By Own Correspondent- A former ZANU PF politburo member and cabinet minister Rugare Gumbo said that he is happy sitting on the sidelines of the political arena adding that he does not wish to rejoin the former liberation party.

Gumbo was sacked from Zanu Pf alongside Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Ray Kaukonde among others in 2014.

They were shown the exit door after their Gamatox faction was accused of plotting to unseat the then President, Robert Mugabe.

In an interview with the Daily News over the weekend, Gumbo said:

“I am not concerned at all about re-joining Zanu PF. Some have gone back but mumwe nemumwe anoita zvaanoda (we all have the right to do as we please).

I am enjoying myself in the terraces, and I am quite comfortable. I am off politics and I will not apply to re-join a party that I suffered for since I was a kid.”

Gumbo reiterated the importance of independence to Zimbabweans, saying that the country lost more than 50 000 people during the liberation struggle. He said:

“Independence is very important for the people of Zimbabwe. It is now a critical moment for reflection of what we achieved and missed.

We lost a number of people during the liberation struggle. The estimates put the number at 50 000, but it could be higher than that.

There are a number of things that we need to ask ourselves as we celebrate Independence Day. The economy is in a quagmire, to begin with.

This means that we are not enjoying the fruits of independence, maybe because of commissions or omissions on our part as nationalists.

But there is no doubt that we have to take responsibility for our generational failure. We failed to mentor young people to take over.

We, nationalists, don’t accept that we are old and should pass on the leadership baton. Zimbabweans deserve better than what we are getting now.”-DailyNews

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 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“.

– Timeslive

Government has handed back ownership of the Zambezi Water Project to the Matabeleland Collective and its technical partner Matabeleland Zambezi Water Trust (MZWT).

The implementation of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which has been hampered by various challenges, seeks to end perennial water shortages in Bulawayo by drawing water from Zambezi River to the city.

Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza confirmed the development yesterday, saying she read out the implementation matrix to the Trust. She was representing the Office of the President and Cabinet.

“Yes, I can confirm the development but my task was simply to read out the implementation matrix of the project.”

In a statement, Matabeleland Collective said Eng Chitsiko handed the project back last Wednesday.

“The permanent secretary met with the Matabeleland Collective leadership on Wednesday as a follow up to President Mnangagwa’s instruction to Cabinet for implementation on the promises made to members after the March 21, engagement at State House in Bulawayo.

“Matabeleland Collective requested the return of the project as part of its Compensatory Development Devolution (CDD) Model, which is a unique and new approach that will be an important vehicle to bring the project alive in all its phases.”

Matabeleland Collective said phase one of the project, the building of the Gwayi- Shangani Dam, had slowed down and the completion date of December 2019 seemed unreachable due to lack of direct interest, local ownership and passion for the development.

“In returning ownership of the project, Matabeleland Collective expects increased zeal and energy on the development in the region as power over this project has now devolved.

“Mr Chitsiko pledged that Government will continue to support all the efforts of Matabeleland Collective and its technical partners including continuing to source funding partners but that true ownership of the project is the communities resident in Matabeleland as was originally conceptualised by MZWT and residents of the provinces,” read the statement.

Matabeleland Collective also called for support for the project, saying it would now formalise the implementation in consultation with Zinwa and a also find funders.

“Matabeleland Collective is calling for the people of Matabeleland to participate in the envisioning process once again and call on interested stakeholders for support be it technically or with goods to speed up the project implementation towards the full realisation of the dream of a green Matabeleland.”

State Media

Zimbabwe celebrated its 39th independence last Thursday amid a deteriorating economic situation in the country that has seen prices of goods skyrocketing as people’s disposable incomes continue to shrink due to the collapse of the real time gross settlement systems (RTGS) dollar to the benchmark currency, United States dollar.

Zimbabwe had pinned its hopes for economic revival on its re-engagement with the international community, but the odds seem stacked against the country.

NewsDay (ND) senior reporter Obey Manayiti hooked up with Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo (SBM) for a chat during Independence Day celebrations at the National Sports Stadium and below are excerpts of the interview.

ND: We are celebrating 39 years of independence amid a lot of challenges that the country is facing. In brief what, can you say, is worth celebrating today?

SBM: First of all, we must unite as a people and have one identity as a people and it is high time that we draw a line between what we consider as political or tactical differences to the national interest, which is the national purpose of the identified people of Zimbabwe. This is because after 39 years we cannot continue to be seen to fail to have decent politics. We are the same people, therefore, the national interest is that this country must be peaceful. This country must be economically viable, it’s what all of us desire. Let’s differ on how to achieve that and we must unite as a people in that regard. My message to the people of Zimbabwe is that let us go above individual politics.

ND: What can you say have been our highs and lows in the past years?

SBM: What I can tell you is that since our independence in 1980, we went up as a nation and the economy developed, but one of the major causes of the armed struggle which was a bitter armed struggle was unfortunately the issue of land and that piece of our history had not been achieved. So it had to be achieved somehow. The kind of agreements which had been put together at Lancaster House and the kind of guarantees and promises which had been agreed upon unfortunately didn’t work, based on the willing seller and willing buyer concept and, unfortunately, we had to go through what we call land revolution. This had to complete some of the areas or the major causes of the armed struggle. Unfortunately, thereafter, we had our low end and that low end basically became the issues to do with sanctions.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the same look and the same understanding when the land was taken. Some people thought it was wrong to get the land, while some people said the land must be taken, but we had to get it in a different way. The differences were supposed to be domestic differences, but whatever happened
some people then thought they should go and seek for sanctions, but we were supposed to look at the national interest first as a people who identify themselves as Zimbabweans then we sort out these differences. Foreign policy, which I lead is an extension of domestic policy, so unless internally here we have a comprehensive arrangement of our understanding, living and cooperation and unified kind of behaviour, then it will always be difficult.

ND: The generality of the people are complaining about the rising cost of living, all the accusations are coming out against the government for failure to provide an environment for decent lives…

SBM: But people forget that we are a country which is still under sanctions, we are a country which is facing difficulties in terms of having its own transactions. There is no freedom, we are still isolated and that is why the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) said let us pursue this issue of re-engagement and engagement and ensure that we have the freedom and be a State which joins the rest of the nations in the world and enjoys the freedom of co-operation. I can assure you that since the coming in of the Second Republic there have been serious issues which we are undertaking. Such issues include political reforms and I tell you that we have never had excellent elections like the elections that we had last year. Yes, they were tainted by the August 1 events, but I can assure you that everybody was allowed to campaign and anybody who wished to observe our elections was allowed to do so. Those are major reforms and many more which have been ushered by the Second Republic.

ND: Let’s talk about the current economic challenges that the country is experiencing that have pushed price increases.

SBM: I was just saying we have undertaken political reforms and also economic reforms and that is why the theme of the last budget is austerity for prosperity. We have to pass through this. This economy has been undergoing serious difficulties for the past two decades and to get out of that ditch, it is going to be painful. We cannot pretend that we will get on smoothly, but we have to get out of it so that we become a successful economy again. This is a very temporary phenomenon which we are going through and sometimes also they say in a democracy there must be discipline. We cannot separate democracy from discipline. If you lack discipline then what it means is that people will want to maximise on profits, but in reality profits are basically 10-15%. That is not exactly what is happening on the market. We are saying we must be united in achieving the specific national interest, but if we behave in an undisciplined manner, unfortunately it will pain a lot of people. We could have ameliorated that particular pain if we were disciplined as a society, as a business, as different sectors of the economy. Let me tell you that the process which we are going through at the moment, for example we have just been given a Staff-Monitored Programme, it means the world is saying we are approving you, we trust you with your economic programme which is progressive. The world is saying we can agree with you on what you are saying, but unfortunately if we don’t have discipline it will be hard to get out of this long ditch we have been for the past 20 years.

ND: Are you going to enforce discipline then?

SBM: Definitely, as government we are going to enforce discipline, but what we don’t want is to try and be hard-handed to our people, we want to talk to our people so that they understand that we are together and we are moving in a particular direction. We want to achieve the goal of 2030 because that is exactly the direction of where we are going and the Transitional Stabilisation Programme is only meant to last for two years. After that we are out of the ditch and we then move on and have the normal five-year development programmes which will now be deliberate.

ND: You are spearheading the engagement and re-engagement programme. How is it moving on?

SBM: It is moving on well and all I can assure you is that first there is now very good chemistry within the region. Remember our foreign policy follows the concentric paradigm that the regional, continental and international, and so at regional level that is why the President was going around each and every country so that at least there is chemistry among all the leaders in the region and there is the best chemistry ever.

ND: Are you saying they are copying from our President then?

SBM: It’s just a way of co-operating (laughs). The AU has been understanding on the situation in Zimbabwe and has walked together, for example, now we should utilise as a country the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. This is an agreement which gives us the markets within Africa. There is more than $3 trillion which is available within the continent for trade and we saying let us then identify these markets as a nation, but we can only do so when we are unified. At the international level, remember His Excellency’s target has been the issue to do with re-engagement with those nations who were our friends before and who had turned against us or engagement with those countries who have never been our friends or deepening our friendship with countries who have always stood by us, particularly the East.

NewsDay

OPPOSITION Freezim Congress leader Joseph Busha has challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to prove to the nation that he has the capacity to resolve the rising economic challenges facing the country.

Busha told NewsDay in Mutare on Friday after visiting Clyclone Idai victims in Chimanimani where he donated groceries worth thousands of dollars, that he doubted Mnangagwa’s pedigree.

“I want Emmerson Mnangagwa to prove that he is leading the best government, they should show why they are the best; they should show to us how many jobs they have created; they should show us by building hospitals and clinics; and they should show by helping improve the living conditions of the Zimbabweans,” Busha said.

“My view at the moment is that this government is not different from the old of Robert Mugabe. I believe that nothing is going to change in terms of economy, as long as we have this Zanu PF leading our country.”

Busha added: “There is no political will to solve the current crisis facing the country; investors and people do not trust this government.”

The opposition leader recently described the national dialogue initiated by Mnangagwa as a useless exercise which would not take the country forward.

Mnangagwa recently invited the 2018 losing presidential aspirants for talks to share ideas on how to move the nation out of the doldrums.

Although the majority of the losing candidates responded to Mnangagwa’s call, others including MDC leader Nelson Chamisa boycotted the process.

Busha said he was helping the people of Chimanimani on humanitarian grounds.

“We are not here to campaign, but I want to thank you for voting in the presidential election that was held last year in which I was also in the race,” Busha
said

“I should not wait until I get into power to give to people who are in need. What if I die today or tomorrow? I want to help people and I should do the best I can when I am still alive. This is also a way to thank God for giving me what I have. For me, this is humanity and that’s God-fearing. I want men and women who can be servants to the people and also God-fearing.”

The post Mnangagwa won’t take the country anywhere: Busha appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

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POACHERS cornered in a section of the vast Bubye Valley Conservancy in Beitbridge recently abandoned an AK-47 assault rifle traced back to the Zimbabwe National Army, police sources said at the weekend.

Beitbridge police sources close to the investigations told NewsDay that they were following up a case where poachers abandoned a military rifle and a bag with clothes.

“Game scouts had been following tracks until they caught up with two poachers who dumped an AK-47 rifle and a bag of clothes. The serial number of the gun has been traced to the Zimbabwe National Army,” the source said.

The police source said in the recent past, another firearm traced back to the Bulawayo police armoury was recovered after a shoot-out with poachers in the same conservancy.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele yesterday said he was not aware of the latest report since he was in

Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair preparations.

“I am in Bulawayo for the trade fair and I do not have that information, I am sorry,” Ndebele said.

The Bubye Valley Conservancy, which straddles the Matabeleland South, Midlands and Masvingo provinces has of late fallen prey to poachers hunting for blackrhinos.

In September last year, a 50-year-old suspected poacher who also worked as a teacher in Gwanda was shot dead in the conservancy while his alleged accomplice escaped.

In December the same year, poachers shot and killed two rhinos.

The black rhinos were translocated from the Hwange Game Reserve following a series of raids by poachers believed to be from neighbouring Zambia.

Unconfirmed reports have fingered some former workers at the conservancy as being involved in the poaching activities since they were familiar with the terrain, hence, the few arrests recorded in the area.

THE Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has condemned the unjustified increase in the prices of basic commodities and called on responsible authorities to take urgent measures to protect citizens.

In a statement, ZNLWVA national spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said the increase in bread price was a calculated move meant to dampen the independence celebrations and incite the public to revolt against the Government.

“The ZNLWVA notes with utter disgust the malevolent bread price increase by bakeries,” he said. “This cruel assault on the welfare of the poor and less privileged is an attempt to copy-cat the template of national disturbances that were witnessed in the Arab world.

“The unjustified bread price increase is clearly a political weapon by the baking cartel. This is clearly a calculated move meant to anger the public and make them to revolt against the constitutionally elected Government.

“The move is also meant to sabotage President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 and as war veterans we will stand to defend the economic programmes by our President.

“We strongly condemn this profiteering habit by bakers and we urge them to desist from the habit of making unjustified profits at the expense of the poor.”

CMahiya said ZNLWVA will stand with the people and make sure the unjustified profiteering will not succeed.

“We will make sure this cartel bites the dust,” he said. “This is to ensure that the Zimbabwe revolution we fought heroically as young people thrives and succeeds. The Vision 2030 and goal of a middle income economy will be pursued with unremitting vigour.”

Mahiya called on Government to take measures which ensured that citizens were protected.

“We call upon the Ministers of Industry, Finance and Justice to take drastic and decisive measures to deal with these cartels. All initiatives must be put in place to ensure that all basics are affordable to everyone,” he said.

Mahiya said the spirit of independence celebrations should not be dampened by bad apples in the economic body system.

Begining last week, a loaf of bread is being sold for $3,50. up from $2.

State Media

By A Correspondent|On Saturday afternoon ZimEye caught up with the late Crocodile Gang founder William Ndangana’s secretary, Patience Olivier.

She had flown all the way from France to Leeds for the People’s President Nelson Chamisa’s UK congress.

Patience Olivier is in her 70s and she became exiled when she was nearly killed for betraying ZANU PF by joining the MDC party.

Her comments combine with those of senior CIOs in Mwenezi who have dismissed a ZBC documentary that profiles Mnangagwa as not only a crocodile, but an elected aide to Robert Mugabe in the 1970s when the truth is he was simply and personally handpicked by Mugabe.

Below was the full interview.

Shamva Mine security guard Holy Zindi (42) is in hot soup after reportedly firing at and killing an artisanal miner who had trespassed into the mine in search of the precious mineral last week.

Zindi was arraigned before Bindura magistrate Madalitso Phiri for allegedly killing Granage Chere (32). He was not asked to plead to a murder charge and was remanded in custody to May 5.

The State alleges that on April 17, artisanal miners went on a rampage with explosives, assaulting and driving away miners at Shamva Gold Mine. The miners were overpowered and called for reinforcement from security guards, but the artisanal miners kept on charging, despite being warned by three gunshots fired into the air.

Zindi reportedly fired four shots on the now-deceased Chere and he died on the spot. Fearing for their lives, the other artisanal miners fled from the scene, leaving the body of their colleague lying motionless.

On Independence Day, chief security officer Moses Makonese was advised of the shooting by another guard Grain Phiri.

Makonese subsequently filed a police report at Shamva Police Station and Chere’s body was ferried to Shamva Hospital for a post-mortem. The police eventually arrested the suspect at his home around 5pm.

Samson Chamunorwa represented the State.

NewsDay

MDC president Nelson Chamisa has made a major climb-down on his stance against inter-party dialogue and called for an engagement between him and President Mnangagwa to tackle national challenges affecting the country.

Chamisa said he was willing for a direct engagement with President Mnangagwa to discuss political, economic and social issues affecting the country, while the party’s spokesperson Mr Jacob Mafume said they were willing to compromise on their previous demands.

Some of the demands by the MDC included the establishment of a Transitional Authority to run Government and opening up debate on President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.

Chamisa posted a conciliatory message on his twitter account at the weekend where he called for people to rise above party politics.

“Where we are going now requires us to think and act like Zimbabweans. Our dire situation is no longer about MDC or Zanu-PF but about Zimbabwe. We have a nation to build and a generation to defend. We have power,” said Mr Chamisa in his message.

When contacted to unpack his message Mr Chamisa said his message was self-explanatory.

“We need to put an end to these economic problems for the sake of ourselves and our children. That is the import of the message I posted on my twitter account. It is very clear and self-explanatory. You can as well get hold of our party spokesperson,” said Chamisa.

MDC spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said they were keen to have a direct engagement with President Mnangagwa to discuss several issues affecting the country.

“In the current context we have proffered that as a solution, we need a one on one meeting underpinned by the five points plan. As a party, the president has been given the full mandate to engage in any process that will bring about an end to the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe and he is providing a framework to that,” said Mafume.

“We have put our position paper and it cannot be abandoned in the air. Anyone who is serious about dialogue also has to put forward their proposition and we take it from there.”

Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu said President Mnangagwa was on record saying he welcomed dialogue from all stakeholders.

“That is what our President has always been saying that he is ready for genuine and unconditional dialogue. He has always said his door is open and ready to engage political parties or anyone and build Zimbabwe,” said Dr Mpofu.

President Mnangagwa has also called for open dialogue aimed at discussing political disturbances that occurred in the eighties in Matabeleland provinces commonly known as Gukurahundi.

He said debate on the Gukurahundi issue should have started a long time ago and resolution of some of the issues finalised back then.

The Head of State challenged the nation to open up discussions on the subject, which was taboo in the previous era.

He said his recent engagement with the Matabeleland Collective, an umbrella body of civil society organisations from the region, was eye-opening regarding issues of neglect that the people in the south and south-western region felt so strongly about.

And the meeting, the first of its kind between the people and the Republican President, was instructive as it resulted in the creation of a matrix of implementation of issues raised by the people of Matabeleland.

The President made these remarks in an interview with the national broadcaster ZBC last week ahead of this year’s 39th Independence Day celebrations.

State Media

Farai Dziva|Zimbabweans have expressed mixed sentiments on Constantino Chiwenga’ s health condition.

Chiwenga has been in and out of the country over the past few months due to failing health.

While some Zimbabweans say it is immoral to celebrate one’s misery others think otherwise.

Eddie Nemukuyu said:”Guys it’s wicked to speculate on smbody’s life. “

Tarisai Muchenjeri argued:”Those who know how many times these reporters told us that Mugabe has died will believe with me.”

Asjane Ttembo said:”There is no judge who can judge someone’s life only God.”

Samilani Nyachopera:”Its better he can die now.” Saini Mateke commented:”Kkkkkk life is in the hands of God.”

Quinton Theophelus Joel:”I personally dont care ,he could be left with 2 hrs or 20 days ,he is wasting our precious oxygen for nothing anyway the sooner he meets his ancestors the better this world becomes.”

Farai Dziva|Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira ordered state security agents to block the donation of an ambulance by an MDC A official to a hospital in Chiredzi last week, but pressure from stakeholders forced him to make an embarrassing climbdown.

MDC A losing candidate for Chiredzi West constituency during last year’s elections, John Manganye, donated an ambulance, 30 wheelchairs, three 5 000-litre water tanks, blood pressure testing machines, beds and various other items to Chiredzi Town Council-run polyclinic, sending shivers down ruling party honchos’ spines.

Manganye is also helping with the refurbishment of structures, including repainting of the polyclinic.

Government sources claimed Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, Ezra Chadzamira initially blocked council officials from publicising Manganye’ s name.

“Chadzamira blocked council officials from mentioning Manganye’s name but he gave in due to incessant protests from angry stakeholders,” a government source claimed.

THE death toll for pupils and teachers who died during Cyclone Idai last month has risen to 92 while 102 pupils are still missing.

The cyclone affected most parts of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces. In an interview yesterday, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cde Edgar Moyo said among the dead and missing children were ECD pupils.
“Currently the number confirmed dead and buried is now at 92 and the number of those missing has increased to 102.

Our colleagues who are on the ground in Chimanimani are telling me that the sad thing is that of those missing we have 30 ECD learners who are among the 102. The number of teachers has also risen to four including one headmaster,” said Moyo.

He said different organs of the Government which is led by the National Disaster Management Committee are working closely with the Mozambican Government to find the missing people.
The Government availed $4 million for the reconstruction of schools in the tropical Cyclone Idai affected areas.

Moyo said the Government was planning to open schools in the affected areas on Tuesday.State media

Former Vice President Joice Teurairopa Mujuru has dismissed reports by ZANU PF apologist Weldon Matambo that she got a visit from President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“President ED Mnangagwa visited former VP Joice Runaida Teurairopa Mujuru,” Matambo posted on Twitter.

The former Vice President was quick to shoot down the allegations saying, “No such visitation happened with him. It’s a lie.”

Mujuru recently blasted a statements by ZANU PF Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu that she will be rejoining the ruling party.

“We have been approached by al the parties and now Mujuru is coming back to ZANU PF, Ambrose Mutinhiri has come back and many other have come back.”  Mpofu was quoted saying.

Mpofu had claimed that the coming back of Mujuru and others shows that Mnangagwa is a unifying leader.

Mujuru, however, she is not joining ZANU PF anytime.

In a Tweet Jonathan Moyo goes for the kill and calls Trevor Ncube a failed businessman who is tribalistic. Moyo further alleges that Trevor Ncube called his wife a “Foolish Zezuru”

This seemed to have stemmed from a Twar(Twitter War)  that was waging between Jonathan Moyo and Shingi Munyeza. Jonathan Moyo captured this tweet in his rant

Professor Moyo then responded saying he won’t take advice from Trevor Ncube.

Matebeleland Collective (MC)  has cautioned Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba to desist from uttering words that seek to undermine the effects of the Gukurahundi  genocide.

Charamba recently told private media that, “There was conflict, which claimed lives and you noticed I never used words such as atrocities because if you are true to history, you will know that in a conflict situation atrocities do happen on both sides of the conflict. We do have quite a number of people who died or suffered at the hands of the dissidents. We also have quite a number of people who are said to have suffered at the hands of security forces then.”

MC responded to Charamba saying, “While we welcome dialogue it is important to create a truthful shared history that will assist in healing – our primary concern. MC is concerned to hear government leaders trivialising the issue. Such talk does not heal but is to rub salt in wounds of hurting communities.”

MC added that the statements by Charamba were inconsistent with the matrix points delivered by government regarding Gukurahundi and that he was bound to intimidate victims who want speak openly about Gukurahundi.

“Mr Charamba remember 20000 innocent souls died -a high percentage still lying on unmarked graves. Your attempt to explain this away as a ‘conflict’ questions the sincerity on Government implementation matrix point 4, your allegation also dis-empowers victims from speaking openly.

“Gukurahundi concerns people’s lives and is not an issue to politic or trifle with. Let’s treat all discussions with sensitivity and respect. Let’s not use it to score cheap political points.

“Regarding recent pronouncements Charamba MC wishes to remind Mr Charamba of item 4, especially the implementation modalities: devise protections mechanisms for those affected by Gukurahundi to be free to discuss their experiences.”

FORMER Cabinet minister and liberation struggle icon, Rugare Gumbo, has flatly refused to accept President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s invitation to re-join Zanu-PF – insisting that it was beneath him to re-apply for party membership of an organisation which he had helped to build.

Gumbo – who was controversially fired from the ruling party in the run-up to Zanu-PF’s sham congress of December 2014, at the height of the party’s factional, succession and tribal wars – added that it was absurd for him to be invited to return to an organisation that he had been part of from his teenage years.

As a result, the respected octogenarian told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that he was happy to remain “in the terraces” and concentrate on his farming interests in his home province of Midlands – where he hails from together with Mnangagwa.

Speaking in a no-holds-barred interview with the newspaper, Gumbo said categorically that he was not prepared to re-join Zanu-PF as a card-carrying member as he was among the party’s founders.

He argued further that he had only been sacked from the party by former president Robert Mugabe because of Zanu-PF’s then unresolved leadership succession wars.
“I am not concerned at all about re-joining Zanu-PF. Some have gone back but mumwe nemumwe anoita zvaanoda (we all have the right to do as we please).

“I am enjoying myself in the terraces, and I am quite comfortable. I am off politics and I will not apply to re-join a party that I suffered for since I was a kid,” Gumbo told the Daily News on Sunday.

This comes as Mnangagwa has been reaching out to many of his erstwhile Zanu-PF comrades-turned-political rivals – whose relationship with him was destroyed at the height of the ruling party’s deadly factional and succession wars a few years ago.

Among the expelled Zanu-PF members who have since been re-admitted back into the party, as a result of this new initiative to reunite the former liberation movement, are former senior Cabinet minister and party secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, and retired securocrat Ambrose Mutinhiri – who briefly led Mugabe’s failed political project, the National Patriotic Front (NPF) last year.

At the same time, the Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, has also reported that Mugabe himself could make a sensational return to Zanu-PF – one-and-a-half years after the frail nonagenarian was swept from power by a military coup – if he accepts the party’s overtures towards him.

Gumbo added that instead of him returning to active politics, it was time his fellow comrades in Zanu-PF also paved the way for a younger generation to take the country forward.

He said the liberation war generation had played an important role to bring about independence, but now risked sullying its heroic contributions if it did not allow the new generation to bring in fresh ideas.

“Independence is very important for the people of Zimbabwe. It is now a critical moment for reflection of what we achieved and missed.

“We lost a number of people during the liberation struggle. The estimates put the number at 50 000, but it could be higher than that,” Gumbo said.

“There are a number of things that we need to ask ourselves as we celebrate Independence Day. The economy is in a quagmire to begin with.

“This means that we are not enjoying the fruits of independence, maybe because of commissions or omissions on our part as nationalists.
“But there is no doubt that we have to take responsibility for our generational failure. We failed to mentor the young people to take over.

“We nationalists don’t accept that we are old and should pass on the leadership baton. Zimbabweans deserve better than what we are getting now,” the forthright Gumbo.

“The situation now is such that most of the people are going through hell. We must accept that we are old.

“We must accept that young people should now lead.  We should just let them take over. We need to empower the younger generation,” he added.

Gumbo was sent packing from Zanu-PF in 2014, together with Mutasa and former vice president Joice Mujuru, at the height of the ruling party’s deadly factional, succession and tribal wars – on untested allegations of wanting to topple Mugabe from power.

He is among the small remaining group of decorated liberation war heroes despite having a love-hate relationship with Mugabe during and after the war of independence.

In a previous interview with our sister publication the Daily News, Gumbo claimed that Mugabe wanted to wipe out leading freedom fighters, in particular leaders of the liberation war council that was known as Dare reChimurenga “so as to assume total control of Zanu-PF.”

The former spokesperson of Zanu-PF said he and other members of Dare reChimurenga had clashed with Mugabe over the direction of the liberation struggle, leading to his barbaric detention in Mozambique, where he – together with other comrades – were kept in dungeons.

“We were treated like dogs. We spent at least three months detained in holes dug in an open place which were closed from the top at about 5pm, only to be reopened the following morning.

“The holes were six metres deep and four metres wide. It was hell on earth and we all thought we were going to die.

“At one point the holes were filled with soil and only our heads were left protruding out. But we all survived the ordeal,” said Gumbo then.

He went through that harrowing ordeal together with the likes of the late Henry Hamadziripi, former police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri, former ZBC chief executive Happison Muchechetere and Mukudzei Mudzi.

Daily News

Farai Dziva|The wrangle between controversial Urban Grooves artist Stunner, real name Desmond Chideme and one Bla Jedza is intensify ing with each passing day.

Stunner and Bla Jedza have taken their war of words to the Mvenge Mvenge social media platform where the latter is accusing the musician of not returning someone’s suit.

Bla Jedza claims Stunner does not have anything as he waits for ladies to look after him.

By Own Correspondent| The Christian community has expressed concern over utterances by a prominent clergyman calling on citizens to honour President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he is ordained by God.

Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leader Nehemiah Mutendi stunned all and sundry when he urged congregants to honour Mnangagwa as he was chosen by God to lead the nation.

Mutendi also implored the people of Zimbabwe to honour Mnangagwa and all the other people in position of authority.

He made the remarks at the ZCC Easter Conference in Bikita yesterday.

Said Mutendi:

“We expect you to honour our President as the leader of the country. The Bible says, ‘we should honour our parents so that we can live longer on earth.”

Farai Dziva|Zimbabweans have expressed mixed sentiments on Constantino Chiwenga’ s health condition.

Chiwenga has been in and out of the country over the past few months due to failing health.

While some Zimbabweans say it is immoral to celebrate one’s misery others think otherwise.

Eddie Nemukuyu said: “Guys it’s wicked to speculate on smbody,s life. “

Tarisai Muchenjeri argued:” Those who know how many times these reporters told us that Mugabe has died will believe with me.”

Asjane Ttembo said:”There is no judge who can judge someone’s life only God.”Samilani Nyachopera:”Its better he can die now.”

Saini Mateke commented:” Kkkkkk life is in the hands of God.”

Quinton Theophelus Joel:” I personally dont care ,he could be left with 2 hrs or 20 days ,he is wasting our precious oxygen for nothing anyway the sooner he meets his ancestors the better this world becomes.”

VICTIMS of the 1980s Matabeleland and Midlands massacres, known as Gukurahundi, have challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to openly apologise for the killing of over 20 000 innocent civilians, saying half-hearted acknowledgement would not yield the desired results.

In March this year, Mnangagwa met the Matabeleland Collective (MC) — a grouping of the clergy and civic society groups in the region — at the Bulawayo State House where he was pressed to shed light on what his administration was doing to deal with mounting calls for closure to the emotive issue.

On April 8, Mnangagwa, through the MC and his Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs ministry’s permanent pecretary Virginia Mabhiza — pledged he would facilitate the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims, issue identity documents and provide post-physical and traumatic medical assistance to victims as government begins a process of finding redress to the mass killings.

To Susan Sibanda, now 60, Mnangagwa’s initiative is not enough without an apology, acknowledgement and truth-telling process by the perpetrators.

“How do we take him seriously when he is avoiding us, the victims? Why is he and other perpetrators avoiding us, but are able to meet the MC? Are those MC members Gukurahundi victims? Did they suffer the physical torture? Did they witness the cutting of lips, noses, beatings and so forth?” queried Sibanda, who still vividly remembers the severe beatings, multiple rapes, extra-judicial killings and mutilated bodies as if it was yesterday.

Sibanda was in her mid-20s when the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade was deployed to Matabeleland to crack down on alleged armed dissents against former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.
Other than the emotional pain, Sibanda still nurses an ankle injury from the beatings she suffered from the Fifth Brigade and walks with a limp.

“I don’t want their money, but an apology, and an acknowledgement of the evil that visited us. It irritates me to hear him saying people are free to discuss Gukurahundi when he is not ‘free’ to come and meet us the victims, and tell us why this had to happen to us”

Sibanda is not alone in demanding an apology, and acknowledgment.
Arnold Mpofu, a Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army (Zipra) ex-combatant, and activist Charles Thomas also nurse physical and emotional injuries.

“We were beaten severely. Our hands and legs were tied with barbed wire. The torture went on for days, without food and water, at Bhalagwe detention camp in Maphisa,” Thomas, who still has scars on his legs from the barbed wire, said.

Maphisa is one of the districts that bore the brunt of the Gukurahundi massacres. Today there are mass graves at Bhalagwe Mine where victims were killed and thrown.
“I was saved by Dr Boyd who privately attended to us since victims were being dragged from the hospital by the soldiers to be killed. I lived to narrate my ordeal, and it is an ordeal I want to ask the perpetrators why they were tormenting and killing our people,” says Thomas.The Standard

Military intelligence sources have revealed that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s health problems could be the effects of ingesting lethal polonium- 210, a poison capable of causing cancer.

If the information disclosed to Spotlight Zimbabwe reporters by military sources is true General Chiwenga is left with less than 140 days to live.

The poison can kill its victim within a period six days but can stay in the system for 140 days or slightly more and the damage it causes is irreversible, even after surging for more than 140 days the victims of polonium ingestion are likely to die.

Polonium-210’sphysical half life is 140 days. This means that half its radioactivity dies away in this time.

Its biological half life is 40 days, so it takes 40 days for biological processes to eliminate half of the Polonium-210 in the body.

Polonium radiation destroys DNA and can lead to cell death and cancer. Polonium-210 is a known carcinogen. When inhaled, it causes lung cancer. When swallowed, it becomes concentrated in red blood cells, before spreading to the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, and the testicles.

-Spotlight

Farai Dziva|Members of the the Christian community are deeply concerned about the utterances about Emmerson Mnangagwa made by a prominent clergyman.

Zion Christian Church(ZCC) leader Nehemiah Mutendi stunned all and sundry when he urged congregants to honour Emmerson Mnangagwa as he was chosen by God to lead the nation.

Mutendi also implored the people of Zimbabwe to honour Mnangagwa and all the other people in position of authority.

Mutendi made the remarks at the ZCC Easter Conference in Bikita yesterday.

“We expect you to honour our President as the leader of the country. The Bible says, ‘we should honour our parents so that we can live longer on earth,” said Mutendi.

The push for the United States government and the European Union (EU) bloc to remove the two-decade-old sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe is beginning to snowball with international organisations adding a voice to Harare’s renewed lobby, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said.

Last week, several international organisations, some of which are vocal critics of Government, condemned the embargo.

Minister Ncube, who attended the World Bank and International Monetary Bank annual meetings and a panel discussion organised by the Cato Institute — a Washington-based think-tank — told The Sunday Mail the engagements were successful and could help the country get the much-needed support to clear its arrears.

He added that there was an outpouring of support for the removal of sanctions.

“There is enormous goodwill from the international economic community and investors for Zimbabwe to succeed on its Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP)- driven reform agenda.

“Some global think tanks such as Cato Institute, and African countries, have called for removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe, which have cut off credit lines into Zimbabwe’s private sector and, therefore, impacting negatively on job creation and the poor,” he said.

International creditors, he said, pledged to continue working with Harare in its strategy to clear its international debts.

“The IMF, World Bank and all credit countries in the G7 group support Zimbabwe’s economic reforms and institutional reforms.

“The global support for Zimbabwe culminated in the agreement by the IMF to a Staff Monitored Programme, which will pave the way for debt arrears clearance and inflows of new capital into the economy. The World Bank facilitated many forums for Zimbabwe to engage stakeholders.

“The SMP will assist Zimbabwe in creating a track record on the reform agenda under the TSP, which is already underway. The track record is a critical input into crafting a financial bailout package and arrears clearance.”

The Treasury chief also indicated that a financial package for the reconstruction of Cyclone Idai-affected areas in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is presently being put together by international financial institutions and other countries.

During discussions at the Cato Institute in Washington, experts were unanimous on calling for the removal of sanctions, which they claim continue to impede the country’s economic growth efforts.

Professor Steve Hanke of John Hopkins University, a long-time Government critic, said sanctions should be removed “immediately”.

“Sanctions should be dropped immediately. Sanctions don’t work. The history of economic and financial sanctions is one failure after another, the production of all kinds of negative, unintended consequences,” said Prof Hanke.

He advised the US and the EU to adopt a different strategy that excludes sanctions.

Washington-based economist and journalist Barry Wood said the suggestion that sanctions do not hurt ordinary people was flawed.

Similarly, Mr Gyude Moore of the Centre for Global Development said sanctions on Zimbabweans have not achieved any positive outcome.

“Sanctions that target the people of Zimbabwe ordinarily is not going to work and in the long term is not going to help resolve the issues in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Moore .

In his Independence Day speech, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said sanctions were a deterrent to the country’s development.

“On foreign relations, the engagement and re-engagement policy with all countries in the international community, based on mutual respect, is progressing well. Various strategic engagements have resulted in the signing of 25 numerous bilateral cooperation agreements and concrete investments.

“We, however, call for the unconditional removal of the illegal and unjustified economic sanctions imposed on us so that our nation can realise its full development potential, free from any hindrances.”

In its bid for the removal of sanctions, Government continues to engage the US and the EU.

• State Media

A memorial service for one of the victims of the January shootings, Kelvin Choto, yesterday brought back memories of the events of that day with people recounting incidents where government displayed heavy-handedness.

The event was held at the Choto family home in Chitungwiza’s Unit A. MDC leader Nelson Chamisa had been billed to attend the memorial service, but he did not turn up.

Choto (22), a promising footballer, was reportedly shot and killed by law enforcers in Chitungwiza during the January protests where close to 20 people died after the State responded to the riots with brute force — deploying police and soldiers who used live ammunition on the protesters.

The atmosphere at the memorial turned emotional as people gave chilling accounts of their experiences of the January clampdown.

Apparently, overwhelmed by emotion, Choto’s widow, Varaidzo Chiyanike, collapsed and appeared to have fainted several times during the proceedings. She later opened up to The Standard saying she wanted to see justice served.

“I am still in pain over what happened. Life would not have been the same had my husband been alive,” she said.

“Kelvin promised me a good life and he made that same promise about his daughter. Our daughter is 10 months old now and what pains me the most is that she will grow up without knowing her father. It is very painful.

“It is the government that destroyed my life and that of my child by taking the life of my husband. Even then, the government didn’t show any remorse or admit that they acted wrongly. I only pray that justice will be served. I want my daughter to live a normal life that we lived when her father was still alive.”

MDC provincial chairman for Harare Wellington Chikombo said the Mnangagwa administration had failed to provide leadership. He said instead of uniting people, the government had always found excuses to inflict pain to its citizens.

“The responsibility of the government is to make sure that they provide security to the people and not to be a threat to the people,” he said.

“It is very unfortunate. As MDC, we are distressed and shaken, but we learn a lot from such unfortunate incidents. Zanu PF always thrives on elimination instead of adding. As a country, we really need to love each other and solidify each other so that we are able to confront this regime that has largely failed to deal with fundamental challenges.”

Choto’s mother, Ellen Juru, said freedom of expression must not be stifled in Zimbabwe and that demonstrations against the high cost of living are justified, but the reaction of the government was uncalled for.

She said she cried day and night over the unfortunate incident that destroyed her family’s dreams.

Julius Choto, Kelvin’s father, said the government must not be brutal to its citizens and that even after killing people, the cost of living was still rising.
“We are under the leadership of a ruthless and careless government,” he said.

“The government has no solutions to improve people’s lives and that is why they resort to killing and that is dangerous.

“The government must simply create conducive environment to enable its citizens to work for themselves and not this brutality that we are subjected to.”

Standard

By Pardon Maguta| To avoid the chance of some people rewriting the history of what actually happened within 24 hours soon after Cyclone Idai hit Chimanimani, Ngangu and thereafter I am writing my personal experience as an eyewitness and affected person.

15 March 2019 goes down as one of the worst day in my life. I had spent it in my office in Chimanimani CBD. Its a small place commonly called the Village.

Around 5pm I was in Ngangu meeting my old friend Mr Gabaza. We chatted for a while until someone made us shorten our chat. As I left with one of my friend Arnold Magen’a to my place the rains were already becoming abnormal.

We quickly got into a commuter omnibus driven by a long time ally Rodrick Chipangura. As I jumped off to my place in the Medium Density Area the rains started to pour in buckets.

The rain gauges recorded over 750mm of rain that particular night. It was the highest amount of rain to be recorded within 24hrs Chimanimani.

As disaster struck, houses being brought down, people being drowned, infrastructure being torn heroes and heroines emerged.

That particular night special mention goes to Stephen Hamudi and Samhere who died rescuing others. Stephen was a renowned and respected builder and Samhere ran flea markets. May their souls rest in peace.

There are many who did all they could helping others that night. I remember going to Tafara Location with my sons and brother in-law few minutes after it had been swept away hoping to rescue some people but we left hopeless and in total defeat.

Our prize was getting Mai Tariro to safety. After escaping from her collapsed house she had failed to find a way to sanctuary. We took her home.

As dawn came we were shocked to learn the extent of the damage. We were marooned and the rains were still pounding with an iron hammer. About 6 people had taken refugee at my place as my place was not in total ruins. Some were seriously injured and urgently needed medical care.

But the roads were impassable. We had to find other ways to the hospital. It was all chaos. People looking for missing loved ones. People nursing injuries but the rains poured.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Fortune Chasi has responded to a widely circulating news article that alleges 23 000 litres of tar for Harare-Beitbridge dualisation was stolen in Chivhu.

Posting on Twitter, Chasi said him and his boss Joel Biggie Matiza are equally troubled about the incident saying they seeking to establish what could have happened.

Chasi said they did not steal the tar which according to the news article could have been an inside job involving either government or ministry of transport workers.

“Friends, I did even know there was a delivery & that it was stolen. I doubt my minister knew too. We didn’t steal anything. We are troubled by it too & will seek to establish what has happened. @cdesetfree Pse show me where I insulted you so I apologize.”

By Own Correspondent| After nearly 4 years of no power cuts, ZESA is set to start load-shedding as water levels at Kariba Dam drops, a local publication has reported.

Chitungwiza residents woke up to load shedding today (Sunday) in a development which has dampened the Easter holidays.

Said residents who spoke to ZimEye:

“The power cuts without notice are back. I do not know why we were not given notice because this has caught us unaware. We have spent over two weeks with no water and now no electricity, this is really sad,” said a Unit J resident, Dorcas Mutero.

ZETDC reportedly sent a load-shedding application to the government and the government has approved that the power utility can start load-shedding.

This exercise will see households and businesses going for hours without power per day.

The situation has also been escalated by the low coal output at Hwange which is the country’s biggest plant that’s fired by coal.

ZESA is reportedly also battling machinery problems at their stations as most of their machines have aged and needs replacement.

Delivering his main sermon to thousands of congregants gathered for this year’s Easter conference at Mbungo in Bikita yesterday, Zion Christian Church (ZCC) Bishop Dr Nehemiah Mutendi challenged ZCC congregants to conduct themselves in a Godly manner through honouring leaders of the country. He said God wanted his people to honour their leaders. People must honour President Mnangagwa and all the other people in the position of authority as they are chosen by God, a senior cleric has said.

“We have church stewards who have been elected in the districts and provinces. We do not expect you not to honour community leaders like chiefs, district administrators appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. We also expect you to honour our President as the leader of the country. The Bible says, ‘we should honour our parents so that we can live longer on earth’.”

He called on ZCC congregants to ensure that they continue doing community work in their respective areas and mobilise membership.

“We want to make sure that every elected leader in our church has an action plan. You cannot remain a leader for five years but fail to have one tangible thing for the church. Let us target 2025 when we will evaluate our efforts as ZCC leaders in the community. I also urge ZCC leaders may it be pastors or deacons, to mobilise our members to do community service in their respective areas. Our domain as ZCC is working for the community but you should attract converts to our church. You should also mobilise membership. If you cannot turn souls to God then you do not deserve to be a deacon or pastor,” he said.

ZCC Congregants

He praised the congregants who partook in prayers in the mountain on Friday saying they were searching for “hidden treasure”.

“On Friday, we went into the mountain looking for hidden treasures. All important things are hidden, including riches. You have to search to get these riches and if you relax you will die surviving on cheap food. Jesus is a treasure who can only be found after a search, hence climbing onto the mountain. We found him and tomorrow (Sunday) we want to see if he conquered as we will be celebrating his resurrection,” he said.

“Our women always cover essential body parts but some foolish ones are seen parading them. Let us preserve ourselves as Zionists.”

He also warned congregants against believing in false prophesy and challenged them to test the ingenuity of prophesy. He said not all spirits were from God, as the devil could also claim that he possessed the same powers. He urged congregants to make use of ZCC schools by sending their children to the various educational institutions dotted around the country.

“We have state-of-the-art schools that compete with others in the country. We encourage our congregants to send their children to these schools and make sure they pay fees on time. We have a challenge with parents who do not want to pay fees for their children. There are blessings in giving than receiving and all children of ZCC should learn to give,” he said.

Today the church led by Bishop Dr Mutendi will have a colourful procession, to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thousands of church congregants from across the country and outside are gathered at the church for the annual Easter celebrations. A senior Government official is expected to grace today’s service.

-Online

VICTIMS of the 1980s Matabeleland and Midlands massacres, known as Gukurahundi, have challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to openly apologise for the killing of over 20 000 innocent civilians, saying half-hearted acknowledgement would not yield the desired results.

In March this year, Mnangagwa met the Matabeleland Collective (MC) — a grouping of the clergy and civic society groups in the region — at the Bulawayo State House where he was pressed to shed light on what his administration was doing to deal with mounting calls for closure to the emotive issue.

On April 8, Mnangagwa, through the MC and his Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs ministry’s permanent pecretary Virginia Mabhiza — pledged he would facilitate the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims, issue identity documents and provide post-physical and traumatic medical assistance to victims as government begins a process of finding redress to the mass killings.

To Susan Sibanda, now 60, Mnangagwa’s initiative is not enough without an apology, acknowledgement and truth-telling process by the perpetrators.

“How do we take him seriously when he is avoiding us, the victims? Why is he and other perpetrators avoiding us, but are able to meet the MC? Are those MC members Gukurahundi victims? Did they suffer the physical torture? Did they witness the cutting of lips, noses, beatings and so forth?” queried Sibanda, who still vividly remembers the severe beatings, multiple rapes, extra-judicial killings and mutilated bodies as if it was yesterday.

Sibanda was in her mid-20s when the North Korean trained Fifth Brigade was deployed to Matabeleland to crack down on alleged armed dissents against former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

Other than the emotional pain, Sibanda still nurses an ankle injury from the beatings she suffered from the Fifth Brigade and walks with a limp.

“I don’t want their money, but an apology, and an acknowledgement of the evil that visited us. It irritates me to hear him saying people are free to discuss Gukurahundi when he is not ‘free’ to come and meet us the victims, and tell us why this had to happen to us”

Sibanda is not alone in demanding an apology, and acknowledgment.

Arnold Mpofu, a Zimbabwe People’s Liberation Army (Zipra) ex-combatant, and activist Charles Thomas also nurse physical and emotional injuries.

“We were beaten severely. Our hands and legs were tied with barbed wire. The torture went on for days, without food and water, at Bhalagwe detention camp in Maphisa,” Thomas, who still has scars on his legs from the barbed wire, said.

Maphisa is one of the districts that bore the brunt of the Gukurahundi massacres. Today there are mass graves at Bhalagwe Mine where victims were killed and thrown.

“I was saved by Dr Boyd who privately attended to us since victims were being dragged from the hospital by the soldiers to be killed. I lived to narrate my ordeal, and it is an ordeal I want to ask the perpetrators why they were tormenting and killing our people,” says Thomas.

Devee Boyd was an American missionary physician working in Mtshabezi, some kilometres from Gwanda, the Matabeleland South capital.

Boyd’s eyewitness testimony on the Bhalagwe tortures is included in the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace’s (CCJP) detailed report titled, Breaking the Silence: Building True Peace, a report on the disturbances in Matabeleland and the Midlands, 1980 – 1988.

The CCJP report exposes the extra-judicial killings, multiple rapes of women and people being burnt alive.

“My ever-aching head and the physical scars on my legs are a constant reminder of the torture. It is for that reason that I want to face the enforcers of Gukurahundi, why I want an apology and an acknowledgement of the atrocities, not this nonsense where measures to address this are announced to the MC,” Thomas said.

Mpofu added: “The perpetrators must come and meet us (victims), hear what we have to say and vice-versa, maybe we can forgive and move forward. They continue with their ‘hotel-and-conferences approach’, but without an apology to us, without a truth- telling process the emotional pain will not go away.

“The pain cannot be wished away. It cannot be bought also by state funds. Also, we don’t trust them on exhumations…they will destroy the evidence as they have done on discovered human remains.”

A visit by Bulawayo civic groups to Bhalagwe in January revealed that some mass graves had been tampered with by removing the “Mass Graves” inscription.

Bulawayo pressure group Ibhetshu LikaZulu on February 21 this year also mounted ‘Gukurahundi memorial plaques’ at Bhalagwe which were later destroyed by “unknown” people.

Government has also invited criticism after turning Bhalagwe into a district Heroes’ Acre, a move viewed as an attempt to tamper with the evidence of mass graves.

“Bhalagwe must remain a Gukurahundi memorial site to ensure there is no tampering with the evidence of the 1980s mass killings,” Mbuso Fuzwayo, the coordinator of the Ibhetshu LikaZuklu that has been vocal about Gukurahundi, said.

“Government must first of all acknowledge that this was genocide and encourage truth-telling. The brigade commanders who are still alive and security officers that carried out the annihilation of their fellow countrymen must come out in the open, apologise, show remorse and seek forgiveness from the survivors. This initiative without truth-telling is empty,” says Fuzwayo.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) last week announced plans to roll out public hearings on Gukurahundi and other post-independence disturbances, with one of the commissioners, Leslie Ncube, adding the process would assist in investigations of the atrocities.

“We are encouraging you to be honest and truthful because additions or subtractions will remove the aspect of accuracy and objectivity in the investigations,” Ncube said during a recent community hearing organised by the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA).

“You can come to us as an individual and give us a detailed account of what happened. We capture them as they are and present them to the authorities. The testimonies should be given without fear.”

Justice ministry permanent secretary, Mabhiza at a press conference held in Bulawayo recently to announce Mnangagwa’s initiative to address Gukurahundi ducked a question when asked whether this meant an acknowledgement of the atrocities, preferring to say “what is important is that we have started this process”.

Mabhiza was also evasive on the issue of an apology, and a budget for the process.

Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi was quoted in the state media on Friday saying that Mnangagwa’s engagement with the MC on Gukurahundi showed government’s commitment to addressing the country’s worst post-independence conflict.

Government once initiated a probe into the Gukurahundi massacres, but the findings of the investigation by the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry were never made public.

Human rights groups argue that if Mnangagwa is sincere, he must ensure the release of the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry report containing findings of the probe into the Gukurahundi massacres. Latest reports, however, say the Chihambakwe report has now gone missing.

Like Mugabe, the President has not released the report, causing victims to cast aspersions on his sincerity to address the mass killings.

“It is such arrogance that makes me dismiss this (Mnangagwa) initiative. Only the truth will set him free, only the truth will set the perpetrators free, only an apology will set them free and see us moving forward,” Sibanda, a survivor, said.

-The Standard

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s troublesome ex-wife, Jocelyn has fallen on hard times and risks losing her residential property in Harare’s leafy Glen Lorne suburb after she failed to repay her $2,6 million CBZ Bank loan.

The latest development came nearly six years after Jocelyn concluded her messy divorce with the former military commander and shared their vast wealth equally.

In summons filed at the High Court on March 9 this year, CBZ Bank cited Jocelyn, her companies Rugnet Ventures (Private) Ltd and Licybuster Investments (Private) Ltd, as co-respondents.

The bank is represented by Musendekwa-Mtisi Legal Practitioners, while Jocelyn is self-acting.

According to the court papers under case number HC2248/18, sometime in May 2014, the bank entered into a structured loan facility agreement with Rugnet Ventures for $1,3 million at the firm’s special instance and request.

“It was agreed that interest would accrue at the bank’s minimum lending rate (3% per annum) plus 13% all-inclusive on the restructured loan facility during the restructured loan facility period, but subject to change thereafter in line with prevailing money markets rates,” the bank said in its declaration.

“It was a term of the said agreement that the first defendant (Rugnet Ventures) would pay collection costs, bank charges and legal costs on an attorney-client scale in the event of plaintiff (CBZ) resorting to legal action to recover its monies.”

The parties allegedly agreed that Rugnet Ventures would repay the loan facility at a rate of $260 000 per year until expiry of the loan term on May 31, 2019.

“The second and third defendants (Jocelyn and Licybuster Investments) signed unlimited guarantees, wherein they bound themselves as sureties and co-principal debtors with the first defendant, hence liability has become jointly and several, the one paying the other to be absolved,” the bank said.

“The first, second and third defendants breached the terms of the restructured loan facility agreement by failing to repay the principal amount and interest fully and punctually in annual instalments of $260 000.”

Consequently, as a result of her failure to service the debt, Jocelyn is likely to lose her upmarket stand, which had been surrendered to the bank as surety.

“The third defendant registered a first mortgage bond for $607 500 stand number 2161 Glen Lorne Township stand number 812 Glen Lorne Township 15 registered in the name of the third defendant and held under deed of transfer number 3787/08 dated June 3, 2008 as security for the debt, hence the property becomes executable,” CBZ argued.

“In terms of the banking practice, plaintiff included, the defendants are liable to pay interest at plaintiff’s minimum lending rate applicable from time to time currently at 16% per annum and compounded monthly effective from date of summons to date of full payment. As at the date of summons, the defendant’s total indebtedness to plaintiff was in the sum of $2 594 249,97.”

The former army chief’s ex-wife is yet to respond to the summons.

-Online

BEITBRIDGE recorded one of the bloodiest Good Friday holidays this year with one person killed and up to 16 seriously injured with stab wounds in widespread violent crimes in the district.

An 18-year-old man, Desire Nguluvhe, overturned in a scotch cart in the Zezani area and sustained serious injuries while at Nottingham Estates, a worker had his hand severed by a machine.

Both the officer-in-charge of Beitbridge Rural Police, Inspector Mabhungu, and Matabeleland South press and liaison officer Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele could not be reached for comment.

Police sources at Beitbridge, however, confirmed the death of Mika Letwaba, who was stabbed to death at danisa bottle store at Makavhile on Friday in a fight over donkeys.

At the same centre where several fights were recorded the deceased Letwaba’s friend Precious Moyo was also hit on the face with a hammer. It is understood another unidentified man was also struck by a machete.

“Letwaba was killed for using donkeys after asking for permission from a friend who had not consulted his brothers.
The brothers were apparently not amused by the move leading to the scuffle. He died on the spot after being stabbed with a knife,” said Moyo, who is admitted at Beitbridge District Hospital where he told The Standard he was in pain.

In the Makhado area, on Good Friday again, Sibangilizwe Ngamula almost lost his manhood after he was bitten by his wife in a fight over house keys.

Ngamula, now admitted at Beitbridge District Hospital, was rescued by relatives who rushed him to the hospital 80km from his home area.

At Makhado Cross, close to Zezani, Pride Magariro was hit with a bottle by an unidentified woman in a yet unexplained fight on Friday night.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said at Lutumba, 20km from Beitbridge along the Harare to Beitbridge Highway, up to 16 people were stabbed with sharp objects and two people were arrested.

“My brother was stabbed while walking in a dark alley on his way home and when we arrived at hospital more than seven other people from the same Lutumba were being treated for stab wounds,” a woman who was collecting medication for her brother at the Beitbridge Hospital Pharmacy said.

Staff at Beitbridge District Hospital confirmed a busy Friday night and Saturday morning as victims of violence reported for attention.

“Most were male, we have some that have been admitted and others treated and discharged,” said a nurse who refused to be named.

In Beitbridge town, Fredrick Sibanda from Toporo was admitted after suffering a deep cut around the stomach, which exposed his intestines. His alleged assailant has since been arrested.

Jane Mlambo| MDC Vice President, Morgan Komichi has for the first time failed to secure nomination for the vice Presidency position with the United Kingdom province opting for Lilian Timveos, Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube.

Komichi who has been nominated 10 times was hoping to go to the congress with 12 nominations to avoid facing off the two powerful lawyers Biti and Ncube but the United Kingdom chose to spoil his party.

Below is the UK nomination

President::::: Advocate Nelson Chamisa 
Vice President::: Tendai Biti 
Lilian Timveos 
Welshman Ncube
Chairperson:::: Tabitha Khumalo 
V Chairperson::::: Bheki Sibanda 
Secretary General::::: Daniel Molokela 
Vice Secretary General:::::: Caston Matewu
Organising Secretary:::: Job Sikhala 
Vice Organiser:: Settlement Chikwina
Spokesman::::::: Luke Tamborinyoka 
Deputy Spokesman:::::: Jacob Mafume 
Treasurer:::: David Coltart 
Vice Treasurer::: Tapiwa Mashakada

By Own Correspondent| Harare City Council (HCC) is forging ahead with plans to demolish illegal structures in Harare South after a recent report indicated the buildings were located on undesignated land.

The settlements that will be affected include Granville Estate, The Rest, Churu, Lot 1 of Sub A of Lyndhurst, Nyarungu, Chizororo and Eyestone.

However, city fathers have given a reprieve to settlers at 15 other properties, who are now expected to regularise their settlements.

Currently, there is an ongoing inquiry led by High Court judge Justice Tendai Uchena into the sale of State land.

The probe is presently focussing on Harare.

HCC town clerk Engineer Hosiah Chisango recently told the Uchena-led commission that only three land developers — Fidelity Life Assurance, National Building Society and Hopley B Housing Cooperative — had followed due process in developing their properties.

The city’s chief planner in the department of works, Samuel Nyabezi, also told the commission that a report commissioned by the local authority through Macdoh Planning Consultancy indicated that a number of structures were established on undesignated places.

It similarly recommended the demolition of the illegal structures.

Nyabezi said: “There are two models of development that are being employed there (Harare South). Government also has a parallel development model, which allows people to settle while development of the land continues. But even in the parallel development model, water and sewer systems have to be there first before people settle. People who have not met city requirements are well aware that they can be removed any time.”

The city usually recommends that a road network be developed first before settlements begin.-StateMedia

MDC alliance’s losing candidate for Chiredzi West constituency during last year’s elections has donated an ambulance, 30 wheelchairs, three 5 000-litre water tanks, blood pressure testing machines, beds and various other items to Chiredzi Town Council-run polyclinic.

United Kingdom-based John Manganye is also helping with the refurbishment of the structures, including repainting of the polyclinic.

The donation, worth several thousands of dollars, was handed over to the local authority last week in the presence of Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira.RELATED ARTICLES

Chiredzi Town Council is planning to decongest Chiredzi General Hospital.

However, there was a heated exchange between assistant town engineer, Irvine Muteyaunga and members who attended the ceremony when he initially refused to disclose the name of the donor.

A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the time of playing politics is over and went on to say people should give credit where it is due.

“I don’t understand why Muteyaunga was trying to hide the name of the donor. This is a developmental issue, so I don’t see where politics comes in. He didn’t want to name the donor because he is MDC. That is pathetic because he is just a council employee, not a politician,” he said.

Council chairperson Gibson Hwende said it was unfortunate that Muteyaunga didn’t give the name because he [Muteyaunga] didn’t know that the minister helped in the clearing of the ambulance at the border post.

“I don’t know his motive because this is not a political gathering. The minister played a part for the ambulance to be cleared without paying duty. So he is fully aware who donated everything here. As council, we are happy that Manganye extended a helping hand.

“This is social responsibility so we don’t look at who extended a helping hand to us, whether he is from Zanu PF or MDC his or her donations are welcome,” Hwende said.

Chadzamira thanked Manganye for the donations and challenged the corporate world to play an active role in developing under-resourced communities.

“I am so grateful with the donations. I am sure the refurbishment will be finished in a month’s time so that First Lady (Auxillia Mnangagwa) will officially open the clinic,” he said.

-Newsday

23 families were left homeless after a hailstorm recently hit the Pote community in Hurungwe east.

Hurungwe east legislator Honourable Ngoni Masenda has since appealed for interventions in the form of temporary shelter as the families are in dire need of dwellings in which to sleep.

He said the main reason for the collapse of most of the buildings in Pote area village 22 was poor workmanship as mud was used as mortar during construction.

-State Media

Road traffic accidents have so far claimed 16 lives injuring 192 since the beginning of Easter holidays.

Statistics provided by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) show that more lives have been lost this year compared to the same period last year with the acting national spokesperson of the ZRP Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi blaming the rise in road carnage to human error.

Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Honourable Joel Biggie Matiza urged motorists to obey road rules to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

However, motorists have been urged take personal responsibility by checking the roadworthiness of their vehicles before they embark on long journeys back from the Easter holiday as it comes to an end.

-State Media

Nelson Chamisa has won 12 out of the 12 nominations passed by the party’s provincial structures so far.

There is only 1 province left – South Africa.

If Chamisa gets South Africa, he would go to the MDC Congress in May uncontested.

Yesterday Chamisa was nominated by the UK province.

Said MDC Spokesperson Jacob Mafume:

The party has completed 11 provincial congresses where delegates elected provincial leaders and submitted their nominations for standing committee positions. President Chamisa has received 11 nominations so far. There have been massive nominations for vice-presidents and fierce contests in other positions.

Congress is the decision-making body and it can decide to accept nominations from the floor, but the rules dictate that delegates at Congress should know the candidates in advance. There’s no need to ambush delegates and therefore there should be compelling for such a move.

MDC UK nominations.

President::::: Advocate Nelson Chamisa
Vice President::: Tendai Biti
Lilian Timveos
Welshman Ncube
Chairperson:::: Tabitha Khumalo
V Chairperson::::: Bheki Sibanda
Secretary General::::: Daniel Molokela
Vice Secretary General:::::: Caston Matewu
Organising Secretary:::: Job Sikhala
Vice Organiser:: Settlement Chikwina
Spokesman::::::: Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy Spokesman:::::: Jacob Mafume
Treasurer:::: David Coltart
Vice Treasurer::: Tapiwa Mashakada

By Farai Maguwu| Pastor Advocate Nelson Chamisa has blamed the Zimbabwe Bird for Zimbabwe’s problems. He associated the bird with institutional idolatry. In this piece I argue that claims that the Zimbabwe Bird was created for ritual purposes are purely unfounded and injurious to the history and historiography of Great Zimbabwe and the prehistoric Zimbabwean society in general.

No living person knows the exact origin of the Zimbabwe Bird nor its original purpose. However, it is very possible to deduce some material facts about its origin and potential purpose. Zimbabwe is a country with a very rich and dynamic history which any future leader must acknowledge and build on. It’s a nation of great achievements which even the colonial administration tried hard to conceal in order to dampen our spirits and create in us a defeated, self hating and submissive spirit.

First I seek to dispel the myth that the Zimbabwe Bird was a religious symbol used for idolatry. No living being, even the first archaeologists who worked at Great Zimbabwe ever had an interview with Nyastimba Mutota or any person who lived at Great Zimbabwe between 1100 and 1500 AD. Excavations at Great Zimbabwe took place during the late 19th century, about four hundred years since the abandonment of the majestic Great Zimbabwe City. The excavators then unearthed the 8 soapstone-made, bird-shaped sculptures, now popularly referred to as the Zimbabwe Bird. All the claims of the spirituality of those artefacts are mere interpretations of historians, archaeologists and politicians and they could all be WRONG.

What we know from Portuguese records is Great Zimbabwe was great medieval city that thrived on agriculture, mining and trade. We also know that the Zimbabwe Bird resembles the bateleur eagle which is a rare species of eagles that are commonly found in Southern Africa particularly South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and northern and eastern Namibia. It thrives in the tropical savanna. It is well known for its distinctive aerial acrobatics, red skin around its eyes and a very strong physique. There is no doubt such unique features could have inspired the sculptors. The majestic character of the bateleur eagle means subjects would likely ascribe its characteristics to their Kings or royal dynasties the same way they would call some of their kings ‘The Lion’ – Shumba.

Any history and archaeology enthusiast would quickly recall that throughout Sub Saharan Africa, there are rock paintings of hunters in action which show the type of animals hunted in particular regions and the weapons used by the hunters. Majority of the paintings were done in places less prone to the elements of weather. Were they doing it for themselves? Absolutely not. They had future generations in mind. It was a way of preserving history which some now associate with demons. These antiquity tell us stories about the past. Nature has immaculately preserved these to teach us about life and society we inherited from the past. Whilst our ancestors did not write history, they left artefacts which tell us about how they interacted with their world. These are not evil, but historical pointers to our ancestral identity and how life has been preserved to this day. These are treasures that must bring joy and excitement to those who find them

Now, on Great Zimbabwe we learn that warrior prince Nyastimba Mutota was sent from Great Zimbabwe to the Dande region to search for salt and whilst there he defeated the Tonga and established the Mutapa State. Thereafter Great Zimbabwe declined and was completely deserted by 1480. Nyatsimba Mutota and whoever temporarily remained King at Great Zimbabwe both left the Zimbabwe Birds at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins until they were exhumed in the late 19th century. This means the birds were NOT of ritual or spiritual purposes, otherwise if they were part of the spiritual paraphernalia of Nyatsimba Mutota, he would have moved with them to Dande or the remaining King would have migrated with them when he abandoned the city. If indeed these were spiritual objects they would have been carefully preserved and carried along just as the Israelis carried the Ark of the Covenant from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The Rhodesian government, not ZANU PF, was the first to adopt the Zimbabwe bird as a national emblem. The British, by whatever means, created the modern day Zimbabwe State when they colonized Zimbabwe in 1890. They tried to create a national identity and to them the soapstone-made Zimbabwe bird was the greatest piece of antiquity they could find between Limpopo and the Zambezi Rivers. From nothing the British created systems and institutions on which a great economy was built. When sanctions were imposed on Rhodesia by the UN in 1965, Rhodesia diversified and went into value addition and beneficiation. The economy grew in leaps and bounds during UDI (1965-1979) with the Zimbabwe bird emblazoned on the Rhodesia flag, bank notes and coins and the coat of arms.

At independence in 1980 the Zimbabwean dollar was worth more than the U.S. dollar, with ZWD 1 = USD 1.47 and 2 ZWD to 1 sterling pound.

Thus the Zimbabwe Bird inspired our nationhood and economic development for 90 years (1890 – 1980). How did it suddenly became the source of our problems once blacks, to whom it was bequeathed by their forefathers, took over power in 1980. If the Zimbabwe Bird changed its mind and started afflicting the economy the moment blacks took over then it must be charged of racism!

Its Economic Mismanagement – Stupid!

The economy of Zimbabwe started collapsing immediately after the attainment of independence in 1980 due to economic mismanagement. Because the British had built an incredibly strong and self-sustaining economy, it too more than 2 decades for the economy to start curving in under Mugabe’s ruinous policies. Part of the problem was inexperience. The country was handed over to people who had no experience in management. Their only experience was war, hence Mugabe ruled with an iron fist and a high degree of intolerance to dissent. Consequently people with brains had no place in his government and if he appointed them he did not create room for them to use their expertise.

The country was rocked by one corruption scandal after another and yet no one was arrested until corruption became the most thriving business in the country, particularly in government. First there was the 1982 Paweni grain scandal that involved several senior government officials who conspired to fraudulently award the drought relief tender to Paweni in exchange for bribes. More than $6 million was lost, which could amount to hundreds of millions in today’s terms. Paweni was arrested and jailed for 15 years that was later reduced to 10 but all the other government officials were protected by Mugabe.

Then came the Willowgate scandal which involved Mugabe’s wife Sally and several cabinet ministers followed by the 1994 war victims compensation fund looted by politicians with some claiming 100% disability whilst still serving as cabinet ministers, the 1997 un-budgeted for DRC War, the 1997 war veterans payouts, the 2000 attacks on white farmers and disruption of agriculture by ZANU PF characterised by multiple farm ownership whereby majority of the farms remain idle to this day, question of political legitimacy since 2000, authoritarianism by ZANU PF and militarization of the State and the economy.

I can tell you the magnificent Zimbabwe Bird has nothing to do with these man-made ills. Zimbabwe’s problems are entirely a product of wrong decisions made by self-serving politicians. Even if we remove the Zimbabwe Bird as a national emblem – if we don’t change how we govern, if we don’t create strong institutions and appoint capable leaders to the right positions, if we have army generals using their military might to grab political power, with no idea whatsoever about governance – we will remain in a poor state, the wretched of the earth. Economic development is a product of progressive decisions, fiscal discipline and hard work. It has nothing to do with antiquity. Please lets leave the Zimbabwe bird out of this political and economic higi-haga cum crinkum crankum that is purely of human making. It is NOT the Zimbabwe bird which instructed ZANU PF and military officials to plunder Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth, most notably Marange diamonds from 2009 to the present.

As we celebrate Easter, we commemorate our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection. The struggle and victory of light over darkness, of life over death.

In Zimbabwe, we are currently undergoing our own struggle of light over darkness. As we walk the road of transformation and reform, we are guided by our Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings of forgiveness, peace and love, and take comfort from his victory.

For while the challenges we face are significant, we are resolute in our faith that with hard work, sacrifice and unity, we too will triumph.

On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe and the first family, I would like to wish all Zimbabweans at home and abroad a blessed Easter.

Ngaikomborerwe nyika yeZimbabwe

Kalibusisiwe ilizwe leZimbabwe

May the Almighty protect and bless our land

Emmerson Mnangagwa was working inside 6th floor, in Kaguvi building at independence, he was never a crocodile gang leader, the late original garwe William Ndangana’s secretary tells ZimEye in a LIVE interview on Saturday. She confirms several articles authored by the former ZANU PF leader, Tich Mutyambizi which conjoin narrations by historian within and without Zimbabwe.  The exiled Patience Olivier who has since joined MDC President Nelson Chamisa also alleged that Ndangana was assassinated using a puma truck collission. WATCH BELOW:

Vice-President Kembo Mohadi is reportedly seeking to turn the tables against his former wife, Tambudzani Mohadi, whom he is now accusing of being the aggressor.

Mohadi, who was recently accused of using an axe to break down doors at the former family house and threatening to kill his ex-wife, last week reportedly approached the Harare Civil Courts seeking a protection order against Tambudzani, whom he accused of harassment and threatening him.

The matter is expected to be heard on April 23.

But Senator Mohadi has reportedly challenged the application on the basis that her former husband’s purported signature on the court document was forged.

Yesterday Senator Mohadi was not reachable for comment, but one of her daughters said she found it difficult to believe her father, VP Mohadi, was voluntarily capable of behaving in the violent manner that he reportedly did.

“It’s not him. He is someone we know. He is being pushed,” said the daughter.

Meanwhile, Tambudzani has registered displeasure at the manner in which police officers in Beitbridge handled the case where she was reportedly attacked by VP Mohadi.

The VP has not been charged for the alleged violent attack on his ex-wife despite the fact that more than two dozen police officers were reportedly present at the scene of the crime and witnessed the VP in that fit of rage.

Police sources in Beitbridge said Tambudzani was unhappy that “police let a person commit a crime while they watched” and were still to press criminal charges.

Officer commanding Beitbridge Police District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed having met the Beitbridge Senator, but did not disclose details of their meeting.

“She came to have her statement signed at the station and as a public official, I took the chance to meet her. We had a small meeting, but I cannot disclose the details. You have to go through the usual communication channels,” Nyongo said yesterday.

It is, however, understood the government was embarrassed by the reports from Beitbridge and the police had been instructed to get detailed reports of the incident in the border town.

Some senior female Zanu PF members are said to have registered deep concern and unhappiness with what they believed was humiliation of Senator Mohadi, who is also a senior member of the ruling party.

Mohadi reportedly ran amok and took up an axe to hack the doors of his former wife’s residence, a government house situated at 108 Impala Drive in Beitbridge where the two lived as a couple before their divorce was granted this year.

This reportedly happened in full view of at least 25 policemen, including the officer in charge of Beitbridge Police Station, Inspector Kenneth Mushongahande.

Mohadi also reportedly ordered that three vehicles be towed away from the premises before threatening his wife with a firearm and poking her with an iron bar.

With her vehicles taken away, Senator Mohadi was left grounded at home after the incident. She refused to make a police report, saying police had witnessed everything and should simply compile a criminal docket against her former husband.

Mushongahande yesterday said he sent police officers to record statements from Senator Mohadi but she allegedly turned them away.

“I felt someone neutral should record the statement. I was at the scene, but someone neutral would bring out facts,” he said.

“Such reports are taken to Harare where decisions are made, that is all I can say.”

Standard

Members of Parliament (MPs) will begin receiving funds to bankroll various projects in their constituencies within the next 30 days.

Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda told The Sunday Mail the disbursements were still pegged at $50 000 per constituency.

“Treasury is currently mobilising resources and we anticipate that disbursement to MPs should start within the next 30 days and each constituency is entitled to 50 000 RTGS dollars for the 2019 allocation,” he said.

The CDF is established in terms of Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act and is designed to sponsor developmental projects.

Zanu-PF chief whip Mr Pupurai Togarepi said it was highly unlikely that the funds would be abused as there are now sufficient checks and balances to ensure they are put to good use.

“CDF is managed through strict guidelines in terms of selecting of projects, composition of constituency committee and follow ups from parliament. Every honourable member would know the consequences of corruption in the new dispensation,” said Mr Togarepi.

“The structure of the CDF now include senators, women’s quarter MPs, chiefs and councillors. Different committees handle different transactions thereby creating transparency and very strong checks and balances.”

Some MPs, he said, have already been planning on how to use the funds in their constituencies.

Similarly, MDC chief whip Prosper Mutseyami said although parliamentarians will judiciously apply the funds to benefit constituencies, the value of the disbursements has since been eroded in US dollar terms.

“I see the CDF allowances going to what they are best suited for in order to achieve the best result for constituencies, but my worry is the figure, because we are talking of 50 000 RTGS dollars. So now if you are given the same amount, it is equivalent to US$7 000, which is a drop in the ocean,” he said.

In essence, the CDF was created to help with poverty alleviation and improving living standards for Zimbabweans through developmental projects such as construction, repairs and maintenance of boreholes, clinics, schools, market stalls and related infrastructure.

Mr Mutseyami said although it was difficult to vouch for all MPs, most of them were satisfactorily putting the resources to good use.

Overall, about $10,5 million will be disbursed to the country’s 210 constituencies.

A MAN from Fort Rixon in Insiza District of Matabeleland South allegedly killed his estranged wife by stabbing her 10 times with a homemade knife before hanging himself in his fields.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele said June Sibanda (45) of Gwananyanga area waylaid Sikhangezile Khumalo (40) also from the same area, on Tuesday, as she was on her way from fetching firewood in the company of her two cousin sisters and ordered her to go back with him to his home.

Khumalo refused and Sibanda drew a homemade knife and stabbed her on several parts of her body 10 times before fleeing the scene.

Chief Insp Ndebele said Sibanda was found hanging from a tree in his fields the following day in a suspected suicide case.

“I can confirm that we recorded a murder and suicide case which occurred in Fort Rixon on Tuesday at around 3pm. On the same day at around 2pm Sikhangezile Khumalo left her home to fetch firewood together with her two cousin sisters aged 16 and 17.

“At around 3pm they carried their bundles of firewood and proceeded home. Along the way June Sibanda emerged from the bushes and grabbed Khumalo who was walking at the back and told her that he was taking her back to his house. Khumalo refused and Sibanda drew a homemade knife and stabbed her once on the left wrist, three times on the left hand, twice on the right armpit, once on the stomach and three times on the back,” he said.

Chief Insp Ndebele said Khumalo managed to escape and fled a distance of about 15 metres before collapsing on the ground and died on the spot.

He said Sibanda fled from the scene while Khumalo’s cousins hurried home and reported the matter to the now deceased’s father, Mr Richard Mloyi.

Chief Insp Ndebele said the matter was reported to the police who attended the scene.

He said Mr Mloyi teamed up with some villagers to search for Sibanda but they failed to locate him.

“On Wednesday Sibanda was found hanging from a tree in his fields in a suspected suicide case,” he said.

Chief Insp Ndebele said investigations were underway and appealed to members of the public to desist from resorting to violence as a way of resolving disputes.

He also warned people against carrying dangerous weapons in public places.

A source close to the investigations who preferred anonymity said Sibanda and Khumalo were staying together up until the now deceased returned to her parents’ homestead as she was having regular fights with her husband.

The source said after she had left, Sibanda followed Khumalo to her parent’s homestead and threatened to kill her if she did not return with him but she refused.

Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has fired salvo at Mines minister Winstone Chitando charging that the mining sector will not go anywhere with him at the helm.

In a Twitter thread posted yesterday, Mliswa accused Chitando of corruption saying investors are not prepared to come to Zimbabwe to pay for deals.

“No procurement or transaction took place at Mimosa without Chitando, as a CA its a shame! The mining sector won’t go anywhere with him on top&why investors aren’t prepared to loan Zim even a cent. Conglomerates aren’t keen to come to Zim to “pay” for deals,” said Mliswa.

He accused Chitando of pushing for Hwange Colliery to be put under reconstruction just as a way of avoiding scrutiny.

“As a Minister isn’t it clear that with HCCL listed on the ZSE,LSE&JSE you can’t continue dealing without scrutiny?In an effort to avoid exposure you push for a Reconstruction Act Order which itself was totally out of order,who will invest in a country under such circumstances?.

Below is Mliswa’s thread on Chitando;

1/ No procurement or transaction took place at Mimosa without Chitando, as a CA its a shame! The mining sector won’t go anywhere with him on top&why investors aren’t prepared to loan Zim even a cent. Conglomerates aren’t keen to come to Zim to “pay” for deals

2/ As a Minister isn’t it clear that with HCCL listed on the ZSE,LSE&JSE you can’t continue dealing without scrutiny?In an effort to avoid exposure you push for a Reconstruction Act Order which itself was totally out of order,who will invest in a country under such circumstances?

3/There must be rule of law at some point,are we there yet or have backslid?Those are issues to drive my brother I know you’re candid&hope this doesn’t get you in trouble but for us to move this country forward we need to be honest to he needs the truth

4/Sadly, people surrounding are of no value to him at all. He tried them in his quest for a new dispensation but they’re not the answer they’re responding to the old dispensation

ZIMBABWE is on a path to build its economy, establish a new future and through greater social cohesion and unity, the country shall rise again, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

The sentiments by the President have seen economic and political analysts saying despite the challenges facing the country being enormous, they were however, not insurmountable to deal with. President Mnangagwa said the country’s future was depended on national engagement and openness as well as the ability by Zimbabweans to push national interest first ahead of egotism.

The President said this in his Independence message to Zimbabwe, which he delivered at the National Sports Stadium where thousands of people had converged for the main celebrations. The same message was also delivered in the country’s nine other provinces by Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs.

Said President Mnangagwa: “As we celebrate our independence, our land and our people, we look forward to a future of engagement and openness; reform and modernisation; innovation and education. As a listening president, my ear will remain attentive to all Zimbabweans as we join hands for greater social cohesion and unity. We must always put the nation ahead of self-interest, as we recommit ourselves to a legacy of peace, love, unity, harmony and development. Together, we are building a new economy and a new future. Zimbabwe shall rise again.”

President Mnangagwa said despite the country having endured years of difficulties, its people had survived and never lost hope. He said in celebrating 39 years of freedom, it was paramount to self-introspect on the honouring of national values.

“These values must drive us forward. We can no longer afford to be concerned with mere survival. Let us instead seek to blossom, thrive and prosper as a nation, as a people, towards a brighter future in the Zimbabwe we all want.”

President Mnangagwa said collective efforts between citizens at home and abroad was paramount for the nation to prosper.

He said while foreign friends and investors were helping rebuild Zimbabwe’s economy, the ultimate obligation to turn around the country’s futures rested within the general citizenry. The President said Government would continue to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders on socio-economic and political issues.

“I am aware that a notable part of our citizens are currently spread across the Diaspora,” he said. “The raft of reforms we have started should enable some of them to return home and assist in building our nation. As a listening President, my ear will remain attentive to all Zimbabweans as we join hands for greater social cohesion and unity. I commend the progressive-minded leaders of political parties, who are part of the National Political Parties Dialogue. This is the hallmark of mature, responsible and patriotic leadership, which puts national interests ahead of selfish ambition. The platform will enable us to have conversations that will help us to develop our country.”

President Mnangagwa reiterated that the freedom in Zimbabwe was born out a liberation struggle whose main driving force was repossession of land. In that regard, he said, his administration would never reverse the land reform programme.

Political analyst Mr Godwin Mureriwa described President Mnangagwa’s optimism of a brighter future was driven by a clear understanding of the direction his administration was taking the country to. Mr Mureriwa said the country’s future was bright on the back of the current efforts to create a conducive atmosphere for local and foreign investment, infrastructural development and support to the manufacturing sector. He said value addition and beneficiation of local products would bring huge benefits that will easily uplift the livelihoods of the people.  He added that productivity and prosperity were collective responsibilities of every Zimbabwean regardless of political and other differences. 

University of Zimbabwe Department of Economics chairperson Professor Albert Makochekanwa said President Mnangagwa needed to ensure that all the policy measures being introduced by Government are implemented. The main independence celebrations were also attended by Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi who were accompanied by the wives, Cabinet ministers, service chiefs, legislators, leaders of other political parties and members of the diplomatic community.

State Media

THE death toll for pupils and teachers who died during Cyclone Idai last month has risen to 92 while 102 pupils are still missing.

The cyclone affected most parts of Manicaland and Masvingo provinces. In an interview yesterday, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cde Edgar Moyo said among the dead and missing children were ECD pupils.
“Currently the number confirmed dead and buried is now at 92 and the number of missing has increased to 102.

Our colleagues who are on the ground in Chimanimani are telling me that the sad thing is that of those missing we have 30 ECD learners who are among the 102. The number of teachers has also risen to four including one headmaster,” said Moyo.

He said different organs of the Government which is led by the National Disaster Management Committee are working closely with the Mozambican Government to find the missing people.
The Government availed $4 million for the reconstruction of schools in the tropical Cyclone Idai affected areas.

Moyo said the Government was planning to open schools in the affected areas on Tuesday.State media

Farai Dziva|Zion Christian Church(ZCC) leader Nehemiah Mutendi stunned all and sundry when he urged congregants to honour Emmerson Mnangagwa as he was chosen by God to lead the nation.

Mutendi also implored the people of Zimbabwe to honour Mnangagwa and all the other people in position of authority.

Mutendi made the remarks at the ZCC Easter Conference in Bikita yesterday.

“We expect you to honour our President as the leader of the country. The Bible says, ‘we should honour our parents so that we can live longer on earth,” said Mutendi.

Farai Dziva|Police have arrested a 36 year old man in Southerton, Harare allegedly connected to a spate of rapes and robberies in Harare between November last year and this month.

The crimes were committed in Warren Park, Rugare, Dzivarasekwa and Kambuzuma, targeting women vendors who were lured to secluded places on the pretext that the robber wanted to buy their wares in bulk, according to state media reports.

After isolating his victims, he would then rape and rob them.

The suspect was arrested by alert police officers after they overheard him talking to a 27 year old woman at Tobacco Sales Floor, trying to lure her away pretending to be a buyer.
A statement released by police indicates that the officers became suspicious and arrested the accused.

He is expected to appear in court soon facing six counts of rape and robbery.

At least 16 people died in road traffic accidents since Independence Day, while 96 were left injured, police have said.

A total of 192 road accidents occurred on Independence Day and Good Friday killing six on Thursday and 10 on Friday.

A total 49 people were injured in accidents on Independence Day and 47 on Good Friday.
Last year, 12 people died on Independence Day and four on Good Friday.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged motorists to be cautious on the roads.
“Most accidents can be attributed to human error. We urge motorists to drive leaving the stipulated distances between cars,” he said
“In the event of a breakdown, they should try and push their vehicles off the road so they do not obstruct passing motorists.”

Some of the accidents which occurred during the two days include one at the 77 kilometre peg on the Harare-Nyamapanda road where an Isuzu truck developed a mechanical fault, stopped in the middle of the road and was rammed by a Toyota Dyna.

One the passengers from the vehicles got out, but was hit by a passing vehicle before dying on the spot.

On the 23 kilometer peg along the Harare-Mutare road, a Honda CRV veered off the road and hit a car parked by the side of the road, killing two people on the spot.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said a significant number of hit and run accidents were also recorded.State media

Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa says if he is to sit in another Parliamentary portfolio Committee he would choose the one that is led by an MDC MP  than a ZANU PF pne.

In a tweet on Friday Mliswa said, “If I have to sit in a Parly Committee, I’d prefer it to be chaired by MDC as opposed to ZANU PF as it’s a waste of time otherwise.”

Mliswa went on to praise MDC for the democratic process that is happening within the party during the ongoing preparations for the congress.

Red his full statement below:

Looking at the MDC Congress, I’m encouraged to see young people like Prosper Mutseyami the MDC Chief Whip and Dangamvura MP coming in as Manicaland Chairand Prince Sibanda Parly Chair for Info, Publicity and Media coming in as Mat North Chair and Hwende coming in as SG.

This is the generational consensus, as I’ve advocated for. However not being a youth doesn’t stop one from pushing the generational mandate and I’d expect elders to do so. Mnangagwa has a challenge in that the Cabinet isn’t that young but they must deliver what the generation expects.

Chamisa, I’m encouraged to see this leadership renewal ZANUPF l must pull up their socks ad retire the mdhara at HQ as they’re killing the Party and aren’t the answer to the new dispensation.

Talk of Mutasa wanting a position is neither here nor there, one thing I’m proud of my Sekuru is even after he left Government there wasn’t talk of him in shady deals. He was a loyalist to Mugabe and has had all the positions he needs in life. His value is in being in a Council of Elders.

Kudos to you Sekuru you’re back home in the Party with a clean slate, a servant of the People and a Minister free of controversy, well done Sekuru. Mugabe’s downfall was letting people like you go.