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CHIWENGA WAR: Bread “Cartel” Now Targeted | FULL TEXT

Below is the statememt by the National Consumer Rights Association (NACORA) which has called for an investigation of the country’s three main bakeries, Lobel’s, Bakers Inn and Proton.

The statement follows threats against businesses fired by the vice president at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Below is NACORA’s full statement:

The pricing of bread is Zimbabwe is extremely uncompetitive. Besides the generally very poor and hostile economic environment and the prevailing culture of speculative, this collusive behaviour is resulting in high and higher prices and very poor products that in the process rob consumers of value for money.

The existence of an illegal bread cartel cannot be ruled out. We believe, upon information and behaviour, that the triumvirate of the big three, namely Lobel’s Bread, Bakers Inn and Proton, with an inner circle of big supermarket cousins, are directly and indirectly jointly manipulating and colluding to fix the price and supply of bread, thereby hurting consumers.

We, therefore, call upon the Competition and Tariff Commission to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate how in particular Lobel’s, Bakers Inn and Proton continue to almost always raise the price of bread at the same time and by the same amount of money despite differences in quality, weight and other cost-driving variables.

There is clearly under-the-radar mafia-like co-operation and information sharing that result in coordinated and uniform price increases. A more comprehensive investigation is needed this time around.

In addition, the Competition and Tariff Commission should investigate the role of big supermarkets in this pricing cartel.

However you look at it, the supply and pricing of bread are characterised by unfair prices, materially restrictive features and uncompetitive behaviour in contravention of the Competition Act [Chapter 14:28].

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Lobel’s Bread, Bakers Inn and Proton, together with large supermarkets that retail Lobel’s, Bakers Inn and Proton bread and their own bread, have substantial or near total control over bread and as a result, there is a high level of market concentration.

This situation is worsened by the fact that some of these actors are vertically integrated allowing them freedom of unlawful conduct.

We, therefore, believe there is both a legal and factual basis to sustain an investigation into allegations of violations of the law.

Bread is central to the food and nutritional security of households and therefore the collusive and unfair pricing of this commodity is deeply hurting to consumers. More competition, and not less is in the public interest.

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APEX Council Urges Gvt To Deal With Unscrupulous Businesspeople

NATIONAL, BUSINESS, BREAKING

Farai Dziva|The APEX council has urged the government to identify and address the root cause of the country’s economic problems.

In a statement the chairperson of the Apex Council, Cecilia Alexander said while addressing the plight of its workers, the government should come up with permanent solutions to the economic crisis.

“There is a need to revive the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF).

The government must bring stability using its powers to deal with the issue of prices.

Even if we are going to get $5 000 each in salaries and the market reacts, we have a problem. This is an economic crisis.

There is a need for discipline in the business sector as some are profiteering from the situation, some are even charging in US dollars yet they are paying their workers in RTGS$,” said Alexander.

NATIONAL, BUSINESS, BREAKING
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Museveni “Worshipped” In Zim

Farai Dziva|Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni is being treated like a deity in Zimbabwe in spite of his tainted political record.

The Ugandan leader was met at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Mnangagwa, senior Government officials, service chiefs and several African diplomats.

Zanu PF apologists literally worshipped the despised leader.

Museveni was greeted with a 21-gun salute and inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by members of the Presidential Guard.

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Man Arrested Four Years After Raping University Student

Farai Dziva|In a dramatic twist of events, a Bulawayo man has been arrested four years after allegedly raping a university student.

The 25-YEAR-OLD man appeared in court on Thursday for allegedly raping his girlfriend in 2015.

Mufaro Mutanda allegedly raped his girlfriend, who was 22 at the time and a student at the National University of Science and Technology, after taking her to a lodge following a braai.

He appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla and pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape. The magistrate remanded him to April 29 for continuation of trial.

The court heard that sometime in December 2015 at around 8PM, the complainant received a phone call from Mutanda who was her then boyfriend, telling her that he was on his way to pick her up for a braai.

Mutanda picked her at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) campus where the complainant was a student at that time.

They drove to a place which the complainant could not recognise because it was already dark. The accused person and his two male friends started chatting outside the car. When they got back in the car they stated that they had no fuel to take complainant back to campus.

Mutanda and his friend suggested that they were going to spend the night at a lodge in Barham Green Suburb and promised to accompany her back to campus the next day. Payments were made and rooms divided. Accused person and the complainant shared the same bed for the night.

The following morning, the complainant woke up to find Mutanda on top of her and when she asked him what he was doing, he did not respond.

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LIVE: BREAKING-Frank Buyanga Uses Police To Snatch Child From Mother, Gets Baby’s Mum Jailed

By A Correspondent | The flamboyant businessman, Frank Buyanga has allegedly used police officers to snatch away a child from his girlfriend.

Buyanga even went to the extent of getting Chantelle Muteswa locked up overnight at Borrowdale Police Station.

Yesterday, Chantelle Muteswa obtained a court order which instructs Buyanga to  give her custody to the duo’s 4 year old son.

In her papers, Chantelle argued that she has legal custody over the duo’s 4 year old son. The lad is also ill, papers reveal.

The case was heard under reference: CCA 205/18.

By 3pm, Friday, however, Buyanga was still to release the child to his mother and ZimEye.com is investigating. – THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH THIS PAGE FOR MORE

Chantelle Muteswa’s lawyer told ZimEye, “We are trying to persuade the courts to find that removing a sick 4yr old child from his mother’s custody is not right even if the father is rich, connected and powerful.”

BELOW ARE THE PAPERS ..

WATCH LIVE VIDEO BELOW…

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Inflation Returns To Haunt Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Bond Notes

The price of bread almost doubled for Zimbabweans last week, as the inflation nightmare that marked the rule of long-time authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe returns to haunt his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa.

There have been warnings of the mental and physical toll the rampant price increases will have on Zimbabweans after the cost of a loaf of bread rose from $1.80 to $3.50, and a tub of butter shot up to $17 from $8.50.

Mnangagwa pledged to revive his country’s moribund economy when Mugabe was toppled in 2017 after 37 years in power. But after the central bank unveiled a new monetary policy in February, introducing a new local currency, prices of goods and services have skyrocketed at rates unseen in a decade.

The disparity between the official and parallel market exchange rates has been rapidly widening, triggering price hikes of up to 300%. The chief of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Japhet Moyo, recalls meeting a man who saw the price of medicine for his chronic illness rise so much in two months that it now costs almost his entire salary. In February, the man bought a month’s supply of the drugs for $95. This month he forked out $300. His monthly salary is $320.

“I asked him how he managed to meet the rest of his monthly expenses and he broke down weeping,” Moyo told AFP. Moyo is angry at the government for “putting on a brave face and giving the impression that the economy is on a rebound but on the ground things are going in the opposite direction“. The crisis has brought back memories of a decade ago when hyperinflation peaked at a grotesque 500 billion%, wiping out the Zimbabwean dollar.

“We are back to 2008,” said Tonderai Chitsvari, a resident in the Kuwadzana township of the capital Harare. “It’s a miracle how people are surviving“. A shortage of raw materials has caused huge difficulties for the country’s manufacturing sector. “Last year, we spent US$2.3 billion importing things like fruits and vegetables, soya beans, wheat… toothpaste and pharmaceuticals,” said Harare economist Gift Mugano. “This is a sign that we are not producing even the basics,” he added. “We are not talking about manufacturing an aeroplane here. We are talking about saving scarce foreign currency by growing wheat to bake our bread and soya beans to produce our own cooking oil.”

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries leader Sifelani Jabangwe said the government needs to channel scarce foreign currency to shore up distressed manufacturers. “We need to reduce… imports and promote local production,” he added. Formerly a regional breadbasket, Zimbabwe’s economy has been in a dire state for more than a decade, with the unemployment level soaring to more than 90%.

Many local companies have been forced to move abroad or shut up shop, while those that remained are operating below capacity due to the lack of foreign currency to import raw materials or upgrade machinery. Public anger over the economy contributed to the military intervention in November 2017 that finally brought down Mugabe, then 93.

Mnangagwa took over and went on to win disputed elections in July last year, vowing to turn Zimbabwe into a middle income economy by 2030. But less than three months after the vote, the economic turmoil of the Mugabe-era returned when a new two-percent tax on electronic transactions in October spawned shock price increases and fuel shortages. In January of this year the president imposed a more than 100-percent fuel price hike — purportedly to ease the shortages — but that sparked countrywide demonstrations that left at least 17 people dead when soldiers opened fire on the protesters.

Mnangagwa marked the country’s 39th independence anniversary on Thursday last week by slamming the new round of price hikes. “Government is alarmed by the recent, wanton and indiscriminate increases of prices which has brought about untold suffering to the people,” he said. It “is inhumane, unethical, unpatriotic and goes against the grain of economic dialogue which the second republic has espoused,” he told the crowd at a sports stadium in Harare.

Veteran independent economist John Robertson warned of the toll that the economic chaos was having on Zimbabweans. “Standards of living are going down” Robertson told AFP. “It’s going to affect their health, both mentally and physically, and reduce productivity.”

Moyo said people “are giving into stress. That’s why we are having so many cases of people said to have died after a short illness.” And the main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa warned in his independence day message on Twitter that “the stark reality is that most are reeling from abject poverty and frustrations. State decay, corruption & violence have shuttered the 1980 uhuru dream & ruined livelihoods“.

The Sowetan

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Zanu Pf Youth Boss Resigns

By Own Correspondent- Zanu Pf National Youth Political Commissar Godfrey Tseneganu has announced that he is voluntary resigning the position because he is no longer a youth.

Tsenengamu said:

“Youth Ends At 35 and I am 36 turning 37 soon. I am voluntarily stepping aside and real youths must take over. Ndosvikepi ndichinzi youth?”

The vibrant motor mouth youth leader rose to fame after being one of the foot soldiers that were instrumental in the  implantation of the November 2017 bloody coup that ended 37 years of Robert Mugabe’s rule. 

One of his popular press conference was when he told Bona Mugabe to tell Grace that when Mugabe dies she might be exiled if she tries to stop the then Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from succeeding Mugabe.

Tsenengamu also led a grouping of party youths to pass a Vote Of No Confidence on some senior Zanu Pf leaders including 52-year-old Pupurai Togarepi and Secretary for Youth Affairs Lewis Matutu.

The decisions were however overturned by the Politburo.

In the recent past Tsenengamu has been vocal in opposing some policies coming from the government of Mnangagwa.

When government advertised that it will be compensating white farmers Tsenengamu became vocal in opposing the policy. 

Tsenengamu is also on record calling for the resignation of the “elderly” within his party to retire and let the youths take over senior positions.

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“New MOPA A Replica And Worse Form Of POSA”: Opposition

By Own Correspondent- The Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill (MOPA) has been characterised as a reincarnation of the repressive Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

The MOPA Bill is part of moves to align the country’s laws with the new constitution. This is being done after the international community piled pressure on the “New Dispensation” to reform.

However, MDC Alliance MP for Mutare Central, Innocent Gonese said that MOPA is a copy of POSA.

He said:

“There are no changes at all in this new Bill compared to POSA. Actually, the changes are just cosmetic and it is very similar to the previous law (POSA) because we will still have the same problems of criminalisation and abuse of people who fail to notify the police when they engage in demonstrations or gatherings.

The police still have powers to prohibit meetings and this can be abused and I would describe the Bill as a regurgitation of POSA, except for that section 27 of POSA was struck down by the courts.

Obviously from the opposition perspective, we will not be supporting this Bill, but unfortunately, Zanu PF will use its numbers (majority) to vote for it.

Gonese added that the new Bill is merely a smokescreen to hoodwink the international community.

They are trying to hoodwink the international community that they are aligning laws to the Constitution, but if you look at the MOPA, it does not speak about repealing of POSA. It should have a clause that speaks about repealing POSA.-Newsday

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Zvishavane Man Beats Wife To A Pulp For Refusing To Sleep With Him

By Own Correspondent- An enraged 32-year-old man from Mandava suburb in Zvishavane whose wife refused to give him his conjugal rights for the past three months has been hauled to court for domestic violence after he beat her for refusing to let go of her embargo

Nobert Muchena appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Archie Wochiunga facing two counts of assault for assaulting his wife Constance Maclannan.

Muchena pleaded guilty to the charge

In mitigation, Muchena told the court that he assaulted his wife as she was denying him his conjugal rights.

“Your Worship, she is my wife and I don’t understand why she is refusing to sleep with me. She has been refusing to indulge in sex with me for more than three months, yet I am her husband. If she doesn’t want to satisfy me, who is she satisfying?” quizzed Muchena.

Magistrate Wochiunga sentenced Muchena to four months in prison with an option of a $250 fine.

“This court will be lenient with you since you are a first offender and you didn’t waste the court’s time by pleading guilty. You are therefore ordered to pay $250 fine and failure to that you will spend four months in prison,” said Wochiunga.-BMetro

The agreed facts were that on March 24 Muchena tried to engage in sex with his wife but she refused. This proved a bitter pill for him to swallow and he assaulted his wife with fists all over the body.

On March 25, Maclannan left home and went to fetch water from a nearby community tap.

Upon her return, Muchena asked for sex from his wife and she refused. A misunderstanding ensued, and Muchena accused his wife of being a hooker.

He assaulted the complainant with fists on her left eye and on the mouth.

She reported the matter to the police leading to Muchena’s arrest.

Lloyd Mavhiza represented the State

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S.A Unveils Collector Coins To Celebrate The Country’s 25yrs Of Democracy

R500 Coin

By Own Correspondent- The South African Mint has unveiled a set of new R50 and R500 collector coins, celebrating the country’s 25 years of democracy.

“This week 25 years ago, South Africans went to the polls in the country’s first democratic elections following the end of apartheid rule. To commemorate this milestone, the SA Mint has issued new collectable coins in base metal, sterling-silver and pure gold,” the group said.

The new collector coins feature a R50 sterling silver, R50 bronze alloy and R500 pure gold coin, all of which feature designs from South Africa’s young designers.

The R500 gold coin depicts South Africa’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, born of the country’s first democratic Constitution in 1994.

The design shows the building that houses the Constitutional Court, including the detail of the beautiful door which has the 27 constitutional rights engraved in its wood, as well as the skyline of Johannesburg in the background.

It was designed by architect Shaun Gaylard, who was inspired by the interaction between the building, its inhabitants and its visitors.

The Constitutional Court is situated in Johannesburg on Constitution Hill and is a living museum – telling the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy.

The R50 sterling-silver collectable coin features the constitutional democracy in action, symbolised by a line of people queuing to vote as they did on 27 April 1994 in the first democratic elections in South Africa. It was the first time that all South Africans were allowed to vote.

“The snake-like qualities of the queue of people running into the distance was the primary motivation for the design by Lady Skollie (Laura Windvogel) who drew inspiration from Khoisan rock paintings and the element of waiting for a better tomorrow (in a queue),” the SA Mint said.

The R50 bronze alloy coin carries the theme of “we the people’, words that feature prominently on the reverse of the coin by designer Peter Mammes.
The line is the preamble of the Constitution of South Africa. The two joined hands symbolising togetherness also depict people, ethnicity and religion. The detail in the pattern of the crosses draws attention to the ‘mark’ that voters make on the ballot paper, the SA Mint said.

Both the R50 sterling-silver and the R50 bronze alloy coins share a common obverse: the national coat of arms together with the date of issue, ‘2019′, and the words ‘South Africa’ written in all of the official languages.

The obverse of the R500 gold coin features the national coat of arms together with the date of issue, ‘2019′, and the words ‘South Africa’.

The bronze alloy and silver coins are now available, with the R500 coin going on sale in May.

“It is our most democratic coin thematically. The design ideas come from those born in a free South Africa in response to what freedom meant to them. We worked with many young and talented artists to bring to life their vivid imagery of a constitutional democracy,” said Tumi Tsehlo, MD of the SA Mint.–BusinessTech

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Poacher Shot Dead, 3 Colleagues Flee Naked

By Own Correspondent- A suspected poacher was shot dead in Hwange on Monday night by a team of game ranges and police officers.

Three poachers were reportedly taking a bath while one of them, armed with a rifle was on guard duty.

A firefight between the poachers and the officers resulted in the death of one poacher. The incident was confirmed by Zimbabwe National Parks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo.

He said:

“Yes, I can confirm that a poacher was shot dead on Monday night in Hwange National Park by our officers, who were on a joint patrol with police.

We are yet to inform the deceased’s next of kin. The patrol team came across four poachers, one keeping watch and armed with a rifle, while the other three were bathing.

There was an exchange of fire, resulting in the armed poacher getting shot, while his colleagues fled naked. Deceased was found 30 metres away from the scene and a rifle was recovered.

We cannot, at this time, publish the deceased’s name as his next of kin is yet to be notified.”-Newsday

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Wanted: Doctor, Nurse To Accompany Bulawayo Woman Mauled By Dogs To India

By Own Correspondent- The Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Raj  Modi has announced that he is looking for a nurse or doctor who can accompany a woman who had a flesh eaten by dogs in March.

The woman is supposed to travel to India for an operation after she lost several tendons in the attack.

Posting on Twitter on Friday Modi said,

“Needed urgently is a nurse or doctor with Advanced Cardiac/Trauma Life Support qualifications to fly to India with Cherish Muchegwa.

“We need someone who wants to save a life not someone after money. A volunteer will be most welcome if possible.”

Modi has been at forefront of publicising the plight of Muchegwa whose flesh was ripped and eaten by dogs belonging to her Bulawayo South landlord in March. 

NEEDED urgently is a nurse or doctor with Advanced Cardiac/Trauma Life Support qualifications to fly to India with Cherish Muchegwa. We need someone who wants to save a life not someone who is after money. A volunteer will be most welcome if possible.

The Bulawayo South MP called for funding from well wishers and organised car wash event to raise the USD$10 000 needed by Muchegwa for the operation in India.

Narrating her ordeal in March Muchegwa said she could hear her skin being ripped from her bones as the dogs feasted on her. 

She was saved by a neighbour who sustained injuries also in the process. 

The dogs were however killed.-BMetro

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Gweru Residents Reject Tarriff Hikes

By Own Correspondent- Gweru residents have rejected moves by the city council to increase rates to align them with the prevailing bank rates.

This follows a recent announcement by Mayor Josiah Makombe that the council could no longer afford to retain the prevailing rates on water, refuse and sewage since the devaluing of the bond notes currency by over 250%.

However, in an interview with a local publication, Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze said council was not a profit-making organisation and should seek strategies that can enhance its revenue base, instead of raising rates.

“There is need for the councillors to undertake citywide consultations and assessments by way of talking to residents about the intended supplementary budget. The residents at the moment are failing to pay the current rates, and so it’s unlikely they will afford higher charges,” he said.

“There is need to strike a balance between operational demands of council in providing services and the economic capacities of the communities which are supposed to be receiving services. Councils are not profit-making organisations and as such, they must operate on a cost-recovery basis, having the poor and marginalised communities at heart.”

The GRF leader urged council to look for supplementary income elsewhere and embark on profitable projects other than burdening the already struggling residents.

But Makombe stuck to his guns, saying for the local authority to remain afloat and continue providing services, there was an urgent need to start charging service charges and rates using the prevailing bank rate.

“Right now, for example, we are charging around 80c per kilolitre, an amount that is far less than a 500ml bottle of water that is being sold for about $1.50,” he said.

Government has already approved the $45 million 2019 budget for Gweru City Council and any supplementary financial plan would also have to get a nod from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.-Newsday

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Sex Worker Murders Infant To Continue With Her “Business”

By Own Correspondent- A 42-year-old hooker from Buso Village under Chief Chingoma in Mberengwa, threw her newborn baby into a Blair toilet as a way of maintaining and saving her “profession”.

Fadzai Zhou, appeared before Mberengwa magistrate Shepherd Munjanja facing two charges of infanticide and concealing child birth.

She pleaded guilty to the two charges and was sentenced to five months in prison, with an option of paying a $200 fine.

Zhou stunned the court when she said she killed her baby as she wanted to continue with sex work.

“Your Worship, I deeply regret my actions and I apologise to this honourable court. I was desperate to continue with my job, and a baby was going to be headache. I didn’t know who the father of my baby was, so I was left with no choice,” she told the court.

The court heard that on January 31 around 9pm, Zhou who was nine months pregnant at that time, felt labour pains while sleeping in her rented room at Yorks Growth Point in Mberengwa.

She took a plastic bag and a bucket of water and proceeded to a Blair toilet.

While in the toilet, she gave birth to a baby boy whom she placed in a plastic bag before dumping the plastic in the toilet.

After the incident, she cleaned herself up before going back to her bedroom to sleep.

The matter came to light after her neighbours alerted the police after noting that she was no longer pregnant.

Zhou led the police to the toilet where she had thrown the baby. The police managed to retrieve the baby, but it was already dead, and she was immediately arrested.

Michael Ncube prosecuted.-StateMedia

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Masiyiwa’s Rand Proposal Trashed By Government

Industry and Commerce minister, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has shot down the suggestion by billionaire telecoms tycoon Strive Masiyiwa for Zimbabwe to price all goods in South African rand to achieve price stability.

Masiyiwa recently said the country would do well to abandon the United States dollar as the currency of settlement for rand imports which account for 80% of goods sold in Zimbabwe, while also calling for the pricing of goods in the South African currency without necessarily joining the Rand Monetary Union.

Masiyiwa, whose Econet Group is one of the biggest companies in Zimbabwe, reacted after the price of bread almost doubled to ZWL$3,50 from ZWL$2 last week.

But in an interview in Plumtree, Ndlovu said the multi-currency system was ideal and advantageous because it allowed the country to have choice when trading.

“The multi-currency system is more advantageous in this regard than using one currency. We are flexible in trading in different currencies of the countries we trade in using their currencies. The issue of pricing needs a holistic approach,” he said.

“There is a tendency to profiteer. That’s why President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the clarion call that, although inflation is going up, we have to tackle it together with business and hope to address it in the near future.”

He said his ministry would engage those businesses who were pricing in rand and see how it has worked for them.

“We are going engage them and see how they are benefiting from pricing in the rand. However, we are very much disturbed by the unilateral price increase by businesses when we were in the middle of engaging each other,” he said.

Masiyiwa said if every business in Zimbabwe quoted their customers for goods and services in the SA rand, “it would go some way to eliminating the dollar arbitrage”.

“This is not the same thing as joining a rand monetary area, or customs union, which is a much more complex process. This one can be done overnight, and even voluntarily.”

Masiyiwa said over a million Zimbabweans living in South Africa can demand price parity in the rand.

He predicted that the switch to the rand as the main currency of trade would “improve the quality of life for our families and also improve general liquidity”.

-Newsday

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Dubai Jet For Mnangagwa Flight To ZITF

By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived in Bulawayo for the inaugural opening of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF)

Mnangagwa who arrived aboard his expensive jet, which he claims was given to him by his friends from Dubai is set to witness his Ugandan counterpart President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni officially open the ZIFT.

He was met at the Joshua Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo by Vice President Rtd Colonel Kembo Mohadi and other top government officials.

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Pastor, Nephew Burnt Alive Over Siblings Murder

By Own Correspondent- A White River pastor believed to have been behind the murder of two siblings and his brother were burnt alive in an act of mob justice.

The community of Mganduzweni outside White River, in Mpumalanga, allegedly beat and set alight a local pastor and his nephew, including torching their houses, after accusing them of raping and killing two siblings in the area.

Silindile Sifunda, 7, and her sister, Nontokozo, 6, went missing on Tuesday afternoon and were found dead in Mganduzweni village the following morning.

The community went on the rampage on Thursday and hunted down the  pastor and his nephew and allegedly beat them up, before  setting them alight. The pair died on the scene.

Community members, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Sowetan a local traditional healer pointed out the pastor and his nephew as the people who allegedly killed the two girls.

“After we found out that the children didn’t return home after going to play on Tuesday, we searched and but didn’t find them. On Wednesday, when we found out from a traditional healer that they have been killed by the pastor and his nephew, we  interrogated them and the nephew confessed that they raped the girls before killing them,” the community members said in unison.

“The nephew also told us that they removed some of the body parts of the victims and sold them  to three traditional healers. After burning the pastor and the nephew we went to look for the traditional healers but they ran away.”

Leonard Nsangwane, another community member, said they were tired of crime in the area and also blamed the police of doing nothing to arrest the criminals.

“There’s no way we can leave with criminals, we had to take the law into our own  hands. We live in fear here and we want to get rid of all the criminals who kill our children.   We found evidence that these people [the pastor and his nephew] killed these kids after they made a confession,” said Nsangwane.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi dismissed the claims that police were not doing enough to arrest the crime in the area.

Hlathi also warned members of the community to not take the law into their own hands, but to inform the police about criminal activities.

Hlathi said they were investigating cases of murder and arson, adding that no one has been arrested.

He scoffed at the claims that by community members that  the victims’ private parts were missing, saying the postmortem didn’t confirm that.

A Walter Sisulu University student at the Mthatha campus has been killed after he was allegedly assaulted by fellow students and thrown off a third …NEWS1 week ago

“Police believe these atrocious deeds may have been fuelled by rumours that are doing the rounds saying that the young siblings may have had certain body parts mutilated.”

“Preliminary investigation conducted at the scene [suggests] there were no such missing body parts. Members of the community are further urged to refrain from reckless rumour mongering which may have adverse repercussions when coming to sensitive matters like this one,” he said.

Hlathi said that a sangoma may have been consulted who in turn pointed towards the two slain men as being the ones responsible for the siblings’ demise.

“People are requested to bring such information to the relevant authorities instead, as opposed to going on the rampage attacking and killing people,” he added.

Police were now pursuing those who were part of the deadly mob.-Sowetan

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ZNA Disowns 303 Riffle Abandoned By Poachers

By Own Correspondent- The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have both disowned a 303 rifle that was abandoned by suspected poachers in Bubye Conservancy.

The poachers encountered game rangers last week in the Conservancy and ran away, leaving the gun behind.

ZNA spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore said in a statement:

It has since been established from police records that the weapon in question is actually a 303 rifle whose serial number is L9422 and not an AK47 as reported in the media.

In an interview with a local publication Officer Commanding Beitbridge Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said:

:The serial number of that gun is not in the Firearms Registry. We are still trying to investigate its origins, but it is not correct to say it is from the Zimbabwe National Army. Police are still investigating.

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EU Speaks On ED’S Reforms

By Own Correspondent- The European Union (EU) has added their voice on how President Emmerson Mnangagwa is working towards the attainment of political and economic reforms in Zimbabwe, saying that this was a positive step.

Speaking after meeting President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare where a number of political and economic issues were discussed, EU head of delegation Ambassador Timo Olkkonen said the recent announcement of the Staff Monitored Programme (SMP), alignment of the Constitution and commitment to replace the Public Order and Security Act was a welcome development.

“Now, we have recently seen positive steps. The Staff Monitored Programme by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is certainly one of those. We have seen movement on the constitutional alignment agenda, the Media Bills, the replacement of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA),” said Ambassador Olkkonen.

The SMP announced at the beginning of the month is aimed at implementing a set of policies that can facilitate a return to macro-economic stability.

These policies, which are anchored on the country’s Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP), emphasise  on fiscal consolidation, elimination of central bank financing of the fiscal deficit, and adoption of reforms that allow market forces to drive the effective functioning of foreign exchange and other financial markets.

On democratic and political reforms, Cabinet has since approved formulation of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill to replace the Public Order and Security Act and is working on other Bills to replace the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Ambassador Olkkonen said although there has been a lot of questions about these media laws, it was important to note that discussions around them have already started and are going forward.

“I know there is criticism and questions about the details of those Acts but I think it is important that there is a discussion starting and going on now about those things and making sure that the legislative agenda moves forward and that is by the way an area the EU is supporting, financially through technical assistance. Recently we have seen positive steps,” said Ambassador Olkkonen.

He however, said there has been a lot of expectations from Brussels and other European capitals concerning political and economic reforms in the country since the announcement of the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and electoral reforms.

“We had a good, a candid discussion on a wide range of topics about the political and economic reform agenda that the Government is implementing in Zimbabwe. We are very much supportive of the processes and even financially supporting parts of that agenda such as the Constitutional alignment agenda that we are supporting,” he said.

He said they also discussed the post-election disturbances that affected mostly the central business district in Harare and measures Government was putting in place to mitigate similar events from occurring again as well as implementation of recommendations of the Motlanthe Commission.

Through the TSP, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into a middle income economy by 2030 and running under the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra, the country has also relooked into judicial laws relating to settling of disputes. As a result, small claims courts have been established across the country to deal with civil disputes and commercial crimes.

Government is also working on establishment of a One Stop Investment Service Centre (OSISC), which seeks to do away with bureaucratic processes investors sometimes come across.-StateMedia

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Landlord Drags Female Tenant To Court For Walking Naked Around The House

By Own Correspondent- Oscar Sibanda from New Lobengula suburb in Bulawayo has dragged his tenant Theresa Kumbota for allegedly seducing him by walking around the house naked.

Sibanda claimed Kumbota was sexually provoking him by walking naked around the house.

In his suit for a peace order against Kumbota, Sibanda passionately prayed to the court to stop Kumbota from sexually abusing him with her eye-popping shows.

“For the past few months our tenant Theresa Kumbota who is residing at our family house has been emotionally and sexually abusing me. Many times she walks around the house undressed or half dressed saying if I want to be her Ben 10 or sleep with her I should say it. 

“Her behaviour of walking around the house undressed sexually provokes me. She is also physically abusing my sister and loudly shouts vulgar words aimed at provoking me. 

“She has also threatened to make false rape allegations against me. This was after I served her with court papers for a peace order. As a result of her uncouth behaviour I am kindly appealing for a peace order to be granted against her so that I may live in peace at our house,” complained Sibanda.

He said Kumbota usually got abusive after she got drunk.

In response Kumbota refuted her landlord’s accusations saying he was the one who was in the habit of “spying” on her whenever she was in the bathroom.-B.Metro

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Monica Mutsvangwa In China For The Second Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum

By Own Correspondent- Information and Publicity minister Monica Mutsvangwa is in China where she is attending the Second Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum.

Said the ministry that she heads in a tweet:

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Cyclone Kenneth Claims One: Report

By Own Correspondent- One person has died after Cyclone Kenneth hit northern Mozambique on Thursday, a report has claimed.

The development comes barely a month after another natural disaster Tropical Cyclone Idai hit the country leaving a trail of disaster and hundreds of citizens dead and missing.

Category three Cyclone Kenneth, packing winds of 160 kilometres (miles) an hour, struck the north coast’s Cabo Delgado province late Thursday after swiping the Comoros islands.

The United Nations warned of flash flooding and landslides as Mozambique’s emergency situation institute (INGC) reported one person was killed by a falling coconut tree at Pemba in Cabo Delgado.

On the tourist island of Ibo, 90 percent of homes for the 6,000 population had been flattened, said a spokesman for the institute, Antonio Beleza.

“I don’t expect to find my hotel undamaged,” said Swiss hotel owner Lucie Amr, who took refuge in the Ibo fort alongside many local residents.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued a statement announcing the cyclone had made landfall in the north.

“The cyclone is expected to bring heavy rains in the area for several days, with over 600 millimetres rainfall expected.”

Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could trigger waves off Mozambique’s northeastern shore as much as five metres (16 feet) higher than usual.

“I was quite preoccupied by the sea because they announced six metre waves… the wind was very strong, and I’ve never seen anything like it in my 15 years in Pemba,” a Portuguese owner of a lodge on Wimby beach, Anabela Moreira, told AFP.

Local journalist Jonas Wazir said: “some precarious houses had fallen down”.

Wazir said the electricity supply in the city was down and strong winds were gusting since this afternoon.

The Red Cross warned it was “especially concerned” about the storm’s impact, as many communities in Mozambique are still recovering from a cyclone that hit on the night of March 14-15.

The most powerful storm to strike the region in decades, Cyclone Idai cut a path of destruction through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. It left more than 1,000 dead, causing damage estimated at around $2 billion (1.8 billion euros).

Kenneth passed by the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of Comoros on Thursday, battering it with high winds and heavy rains, the country’s Meteorological Office wrote on Facebook.

– Tanzania concern –

Tanzanian authorities ordered schools and businesses shut in some southern districts on Thursday and urged people to brace for extreme winds and rain.

The Tanzanian provinces of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma were at highest risk and could experience strong winds and downpours from the middle of the Thursday, the country’s meteorological agency said.

Residents in Mtwara were already leaving the coastal enclave with their families, some on foot, for emergency shelters, witnesses told AFP by phone.

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Cyclone Idai Latest Update By USAid

ZIMBABWE
Current Situation • On April 23, the Government of Zimbabwe (GoZ) Ministry of Health and Child Care and relief actors concluded the first round of an oral cholera vaccination campaign, which targeted nearly 4438,000 people in rhius.u;ruqui and Chipinge districts, Manicaland Province, the L’N reports. The GoZ and relief actors plan to conduct a second round of cholera vaccinations in early May. Health actors had not congrmed any cholera cases in Ch4n.n*mani Chipinge, or other cyclone-affected districts of Zimbabwe as of April 26; however, the cyclone coned flooding that damaged WASH infrastructure, increasing the risk of transmission of waterborne disease-including choleza-among local populations.

• Local anthozities estimate that the cyclone displaced approximately 60,000 people in the four worst-affected districts-Manicaland’s Bashera, Chimanimani, Chipinge, and Mntare districts. Up to 96 percent of the IDPs are currently residing with host communities. The UN reports that the remaining 2,400 IDPs are honsed in more than 20 camp-like sites, the majority of which are in Ch+cnau,su.sui

• Dne to recent cold and wet weather in affected areas of Zimbabwe, relief actors are prioritizing the distribution of blankets and shelter supplies, according to the UN. WHO reports a 10 percent increase in acute respiratory infections from early to mid-April, which may indicate exposure to adverse ‘weather is contributing to deteriorating health conditions. Relief actors operating in Chisnsuim.ini also report that poor weather has hampered the delivery of medical supplies to affected areas of the district

• Relief actors have provided emergency food assistance to approximately 200,000 people in affected areas since the beginning of the emergency, according to the UN. This fignre includes more than 7,500 people assisted thrones a blanket supplementary feeding program instituted in the worst-affected wards of the two districts. A joint needs verification assessment conducted by relief actors and GoZ representatives identified nearly 192,000 food-insecure people in Chimanimani and Chipinge.

• The L’N estimates that approximately 15,000 women and girls in affected areas of Zimbabwe are at ask of gender-based violence (GBV). Relief actors operating in Zimbabwe are providing psychosocial support and GBV sensitization and have trained 30 facilitators in Chimanimani on GBV surveillance tools. Additionally, relief actors have documented more than 170 smaccompanied and separated children in affected areas, of whom nearly 20 children hare since been reunified with caregivers and family menabers, the remaining children have been placed in kinship care arrangements or alternative residential settings.

• As of April 17, nearly 70,500 people in Chimaniznani and Chipinge have regained access to safe chinking water through water trucking services, temporary repairs to water systems, and the provision of water treatment tablets, according to the UN. Repairs to the municipal water systems in Chimanimani and Chipinge towns and the sewer system in Chimanisnani district’s Ngangn town were ongoing as of April 17. The UN also reports that more than 5,000 household latrines in affected areas of Ilanicaland have been damaged or destroyed. Authorities in all affected districts are currently conducting ward-level WASH assessments to determine specific rehabilitation needs.

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Human Rights Watch Condemns Sexual Exploitation Of Cyclone Victims

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Mozambican authorities Thursday to prosecute perpetrators accused of sexually exploiting some of the tens of thousands of women who were affected by Cyclone Idai, in exchange for food and aid.

The velocity of Cyclone Idai, which hit March 14, blew away electricity power lines and trees, levelled many homes and businesses to the ground and left survivors with nothing but debris to sort though.

According to HRW, various local community leaders in Nhamatanda district, some linked to the ruling Frelimo party, have been coercing women into having sex in exchange for “a bag of rice” or to have their names included on aid distribution lists.

“The sexual exploitation of women struggling to feed their families after Cyclone Idai is revolting and cruel and should be stopped immediately,” said HRW’s southern Africa director Dewa Mavhinga. 

“Emergency aid should be given freely to all people in need, and the government along with aid providers should ensure that aid distribution is never used as an opportunity to commit abuse,” Mavhinga said.

Humanitarian agencies have been racing to feed, clothe, accommodate and get healthcare to survivors of the storm.

The UN has appealed for donations of $282 million (253 million euros) to fund emergency assistance for the next three months.

-‘Only a kilo of beans’-

The International Monetary Fund board last week approved a zero-interest, $118.2-million loan for recovery efforts in Mozambique. 

The UN World Food Programme says it has reached one million people with food assistance.

But women in the town of Mbimbir, Nhamatanda district, where humanitarian aid did not arrive until April 5 because flooding had left the area inaccessible by road, say they have been coerced into doing sexual favours in exchange for food by leaders who compiled beneficiary lists.  

“When he arrived, he placed the bags on the floor, and started touching his thing [penis] and told me it was now my turn [to] thank him,” she said. “I told my children to go to my friend’s house. When they left, I slept with him.”

Another woman with four children recalled: “He said he could help me if I was nice to him. We agreed on a time to meet and do the thing [have sex].” 

The woman, who comes from a household of 17 extended family members, added that she was given “only a kilo of beans” in return. When she complained, the community leader told her “tomorrow there will be more”.

No arrests or disciplinary measures have been taken against those accused.

Earlier in April, three people were arrested on suspicion of allegedly diverting at least 19 bags of rice, 19 bags of flour, 11 bags of soybeans and 100 kilogrammes (220 pounds) of beans in relief.

Cyclone Idai, which cut a deadly swathe through Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe last month, left more than two million people — 1.85 million of them in Mozambique — affected by the storm.

The damage by Idai is estimated by the World Bank to cost the three countries more than $2 billion (1.8 billion euros).

-AFP

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Man Collapses And Dies After Learning That Lover Had Eloped To S.A With New Lover

By Own Correspondent- A Binga man, who had managed to save enough money to pay bride price collapsed and died after learning that his lover of many years has eloped with another man to South Africa.

The man, Trydon Mkuli, 25, of Siachilaba Village was so excited to learn that his girlfriend Janice Sithole had returned from South Africa that he rushed over to her home to inform her that he had finally raised enough money to pay for her bride price.

Unfortunately, for Mkuli, he learnt that Sithole had just left for South Africa with her new lover, leading to him collapsing and dying.

Trydon’s brother, James Mkuli, told a local publication:

“After hearing that Sithole was around he decided to go and see her. When he got to her home he must have been shocked to hear that she had just left for South Africa with her new lover. He then collapsed and immediately died.

As a family, we were so hurt and we could not understand why he had to die in such a painful way.”

Siachilaba councillor John Sikaboto confirmed the incident saying,

I learnt with sadness of Trydon’s death and it’s a pity we do not have a clinic nearby so they failed to take him to the clinic and soon after realised he had died.-StateMedia

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Gvnt Trashes Masiyiwa’s Rand Proposal, Insists Multi Currency System Is Ideal

By Own Correspondent- Industry and Commerce minister, Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has shot down Econet founder, Strive Masiyiwa’s suggestion for Zimbabwe to price all goods in South African rand to achieve price stability.

Masiyiwa recently said the country would do well to abandon the United States dollar as the currency of settlement for rand imports which account for 80% of goods sold in Zimbabwe.

He called for the pricing of goods in the South African currency without necessarily joining the Rand Monetary Union.

Masiyiwa, whose Econet Group is one of the biggest companies in Zimbabwe, reacted after the price of bread almost doubled to ZWL$3,50 from ZWL$2 last week.

In a recent interview in Plumtree, Ndlovu said the multi-currency system was ideal and advantageous because it allowed the country to have choice when trading.

He said:

“The multi-currency system is more advantageous in this regard than using one currency. We are flexible in trading in different currencies of the countries we trade in using their currencies. The issue of pricing needs a holistic approach.

There is a tendency to profiteer. That’s why President Emmerson Mnangagwa made the clarion call that, although inflation is going up, we have to tackle it together with business and hope to address it in the near future.”

We are going engage them and see how they are benefiting from pricing in the rand. However, we are very much disturbed by the unilateral price increase by businesses when we were in the middle of engaging each other.”

Masiyiwa said if every business in Zimbabwe quoted their customers for goods and services in the SA rand, “it would go some way to eliminating the dollar arbitrage”.

“This is not the same thing as joining a rand monetary area, or customs union, which is a much more complex process. This one can be done overnight, and even voluntarily.”

Masiyiwa said over a million Zimbabweans living in South Africa can demand price parity in the rand.

He predicted that the switch to the rand as the main currency of trade would “improve the quality of life for our families and also improve general liquidity”.

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HSB Makes New Appointments For Harare, Chitungwiza Central Hospitals

By Own Correspondent- The Health Services Board (HSB) has appointed Dr Tinashe Dhobbie as chief executive for Harare Central Hospital taking over from Dr Nyasha Masuka who resigned at the beginning of the month.

The board also appointed Dr Enock Mayida as chief executive of Chitungwiza Central Hospital, taking over from Dr Obadiah Moyo who is now the Minister of Health and Child Care.

Dr Dhobbie has been serving as a public health physician with the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional  Services and Dr Mayida as a specialist general practitioner.

HSB board chairman Dr Paulinus Sikhosana yesterday confirmed the appointments saying the duo is expected to start work immediately.

Dr Sikhosana, however, said the board is yet to advertise the post of chief executive for Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals following the retirement of its long serving boss Mr Thomas Zigora at the beginning of the month.

“Ordinarily we would not want to keep the posts vacant for a long time and we should soon be advertising for interested candidates,” said Dr Sikhosana.

Government is working on reformation of the public sector through a number of initiatives, which include changing its existing orientation, structure, functioning, performance and efficiency.

Recently, there were concerns on the way health institutions particularly hospitals and procurement entities were being run with those in authority showing a lack of urgency, resulting in poor delivery of health services.

Some of the challenges facing public health institutions have since been attributed to poor administration.

Although Chitungwiza Central Hospital has been competing with private health institutions in the country in recent years Parirenyatwa and Harare hospitals have been struggling to discharge their mandate.

Drug shortages including even basic sundries and equipment, over-crowding evidenced by floor beds and long queues, staff attitudes are some of the challenges facing these other public health institutions.

Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals are also not spared.

Meanwhile, Government is yet to appoint a board for the National Aids Council (NAC) following dissolution of the previous board.

The organisation is also operating with an acting chief executive officer, Mr Raymond Yekeye following the retirement of its long serving chief executive Dr Tapuwa Magure.-StateMedia

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“Runyoka” Backfires For Redcliff Faith Healer, As Mob Beats Him To Death Over Failure To Reverse Spell

By Own Correspondent- A faith healer from Redcliff died after a mob meted ‘instant justice’ on him over failure to heal a man suffering from runyoka/lunyoka.

According to local tradition, runyoka is a condition which affects a man who would have slept with a woman, whose husband or partner has ‘centrally locked her’ if she sleeps with anyone else but him. The spell can result in the death of the affected man.

According to B-Metro, the faith healer, Tapiwa Mubaiwa, was beaten to death by an angry mob after he had failed to treat one Tony Siziba who was allegedly suffering from runyoka after he had bedded a married woman.

Siziba’s relatives and friends had taken him to Mubaiwa who promised to treat the matter within minutes and demanded a cow upfront as his payment.

Unfortunately for Mubaiwa, he failed to deliver on his promise and the mob which was incensed at having paid the cow quickly descended on him and beat him up severely until he lost consciousness. He later died while he was being transported to a hospital.

After realising what they had done the perpetrators, Edmore Mpofu, Anderson Tshuma, Tony Siziba, and a Denford went into hiding.

Mpofu was later apprehended and appeared before Kwekwe Magistrate Vimbai Mtukwa facing a murder charge. He was denied bail and remanded in custody to May 7.

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Shock As Teacher Knock Out Grade 3 Learner’s Teeth Over Failure To Solve Maths

By Own Correspondent- A teacher at Queen Elizabeth Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Primary School in Bulawayo was arrested after he allegedly knocked a Grade 3 pupil against a desk resulting in the child losing a tooth over failure to solve a Mathematics problem.

The incident also saw the learner’ s three other lower teeth becoming loose.

It is reported that during a Mathematics session, the teacher, Sanele Khumalo, was enraged after the pupil who cannot be named for ethical reasons, failed to solve a long division sum.

Khumalo who is now facing assault charges, was reportedly relieved of his duties after the incident.

Narrating the shocking occurrence to a local publication, the boy’s mother said as a parent, she felt frustrated, saddened and disappointed.

“I sent my son to Queen Elizabeth Adventist Primary School, a Christian school with faith and hope that he will be safe and be treated in kindness. I thought he would be safe from corporal punishment but sadly he suffered a permanent injury that has robbed him of his teeth.

She decided to take this bold move after the school failed to help her with paying the bills.

She said there were also attempts by the school to force her to withdraw the matter but she refused, saying the assault on her son was serious and could not be condoned.

According to a report which was compiled by the school’s director Ellen Mfumu, in a fit of rage, Khumalo allegedly hit the pupil against the desk resulting in him sustaining a broken tooth.

She (Mfumu) however, declined comment on the incident saying she was not at liberty to speak to the Press.-StateMedia

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Cyclone Idai Survivors Trade Sex For Food

The Mozambique authorities should urgently investigate and appropriately prosecute alleged sexual exploitation of Cyclone Idai victims by local officials, Human Rights Watch said today. Hunger and destruction caused by the cyclone have left hundreds of thousands of women vulnerable to abuse.

Victims, residents, and aid workers told Human Rights Watch that local community leaders, some linked to the ruling Frelimo party, demanded money from people affected by the cyclone in exchange for including their names on the aid distribution list. In some cases, women without money were instead coerced into engaging in sex with local leaders in exchange for a bag of rice.

“The sexual exploitation of women struggling to feed their families after Cyclone Idai is revolting and cruel and should be stopped immediately,” said Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should promptly investigate reports of women being coerced into exchanging sex for food and appropriately punish anyone using their position of power to exploit and abuse women.”

On March 14, 2019, Tropical Cyclone Idai hit near the coastal city of Beira, bringing heavy rains that left entire villages in Manica, Sofala, and Zambezia provinces submerged as floodwaters rose. Tens of thousands of people were displaced and, according to the United Nations, over 1.85 million people, most of them women and children, are urgently in need of assistance.

The UN World Food Programme said it has reached one million people with food assistance, in coordination with the government and the National Institute for Disaster Management, but many others have yet to receive any assistance. The national agency distributes packages of food aid in coordination with local authorities based on a list of beneficiaries compiled by community leaders, including administrators and neighborhood secretaries.

A local community leader in the town of Tica, Nhamatanda district, told Human Rights Watch that in some cases, where access by road is impossible, local community leaders are responsible for storing the food and distributing it to families on a weekly basis. She said that, “Because the food is not enough for everyone,” some local leaders have exploited the situation by charging people to include their names on the distribution lists.

One aid worker said that the distribution list often contains only the names of male heads of households, and excludes families headed by women. “In some of the villages, women and their children have not seen any food for weeks,” she said. “They would do anything for food, including sleeping with men in charge of the food distribution.”

Another aid worker said that her international organization had received reports of sexual abuse of women not only in their villages, but also in camps for internally displaced people. She said they were monitoring the situation and training people to raise awareness among women and to report any cases of sexual exploitation or abuse.

Human Rights Watch on April 18 spoke by phone with three women in the town of Mbimbir, Nhamatanda district, where humanitarian aid did not arrive until April 5 because flooding had left the area inaccessible by road. All three said that local officials had coerced them into exchanging sex for food aid. One woman said that for weeks she had been struggling to feed her children on wet corn and fruits they managed to pick up as the ground dried out.

She said that when the food distribution started on April 6, a man locally known as a Frelimo secretary who oversaw the distribution list told her that her name was not on the list. He told her to go wait at home, and that he would come later “to help her if she helped him too.” She said that in the evening, the man brought a bag of rice, a bag of corn flour, and one kilo of beans. “When he arrived, he placed the bags on the floor, and started touching his thing [penis] and told me it was now my turn thank him,” she said. “I told my children to go to my friend’s house. When they left, I slept with him.”

Another woman, with four children, said that only her father had his name on the list and the food allocated to him was not enough for their entire household of 17. She spoke to a community leader who offered to help. “He said he could help me if I was nice to him,” she said. “We agreed on a time to meet and do the thing [have sex]. When we finished, he gave me only a kilo of beans. When I complained, he said ‘Tomorrow there will be more.’”

Human Rights Watch on April 22 spoke with two young women from Nhamatanda district who alleged that a local leader from Tica, who had been implicated in similar abuses, coerced them into sex in exchange for adding their names to the distribution list. Both refused to give details, fearing reprisals. One of the women said that a local official had reprimanded them “for speaking out on the issue.”

A community official told Human Rights Watch that the Tica town administrator called in the leader implicated in sexual exploitation for questioning – but no disciplinary action was taken against him. Another local leader in Nhamatanda district confirmed that community leaders had met with the man, and that he denied the allegations.

The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement provide that internally displaced people “have the right to request and to receive protection and humanitarian assistance” from authorities and “not be persecuted or punished for making such a request.” Those providing assistance need to respect the “human rights of internally displaced persons and take appropriate measures in this regard.”

The Mozambican government should urgently adopt measures to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse of cyclone victims and create an environment in which women can come forward and report abuses, Human Rights Watch said. International partners, particularly the UN, should ensure greater oversight of the conduct of local officials during the distribution of humanitarian aid.

“The Mozambican authorities have an obligation to ensure that everyone gets the protection they need in this situation, including vulnerable women at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse,” Mavhinga said. “Emergency aid should be given freely to all people in need, and the government along with aid providers should ensure that aid distribution is never used as an opportunity to commit abuse.”

-HRW

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Elikem Wasnt Ready To Be A Husband: Pokello

Socialite and businesswoman Pokello Nare has finally let the cat out of the bag on what led to her unexpected break up with Elikem Kumordzie after 4 years of marriage to the fellow Big Brother housemate.

The couple’s fairy-tale marriage crumbled with both parties choosing not to reveal what led to the breakup with Elikem filing for divorce stating ‘irreconcilable differences’.

Pokello bared her soul at last on a social media question and answer session.

A fan asked her why she broke up with the Ghanaian hunk and she had this to say:

He wasn’t ready to be a Husband. And unfortunately after 4 years of trying to be patient with-all his Transgressions. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

However she revealed that they have moved on past the tension and hard feelings, stating that relations are now cordial between them.

“I think we cool now. Some days are tense but I think it will get better”

On the other side Elikem is yet to give his side of the story on what went wrong between him and Pokello.

Both parties have moved on and found happiness with other people. Pokello is involved with businessman Ronald Muzambi while Elikem is engaged to another Zimbabwean woman Edith Chibhamu.

-Online

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Mohadi, Guilty Just By Your By Silence

By Nomazulu Thata|On the day domestic crime was meted brutally against our own, our fellow woman; the Honourable Tambudzani Mohadi, we waited to see if the arm of government, the police were dutifully going to take state action and arrest Vice President Mohadi for the satanic and criminal behaviour he committed against the right honourable Tambudzani Mohadi, his ex-wife.

NOMAZULU-THATA

We expected the law to take its course. We expected, it seems to us now, too much from a country that is not a nation, a nation has rules and a constitution and laws in place to protect its citizens. When it comes to domestic violence, the law ceases to exist in Zimbabwe. So to speak Vice President Kembo Mohadi is the law unto himself, he can do what he wants, could even harm: kill if he felt like it. Indeed Mohadi went to Honourable Tambudzani’s home: his former wife, armed with an axe and a shot gun, weapons of female destruction, he wanted to use to murder his wife and finish her once and for all. He used an axe to break the doors to get access into the home.

It is sad, sarcastic and bitter still to know that VP Mohadi had “police escort” and “presidential security details” when he forcefully entered into honourable Tambudzani Mohadi’s home demanding cars that did not belong to him. (Akaita madiro a Geogina: this means he did what he wanted to do without any form of police hindrance: even at that moment of rage whereby he had an upper hand, he was still protected by the police and security details) Honourable Tambudzani Mohadi was stripped of her dignity at the glare of the social media. She was subject to life and death by a whole Vice President of Zimbabwe, once upon a time her husband, the third highest civil servant in the land.

All those criminal acts happening at her home were filmed. Honourable Tambudzani was to be arbitrary deprived of her personal property: even a car that was given to her to execute her senatorial duties was taken away from her that day because the Vice President Mohadi is incensed in giving her maximum punishment.

Kembo Mohadi apparently approved of the filming of the brutal, barbaric events done at the catch of journalistic eyes wholly meant to be uploaded to the wider media to send a clear message to all women out there: this is what happens to a woman who does not conform to unequal gender laws and traditions of the land, laws that tell us we are disposables. Those community laws that privilege or ascribe higher status to men and lower status to women, wholly not written or documented, must be adhered to by all women in Zimbabwe.

A woman in Zimbabwe ranks third in our communities; they are rated worse than children: in our societies; men inherently hate children and minors because of their social dependency to fathers. They are loved again when they are grown up. How many of us women in Zimbabwe have been hacked to dead by axes and knives; the weapons of female destruction? In today’s Bulawayo 24 social media I read that a woman has been hacked to death by the same weapon of female destruction we all women in Zimbabwe fear. This rage had to be caught on social media and distributed out there as a warning to all of us rebel women who dare it.

It is not easy to comprehend the thought processes of a whole Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The first pertinent question one has to ask is: are we ruled by criminals? How do citizens who commit crimes against womanity, misogynists per se, inflict such abominable in a home and go scot free. Has VP Kembo Mohadi ever read the constitution of Zimbabwe and what it says about the sanctity of life? Why the good government mum about atrocities is committed crimes daylight, even filmed by the approval of the third powerful man in the land: Mr. Kembo Mohadi?

Not long ago, Vice President Kembo was caught on camera with a minor on his lap. There was a public outrage following those pictures of a girl fondled by Kembo Mohadi at his office. No further investigation of child sexual abuse was done. We know, it is public knowledge that Mohadi is someone who is very ill. He has been going for treatment in foreign hospitals suffering of an undisclosed illness. We witness this outrageous behaviour of a top civil servant showing antisocial personal disorder towards his ex wife, Senator Tambudzani Mohadi. Vice President Kembo Mohadi is not only physiologically ill but mentally unstable as well evidenced by how he arms himself with an axe to forcefully enter his former wife’s home, demand keys for the cars in the yard using his powerful political position as vice president to do what he wants including all the police and his security details.

We women of Zimbabwe should applaud the stand reaction that Honourable Temba Mliswa he took towards Mohadi. He totally disapproved VP’s reaction towards his ex-wife and demanded his immediate resignation. But because Zimbabwe is just a land and not a nation that upholds noble values enshrined in the constitution, Mohadi was not reprimanded and he did not resign and President Mnangagwa did not react to these atrocities. According to Mnangagwa, this is a domestic affair that does not need any further consideration: just like many other crimes of domestic violence in Zimbabwe.

The UN-Entity, Equality and the Empowerment of Women stipulate that violence against women is not a private matter but a human rights responsibility. The UN- Human Rights stipulates that women in all countries irrespective of status, class, age, caste, or religion experience violence virtual in all spheres of life. Whether in the home or in schools, at work, in the streets in government institutions or in times of conflict or crisis, violence against women and girls is relevant and present. Violence against women is present throughout the life spine of a woman, affecting girls and older women equally and it affects women everywhere, says the UN body responsible.

The UN-Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner: appeals to all global nations and states that governments have the obligation to act with due diligence to address and respond to all acts of violence against women. This statement is very important in this Mohadi context. If the Vice President Mr. Mohadi, the third president of Zimbabwe is the person who violets this international convention, who do we women of Zimbabwe turn to for assistance, help and protection. We women of Zimbabwe are at the mercy of the Mohadis of Zimbabwe who act as if he is the state himself in the state: when it comes to domestic violence they can act with impunity. The Mohadi situation is not isolated case; there are several incidences of this nature that have been legally covered up to protect the men in higher positions: Professor Welshman Ncube has a similar scandal. For Professor Ncube it is a story for another day; in short, his love-daughter is at the point of madness in South Africa.

According to the document of the UN, “International standards recognize violence against women as a form of discrimination and requires states to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish all acts of violence against women.” We have a whole vice president in power who is the perpetrator of domestic violence. The First President: Mr. Mnangagwa has done nothing so far to this issue although this case is as fresh as yesterday this happened between March and April this year. The president works with the vice president at the same building and it begs so many questions why this national issue is not addressed to the satisfaction of the Zimbabwean people. This inaction of the First President gives sad precedence that men can get away easily with violent and murderous situations.

This issue regarding our sister Tambudzani Mohadi is a serious violation of human rights, not because she in the limelight, she is a Senator in Zimbabwe Parliament: this case exposes our vulnerability as women; we live in a country (not a nation) that has no values to female lives. Curiously just under a month ago, the First Lady Mrs Auxilia Mnangagwa was in New York: UN conference on CEDAW. That conference is a powerful conference that informs us about all forms of violence and what we women should do to curb domestic violence. So far we have not had a word from the First Lady regarding this high profile, near death situation of our sister Mrs. Mohadi. We would have thought that her going to such international conferences is for the benefit of Zimbabwean women: practically implement strategies she learnt from the UN conference on Zimbabwean women. A test case is on her lap and she cannot act to protect Senator Mohadi!

There is need to seek practical assistance in international organisations: our government should get some reprimand from international bodies UNDP, UNODC, OHCHC and CEDAW. We are just tired of being scared of the powers of the regime that does not protect its citizens. The arm of the Zimbabwe police is selective. But because we are tired of being scared we have to seek practical assistance, we shall appeal to international bodies and governments for assistance. Sending this letter to all international bodies and highlight to them what we are going through in Zimbabwe is the entry point. The international governments will be informed about the primitivism of our government.

For not standing up to defend our sister Honourable Tambudzani Mohadi we make ourselves guilty just by our silence.
Nomazulu Thata

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Naked Poachers Escape Arrest In Hwange National Park

A suspected poacher was shot dead on Monday night in Hwange National Park, while his three accomplices escaped naked following a gunfire exchange with Zimparks patrol officers.

The deceased, who is believed to be a local, was standing guard and armed with a rifle, while his three colleagues took a bath when a patrol team comprising parks rangers and police officers spotted them.

Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said a gunfire exchange with poachers resulted in the tragic death of one of the poachers.

“Yes, I can confirm that a poacher was shot dead on Monday night in Hwange National Park by our officers, who were on a joint patrol with police. We are yet to inform the deceased’s next of kin. The patrol team came across four poachers, one keeping watch and armed with a rifle, while the other three were bathing,” Farawo said.

“There was an exchange of fire, resulting in the armed poacher getting shot, while his colleagues fled naked. Deceased was found 30 metres away from the scene and a rifle was recovered. We cannot, at this time, publish deceased’s name as his next of kin is yet to be notified.”

Farawo said ongoing investigations have so far revealed that the poachers are Zimbabweans.

The Zimparks spokesperson said though it was unfortunate that a life had been lost, the wildlife authority had a role to play in protecting the country’s national parks.

“It’s unfortunate that a life has been lost, but we are saying national parks are protected areas and if you are found there, the law takes its course. If you shoot at our officers, they will shoot back without hesitating. We will continue to protect our wildlife for future generations,” he said.

-Newsday

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Cyclone Kenneth Already Worse Than Idai. North Mozambique Ravaged On Storms First Appearance

 Cyclone Kenneth hits Mozambique as country still reeling from devastation of Idai– video

The strongest cyclone ever to hit Mozambique has made landfall in the country’s north, five weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated its centre, according to meteorologists.

Surpassing both Idai and the 2000 Cyclone Eline that had been the strongest to date, Cyclone Kenneth hit Cabo Delgado province with wind speeds of 140mph (225km/h), bringing the threat of extreme rainfall.

Some “precarious” houses had already collapsed and the provincial capital of Pemba has lost its power supply, local journalist Jonas Wazir told AFP.

Forecasters at Meteo-France warned that Kenneth could bring waves as much as five metres (16ft) higher than usual. Anabela Moreira, who owns a lodge on Wimby beach in the port town and provincial capital of Pemba, told AFP: “I’ve never seen anything like it in my 15 years in Pemba.”

After forming off Madagascar’s coast earlier this week, Kenneth passed to the north of the island nation of Comoros on Wednesday night, killing three people and causing widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.

The storm is expected to stall inland for several days and around one metre of rain is expected in the area north of the city of Pemba, more than the usual average for an entire year in the region.

The National Institute of Disaster Management said it would relocate rescue equipment including boats and helicopters from Beira, which was devastated by Idai. Some have been warning that southern Tanzania could be hit too, but the storm path appears to tend south.

Meteorologists said Kenneth was a category 4 hurricane on Wednesday night but had weakened slightly by the time it hit Mozambique. Cyclones of this magnitude are rare in the region, and two within just over a month was unknown until now.

“It’s really an anomaly in the history of cyclones in this region. There’s never been two storms this strong hit in the same year, let alone within five weeks of each other in Mozambique,” said Eric Holthaus, a meteorologist who has worked in east Africa and was watching the cyclone’s path closely.

Holthaus said that there was probably a “blocking pattern” in the upper atmosphere that prevented Kenneth from dissipating inland or escaping to the south, so it would most likely sit around 100km inland, attracting more moisture from the Indian Ocean.

“Nothing like this has happened in this region, and rarely happens anywhere in the world, where a cyclone of this strength stalls for this many days. So the kind of rainfall totals that the models are showing for Kenneth are really extreme in the global context,” he said.

There is evidence, however, that blocking patterns such as the one that makes Kenneth so intense are getting stronger with climate change, he added. The rainfall, which could reach 1.5 metres in some areas, will be catastrophic for the people of northern Mozambique.

“We have very strong evidence that everywhere in the world, rainfall is getting more intense. So that means you can get the same amount of rainfall, but it just happens in a shorter period of time, because if the atmosphere is warmer then that will create more intense thunderstorms that rain out faster,” Hotlhaus said.

“We can directly link Kenneth with climate change for that reason. Not only is this an extremely intense rainfall event, globally, but it’s being made worse because of climate change.”

Volunteers from the Red Cross have spent the past few days warning people in the storm’s path and advising them to secure their roofs, put sandbags around their houses and get out of the area if possible.

“Most of these people are living in dire poverty … so it’s not the case that they can just get in the car and drive 200km inland. They really are exposed,” said the Red Cross’s Matthew Carter, who was about to board a plane north from Beira, where aid workers are providing food, water, shelter and medicine to thousands of people made homeless by Idai.

The tropical cyclone could be accompanied by eight-metre waves and a three-metre storm surge.

The increased threat of diseases like cholera and malaria, as well as the availability of food, are major long-term worries that communities affected by both Kenneth and Idai face. Kenneth has hit at the peak of harvest season, meaning a possible six-month period without food.

“It’s not just the immediate effects of someone losing their home, it’s also the longer term effects of food price increases and lack of a harvest for farmers,” Carter said.

The Cabo Delgado region of northern Mozambique is not as highly populated as the area surrounding Beira, and the main coastal city, Pemba, is not expected to take a direct hit, so there may be fewer people directly affected than by Idai. But the country is struggling to deal with the after-effects of the first cyclone and has little capacity to tackle a new disaster.

Mozambique has had to take out a $118m (£91m) loan from the IMF in the wake of Idai, something that debt relief campaigners have called a “shocking indictment” of the international community, saying impoverished countries should be given emergency grants rather than having to borrow more money.

Guardian

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Penny Penny, Father Of 25, Wants A New Wife To Start Child Making Cycle Over Again

Penny Penny with his current wife

Own Correspondent|Self proclaimed founder of popular Shangani Disco music, now TV reality show, Penny Penny, is gearing to marry another wife so she can give him more children.

The vibrant musician already has twenty five children with his current wife.

Papa Penny Penny’s fans don’t want him to, but he’s considering getting himself a second wife and nothing appears there to stop him.

The reality TV star says he’s not bothered by his fans’ pleas and if he decides to do it, his current wife will choose wifey no.2 for him.

Papa Penny Penny, expressed his interest in getting another wife, and might just do it despite his fans’ displeasure with the idea.

South Africa’s TshisaLIVE reported that Papa Penny’s fans even took to social media to ask him to not take another wife, but he’s not paying attention to them.

“People don’t understand. I am an African man. I have been for all my life. I am not looking for a wife outside of my wife’s family and I am not the one who will make the decision. My wife will have to propose a wife for me, not me. It is my culture.”

He welcomed his 25th child into the world less than a month ago, but wants even more children.

“A man can have one wife but have a lot of girlfriends. I don’t want that. I get a lot of messages from the girls, a lot of funny pictures. A lot of naked videos. What if I make a mistake and suddenly I am in trouble with my wife? I love my wife more than a hundred percent. I respect my life.

It’s not clear what Mama Nomi feels about this idea, but his fans are against it.

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Triangle United Captain, Ralph Kaondera Jnr, Collapses On News Of Death Of His Twin Brother Raphael Jnr

Ralph Kaondera collapsed at news of his twin brother’s death

FORMER Flame Lily player Raphael Kawondera has died.

He was 28. Kawondera died at Chitungwiza South Med Hospital on Tuesday after a short illness. He worked as a prison officer and was playing for Prisons FC, a Division Two side, at the time of his death.

His uncle, Ralph Kawondera, a former Dynamos assistant and Flame Lily coach, confirmed the death.

“He complained of a headache on Saturday last week, and he went to hospital the following day, where he was attended to. Everything seemed fine, and he even went and played a soccer match on Independence Day on Thursday. He complained of a fever afterwards, but it was nothing serious. He went to work on Tuesday, that is when the situation deteriorated. He was taken to South Med and died around midday before he could be attended to by the doctor,” Ralph narrated.

Raphael was part of the history-making Flame Lily squad that won promotion into the Premiership in 2014 under Nesbert Saruchera. He is the twin brother of Triangle United captain Ralph.

“He was a very good boy. I was taking care of the boys together with their brother Richard after the death of their dad, who is my brother. He was supposed to get married in the coming few months,” the senior Ralph added.

Ralph yesterday collapsed after learning of his brother’ death, and needed hospital treatment and counselling, the premier league club said.

Ralph Kawondera needed hospital treatment and counselling on Wednesday following the death of his brother, Triangle FC said.

Ralph, the Triangle captain, was admitted at the Collin Saunders Hospital “unconscious” but was making a recovery, his club said.

The club said in a brief statement posted on Twitter: “Our captain Kaondera was admitted at Collin Saunders Hospital. He was unconscious since the time he received sad news that his twin brother died Raphael Junior today.

“He has responded so well to both medical and psychological counseling. We wish him a quick recovery may his twin brother rest in peace.”

Ralph is not in any way related to former Warriors top striker Shingi, but he comes from a family that has given this nation footballers such as former Darryn T stalwart Raphael, lower division coach Ralph senior as well as former Dynamos and Triangle striker Richard.

His twin brother Raphael Jr and goalkeeper Chamunorwa played in the Division One League.

Raphael Junior had spells at Division One outfits National Handling Services and Highfield United.

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Mu7 In Zimbabwe Fumes Over Bobi Wine’s Escape From House Arrest

Bobi Wine

Correspondent||Ugandan Kyadondo East member of parliament Robert Kyagulanyiaka Ssentamu popularly known as Bobi Wine Bobi Wine was on Tuesday placed under house arrest by police.

Police detained him threatening to walk to the police headquarters in Naguru to deliver a protest note to the Inspector General of Police after police cancelled his music concert.

Kyagulanyi stated that he would go to the police headquarters and deliver the note to IGP Martins Okoth Ochola to express his displeasure at police’s continued infringement on his fundamental rights and brutality against members of the opposition.

On Thursday, the country woke up to the news that the legislator had beaten security surveillance around his home and escaped house arrest.

He was later seen in Bugiri hours after he had escaped from what police called preventive arrests.

Kyagulanyi took to his Facebook and explained why he had to escape.

“I had to find a way of attending the burial of our patriotic elder Haji Siraji Samanya Lyavaala in Bugiri” says Kyagulanyi.

The escape has sparked uproars within security circle leaving many of them pointing fingers at at each other a source within security circle told this website.

According to highly placed source, police has come under scrutiny by sister security forces accusing them of level of negligence.

They were also accused of failing to successfully execute their constitutional mandate and letting downother security organs.

It is important to note that this is not the first time police is coming under scrutiny. Between 2011 and 2016, Besigye on several occasions escaped from police after being placed under house arrests.

Our sources confirmed to us that the president is particularly bitter with police accusing them of work negligence and sleeping on duty.

“If they can not firmly secure one person ,what will happen if they facing ten similar cases?,” the president reportedly wondered.

This website has learnt that, the president reportedly told police bosses to improve on their method of work and put their house to order before it is too late.

“I will not allow this to continue under my watch. We must put a stop to this,” angry Museveni said.

Info256.com

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Govt Orders For More Ethanol To Be Blended Into Petrol As It Battles To Meet Fuel Demands

Green Fuel’s Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant

Government has increased the mandatory blending of unleaded petrol from five percent ethanol to 10 percent with immediate effect.

This was announced in a extraordinary Government Gazette published yesterday under the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22): Exempting from Levels of Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol Notice 2019.

“It is hereby notified in terms of Section 4(1) of the Petroleum Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol Regulations 2013, published in Statutory Instrument 17 of 2013, as amended by Statutory Instrument 17 of 2014, the minister approves the current level of mandatory blending to 10 per centum.

“The consequences of this approval is that all licensed operators shall from the date of publication of the general notice be mandated to sell unleaded petrol blended at E10,” read the SI.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) chief executive Engineer Eddington Mazambani said until January, fuel was blended by 15 percent ethanol, but was reduced to five percent between February and March because of a shortage of the blend.

“The country had a low ethanol supply and Government reduced the blend level to five percent. Because of the improved availability, Government has increased the level to 10 percent. This increase will obviously impact on our fuel import bill, although in a minimal way,” said Eng Mazambani.

Government introduced fuel blending in 2008 following the licensing of Green Fuel’s Chisumbanje Ethanol Plant, which resumed operations in 2013.

The measure was meant to avert fuel shortages and curb the high fuel import bill.

Mandatory blending currently stands at 15 percent, but Government has previously been forced to lower the ethanol threshold to five percent due to its unavailability on the market.

Blending of fuel is exclusively conducted by licensed blenders only and currently there are 11 such licensees who abide and comply with Zera regulations, said Mr Mazambani.

Five of the 11 fuel dealers licensed to blend petroleum products have blending depots in Harare and Bulawayo and the service stations can acquire either already blended or not blended fuel from National Oil Company of Zimbabwe which they then blend.

Mr Mazambani said Zera consistently conducts routine infrastructural and quality inspections at each blending site and fuel service stations across the country.

Green Fuel, on its part, has been increasing its capacity so as to meet demand.

In an interview with The Herald last year, Mr Conrad Rautenbach of Green Fuel said the company was growing its capacity from 40 million litres in 2016, 56 million litres in 2017 and 75 million litres in 2018.

“These increased yields equated to a 40 percent increase in ethanol production, from 40 million litres of ethanol in 2016, to 56 million litres in 2017,” said Mr Rautenbach then.

“We expect to increase our production to approximately 75 million litres this year. Our yields should remain consistent and with the additional cane we have planted, we are confident that we will be able to reach this prediction. We are in the process of planting an additional 1 500ha of sugar cane in order to increase our production by a further 20 percent, to 90 million litres in 2019,” he said.

State Media

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Woman Reports Rape By Boyfriend Four Years Later, Claims Its Been Haunting Her For All The Years

A 25-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo yesterday appeared in court for allegedly raping his girlfriend in 2015. Mufaro Mutanda allegedly raped his girlfriend, who was 22 at the time and a student at the National University of Science and Technology, after taking her to a lodge following a braai.

He appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate Mrs Sibonginkosi Mnkandla and pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape. The magistrate remanded him to April 29 for continuation of trial.

Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa said sometime in December 2015 at around 8PM, the complainant received a phone call from Mutanda who was her then boyfriend, telling her that he was on his way to pick her up for a braai.

“Mutanda picked her up at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) campus where the complainant was a student at that time. They drove to a place which the complainant could not recognise because it was already dark. The accused person and his two male friends started chatting outside the car. When they got back in the car they stated that they had no fuel to take complainant back to campus,” said Mr Manyiwa.

“Mutanda and his friend suggested that they were going to spend the night at a lodge in Barham Green suburb and promised to accompany her back to campus the next day. Payments were made and rooms divided. Accused person and the complainant shared the same bed for the night.”

The court heard that the following morning, the complainant woke up to find Mutanda on top of her and when she asked him what he was doing, he did not respond. “Mutanda went on to undress her and raped her without protection,” he said.

Mr Manyiwa said complainant fought Mutanda and he sustained bruises on the arm.

The court heard that Mutanda’s victim spent years attempting to commit suicide until this year when she reported the matter to the police to find closure.

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BUS ACCIDENT: 3 Killed In Nyamapanda

A bus travelling from Malawi to South Africa had an accident in Zimbabwe killing three passengers.

Scores others were injured.

The accident involving 27 passengers on board
happened near Nyamapanda on Wednesday.

Malawian media quoted the Spokesperson for Dedza Immigration post Pasqually Zulu confirming of the accident involving a Chipozani coach.

The registration number of the bus is MC 9689.

“The accident occurred near Chamano or Nyamapanda border in Zinbabwe. The injured are being treated at Kotwa Hospital in Zimbabwe,” said Zulu.

Zulu said the recovery bus left morning on Thursday for Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, a recovery bus was sent to Zimbabwe by the company.

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Economic Blues Felt As Delta Beverages Reports Decline In Lager Beer Volumes While Chibuku Super “Masese” Grabs Market

Delta Beverages products, more people resorting to drinking Chibuku Super.

BEVERAGES producer, Delta Corporation, has recorded subdued volume performance for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 amid declining demand due to price increases.

In a trading update for the period under review, the corporation’s company secretary, Mr Alex Makamure, said lager beer volumes declined by three percent in comparison to prior period but was up 31 percent in the full year.

“Demand has reduced due to the increase in RTGS wholesale and retail prices. The sorghum beer volume in Zimbabwe contracted by two percent versus prior year for the quarter and grew by five percent for the full year,” he said.

Demand for sorghum beer remains encouraging despite the cost pressure on imported packaging material, spares and the pricing of agricultural cereals, said Mr Makamure. He said Chibuku Super contributed 85 percent of the total category control.

“National Breweries Plc Zambia (Nat Brew Plc) recorded a volume decline of 24 percent for the quarter and it is flat on prior year for the 12 months. Product demand has reduced following some price increases and down trading to subsistence offerings,” said Mr Makamure.

The sparkling beverages business was virtually closed during the quarter due to non-availability of imported raw materials.

“Volume declined by 89 percent compared to prior year for the quarter and decreased by 44 percent for the full year. Operations have since resumed albeit at a slow pace. There are ongoing collaborative interventions together with The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) to restore the business to sustainable footing,” he said.

On trading environment, Mr Makamure said the fiscal and monetary policies implemented between October 2018 and February 2019 have significantly altered the trading environment. Of particular note was the two percent transaction tax, the adoption of the RTGS$ as the functional currency and the introduction of an exchange rate of the RTGS$ to the US dollar, said Mr Makamure.

“The value of the RTGS$ deposits continue to be eroded by the fast depreciating exchange rates and cost push inflation. Resultantly, there has been severe decline in aggregate demand.

“The acute shortage of foreign currency persists despite the introduction of the interbank forex market. The exchange rate needs to be supported by robust and complementary fiscal and monetary policies,” he said.

Mr Makamure said shareholders were reminded that the company was trading under a cautionary issue with respect to the notice received from TCCC advising of an intention to terminate the Bottler’s Agreements with the group entities (Notified Intention).

This followed the merger of AB InBev and SAB Miller in October 2016 and the subsequent agreement in principle reached between TCCC and AB InBev to explore options to restructure the bottling operations in a number of countries.

“There are ongoing discussions amongst the parties that are expected to result in the withdrawal of the notified intention,” said Mr Makamure.

State Media

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Bulawayo’s First ZANU PF Councillor Since MDC Was Formed Sworn In

Councillor Kidwell Mujuru sworn in.

THE Bulawayo City Council has sworn in Zanu-PF Cowdray Park councillor Kidwell Mujuru enabling him to assume his council duties.

Mujuru was on March 30 elected Ward 28 councillor in a by-election to replace the late MDC councillor Hapson Ncube who died in December last year.

His victory makes him the first Zanu-PF candidate to win a local government election in Bulawayo since the MDC was formed in 1999. Ironically, Mujuru was a founding member of the MDC at that time. He defected to join ZANU PF in 2013 after complaining of tribal discrimination in the MDC Bulawayo structures.

He took his oath of office on Wednesday afternoon in the presence Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube, Chamber Secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou and the city’s Mayor Clr Solomon Mguni.

In an interview after being sworn in, Mujuru said it was time to address problems affecting Ward 28 residents, the biggest ward in the province.

“Cowdray Park Ward 28 is a troubled place; most of the roads in the area are in a deplorable state, actually in some of the areas there are no roads to talk about. I say this in reference to new stands or Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area. Some people have to walk 2km to get transport so I think it’s an area that needs urgent attention,” he said.

“We need to deliver on the election promises as the party promised during elections. There is a lot of work to be done. I will also push for the completion of some projects that the previous councillor had initiated.”

Mujuru said he would widely consult residents before initiating development projects and was ready to work with opposition party councillors to spearhead developmental projects in the city and his ward.

“I know it’s not going to be an easy job working with councillors from the opposition. Even during the swearing in ceremony some of them were not welcoming. But as times goes they will get used to the fact that that I’m one of them because we have a similar responsibility of developing Bulawayo. We should be mature enough to put our political differences aside and work to develop the city,” he said.

State Media\ZimEye.com

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Provinces Will Not Receive Equal Distribution Of Devolution Funds, Poor Areas Will Get More, Mthuli Tells Matabeleland.

Mthuli Ncube

GOVERNMENT will use the poverty index to prioritise disbursement of funds to facilitate development at local level in line with the devolution drive, Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, has said.

Treasury set aside $310 million in the 2019 national budget to be allocated to provinces under the devolution programme. Prof Ncube said the programme was already being implemented starting with disadvantaged districts in Mashonaland provinces and would soon be moving to Matabeleland and Midlands until every district was economically stable.

Speaking at a national devolution breakfast meeting hosted by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Prof Ncube said Treasury was using three key guidelines to determine resource distribution.

“Firstly, we have to recognise levels of poverty a society has, then we use it to allocate funds. Secondly, the quality of infrastructure and then lastly we consider the size of the population,” he explained.

“We have a poverty map of Zimbabwe and we are using it as an allocative mechanism in all provinces.”

Prof Ncube said 25 percent of the $310 million budgeted for devolution would be distributed in all provinces while 75 percent would be applied at district level. He urged communities in the districts to submit their projects to their local authorities so as to benefit under their own provinces.

“We are trying to get to that regional level where we have spatial inclusion, where we can define each and every province of its development,” said Prof Ncube.

He said it was their responsibility to monitor all provinces so that funds were not wasted.

“We have to know what these provinces are able to do with the funds so that we develop the country. Our job is to monitor how the communities in those districts will use the money so that resources are not wasted. For instance, some buy cars instead of focusing on projects,” said Prof Ncube.

President Mnangagwa has expressed Government commitment to fulfilling the constitutional mandate on devolution and said its full implementation will ensure Zimbabweans benefit from the natural resources in their localities.

Section (2) of the Constitution obliges central government to cede more powers to provincial councils for them to set local development priorities.

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Army Is Now Under Civilian Control, Eddie Cross Says | IS HE TELLING THE TRUTH?

Eddie Cross

Below are some of the main talking points by former MDC MP Eddie Cross at the Cape Press Club. Cross said:

* Grace Mugabe was prepared to even murder Mnangagwa; he survived an assassination attempt; later fled

* South Africa agreed and China gave the coup a go-ahead; done extremely efficiently; police were disarmed; army took control; was legitimate a military assisted transition not a coup because the population supported it

* Army were 2/3 of initial cabinet; Mnangagwa, like Ramaphosa, is a minority leader within his ruling party; G40 held 100 seats and were intent to remove him; but he survived the election by the skin of his teeth

* Mnangagwa is committed to reform; he has not received sufficient recognition for what he has done; but he has to deal with recalcitrant elements in his party; intelligence sources suggest G40 buying weapons

* Mnangagwa has reduced police hierarchy, fired the militia, the secret services; the security committee no longer running the politics; moving towards a civil democracy

* Army is under civilian control now; former ZIPRA officers now the commanders

* Zim gone from a 40% deficit to a balance of payments surplus; by end of next quarter Zim will have a floating currency

* amazing economic achievement done in 9 months; not a fan of Mnangagwa who was part of the Gukurahundi but he is putting Zim on a new progressive path

* The real threat to Zimbabwe now is not coup but the internal factions in the ruling party eg govenor reserve bank against finance minister – this is destabilizing the country

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Gumbura Trial Deferred

Robert Martin Gumbura

The trial of jailed RMG Independent End Time Message leader Robert Martin Gumbura and six other inmates accused of attempting to escape from prison was yesterday deferred to May 9.

Gumbura is jointly charged with Blessing Chauke (29), Lucky Mhungu (42), Taurai Dodzo (51), Thomas Chacha (41), Elijah Vhumbunu (42) and Lucky Matambanadzo (43).

Harare magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo recently dismissed their application for discharge at the close of the State case, saying they have a case to answer and should be put to their defence.

Mr Mapfumo granted the application in respect for Thulani Chizema (36) and Jacob Sibanda (32 on the grounds that witnesses in the matter gave conflicting evidence in respect of the duo.

In his ruling, Mr Mapfumo said it was common cause that violence erupted at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on the day in question.

He further stated that one of the witnesses, Davison Mutakaya, in his testimony, told the court that he witnessed the meetings taking place and was not allowed to attend as he was labelled a sell-out. – state media

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Pirate Taxis HiJacked

Two pirate taxi operators lost their Honda Fit vehicles to unknown carjackers in separate incidents in Bulawayo on Wednesday night.

The first incident involved four unknown men who carjacked a Honda Fit driver they had hired from Plumtree Town to Bulawayo.

The second one involved an unknown man who hired a Honda Fit driver to take him to Lochview suburb and when they arrived at his destination he tricked the driver into exiting the car before speeding off in it.

Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the incident involving four men was being treated as a carjacking and robbery while the second is theft of vehicle.

“Both incidents occurred on Wednesday with the first one involving four men who hired a Honda Fit driver from Plumtree to take them to Bulawayo.

“The driver charged P400 and they paid him P200 before embarking on the journey. When they reached Emganwini turn in Bulawayo, they instructed the driver to drive to Emganwini suburb.

“As the driver made the turn, one of the passengers instructed him to stop as he wanted to relieve himself,” he said.

“Instead, he moved to the driver’s door and opened it and started pulling him out of the car with his accomplices also joining in. Fearing for his life the driver escaped to a bushy area and they drove away in his car.”

Insp Ncube said the second incident occurred at about 11PM where an unknown man likely in his 30s approached a Honda Fit driver who had parked his car near Haefelis Restaurant and Fast Food outlet.

He said the man requested to be driven to Lochview suburb and offered to pay $30.

“The driver drove him to a house in the suburb. The passenger requested the driver to wait for him as he was collecting something and wanted to go back to town.

“He entered a house and within five minutes he brought an empty 20 litre container which the driver ordered him to put it in the car boot,” he said.

“However, he told the driver that he couldn’t open the boot, forcing the driver to exit his car and assist him. But he rushed to the driver’s seat and when the driver tried to pursue him, he pushed him to the ground and entered the car and locked himself inside before speeding off.”

Insp Ncube said both cars and the suspects have not been located yet.

He urged motorists to be on the lookout as some of their purported clients are turning out to be criminals. – state media

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“Socio-economic War To Redeem Zimbabwe Has Begun”

Farai Dziva|A respected political analyst has hailed the MDC A for sticking to democratic processes in line with its founding principles.

Writing on his official Twitter account, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya urged the MDC A to focus on the 2023 polls after the national congress.

“The MDC A leadership succession process after the passing on of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018 is done and has happened smoothly.

The socio-economic war to redeem Zim decay begins, congrats Wamba”

“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it in relative capacity.

Apart from the nomination of national leaders by MDC provincial congresses; it is vital to know the policies and party programmes,” tweeted Dr Ruhanya.

Nelson Chamisa
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Registrar General Casts Dark Shadow Over Passports Printing

By Own Correspondent- Registrar General Clemence Masango today cast a dark shadow over prospects of acquiring new passports for citizens amid indications that there is no timeline yet on when the country’s registrar department will be able to print passports.

Lately, the registrar general has been failing to print passports in a development which has seen a lot of citizens in needof the travelling document stranded.

ZimEye managed to get in touch with the Registrar General late Thursday afternoon regarding the department’s failure to print passports.

Mr Clemence Masango told ZimEye the current problem was still ongoing Thursday afternoon. He said since Wednesday night, nothing has changed.

“I released a notice statement on ZTV in the evening revealing that we have encountered a system malfunction, that is affecting us. “

Registrar General, Clement Masango

ZimEye asked if there is an expected completion date and Mr Masango replied saying, “engineers are working on it so I don’t have any timeframe, it is very difficult to say and I am not an engineer.”

At this point, the following were the responses :

SO FAR WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO, SHOULD THEY CONTINUE COMING?

“You are asking me something impossible… I have advised that we are having that challenge,” replied Masango.

HOW DO WE DESCRIBE THE CHALLENGE?

“You are now going technical.”

WE WERE ONLY ASKING FOR AN ESTIMATED DATE OF COMPLETION…

“Ah, no, this is like if a person is ill, even if you are a doctor, do you determine when the person will be healed? I am not an engineer but this is the situation we are faced with.”

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Gvt Workers Loot Road Dualisation Material

Farai Dziva|The nation will have to wait for a prolonged period following the theft of material for the dualiastion of the Harare – Beitbridge Highway.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Joel Biggie Matiza told a state run daily newspaper 215 drums of bitumen meant for the dualisation of a 10-kilometre stretch along Harare-Beitbridge highway were stolen at a road construction site in Chivhu last week.

“I can confirm that 215 drums of bitumen worth RTGS$4 million were stolen in Chivhu last week.

The bitumen was part of a consignment meant to tar the 10km stretch which is part of the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge highway being undertaken by the Ministry in Chivhu.

The manner in which the bitumen disappeared pointed to an organised gang of rogue workers bent on defrauding the Government. We are going to take stringent measures to decimate such racketeering and mafia activities,” Matiza told the newspaper.

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“Elections Are Useless In Zim”

Farai Dziva|Prominent journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono has proposed that elections should be postponed for 10 years in Zimbabwe.

This he argues, will enable stakeholders to focus on nation building and reconstruction.

“Elections have bcome a problem that has sunk us into vicious violence, unreformed state institutions, political and economic strife.

Let us do away with them for 10 years and focus on reconstruction,” argued Chin’ono.

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“Emmerson Mnangagwa Has Brought More Harm Than Good”

Farai Dziva|Outspoken political observer Jeffryson Chitando has declared that Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has brought more harm than good to the people of Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabweans be prepared for an inevitable fuel price increase as the RTGS dollar continues to fall against the hard currency.

Another fuel price hike will trigger price increases. The government of Zimbabwe must act swiftly by engaging the international community and the main opposition party.

The Zanu PF government has failed to turn around the economy. The promised “Operation Restore Legacy” is now dubbed “Operation Restore Suffering “.

We are likely to witness widespread demonstrations and civil servants protests.

The only way out of the economic meltdown is for the government to adopt the rand and dump the local valueless and nameless currency,” said Chitando.

Emmerson Mnangagwa
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Mugabe Fails To Turn Up For Court

Former President Robert Mugabe yesterday failed to turn up in court in Chinhoyi, where he was expected to testify against four of his workers who allegedly stole close to a million dollars from his rural Zvimba home.

The workers, Constancia Mugabe (50), Johanne Mapurisa (50), Saymore Nhetekwa (47) and Andrew Muhumbe (37) are accused of stealing US$922 000 from a briefcase at Mugabe’s rural home.

Prosecutor Herald Matura said Mugabe was out of the country, seeking medical treatment. Chinhoyi magistrate Amos Mubobo postponed the case to June 10, 2019.

But defence lawyer, Tapiwa Muchineripi was not amused and requested the court to relax bail conditions for his clients. Mubobo granted the request and ruled that the accused will no longer report to the police every Friday. It is the State case that sometime in 2016, Mugabe gave four briefcases and some books to his workers to keep in his library. At an unknown date, the workers connived and opened one of the briefcases that had US$922 000 which they shared and bought assets that include vehicles and residential stands.

— NewsDay

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Drama As Bobi Wine Escapes From House Arrest

Bobbi Wine spotted at his friend’s Hajj Lyavala’s funeral


Correspondents|Reports from Uganda indicate that firebrand Uganda politician Bobi Wine has escaped from his house in the capital Kampala.

The MP has been in a standoff with the Ugandan authorities since Monday after his shows were canceled because police said they failed to meet safety standards, prompting widespread protests.

Wine was removed from his car by police and escorted to his home while heading to a briefing he had called to address the concert cancellation and “police brutality” on Monday.

“Police and the military have been deployed at my residence since yesterday, after the violent arrest. My home is under siege. They have surrounded my fence and installed barricades on all roads leading to my home,” he said on social media.

“It is today when I attempted to move out of my home that the police told me that I am under house arrest. I was headed to Police headquarters in Naguru to deliver a notification about our planned peaceful demonstrations against police brutality, injustice and misuse of authority.”

But it seems the politician and pop star musician managed to escape the police dragnet at his house on Wednesday night and has been spotted in Bugiri District ready to attended the burial of his friend Hajj Siraj Lyavala.

Lyavala was a key member of Museveni’s NRM Party and rose to the position of District Chairman within the Party.

But he ditched Museveni’s party in the just concluded Bugiri Municipality MP election where he supported opposition candidate Asuman Basalirwa, who won the election.

Hajj Lyavala succumbed to kidney failure at at Platinum Hospital Buganda Road on Wednesday.

On Tuesday Wine was placed under house arrest when police got to know about his plans to walk to the police headquarters in Naguru to deliver a protest note to the inspector general of police after police cancelled his music concert.

Kyagulanyi said that he would go to the police headquarters and deliver the note to police boss Martins Okoth Ochola to express his disapproval of police’s continued infringement on rights and brutality against members of the opposition.

However, news came in today that last night the MP outsmarted security presence at his house and escaped house arrest.

Kyagulanyi took to his facebook and explained why he had to escape.

“I had to find a way of attending the burial of our patriotic elder Haji Siraji Samanya Lyavaala in Bugiri” says Kyagulanyi

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Grace Mugabe Wanted To Kill Mnangagwa, G40 Buying Guns To Topple Mnangagwa, Eddie Cross Tells Cape Town Press Club

Own Correspondent|Former MDC parliamentarian and founding member, now retired, Eddie Cross has made several sensational revelations about President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

Speaking as guest speaker at the popular Cape Town Press Club on Thursday evening Cross revealed that former First Lady Grace Mugabe hated President Emmerson Mnangagwa so much that she wanted to kill him and Mnangagwa survived.

Cross addresses the Cape Town Press Club on Zimbabwe’s “military assisted” transition from Robert Mugabe to Emmerson Mnangagwa in November 2017 and its aftermath.

Cross joined the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 1999 and was a member of the National Executive until 2018. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South in 2008 and he served two terms. In 2018 he elected to retire.

Below are some of the live tweets that the Press Club sent through as Cross delivered his lecture.

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ZANU PF Activists Enter Day 28 Protesting At U.S Embassy Against Sanctions

Protesters with their children

A ZANU PF aligned Pressure group on Thursday clocked day twenty eight camped and demonstrating at the United States of America embassy against US imposed targeted sanctions on ZANU PF big wigs.

The National Coordinator of Broad Alliance Against Sanctions Mr. Patson Murimoga (PM) was interviewed by Joseph Andras (JA) of Community Radio Harare.

Below are excerpts of the interview:

JA: We welcome you to our program.

PM: Thank you.

JA: When was the Broad Alliance Against Sanctions formed and what is organizational goal?

PM: Our organization was established on 25 March 2019. Broad Alliance Against Sanctions is an apolitical pressure group formed by poor ordinary citizens who realized that economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe are largely contributing to the suffering of the current generation.

JA: How big is your turn out for the camping?

PM: On the first day we were only four demonstrators who included myself, Lisa Ngoni, Kelvin Chitsunge and Tau Mahoni but our number is increasing as each day passes. Currently we are ranging between 90 and 110 campers.

JA: Are you being supported by ZANU PF in this?

PM: At the moment we have not seen any political party coming to join us here but if they do come we will welcome them because these sanctions are affecting all poor people regardless of political affiliation.

JA: How do sanctions affect ordinary poor people.

PM: We hear that sanctions targeted on individuals like Mr. R.G Mugabe but we have never seen Mr. Mugabe queuing for fuel but it is the ordinary man who burns from the heat of fuel shortages.

It is the ordinary man who falls sick and is affected by medication shortages in local hospitals but those who are said to be on targeted list fly overseas to get medical treatment. These sanctions have crippled our economy and the burden of a crippled economy is felt by poor people not rich politicians.

JA: Is it true that there are companies whose directors are on targeted lists and by that virtue, there companies become targeted too?

PM: It is true that there are targeted companies too and those companies are crumbling. Still, at the end of the day it is the ordinary people who suffer because the ordinary people also used to benefit from the targeted companies before the companies were sanctioned. Our point is that those who are targeted by the sanctions are not even affected by the sanction but ordinary people are.

JA: Has the American embassy responded so far during the past 28 days?

PM: Yes they once addressed us. We were addressed by their leaders in the Sanctions Department, Politics Department and their spokesperson. These US officials explain to us that the sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe because of human rights abuse and mismanagement of state resources.

However, we tried to enlighten them by exposing the fact that those who are alleged to have violated human rights are not the ones who are suffering because of sanctions.

We also highlighted that our Government had suspended laws like POSA and AIPA but still sanctions were not lifted. The US officials promised us that they will forward our grievances to their government in USA and give us feedback.

We also promised them that we will camp outside their embassy yard until a positive response comes from the American government.

JA: So what are your daily activities as you camp outside the American Embassy?

PM: We demonstrate peacefully everyday. Since we are not funded by anyone, we do not have money to buy fancy placards so we use card-boxes as our placards. Our message is consistent. We are camping at the American Embassy to demonstrate against sanctions and that’s the message on our placards.

JA: So where are you getting food?

PM: The people in the local Westgate area are providing the food and tents for nocturnal shelter.

JA: Are the people camping at the American embassy from Harare only or they are from different provinces of Zimbabwe?

PM: The camping demonstration is being staged by people from other provinces like Bulawayo, Masvingo and Manicaland but the larger population is from Harare.

JA: So are you saying that all economic Challenges in Zimbabwe are being cause by sanctions?

PM: Whenever we engage Government officials, they tell us that sanctions are the major factor impeding economic development in Zimbabwe. Therefore, we want sanctions to be removed so that the Government officials won’t have an excuse of sanctions anymore.

In other words, sanctions are making it difficult to hold Government officials accountable for the economic challenges we are facing as a nation. We have also heard successful business people like Mr. Strive Masiyiwa stipulating that sanctions are largely responsible for the Zimbabwean economic depression. So if sanctions are affecting rich people like Mr. Masiyiwa, what more poor people in our country?

JA: So are there no other ways of developing our country even in the presence of sanctions?

PM: USA is the major economic powerhouse in the world hence it is difficult to develop under US sanctions.

JA: So when are you planning to go back home?

PM: We are going to camp at the American Embassy until the sanctions are lifted. Even if it takes time we will not surrender.

JA: Do you think that in future the sanctions will be removed?

PM: With God nothing is impossible. Plus the American Ambassador promised that the American and Zimbabwean governments are in continuous sanction removal talks.

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Sri Lankan Suicide Bomber Told His Family He Was Going To Zambia On Business When He Went To Kill People

Suicide bomber Ashkhan Alawdeen (left), right factory where the bombs were manufactured.

“I was in total shock. My brother-in-law said he was going to Zambia on Friday for work and went to the airport with my sister and their four children in a car. When he said goodbye he held her head and said, ‘Be strong’.

“She thought it was a bit strange at the time but didn’t think anything of it because she assumed he was just going on a work trip.

These were the words of Ashkhan Alawdeen the brother-in-law of Inshaf Ahmed Ibrahim one of the master minds of the suicide bombings that targeted churches and hotels in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Easter Sunday, killing at least 359 people.

Inshaf Ahmed Ibrahim, 33, targeted the Cinnamon Grand Hotel restaurant just before 9am local time killing part of at least 41 foreign nationals that lost lives in the bombings. His radical brother Ilham targeted the Shangri-La hotel.

The Ibrahim brothers were sons of a Sri Lankan spice tycoon Mohamed Ibrahim but wealthy businessmen in their own right.

Inshaf owned a copper trading company named Colossus which is at the centre of investigations for playing a role in the making of the bombs. Nine factory workers including the manager have been arrested.

Fatima, Inshaf’s pregnant wife also blew herself up with her unborn child and her three young sons as police tried to raid their family home.

Zambian Observer

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Mnangagwa To Throw Lavish Dinner For Dictator Museveni Who Left Opposition Politician Languishing Under His Brutal Police

Mnangagwa receives Museveni at Harare Airport.

Own Correspondent|Uganda’s controversial President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has arrived ahead of the official opening of the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo to be officially opened this Friday (tomorrow).

The guest of honour at this year’s ZITF, President Museveni of Uganda was received at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, senior government officials and service chiefs.

On arrival, President Museveni was honoured with a 21 gun salute before he inspected a guard of honour.

Museveni arrives in Zimbabwe leaving behind rival opposition politician cum-musician Bobi Wine languishing under house arrest in his country.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa will throw a lavish dinner for Ugandan Museveni on Thursday as they welcome him to open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

In a statement the Ministry of Information Publicity and broadcasting Services said, “His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is arriving in Harare this afternoon. An Official Dinner will be hosted for him by His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa and The First Lady Mai Mnangagwa today at State House-Harare. Their Excellencies will be in Bulawayo for ZITF tomorrow.”

The opposition MDC Leader Neslon Chamisa has condemned the invitation of Museveni to the country saying he is a dictator who oppresses his own people.

He is one of Africa’s longest serving dictators and one who the world looks at as the next African dictator to fall after several have fallen through protests from citizens.

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Rural Communities Get Free Electricity Connections As ZESA Lobbies For Massive Tariff Increase

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwean Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is set to electrify public institutions in line with the Government’s Transitional Stabilisation (TSP) of investing in public infrastructure and contributing to the revival of the economy.

This will see REF improving institutions like government extension offices and schools for free to uplift the livelihoods of people in communal areas.

The TSP recognises that functional public infrastructure remains a key enabler to unlocking economic growth potential, increase competiveness and productivity, while equipping public services to meet demand.

According to The Herald, the REA Public Relations and Marketing Executive, Johannes Nyamayedenga said the organisation has so far electrified 9 312 public institutions and households since 2002, with 5 390 having benefited from the project between January and March this year.

“The authority has electrified 2 699 primary schools, 1 359 secondary schools, 874 rural health centres, 411 Government extension offices, 244 chiefs’ households, 952 business centres, 774 small scale farms, 1175 villages and 803 other institutions,” said Nyamayedenga.

“The decision to electrify public institutions for free was arrived at by REF board after realising that some schools and communities were facing financial challenges to fund the project. The staff at such institutions will have to pay for their households to be electrified. We have a facility where we offer 100 percent capital subsidy, he said. People do not pay for construction of lines, but only for internal wiring of their buildings and connection fees to the ZETDC.

“Those who qualify for this facility are primary and secondary schools, Government extension offices, chiefs’ homesteads and Government departments such as police posts, District Development Fund, Agritex and Department of veterinary services offices among others.

“Rural communities have been facing challenges in raising funds for internal wiring and paying ZETDC for connection fees. The REF board made a decision to do the internal wiring, buy tubing using own resources and also pay connection fees for schools.

“This is only done for the administration block, science laboratories and computer laboratories to ensure pupils and students can learn in a conducive environment,” he added.

Teachers at schools will continue to raise funds for internal wiring and paying ZETDC for connection.

Clinics will be assisted 100 percent while staff will have to pay on their own.

Nyamayedenga said REF was encouraging villagers to form groups of 10 and more households to benefit from the 50 percent subsidy and they only pay for tubing and connection to ZETDC.

“After building the infrastructure, we invite ZETDC to inspect and energise the line which they will own and maintain, he said. They will also bill the customer.

“As we celebrate independence, we are transforming the lives of people in communal areas so that they have the same benefits as those in urban areas and also ensure there is development in the rural areas.

“We are celebrating independence when our people are also celebrating access to electricity.”

REF is also complementing grid electricity through the introduction of biogas and solar energy.

The advantage with biogas is that the waste can also be used as a rich organic fertiliser for agricultural production.

He said REF has been facing challenges of shortage of foreign currency, which was delaying projects.

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ZIMRA Official Involved In Investigations Of Smuggling And Corruption By Senior Officers Poisoned To Death

Own Correspondent|Information just received indicates that s Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officer who was tasked to investigate massive corruption and smuggling at Beitbridge border post died of food poisoning in a suspected elimination by murder case.

ZimEye.com sources indicated that Mr Charles Mwarira, who was a key witness in an ongoing smuggling scandal at the died last week and was buried at his rural home in Rusape on Wednesday.

Senior ZIMRA and police officers are under internal investigations for massive corruption and smuggling at the border post which has had its warehouse set on fire on more than two occasions prompting suspicions that the fires were deliberately set up to conceal evidence.

According to the sources, Mwarira was poisoned together with his cousin when a lethal chemical was diced into a bottle of milk they were consuming.

“Mwarira was poisoned. Before he died he mentioned that he was given some milk which he consumed together with his cousin who also died,” said the source.

“We are not sure who gave him the milk but all we know is that he was a state witness in a smuggling case.”

Zimra boss Faith Mazani confirmed that an official died, however she insisted that the late (Mwarira) was in the administration department.

“The person who died was in the administration and had nothing to do with investigations. I am appealing to the media to respect the grieving family,” she said.

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EU Commends Constitutional Reforms In Zim?

The European Union has said it is beginning to see some positive steps towards attainment of political and economic reforms by Zimbabwe.

Speaking after meeting President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices, where he was committing further assistance by the EU to victims of Cyclone Idai, EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen said the recent announcement of the Staff Monitored Programme (SMP), alignment of the Constitution and commitment to replace the Public Order and Security Act were some of the positive steps so far.

“Now we have recently seen positive steps, the Staff Monitored Programme by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is certainly one of those. We have seen movement on the Constitutional alignment agenda, the Media Bills- the replacement of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA),” said Ambassador Olkkonen.

Ambassador Olkkonen said although there has been a lot of questions about these Media laws, it was important to note that discussions around them have already started and are going forward.

“I know there is criticism and questions about the details of those Acts but I think it is important that there is a discussion starting and going on now about those things and making sure that the legislative agenda moves forward and that is by the way an area the EU is supporting, financially through technical assistance.State media

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Gvt To Monitor Situation In Disaster Prone Areas

Farai Dziva|The government will monitor the situation closely in disaster prone zones following reports that Cyclone Kenneth will hit neighbouring countries.

In a statement, an official in the Ministy of Information said the government was on high alert to avert disaster.

“Disaster prone areas of Mbire, Muzarabani, Mt Darwin, Nyanga, low lying areas of Masvingo Province, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Mutoko, Mudzi and Gokwe North are advised to be on high alert.

Meteorological Department and Civil Protection will monitor situation every 3 hours,” said Nick Mangwana.

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MDC A Praised For Upholding Democratic Principles

Farai Dziva|A respected political analyst has hailed the MDC A for sticking to democratic processes in line with its founding principles.

Writing on his official Twitter account, Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya urged the MDC A to focus on the 2023 polls after the national congress.

“The MDC A leadership succession process after the passing on of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018 is done and has happened smoothly.

The socio-economic war to redeem Zim decay begins, congrats Wamba”

“Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it in relative capacity.

Apart from the nomination of national leaders by MDC provincial congresses; it is vital to know the policies and party programmes,” tweeted Dr Ruhanya.

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Chaos At Mbare Musika Over Ranking Space, Four Injured In Fracas

By Own Correspondent- Touts aligned to a rival bus company attacked crew members from a new operator Homeboy bus leaving at least four people injured.

The fracas which arose after a dispute over ranking space occurred on Easter Monday at Mbare Musika Bus terminus.

The alleged attackers are reported to have obstructed passengers from entering the Homeboy bus at the Mutare rank, insisting that the bay belonged to them. 

One of the victims Willy Josi, who is still nursing injuries furnished this publication with information on what transpired.

” I feel sorry for my crew after seeing what happened to them, they were attacked by a gang of touts for introducing plastic money in the wake of hard cash challenges, and for loading passengers into our bus. This has always been the case whenever a new operator tries his luck on the Harare-Nyanga route.

I don’t know whether these touts are sent by owners at CAG or what, but I am appealing to the Ministry (Transport) and police to investigate,” said Josi who runs the bus Homeboy.

Josi also added that the prevailing circumstances forced him to make a complaint with the police since two of his four crew members suffered broken ribs and were taken to Harare Central Hospital for treatment.

Police have however launched a manhunt for the perpetrators of the violence with the case reported under RRBB3987941.- StateMedia

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Mwonzora In A Quandary : Analyst

Farai Dziva|MDC A Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora’ s days in office are numbered because of the “political suicide” he has committed, a political analyst has said.

Writing on social media yesterday, Taruvinga claimed by attempting to challenge Nelson Chamisa for the presidency, Mwonzora has written his own “political epitaph.”

This according to Taruvinga, has left Mwonzora in a quandary.

“Douglas Mwonzora, a half rebel, has finally felt the CCC heat and chickened out of the presidential race.

Opts to retain his SG post which already has a taker in
Chalton Hwende who is getting provincial nominations like nobody’s business.

The structures may have to punish Douglas Mwonzora for being praised by Zanu PF.

It’s a wait and see as the national congress beckons,” said Taruvinga.

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Triangle FC Star Collapses

Farai Dziva|Triangle FC have confirmed that their captain Ralph Kawondera was admitted at a local hospital after falling unconscious.

According to the club’s statement on Social Media, the midfielder knocked out upon receiving the sad news that his twin brother had died.

The statement reads: “Our captain Kaondera was admitted at Collin Saunders hospital. He was unconscious since the time he received the sad news that his twin brother died today.”

“He has responded so well to both medical and psychological counselling. We wish him a quick recovery and may his twin brother rest in peace (sic).”

Kawondera will not be available for the home encounter against Chapungu at Gibbo Stadium this weekend.

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Grace Mugabe “Tweet” Claims She Is Funding MDC A Congress

Farai Dziva |A Twitter account ostensibly owned by Grace Mugabe has claimed the former First Lady is funding the MDC A Congress.

The tweet has sparked widespread speculation and permutations.Mrs Mugabe, according to analysts has an axe to grind with Emmerson Mnangagwa and she is grabbing every available opportunity to hit back at the former Vice President.

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Protesters In Major Victory: 3 Military Generals Resign In Sudan

Protesters have scored a major victory in Sudan as three generals in the country’s ruling Transitional Military Council offered their resignations.

The three are considered to be avowed Islamists and allies of former President Omar al-Bashir.

The three generals are Omar Zain al-Abideen, Jalal al-Deen al-Sheikh and Al-Tayeb Babakr Ali Fadeel.

Protest leaders had demanded the resignation of the generals as one of their key demands. The BBC quoted, Dr Sara Abdelgalil, of the Sudanese Professionals Association, the main group behind the protests saying:

What we are hoping to do today is to continue our peaceful resistance. Regime members and the NCP [the ousted president’s party] are trying to show themselves as being legitimate to continue ruling the transitional period. – BBC

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Zimbabwean Football Agent Blacklisted For Match Fixing

Farai Dziva| A Zimbabwean football agent is among the seven people banned by FIFA from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at both national and international level for life.

Kudzanai Shaba was found guilty of having been involved in match fixing . FIFA announced on Wednesday that the Zimbabwean was part of a clique who worked with Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted Singaporean match-fixer, to manipulate the results for betting purposes.

This is not the first time Shaba has been implicated in a match-fixing scandal. In 2012, he was slapped with a life ban after Zifa found him guilty of taking part in the famous Asiagate but was later pardoned following the appointment of a new Zifa executive in 2016.

But during that year, the football agent was again charged after trying to fix the Warriors’ 2017 Afcon qualifier against Swaziland.

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LATEST – Passport Printing Failure: Update

Zimbabwean passport

By A Correspondent| ZimEye brings our valued readers and listeners the latest update on the failure to print passports by the Registrar General.

ZimEye managed to get in touch with the Registrar General late Thursday afternoon regarding the department’s failure to print passports.

Mr Clement Masango told ZimEye the current problem was still ongoing Thursday afternoon. He said since Wednesday night, nothing has changed.

“I released a notice statement on ZTV in the evening revealing that we have encountered a system malfunction, that is affecting us. “

Registrar General, Clement Masango

ZimEye asked if there is an expected completion date and Mr Masango replied saying, “engineers are working on it so I don’t have any timeframe, it is very difficult to say and I am not an engineer.”

At this point, the following were the responses :

SO FAR WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE DO, SHOULD THEY CONTINUE COMING?

“You are asking me something impossible… I have advised that we are having that challenge,” replied Masango.

HOW DO WE DESCRIBE THE CHALLENGE?

“You are now going technical.”

WE WERE ONLY ASKING FOR AN ESTIMATED DATE OF COMPLETION…

“Ah, no, this is like if a person is ill, even if you are a doctor, do you determine when the person will be healed? I am not an engineer but this is the situation we are faced with.”

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NPRC Holds 1st Gukurahundi Stakeholders’ Meeting

By Own Correspondent- The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission on Thursday held its first Matabeleland South Stakeholders meeting at Gwanda District Club.

The stakeholders meetings are meant to source for the challenges and solutions to the post-Independence political disturbances which saw the deaths of an estimated 20 000 people in Matabeleland in what is described as the Gukurahundi era which has been described by the former President Robert Mugabe as a “moment of madness”.

Speaking recently in Matabeleland North the Chairperson of the NPRC Retired Justice Sello Nare urged citizens to speak freely regarding Gukurahundi in order for there to be healing and national reconciliation.

Said Nare:

“I want to encourage the people  to take part in the outreach programme and talk freely about Gukurahundi and their experiences so that we progress together.”

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MDC A Says Central Gvt Must Avail Forex To Local Authorities To Avert Cholera Outbreak

Farai Dziva|The MDC A has urged Central Government to avail foreign currency to local authorities as a matter of urgency.

See below the MDC A statement on the matter:

The MDC is extremely worried by the shortage of water treatment chemicals in local authorities.

The shortage is chiefly due to the unavailability of foreign currency.
All water treatment chemicals are imported and councils need foreign currency to be able to procure the chemicals. What is worse is that these are bought on a cash basis.

The Reserve Bank, the only source of foreign currency for the local authorities is unable to provide the required forex in adequate amounts. Most councils have chemical stocks that are dangerously below their reorder level
Councils are therefore unfortunately only able to pump way below the demand levels. Harare is pumping only 25% of demand.

The situation is similar in all other local authorities. Access to safe, clean and potable water is a right that government should fulfill. The MDC fears that the country will
be plunged into cholera problems if the Reserve Bank fails to avail forex as a matter of urgency.

Additionally the provision of forex in drips and drops leads to higher costs of landing the chemicals as economies of scale are lost. In the short term, all local authority requirements for chemicals should be aggregated and same bought through Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe.

In the medium term, the reserve bank should treat this as a priority area and ensure that councils get the required forex without failure
Thirdly, it is important for government to deliberated put money aside for the beneficiation of Kaolin Clay or bauxite into Aluminum Sulphate which happens to be the biggest component of water treatment.

These materials are awash in Zimbabwe and Zimphos used to manufacture such.
Sesel Zvidzai
MDC Secretary for Local Government

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“Mnangagwa Gvt Has Brought Operation Restore Suffering”

Farai Dziva|Outspoken political observer Jeffryson Chitando has declared that Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has brought more harm than good to the people of Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabweans be prepared for an inevitable fuel price increase as the RTGS dollar continues to fall against the hard currency.

Another fuel price hike will trigger price increases. The government of Zimbabwe must act swiftly by engaging the international community and the main opposition party.

The Zanu PF government has failed to turn around the economy. The promised “Operation Restore Legacy” is now dubbed “Operation Restore Suffering “.

We are likely to witness widespread demonstrations and civil servants protests.

The only way out of the economic meltdown is for the government to adopt the rand and dump the local valueless and nameless currency,” said Chitando.

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Rate Of Inflation Will Be At 400% By Year End- Biti

Farai Dziva|Despite being denigrated by Zanu PF sympathisers, former Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Tendai Biti has declared that Zimbabwe’s rate of inflation will be 400 per cent by year-end.

This comes after rampant price increases and the freefall of the RTGS dollar against the greenback.

“The official rate of inflation is now 66% but those following the day to day movement of prices will tell you that it stands at 270%.

In 10 years this regime has taken us through 2 vicious cycles of disequilibrium. It doesn’t need the genius to foresee that year-end inflation will be 400%,” claimed Biti.

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“Postpone Elections For 10 Years And Focus On Nation Building”

Farai Dziva|Prominent journalist and filmmaker Hopewell Chin’ono has proposed that elections should be postponed for 10 years in Zimbabwe.

This he argues, will enable stakeholders to focus on nation building and reconstruction.

“Elections have bcome a problem that has sunk us into vicious violence, unreformed state institutions, political and economic strife.

Let us do away with them for 10 years and focus on reconstruction,” argued Chin’ono.

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Gvt Bemoans Theft Of Road Dualisation Material

Farai Dziva|The nation will have to wait for a prolonged period following the theft of material for the dualiastion of the Harare – Beitbridge Highway.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Joel Biggie Matiza told a state run daily newspaper 215 drums of bitumen meant for the dualisation of a 10-kilometre stretch along Harare-Beitbridge highway were stolen at a road construction site in Chivhu last week.

“I can confirm that 215 drums of bitumen worth RTGS$4 million were stolen in Chivhu last week.

The bitumen was part of a consignment meant to tar the 10km stretch which is part of the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge highway being undertaken by the Ministry in Chivhu.

The manner in which the bitumen disappeared pointed to an organised gang of rogue workers bent on defrauding the Government. We are going to take stringent measures to decimate such racketeering and mafia activities,” Matiza told the newspaper.

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Street Kid Snatches Patoranking’s Cap

By Correspondent- An uncultured street kid snatched the hat belonging to famous Nigerian musician Patoranking.

The embarrassing incident took place just opposite the Ximex Mall car park in Harare when the superstar was mixing and mingling with his fans.

Initially, Patoranking was ticked off about the incident but he quickly let the incident go and acted as if nothing had happened.

Patoranking will perform tomorrow at the Harare International Conference Centre alongside local artists such as Winky D, Ex Q, Nutty O and Jah Prayzah among others.