Farai Dziva|Cornered Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke allegedly invited MDC A secretary general Douglas Mwonzora to the ancient city to meet with the provincial executive, sources have claimed.
Maboke defied party leader Nelson Chamisa’ s directive to step down two weeks ago.Maboke is reportedly working with Mwonzora, his mentor in the legal profession, to topple Chamisa.
“The mayor is in the thick of things and he has a case to answer because a clandestine meeting was held at his offices in town,” said a member of the MDC Veterans Activists.
Farai Dziva|Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has reiterated that those who wish to topple MDC A president Nelson Chamisa are hoping to use Twitter to win the elections at the May Congress.
“Those who want to contest @nelsonchamisa
for MDC presidency and other leadership positions should be nominated in the on going provincial congresses; don’t listen to social media nominations, opinions from people like us who are not MDC members. You wont be elected on Twitter!”
“For power to be fully legitimate then, three conditions are required; its conformity to established rules; the justifiability of the rules to shared beliefs; the consent of the of the surbodinate or of the most significant among them to the particular relations of power,” said Dr Ruhanya.
A lawmaker in Tanzania has proposed extending president John Magufuli’s stay in office, beyond 2020, when the latter’s current term of office expires.
Mtera MP, Livingstone Lusinde, who is also a member of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party told his colleagues in parliament, that there is no reason the country should conduct a costly presidential election in 2020.
‘‘It is costly to hold presidential election, and as we all understand, no one can defeat president Magufuli,’‘ Lusinde said.
Lusinde’s proposal would keep Magufuli in office until 2025, while maintaining civil and legislative elections next year.
‘‘The country should let president Magufuli proceed for another five years.’‘
Magufuli, who assumed the office of president in November 2015, has previously dismissed proposals by his party to extend his rule, advising all Tanzanians to instead focus on developing the country.
Ironically, Lusinde also argues that money saved from skipping next year’s presidential election, could be redirected towards development projects.
Correspondent|KADOMA businessman and miner Litten Chikoore captured assaulting a man for stealing from him was yesterday sentenced to eight months in prison which were wholly suspended by a local magistrate.
Kadoma Magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba suspended the first three months on condition that Chikoore residing in Waverley Suburb, Kadoma does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
Gwazemba further suspended the remaining five months on condition that Chikoore performs 175 hours of community service at Kadoma General Hospital starting today.
In passing sentence, he considered that the medical report exhibited in court showed that the complainant did not sustain serious injuries and the force used was moderate with no danger to life.
Gwazemba had initially convicted Chikoore last week Friday after he pleaded guilty to the assault charge.
Initially, District Public Prosecutor Gracious Chaminuka initially told the court that Chikoore assaulted Pedzisai Mangisi of Chief Nemangwe area in Gokwe South several times all over the body with a baton on an unknown date sometime in November last year at his mine in Kadoma.
Chaminuka said Chikoore deserved a custodial sentence as he was a potential criminal with previous three cases at the court which were all withdrawn, in 2014 attempted murder case under CRB number 12/06, same year another of impersonation as a cop CRB number 12/08 and in 2016 for allegedly contravening the Mines and Mining Act.
Chikoore’s lawyer, Ignatius Murambasvina of Murambasvina Legal Practice however pleaded with the court to give the convict a non-custodial sentence arguing that he was a first offender and also co-operated well with the police as he handed himself and assisted them locate the complaint.
He also said Chikoore was a breadwinner to his two wives and six children and the complaint did not suffer serious injuries as shown by the medical report exhibited in court.
Murambasvina said his client first handed Mangisi to the police after discovering that he had stolen his 400 grams of gold, but they were ordered to agree on an out of court settlement which infuriated him leading him to assault the complainant.
He said Chikoore had already suffered psychological trauma as the matter had received much attention on social media, local and international media.
By Own Correspondent| Addressing the media at a post cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday, government, announced new producer prices for the major cash crops ahead of the 2018/19 season harvest.
The new prices are as follows:
Maize – RTGS$726 per tonne
Wheat – RTGS$1089.69 per tonne
Soya – RTGS$918 per tonne
Cotton – RTGS$1950 per tonne
Meanwhile, the government will sell maize at a 38.5% discount to millers, maintaining a subsidy on the staple crop.
Pastor Admire Kasi on Monday appeared in court charged with fraud that happened in 2002.
Pastor Kasi was arrested soon after returning to Zimbabawe from his United Kingdom base.
It is the State’s case that sometime in 2012, Priscilla Moyo saw an advert in a local newspaper that indicated Adsa Real Estate was selling a stand in Bluffhill, Harare.
She became interested and proceeded to Adsa Real Estate offices on February 22.
Moyo, the State alleged, paid a total of Z$1 495 537 in three instalmants for which she was given receipts.
After paying the full purchase price, Moyo who was then based in Botswana, gave his brother Kennedy power of attorney to sign the agreement of sale which was done on February 25.
It is the State’s case that on March 18, Moyo paid the balance of Z$580 000 to Adsa Real Estate’s secretary and was issued with a receipt.
She was promised the title deeds.
Moyo, the court heard, did not develop the stand but was later surprised to see someone else developing it.
By Own Correspondent| An MDC stalwart escaped death by a whisker after his car was hit by a lorry on the driver’s side resulting in the car swerving off the road around 9pm Tuesday.
Denford Ngadziore who is the MDC councilor for Mabelreign was involved in an accident near Specimen in Glen Norah where he was coming from attending a party meeting.
In an interview with ZimEye, Ngadziore said the truck hit the driver’s side of his vehicle resulting in his car landing on the side road.
He was alone in the vehicle and has since been taken to hospital.
A ZESA senior manager who is facing sexual harassment charges has had more woes added to his plate, after images of him having a good time with a female subordinate leaked online.
Christopher Tendekayi Mundembe who is the Human Resources regional manager at ZESA Chinhoyi appears in the photos with Tsakani Chauke, a Midlands State University (MSU) student who recently completed her internship at the power utility.
Mundembe is facing charges of sexually assaulting another attachment student at his workplace.
Some of the images also show Mundembe and Tsakani at a Kariba Hotel.
When reached for comment by H-Metro, Mundembe said: “My mobile was stolen last week and I am still to find out who exactly leaked the photographs as all my contacts received the photos.
“I replaced the line and upon switching it on I received several calls concerning the photographs.
Chauke on the other hand also said that she was not aware how the photos had leaked.
She went on to say: “I never asked him if he was together with his wife. Also, we last communicated long back and I was not aware that he still had the photographs.”
Mundembe is also facing charges of sexually harassing another student who was on attachment at the power utility.
Mundembe is alleged to have called the student into his office and demanded a hug.
When the student refused, Mundembe allegedly grabbed and fondled the student’s breasts and buttocks without consent.
The victim initially reported the matter internally, but when she saw that nothing was being done she escalated the matter and reported the case to the police.
Mundembe is expected back in court on the 15th of April.
ZIMBABWEAN women and young girls living with HIV rank third in SADC region on the back of legal and policy barriers as well as gender based violence, a UNAIDS report reveals.
Tailing South Africa having the highest number of young women and adolescents of 4, 4 million followed by Mozambique with 1,3 million, Zimbabwe has 780 000 young girls infected with the disease.
The report UNAIDS: HIV and Women released on Tuesday notes these high figures have been attributed to the legal age of consent to sexual health services and teenage pregnancies.
“Adolescent girls and young women are still disproportionally affected by HIV. In eastern and southern Africa in 2017, 79 percent of new HIV infections among 10–19-year-olds were among females. An estimated 50 adolescent girls die every day from AIDS-related illnesses. And each day, some 460 adolescent girls become infected with HIV.
“Accountability is critical and we are far behind reaching the Fast-Track Targets for 2020 agreed by all countries in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS.
“Services for adolescent girls and young women are especially failing to reach those who are falling the furthest behind—adolescent girls and young women who experience gender-based violence, who are sexually exploited or who use drugs, among others,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.
Gender based violence was also linked to the increase of number of women living with HIV.
“Women who have experienced violence are 50 percent more likely to be living with HIV. Women who have been physically or sexually abused by their partners report higher rates of mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, higher use of alcohol and less control over sexual decision-making,” says the report.
The studies were carried out by UNAIDS and other organisations.
After Zimbabwe is Zambia having 670 00 infected girls while Malawi has 630 000 and Botswana 220 000.
Trailing Botswana is Angola with 200 000 young females followed by Eswatini with 130 000.
Namibia has the least number of women living with the disease as the whole region has 20 720 000 of affected females.
The report also notes that in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, less than 50 percent of young people living with HIV were aware of their HIV status, compared to between 74 percent and 80 percent of adults aged 35–49 years living with HIV in the same countries.
UNAIDS also found that only 36.4percent of young men and 29.8percent of young women in sub-Saharan Africa have basic knowledge about how to protect themselves from HIV.
“Ensuring access to HIV prevention services is critical. Because adolescent girls and young women often have a perceived low risk, uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis and condoms is limited. Education plays a critical role. Uneducated girls are twice as likely to acquire HIV as those who have some schooling.
“Better integration of HIV services with sexual and reproductive health services and antenatal care is also needed. Once enrolled in HIV-related care, young people aged 15–19 years are more likely than adults to drop out. Young women face major challenges with adherence to lifelong antiretroviral therapy, including difficulties disclosing their HIV status to partners and families.
“Pregnant adolescent girls and young women in particular are less likely than older pregnant women to know their HIV status before starting antenatal care.
“Adhering to HIV treatment can be especially difficult for pregnant teenagers and girls subjected to violence, among other groups of adolescent girls living in vulnerable situations.
“Stigma and discrimination, especially surrounding adolescent girls’ sexuality, alongside HIV disclosure issues and travel and waiting times at clinics, are among the reasons for low adherence,” the report says.
By Wilbert Mukori|HISTORY has the habit to repeat itself! In the 1970s Ian Smith came up with a plan to silence his political opponents accusing him of heading a white racist regime. He arranged to have a few blacks to be appointed as MPs. In the early 1970s it was Chief Chirau and others.
Only a village idiot believed Chief Chirau et al had any meaningful political power but that did not stop them boasting of how powerful they were.
Ian Smith was smart enough to know the majority of blacks had dismissed Chief Chirau and company as a gimmick. And so he went back to the drawing board and refined and develop the scheme building up to internal settlement and the formation of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia with Bishop Abel Muzorewa as the Prime Minister.
Ian Smith saw to it that the whites retained all the economic and political power but, again, it did not stop Muzorewa boasting how powerful he and his friends were.
Thank God the blacks who were demanding one-man one-vote and Zimbabwe’s independence did not listen to Muzorewa’s boastful wittering would have taken decades if not generations to finally achieve black majority rule. Remember Smith have vowed there would be no black majority rule in Rhodesia “not in a thousand years!”
When Mnangagwa seized power from Robert Mugabe in November 2017, he did not waste time in assuring his Zanu-PF cronies that they hold on power was secure. “Zanu-PF ichatonga! Igotonga! Imi muchingohukura! Nokuhukura!” (Zanu-PF will rule! And rule! Whilst those calling for democratic reforms bark! And bark!) he told his cronies.
After the 2008 election fiasco that resulted in Mugabe and Zanu-PF being forced to share power with MDC in the GNU, Mugabe learned that as long as he allowed the opposition to win a few gravy train seats he could rig the elections and get away with it. Regardless how flawed and illegal the elections got, the opposition, hungry for the scraps, would never boycott the elections. Mnangagwa has adopted the same dirty tactic and it has worked for him too.
Whilst only Muzorewa and his followers had fallen for Ian Smith’s bait, almost everyone in the opposition camp has swallowed Zanu-PF’s bait, hook, line and sinker!
The opposition participated in last year’s even though it was clear Mnangagwa would rig the elections. Even when ZEC failed to release a verified voters’ roll, a certainty the regime was set to rig the elections; still that did not stop the opposition contest every seat. There were 23 presidential candidates.
Even with everyone else condemning last year’s elections as a farce, the opposition parties have endorsed Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF’s victory. Mnangagwa has rewarded those who have endorsed his victory with an invitation to interparty dialogue and a taste of the gravy train life. The invitees have responded positively showering Mnangagwa with praise, just as Chief Chirau and Muzorewa had done to Smith.
“As we approach 2023 this is not the time for confrontation; it does not help to fight Zanu-PF because we know it has all the might as the ruling party government. We do not have to underestimate their political and security muscle, not to mention their financial muscle. As the opposition we have to tread with care, strategise and find common ground with those holding the horses,” wrote Harold Wilson, leader of the Democratic Opposition Party, in Bulawayo 24.
Zanu-PF blatantly rigged last year’s election, just as the party has done in the last 38 years, and we must cow down in submission and grovel. Appeasement has not worked for the last 38 years and still we are being argued to try it.
“Insanity is trying the same over and over again and expect a different result,” said Albert Einstein. Insanity would be wholly inadequate in describing one trying the same thing over and over again for 38 years!
“Does this mean we agree with this government? Of course we don’t, hence the dialogue, but for us the welfare of Zimbabwe and her people trumps any personal ambition. It is not going to be easy, but the dialogue needs mature people and if we did not participate who was going to be the adult in that room?” piped in Abednico Bhebhe, chairperson of the Thokozani Khope led MDC-T.
By participating in the flawed and illegal elections MDC-T, together with all the other opposition parties gave the rigged elections some measure of credibility as David Coltart, another opposition leader readily admitted in his book.
“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the (2013) elections,” he wrote.
The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu-PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would turn August them.
The obvious thing for the opposition to have done was to boycott the elections and now these meaningless political dialogues headed by an illegitimate regime. They did not because of greed. How the opposition’s greed can ever be considered “welfare of Zimbabwe” beggars belief!
Zanu-PF blatantly rigged last year’s elections and the only logical solution is to force the illegitimate regime to step down. The party should be punished for rigging the elections, not rewarded with absolute power!
Besides, unless Zanu-PF steps down to allow the nation to implement the democratic reforms to stop the party rigging elections; it is naïve to expect the party to reform itself out of office. If Zanu-PF is still in power in 2023 we can be 100% certain that the party will rig that year’s elections and thus fulfil Mnangagwa’s pledge of “Zanu-PF ichatonga! Igotonga!”
History has the habit of repeating itself and those who are seemingly incapable of learning from it, even after 38 years of repeating the same foolish mistake, will repeat the same mistakes. The nation has paid dearly for its folly and today the price has risen to not just heart-breaking human suffering but poverty induced lingering death!
Bid by Zengeza East legislator Goodrich Chimbaira (MDC-ALLIANCE) and Ward 14 councillor Chengetai Nyagondo to get freedom hit a snag after Chitungwiza resident magistrate Mr Nyasha Vitorini denied the two bail last Saturday.
The two, who are being represented by Mr Alec Muchadehama, are facing charges of committing public violence during the party’s recently aborted district elections in Chitungwiza. The trial date has been set for May 15.
Prosecutor Mr Tatenda Mukatera alleged that on March 30 between 4pm and 4:10pm, Chimbaira and Nyagondo, together with their accomplices who are still at large, denied the witnesses entry to a house in Unit J, where the MDC-Alliance was conducting district elections for candidates to contest at the elective congress set for May.
Afterwards, Chimbaira, Nyagondo and their accomplices began to assault former Chitungwiza deputy mayor Jabulani Mtunzi, Lilian Munyangadzi, Moreblessing Simango, Rabani Pirikisi, Andrew Samuriwo, Moses Tsikwa and Abigail Tarupiwa using stones and open hands. Chimbaira then also allegedly attempted to run over Mtunzi, who is also Chitungwiza provincial MDC youth chairperson, with his Toyota Fortuner and he sustained some injuries.
Mtunzi was rescued by some members of the public. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Chimbaira and Nyagondo’s arrest.State media
REMIER Soccer League chairman Farai Jere says referee Thabani Bamala, who is in the eye of a storm in the wake of his handling of the showdown between Highlanders and CAPS United at Barbourfields on Sunday, should not be crucified for the controversial way in which he ruled out a late goal by the Green Machine.
Instead, said Jere, Bamala should be praised for the way he managed a game that was full of tension.
The Battle of the Cities encounter ended in a goalless stalemate, but CAPS United were left to feel hard done by Bamala after he ruled Dominic Chungwa’s late goal had been struck from an offside position.
Jere, who is also the CAPS United president, said he would advise his club against lodging any formal complaint, against Bamala for Sunday’s incidents insisting that, apart from the moments that have triggered debate, he believed the referee had handled the game well.State media
All is not well in the Doembare camp ahead of the crunch premiership tie against high flying Bulawayo giants Chicken Inn this weekend. The veteran captain couldn’t manage his anger and slapped Chinani after a heated exchange of words.
Sadomba shouted at Chinani after the goalkeeper made another silly blunder at training,which resulted in a goal by Mukambi “Watanga ka zvima blunder zvako zvakatidyisa pa Hwange, stupid ” shouted Sadomba, to which Chinani responded angrily “mudhara imi murikutsvagei mu ground vezera renyu vave masabhuku kumusha uko get away mhani”.
In a fit of rage, Sadomba grabbed Chinani by the collar and slapped him once before other players restrained him. The technical team is busy handling the case.Dembare.coms
Farai Dziva|ZIFA is counting its losses after the AFCON qualifier between Zimbabwe and Congo.
The association released the figures for the revenue generated from the match on Monday and revealed that there is a financial loss of $105 475, 49.
36 971 people paid their way to watch the game in the 60 000 capacity seater venue of which 35 977 bought the cheapest while 894 people acquired seats at bays 15 to 18. Only 100 fans paid for the VIP section.
The net revenue generated from ticket sales amounted to $424 470 and the breakdown is as follows:
ROG: $359 770
Bays 15-18: $44 700
VIP: $20 000
(All values in RTGS$)
After adding the $4 068 generated from vendors, and Prophet Walter Magaya’s donation valuing at $103 230, the total revenue realised from the Warriors/Congo match stands at $531 768.
However, the match related expenses were $105 475, 49 more than the money realised.
Farai Dziva|The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has sealed two sponsorship deals, it has emerged.
In an interview with Chronicle, PSL boss Farai Jere said that the details of the deals would be announced next week.
There will be a four-team invitational tournament and a top-eight competition.
“We are at a stage where we are trying to push the brand,” Jere told the newspaper. “Next week we will be talking about a top-four invitational tournament that will be based on what the sponsor asks.”
“We have a top-eight sponsor to be announced next week. We’re very busy with these sponsorship deals, and this is a clear sign that the PSL brand has become a brand of choice. Lots of sponsors are jostling to be in partnership with the PSL, and we’re not resting.”
PSL recently struck a deal with Fidelity Life Assurance who will cater for the medical welfare of all PSL players and technical officials. The sponsorship package which is pegged close to $1 million per season will also see those who suffer career-ending injuries getting a once-off lump sum of $15 000.
The cover, however, applies to injuries sustained during official PSL duties.
Farai Dziva|Political observer Ezra Tshisa Sibanda believes the MDC A electoral processes are chaotic.
Below is Sibanda’s analysis of the MDC A Congress:
MDC is going for Congress but which structures will the party use to elect new leadership?
From the look of things, this Congress appear to be using MDC T structures left by the late Morgan Tsvangirai. If indeed they are using these structures, it means people like Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and all others in the alliance are not eligible to contest because they don’t belong to the original MDC T and are not members.
What happens to members of the parties they led if ever they have followers?
As far as l am concerned MDC Alliance has no structures and it’s an alliance of political parties created for the purposes of last year’ s elections. A political alliance is an agreement for cooperation among different political parties on common political agenda, often for purposes of contesting an election.
Therefore that alliance should have been dissolved after losing elections. If these leaders of different political parties want to contest in MDC Congress, what happens to their original parties? Why not dissolve those parties and join MDC?
You can’t be elected by MDC structures and still lead another party outside MDC. This is political theatre!!!
Farai Dziva|Cornered Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke allegedly invited MDC A secretary general Douglas Mwonzora to the ancient city to meet with the provincial executive, sources have claimed.
Maboke defied party leader Nelson Chamisa’ s directive to step down two weeks ago.Maboke is reportedly working with Mwonzora, his mentor in the legal profession, to topple Chamisa.
“The mayor is in the thick of things and he has a case to answer because a clandestine meeting was held at his offices in town,” said a member of the MDC Veterans Activists.
Farai Dziva| Some men in Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province are raping their biological daughters to obtain bumper harvests.
According to state media reports Incestuous relationships are said to be rife in the remote district as chiefs’ courts have to deal with a lot of cases of rape which involve men and their daughters. Young pregnant girls are reportedly turning up at health facilities in droves.
“Ward 2 has the most reported cases of incest involving fathers and their daughters. And according to some of the victims, they are being forced to be intimate with their fathers.
Some of the girls fall pregnant and that is when the crime is revealed, but because they are cut off from clinics and police posts it becomes difficult to report.
… We also highlight the importance of accessing health services such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and emergency contraceptive methods when there are such cases.
PEP involves the taking of antiretroviral medicines to prevent infection with HIV within 72 hours of exposure.
Overall, reports indicate that rape cases in Zimbabwe have surged over the years. In 2018 a report by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency revealed that 7 394 cases had been reported in the first quarter of 2017,” A Non Governmental Organisation has reported.
By Own Correspondent| A Kadoma based Zanu Pf thug who was caught on camera while brutally assaulting a Gokwe man for stealing gold from him is set to perform 175 hours of community service after he was found guilty of assault.
Following Litten Chikoore’s video where he was assaulting Pedzisai Mangisi went viral, ZimEye launched a manhunt for him in a development which resulted in his identification before he handed himself over to the police.
He was sentenced to eight months in jail before magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba suspended the whole sentence on condition that he performs 175 hours of community service at Kadoma General Hospital.
A further three months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Chikoore (35) of Waverly in Kadoma appeared in a 45-minute video recorded in November 2018 brutally assaulting 30-year-old Mangisi with a baton stick. He was accusing Mangisi of stealing gold from him.
Chikoore later handed himself to the police and was incarcerated. He pleaded guilty to assault charges when he initially appeared in court on Friday.
Farai Dziva|Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has reiterated that those who wish to topple MDC A president Nelson Chamisa are hoping to use Twitter to win the elections at the May Congress.
“Those who want to contest @nelsonchamisa
for MDC presidency and other leadership positions should be nominated in the on going provincial congresses; don’t listen to social media nominations, opinions from people like us who are not MDC members. You wont be elected on Twitter!”
“For power to be fully legitimate then, three conditions are required; its conformity to established rules; the justifiability of the rules to shared beliefs; the consent of the of the surbodinate or of the most significant among them to the particular relations of power,” said Dr Ruhanya.
By Own Correspondent| Zengeza West legislator and lawyer Job Sikhala who was yesterday barred from representing two parliamentarians facing allegations of demanding a $400 000 bribe from a local businessman has vowed to challenge the decision by parliament through the courts.
Sikhala was barred from representing Binga North member of parliament Prince Dubeko Sibanda and Magwegwe legislator Anele Ndebele after the committee set up by Parliament to investigate the matter ruled that there was conflict of interest due to his role as a Member of Parliament.
Ndebele and Sibanda are facing the allegations together with Temba Mliswa (Norton) and Zanu Pf’s Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe Kabuyuni)
The four were members of the now disbanded Mines and Energy Committee and are accused of demanding the bribe from James Ross Goddard of JRG Contracting (Pvt) Ltd as a “facilitation fee” to enable him secure a contract to mine coal at Hwange.
By Own Correspondent| MDC legislator Job Sikhala’s bid to represent his colleagues facing a parliamentary probe following allegations of corruption yesterday hit a snag after the Privileges Committee of parliament ruled that he was conflicted.
However, Sikhala vowed to challenge the ruling at court arguing that his clients’ rights to fair and just representation by a legal practitioner of their choice had been violated.
The Priviledges Committee led by Chairperson Chief Fortune Charambira ruled that Sikhala could not represent Magwegwe constituency legislator Anele Ndebele and Binga North member of parliament Prince Dubeko Sibanda in a parliamentary hearing over $400k corruption allegations arguing that he was conflicted.
Charumbira said the committee resolved to excuse Sikhala since he was also a legislator who would debate parliamentary motions of findings by the committee on Sibanda and Ndebele.
However, Sikhala vowed to challenge the decision by parliament through the courts.
Said Sikhala:
“……they have reduced the hearing to a Zanu Pf kangaroo court where they have roped in my clients into their factional fights.
….They are also scared of my capacity to defend my clients because they know they have no case…
Test assured, I am going to take this case further. I am seeking recourse through the courts because it is a Constitutional violation….”
We are told lawyer, Job Sikhala is filing an appeal against a ruling that he is conflicted. If he successfully files the appeal the proceedings will be stopped
ZimEye brings you live the Parliamentary probe into corruption allegations against Norton legislator Temba Mliswa, Anele Ndebele, Prince Sibanda and Zanu Pf’s Chikomba.
The Sunday Times has reported that deceased Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi gave Jacob Zuma over R400 million for safekeeping.
The report alleges that the Libyan dictator gave an estimated $30 million in cash to Zuma to keep in his underground bunker at Nkandla. While Gaddafi had agreed to a peace deal of sorts in 2011, he was captured and killed later that year.
Zuma held onto the money and the report suggests it was the reason why former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela was not allowed access to the bunker during her investigation of Nkandla in 2013.
Since, Zuma moved the millions to neighbouring Swaziland under the care of King Mswati. Allegedly, the King told president Cyril Ramaphosa last week that he has the missing millions.
The speculation is linked to a Sunday Independent report in 2014, which revealed that nearly R2 trillion in Libyan assets had been ferried to Pretoria for safekeeping. Given the chaos that followed in Libya during Gaddafi’s removal, it has been difficult to track the states assets.
However, Zuma was close to Gaddafi and the report revealed he convinced the north African leader to step down in 2011.
At the time of writing, there has been no official statement from Ramaphosa, Zuma or King Mswati.
By Own Correspondent| Nedbank Zimbabwe bank tellers who were arrested last week on allegations of defrauding Nedbank of USD $1.1 million are accusing the management of the bank for being behind the scam.
A leaked audio recording of a meeting apparently held yesterday by the tellers contains details of how the management turned a blind eye and also actively participated in defrauding the bank of US dollars against Bond Note deposits.
Nedbank executives, said one teller, would go to some branches and demand to withdraw US dollars against their Bond Note accounts.
Said one bank teller in the meeting:
Whenever the executives, especially at those branches which they were frequenting, whether they were withdrawing from their RTGS account or from their Nostro, they’d always maintain or demand to withdraw that in USD.
So we don’t know what triggered this but our suspicion is that it started there on top because we started to hear these stories sometime back. We never knew that it was going to be thrown wholesomely on us and probably we are the easiest target for them to just pounce on.
Another teller said that there was a policy at the bank that bank staff could get their salaries in USD even though they had Bond Note accounts. Said the teller:
You would have noticed that as staff we had a privilege of being given 100% of my salary once off per year in USDs. If I applied for an overdraft, I was given USDs but it was coming from the Bond account – it was 1:1.
In addition to that, I think my colleague will support me – staff withdrawals authorised by one of the executives. He’d just send an email [saying] “Pay”. And usually $800 to $1,000 US Dollars. We had no Nostro account. These were Bond accounts. That’s how we could facilitate withdrawals…. And we wonder now why fall heavy on us.
By Own Correspondent| Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube revealed last week that vehicle importers will continue to pay duty in foreign currency.
Following the 2019 Monetary Policy Statement, business people have been calling on Government to charge vehicle duty using the local currency.
The Monetary Policy Statement introduced an interbank market for forex and RTGS dollars.
Ncube who gave the government’s position in an interview said:
Look, I don’t want to chop and change policies too much. Every other week you change policy because you have this and that; it’s not very good.
I am sticking to the payment of duty in the forex; basically in the currency someone has acquired the vehicle, it could be in rand, it could be in US dollars, whatever currency you acquire it in, pay in that currencVehicle imports have been rising exponentially since 2009 from US$250 million to upwards of US$800 million in 2010.
Own Correspondent|FORENSIC auditor and investigator Ralph Bomment Greenacre has nailed Mines Minister Winston Chitando in a case in which Hwange Colliery lost US$111 million from government to fund its revival in 2016.
Chigumba was recently sensationally revealed to be involved in an extramarital relationship with ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba.
Chitando, who was the Hwange Colliery board chairperson at the time in question, embarked on unethical practices during his tenure because a company transporting the bulk of the coal at the mine, Inductoserve, was linked to his constituency in Gutu, and that he was paying journalists “bribes” to cover up corruption.
“Management during the chairmanship of Chitando embarked on extensive unethical practice of paying what I define as ‘bribes’ to many journalists under the guise of corporate social responsibility,” read the forensic audit prepared by investigator Reynolds Tendai Muza of Ralph Bommet Greenacre.
“Management during the chairmanship of Chitando embarked on extensive unethical practice of paying what I define as ‘bribes’ to many journalists under the guise of corporate social responsibility,” read the forensic audit.
Hwange Colliery was hurriedly put under reconstruction by Chitando and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi; an issue which the Parliamentary Mines Committee during the chairmanship of Temba Mliswa felt was to cover up corrupt practices at the mine.
“During the year 2016, the mine got a United States dollar $111,5 million 15-year loan from the Ministry of Finance which attracts an interest of 7% per annum in the form of Treasury Bills (TBs), although TBs styled in the US dollar are not money that can be utilised to pay for foreign currency-denominated logistics,” Muza said in the forensic audit.
“Audited accounts show that the company made a loss after tax of $115 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, but in 2016 after implementing Ralph Bomment Greenacre and Reynolds turnaround quick wins, the performance improved by 37,6% in under six months, and the loss for the year came down to $89 million. The 2017 audited results show that the loss for the year went down to $43 million, a 62,61% cumulative improvement in under one-and-a-half years, and by 2018 as at September 30 management accounts show that the loss for the nine months stood at $32 million,” he said.
Muza said some directors at Hwange felt that its waning fortunes could have been because the board appeared to be leading the company into “reckless trading” and deviating from the “quick wins” which were directed by Ralph Bomment Greenacre and Reynolds in order to turn around its fortunes.
“There was trading with gross negligence, buying of Turbo mining equipment ($2,02 million) without due diligence when the equipment was only worth $823 000 only; and (there was) no valuation; and (there could also have been) money laundering involving Inductoserve, a contracted foreign haulage company,” read the forensic audit.
When Muza appeared before the Mines Committee last year to give oral evidence, he said 68% of coal transportation at Hwange Colliery was being done by Inductoserve, adding that several companies performed incompatible functions of loading coal.
He said there were fraudulent activities by companies ferrying coal at Hwange where they overstated the tonnage.
“Assuming the tonnage is deemed to be 30 tonnes per each load, a truck that makes 10 loaded trips per day is deemed to have ferried 300 tonnes per day. There is persuasion for hired truckers to make more trips per day, but carrying less than the assumed 30 tonnes. Because of the foregoing weaknesses, tonnages recorded in forecasting processing at the processing plants can be overstated or misleading,” Muza said.
MDC President Adv Nelson Chamisa addressing party supporters in Gweru Mkoba Stadium recently.
Own Correspondent|Reports coming through indicate that the Matabeleland North MDC provincial structure has snubbed their founding provincial chairperson Morgen Komichi in their list for national leadership of the party.
Sources on the ground revealed that the party members nominated President Nelson Chamisa as their preferred leader of the party seconding Welshman Ncube, Tendai Biti and Thabitha Khumalo as his Deputies.
Unlike other provinces that have submitted their nominations, the province ignored Komichi who started his political career in the province when he was employed at the ZESA Power Station in Hwange at the founding of the MDC in 1999.
Also snubbed by the province are ambitious Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora and former Harare Mayor Engineer Elias Mudzuri who are hoping to be nominated to challenge Chamisa at the presidency.
The usually very principled province expressed their true nature of home allegiance when they nominated one of their own, Joel Gabbuza Gabuza to contest the national chairman position.
Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume was yet again nominated to retain his position with Midlands lawyer Brian Dube receiving the province’s confidence to deputize him.
Other party heavyweights who were excluded by the province include outgoing youth secretary Happymore Chidziva and Women Assembly boss Lynette Karenyi.
The provincial nomination processes which kicked off on Sunday, have been largely peaceful with party spokesperson Mafume indicating that they are being conducted within the premise of the party roadmap.
Harare West legislator Joana Mamombe (MDC Alliance), who is accused of trying to subvert a constitutionally-elected government after addressing a Press conference during the protests organised by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions in January, yesterday gave notice to apply for refusal of remand for the second time after the State failed to provide her with a trial date.
Mamombe, who was represented by Jeremiah Bhamu, appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded her to May 9.
Allegations against her are that on January 14 this year, she addressed a Press conference at the Civic Centre in Marlborough, Harare, and urged people to overthrow the government.
It is alleged Mamombe, together with members of her constituency, planned to join hands with trade unions to overthrow a constitutionally-elected government.
She allegedly urged members of her constituency to resort to civil disobedience and demonstrations to shut down Zimbabwe in response to a public outcry over the 150% fuel price hike and high cost of living.
It is alleged that between January 14 and 16, and in response to Mamombe’s presser, there were violent protests in the country.
A 34-YEAR-OLD self proclaimed pastor has been sentenced to six months in prison for fondling a 12-year-old girl’s breasts under the pretext that he wanted to pray for her.
Ndaba Maseko of Pumula East suburb fondled the minor, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, after she had come with her sister for prayers at his house.
Maseko told Western Commonage magistrate Mr Urgent Vundla that he only prayed for the girl as per her request.
“When the minor came to my house with her sister requesting for a prayer, l ordered them to close their eyes so l could pray for them. I couldn’t have touched the minor as l am a man of God,” he said.
Maseko pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault but was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison.
Three months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
The prosecutor, Ms Sibekithemba Dube said on February 6, the minor and her sister went to Maseko’s house where they wanted to be prayed for.
“As they got into the house, there was a power cut. Maseko ordered the two to kneel down. While praying he fondled the minor’s breasts and she screamed,” said Ms Dube.
The court heard that the minor told her mother about the matter when she got home.
On the following day a police report was made and Maseko was arrested.
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care says there is an outbreak of diarrhoea in parts of Chimanimani and Chipinge which were hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai with more than 50 cases having been recorded.
Speaking in a telephone interview, the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Portia Manangazira, said a number of Cyclone Idai victims had been treated for diarrhoea in the last week.
“We have noted a number of diarrhoea cases among the victims of the cyclone. We are expecting that it could be because of living conditions and lack of proper ablution facilities.
“I am unable to give exact figures at the moment but we have attended to over 50 people who were treated for diarrhoea. Under such circumstances this should be expected as the body has a way of responding to such conditions,” she said.
Dr Manangazira said the Ministry was working to ensure that there were proper sanitation facilities and clean water in the area.
“We are working as a ministry with a number of our partners, all tasked to ensure that there are proper sanitation facilities in Cyclone Idai affected areas,” she said.
Dr Manangazira said the Ministry had also recorded cases of pneumonia and other respiratory infections which she attributed to exposure to weather conditions.
ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) commissioner Dr Qhubani Moyo has won a legal battle against a Bulawayo widow with whom he was locked in a protracted house ownership wrangle for the past 18 years.
Dr Moyo bought a residential stand in Selbourne Park suburb from the late Mr Leonard Godfrey Masina and his wife, Regina, for ZW$260 000 in 2001 and developed it.
However, Ms Masina by virtue of being the surviving spouse of the seller of the property, had been refusing to sign all papers necessary to effect cession of his rights, title and interest in the property.
Dr Moyo, through his lawyers Shenje and Company, filed an application in terms of section 3 of the Titles Registration and Derelict Lands Act at the Bulawayo High Court citing the Estate of the late Leonard Masina, Ms Regina Masina and the Bulawayo City Council as respondents.
He sought an order directing Mrs Masina to sign all the required papers to effect cession of his rights, title and interest in the immovable property into his name or proxies within 10 days of the order.
Justice Maxwell Takuva ordered Ms Masina to sign the papers failure of which the Sheriff of the High Court was granted leave to do so in terms of section 3 of the Titles Registration and Derelict Lands Act.
“The first respondent (Estate of the late Leonard Masina), his agents, nominees or proxies or administration of his estate as the case may be, be and are hereby ordered to sign all papers necessary to effect cession of his rights, title and interest in the property called stand 14395 Selbourne Park, Bulawayo into the names of the applicant,” said Justice Takuva.
“In the event that she fails to comply with the order, Dr Moyo wants to be granted leave for the Sheriff of the High Court to sign the papers in terms of section 3 of the Titles Registration and Derelict Lands Act.”
In papers before the court, Dr Moyo said the late Mr Masina at the time of the sale was a holder of certain rights, title and interest in the immovable property which was at that time an undeveloped piece of land.
“On August 14 in 2001, the first and second respondents sold the piece of land to me in terms of a written agreement in the sum of ZW$260 000,” said Dr Moyo.
He said he developed the property in compliance with the terms in the principal agreement with the Bulawayo City Council.
Dr Moyo said the sale of the property had the full blessings of council after he had been on the housing waiting list.
“I must confess that I have not had any contacts with the respondents for over 10 years, but contend that they (respondents) have an obligation to cede the property in my name for me to properly exercise my rights in the property to their fullness,” he said.
Multitude of Highlanders fans some of whom travel long distances into Bulawayo to watch their favourite team.
A HIGHLANDERS Football Club supporter coming from watching the Bosso and Caps United match at Barbourfields Stadium died on the spot while five other people were injured after the vehicles they were travelling in were involved in a head on collision along the Bulawayo-Gwanda Road on Sunday.
The accident involving a Toyota Regius travelling towards Gwanda and a Toyota Hilux travelling to Bulawayo occurred at about 9PM near Valley Tavern.
Police could not release the names of the victims before informing their next of kin.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said the driver of the Toyota Regius died on the spot while other passengers were injured.
“The accident occurred when the driver of the Toyota Regius was trying to overtake and encroached onto the lane of the oncoming vehicle. This led to the two vehicles colliding head on. As a result of the accident, the driver of the Toyota Regius sustained serious head and neck injuries and died on the spot while the Toyota Hilux driver suffered head injuries and was taken to Mater Dei Hospital where he is admitted,” said Chief Insp Simango.
“Five passengers from both vehicles sustained injuries on their heads, backs and sustained bruises all over their bodies and were ferried to the United Bulawayo Hospitals for treatment.”
She urged members of the public to exercise caution on the roads to save lives.
A Highlanders supporter, Mr Thulani Moyo, said the deceased was a Bosso fan who was part of the crowd that watched the team’s first home game against Caps United that ended nil all.
“We watched the match together and after the match we drove to Highlanders Sports Club where we usually hang out before we all retired for home. He stayed in Habane suburb in Esigodini. We were shocked to learn that he had died in an accident,” said Mr Moyo.
“We are really hurt that he lost his life in such a painful way. As supporters we really want to emphasise to other supporters that whenever they go to watch matches be it home or away they should avoid drinking when they know they will be driving.”
Meanwhile, 12 people were injured while seven others escaped unhurt on Sunday when a Gokwe-bound bus plunged into Gwelo River Bridge and landed on its side after developing a mechanical fault.
The accident involving a Gatsheni Express bus occurred at around 3AM.
Matabeleland North police spokes person Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said: “The bus was travelling from Bulawayo to Gokwe with 19 passengers on board. When it got to the 29 kilometre peg at Gwelo Bridge, it developed a mechanical fault resulting in the driver failing to control the bus. It veered to the right side of the bridge then to the left before it plunged into the river landing on its left side,” she said.
Chief Insp Makonese said the driver and seven other passengers escaped unhurt while the injured were all said to be stable at Nkayi District Hospital.
She said the bus was taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department depot in Kwekwe.
Correspondent|THE Privileges Committee of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, which is chaired by Chief Fortune Charumbira, has barred Job Sikhala (MDC Alliance, Zengeza West) from representing two MDC Alliance MPs accused of demanding $400,000 bribe from a private contractor.
The committee ruled that there will be conflict of interest as Sikhala is also an MP, but Sikhala insists his clients deserve a lawyer of their choice and is mulling making an urgent appeal at the High Court.
Messrs Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance, Magwegwe) and Prince Sibanda (MDC Alliance, Binga North) are facing the bribery allegations together with Mr Temba Mliswa (Independent, Norton) and Leonard Chikomba (ZANU-PF, Gokwe-Kabuyuni).
Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara is representing Mr Mliswa and Mr Simon Musapatika is representing Chikomba, while the two MDC Alliance MPs had sought opted to be represented by Job Sikhala, a fellow MP.
The four were members of the Mines and Energy Committee before its dissolution and are accused of demanding the bribe from James Ross Goddard of JRG Contracting (Pvt) Ltd as a “facilitation fee” to enable him secure a contract to mine coal at Hwange.
Chief Charumbira’s Parliament’s Privileges Committee which is investigating the matter ruled that Mr Sikhala was conflicted in the matter since he was part of Parliament and would take part in debate when the results of probe are brought up in the House.
“I will consult with my clients for instructions but might make an urgent chamber application because my clients are being denied their right to a lawyer of their choice,” Sikhala has said.
Mr Goddard alerted police boss Godwin Matanga as well as Vice President Kembo Mohadi of the alleged demand for $400,000 “facilitation fees” by the four MPs.
This led to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda to dissolve their committee and call for an investigation by the Parliament’s Privilege Committee headed by Chief Charumbira.
DEPUTY Minister of Defence and War Veterans, Victor Matemadanda on Monday appeared in court in a matter where he lost $600 to a bogus magistrate.
The ‘conman’, Tinashe Munhuweyi tricked Matemadanda that he was the former Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Mafios Cheda and was stranded and in need of cash.
The accused, Munhuweyi (36), is also said to have fleeced various amounts of cash from prominent elderly figures like Matemadanda, Bubi legislator Richard Moyo (Zanu PF), Great Zimbabwe University professor Ben Siyakwazi.
Matemadanda told the court that he is shocked of such inhuman behaviour of the conmen who take advantage of the elderly fleecing money from them saying instead, they are supposed to be watching over them.
However, the accused fraudster denied allegations saying that Matemadanda paid off the investigating officers and giving them fuel to which he denied.
Munhuweyi also told the court that he never benefitted anything from Matemadanda except through his services to the public via government.
Circumstances surrounding the matter are that on September 17 2018, Munhuweyi contacted Matemadanda while purporting to be Justice Cheda and misrepresented that he had two trucks which had run out of fuel at Chirundu Border Post.
He allegedly requested for $600 to refuel the trucks and pay for other expenses.
The state is also alleging that Munhuweyi allegedly asked Matemadanda to transfer the money into a supplied Ecocash account and promised to repay the debt as soon as possible.
After the transaction went through, Munhuweyi allegedly became evasive.
Matemadanda later conducted his own investigations and discovered that he had been conned and reported the matter leading to the accused’s arrest.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi contacted a Great Zimbabwe University professor Ben Siyakwazi and lied that he was Justice Cheda and currently working in Namibia.
Munhuweyi indicated that he was in South Africa and seeking medical attention. He further told Siyakwazi that he was facing some serious problems and requested the complainant to assist his son, Christian Cheda, whom he alleged was studying at Makerere University in Uganda.
He alleged that his son’s vehicle had been confiscated by a Harare motor mechanic for failure to pay for repairs.
The court heard that Munhuweyi instructed Siyakwazi to transfer $400 into an Ecocash account registered in the name of Patience Muchenje.
He reportedly later claimed that his son had been involved in a road accident soon after collecting the vehicle from the mechanic and was admitted at Beatrice Hospital, prompting the complainant to send him additional money, bringing the total to $7 263.
On September 28, Siyakwazi’s friend visited Justice Cheda’s home in Bulawayo to inquire about the injured son, only to discover that they had been duped. Siyakwazi then reported the matter to the police.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi duped former High Court judge Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe’s son, Naboth, of $2 300.
Bubi legislator Moyo lost $1 500 to Munhuweyi and Rudo Kariramombe lost $1 088. Nothing was recovered.
By Robert Sigauke|The African National Congress went into the Mangaung congress in 2012 deeply wounded because of consistent corruption scandals by figures in the national leadership.
Jacob Zuma’s political stock had dramatically risen prior 2009 due to a rigorous publicity offensive that resulted in a boardroom coup de tat against the country’s second democratic president and leader of the ruling party.
While the involvement of other organs of state, like the NPA which controversially dropped charges against Zuma thus enabling him to run for president, could not be ignored, Mbeki’s exit from the helm of the party had its own lessons. Zuma was effortlessly riding on the buoyance of a tide that projected him as a victim of political cannibalism at the hands of the elitist faction within the party and government.
This too was aided by the common feeling that the nationalist project had lost touch with the common man, whilst riding on his vote at the same time. A few years down the line, Jacob had not done well as a successor to the state that had not forgotten Mandela and Mbeki but the transformation and economic emancipation endeavour needed a hero whom people could identify with and believe in.
… state that had not forgotten Mandela and Mbeki, but the transformation and economic emancipation endeavour needed a hero whom people could identify with and believe in.
Drawing parallels between Mangaung and the MDC Alliance’s May congress could go a long way in saving the democratic project in the country. The several splits that the party has suffered along its two decades’ journey delayed the emancipation of many on multi-faceted fronts, it is indeed the 2008 March election that costed the most.
To that list, the Biti rebellion after the 2013 elections resulted in the opposition losing more seats in the subsequent fight that ensued when MDC-T wrote to parliament to terminate the mandate of the rebels. While them not being political dwarfs, Khupe and Gutu have all but reduced themselves to a regional party that can only stand a chance on a devolution template.
It is not expected that Mwonzora will split and form a splinter outfit, he knows too well that none has succeeded out there. Grassroots numbers are not on his side too. Mujuru et al are now flocking back en masse to the ruling party. It is indeed cold out there.
Smarting from the Biti rebellion and before that, the Ncube’s, Tsvangirai had sought to exorcise the demon that had bedevilled the SG’s role within the party as the chief administrator, and to forestall an unfortunate trend that could have seen the light of day for longer.
This easily presented a dilemma for him to the extent that it could better be achieved by having a less ambitious cadre in the role, and someone with less grassroots leverage. At the same time, over and above, a strong grassroots touch in the top echelons of the party was needed in order for the party to remain relevant and present real chances of deposing the ruling party.
This is why the National Council had to authorise the appointment of further VPs in the party, carry along and pacify the SG position loser who had this institutional advantage, national prominence and appeal. Going into congress at that time, Mwonzora had one nomination as opposed to Chamisa’s all but one. How did Mwonzora then pull the rug and emerge the winner? He did not, Tsvangirai did.
Chamisa is indeed riding on the buoyance of the numbers he received in last year’s disputed election and every factor on the ground points that he commands support.
Mwonzora would commit a grave mistake if he is of the perception that his bedrock support which is thought to be the majority of delegates from the 2014 congress structures, draws its strength from secrecy and crocodile tactics of surprise.
Makoni counted on this, it backfired badly. The dynamics have subsequently changed since the last congress, alliances have realigned and nobody wants to be caught on the losing side at the end of the duel. It would be a tragedy of history should the congress delegates not reaffirm the hope placed in Chamisa by the masses, who in their collective voice spoke in the 2018 election louder than before.
It is also true that this voice of the masses is carried within the delegates to the congress themselves. Chamisa indeed pulls numbers, he is a fisher of men. I believe Mwonzora heals fissures of men. He is able in that regard.
The democratic project itself must wean itself of unbecoming tendencies of stifling fair contestation of ideas and positions. Whether the president is challenged at congress or not should actually strengthen the party rather than being an excuse to accuse each other of destroying the party from within.
As the president, being challenged and emerging as the winner actually confirms the mandate of the people at the same time gauging the scale of your resonance with the masses and what you stand for. Why on earth should Chamisa not be challenged if as a diverse party every quota holds a different opinion on how the project must trudge along?
Further, the democratic project must not forget the long and difficult road that its cadres have collectively travelled since the onslaught on democracy by the regime, and petty fissures must never be used as excuses to wean off cadres who have dedicated and sacrificed their lives working and serving the party right from the beginning to date.
Everyone is needed the fresh and the old cadres, the party must perpetuate beyond this generation. Mwonzora must be allowed to smart from a dignified loss and serve the party in any capacity that he is subsequently deployed to.
He has had a fine run in opposition politics since his journey started in student activism and to this day, he has proven to be a cool head, a strong administrator and solution maker who heals the fissures of men in the party incidental to illegal dismissals and unlawful votes of no confidence.
It must never be a culture of the party to offload the losing persons, labeling them names and resulting in them forming splinter parties. The moral argument that Mugabe was power hungry was lost in that manner whereby in such a small country and population such as ours, there would be a record 23 presidential candidates. Even the cold war was on two competing views of the world.
Robert Sigauke is a political commentator, author, legal professional, and entrepreneur.
Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi’s chief financier Bridget Motsepe (featured image), Tati East Member of Parliament Samson Guma Moyo and Prevailing Securities MD Shaduff Baitse were Saturday (Yesterday) detained briefly and interrogated by Zimbabwean intelligence officers in Victoria Falls following a tip off that they were planning to smuggle P60 million through Zimbabwe into Botswana.
Motsepe and her entourage were to meet former President Lt Gen Ian Khama and Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi in Victoria Falls before the plan was scuttled by the Zimbabwean intelligence.
The Sunday Standard investigating tracked Bridgette Motsepe as she flew out of Lansaria Airport 8 o clock Saturday morning in the company of Samson Guma Moyo, Shaduff Baaitse, Malcolm X and Jamali (not the Botswana property and media moghul) in a private jet bound for Victoria Falls. Guma Moyo and Baaitse have since skipped Botswana and have been hiding in South Africa following tax evasion investigations against them. The pair is part of the team that is backing Venson-Moitoi’s presidential bid.
The Zimbabwean Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) had allegedly received intelligence that the private jet they were travelling in was ferrying US$ 5, 5 million (about P60 million) which was to be handed to former President Lt Gen Ian Khama.
Around the same time, Saturday morning Khama flew a chartered plane out of Sir Seretse Khama in the company of Venson-Moitoi, Kabelo Binns, Isaac Kgosi and Daphne Kadiwa en-route to Victoria Falls.
It is understood that the Zimbabwean authorities however could not search Motsepe’s jet and instead sent her entourage back to South Africa.
The two teams were to meet Andrew Young, American politician, diplomat, activist former American Ambassador to the United Nations and a friend to Martin Luther King Jr at Victoria Falls air port. Khama and his team however stayed behind in Victoria Falls for the meeting with Andrew Young while Motsepe and her entourage were deported back to South Africa.
It is understood that according to the initial plan, Khama and Motsepe’s teams together with Andrew Young were to be airlifted by two helicopters owned by Brink to a secret meeting at a private farms owned by Brink. The Sunday Standard could not establish if this was Derek Brink of Senn Foods or his son.
It is believed the money was to be used to buy votes for Venson-Moitoi in her BDP presidential challenge against the incumbent Mokgweetsi Masisi.
The Sunday Standard investigations have turned up audio tapes in which Bridgette Motsepe, Kabelo Binns and Malcolm X are discussing among other things how they were going to move the funds to finance Venson-Moitoi’s campaign.
In one of the tapes, Motsepe is heard telling Binns that, “We need to get it out by this week. The money is ready.”
Binns is heard telling Motsepe that they are aiming for 850 votes at next week’s congress in Kang, “700 to win ga gole maswe 650 because that is all we need to win”.
The audio tapes recorded Motsepe suggesting that she should make direct payments to service providers engaged in Venson-Moitoi’s campaign to make it easier to move the campaign money.
Asked by Binns how many cars she could avail for the campaign, Motsepe stated: “can’t you hire cars from there? You don’t want cars from South Africa bo bare Ma South Africa atlile (lest they complain that South Africans are in our midst)”
By Friday, a team of Botswana Police Service officers were investigating a number of security companies which are allegedly being used to smuggle campaign money into the country. This followed unconfirmed reports that South African mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe who is also the brother to Bridgette had donated R22 million to Venson-Moitoi’s campaign which had already been smuggled into Botswana.
It was further reported that Bridgette last week also managed to have R 10 million into Botswana towards the campaign.
The Sunday Standard can confirm that a three person team comprising Ramonthshonyane, Mashibile and a third officer was on Friday tasked to investigate possible cases of money laundering suspected to be dirty campaign money.
Bridgette Motsepe who is the biggest financier behind the Venson-Moitoi presidential bid is the wife to South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe and sister in law to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa. The South African president is married to Brigitte Motsepe’s sister Dr Tshepo Motsepe.
Brigitte Motsepe is also sister to South African billionaire mining businessman Patrice Motsepe who is the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, which has interests in gold, ferrous metals, base metals, and platinum.
Motsepe is understood to be eyeing big mining concessions in Botswana should Venson-Moitoi win the BDP and subsequently Botswana presidency.
Motsepe’s support of Venson Moitoi’s campaign is however said to be opposed by the South African government.
Andrew Young who has also been roped in to support Venson-Moitoi’s presidential bid is expected to launch a campaign against the Masisi administration to promote Venson-Moitoi’s presidential bid among Americans.
Own Correspondent|A report by the Sunday Standard of Botswana says Zimbabwean intelligence operatives foiled a plan by Botswana politician Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi (pictured) and her colleagues — including former President Seretse Khama Ian Khama — to topple Botswana President Mokgwetsi Masisi.
The plot involved moving US$5.5 million from South Africa to Victoria Falls using Bridgette Motsepe Radebe, who is the sister to South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe. She is also the wife to South Africa’s Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe.
The report says that Bridgette Motsepe Radebe left South Africa for Victoria Falls on a plane which carried the money. At Victoria Falls, she was supposed to meet former Botswana President Ian Khama and Botswana politician Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who were supposed to be handed the money.
On the same day the Motsepe Radebe’s plane landed at Victoria Falls, Ian Khama and Pelomoni Venson-Moitoi left Botswana on a chartered plane to meet Motsepe Radebe and get the money. Their delegation also included Botswana politicians Kabelo Binns, Daphne Kadiwa and Isaac Kgosi.
American diplomat Andrew Young was also part of the coup plot.
Khama and Moitoi intended to use the money to buy at least 850 votes to topple Masisi from power at the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) congress set for next week.
The report says that Zimbabwe’s Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) had received intel that Bridgette Motsepe Radebe was planning to smuggle US$ 5,5 million through Zimbabwe into Botswana to finance Venson-Moitoi’s campaign, but her diplomatic passport saved her from being searched by the CIO in Victoria fall last week.
Bridgette Motsepe Radebe (featured picture) enjoys diplomatic immunity as the wife to South Africa’s Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe.
But the CIO allowed Bridgette Motsepe “only a few minutes” to greet former President Lt Gen Ian Khama before deporting her and her jet back to South Africa, leaving Khama and Moitoi akimbo.
It is understood that Dr Moitoi’s delegation and that of Ms Motsepe were expected to meet American politician Mr Andrew Young.
Mr Moitoi’s delegation stayed behind for the meeting in Victoria Falls while Ms Motsepe and her team were deported to South Africa.
Reports say that according to the initial plan, Dr Moitoi and Ms Motsepe’s teams were to be airlifted by two helicopters to a secret meeting at a farm in Botswana.
The US$5,5 million purse was to be used to buy votes for Dr Moitoi in her BDP presidential bid against President Masisi.
After the CIO ordered the plane carrying Bridgette Motsepe Radebe and the money back to South Africa, the plan to topple Masisi fell flat.
Last Friday, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi then dramatically stepped down from challenging Mokgweetsi Masisi.
This will see Masisi, the current president of Botswana, being the candidate of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) as the country moves toward elections later this year.
The Sunday Standard report also says that the Botswana Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) has frozen Avante Security Services bank accounts in Gaborone on suspicions that the company was used by South African businesswoman Bridgette Motsepe Radebe to launder money for Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi’s presidential campaign.
This was after FIA turned up a number of suspicious transactions in excess of P10 million from Mmakau Mining (Pty) Ltd in South Africa to the account of Avante Security Services in Gaborone.
Bridgette Motsepe Radebe is the founder, Executive Chairperson and CEO of Mmakau Mining (Pty) Ltd.
FIA has so far tracked three transactions of five million Pula, two million Pula and four million Pula which were transfers from Mmakau Mining to Avante Security. The money was then immediately disbursed from the Avante Security bank account to accounts of a number of people linked to Venson-Moitoi’s campaign.
Sunday Standard investigations have turned up audio tape recordings of Bridgette Motsepe Radebe, his sidekick Malcolm X, Pelonomi Venson Moitoi’s son Kabelo Binns and an unidentified Afrikaner man strategizing on how to move the funds from Bridgette Motsepe to finance Venson-Moitoi’s campaign.
In one of the tapes, Bridgette Radebe stresses that, “we need to get it out this week. The money is ready.” The unidentified Afrikaner man then cautions that “we need to be very careful how we issue the money.” Among the strategies discussed was to channel the money through service providers.
In one of the audio tapes, Bridgette’s son is heard asking Jeff Radebe to leave the room with him so that Bridgette and her team could discus Venson-Moitoi’s campaign financing. “Papa are tswele ko ntle ba batla gobua ka dichelete”, he is heard telling his father.
It has also emerged that contrary to earlier speculations, Patrice Motsepe was not among Venson-Moitoi’s financiers.
Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi was this week reported to be organising a meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in a bid to head off a possible diplomatic row as Botswana embarks on a money laundering and illicit financing investigations that may implicate a number of South African citizens among them Bridgette Motsepe Radebe.
LOSING MDC Alliance candidate for Harare South constituency in the 2018 elections, Shadreck Mashayamombe, has reportedly applied to re-join ZANU-PF.
Mashayamombe was the ruling party’s Harare Provincial Political Commissar until he was arrested in the aftermath of the military coup which deposed Robert Mugabe in November 2017, after which he joined the opposition MDC Alliance.
ZANU-PF has of late been opening the floodgates to its “lost sheep” who include former heavyweights Ambrose Mutinhiri and Didymus Mutasa. The two have confirmed they have since rejoined the ruling party.
A similar attempt to lure former Vice President Joice Mujuru is reportedly in motion, although it could fall either way.
A source indicated that Mashayamombe had applied to the Harare office, indicating he was “lost” and would be willing to serve the party even at the grassroots.
“Shadreck Mashayamombe has followed laid-down normal party procedures by applying through the ZANU PF Harare Provincial Secretary for Administration’s office,” a source said.
The Harare structures of the ruling party are currently dissolves followed a decision by President Mnangagwa to re-jig the urban structures in Harare and Bulawayo.
An interim restructuring team led by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is leading the province, while a similar arrangement led by Vice President Kembo Mohadi is leading the Bulawayo cause.
“Yes, the provincial office received an application by Mashayamombe to rejoin the party on Saturday(6 April). As you are aware, the (ZANU PF) provincial structures are presently dissolved. Once proper structures are established, the case will be dealt with accordingly”, said an interim provincial member.
In the letter, Mashayamombe reportedly begged the party to readmit him into the only home he knew, which is ZANU PF.
“He regretted having dined with the enemy when he ran on an MDC Alliance ticket in Harare South constituency. From where I stand, I don’t see any problem in readmitting him (Mashayamombe) but normal procedures will have to be done as a matter of formality,” the source added.
The timing of Mashayamombe’s application will likely heighten the tension within ZANU PF which is currently on a path to reconstitute Harare and Bulawayo structures.
However critics were quick to point out that Mashayamombe’s application for re-admission is most likely linked to the ongoing Land Commission inquiry probing the sale of state land in Harare.
“Mashayamombe is just being tactical, he knows he has a vast empire to protect, especially in Harare South where he sold vast tracts of land to individuals,” said one source.
Mutasa indicated he was admitted a while ago. “It happened a long time ago. I have been back in the party for sometime now, unless they expel me again. In the first place I never resigned,” Mutasa said.
Mutinhiri, a career soldier, left Zanu PF in the aftermath of the 2017 coup. He met former President Robert Mugabe early last year and was anointed interim leader of a loose coalition of individuals known as the National Patriotic Front initially known as the G40 faction of Zanu PF, that was bitterly opposed to Mnangagwa’s rise to power.
However, Mutinhiri performed dismally in the presidential election in which he was a candidate. The former Mashonaland East provincial Minister, in a short response, also confirmed he was rejoining Zanu PF.
“Yes it is true,” was all Mutinhiri could say when contacted for comment.
Please join Zanu PF and get your Electronic Card that also works as a bank card. In the near future, money will be transferred into those cards for our members. Don't be stuck with struggling parties, join the winners and be a happy human being! pic.twitter.com/dB5VB4c6zB
By Own Correspondent| A deputy director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development who appeared before a Chipinge magistrate facing charges of stealing Cyclone Idai donations worth $3 000 has been denied bail.
The accused, Christine Chideme (63), of Southerton, Harare, appeared before resident magistrate Farai Gwitima, who denied her bail and remanded her in custody to Monday for trial.
However, Chideme pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against her.
Prosecuting, Themba Dhliwayo told the court that on April 3 at around 7pm, Chideme, who was driving a Toyota Landcruiser (WAG-CD23), was stopped by Terrence Majonga, a soldier, while she was coming from Silver Stream Cyclone Idai command centre, between Chipinge and Chimanimani.
She was searched and her vehicle was found with an assortment of goods donated to the victims of the cyclone.
Last Thursday police officer Constable Edward Dhumukwa (32) stationed at the Silver Stream command centre was arrested and appeared in court for alleged looting of donations valued at tens of thousands of United States dollars earmarked for cyclone victims in Chipinge.
Dhumukwa allegedly hired a kombi to ferry his loot from for about five kilometres to a roadside where he loaded it into a Harare-bound bus.
Investigators allegedly recovered two red and black large bags with 20x400g washing paste, 10x400g spaghetti, 5kg kapenta, 4x2kg washing powder, 20x500g sugar beans, 20x2kg white sugar, 1x3kg washing powder, 4x2kg washing powder, 4x2kg 2 in 1 Sunlight washing powder, 6x6x400g packs of candles, 10x500g Mega Rice, 6x2kg Mariana Rice, 1x2kg Excella Rice, 2x2kg Red Seal Rice, 1x2kg Probrand Rice, 1x2kg Ideal Rice, 2x12x375ml Dovi (Mama), 4x1kg Iodised Red Seal salt, 1x1kg Probrand salt, 1x1kg Mega iodised salt, 1x1kg Royal salt, 10 double blade shaving machine, Smooth Air clinic set, 2x12x2l Zimgold cooking oil, 10x2kg Probrand Rice, 12 Meiban tissues, 1 khaki short, 4 white drying towels, 52 assorted pairs of ladies’ shoes and eight blankets.
S7 Jackets, 26 pairs assorted female shoes, 16x200g tablets FA bathing soap, 3 x tins dark brown shoe polish, 2 jerseys, 12 T-shirts (mixed), 1 pair of shorts, 2 ladies’ jackets, 1 checked blouse, 1 grey striped tie, 1 black cap, 1x250ml Vaseline Blue Seal, 5x100ml Vaseline bottles, 1 shoe brush, 1x50ml Colgate, 1x375ml Dovi.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga last week said officials implicated in abuse of Cyclone Idai donations must face lengthy jail terms.
Chiwenga said this while addressing a crowd gathered at Chipinge District Hospital last Wednesday where he was assessing the progress in Government relief intervention in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
He said those implicated in abuse of donations must not be granted bail during court processes.
“I want to warn civil servants, workers in different organisations and all those involved in distribution of goods donated to victims of Cyclone Idai that if implicated, they will go to jail straight without any consideration for bail whatsoever.
We are not joking about this. Surely, you cannot deprive that old man I just saw in the male ward who lost his entire family during the cyclone simply because you want to fatten your pocket.”-StateMedia
The Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters, in accordance with the provisions of the Zim EFF constitution , has given a go ahead according to the revolutionary cause of the organisation to form the UK & Ireland Diaspora central command structure.The responsibilities of Diaspora structures are established as per constitution. Fighters will be required to observe all the tenets of the constitution and the code of conduct of the organisation. The Commander in Chief and the entire Zim EFF family wishes to invite you to a meeting where the Diaspora central Command Team Will be elected. Positions of responsibility will include chair person, provincial Secretary, Secretary of information and publicity, Provincial Treasurer, Organising Secretary, Security and 3 committee members. Thank you in advance for your dedication to the Economic Freedom revolutionary cause. This event shall take place at Office 7 , Biz Space , Wilson Park , Mensal Road , Newton Heath , Manchester , M40 8WN.
Date: 20-04-2019
Time:11 am-5pm
For further information please contact Muzi on 07506490998.
Yours Comrade in Revolution
Khumbulani Sibanda
National organising Secretary
By Own Correspondent| A panel of United Nations (UN) Experts have expressed concern at how government’s austerity measures have worsened the plight of poor citizens arguing that they were introduced without any safety nets for them.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has been preaching ‘Austerity for Prosperity’ since assuming office.
However, in a statement released last Thursday, the UN group said:
We are gravely concerned that, as the situation in Zimbabwe deteriorates, the Government is pushing people further into poverty.
We are not aware of any Government measures to provide even minimal safety nets for those who are already living on an economic cliff-edge and who will suffer the most from these regressive policies.
The impact of economic reforms on human rights must be assessed against international norms and standards, in line with the Guiding Principles, on human rights impact assessments of economic reforms.
However, there are serious concerns about how the burdens of austerity will be shared.
Ncube has been striving to cut the huge government deficit which has been expanding over the years amid a dwindling revenue base.
To achieve that, Ncube introduced a 2% tax on all electronic money transfers exceeding RGS$10.00 in 2018.
The government followed that by hiking the price of fuel in January, which led to widespread riots which were only halted by the uses of brute force by security agencies.
By Own Correspondent| The Kadoma based Zanu Pf stalwart who was captured on camera assaulting Mr Pedzisai Mangisi of Chief Nemangwe area in Gokwe South for stealing gold, told the court that he suffered psychological trauma from the media backlash.
Litten Chikoore (35) said the local, regional and international condemnation that the 45 second video where he was assaulting his “thief” traumatised him hence the court should be lenient with him as he was already paying the price for his action.
6 days ago, ZimEye launched a program to identify and get Litten Chikoore arrested… 19,000 people joined in to search and @PoliceZimbabwe have managed to arrest the suspect. Below was the program… https://t.co/Ky8HWr4HjH
The story, which was exclusively and extensively run by ZimEye leading to his arrest saw Chikoore of Waverley being convicted by Kadoma magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He was remanded out of custody to April 10 for sentencing.
Gwazemba however remanded Chikoore out of custody claiming that he was a suitable candidate to be remanded out of custody as he had handed himself to the police in the company of his lawyer Ignatius Murambasvina of Murambasvina Legal Practice.
Prosecutor Gracious Chaminuka told the court that Chikoore assaulted Mangisi of Chief Nemangwe area in Gokwe South several times all over the body with a baton stick on an unknown date sometime in November last year at his mine in Kadoma.
She said Mangisi sustained serious injuries following the assault and a medical report was produced in court as an exhibit. Chaminuka said Chikoore deserved a custodial sentence as he was a potential criminal with previous three cases at the court which were all withdrawn before trial.
The cases included a 2014 attempted murder case under CRB number 12/06, pretending to be a policeman under CRB number 12/08 and allegedly contravening the Mines and Mining Act in 2016.
Murambasvina, however, pleaded with the court to give Chikoore a non-custodial sentence arguing that he was a first offender who had co-operated with the police when he handed himself and assisted them to locate the complainant.
He also said Chikoore was the sole breadwinner for his two wives and six children and the complainant did not suffer serious injuries as shown by the medical report.
Murambasvina said his client first handed Mangisi to the police after discovering that he had stolen 400 grammes of gold from him but they were advised to have an out of court settlement which infuriated him leading to him assaulting the complainant.
He further argued that Chikoore had already suffered psychological trauma as the matter had received too much attention on social, local and international media.
Zengeza West legislator and lawyer Mr Job Sikhala was yesterday barred from representing two parliamentarians facing allegations of demanding a $400 000 bribe from a local businessman after the committee set up by Parliament to investigate the matter ruled that there was conflict of interest due to his role as a Member of Parliament.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Mr Sikhala was representing Messrs Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe) and Prince Sibanda (Binga North), who are facing the allegations together with Mr Temba Mliswa (Norton) and Cde Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe Kabuyuni)
The four were members of the now disbanded Mines and Energy Committee and are accused of demanding the bribe from Mr James Ross Goddard of JRG Contracting (Pvt) Ltd as a “facilitation fee” to enable him secure a contract to mine coal at Hwange.
The Parliamentary Privileges Committee charged with investigating the matter and chaired by Chief Fortune Charumbira ruled that Mr Sikhala was conflicted in the matter since he was part of Parliament and would take part in debate when the results of probe are brought up in the House.
Mr Sikhala said he would consider taking up the matter with the High Court arguing his clients were being denied their right to a lawyer of their choice as enshrined in the Constitution.
“I will consult with my clients for instructions but might make an urgent chamber application because my clients are being denied their right to a lawyer of their choice,” he said.
The hearing was then adjourned to today after lawyers representing Mr Mliswa and Cde Chikomba requested documents pertaining to the matter.
Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara is representing Mr Mliswa while Mr Simon Musapatika is representing Cde Chikomba.
Following the alleged request for the “facilitation fee” Mr Goddard alerted Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and Vice President Kembo Mohadi.
Mr Goddard’s firm reportedly advised that it could not meet the demand and that it went against the principles that JR Goddard Contracting has been operating under since inception in 1982.
Furthermore, it was reportedly brought to the attention of the legislators that their demand was a serious challenge to President Mnangagwa’s anti-corruption efforts.-state media
BRIEF UPDATE: The controversial preacher who eloped with a small house, Admire Kasi has been arrested for fraud in Harare.
Pastor Kasi as he is popularly known, was scheduled to appear before the Harare magistrates courts Monday morning. The case was delayed to around noontime.
It involves the sale of fake stands.
Kasi who endured 2 nights in prison has since been granted bail.
The matter is recorded under case number CR 2856/03/19 Harare Central Police Station DR 46/03/19 CCU, CRB 4253.
At the time of writing, there were rumours that Kasi “fled” Zimbabwe on Monday soon afterwards. When ZimEye contacted him, his UK numbers were unresponsive. He however picked up his WhatsApp number before hanging up.
The petition in its raw unedited form reads: “…Admire Kasi ran away from Zimbabwe to the UK after he duped and stole from so many people in Harare by selling houses and stands that where occupied already giving people fake documents of ownership. He recently went back to Zimbabwe and was arrested. He was given bail without conditions and now he is planning on returningback to the UK without paying back people their money. Please home office for the sake of people hard earned money. He must not be allowed to run away from his crimes by returning to the UK. He Must pay for his crimes in Zimbabwe.”
The trial of a suspected serial fraudster has opened a can of worms on Deputy Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs Victor Matemadanda.
Matemadanda has confessed to paying out $600 to the suspect posing as High Court judge Justice Mafios Cheda.
The suspect who allegedly masqueraded as the judge and swindled several Government officials of large sums of money continued yesterday with one of the victims, Deputy Minister for Defence and War Veterans Affairs Victor Matemadanda testifying.
It is alleged Tinashe Munhuweyi (36), of Mufakose in Harare would call the victims and introduce himself as Justice Cheda and would pretend to be desperate and in urgent need of financial help.
Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Dr Sekai Nzenza and Member of Parliament for Bubi constituency Richard Moyo were also conned.
Other victims include Great Zimbabwe University Professor Ben Siyakwazi and a relative to the late retired High Court judge, Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe, Naboth.
According to the State, the named victims lost a total of over $12 000.
Matemadanda yesterday took to the witness stand and narrated before magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa how he lost his $600 to the suspected fraudster.
Matemadanda said when he received the call for help from the imposter, he was made to believe it was Justice Cheda since they had met on several occasions.
He said he realised that he had been duped after “Justice Cheda” became evasive when he wanted his money back. “At one point, I called him (Munhuweyi) and he said he was in Namibia on his way to Belarus for a court session,” he said.
“He then said he had instructed his wife to send me my money but nothing came through. He was always changing stories that is when I realised I had been played.
“I conducted my own investigations and later spoke to the real Justice Cheda, who knew nothing about the transactions. Justice Cheda even said he had also received various complaints of people who had been duped in his name.”
Munhuweyi denied the allegations.
Prosecutor Ms Patience Chimusaru alleged that on September 17 last year, Munhuweyi contacted Cde Matemadanda while purporting to be Justice Cheda and misrepresented that he had two trucks which had run out of fuel at Chirundu Border Post.
He allegedly requested for $600 to refuel the trucks and pay for other expenses. Munhuweyi allegedly asked Matemadanda to transfer the money into a supplied EcoCash account and promised to repay the debt.
Munhuweyi allegedly became evasive. On November 28, Munhuweyi, the court heard, contacted Minister Sekai Nzenza masquerading as Justice Cheda and lied that his nephew had a truck carrying fertiliser which had a breakdown on its way from South Africa.
He asked for $825 to fix the truck before asking for a further $863 the following day which he said was for fuel.
The money was sent via EcoCash. Minister Nzenza became suspicious due to the unending demands and made her own investigations which unearthed the scam.
Using the same modus operandi, Munhuweyi allegedly defrauded Professor Siyakwazi after misrepresenting that his son “Christian Cheda” had died while on his way to India for medical attention.
He then said he was looking for financial assistance towards his son’s funeral.
Meanwhile, in a separate case Pastor Admire Kasi yesterday appeared in court representing his real estate company, which is being charged with fraud that happened in 2002.
Husband to gospel musician Ivy Kombo, Pastor Kasi returned to Zimbabawe recently from his United Kingdom base.
He appeared before magistrate Mrs Vongai Muchuchuti-Guwuriro and was remanded out of custody pending trial.
Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court that Pastor Kasi was not being charged in his personal capacity.
It is the State’s case that sometime in 2012, Priscilla Moyo saw an advert in a local newspaper that indicated Adsa Real Estate was selling a stand in Bluffhill, Harare.
She became interested and proceeded to Adsa Real Estate offices on February 22.
Moyo, the State alleged, paid a total of Z$1 495 537 in three instalmants for which she was given receipts.
After paying the full purchase price, Moyo who was then based in Botswana, gave his brother Kennedy power of attorney to sign the agreement of sale which was done on February 25.
It is the State’s case that on March 18, Moyo paid the balance of Z$580 000 to Adsa Real Estate’s secretary and was issued with a receipt.
She was promised the title deeds. Moyo, the court head, did not develop the stand but was later surprised to see someone else developing it. – Additional reporting – state media
Farai Dziva|Opposition MDC A North America has nominated Nelson Chamisa for the presidency as preparations for party’s Congess continue.
Nominations are being carried out across provinces.
The latest province to conduct its Congress is MDC North America.
Below is the list of its nominations:
President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice Presidents: Morgen Komichi, Welshman Ncube & Lilian Timveous
Chairperson: Thabitha Khumalo
Deputy Chairperson: Happymore Chidziva
Secretary-General: Chalton Hwende
Treasurer: David Coltart
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Information Secretary: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Information Secretary: Tamborinyoka
Farai Dziva|MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa has urged Emmerson Mnangagwa to resolve the issue of Gukurahundi atrocities to enable national healing to take place.
In a statement to commemorate the Rwanda genocide, Chamisa urged authorities in Zimbabwe to look into the Gukurahundi issue with sincerity.
“Our hearts and minds are with the great people of Rwanda who commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide which saw the slaughter of over 800 000 minority Tutsis.
This reminds us all in Zimbabwe to resolve the Gukurahundi massacres for true national healing to take place,” said Chamisa.
Farai Dziva|Supporters of MDC A vice president Elias Mudzuri and secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora have forged an alliance meant to topple party president Nelson Chamisa.
Intelligence sources in the opposition party have revealed Mwonzora and Mudzuri factions have joined hands in Masvingo Province to topple Chamisa at the May Congress.
“Masvingo Mayor Collen Maboke funded the bussing of delegates for Masvingo North’ s District Congress.
The majority of the delegates for Masvingo North District Congress came from Gutu South and Masvingo Urban.
Peter Chigaba coordinated the bussing of people from Gutu South.
In Chiredzi South Ms Emmaculate Makondo tampered with the structures and personally forced party members to nominate Masvingo Provincial chairman James Gumbi.
The signatures of those who are said have nominated Gumbie were all forged.
Mwonzora recently held meetings with the Gumbie faction at Flamboyant Hotel and Mayor Maboke ‘s offices,” impeccable party sources revealed.
The country woke up to early Monday morning reports that Brighton Elliot Moyo had passed on following a short illness.
According to the widely covered story, Elliot died last week in South Africa and was buried on Saturday.
An apparent relative who spoke to H-Metro claimed Elliot passed on three days after his stomach started swelling.
He is reportedly survived by his wife.
But people were not convinced about the news reports and took to social media to voice their doubts.
Elliot made headlines earlier this year after a video of him being resurrected at Alph Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries International church emerged.
In the video, a woman shouted: “Pastor Alph, something is happening outside. There is a family that is about to bring a corpse to Zimbabwe, but they are saying something is happening, man of God.
“As the funeral parlour drove over the church door, their neighbour said it seemed like the fingers of this dead corpse were beginning to move,” she added.
The pastor went outside, then asked the workers to take the coffin out of the hearse.
He asked the workers to open the coffin. He spoke to the deceased’s older brother before the coffin was completely taken out of the hearse.
According to the deceased’s landlord, the man had gotten sick and started “coughing a lot” on Friday.
“We took him to the hospital and they said they could not help him because he did not have papers, so we took him to the doctor and he died there,” she claimed.
The family then took the body to the mortuary, where it was kept until Sunday.
Pastor Alph then asked the congregants to lift their hands and start praying.
“Rise up!” he shouted, before the man got up and sat in the coffin, looking confused, like a modern-day Lazarus.
In an episode of SABC actuality show Cutting Edge last month, allegations of fraud and deception emerged against the miracles industry in South Africa, particularly those involving Lukau.
Lukau and his lawyers have claimed that Elliot had been totally unknown to Lukau prior to the “miracle”, though some individuals Cutting Edge interviewed alleged this was unlikely and that the man’s family was apparently known to have worked with the church prior to Elliot’s “resurrection”.
The church allegedly preys on and recruits the poor, and immigrants in particular, with one person interviewed, Samantha Revesai, claiming she was asked to fake her HIV-positive status and play along with the ruse that she had been healed after supposedly living with the disease for three years.
She claimed the church had offered her payments of R1,500 per month to stick to the story. The church allegedly also created fraudulent medical paperwork using her name in an attempt to convince congregants that she’d gone from being HIV positive to negative.
There are only two documented cases in human history of people with HIV being cured. Neither of them was Revesai.
“I was not [HIV] positive. I was never positive.”
She claimed she hadn’t even known this was going to be done on her behalf, but she’d played along anyway.
Blessing Kwemelao claimed to have recruited people such as Revesai to be part of Lukau’s “miracles”, with his recruits allegedly then trained to act as though they had various disabilities that could be healed, or to play along that they’d been cured of disease, including cancer.
Kwemelao admitted he had worked as part of three to four teams to find people to allegedly take part in staged miracles. He said that, due to his strong build, he had helped to carry actors with fake disabilities and had given people stage cues during services for when they should come forward to claim they’d been healed.
Elliot’s timber yard employer, Vincent Amoretti, repeated allegations that he had heard his employee had previously done “stunts” with the church.
“From what I can understand, his wife, sister and aunt work with the pastor (Alph Lukau). And that’s how he got in.”
Cutting Edge also visited Elliot’s residence in Nellmapius, east of Pretoria, where they found a community divided about the resurrection video, with most of the individuals they found saying they were not convinced.
An anonymous person who claimed to know both Elliot – apparently a father of two – and his wife, claimed the church had tried to get her to act in a stunt for the church, doing something involving rats or snakes tucked into her clothes. These creatures were allegedly to emerge at the appropriate time during a service.
“Grace”, one of Elliot’s claimed church friends from Nellmapius, told the show that people agreeing to act as “cripples” could be paid R3,500 each.
“They don’t want South Africans … they want Zimbabweans because they’re untraceable.”
Elliot’s friend “Paul” claimed he’d last seen the resurrected man on February 21, a day before he allegedly died.
“He never died. He was also never sick. He left on Thursday,” Paul said. “They only act to get paid and make ends meet.”
Cutting Edge could find no documentation or testimony from a medical professional as evidence that Elliot had ever been officially declared dead, which would have been a necessity if his lifeless body had indeed spent three days in any mortuary as claimed.
The Kings and Queens Funeral Service company repeated their protestation that their hearse had been used under false pretences. The Black Phoenix Funeral Parlour also distanced themselves from the whole affair.
According to Elliot’s friends, he has probably fled the country and gone back to Zimbabwe.
Men can reproduce eggs almost up until they die. Unlike women, who have an finite amount of eggs, sperm can always be replaced, so it never runs out. This is why sperm banks are one of the top choices for single women who want a child, and couples who may be having fertility issues.
But being a sperm donor means you there is basically no limit to how many children you can be the father to.
One wife experienced the downside of this when her husband of eight years revealed to her how many women had picked his sperm out of all the other options at the bank.
The woman asked for advice on a social media platform whether she was out of line in considering a divorce when she found out her husband was the father of 47 children, at last count.
While she said she always knew he was a sperm doner, she wrote in the post: “I was… Not expecting that many.
“It’s clearly my fault for not asking how many. At the time, I literally said I ‘didn’t care’ about his sperm donation and ‘didn’t want to know,’ so I can’t blame him for not telling me how many. I literally told him not to.”
In the thread, members can post their dilemmas, and the community responds with their judgment of whether or not they are overreacting.
Hundreds of people responded to the post, with the majority concluding that she was in the wrong.
People said they didn’t understand her position of worrying about the problems 47 children could cause as they get older. Some said 47 children reaching out for his contact details would merely be an “inconvenience,” rather than a disaster.
“Seems like the only problem that is guaranteed is you leaving him and upending your daughter’s life,” wrote one person.
“You knew in advance, specifically asked not to know how many and have been married for years,” wrote another. “What’s the real reason you want a divorce?”
Many of the comments agreed with this question, suggesting the poster was looking for excuses to get out of an unhappy or unsatisfying marriage.
“Well, it would suck if their child ended up falling for a half sibling later in life because the child has 47 of them out there,” one poster said, which kicked up a debate about incest and genetics.
Overall, the results were pretty unanimous, with most people thinking the poster was out of line to consider a divorce when her husband simply helped multiple people start a family.
“He didn’t personally impregnate 47 women,” noted one user. “Don’t ruin your daughter’s life over this … Talk to a therapist or marriage counsellor first.”
Farmers being evicted from their farms during the land reform.
Correspondent|Former white commercial farmers who had their land expropriated under the fast track land reform programme in the early 2000’s have accepted government’s offer of an interim payment of RTGS$53m.
In a statement the Commercial Farmers Union said they had to accept the advanced interim payment as some farmers were in financial distress.
“As this is a limited fund, it is hoped that those who are not in financial distress do not take it up so as to maximise the effect on others not so fortunate.”
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube budgeted RTGS$53m in his 2019 national budget as compensation to the former farmers, and the offer has now been accepted by a union representing the farmers.
Zimbabwe introduced a new currency called the RTGS$, or real-time gross settlement dollar, in February.
In 2000 Zimbabwe expropriated land from white commercial farmers without compensation and distributed it to landless black people and the connected elite, who now own multiple farms.
The total bill could run into billions and the Zimbabwean government is working with international financial institutions on how best to fund the compensation.
In its own statement on the issue, which was released over the weekend, the Zimbabwean government said by end of April 2019 the registration papers for beneficiary farmers would be complete and disbursements will commence.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government sees the paying of compensation to white farmers as key to mend ties with the West, and set aside $17.5 million in this year’s budget to that end. The initial payments will target those in financial distress, while full compensation will be paid later.
“The registration process and list of farmers should be completed by the end of April 2019, after which the interim advance payments will be paid directly to former farm owners,” Zimbabwe’s ministries of finance and agriculture said in a joint statement on Monday.
They said the process to identify and register farmers for compensation was being undertaken the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) and a committee representing the farmers.
A committee comprising government officials and former farm owners is currently valuing improvements made on the farms. That process should end next month and will determine the full amount due to the farmers.
The government, which maintains it will only pay compensation for infrastructure and improvements on farms and not for the land, is talking to international financial institutions on options to raise the full amount to pay farmers.
Colonialists seized some of the best agricultural land and much of it remained in the hands of white farmers after independence in 1980, while many blacks were landless.
Valuations for farm improvements are also expected to be completed by end of May 2019, reads the statement.
BRIEF UPDATE: The controversial preacher who eloped with a small house, Admire Kasi has been arrested for fraud in Harare.
Pastor Kasi as he is popularly known, was scheduled to appear before the Harare magistrates courts Monday morning. The case was delayed to around noontime.
It involves the sale of fake stands.
Kasi who endured 2 nights in prison has since been granted bail.
The matter is recorded under case number CR 2856/03/19 Harare Central Police Station DR 46/03/19 CCU, CRB 4253.
At the time of writing, there were rumours that Kasi “fled” Zimbabwe on Monday soon afterwards. When ZimEye contacted him, his UK numbers were unresponsive. He however picked up his WhatsApp number before hanging up.
The petition in its raw unedited form reads: “…Admire Kasi ran away from Zimbabwe to the UK after he duped and stole from so many people in Harare by selling houses and stands that where occupied already giving people fake documents of ownership. He recently went back to Zimbabwe and was arrested. He was given bail without conditions and now he is planning on returningback to the UK without paying back people their money. Please home office for the sake of people hard earned money. He must not be allowed to run away from his crimes by returning to the UK. He Must pay for his crimes in Zimbabwe.”
Own Correspondent|Zimbabwe’s Warriors have avoided meeting neighbours and rivals South Africa in the group stages at the 2019 African Cup Of Nations Finals in Egypt in June.
The Warriors and Bafana Bafana were seeded into the same pot going into the draw set for April 12 in Egypt.
Egypt as hosts booked their place in the first seed for the 2019 African Cup of Nations finals to avoid playing top flight teams Ghana, Tunisia, Cameroon, Senegal and Ivory Coast in the tournament’s group stage.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Sunday the seeding of the teams that will participate in the AFCON finals as Morocco, Nigeria and Algeria came in the second seed five days before the tournament’s draw.
The CAF announced that the 2019 African Cup of Nations will start on 21 June and end on 13 July.
Egypt will host AFCON 2019 after original host Cameroon was stripped of its duties due to delays in its preparations for the expanded 24-team tournament.
The opening match, which will feature the Pharaohs, is scheduled to take place at the 74,100-seat Cairo Stadium.
The AFCON teams’ seeding:
First seed: Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Senegal
Second seed: Morocco, Nigeria, DR Congo, Algeria, Mali and Guinea
Third seed: Uganda, South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Zimbabwe, Angola and Burundi
Fourth seed: Mauritania, Namibia, Benin, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar
Implementation of Compensation of Former Farm Owners by the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
Minister Perence Shiri
1. As stated in the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) (October 2018-December 2020), the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe under the New Dispensation, is committed to finalise compensation to all former farm owners who were affected by the Land Reform Programme.
This is being done in accordance with the country’s Constitution and Zimbabwe’s obligations under the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BIPPAs).
2. In this regard, the Ad Hoc Compensation Working Group, comprising Government officials and representatives of former farm owners, is currently working towards the computation and establishing the Compensation Quantum figure for farm improvements based on an agreed method of valuation.
Given the significant progress made to date, it is anticipated that this comprehensive farm improvements valuation exercise will be completed by the end of May 2019.
3. The completion of the work of the Ad Hoc Compensation Working Group will enable Government and former farm owners, in conjunction with cooperating partners, to progress towards closure of the land issue.
4. Reflecting Government’s commitment to compensate former farm owners for farm improvements and recognising that a large number of farmers are still to he compensated, Government allocated RTGS$53million in the 2019 National Budget for interim advance payments.
These interim advance payments will be made to former farm owners affected by the land reform program and who are in financial distress.
5. The process to identify and register former farm owners who want to participate in the interim advance payments scheme has now commenced and is being coordinated by the Commercial Farmers Union (CFU), and the Compensation Steering Committee (CSC) representing former farm owners.
6. The registration process and the list of farmers should be completed by the end of April 2019, after which the interim advance payments will be paid directly to former farm owners by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.
Government will put in-place institutional arrangements to expedite the disbursements for these interim advance payments.
7. In the meantime, Government’s accelerated farm valuation exercise for farm improvements is expected to be completed by end April 2019. This will pave the way for both parties to reach an agreement on the Compensation Quantum figure for farm improvements by end of May 2019.
8. Consultations on sustainable options for mobilizing the requisite compensation resources are being explored in conjunction with the International Financial. Institutions and other Stakeholders.
Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement
Own Correspondent|Kgalema Motlanthe said this week that the ANC needed to lose power in order to reflect on itself. South Africans what they thought of his statement.
Opinions were divided, with some agreeing and others arguing that Motlanthe was way out of line. Dave Ntsoana, for example, said that Motlanthe’s comment was unfair. “Cyril is doing his best, Kgalema should know better cuz he failed when he was deputy and the president,” he posted. Irish Ira agreed, saying, “Mxm this old man must just enjoy pension from my ANC and stop talking toomuch…”
Others, however, agreed with Motlanthe.“ANC has lost the plot a long time ago in 2007,” wrote one user, Malose Mhaloko. “We have been led on its lies all along. You can’t let people that openly steal from you to lead you.” Lungi Nhlapo expressed a similar sentiment, writing, ” Yes he’s correct but that will never happen, unfortunately.
It’s just up to us the people of SA, especially the youth, to vote discerningly.”Similarly, Ntebo Mofephe summed up a lot of comments by saying that the ANC needed to reflect because it had lost its way. “They [the ANC] have forgotten what they wanted this country to become… forgotten about their people and hold themselves like high and mighty.”
Own Correspondent|Political observers are expecting that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir will be stepping down “soon,” in a typical Robert Mugabe way as pressure from citizens and the army against him mounts.
According to online observers it is only a matter of time before the army decides who will be the transitional leader of the Arab African country, which has been witnessing massive protests for the past four months.
Informed sources in Sudan who talked to African online media said that after Sunday’s meeting of the National Defence and Security Council headed by Al-Bashir, “it has become clear that the army has picked its side.”
After the meeting, the council said in a statement published by the Sudanese official news agency that “the protesters represent a segment of society that must be heard.”
However, according to two different sources, a large faction in the army insists that the Sudanese Minister of Defence Awad Ibn Ouf, who is also the president’s deputy, cannot be the one to lead the transitional period after Al-Bashir steps down.
“The council is currently looking for someone with a military background, respected by middle and high ranking officers, and with no political affiliations. Someone not wanted by the International Criminal Court,” one source added.
Among the names that are being circulated behind closed doors at the moment, according to observers, is retired Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Lieutenant-General Emad Al-Din Mustafa Adawi.
Meanwhile, Sudanese soldiers intervened to protect demonstrators on Monday after security forces tried to disperse a sit-in by thousands outside the defence ministry in central Khartoum that started on 6 April, the anniversary of the military coup that forced Jaafar Nimeiri to step down in 1985 after massive protests.
Sudanese activists shared videos showing the army’s intervention to stop police violence against protesters while demonstrators chanted “one people, one army.”
PARLIAMENT’S Public Accounts Committee chairperson Tendai Biti says the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is effectively broke after government ran up its overdraft facility with the bank to finance its budget deficit.
Biti, who also served as Finance minister in the government of national unity between 2009 and 2013, said his committee will next month submit a report which will “shock” the nation.
Speaking at a meeting to discuss the state of the economy organised by the British Council last week, Biti said government has been running up the overdraft facility to partly finance the budget deficit despite the RBZ being broke.
“As I am talking to you now, the government’s overdraft with the central bank is in excess of US$3 billion. In my capacity as chair of the Public Accounts Committee, we had the central bank governor (John Mangudya) giving evidence and testifying before our committee and in May of 2019 we are going to present before Parliament a report about the extent
of that overdraft facility and that report is going to shock you,” he said.
“Here is the challenge: The central bank itself is broke, undercapitalised. So, the money that the government has actually been taking from the central bank does not belong to the central bank, it belongs to you and me. That is why you woke up one morning and went to your bank, whether it is Steward Bank (as an example), FBC, Standard Chartered Bank or First Capital Bank and your bank told you that there was no money…
“…because there had been a bank robber who had actually literally and metaphorically raided the central bank and that bank robber was central government. When the Government of National Unity collapsed in 2013, we physically left US$6,5 billion and that is why you were able to go to an ATM (automated teller machine) and get as many US dollars as possible.”
“The law, section 11 of the Reserve Bank (of Zimbabwe) Act, says the government overdraft with the central bank should not be more than 20% of the previous year’s revenue,” Biti added.
However, this amount is about three times its permissible overdraft limit as stated in the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act.
In September 2018, the Parliament Budget Office said the country’s sovereign debt of US$20 billion (estimate for 2018) was primarily driven by government’s deficit financing activities of running up the RBZ overdraft facility and the issuance of Treasury Bills.
Vote of confidence Welshman Ncube, Chamisa and Biti
Own Correspondent|The opposition MDC Matabeleland South province has given confidence to under fire party Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora and nominated him to return his position at the party congress set for next month.
The province also nominated party President Nelson Chamisa as the presidential candidate. His deputies according to the province must be Morgen Komichi, Welshman Ncube and Tendai Biti.
Mbizo legislator, Settlement Chikwinya was nominated to be Mwonzora’s deputy.
Thabitha Khumalo was also retained to her current position as party national chairperson assisted by outgoing Youth Assembly chairperson Happymore “Cde Bvondo” Chidziva.
Mkoba legislator Amos Chibaya current Organising Secretary, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume were also nominated to retain their respective posts.
Meanwhile provincial strongman Solani Moyo popularly known as “Blackdog” retained his position as Provincial Chairman dismissing weak challenge from former Provincial Spokesperson Akem Moyo and former Provincial Organising Secretary Mqabuko Ndhlovu who chickened out of the race at the last minute.
Fast rising former Provincial Youth League leader and Women Quota Member of Parliament Lindiwe Maposa was elected as the new Provincial Women’s Wing Chairperson, while Edgar Ncube is the new Youth Chairperson.
Farai Dziva|CAPS United mentor, Lloyd Chitembwe is not happy with the decisions made by the referee during’ yesterday’ s clash with Highlanders.
Chitembwe believes the referee should have awarded them a penalty during the explosive league encounter against Bosso.However, he has refused to comment on the disallowed goal late in the game.
The Green Machine and Bosso settled for a goalless draw at Barbourfields on Sunday.
The encounter, however, was marred by a number controversial decisions from the match officials including an ignored 62nd-minute penalty appeal after Valentine Ndaba went down in the box and when Dominic Chungwa hit the back of the net on the stroke of full-time but was adjudged to be in an offside position.
“According to the laws of the game that the same referees teach us, I thought that was a push (on Ndaba) inside the box, and if it’s inside the box, it’s a penalty,” Chitembwe said after the game.
“From the angle where I was, I thought that was a push, and at the same time, I am not in a good position to comment about the disallowed goal.”
“But if indeed Dominic was coming from an onside, it should have counted as a goal. Unfortunately, it’s not for me to make those decisions and it’s disappointing ” he added.
Farai Dziva|Opposition MDC A North America has nominated Nelson Chamisa for the presidency as preparations for party’s Congess continue.
Nominations are being carried out across provinces.
The latest province to conduct its Congress is MDC North America.
Below is the list of its nominations:
President: Nelson Chamisa
Vice Presidents: Morgen Komichi, Welshman Ncube & Lilian Timveous
Chairperson: Thabitha Khumalo
Deputy Chairperson: Happymore Chidziva
Secretary-General: Chalton Hwende
Treasurer: David Coltart
Organising Secretary: Amos Chibaya
Information Secretary: Jacob Mafume
Deputy Information Secretary: Tamborinyoka
Farai Dziva|There is confusion over former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s plans to rejoin the ruling party, Zanu PF.
Yesterday Zanu PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu claimed Robert Mugabe’s former deputy was on her way back to the ruling party.
However, In a statement on a social media page widely believed to be run by Joice Mujuru, a response has been made to Mpofu’s statements.
“I will NEVER rejoin Zanu-PF. I’m not desperate. There’s my son to support! He’s the president,” said the statement.
The authenticity of that popular social media account is however yet to be verified.
Mujuru, who turns 64 years old next week on 15 April, served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2014. Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military junta allegedly plotted Mujuru’s downfall as she was seen as an impediment to the Midlands godfather’ s ascendancy.
Below is a statement written by MDC A spokesperson Jacob Mafume- on the country’s failed monetary policy.
At least six weeks after Mangudya presented a wishy-wash, self-contradictory and retrogressive Monetary Policy Statement, Zimbabweans are paying the price. The exchange rate is collapsing every day, the price of the US dollar continues to firm against the fictitious RTGS dollar. It is fictitious both by definition and by reality; sadly ED Mnangagwa is creating jokes around it.
He flanks himself with his chief economic aides – John Mangudya and Mthuli Ncube to make terrible economic decisions which worsen the suffering of the citizen. The MDC finds this unacceptable. We find it unacceptable for Mnangagwa to insult a currency which he imposed on the people and legislated through the back door by way of an unconstitutional statutory instrument.
He is not only responsible for its creation but the fundamentals around it both the objective circumstances (Trade position or the relationship between exports and imports) and the subjective (The social contract or its absence thereof). There are unending spikes of prices of basic commodities.
The fuel crisis is worsening. We made the point that the monetary policy should have removed the role of RBZ in allocating funds for fuel. The fuel industry has the capacity to import on its own and shortages would not be an issue.
This is also true with any other quasi-fiscal activity pronounced together with the introduction of the so-called RTGS dollar. Mangudya and Mthuli must resign. The country requires genuine structural reforms. Sadly and strangely, the man who pretends to be doing this work is celebrating turning the nation into beggars. MDC: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe Jacob Mafume MDC National Spokesper
Farai Dziva|Dynamos coach Lloyd Chigowe is disappointed with the way his team allowed Hwange to come from behind to beat them 2-1 in a match played at Rufaro Stadium on Sunday.
The Glamour Boys dominated possession and created several chances throughout the game. They went into the lead in the 65th minute courtesy of Tawanda Macheke’s fine effort but the visitors made a quick response as they equalised two minutes later through Eddie Nkulungo who completed his brace on the 75th minute.
Nkulungo’s first goal came after he dispossessed Jimmy Tigere of the ball inside the box while his second was a low drive which could have been easily dealt with by keeper Simba Chinani.
“We went to sleep in the crucial moments of the game, we gave away two cheap goals,” fumed Chigowe after the game.
“I am not happy at all with the way we defended. We could have scored more goals had we not gone to sleep in defence.
“Hwange defended for their lives and at times they were defending in numbers and they took their chances.”
Chipangano keeper Taimon Mvula also pulled an outstanding performance, keeping his team in the game with several terrific saves.
Farai Dziva|Supporters of MDC A vice president Elias Mudzuri and secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora have forged an alliance meant to topple party president Nelson Chamisa.
Intelligence sources in the opposition party have revealed Mwonzora and Mudzuri factions have joined hands in Masvingo Province to topple Chamisa at the May Congress.
“Masvingo Mayor Collen Maboke funded the bussing of delegates for Masvingo North’ s District Congress.
The majority of the delegates for Masvingo North District Congress came from Gutu South and Masvingo Urban.
Peter Chigaba coordinated the bussing of people from Gutu South.
In Chiredzi South Ms Emmaculate Makondo tampered with the structures and personally forced party members to nominate Masvingo Provincial chairman James Gumbi.
The signatures of those who are said have nominated Gumbie were all forged.
Mwonzora recently held meetings with the Gumbie faction at Flamboyant Hotel and Mayor Maboke ‘s offices,” impeccable party sources revealed.
Farai Dziva|MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa has urged Emmerson Mnangagwa to resolve the issue of Gukurahundi atrocities to enable national healing to take place.
In a statement to commemorate the Rwanda genocide, Chamisa urged authorities in Zimbabwe to look into the Gukurahundi issue with sincerity.
“Our hearts and minds are with the great people of Rwanda who commemorate the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide which saw the slaughter of over 800 000 minority Tutsis.
This reminds us all in Zimbabwe to resolve the Gukurahundi massacres for true national healing to take place,” said Chamisa.
Farai Dziva|The country’s main opposition party, MDC A says it will not tolerate acts of hooliganism.
Below is a statement written by the party’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Jacob Mafume:
The MDC has moved to conduct Provincial Congresses, yesterday North America held its Provincial Congress successfully and nominated leaders for standing Committee positions,the national Youth and Women’s Assemblies.
The same process will happen today the 7th of April 2019 in Matebeleland South.
Nominations are being done in line with the MDC Constitution.
Those nominated will then be allowed to campaign freely, for now members are not at a stage of canvassing as a requirement of the Constitution.
The Provincial Congresses follow successful conducting of branch,ward and district Congresses.
The MDC has since fine tuned mechanism on dispute resolution as well as establishing a framework to handle any violent behavior.
This includes drafting an elaborate code of conduct for all who are nominated as candidates.
Any acts of violence or breach of the code of conduct will be dealt with without fear or favour, proportionate with the offense and in line with party statutes.
The MDC Congress must be peaceful, fair, civil and democratic.
We are setting a stage for strengthening a people’s alternative and defining a new course for Zimbabwe.
MDC: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe!
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson
Farai Dziva|There is confusion over former Vice President Joice Mujuru’s plans to rejoin the ruling party, Zanu PF.
Yesterday Zanu PF secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu claimed Robert Mugabe’s former deputy was on her way back to the ruling party.
However, In a statement on a social media page widely believed to be run by Joice Mujuru, a response has been made to Mpofu’s statements.
“I will NEVER rejoin Zanu-PF. I’m not desperate. There’s my son to support! He’s the president,” said the statement.
The authenticity of that popular social media account is however yet to be verified.
Mujuru, who turns 64 years old next week on 15 April, served as Vice-President of Zimbabwe from 2004 to 2014. Emmerson Mnangagwa and the military junta allegedly plotted Mujuru’s downfall as she was seen as an impediment to the Midlands godfather’ s ascendancy.
By Own Correspondent| Brighton Elliot Moyo, the Zimbabwean man who made headlines across the world in February when he was ‘resurrected’ from the dead in controversial circumstances by South African-based miracle-man Alph Lukau, has died.
Moyo made waves across the whole world after a video in which he was allegedly raised from the dead after three days went viral although Pastor Lukau later backtracked on his claims and accused Moyo’s family of staging the miracle.
According to a local publication H-Metro, Brighton died last week in a village called St Luke’s in South Africa.
Unfortunately for Brighton, there was no resurrection this time and he was buried on Saturday. He is survived by his wife only as they had no children.
A close family member who spoke to H-Metro said,
“His stomach started swelling and didn’t stop for three days and on the third day, he died.”
According to other reports, when Brighton joined Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries International there were reports that he was HIV positive, had kidney failure and he also had TB (tuberculosis).
When reached for comment, officials from the church stressed that what happened in February was not a miracle.
Government is considering amending the Constitution to remove a clause, that makes the post of Vice President(s) elective, which is set to come into effect in the next harmonised elections in 2023.
The 2013 Constitution, through Section 92, has a 10-year transitional clause that provides for the joint election of the President and two running mates selected by the Presidential candidate.
However, bureaucrats working on an omnibus Constitutional Amendment Bill that is expected to refine the country’s supreme law say they will open debate on the usefulness of the clause, which Constitutional experts say is an “America concept” that can potentially precipitate a political crisis by creating two centres of power.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Taskforce that was recently established to work on wide-ranging proposed amendments, said there was need to deeply reflect on this impending provision.
“We need to initiate debate on it; we need to ask ourselves whether we need such a provision,” said Minister Ziyambi.
“We are looking at and engaging the public and debating about whether it is necessary; but in my opinion, I do not think it is necessary.
“You do not want to create two centres of power; that is something we need to avoid at all costs.
“Naturally, the head of the executive is the President; what then does it mean when we have three people who are elected by the masses into the executive, who will wield more power?
“It is another issue that needs debate, and I think we need to take it out,” he said.
The clause, outlined in Section 92 of the Constitution, stipulates that the election of a President and Vice Presidents must take place concurrently with every general election of Members of Parliament, provincial councils and local authorities.
It reads: “(1)The election of a President and two Vice Presidents must take place within the period specified in section 158,” reads Section 92.
“(2) Every candidate for election as President must nominate two persons to stand for election jointly with him or her as Vice Presidents, and must designate one of those persons as his or her candidate for first Vice President and the other as his or her candidate for second Vice President.
“(3) The President and the Vice-President and the Vice-Presidents are directly elected jointly by registered voters throughout Zimbabwe, and the procedure for their election is as prescribed in the Electoral Law.”
In the event of a sitting President’s death, resignation or removal, the first Vice President will assume office until the expiry of the former President’s term.
Not People’s Will
Constitutional law expert and University of Zimbabwe law lecturer Professor Lovemore Madhuku said the provision was “not an idea that came from the people”.
“That is an American concept which has only applied in the United States and has been followed by very few other countries,” said Prof Madhuku.
“Otherwise the general trend is that you elect the President and the President must then have the leeway to constitute his executive through appointing his deputy and his ministers; that prerogative must be that of the President who is elected.
“The second thing is that that provision which is in the current Constitution never came from anyone, it was creation of Copac, it never came out of the public hearings.
“That is the problem with having a Constitution that is drafted by the elites,” he said.
Copac was a constitution parliamentary select committee that was set up to draft a new Constitution before 2013.
Professor Madhuka said the clause, which he described as “a terrible provision”, is potentially destabilising.
“From my studies of constitutionalism, it is a provision that destabilises political parties and nations.”
Certainty
However, Copac co-chair and Zanu-PF lead negotiator during the constitution-making process Paul Mangwana said the provision was meant to bring certainty to the succession issue.
“The logic behind that clause was to bring about certainty around the issue of succession of a head of state,” he said.
“In the event of failure by an incumbent to finish his term, then everyone would know who was next in line to finish the term.
“They are elected as a team and that kills off the debate around who is next in line.”
The omnibus Constitutional Amendment Bill that is currently in the works is expected to deepen civil liberties, individual rights, scrap the death penalty, extend the women’s quota system and entrench political and electoral reforms.
It is also primed to perfect the local systems of governance.
The high-level team will also fast-track legislation will enhance the ease of doing business and repeal laws that are inconsistent with the Constitution or previous court judges.
Minister Ziyambi is deputised by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo.
Other members of the taskforce include Ministers Monica Mutsvangwa (Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services), Professor Mthuli Ncube (Finance and Economic Development), Cain Mathema (Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage), Mangaliso Ndlovu (Industry and Commerce), Owen Ncube (Minister of State for Security in the President’s Office) and Attorney-General Mr Prince Machaya.
By Own Correspondent- Journalists here have been detained at Harare Central police station as they sought to present a petition against the harassment of journalists.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates
MDC members opposed to Nelson Chamisa’s presidency are reportedly plotting to leave him isolated after the opposition party’s congress next month, with most of his trusted lieutenants culled off in the event that he retains the post.
Party insiders said while it was becoming clear that Chamisa could be headed for an easy win at congress, it was his lieutenants that are now being targeted, particularly those who broke away from the party in the past and only rejoined in the run-up to last year’s polls.
“The new plan is to surround Chamisa with a team that will not be entirely loyal to him. His opponents want to make sure that if he wins, he will not have an easy reign and will not manoeuvre easily, while, for instance, if Douglas Mwonzora loses, he wants to have insiders and control the narrative of the MDC (from the sidelines),” one of the sources said.
Already, the MDC has started provincial nomination processes, with its United States branch snubbing party deputy chairperson and Chamisa’s right handman Tendai Biti.
The US branch has, instead, thrown its weight behind youth leader Happymore Chidziva to deputise chairperson Thabitha Khumalo.
Theresa Makone has also been left out, with respected lawyer David Coltart nominated for the post of treasurer, while current vice-presidents Morgen Komichi and Welshman Ncube; and Lilian Timveous (MDC Senate chief whip) have been nominated for the three vice-presidents’ slots.
Chamisa yesterday told NewsDay that it was too early to discuss the outcome of provincial nominations as 12 more provinces were yet to file nomination papers ahead of congress.
“These statements are premature and party processes are guided by democracy. We have 13 provinces, three are outside Zimbabwe and the other 10 are in Zimbabwe. We have only started our provincial congresses today in Matabeleland South, where they will consider nominations from districts,” he said.
To contest for any position at national level, one needs at least two nominations from the 13 provinces.
There is serious jockeying, with top leaders desperate to retain their posts, traversing the width and breadth of the country coaxing delegates for nomination.
Charlton Hwende, a close Chamisa ally, is eyeing the post of secretary-general, currently held by Mwonzora, who is reportedly angling to take over the party presidency.
Mwonzora and vice-president Elias Mudzuri are the only candidates known to be plotting to topple Chamisa.
Both have confirmed their interest in the post.
But Mwonzora denied allegations that he was sponsoring a campaign to isolate Chamisa, saying the allegations were being raised by former party rebels to soil his image.
“What is ironic in the MDC is that the people who are bringing these allegations are people who split from the party, who took money away from the party and who called (the late party founder Morgan) Tsvangirai all sorts of names (before returning) to the party,” he said.
“We accommodated them and what they are trying to do is to drive a wedge between myself and Nelson Chamisa as a way of getting an accommodation. Fortunately, the MDC members are intelligent enough to read through this.”
Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said: “There are ambitions and some of them run wild, at times ahead of the party, and these are not things the party is concerned about at the moment. We are going to run a successful congress and members will be deployed not because they are friends or enemies of a particular person, but because the members decide as such.”
Correspondent|GOVERNMENT has reportedly begun an exercise to register white former commercial farmers interested in advance payments as compensation while waiting for full packages for losses they incurred during the 2000 chaotic land reform exercise.
At least 4 000 white farmers are still waiting for compensation more than 18 years after they lost farms during the often violent land reform exercise, which government defended as necessary to correct colonial land ownership imbalances.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube in his 2019 Budget statement set aside $53 million to compensate the farmers, a figure that has, however, been described as not enough to address the compensation stand-off.
Lands minister Perrance Shiri and Ncube, in a joint statement on Friday, said advance payments would be made to interested former farm owners, while government mobilises the needed financial resources for a full compensation package.
“The process to identify and register former farm owners who want to participate in the interim advance payments scheme has now commenced and is being co-ordinated by the Commercial Farmers’ Union (CFU) and the Compensation Steering Committee, representing former farm owners,” Shiri and Ncube’s statement said.
“The registration process and the list of farmers should be completed by the end of April 2019, after which the interim advance payments will be paid directly to former farm owners by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement. Government will put in place institutional arrangements to expedite the disbursements for these interim advance payments.”
It is estimated that government needs at least US$9 billion to compensate the farmers for their losses.
“In the meantime, government’s accelerated farm valuation exercise for farm improvements is expected to be completed by (the) end of April 2019. This will pave the way for both parties to reach an agreement on the compensation quantum figure for farm improvements by (the) end of May 2019,” the two ministers said.
“Consultations on sustainable options for mobilising the requisite compensation resources are being explored in conjunction with the International Financial Institutions and other stakeholders.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the land reform exercise is irreversible, promising to compensate farmers who were hounded out of their land.
Jane Mlambo| Self exiled former Zanu PF politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo has dashed to the defence of the opposition MDC saying legitimacy is derived from the people according to the constitution.
Prof Madhuku is being unhelpfully pedantic, perhaps for unfortunate political reasons. The Constitution is clear that legitimacy, that is to say executive authority, is derived from the people of Zimbabwe! pic.twitter.com/Ay2d1os7C7
Correspondent|Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote, known as Africa’s richest man, told a forum in Ivory Coast on Saturday how he once took $10m in cash out of the bank just to look at it and get it into his head that this was real money, not just figures on paper.
“When you’re young your first million is important, but after, the numbers don’t mean much,” Dangote, a manufacturing tycoon with a range of companies spanning cement to flour, told the Mo Ibrahim forum in Abidjan.
“One day, I cashed 10 million, put them in the boot of my car I put it in my room. I looked at them and thought ‘now I believe I have money’ and took it back to the bank the next day,” he told his audience.
Anecdotes aside, Dangote said that the two most promising sectors for Africa’s future were agriculture and new technologies. But he advised young African entrepreneurs not to get carried away by the first flush of success.
“Often in Africa we spend our projected incomes. There are ups and downs” in business, he warned.
Dangote said he regretted the customs and administrative problems that hamper business development throughout the continent.
As an example he cited the difficulties his cement group faces in exporting to Benin from Nigerian factories 40km from the border. Benin imported “more expensive” cement from China instead.
Correspondent|In a shocking development, the Zimbabwean man who was “raised from the dead” by South African prophet, Pastor Alph Lukau back in February has died. Brighton ‘Elliot’ Moyo made waves across the whole world after a video in which he was allegedly raised from the dead after 3 days went viral although Pastor Lukau later backtracked on his claims and accused Moyo’s family of staging the miracle.
According to local publication H-Metro, Brighton died last week in a village called St Luke’s in South Africa. Unfortunately for Brighton, there was no resurrection this time and he was buried on Saturday. He is survived by his wife only as they had no children. A close family member who spoke to H-Metro said,
His stomach started swelling and didn’t stop for three days and on the third day, he died.
According to other reports, when Brighton joined Lukau’s Alleluia Ministries International there were reports that he was HIV positive and he had kidney failure and he also had TB (tuberculosis).
A 20-YEAR-OLD Zhombe habitual thief was sentenced to three years in jail for unlawfully entering a house in Kwekwe and stealing goods worth $1 121 a week after his release from Khami Prison, where he had served a jail sentence over a similar offence.
Tinashe Sibanda (20) of Mashandike village, Zhombe, under Chief Malisa was slapped with a 36-month jail term by Kwekwe magistrate Stories Rushambwa.
However, six months were later suspended on condition that he restitutes $1 121 to complainant, Remekedzai Makunde.
Prosecutor Freddy Ndoro told the court that on December 29 last year, Sibanda broke into Makunde’s house in Newtown and took away property worth $1 121.
On New Year’s eve, Sibanda was arrested after the gas stove he had stolen was recovered.
