Jane Mlambo| Embattled vice President Kembo Mohadi who caused a furore in Beitbridge recently when he confronted his ex wife Tambudzanai with an axe is in the eye of a storm with people calling on women groups to call him to order.
Writing on Twitter, Tajamuka spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said women groups should not only voice out when MDC leader Nelson Chamisa jokes about women while remaining quite when Zanu PF officials show disrespect for women.
By Own Correspondent| Zimbabwe Democracy Institute founder Pedzisayi Ruhanya has warned opposition MDC against fielding double candidates arguing that such actions costed the party seats at both parliamentary and council level.
Ruhanya said if the party continued on such a trend, they risked losing more seats at the hands of their arch rival Zanu Pf come 2023.
He said:
“2023 is on the horizon. MDC refuses to learn from proven irrefutable empirical evidence on how they lost many constituencies and councils in 2013, 2018 in places like Masvingo, Bulawayo Matabeleland South as a result of double candidates. Don’t blame rigging on such things.”
By Own Correspondent| A 19 year old man from Mvurwi drowned while trying to retrieve bathing soap from a river.
Maxwell Mutema from Barwick Farm died from drowning after he tried to retrieve a cake of bathing soap which had slipped into Mukwadzi river.
Maxwell’s twin brother, Clever and a friend identified as Anyway Magetsi were bathing with Maxwell on the fateful day but were unable to rescue him despite their best efforts.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident although he stated that Maxwell’s body is yet to be retrieved.-TheStandard
By Own Correspondent| A law expert and political analyst, Alex Magaisa, has castigated the government’s decision to buy wigs for judges worth 100 000 pounds from the United Kingdom while the infrastructure at courts is in shambles.
Magaisa suggested that gocernment should have used the money to give a facelift to the courtrooms, revamping the toilets at the courts among other basic court infrastructure.
Writing on microblogging site Twitter on Saturday, Magaisa said:
“This story had eluded my attention. I have previously suggested the abolition of this dress-code for reasons of incongruity with the times and their ridiculous look on the judges. But on this occasion, just the cost factor alone should have prevailed upon the judges’ minds.
The amount of money spent on this ludicrous apparel would be enough to upgrade abysmal toilet facilities and waiting rooms at court buildings, let alone courtrooms themselves which are in a desperate state. But they export £100,000 to an English merchant in London – for wigs!”
So here is a country which is desperately short of forex. And what do the judges do with the little they get? They use it to buy horse-hair wigs from London! If they are really desperate for wigs they could ask local craftsmen to make the same wigs out of sisal fibre!
POWER struggles in the MDC turned violent at the weekend after party leader Nelson Chamisa’s supporters allegedly physically assaulted secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora’s sympathisers, ahead of the opposition party’s elective congress, next month.
Mwonzora has, over the past few weeks, earned himself the wrath of Chamisa supporters’ anger following reports that he was eyeing the party presidency.
Supporters from the two rival camps fought running battles in Chitungwiza on Saturday in the skirmishes which left Chitungwiza former deputy mayor Jabulani Mtunzi and several other party activists seriously injured.
Party sources told NewsDay that Mtunzi, who is believed to be sympathetic to Mwonzora, was admitted at Chitungwiza Central Hospital.
The clashes occurred during selection of candidates for the party’s district organs.
Mwonzora confirmed the incident yesterday, and called for the perpetrators’ arrest and disqualification of candidates fomenting violence.
“The violence that is taking place is extremely disconcerting,” he said.
“We will disqualify the violent elements from the congress race, but this violence has to be nipped in the bud. These people who perpetrate violence are criminals who belong in jail. The leaders in whose name these goons operate must publicly denounce violence, failure which they will be held responsible for the violence and disqualified, whoever they are.”
He confirmed that most of the victims were his supporters, but could not confirm allegations that the perpetrators were acting on Chamisa’s orders.
Mwonzora said he had not yet officially made up his mind which post to contest at the congress, although sources close to him said he was eyeing Chamisa’s presidency.
Both Mwonzora and Chamisa squared off in the 2014 elective congress where they contesting for the secretary-general’s position.
Chamisa lost the race, but was later handpicked for the party’s vice-presidency by the now late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Although both Chamisa and his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda could not be reached for comment yesterday, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said congress preparations were going on well despite the “isolated cases of indiscipline that will be thoroughly investigated”.
“We are still to get reports, but as you know, our district meetings have been going on from Saturday and Sunday and we will get the feedback,” Mafume said.
“We deployed provincial and national members to monitor and supervise the process and they will give full reports. We have hundreds of district meetings going on, the bulk of them going on without any incident.
“Where there has been incident and caused internally, the appropriate action will be taken after a thorough investigation. We are, by and large, satisfied with the progress, although there have been few reports here and there. We will investigate anything that comes out of the Chitungwiza processes, including any injury to person and damage to property to find out who caused it and where it came from and we will take appropriate action.”
Mafume said the opposition party had a clear and detailed complaints filing mechanism, adding that those aggrieved must utilise the facility.
MDC national organising secretary Amos Chibaya described the Chitungwiza violence as unfortunate.
“We don’t have room for violence in our party. Those people causing violence belong to Zanu PF, they have Zanu PF demons and by so doing they have fired themselves from the party. Our template is very clear, we don’t tolerate violence,” Chibaya said.
He, however, denied reports that the instigators were working on Chamisa’s behalf.
“The violence has nothing to do with the senior leadership. People want positions because the MDC is a democratic party and it is a freedom train. No one wants to be left aside. The violence has nothing to do with anyone in the leadership,” he added.
violence are criminals who belong in jail. The leaders in whose name these goons operate must publicly denounce violence, failure which they will be held responsible for the violence and disqualified, whoever they are.”
He confirmed that most of the victims were his supporters, but could not confirm allegations that the perpetrators were acting on Chamisa’s orders.
Mwonzora said he had not yet officially made up his mind which post to contest at the congress, although sources close to him said he was eyeing Chamisa’s presidency.
Both Mwonzora and Chamisa squared off in the 2014 elective congress where they contesting for the secretary-general’s position.
Chamisa lost the race, but was later handpicked for the party’s vice-presidency by the now late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Although both Chamisa and his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda could not be reached for comment yesterday, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said congress preparations were going on well despite the “isolated cases of indiscipline that will be thoroughly investigated”.
“We are still to get reports, but as you know, our district meetings have been going on from Saturday and Sunday and we will get the feedback,” Mafume said.
“We deployed provincial and national members to monitor and supervise the process and they will give full reports. We have hundreds of district meetings going on, the bulk of them going on without any incident.
“Where there has been incident and caused internally, the appropriate action will be taken after a thorough investigation. We are, by and large, satisfied with the progress, although there have been few reports here and there. We will investigate anything that comes out of the Chitungwiza processes, including any injury to person and damage to property to find out who caused it and where it came from and we will take appropriate action.”
Mafume said the opposition party had a clear and detailed complaints filing mechanism, adding that those aggrieved must utilise the facility.
MDC national organising secretary Amos Chibaya described the Chitungwiza violence as unfortunate.
“We don’t have room for violence in our party. Those people causing violence belong to Zanu PF, they have Zanu PF demons and by so doing they have fired themselves from the party. Our template is very clear, we don’t tolerate violence,” Chibaya said.
He, however, denied reports that the instigators were working on Chamisa’s behalf.
“The violence has nothing to do with the senior leadership. People want positions because the MDC is a democratic party and it is a freedom train. No one wants to be left aside. The violence has nothing to do with anyone in the leadership,” he added.
BPRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has, in an effort to pacify the Zanu PF old guard stripped of their ministerial posts and deployed to less influential posts as full-time party employees, assured them they wielded immense influence over government programmes.
Addressing Zanu PF’s 111 central committee meeting on Friday, Mnangagwa said the ruling party was more supreme than government and would give directives to Cabinet ministers.
“The supremacy of the party, as a philosophy, is the ideal position which we must concertedly work to achieve. Cognisant that government is a product of the party, we are all agreed that the party is supreme. The party came first, then the revolution came second,” he said.
Several long-serving former ministers, among them Patrick Chinamasa (Finance), Obert Mpofu (Home Affairs), Simon Khaya Moyo (Information) and Samuel Membengegwi (Foreign Affairs), were last year deployed to the party headquarters as newbies took over government business.
“We have failed to show the supremacy of the party over government. That we have not achieved yet. We must reach a stage where the party leadership departments are ahead of government, because government is born out of the party,” he said.
This comes amid reports that the old guard was not happy with the way the Young Turks were running government business, especially the introduction of policies seen as anti-people.
“The President is well aware that there are people who felt they were entitled to ministerial posts, particularly after backing him during the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe. However, he was also alive to the fact that their presence in government would not have inspired confidence in his leadership,” a source said.
“They are people who thought they would be rewarded and this has not been happening. This has caused serious divisions in the party. Some of this played out on the attempt to oust the youth leadership, and the eventual dissolution of the Harare and Bulawayo provinces.”
Mnangagwa warned party members against expelling each other, saying they were stronger together than divided.
“Let’s be happy to be a party of many than of a few. Let us not enjoy expelling each other from that party,” he said.
There are also moves to change the party’s constitution to ensure that Zanu PF retains a strong grip on ministers’ performance.
Mnangagwa said the proposed changes, which will be tabled at the next central committee meeting, were meant to ensure that Zanu PF catches up with modern ideologies.
“Yesterday (Thursday) in the politburo, we looked at various provisions of our constitution, which we think we will need to change,” he said.
“However, we are not able to have a coherent paper to submit to the central committee, but possibly at the next central committee. Some of the provisions still live in the past and we need them to move into the present, into the future.”
NewsDay
TA DRUNKEN 54-year-old shebeen queen from Bulawayo allegedly stabbed a man to death in Pumula East suburb after a misunderstanding on Saturday night.
Marshal Mkwananzi (21) originally from Zvishavane was visiting his siblings in Bulawayo when he met his end at Zenzele Bottle Store.
Sithembiso Mzizi allegedly smashed a beer bottle and used the jagged ends to stab Mkwananzi in the neck.
Witnesses said blood gushed from the wound and Mkwananzi tried in vain to stem the flow with his hands.
He died as he was being rushed to hospital.
The Chronicle caught up with Mkwananzi’s family yesterday and relatives said he was a peaceful man who died a painful death.
Residents on the other hand, described Mzizi as a “drama queen” who once stripped naked after having a misunderstanding with a fellow imbiber. They said Mzizi, also a shebeen queen in the area, was a bully and always carried a knife to scare anyone who dared cross her path.
“I was awakened at 11PM yesterday and informed that my grandson had been stabbed at a bottle store. I woke up and rushed there and could only find a pool of blood as the owner of the bottle store rushed him to Mpilo Central Hospital,” said Mkwananzi’s grandmother Ms Patricia Mnkandla.
“Allegations are that she used a broken bottle, which I doubt very much because when I got to the scene, there were no pieces of broken glass but blood all over the room he was stabbed in,” she said.
According to Ms Mnkandla, witnesses and neighbours confirmed Mzizi stabbed her grandson.
She said Mkwananzi’s brother-in-law had failed to save his life after he was stabbed.
He said he tried to stop the bleeding by pressing a piece of cloth against the wound but Mkwananzi was bleeding so profusely that within seconds the whole room had been filled with blood.
“We have tried to gather what really happened for her to stab my child and they keep saying Marshall was caught in a cross fire. Someone claimed the misunderstanding was over beer but I still cannot understand how and why such an elderly woman could have killed our child,” added Ms Mnkandla.
She said although the family was still in shock, they had started to make arrangements for the burial.
“My grandson lived in Zvishavane and had just visited his sisters as usual. He decided to go for drinks with his brothers-in-law and the next thing, he was dead. He didn’t even make it to hospital,” said Ms Mnkandla.
Efforts to get a comment from the bottle store owner were fruitless as he could not be reached.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said she was yet to receive the report.
A neighbour who preferred anonymity claimed that Mzizi was heard bragging that she had stabbed Mnkandla and was not scared of arrest.
“She openly told us that she is not even scared of the police and that nothing was going to be done to her. We are still in shock and we will forever be traumatised by the amount of blood that spouted from the boy’s neck after he was stabbed,” he said. — State Media
Correspondent|Musician Lovemore ‘Maji’ Majaivana reportedly sneaked into Bulawayo on Friday afternoon from the United States.
Sources said that Maji of the Umoya Wami hit was in the country at attend a family event in Bulawayo. As news spread over the weekend that the maestro was in the country, scores of his fans wrote a petition to beg him for at least one show and will be collecting signatures at the venue. His fans expect to take advantage of his presence at the City Hall to hand the petition to him, likely at the end of the family event.
His return to the country after 19 years could be the most exciting thing for his fans who have been craving for a performance from the icon. Maji’s relative who declined to be named said the singer was whisked from Joshua Mqabuko International Airport without being noticed on Friday afternoon.
“Majaivana arrived on Friday but he made it clear that he wanted his arrival and visit to be low key. He wants it to remain private as his life has been over the past decade or so.
“His fans who’re hoping for his return into the music scene might get lucky if he agrees to perform as some of his friends are pleading with him,” said the family member, referring to the petition that has been drafted.
“However, he is elated to be back home.”
The source said pictures that Maji took with relatives at the weekend will only be released after he has left the country. Asked when he would be leaving, the source said it is not clear. Pressed further, the source said Majaivana had met with his old friend Albert Nyathi, who is part of the team trying to convince him to perform one more time.
“It’s not clear when he’ll be leaving the country, but it will not be long,” the source said.
Majaivana left the country at the turn of the century and had not returned home. His visit could excite his fans who have been yearning for his return and performance. Majaivana’s music has remained relevant as it captures society’s mood, nearly two decades since his departure.
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The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) has begun its search for a substantive Vice Chancellor to replace Professor Levi Nyagura, who left the institution amid allegations of abuse of office.
Prof Nyagura faced allegations of facilitating the unprocedural conferment of a Doctor of Philosophy degree on former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe.
Prof Paul Mapfumo is the Acting Vice Chancellor.
UZ has since advertised the post in the media.
“The ViceChancellor leadership role entails being able to provide visionary and strategic leadership to the university, including maintaining and promoting research, innovation and industrialisation as well as ensuring efficiency and good governance in the conduct of business of the institution,” read the advert from the university.
“Negotiate strategic linkages with local and international institutions regarding instructional resources and the use of information and communication technologies for key academic and administrative activities of the University.”
The new Vice Chancellor is expected to foster strategic partnerships and harmonious working relationships between and among various university stakeholders, staff, students, public and private organisations.
State Media
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says the main opposition party’s revered late founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is probably turning in his grave because of what he calls “the toxic politics obtaining in the party that he had lived and sacrificed so much for.”
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Sunday last week, Mwonzora also said were Tsvangirai still around, he would be “terribly disappointed” by the petty agendas, the ill-discipline and the chaos that was consuming the party ahead of its elective congress in May.
This comes as there are growing reports of turmoil, thuggery, intimidation and manipulation of party structures within the country’s main opposition, as MDC bigwigs jostle for positions ahead of the fast approaching key internal elections.
The party will hold its eagerly-anticipated congress from May 24 to 26, where a new party leadership will be chosen — including the substantive successor to Tsvangirai — who died on Valentine’s Day last year after losing his brave battle against cancer of the colon.
The party’s charismatic interim leader, Nelson Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in last year’s historic elections, is likely to face competition from Elias Mudzuri and Mwonzora at the congress.
Mwonzora said there was no doubt that if Tsvangirai was still alive, he would not countenance the present state of the MDC, where narrow agendas were marring the run-up to the congress.
“I know Tsvangirai hated the vitriol which some party members direct at each other.
“He won’t be too pleased to learn, even where he is, that there are party members who are using hate language against other party members. Tsvangirai wanted a united, democratic party that always looks to and pays attention to its glorious founding values,” Mwonzora said.
He said preparations for the MDC’s congress, which he said had initially taken off “to a good start”, were now being marred by allegations of violence and “other barbaric acts” by some party members.
“The preparations for congress were going on well. However, we have now received reports of violence, intimidation and discrimination on the basis of people who supported me in 2014.
We have had to deal with congress-related suspensions and expulsions at lower structures. If all these things are true, then it is wrong, unfair, anachronistic to the party and therefore totally unacceptable. I hope the organising, elections and chairpersons’ departments bring the reports on these issues to our next Standing Committee meeting,” Mwonzora added of the current restructuring exercise which has caused serious divisions in the party.
Last week, disgruntled party members claimed that some senior MDC officials were imposing dodgy structures in the party along factional lines, to further their personal interests. They said this had created serious problems, to the extent that MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya was “agonising” over which lists to accept from party structures, because of the chaos currently consuming the restructuring exercise.
“There is big trouble in the making because he (Chibaya) has to determine which lists to accept based on who was involved in the process.
“Parallel structures have been created in areas such as Dzivaresekwa, Kuwadzana, Zengeza East and Zengeza West.
“The main danger is that those whose lists will be rejected will be crying foul, and thus, there could be chaos at congress because these people will still come claiming to be the bona fide structures and cause chaos and fights,” a worried national executive member told our sister publication, the Daily News a fortnight ago.
Another insider confirmed to the newspaper that the restructuring of the party, particularly at the level of branches and wards, had seen supporters of Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora coming up with different lists of what they were all claiming to be bona fide members.
Claims were also increasingly being made that Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora were separately seeking to influence the outcome of the restructuring exercise since elected officials would form the electoral college at the coming congress.
“This is what is causing the chaos in several provinces such as Mashonaland East, Chitungwiza, Harare and Masvingo, where there is serious infighting.
“The divisions are also emanating from claims that there are attempts to push out some members who are allegedly not loyal to Chamisa. Because of all this, disgruntled members are now also threatening to derail the restructuring exercise in protest,” the insider said.
Mwonzora told the Daily News on Sunday that it was his wish to see the country’s largest opposition party by far re-admitting disgruntled members such as former MDC deputy leader Thokozani Khupe — who quit the party in a huff last year ahead of the July 30 national elections.
“The MDC family must come together without conditions. Thokozani Khupe was … Tsvangirai’s longest-serving deputy, who possesses an internal party memory that we cannot just ignore.
“In terms of the transgressions of all the people who split from the main MDC at one time or the other, one cannot argue that Thokozani transgressed more than the others. I think all the MDC members must come back and prosecute the struggle together as Tsvangirai had fought to achieve in his life,” Mwonzora said.
The MDC was hit by power struggles shortly after the death of Tsvangirai, when Chamisa assumed the reins of the party ahead of his rivals — albeit, under controversial circumstances.
The 41-year-old was accused of having allegedly used his then assumed closeness to Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth, to torpedo the ambitions of the likes of Mudzuri and Khupe.
A titanic leadership battle subsequently ensued in the party, which eventually led to Khupe forming a breakaway faction — which went on to perform dismally in last year’s elections.
Chamisa ultimately prevailed over his party competitors after a consultative meeting of the MDC, which was held at its Harare headquarters — and which was attended by 639 delegates from 210 party districts — endorsed him as Tsvangirai’s interim successor and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 polls.
— Daily News
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Paul Nyathi|Alpha Media Holdings owner Trevor Ncube has said brewed a major shocker when he suggested that Ndebele people in South Africa are the worst in supporting xenophobia probably against fellow Zimbabweans of Shona origin.
In a highly sensational tweet on Sunday, Ncube accused IsiNdebele speaking Zimbabweans of taking advantage of their closeness to South African tribes to turn against other African nationals in taking part in the xenophobic attacks that he prefers to call Afrophobia instead of xenophobia.
Ncube said: “Zimbabweans from Matabeleland with SA Citizenship/Residence are the worst apologists to Afrophobia.
“They mistakenly think their proximity to Nguni Heritage is protection to incidiary hatred of black Africans. #NoToAfrophobia“
The tweet has attracted a huge debate on social media with some people accusing Ncube of missing the point while others decided to bash the media mogul who has been very apologetic to ZANU PF of late.
South Africa has been experiencing fierce xenophobic violence in the last two weeks in which Zimbabweans especially ChiShona speakers have been victims.
Several people have been killed in the incidents three of whom were suspected to be Zimbabweans.
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Own Correspondent|NKULULEKO Sibanda, the spokesperson for MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, has said the ruling party ZANU-PF rigged its way to victory in the Cowdray Park by-election.
Sibanda says ZANU-PF took advantage of the fact that Chamisa was focusing on the cyclone Idai-induced humanitarian situation in Chimanimani to rig the election, although he did not specify how.
“Look, we blinked and the rigging machine took advantage. This is primarily because the President (Chamisa) focused on the Cyclone and humanitarian situation. Be rest assured, President Chamisa will look into this,” Sibanda said Sunday on Twitter.
Sibanda’s statement contradicts that of MDC founding member David Coltart, who ruled out rigging in Saturday’s defeat of the MDC by ZANU-PF in ward 28 Cowdray Park by-elections.
Coltart bemoaned the fact that the MDC has moved away from its founding values of 1999 where it was grounded on principles of social democracy. He said ZANU-PF will continue winning as long the opposition party remained at sixes-and-sevens when it comes to ideology.
“You can’t tell us that Zanu-PF has rigged the Cowdray Park by-election. Try another excuse,” seasoned journalist Brezhnev Malaba said.
To which Coltart concurred: “This is correct. As flawed as our electoral system is this loss can not be blamed on rigging. Until everyone in the MDC rekindles the original vision of the party established on 11/9/99 we will allow ZANU-PF to rule in places where they are actually detested by the majority.”
Earlier on, former ZANU-PF propagandist Jonathan Moyo, who since last year has been a strong supporter of Nelson Chamisa, said the MDC had disconnected from the people who actually vote.
“The MDC Alliance has disconnected with Bulawayo voters. Time was when for every three registered voters in Bulawayo, two were MDC. The writing is on the wall: if the MDC-Alliance leadership does not introspect on this & reconnect with Bulawayo voters, trouble lies ahead!”
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa fielded Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi after failing to reach a consensus on who to represent the part. ZESN (2019) reports that ZANU PF decided to field Mujuru who lost the 2018 elections.
The MDC Alliance held primary elections which were won by a former Councilor, Collet Ndhlovu.
The disputed outcome of the primary elections resulted in more than one candidate from MDC Alliance filing their nomination papers with the Nomination Court.
Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi represented the party in the by-elections and both of them polled 1450 votes combined, against 1899 by the ruling party candidate.
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Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mr Richard Peterson has retired after serving the city for 11 years.
He retired together with Mr Charles Mawariwande who joined the department in 1975. The two each received $2 000 from their colleagues, retirement certificates and were taken on their last official tour of the Fire Station in Famona.
Mr Peterson who joined the local authority at the height of economic meltdown in 2008 said he leaves a happy man as he managed to oversee the equipping of the Fire Services department, now ranked among the best in the country in terms of service delivery.
Acting Town Clerk Mrs Sikhangele Zhou announced Mr Peterson’s retirement on Friday during a handover ceremony for donations by Operation Florian, a charity set up by British fire-fighters to save lives overseas by donating reconditioned fire engines and emergency equipment to other regions in the world at Famona Fire Station.
She said the highly beneficial partnership between the city and Operation Florian was Mr Peterson’s brainchild.
Mrs Zhou who is also head of the Fire Services department said Mr Peterson officially retired on December 31 2018 but was given a three-month contract extension which expired Friday.
“We recruited Richard Peterson to be chief fire officer in 2008. He was brave enough to assume duty in May 2008 when the Fire Station had nothing. He had the challenge therefore to revive it and that is why we then started looking for partners and finally the mission (Operation Florian) started in earnest in 2011,” she said.
“We have since 2011 had trainings and re-trainings for our firemen and we do not only confine the trainings to the City of Bulawayo.”
She said the Bulawayo Fire Brigade extends support to other regions as in the past they have been forced to offer services throughout the Matabeleland region and Midlands province.
‘‘Of note you will know that Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of the World would sometimes be unable to host international events because international events require you to assure our international visitors that they will be safe. In the last UNWTO hosted with Zambia, Bulawayo (Fire Brigade) had to go to camp for two weeks to give assistance to our brothers in Victoria Falls,” said Mrs Zhou.
Mr Peterson thanked his superiors and colleagues for the support they rendered to him during his tenure as the Chief Fire Officer.
“I came in 2008 and we had nothing as an emergency service but I told myself that I’m notoing to give up so early. I can’t come in and go out without having fixed things,” he said.
“We are here celebrating the work of Operation Florian and of course we are also celebrating my exit. I’m happy because I can look back and say at least we have done something with the Chamber Secretary and for your information we dominated at Megafest as an emergency service we got an award as the best emergency service provider .
“We also received a leadership award that had my name but it wasn’t mine, it was for the team because I work with the team,” said Mr Peterson.
He thanked Operation Florian for the support they have rendered to Bulawayo and other local authorities in Zimbabwe.
He also thanked his colleagues for the commitment that has seen them being recognised all over the country.-state media
CONSTITUENCY UPDATE 03-30-2019
Dear Nortonians
This week in continuance of my pledge to push for the effectual ending of the land dispute in Kingsdale we had a delegation that went and appeared before the Land Commission in Harare.
This Commission, led by Justice Uchena, has been charged with investigating and identifying all state land in and around urban areas that was acquired and allocated to Ministry of Local Government as well as areas under dispute.
The delegation that went included Councilor Tachiona (Ward 12), Norton Residents Trust Chairperson Mrs. Museredza, ZANU PF Provincial Member and Kingsdale Co-operative Chair Mr Sibiya, Gaza Strip Chair Mr Masaraure, NORDA Service Delivery Head Mr Mzimba and personnel from my office.
*Land Disputes*
I have decided that Maridale, Marshlands, Knowe, Galloway must all appear before the Lands Commission so that they can lay their grievances before it for a comprehensive approach to the land baron issues in Norton.
People’s rights have been violated and they have been criminal tendencies and all this requires a holistic approach by the Land Commission which I’m very confident we will get since the Commission is an upstanding entity.
All who have bought stands illegally need to come forward whilst the chance is still there so that they won’t be bundled together with the criminals when the swift punch of justice descends.
In the meantime all those who are paying rates but without titles deeds should stop paying and the title deed holder/developer should be the one paying the rates. That is the law.
In fact they should be refunds to all those who have been paying rates and in pursuance of this the lawyers we have engaged will be writing to NTC to that effect. All those who have paid will be required to come forward with receipts of paid monies so that we craft a legal challenge for the reimbursement of funds. No one will be required to pay legal fees.
Councilor Tachiona has been fought in Council as he has fought for the people. At the end of the day people have the power and we must clean the rot at the NTC.
*Sub-division Permit*
Indications are that Maparahwe Properties is set to be granted another sub-division permit by NTC. This is a clear indication of a captured Council that is failing to run the rule on the land baron who has already failed to implement the requirements of the first permit.
Granting him another permit is a criminal endeavour that spites the residents who have been continuously paying for practically nothing.
Against this scenario its now a given that people will take to the streets in the case that Norton Town Council grants this subdivision permit. Citizens now have to stand up and we will demonstrate against the NTC until they get out of office. It’s criminal, immoral and unethical to continuously swindle the poor citizen.
*Compromised Town Engineer*
This past week they was so much ruction over the NTC Town Engineer who is completely conflicted and compromised in the case involving Killer Zivhu. She presided over a case in which she must have declared her interest and recused herself to maintain both her and the Council’s integrity.
Failure to do that has made her vulnerable to criminal accusations and she must either rescind herself or be suspended. Already there is a Director of Housing and 2 Councilors who are before the courts in cases involving lands issues.
Council needs to be impartial guardians overseeing land operations and respecting the rule of law at both ends. Allowing a conflicted individual to continue meddling in the case is both a criminal and immoral act considering all the people suffering due to that.
From this unhealthy situation prevailing its becoming apparent that NTC isn’t capable of dealing with such criminality despite our giving them a grace period to deal with it. It’s time we took our stand.
Demonstrations will be coming until something gives in. People cannot be expected to take everything lying down, being naïve and continuously getting the bad end of the bargain.
*NTC Document*
A further indictment of NTC’s dereliction of duty is apparent in their failure to implement what they noted in their own investigations and produced through a published document.
The documents notes all these wide ranging issues which I have been harping about.
Absence of a master-plan, bad water for people, developers owing over $5million, land being sold in a manner that isn’t transparent etc.
They have not implemented any of the things noted in it and when I call them out the accusation is that I’m playing politics. No. these are practical issues which are there and require attention as early as yesterday.
*Ineffectual Councilors*
The Councilors in Norton are also failing to step up to the plate and deliver as per their electoral promises and constitutional requirements. In essence and practice the Councilor is the father of development whilst the Legislator, of which I’m one, is supposed to be focused on the law making aspects.
However their performance has left a lot to be desired epitomised by the poor handling of the Community Share Ownership (CSO) Abattoir firm which has since been set up under Chegutu Rural District Council.
This absence of empathy and vision which has seen Norton losing more than 1500 job opportunities smacks of something that is worse than gross negligence of duty and inordinate politicization of very mundane matters.
Councilors as representatives of the people should come back to the people who voted for them and not exist in a separate realm where all they do is attend workshops, meetings whilst failing to meet and work with people. Progress reports are critical but nothing like that is happening.
I implore political parties to separate the time for politics and the time for working for the people. I have since written to MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa about this issue and the unfortunate act of his party’s Councilors.
Norton is poised for growth but it’s harder for it to grow with a cartel of corrupt Councilors defending their selfish interests. We shall use the power invested in people to demand good governance and to flush the system out. I will use everything within the law to iron out the system.
*Vendor’s Plight*
Notices have appeared warning vendors that an operation is coming to remove them from certain illegal sites. As I have stated before my position is that we want a clean, safe, orderly Norton but Council must be in the fore-front to make sure they have built the right amenities for the siting of the fish-market, green grocers and so on. They should by now be properly paved roads and pavements at the alleged legal sites.
More so Council has been taking money from these people whilst they sold their products from these illegal sites and suddenly they deem them illegal. It’s unethical.
So Council needs to do first things first before they jump into rash operational actions.
*Conclusion*
The picture from all this is very clear, NTC is conniving with a corrupt land barons and we as the people need to stand up for ourselves. I have declared war against land barons and will employ the full legal measures to see to it that people are not taken for a ride by a cabal of corrupt elites.
Hard earned citizen money has been abused in the acquisition of luxury goods whilst real criminals owing Council money have been allowed to go scot free. The time is nigh that we stand and be counted as a people who know their rights.
Regards,
*Hon. Temba P. Mliswa (MP)*
*Norton will never be the same again*
*#NortonDevelopmentCheteChete*
The chaotic Educational Curruculum created by the disgraced former Minister Of education, Lazarus Dokora, has produced 0 percent pass rates for more than 200 schools.
The development comes after barely 2 years of in-depth engagement with the government as it was informed that the curriculum does not work. In the below article the government appears totally clueless of what has caused the dismal failure.
STATE MEDIA FULL TEXT: The Government has expressed concern over the performance of some schools in national exams, amid indications that over 250 Primary and Secondary schools – mostly satellite schools – across the country recorded zero pass rates in the 2018 examinations.
Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela said the Office of President and Cabinet and the Public Service Commission were worried about the zero pass rate and were putting in place measures to address the situation.
Mrs Thabela was officially opening the National Association of Primary School (NAPH) and National Association of Secondary School Heads (NASH) inaugural joint track and field events competitions at Midlands Christian College in Gweru last week.
“The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, the OPC and PSC are concerned about low standards in infrastructure and general teaching and learning levels in satellite schools which seem to precipitate zero percent pass rates,” she said.
“At Grade 7, 68 Primary schools recorded zero percent pass rate in 2018 while at “O” level, 194 schools had zero percent pass rate.”
Mrs Thabela said stakeholders raised concerns over what was seemingly a low pass rate, adding that reasons for such a pass rate could be attributed to the absence of the continuous assessment component.
“This brings me to the “O” and “A” level academic results for 2018,” she said. “You will notice that this was the first examination for our competence-based curriculum. “O” level pass rate was 32,6 percent, while “A” level was 84,7 percent. Pass rate at grade 7 was 53,42 percent.”
Mrs Thabela said appropriate feedback was required immediately and all efforts in supervision and monitoring should target the schools.
“My ministry and Zimsec are working tirelessly to have the continuous assessment framework in place as soon as possible,” she said.
Mrs Thabela said her ministry was encouraging every school to resuscitate school feeding programmes in the wake of the pending drought to reduce drop-outs.
“School feeding generally had been suspended because of the cholera outbreak,” she said. “With the advent of the effects of the prevailing drought in most areas in the country and the unfortunate effects of Cyclone Idai, the Ministry is encouraging every school to resuscitate school feeding.
“Modalities can be worked out at school, cluster and district levels so that we maintain the enrolments as well as reducing dropouts.”
Mrs Thabela said the NAPH and NASH track and field events competitions were in line with the thrust of the competence based curriculum currently being implemented which have physical education, sport and mass displays as standalone learning areas.-state media
The Zimbabwean economy is recovering zanu-pf president Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
He passed these comments in a speech read on his behalf by Zanu-PF Secretary for Finance Patrick Chinamasa at the inaugural India Diaspora Convention yesterday.
“The country is on a path to economic recovery,” he said. “We have set ourselves a shared, ambitious yet achievable vision of becoming a middle income economy by 2030.
“We are confident that we will achieve this vision. However, our developmental trajectory will be smoother and softer with support from friends like India and its corporate citizens and the Indian Diaspora.”
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe and India had strong historical and cultural relations, with the Indian community contributing to the country’s development.
“Indeed, that respect is grounded in the immense contribution and cooperation that this community has made over the years to this country in business, in politics, in diplomacy, in health, in academia and in many other walks of life,” he said.
Farai Dziva|The High Court of Zimbabwe has reversed the suspension of the operations of a Masvingo based Non Governmental Organization by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Through the President’ s Office, Mnangagwa suspended the operations of Community Tolerance, Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) two weeks ago.
See below COTRAD’ s statement:
Following a series of developments over the past few weeks, COTRAD has rolled out a campaign to sensitize and update its membership.
With the uncertainty and confusion that ensued following the un-ceremonial suspension of the organization by an overzealous Masvingo District Administrator (DA) Ray Hove on 11 March 2019, COTRAD embarked on a campaign to map the way forward.
The campaign included a series of meetings attended by over 700 COTRAD members in Chivi, Chiredzi, Masvingo and Zaka Districts.
The campaign was greatly necessitated by the fact that the devastating news of the suspension of COTRAD operations brought turmoil among its member – hence the need for confidence building and sensitization.
The suspension, which received local, regional and international condemnation was terminated by High Court Judge Justice Matanda-Moyo on 20 March 2019.
During the campaign COTRAD vehemently emphasized the need to maintain focus on its work with stakeholders including heads of government departments, traditional leaders and elected officials.
COTRAD’s vision is to build a democratic society with youth inclusion and participation.
Farai Dziva|Media mogul Trevor Ncube has said Ndebele people in South Africa are the “worst in supporting Xenophobia.”
The Alpha Media Holdings boss’ comments come after recent Xenophobic attacks in Durban South Africa.
“Zimbabweans from Matabeleland with SA Citizenship/Residence are the worst apologists to Afrophobia. They mistakenly think their proximity to Nguni Heritage is protection to hatred of black Africans.
# NoToAfrophobia
Since 2008, several xenophobic attacks against Africans from other countries have been carried out by black South Africans,” tweeted Ncube.
Farai Dziva|Manica Diamonds lost 2-0 to CAPS United in their first ever Premier League match played at National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
The league debutants were outclassed from the first whistle and the fact that they had a number of experienced players in their first team did not count. They conceded as early as the 4th minute when John Zhuwawu picked a loose ball in the box and hit the target.
The Eastern Highlands side almost let CAPS United doubled their advantage a minute later but Zhuwawu failed to bury his effort properly.
Just before the quarter hour mark, Makepekepe were forced to make an early substitution when club returnee Dominic Chungwa picked an injury. But the change never affected the game plan as the side remained in control of the proceedings and got the second goal from Joel Ngodzo who converted a penalty kick after Gabriel Nyoni had been fouled in the box.
Manica never showed any intention to recover from the deficit, instead, it was their keeper Joram Muchambo who made some telling saves and kept his team away from conceding more goals before the break.
The second half belonged to CAPS United in the opening stages with Nyoni, Phineas Bamusi and Blessing Sarupinda causing all problems while the introduction of Newman Sianchali later in the game proved too heavy for the visitors who had upped their tempo with hope of pulling one back.
The game ended with CAPS United grabbing maximum points in their first match of the season.
At Gibbo, Triangle beat Ngezi Platinum 2-1, thanks to goals from Russel Madamombe from the spot in the 16th minute and Kudzai Chigwida in the 38th minute.
Madumburo got their consolation from Barnabas Mushunje who converted from a freekick in the 28th minute.
Hwange beat Yadah 2-0 at the Colliery while TelOne and Herentals played to a goalless draw in Harare.
Farai Dziva| In typical military, Constantino Chiwenga has declared that all political parties must participate in the coming national dialogue.
Chiwenga said this yesterday to scores of villagers at Masasa Primary School in Chikomba at the handover of food aid to affected communities in Mashonaland East.
See below part of a report published by a state run paper:
Vice President Chiwenga said the President and Head of State, Cde Mnangagwa will this week lead a delegation of all political parties participating in the ongoing national dialogue to Chimanimani to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Idai.
He said President Mnangagwa will tour all the four provinces — Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Masvingo and parts of the Midlands — that were affected.
“Next week, all the parties that are participating in the national dialogue agreed to accompany the President and visit Chimanimani in order to assess and try to assist with solutions to the tragedy that devastated that area.
“Those who refuse to participate in the dialogue will show that they do not care about the people of Zimbabwe.”
“This is why you should ask them when they come here looking for votes where they were when disaster was on your door,” he said.
Farai Dziva|The High Court of Zimbabwe has reversed the suspension of the operations of a Masvingo based Non Governmental Organization by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Through the President’ s Office, Mnangagwa suspended the operations of Community Tolerance, Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) two weeks ago.
See below COTRAD’ s statement:
Following a series of developments over the past few weeks, COTRAD has rolled out a campaign to sensitize and update its membership.
With the uncertainty and confusion that ensued following the un-ceremonial suspension of the organization by an overzealous Masvingo District Administrator (DA) Ray Hove on 11 March 2019, COTRAD embarked on a campaign to map the way forward.
The campaign included a series of meetings attended by over 700 COTRAD members in Chivi, Chiredzi, Masvingo and Zaka Districts.
The campaign was greatly necessitated by the fact that the devastating news of the suspension of COTRAD operations brought turmoil among its member – hence the need for confidence building and sensitization.
The suspension, which received local, regional and international condemnation was terminated by High Court Judge Justice Matanda-Moyo on 20 March 2019.
During the campaign COTRAD vehemently emphasized the need to maintain focus on its work with stakeholders including heads of government departments, traditional leaders and elected officials.
COTRAD’s vision is to build a democratic society with youth inclusion and participation.
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By Jonathan Chando| While it is with deep regret and anger that I write this piece today, it also serves as part of my resolve to continue fighting for my people against three fronts, our continent faces.
These fronts are not easy to defeat, but given the resolve, resilience and determination we, as young guerrillas, displayed against the British and the Rhodesians in the 1970s, I’m encouraged to take the fight on these three fronts. I fight, not alone, but with the power of those who died for the same cause yesteryear, and the power of the one who led Moses out of Egypt.
Today I received some very disturbing news about of the death of my best friend and comrade’s only daughter, who was killed in the xenophobic attacks in Durban. She was an innocent girl, who had qualified as a cardiologist at the University of KwaZulu Natal and worked for a hospital in Durban, saving the very lives of those who killed her.
It pains me that this young lady grew up without her dad, because her dad died not for Zimbabwe but for the liberation of the very same country that has killed his daughter, South Africa.
Her dad had spent 4 years with me in the bush in North Eastern Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) fighting Ian Smith’s army to liberate Zimbabwe. Her dad and I fought under ZANLA and worked together with our compatriots in ZIPRA in the then Sipolilo and Mutorashanga areas running up to Murombedzi. Her dad and I came back alive with other ZANLA and ZIPRA cadres at independence. We were part of the contingency that then formed the now ZNA, and having been intelligence officers back in the war, we joined the now ZIC.
In 1985, my friend met with his creator in a way that has devastated my whole life. He died a painful death, not for his country, nor for his family, but for South Africa. My friend was tortured and left for dead by our own colleagues for a “crime “ committed in the line of duty for a “foreign country”, South Africa. I say foreign because today I view it as foreign in the aftermath of the death of my friend’s daughter. I have always believed that Africa was my country, not Zimbabwe. I have always believed that we are one from Cape to Cairo. But now I have realised that my fight for that oneness is only beginning. We have to fight on three fronts to achieve that oneness in Africa.
My friend was tortured because he had led a team of military intelligence officers to break into the armoury at 3 Brigade in Mutare. They broke in and stole arms , military equipment and ammunition. They had been given official instructions to do this for a purpose, but unfortunately one of them was caught and arrested. He then sold out his colleagues, including my best friend and comrade.
They were arrested, but the stolen arms, military equipment and ammunition were not recovered. This infuriated the military police and the guys were tortured for days on end, but refused to talk. They refused to talk for two reasons. 1. They were professional military officers sworn to secrecy of their missions. 2. They were protecting the country from a humiliating and embarrassing situation.
My friend and his team had been assigned to ensure the supply of arms, military equipment and ammunition to our colleagues of Mkhondo We Sizwe. This they would do by breaking into armouries of the ZNA and AFZ , so that Zimbabwe would not be implicated in supplying South African guerrillas with arms. Zimbabwe had signed a secret agreement with Apartheid South Africa never to supply arms to ANC or PAC guerrillas. So breaking into armouries and stealing arms to supply our fellow guerrillas was a smarter way of doing this. Zimbabwe would deny supplying the arms to the Azanians as it would have proof of the break-ins and thefts.
But fate wouldn’t have it for my friend. The military police who arrested them did not know that this was a sanctioned mission by the state assigned to their colleagues. The powers that be kept quiet because the case had already been published in the media. So they threw my colleagues under the bus. They always say in intelligence circles, an intelligence officer is a dispensable tool.
My friend was released when they saw that he was about to die from the torture. He lived two weeks after he was released. This was one of the reasons I decided I didn’t want that job anymore, though it took me years to get a good reason to quit.
My friend left behind two toddlers, a daughter and a son. They grew up without knowing their father. Their dad had died for the South African cause. He had fought a good war for his country and accomplished. He was now fighting for our fellow neighbours who were still oppressed when he met his death.
My friend’s wife was also a Captain in the ZNA and she was subsequently dismissed for reasons best known to the authorities. She fended for her children through thick and thin.
The children grew up and both went to University.
Now the daughter is killed by South Africans in xenophobic attacks, yet her father died in the line of duty working to help liberate the very people who now kill his beloved daughter? This is the most painful part of my grief. That’s where the saying “it never rains but pours” came into my mind.
Now my fight as I mentioned is on three fronts.
The first front is fighting the oppressive capitalist system which divided Africa into these countries and continues to ensure that Africans fight against one another while the capitalists are free to move across Africa with impunity and plunder our resources.
The second front is the very leadership of our countries that abandons our liberation ideologies, values, Pan Africanist ethos, and suck up to the capitalist materialistic lifestyles at the expense of both their citizens and those who fought for Africa’s liberation. They have developed robust cartels and corrupt systems serving the same white capitalists and themselves, while preaching liberation slogans which they know little about.
The third front is the mental hypnotisation that Africa faces, which makes them believe that whites and capitalism are a better way of living. We have become slaves of a lifestyle that negates our cultural values and continental unity and the capitalists continue to throw this into our minds through the media and entertainment fora, social disinformation, education system and economic dominance.
Africa needs to refocus and fight a war against these three fronts for it to bring glory to itself and establish a united self loving continent. The fight will go on and one day we will triumph!
ALUTA CONTINUA!
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By Own Correspondent| The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has donated foodstuffs towards the launch of a feeding scheme for schools in areas affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai.
The scheme, set ti be launched beginning next term will cover districts in Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Manicaland provinces.
Speaking during the handover of several foodstuffs worth $250 000 on Saturday to the Minister of State for Manicaland province Ellen Gwaradzimba, GMAZ chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara said:
“The scheme will target the most affected schools and we will work with our government which will help us to identify the needy areas.
We understand that most schools in Chimanimani and Chipinge were ravaged by Cyclone Idai. So the government will help us with the assessment.
Beneficiaries will be given porridge and Maheu in the morning and maize meal and beans in the afternoon.
… Most importantly, this scheme will help encourage attendances in schools. Some schools are remotely located and there is a lot of walking to and from and we felt that as businesses, moreso indigenous who have been enabled and empowered by the government in the food sector, it’s our responsibility to take a step forward.”
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By Own Correspondent| Theileriosis has wrecked havoc in the country killing cattle around areas including Goromonzi, Wedza, Marondera, Chikomba, Buhera, Chivhu, Gutu, Chegutu, Centenary, Shamva and Bindura.
Theileriosis are a group of tick-borne diseases
One farmer in Mhondoro-Ngezi Johnson Chipayi lost all his cattle to the disease.
He sold the last batch of his cattle at very cheap prices in fear they would die too.
Individuals and private abattoirs from afar places like Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo have invaded theileriosis affected areas to buy cattle.
In 2018, the country lost about 50 000 cattle to the disease. A worker at Mhondoro-Ngezi Veterinary Services Department, Noreen Ndlovu, indicated that efforts to alleviate the disease are already underway.
She said:
“Of course there was a time when we did not have chemicals for the dip tanks and that is how the disease spread; however, we have rectified the situation.”
By Own Correspondent| James Makamba’s Kestrel Corporation (Private) Limited has been put under provisional judicial management over a US$2,8 million debt.
The debt arises from a transaction involving Empowerment Corporation (EC).
George Manyere who owns EC said indicated that the parties signed two agreements of sale for the purchase of 69% of Kestrel shares in EC.
He also revealed that Makamba continually avoided completion of the sale of the shares despite fulfilment of all set conditions.
He believes that placing Kestrel under provisional judicial management allows proper and objective consideration of all of its affairs, its management, liabilities and obligations.
“It is applicant’s prayer that respondent company be placed under provisional judicial management to that its assets, particularly the shares in EC are protected from other legal action occasioned by Makamba’s mismanagement of the respondent to the prejudice of the applicants.”
On March 19, Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Thompson Mabhikwa placed Kestrel Corporation under provisional judicial management. Mabhikwa said
“…..the respondent, Kestrel Corporation (Private) Limited, be and is hereby placed under provisional judicial management and subject to the supervision of this court, shall be under the management of a provisional judicial manager appointed in terms of 299 of the Companies Act but according to section 300 of this Act.”-Standard
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Own Correspondent|FOUNDING member of the opposition MDC, David Coltart, has ruled out rigging in yesterday’s defeat of the MDC by ZANU-PF in ward 28 Cowdray Park by-elections.
Coltart bemoaned the fact that the MDC has moved away from its founding values of 1999 where it was grounded on principles of social democracy. He said ZANU-PF will continue winning as long the opposition party remained at sixes-and-sevens when it comes to ideology.
“You can’t tell us that Zanu-PF has rigged the Cowdray Park by-election. Try another excuse,” seasoned journalist Brezhnev Malaba said, to which Coltart concurred.
“This is correct. As flawed as our electoral system is this loss can not be blamed on rigging. Until everyone in the MDC rekindles the original vision of the party established on 11/9/99 we will allow ZANU-PF to rule in places where they are actually detested by the majority.”
Earlier on, former ZANU-PF propagandist Jonathan Moyo, who since last year has been a strong supporter of Nelson Chamisa, said the MDC had disconnected from the people who actually vote.
“The MDC Alliance has disconnected with Bulawayo voters. Time was when for every three registered voters in Bulawayo, two were MDC. The writing is on the wall: if the MDC-Alliance leadership does not introspect on this & reconnect with Bulawayo voters, trouble lies ahead!”
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa fielded Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi after failing to reach a consensus on who to represent the part. ZESN (2019) reports that ZANU PF decided to field Mujuru who lost the 2018 elections.
The MDC Alliance held primary elections which were won by a former Councilor, Collet Ndhlovu.
The disputed outcome of the primary elections resulted in more than one candidate from MDC Alliance filing their nomination papers with the Nomination Court. Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi represented the party in the by-elections and both of them polled 1450 votes combined, aaginst 1899 by the ruling party candidate.
THE ruling Zanu PF party’s Kidwell Mujuru has won the Cowdray Park by-election in Bulawayo which was had been won by the MDC Alliance in July 2018.
The election had 18 candidates vying for the ward seat, with the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC fielding two candidates. However, ZANU-PF still got more votes than the two MDC-Chamisa candidates combined.
The councilor position for Bulawayo Ward 28 (Cowdray Park) fell vacant in December 2018 following the death of MDC Alliance councilor Hapson Nyasha Ncube.
Cowdray Park by-election results of the top 3 candidates:
It is the first time ZANU-PF wins in Cowdray Park since 2000.
RESPECTED MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says the main opposition party’s revered late founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is probably turning in his grave because of the toxic politics obtaining in the party that he had lived and sacrificed so much for.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Sunday last week, Mwonzora also said were Tsvangirai still around, he would be “terribly disappointed” by the petty agendas, the ill-discipline and the chaos that was consuming the party ahead of its elective congress in May.
This comes as there are growing reports of turmoil, thuggery, intimidation and manipulation of party structures within the country’s main opposition, as MDC bigwigs jostle for positions ahead of the fast approaching key internal elections.
The party will hold its eagerly-anticipated congress from May 24 to 26, where a new party leadership will be chosen — including the substantive successor to Tsvangirai — who died on Valentine’s Day last year after losing his brave battle against cancer of the colon.
The party’s charismatic interim leader, Nelson Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in last year’s historic elections, is likely to face competition from Elias Mudzuri and Mwonzora at the congress.
Mwonzora said there was no doubt that if Tsvangirai was still alive, he would not countenance the present state of the MDC, where narrow agendas were marring the run-up to the congress.
“I know Tsvangirai hated the vitriol which some party members direct at each other.
“He won’t be too pleased to learn, even where he is, that there are party members who are using hate language against other party members. Tsvangirai wanted a united, democratic party that always looks to and pays attention to its glorious founding values,” Mwonzora said.
He said preparations for the MDC’s congress, which he said had initially taken off “to a good start”, were now being marred by allegations of violence and “other barbaric acts” by some party members.
“The preparations for congress were going on well. However, we have now received reports of violence, intimidation and discrimination on the basis of people who supported me in 2014.
We have had to deal with congress-related suspensions and expulsions at lower structures. If all these things are true, then it is wrong, unfair, anachronistic to the party and therefore totally unacceptable. I hope the organising, elections and chairpersons’ departments bring the reports on these issues to our next Standing Committee meeting,” Mwonzora added of the current restructuring exercise which has caused serious divisions in the party.
Last week, disgruntled party members claimed that some senior MDC officials were imposing dodgy structures in the party along factional lines, to further their personal interests. They said this had created serious problems, to the extent that MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya was “agonising” over which lists to accept from party structures, because of the chaos currently consuming the restructuring exercise.
“There is big trouble in the making because he (Chibaya) has to determine which lists to accept based on who was involved in the process.
“Parallel structures have been created in areas such as Dzivaresekwa, Kuwadzana, Zengeza East and Zengeza West.
“The main danger is that those whose lists will be rejected will be crying foul, and thus, there could be chaos at congress because these people will still come claiming to be the bona fide structures and cause chaos and fights,” a worried national executive member told our sister publication, the Daily News a fortnight ago.
Another insider confirmed to the newspaper that the restructuring of the party, particularly at the level of branches and wards, had seen supporters of Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora coming up with different lists of what they were all claiming to be bona fide members.
Claims were also increasingly being made that Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora were separately seeking to influence the outcome of the restructuring exercise since elected officials would form the electoral college at the coming congress.
“This is what is causing the chaos in several provinces such as Mashonaland East, Chitungwiza, Harare and Masvingo, where there is serious infighting.
“The divisions are also emanating from claims that there are attempts to push out some members who are allegedly not loyal to Chamisa. Because of all this, disgruntled members are now also threatening to derail the restructuring exercise in protest,” the insider said.
Mwonzora told the Daily News on Sunday that it was his wish to see the country’s largest opposition party by far re-admitting disgruntled members such as former MDC deputy leader Thokozani Khupe — who quit the party in a huff last year ahead of the July 30 national elections.
“The MDC family must come together without conditions. Thokozani Khupe was … Tsvangirai’s longest-serving deputy, who possesses an internal party memory that we cannot just ignore.
“In terms of the transgressions of all the people who split from the main MDC at one time or the other, one cannot argue that Thokozani transgressed more than the others. I think all the MDC members must come back and prosecute the struggle together as Tsvangirai had fought to achieve in his life,” Mwonzora said.
The MDC was hit by power struggles shortly after the death of Tsvangirai, when Chamisa assumed the reins of the party ahead of his rivals — albeit, under controversial circumstances.
The 41-year-old was accused of having allegedly used his then assumed closeness to Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth, to torpedo the ambitions of the likes of Mudzuri and Khupe.
A titanic leadership battle subsequently ensued in the party, which eventually led to Khupe forming a breakaway faction — which went on to perform dismally in last year’s elections.
Chamisa ultimately prevailed over his party competitors after a consultative meeting of the MDC, which was held at its Harare headquarters — and which was attended by 639 delegates from 210 party districts — endorsed him as Tsvangirai’s interim successor and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 polls.
Daily News
VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi yesterday allegedly attacked his estranged former wife using an axe to break doors and threatened to shoot her in a dispute over property.
The enraged VP raided senator Tambudzani Mohadi’s Beitbridge home and grabbed three vehicles in full view of about 25 local police officers and his aides.
Mohadi allegedly poked senator Mohadi with a deformed steel bar and threatened to kill her. However, later after fatigue apparently set in, retired to as chair after the hive of activity sapped his energy, according to some police officers who witnessed the incident.
The officer commanding Beitbridge police district chief superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said he was not aware of the alleged attack since he was away in Chivhu.
“I am off, I don’t know anything, I am in Chivhu,” Nyongo said when contacted for a comment.
The officer-in-charge of Beitbridge police Chief Inspector Kenneth Mushongahande did not respond to calls on his mobile phone.
But, a weary-looking Senator Mohadi confirmed the incident and said she did not know where to report. She did not know how to get to the police station after the VP left her grounded without a single vehicle.
Vice-President Kembo Mohadi sitting under a tree after the violent incident in Beitbridge yesterday
“I have just spoken to the Dispol [Nyongo] and he expects me to walk to Beitbridge police. My dignity has been heavily battered,” she said.
“The police said I must go and report, but they were witnesses to what happened. They saw him commit this crime.
“He said he is a law unto himself. He was doing this on my defenceless person. I did not react. Police did not stop him.
“He went on accusing me of refusing with keys and he broke the doors. He did that while police stood and watched.”
Mohadi allegedly seized all the three cars at his former wife’s home.
“All the cars he took were awarded to me by the court at his instance,” Senator Mohadi said.
“I resigned myself to fate and told him he could kill me if he wanted.
“He was restrained by his aide when he tried to get a gun from his car.
“He came here unprovoked and demanded to collect his clothes before breaking the doors at the cottage where he collected nothing.
“He axed three doors and then turned on me. Police numbering more than 25 just watched him.
“The officer in charge of Beitbridge urban one Mushongahande was here with him and many other police officers who filled the yard.
“He said he was 120% the law unto himself. I just stood by and saw him committing this act.”
A police source said Mohadi, who was not restrained by his aides, personally axed the three doors.
“After his performance, which took a long time and seeing he was receiving no resistance from his wife he went to the patio where he pulled a bar stool and sat as he watched the vehicles being towed away,” said the source.
The rod used to poke at Tambudzani Mohadi
“A woman who was identified as his daughter continuously followed Mohadi during his fit of rage asking him why he was being childish to which he responded saying she was being disrespectful.”
Some of Mohadi’s nephews were present as he went on the rampage while police looked on helplessly.
Mohadi divorced his wife early this year after he sought a High Court relief. Senator Mohadi initially contested, but later let go.
He moved out of their matrimonial home — 108 Impala Drive in Beitbridge — where his ex-wife lives and was the scene of the drama witnessed by many residents of Beitbridge’s low-density suburb from morning when it started.
“We first saw many policemen arrive, then the VP’s fleet arrived,” said a resident who said they watched what was happening from outside the house.
“Some cars towed away vehicles from the home.”
Earlier Mohadi forcibly closed Malins Transit he jointly operated with some businessmen and directed that all vehicles arriving from South Africa be taken to the old border post where he plans to operate another bonded warehouse.
The businessmen he operates with were not reachable, but sources said he arrived and ordered them to move to his new site.
— Standard
RESPECTED MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora says the main opposition party’s revered late founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is probably turning in his grave because of the toxic politics obtaining in the party that he had lived and sacrificed so much for.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Sunday last week, Mwonzora also said were Tsvangirai still around, he would be “terribly disappointed” by the petty agendas, the ill-discipline and the chaos that was consuming the party ahead of its elective congress in May.
This comes as there are growing reports of turmoil, thuggery, intimidation and manipulation of party structures within the country’s main opposition, as MDC bigwigs jostle for positions ahead of the fast approaching key internal elections.
The party will hold its eagerly-anticipated congress from May 24 to 26, where a new party leadership will be chosen — including the substantive successor to Tsvangirai — who died on Valentine’s Day last year after losing his brave battle against cancer of the colon.
The party’s charismatic interim leader, Nelson Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in last year’s historic elections, is likely to face competition from Elias Mudzuri and Mwonzora at the congress.
Mwonzora said there was no doubt that if Tsvangirai was still alive, he would not countenance the present state of the MDC, where narrow agendas were marring the run-up to the congress.
“I know Tsvangirai hated the vitriol which some party members direct at each other.
“He won’t be too pleased to learn, even where he is, that there are party members who are using hate language against other party members. Tsvangirai wanted a united, democratic party that always looks to and pays attention to its glorious founding values,” Mwonzora said.
He said preparations for the MDC’s congress, which he said had initially taken off “to a good start”, were now being marred by allegations of violence and “other barbaric acts” by some party members.
“The preparations for congress were going on well. However, we have now received reports of violence, intimidation and discrimination on the basis of people who supported me in 2014.
We have had to deal with congress-related suspensions and expulsions at lower structures. If all these things are true, then it is wrong, unfair, anachronistic to the party and therefore totally unacceptable. I hope the organising, elections and chairpersons’ departments bring the reports on these issues to our next Standing Committee meeting,” Mwonzora added of the current restructuring exercise which has caused serious divisions in the party.
Last week, disgruntled party members claimed that some senior MDC officials were imposing dodgy structures in the party along factional lines, to further their personal interests. They said this had created serious problems, to the extent that MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya was “agonising” over which lists to accept from party structures, because of the chaos currently consuming the restructuring exercise.
“There is big trouble in the making because he (Chibaya) has to determine which lists to accept based on who was involved in the process.
“Parallel structures have been created in areas such as Dzivaresekwa, Kuwadzana, Zengeza East and Zengeza West.
“The main danger is that those whose lists will be rejected will be crying foul, and thus, there could be chaos at congress because these people will still come claiming to be the bona fide structures and cause chaos and fights,” a worried national executive member told our sister publication, the Daily News a fortnight ago.
Another insider confirmed to the newspaper that the restructuring of the party, particularly at the level of branches and wards, had seen supporters of Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora coming up with different lists of what they were all claiming to be bona fide members.
Claims were also increasingly being made that Chamisa, Mudzuri and Mwonzora were separately seeking to influence the outcome of the restructuring exercise since elected officials would form the electoral college at the coming congress.
“This is what is causing the chaos in several provinces such as Mashonaland East, Chitungwiza, Harare and Masvingo, where there is serious infighting.
“The divisions are also emanating from claims that there are attempts to push out some members who are allegedly not loyal to Chamisa. Because of all this, disgruntled members are now also threatening to derail the restructuring exercise in protest,” the insider said.
Mwonzora told the Daily News on Sunday that it was his wish to see the country’s largest opposition party by far re-admitting disgruntled members such as former MDC deputy leader Thokozani Khupe — who quit the party in a huff last year ahead of the July 30 national elections.
“The MDC family must come together without conditions. Thokozani Khupe was … Tsvangirai’s longest-serving deputy, who possesses an internal party memory that we cannot just ignore.
“In terms of the transgressions of all the people who split from the main MDC at one time or the other, one cannot argue that Thokozani transgressed more than the others. I think all the MDC members must come back and prosecute the struggle together as Tsvangirai had fought to achieve in his life,” Mwonzora said.
The MDC was hit by power struggles shortly after the death of Tsvangirai, when Chamisa assumed the reins of the party ahead of his rivals — albeit, under controversial circumstances.
The 41-year-old was accused of having allegedly used his then assumed closeness to Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth, to torpedo the ambitions of the likes of Mudzuri and Khupe.
A titanic leadership battle subsequently ensued in the party, which eventually led to Khupe forming a breakaway faction — which went on to perform dismally in last year’s elections.
Chamisa ultimately prevailed over his party competitors after a consultative meeting of the MDC, which was held at its Harare headquarters — and which was attended by 639 delegates from 210 party districts — endorsed him as Tsvangirai’s interim successor and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 polls.
-Daily News
Water bodies in and around Harare hold enough supplies to meet demand from the capital’s 2,1-million residents, including dormitory towns such as Ruwa and Norton, for the next 18 months — until the next rainy season — but shortages of water treatment chemicals are leading to intermittent supplies to both domestic and industrial users.
There were growing fears that the patchy rains received in the 2018/2019 summer cropping season, which were spawned by the El Nino weather phenomenon, would cripple supplies to ratepayers.
Harare City Council (HCC) draws water from Harava and Seke Dams, which supply Prince Edward (Seke) Treatment Works, while Lake Chivero and Manyame Dam feed into Morton Jaffray (Manyame) Treatment Works.
As of last week, Lake Chivero — Harare’s major water reservoir — was 86,2 percent full, which is, however, a drop from 100,5 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to statistics from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).
Similarly, Manyame Dam is 94,4 percent full, down from 100,2 percent in the year-ago period.
But Harava and Seke Dams, which were full at this time last year, only hold 3, 2 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
Meteorological Service Department (MSD) head of weather forecasting Mr Tich Zinyemba said while the rainy season has not yet come to an end, any future rains are unlikely to change water levels.
“We might get some showers, but they are unlikely to pose any change to dam levels,” he said.
Overall, the average national dam level stands at 70,5 percent.
Enough Water
Zinwa’s corporate communications and marketing manager Ms Marjorie Munyonga said last week the available water is enough for both winter crops and domestic use.
“Most parts of the country were affected by the drought, but it must, however, be noted that a good number of dams still have sufficient water to meet the upcoming winter cropping requirements and domestic needs,” said Munyonga.
“Although a number of dams still have sufficient water to carry communities to the next rainy season, this does not discount the fact that water is a finite resource which needs to be efficiently and sparingly managed,” she said.
HCC is also singing the same hymn.
Mayor Hebert Gomba told The Sunday Mail that the current water stocks would “last the city until the next rainfall season”.
“We have enough water supply for the city despite low rainfall that we experienced this year, and it is enough and can last for 15- to 18 months,” he said.
“We have embarked on rationing water since we now have the required chemicals to ensure that water is distributed equitably.”
Water Chemicals
But City of Harare has been throttling water supplies to residents — the majority of who have to resort to unsafe sources such as boreholes and wells — owing to difficulties in accessing chemicals needed to convert raw water to potable water.
The quality of raw water in most of the city’s reservoirs has been progressively declining due to pollution in catchment areas such as Harare, Chitungwiza, Norton and Ruwa.
Dysfunctional sewage systems, which at times have led to seepage of effluent into water supply channels and ground water sources, are making the situation worse.
HCC corporate communication manager Mr Michael Chideme said the local authority spends between US$2,5 million and US$3 million per month on chemicals.
However, Mayor Gomba says they have since applied to the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) to get supplies from the local market.
“We have appealed to Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, but they have not yet responded.
“Because of the shortage of chemicals, we are introducing another chemical called chloride dioxide. It has been tested and tried and it will be replacing aluminium sulphate and other chemicals so as to improve the quality of water,” he said.
Praz chief executive Mr Nyasha Chizu said the application hasn’t been brought to their attention yet.
Hope
The spectre of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, which have recently plagued the city, is unnerving for most residents, who have queue for hours on end to get the precious liquid as shortages persist.
However, it is believed that a $225 million tie-up between city fathers and the Higher Life Foundation — a social-focussed organisation founded by billionaire telecommunications investor Mr Strive Masiyiwa and his wife, Tsitsi — will be able to address most, if not all, of Harare’s infrastructure challenges in the next six years.
Through the deal, council will get 40 ambulances and mobile water treatment plants, while the entire water distribution system will be revamped.
“The proposed Cholera Strategic Plan (2019-2025) will see us rehabilitating the water treatment plant, distribution network, supplying pumping networks in the distribution, do some sewer and water pipe-replacement programmes,” explained Mayor Gomba.
-State Media
Reforms being implemented by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led Government are positive and a reflection of great urgency to transform the country economically and politically, United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols has said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the US’ Women’s History Month commemoration film screening in Harare last week, Ambassador Nichols said Harare was on the right path.
“This Government has been working towards reform. I have been impressed and I have always said so . . . I know that the Cabinet has approved the principles for the repeal of POSA (Public Order and Security Act) and has been discussing repeal of AIPPA (Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act) and those are all very positive things,” he said.
“I think that there is great urgency both politically and economically to continue down the road of reform as this administration has laid out, and we encourage them to pursue those reforms as well as to address the outstanding recommendations… All of this is very positive and I believe that if this Government pursues them, the international community will respond.”
Government is currently working on sweeping political and economic reforms, some of which are feeding off from recommendations made by the various election observer missions during last year’s harmonised elections, the Motlanthe post-election violence report and input that will be generated from the ongoing inter-party dialogue.
A lot of American investors, Ambassador Nichols said, are interested in doing business with Zimbabwe.
He said: “I think there is a lot of interest. I was in South Africa a couple of weeks ago and met with a number of US companies interested in doing business in Zimbabwe. One of the key challenges (they cited) was with the exchange rate.
“I encourage the Government to continue the process of liberalising the exchange rate and allow the allocation of forex-based market principles. I think that will deepen the ability of companies to do business here.”
Washington was particularly interested in the rule of law and economic transparency.
“The (ease) of doing business legislation that Government has put forward is a positive step and should be adopted rapidly,” he said.
Government was also commended for its determined efforts to promote women empowerment.
The US government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, has provided more than US$100 000 to respond to emergency needs following the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai.
It is believed that the money will be used to support interventions to deliver safe water, shelter, sanitation and hygiene in some of the worst-affected areas in Manicaland province.
-State Media
It is increasingly becoming clear that Nelson Chamisa will face a challenge from veteran politician Douglas Mwonzora in his bid to succeed the late Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the country’s biggest opposition party, the MDC.
Chamisa, who seized control of the party a year ago following the death of Tsvangirai, has seen his stock rise after giving President Emmerson Mnangagwa a good run for his money in the July 31 elections.
However, this has not stopped some senior people in the party from plotting to dislodge him at the MDC congress slated for May.
One of Chamisa’s three deputies Morgen Komichi (MK) told our senior reporter Obey Manayiti (OM) in an exclusive interview that those planning to challenge the former student leader are wasting their time.
Komichi believes Chamisa’s performance in last year’s elections made him the clear choice to succeed Tsvangirai. Below are excerpts from the interview.
OM: What is the state of the party ahead of the May congress?
MK: The party is very stable and respective organs of the party are forming up structures, branches, wards and we are now going into the third phase of districts.
This weekend we will be forming districts and the congress is taking shape.
After that we will go to the provinces and after that people will then campaign in an orderly manner.
OM: There are reports of violence and the employment of dirty tricks to win over the structures. What is your reaction to those claims?
MK: The national organising committee is in charge of that and they are on top of the situation.
Problems will be there but the leadership, which is in charge of the whole operation, is trying to resolve those problems in certain areas where we have challenges.
You will expect these small problems where people meet but they are small. Largely the whole process is going on well.
OM: How many positions will be contested a the May congress and are vice-presidents going to be hand-picked by the winning presidential candidate?
MK: The final decision will be taken by the national council very soon, but the VPs will be contested. All the three positions will be contested.
OM: Have you made up your mind on which position you want to contest?
MK: I am very much content with where I am. I am going to influence and canvas people to vote me for the VP position.
OM: Do you support calls that one of the VPs must be a woman?
MK: This is a very good principle but at the end of the day the people have the final say.
OM: Do you have a preferred candidate for the president’s position?
MK: Yes. My preferred candidate is Nelson Chamisa. I am happy with his leadership style.
He has managed to galvanise people around him and is very popular within the party and outside.
He managed to garner more than 2,6 million votes in last year’s elections, which were, however, heavily rigged.
With this, what more would you want. In politics you need a leader who people will voluntarily follow to win the elections.
The big question is to anyone who wants to lead will he or she be able to win the votes.
A person must have a good reason on why he/she wants to contest. They must not be pushed by personal ambitions.
A person must be able to lead.What will he bring when they are elected. They must not be selfish.
Those who are interested must ask themselves if they are able to produce an outcome that will benefit the people, the party and anything new that will make the party grow.
I will advise some of the leaders not to focus on their personal interests but on national interests.
OM: So are you advising those leaders not to contest against Chamisa?
MK: I will not say they must not, but I will advise them to consider whether it is really necessary. At the end of the day, a person will do as he/she pleases but I don’t see any reason (in contesting Chamisa).
OM: Do you think there are any prospects of anyone winning against Chamisa given your position on his track record?
MK: The MDC people are going to nominate Nelson Chamisa with ease.
He is going to be nominated by all the 10 provinces in the country and our three external ones. No one is going to be nominated except president Chamisa.
OM: Why are you so sure about that?
MK: You must know the people. I am telling you no one is going to be nominated except Chamisa.
OM: There is growing factionalism and internal violence as the congress approaches. Do you think the party has what it takes to emerge stronger from these contestations?
MK: Nobody is going to walk away from the party. What is happening now is a situation to deal with competition and under the circumstances there will be high stakes and high pressure.
However, I want to assure you that after May 26 there will be harmony and unity in the party because competition is allowed.
MDC people know that after the congress they will come together and be one happy family again under one leader.
We also encourage unity, reconciliation and we will also go for integration so that we don’t lose on the objectives of the congress.
The congress is there to reconstruct the party, rebuild the party and discuss issues that will enhance the capabilities and capacity of the party.
We are going to be dealing with institutional reforms, organisational reforms so that we manage to put the party on a new level.
We want to modernise the party hence we are urging the members not to focus more on positions but propositions of liberating the people.
OM: Do you believe there are leaders within the party that are being sponsored by Zanu PF at this congress as has been alleged?
MK: I might not know them by name but I am quite sure that Zanu PF is doing that because one of the key tasks for Zanu PF is to divide our party at congress.
Do you know that Zanu PF puts aside a budget to make sure that they divide the MDC and if you look at the previous splits in the party you will realise that Zanu PF was involved.
They try to cause confusion and with the poverty currently prevailing in the country, the people are easily tempted.
Zanu PF is assisted by state agents and their role is to cause divisions and confusion within our party but we have been so strong that we managed to survive for almost 20 years.
Other small parties like the Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) were crushed by state agents and definitely there is that attempt to do that now but they will not succeed.
MDC has survived their shenanigans for a long time.
OM: Are these reports of Zanu PF interfering in the MDC not causing friction in the party?
MK: We just have to remain vigilant. MDC leadership is so far united and they are aware of the shenanigans.
I don’t think there will be anyone who will fall into that trap. This is from experience on how the system wants to destroy us, therefore, we will not give them any chance.
OM: What is your take on criticism that you are focussing too much internally and forgetting the real struggle? Is the MDC still committed to its founding values?
MK: Congress is a constitutional requirement and we cannot run away from the dictates of the constitution.
We have to fulfil that requirement because we have to reorganise, seek a new mandate and reinvigorate our party.
We need to bring in new ideas and we will actually come stronger from the congress and we will take on the issues that are affecting our country like economy, electoral reforms, legitimacy etc head-on.
OM: Are there any prospects that you will join the national dialogue being spearheaded by Mnangagwa?
MK: I think as a concept the national dialogue is a good idea, but the question is on how it is structured.
The current set up is just like that of Ian Douglas Smith where he was taking the lead, taking on his side people like (Abel) Muzorewa and (Chief) Chirau.
He didn’t survive because genuine parties who were fighting for the people, Zanu and Zapu didn’t join as they wanted an arbitrator who would be considered neutral.
This is not only about negotiating but the bigger part or the delicate area is the implementation of that agreement.
The facilitator should have the leverage to make sure that agreement is followed through.
People can dialogue and such but the question is will they be able to stand on top of the mountain and say their agreement will be implemented.
Their agreement will have the international stature, whether the agreement will benefit the people of Zimbabwe or it is just a game to fool the world.
We need serious dialogue and we need a person who will mediate in an honest manner, which we will all agree on because that person will be impartial.
I don’t know why the Zanu PF president is shy to meet the MDC president for a genuine negotiation.
He must be brave enough to meet the MDC president and chart the way forward on where the nation must go.
OM: On Friday two convenors were appointed and they are the chairpersons of the Gender Commission and that of National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Does this motivate you to join the dialogue?
MK: Let’s see what they are going to bring, let’s see. The principle is very clear.
We need someone who is impartial and mutually acceptable. If that person meets that criteria, then the game will start.
-The Standard
Jane Mlambo| Former ZANU PF kingpin Jonathan Moyo has warned the opposition MDC to guard against complacency following the Bulawayo council by-election in which a ruling party candidate emerged the winner.
Writing on Twitter today, Moyo said the electoral loss for MDC is a wake up call.
By Own Correspondent| Leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, a South African opposition party, Julius Malema has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to respect the people’s human rights.
Malema implored Mnangagwa to desist from beating up protestors.
Addressing the media in South Africa, Malema said:
Zimbabwe is our home. We must not fight with Zimbabweans. Mozambique, DRC and Botswana are our homes. These borders were imposed on us by the colonisers.
We are one people, we never said we want borders. The problems in Zimbabwe are our problems. We must help solve the problems of Zimbabwe.
We call upon Mnangagwa to respect democracy. Democracy is not elections but human rights. Why do you beat people who are toyi-toying?
Why do you shut down the internet because you disagree with the people? We don’t want that type of government in Zimbabwe.
Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC Deputy President Morgan Komichi has told party leaders who are plotting to contest Nelson Chamisa that they are being moved by personal interest as the youthful politician is popular within and outside the party.
Komichi told The Standard in an interview that anyone who wish to contest Chamisa should have good reasons to do so as it could be suicidal to their future participation in the democratic movement.
“My preferred candidate is Nelson Chamisa. I am happy with his leadership style.
“He has managed to galvanise people around him and is very popular within the party and outside.
“He managed to garner more than 2,6 million votes in last year’s elections, which were, however, heavily rigged.
“With this, what more would you want. In politics you need a leader who people will voluntarily follow to win the elections.
“The big question is to anyone who wants to lead will he or she be able to win the votes.
“A person must have a good reason on why he/she wants to contest. They must not be pushed by personal ambitions.
“A person must be able to lead.What will he bring when they are elected. They must not be selfish.
“Those who are interested must ask themselves if they are able to produce an outcome that will benefit the people, the party and anything new that will make the party grow.
“I will advise some of the leaders not to focus on their personal interests but on national interests.”
Below is the the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match line up on day one:
It is increasingly becoming clear that Nelson Chamisa will face a challenge from veteran politician Douglas Mwonzora in his bid to succeed the late Morgan Tsvangirai as leader of the country’s biggest opposition party, the MDC.
Chamisa, who seized control of the party a year ago following the death of Tsvangirai, has seen his stock rise after giving President Emmerson Mnangagwa a good run for his money in the July 31 elections.
However, this has not stopped some senior people in the party from plotting to dislodge him at the MDC congress slated for May.
One of Chamisa’s three deputies Morgen Komichi (MK) told our senior reporter Obey Manayiti (OM) in an exclusive interview that those planning to challenge the former student leader are wasting their time.
Komichi believes Chamisa’s performance in last year’s elections made him the clear choice to succeed Tsvangirai. Below are excerpts from the interview.
OM: What is the state of the party ahead of the May congress?
MK: The party is very stable and respective organs of the party are forming up structures, branches, wards and we are now going into the third phase of districts.
This weekend we will be forming districts and the congress is taking shape.
After that we will go to the provinces and after that people will then campaign in an orderly manner.
OM: There are reports of violence and the employment of dirty tricks to win over the structures. What is your reaction to those claims?
MK: The national organising committee is in charge of that and they are on top of the situation.
Problems will be there but the leadership, which is in charge of the whole operation, is trying to resolve those problems in certain areas where we have challenges.
You will expect these small problems where people meet but they are small. Largely the whole process is going on well.
OM: How many positions will be contested a the May congress and are vice-presidents going to be hand-picked by the winning presidential candidate?
MK: The final decision will be taken by the national council very soon, but the VPs will be contested. All the three positions will be contested.
OM: Have you made up your mind on which position you want to contest?
MK: I am very much content with where I am. I am going to influence and canvas people to vote me for the VP position.
OM: Do you support calls that one of the VPs must be a woman?
MK: This is a very good principle but at the end of the day the people have the final say.
OM: Do you have a preferred candidate for the president’s position?
MK: Yes. My preferred candidate is Nelson Chamisa. I am happy with his leadership style.
He has managed to galvanise people around him and is very popular within the party and outside.
He managed to garner more than 2,6 million votes in last year’s elections, which were, however, heavily rigged.
With this, what more would you want. In politics you need a leader who people will voluntarily follow to win the elections.
The big question is to anyone who wants to lead will he or she be able to win the votes.
A person must have a good reason on why he/she wants to contest. They must not be pushed by personal ambitions.
A person must be able to lead.What will he bring when they are elected. They must not be selfish.
Those who are interested must ask themselves if they are able to produce an outcome that will benefit the people, the party and anything new that will make the party grow.
I will advise some of the leaders not to focus on their personal interests but on national interests.
OM: So are you advising those leaders not to contest against Chamisa?
MK: I will not say they must not, but I will advise them to consider whether it is really necessary. At the end of the day, a person will do as he/she pleases but I don’t see any reason (in contesting Chamisa).
OM: Do you think there are any prospects of anyone winning against Chamisa given your position on his track record?
MK: The MDC people are going to nominate Nelson Chamisa with ease.
He is going to be nominated by all the 10 provinces in the country and our three external ones. No one is going to be nominated except president Chamisa.
OM: Why are you so sure about that?
MK: You must know the people. I am telling you no one is going to be nominated except Chamisa.
OM: There is growing factionalism and internal violence as the congress approaches. Do you think the party has what it takes to emerge stronger from these contestations?
MK: Nobody is going to walk away from the party. What is happening now is a situation to deal with competition and under the circumstances there will be high stakes and high pressure.
However, I want to assure you that after May 26 there will be harmony and unity in the party because competition is allowed.
MDC people know that after the congress they will come together and be one happy family again under one leader.
We also encourage unity, reconciliation and we will also go for integration so that we don’t lose on the objectives of the congress.
The congress is there to reconstruct the party, rebuild the party and discuss issues that will enhance the capabilities and capacity of the party.
We are going to be dealing with institutional reforms, organisational reforms so that we manage to put the party on a new level.
We want to modernise the party hence we are urging the members not to focus more on positions but propositions of liberating the people.
OM: Do you believe there are leaders within the party that are being sponsored by Zanu PF at this congress as has been alleged?
MK: I might not know them by name but I am quite sure that Zanu PF is doing that because one of the key tasks for Zanu PF is to divide our party at congress.
Do you know that Zanu PF puts aside a budget to make sure that they divide the MDC and if you look at the previous splits in the party you will realise that Zanu PF was involved.
They try to cause confusion and with the poverty currently prevailing in the country, the people are easily tempted.
Zanu PF is assisted by state agents and their role is to cause divisions and confusion within our party but we have been so strong that we managed to survive for almost 20 years.
Other small parties like the Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM) were crushed by state agents and definitely there is that attempt to do that now but they will not succeed.
MDC has survived their shenanigans for a long time.
OM: Are these reports of Zanu PF interfering in the MDC not causing friction in the party?
MK: We just have to remain vigilant. MDC leadership is so far united and they are aware of the shenanigans.
I don’t think there will be anyone who will fall into that trap. This is from experience on how the system wants to destroy us, therefore, we will not give them any chance.
OM: What is your take on criticism that you are focussing too much internally and forgetting the real struggle? Is the MDC still committed to its founding values?
MK: Congress is a constitutional requirement and we cannot run away from the dictates of the constitution.
We have to fulfil that requirement because we have to reorganise, seek a new mandate and reinvigorate our party.
We need to bring in new ideas and we will actually come stronger from the congress and we will take on the issues that are affecting our country like economy, electoral reforms, legitimacy etc head-on.
OM: Are there any prospects that you will join the national dialogue being spearheaded by Mnangagwa?
MK: I think as a concept the national dialogue is a good idea, but the question is on how it is structured.
The current set up is just like that of Ian Douglas Smith where he was taking the lead, taking on his side people like (Abel) Muzorewa and (Chief) Chirau.
He didn’t survive because genuine parties who were fighting for the people, Zanu and Zapu didn’t join as they wanted an arbitrator who would be considered neutral.
This is not only about negotiating but the bigger part or the delicate area is the implementation of that agreement.
The facilitator should have the leverage to make sure that agreement is followed through.
People can dialogue and such but the question is will they be able to stand on top of the mountain and say their agreement will be implemented.
Their agreement will have the international stature, whether the agreement will benefit the people of Zimbabwe or it is just a game to fool the world.
We need serious dialogue and we need a person who will mediate in an honest manner, which we will all agree on because that person will be impartial.
I don’t know why the Zanu PF president is shy to meet the MDC president for a genuine negotiation.
He must be brave enough to meet the MDC president and chart the way forward on where the nation must go.
OM: On Friday two convenors were appointed and they are the chairpersons of the Gender Commission and that of National Peace and Reconciliation Commission. Does this motivate you to join the dialogue?
MK: Let’s see what they are going to bring, let’s see. The principle is very clear.
We need someone who is impartial and mutually acceptable. If that person meets that criteria, then the game will start.
-The Standard
The Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education will hold public consultations on the Education Amendment Bill (H. B. 1, 2019) from 1 to 5 April 2019 and from 15 to 17 April 2019. The Committee will cover various areas as follows:
All those who will be putting on military uniforms, signs of ranks, flags or badges and political party regalia will not have access to the public hearing.
The public, interested groups and organisations are invited to attend these consultations. Written submissions and correspondences are welcome and should be addressed to:
The Clerk of Parliament
Attention: Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education
P.O. Box CY 298
Causeway
Harare
Submissions can also be made by email through email address [email protected]
By Farai D Hove| The exiled Prof Jonathan Moyo has said the MDC Alliance has disconnected with its Bulawayo voters.
Writing on Sunday morning, Prof Moyo claimed the ZANU PF bi-election was caused by an organisational flop.
Moyo said, ” ZANUPF’S Chidwell Mujuru wins Ward 28 Bulawayo council by-election with 1899 votes to 1229 for Nomagugu Mloyi of the MDC-A which also fielded Collet Ndhlovu who got 221 votes; giving the MDC’s two candidates a total of 1450 votes. A RUDE WAKEUP CALL!
“It means the MDC-ALLIANCE has disconnected with Bulawayo voters. Time was when for every three registered voters in Bulawayo, two were MDC. The writing is on the wall: if the MDC-ALLIANCE leadership does not introspect on this & reconnect with Bulawayo voters, trouble lies ahead!”
Jane Mlambo| A Zanu PF Aligned Twitter mole by the name Kudzai Mutisi has likened MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to United Kingdom’s Boris Johnson saying both men are demagogues who mislead people.
Mutisi accused Johnson of misleading the British people when he fiercely campaigned for Brexit which continues to haunt the United Kingdom people as they have not agreed on a plan of action leading to their exit from the European bloc.
By Own Correspondent| Kidwell Mujuru, who has won the Cowdray Park by-election in Bulawayo is a local businessman who defected from MDC in 2014, ZimEye can reveal.
Mujuru once contested MDC primaries for Luveve constituency but claimed he was cheated before he changed ship and joined Zanu Pf.
He beat close contender from the MDC Alliance, Nomagugu Mloyi by 670 votes.
By Precious Shumba| There is nothing as yet that justifies the numerous foreign travels in a private jet for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
I listened to him justifying the many travels claiming that that as the reason Zimbabwe is receiving foreign help. If there are Ambassadors in those countries, the President should not waste taxpayers money travelling.
Instead, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Sibusiso Moyo is competent to represent the Government of Zimbabwe.
When the citizens demand explanations and justifications, the President should learn to humble himself and subject himself to public scrutiny than act like a spoilt child who insists on doing things elders are saying they are bad.
The citizens of Zimbabwe do not see the real benefit in the President travelling to foreign lands using private jet, when he can assign his foreign affairs Minister or Ambassadors to handle the issues in other countries. The President appeared to be rubbishing the citizens, saying he will continue to travel to those foreign places in that expensive private jet.
His attitude towards the citizens makes him a liability to Zimbabwe, because after Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe expected a more responsible leader. Austerity for Prosperity should not be for us while the President uses Austerity to increase Government spending on foreign travel.
The fact that he continues to travel reveals his lack of confidence in his own Ministers and other lieutenants. President Emmerson and his wife should not hoodwink the nation about the benefits of them going to foreign countries to strike beneficial deals.
The Presidents needs to be more hands on and travel across the country meeting citizens in their daily settings, and not at rallies where the atmosphere is artificial and manipulated for the media.
Down with irresponsible foreign travels and hiring of private jets. Austerity means maximising on the little available resources to uplift the people’s living conditions.
We are the citizens! Zimbabwe should come first above individuals, irrespective of their political, economic, social-cultural and legal status.
By Own Correspondent| Zengeza East legislator Goodrich Chimbaira on Saturday led a gang of youths who went on a violence spree attacking deputy mayor Jabulani Mtunzi leaving him seriously injured.
Chimbaira, who according to witnesses was in a fit of rage nearly ran over Mtunzi who had to be rescued by community members in Unit J who witnessed the legislator’s hired mob metting out justice on the deputy mayor.
While the cause of the violence was reportedly said to be emanating from the need to ensure that a faction affiliated to Vice president Elias Mudzuri won the district elections, it was also revealed that the legislator is on record threatening Mtunzi with unspecified action for expressing his interest to challenge him in the party’s primary elections come 2023.
The usually quiet neighbourhood in Unit J became battle ground for the MDC members as they engaged in stone throwing which left several injured.
According to a source who witnessed the raging battle, Chimbaira wanted to run over Mtunzi and he ended up taking aim at ordinary civilians and children who were nearby.
“His car skidded and only stopped a few centimetres away from where the children were playing. He almost ploughed into a vegetable stall because Mtunzi had escaped their beatings but because he could not walk, he fell and was lying close to the vegetable stall.
The challenge is that there were children playing close by and they did not know what was happening. He almost ran over Mtunzi and the children. We were all shocked,” said a witness.
Efforts to get a comment from Chimbaira were futile as his mobile phone was not available.
Mtunzi was taken to Chitungwiza hospital where he is admitted and nursing internal injuries.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By Own Correspondent| An 18 year old woman from Insiza in Matabeleland North Province has appeared in court facing a charge of culpable homicide, after she allegedly burnt to death her baby in a suspected traditional healing ritual.
According to court documents the woman Belinda Mpofu, allegedly committed the offence on 10 March this year.
It was stated that Mpofu was trying to perform a traditional healing ritual on the baby, whose age was not given, to exorcise evil spirits.
She took some herbs that she sprinkled on hot charcoal so that it burns while the baby would inhale the smoke.
She is reported to have left the baby in a room for a few minutes only to return to find a huge fire having broken out.
It is believed the charcoal may have ignited and burnt blankets on the bed where the baby was lying.
She appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Jechonia Ncube, while Leonard Chile presented the case for the State.
Mpofu was remanded in custody to 4 April this year, where the trial is expected to commence.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent| Zanu Pf has romped to victory in the recently held council by election in Cowdray Park Bulawayo.
The party’s candidate Kidwell Mujuru beat closest contender Nomagugu Mloyi of MDC Alliance by 670 votes after polling 1 899 votes.
Collet Ndlovu who also contested under the same MDC Alliance ticket polled a paltry 221 votes.
By A Correspondent| Many Zimbabweans converged on Dartford just 30miles outside London on Saturday for a prayer for cyclone victims function.
The function was organised by the #Pamabvi organisation, a brainchild concept of President Nelson Chamisa’s.
Chamisa’s spokesman Dr Nkululeko Sibanda and the MDC party’s EU envoy Elliot Pfebve were guest speakers.
#Pamabvi’s leader, Mercy Mukairirwa said donations raised will go to cyclone Idai victims’s needs. WATCH THE LIVE VIDEO LOADING BELOW (sincere apologies for the shaky footage)…
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By A Correspondent| A research paper suggests that Zimbabwe was warned of impending cyclone floods as far back as 1934.
The Rhodesian paper, follows indications by a 96 year old man interviewed by ZimEye.com who reveals that cyclone Idai is not the first to hit Zimbabwe. He during the week told ZimEye there was another cyclone which hit Chimanimani back in 1932.
The elder’s video footage will be streamed on Sunday morning.
In the below research paper extract dated 1934, Rhodesian engineers are seen planning for another flood that will happen in less than 100 years. The extract reads as follows:
For the range of conditions under consideration the following formula gives values of C closely in accordance with the values derived from Mr. Creager’s equation, and it has been used to calculate the values of C presented in the last column of Table IV :- C = 6,00011 + 0.07( )] X run-off X 1,000 – A (gathering-speed)o’6 (length : max~-breadth)~’~’
This formula, although somewhat cumbersome, has the advantage of enabling the value of C for a given catchment to be estimated in a rational way, and not merely guessed at. The catchment area, A, and the ratio of length to mean breadth can both be taken direct from the map of the catchment-area, and there remain only two uncertain factors, the run-off and the gathering-speed, a fair estimation of which can be formed from a knowledge of the physical characteristics of the catchment. It will usually be more accurate to estimate these factors separately than to make allowance for the conflicting effect of a number of factors whose relationship is Unknown.
PROBABLE FREQUENCY OF FLOODS. Mr. Creager gives the formula :- where Q denotes the peak discharge of maximum flood probable in T years, C ,, co-efficient discussed above, e ,, base of the natural system of logarithms. A ,, catchment-area in square miles. The terms in the bracket represent the fraction of the probable maximum flood which may be expected to occur once in T years.
If 100 years is taken as a reasonable figure for works which are not of great importance, and whose failure would not entail loss of life, then it is found that the fraction varies between 0.586 and 0.629 for the catchments described in this Paper. It would therefore appear that floods equal to 67 per cent. of the probable maximum may be expected less than once in 100 years, and that to design for floods of 75 per cent;. of the maximum calculated discharges would allow a substantial margin of safety.
This is what is wrong with Mnangagwa :
1) He finds nothing wrong with appointing SB Moyo’s wife Chair of the Anti Corruption Commission, itself a corrupt move.
2) He finds nothing wrong with awarding Mary Chiwenga a contract to handle Government VIP travelling arrangements, itself corruption of the worst kind.
3)He finds nothing wrong with wasting millions of foreign currency on unnecessary foreign travel, which significantly bumps Mary Chiwenga’s profits, itself organised crime.
4) Mnangagwa finds nothing wrong with setting armed soldiers on civilians and killing them.
5)Mnangagwa finds nothing wrong with doing wrong things but expects to get things right. Mnangagwa does wrong things and expects them to be accepted because nekuti ndiye ari kutonga. He doesn’t care what the people of Zimbabwe think and this was proved when he told a crowd of Zimbabweans who did not approve of one of his MPs “Izvo ndezvenyu izvo” “Ini ndini Mutongi Wenyika ino ari kukutongai” which sounded like “I am the god of this country and what I say goes”
6) Mnangagwa has failed all the tests of leadership and because of that his leadership is a failure. He has continued from where his predecessor left. From arrogance, nepotism, pride, cruelty, selfishness, he is even turning up the knob.
Foolishness is to expect success from failed practices. Even greater foolishness is mining for right in a wrong mine.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa was yesterday forced to abort his shopping at OK supermarket in Kwekwe after an enthusiastic crowd instantaneously swarmed the shop jostling for ‘handshakes, selfies and a glimpse’ of him.
The President casually walked into the supermarket at about 1 pm, attracting followers who had abandoned their businesses in the environs of the shop.
The crowd followed him, as he walked around the shop, cheering and whistling — in an apparent excitement after an unusual up-close with the Head of State.
OK Kwekwe branch management had to temporarily close the shop in a bid to restore order after The President had left.
Kwekwe is President Mnangagwa’s home town and according to OK Kwekwe supermarket management, he has been a regular client for the last 20 years.
Yesterday the President, who usually spends weekends at his Kwekwe farm, had gotten into the shop intending to purchase some grocery items and also have first hand general experience.
When The Sunday Mail arrived at the supermarket, the President was already walking out without shopping with people still mobbing him.
His security personnel had a torrid time controlling the crowd that wanted time with their leader.
In his usual jovial mood, the President went about greeting and shaking hands with the insistent crowd as he was accompanied out of the shop by security to his vehicle.State media
The ZANU PF government has announced plans to reconstruct and even relocate schools in Manicaland province, that were damaged by Cyclone Idai.
This was revealed by Deputy Education Minister Edgar Moyo who said a total of 87 schools were damaged in the province, one such school being the Catholic-run St Charles Lwanga.
Moyo said: “We also have St Charles Lwanga which was one of the schools that was affected and they have also requested the ministry to relocate the school.
“However, that is still in the process, we can’t say they are already relocating but they have expressed the desire to relocate officially.
“And that alone is an indication that some schools would want to relocate or even some people in different villages would also want to relocate to new places.”
The government has set aside $4 million dollars for the schools. It is estimated that school infrastructure worth $10 million was damaged by the Cyclone Idai. – state media
By Own Correspondent| There was violence in Unit J, Zengeza East constituency Saturday afternoon which left the town’s deputy mayor Jabulani Mthunzi injured.
Mthunzi is currently at Chitungwiza hospital following the violence by a faction allegedly linked to MDC Vice President Elias Mudzuri.
The Zengeza East legislator Goodrich Chimbaira today Saturday allegedly led a gang of youths who went on a violence spree attacking Mthunzi leaving him seriously injured.
Chimbaira, who according to witnesses was in a fit of rage nearly ran over Mtunzi who had to be rescued by community members in Unit J who witnessed the mob
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
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By Own Correspondent| There was violence in Unit J, Zengeza East constituency this afternoon which left the town’s deputy mayor Jabulani Mtunzi injured.
Mtunzi is currently at Chitungwiza hospital following the violence by a faction allegedly linked to MDC Vice President Elias Mudzuri.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
By Own Correspondent| There was violence in Unit J, Zengeza East constituency this afternoon which left the town’s deputy mayor Jabulani Mtunzi injured.
Mtunzi is currently at Chitungwiza hospital following the violence by a faction allegedly linked to MDC Vice President Elias Mudzuri.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
We publish below a message sent by Econet to its subscribers in Masvingo.
Dear Customer. Please be advised of a System upgrade on 31 March, from 0000hrs to 0500hrs. Any inconvenience this may cause on service quality is sincerely regretted.
Dr Masimba Mavaza| A Zimbabwean family fled to Capetown to escape the hunger and poverty; all 7 of them including four children just died in a house fire.
The loss of one child is devastating. The loss of seven?, unimaginable.
But that’s the grim reality the Mazungunye and Vare family faces after all seven of the family’s children died in a house fire in Cape town South Africa. The family from Zimbabwe sought refuge in South Africa to escape the economic melt down in Zimbabwe that’s decimated their home country.
The family was staying at number 2219 Sanqoba Street Chris Hani Mbekweni. Cape Town. The brother of the deceased Rotan Tasaranarwo said the charred bodies of the family are at Red Cross hospital burn.
He is finding it difficult to accept what has happened, and he just repeats the names of his brother over and over again and asks to see him.
The deceased are named as
Maxwell Mazungunye born 13 December 1978 his wife Margaret Vare born on 13November 1992 . Children Mirriam Mazungunye born on 8 May 2002 Tadiwanashe Mazungunye born on the 21 December 2012. They are expected to be buried in their home area in Sanyati Zimbabwe. Three of the family members survived the inferno with life threatening burns. They are at Paarl Hospital intensive care unit. They are Vanessa Mazungunye born on the 20th February 2002 Tatenda Mazungunye born on 21December2012 Mikeiler Mazungunye 9Months 2018 Mikleiler is admitted at Red cross Hospital burns unit Cape town.
The survivors of the blaze in the were taken to hospital after neighbours reported hearing “popping” and “explosions” coming from the house in the early hours.
Pictures from the scene show the roof of the house destroyed by the blaze and emergency workers continued to work on the house mid-morning. Witnesses could hear small pops and explosions coming from the house.”
There were 10 people in the inferno but 7 other were tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
The brother of the deceased stated that his brother was burnt in the house
“Munin.ina wangu atsvira mumba pamwe nemhuri yake kuno kuSA Cape town Paarl mbekweni Chris Hani pa2219 mapouba street moto wakangotanga kuneimwe room yemwana walandlord ikabva yabata yemunin.ina wangu pakaita moto akadidzirarubatsiro asi vanhu havana kukwanisa kuvhura musuwo kana kuti vapaze zvose zcakaramba kusvikira vopararira mumba ini ndinimukoma wake macontact ayo yangu yasisi Rosemary Mazungunye 0611097894 dzangy 0730478196.” Translation: My brother was burnt to death in his house. The fire is believed to have started from the landlord’s son house.
The shocking deaths come after president Ramaphosa as it were rallied his killing machines to deal with foreigners. The xenophobic attacks on all foreigners has increased and political parties are using the foreigners as their campaign collateral damage.
ANC is determined to win at all costs. They will paint their victory with the blood of the foreigners.
The shocking thing is that only black foreigners are targeted. This is a black on black violence supported by Ramaphosa and his cabinet. The silence of Africa is disturbing. An unabated genocide is taking place in South Africa and countries are having tea.
The leader of the opposition party comrade Julius Malema has come out denouncing this black on black violence. Malema leads the EEF which is an upcoming and strong force to recon in South Africa. Malema described these killings as barbaric inhuman and indeed unAfrican.
The UN and the world at large will not raise an alarm remember Rwanda. It will take a million foreigners in South Africa to be killed for the UN or EU to act. African Union is a toothless dog and will surely give a blind eye, Malema added.
Meanwhile the family is struggling to bring the deceased back to Zimbabwe for decent burial. They are appealing for help. The deaths are overwhelming and obviously never planned for. For any help to repatriate the deceased please contact Rosemary Mazungunye on 0027611097894 or the brother on 002730478196.
Morners are gathered in Harare. House no 8026, 28th Road Glen View Area 8 Harare.
By A Correspondent| A report coming out of Chimanimani on Saturday morning alleges that the controversial food aid distribution point exposed by a ZimEye investigation earlier in the week, Skyline has been shut down.
This is the same place where a helicopter is seen delivering food aid packages to ZANU PF trucks, a development later publicly confirmed by the local ZANU PF leadership.
While an official report from the government was fruitless at the time of writing, a usually reliable source based at Ngangu wrote to ZimEye saying, “Good morning. Good news. I heard that the Skyline Cyclone Idai relief aid distribution point was condemned and closed late yesterday.
“No more relief aid distribution at that point.”
Readers please note that this report could not be corroborated with government at the time of writing.
It could neither be established at the moment of publishing, when exactly the reported shutdown was done.
– THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY
Mnangagwa misses the point on external facilitator
The MDC is concerned by the mischievous statements of Dambudzo Mnangagwa pertaining to conducting dialogue in Zimbabwe.
For dialogue to take place,the convenor must be neutral and must be seen to be neutral.
What is at stake is a conflict mainly between Mnangagwa and President Adv Nelson Chamisa. As a consequence, conflict transcends to the supporters of the MDC and Zanu PF.
None of the two actors can therefore dictate the terms of convening dialogue.
Neither can the MDC accept Mnangagwa being the convenor of dialogue through proxy.
As a matter of fact, the MDC does not recognize the Presidency of Mnangagwa.
It was clear from the ZEC processes that the numbers kept changing.
Observer missions made the point that results were unverifiable and untraceable.
For Mnangagwa to claim that there is more than 60% of the vote represented at the dialogue he is convening through proxy is dishonesty and ignorant of the above facts.
What concerns the MDC is that illegitimacy issues around Mnangagwa are holding the country back.
The people of Zimbabwe are suffering, the wheels are coming off on the economy, social service delivery is abandoned and lives of citizens are being unnecessarily lost in hospitals that have been turned into death traps.
This is part of the reason why legitimacy issues must be resolved to give Zimbabweans a break and set the nation on a path of recovery.
Mnangagwa stands to benefit from genuine dialogue. Sadly, he has chosen to be the sole impediment to its convening.
He has no right or authority to declare how dialogue should happen, pretending to be conducting dialogue to save face.
The MDC has put across the following five point plan. We challenge actors to bring to the table a better alternative to the following areas of focus.
Firstly discussion and adoption of a roadmap to legitimacy following events of November 2017 and a subsequent shameless election in July 2018
Secondly, the resolution of the economic and humanitarian crisis arresting Zimbabwe, part of which largely resulted in mass protests and stay aways called by several citizen movements in Zimbabwe led by the ZCTU.
Thirdly a comprehensive reform agenda and platform with a view to construct both a sustainable state with a culture which serves the interests of the masses as opposed to serving a few presiding elites and those connected to them.
Reform would also focus on ensuring instruments of repression are liquidated and the idea of rule by fear jettisoned.
More importantly, rethinking the fiscal approach to improve efficacy, increasing transparency and accountability.
The forth area of focus is nation building, healing and attending to the social contract.
Allowing the people of Zimbabwe the opportunity to negotiate with those in power and with power itself, fostering unity while eroding hate speech, intolerance and tribalism.
More importantly couching a common and shared National Vision giving an unambiguous identity to Zimbabweans.
There is however the need to look into the past violence with dark ages of Gukurahundi, Murambatsvina and several episodes of violent elections dating back to the year 2000.
Providing remedy and redress to the aggrieved while ensuring Justice to the victim and the perpetrator alike, this in our view is an inevitable step to Nation building and it’s sustainability.
Finally, the plan would look at ways to re-engage the international community.
Taking the pain of committing to live by the rules, respect the rule of law, practice Constitutionalism and abiding by international standards, at least those contained in the several conventions which Zimbabwe is signatory.
Zimbabweans are tired of of political banter and politics of patronage, they deserve their dignity, freedom and justice.
MDC: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe!
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has picked Foreign Affairs & International Trade Minister Rtd Lt-General Sibusiso Busi Moyo’s wife as the new chairperson of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Mnangagwa has since written to the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) of parliament informing it of his decision to appoint Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo as Zacc chairperson.
Zanu PF and MDC chief whips Pupurai Togarepi and Prosper Mutseyami are part of the 26-member SROC.
The development comes as the Parliamnet’s committee is in the middle of selecting eight other members of the commission from a large pool of 130 applicants vying for the posts.
-Zimbabwe Independent
Wrote Wicknell Chivayo:
GOOD MORNING ZIMBABWE…Please help me welcome my daughter ATARAH MINANA CHIVAYO to this world…Born yesterday on (hallo)FRIDAY (chishanu zuva reropa) 29 MARCH 2019….GOD IS THE GREATEST…..???
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, says he has the capacity to lead the country’s biggest opposition political party if the structures nominate him to contest for that position at the MDC congress to run from May 24 to 26.
It will be the first congress since the death of the MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai who died of colon cancer on February 14, last year.
Tsvangirai’s death saw one of his three deputies, Nelson Chamisa emerge as MDC leader, albeit under controversial circumstances.
Going into the elective congress, Chamisa is touted as the front runner. He faces competition from one of his three deputies, Mwonzora.
In an interview with the Daily News yesterday, Mwonzora threw down the gauntlet, saying he has previously scored more wins than losses — a feat he said makes him more than suitable for any position within the party.
Asked if he has what it takes to be the party’s president, Mwonzora said: “I have been a leader in the MDC at various levels. Having started as the treasurer for Nyanga District, I was elevated to secretary for Local Government for Manicaland Province. In 2008, I was elected to represent Members of Parliament in the national council of the party. In 2011, I was elected as the national spokesman of the party at congress. In 2014, I was elected as the secretary-general of the party. I think I served well in my positions”.
He went on further to give a detailed account of how he joined politics as early as 1989, while he was still a law student.
Mwonzora was instrumental in the formation of the National Constitutional Assembly, which fought for a new democratic people-driven constitution.
He also said among other major roles he was involved in the drafting of the current Constitution.
-Daily News
Jane Mlambo| State media claims that opposition legislator, Tendai Biti tried to smuggle his book Democracy Works without paying import duties.
This runs contrary to reports that the book was twice confiscated at the Robert Mugabe International Airport for unspecified reasons.
Below is the Herald report;
THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) yesterday foiled an attempt by MDC-Alliance deputy chairman Mr Tendai Biti to smuggle copies of his book, Democracy Works, without paying import duties.
The book was co-authored with former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, Greg Mills of the Brenthurst Foundation and Jeffrey Herbst, the president of the American Jewish University.
The incident happened at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport ahead of the book’s official launch at Sapes Trust resulting in delays of the proceedings.
It was later launched at Sapes Trust at an event attended by MDC-A president Mr Nelson Chamisa, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Brian Nichols and several of the party’s allies in the non-governmental organisation sector.
By Own Correspondent| Voting has commenced in Cowdray Park By Election for the election of a new Ward Councillor.
Said the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) in a statement:
“ZESN is on the ground tracking the process and the political environment outside the polling stations.
Midday Situational Statement for the Cowdray Park Ward 28 by-election
As part of its comprehensive efforts to observe the Cowdray Park local authority by-election in Ward 28 of Bulawayo, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has deployed 37 polling station based and ward collation centre observers. In addition, ZESN has two mobile teams assessing the political environment outside the polling stations.
Political environment
Despite the large number of electoral contestants and the high stakes in this by-election, the political environment in Cowdray Park Ward 28 was reported to be largely peaceful and calm.
However isolated incidents of intimidation and defacing of campaign and civic and voter education posters was observed during the campaign period.
Redirected voters
ZESN has observed significant numbers of redirected voters in Cowdray Park. This can be attributed to the fact that there are voting centres that have more than one polling station leading to voters presenting themselves at the wrong polling stations. For instance, at Cowdray Primary AB 34 people had been redirected as at 09:40 AM while 19 people had been redirected to other polling stations at Mkhithika Thebe Primary B.
Presence of polling agents
ZESN commends the investment made by some of the contesting political parties to deploy polling agents at most of the polling stations in Cowdray Park Ward 28. From observer reports the following political parties deployed the most numbers of polling agents; ZANU PF, MDC Alliance, MDC-T, ZEFF, ZAPU and MRP.
Set up and opening of polling stations
At 100 percent of the polling stations, ZESN observers have reported that set up procedures were duly followed in line with the requirements of the law. The polling stations were set up to ensure that voters mark their ballots in secrecy. Essential voting materials such as ballot boxes, ballot papers, ZEC stamp, indelible marker ink, biometric voters’ roll with pictures were reported to be present at all polling stations. All the polling stations opened on time and had started processing voters by 7:30 AM. There is an average of 7 polling officials at the polling stations of which 5 are female.
Conclusion
ZESN notes that polling stations are still open and encourages all registered voters in Cowdray Park Ward 28 Local Authority to go out and exercise their right to vote peacefully.
ZESN is still observing the voting process and will observe counting and results management at the end of the day.
By Own Correspondent| Henrietta Rushwaya has lost the presidency of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) after the High Court declared the results and proceedings of the elections which brought her to the helm null and void.
The former ZIFA CEO was elected ZMF president on June 14 last year, but her election was challenged by a group of miners under the banner Zvishavane-Mberengwa Miners’ Association (ZMMA).
The group filed a lawsuit seeking an order to order barring the holding of the elections and to have them indefinitely postponed, arguing that Rushwaya wanted to take the leadership by unconstitutional means.
The elections went ahead and Rushwaya won.
However, in her ruling, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo on March 26 said:
The problem with authority is that nowhere in the constitution is a chief executive given authority to institute or defend legal process on behalf of the organisation.
This court can’t encourage organisations to breach their own constitutions and do as they please. That’s unlawful and this court can’t lend a hand to or allow unlawfulness to prevail.
It’s for these reasons that I hold the notice of opposition and the opposing affidavit as not properly before the court, as they have been brought through the back door and not in accordance with respondents’ own constitution.
As a result, I will proceed to confirm the provisional order which, in my view, stands unopposed.-Newsday
By Own Correspondent|Commercial wheat farmers are failing to access forex from the interbank market in order to adequately prepare for the upcoming winter season.
Wheat farmers urgently require US$12 million for the 2019 season.
Wheat growers’ coordinator Graham Murdoch said most farmers were failing to access foreign currency in order to buy the capital requirements for the upcoming farming season.
He said this while addressing delegates at the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) extraordinary meeting on Friday.
Said Murdoch:
Although we have secured the majority of the inputs required for the winter planting season which begins early next week, it is important to highlight that at this point in time we have not been able to secure foreign currency through the interbank system.
… We have also approached the relevant authorities on the matter and they have given us assurances that they are working on it.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday told his party’s central committee that United Arab Emirates prince had offered a plane for his globetrotting, refuting claims that he is hiring luxury jets for his trips.
Mnangagwa said;
“I was invited by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed. He hosted us well. You hear people saying I flew with a luxury jet. Those are lies, they sent us a plane,” he said.
“We did not pay anything for that plane. The crown prince sent the aeroplane to pick us up and we went and it dropped us. I told him we had a problem with availability of planes, and he said whenever I want to travel, all I need to do is call.”
But while UAE could have offered this support, it remains to be seen what Zimbabwe will offer the Arab country considering that Mnangagwa’s trips have been all about opening up business opportunities to the world.
By Own Correspondent| Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Minister Perrance Shiri said the country has sufficient grain to cover the next seven months.
In a statement read on his behalf by, his secretary Ringson Chitsiko yesterday, Shiri said stocks of maize and small grains at GMB stood at 832 156 tonnes.
This was revealed at a Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) meeting on drought assessment recently.
He said:
At the current monthly drawdown rate of 120 000 tonnes, the available grain is sufficient to last about seven months.
The Second Round Crop and Livestock Assessment Report will soon be presented to Cabinet and the nation will thereafter be officially informed of the results of the assessment.
With the projected below average production, grain imports are inevitable and the magnitude will be determined after the assessment.
Shiri indicated that Government has proposed drought alleviation measures.
Shiri’s statement comes in the qake of revelations that an estimated 2 million people in the rural areas are projected to be in dire need of food assistance this year.
He said: .
This effort bears testimony to the fact that the grain industry has put interests of the nation at heart. As Government we support these private sector interventions, as they complement the national policy of ensuring food security at household and national levels.
FORMER Zifa chief executive officer Henrietta Rushwaya has been dethroned as president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation after the High Court declared the results and proceedings of the elections which brought her to the helm null and void.
Rushwaya was elected ZMF president on June 14 last year, but her election was challenged by a group of miners under the banner Zvishavane-Mberengwa Miners’ Association (ZMMA) through their lawyers Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Attorneys.
The group wanted an order barring the holding of the elections and to have them indefinitely postponed, arguing that Rushwaya wanted to take the leadership by unorthodox means.
On June 18 last year, ZMMA won a provisional order barring the holding of the elections, but ZMF chief executive officer Wellington Takavarasha opposed the matter on behalf of the organisation.
The elections went ahead and Rushwaya won.
However, in her judgment, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo on March 26 noted that Takavarasha, who defended the application on ZMF’s behalf, was not empowered to do so by the federation’s constitution and rendered the application duly unopposed.
“The problem with authority is that, nowhere in the constitution is a chief executive given authority to institute or defend legal process on behalf of the organisation. This court can’t then encourage organisations to breach their own constitutions and do as they please. That’s unlawful and this court can’t lend a hand to or allow unlawfulness to prevail,” she ruled.
“It’s for these reasons that I hold the notice of opposition and the opposing affidavit as not properly before the court, as they have been brought through the back door and not in accordance with respondents’ own constitution. As a result, I will proceed to confirm the provisional order which, in my view, stands unopposed.”
ZMF was formed in 2003, mainly to champion the interests of small-scale and artisanal miners.
In his founding affidavit, ZMMA chairperson Thembinkosi Sibanda said ZMF unprocedurally admitted 13 new associations to join the federation.
He queried Rushwaya’s running for the ZMF presidency yet she was not affiliated to the organisation.
Sibanda said Rushwaya paid $6 500 affiliation fees for the 13 new associations whose admission was irregular and in violation of the ZMF constitution.
-Newsday
Jane Mlambo| Three Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) were killed in a car crash on Thursday morning after their company vehicle they were travelling in was involved in head-on-collision with another vehicle in Marondera.
Marondera police confirmed the accident, saying investigations were ongoing.
Eyewitnesses said that the trio was on its way to Marondera when the fatal crash occurred.
NewZimbabwe.com reports that the death of the three ZESA employees brings to seven, the number of road fatalities recorded in Marondera this week.
Last week four family members, including three children died on the spot after the driver of a Mercedes Benz lost control of the vehicle and veered off the road.
