By Own Correspondent- The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ)’s revival is ongoing as the parastatal seeks to finalise a deal with South Africa’s Transnet and a consortium of local investors, the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group, it has emerged.
This was revealed by the company’s general manager Lewis Mukwada who also said that in total, NRZ requires $400 million for recapitalisation.
He said:
“Out of that $400 million (recapitalisation deal), about $120 million or so is going towards the track infrastructure itself, a further $100 million or so is going towards signalling and communication, information communication technology and so on.
Then the balance will go towards new locomotives, new wagons and rehabilitation of the existing locomotives and wagons. So… we looked at our system and then identified the critical areas where we needed to invest. That’s how we came up with that budget of $400 million.
We have just been given another six months to pursue the discussions [with Transnet] further and as we talk, next week we are going to be engaging again with the consortium in further negotiations and further discussions to push the deal.”-Newsday
Jane Mlambo| Zanu PF has never hidden its desire to have MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora take over the party presidency from the youthful Nelson Chamisa.
With Mwonzora having pulled out of the race, Zanu PF is the biggest loser as their leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is definitely going to square off again with Chamisa in the 2023 general elections, something they were hoping to escape through supporting the embattled party Secretary General.
In announcing his pullout from the race, Mwonzora said he is now going for the Secretary General position as he has unfulfilled business.
The news of Mwonzora pullout has also been received with jubilation within the MDC circles as Chamisa will now be uncontested.
It remains to be seen if vice President Elias Mudzuri will bag a single nomination to qualify him to face off Chamisa come the 24th of May.
By Own Correspondent- MDC-T vice president Obert Gutu has threatened to go into exile if MDC leader Nelson Chamisa ever becomes the president of Zimbabwe.
Gutu is said to be a very bitter man since the acrimonious split of the party that was led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai soon after his death in 2018.
Gutu followed Khupe to form a splinter group that failed to win a single contested parliamentary or council seat in the 2018 elections. He is quoted as saying:
“I’m a principled and self-respecting professional and politician and I will never, ever sacrifice my beliefs and principles for hollow populism, fakeness, chicanery, tomfoolery, buffoonery, wanton violence and misguided ambition clothed with rampant corruption.
I can bet you my bottom RTGS dollar that in the very unlikely event that these charlatans manage to cheat their way to State House at No.1 Chancellor Avenue in Harare, I will immediately relocate and go to live outside Zimbabwe. I just can’t stand them.
I have got nothing but utter contempt for their emptiness, fakeness, lack of vision, lack of mission, greed, malice, violence and corruption.
And if you think that my political career is over, then you should closely watch out for events that will be taking place in the next few months. My learned friend, I’m still very much in the mix. Watch the space!”-Zoom Zimbabwe
By Own Correspondent- The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has said that the price of mealie meal is set rise following the recently effected 70 percent price increases of maize.
The government recently announced new producer prices for grains and other crops.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of a meeting with Southern Region Millers in Bulawayo GMAZ chairman Tafadzwa Musarara said:
“There is going to be an increase, we can’t stomach 70%. Today’s meeting was to discuss the next maize meal prices.
We have agreed on the new prices and when we are going to increase it, but we cannot announce it to you before we inform the government about it.
South America gives us maize. We think South America is going to be our biggest source of maize coming this season. We are not quite sure of how much they will be able to export to us given the disturbances in Venezuela.
However, our first priority is the region so I will be leading a delegation to Zambia and South Africa to see how much maize we can get in the region. If there is any excess required then we will approach the Southern Americans.”-Newsday
By Own Correspondent| A 25-year-old man from Mushumbi Pools who hammered his father to death over witchcraft allegations has been hauled before a Guruve magistrates court on murder allegations.
Clive Jimmy of Bandayi village under Chief Chisunga in Mushumbi Pools allegedly killed his father with a hammer after he was told by a traditional healer that his father had bewitched him.
He was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Shingirai Mutiro, who remanded him in custody to April 24.
Carson Kundiona, representing the state, alleged that Jimmy was convinced by a Mbire traditional healer that family members had caused his mental sickness and failure to marry.
He then took a hammer and smashed his father Idaek Jimmy (59)’s head.
He was rushed to Parirenyatwa hospital where he died the following day.-Newsday
Own Correspondent|First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa has been kicked out of State House because of her earth quake behaviour on staff members at the country’s number one home leaving her exposed as yet another Grace Mugabe if not worse.
Birds of the safe feather, Grace Mugabe with Auxilia Mnangagwa.
Staff at State House have actually described Auxillia as worse than Grace with one source telling ZimEye, “Amai is doing the opposite of what she is doing in public.
Auxilia with husband Emmerson Mnangagwa
“The difference between Auxillia and Grace is that Amai becomes very physical. Vamwe Amai vaingokutuka parally, vamwe vanotokurova kumba.”
Zimbabweans generally never believed that there could be people worse than both Grace Mugabe and her husband former President Robert, but the Mnangagwas have proven everyone wrong.
Grace and Robert Mugabe
On numerous occasions, Grace was accused of conflating the institution of marriage with that of the presidency.
Known for her unrestricted and stinging attacks, especially at public forums, Grace accused many Zanu PF leaders from politburo members, war veterans, the military bosses, her own colleagues in the women’s league and Mugabe’s close allies of plotting against her 94-year-old husband.
Critics argue Grace’s insatiable desire to meddle in Mugabe’s duties and her penchant for publicly attacking senior party and government officials catalysed the former leader’s removal from power last November.
Mugabe was removed from power in November last year at the height of the interface rallies, where he and his wife took turns to attack their political enemies in Zanu PF, including Mnangagwa.
Besides addressing her own set of rallies, Grace usually became the centre of attraction at Zanu PF gatherings, even those addressed by her husband.
For that, she earned herself the moniker, Dr Stop It!
The investigation showed how female State Residence employees were attacked by Auxillia upon merely smiling at her husband, Emmerson while greeting him. More stench emerged as many were sent home on various spurrious allegations. Auxillia even got to the point of assigning her own brother, Paradzai Kutyauripo who has a criminal conviction, the job of Director.
The Registrar-General’s Office is co-operating with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission in its inquiries into allegations of delays in the issuance of passports and national identification documents.
The investigations come after members of the public complained that the department was taking time to process passports and identity documents.
In an interview, Registrar-General Mr Clement Masango said he was aware of the inquiries that were being conducted and assured the people that their offices were ready to serve.
“I am aware the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission is carrying out an inquiry following complaints by some members of the public or sections of community that they were getting challenges in accessing our services, especially getting IDs and birth registration for various reasons,” he said.
“However, I want to make it clear that as a department we are available in the manner that we are decentralised and available to serve everyone who calls at our offices. We don’t discriminate, our offices are open because they are public offices.”
Mr Masango said they were taking their services to the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair and also exhibiting at all annual agricultural shows countrywide.
“And when we exhibit we issue birth certificates on the spot and any other services that we can dispense outside the normal office, but obviously we can’t process passports,” he said.
“What we can do is we issue passport forms.
“But, however, in the circumstances I wouldn’t want to comment on what the commission is investigating, but those concerns have been brought to our attention.
“I would rather wait and allow the commission to carry on with its work and hear what they are going to come up with. What we have done is to collaborate with the commission on its inquiry. They visited us and we gave them audience to explain various processes done by the department.”
Mr Masango said the department will continue to discharge its mandate which is primarily to issue national ID documents, register birth and deaths, marriages and processing and issuance of travelling documents, passports and temporary travel documents.
“The department is represented in all provinces, the 10 administrative provinces,” he said.
“We also have offices in 62 administrative districts and we have over 200 sub-offices countrywide. So, in terms of decentralisation I think we are fairly decentralised because we are almost everywhere.
“Of course, we are aware of the need to further decentralise even though we have sub-offices in districts, there are still areas were our people have to travel for more than 30 kilometres to get to the nearest office of the Registrar-General in the district. Government is attending to that.”
South African police said on Sunday they had found 167 rhino horns believed to be destined for Asia and nabbed two suspects in a sting operation in the North West province.
The two were arrested on Saturday following a tip off that there was a car transporting rhino horns some of which are suspected to have been from neighbouring Botswana and Zimbabwe.
It is one of the biggest hauls of rhino horns in the country, according to the Hawks.
“We arrested them on Saturday in the Hartbeespoort dam area. They were driving in a vehicle and they were intercepted,” Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.
“It was an intelligence-driven operation that led to the arrest of the two. They were found in possession of those 167 rhino horns,” he said, adding “it is one of biggest (hauls)”.
The suspects aged 57 and 61 years are expected to appear in the Brits town magistrate’s court on Monday.
Police said the rhino horns worth a “substantial amount of money” were destined for the Southeast Asian markets.
Demand for rhino horn is primarily fuelled by consumers in China and Vietnam where it is advertised by some traditional medicine practitioners as a wonder ingredient.
In reality rhino horn is a nostrum, comprised of little more than keratin, the same protein that makes human hair and fingernails.
Nonetheless horn can fetch up to $60 000/kg in Asia, stoking lucrative transnational crime networks that have decimated rhino populations in recent decades.
South Africa, which is home to about 80% of the world rhino population, has been hit hardest. In 2018, 769 rhinos were poached in South Africa alone. More than 7 100 animals have been killed over the past decade.
FORMER Zimbabwean commercial farmers have lodged a nearly R2 billion compensation claim against the South African government for presiding over the dissolution of the Sadc Tribunal.
Willie Spies, the legal representative of AfriForum, a South African civil rights initiative, lodged papers in South Africa’s Pretoria High Court this week for a claim of R1,9 billion against the South African government and Presidency.
In a statement, Sadc Tribunal Rights Watch spokesperson Ben Freeth said commercial farmers and farming businesses suffered damages as a result of the dissolution of the Windhoek-based Sadc Tribunal, by the regional Heads of State, including former President Jacob Zuma.
The Heads of State, among them former President Robert Mugabe, in 2014 signed a new protocol that prevented all Sadc citizens from accessing the tribunal for any cause whatsoever.
“Fortunately, they did not manage to get the number of signatures required from other Heads of State to change the Sadc Protocol. As a result, the previous protocol remains in force and the Sadc Tribunal merely requires funding and political will so that it can once again uphold justice and human rights as per the Sadc Treaty,” Freeth said.
He said in the absence of the tribunal judges being enabled to do this, the farmers embarked on a case against Zuma, for being complicit in breaking the Sadc Treaty and denying Sadc citizens the right to justice.
“This case culminated in an excellent judgment in South Africa’s Constitutional Court in December 2018, that declared President Zuma’s actions in closing down the Sadc Tribunal as irrational, unconstitutional and, indeed, unlawful,” Freeth said.
“We hope that this latest case will be a ceremonial raising of the flag for justice within Sadc and will herald the reopening of the Sadc Tribunal for victims of injustice across the region.
“Furthermore, we hope that other victims of injustice will add impetus to this movement by joining with the case within the prescribed time period. A summons must be served within six months of December 11, 2018, that is by June 11, 2019.”
Violent land invasions were initiated in Zimbabwe in 2000, resulting in the mass-scale destruction of property, crops and livestock, as well as brutal attacks on farmers and farm workers countrywide.
“Initially, the Zimbabwean courts upheld the rule of law, but after they themselves were invaded, judges who had stood up to the Mugabe government were forced out of office and many of those who remained became compromised,” Freeth said.
Mike Campbell, a commercial farmer and large-scale mango exporter from Chegutu district, in 2005 lodged a court case in the local courts that protested the lawless and racial nature of the farm invasions.
In 2007, after exhausting all access to legal recourse in Zimbabwe, Campbell’s case was lodged in the Sadc Tribunal which was heard by five judges, and their final and binding judgment was given on November 28, 2008.
“This allowed Mike and the 78 other commercial farmers who had joined the case, together with their workers, to remain in peaceful residence on their farms without interference in their farming operations,” Freeth said.
“Regrettably, President Mugabe openly defied the judgment and all but one of the 78 Sadc Tribunal-protected applicants were subsequently forced off their properties under brutal and lawless conditions.
“After the Zimbabwe government had been held in contempt of court by the Sadc Tribunal, President Mugabe managed to get the tribunal judges suspended from office in 2012.”
TWO women, who were part of a terror gang arrested in connection with a number of armed robbery cases in Marondera and Goromonzi, were on Friday arraigned before Marondera magistrate Arnold Maburo.
The two were facing armed robbery and possession of ammunition charges.
Hazvineyi Masiyakurima (22), wife to the terror gang leader Solomon Nyamukondiwa (32) and Memory Mushonga (26) of Marondera were charged together with their male accomplices.
Masiyakurima, who is heavily pregnant was charged alongside her husband for unlawful possession of a firearm and live ammunition.
They will return to court on April 24 for trial.
On April 8, detectives who were investigating Nyamukondiwa received information that the suspect was residing at House Number 2448 Damofalls in Ruwa.
They raided the house and found Masiyakurima at home. With her consent, they searched the bedroom and recovered a Benard Elly 7x65mm pistol with seven
rounds.
Also recovered from the same room were 2×12 bore rounds, 3x9mm live rounds and 11×7,65mm live rounds.
Upon interrogation, Masiyakurima indicated that the recovered firearm belonged to her husband Nyamukondiwa. Masiyakurima was then made to lure her husband
which she did leading to the arrest of the suspect. The duo failed to produce a firearm licence.
In the other case, on March 14, at around lunch time, Mushonga and her accomplices met at Richflow Shop in Nyameni where she informed them that the complainant Sebastian Matsikiti (35) was keeping large sums of money at his house.
On the same day, the gang pounced on their unsuspecting victim.
Neighbours heard the complainant’s wife screaming and rushed to the scene. Nyamukondiwa allegedly fired two warning shots in the air resulting in the
residents scampering for cover. The gang then force-marched Matsikiti into his house, ransacked it and stole a Nokia Cellphone before getting away in his vehicle which had a black bag containing RTGS$1 200 and US$60.
The later dumped the vehicle at Corner Harare Drive and Arcturus Road after taking four wheel covers and a spare wheel. The police also recovered a 32/7,65
spent cartridge at the complainant’s house which matched with the Benard Elly found in possession of Nyamukondiwa.
The pistol was stolen from former judicial officer Jacqueline Vongai Pratt at her Goromonzi Farm during an armed robbery in February.
Nyamukondiwa and his accomplice Ephraim Alfas (32) are facing five counts of armed robbery and will return to court on May 3 for trial.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa on Friday afternoon caused a stir at Rudhaka Stadium in Marondera after he unexpectedly appeared at the venue where Mashonaland East Provincial elections were underway.
The process came to a halt as MDC members who were participating in the process ran to see the vibrant youth leader whose visit was described as a move to canvas for support for the presidential position that is also being eyed by secretary general Douglas Mwonzora.
In his four-minute address to the delegates at Rudhaka Stadium, Chamisa said it is high time he take off the late leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s “jacket” and put on his own.
“This is not a rally, but I just said let me pass and see what is happening. Thank you for the non-violence (process), thank you for the peace. I have no doubt that the voting process you have just done reflects your will. Let’s choose a leadership that is capable. I was putting on Tsvangirai’s jacket until the congress. But after that you are going to give me mine,” he said to wild cheers.
The 41-year-old politician also took a swipe at President Emmerson Mnangagwa, accusing him of failing to steer the country as reflected by the increases in prices of basic commodities.
Chamisa was endorsed by the province as their presidential candidate, while Tracy Mutinhiri, Tendai Biti and Morgen Komichi were nominated for the deputy presidency.
The province nominated Thabitha Khumalo as chairperson.
The election process was led by Highfield West legislator Happymore Chidziva.
Justice Priscilla Chigumba cited as first responded
MUTASA Central ward 10 councillor Frank Chitembwe, whose seat was declared vacant following his incarceration for public violence, has filed an urgent High Court application seeking an order to set aside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s decision to hold a by-election on May 11.
The application comes after the nomination court sat early this month with three candidates successfully filing their papers.
Through his lawyers Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu legal practitioners and David Tandiri, Chitembwe, released on bail pending appeal, cited (Zec) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba as the first respondent, while Mutasa Rural District Council chairperson Tonderai Bandure was cited at the second respondent.
The three candidates Tanyaradzwa Rose Mukodza (MDC) Justice Chirimo (NCA) and Magret Tindika (Zanu PF) were cited as the other respondents.
Chitembwe was slapped with a two-year jail term for public violence during the January 14-16 fuel price hike protests before he successfully applied for
bail pending appeal last week.
In his application at the High Court on Friday he said he is seeking the intervention of the court to nullify Zec’s decision to hold the by-election on May 11.
“The first respondent (Zec) has set in motion the process of a by-election in ward 10 of Mutasa Rural District council. The nomination court has considered and accepted the nominations from prospective candidates,” reads the application.
“Now that I am out of custody and am free to serve my ward and my community, I now seek the honourable court to intervene and set aside the actions of the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to hold the by election in ward 10 of Mutasa Rural District council,” the application read.
“In fact, I dare say that at the time the second respondent Mutasa Rural District council notified Zec of a vacancy in ward 10 Mutasa Rural District Council no such vacancy existed.
“I had duly filed my notice of appeal and I had not been convicted of an offense involving dishonesty, breach of trust and physical violence.
“Our wish is that the declaration by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of a vacant seat for ward 10 in Mutasa Rural District Council is hereby set aside,” reads the application
“The nomination of the third to the fifth respondent as candidates in scheduled by-election of Mutasa Rural District Council Ward 10 be and hereby set aside.”
The investigation showed how female State Residence employees were attacked by Auxillia upon merely smiling at her husband, Emmerson while greeting him. More stench emerged as many were sent home on various spurrious allegations. Auxillia even got to the point of assigning her own brother, Paradzai Kutyauripo who has a criminal conviction, the job of Director.
The latest of the scandal has seen Auxillia being pushed out of State House by her husband. “She is now confined to Zimbabwe House,” an impeccable source told ZimEye.
This update is as at last Friday.
They continued saying, ” She has also been ordered not to interfere with official affairs at State House,” they added.
Former Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa’s application for review was last week dismissed by a Harare magistrate.
Parirenyatwa is facing criminal abuse of office charges after he replaced National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) managing director Florence Nancy Sifeku with Newman Madzikwa.
Parirenyatwa appeared before magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo seeking leave to approach the High Court for review of the audio recordings because of irregularities in the transcript served by the State.
Parirenyatwa’s lawyers described the audio as inaudible and the transcript was not consistent with the handwritten notes of the court proceedings.
Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo dismissed the application and said it was made for purposes of delaying proceedings.
“What makes the application before this court more tenuous and frivolous is that a full record is available as maintained by the court,” he said. “The only argument is the differences in the use of words or choice of words between the court and the defence.
“It is only guess work at this particular point as to what those differences are.”
Mr Makomo said mere differences in what transpired cannot be a ground for seeking a review.
ONLY 60 percent of Zimbabwean women have the ability to make decisions about contraception and safer sex negotiations, a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 2019 State of World Population shows.
According to the report which was released last Tuesday, a survey across 51 countries where this information is available concluded that an aggregate of 57 percent of women who are married or in a relationship are able to make their own choices on their reproductive health rights.
The UNFPA report published for the first time data on women’s ability to make decisions over three key areas: sexual intercourse with their partner, contraception use and health care. “Only 60 percent of women have decision making ability on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. The country however, has a 66 percent prevalence of family planning which is higher than most countries where women still have no access to any method,” read the report.
UNFPA executive director Dr Natalia Kanem said despite some gains, vast numbers of women around the world are not empowered to make fundamental decisions about their own bodies.
“We still have a long way to go before all women and girls have the power and the means to govern their own bodies and make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health,” she said.
“The efforts of the reproductive rights movements have dramatically reduced the number of unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths, and have cleared the way for healthier, more productive lives for untold millions”.
The report shows that 200 million women worldwide who want to prevent a pregnancy do not have access to contraceptives.
“Gaps in access to sexual and reproductive health services also disproportionately impact marginalised groups. For example, women and girls with disabilities are often not seen as needing information about sexual and reproductive health. Only 35 percent of young people with disabilities used contraceptives during their first sexual encounter and 63 percent had an unplanned pregnancy,” read the report.
The Electoral Court has dismissed an appeal by a losing Zanu PF candidate to overturn the Chinhoyi ward one results.
Tapera Mutovido, who lost by two votes in the recent elections, petitioned the court, challenging the outcome of results and calling for a recount of the votes.
Mutovido was alleging that MDC Alliance winning candidate Sairos Good won unfairly.
He was also alleging a presiding officer at one of the polling stations unfairly converted spoilt ballots into ballots supposedly cast in favour of Good. But Justice Mushore dismissed the petition saying it was “fatally defective”.
Good welcomed the judgement, saying he could now start having meetings in his ward without any hindrance from Zanu PF members.
IN JANUARY, EMMERSON MNANGAGWA PUBLICLY INDICATED THAT THERE IS INSUBORDINATION IN THE ARMY. WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN, AND HAS THE SITUATION BECOME BETTER?
By Chris Tongogara| They say those who live by the sword will die by the sword, after being assisted by the army to grab power from his mentor, Robert Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa is now struggling to appease disgruntled military bosses who are pushing for his immediate resignation, it has emerged.
From the White City bombing, whither now? As the nation nears commemorating the first annivesary of the so called “assassination attempt” on Mnangagwa last year in June, the generals appear in a sudden turn. The army bosses, it has emerged, are not happy that Mnangagwa is not maintaining his part of the bargain to relinquish power to his now deputy Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga.
Sources privy to the developments revealed that the army bosses are also not happy that the man who is at the helm of power is demoting by promotion senior army chefs.
Mnangagwa who now faces a war from two fronts, the intelligence and the army, last week spoke saying there are people who do not want him to continue as president.
Recently, Mnangagwa promoted two Brigadier-Generals to the rank of Major-General and one Air Commodore to Air Vice-Marshal in accordance with Section 15(1) (B) (Chapter 11:02) of the Defence Act.
The newly promoted Major-Generals namely Kazirai Tazira, William Dube and Air Vice-Marshal Biltim Chingono join other recently promoted army chefs namely Air Lieutenant General Martin Chedondo, Lieutenant General Douglas Nyikayaramba, Lieutenant General Anselem Sanyatwe and Air Marshal Sheba Shumbayawonda.
“The promotions aims at neutralizing the army by bringing on board new faces,” said the source.
Suggestions that the Chiwenga gunners are standing against Mnangagwa were last week shot down by Mnangagwa’s nephew, Temba Mliswa who described them as “dreaming.”
Mliswa said there are no such factional fights. He also said Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga are actually “inseparables.”
“Anyone who ever dreams that there are factions in ZANU-PF is a pathetic dreamer. ED and Chiwenga are inseparable.
“To pin any hopes on perceived factions in ZANU-PF is not only retrogressive, it’s folly,” Mliswa said.
But the bloody events running from June 2018 reflect the very opposite of Mliswa’s claims. A sophisticated hand grenade used only by the military was flung towards the presidium at the White Stadium last year. The grenade is the type that kills only two people while injuring the rest, and while some sources allege it was meant to assassinate Mnangagwa, others say it was Chiwenga and his wife who were targeted. The investigation into who did it has somewhat collapsed. Was this grenade meant for members of the presidium, or it was someone else?
ANOTHER SHARP OPPOSITE
Some analysts point to another opposite: They allege that it was infact Mnangagwa faction members who did the White City act in order to freeze up the military threat. They point to how Emmerson Mnangagwa managed to escape the bombing without a speck of dust on his skin. They see this as evidence that he was fully aware of the military attack. This allegation once again does not have any supporting evidence apart from verbal testimonials making the allegation. It is said that the military officers behind the White City bombing were all “sent to sleep,” as alleged.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN HEREAFTER?
Emmerson Mmangagwa Mnangagwa on Thursday cautioned young people to be wary of party cadres with unbridled ambitions who may want to cause disunity in the ruling revolutionary organisation, Zanu PF, The Herald reported.
His remarks came while addressing the Zanu-PF National Youth Assembly in Harare where he also disclosed that his leadership will never allow “mafia-style” handling of Zanu-PF issues and urged party members to follow laid down procedures when settling grievances.
“If any members or structures of the party have any grievances, the laid-out rules, regulations and procedures must be followed,” said Mnangagwa.
“I know of some comrades who have been suspended or expelled, but no procedures were followed. That is not proper. When we are dealing with party issues you put aside your personal differences with the persons concerned. You must obey and follow the rules and procedures of the constitution, otherwise you will find yourselves in the wrong. Divisive, opportunistic or mafia-style handing of party affairs will never be accepted. You may feel that you are smart, but let me tell you this party, Zanu-PF, is always smarter.”
Over the past few months, votes of no confidence have been passed against some officials of the party’s national youth league executive recently and reports of similar actions were being initiated in other provinces.
The Zanu-PF Politburo put a stop to the unprocedural acts which had affected the youths’ leader Pupurai Togarepi, Deputy Secretary Lewis Matutu, Administration Secretary Tendai Chirau, Admire Mahachi and Mercy Mugomo.
“As you carry out both your political and development programmes you must be wary of those with brute, unbridled ambition and political gladiators. Be vigilant and alert as they may seek to sow seeds of disunity amongst yourselves, within the party and ultimately in the nation, for their own selfish ends. You must always foster loyalty, respect, honesty and integrity. Guard against silo mentality and self-centred behaviour. Continue to fight against corruption by exposing any suspected acts in every sphere of society,” said Mnangagwa.
Mwonzora has apparently backed Chamisa and declared his candidature for the Secretary-General post of the party instead, where he will still face tough challenge from widely nominated Chalton Hwende.
Sources said that the deal was struck on Satutrday evening at the instigation of the Chamisa camp.
“Party leader (Nelson Chamisa) called Mwonzora to a deal last night. The deal was struck by Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube in a bid to ensure the party remains intact and that Advocate Chamisa’s imminent victory at the Congress is not dented by accusations of voter manipulation.
“So, as it stands, Advocate Chamisa will cruise uncontested,” said a source close to the Mwonzora camp.
It was proving to be a tall order for Mwonzora, who a few months back has been throwing punches around saying he will contest for any position should he be nominated.
But more than halfway into the provincial nominations, he remained with no single nomination, putting him in a difficult position of leaving the Congress an ordinary card-carrying member.
The MDC holds its Congress on 24 May.
Watch the video below from Manicaland province, Saturday:
PREAMBLE WHEREAS it is recognized that the Constitution has vested the Judicial Authority of Zimbabwe in the Judiciary and has further entrenched the universally accepted norm of Independence of the Judiciary;
AND WHEREAS it is recognized by the Zimbabwean judiciary that a competent, independent and impartial judiciary is an indispensable and essential ingredient for good governance and the maintenance of the rule of law in any modern democratic society. AND WHEREAS it is recognized that public confidence in the judicial system and in the moral authority and integrity of the judiciary is of utmost importance in a democratic society. AND WHEREAS it is essential that judicial officers, individually and collectively, respect and honour the judicial office as a public trust and strive to enhance and maintain confidence in the judicial system;
AND WHEREAS it is recognized that it is primarily the responsibility of the judiciary of Zimbabwe to promote and maintain high standards of judicial conduct;
AND WHEREAS the Constitution provides for the impeachment of a judicial officer, it is recognized that no formal complaints mechanism is provided to deal with complaints about judicial officers falling short of impeachable conduct; AND WHEREAS the judicial officers of the Republic of Zimbabwe adopt, individually and collectively, this Code of Ethics to be the beacon of judicial conduct, now and in the future;
NOW THEREFORE IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, in terms of sections 18 and 25 of the Judicial Service Act [Chapter 7:18] (No. 10 of 2006), has approved the following regulations made by the Judicial Service Commission:—
PART I PRELIMINARY Title
These regulations may be cited as the Judicial Service (Code of Ethics) Regulations, 2012 (hereinafter referred to as “this Code”). Interpretation
In this Code “court staff” means the Secretary of the Commission and all other support staff of the Judicial Service; “disciplinary committee” means a disciplinary committee appointed under Part III; “family member”or “associate”, in relation to a judicial officer, means any or all of the following , as may be appropriate to the context (a) any member of the judicial officer’s family, that is, the judicial officer’s spouse, son, daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law or any other close relative; (b) any friend of the judicial officer, being a person with whom the judicial officer interacts socially on a regular or frequent basis, or a person to whom the judicial officer is emotionally close, and includes a cohabitant; (c) any person the nature of whose social, business or other association with the judicial officer may, in certain contexts, be regarded by any fair-minded person as promotive of potential conflict between the judicial officer’s private interests and judicial duties; “head of court or division concerned” means any of the following, as may be appropriate (a) the Chief Justice; (b) the Judge President; (c) the Senior President of the Court; (d) the Senior President of the Administrative Court; (e) the judicial officer who is the head of any division of the foregoing courts; “immaterial grounds” in relation to equality provided for in section 9 includes but is not limited to, race, colour, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, marital status, social and economic status, and other like causes; “judicial officer” means any of the following, whether appointed in a substantive or acting capacity (a) the Chief Justice; (b) the Deputy Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court; (c) the Judge President and the other Judges of the High Court; (d) the Senior President of the Labour Court and other Presidents of the Labour Court; (e) the Senior President of the Administrative Court and other Presidents of the Administrative Court; Application 3.(1) This Code applies to every judicial officer (2) For the avoidance of doubt it is declared that no minimum standard prescribed in this Code shall be taken to derogate from the highest standards of ethics and propriety expected of judicial officers.
The forensic expert who once exposed massive vote rigging on camera when he was a prison officer, Shepherd Yuda speaks following revelations that an MDC official has approached the courts seeking to halt the upcoming MDC congress. VIDEO LOADING BELOW:
LINDA Masarira, the former MDC-T national spokesperson, has announced the launch of a new political party named Labour, Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD).
Linda, who before joining politics worked for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) as an assistant train driver as well as a trade unionist from 2006 up to 2012, says she intends to address the pleas of the disenfranchised worker as well as other key interest groups such as former liberation fighters, women, and students among others.
In a preamble to the launch document, the Labour Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) says it “invites all Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens to join hands in reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism. Together we can.”
The party identifies with the Zimbabwean worker, which it says has been ignored by all the existing opposition parties as well as the ruling party ZANU-PF. As a result of such neglect, the party says the Zimbabwean worker has emigrated to foreign lands where they are subjected to unfair labour practices as well as scourges such as xenophobia in the case of South Africa.
Reads the preamble: “The case of the Zimbabwean worker today is a sad story which has seen over 80% of the working class and the generality of people living below the living wage.
“The remainder of Zimbabwean citizens were forced to seek economic refugee in foreign lands where they not only sell their labour cheaply but work under conditions which can be referred to as modern day slavery.
“These gallant sons and daughters of the Zimbabwean soil are riling under xenophobic attacks in countries like South Afrika and Botswana. To make matters worse the agents of imperialism stripped Zimbabwe of its national dignity by taking away its investment power the Zimbabwean dollar. Without a local currency Zimbabwe is not able to create meaningful wealth to cause economic growth.”
LEAD also takes issue with the greed, corruption and nepotism in government, which has reduced civil servants to the laughing stock in the communities they live in. It says agents of neocolonialism have captured key arms of government, rendering it unable to satisfy the needs of the worker.
“Before 1980 we led a political revolution which saw us shackling off the chains of colonialism bringing about the political revolution and freedom we are enjoying today. However because of naivety, greed and corruption we created divisions among our ranks and let our erstwhile enemies creep back in and subvert the revolution.
“As a result all arms of government were captured by agents of capital and neocolonialism and they have through the years systematically undermined the people’s government.
“For them to gain full control they have led on onslaught on wage labour reducing all workers and citizens into destitution.”
Masarira, who herself heroically fought for the rights of workers at the National Railways of Zimbabwe where she worked for a long time, says the fight is to put back dignity of work.
“After we reach our goals, we intend to keep on empowering the masses through policies that put back dignity of work. The Zimbabwean worker has been disenfranchised by both the ruling party and the existing opposition parties.
“Pensioners are getting a pittance from the government and former employers in the private sector, and both the ruling party and the existing opposition parties have been going on for a long time as if everything’s okay. Nothing is alright. We need to reclaim the dignity of both the retired worker, the current worker, and the future worker.”
Ms Linda Masarira
She however insists that LEAD will also be alive to the needs and aspirations of other interest groups that include students, women, former freedom fighters and the diaspora community.”
Says the LEAD document: “We the workers and disadvantaged groups of Zimbabwe also realise the spirit of Pan Afrikanism which fueled the revolutions for political emancipation resulting the formation of the Organization of Afrikan Union has died.
“We therefore take it upon ourselves to work starting in Zimbabwe to rekindle this flame and push fellow workers throughout Afrika to redirect the Afrikan effort towards getting Afrika take her seat at the table of continents on an equal footing.
“In doing so we want to go into the world wielding our formidable resource and labour power which for years has been used to develop Europe and the United States of America. It’s no robbery for Afrikan labourers to demand the humane treatment of the Afrikan and the refusal by Afrika to be referred to as a third world.
“We have developed cultural values and technologies which have contributed immensely to the modernization of the world and demand fair treatment.”
LEAD seems to take its cue from the MDC of 1999 which launched off as a social democratic party, with the worker as its central point of focus. The MDC, however, also had an overbearing critical mass of white commercial farmers.
Speaking in a interview, Masarira says her movement will be all-encompassing. She says the struggle is to reclaim the people’s revolution which has been captured and diverted by agents of neocolonialism in Zimbabwe.
She said: “We, Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens join hands to reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“We realise that Zimbabwe is our land and hereby commit to take charge of the social, economic, environmental and political processes that enable this country to go forward.”
Masarira says a press conference will be held in the coming week.
Masarira spent close to 90 days locked inside Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges of insulting former Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe during the last years of his rule. This was after she had addressed workers in Mutare and told the gathering that the president (Mugabe) as head of government that is in charge of parastatals was responsible for the decay in parastatals like the NRZ.
Before that, she had been abducted in 2012 for three days in Bulawayo.
“They assaulted me and I have scars from the use of brute force. They wanted to know who was sending me (to demand fair and just treatment of NRZ workers), but I was fighting for workers’ money at the time,” she said.
Farai Dziva|Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana says nobody should dispute the fact that Zimbabwe is under sanctions.
Zanu PF bigwigs are facing restrictive measures as a result of human rights violations.
“There are a lot of things we disagree on as Zimbabweans. It’s understandable we are diverse and hold different views. But can we at least agree on this one reality and we can discuss the wherefore later; Zimbabwe is Under Sanctions.”
“On one hand both the UK and EU say there are no sanctions against Zim, on the other hand the British are grappling on how to continue to impose sanctions on us outside the EU framework and still claim that they are not sanctions. But their legal instruments term them Sanctions,” claimed Mangwana.
Farai Dziva|The Glamour Boys lost 2-0 to Chicken Inn at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday afternoon and the defeat has triggered mayhem in the Dembare camp.
The hosts set the pace in the early moments of the game and were awarded a penalty in the eleventh minute which was converted by in-form striker Clive Augusto. Innocent Muchaneka followed up on minute 18 with an effort which could have doubled the advantage, but it went straight to hit the woodwork.
Nonetheless, the Gamecocks got their second goal three minutes later through Malvin Gaki who was fantastic throughout the match.
Augusto came back again, searching to complete his brace, but his effort was cleared off the line by Tatenda Muringai moments after half hour
.
Dynamos made a change towards the break, introducing Godfrey Mukambi for Jarison Selemani with a hope of turning around the fate but were dealt another blow in the 42nd minute when Sadomba received his second booking.
The expulsion triggered some crowd trouble from the Dembare stand and the play was temporarily stopped.
The restart to the second period was also affected. Dembare, however, managed to improve but failed to bury home at least an effort inside the regulation time.
The match ended 2-0 in favour of Chicken Inn who are still to lose a game this season.
At Rufaro Stadium, Mark Harrison’s gamble to field junior players paid off when his Harare City got the first win of the campaign at the expense of Highlanders.
The Sunshine Boys came from behind and beat a 10-man Bosso side 3-1.
Prince Dube opened the scoring in the 26th minute to put the visitors ahead. City responded just before the half-hour through Munyaradzi Diro-Nyenye who finished off Milton Ncube’s free-kick from the edge of the box.
Walter Mukanga then completed the turn-around on minute 32 before Tatenda Tumba hit the target early in the second half. Mukanga could have gotten his second goal of the day in the 76th minute but was denied from the spot by Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.
Defender McClive Phiri did not finish the game as he received a red card in the incident that led to a penalty.
The encounter between TelOne and ZPC Kariba ended in a 1-0 result in favour of Kauya Katuru-turu.
Farai Dziva|The MDC A has dismissed claims by the state media that party leader Nelson Chamisa is imposing his will on party members during provincial elections across the country.
Below is a report published by a state run weekly newspaper claiming Chamisa is using his post to tilt election results in favour of his allies:
MDC-ALLIANCE leader Mr Nelson Chamisa who is desperate to shrug off stiff competition from secretary-general Mr Douglas Mwonzora in the forthcoming congress last Wednesday presided over provincial elections in the middle of the night in the Midlands province.
The presence of Mr Chamisa and his ally, Mr Tendai Biti in Gweru was viewed as a ploy to influence the outcome of the elections, and soon after the winners were announced, the new provincial leadership nominated Mr Chamisa for party presidency ahead of the congress where elections for national office bearers will be held.
Mr Chamisa’s long time ally and Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe is now the new provincial chairperson for Midlands South Province. Clr Makombe, who was being contested by Mr Davis Shoko garnered 878 votes while his rival got 542. Mr Cleopas Shiri who was also vying for the same post chickened out at the last minute.
Clr Makombe will be deputised by Mr Sydwell Bhepe. Other elected leaders to the main wing include Messrs Lazarus Chacha, Livingstone Chimina, Lloyd Mkapiko and Takavafira Zhou who grabbed the secretary, treasurer, provincial organ and information secretary posts respectively. Ms Cathrine Gosho will chair the provincial women’s league while Ms Sekai Marasha won uncontested to be the youth league chair.
“Party president Nelson Chamisa was there at the elections that were held at midnight on Wednesday. He was accompanied by Tendai Biti. We suspect that they wanted to ensure that the elected members are inclined to them because we are going for an elective congress soon,” said a party member.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa says he does not have a score to settle against the former First Family because of the humiliation he was subjected to- by Grace Mugabe.
With regards to his humiliation by the First Lady prior to Operation Restore Legacy, Mnangagwa said the events are behind him.
He said at that time he remained unfazed in the face of the public attacks because he knew that the allegations levelled against him were false.
“Meanwhile there is the new Republic, we are seized with the challenges of the country and we are moving forward. What is behind us is behind us.
““To some extent I enjoyed the lies, here was the person attacking you on issues that are false and you cannot get angry when you know that if you can be given a chance to speak, you can destroy every single allegation that is being made, so you can’t get angry because the premises of attack were all false and crafted by individuals who wanted to cause me to be removed.
“ Perhaps I was standing in the way of some ambitious colleagues in the system. So I actually enjoyed the lies. This is why they probably didn’t give me the opportunity to respond in public because they knew they were lying.
Farai Dziva|Expecting Mnangagwa to resolve the Gukurahundi issue is like hoping that a mosquito will treat malaria victims, a ZAPU official has said.
Mnangagwa played a pronounced role in the Gukurahundi atrocities, according to ZAPU.
ZAPU spokesperson Iphuthile Maphosa attacked Mnangagwa for toying around with the sensitive matter.
“Mnangagwa can never be sincere on Gukurahundi because it is on him. How does a mosquito invent a cure for malaria and compensate those it already killed?
That’s why this whole discussion rushes to healing while glossing over acknowledgement, responsibility taking, justice and reparations. It’s all a huge joke and Mnangagwa is simply continuing with his deception as he buys time in as far as facing justice for Gukurahundi is concerned,” Maphosa said .
A 60-year old stand-up comedian has died on stage, with his audience thinking he was pulling a stunt.
British comedian Ian Cognito died in a club in Bicester, in southern England, on Thursday night.
Show organiser Andrew Bird tsaid that when the 60-year-old Cognito sat down and fell silent during his session, “everyone in the crowd, me included, thought he was joking.”
Cognito, whose real name was Paul Barbieri, never achieved wide fame but was highly respected among fellow comedians.
Entertainer Jimmy Carr praised Cognito’s kindness toward him when he was starting out in the business and tweeted, “He died with his boots on.”
“Little Britain” star Matt Lucas tweeted: “He was always kind to me when I started out, and brilliant and provocative and entirely original onstage. What a loss.” — BBC
MDC-T Vice President Obert Gutu says he is a principled and self-respecting politician so much so that he cannot stand the “fakeness, chicanery, tomfoolery, buffoonery and wanton violence” within Nelson Chamisa’s MDC.
Gutu says: “I’m a principled and self-respecting professional and politician and I will never, ever sacrifice my beliefs and principles for hollow populism, fakeness, chicanery, tomfoolery, buffoonery, wanton violence and misguided ambition clothed with rampant corruption.
“I can bet you my bottom RTGS dollar that in the very unlikely event that these charlatans manage to cheat their way to State House at No.1 Chancellor Avenue in Harare, I will immediately relocate and go to live outside Zimbabwe. I just can’t stand them.”
This was after UK-based lawyer and political analyst Brighton Mutebuka had said Gutu’s career as a politician is over unless he re-traced his steps back to work with Chamisa.
Mutebuka had said: “At the height of the MDC-T power struggle to succeed the founding leader, I cautioned that Thokozani Khupe faced a real struggle for political relevance beyond that contestation given the path that she had taken.
“I argued that she could be legally correct but politically wrong, and that history would in time forget her immense contribution to opposition politics. I am afraid that time has arrived. The same fate applies to my respected brother Obert Gutu.
But Gutu begged to differ. He said: “It’s a pity that you’re out there in the UK and you seem not to be aware of the glaring fact that a charade of a “Congress” is apparently taking place elsewhere right now. Watch out for events that will be unfolding in the next few days.
“I have got nothing but utter contempt for their emptiness, fakeness, lack of vision, lack of mission, greed, malice, violence and corruption.
“And if you think that my political career is over, then you should closely watch out for events that will be taking place in the next few months. My learned friend, I’m still very much in the mix. Watch the space!” Gutu thundered.
THE Mashonaland East Province of the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC on Friday nominated former Zanu PF women’s league commissar Tracy Mutinhiri to run for vice president at the May congress.
Mutinhiri was expelled from Zanu-PF in 2011 on murky charges of working with the MDC after she praised opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his party during the burial of her brother, Innocent Muzuva, who was a leading MDC activist.
She subsequently joined the MDC in 2012 after her expulsion from the ruling party, where she once served as MP and also occupied the position of women’s league political commissar.
With nominations for national positions completed, the province has settled for Chamisa to remain president, completely rejecting his potential rivals in the MDC vice president Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora.
MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that the province nominated Mutinhiri for VP together with vice president Morgen Komichi and deputy national chairperson Tendai Biti as the other two VPs.
“The process went on well with all the leaders present and in jubilant mood, all of them were well received by the people and there is harmony in the party,” Mafume said.
Mutinhiri has said she has suffered immensely at the hands of Zanu-PF and holds the party responsible for the death of one of her daughters in a mysterious car accident.
Mafume, who was nominated to remain the party’s information tsar along with Luke Tamborinyoka as his second-in-command, also said the party’s MP for Kuwadzana East Charlton Hwende was nominated for the position of secretary-general with Concillia Chinanzvavana as his deputy.
Former Education minister David Coltart was nominated to become party treasurer-general with Epworth MP Etherege Kureva as his deputy.
Lovemore Maiko, in dark suit, is the new Mayor of Chitungwiza
THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has embarked on a witch-hunt in Chitungwiza to sniff out councillors who voted for an aspiring mayoral candidate from Zanu-PF during Wednesday elections in the dormitory town.
While the MDC retained the post following the resignation of former mayor Gift Tsverere, along with his deputy Jabulani Mtunzi in February, questions were immediately raised after the Zanu-PF candidate garnered more votes than the number of councillors his party has in the municipality.
The Zanu-PF candidate managed to get seven votes notwithstanding the fact that the ruling party only has four councillors in Chitungwiza.
MDC vice president Morgen Komichi told the Daily News on Sunday that the party was hugely concerned by the apparent disloyalty displayed by its councillors, declaring that heads will certainly roll.
“We would ordinarily expect that Zanu-PF gets what it has so it is worrisome that it got more than it actually has, meaning that there are some of our councillors who voted them, hence an investigation into what transpired will be instituted to weed out the culprits who sold out. It is a sad development really,” Komichi said.
The MDC has 19 councillors in Chitungwiza against the ruling party’s four.
In the elections, MDC ward seven councillor Lovemore Maiko emerged winner after securing 16 votes against the seven polled by Zanu-PF’s Kiven Mutimbanyoka.
Maiko will be deputised by Musa Mukweza who also got 16 votes while Zanu-PF’s John Matiyenga polled five votes, with two others being spoiled ballots.
This is not the first time that the MDC has had to launch a witch-hunt after officials voted with the ruling party.
In 2013, the late MDC founding president Morgan Tsvangirai did the same with Mutare councillors who voted for Zanu-PF’s Collen Mukwada for the position of deputy mayor ahead of the party’s preferred candidate Kudakwashe Chisango.
The MDC Manicaland provincial leadership then recommended the expulsion of four party councillors who were alleged to have sold out.
These included the then newly-elected mayor Tatenda Nhamarare and three other councillors Richard Mupfura, Farai Bhiza and Pamela Mutare.
According to the country’s Constitution, political parties have a right to recall both their Members of Parliament and councillors when it feels they are no longer representing the parties’ mandate.
Prior to the mayoral polls after the 2013 general elections all party councillors had been ordered to elect mayors and deputy mayors from among themselves.
In the case of Mutare, the councillors had been directed to elect Nyamupanedengu as mayor with Chisango as his deputy.
However, Nhamarare allegedly defied the party directive and contested for the mayor’s post which he eventually won.
EGYPT is wary of the threat posed by the Warriors despite Sunday Chidzambga’s men being the lowest ranked team in Group A of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) which also features DR Congo and Uganda.
The Warriors will square off against the Mohamed Salah-inspired Pharaohs in the opening match of Nations Cup at the Cairo International Stadium on June 21 after being the first team to be picked at the draw, held in Giza on Friday night.
Reacting to the draw, Egypt’s assistant coach Hany Ramzy said the Pharaohs, who will be banking on home support to propel them to their eighth Afcon triumph, were “comfortable” with their pool.
“We are confident, we are here in our land with the supporters behind us, so we have to work hard to reach the final,” Ramzy told BBC Sport after the draw.
However, commenting about the opening game against the Warriors, ranked more than 50 places below them, he acknowledged that the Warriors would still pose a test to the host nation.
The Warriors last faced the Pharaohs at the Afcon finals 15 years ago in their first game at the 2004 edition of the continental showpiece in Tunisia, which they lost 2-1.
“Whoever you play against, the opening game will be tough, but I think we can win the match,”Ramzy said.
“The big difference [in quality] between teams is not really there anymore, like it was 10 years ago in Africa. Now every team has players who play in Europe so they have the experience to play at a high level.
“But when you want to win a big tournament like the Africa Cup, you have to win against small and big teams.”
The reaction by the Pharaohs’ assistant coach comes after the Warriors’ draw for this year’s Afcon tournament was met with optimism in the football fraternity with many backing
Chidzambga’s men to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition for the first time.
Zifa president Felton Kamambo, who attended the draw in Egypt, said he was confident the Warriors would do well at this year’s continental showpiece.
“I think it’s really a fair draw for us, we qualified as the group leaders and that speaks volumes of our pedigree at the moment. We are not going there to make up the numbers,
but to compete. We just have to make sure we prepare thoroughly and I believe it is going to be a very good tournament for us as Zimbabwe. We must beat the best to become one of the best sides on the continent,” Kamambo said.
Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare, who is also in Egypt, admitted that the opening match against the Pharaohs would be tough, but said he was confident they have a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Zimbabwe will be making their fourth appearance at the Afcon finals, where they have never managed to progress from the group stages.
“I think it’s a fair group, but the only unfortunate thing is we were paired against the host nation. Egypt will be playing at home and their fans will rally behind them for 90 minutes, but we fancy our chances,“ Mpandare said.
“We played two matches against DRC during the qualifiers and we took four points from them, so it’s going to be very difficult. Of course, they (DRC) are scared of us, but it’s going to be difficult because they obviously want to do better against us.”
Mpandare added: “Uganda is a team that is a bit unknown to us, it will be exciting playing against them, so basically it’s going to be tough, but knowing that two teams will qualify from the group and four best third-placed teams will also go through gives us a high chance of progressing and making a bit of history. This time around we want to go beyond the group stages and make history; this is the message from the coach, players and even the Zifa board.”
Draw in full:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
LINDA Masarira, the former MDC-T national spokesperson, has announced the launch of a new political party named Labour, Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD).
Linda, who before joining politics worked for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) as an assistant train driver as well as a trade unionist from 2006 up to 2012, says she intends to address the pleas of the disenfranchised worker as well as other key interest groups such as former liberation fighters, women, and students among others.
In a preamble to the launch document, the Labour Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) says it “invites all Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens to join hands in reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism. Together we can.”
The party identifies with the Zimbabwean worker, which it says has been ignored by all the existing opposition parties as well as the ruling party ZANU-PF. As a result of such neglect, the party says the Zimbabwean worker has emigrated to foreign lands where they are subjected to unfair labour practices as well as scourges such as xenophobia in the case of South Africa.
Reads the preamble: “The case of the Zimbabwean worker today is a sad story which has seen over 80% of the working class and the generality of people living below the living wage.
“The remainder of Zimbabwean citizens were forced to seek economic refugee in foreign lands where they not only sell their labour cheaply but work under conditions which can be referred to as modern day slavery.
“These gallant sons and daughters of the Zimbabwean soil are riling under xenophobic attacks in countries like South Afrika and Botswana. To make matters worse the agents of imperialism stripped Zimbabwe of its national dignity by taking away its investment power the Zimbabwean dollar. Without a local currency Zimbabwe is not able to create meaningful wealth to cause economic growth.”
LEAD also takes issue with the greed, corruption and nepotism in government, which has reduced civil servants to the laughing stock in the communities they live in. It says agents of neocolonialism have captured key arms of government, rendering it unable to satisfy the needs of the worker.
“Before 1980 we led a political revolution which saw us shackling off the chains of colonialism bringing about the political revolution and freedom we are enjoying today. However because of naivety, greed and corruption we created divisions among our ranks and let our erstwhile enemies creep back in and subvert the revolution.
“As a result all arms of government were captured by agents of capital and neocolonialism and they have through the years systematically undermined the people’s government.
“For them to gain full control they have led on onslaught on wage labour reducing all workers and citizens into destitution.”
Masarira, who herself heroically fought for the rights of workers at the National Railways of Zimbabwe where she worked for a long time, says the fight is to put back dignity of work.
“After we reach our goals, we intend to keep on empowering the masses through policies that put back dignity of work. The Zimbabwean worker has been disenfranchised by both the ruling party and the existing opposition parties.
“Pensioners are getting a pittance from the government and former employers in the private sector, and both the ruling party and the existing opposition parties have been going on for a long time as if everything’s okay. Nothing is alright. We need to reclaim the dignity of both the retired worker, the current worker, and the future worker.”
Ms Linda Masarira
She however insists that LEAD will also be alive to the needs and aspirations of other interest groups that include students, women, former freedom fighters and the diaspora community.”
Says the LEAD document: “We the workers and disadvantaged groups of Zimbabwe also realise the spirit of Pan Afrikanism which fueled the revolutions for political emancipation resulting the formation of the Organization of Afrikan Union has died.
“We therefore take it upon ourselves to work starting in Zimbabwe to rekindle this flame and push fellow workers throughout Afrika to redirect the Afrikan effort towards getting Afrika take her seat at the table of continents on an equal footing.
“In doing so we want to go into the world wielding our formidable resource and labour power which for years has been used to develop Europe and the United States of America. It’s no robbery for Afrikan labourers to demand the humane treatment of the Afrikan and the refusal by Afrika to be referred to as a third world.
“We have developed cultural values and technologies which have contributed immensely to the modernization of the world and demand fair treatment.”
LEAD seems to take its cue from the MDC of 1999 which launched off as a social democratic party, with the worker as its central point of focus. The MDC, however, also had an overbearing critical mass of white commercial farmers.
Speaking in a interview, Masarira says her movement will be all-encompassing. She says the struggle is to reclaim the people’s revolution which has been captured and diverted by agents of neocolonialism in Zimbabwe.
She said: “We, Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens join hands to reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“We realise that Zimbabwe is our land and hereby commit to take charge of the social, economic, environmental and political processes that enable this country to go forward.”
Masarira says a press conference will be held in the coming week.
Masarira spent close to 90 days locked inside Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison on charges of insulting former Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe during the last years of his rule. This was after she had addressed workers in Mutare and told the gathering that the president (Mugabe) as head of government that is in charge of parastatals was responsible for the decay in parastatals like the NRZ.
Before that, she had been abducted in 2012 for three days in Bulawayo.
“They assaulted me and I have scars from the use of brute force. They wanted to know who was sending me (to demand fair and just treatment of NRZ workers), but I was fighting for workers’ money at the time,” she said.
MDC Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora appears to have chickened out of challenging party leader Nelson Chamisa, opting instead to retain his post.
Mwonzora has apparently backed Chamisa and declared his candidature for the Secretary-General post of the party instead, where he will still face tough challenge from widely nominated Chalton Hwende.
Sources said that the deal was struck on Satutrday evening at the instigation of the Chamisa camp.
“Party leader (Nelson Chamisa) called Mwonzora to a deal last night. The deal was struck by Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube in a bid to ensure the party remains intact and that Advocate Chamisa’s imminent victory at the Congress is not dented by accusations of voter manipulation.
“So, as it stands, Advocate Chamisa will cruise uncontested,” said a source close to the Mwonzora camp.
It was proving to be a tall order for Mwonzora, who a few months back has been throwing punches around saying he will contest for any position should he be nominated.
But more than halfway into the provincial nominations, he remained with no single nomination, putting him in a difficult position of leaving the Congress an ordinary card-carrying member.
The MDC holds its Congress on 24 May.
Watch the video below from Manicaland province, Saturday:
By Patrick Guramatunhu| “If any members or structures of the party have any grievances, the laid-out rules, regulations and procedures must be followed,” Mnangagwa told his Zanu PF Youth League members.
“As you carry out both your political and development programmes you must be wary of those with brute, unbridled ambition and political gladiators.”
What “laid-out rules, regulations and procedures” were followed in booting Joice Mujuru and her supporters out of Zanu PF in 2014 to say nothing of the military coup that ousted Robert Mugabe and his G40 faction in 2017?
Chief Justice George Chiweshe judged the November 2017 coup “justified, legal and constitutional”! He opened the Pandora’s box and so the next coup will be justified, legal and constitutional too! So what is there for Mnangagwa to fear from just another legal and justified coup!
“Dindigwe rinofara richizvuva rimwe kana iro rozvuviwa roti avara angu azaravhu.” (The cheetah enjoys dragging others but when it is being dragged it will complain that its spots are being soiled!) as one would say in Shona.
There is rebellion in the air and our cheetah in State House was good reason to be worried. There are political gladiators who are after his job!
“The game is all but over for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s young presidency, as hardline army generals are reportedly said to have read the riot act to him, over a sheaf of serious issues caused by his leadership seen as compromising national security, resulting in Mnangagwa allegedly offering to step down to avoid a flood of political chaos in the country,” reported Spotlight Zimbabwe.
“Chief among the generals concerns based on military intelligence findings, is Mnangagwa’s failure to fix the economy, which they believe is likely to cause “the mother of all civil revolts” in the country’s history.”
No one can dispute that Zimbabwe’s economy is not in a serious mess. The country’s productive sectors have all but collapsed sending unemployment rates soaring into the stratosphere of 90%. Basic services such as supply of clean water, working sewage systems, health care, etc. have all but completely collapsed. There is no doubt that Zimbabwe’s economic situation is politically, morally and socially unsustainable.
Indeed, it was the fear of “the mother of all civil revolts” and the consequence of Zanu PF losing its iron grip on power that spurred Mnangagwa and his fellow coup plotters to stage the November 2017 coup to ouster Mugabe.
It is now one year and half since the coup and the country’s economy is in a worse state now than it was during Mugabe’s days. Like it or not Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for business!” clarion call has failed to bring in the flood of investors, he promised.
His Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, with all his rocket science policies, theories and thesis has clearly failed to tame inflation and poverty which are now growing in leaps and bounce.
The fear of civil revolt to protest the worsen economic situation is real and justified.
Still, Mnangagwa or those planning to have him replace must be allowed to remain in power till 2023 for four good reasons:
As far as the Zanu PF hardliners were concerned the primary task of the November 2017 coup was to secure their iron grip on absolute power and with it their privileged lifestyles. This was the essence of “operation restore legacy” as the coup plotters called the coup. Mnangagwa understood that good governance and end corruption were essential in the fight to revive the economy and hence the reason he promised to hold free and fair elections and to end corruption. These were mutually exclusive demands! In the end he blatantly rigged the elections and has done nothing to end the wholesale looting of the nation’s resource. Whoever the generals pick to replace Mnangagwa he/she will be similarly hamstrung by the demands of operation restore legacy!
At the time of the November 2017 coup, the nation had built a head of steam in demanding democratic change and an end to the country’s economic hardships. The coup plotters actively encourage the people to join the street protest. The people were made to feel the coup was going to answer all their demands, this was a fig-leaf as time has shown. The people, much less the international community, are not going to be taken for fools a second time in quick succession.
There will be no meaningful economic recovery as long as Zimbabwe remains a pariah state rule by corrupt and vote rigging thugs. The prospect of the economic hardships of fuel, food, medicine, wheat, etc. shortages lasting another month are frightful. It is unthinkable to have this chaos for four more years!
Zanu PF rigged last year’s elections and therefore the party has no democratic mandate to govern. The party must be forced to step down for rigging the elections and not be rewarded by being allowed to rule. Besides, Zimbabwe must appoint an interim administration that will be tasked to implement the reforms and Zanu PF must step down a.s.a.p. to create the political space. If Zanu PF is still in office in 2023, be it on its own or in a GNU, the party will resist the implementation of the reforms and will go on to rig that year’s elections. It would be unforgivable if that was to happen!
Jane Mlambo|Harare based Sekuru Banda has been selected as the African representative to attend a line-up of conferences on herbal therapy on the continents of Europe, Asia and South America.
The conferences will focus on Chinese, African, European and American medicine with particular interest in herbal therapy.
Sekuru Banda is well known for practising magic like sending baboons to recover stolen property, prescribing concoctions on cheating partners, returning evil spirits to witches and wizards as well as healing different ailments.
This popularity gained him the first spot as the most influential healer in Zimbabwe. From his powers Sekuru Banda attracts to his shrine people from all walks of life and various backgrounds. People visit from countries like United States of America, Europe, Asia and the rest of Africa.
These people bring various gifts in appreciation of his quality services. Because of that, Sekuru Banda is arguably the richest traditional healer in the whole world.
He is expected to come back with a wealth of experience in the use of herbal therapy to treat various ailments and share knowledge with other traditional healers locally and abroad.
Farai Dziva|Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana says nobody should dispute the fact that Zimbabwe is under sanctions.
Zanu PF bigwigs are facing restrictive measures as a result of human rights violations.
“There are a lot of things we disagree on as Zimbabweans. It’s understandable we are diverse and hold different views. But can we at least agree on this one reality and we can discuss the wherefore later; Zimbabwe is Under Sanctions.”
“On one hand both the UK and EU say there are no sanctions against Zim, on the other hand the British are grappling on how to continue to impose sanctions on us outside the EU framework and still claim that they are not sanctions. But their legal instruments term them Sanctions,” claimed Mangwana.
For a whole 3 months running, why did Abigail dodge DNA tests of "own parents" before flying to Zimbabwe? Also why did she demand that 1983 news articles be deleted and have the disgraced Australian journalist who's a well known child abductor, Stephen Rice re-write the story?
By Own Correspondent| In a major embarassing boob, an Australian journalist flew into Zimbabwe to film a money spinning documentary on baby parentage, all based on probative DNA suggestions.
The Australian journo, is well known for making money from creating fake drama and has been fired before following a “baby kidnap” scandal.
The latest development explains how and why there was a total media blackout against Zimbabwean journalists who for several months could broadcast Abigail Prangs’ own living room since 2018, but now at the point of meeting Abi’s “parents,” Australian journalists suddenly perform everything under the cover of darkness- They fly into Zimbabwe and even the national broadcaster, ZBC is not allowed near them. Why, and what is so secretive about a story publicly known in Harare since 1983? Why should foreigners be the ones to report on what they only read?
EARLIER VIDEO ON 9TH APRIL 2019
The man, Stephen Rice intended to make money out of the Abigail Prangs story – the Zimbabwean baby found dumped in 1983 documentary which StarFM and ZimEye have worked on since last year.
The development comes after Abigail had skipped vital stages of the DNA tests. She had even avoided the local Zimbabwean DNA centre fully equipped and which was still in the way to report back on their findings.
Global DNA’s Mr Tinashe Mugabe always insisted on further tests despite an initial sibling test (with an alleged sister, Lorraine Kamonere) yielding a passive 90,8% probability.
This was as Mr Mugabe said at this stage, the supposed parents, remained just alleged parents up until conclusive paternal and maternal tests had been conducted. As at the time when Stephen Rice and his filming crew were flying to Zimbabwe, there were none of these tests, the only one done being a mere half-sibling one.
There was a disturbing twist when Abigail rushed to declare she was now interested in a commercial contract offered for a money spinning documentary by Mr Rice. She reported to ZimEye that she had signed a contract with the disgraced Australian TV producer, Stephen Rice. Abigail even got to the point of ordering that all news articles produced since 1983 be deleted from the public domain and a new story would be published by the Australian TV producer.
The sudden rush to distort evidence was to the point of even ditching the services of the local DNA centre. Correspondence seen by ZimEye.com shows Mr Rice ordering that Mr Mugabe’s services be terminated and a different DNA centre be utilised. In a program on Tuesday, Abi was questioned by ZimEye why she had suddenly disconnected with the Global DNA. She reported back by briefly saying, “I have a lot of respect for Tinashe,” still without revealing any reasons why.
The flight from Australia to Zimbabwe came in the face of serious concerns raised by Mr. Mugabe in an earlier StarFM program when while with Tilda Moyo, he revealed that there was no excitement at all on the supposed parent’s faces when they heard news that Abi is their daughter.
Mr Mugabe said “there was no excitement” which would be expected in such a breakthrough situation. More drama however, emerged when the supposed father was found suspiciously and repeatedly skipping away everytime when the Global DNA staff members descended onto their home. For several months since December last year, Global DNA thrice visited the home in Chitungwiza seeking to complete the investigation.
Now, the 90,8% probability was to suggest that there was a likeliwood of the 2 tested individuals sharing a common parent. It was a half sibling test. However without further tests the sibling one would-be insufficient.
Scientists call the 90,8% as seen in the graph, mere “probative evidence.” It is probative, not conclusive evidence.
[SEE THE GRAPH ABOVE]
An elated Abi who reportedly booked into a local hotel soon after arriving in Zimbabwe was pictured in Unit M in Chitungwiza with her supposed relatives two days after her arrival before she disappeared to an unknown location. She shunned local reporters as she preferred her Australian based journalists despite that the local media houses had publicised her plight ahead of Rice. There was a publicly declared contractual arrangement with Zim media, but she chose to go “for money”, according to a commentator.
On Friday morning Abigail posted a status update revealing she was sad and disappointed. A day before she had publicly wielded a picture with her supposed mother.
That picture with her so called mum has since been removed.
Sources close to her revealed that the latest DNA tests show that she is not at all Edna Kamonere ‘s daughter. Sources close to her revealed that the results came out with a 0% probability (for maternity.)
Efforts to get a direct comment from Abi were fruitless at the time of writing. A direct comment from Mr Mugabe was difficult to obtain at the time of printing.
Mr Rice was reached for a comment between Wednesday and Friday and he had not replied messages at the time of publishing. His Zimbabwe based freelancer, Mr Tomas Brickhill however confirmed the development to ZimEye promising that Rice would be informed. – MORE TO FOLLOW…
We, Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens join hands to reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism in the Republic of Zimbabwe.
We realise that Zimbabwe is our land and here by commit to take charge of the social, economic, environmental and political processes that enable this country to go forward. Before 1980 we led a political revolution which saw us shackling off the chains of colonialism bringing about the political revolution and freedom we are enjoying today.
However because of naivety, greed and corruption we created divisions among our ranks and let our erstwhile enemies creep back in and subvert the revolution.
As a result all arms of government were captured by agents of capital and neocolonialism and they have through the years systematically undermined the people’s government.
For them to gain full control they have led on onslaught on wage labour reducing all workers and citizens into destitution.
The case of the Zimbabwean worker today is a sad story which has seen over 80% of the working class and the generality of people living below the living wage.
The remainder of Zimbabwean citizens were forced to seek economic refugee in foreign lands where they not only sell their labour cheaply but work under conditions which can be referred to as modern day slavery.
These gallant sons and daughters of the Zimbabwean soil are riling under xenophobic attacks in countries like South Afrika and Botswana. To make matters worse the agents of imperialism stripped Zimbabwe of its national dignity by taking away its investment power the Zimbabwean dollar.
Without a local currency Zimbabwe is not able to create meaningful wealth to cause economic growth.
We the workers and disadvantaged groups of Zimbabwe also realise the spirit of Pan Afrikanism which fueled the revolutions for political emancipation resulting the formation of the Organization of Afrikan Union has died.
We therefore take it upon ourselves to work starting in Zimbabwe to rekindle this flame and push fellow workers throughout Afrika to redirect the Afrikan effort towards getting Afrika take her seat at the table of continents on an equal footing.
In doing so we want to go into the world wielding our formidable resource and labour power which for years has been used to develop Europe and the United States of America. It’s no robbery for Afrikan labourers to demand the humane treatment of the Afrikan and the refusal by Afrika to be referred to as a third world.
We have developed cultural values and technologies which have contributed immensely to the modernization of the world and demand fair treatment.
To redirect our efforts to achieve full economic potential with a generational mandate we have decided to regroup under a new banner. In a show of resilience we are reorganizing as Labour, Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD).
In this renewed exisistance we want to apply all our efforts towards reclaiming our revolution for the Zimbabweanness. It’s time to LEAD!!!! Together we can!!!!! Labour Economists Afrikan Democrats (LEAD) invites all Pan Afrikan Zimbabwean workers, students, farmers, traders, CSOs, Transgender groups, women rights groups, children rights groups, freedom fighters, citizens in diaspora and citizens to join hands in reclaiming the people’s revolution which has been captured, subverted and diverted by agents of neocolonialism. Together we can.
Former president Jacob Zuma will get more than R200 000 in the eThekwini Municipality for honorarium payments.
Zuma was recently accused of taking possession of $30-million (R418,5-million) belonging to the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The eThekwini Municipality has set aside a budget of R1 million to celebrate 25 years of democracy, among which, former president Jacob Zuma will get more than R200 000 in honorarium payments.
The event will take place in April and will also see the city pay Zuma and his co-artists more than R200 000 in honorarium payments. The names of the co-artists were not revealed in the report.
Zuma is set to be tasked with documenting Struggle songs with various artists. The report containing the details of the event was by tabled by eThekwini parks head Thembinkosi Ngcobo before the community service committee on Thursday.
Ngcobo said the month of April represented a lot of pain for many South Africans, as it was the month which saw the arrival of coloniser Jan van Riebeck in 1652 and also followed the assassination of former SACP leader Chris Hani in 1993. He said citizens needed to learn about their local history and the event would do that.
Explaining the event, Ngcobo said it was part of the ‘Liberation Heritage Routes Project’. He said it was started in 2009 when the uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) held a two day symposium in Durban to preserve the liberation heritage history in Durban.
Ngcobo said the former president would be paid directly, but artist who will work with him would also benefit. The names of the artists were not revealed in the report.
The report states that the R200 000 would cover transport, refreshments and the documentation of liberation songs by various artists including Zuma.
The South African government has congratulated the country’s first deaf law graduate Qobo Ningiza.
“The government sends warm congratulations to Eastern Cape-born Qobo Ningiza who will be South Africa’s first deaf law graduate when he graduates with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree at the University of Cape Town today,” reads a statement issued by Phumla Williams, the Acting Director General of Government Communications and Information Systems (GCIS).
“Ningiza is an inspiration to many of us and serves as proof that if as individuals we focus on our abilities instead of focusing on the obstacles, we can achieve anything in life. Ningiza had to overcome many hurdles in his endeavour to register for a law degree including navigating a study path that relies heavily on verbal teaching and interactions.”
The government also challenged all sectors to join the disability sector of South Africa on a journey towards the full empowerment of people with disabilities.
“Cabinet identified the Presidential Working Group on Disability as one of the fora that are critical to advancing a transformative agenda in a collaborative and inclusive manner.
“The rights of persons with disabilities include implementation of policies and strategies for, among other things, the hiring of persons with disabilities, appropriate training and skills development programmes and ensuring easy access into workplaces and other buildings. The whole of society must contribute towards the realisation of the rights of persons with disabilities,” reads part of the statement.”
ZIMBABWEANS should untiringly fight corruption as it is currently deep-seated in most State institutions such as the police, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Judiciary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said yesterday.
Speaking in a special Independence Day interview with ZBC at State House, President Mnangagwa said the various hurdles in successfully uprooting the scourge mean “the fight is so wide and deep”.
“I now realise that corruption is deep-rooted. I thought that by pronouncing that let’s fight corruption those who are corrupt will fear and stop; it’s not like that. It’s so rooted that you have to fight it from A to Z. (In) most systems, structures and institutions, there is an element of corruption,” said President Mnangagwa.
“To fight it, you need the police to unearth, investigate; but also within the police, there is corruption. The next stage, you need prosecution; that is the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) – they need to prosecute the cases, so once the cases pass the corruption in the police, it has to pass the corruption in the NPA, then it must go to the courts and there is an element of corruption in the courts, so the fight is so wide and deep.”
Fighting corruption, he said, was a collective responsibility. The President also said his office would not interfere with judiciary processes.
“However, I am happy that you find people who support the fight against corruption in all these institutions. In the police, not everybody is corrupt; in prosecution institutions, not everybody is corrupt; in the judiciary, not everybody is corrupt.
“So because of that we are gaining traction slowly, not as speedily as I had expected. As you realise, there are so many cases of corruption now in the courts,” he added.
President Mnangagwa expressed frustration at the snails’ pace of some of the cases before the courts. A clean society, he added, would help the country to “develop faster” and lead to satisfactory service delivery. Current and former Harare City Council officials who abused the $144 million loan facility are likely to face the music, said the President.
“We had a loan extended to Harare City Council by the Chinese for sanitation and water reticulation. That money was then used to buy cars and other luxuries. It didn’t address the issues for which the money had been given.
“So when I met my brother and colleague President Xi Jinping (Chinese President) and discussed about this loan, I wasn’t aware that had happened and so I said, ‘Mr President, the loan was fully disbursed’, and he said, ‘my brother, the money was not used for what we had given you for.’ I was not aware people bought cars, some having workshops which had nothing to do with sanitation. Those who spent the money are not in office anymore, but they are likely to be followed.”
President Mnangagwa has committed to fight corruption by strengthening and restructuring key institutions such as the NPA, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zaac) and the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Paul K. Saungweme Former MDC Makoni South Organising Secretary
Dear my President Chamisa,
BALANCING COMPETENCE & POPULISM
The truth is our party nominations have been invaded by people who pretend to love you so they get positions. Yet the real leaders are being labelled names. Pamuchayeuka bako mvura inenge yanaya.
Your supporters are abusing your popularity and denting your chances of a 2023 presidency
My President, you needed to have learned on how our catastrophic primaries were conducted in 2018. Why we lost Matebeleland North and South in 2018. And why Zanu-PF have parliamentary majority.
It’s all a wrong assumption to assume that you will be able to unite us after congress. Judging on the toxic language and the few G40 paid & captured social bloggers like ZimEye etc
Time will tell. Good luck, some of us had wanted to see a team that does it come 2023. Your bootlickers are going to come up with theories and lies just to get nominations. But not anybody other than you, knows very well that competence is better than bootlicking.
In conclusion my President you needed to balance popularity with competence. If rumours are true that a new party is on the horizon then you must blame your toxic comrades for the painful split which is imminent. I am reliably told it’s 85% likely to happen. The onus is on you to urgently sort things out my President.
Come 2023 you are the torch bearer and those who are misleading you will blame you.
Caution: The silence of competent people like Mukoma Doug, Mudzuri, Kore, Ian and Theresa Makone, Murai, Musundire, Nomatter and many others it’s not a sign of stupidity. It’s a sign of maturity and reading along the lines.
These leaders delivered for you only last year and all of a sudden they are now enemies of your divisive factionalist. Cyril Ramaphosa was clever to know how to work with Dhlamini Zuma; Obama worked with Hillary Clinton.
Allow me therefore to regrattably hint at the birth of a third force that will be run by genuine democrats, without being remote-controlled by G40.
The signal will be given soon for those who really love the struggle. Musaore Moyo (Don’t lose heart).
Your supporters will tell you those people have no supporters but the truth is they have and they won’t be as stupid as Khupe was . They are planners, they are leaders; they have managed before and they are champions.
As an advocate president Chamisa needed to have known that empty vessels makes noise but noise disrupts always as they are about to make noise on my post. This 2019 congress proceedings has produced a winner and the winner is Zanu-PF.
I am pained very pained at the thought of seeing our party split again and this time it’s a massive split cause it’s not about leaders wars. It’s about structures that have been kicked off after building the MDC brand for many years.
Your bootlickers always say new blood if it’s about new blood why is it those misleading you are not paving way for new blood. Isn’t it stupid when your followers tell you Matebeleland needs Ncube you agree, but when we tell you Manicaland needs Mwonzora and Kore your same advisors will tell you it’s a lie, isn’t it stupid when they tell you Mashonaland needs Mutinhiri than Theresa Makone and Mpariwa.
Have you forgotten your foot soldiers Hwende and Mutseyami ran away from their constituences of Musikavanhu and Mash west just to be MPS in towns. Will they go back and work in constintuences they abandoned.
United we stand, Divided we have fallen. history will judge us
Yours Paul K. Saungweme Former Makoni South Organising Secretary
VIOLENCE has flared in Donnybrook on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where a group of former workers allegedly butchered 17 cows owned by a farmer they accused of employing Zimbabweans.
Charles Anderson, 62, owner of Emerald Dale Farms and Patula Sawmill says he has bolstered security by hiring armed guards after attempts to petrol bomb the home of a Zimbabwean farm manager.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed that six suspects had been taken in for questioning yesterday.
Charles said despite building a creche for the community, paying teachers’ salaries and donating part of his farm for a soccer field, his farm has been targeted by bitter former employees.
His wife, Luan, said she was heartbroken to see crippled cows with deep wounds gasping for air before dying.
“It is painful when all your animals are lying crippled and can neither move nor walk because they have been butchered,” she said.
She added that 10 cows had to be put down due to the injuries they suffered. Five of the cows were on the mend and two were killed.
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala confirmed that six suspects had been taken in for questioning yesterday.
“A case of malicious damage to property is being investigated by Donnybrook SAPS. It is alleged that on Thursday, a wendy house was set alight, two cows were maimed while another 12 sustained injuries,” Gwala said.
She said the motive behind the attack was being investigated.
Anderson said since last year the group had accused him of employing foreigners. He said at a recent meeting attended by ex-employees and unemployed individuals he was told in no uncertain terms to dismiss all his Zimbabwean employees otherwise there would be trouble.
He said he promised he would not employ more Zimbabweans.
There was, however, no compromise and the attitude was simply “we as the Andersons must leave the farm or the Zimbabweans must leave”.
“It is totally unacceptable to dismiss employees who have done nothing wrong but were dedicated to their duties.
“But I will wait for the employees to come up with proposals on how we can move forward. For now, production has been stopped with very little happening on the farm,” he said.
Speaking after a meeting yesterday, community leader Silwanaziphi Jama said locals had begged Anderson not to leave because many families relied on the farm for employment.
“We are happy that he made that sacrifice, but we also commit ourselves to protecting the property. The community is convinced we need the farm to exist,” Jama said.
A qualified harvest manager, who has a diploma from the College of Forestry in Zimbabwe and who asked not to be named, said he left the farm for a safe place until the situation had normalised. He said the attacks were xenophobic because they flared up after foreigners in Durban were attacked three weeks ago.
“These issues regarding their dismissal were supposed to be raised last year, but it waited until attacks flared in Durban townships. They were really taking advantage of the recent attacks.
“I was told by local employees that because I hold a senior position, my life was at stake. When employees get fired for misconduct we, in senior positions, have to carry the blame,” he said.
He said four Zimbabweans, one Angolan and a Malawian had been employed on the farm and all had left.
The attack on Thursday night took place hours after an urgent court interdict was obtained from the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
Anderson said there was a delay in serving the interdict to the attackers because police needed back-up. He said it was only formally issued on Friday.
The interdict prevented employees, former employees and anyone else from gathering or organising protests at any of the farms or public roads allowing access to and from the farms.
The “trouble-causers” have also been ordered not to burn tyres, logs, trees, plantations, building structures or any substance on the farms.
The application was brought on an urgent basis by advocate Chris Snyman, SC, before Judge Piet Koen following protest action that worsened on the farm this week.
Anderson said both farms employed between 350 and 400 people, injecting R2 million monthly into the local economy through the wages that were paid. The Anderson family has worked on the farm for the past century.
He said the hate was perpetrated by a few former employees who were fired for misconduct.
He said although his two sons William and Phillip wanted the family to leave, he was convinced he should stay after local support poured in from traditional leaders and the community.
Project manager at the Institute of Race Relations Terrence Corrigan said there was a strong element of xenophobia which was recklessly stoked up by unscrupulous politicians.
“A lot of frustration regarding the lack of service delivery causes people to be impatient and to blame foreign nationals for their situation. Although there were only a few Zimbabweans employed on the farm, locals found an excuse to use to push for the dismissal of foreign nationals.” — Sunday Tribune
Uganda coach Sebastien Desabre says Zimbabwe have little chances in Group A at June’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Uganda face hosts Egypt, DR Congo and Zimbabwe in their group games.
While acknowledging that Egypt and DR Congo pose a stern challenge to his team, Desabre spoke low of the Zimbabwe Warriors, describing them as the unlucky team of the group.
“Zimbabwe seems the least lucky team of the group but I know their squad and their great qualities. The group is complicated even though Egypt is the favourite to top it and our team will compete for the second place spot,” Desabre told Goal.
“Facing the Egyptian team represents an obstacle although we have prior advantage since we are familiar with their team and previous encounters were difficult yet close with mot much difference separating the two teams.
“We defeated them by one goal at our home stadium and lost in Egypt by a difference of one goal also. Everyone knows that we have an up and coming generation of players that no one should underestimate and it’s going to be a difficult for anyone to defeat us.
“We know Congo very well and their players are special with regard to individual skills, we are facing opponents with high quality and we need to have good preparations for the finals taking into consideration the opponents we are going to face.”
Uganda and Egypt were in the same group at the 2017 Afcon finals, with the Pharaohs beating the Cranes 1-0.
Later on that year, Uganda edged Egypt 1-0 in a 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier at home, before losing 1-0 away.
Uganda were under now Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic at the last Afcon tournament. — Goal
For a whole 3 months running, why did Abigail dodge DNA tests of "own parents" before flying to Zimbabwe? Also why did she demand that 1983 news articles be deleted and have the disgraced Australian journalist who's a well known child abductor, Stephen Rice re-write the story?
By Own Correspondent| In a major embarassing boob, an Australian journalist flew into Zimbabwe to film a money spinning documentary on baby parentage, all based on probative DNA suggestions.
NEW TWIST TO ABI PRANGS STORY – DNA MESS UP, AND DISGRACED AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST
The Australian journo, is well known for making money from creating fake drama and has been fired before following a “baby kidnap” scandal.
The latest development explains how and why there was a total media blackout against Zimbabwean journalists who for several months could broadcast Abigail Prangs’ own living room since 2018, but now at the point of meeting Abi’s “parents,” Australian journalists suddenly perform everything under the cover of darkness- They fly into Zimbabwe and even the national broadcaster, ZBC is not allowed near them. Why, and what is so secretive about a story publicly known in Harare since 1983? Why should foreigners be the ones to report on what they only read?
The man, Stephen Rice intended to make money out of the Abigail Prangs story, the Zimbabwean baby found dumped in 1983 documentary which StarFM and ZimEye have worked on since last year.
The development comes after Abigail had skipped vital stages of the DNA tests. She had even avoided the local Zimbabwean DNA centre fully equipped and which was still in the way to report back on their findings.
Global DNA’s Mr Tinashe Mugabe always insisted on further tests despite an initial sibling test (with an alleged sister, Lorraine Kamonere) yielding a passive 90,8% probability.
This was as Mr Mugabe said at this stage, the supposed parents, remained just alleged parents up until conclusive paternal and maternal tests had been conducted. As at the time when Stephen Rice and his filming crew were flying to Zimbabwe, there were none of these tests, the only one done being a mere half-sibling one.
There was a disturbing twist when Abigail rushed to declare she was now interested in a commercial contract offered for a money spinning documentary by Mr Rice. She reported to ZimEye that she had signed a contract with the disgraced Australian TV producer, Stephen Rice. Abigail even got to the point of ordering that all news articles produced since 1983 be deleted from the public domain and a new story would be published by the Australian TV producer.
The sudden rush to distort evidence was to the point of even ditching the services of the local DNA centre. Correspondence seen by ZimEye.com shows Mr Rice ordering that Mr Mugabe’s services be terminated and a different DNA centre be utilised. In a program on Tuesday, Abi was questioned by ZimEye why she had suddenly disconnected with the Global DNA. She reported back by briefly saying, “I have a lot of respect for Tinashe,” still without revealing any reasons why.
The flight from Australia to Zimbabwe came in the face of serious concerns raised by Mr. Mugabe in an earlier StarFM program when while with Tilda Moyo, he revealed that there was no excitement at all on the supposed parent’s faces when they heard news that Abi is their daughter.
Mr Mugabe said “there was no excitement” which would be expected in such a breakthrough situation. More drama however, emerged when the supposed father was found suspiciously and repeatedly skipping away everytime when the Global DNA staff members descended onto their home. For several months since December last year, Global DNA thrice visited the home in Chitungwiza seeking to complete the investigation.
Now, the 90,8% probability was to suggest that there was a likeliwood of the 2 tested individuals sharing a common parent. It was a half sibling test. However without further tests the sibling one would-be insufficient.
Scientists call the 90,8% as seen in the graph, mere “probative evidence.” It is probative, not conclusive evidence.
[SEE THE GRAPH ABOVE]
An elated Abi who reportedly booked into a local hotel soon after arriving in Zimbabwe was pictured in Unit M in Chitungwiza with her supposed relatives two days after her arrival before she disappeared to an unknown location. She shunned local reporters as she preferred her Australian based journalists despite that the local media houses had publicised her plight ahead of Rice. There was a publicly declared contractual arrangement with Zim media, but she chose to go “for money”, according to a commentator.
On Friday morning Abigail posted a status update revealing she was sad and disappointed. A day before she had publicly wielded a picture with her supposed mother.
That picture with her so called mum has since been removed.
Sources close to her revealed that the latest DNA tests show that she is not at all Edna Kamonere ‘s daughter. Sources close to her revealed that the results came out with a 0% probability (for maternity.)
Efforts to get a direct comment from Abi were fruitless at the time of writing. A direct comment from Mr Mugabe was difficult to obtain at the time of printing.
Mr Rice was reached for a comment between Wednesday and Friday and he had not replied messages at the time of publishing. His Zimbabwe based freelancer, Mr Tomas Brickhill however confirmed the development to ZimEye promising that Rice would be informed. – MORE TO FOLLOW…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says he has no ill feelings towards former President Mr Robert Mugabe and has opened regular communication channels with his predecessor to ensure that his welfare is well taken care of.
The President also revealed that Mr Mugabe (95) is currently receiving treatment in Singapore and Government will continue to look after him.
In a special Independence Day interview with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) yesterday, President Mnangagwa said he did not bear grudges with the former first family.
“There are no hard feelings between me and the former President as well as the former First Family. The former President is the founding father of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“He was our leader, the revolutionary leader during the armed struggle and led to the creation of Independence in Zimbabwe.
“With that regard, I think history should put his name in its proper place.
“We in the Second Republic, recognise that he was our former commander and that cannot be taken away from him.”
President Mnangagwa said he regularly checks on Mr Mugabe adding that the former President was currently receiving treatment in Singapore.
“We have established a communication method… We can talk on telephone between me and him on a regular basis.
“He has not been feeling well. At the age of 95, I think he is reasonably in good health. Currently he is not in the country. He left on the 2nd of April to Singapore, he will be way for about 29 days and he will come back.
“I am making sure that I do the facilitation for him to receive treatment, take him to Singapore and to bring him back, all the facilities, I make sure that it is done.”
With regards to his humiliation by the First Lady prior to Operation Restore Legacy, President Mnangagwa said the events are behind him.
He said at that time he remained unfazed in the face of the public attacks because he knew that the allegations levelled against him were false.
“Meanwhile there is the new Republic, we are seized with the challenges of the country and we are moving forward. What is behind us is behind us.
““To some extent I enjoyed the lies, here was the person attacking you on issues that are false and you cannot get angry when you know that if you can be given a chance to speak, you can destroy every single allegation that is being made, so you can’t get angry because the premises of attack were all false and crafted by individuals who wanted to cause me to be removed.
“ Perhaps I was standing in the way of some ambitious colleagues in the system. So I actually enjoyed the lies. This is why they probably didn’t give me the opportunity to respond in public because they knew they were lying.”
Families of the six people who died during the August 1 post-election violence last year are set to receive compensation from Government soon, as authorities begin implementing recommendations of the Motlanthe commission.
A working group of senior officials has recommended to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Political and Electoral reforms the need to prioritise compensation for families of the deceased, which could include school fees for their children.
Those who were injured will also be reimbursed the money they spent on medical assistance.
The proposals will, however, have to be approved by Cabinet.
Government, through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, is also setting up a fund to assist small businesses that were caught up in the mayhem.
Treasury and the Department of Social Welfare are currently computing the quantum of payouts.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Mrs Virginia Mabhiza – who was also secretary to the Motlanthe commission – told The Sunday Mail that only “direct dependents” of the deceased will receive compensation.
“The President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) set up a taskforce to implement recommendations from the (Motlanthe) commission, together with other reports from the various election observer missions,” said Mrs Mabhiza.
“But with respect to compensation, we have dealt with the issue at the working party level, which I co-chair together with Foreign Affairs (and International Trade), and what we have done is that we have made recommendations to the (Inter-) Ministerial taskforce requesting a budget that should be provided through the Department of Social Welfare to compensate the victims of the August 1 post-election violence,” he said.
The commission of inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence, which was chaired by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, recommended, among other things, that Government sets up a special committee to assess and determine the quantum of damages and compensation to be awarded to victims on a case-by-case basis.
The Department of Social Welfare will work on facilitating the payouts.
Mrs Mabhiza said: “In terms of implementation, that will largely depend on the availability of funds, so the Department of Social Welfare, who we have brought on board the taskforce, will look into issue of facilitating the compensation.
“The quantum of the compensation will have to be assessed by the Ministry of Finance, sitting together with the Department of Social Welfare – those are the people who are supposed to quantify and cause Cabinet to approve.”
Government also plans to liaise with the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR), a non-governmental organisation that reportedly assisted some of the victims, to identify those who may require assistance.
Thorough vetting will precede the planned disbursements.
“One of the findings was that a third force could have been involved and, maybe, police have to further investigate some of the issues before they can qualify for the compensation, but that is just my opinion,” she said.
ZADHR director Mr Calvin Kobiri said: “We produced a report which we duly submitted to the commission of inquiry. I will refer to that document and the final report produced by the commission.
“We only provided assistance for the injured for that time.”
According to the ZADHR report, 29 people in Harare were injured during the disturbances, while eight others were injured in Chitungwiza.
However, it is believed that families of the deceased will be given priority.
Relief will also be given to businesses, especially small enterprises, which were affected by the violence.
The six people who died are Brian Zhuwawo, Challenge Tauro, Jealous Chikandira, Gavin Dean Charles, Ishmael Kumire and Sylvia Maphosa.
The commission nailed several senior officials from the MDC-Alliance for incendiary rhetoric during the campaigns which resulted in the street riots.
A 25-YEAR-OLD Mushumbi Pools man was arraigned before a Guruve magistrate yesterday facing charges of killing his father with a hammer over a ritual.
Clive Jimmy of Bandayi village under Chief Chisunga was not asked to plead when he appeared before resident magistrate Shingirai Mutiro, who remanded him in custody to April 24 .
Prosecutors said on April 4, Bandayi had a misunderstanding with his father, Idaek Jimmy Bandayi (59), after accusing him of casting a spell on him before picking a hammer, which he then used to allegedly strike him three times on the head.
Idaek sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare where he eventually succumbed to the injuries the next day.
Bandayi allegedly claimed that a traditional healer from Mbire had told him his father caused his mental illness and that he once vowed that he would not marry as long as he was alive.
Former Health Minister David Parirenyatwa has been involved in a car-crash.
It was at the traffic lights at Samora Machel and Bishop Gaul avenue in Harare. It’s not clear how it happened but some say Parirenyatwa crashed into two cars.
ZIMBABWE’s continued use of the United States dollar is no longer sustainable for the economy as it hurts industry’s competitiveness, a Cabinet minister has said.
Industry and Commerce minister Mangaliso Ndlovu told a conference convened to discuss the impact of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s latest monetary policy statement held by Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) in Harare on Friday that he did not support the continued use of the US dollar.
In 2009, the country adopted a basket of currencies anchored on the greenback after it dumped its Zimbabwean dollar when it was rendered worthless by record-setting hyperinflation.
But since over half of Zimbabwe’s trade is within the Sadc region, particularly South Africa, using the greenback made Zimbabwean products more expensive when compared to others originating from the region.
“I am not a proponent of using the US dollar. I think I have made my point clear on this one.
“I do not believe it is good for our economy, I do not believe it is good for competitiveness of our products, more so now, when everyone is talking about the exchange rate because of the liberalisation that was done on the 20th of February,” said Ndlovu at the AMH Conversations titled: “Opportunities for Industry”.
With trade and investment between the US and Zimbabwe averaging less than US$200 million per annum, the country has struggled to generate adequate levels of the greenback for internal and external use.
According to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe lost about 50% of its competiveness in terms of export commodities by using the US dollar as a transacting currency as well as a local currency.
As a result, the country has been unable to sustainably generate foreign currency that meets both the local and external demand in terms of cash circulation and the importation of raw materials.
Last week, Ncube told Bloomberg TV that the country would introduce its own currency within the next 12 months to ease the internal and external demand for currency.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe blamed the shortage of foreign currency on a loss in confidence in government and monetary authorities.
“For business, the period from October can be described as a very hectic one,” he said.
“The policy measures that have been put in place are in line with a lot of our requests in terms of removing distortions in the market.
“But, unfortunately, a lot of them are coming at a time when there has been a loss of confidence and I must agree to some extent mistrust of government intentions.
“Then we have the introduction of the interbank market and unfortunately at the moment there have been lots of buyers, but sellers have been non-existent.
“Unfortunately, what we are hearing from the seller is that the rate that is on the market is not the market one, which is why we are finding players doing transactions outside the formal system.”
Jabangwe said government should create a platform where sellers and buyers could come together and discuss the best way forward.
“The lack of confidence in the official platform has now resulted in sellers not coming to the market,” he said.
“We believe if the (interbank forex market) is based on a willing buyer/willing seller platform the rate will effectively come down.”
Many businesses are currently not operating because they cannot access foreign currency to import critical raw materials.
Economists have also argued that using the US dollar as a stronger currency means that it will be costly to get it with the RTGS dollars unless one is willing to pay for its true value.
Parliament’s public accounts committee chairperson and former Finance minister Tendai Biti is on record calling for the adoption of the South African rand, which the country has better access to in terms of trade and investments.
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s bid to succeed the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai is in jeopardy after a rival camp approached the High Court seeking to stop the forthcoming congress, citing alleged irregularities in the ongoing nominations.
Chamisa has been nominated by all the six provinces that have held their congresses so far, eclipsing his rivals Douglas Mwonzora and Elias Mudzuri, who are yet to get any nominations for the top post. MDC has 13 provincial structures.
The opposition party’s 2018 presidential candidate has already been nominated by Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and North America. Mashonaland Central was voting last night.
Chamisa’s allies have also picked nominations for influential posts to be contested at the May 24 to 26 congress.
However, the former Kuwadzana MP’s surge could be halted if the urgent High Court application by a Gokwe-based MDC official Elias Mashavire to stop the congress succeeds.
Mashavire, who is believed to be a member of a rival camp seeking to stop Chamisa’s ascendanc,y filed the court application on Friday.
He argued that the party’s interim leader has no powers to call for an ordinary congress before the MDC holds an extra-ordinary congress to confirm him as the leader.
Chamisa is the first respondent in the case while vice-presidents Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Amos Chibaya have also been cited.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo is cited as the seventh respondent in the court application under case number HC8697/18.
“The determination of the above application many have the effect of nullifying any actions led and or presided over by the second respondent, Nelson Chamisa,” reads part of the application.
“Further, the determination of that application may also have the effect of compelling the first respondent to convene an extra-ordinary congress as opposed to the ordinary congress that has already begun.”
On September 24 last year, Mashavire approached the High Court seeking a declaration that Chamisa was not the party’s legitimate leader as he had not been endorsed by an extra-ordinary congress.
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appreciated the importance of dialogue on Gukurahundi saying that he would like to see people debating the subject in the public spheres including the media.
He said this while commenting on the discussions he had with some civil society groups at the State House in Bulawayo recently where Gukurahundi was discussed.
Mnangagwa said:
“These are citizens of the country. I discovered that actually, it was unfortunate that in the past we did not entertain such dialogue. It’s very useful. We learnt a lot from that dialogue and in fact the differences are not critical. There are issues that are discussed and together craft a way of moving forward. We discovered that in fact they are not saying they don’t want Government of the day. They are saying the Government of the day is failing us in this area and that area. And this is a platform where Government can explain itself and be able to appreciate the needs and priorities of the areas.
Now the question of Gukurahundi. We don’t see, personally, I don’t see anything wrong in debating it on television, newspapers, on platforms – let us debate it. It was so open a debate that at the end of the day, in fact, we feared nothing. There was nothing to fear about the debate. Actually, it’s critical that we have that debate and as a result of that conversation we had, we have created a matrix of implementation of the ideas, which I have already sent out to deal with issues that were raised. Some of the issues that were raised could have been resolved a long time back. There is no single issue, in my view, that cannot be discussed and a way forward crafted.”-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- Two Harare men have been dragged to court facing murder charges.
The duo allegedly murdered a man who asked for sex from their female colleague during a beer binge.
The two, Trymore White and Roy Kufahakurotyi appeared before Harare magistrate Victoria Mashamba.
They are being accused of fatally stabbing Thabiso Chatata at a night club in Kuwadzana. They were remanded in custody and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
The incident reportedly occurred on April 10, 2019, in the wee hours of the morning.
It was revealed in court that both accused persons were in the company of two ladies named Hilda Fourth and Nyaradzo Resoro.
When Chitata approached Resoro asking for sex, he was confronted and assaulted by the duo using a pool stick.
During the fracas over the pool stick between Chatata and Kufahakurotyi, White drew out a knife and charged towards the deceased. He reportedly stabbed Chatata three times.
When the deceased fell down, the accused persons fled from the scene.-DailyNews
By Own Correspondent- A 39 year old Matobo man has appeared in court for allegedly raping his nine-year-old daughter and indecently assaulting his seven-year-old daughter.
The accused person appeared before Bulawayo Regional magistrate, Ms Sibonginkosi Mnkandla, who remanded him in custody to April 26 for trial commencement.
Allegations are that on December 31 last year around 2PM the accused person forcefully took his two daughters from their mother’s homestead to his claiming that he had bought them clothes to celebrate New Year.
Prosecuting, Ms Concilia Ncube said the two girls retired to bed in a room that they used when their parents were still living together.
“On the same day, during the night the accused person took his children to his bedroom and instructed them to sleep on his bed,” said Ms Ncube.
It is alleged that the accused person was sleeping behind the nine year old when he raped her once.
The court heard that when he went on top of his nine year old daughter, she started crying and screaming and woke up her seven year old sister.
“He rubbed his privates on the thighs of the seven year old minor as the children jumped off the bed.
“The accused person produced a knife and threatened to kill his children if they ever reported the matter to anyone.
“On January 1 this year the two complainants ran away and met their aunt who referred them to their grandmother to whom they narrated what had happened, ”said Ms Ncube.
The matter was reported leading to accused’s arrest and the complainants were examined at Matobo Rural District Hospital and the medical reports were produced in court as exhibit.- StateMedia
The proposed IMF Staff-Monitored Program is an entry point for full support of the regime and it ignores the factors arresting the Zimbabwean economy.
Zimbabwe has had a stolen election; it was disputed by most players including the biggest political party, the MDC. More importantly, the election was condemned by every credible local and international observer mission.
The IRI/NDI observer mission found the election to have shortcomings “giving rise to deep concerns that the process has not made the mark.”
The EU observer mission referred to the results of the election to have contained many anomalies and inaccuracies.
On the other hand, the Common Wealth Group found the public media to have been biased towards Zanu PF, the security forces to have acted on behalf of Emmerson Mnangagwa and that incumbency privileges tilted the playing field in favour of the governing party. As such, the mission concluded that “we are unable to endorse all aspects of the process as credible, inclusive and peaceful.”
Ever since the political situation has deteriorated, violence broke out on the 1st of August, the Zimbabwe National Army opened fire on unarmed civilians indiscriminately and at least 7 people lost their lives, many others were injured.
In January 2019, a reckless 147 per cent fuel increase announcement triggered a nationwide stay away called by the biggest labour movement- the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
In response to the Stay Away, the government deployed soldiers especially in high-density suburbs who maimed and killed civilians indiscriminately; they committed other heinous crimes like rape, torture, abductions and robbery.
The fact of the matter is that the authority of Zanu PF to govern is not based on consent from the masses, their stay in power is now solely based on coercion and attrition.
A total breakdown of the social contract is, without doubt, a huge factor on the economy. Those in power are answerable to themselves, they have no concern of accountability, they pursue a narrow agenda of power retention and self-aggrandizement.
The economy is failing, despite initially predicting that the Zimbabwe economy will grow, even by IMF figures, the economy will shrink by up to 5,2 per cent.
The budget deficit continues to widen by unexplained holes.
The Presidency of Mnangagwa has been characterized by a lavish lifestyle of hiring Swiss Dreamliners and a bloated Cabinet with three similar ministries running parallel to each other under different names.
The exchange rate has collapsed, figures are cooked up, a fiscal appropriation was indexed in US dollars under a fictitious assumption that the bond note is equivalent to the US dollar.
A monetary policy statement meant to correct the myths has created a situation where the budget effectively shrinks from 8, 6 billion to 2,6 billion yet no expenditure is revised downwards.
In fact, the monetary policy fails to deal with the real exchange problems including the multiple rates of the US dollar versus the bond notes and the electronic transfer. As a result, the pricing system in the economy maintains three prices in respect of the above payment methods.
There are serious distortions on the market, most of which are deliberate; they benefit the elites who can still access US dollars at the 1:1 rate still maintained by section 43 of the RBZ Act.
More concerning is a forex retention scheme extended by the monetary policy announced in February 2019. Gold miners, tobacco farmers and many other exporters surrender up to 55% of their earnings in return for $RTGS.
The rate of retention is deliberately left undefined for the purpose of manipulation to serve a patronage agenda. All this creates problems.
Zimbabweans find creative means to avoid the legal routes of receiving international payments resulting in loss of revenue. At the core of the failure to deal with problems bedevilling the economy is also the issue of corruption.
There is corruption in the fuel industry and prices are pegged to benefit a cartel yet affecting the economy and driving inflation.
There is corruption on forex exchange, statutes are loosely and vaguely thrown around to benefit the cartel. These are issues that cannot be solved by a Staff-monitored program of the IMF.
They are issues of political will, governance and more importantly, they are issues of political legitimacy. The SMP is an entry point for full support for the regime whilst bypassing reforms. It is unsustainable.
Zimbabwe needs genuine reforms and not slogans. The IMF is not and has never been able to hold tyrannical regimes to account. Instead, under the excuse of sovereignty and through the instrumentality of these SMPs it has bought breathing space for autocrats unwilling and incapable of reform.
In Zimbabwe, the IMF have compromised and lied for the purposes of creating Staff work for themselves especially during Patrick Chinamasa’s time around the Lima Plan. Their approach is not based on multi-stakeholder consultation meant to reach an objective understanding of the political economy.
That is why as MDC we reject the SMP.
The onus is on the regime to carry out the reforms it has undertaken to do so on its own terms. Those reforms are defined in the TSP and the 2019 budget. The regime needs to earn its right to be respected.
Given its track record of false starts and policy reversals, an SMP is mendacious premature chlorination and endorsement of the failed military government.
By Own Correspondent- In his special independence day interview with the national broadcaster, President Mnangagwa spoke about the period when he was Vice President and was under public attack from the then first lady Grace Mugabe.
Mnangagwa said that he actually enjoyed the “lies” said as part of those public attacks as he knew them to be false.
He also said that he holds no ill-feelings for the former first family.
Said Mnangagwa:
“We are seized with the challenges of the country and we are moving forward. What is behind us is behind us. To some extent I enjoyed the lies, here was the person attacking you on issues that are false and you cannot get angry when you know that if you can be given a chance to speak, you can destroy every single allegation that is being made, so you can’t get angry because the premises of attack were all false and crafted by individuals who wanted to cause me to be removed.
Perhaps I was standing in the way of some ambitious colleagues in the system. So I actually enjoyed the lies. This is why they probably didn’t give me the opportunity to respond in public because they knew they were lying.”
In 2017, following the public attacks, Mnangagwa was eventually fired from his position as Vice President by the President Robert Mugabe in November 2017. Mnangagwa immediately fled the country reportedly fearing for his life. A military coup that removed Mugabe followed and Mnangagwa returned weeks later to become president of Zimbabwe.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that he now realises corruption in Zimbabwe is deep-rooted and has been institutionalised.
He said that his threats to fight corruption have not stopped corrupt people from the practice.
He was speaking during a special Independence Day interview with ZBC at State House.
Said Mnangagwa:
“I now realise that corruption is deep-rooted. I thought that by pronouncing that let’s fight corruption those who are corrupt will fear and stop; it’s not like that. It’s so rooted that you have to fight it from A to Z. (In) most systems, structures and institutions, there is an element of corruption.
To fight it, you need the police to unearth, investigate; but also within the police, there is corruption. The next stage, you need prosecution; that is the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) – they need to prosecute the cases, so once the cases pass the corruption in the police, it has to pass the corruption in the NPA, then it must go to the courts and there is an element of corruption in the courts, so the fight is so wide and deep.
A number of high profile corruption court cases have fallen apart with the accused going scot free. Such cases include Wicknell Chivayo and Supa Mandiwanzira amoung others.”-StateMedia
Zimbabwean President and the Zanu-PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday cautioned young people to be wary of party cadres with unbridled ambitions who may want to cause disunity in the ruling revolutionary organisation, Zanu PF, The Herald reported.
His remarks came while addressing the Zanu-PF National Youth Assembly in Harare where he also disclosed that his leadership will never allow “mafia-style” handling of Zanu-PF issues and urged party members to follow laid down procedures when settling grievances.
“If any members or structures of the party have any grievances, the laid-out rules, regulations and procedures must be followed,” said Mnangagwa.
“I know of some comrades who have been suspended or expelled, but no procedures were followed. That is not proper. When we are dealing with party issues you put aside your personal differences with the persons concerned. You must obey and follow the rules and procedures of the constitution, otherwise you will find yourselves in the wrong. Divisive, opportunistic or mafia-style handing of party affairs will never be accepted. You may feel that you are smart, but let me tell you this party, Zanu-PF, is always smarter.”
Over the past few months, votes of no confidence have been passed against some officials of the party’s national youth league executive recently and reports of similar actions were being initiated in other provinces.
The Zanu-PF Politburo put a stop to the unprocedural acts which had affected the youths’ leader Pupurai Togarepi, Deputy Secretary Lewis Matutu, Administration Secretary Tendai Chirau, Admire Mahachi and Mercy Mugomo.
“As you carry out both your political and development programmes you must be wary of those with brute, unbridled ambition and political gladiators. Be vigilant and alert as they may seek to sow seeds of disunity amongst yourselves, within the party and ultimately in the nation, for their own selfish ends. You must always foster loyalty, respect, honesty and integrity. Guard against silo mentality and self-centred behaviour. Continue to fight against corruption by exposing any suspected acts in every sphere of society,” said Mnangagwa.
He said mobilisation of party members should continue at all levels.
“The party is a party only if we have members,” the President said.
“As you are aware, the party has embarked on the restructuring of Harare and Bulawayo provinces. Don’t think the other eight are immune. This is an opportune time for you as the Youth League leaders to mobilise the youths of appropriate ages and skills mix to join your structures. Our desire is to see a vibrant Youth League that has a young, energetic, entrepreneurial, professional and patriotic members which encapsulates the Zimbabwe we all want.”
He went on: “I challenge you to be aggressive in inviting new members and retaining the old ones. Furthermore you should use unconventional strategies and platforms to draw young people of diverse backgrounds to join your League. I insist that you must study and draw lessons from other progressive parties who have transformed and modernised both the parties and countries. This will undoubtedly help in the development of more vibrant programmes and initiatives in the future.”
He said party members should be ready to move on as their positions were not permanent.
“We must be ready to move on,” he said.
“The only person who does not need to be ready to move on is Togarepi because he is appointed by the President. The rest of you must be ready to move on.”
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the Chinese President once told him about corrupt activities in Zimbabwe that he was personally not aware of.
Speaking about corruption in a special Independence Day interview with ZBC Mnangagwa said money from China was corruptly spent at the Harare City Council and that President Xi Jinping had told him about it.
Said Mnangagwa:
“We had a loan extended to Harare City Council by the Chinese for sanitation and water reticulation. That money was then used to buy cars and other luxuries. It didn’t address the issues for which the money had been given. So when I met my brother and colleague President Xi Jinping and discussed about this loan, I wasn’t aware that had happened and so I said, ‘Mr President, the loan was fully disbursed’, and he said, ‘my brother, the money was not used for what we had given you for.’ I was not aware people bought cars, some having workshops which had nothing to do with sanitation.
Those who spent the money are not in office anymore, but they are likely to be followed.”
It is not clear when Mnangagwa was told these things by the Chinese president.-StateMedia
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says compensation of white farmers is a constitutional issue.
Zimbabwean government has said there is a method and law to the country’s policy of compensating white former commercial farmers for improvements on the land, steeped in the Constitution and the Second Republic’s ethos, The Herald reported.
This comes after South African politician Julius Malema and some opposition fanatics in the country criticised President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stance of compensating white former farmers for the developments they made on the farms that were compulsorily acquired under the Land Reform Programme.
However, legal and political commentators said Zimbabwe, being a nation founded on the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution, should be commended for its decision to compensate the former occupants of the land.
The Government committed to compensating former farm owners in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and allocated US$53 million for the process in this year’s Budget.
TSP outlines steps to be taken to compensate white former farmers: “The New Dispensation has taken the decision to finalise compensation to all former farmers affected by the land reform programme, in accordance with the country’s Constitution and Zimbabwe’s obligations under bilateral agreements.
A working group, comprising Government officials and representatives of former farm owners, is working towards providing a Consensus-Based Compensation Framework for evaluating obligations to such former farmers.
The work of the Working Group will be expedited to enable Government and former farm owners, in conjunction with cooperating partners, to progress towards closure of the land issue.”
Commentators dismissed as baseless media statements by Malema labelling the President a “sell-out” for acting in terms of the law.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Malema was misinformed.
“The Chimurenga II Revolution was non-racial by nature,” said Mutsvangwa.
“This is a cardinal tenet even as it militarily confronted white minority racist and colonial rule. Regrettably and sadly, EFF leader (Mr Julius) Malema is hopelessly misinformed. Compensation for valuable assets built or installed on pieces of land is right and proper. It is distinct from non-compensation for the actual land which is a historical birth right of Zimbabwe’s majority black population. The land was reclaimed through blood sacrifice from the manacles of foreign conquerors.”
She said contrary to misconception, no new African farmers that were resettled during the historic land reform have been evicted to enable restoration to former land owners.
“The compensation will work towards a most harmonious society where we work all as a unity…no lethargy or let back stemming from past grievances. This gesture will earn goodwill from those nations who see inclusion and fairness in a Zimbabwe that respects that which is just in economic investment,” she said.
Minister Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa should be lauded for efforts to compensate the farmers.
“President Mnangagwa must be lauded for swiftly and boldly addressing the residual rancour’s that might still be lurking in our social fabric
“This compensation step is a shot in the arm for the Zimbabwe Is Open for Business mantra. Contrary to the prejudices of Mr Malema, this will lead to economic growth and greater prosperity regardless of race, colour, creed, religion or gender.
“It is all for the harmonious unity of Zimbabwe together as one,” she said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya-Moyo said Malema was ignorant of the history of Zimbabwe.
“Mr Malema demonstrated with malignant ignorance, his incapacity to comprehend the history of our land programme, let alone on that of our liberation struggle.
“He might need to come over for a proper lecture on this subject before opening his foul mouth,” he said.
Khaya-Moyo said the compensation issue dates back to the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979 when the British and American governments undertook to compensate the white farmers, but later on reneged on it.
“When we concluded the Lancaster House Agreement in December 1979, the British Conservative Government led by Mrs Margaret Thatcher undertook with their American friends to compensate the white farmers for the land needed for resettlement of the black majority.
“When the Labour government led by Tony Blair took over, the agreement was overturned. Tony Blair and his Government reneged on the Lancaster House Agreement, particularly on the land compensation issue,” said Khaya-Moyo.
Zimbabwe later introduced laws aimed at compensating white farmers for improvements made on the land acquired for resettlement.
By Own Correspondent- The government has revealed that it will compensate the families of the victims of the 1 August 2018 elections violence.
Those that will receive compensation include direct dependents of those killed and the injured whose medical expenses will be covered.
This is based on the Motlanthe commission report.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Virginia Mabhiza told the state media:
“……we have dealt with the issue at the working party level, which I co-chair together with Foreign Affairs, and what we have done is that we have made recommendations to the Ministerial taskforce requesting a budget that should be provided through the Department of Social Welfare to compensate the victims of the August 1 post-election violence.
In terms of implementation, that will largely depend on the availability of funds, so the Department of Social Welfare, who we have brought on board the taskforce, will look into issue of facilitating the compensation.
The quantum of the compensation will have to be assessed by the Ministry of Finance, sitting together with the Department of Social Welfare – those are the people who are supposed to quantify and cause Cabinet to approve.”-StateMedia
ZIMBABWE’s continued use of the United States dollar is no longer sustainable for the economy as it hurts industry’s competitiveness, a Cabinet minister has said.
Industry and Commerce minister Mangaliso Ndlovu told a conference convened to discuss the impact of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s latest monetary policy statement held by
Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) in Harare on Friday that he did not support the continued use of the US dollar.
In 2009, the country adopted a basket of currencies anchored on the greenback after it dumped its Zimbabwean dollar when it was rendered worthless by record-setting hyperinflation.
But since over half of Zimbabwe’s trade is within the Sadc region, particularly South Africa, using the greenback made Zimbabwean products more expensive when compared to others originating from the region.
“I am not a proponent of using the US dollar. I think I have made my point clear on this one.
“I do not believe it is good for our economy, I do not believe it is good for competitiveness of our products, more so now, when everyone is talking about the exchange rate because of the liberalisation that was done on the 20th of February,” said Ndlovu at the AMH Conversations titled: “Opportunities for Industry”.
With trade and investment between the US and Zimbabwe averaging less than US$200 million per annum, the country has struggled to generate adequate levels of the greenback for internal and external use.
According to Finance minister Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe lost about 50% of its competiveness in terms of export commodities by using the US dollar as a transacting currency as well as a local currency.
News As a result, the country has been unable to sustainably generate foreign currency that meets both the local and external demand in terms of cash circulation and the importation of raw material.
Last week, Ncube told Bloomberg TV that the country would introduce its own currency within the next 12 months to ease the internal and external demand for currency.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe blamed the shortage of foreign currency on a loss in confidence in government and monetary authorities.
“For business, the period from October can be described as a very hectic one,” he said.
“The policy measures that have been put in place are in line with a lot of our requests in terms of removing distortions in the market.
“But, unfortunately, a lot of them are coming at a time when there has been a loss of confidence and I must agree to some extent mistrust of government intentions.
“Then we have the introduction of the interbank market and unfortunately at the moment there have been lots of buyers, but sellers have been non-existent.
“Unfortunately, what we are hearing from the seller is that the rate that is on the market is not the market one, which is why we are finding players doing transactions outside the formal system.”
Jabangwe said government should create a platform where sellers and buyers could come together and discuss the best way forward.
“The lack of confidence in the official platform has now resulted in sellers not coming to the market,” he said.
“We believe if the (interbank forex market) is based on a willing buyer/willing seller platform the rate will effectively come down.”
Many businesses are currently not operating because they cannot access foreign currency to import critical raw materials.
Economists have also argued that using the US dollar as a stronger currency means that it will be costly to get it with the RTGS dollars unless one is willing to pay for its true value.
Parliament’s public accounts committee chairperson and former Finance minister Tendai Biti is on record calling for the adoption of the South African rand, which the country has better access to in terms of trade and investments.
By Own Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s Presidential Spokesperson, George Charamba has said that government has woken up to its responsibilities on Gukurahundi adding that the conflict had casualties on both sides.
Charamba was responding to questions from The Standard’s Obey Mayiti who asked him if the recent announcements by the government mean that it is finally acknowledging that there were atrocities in Midlands and Matabeleland.
Said Charamba:
There was conflict, which claimed lives and you noticed I never used words such as atrocities because if you are true to history, you will know that in a conflict situation atrocities do happen on both sides of the conflict.
We do have quite a number of people who died or suffered at the hands of the dissidents.
We also have quite a number of people who are said to have suffered at the hands of security forces then.
Once you acknowledge that there is a conflict situation then necessarily there is some suffering, which is what motivated the former president to describe it as a moment of madness. So it cannot be a new acknowledgement.
It isn’t, but what has happened is that government has awoken up to its responsibilities in dealing with that question frontally
The government recently announced that those affected by Gukurahundi can now exhume and rebury of victims of Gukurahundi. It also said the facilitation of birth certificates of victims affected by Gukurahundi is a priority.”-TheStandard
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s bid to succeed the party’s founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai is in jeopardy after a rival camp approached the High Court seeking to stop the forthcoming congress, citing alleged irregularities in the ongoing nominations.
Chamisa has been nominated by all the six provinces that have held their congresses so far, eclipsing his rivals Douglas Mwonzora and Elias Mudzuri, who are yet to get any nominations for the top post. MDC has 13 provincial structures.
The opposition party’s 2018 presidential candidate has already been nominated by Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Midlands, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and
North America. Mashonaland Central was voting last night.
Chamisa’s allies have also picked nominations for influential posts to be contested at the May 24 to 26 congress.
However, the former Kuwadzana MP’s surge could be halted if the urgent High Court application by a Gokwe-based MDC official Elias Mashavire to stop the congress succeeds.
Mashavire, who is believed to be a member of a rival camp seeking to stop Chamisa’s ascendanc,y filed the court application on Friday.
He argued that the party’s interim leader has no powers to call for an ordinary congress before the MDC holds an extra-ordinary congress to confirm him as the leader.
Also cited, Engineer Elias Mudzuri
Chamisa is the first respondent in the case while vice-presidents Morgan Komichi and Elias Mudzuri, secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and organising secretary Amos Chibaya have also been cited.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Japhet Moyo is cited as the seventh respondent in the court application under case number HC8697/18.
“The determination of the above application many have the effect of nullifying any actions led and or presided over by the second respondent, Nelson Chamisa,” reads part of the application.
“Further, the determination of that application may also have the effect of compelling the first respondent to convene an extra-ordinary congress as opposed to the ordinary congress that has already begun.”
On September 24 last year, Mashavire approached the High Court seeking a declaration that Chamisa was not the party’s legitimate leader as he had not been endorsed by an extra-ordinary congress.
High Court judge Justice Edith Kuda Mushore reserved judgement on the matter on March 14, 2019, a week after Chamisa issued a notice that the opposition party would convene its congress between May 24 and 26.
Mashavire insists that MDC’s structures that were elected at the last congress in October 2014 must remain in place until October this year.
“The ordinary congresses being convened and conducted are therefore unconstitutional and legal,” he added.
“I believe it is a ploy by the second respondent (Komichi and Mudzuri) to create structures that are aligned to him, as is already confirmed by a letter send to the fourth
respondent (Mwonzora) and seventh respondent (Moyo) and chairperson of the independent electoral commission of the MDC.”
He argued that Chamisa took over the leadership of the MDC and was using “the usurped powers and authority to deliberately decimate and re-arrange the party structures in
order to predetermine the presidential race.”
Mashavire said Chamisa has already changed the 2014 party structures to his prejudice as he was no longer a delegate at the forthcoming congress.
Mudzuri told this publication last month that the MDC must first hold an extra-ordinary congress to choose Tsvangirai’s successor using 2014 structures. He also referred to
Chamisa as the vice-president.
Tsvangirai died in February last year after a battle with colon cancer.
Meanwhile, MDC provincial congresses have allegedly been marred by manipulation of structures, violence, intimidation of Chamisa opponents, with voting going into midnight.
The process has left some party bigwigs frustrated as some are being thrown by the wayside.
“The provincial elections were marked by what was clearly a choreographed pattern of intimidation, vote rigging and open violence to supporters of Chamisa’s rivals,” one official said.
“The pattern began with the delayed commencement of the voting process and ended with the announcement of Chamisa and his slate as the winners in the dead of the night, after midnight in all three cases.”
However, the party’s spokesperson Jacob Mafume claimed the process had gone on very well.
“Our provincial congresses are meeting the standard of democracy and complying with the MDC constitution,” he said.
“The history of congress is that, it can only end when business on the agenda is all dealt with. In any case, we have not received any formal complaint from anyone.
“Our constitution provides for a dispute resolution mechanism and if one has a challenge around the elections, it will be dealt with before the main congress.
“We are so quite happy with the way we have handled our process so far.”
Chamisa has in the past accused Zanu PF of trying to influence the outcome of the MDC congress.
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that it was unfortunate that government in the past did not entertain dialogue adding that he would like to see people debating the subject of Gukurahungi in the newspapers.
He was commenting on the discussions he had with some civil society groups at the State House in Bulawayo recently where Gukurahundi was discussed.
Mnangagwa said:
“These are citizens of the country. I discovered that actually, it was unfortunate that in the past we did not entertain such dialogue. It’s very useful. We learnt a lot from that dialogue and in fact the differences are not critical. There are issues that are discussed and together craft a way of moving forward. We discovered that in fact they are not saying they don’t want Government of the day. They are saying the Government of the day is failing us in this area and that area. And this is a platform where Government can explain itself and be able to appreciate the needs and priorities of the areas.
Now the question of Gukurahundi. We don’t see, personally, I don’t see anything wrong in debating it on television, newspapers, on platforms – let us debate it. It was so open a debate that at the end of the day, in fact, we feared nothing. There was nothing to fear about the debate.
Actually, it’s critical that we have that debate and as a result of that conversation we had, we have created a matrix of implementation of the ideas, which I have already sent out to deal with issues that were raised. Some of the issues that were raised could have been resolved a long time back. There is no single issue, in my view, that cannot be discussed and a way forward crafted.”-StateMedia
AFTER losing his two opening matches of the season, Mark Harrison made five changes for the clash against Highlanders at Rufaro yesterday and the Briton was all smiles at the final whistle.
“It was important that we did not lose the game, we needed to get something out of it,” said Harrison after watching his team come from behind to secure their first Castle Lager Premier Soccer League win of the season.
Harare City lost 0-2 to FC Platinum before being humbled 1-3 by Manica Diamonds last weekend.
The poor start forced Harrison into chopping Maxwell Nyamupanedengu, Takudzwa Chimwemwe, Ray Uchena, Moses Muchenje and Ishmael Wadi out of the starting XI.
In came goalie Kelvin Shangiwa, Gareth Madhake, Munyaradzi Diro Nyenye, Learnmore Muyambo and Tatenda Tumba.
Yet it was Highlanders who had the better start.
The visitors took the lead on 25 minutes through Prince Dube who beat Harare City’s offside trap before unleashing a powerful strike from inside the box.
However, the Sunshine Boys rallied back with goals from Diro Nyenye, Walter Mukanga and Tatenda Tumba weighing out Dube’s effort.
“We had control of the game, even when they scored, which was an unfortunate goal, I knew we were going to win the game. The boys who stayed in the team and those that came in did a fantastic job and I am well pleased with the result.
“Changes needed to be made because the performance last week was a disgrace, heads had to roll,” added Harrison.
Diro Nyenye capitalised on a defensive blunder to tap home on 29 minutes while Mukanga put the home side into the lead when he got to the end of a Martin Vengesayi cross.
Tumba increased the Sunshine Boys’ lead in the 58th minute after some brilliant footwork inside the box.
Harare City were awarded a penalty in the 75th minute when substitute Denzel Chimwemwe was pulled down by McClive Phiri, who was subsequently sent off, but Mukanga wasted the opportunity to grab a brace.
Bosso coach Madinda Ndlovu lamented his players’ failure to come to the party.
“Congratulations to Harare City for their first win of the season they wanted it, and you could see that they were much hungrier than us.
“And I admit that we gave the game away easily and the score line is not a correct reflection of the game we should have lost by a bigger margin,” said Ndlovu.
However, Ndlovu remains optimistic that his charges will be in the championship equation this season.
“Losing one game doesn’t mean that we cannot win the championship, you can lose four games and still win the championship so do not count us out of the race yet,” said Ndlovu.
Teams
Harare City: K Shangiwa, M Machazane, G Madhake, M Nyenye-Diro, M Ncube, L Muyambo, W Mukanga, T Tavengwa, K Musharu, M Vengesai (D Chimwemwe 73), T Tumba (W Manondo 74’)
Highlanders: A Sibanda, M Phiri, B Musaka (R Lunga), B Banda (M Sibanda 62), P Nyirenda C Siamalonga 78’), N Masuku, M Ndlovu, P Mudhuwa, T Ndlovu, T Makanda, P Dube
By Own Correspondent- Presidential Spokesperson, George Charamba has said that Gukurahundi was a conflict with casualties on both sides.
Charamba was responding to questions from a local publication if the recent announcements by the government mean that it is finally acknowledging that there were atrocities in Midlands and Matabeleland.
Said Charamba:
There was conflict, which claimed lives and you noticed I never used words such as atrocities because if you are true to history, you will know that in a conflict situation atrocities do happen on both sides of the conflict.
We do have quite a number of people who died or suffered at the hands of the dissidents.
We also have quite a number of people who are said to have suffered at the hands of security forces then.
Once you acknowledge that there is a conflict situation then necessarily there is some suffering, which is what motivated the former president to describe it as a moment of madness. So it cannot be a new acknowledgement.
It isn’t, but what has happened is that government has awoken up to its responsibilities in dealing with that question frontally
The government recently announced that those affected by Gukurahundi can now exhume and rebury of victims of Gukurahundi. It also said the facilitation of birth certificates of victims affected by Gukurahundi is a priority.”-TheStandard
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that he would like to see people debating the subject of Gukurahungi in the newspapers.
He was commenting on the discussions he had with some civil society groups as the State House in Bulawayo recently where Gukurahundi was discussed.
Mnangagwa said:
“These are citizens of the country. I discovered that actually, it was unfortunate that in the past we did not entertain such dialogue. It’s very useful. We learnt a lot from that dialogue and in fact the differences are not critical.
There are issues that are discussed and together craft a way of moving forward. We discovered that in fact they are not saying they don’t want Government of the day. They are saying the Government of the day is failing us in this area and that area. And this is a platform where Government can explain itself and be able to appreciate the needs and priorities of the areas.
Now the question of Gukurahundi. We don’t see, personally, I don’t see anything wrong in debating it on television, newspapers, on platforms – let us debate it. It was so open a debate that at the end of the day, in fact, we feared nothing. There was nothing to fear about the debate. Actually, it’s critical that we have that debate and as a result of that conversation we had, we have created a matrix of implementation of the ideas, which I have already sent out to deal with issues that were raised. Some of the issues that were raised could have been resolved a long time back. There is no single issue, in my view, that cannot be discussed and a way forward crafted.”-StateMedia
FORMER PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s health woes continue with the 95-year-old veteran politician reportedly in Singapore in his many expensive health related sojourns to the Asian country.
This was revealed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during an interview with state media ahead of the country’s Independence Day celebrations Thursday.
Mnangagwa said he was in constant touch with the man he overthrew in a military assisted coup November 2017 to check on his health.
“He has not been feeling well. At the age of 95, I think he is reasonably in good health. Currently he is not in the country. He left on the 2nd of April to Singapore, he will be away for about 29 days and he will come back.
“I am making sure that I do the facilitation for him to receive treatment, take him to Singapore and to bring him back, all the facilities, I make sure that it is done.”
Evening during his time as the country’s leader, Mugabe often flew out to Singapore to receive specialist treatment by doctors outside, often inviting scorn from opponents for abandoning his own health delivery system he has poorly presided over for decades, to seek better hospitals abroad.
However, at 95 and looking visibly weaker than he was before, Mugabe’s health fears can only continue to mount.
His family and doctors have had the discipline of keeping his condition a closely guarded secret.
According to a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks 2011, then central bank governor Gideon Gono was cited as saying Mugabe suffered prostate cancer which could lead to Mugabe’s death in three to five years from 2008.
Mugabe, who has declared he will live up to a hundred years, has miraculously fought ill health and has outlived some of his wartime colleagues.
By Own Correspondent- Speaking on Zimbabwe’s upcoming Independence celebrations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the country’s opposition parties should be treated with dignity and are invited to the official independence celebrations.
He said this during an Independence special interview with the ZBC yesterday.
Mnangagwa said that there’s a need to treat the opposition with “dignity and the respect they deserve” as they are part of the institutions of the country.
Said Mnangagwa:
“These are Zimbabweans, they are part of the machinery of Government, they are part of the machine, they are in Parliament, they are part of the institutions of the country, they are most welcome and we will give them the dignity and the respect they deserve.
That is that but those who decide not come we will not force them to do what they do not want to do. This is the duty of democracy.”
Mnangagwa has been criticised for not including the country’s main opposition party, MDC in its ongoing “dialogue” with the country’s political leaders. The opposition party has refused to be part of dialogue if certain conditions are not met.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that RTGS$ 310 million has been allocated to each province in order to ensure decentralise development.
Speaking during a special interview to commemorate Independence Day coming this week, Mnangagwa said that each province will have the liberty to decide their development priorities and spend the money accordingly.
Said Mnangagwa:
“We have put some money, which is around RTGS$310 million, which translates to a huge sum that is given to each province to deal with priority areas which they themselves as a province, as a locality, as local communities, think are priority in their area; hence, the Government thinks globally over the entire country and says we think this is a priority in Manicaland, this is priority in Mashonaland East, this is a priority in Mat North, but the people in Mat North themselves if given a budget, they have priorities different from those structured or crafted by central Government.”
The 2019 Independence celebrations have the official tagline “Zimbabwe @39: Embracing Devolution for Vision 2030”.- StateMedia
A MAN from Dete has been arrested after he exposed his manhood to two women before threatening to impregnate them with “twins as their husbands were useless”.
Watson Tshuma (51) of Jwape Village under chief Nelukoba in Lupote, Dete appeared before Hwange provincial magistrate Ms Barbara Phiri last week who convicted him of “disorderly conduct in a public place”. He pleaded not guilty but Ms Phiri convicted him due to overwhelming evidence. He was fined $50, failure of which he would spend one month behind bars.
Tshuma claimed that he was not aware of the allegations levelled against him, arguing that he never saw the two women on the day.
The court heard that on 6 March 2019 at 4pm, Ms Tendai Siakonoka was at her shop, Jealous General Dealer at Lupote Business Centre serving customers when Tshuma walked in. He started hurling vulgar language saying he wanted to bed her as he was a better lover than her husband whom he said was impotent. The court heard that Tshuma said he wanted to give her twins. He then turned on the customer Siakonoka was serving, Ms Balbina Nemananga and said the same words to her.
The two women decided to go outside in an attempt to avoid him. However, Tshuma followed them while exposing his manhood where he urinated pointing at the stunned women. A report was made to the police in Dete leading to his subsequent arrest.
By Own Correspondent- A man’s defamation lawsuit against the government-controlled tabloid, H-Metro hit a snag after a High Court judge Justice Helena Charewa dismissed his claim.
The man was however slapped with an order to pay the legal costs.
Said Charewa in her ruling:
“The headline of the publication complained of merely states that ‘Man evicts Jairos Jiri members’ it does not impute any wrongdoing on the plaintiff (Sibanda). In fact, prima facie, the ordinary reader would presume that the eviction is lawful because there is no imputation that it was otherwise,”
Former President Canaan Banana with wife and children
THE widow of former President Canaan Sodindo Banana, Mrs Janet Madade Banana, who returned to Zimbabwe after an 18-year stay in the United Kingdom is admitted at a private hospital in Bulawayo where President Mnangagwa has ordered relevant organs of the Government to cater for her medical bills and ensure that she starts receiving her pension.
The move by Mnangagwa follows a ZimEye.com exposè last week that the former First Lady was turning into a destitute with government ignoring her.
Mrs Banana (83) is the widow of Rev Banana who was the country’s first President and was in office from 1980 to 1987.
“I have been back in the country for four months now and I have not been feeling well as you can see I am hospitalised. I came thinking I was going for a holiday to enjoy then illness struck me. So I had to be hospitalised first in South Africa then I was admitted here in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Mrs Banana said that the Government has started supporting her and has even provided her with security.
“Yes, the Government is supporting me very much in my treatment since I arrived. The problem is that I am in and out of hospital and the thing is I don’t know when I will recover from this illness,” she added.
Mrs Banana said she was grateful to President Mnangagwa for the aid that she has been given so far.
“I would like to say thank you very much to President Mnangagwa for the support he has given me. All the efforts that they have been making together with those that work with him are excellent. I was away for 18 years and I am very grateful for the assistance that has been rendered to me by the Government of Zimbabwe. The Government is in the process of processing my dues and other things and I am just waiting for them to conclude their work but it is in order.”
Asked on whether she would return to her UK base, Mrs Banana said she was uncertain.
“I am not sure of my future plans. As you can see I am old now and maybe this is the time to consider coming back home for good and settle here and do some farming, join others in the farms. I have many people who will help me,” she said.
Her son Nathan who was on her bedside said it has been an emotional four months following his mother’s return and commended the Government for taking care of her.
“We are happy that our mother has been receiving good care, the whole family is happy, again we are excited for her return.
Sources added that the Government was also in the process of securing housing for her. The Deputy Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba, however, said “as a matter of fact all First Ladies get a spousal benefit or allowance.” He added, “About a pension you need to check with the Pensions Department or Minister Sekai Nzenza about that. I am not competent enough to give a position at the moment,” he said.
The church believes that blood transfusion is evil.
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy from Bulawayo is precariously clinging to life, as his parents, who are staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses are allegedly refusing that he undergoes a blood transfusion to save his life, citing church religious reasons.
The minor (name supplied) who is admitted at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), has reportedly been in hospital for the past three months, after suffering a cancerous ulcer, which saw him losing his left leg. According to health workers at the hospital, doctors had initially prescribed that the boy undergoes a blood transfusion, before he eventually lost his leg.
“The boy is not producing blood and the wound is not healing. A few weeks ago his leg fell off on its own, as it was rotting and was dry. Right now he is only receiving medicine to assist him to generate blood but it appears to be futile. His parents refused him to undergo a blood transfusion, saying it was against their church doctrine,” said a source from the hospital.
The workers also alleged that the boy’s mother has kept him guard since February to ensure that the hospital does not carry out blood transfusion as prescribed.
“We are not God and neither do we have the ability to see into the future but the boy doesn’t have much time to live,” said the source.
Sunday News visited the hospital, where it witnessed the boy’s mother standing guard besides his hospital bed. The mother declined to talk to the Press concerning the issue. UBH clinical director Dr Narcisius Dzvanga confirmed the issue, saying the hospital was only administering drugs to help the boy generate blood and also to ease the pain.
“It is their religion and as a hospital we respect their wishes. The boy is getting injections to help generate blood but his parents are adamant about getting a blood transfusion. As doctors we cannot determine much on the boy’s life,” said Dr Dzvanga.
A similar case of a Jehovah’s Witness couple from South Africa, was reported in that country, after the family refused their chronically ill child undergo a blood transfusion. Their decision ended up being challenged in a court of law. The court ordered that the five-year-old child who was suffering from sickle cell anaemia be given the blood transfusion, but the parents defied the order saying that they believed there was an alternative medical approach to save him.
MDC President Nelson Chamisa on Wednesday showed signs of rare commitment to the cause of the party as he managed to stay put at the Midlands Province Congress all the way up to late into the early hours of the morning to be in solidarity with the party members as they drew the future of the party.
Soon after the province elected its new executive, the new provincial leadership unanimously nominated Chamisa for party presidency ahead of the congress where elections for national office bearers will be held next month.
Chamisa was accompanied by party Deputy Chairman and Vice President hopeful Tendai Biti.
Chamisa’s long time ally and Gweru Mayor Councillor Josiah Makombe is now the new provincial chairperson for Midlands South Province. Clr Makombe, who was being contested by Davis Shoko garnered 878 votes while his rival got 542. Mr Cleopas Shiri who was also vying for the same post chickened out at the last minute.
Makombe will be deputised by Sydwell Bhepe. Other elected leaders to the main wing include Messrs Lazarus Chacha, Livingstone Chimina, Lloyd Mkapiko and Takavafira Zhou who grabbed the secretary, treasurer, provincial organ and information secretary posts respectively.
Ms Cathrine Gosho will chair the provincial women’s league while Ms Sekai Marasha won uncontested to be the youth league chair.
Soon after the elections, some of the party members raised concern over the exclusion of women in the provincial executive.
Ward 4 councillor Catherine Mhondiwa said it was worrying that women were not being represented in the provincial executive.
“We are not happy as women because the whole executive members are men. We feel sidelined. Why were women not allocated their portion or slots in the executive and they compete for those positions on their own?” she said.
Clr Makombe dismissed the allegations that the elections were manipulated.
“In every election people complain. So what people should do is to graciously accept defeat and move on. Everyone in the party has one president Advocate Chamisa, so when people say Chamisa’s people were voted into the executive it means they are not MDC-Alliance because Advocate Chamisa is the president,” he said.
Clr Makombe said women will fill other positions that are not voted for in the executive.
“Women did not participate in the elections so what we have done is that there are 46 members of the executive. So only 10 positions are voted for and the rest, people will be co-opted. So we are going to co-opt more women,” he said.
SCHOOLGIRLS who fall pregnant while at school must not be expelled but be allowed to continue with their studies if they wish to proceed as provided for by Statutory Instruments 362 and 363 of 1998, an official has said.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Matabeleland South Legal Services and Discipline officer Mrs Sihle Nkala told delegates who attended a Masakhaneni Projects Trust conference in Bulawayo last week that heads and school authorities were not empowered to dismiss pregnant pupils. Mrs Nkala said all schools and their heads that expel female learners after they fall pregnant were violating the policy which is entailed in document P35 of the Ministry.
“Our policy is that all children should go to school. This is provided for by the Constitution which says every citizen has a right to education and as such pregnant school girls are also children and citizens. The policy says the head, after finding out, should contact the parents of the girl first and summon them to the school. After informing the parents and determining whether the pregnancy was a result of mutually consented sex or rape, the parents should make a decision whether the girl remains in school or drops out,” said Mrs Nkala.
She said if the parents are willing that their child continue learning, schools should provide support systems as set out by the Ministry’s policy. The support systems include guidance and counselling as well as constant monitoring. She, however, said the policy was not applicable to boys who must be expelled from school if they impregnate a female learner.
Mrs Nkala said a boy who impregnate another learner must be expelled and wait for a year before readmitted at another school.
The ministry, she added, introduced non-formal education in 2015 to cater for 1,2 million school drop outs who fell by the sideway due to different reasons. She said the programme allowed drop outs to further their academic education or acquire vocational training. Masakhaneni Trust has been working with schools and the ministry to try and help girls who would have dropped out of school to return to the class.
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy from Bulawayo is precariously clinging to life, as his parents, who are staunch Jehovah’s Witnesses are allegedly refusing that he undergoes a blood transfusion to save his life, citing church religious reasons.
The minor (name supplied) who is admitted at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), has reportedly been in hospital for the past three months, after suffering a cancerous ulcer, which saw him losing his left leg.
According to health workers at the hospital, doctors had initially prescribed that the boy undergoes a blood transfusion, before he eventually lost his leg.
“The boy is not producing blood and the wound is not healing. A few weeks ago his leg fell off on its own, as it was rotting and was dry.
Right now he is only receiving medicine to assist him to generate blood but it appears to be futile. His parents refused him to undergo a blood transfusion, saying it was against their church doctrine,” said a source from the hospital.State media
Didymus Mutasa (left) what new ideas can he still offer to ZANU PF and the country.
INDICATIONS are that the ruling Zanu-PF party is considering wooing former president Robert Mugabe to re-join the revolutionary party.
Mugabe was ousted in a military coup in November 2017 that was preceded by a decade of deadly factional fights within Zanu-PF that saw a number of officials purged.
Already former Zanu-PF bigwigs Didymus Mutasa and Ambrose Mutinhiri have been readmitted by the ruling party after years in the political wilderness.
After his exit from Zanu-PF, Mutinhiri went on to become the leader of National Patriotic Front and contested in last year’s presidential elections in which he garnered only 4 107 votes, representing 0,1 percent of the ballots cast.
At the moment, Mugabe is of advanced age after celebrating his 95th birthday in February and struggles to walk without any assistance.
At that age, he should be left alone to rest while enjoying whatever time he is left with on this earth with his family.
While there is no harm in Zanu-PF reminiscing about the past, it needs to look ahead and prepare for the future. Instead of spending precious time in attempting to lure Mugabe into its ranks, the party should be preoccupied with recruiting more young people into its structures.
A considerable amount of time must also be spent in grooming the new recruits to be future leaders. Every Zimbabwean should be concerned with what is happening in Zanu-PF because it is the ruling party in power for the next four years.
Whether the party goes on to win the 2023 harmonised elections or not, there is no denying that it must work towards its renewal.
The world over, political parties are now allowing their young members to take up more influential positions and even leading.
However, this will not be possible when Zanu-PF keeps on recycling nonagenarians like Mugabe and Mutasa etc. Due to his high sense of entitlement, there is no way Mugabe would want to return to active politics as a mere card carrying member without any influential position.
This is a man who enjoyed 37 years in power and ruled with an iron fist; it was his way or nothing. Roping in back these stalwarts will only stifle the young people who should now be mentored to be future Zimbabwe leaders.
As such we need to see Zanu-PF giving leadership opportunities to the young Turks among their ranks.
He has been accused of being unprofessional, but that has seemingly not stopped Jah Prayzah’s preferred video director Vusa Blaqs from souring relationships further with some artistes in the industry.
The latest to fire shots at the famous video maker is former Star Brite winner Novuyo Seagirl who has accused him of swindling her out of her money and making false promises.
“My music is not giving me much so I have to work hard to fund for my education and getting money for my AEIOU music video was really a struggle, but Vusa has not delivered the video. I don’t think he would have taken this long if it was Jah Prayzah’s video or if he would have ignored his calls and texts,” she continued.
With six months gone with no video delivered, the two agreed on a refund, something Seagirl said Blaqs is yet to do. “He doesn’t even want to pay me back my money. All he does when I send him messages is to tell me he has not forgotten, he says he is trying to put the money together as he is waiting for payments from other jobs,” she said.
When contacted for comment, Blaqs first denied owing the singer, but later admitted, saying he might not have delivered because he works on many videos for many artistes.
“I might have not delivered because she did not pay in full or I’m still working on the video. As it is I’m travelling, going to another video shooting,” he said.State media
Temba Mliswa says those who pin hopes on factional fights in ZANU-PF are foolish, because there are no such factional fights and President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga are actually “inseparables.”
“Anyone who ever dreams that there are factions in ZANU-PF is a pathetic dreamer. ED and Chiwenga are inseparable.
“To pin any hopes on perceived factions in ZANU-PF is not only retrogressive, it’s folly,” Mliswa said.
The talkative independent legislator for Norton also poked fun at the majority of MDC MPs who are lawyers yet could not deliver victory to their party and ended up as backbench warmers.
“Going forward, a new culture must be established. We cannot continue voting on partisan lines. It must be about competence.
“For example, look at the MDC, how many lawyers does that party have in Parliament? They should be over 17. Sadly, most of them are mere bench warmers.”
THE Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe has extended the shelf life of selected ARVs after conducting research that show that the drugs are still effective.
The move put to rest fears by some patients who had complained that some health facilities were now dispensing expired ARVs. In an e-mailed response to Sunday News, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Gerald Gwinji said the life span of the selected drugs has been extended to July.
“The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) extended the shelf life of selected batches of Tenofovir/lamivudine 300/300mg to June and July 2019 after conducting the necessary tests.
The MCAZ processes include laboratory testing using internationally recognised protocols. The ministry has approved the distribution of the extended Tenofovir/lamivudine 300/300mg,” he said.
Dr Gwinji said all health facilities in the country that have stock and patients on the drugs should continue to dispense the ARVs until the end of the shelf life.State media
The Glamour Boys lost the match 2-0 at Barbourfields Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and a lifeless first half saw the Harare giants conceding both goals before the break.
The hosts set the pace in the early moments of the game and were awarded a penalty in the eleventh minute which was converted by in-form striker Clive Augusto. Innocent Muchaneka followed up on minute 18 with an effort which could have doubled the advantage, but it went straight to hit the woodwork.
Nonetheless, the Gamecocks got their second goal three minutes later through Malvin Gaki who was fantastic throughout the match.
Augusto came back again, searching to complete his brace, but his effort was cleared off the line by Tatenda Muringai moments after half hour
.
Dynamos made a change towards the break, introducing Godfrey Mukambi for Jarison Selemani with a hope of turning around the fate but were dealt another blow in the 42nd minute when Sadomba received his second booking.
The expulsion triggered some crowd trouble from the Dembare stand and the play was temporarily stopped.
The restart to the second period was also affected. Dembare, however, managed to improve but failed to bury home at least an effort inside the regulation time.
The match ended 2-0 in favour of Chicken Inn who are still to lose a game this season.
At Rufaro Stadium, Mark Harrison’s gamble to field junior players paid off when his Harare City got the first win of the campaign at the expense of Highlanders.
The Sunshine Boys came from behind and beat a 10-man Bosso side 3-1.
Prince Dube opened the scoring in the 26th minute to put the visitors ahead. City responded just before the half-hour through Munyaradzi Diro-Nyenye who finished off Milton Ncube’s free-kick from the edge of the box.
Walter Mukanga then completed the turn-around on minute 32 before Tatenda Tumba hit the target early in the second half. Mukanga could have gotten his second goal of the day in the 76th minute but was denied from the spot by Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda.
Defender McClive Phiri did not finish the game as he received a red card in the incident that led to a penalty.
The encounter between TelOne and ZPC Kariba ended in a 1-0 result in favour of Kauya Katuru-turu.
Results:
Chicken Inn 2-0 Dynamos
Harare City 3-1 Highlanders
TelOne 0-1 ZPC Kariba – Soccer24 Zimbabwe
