By Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa admitted that fighting corruption was not an easy task.

He went on to use the words ‘ deep and wide’ when he was trying to explain the magnitude of corruption at various stages.

According to him, there are corruption elements even in the channels that are supposed to help in uprooting corruption.

“To fight corruption, you need the police to investigate, but there are elements of corruption in the police. Once you get past the corruption in the police, the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has to prosecute, but there are also elements of corruption in the NPA.”- Newsday

“Then the case must go to court and there are also elements that are corrupt in the Judiciary, so the fight is so wide and deep.”

A few days ago President Mnangagwa was also quoted saying he was alerted to corruption activities within the country by the Chinese President

Farai Dziva|MDC A president Nelson Chamisa says Zimbabweans are the saddest people in the world.

Chamisa made the remarks in an interview with a national daily newspaper.

” We are turning 40 next year, it’s time to take stock of the benefits of the liberation struggle to say: how far have we come in fulfilling the gains of the liberation struggle.

The liberation struggle was about the will of the people, one-man, one-vote, it was about sovereignty, land.

How far have we gone in addressing those fundamental questions? We continue to have disputed elections. In 2018, the elections were disputed on account of deprivation of the will of the people; that shows you and that confirms that we have achieved nothing in terms of the ethos of the liberation struggle.

On the land issue, we have not genuinely empowered our people and you see now there continues to be problems around fundamental issues of title.

The land issue continues to be a hanging question. The third issue has to do with prosperity and opportunities for the people of Zimbabwe.

We are the saddest people in the world, we score least on the index of happy people in the world, because of government’s illegitimacy, governance deficit, because of the absence of comprehensive reforms, institutionally, constitutionally, economically and politically these fundamental reforms are lacking,” said Chamisa.

“If you look at our laws we continue to have trails of repression from the Rhodesian times. Look at how people continue to have a police force which is questionable, typical of the Selous Scouts.

We still have deep-seated divisions, you can’t have independence when we have divisions around tribes, when you have unhealed wounds around past challenges, around Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina, erosion of pensions; all those things are wounds on the hearts and minds of people of Zimbabwe.

Independence must mean something, Independence can’t be paper independence, it can’t be rhetoric. It has to be independence in the means of production, independence in the economy, in the ownership of the means of production; those issues have not been addressed.”

Farai Dziva|MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa has castigated Zanu PF for distorting the history of the liberation struggle.

Chamisa told a national daily newspaper in an interview the ruling party should not mislead the nation by deliberately distorting the meaning of the liberation struggle.

” They [ZANU PF] want to distort history and rewrite it in their own terms, in their own persuasion, but clearly the struggle of the liberation of our country was not a sole effort.

It was not a partisan effort, it was not a political effort, and it was a people’s effort. The liberation struggle was and still remains a people’s project.

Nobody should appropriate themselves the liberation of this country, this country belongs to its owners and authors being the people under the auspices of the almighty God and nobody is supposed to appropriate the sole proprietorship of our country.

We fought as a people, yes, we used different vehicles, Zanu was one of them, Zapu was another and any other vehicle, that vehicle can’t become the destination. The destination was a liberated Zimbabwe,” said Chamisa.

By Own Correspondent| An environment technician working with the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) who is based at Chirundu boarder post is among the four people who died on Independence eve following an accident by a Zambia bound Trip Trans bus.

EMA acting interim board chairperson Christopher Chiindi said they are saddened by the passing on of Prosper Hwenya.

Said Chitindi in a condolence message:

“Gone too soon. EMA will never be the same. We are deeply saddened by the passing on of a colleague Prosper Hwenya in the Trip Trans bus disaster along Harare-Chirundu highway on 17 April 2019. He was a hard worker who was dedicated to environment protection. The vacuum left will be hard to fill.”

The Trip Trans bus was involved in an accident at the 273 kilometer peg near Makuti.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that three people died on the spot around 22.30 on Wednesday night. He said the bus had 31 passengers.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said:

‘The driver failed to negotiate a curve causing the bus to veer off the road and landed on it’s left side. Three of the passengers died on the spot while the fourth was pronounced dead at Nyamakate clinic a few kilometers away from the scene. It is believed those who passed on were trapped by the bus when it landed on it’s side. The injured were transfered to Karoi district and Chinhoyi provincial hospitals where they are said to be in stable conditions although there is one who broke both legs during the accident.”

By Own Correspondent- A 9-month old baby in Chivhu died after chocking on maize grains.

The baby picked up the maize grains on the ground and tried to eat them before chocking to death. The grains were reportedly drpped by the mother.

The baby was pronounced dead on arrival at Chivhu General Hospital where he had been rushed to.

Said Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza:

“I confirm the death of a nine-month-old boy, who was chocked by some grains which were dropped by his mother who was eating mealies. We urge parents or guardians to always monitor their children to avoid such incidences. It is sad that we have lost a life in such a way.”-Newsday

– DEVELOPING STORY –

By Showbiz Reporter| ZimEye is receiving messages that pole dancer, Bev Sibanda was allegedly beaten up by soldiers just after pouring super brew onto a military boss.

While details were sketchy, sources told ZimEye the incident happened at Top Dollar Night Club in Nyamhunga.

Bev was performing throughout night, the report says.

Violence broke out and a male witness told ZimEye his phone handset was damaged in the melee.

” I could not retrieve my pictures because my phone handset was damaged in the violence,” he said.

The attack on the dancer was graphically narrated in the following words”

“Kwarohwa munhu kuKariba last night, Bev wekutamba achinyadzisira arohwa nema soja ku Top Dollar Nyamhunga. [Bev who is famous for immorality, was thoroughly beaten up last night]

“Adira mukuru wemasoja doro (super). Marohwerwo aazoitwa nemamwe masoja, kkkk azongo deedzera kuti, “kuno handidzoke futi,” apa iye anga amborova vanhu 3 vanga vachida kukwira paStage.”

Efforts to reach Bev were fruitless at the time of publishing. The night club owner’s numbers were neither being answered at the time of publishing.

This is a developing story – refresh this page for more…

By Own Correspondent- A Bulawayo man who was transporting his employer’s children in a van branded Sincere Security was badly beaten up by an angry mob on Thursday after they mistook him for a child trafficker.

Sources privy to the developments allege that the four children were playing in the back of the van, and some people erroneously took their noise to be a cry for help.

An angry mob of people at Fife Street and 5th Avenue quickly accosted the van and forced open the doors.

When the mob saw the four children in the back of the van, they accused the driver of kidnapping the kids and started assaulting him. After badly assaulting him, the mob took the man to Bulawayo Central Police Station.

The parents of the children later came to the police station where they cleared up the matter.

The assaulted man was taken to hospital for treatment.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident urging the public not to beat up suspects but take them to the nearest police station.

He said:

“They should have just brought him to a police station and allowed the law to take its course instead of beating him up.”

Below are some videos which erroneously propagated the false accusations against the unfortunate man.

Below is a video which was doing the rounds on social media:

Jane Mlambo| cabinet minister, Energy Mutodi has demanded that government re-introduces price controls as a way of cushioning the poor from business people.

Mutodi who is no stranger to controversy since his appointment as deputy minister of information, media and broadcasting services argued that Zimbabwe without a currency of its own, price controls were the only way to protect the people.

For a country that has no currency of its own, no competitive industry & no jobs, price control is the way to go in order to protect the poor. It’s very unfortunate that cabinet has not foreseen this but it’s time we take necessary steps. Happy 39th Birthday Zimbabwe.

— Dr Energy Mutodi (@energymutodi) April 18, 2019

Price controls have never been an effective way of controlling business operations with the move resulting in massive shortage of basic commodities when it was implemented in 2008-9.

Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has dismissed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s 2030 vision of a middle income country saying its another fiction just like the previous mantras such as housing for all by 2000.

Responding to a Twitter user on the vision 2030, Chamisa said:

They used to tell us of ‘housing for all’ and ‘health for all’ by 2000.We are now in 2018 yet without houses and health for the majority of Zimbabweans.They have the courage to tell us another fiction about 2030.

https://twitter.com/nelsonchamisa/status/1119113978108493824

By Own Correspondent- Nicole Musiyarira has been crowned Miss Africa University 2019 and automatically qualified for the Miss Tourism Manicaland finals which have been slated for July 2019.

Musiyarira’s beaming smile and striking exquisiteness did not only capture the eyes and hearts of the adjudicators but also scores of people who attended the glittering pageant at a local hotel last Saturday.

Miss Tourism Manicaland license holder Caroline Marufu Buwu, whose stock in the modeling industry rose after bringing the crown to Mutare last year when Tafadzwa Jaricha came out tops in the national finals said the pageant kick-started the journey to search of the new queen.

“Most of the contestants came from the educational institutions in and around Manicaland. This pageant presented an opportunity for me to see the calibre of models available this year. Yes, I definitely found few potential models,” she said.

Auditions for aspiring models between ages 18 and 24 will be held on 27 and 28 April 2019 and May 4 and 5, 2019 at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority offices at Zimra Building.

The dress code will be black jeans, white tops and heels.

The provincial finals will be held on July 27 in Nyanga under the theme: “Zimbabwe at work”.

“This year’s edition of Miss Tourism Manicaland comes in the wake of Cyclone Idai which has seen families lose their loved ones and their homes. Businesses and tourist places in the province have been affected as well.

This event is a remembrance of the disaster, a time to celebrate with those that survived the ordeal as well as to thank those that gave selflessly to the affected families. It gives us an opportunity to highlight, rebuild and hopefully heal and revive the gem that Manicaland is,” she added.

By Own Correspondent- The Rainbow Tourism Group has completed the refurbished of Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo at an estimated cost of $2.5 million.

The refurbishment, which was focused on plumbing was done on time for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair which is taking place next week.

Said Rainbow Tourism Group operations director, Tichawona Hwingwiri:

“This is the first major plumbing refurbishment of this hotel since it was built in 1952. We have modernised our in-room guest bathrooms, which have been completely over-hauled and redesigned with new modern fixtures to deliver an enhanced bathroom experience,

The plumbing technology which we have installed at Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel is called Mepla (metal and plastic).It is the latest technology in the world. Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel is one of the first institutions in Zimbabwe to use this technology.”-StateMedia

BULAWAYO informal traders on Monday besieged council offices to register their anger over plans to double vending licence fees, saying they were already struggling to pay the current levies.

The decision to increase the fees is likely to see vendors pass on the costs to consumers, who already bear the brunt of the rising cost of goods and services.

If approved, vendors will pay ZWL$28 monthly in licence fees up from ZWL$13,50, while flower and curio vendors will pay ZWL$28 up from ZWL$15.

Percy Mcijo, Street Wise Informal Traders Association director, said instead of increasing the current rates, council should explore other avenues of generating revenue as well as adopting austerity measures.

“There is a lot of money out there which is not being collected. Council should regularise other vendors outside the city centre and collect money from them.
The ward retention funds should also take care of some of the council services,” he said.

Effie Ncube, the National Consumer Rights Association advocacy and campaign manager, urged the council to adopt austerity measures in the face of economic challenges in the country.

“In terms of austerity measures, residents want to know what council is doing to cut costs. Council should suspend the funding of all non-essential services until the economy has improved. Increasing rates under the current situation is akin to creating a vicious cycle which will eventually lead to instability,” Ncube said.

Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association official Lewis Jones urged council to improve its service delivery first before increasing rates.

“As vendors, we are not happy with the services which we are getting from council. Some of our vending areas do not have ablutions facilities,” Jones noted.

In a position paper, the Bulawayo Vendors Trust (BVT) said the proposed increase would not be fair if the council is not willing to reduce its own costs.

“The increase is too high considering that the consumers’ salaries have not been increased to adjust to the price increases. Stakeholders suggested that council should increase vending licenses or bays by only 15%,” the BVT noted.

Council finance director Kimpton Ndimande told the vendors’ representatives that the increment had been necessitated by the lack of foreign currency and the high price of fuel, water chemicals and goods that have been pegged at parallel market exchange rates.

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/04/bulawayo-vendors-protest/

By Own Correspondent- MDC Deputy Treasurer, Charlton Hwende is leading the nominations for the Secretary-General post ahead of the party’s congress in May.

Hwende currently has 8 nominations out of the 11 nominations that have been held so far.

Other contestants for the post – current Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora, Ncube, and Daniel Molokele – all have one nomination each.

Hwende had initially indicated he was not interested in contesting the SG post.

He said he was looking forward to the increased amount of work the position comes with.

Said Hwende:

“Kana tamu office nguva ye Twitter panenge pasisina basa rakawanda (Once I’m in office there will be no time for Twitter. There is a lot of work to do.”

Hwende secured nominations from the provinces of Harare, Masvingo, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Midlands, Mashonaland West and North America.

FOUR Harare man have been arrested after they were implicated in a syndicate that manufactured fake drivers’ licence discs as well as forged ID documents.

The four also manufactured fake passports at an office in the Harare central business district.

Tonderai Mashonganyika (42), John Chipawa (43), Farai Mambemba (37) and Kirthmore Magqoka (45) appeared before magistrate Barbara Mateko on Tuesday, who dismissed their application for bail.

They were remanded in custody to April 28.

It is alleged the accused persons forged several driver’s licence discs which they sold to unsuspecting prospective drivers.

The State alleges one of the victims, Tapiwa Dangaranga was arrested while in possession of the fake driver’s licence and he implicated Chipawa, Mambemba and Magqoka.

The trio was arrested and led to the recovery of more fake driver’s licence discs, fake identity cards, defensive driver’s certificates and class 1 journeyman certificates.

The State alleges fake driver’s licences for Wendy Gwara, Sibanengi Sibanda, Ian Malison, Arineshito Makocha, Mpanda Rumbidzai, Lovejoy Chibaya, Sindiso Ncube, Edson Majaka, Godknows Chipunza, Rusere Julia, Tapfuma Moila, Mubvumbi Philimon, Kitikiti Moses, Munyanyi Laston and a Zimbabwe passport for Nota Blessing, among other documents were recovered from the suspects’ office.

Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.

Jane Mlambo| MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has called for unity of purpose to extricate Zimbabwe out of the dire situation the country is currently trapped in.

Posting on Twitter, Chamisa said Zimbabwe requires all Zimbabweans to think and act together.

” Where we are going now requires us to think and act together as Zimbabweans. Our dire situation is no longer about MDC or ZanuPF but about Zimbabwe.We have a nation to build and a generation to defend.We have the power!”

Where we are going now requires us to think and act together as Zimbabweans. Our dire situation is no longer about MDC or ZanuPF but about Zimbabwe.We have a nation to build and a generation to defend.We have the power!

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) April 19, 2019

Chamisa has been unequivocal in his call for a genuine and open dialogue to move the country forward.

He has snubbed an invitation for dialogue from President Emmerson Mnangagwa demanding a neutral convener or guarantee from the regional and continental bodies such as SADC and the African Union.

Jane Mlambo| An unidentified Harare man yesterday made a brave move to visit the National Sports Stadium where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was addressing the Independence day commemorations holding a placard demanding money or a job from the country’s number one citizen.

Unlike thousands who attended the mega event to celebrate Zimbabwe’s uhuru, this man in picture saw it as a grand occasion to expose how the government has failed young people who are jobless and impoverished.

By Veritas Zim|There have been reports in the State-owned press that the Government was planning to repeal the “toxic” Public Order and Security Act [POSA] and replace it with a new Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill which would “open up democratic space”. The new Bill has now been published in the Gazette and is available on the Veritas website.

What are the differences between the draft Bill and POSA?

There are very few differences between the Bill and POSA – depressingly few, in fact. After the excited fanfare in the State-owned press about how far-reaching the Bill would be, we expected rather more than this.

The Bill makes some up-dating changes to the provisions of POSA: for example, “Commissioner of Police” has been changed to “Commissioner-General of Police” and “Police Force” to “Police Service”. But apart from those the only changes we can find are the following:

Clause 1 (Short title)
The title of the Bill is slightly more emollient than POSA’s.

Clause 6 (Appointment of responsible officers for public meetings)
Words have been added to subclause (1) to the effect that persons who are appointed as organisers of public meetings are to be regarded as conveners for the purposes of Part II of the Bill. This makes the clause a little tidier, but does nothing more.

Clause 7 (Notice of gatherings)
A reference in POSA to “facsimile numbers” has been updated to refer to cellphone and e-mail numbers. That is the only change. In all other respects the requirement to give notice of public gatherings will remain the same.

Clause 8 (Consultations, etc., re holding of public gathering)
Under this clause a regulating authority (a senior police officer) will have to notify the convenor of a public procession or demonstration within three days of receiving the convenor’s notice that the procession or demonstration can go ahead, if the regulating authority has no problems about it causing disruption or disorder. Under section 26 of POSA no time-limit is specified, so convenors can be kept in suspense until the last minute before being told about the regulating authority’s attitude. The clause also differs from section 26 of POSA in that a proviso is added to subclause (3). The proviso is incomprehensible. In all other respects the clause is virtually identical to section 26 of POSA, so it retains the existing anomaly that convenors of a demonstration must give at least seven days’ notice to the regulating authority and, if the regulating authority has problems about possible disruption or disorder, he or she must invite the convenors to a consultative meeting at least seven days before the demonstration – which means there cannot be a consultative meeting if the convenors have given the minimum seven days’ notice.

Section 27 of POSA (Temporary prohibition of public demonstrations)
This section has been omitted from the draft Bill. It authorises a regulating authority to prohibit for up to one month the holding of public demonstrations within a particular police district. The Constitutional Court recently declared the section to be unconstitutional and void. Obviously therefore the section could not be incorporated into the Bill.

Clause 14 (Carrying of identity documents)
This clause differs in a material respect from its equivalent in POSA. Section 32 of POSA empowers a police officer to arrest a person who fails to produce an identity document upon being requested to do so, and to detain the person until his or her identity is verified. This clause is not so draconian. It states that if a person cannot produce his or her identity document immediately upon being asked for it by a police officer, he or she must be given up to seven days within which to produce it at a police station, failing which he or she is guilty of an offence. The clause is intended to bring the law into line with a Supreme Court judgment delivered in 1997, and in one respect it does: the judgment held that a statutory provision which – like section 32 of POSA – made it an offence not to produce an identity document on demand was unconstitutional, and clause 14 omits that provision. On the other hand, the 1997 judgment also said that a statutory provision which empowered the police to stop people at random and demand their identity documents was unconstitutional in that it inhibited freedom of movement. Clause 14 contains this provision, thus ignoring the 1997 Supreme Court judgment.

Clause 18 (Defence Forces assisting police)
This clause will rectify the constitutional defects in section 37 of POSA by ensuring that the President, rather than the Minister of Defence, authorises the deployment of soldiers to assist the police in maintaining law and order, as required by section 213 of the Constitution. The clause will also oblige the President to inform Parliament within seven days after deploying the Defence Forces, in accordance with section 214 of the Constitution.

Conclusion

That is the sum total of the differences we can find. The provisions of POSA have been copied slavishly in the Bill so that ‒ apart from what is noted above ‒ all POSA’s undemocratic features have been retained. For example:

• The Police will still be entitled to ask political parties for lists of members or office-bearers who attend meetings of the parties’ committees or other structures [clause 5(8) of the Bill].
• People will not be allowed to hold public gatherings without giving the Police written notice: seven days’ notice in the case of processions and demonstrations, five days in the case of public meetings. As in section 25 of POSA, the notice will have to specify details such as “the exact and complete route” of a procession or demonstration and “the number and types of vehicles, if any,” that are to take part in the procession. Anyone who fails to give notice will be guilty of a criminal offence and liable to imprisonment for up to a year [clause 7 of the Bill].
• If the Police are not given notice of a gathering then, as in POSA, the conveners will be civilly liable for any damage or injury occasioned by any public disorder or breach of the peace occurring at the gathering [clause 12 of the Bill]. This will be so even if the damage or injury was caused by counter-demonstrators or people who were not under the conveners’ control.

And, perhaps out of fear that the Bill does not repeat all the undesirable features of the existing law, the drafter has omitted a clause repealing POSA ‒ so POSA will remain in force even after the Bill is enacted.

The draft Bill is not new wine in an old bottle: it is the same old wine in the same old bottle with a new label stuck on it.

Source: Veritas

Media Statement|GALZ joins the nation in commemorating 39 years of independence from minority rule. GALZ applauds the courageous efforts of men and women, past and present that have fought and continue to fight for the total liberation of Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is in dire need of healing from the wounds of her past and present challenges. The current political and social environment does not help to rebuild the confidence of the nation and the world towards Zimbabwe returning to peace and stability. Zimbabwe’s political leaders need to provide leadership in overcoming Zimbabwe’s challenges in areas such as violence, unemployment, education and health rather than fostering antipathy and intolerance. The immediate challenge the nation is facing is overcoming these social deprivations.

GALZ is concerned by the prevailing harsh economic environment that has impacted negatively on Zimbabwean citizenry. This situation has affected the Zimbabwean populace’s ability to enjoy fundamental rights and freedoms which are a key tenant of Independence. Despite the greats strides taken to ensure total independence and equal opportunities for all Zimbabweans by Government and various stakeholders, GALZ notes that a large section of the population still experiences difficulties in enjoying the fruits of this hard-won Independence that they are entitled to as equal citizens in Zimbabwe.

We encourage the President to strive to create an environment of tolerance and respect among Zimbabweans and that all citizens are treated with dignity and respect. We call on the leadership to desist from making statements and actions likely to promote hate and prejudice. Zimbabwe needs to transition from a period characterised by hate, violence and economic suffering and move towards national healing.

It is time the Zimbabwean Government reflects seriously on its thinking around human rights for all including those of its LGBTI citizens and speedily implement measures which proactively encourage a culture of meaningful human rights protection in this country.

We never lose hope Zimbabwe!

Source: GALZ

By Own Correspondent| A video showing a van belonging to Sincere Security Company which was apprehended by citizens in Bulawayo for suspected child trafficking has gone viral.

In the video, a mob is shown forcing open the doors of the security van where several minors some of whom were crying and all of whom appear to be below seven years old emerge.

The van was allegedly stopped by a kombi driver who saw one of the children continuously waving and crying through the tiny vehicle window.

The kombi driver reportedly told the driver of the Sincere Security vehicle to stop before the mob forced open the door where the minors were retrieved.

It has however emerged that the angry mob were left with an egg in the face after taking their “culprit” to Bulawayo Central Police Station where it was established that the man was just transporting his boss’s children in a company van.

The guard whose name could not be established was- according to police sources- taking the children to meet their parents.

He was parked near the market along 4th avenue when someone shouted that there were kidnapped children in the vehicle.

Vendors ganged up immediately and started banging on the car demanding the release of the “captives.”

A witness revealed that the crowd shouted that children had been disappearing in the city and the security company could be a syndicate responsible for the disappearances.

“The driver got out of the vehicle to explain and the crowd descended on him with kicks and punches. If someone had not suggested that they should take him to the police, he could have been killed.

“Zimbabweans are a dangerously angry lot nowadays, probably due to a failed government and growing poverty. They are capable of killing if they get a chance to vent their emotions,” said the witness.

The witness said scores of vendors boldly marched into the police station like they expected a civic award for bravery or something.

“The way they sneaked out quietly was worthy of any comedy reel. The father of the children came to clear up the issue and suddenly everyone realised they could be arrested for their vigilante actions on an innocent man. A ‘quiet’ stampede started for the door and the charge office was cleared within minutes,” said the witness who preferred anonymity.

A ZANU PF member has claimed in court that his arrest on charges of stealing party regalia and $100 from a colleague is a result of internal fights.

This was revealed by Prosper Sithole (42), of Plot 3, Lot 8 under Chief Mutema in Chipinge, during the start of his trial before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware.

He pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody to Thursday next week for continuation of trial.

In his defence, Sithole claimed the allegations emanated from the rivalry which existed between Chipinge Central legislator Raymore Machingura and the party primary elections losing candidate, Dorothy Chitima’s supporters.

“I belong to Zanu PF together with the complainant, Ivy Mhlanga, but trouble started last year during the party’s primary elections. The complainant was supporting Dorothy Chitima, while I was supporting the eventual winner, Raymore Machingura, who is now MP for Chipinge Central,” Sithole said.

“The allegations are politically-motivated. The other issue is that she was the School Development Committee chair and she was voted out in my favour, so she’s a bitter person.”

Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube said on August 16 last year, Mhlanga was invited to attend a party meeting at Paidamoyo Business Centre.

Sithole was also part of the meeting.

During lunch hour, Sithole allegedly went to where Mhlanga was seated at the back of a party vehicle while having lunch.

He noticed some Zanu PF T-shirts which were in Mhlanga’s bag and demanded that she distributes them to party supporters present, but the complainant allegedly refused.

Sithole allegedly grabbed the bag and ran away but returned it later. Mhlanga later reported that her Zanu PF T-shirts and $100 were missing and reported the matter to the police, leading to Sithole’s arrest.

NewsDay

– FULL UNEDITED COPY –

RE: TAKING THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION TO THE JUDICIARY SERVICES COMMISSION
Reference is made to the above subject matter.

INRODUCTORY REMARKS
In his inauguration speech, President Emmerson Mnangagwa identified corruption as one of the main impediments to the country`s economic growth and declared zero tolerance to the scourge. Mnangagwa then swiftly went on to establish a Special Ant-Corruption Unit housed in his office. All this was done to improve efficiency in the fight against all forms of graft and to strengthen the effectiveness of national mechanics for the prevention of corruption.

The Chief Justice Luke Malaba who heads the judiciary on his part has supported the president and declared as quoted in the Chronicle of 6 October 2018 that he will leave no stone unturned in his endeavor to fight corruption within the country`s Judiciary. Speaking during the commissioning of three new courtrooms at the Bulawayo High Court, Malaba said it was disheartening to note that corruption continues to rear its ugly head in the country, particularly within the Judiciary.

He warned judicial officers and lawyers against engaging in corruption, saying those involved will be harshly dealt with.

“There is a terrible scourge called corruption and as the judiciary, we maintain our stance that cases of corruption must be dealt with decisively by the courts. I want to make it clear to all and sundry, whether you are a lawyer, judge or magistrate that it is our duty to deal decisively with cases of corruption,’’ he said.

Malaba said the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) has embarked on an in-house training programme to curb the scourge within the organization.

“We have, on our part, embarked on a programme of continuous judicial education and training to inculcate into judicial officers the necessary values for fighting corruption,” he said.

IS THE JSC WALKING THE TALK OR THEY ARE MERELY PAYING LIP SERVICE ON THEIR COMMITTMENT TO FIGHT THE SCOURGE CALLED CORRUPTION?

Whilst we applaud the Chief Justice for taking every opportunity during public appearances to castigate corruption; the vice is deeply entrenched in his own department.

It is actually more pronounced right at his door step with his most trusted senior managers and the secretariat deeply embroiled.

Private investigations will confirm that corruption is rife at the top echelons of the JSC involving high-ranking state officials who have become filthy rich overnight as shall be more fully discussed below. The members of the JSC secretariat comprise of very powerful and influential individuals. Their word is law such that no subordinate member of the commission dares to challenge even some of their unlawful instructions. If you refuse to comply, they can demote you, transfer you to the remotest part of the country or even create spurious allegations against you and then constitute a Kangaroro Disciplinary Tribunal that superintends over your exit.

There is evidence of well-coordinated and intricate teamwork in these corrupt activities involving Mr Guvamombe the Chief Magistrate, Mr Chikwana the Acting Secretary and his Deputy Mr Mutevedzi which backdates to 2013.The cases of corruption include instructing to finalize matters in a particular or preferred way, nepotism in the employment of staff, hiring own companies or colleagues companies to conduct auctioneering services for the Sherriff and sexual abuse of female staffers in return for lucrative appointments. In other instances some shelf companies are awarded contracts say to refurbish courtrooms under unclear circumstances.

One thing for sure is that the Chief Justice knows that the Chief Magistrate is very corrupt because at least he has said it in public in his meetings with magistrates. Further, the estranged wife of the Chief Magistrate Angeline Guvamombe has also brought to the attention of the JSC secretariat and the Chief Justice a dossier of the man’s numerous corruption allegations but these have been swept under the carpet. What perhaps the Chief Justice does not know is that the Secretariat from the Acting Secretary to the Sheriff of the High Court is probably the most corrupt institution in the whole country. The Acting Secretary Mr Chikwana himself had several corruption complaints raised against him to the Acting Secretary and Chairman of the JSC, the Prosecutor General and the Anti-Corruption Commission.

All these organs are seized with these complaints but for some unknown reasons, all these state organs have remained silent. The only thing that the commission did was to order the immediate termination of the contracts for some of the auctioneering companies linked to the top Brass that were corruptly appointed. One of these numerous complaints was made by Ruby Auctions in 2014 and resuscitated in 2017 but it was swept under the carpet and never investigated. This renders the President and the Chief Justice’s clarion call to fight corruption within in the Judicial Service Commission in particular and the nation in general laughable. If anything it renders the whole process a child’s play. It shall be the attempt of this paper to try and demonstrate the rot in the JSC starting with the Chief Magistrate Mr Mishrod Guvamombe.

1. THE CHIEF MAGISTRATE-MISHROD GUVAMOMBE
The Chief Magistrate Mr Guvamombe is the one who supervises all magistrates and the administration of the inferior courts. He is often described by scribes in media circles as a shrewd and veteran magistrate who has a zero tolerance to corruption. In public he fights the scourge like hell but in practice he is the chief architect of corruption in the justice delivery system with special reference to the inferior courts.

During the first quarter of this year, the Chief Justice, the Acting Secretary and the Chief Magistrate went on a whirlwind tour of the provinces where he had meetings with all the magistrates and members of the supporting staff discouraging them from engaging in corrupt practices. Of particular interest is that in most those meetings, the Chief Justice was very candid with the Chief Magistrate in front of his subordinates. For example, in Harare and at Holliday Inn Hotel the Chief Magistrate was told point blank to stop forthwith the habit of phoning magistrates instructing them to finalize matters in a particular way and to stop demanding bribes from litigants.

The Chief Justice was after all very correct when he admonished the Chief Magistrate to stop the habit of phoning magistrates instructing them to finalize matters in a particular way and to stop demanding bribes from litigants. There is need to do an inquiry on this subject matter on all provincial stations because ninety percent of the corruption cases are going to be tried in the Magistrates Court. They say a fish rots from the head and if the Chief Magistrate is corrupt then then the whole campaign to fight corruption will be derailed from the onset. Private investigations have so far confirmed the Chief Justice’s assertions before magistrates that the Chief Magistrate interferes or obstructs the administration of justice by telling magistrates how to determine matters placed before them. A case in point is that of The State v Maranjisi &Anor CRB 547&673/15 which was tried at Plumtree Magistrates Court on 8 September 2015.

(a)THE STATE v MARANJISI & ANOR CRB 547 & 673/15
In that case the accused appeared before Mr Philimon a magistrate at Plumtree Magistrates Court facing one count of unlawful possession of gold without a licence in violation of section 3 (1) of the Gold Trade Act (Chapter 21:03). The respondents faced an additional count of smuggling in contravention of section 182 of the Customs & Excise Act (Chapter 23:02). Respondents both pleaded not guilty. At the close of the state case the respondents applied for discharge at the close of the state case. In a clear case of abuse of office the trial magistrate was phoned a record seven times by the Chief Magistrate during the course of the trial wherein he was instructed to grant the application and immediately issue a disposal order for the gold .The trial magistrate acting on those instructions granted the application for discharge and acquitted the respondents even before the state had responded to the application. All the people who were in court on this particular day from the Court orderly, interpreter, prosecutor, defence counsel and the magistrate may be interviewed and they will confirm this. The call history of the trial Magistrate on the 8th day of September 2015 can also be used to confirm this.

(b)MISCONDUCT CHARGE: EDMUND RUGARE MBOKO
On 1 August 2014 the Chief Magistrate appointed a disciplinary committee to conduct a disciplinary hearing in a matter involving Mr R.E Mboko EC NO 1529564T a general hand at Mbare Magistrates Court. The committee comprised of the Chairman Mr T. Makunde who was Provincial Head Mash-East Province, committee member Mr Nzou who was the Human Resources Officer at Marondera Magistrates Court and Committee Member, Mr N.Korora, an Accounting Assistant at Marondera Magistrates Court. The matter was very straight forward and to the point but as has become the habit of the Chief Magistrate, he phoned the Chairman directing him to avoid passing a discharge verdict when the member had been convicted of corruptly and dishonestly receiving US$2400-00 from a client with a promise to assist in processing a marriage certificate and a resident permit. The member received the money and converted it to his personal use. Again in a clear case of abuse of office, the Chief Magistrate obstructed the course of justice to serve his runner and long-time friend Mr Mboko from dismissal. Fortunately, the Acting Secretary Hon Makarau noticed the anomaly and used her discretion as provided for in the regulations to substitute the committee’s verdict with that of a discharge.

(c )SYSTEMATIC MISUSE OF THE VICTIM FRIENDY COURT (VFC) FUNDS THROUGH DOUBLE DIPPING AND UNDERHAND PROCUREMENT PROCESSES

On 6 December 2013, the Independent newspaper covered a story in which the Chief Magistrate, his deputy now Acting Deputy Secretary Munamato Mutevedzi and Acting Chief Registrar now Acting Secretary Mr Walter Chikwana were embroiled in misuse of the Victim Friendly Courts (VFC) funds. VFC is funded y Save the Children and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) to promote children’s rights and for swift delivery of justice in cases involving minors who are victims of sexual or physical abuse. Copy of the story from the Zim Independent newspaper cutting is attached hereunder.

According to the story, the allegations came to light through an internal memorandum from the then VFC Coordinator Idine Magonga copied to the Secretary JSC ,Save the Children, the President’s office, Unicef and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights which detailed the allegations. In the memo dated 18 June 2013, Magonga protested that his summary dismissal was meant to sweep cases of abused donor funds in the department under the carpet.

Documents supplied to the Independent newspaper at the material time implicated the Chief Magistrate,his deputy Munamato Mutevedzi, the Registrar of the Supreme Court Walter Chikwana and the fired VFC National Coordinator Idine Magonga .According to the report, the officers are alleged to have on various occasions claimed from the VFC travel and subsistence allowances in cash while they attended functions fully paid for by government or other organisations. On 28 November 2013 for example, Guvamombe and Chikwana received allowances of US$225 each purportedly to do a three –day evaluation of the VFC in Mutare. However, at the same time the two are said to have attended a Magistrate Association meeting in the town fully funded by the Association. Payments vouchers would suggest that the officials received money for staying in private residences but made no claims for transport costs.

On other occasions they would allegedly raise payment vouchers for companies falsely said to have provided services to VFC and share the cash. In other instances some shelf companies were awarded contracts by the VFC to refurbish courtrooms under unclear circumstances. To further raise suspicion, the officials would in all instances seek the VFC’s bankers FBC to release the money in cash instead of bank transfers to the suppliers of Services. Guvamombe,Chikwana and Magonga were signatories on most of the payment vouchers and letters of instruction to FBC to provide the cash

Despite the fact that these criminating allegations were brought to the attention of the authorities and publicised in the media, they were swept under the carpet with the suspects being promoted to senior posts in the JSC.The question is are we really committed to fighting corruption from the above or we are merely paying lipservice?

2. ACTING DEPUTY SECRETARY MUNAMATO MUTEVEDZI
Mr Munamato Mutevedzi is one of the very Senior Managers in the Judicial Service Commission occupying the post of Acting Deputy Secretary-Legal Affairs. He is the man who preaches the gospel of cleansing corruption within the corridors of the JSC but his hands are dirty. They are always found deep in the cookie jar. Apart from being embroiled in the misuse of the Victim Friendly Courts (VFC) funds together with the Chief Magistrate and the now Acting Secretary, the man is not new to controversy. He should be rotting somewhere in prison but for some unexplained reasons, he is a survivor.

(a)THE STATE v FREDRICK MUTANDA CRB8384/11 AND 8385/11

On 21 December 2011 Mr Mutevedzi who was Provincial Magistrate in charge of Rotten Row was caught red-handed with photographic evidence readily available at a service station along Chiremba Rd meeting with an accusing and discussing a pending court ruling which had been prepared before the parties had completed their addresses. From the facts of the matter,Mr Mutevedzi attempted to influence the court’s decision in the above matter. This information is not based on speculation or a state of conjecture where proof thereof is lacking. There is solid evidence on the matter as can be gleaned on pages 4 & 5 of the cyclostyled Judgment in the matter of Fredrick Charles Mutanda V The State and Kudakwashe Jarabini SC 55/13 as per Malaba DCJ (As he was then) attached hereunder. The Boss as he is affectionately called in the JSC cycle was not even suspended or charged for this dishonorable conduct. Instead he was even promoted to among other things supervise and monitor the vice corruption amongst his subordinates. My foot! They say a prison is a place where big criminals keep their younger ones. True to that adage, Mr Mutevedzi is very eloquent in denouncing other people when it comes to corruption issues but typical of a preacher who preaches that which he does not practice, he is no a saint.

(b) STAND NUMBER 13875 GALLOWAY PARK, NORTON

In this matter in some yet to be unraveled corrupt deal, Mr Munamato Mutevedzi received a residential stand in the plush Galloway suburb of Norton from Jemina Gumbo when he was still Provincial Magistrate in charge of Rotten row Magistrate .He has since developed the stand with funds corruptly acquired from the numerous corrupt deals in the JSC and that is where he is currently staying. Paperwork from Norton City Council can be used to confirm this.Attached is copy of pictures to this house.

3. STHEMBINKOSI MSIPA

(a) AWARDING OF CONTRACTS TO FRIENDLY SHELF COMPANIES IN RETURN FOR KICKBACKS

Mr Msipa is the Acting Deputy Secretary Admiration. He is very calm and unassuming but very corrupt.It is on his desk that shelf companies are awarded contracts say to refurbish courtrooms under unclear circumstances. There is a company trading by the name of G-star which is given virtually all contacts at all the four High Courts to do tiling ,construction of guardrooms ,Installation of workstations, installation of security devices at High Courts, tiling and shelving in return for kickbacks. It has become part of the JSC family and is untouchable and uncontestably allowed to compete against itself. At times it is allowed to contest itself under different names whereas it is one and the same company .One day it is called G-star and the other day it will be called Falcon Pvt(Ltd) .So at the end of the day whichever company wins the tender, it remains G-star. You will only be able to notice when the same staffers appear for each and every project awarded albeit under different shelf companies. The Registrar, the Deputy Registrars and the Administration Managers are simply instructed by My Mr Msipa to do the paperwork and give contracts to this company ONLY. His word is law.

(b)NEPOTISM AND FAVOURATISM

Three quarters of appointments made in the JSC from 2013 to date are either acquaintances relatives or friends of Mr Chikwana, Mr Msipa and Mr Mutevedzi. The majority of these relatives and acquaintances are then corruptly elevated to senior positions in the JSC.A simple staff audit and inquiries within the departments in the JSC will confirm this. The net effect of this nepotism is that efficiency in the various JSC departments is compromised when competent people are sacrificed and overlooked at the expense of relatives who are given an unfair advantage. How is this done? These guys wield a lot of power and authority in the JSC. As indicated earlier on their word is law. If they say jump you don’t question. You simply have to question how high. So what they do is if they want to employ people they write a passionate plea to the Chief Justice explaining how dire the situation in a particular has become.

The Chief Justice will take the issue to the Judicial Commission and once they get treasury concurrence that is the end of the matter .Mr Chikwana as the Acting Secretary will then advertise the posts and appoint the interviewing panel. On the day of the Interviews, the members of the interviewing panel are then called for a pre interview briefing where they are told of the names of the preferred candidates. When the interviews eventually take place it will be a dead rubber. That is how they have managed to fill all posts with their friends and relatives.

(c) SEXUAL ABUSE AND HARRASSMENT

Linked to this aspect of nepotism and favouratism is the issue of sexual harassment. It is again the same characters: Msipa ,Chikwana and Mutevedzi who sexually abuse female staffers in return for lucrative appointments. A case in point is that of Rujeko Macheka Madzinga.This lady was employed in the I.T department at the Supreme Court. Sometime in June 2018 the Chief Justice ordered that she be charged for participating in primary elections.

When the Secretariat tried to charge her she went berserk at the JSC headquarters shouting that no one could charge her since MR Chikwana the Secretary and his deputy Mr Msipa had severally taken turns to sexually abuse her. She even threatened to describe their manhood in front of the JSC staffers. The charges were immediately dropped and a month down the line she was promoted to the lucrative post of Website Administrator.

Mr Mutevedzi also did the same to one of the married Deputy Registrars at the Labour Court Kudzai Mumbengegwi.

Although Kudzai spurned the sexual advances, it remains one of the most documented cases of sexual harassment in the JSC which need to be probed further. The JSC is aware of it, her husband and several other relatives know about this but Mutevedzi is allowed to remain in post and harass other people’s children, wives and prospective spouses willingly, in a clear case of abuse of office .This only serves to show how this vice is deeply entrenched in the JSC and how urgently it must be addressed to protect the vulnerable woman species in the JSC which is under threat by these powerful men. They certainly need urgent protection.

4. WALTER TAMBUDZAI CHIKWANA

Walter Tambudzai is the Acting Secretary of the Judicial Service Commission. He denounces corruption by the day but he drinks, eats and sleeps corruption. In fact he is the most corrupt officer in the Judicial Service Commission to the extent that during the period ranging from 2012 to date a period of less than 6 years he has amassed wealth which an owner of a lucrative gold mine can only dream to own.

For example he is now a proud owner of a storey house in Glenlonrne, to pay off the Ministry of Local for a house in house in Southerton, a drinking hall (club) in Rusape ,he owns more than 100 herd of cattle on a farm jointly run by him and his brother in Matebeleland North, both of them own an earth moving and road making equipment that comprises of caterpillars ,graders ,front and Perry loaders that were bought from Mbada Diamonds by his brother who was ironically corruptly appointed auctioneer in that sale by none other than his brother Walter through the Sheriff. He together with his deputies Mutevedzi and Msipa are also involved in the nepotism and favouratism that sees the employment of his relatives and friends as described above. He is also involved in the corrupt appointment of auctioneers in the Sherrif’s office .He is also the chief architect of establishing and awarding shelf companies contracts say to build and refurbish courtrooms under unclear circumstances. He is also involved in cases of sexual abuse of prospective job seekers and JSC employees in return for lucrative postings within the organization.

(a) CORRUPTION IN THE APPOINTMENT OF AUCTIONEERS & RECEIVING FINANCIAL BENEFITS FROM AUCTIONEERS

Mr Chikwana,Mr Mutevedzi and Mr Mcduff Madega the Acting Sheriff have corrupty amassed wealth through the office of the Sherriff .Most of the company that are put on the panel to sell both movable and immovable property are either linked to his friends and relatives or those of Mutevedzi and Madega.This scheme has been in place since 2013 when as the then Chief Registrar he convinced the then Chief Justice Chidyausiku to take over the operations of the then Deputy Sherriff to the JSC as a revenue making mechanism for the organization. Because these members of the JSC Secretariat are compromised, you will find that at one point the Sheriff’s charges and fees that are used by auctioneers at one point especially between 2015-2017 were extortionate and not affordable. These were proposed by Martin Chikwana the elder brother to the Acting Secretary, forced onto the Sherriff and approved by Mr W.Chikwana .To note however is that these charges were not even supported by the law. They were merely plucked from the air for the sole purposes of profiteering since the Acting Secretary and his Deputies are beneficiaries.

To their credit the Lawyers observed this and raised complaints against the Sheriff to the very Secretary. Credit should be given to the lawyers especially those in Bulawayo with some raising the fact that Mr Chikwana was severely compromised because of his brother Martin’s visible dealings with Hollands Auctioneers in Bulawayo.The matters were discussed in the Commission together with some other related complaints against Mr Chikwana .However due to his growing influence, the JSC only ordered for the termination of various auctioneering companies linked to the Acting Secretary and the reviewing of the Sheriff’s fees and charges so that they may comply with the law. They were asked to advertise for the appointment of new auctioneering companies but to date there is no guarantee that some of the old companies were reincarnated albeit using different names. These guy will do all it takes to make money. It is the process of appointment that is very funny and ease to manipulate. The very same interested parties who comprise of the Acting Secretary and his Deputies are responsible for appointing the selecting team which is led by none other than the Sherriff another interested party and beneficiary. How are the appointments for the Auctioneers made?

Like employment interviews in the JSC ,these ate predetermined .The preferred auctioneers are advised in advance and they meet the requirements ahead of others .Mr Madega is then sent to a Mr Gweme of the Estate Council of Zimbabwe to go and obtain a recommended list to me considered for appointment. He will be told to recommend all their preferred companies and add one for himself. Like the interviewing processes for JSC employees again the Sheriff and his team will after receiving the applications visit the respective premises of the applicants for assessment for academic purposes because the preferred list would have been made in advance. The visits will be a dead rubber or a delayed match. Using the above process, Mr Chikwana has managed to appoint the following auctioneering and he drives material and financial benefit from all of them. This can be tracked from his ZB and MBCA Accounts. Further financial transactions of a similar nature can also be tracked from his wife’s bank account or that of his brother Martin. It is further supported by the vast properties that he has managed to acquire during his 6 year stint at the helm of the JSC.

(1) HOLLANDS-MUTARE AND BULAWAYO
This is an ancient auctioneering company formed in 1902.It is based in Mutare and fronted by a Whiteman but when it comes to their contract with the Sheriff, the Kingmaker is Martin Chikwana the brother to the JSC Acting Secretary Mr Chikwana. He is the many responsible for the Sheriff’s dealings with Hollands in Mutare and Bulawayo. The auctioneering company also does auctioneering business of movables in Mutare and both movables and immovable property in Bulawayo. As indicated earlier on Mr Chikwana drives both material and financial benefit from Hollands Auctioneers. This can also be supported by the vast empire that he has managed to build during a very short period. It is because of the connections between Hollands Auctioneers and the office of the Sheriff that Mr Chikwana has managed to build a storey house in Glenlorne, to pay off the Ministry of Local for a house in Southerton, acquire a drinking hall (club) in Rusape ,buy more than 100 herd of cattle on a farm jointly run by him and his brother in Matebeleland North. He and his brother Martin also managed to acquire earth moving and road making equipment that comprises of caterpillars ,graders ,front and Perry loaders that were bought from Mbada Diamonds by his brother who was ironically corruptly appointed auctioneer in that sale by none other than his brother Walter Chikwana. Mr Chikwana as indicated earlier on drives both material and financial benefit from Hollands Auctioneers. The matter is very easy to investigate since the payments pass through different electronic platforms leaving behind an electronic trail. This can also be tracked from his ZB and MBCA Accounts. Further financial transactions of a similar nature can also be tracked from his wife’s bank account or that of his brother Martin.
NB-Hollands’s contact for movables in Bulawayo was terminated in July this year following complaints to the Commission raised by lawyers. However they are still selling immovable property in Bulawayo.
(2) TWO MUZAYA t/a as HOLLANDS

In Masvingo they used to trade as Two Muzaya but with Martin and Walter Chikwana being the major beneficiaries. All they did was to use Hollands registration documents to sanitise their operations but the two are the individuals behind the company. They benefit directly from the operations of this company up to August 2018 when the JSC forced them to close shop following numerous complaints from members of the public.

(3) TANTES AUCTIONEERING-GWERU

This company was appointed to the Sheriff’s panel of auctioneers in 2016 at the instance of the Acting Secretary Mr Chikwana.In another case of clear abuse of office Mr W Chikwana using his vast powers and authority ordered the Sheriff to give the company a contract. The company belongs to Martin Chikwana‘s wife. The company did not even meet the JSC’s minimal requirements for it to be put on the panel.
NB-Tantes’s contact for movables in Gweru was terminated in July this year following complaints to the Commission raised by lawyers.

(4) DREW AND FRAISER
This is another Auctioneering company which was appointed to the Sheriff’s Panel of auctioneers for immovable properties in 2016.The auctioneering company is run by one Mrs Euphrasia Mupedzisi cell number 0772903358 a relative of the Acting Secretary. Just like in all other cases mentioned above Mr Chikwana drives both material and financial benefit from Drew&Fraiser Auctioneers. This can also be tracked from his ZB and MBCA Accounts. To get further information, one simply needs to audit of Drew & Frasier’s account.

CONCLUSION
This is just but a tip of the iceberg. The list is endless .These people make a killing through these corrupt deals because they get 5% of the purchase price of every property sold with each auctioneer given an average of 40 properties to sell. They also make it a point that if it is the turn of their companies to sell they ask Madhega to look for the files in which valuable properties from posh suburbs were attached and are due for sale. If there is a genuine desire to flush them out, a forensic audit of all the Auctioneering companies contracted to the Sherriff one would be able to identify which company is linked to Mcduff Madega the Sherriff since 2013 can be done. From their financial statements one can easily dictate which companies are linked to Chikwana or Mutevedzi, which one is linked to Gweme of the Real Eastates Council of Zimbabwe .These people make real money because they get 5% of the value of the property sol with each auctioneer given an average of 40 properties to sell. That can be achieved by doing a through financial audit of all the companies. To note however is that there are some very few genuine companies that are appointed on merit and this is done for the obvious reason of sanitising the corruption. There can be no success in fighting corruption if the Judiciary an important and critical player is superintended by this kind of corrupt leadership. They say a fish rots from the head. We need to cut the head first if we are to achieve anything.

The State yesterday moved to declare its witness, George Washaya, as hostile for siding with former Health minister David Parirenyatwa in his decision to relieve NatPharm managing director Flora Sifeku from her position.

Washaya, who was testifying before deputy chief magistrate Elijah Makomo, yesterday disowned his statement, which was recorded by the police.

The witness told the court that he took Parirenyatwa’s directives as a collective decision by the ministry and not an individual directive.

He said the former Health minister wanted the good of NatPharm because the company, under Sifeku, was failing to reach the 100 days goal set by the new dispensation.

Washaya said he erred when he signed the minutes and statement without consulting his lawyer, saying he did not know that what he was doing had legal implications.

He further referred to Parirenyatwa as the best minister ever, but prosecutor Brian Vito labelled his testimony as assumptions which were not backed by facts.

Washaya, however, continued to defend Parirenyatwa, saying he did nothing wrong and that he did a lot for the board for it to doubt his opinion.

The prosecutor then asked the court to impeach the witness, saying he was siding with the accused person, but Parirenyatwa’s lawyer, advocate Deepak Mehta, said the witness was speaking the truth and the State must not force him to lie to the court.

Makomo postponed the matter to April 25 for the ruling on the application.

According to the State, on June 4 this year, Parirenyatwa acted contrary and inconsistent with his duties as a public officer by directing Washaya to end Sifeku’s contract with NatPharm as managing director, in the process showing disfavour to her.

NewsDay

South African lobby group AfriForum says the neighbouring country’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has applied for the extradition of former First Lady Grace Mugabe to face trial for assaulting a model, Gabriella Engels, in August 2017.

The extradition application comes after the Gauteng High Court last year stripped Grace of her diplomatic immunity granted to her by former International Relations and Co-operation minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

Although the NPA refused to comment on the issue, AfriForum head of private prosecutions Gerrie Nel said Grace’s prosecution would start soon, and the lobby group would be monitoring the case.

“The Foreign States Immunities Act (1981) explicitly excludes the granting of immunity to Heads of State who are guilty of the death or injury of people in South Africa. Grace Mugabe, as the wife of a former Head of State, could, therefore, in no way claim the diplomatic immunity to which she appealed,” Nel told a South African newspaper.

“We hope that the prosecution of Grace Mugabe will commence shortly and we will monitor the case. AfriForum gets involved in issues like this to ensure that people with political power do not get away with committing crimes.”

Nel, who is formerly a prosecutor with the NPA, said he would apply for a nolle prosequi (formal notice of abandonment by a plaintiff or prosecutor of all or part of a suit) certificate should the NPA fail to prosecute.

The certificate would allow AfriForum to go by the route of private prosecution.

But contrary to AfriForum’s assertions about Grace’s extradition, the NPA was coy, with its spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku simply saying: “No comment,” according to media reports, and Ndivhuwo Mabaya, spokesperson of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco), professed ignorance to the purported extradition.

The extradition means Grace will have to be sent to South Africa, where she is accused of committing a crime, to face trial, but this would depend on whether the Zimbabwe government would agree to that.

Zimbabwe’s Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi yesterday said he would not comment on a wish.

“They are applying, it means there is nothing yet. We cannot comment on a wish. We will comment when the time comes.”

Grace’s lawyer, Walter Chivore, also refused to comment.

“No comment,” he said.

Lawyer Moses Nkomo said extradition is on the basis of the bilateral treaty between Zimbabwe and South Africa, where the two countries should agree that if someone commits a crime, they will make them available for prosecution.

“In the case of Zimbabwe and SA, they do not have that bilateral treaty, but according to the Extradition Act, Zimbabwe is bound by international obligations and so, the applicable international Extradition Treaty will be the Sadc Protocol on Extradition. Because both Zimbabwe and SA are members of Sadc, they are bound,” Nkomo said.

“Zimbabwe and SA can use the Sadc mechanism. In terms of that treaty, the request of the extradition must be done through formal channels, in writing and supporting documents transmitted through the right channels, which is in this case the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is where AfriForum will have difficulties. Extradition cannot be done through private prosecution.”

AfriForum is a non-governmental organisation whose aim is to protect the rights of minorities.

Engels in 2017 accused Grace of viciously assaulting her after finding her partying with Mugabe’s son, Bellarmine Chatunga, at a posh hotel in Johannesburg.
But Grace claimed she did so in self-defence after the model charged at her with a knife.

She, however, did not have her day in court after she was granted diplomatic immunity, which enabled her to leave South Africa.

A year later, AfriForum successfully challenged Grace’s diplomatic immunity soon after Mugabe was ousted from power by his former deputy and now President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, with the help of the military.

THE High Court yesterday put on ice an application filed by disgruntled opposition MDC members to stop next month’s elective congress, which is likely to see Nelson Chamisa succeeding the late Morgan Tsvangirai as the party’s substantive leader.

MDC members, fronted by Elias Mashavire, were seeking an order to bar the party’s May 24 congress and, instead, have an extraordinary congress to elect Tsvangirai’s successor, but they were forced to withdraw their urgent High Court application before Justice Esther Muremba.

Chamisa, who is on the verge of clinching the mandate to lead the main opposition after securing nominations of almost all the party’s provinces, has dismissed the applications as “machinations of darkness”.

The Gokwe-based Mashavire, represented by lawyer Ashel Mutungura, launched a renewed bid to stop the congress and force the party to first deal with an extra-ordinary congress, which they say is provided for in the party’s constitution following the death of Tsvangirai last year.

In an interview yesterday after the court hearing, Mutungura said the matter was heard before Justice Muremba, who urged them to wait for the judgment by Justice Edith Mushore, who heard the matter last month.

“We have been waiting for judgment for more than one month now before Justice Edith Mushore and today, the judge said she was not going to give us two judgments because the other judgment could be out any moment,” he said.

“She said why don’t you write to the judge to get that judgment?” Mutungura said.

Justice Muremba’s decision was based on the basis that it would not be prudent to proceed because her judgment might also take time yet the one pending might be released any time soon.

Mashavire argued that Chamisa, as the party’s interim leader, had no power to call for an ordinary congress before the MDC holds an extra-ordinary congress to confirm him as the leader.

The application cited Chamisa as the first respondent, while vice-presidents Morgen Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and national organising secretary Amos Chibaya were also cited.

Chamisa said the party was forging ahead with congress arrangements and would not be swayed by “enemies of democracy who are only wasting the courts’ time”.

“We have budgeted for machinations by merchants of darkens, by apostles of retrogression and retrogressive acerbic negative politics,” he said.

“We have in-built resilience to deal with such chaos, such false kites that are thrown in order to shift us from the focus.

“We are focusing on the ball, our task is to play the ball and not the man, and that’s the tragedy of certain politicians; they mark the man, instead of marking the ball and that somebody wants to go to court is their right, but we have a resolution in the party, that if you have grievances, if you are a party member, peruse and exhaust domestic remedies because we have them in abundance.”

He insisted that internal grievance handling mechanisms were sufficient and described the case as cheap politicking and unfortunate sideshows.

“We will deal with that because we are a party that operates on the rule of law and we respect individual rights. You can see that it’s malicious and it’s meant to stroke the egos of those who may feel that they are suffering injuries out of democracy because democracy has a tendency of inflicting blows, particularly if you are a non-democrat,” Chamisa added.

Chamisa was expected to be challenged by Mwonzora and Mudzuri, but so far, none of them have received nomination for the presidency.

Mwonzora, who has since received one nomination for secretary-general, on Sunday last week surprised party supporters after declaring that he was putting his weight behind Chamisa through an agreement that would see him retain the secretary-general post.

Many MDC die-hard supporters and loyal members are alleging being sidelined in favour of newcomers, most of whom caused serious damage to the party when they acrimoniously left following splits.

Zanu-PF youths from Harare Province yesterday marched from Zanu PF Headquarters to the National Sports Stadium to mark the country’s 39th Independence.

Zanu-PF Youth League deputy political commissar Tafadzwa Mudzamiri commended the youths who thronged the Zanu-PF Headquarters saying that this was a clear indication that youths are committed to their party and are patriotic.

“I would like to applaud the youths for coming in their numbers for the Independence solidarity march, this indicates that they are committed to serving both our party Zanu-PF and our nation Zimbabwe at large.

“We are celebrating the 39th Independence under the visionary leadership of our party’s First secretary and President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. This is a clear message to the youths that they must be patriotic and exemplary especially in terms of nation building,” he said.

Zanu-PF secretary for Youth Affairs Pupurai Togarepi thanked the youths for coming up with a unique way of celebrating the country’s independence.

“To Zanu PF youths I say well done and happy 39th Independence celebrations for leading the way, but these celebrations are not a Zanu-PF affair, but are for the whole country. Independence is not partisan as purported by others, this is a national issue so we expected to have all the youths as long as one is a Zimbabwean.”

State Media

OPPOSITION MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa would have been the first to benefit from a proposal to adopt the Commonwealth Parliamentary system that would have seen the creation of an office of the Leader of Opposition, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

However, Chamisa according to Mnangagwa rejected the offer. The Zanu PF leader, was speaking in a televised interview with State broadcaster ZBC, on the eve of Zimbabwe’s 39th independence anniversary, Wednesday night.

“We don’t have it here in Zimbabwe (the Commonwealth Parliamentary system). This is why initially I had proposed that whoever is the leader of the opposition, whether he is in Parliament or outside, we should make such a provision, such that they are recognised as an official Leader of the

Opposition in Parliament and they are accorded that status,” Mnangagwa said.

Mnangagwa said his offer was thrown back at him.

“But those (MDC leader Nelson Chamisa) who could have benefitted from that felt that they didn’t want to be spooned fed, they must get things for themselves.

“I said very good, so if you do not want to be given recognition in Parliament and you want everything by yourself, it’s okay,” the President said somewhat wistfully.

Mnangagwa added that the offer was his way of recognising his rival’s position in society given Chamisa’s showing in last year’s presidential elections. The 41 year-old opposition leader came a close second with 44.3 percent of the vote to Mnangagwa’s 50.8 percent.

“Because the fact that you will become of the officially Leader of the Opposition, it’s a recognition that you have some following, you have some share in the electoral system which is significant and in any case you should be recognised.

“But that was denied,” said Mnangagwa.

Chamisa rejected the election outcome and argued it had been rigged in Mnangagwa’s favour. An attempt to have the result overturned at the Constitutional Court, fell flat for lack of evidence to back the rigging claims. But the opposition leader maintains to this day that he won.

The MDC leader has again rejected calls for dialogue from Mnangagwa under a platform that includes all presidential candidates in last year’s polls but instead has demanded a situation superintended by a “neutral arbiter.”

Said Mnangagwa: “When I took office I said let bygone be bygones, I must leave by that principle.

“So my view is lets us differ on how to run government, how to build the bridge, how to build a school, how to craft an economic policy, how to run agriculture, lets differ but we should all remain

Zimbabwean and remain united.”

He said dialogue between people who do not agree “is a good thing its good therapy between contestants.”

In rejecting Mnangagwa’s offer, Chamisa argued he was the legitimate leader of the country instead and should be allowed to govern.

“They are saying they want me to go to Parliament and I said: ‘Are you sick?’ I was elected to go to State House and not Parliament. Hold forth because we are not easily convinced. I have no fear because I know you are solidly behind me,” Chamisa said then.

allafrica.com

The MDC joins the people of Zimbabwe in celebrating 39 years of Independence.

In commemorating the day, it is important to highlight that the status quo brings to question the agenda, values and ethos of the liberation struggle.

Zimbabweans are still in the trenches sadly fighting for the following issues which were the basis of the liberation agenda.

1. The land question
2. Universal suffrage – the principle of one man one vote
3. Transformation of the lives of Zimbabweans.

Thirty nine years after the liberation struggle, land ownership is still a question for discussion. Those politically connected to Zanu PF just wake up with an offer letter and displace a fellow citizen. New invasions are still the order of the day. Those who occupy pieces of land only do so at the benevolence of the ruling elites.

This is without mentioning that land has been reduced to a dead Capital carrying only use value with no exchange value.

The MDC makes the point that four decades of independence is enough to give title to the beneficiaries of the land reform, facilitate mechanisation of farms and adapt from dependency on rain fed agriculture.

On transformation, black Zimbabweans are subjected to unpalatable suffering by those who hijacked the agenda of the liberation struggle for personal gain. The majority are living in abject poverty, millions have fled a warless country, millions are unemployed and the gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening.

Access to healthcare is now a pipe dream, the public health delivery system is broken and hospitals have been turned into death traps.

Hundreds of Zimbabweans are dying of curable diseases and stress related ailments.

The same applies to education. An unacceptable number of children is dropping out of school.

The health system itself needs a complete overhaul.

Hundreds of thousands are still walking ten kilometres to the nearest primary school. Some of the schools are not even worth the name. The men and women manning those schools are disgruntled and neglected. They show up every day, and yet are offered an insult as wages.

The same applies to any other public service institution.

Those controlling the State have converted it into an arena for personal enrichment.  They are not concerned about the rest.

On the political front, Zanu PF has ensured that they oppose what the liberation was all about. They murder dissent, rape women, abduct those who disagree and steal elections.

The democratic space is closing by the day, there is no freedom of the press, journalists like Zenzele are arrested for producing a documentary and some like Dzamara are made to disappear and calls to account for him are ignored.

There is blatant abuse of raw state power, the gun is now directing politics.

The people of Zimbabwe are however resilient. They will turn out victorious, as we celebrate 39 years of Independence we encourage every Zimbabwean to keep the faith and focus on reclaiming the agenda of the liberation of the motherland.

President Nelson Chamisa and the entire MDC leadership are committed to ensure Zimbabweans enjoy their independence and this can only be achieved through the 5 point plan as proposed by the people’s President.

MDC 5th Congress: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe!

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Farai Dziva|Controversial Deputy Information Minister, Energy Mutodi, has sensationally claimed that the MDC A electoral system is a circus.

Mutodi, according to analysts, pretends to be oblivious of the fact that the government, which he is part of, subverted the will of the people in the July 2018 polls.

Mutodi lampooned the opposition MDC A for preaching democracy while the party is trampling on the very basic democratic principles.

“Reports that nominations ahead of the MDC Congress were rigged in favor of Nelson and his cronies make the whole process undemocratic, a circus and a shame.

The outcome will not earn the respect of Zimbabweans. A stolen victory will not bring rest and peace to the opposition party,” declared Mutodi.

By Own Correspondent- Teachers’ unions here have alleged that state security agents are continously harrasing their membership and sending them death threats amid fears of a looming mass industrial action.

Early this year, some teachers responded to calls of strike by unions, including the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) and Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz), among others, over poor remuneration and inadequate salaries.

The unions eventually called off the strike despite failing to reach an agreement with government.

“The State has upped the gear on harassment, the most recent cases being the salary freeze for Munyaradzi Ndawana of Mashonaland West. No justification has been proffered by the government for this unacceptable act. Maxwell Basiyavo was abducted and tortured by State security agents in Guruve on April 5, 2019. Our members still receive threats from State agents through anonymous phone calls,” Artuz president Obert Masaraure said.

PTUZ secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said their members who heeded their calls for strike action early this year were still being intimidated by government.

“They intimidated people and they still continue to intimidate people. What we are saying and what we are doing is correct, and they know that they have several issues that they must deal with because the teachers listened to the call for strike that was legitimate. Government know they are wrong and they are just try to bully and intimidate us using the Public Service Commission, letters and circulars and everything that they will never execute,” he said.

Majongwe said towards the end of the first term, the government sent forms to schools, demanding that those teachers who participated in the strike should fill in indicating the days they were absent from work.

“We have stuck to our guns that the instruction is illegal. They cannot force our teachers and our members to comply with an illegal instruction. There is no law that says if teachers go for a strike, they must complete leave forms,” he said.

“If government knows that 10 200 teachers went on strike; why won’t they just deal with those 10 200 and take them to court? You don’t impose a decision and pass judgment at the same time. Teachers need to be charged if they committed an offence and the fact that they had to give teachers a new increment, that is evidence enough that government was in the wrong and they were trying to address a problem.”

This week, prices of basic commodities went up, with a standard loaf of bread now costing ZWL$3,50 from ZWL$2, and a 10kg of maize meal shot to ZWL$12 from ZWL$7 last week, further eroding the salaries of civil servants.

Masaraure said they had not received a salary increment which the government promised them, while their salary was being eroded each day.

“The government is still to award us any salary increment. We are still earning well below the around $500 we were earning before the currency chaos instigated by the introduction of the bond notes and RTGS dollars. An average teacher today is earning around US$120,” he said. He said when schools open next term, industrial action would be inevitable because most of their members were struggling to make ends meet.

“It is going to be very difficult for teachers to attend to their duties at the opening of the second term. Teachers will be incapacitated and a series of job actions are imminent,” Masaraure said.

Zimta president Richard Gundani told NewsDay that there was need for dialogue with the government to correct the issue of prices which have shot up.

“Now that a salary increment has been effected, we have seen prices going up. We are worried and the government has to make efforts to correct that. The dialogue should result in the stabilisation of prices. We are realising that we are in uncertainty. This environment has to be corrected,” he added.-Newsday

Farai Dziva|Facebook user Tonderai Chimbo says Emmerson Mnangagwa must do away with his trademark scarf as it gives him a weird appearance.

“Loosen your GRIP and allow Zimbabweans to come back home and rebuild their country.

Letting one foreign company open when thousands of local companies are closing is not sustainable.

Start thinking of Zimbabweans as capable people.For now you have done very well in presenting Zimbabwe as a begging state- which we are far from.

Zimbabwe just needs the sociopolitical landscape to be adjusted.

Why present yourselves as dictators/military state/hardliners and all the bad images if you have some of the best citizens Africa can boast of?.You will do much better as a leader if you’re not being partisan since your party has little or nothing to sell.

Be inclusive in every gesture including the care for cyclone Idai it costs you nothing but gains u a bit of tolerance. Finally!-THROW AWAY THE SCARF. It gives you a weird appearance and that’s why some of us can’t trust you!”

Suzuki plans to recall around 2 million vehicles in Japan after admitting it cheated on safety tests, filed false fuel-efficiency reports, and failed to conduct proper inspections.

Japan’s third-biggest car company – it sold 714,000 units last year – will take back domestic vehicles sold since April 2016 that haven’t received a government-mandated check-up. It expects to book a one-off loss of ¥80 billion (R9.9 billion) as a result – a large chunk of its projected annual net income of ¥220 billion (R28 billion).

An internal investigation of Suzuki’s factories found evidence of faulty brake checks, tampering with fuel-efficiency data, and inspections being conducted by uncertified staff – assistant inspectors still in training.

President Toshihiro Suzuki said it was likely there was “inappropriate confirmation of conformity to the Japanese vehicle safety standards” – in other words, inspectors falsified test results. He pledged executives would take a pay cut as punishment, according to Nikkei.

“We believe that Japanese automakers like Subaru and Suzuki have been trying to squeeze out additional volumes from their factories in Japan, rather than expand production,” said Janet Lewis, an analyst at Macquarie Securities, in a research note. “This effort to sweat the assets in Japan appears to have resulted in corners being cut in the inspection process.”

Although there haven’t been reports of problems with the vehicles that weren’t properly inspected, the scandal “is raising questions about the trust in Japanese automotive manufacturing,” she added.

The recall could affect up to 25 car models, including some made for Mazda and other automakers, according to Nikkei. Suzuki will slow its production-line speeds by 2% to 5% to allow proper inspections, and rely on overtime and weekend work to maintain output. It’s also earmarked ¥170 billion (R21 billion) for quality and safety investments over the next five years, according to Nikkei.

Suzuki’s recall won’t shock followers of the Japanese motor industry. Nissanrecalled 1.2 million cars in Japan last October, after it found uncertified technicians were conducting final vehicle inspections.

Nissan – owner of the Infiniti and Datsun brands – recalled a further 150,000 domestic vehicles in December, after it found inspections of brakes, steering wheels, speed measurement and vehicle stability weren’t up to scratch. In July, it admitted testing of emissions and fuel economy at most of its Japanese factories didn’t meet government standards.

Similarly, Subaru announced its biggest-ever recall – 2.3 million vehicles worldwide, including 300,000 in Japan – in February, citing a problem with brake lights.

Rising sales of cars and motorcycles pushed Suzuki’s net sales up 4% to ¥2.8 trillion (R352 billion) in the nine months to December 31, driving net income up 10% to ¥181 billion (R22 billion),according to its third-quarter earnings presentation.

Dynamos and Zanu PF supporters exchanged blows at the burial of fan Chipo Nyikayaramba who passed on in a road accident on Saturday.

The two sets of supporters fought over the control of the proceedings, with both claiming ownership of Nyikayaramba who was part of the Dynamos supporters executive as well as being a member of Zanu PF where she was a Chief Usher in Gweru.

Nyikayaramba was also part of the Chapungu supporters executive.

The Zanu PF group led by the Gweru urban candidate in the last elections, Esau Natare charged that the party should take control of everything which the Dynamos fans objected to arguing that Nyikayaramba died on the line of duty doing the club’s business.

Zanu PF youths then removed the Dynamos flag which was on Nyikayaramba’s coffin and put theirs which resulted in the fight. Members of the defence forces from Chapungu who were present had to calm down the situation.

Julius Malema on the campaign trail has already proved to be blockbuster entertainment, if not a little divisive. We’ve seen Juju ask police to shoot him, name his demands for a role in a coalition government and even take his first Metrorail train ride – and that’s all been in the last 24 hours.

Malema swapped the streets for the studio on Thursday and was locked in a robust debate with Radio 702 host Eusebius McKaizer. The EFF leader was certainly more reserved in the booth than he has been on-stage recently and discussed several key areas of party policy. He also considered the possibility of “an unled revolution” in SA:

Julius Malema proposes “no borders” in South Africa

However, after getting the usual shtick about land expropriation and free higher education, Julius Malema took us down a different avenue: He suggested that South Africa’s borders “will not exist” if his party come to power:

“Borders will not be there when the EFF is in government. If we speak decolonisation of education and other things, that must include the borders.”

In fact, an increasingly fiesty CIC also took a swipe at those who are quick to blame “foreigners” for the lack of jobs in South Africa. He teased those who believe the xenophobic narrative, saying that immigrants aren’t the reason they can’t find a partner. Damn, Julius. That was cold…

“The truth is when we are done fighting the foreigners, there will be a tribal war; there still will not be jobs and you still won’t get that woman you want because you will still be afraid to propose.”

How would a land without borders function?

Malema did not elaborate too much on how a borderless state would work but did suggest that a foreign national – say, a Zimbabwean – could send their medical bill back to Zimbabwe once they’d received treatment in Mzansi. It’s a pie-in-the-sky idea, but it’s one that Julius Malema seems very keen to establish.

By Own Correspondent| Three people died on the spot while one other died on admission at a local cljnic when a Trip Trans Bus failed to negotiate a curve along the Chirundu- Harare highway near Nyamakate.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said several other passengers were seriously injured in the bus crash which occured around 2030hours on Wednesday.

Below is the full text of the statement by the ZRP:

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to preside over a successful 39th anniversary of the Independence of Zimbabwe flopped after a massive rainfall scattered the attendees who filled about half of the National Sports Stadium.

Images from Harare show a half-filled stadium that did not deter the proceedings from going on as planned. When the President was finishing inspecting the guard of honour heavy rains started pouring causing the attendees to scatter and look for safety from the rain.

Many Zimbabweans on social media said the celebrations mean nothing to them especially after the price of basic commodities sky rocketed in the past days.

Commenting on the commemorations exiled former cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo said, “Things looked promising then, in 2014. The younger generation was rising and poised for a transformational takeover. A new Constitution had just been adopted, beckoning a new Zimbabwe. But today those prospects are between slim and none. The country has slipped into the abyss!”
Watch President Mnangagwa arriving under heavy security guard

Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting@InfoMinZW

President @edmnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa arrive at the National Sports Stadium for #Zim39 Independence Day celebrations, amid thunderous applause.2511:19 AM – Apr 18, 201919 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

Own Correspondent|MDC President Nelson Chamisa has pulled down his sensational Twitter post claiming that the Zimbabwean bird is part of the problems in Zimbabwe.

The tweet attracted heavy criticism across the country with State Media running away with the matter making headlines of it.

Chamisa made the comment when one of his Twitter followers had said: “The Zimbabweans’ birds must now fly Advocate Nelson Chamisa, how can we also be part of the team here in the Australian Diaspora?”

Chamisa responded that the Zimbabwe bird was in fact part of the national problem as it was encouraging institutional idolatry.

“That Zimbabwean bird symbol is part of our problem. We must deal with institutional idolatry,” Chamisa said.

State Media took an opportunity to attack Chamisa claiming that he chose a wrong occasion to attack national symbols.

Press Statement By Michael R. Pompeo
Secretary of State Washington, DC
April 18, 2019

---

On behalf of the United States, I offer our sincerest congratulations on the 39th anniversary of Zimbabwe’s independence.

Zimbabwe has the opportunity to set itself on a path of deep and meaningful political and economic reform, which holds the promise of improved lives and a better future for all Zimbabweans.

The United States remains committed to the people of Zimbabwe, and it is our sincere hope that promised reforms will soon bear fruit.

We wish all Zimbabweans a very happy independence day.

Below is a full LIST of the people who have been nominated so far.

Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, United States of America, Midlands, Mashonaland West, South Africa, United Kingdom, Manicaland, Masvingo, Bulawayo, Midlands, Mashonaland Central and Harare province.

1. Harare Province nominations

President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice President: Morgen Komichi
Vice President: Welshman Ncube
Vice President: Lynette Karenyi Kore

Chairperson – Bekithemba Mpofu
Deputy Chair – Tendai Biti

Secretary General – Charlton Hwende
Deputy Secretary General – Concilia Chinanzvavana

Treasurer General – David Coltart
Deputy Treasurer – Murisi Zwizwai

Organising Secretary – Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organising Secretary – Jacob Mafume

Spokesperson – Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy Spokesperson – Thabitha Khumalo

2. Masvingo Provincial Nominations

President – Advocate Nelson Chamisa

Vice President: Morgen Komichi, Eng. Mudzuri, Prof Welshman Ncube

Chairperson – Thabitha Khumalo
Deputy Chair – Happymore Chidziva

Secretary General – Charlton Hwende
Deputy Sec. General – Concilia Chinhanzvavana

Treasurer General – David Coltart
Deputy Treasurer – E. Kureva

Organising Secretary – Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organising Secretary – Cllr. Morgan Ncube

Spokesperson: Luke Tamborinyoka
Deputy Spokesperson: Dr. Ruth Labode

3. Manicaland Province Nominations

President : Nelson Chamisa
Vice President : Morgan Komichi
Vice President: Lillian Timveous
Vice President: Welshman Ncube
Chairperson: Thabitha Khumalo
Vice Chairperson: Happymore Chidziva
Secretary General: Charlton Hwende
Deputy Secretary General : Concilia Chinanzvavana
Treasurer: Tendai Biti
Deputy Treasurer: Rusty Markham
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organ. Secretary: Paul Madzore
Spokesperson: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Spokesperson: Luke Tamborinyoka

4. Mashonaland Central Province nominations

President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice President: Morgan Komichi
Vice President: Tendai Biti
Vice President: Lilian Timveos
Chairperson – Thabitha Khumalo
Vice Chair – Costa Machingauta
Secretary General: Charlton Hwende
Deputy Secretary General: Concilia Chinanzvavana
Treasurer General: Tapiwa Mashakada
Deputy Treasurer General: David Coltart
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organising Secretary: Beki Sibanda
Spokesperson: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Spokesperson: Luke Tamborinyoka

5. Mashonaland East nominations

President – Nelson Chamisa
Vice Presidents- Tracy Mutinhiri, Morgen Komichi, Tendai Biti
Secretary General- Chalton Hwende
Deputy SG – Chinanzvavana
Treasurer – David Coltart
Deputy Treasurer – Kureva
Organiser – Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organiser – Mtingwende
Information- Jacob Mafume
Deputy Information – Luke Tamborinyoka.

6. Matabeleland South nominations

President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice: Morgen Komichi, Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube
Chair: Tabitha Khumalo
Vice Chair: Happymore Chidziva
SG: Douglas Mwonzora
Dep SG: Settlement Chikwinya
Treasurer: Tapiwa Mashakada
Deputy Treasurer: Rusty Makam
Organ: Amos Chibaya
Vice: Morgan Ncube
Information: Jacob Mafume

7. Matabeleland North nominations

President- Nelson Chamisa
Vice Presidents: Welshman Ncube, Morgen Komichi, Tendai Biti
Chair – Gabuza
Vice Chair – Costa Machingauta
SG – Daniel Molokele
DSG – Settlement Chikwinya
TG – Tabitha Khumalo
DTG – Gift Banda
Spokes – Jacob Mafume
D.spokes – Brian Dube
Organ- Amos Chibaya
D Organ – Morgan Ncube

8. Midlands nominations

President: Nelson Chamisa
VP: Lilian Timveos
VP: Morgen Komichi
VP: Tendai Biti
Chairperson- Thabitha Khumalo
Deputy Chair- Happymore Chidziva
SG: Chalton Hwende
DSG: Settlement Chikwinya
Treasurer: Tapiwa Mashakada
DTG: Gift Banda
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Dep Organ: Morgan Ncube
Information: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Info: Brian Dube

9. Mashonaland West nominations

Pres Nelson Chamisa
VP – Komichi, Biti, Mpariwa
Chair : Tabitha Khumalo
VC: Happymore Chidziva
SG: Chalton Hwende
DSG-
Organ : Amos Chibaya
Dept Org: Morgan Ncube
TG: David Coltart
DTG:
Infor : Luke Tamborinyoka
D. Spokes

10. North America nominations

President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice President: Morgen Komichi, Welshman Ncube, Lilian Timveos
Chairperson: Tabitha Khumalo
Deputy Chair: Happymore Chidziva
Secretary General: Chalton Hwende
Deputy SG: Settlement Chikwinya
Treasurer: David Coltart
Deputy: M Rusty
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Deputy Organising: Morgen Ncube
Information: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Information: Luke Tamborinyoka

Below are the people elected to the main wing provincial structures

1.Harare Province Main Wing

Chairman – Wellington Chikombo
Vice chair – Goodrich Chimbaira

Secretary – Maxwell Mavhunga
Vice Secretary – Peter Chikwati

Organising Secretary – Paul Madzore
Deputy Organising Secretary – Peter Moyo

Treasurer – Hebert Gomba
Deputy Treasurer – Manyungwa Macheso

Spokesperson – Fani Munengami
Deputy Spokesperson – Jacob Rukweza

2. MIDLANDS PROVINCE

MAIN EXECUTIVE

Chairperson – Josiah Makombe. Vice Chairperson – Sedwel Bhephe. Secretary – Lazarus Chacha.
Deputy Secretary- Erusmus Ntonga.
Treasurer – Livingstone Chimina.
Deputy treasurer – Nhamo Padzakashamba
Organising Secretary – Loyd Mukapiko.
DeputyOrganising Secretary – Senima Msindo.
Information and Publicity Secretary – Takavafira Zhou.
Deputy Sec. for Information and Publicity – Searchmore Muringani.

WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY

Chairperson – Cathrine Gozho
Deputy Chairperson- Thelma Blazio.
Secretary – Violet Mutusva
Deputy Secretary-Angeline Muzhinyi
Treasurer – Mavis Gotsheni.
Deputy Treasurer- Lillian Maenda Organising Secretary – Livinia Muphute
Deputy Organizing Secretary – Soneni Chitsapi
Information and Publicity Secretary – Getrude Manamba
Deputy Secretary for Info – Chiratidzo Hove.

YOUTH ASSEMBLY
Chairperson – Sekai Marasha
Vice – Tembinkosi Mulahleke
Secretary – Tarisai Benedict Kupakuwana
Deputy Secretary – Isheunesu Mabhande
Treasurer – Judith Tobaiwa
Deputy Treasurer – Knowledge Makiwa
Organising Secretary – Tendai Munhamo.
Vice – Emmanuel Sibanda.
Information and Publicity Secretary – Kizito Mupunga
Deputy Secretary for Information – Rumbidzai Chando.

3. MATABELELAND NORTH PROVINCE

MAIN EXECUTIVE

Chairperson – Prince D Sibanda

Vice Chairperson- Jabulani Hadebe

Secretary – Dalumuzi Khumalo

Deputy Secretary – Tapson Sibanda

Treasurer – Mxolisi Sibanda

Deputy Treasurer- Leonard Mhlanga

Organising Secretary- Edmore Zhou

Deputy Organising Secretary – Memory Linyane

Information & Publicity Secretary -Mhlonipheki Ncube

Deputy Information and Publicity Secretary- Themba TTK Munkombwe

WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY

Chairlady – Sethulo Ndebele

Vice chairlady – Margaret Sibanda

Secretary – Pretty Sibanda

Vice secretary -Ngqobile Tshongwe

Organising Secretary – Sibongile Mafu

Deputy organising Secretary – Rodah Ncube

Treasurer – Sophie Mpofu

Deputy Treasurer – Sikhatazile Moyo

Information and Publicity Secretary- Nelly Ndlovu

Deputy information and Publicity -Susan Mwembe

YOUTH ASSEMBLY

Chairperson- Franscisca Ncube

Deputy Chair- Elmon Mudenda

Secretary – Lovejoy Sibanda

Deputy secretary- Pricilla Ndlovu

Organising secretary – Pricilla Sibanda

Deputy Organising secretary- Ntombizodwa Ndlovu

Treasurer – Primrose Ncube

Deputy treasurer- Bothwell Phiri

Information and Publicity – Brilliant Tshuma.

Deputy information- Moffat Mwinde

4. MATABELELAND SOUTH PROVINCE

MAIN EXECUTIVE

Chairperson- Solani Moyo

Vice chairperson- Lenny Ndebele

Secretary – Sthabisiwe Mulowa

Deputy Secretary – Themba Dube

Treasurer – Sibongile Maphosa

Deputy Treasurer – Gugu Ncube

Organising Secretary – Nomathemba Ndlovu

Deputy Organising Secretary – Tshuma Mduduzi

Information and Publicity Secretary – Ntando Ndlela

Deputy Info & Publicity – Siduduzile Masilela

YOUTH ASSEMBLY

Chairperson : Edgar T Ncube

Deputy Chair: Sibonakele Ncube

Secretary: Wellington Nare

Deputy Secretary: Wannita Ndlovu

Treasurer: Granger Nyoni

Deputy Treasurer : Yvonne Ngwenya

Organizing Secretary: Jonathan Mapingure

Deputy Organizing Secretary : Christabel Ncube

Information and Publicity : Senzeni Maphosa

Deputy Info & Publicity Secretary -Fiselani Moyo

WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY

Chairperson – Lindiwe Maphosa

Deputy Chairperson – Tendai Moyo

Secretary – Jemina Sibanda

Deputy Secretary – Atalia Ndlovu

Organising Secretary- Angelberta Moyo

Deputy Organising Secretary – Feluna Ncube

Treasurer – Zanele Ncube

Deputy Treasurer- Sithembiso Dube

Information and Publicity Secretary – Portia Shumba

Deputy Info & Publicity Secretary -Sonia Moyo

5. NORTH AMERICA PROVINCE

MAIN EXECUTIVE

Chairman – Tawanda Dzvokora

Vice Chairman- Zvidzai Ruzvidzo

Secretary – Abel Mtize

Deputy Secretary – Dr. Muvirimi

Treasurer- Makaza Makovere

Deputy Treasurer – Godswill Mugambiwa

Organising Secretary – Nicholas Murozvi Mada

Deputy Organising Secretary- Vimbai Mpondi

Information and Publicity Secretary – Francis Manyanga

Deputy Information and Publicity – Timothy Muringai

YOUTH ASSEMBLY

Chairperson – Edmund Musara

Vice Chairperson – Wellington T Maredza

Secretary – Shamiso Ngongoni

Deputy Secretary- Shamiso Madzividire

Treasurer – Fadzai Musonza

Deputy Treasurer – Takudzwa Mavhunga

Organising Secretary – Josphat Chikoti

Deputy Organising Secretary – Tawanda Macheke

Information and Publicity Secretary- David Siampondo

Deputy Info & Publicity Secretary- Gamuchirai Maupa

WOMEN’S ASSEMBLY

Chairperson- Mrs. Florence Madzivire

Vice Chairperson – Dr. Gadziro Gwekwerere

Secretary – Takunda Rukuni

Deputy Secretary- Pamella Chibamu

Organising Secretary- Perpetua Muchabayiwa

Information Secretary – Mrs. Chengetai Semwayo

Treasurer – Chipo Nyembe

Sec for Elections: Diana Mzirwa

6. Mashonaland West Province: MAIN

Chairman: Ralph Tawanda Magunje
Deputy: Tendai Kokera
Secretary: Tawanda Bvumo
Deputy: Emmanuel Chinanzvavana
Treasurer: Hon Muchineripi Chinyanganya
Deputy: Tonderai Kusemamuriwo
Organ: Mukudzei Chigumbura
Deputy: Edward Dzeka
Information: Blessing Mandava
Deputy: Mandishona

WOMEN ASSEMBLY

Chairlady: Abigail Usai
Deputy: Juliana Chigariro
Secretary: Spiwe Munemo
Deputy: Ruth Chinhanu
Treasurer: Nordester Mary Mukutirwa
Deputy: Fortunate Katandika
Organ: Judith Muchenjekwa
Deputy: Murombedzi
Information: Kunaka
Deputy: Abigail Sauti

YOUTH ASSEMBLY

Chairman: Collen Mapfumo
Deputy: Deven Levy
Secretary: Pauline Sibanda
Deputy: Luckson Mbirimi
Treasurer: Regis Mhishi
Deputy: Edzai Zuze
Organ: Taizivei Nyangairo
Deputy: Morgan
Information: Emson Mukandiwa
Deputy: Leonard Chinanzvavana

7. Manicaland youth nominations

Chair -Obey Sithole
Vice – Cliff Mulingwa
SG -Ostallos Siziba
DSG -Bridget Nyandoro
Treasure -Takudzwa Tsunga
Deputy – Vimbai Mavherudze
Organ – denford Ngadziore
Dept – Trymore Mpofu
Infor – Arther Masiiwa
Deputy -Fanuel Chinowaita

8. Mashonaland Central Youth nominations
Chair – Denis Juru
VC – Norbert dhokotera
SG- Eric Gono
DSG – Ian Makone
TG – Vimbai Mavherudze
DTG -Mike Chavhakaire
Organ -James Chidhakwa
D. Organ – Netsai Marova
Spokes- Stephen Chuma
D. Spokes -Fanuel Chinowaita

We are all Zimbabweans before we belong to any political party. Today is a day that we should all reflect on the liberation struggle and how some patriotic Zimbabweans sacrificed their lives for us to be liberated.

Things might not be rosy now, all successful countries once went through recession and became economic powerhouses.

Zimbabwe is about to rebirth into economic prosperity. The darkest hour is before dawn. All this shall come to pass.

Stop cursing your country, start believing that together we can positively transform Zimbabwe if we tolerate each other in our diversity and work towards nation building and development.

You are the LEADER that you have been waiting for. It’s time to LEAD and ensure sustainable economic and human development in Zimbabwe.

Happy Birthday Zimbabwe!

Happy Independence day to all my fellow countrymen!

Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa has issued a statement warning businesspeople to desist from sabotaging the country’s economy by hiking prices of basic commodities unnecessarily.

Mnangagwa warned that Government would be forced to introduce price controls.

“We do not want to go to a situation where Government is forced to regulate prices.”

“I am against the regulation of prices. I would want prices to be regulated by market forces. However, our compatriots in business should have a human face when they are making their profits.”

“It’s not going to be business for them to make super profits the same day they begin their businesses. I think it is necessary that they have a human face in dealing with the public and communities so that when they make their money they also realise that they are serving the community to which they belong.”

Turning to the creation of jobs, the President said Government was on track and the One-Stop Shop Investment Centre had approved 59 projects that were set to create over 780 000 jobs over the next two years if implemented.

The MDC joins the people of Zimbabwe in celebrating 39 years of Independence.

In commemorating the day, it is important to highlight that the status quo brings to question the agenda ,values and ethos of the liberation struggle.

Zimbabweans are still in the trenches sadly fighting for the following issues which were the basis of the liberation agenda.

1. The land question
   2.Universal suffrage – the principle of one man one vote
   3.Transfomation of the lives of Zimbabweans.

Thirty nine years after the liberation struggle, land ownership is still a question for discussion.

Those politically connected to Zanu PF just work up with an offer letter and displace a fellow citizen.

New invasions are still the order of the day. Those who occupy pieces of land only do so at the benevolence of the ruling elites.

This is without mentioning that land has been reduced to a dead Capital carrying only use value with no exchange value.

The MDC makes the point that four decades of independence is enough to give title to the beneficiaries of the land reform, facilitate mechanisation of farms and adapt from dependency on rain fed agriculture.

On transformation, black Zimbabweans are subjected to unpalatable suffering by those who hijacked the agenda of the liberation struggle for personal gain.

The majority are living in abject poverty, millions have fled a warless country, millions are unemployed and the gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening.

Access to healthcare is now a pipe dream, the public health delivery system is broken and hospitals have been turned into death traps.

Hundreds of Zimbabweans are dying of curable diseases and stress related ailments.

The same applies to education.

An unacceptable number of children is dropping out of school.

The health system itself needs a complete overhaul.

Hundreds of thousands are still walking ten kilometres to the nearest primary school.

Some of the schools are not even worth the name.

The men and women manning those schools are disgruntled and neglected.

They show up everyday, and yet are offered an insult as wages.

The same applies to any other public service institution.

Those controlling the State have converted it into an arena for personal enrichment.

They are not concerned about the rest.

On the political front, Zanu PF has ensured that they oppose what the liberation was all about.

They murder dissent, they rape women, they abduct those who disagree and they steal elections.

The democratic space is closing by the day, there is no freedom of the press, journalists like Zenzele are arrested for producing a documentary and some like Dzamara are made to disappear and calls to account for him are ignored.

There is blatant abuse of raw state power, the gun is now directing politics.

The people of Zimbabwe are however resilient.

They will turn out victorious, as we celebrate 39 years of Independence we encourage every Zimbabwean to keep the faith and focus on reclaiming the agenda of the liberation of the motherland.

MDC 5th Congress: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe!

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson