. We need a complete overhaul of the institutions to ensure they serve the people with integrity and impartiality. For this to happen only the Zimbabwean citizens can do it by relentlessly demanding to be governed better. Our country, government and society at large need a new thinking, fresh ideas and a new social contract between government and the people. All our institutions – Police, military, intelligence services, prison services, the justice system and the entire public service need to be freed so they serve the citizen and not a political party.

News24|Marsmery Travel and Coach has difficult questions to answer but the company is not answering its phone

Survivors of the crash that claimed 13 lives in Limpopo on Monday say the driver was tired and the bus was overloaded.

The Marsmery bus was travelling from Pretoria to Harare, Zimbabwe, when it overturned on the N1 north, near the Ingwe Hotel in Louis Trichardt.

According to Makoma Makhurupetje, Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety, the cause of the accident is not known. In a statement after the crash he explicitly said “reckless driving is not ruled out as the possible cause”.

Survivors visited by GroundUp on Tuesday say the driver arrived early in the morning after a long journey and set off again at once. Medusa Mamvura, who was still wearing her bloodstained blouse when in Louis Trichardt Hospital a day after the accident, says the crash could be a result of driver fatigue.

“We were supposed to leave Pretoria on Sunday (5 May) for Zimbabwe but that was not the case. We had to spend the whole night waiting for the bus until Monday morning. The bus arrived around 5am on Monday. The drivers did not rest. We loaded our goods and off we left for Zimbabwe. We were not happy going back with the same drivers and insisted on being refunded but that fell on deaf ears,” said Mavura.

Her two-year-old child sitting next to her had bruises all over her face.

Another survivor, Ruramai Torima, sitting in a wheelchair, said: “At a weighbridge before Polokwane the driver was told the bus was overloaded. We do not know what happened for us to pass overloaded like that.”

But a supervisor who works at the weighbridge (but wasn’t on duty that night) told GroundUp that if the bus had been overloaded, it would not have been allowed to continue.

Torima said, “As we passed Louis Trichardt towards Messina there was a steep slope and the bus was speeding, leading to the loss of control. All I can remember is crying for help and at the same time pulling my child out from under the seat.” Her child was not hurt.

We have called the Marsmery landline in Pretoria (012 656 0537) several times, but it goes through to voicemail. We obtained a cell number from the company’s Facebook page. The person who answered said he did not work for the company but gave us another mobile number to call. A man, who identified himself only as Brighton, answered this second number but he said he was no longer employed by the company. He also claimed the bus was not one of the Marsmery bus fleet. He said the bus was run by another owner using the Marsmery name.

But Limpopo SAPS investigating officer Tshifhiwa Netshiya said the name Marsmery was on the side of the bus and the number plate reflected it as part of the Marsmery fleet. According to Netshiya the driver was not hurt SAPS do not know where he is.

Marsmery Travel and Coaches was registered in 2006. According to a company search, it is a closed corporation that has one director: Murinziri Nyaradzo Tandiwe. He took over in 2017 and lives in Zimbabwe.

The survivors were all Zimbabweans.

Chizivano Moyo, failing to hold back tears, said: “I lost my wife and three stepchildren in this accident. I do not know what to do. At the weighbridge near Polokwane we realised the bus was not in good condition. The driver did some touch-ups [tightening exhaust nuts] on the bus and we suspected something was not in condition.”

Moyo, does odd jobs in South Africa. His late wife was employed as a domestic worker. They come from Masvingo province, Zimbabwe. He had bruises on his left arm and on the head.

Makurupetje said: “The driver and vehicle fitness for long distance cross-border buses is a matter of deep concern to us. It is about time that our law enforcement officers step up their routine checks on these buses to prevent this kind of accident from happening.

“I also call upon drivers of buses and other public transport to take rest in between trips as the lives of passengers remain in their hands.”

By Own Correspondent- The state media reports that the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) acting chief executive officer Mathlene Mujokoro and audit manager Shadreck Matengabadza have resigned.

The resignation of the two senior officials at the parastatal comes as 19 ZINARA employees were arrested for fraud cases involving more than US$210 000.

The arrests were confirmed by ZINARA public relations manager Augustine Moyo.

Said Moyo:

There are some employees with 55 counts, while others are facing up to 70 counts of fraud.

It has been established that bulk licensing is being abused to defraud Zinara.

Several vehicles with Zimbabwean registration plates were carded by the Central Vehicle Registry and Zinara was requested to card and red flag them.

So far, 19 people have been arrested in fraud cases of this nature and investigations are underway on the licensing of vehicles with arrears and penalties.

Mujokoro’s current contract subsists to 2021, but in her resignation letter to ZINARA board chairperson Michael Madanha, she indicated that she will leave the organisation on July 31 this year.

Part of the letter reads:

“I write to advise that I will not be able to complete my second tenure of the contract of employment, which is supposed to run up to 17 September 2021, and would want to give notice of my resignation up to 31 July 2019.

This effectively means that my contract of employment with Zinara will terminate on 31 July 2019.

The decision has been necessitated by personal engagements that I would want to pursue.”

By Own Correspondent- Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo, lost 279 bags of rice worth more than $384 000 when an administrator who was working at his Kwekwe offices allegedly stole and sold them for his own benefit.

This emerged when Warren Nostalgia Madicha (22) who is employed as an administrator at the Minister’s constituency centre in Redcliff, appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Mr Tayengwa Sangster facing theft charges.

Madicha, who resides at House Number 9 King George, Redcliff and was entrusted with the duty to safeguard the goods, allegedly abused the trust and sold the goods meant for constituency development and converted the money into his own use.

Although Moyo lost the Redcliff Constituency in last year’s elections he vowed to continue serving the constituency despite the loss.

Madicha was remanded in custody to 17 May for trial after he pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, Mr Devious Mujaya of Mawadze and Mujaya Legal Practitioners.

Prosecuting, Freddy Ndoro told the court that on 11 January at about 9am, Moyo brought 400 x 50kg of rice and delivered them to the constituency centre for safekeeping.

On a date unknown to the prosecutor but between 11 January 2019 and 23 April 2019, Madicha allegedly stole 279 x 50kg of rice from the office and sold them to different people.

Moyo, however, discovered that the rice was missing on 23 April and reported the case to the police.

Investigations carried out by police led to the discovery of some of the bags of rice from the people who had bought them and implicated Madicha leading to his arrest.-StateMedia

The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority has announced new fees for various services and activities it offers at its facilities.

The fees are in US dollars and can be paid using the prevailing RTGS equivalent, but war veterans will be exempted from paying during public holidays and upon producing relevant identification.

According to a Government Gazette under Statutory Instrument 108 of 2019 in terms of Section 129A of the Parks and Wildlife Act, the by-laws may be cited as the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Tariff of fees) By-Laws 2019.

According to the Statutory Instrument all charges in the by-laws include 15 percent Value Added Tax and 2 percent tourism levy for both resident and non-resident visitors and any other levies that may be published from time to time.

All non-residents will be required to pay the fees in foreign currency either electronically or in hard cash.

War veterans would also be exempted from paying fees during Independence, Heroes and Defence Forces holidays upon production of proof of identification while children under five years will be exempted from paying and those between six and 12 years will pay 50 percent of any fee.

For educational tours conservation fees for primary school educational tours shall be published by the authority from time to time.

Secondary schoolchildren will pay 50 percent of any fee applicable to adults including their accompanying teachers with a similar provision applicable to universities and tertiary institutions organised tour.

Visitors who require accommodation will also pay separate accommodation fees charged at the particular station.

According to the schedule of fees tour operators annual game drive permits range from $200 up to $1 000 depending on the place with Mana Pools and Hwange being the most expensive while Chivero, Kariba, Nyanga and Hwange are among the cheapest.

By Own Correspondent- Two men have been hauled to court facing two counts of robbery and attempted murder after allegedly robbing an unsuspecting motorist who had offered them a lift.

Trymore Guta (27) and Abel Manase (28) were denied bail by Harare magistrate Victoria Mashamba, who remanded them in custody to this week.

It is the State’s case that on January 30 the duo and an accomplice who is still at large were at Lizzy Restaurant in Avondale and they pretended to be stranded travellers looking for transport.

Prosecutor Idah Maromo told the court that the alleged robbers were offered a lift by complainant Mcanamara Chinyani who was driving a Toyota Sienta.

“Abel Manase suddenly tried to grab the driver of the car from behind the neck, but the 32 year old driver had noticed Manase’s actions through the rear view mirror, he then swerved the vehicle and Manase missed him.

“Manase then punched the driver with a clenched fist on the left jaw, took out an Okapi knife and threatened to kill him.”

Manase then pushed Chinyani out of the vehicle before attempting to take control of the steering wheel, but the driver removed the keys from the ignition port, the court further heard.

Upon being pushed out of the vehicle, Chinyani shouted for help and security guards at nearby shop came to his rescue.

“On noticing this, Guta, Manase and their accomplice disembarked from the vehicle and took to their heels,” claimed the prosecutor.

“Chinyani got into his vehicle and noticed that the suspects had left a MobiCell cellphone on one of the seats.

“On checking the cell phone Chinyani identified the accused through the pictures saved in the photo gallery.”

Using pictures from the phone, detectives tracked the robbers to Overspill shopping centre in Epworth before effecting arrests.

The court heard that, Guta and Manase used the same modus operandi on Troy Kabvumbi (37) whom they stabbed 5 times, tied and dumped him at the Zimphos industrial area, before getting away with his vehicle.

Kabvumbi managed to untie himself and was assisted by a commuter omnibus crew which took him to ZRP Epworth, where a report was made.

According to state papers, the stolen motor vehicle was later recovered dumped after a fly-over along Seke road in Harare.-StateMedia

Confirmed reports indicate that the opposition MDC has walloped ZANU PF in the by-election for Mutasa constituency’s ward 10.

The election was held on Saturday and MDC candidate Rosemary Tanyaradzwa Mukodza won 801 votes, ZANU PF candidate Margaret Tindirika garnered 548 while National Constitutional Assembly candidate Tanyaradzwa Chirimo won 16 votes.

The by-election arose after Frank Chitembwe of the MDC was elected the Mutasa Ward 10 Councillor in July 2018, but lost the seat after he got convicted and jailed for public violence after he participated in the violent #ShutDownZimbabwe protests of mid-January.

By Own Correspondent- The Zanu-PF delegation assigned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to observe South Africa’s May 8 provincial and national elections have endorsed them as free, fair, credible, transparent and a reflection of the will of the people.

It also congratulated the people of South Africa for an exemplary plebiscite.

In an interview with the state media on Saturday, Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo said the delegation “affirms, without hesitation, the integrity of the entire electoral process”.

Said Moyo

“The Zimbabwe delegation congratulates the people of South Africa, the IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) all the political parties in South Africa for a well organised, exemplary electoral process, which resulted in this free, fair, transparent and credible election.”

Ambassador Moyo said the electoral process was demonstrably well managed as the 700 000 voters who applied through the special vote — the disabled, elderly and mothers with babies — were ably assisted.

“The voting itself, on May 8, and the voting environment was peaceful, orderly, well organised and all polling stations opened on time. Polling agents, especially of the three major political parties — ANC (African National Congress), DA (Democratic Alliance) and EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) – were present at most polling stations.

“Voting materials were generally available and delivered on time despite insignificant logistical problems.

“Party regalia was permissible, except for polling agents. Political parties also had political desks at polling stations.”

Further, election results were posted at polling stations after tallying in the presence of polling agents and subsequently transmitted to provincial and national results collation centres.

The tallies were posted on giant screens at the national collation centre in Pretoria.

“The use of ICT was evident and impressive,” said Ambassador Moyo.

President Mnangagwa recently sent an 11-member Zanu-PF election observer mission, which was led by Cde Patrick Chinamasa, to South Africa for the May 8 elections.

Upon arrival in South Africa, the delegation attended the ANC’s Siyanqoba (Victory) Rally on Sunday May 5 at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

The team divided into three groups: the first group led by Cde Patrick Chinamasa deployed in Soweto; the second group led by myself was deployed in Mamelodi (Pretoria), Soshanguve (Pretoria) and Pretoria City Centre.

The third group led by Cde Sithembiso Nyoni was deployed in Thembisa (Gauteng) and Ekurhuleni (Gauteng).

But the only stain to the elections was the underwhelming participation by youths.

“A lot of commentators expressed disappointment at the number of youths — estimated at 6 million — who did not vote. All in all, 27 million people registered to vote,” observed Ambassador Moyo.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- The government has introduced a counselling programme for teachers and learners in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts following the deaths and destruction caused by Cyclone Idai.

This was revealed by the Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba in a telephone interview with the state media.

Gwaradzimba added that the government is also reconstructing several schools in the affected areas.

Several private players have adopted some schools, among which are Jesus Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints.

She said:

“A psycho-social support program for teachers and learners is underway and ongoing to undo the psychological after-effects of the cyclone on them.

The Government is making plans to ensure that the affected learners receive one hot meal at school.

In the school buildings reconstruction programme, the Government will reconstruct 28 out of the 45 affected schools.

About 125 pupils and 3 teachers were reportedly killed by floods and debris from avalanches when the Tropical cyclone struck.”-StateMedia