PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the luxury jet he used recently on trips to Bulawayo and South Africa did not cost the State a penny.
Addressing a Zanu PF central committee meeting yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the plane hire was funded by the Crown Prince of the UAE, who had also pledged to keep a jet on standby for him as and when he wanted to travel.
“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.”
Mnangagwa said he laughs every time he reads or hears people comment over his travel using expensive and luxurious jets.
“Those who don’t know will just be pushing lies and saying we are spending money from the national budget. Then I just laugh,” he said.
Mnangagwa’s statements appeared to contradict what his spokesperson George Charamba said recently.
Charamba told The Standard last week that Mnangagwa had hired the jet because it was cheaper and convenient for his entourage.
“Then coming to the Bulawayo issue, the aircraft you are talking about came in on Thursday and has been here preparing to take the President to South Africa for the Sadc Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara, scheduled for March 25 to 26, 2019 in Pretoria,” Charamba said last week.
“We booked the aircraft to be here until it brings back the President from the summit on Tuesday. If you were going to check, the aircraft is currently at the tarmac of the domestic flights and it is cheaper to hire the aircraft for days than to hire it on the day when the President wants to fly out.”
Zanu PF youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu challenged those who are saying government hired the plane to provide proof of payment.
“President Mnangagwa was invited to UAE and was provided with all the travel arrangements, including a private jet to and from UAE. He was also offered the same jet to South Africa before it went back to UAE. Those saying it was hired must provide proof of payment,” he said.
Footballers in some cases are portrayed as shallow celebrities who spend more time caring about hairstyles than the real problems of the world. Yet, some players do deserve the rap they get.
Adrian Silla
There have been a number of instances of footballers stealing, or at least attempting to, the wives or girlfriends of other professional players.
But it was not recently so with Highlanders midfield enforcer, Adrian Silla but still on the wayward side amid revelations by a Bosso insider that soon after the club engaged in friendly ties in Beitbridge, he proved to be entirely unreliable when a missing uniform was found in his bag.
“The kit manager had indicated to everyone that there was a missing team jersey. With no positive response from the players, the club’s technical manager Madinda Ndlovu ordered that everyone’s bag be searched. It was after the search that the jersey was found in Adrian Silla’s bag,” said the source.
And as if that is not enough, we have it on good authority that on 16 March 2019, in another self destructive behaviour, the dreadlocked player was left behind by the team bus after reporting late to make the trip to Hwange where Bosso took on Chipangano in a friendly match.
Bosso’s head of secretariat Nhlanhla Dube, who didn’t even bother to say “Thou Shall Not Steal Silla”, could neither confirm nor deny the player’s alleged antics.
“You are the one who is telling me,” said Dube.
Last season, Silla’s bad boy transgressions of substance abuse were carried by this publication.
We also reported that along with friend Denzel Khumalo they were in the habit of seeing older women in the high density suburb of Mzilikazi and Mpopoma.
“It’s like undermining the authority of the technical team. We will not tolerate indiscipline. They believe they are indispensable, but that is a wrong attitude and as a team we would want to correct that. Everyone should know that no one is bigger than the club. There are many players who have done well in the past yet they kept cool heads and are still respected up to now,” we quoted Dube as saying.
Bosso recently went on a rebuilding exercise that saw the club make use of young players in the process putting together a team to clinch trophies in future.
The Gambia’s former president Yahya Jammeh stole at least $362m from the state during his 22-year rule, the West African country’s justice minister has said following a nearly two-year investigation.
Jammeh, who seized power in a 1994 coup, fled The Gambia in 2017 for exile in Equatorial Guinea as an African regional force closed in on the capital Banjul to enforce his election loss to President Adama Barrow.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou provided a summary of a report compiled by a commission of inquiry. The report, which has not yet been made public, was based on interviews with 253 witnesses.
“This is a staggering amount of money that could have had significant impact on the lives of the ordinary people of this country,” said Tambadou.
“Instead, it was money used to satisfy the pretentious and delusional lifestyle of an egotistic megalomaniac, acts that were both unconscionable and criminal.”
Jammeh has not commented on the accusations from his base in Equatorial Guinea, but his supporters in The Gambia have dismissed investigations of him as a witch-hunt.
The probe established that Jammeh claimed titles on 281 landed properties in the country, as well as assets abroad, including a residence in the United States, according to Tambadou. It also found the former leader’s assets in his home village of Kanilai alone were worth $28.2m.
The Gambia’s new authorities believe Jammeh took many of his cars and valuable items with him, after a period of rule characterised by extrajudicial killings, torture and forced disappearances, as well as the pilfering of state assets.
They previously said that money was stolen by creating fake accounts at the central bank and skimming money from the national telecommunications agency and other state institutions.
Tambadou said the new government was working to recover the stolen money.
Barrow, the new president, has promised to “stand firm” in implementing the report’s recommendations “without fear or favour”.
So far, Barrow’s government has sold off some of the possessions Jammeh left behind, including planes and Rolls-Royces with his name embroidered into the headrests.
A report earlier this week by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a non-profit investigative reporting outlet, said that Jammeh and his associates “looted or misappropriated” at least $975m.
The project said that bank statements, contracts, government correspondence and internal reports show “a web of fraud that far exceeds the figure offered” by Gambian authorities.
The money that was not funnelled to presidential controlled bank accounts went to businesses that received lucrative contracts from the former leader, the investigative group said.
He got away with it because The Gambia is small, with a population of some two million people, and remained relatively obscure, the group said.
The Gambia, meanwhile, faces a debt burden that reached 130 percent of gross domestic product last year, leading the IMF to warn the country against any new borrowing. — AlJazeera
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s visibly hopeless gathering of political parties that dismally lost the July 2018 harmonised elections met yesterday and appointed chairman of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Justice Selo Nare and chairperson of the Gender Commission, Margaret Sangarwe Mkahanana, as co-chairs of the did called National Dialogue.
At least 18 parties including ZANU PF attended the meeting at State House in Harare.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Mnangagwa said he had serious and focused discussions with the leaders of the parties some of whom polled no more than one percent of the votes in the elections.
Main opposition party, the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa which was declared to have lost by less than five percent of the votes, boycotted the talks citing several irregularities in the formulation of the dialogue.
“We had very serious and focused discussions this morning with the heads of political parties. All together we were 18. We have resolved that the question of moderator or convenor shall be two; the chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Justice Selo Nare and the chairperson of the Gender Commission, Margaret Sangarwe Mkahanana, will be the other co-chair of the dialogue,” said Mnangagwa.
“We have agreed on the programmes that the three committees have recommended.
“We have adopted the recommendations they have made between now and the launch which is going to happen during the first week of May. These committees are going to put content into the launch for the actual dialogue on issues that we have identified.
“So we are happy that we are moving together with the rest of the political parties, except one or two who have not, but we and other political parties constitute the majority of the people in this country. If you put our vote Zanu PF and that of the others the six percent, two percent, one percent we are over 60 percent.”
President Mnangagwa said he was happy that the parties agreed as Zimbabweans that they should sit together to interrogate the challenges the country is facing.
“We have agreed that in the course of next week all the political parties participating in dialogue shall all be brought together to visit affected areas in Chimanimani and Chipinge. I think this is a very good idea.”
Justice Nare said political parties would be required to submit two names, a male and a female, of their representatives to the dialogue coordinating committee by Tuesday next week.
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.
BULAWAYO provincial education director Olicah Kaira has condemned the spreading of falsehood after the circulation of a hoax on social media claiming former Warriors captain Peter Ndlovu has donated a bus to Mzilikazi High School.
Kaira said the information is harmful to the school, the community and Ndlovu and couldn’t get the logic behind the creation of such information.
“I would like to state it categorically clear that Mzilikazi High School didn’t receive a bus from anyone. The bus which the school have was bought by parents and I’m the one who unveiled it. The school head is also shocked by the information as a lot of people have been calling him, inquiring whether the information is true or false,” said Kaira.
She advised people to verify information before disseminating it through social media and expressed shock on whoever created the information, involving a government institution and Ndlovu, who is of great stature in the country.
“This is bad as it’s harmful to both Peter Ndlovu and the school. It complicates everything and creates a lot of conspiracies which may cause speculations among the community. As we speak a number of people have believed that Ndlovu has donated a bus to his former school and people will demand to see the bus and it may cause chaos between the school administration and the community.
“I would also like to send my sincere apologies to Ndlovu as we’re aware how damaging the falsehood can be to parties involved. As a people we must make it of paramount importance to curtail false information on such platforms. The impact of false information makes it one of the modern dangers to society,” she said.
Emmerson Mnangagwa has scoffed at MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s attempts to rope in a foreign interlocutor to mediate in talks between them, according to Daily News.
Chamisa wants an internationally-backed mediator to break the country’s political logjam.
This came after Mnangagwa initiated talks involving all the candidates that participated in the July 30 presidential polls in an attempt to end the political discord that many believe could be contributing to the crisis ravaging the Zimbabwean economy.
Yesterday, presidential spokesperson George Charamba dismissed Chamisa’s effort, saying the MDC leader should see the light and join those who are already in talks.
“The solution is within the country and not outside. The problem is that he (Chamisa) is not part of the national dialogue. No solution will be found outside the country,” said Charamba, who is also the deputy chief secretary to the president.
While Mnangagwa been persistent with his version of national dialogue, the initiative has struggled to gain traction.
ZIFA have finally thrown in the towel in their bid to stage this year’s Cosafa Cup and the association could face sanctions from the regional body.
Felton Kamambo, the Zifa president, revealed yesterday that their efforts had come to nought and they had since notified the Cosafa secretariat.
The tournament is scheduled for May 19 to June 1
“Our plans to host the Cosafa Cup hit a snag. We were hoping for a review of the decision but that did not succeed. We will now await to hear the outcome of the decision by Cosafa,’’ Kamambo said.
He said Zifa had initially wanted to use the national Under-23 side to this year’s tournament but had noted that the 2019 Cosafa Cup had assumed a different dimension.
This followed the qualifivation for the Afcon finals by Zimbabwe, Angola, Madagascar, Namibia and South Africa.
The Warriors could be suspended from the tournament should the Cosafa Disciplinary committee come down hard on Zimbabwe for their late withdrawal.
Cosafa secretary-general Sue Destombes could not be reached for comment but sources confirmed that part of the sanctions that Zifa could face include a hefty fine.
“In such cases regulations will apply. It has to be handled by the Disciplinary Committee of Cosafa but there will be sanctions as well as a hefty fine.
“Hopefully, the sanctions will not include banning Zimbabwe from participation in the Cosafa tournaments.
“But this could have been good preparations for the Warriors with government spending little but this shall mean the team has to play friendlies away from the region.
“The tournament was guaranteeing the team at least three matches to prepare so for now we can only wait,’’ the sources said.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry, cited short notice as the major reason for declining the offer.
“We want to make sure that when we do host an event of this magnitude that we are fully prepared, we have good timing.
‘’We just don’t feel that was given to us this time around.
“So, moving forward, we will continue to work closely with Zifa in terms of what the next steps are and what the future holds in terms of hosting the event,” said Coventry.
Warriors coach Sunday Chidzambwa has been looking for an opportunity to closely assess, in game situations, such players like Admiral Muskwe, Kelvin Lunga, Adam Chicksen and McCauley Bonne.
Under-23 midfielder Seth Patrick, who had a good game against Mozambique, seems to have also impressed the veteran coach.
THE Bulawayo woman who was recently mauled by her landlady’s five dogs yesterday relived the horrific attack saying she could hear the sound of her flesh being torn off by the vicious canines.
They tore off flesh from Ms Cherish Muchegwa’s arms, legs and behind on March 10 at a house in West Somerton suburb. She now needs about US$25 000 for a series of operations.
In an interview at the United Bulawayo Hospitals, Ms Muchegwa (25) described how the decision to go back home after dropping her son at her parents’ home before following her husband, Mr Joseph Masaiti, to church nearly turned fatal.
Ms Muchegwa had just entered the gate to her lodgings when the dogs ran to her. She did not sense danger as the dogs had never attacked her since she had moved in two years ago. However, on the fateful day the hounds had other ideas…
“When they reached me one of them went for my arm and pulled me down and the others pounced on me and they started ravaging me. I think they were hungry because they clearly wanted to kill me. They tore off my clothes and I was completely naked as they bit me.
“I could feel and hear my flesh being torn off and teeth crunching my bones as they ravaged me. I tried to fight them off with all my strength but I was no match for them. I somehow had the instinct to use my hands to protect my neck because they wanted to go for my throat to end my resistance. The pain I felt as they ate me alive is indescribable. I am alive by the grace of God, “said Ms Muchegwa.
She said she is grateful to her neighbours as they came to her rescue after hearing her cry for help.
“I screamed as the dogs were attacking me. No one came to save me at first but I kept fighting and screaming and as I was passing out I saw one of my neighbours rushing towards me. In the end I think two of my neighbours managed to beat the dogs with sticks and stones. I think one was bitten on the arm and the other on the leg. I am forever thankful to them, they saved my life by putting their lives at risk.
After the dogs were driven away, women from the neighborhood came and covered me because I was completely naked as the dogs had torn off my clothes. I am not bitter about what happened and I don’t blame anyone. All I want is to recover and I am grateful that people are helping me. Others want to help can EcoCash my husband on 0773 960 966 or make a bank transfer using the church’s ZB bank account, Abundant Life Revival Mission International, account number 4304413264080 Jason Moyo, or Nostro Account Abundant Life Revival Mission International ZB Belmont Branch 4304-413264-405” she said
The Chronicle tracked down one of the brave rescuers, Mr Godfrey Mpofu, who revealed that he is haunted by the sight of the dogs tearing his neighbour apart.
“I am the first person who responded to the screams from the young lady. I was in my fowl run when I heard her screams and shouts for help. The strange thing is that I always go to the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, but on that day I didn’t go.
“I told my wife and daughter to go without me and now when I think about it I think it was God’s doing. I breed free range chickens so on that day I was feeding my chickens when I suddenly heard my neighbour’s dogs barking and growling and then my dog and dogs from other houses started barking.
“Then I heard a scream and someone crying for help, saying she was being killed by dogs.
“I then knew that my neighbour’s dogs were attacking someone. I had to move quickly as I knew they were killing her because her screams were subsiding.
“As I was jumping the wall I was shouting that she should climb a tree to save herself. One of the dogs came after me and I had to jump back to my side. I then ran out the gate, calling out the neighbours to come and help me rescue her. But I could not wait for them to come out of their homes because if I had waited the dogs could have killed her. I went through the gate and saw the dogs dragging her and tearing her clothes while others were chewing off her flesh and eating it and going back for more. She was half naked at that point.
“I threw stones at the dogs but they were not relenting. Two came for me and I tried to use a tree branch to fight them off but one of them managed to sink its teeth into the branch and the other one bit me on the leg. My plan was to fight off the dogs and carry her out the yard but someone closed the gate and I was shouting and asking why you closing the gate, you want us to die caged in here!
“Eventually one person, another neighbour called Banda came and we managed to fight them off her. By the time we fought them off she was completely naked, her clothes were torn to shreds, even the tight and underwear she had on were gone. Those dogs were not biting; they were eating her, they wanted to devour her. That girl is lucky to be alive,” said Mr Mpofu.
He refused to confirm reports that the five dogs, which have been put down by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, had a history of terrorising not only the people who live with the owner — a Mrs Rhoda Mlalazi – but also neighbours.
“I don’t want to talk about the history of the dogs, let sleeping dogs lie. What I can tell you is that they were cross breeds. My dog is a cross breed but after what happened I fear cross breeds and I had to give it away to SPCA. Since that day my dog was acting strangely, I think it was disturbed by the incident. I don’t know but maybe it was the smell of human blood,” he said.
Neighbours who spoke on condition of anonymity said the dogs had in the past bitten over five people, eaten 25 of Mr Mpofu’s free range chickens and 32 rabbits belonging to another neighbour who was not available for comment.
Mr Danacious Mlalazi, the son of Mrs Mlalazi said:
“If the dogs did all that then the neighbours should have reported that to the police, the council and SPCA.
“They cannot say that now because the dogs attacked Ms Muchegwa. The only time the dogs attacked anyone was when a stranger entered our yard at night. People are now being influenced by social media to lie.”
Government has facilitated free local treatment for Ms Muchegwa.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care came in after Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Judith Ncube made an appeal for Ms Muchegwa to get assistance.
She is being treated at the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
Ms Muchegwa needs $25 000 to undergo a series of operations in South Africa or India.
In an interview yesterday, Minister Ncube said the Ministry of Health and Child Care had seen it fit for Ms Muchegwa to get free treatment while funds are being mobilised for her to travel to South Africa for surgery.
“I have spoken to the perm sec and we are looking into other ways of assisting. We are trying to help mobilise funds for her treatment because what befell her is really unfortunate and was a traumatic experience for her. It is a miracle that she survived,’ said Minister Ncube.
Family spokesperson Pastor Itai Ukama yesterday said Ms Muchegwa had started receiving free treatment at the United Bulawayo Hospitals.
“The minister has asked the hospital for a waiver of fees on the patient. We are encouraged by the fact that she’s still reaching out to the corporate world as well as the government for more assistance both locally and in Harare. Truly the Minister has been of great help and comfort to us in this difficult time,” said Pastor Ukama.
Chronicle is in possession of Ms Muchegwa’s pictures, but cannot publish most of them as they may be distressing to those of a nervous disposition.
Pastor Ukama said the church has so far raised $11 000 but it was only enough for pre-operative care.
Pre-operative care refers to healthcare provided before a surgical operation.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has chosen High Court judge, Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo, who is also Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo’s wife, to be the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) chairperson.
The Zimbabwe Independent has reported that Mnangagwa last week informed the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) of Parliament about his decision to appoint Matanda-Moyo as Zacc chairperson.
Some legislators have however questioned her objectivity since her husband is a cabinet minister and retired lieutenant-general, who played a prominent role in Mnangagwa’s rise to power.
They argued that her appointment would compromise the credibility of Zacc.
According to Section 254 of the constitution, the chairperson of the commission is appointed by the president after consultation with the committee on Standing Rules and Orders. MDC legislators who make up the SROC refused to vote for Matanda-Moyo but Zanu PF MPs went ahead and unanimously endorsed her appointment- Independent
Emmerson Mnangagwa has scoffed at MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s attempts to rope in a foreign interlocutor to mediate in talks between them, according to Daily News.
Chamisa wants an internationally-backed mediator to break the country’s political logjam.
This came after Mnangagwa initiated talks involving all the candidates that participated in the July 30 presidential polls in an attempt to end the political discord that many believe could be contributing to the crisis ravaging the Zimbabwean economy.
Yesterday, presidential spokesperson George Charamba dismissed Chamisa’s effort, saying the MDC leader should see the light and join those who are already in talks.
“The solution is within the country and not outside. The problem is that he (Chamisa) is not part of the national dialogue. No solution will be found outside the country,” said Charamba, who is also the deputy chief secretary to the president.
While Mnangagwa
been persistent with his version of national dialogue, the initiative has struggled to gain traction.
FOR some men, it’s a no-brainer to consider having sex with their wives during their periods as they apparently perceive that time of the month to be a “no sex zone”.
But for others, like Knowledge Mushawatu from Nketa suburb in Bulawayo, when his wife Fair Dzapasi is having a period that doesn’t necessarily mean sex is off the table. This was after his wife bitterly complained that he (Mushawatu) had a fetish for sex even during her menstrual cycle.
As if that is not enough, Dzapasi said her husband was also a habitual philanderer, who repeatedly gets involved with other women, sexually, and with prostitutes as well while still in their primary relationship.
She told a Bulawayo magistrate Racheal Ringisai sitting at the civil court that she felt so pained in her heart every time her husband went for other women.
“Knowledge Mushawatu is my husband and we have been together since 2015. We have a five-year-old son together. He is very violent and has been beating me up on several occasions, the latest being in January this year. He has also been insulting me saying I am a prostitute. He even insults my parents with their privates.
“He is also sleeping with several women including sex workers and after that he demands sex from me. When I refuse in fear of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases since he always has sexual intercourse with several women, he forces himself on me even during my menstrual cycle.
“I no longer feel safe as this has become an everyday thing. He is always threatening that someone will die between the two of us,” said Dzapasi.
She also claimed her sleep-around husband was chasing her out of the matrimonial home. Mushawatu, however, accused his wife of lying saying she was the source of their marital problems after she told him that she had been impregnated by another man.State media
MDC has cried foul over ZANU PF’s alleged vote-buying ahead of the Cowdray Park local government by-election slated for this Saturday.
This comes when Vice President Kembo Mohadi donated 60 tonnes of maize and 30 tonnes of rice to Cowdray Park residents at a rally last week.
MDC Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Mafa aksed why the donation was only made to Cowdray Park.
Said Mafa:
“How can a party just want to give the people of Cowdray Park all that food because there is an election?… We strongly condemn this kind of behaviour by Zanu PF; its clear President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa has not broken with Mugabe’s past.”
ZANU PF is being represented by local businessman Kidwell Mujuru while the MDC has fielded two candidates Collet Ndlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi.Daily News
A 20-YEAR-OLD man from Mkoba 6 suburb, Gweru has been fined $84 for shoplifting a knife and a teaspoon from a leading supermarket.
Obert Sibanda pleaded guilty to one count for shoplifting before magistrate, Ms Beaulity Dube.
Sibanda told the court that he had peanut butter which he wanted to spread on his loaf of bread but didn’t have a kitchen knife to cut it and a teaspoon to spread the peanut butter. Ms Dube fined him $84 failure to which he will be imprisoned for one month.
“I stole the kitchen knife and teaspoon because I wanted to cut the bread I had bought and use the teaspoon to spread peanut butter on the bread,” said Sibanda.
It was the State case that on March 25 at Pick n Pay Supermarket in Gweru, Sibanda was seen on the CCTV placing the kitchen knife, torch with batteries and teaspoon into his pants.
The court heard that he passed through the till points without paying and was arrested after going out of the supermarket.State media
A 35-YEAR-OLD woman from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for bashing her four-year-old son after he soiled his pants.
Tendai Nhiwatiwa of Cowdray Park suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate, Ms Tancy Dube, facing a charge of ill-treatment or neglect of children and young persons.
She pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 30 months in jail. Six months were suspended for three years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence and 24 months were suspended on condition that she performs 840 hours of community service.
Nhiwatiwa said she hit her son to discipline him. “I slapped him and hit him with a cooking stick. I did not mean to hurt him the way l did,” she said. The prosecutor, Mrs Thembeni Mpofu said sometime this month, Nhiwatiwa was at her house with her son when he soiled his pants.State media
Business came to a halt yesterday in Gweru’s central business district when a popular commuter omnibus driver was crushed to death by a haulage truck at the intersection of Main Street and Lobengula Avenue.
Tawanda “Buju” Chinobva, also a mechanic, was trying to cross the busy road by going underneath the slow-moving truck at around 5.30PM but ended up being crushed.
Traffic police had a torrid time clearing the road to have access to the spot where Buju’s mangled body was. A smudge of thick blood mixed with bones stretched for about two metres to where the body lay.
The driver of the Harare-based truck which was enroute to Bulawayo refused to identify himself saying he needed clearance from his employer. He said he was shocked to hear whistles and shouts from people asking him to stop the truck.
He said he had stopped his truck at the controlled intersection and was just starting to move as traffic in front of him had cleared when he had to stop. “I stopped my truck before the intersection of Main Street and Lobengula Avenue because of traffic in front of me. When I put the truck into first gear and it started moving, people waved frantically and shouted for me to stop,” said the driver.
“I didn’t see or hear anything other than the shouts before I stopped only to be shocked to see that the truck had dragged this person underneath for about two metres. I didn’t see him go under the truck,” he said.State media
Farai Dziva|A Government Minister has claimed that the United States of America’ s dominance of World Affairs is threatening Zimbabwe’ s national security.
According to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema, Zimbabwe’ s national integrity is under threat from US dominance.
He made the remarks while officially opening the 32nd Session of the Zimbabwe-Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security in Victoria Falls.
Mathema claimed restrictive measures imposed by the US continue to undermine Government’s foreign policy and re-engagement.
“We’re meeting at a time global security is under threat from dominant tendencies by the United States which is seeking to impose its will on the global order by imposing economic sanctions on other countries.
Zimbabwe has been a victim of such sanctions imposed by America under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) and these sanctions continue to undermine the New Dispensation’s foreign policy thrust of engagement and re-engagement as well as international dialogue,” claimed Mathema.
MDC has cried foul over ZANU PF’s alleged vote-buying ahead of the Cowdray Park local government by-election slated for this Saturday.
This comes when Vice President Kembo Mohadi donated 60 tonnes of maize and 30 tonnes of rice to Cowdray Park residents at a rally last week.
MDC Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Mafa aksed why the donation was only made to Cowdray Park.
Said Mafa:
“How can a party just want to give the people of Cowdray Park all that food because there is an election?… We strongly condemn this kind of behaviour by Zanu PF; its clear President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa has not broken with Mugabe’s past.”
ZANU PF is being represented by local businessman Kidwell Mujuru while the MDC has fielded two candidates Collet Ndlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi.Daily News
A Mpoengs police officer allegedly sexually molested 21 pupils while conducting an investigation into sexual abuse at a local primary school.
The cop who was only identified as a Constable Muzulu stationed at Mpoengs Police station is accused of inserting his fingers into 21 pupils’ private parts and fondling their breasts on Monday.
National Police Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, confirmed receiving a report about the incident yesterday. “I can confirm that a preliminary report was made against the said member of the police force. We are investigating the matter so that we get to the bottom of it and find out the facts,” said Asst Comm Nyathi. He said Constable Muzulu had since been moved to a different police station pending investigations.
“For professional reasons, we have temporarily transferred the officer to a different police station pending finalisation of our investigations. He will be working at the new station until we conclude our investigations,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Bulu Primary school parents who spoke to The Chronicleexpressed anger and distaste at the alleged acts by the police officer who had been tasked to investigate some sexual assault reports at the school.
“We cannot be having a protector doing this to children. He cannot come and investigate sexual abuse and then do worse. Children cannot lie like that. We want him very far away from our children and we want justice to be served,” said a parent who cannot be named to protect the minor.
Constable Muzulu is accused of having conducted one-on-one sessions with female pupils interviewing them about cases of sexual assault at the school. He is accused of having denied a female teacher the permission to be part of the meetings and said he only wanted to be with the pupils alone.
Mphoengs Police Station is said to have received anonymous tip offs from members of the public about alleged cases of sexual assault on pupils at the school. Constable Muzulu was tasked to get to the bottom of the matter.State media
South Africa’s border with Mozambique was yesterday closed after an unruly mob barricaded the N4 near Ressano Garcia, targeting trucks with South African registration numbers.
The development comes after South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa and that country’s deputy Police Minister issued a statement inciting violence against foreigners in South Africa.
“Trucks with South African registration plates have been stoned in Mozambique. A volatile crowd of between 200 – 300 Mozambicans barricaded the N4 about four kilometres east of the Resano Garcia border post, where there is a truck stop,” reported Corridor Gazette.
“It is suspected that this action in related to the Xenophobic attacks which have erupted in various areas of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng this week.”
Trac, a company which is responsible for the 570km of the road between Solomon Mahlangu off-ramp in Tshwane and the Port of Maputo in Mozambique, placed a warning on the protest action on its website.
Elsewhere South Africans working for SASOL at Pande near Vilanculos, and some at the Tete mines, have been moved or pulled out due to threats of retaliation.
Alternative routes for tourists could be Komatipoort – Mananga border into Swaziland and then from there to Namaacha or Goba borders into Mozambique. Then drive to Boane and Maputo. – jbaynews/additional reporting
A Zimbabwean conwoman who deprived a victim of over £1250, has been arrested and shortly after that returned the whole loot.
The case which was reported to zimeye.com last year, was taken up by British police in Peterborough who rushed to arrest Wetifa Chapu. Following her arrest she swiftly transferred the whole lump sum back to the victim. The traumatised victim, who is now ecstatic, tells of this good news in the below LIVE video shoot.
By Own Correspondent| Former cabinet minister Supa Mandiwanzira’s bail conditions have been relaxed.
Mandiwanzira is facing criminal abuse of office charges.
Mandiwanzira’s charges relate to his engagement of a South African company, Megawatt, to do consultancy work for NetOne and appointing his allegedly unqualified personal assistant to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) board.
As part of bail conditions, Mandiwanzira was ordered to surrender his passport, report to Borrowdale Police Station twice a week, provide surety in the form of title deeds amounting to $100 000 and continue residing at his given address.
Regional magistrate Elijah Makomo ruled that Mandiwanzira reports once on the first Monday of each month.
Makomo deferred ruling on Mandiwanzira’s application for the temporary release of his passport to enable him to travel to China on a business trip. Mandiwanzira had offered to surrender an additional property worth $100 000 in a bid to convince the courts that he does not intend to skip trial if granted his application.
Makomo deferred the matter till after April 27 in anticipation that Mandiwanzira’s High Court application for review would have been set down.-DailyNews
By Own Correspondent| Former Zanu Pf youth leader Jim Kunaka and 26 other alleged protesters arrested following the August 1 2018 violence were yesterday removed from remand.
The alleged protesters, have been on remand for nearly eight months, with the State yet to finalise its investigations.
They had applied for removal from remand for the second time. The first time they lodged the application, it was dismissed.
Provincial magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa ruled that the accused persons have the right to be tried within a reasonable time.
Mugwagwa noted that the courts had already resolved the public violence trials of January 14 and that there is no reason “to treat this matter differently.”
She said when the State is ready,the protesters will be summoned.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has picked Foreign Affairs & International Trade Minister 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 (pictured) 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.
These include former newspaper editors Geoffrey Nyarota and Tommy Sithole; former clerk of parliament Austin Zvoma and ex-MDC MPs Jessie Majome, Gabriel Chaibva and Blessing Chebundo.
Mnangagwa dissolved the previous anti-graft body chaired by Job Whabira in January this year following claims of ineffectiveness and corruption by the very commissioners.
Mnangagwa has pledged to deal with rampant corruption in the country, although critics dismiss it as lip service.
Of the 130 names, the SROC will shortlist 12 for interviews.
Mnangagwa’s decision has, however, left the committee sharply divided after some of the members argued that she was not the most suitable candidate because she is married to the Foreign Affairs minister.
The MPs expressed their reservations at a meeting at parliament on Tuesday last week.
According to sources who attended the meeting, MDC members of the SROC argued that Matanda-Moyo’s appointment would raise serious questions about her impartiality since her husband was a cabinet minister.
An MP who sits in the SROC said: “Mudenda read the letter to us and afterwards there was a heated debate over the issue and when Mudenda realised that he was losing the debate amid fierce resistance from MDC MPs who felt that the appointment would be inappropriate, he decided to put the matter to vote.
“MDC legislators then requested for more time to research on Matanda-Moyo, but Mudenda stuck to his guns and ordered the vote to proceed. The reason for his stance was that he had been given the instruction to ensure that she is approved immediately. MDC MPs abstained from the vote, but Zanu PF MPs went ahead and unanimously approved of her.”
Matanda-Moyo has been a High Court judge since 2013
Before her appointment as a High Court judge, Matanda-Moyo was the president of the Labour Court and at one stage, she was director of public prosecutions in the Attorney-General’s Office.
FORMER Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led Nigeria via a military coup in 1976 and then via democratic elections in 1999, has urged young and upcoming African politicians to get their act together if they are to unseat old African leaders — many of them septuagenarians and octogenarians who have been holding on to power for decades — through elections.
“If the youth think that they will get into power on a platter, they are not getting it right,” he said in the interview. “They will have to snatch it, those (ageing leaders) will not go,” said Obasanjo.
On his part, Obassanjo said democracy is taking root in Africa, but warned that rising political stars would struggle to unseat old leaders unless they join forces during elections.
He was speaking in Harare at the SAPES Trust in Harare where a launch ceremony for a democracy book he co-authored was being hosted. The event was also attended by MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
The 82-year old Obasanjo, who was a military ruler for three years from 1976 and then a civilian leader from 1999 to 2007, said African countries were making progress towards democracy, but much more remains to be done.
“Yes we are (making progress)” towards democracy. “Africa will get to where it needs to be,” he predicted.
“Democracy Works: Re-Wiring Politics to Africa’s Advantage” book which the Nigerian co-authored with Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) deputy chairperson Tendai Biti.
Other co-authors are Jeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills.
The book explores ways in which people can learn to nurture, deepen and consolidate democracy in Africa. The book further addresses political, economic and extreme demographic challenges that Africa faces.
Some people who have read the book believe that it addresses some of the fundamental issues facing African nations.
One of the reviewers said it identifies a ‘democratic playbook’ to meet the threats to free and fair elections.
“But substantive democracy demands more than simply regular polls. Democracy is fundamentally about the inner working of institutions, the rule of law, separation of powers, checks and balances, and leadership in government and civil society, as much as it is about values and the welfare and well-being of its citizens. It also demands that local leadership has a plan for the country beyond simply winning the popular vote.”
Democracy Works is directed toward leaders and citizens who want to address the extreme demographic and other challenges that Africa faces
Author Mills directs the Brenthurst Foundation, Obasanjo was president of Nigeria (1999-2007) and chairperson of the African Union (2004-2006), Biti is a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist, and former Zimbabwe finance minister and Herbst is president of the American Jewish University, Los Angeles.
Professor Herbst, who is a political scientist, taught at Princeton University for 18 years and is the author of ‘States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons in Authority and Control’ and many other books and articles. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Board of Freedom House and has served on the advisory board of The Brenthurst Foundation since 2005.
In a pretexted bid to bring an end to the nation’s perennial nightmarish currency woes, government is allegedly working on a secret plan to introduce a digital Zimbabwe dollar, as soon as a new currency it has already printed and said to be hiding, is rolled out by around September this year, Spotlight Zimbabwe, has been told.
High level officials in the ministry of finance and at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), this week said the mooted Zimbabwe digital dollar is reportedly the brainchild of finance minister, Mthuli Ncube, who is thought to be having the backing of numerous financial technology firms from abroad for the massive project, which will inevitably compel all citizens to use digital wallets, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration, slowly but surely pushes for the use of cryptocurrencies and virtual cash in the economy.
A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security, while digital wallets are a software-based system for making e-commerce transactions through computers, tablets or smartphones. In general, bank accounts of individual users are linked with their digital wallet, which can store complete user information including credentials, transaction history and personal details.
As first revealed by this publication on 14 December 2018, Mnangagwa’s regime is warehousing a new Zimbabwe currency at a classified location, which was reportedly printed by the Chinese government in return for allowing Beijing unperturbed access to the country’s diamonds and oil drilling rights. China has also been contracted to construct a new opulent capital city in Mount Hampden, under the same deal. We reported that the new money was expected to be launched in early 2020, to repeal and replace the then surrogate currency of bond notes, before they were renamed to RTGS dollars together with all forms of electronic money by the central bank last month. The RTGS dollar, derives its name from the country’s interbank online platform, Real Time Gross Settlement.
Former finance minister, Tendai Biti, blew the whistle about the imminent launch of the new currency days before RBZ chief, John Panonetsa Mangudya, announced his monetary policy statement in February, but the authorities denied the story and existence of the new local currency, only to make a tacit admission through Ncube that a local currency was only six months away, and in the meantime merging bond notes and mobile money into the current RTGS regime.
Spotlight Zimbabwe, has it on good authority that there had been a policy warfare in recent times in government between the finance ministry and RBZ over whether or not to introduce a new currency, and the idea of RTGS dollars, which ended up roping in Mnangagwa’s office for final policy direction. Ncube desired to lay the ground for the country’s own cryptocurrency through the experiment of RTGS dollars, while Mangudya allegedly planned to announce a new currency during his monetary policy pronouncement, we have gathered.
Within a fortnight of his appointment as minister in September 2018, Ncube started hinting about the digital Zimbabwe dollar, when he openly called for the country to invest in cryptocurrencies, as a measure to assist in solving the economy’s cash crunch.
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“The RTGS dollars are actually a trail run for the digital Zimbabwe dollar,” said a senior official with the finance ministry. “I can confirm to you that our country is going to launch a digital dollar, that will operate concurrently with a new currency expected to circulate in September. It’s all being done in secret and two fintech companies (names supplied) from abroad are ready to render their services. FM (finance minister Ncube) wants the central bank to establish a cryptocurrency division for this purpose, and plans are at an advanced stage.”
Another long serving civil servant in the same ministry said government has been advised not to completely remove bank notes from the system to avoid resistance and public protest, if they want the digital dollar to be a success, that is why a new local currency is coming in a few months from now, as a precursor to the digital Zimbabwe dollar.
“It’s a delicate matter. People are not fools and they prefer physical notes to virtual money. Even in Europe and America there is resistance for digital currencies from the general public. In our case, they have decided to first bring in the new currency of bank notes, then immediately after that bring in the digital Zimbabwe dollar. Noone will be forced into accepting it, but people will eventually fall for it due to convenience. We shall all be using it, and before you know it the bank notes will be gone without much notice. That’s how it’s done.”
RBZ sources said a team of experts from the central bank and ministry of finance has been tasked with coming up with a legal framework for the digital dollar, likely to be called E-Zollar.
“The new Zimbawe digital dollar or E-Zollar it’s likely name, will seek to emulate the E-Ora in South Africa, which was tested in 2018 but unlike E-Ora, which is for a small community ours will be national,” the sources said. “A legal framework for the provision of the digital dollar is being worked out, such that it is adopted as legal tender and the RBZ can have regulatory powers over it.”
The E-Ora is from South Africa’s predominantly white community of Orania, located along the Orange River in the Karoo region of the Northern Cape province. Pegged to the South African rand, the digital currency is issued by the Oranian Chamber of Commerce, and is meant for exclusive use in Orania, a town of around 1600 people.
The Canadian city of Calgary has also followed suit, and launched it’s own digital currency known as the Calgary Digital Dollar, which will be used exclusively in the City of Calgary located in Alberta Province alongside the federal currency, the Canadian dollar.
According to RBZ digital transactions, underpinned by mobile money, accounted for over 90% of the US$97.5 billion in total value transactions for Zimbabwe in 2017 alone.
The legal secretary in the ministry of transport and infrastructural development Angeline Karonga has been arrested. This follows a crackdown on top officials in the ministry’s various arms which saw the arrest and subsequent suspension of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) general manager David Chawota this week.
She was picked by police on Thursday night for questioning regarding corrupt activities in the ministry.
This comes as startling information has revealed that Zinara apparently paid $868 832 to a company headed by National Railways of Zimbabwe Board member and Transport ministry legal director Angeline Karonga.
A snap survey shows that bitumen lands in Zimbabwe for between $18 000 and $24 000 per truck-load but Akodal was selling it for over $45 000 per load.
According to the Registrar of Companies records, Karonga co-owns the company with Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe (Caaz) general manager David Chawota, who himself is under probe at the parastatal he heads.
Karonga and Chawota are named as directors of Akodal Consultancy Services (Akodal), which received payments from Zinara between March 2012 and September 2013 for bitumen that it supplied to the parastatal.
This comes as Government this week suspended Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr David Chawota (59) who is before the courts facing charges of criminal abuse of office after he allegedly awarded a tender amounting to 27 900 000 euros to a Spanish company for the procurement of the country’s airspace management systems.
The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) has demanded the sacking and arrest of top Harare City Council (HCC) officials implicated in a massive point of sale machine (POS) fraud exposed in an internal audit report released recently.
The internal audit revealed that some top officials supplied HCC with 19 unregistered POS machines without following due procedure.
According to the audit report, the unregistered POS machines have been in use for over two years and all the transactions were not reflected in the HCC’s electronic accounting system implying that there were leakages of ratepayers funds.
HRT director Precious Shumba said heads must roll and all corrupt officials must be shipped out.
“The only remedy is to rid the council of corrupt people, getting your account credited for services not rendered is not a sustainable solution because it would be like we are tolerating that.
“Criminals must be removed from the system of council, we cannot have the capital city being run by corrupt people and they are left to do what they please without being punished,” he said.
Shumba said the unregistered POS machines were a reflection of a corrupt institution operating with a “high level of impunity.”
“The Harare City Council is being run by very corrupt people from the management to the majority of the councillors, they are thieves that have connived to deprive the rate payers of deserved services because their interest is not in serving the people but accumulating wealth [and] building mansions,” he said.
He also noted that such issues had been raised by the Auditor General, Mildred Chiri in her report in 2014, where the City of Harare was “found to be creating dubious accounts.”
Shumba bemoaned the lack of criminal investigations being opened regarding such financial irregularities, where instead many HCC directors were “handsomely rewarded” for corruption.
“In the worst case scenarios we see people being suspended but we want these cases to be brought to court instead of giving them huge labour awards in settlement.
“We realise there is connivance, the councillors do not want these matters to be taken to the police or to the courts they want to internally handle the cases so they can negotiate for their own payouts,” Shumba said.
Despite his criticism of the HCC, Shumba said the current mayor, Herbert Gomba had been “proactive” in his approach to corruption.
HCC spokesperson Michael Chideme said he could not qualified to respond to the matter without consultation with the Finance department.
“I have sent the questions to finance so they can give me the responses, so I am waiting for their responses,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Acting Finance director Stanley Ndemera drew a blank and his mobile phone went unanswered by the time of going to publication on Thursday morning.
Own Correspondent|The South African government recently declined to bail out cash strapped Zimbabwe, but that has not deterred Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwean finance minister from seeking private money from South Africa.
Mthuli Ncube said he has approached private investors in South African in an attempt to court them into injecting funds into Zimbabwe’s struggling economy.
Zimbabweans finance minister was in South Africa this week, where he met with private investors in Johannesburg.
Speaking after a cabinet briefing in Harare on Wednesday, Ncube confirmed that he presented “the begging bowl” to SA investors during his two day visit.
Speaking about his errand to source fanatical help from Zimbabwe’s southern neighbour the minister said: “Zimbabwe is negotiating loan facilities to recapitalise companies. I have targeted companies with existing ties to Zimbabwean firms. “The idea is to give capacity to our companies to source equipment from South African companies using resources from there. That is the nature of the loans we are negotiating.
“So I had gone to drum up support for that and we will be updated as we go along, in regards to that. We are targeting companies that have relationships with SA companies, in terms of procurement of imports and exports” he said.
The Zimbabwean government was in a position to guarantee any loans taken up under the facility, Ncube continued. Some of the targeted investors included banks, insurance companies and private investors.
“It’s quite a spread of investors and we hope that they can join us in this drive. I was able to meet some of the investors in Johannesburg and video conferenced with others in Cape Town and Durban.”
Ncube said his latest visit to SA was a follow-up to the recently held SA-Zimbabwe Binational Commission, where the two governments agreed to boost mutually beneficial trade.
At the commission, held in Harare a fortnight ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that SA would not immediately release funds to Zimbabwe but noted that “discussions are ongoing”.
Own Correspondent|Two people died on the spot and several others were injured after a bus belonging to Shumba logistics rammed into the back of a truck just after the last tollgate towards Pretoria. The bus was traveling from Zimbabwe to Johannesburg in the early hours of Friday (today).
Shumba Logistics Public Relations Officer Mr Marshall Ndlela issued the following statement:
“Shumba Logistics Bus Company is saddened by the tragic loss of life that occurred when one of our buses got involved in an accident early this morning ( around 4am). This tragic accident happened at the last tollgate towards Pretoria.
We sadly lost our driver Bruce Mapfumo and a lady passenger whose name will be released in due course after her next of kin have been notified, we would like to pass our deepest heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
Bruce Mapfumo a highly experienced driver and as a company we are deeply pained by his death he was a dedicated worker and he loved his job he cared for passengers and we would also want to express our condolences to his family as a company we mourn with his family and we will endeavour to do the best we can to help the family in the difficult time.
From what we have been able to ascertain thus far with regards the accident it is said that a truck that was driving in front of the bus applied emergency brakes resulting in the bus driver ramming onto it from the back leading to the bus driver’s subsequent death on the spot. We have also ascertained that the lady passenger also died on the spot.
Bruce Mapfumo the bus driver who died on the spot
All the other passengers who were injured were quickly ferried to Tshwane and Steve Biko hospitals respectively where they were most them were treated and discharged. However, the co-driver and his assistant are still receiving treatment. Shumba Logistic would like to wish all those injured and traumatised by this unfortunate accident a speedy recovery.
As a transporting bus company we remain committed to offering the best service to our customers and we will do our utmost best to see to it that our staff remain best trained on all health and safety regulations on the road and alert at all times. Sadly we can not always mitigate for unfortunate accidents.
We condole with those who grieve as a result of the accident and we pray for peace and comfort. We also express our prayers and our message of speedy recovery to all those injured physically and emotionally. May God lead, thank you.”
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has said that the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, HH Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offered him the Airbus A318-100 jet for use at any time of need without any payment.
He said this while giving his opening remarks at the ZANU-PF’s 119th Central Committee meeting which is currently underway at the party’s headquarters in Harare.
The meeting began with the President leading the session in observing a moment of silence in honour and rememberance of those who perished as a result of Cyclone Idai which ravaged the Chimanimani District of Manicaland on 15 March.
In his initial remarks, President Mnangagwa explained that his trip to Abhu Dhabi was fully funded by the Crown Prince who sent a whole aircraft for his round-trip.
“The government never incurred any expenses for that trip. In fact, the Crown Prince went further to offer us a jet plane for use at anytime of need without any payment,” he said.
The President’s revelation contradicts that of his spokesperson George Charamba.
In an interview with a weekly paper last week, Charamba said: ” You ask me who is footing the bill for the president? Well, who is flying in this case? The president right, so who do you want to foot the bill? It is the government because he is not travelling for his personal business.
“This is what international engagements come with. We would want to be part of the global village and we have to carry the cost. I often hear people say this and that, but if we want that global presence, the state has to meet the cost that this comes along with.
“If I was to talk about the recent trip to the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and you look at the benefits of that trip, the opportunities alone that came with that trip, surely the costs are way less than the results we reaped from the trip.
If you were to look at the business opportunities for the country created thereof, indeed you could see that this was a necessary expenditure by the state. The assistance coming from there, the energy business deals and so on and so forth, you will appreciate that it was a necessary cost.”
At the ongoing ruling party’s central committee meeting, the President went on to thank the UAE for their support for Zimbabwe in its time of need when the powerful cyclone hit the eastern highlands.
He further announced that the Crown Prince of Abhu Dhabi has already sent three cargo planes of which two were loaded with relief supplies for Cyclone Idai victims while the third carried hospital supplies.
He said that early this morning he met an envoy from the Abhu Dhabi Crown Prince who offered more support to the Zimbabwean health sector.
“As we speak the envoy is touring our main hospitals assessing the needs of our people,” he said.
Since assuming power in a military coup in 2017, President Mnangagwa has made over 30 international flights – all mostly undertaken in luxury jets hired from various companies around the world. The same luxury has been extended to his deputies Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, who have made several medical flights for treatment in South Africa and India.
ZANU PF Central Committee is the Party’s supreme decision making organ in between Congresses and the Politiburo is the Secretariat and implementing arm of the Central Committee decisions
MDC has cried foul over ZANU PF’s alleged vote-buying ahead of the Cowdray Park local government by-election slated for this Saturday.
This comes when Vice President Kembo Mohadi donated 60 tonnes of maize and 30 tonnes of rice to Cowdray Park residents at a rally last week.
MDC Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Mafa aksed why the donation was only made to Cowdray Park.
Said Mafa:
“How can a party just want to give the people of Cowdray Park all that food because there is an election?… We strongly condemn this kind of behaviour by Zanu PF; its clear President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa has not broken with Mugabe’s past.”
ZANU PF is being represented by local businessman Kidwell Mujuru while the MDC has fielded two candidates Collet Ndlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi.Daily News
By Own Correspondent| The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe boss David Chawota, has been denied bail.
He was remanded in custody to April 11 2019.
Chawota is facing charges of criminal abuse of office where he allegedly offered a €27 900 000 contract to Indra Sistemas, a Spanish company.
However, the company had failed to meet minimum mandatory requirements in the initial bid.
It is reported that Chawota linked with the company following the annulment of the tender it was awarded in 2013.
Selex Es, one of the bidding companies for Radar Surveillance Systems, challenged the awarding of the tender to Indra resulting in the Supreme Court cancelling the tender in January 2016.
Chawota kept requesting the state and the State Procurement Board (SPB) to respectively award the tender and to directly engage Indra.
The tender was finally awarded to the company after Chawota allegedly convinced the SPB that the company had the required funding.
However, as heard by the court, Indra’s failure to implement the project is attributed to lack of funding which it is currently seeking from the Afrexim Bank.
Harare magistrate, Rumbidzai Mugwagwa remanded him in custody for abusing bail conditions including threatening and interfering with state witnesses.
The abuse of bail conditions was revealed in the testimony of Lawrence Mashawi the investigating officer.
Mashawi testified after Zivanai Macharaga who was leading the State called him to the stand.
The Daily News also reports that Chawota is facing corruption charges after he is alleged to have authorised a payment of $56 042, 76 for promotional material to a company he had interests in without first comparing potential service providers.
When many hear and read about the devastating destruction caused by Cyclone Idai, they take the story with a lightness carried when reading a heart-breaking novel or watching a horror movie.
The seriousness of the situation usually grabs those visiting affected areas, hanging in their mind, breaking their hearts while touching their souls. An emotional narration of the situation in affected areas especially Chimanimani through the eyes of sungura musician Alick Macheso who recently visited the area, can easily leave one in tears, as it does to the narrator.
Speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony held at Zimbabwe Redcross Society (ZRS) offices where Moonlight Funeral Services and African Regional Robotics Science and Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) were handing over donations including food stuffs, clothing and blankets, Macheso shared some of his experiences.
“Decomposing bodies are now surfacing after the water have receded so you can imagine the stench and horrifying sites. “It’s painful enough seeing corpses, more so when you see them rotting covered in mud and dirt and it gets worse that surviving children there come across these sights,” said a tearful Macheso.
The musician who is also ZRS goodwill ambassador said he came across a washed up village of seven households where there are no known survivors. “Surviving the cyclone is as tormenting as death to many in affected areas; food is scarce; water is hard to come by as water borne diseases are already surfacing. It’s a very sad sight,” he said.
The musician however rebuked greedy individuals to refrain from stealing relief aid. Moonlight donated four tons of maize and several clothing items that were collected from the company staff. “We have heard stories of people who have gone for days without food while some have lived off boiled bananas and guavas, so this is a small gesture for affected communities,” said the company’s director Dr Chomi Makina
ARIPO donated 127 blankets 500 clothes and assorted groceries while Turkish Red Crescent is buying assorted groceries and maize meal to donate in affected areas. “We first donated 10,000 US dollars towards rescue efforts, now we are buying food items to take with us to affected areas hopefully on Friday,”State media
Farai Dziva| Highlanders FC have released their squad for the 2019 season.
The selection includes some new faces in the likes of former Dynamos forward Cleopas Kapupurika, Zambian import Peter Nyirenda, Bukhosi Sibanda and returnees Prince Dube and Nqobizitha Masuku.
Madinda Ndlovu will lead the technical team assisted by Bekhithemba Ndlovu and Mandla Mpofu.
Highlanders’ first game of the season is against Black Rhinos in Harare on Saturday.
Goalkeepers: W. Mauya, E. Nyathi, A. Sibanda.
Defenders: A. Mbeba, V. Moyo, P. Muduhwa, B. Ncube, M. Ndlovu, T. Ndlovu, M. Phiri, C. Siamalonga.
Midfielders: B. Banda, M. Chitambwe, D. Khumalo, N. Masuka, D. Mhindiriri, B. Musaka, A. Silla.
Forwarders: R. Chifura, P. Dube, C. Kapupurika, R. Lunga, T. Makanda, G. Makaruse, P. Nyirenda, B. Sibanda, M. Sibanda.
The Premier Soccer League will this year introduce anti-doping tests for all players.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the PSL for club doctors, Zifa head of medical committee Dr Edward Chagonda said players should be in the know of drugs and substances that are not allowed in anti-doping and sports medicine.
“The most important thing is for the players to know what is at law and what is not. So before using a prescription, they should either go to the FIFA website and check on banned substances and drugs or consult their team doctor. This year it’s going to be stiffer because we are going to carry out random tests,” said Dr Chagonda.
Some of the Premier League players who smoke marijuana (mbanje) are likely to fall short on the tests.
By A Correspondent| Below were the LIVE scenes Friday afternoon as MPs rejected Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal for a third time.
The deal was rejected by 344 votes to 286.
May had offered her Tory party colleagues a proposal that she would resign if it passed.
Brexit-backing Conservative backbenchers who had rejected the deal in the first two meaningful votes, including the former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, switched sides during the debate, to support the agreement.
Speaking afterwards, May told MPs: “the implications of the
house’s decision are grave,” and added: “I fear we are reaching the limits of
this process in this house.”
She added: “This government will continue to press for the
orderly Brexit that the result of the referendum demands.”
Farai Dziva|Defending Premier Soccer League Champions FC Platinum beat Harare City FC 2-0 in the opening match of the 2019 soccer season at Rufaro Stadium.
Ali Sadiki and Elvis Moyo were on target for FC Platinum.
By Own Correspondent| Political parties taking part in the dialogue initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa met on Friday and came up with two conveners.
The parties to the dialogue appointed Chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Justice Selo Nare and Chairperson of the Gender Commission, Margaret Sangarwe Mkahanana as co-chairpersons of the dialogue process.
This was revealed by Mnangagwa during a media briefing at State House soon after a meeting of the parties to the dialogue.
Mnangagwa said that the parties adopted recommendations made by thematic committees.
He said that a launch of the actual dialogue will be held in the first week of May this year.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
Farai Dziva|Zimbabwe is likely to experience a critical shortage of bread as wheat production declines.
Deputy Agriculture minister Vangelis Haritatos has conceded that Zimbabwe’s wheat production has drastically declined from 186 243 metric tonnes in 2017 to 160 600 metric tonnes last year.
“Last season, the country produced 160 660 metric tonnes of wheat. Our national wheat requirement has increased from between 300 000 metric tonnes in the 1990s to 400 000 metric tonnes currently.
In 1989, the nation produced 325 000 metric tonnes from 56 000 hectares.
In 1990, the country produced 300 000 metric tonnes from 50 000 hectares. This was enough to meet the country’s need for soft wheat.
However, we still had to import the hard wheat which we do not produce in our country,” said the Deputy Minister.
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxillia, are literally competing for airspace at a time the nation is battling to come to terms with the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Auxillia who initially portrayed herself as a humble figure has of late become obsessed with flying around the globe just like her husband.
According to state media reports, Auxillia Mnangagwa is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, attending a summit of First Ladies on access to improved innovative health care and people’s well-being.
The summit was organised by Merck Foundation and has attracted over 18 countries.
The organisation is spearheading research and scientific innovation in the health sector.
Farai Dziva|A Government Minister has claimed that the United States of America’ s dominance of World Affairs is threatening Zimbabwe’ s national security.
According to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema, Zimbabwe’ s national integrity is under threat from US dominance.
He made the remarks while officially opening the 32nd Session of the Zimbabwe-Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security in Victoria Falls.
Mathema claimed restrictive measures imposed by the US continue to undermine Government’s foreign policy and re-engagement.
“We’re meeting at a time global security is under threat from dominant tendencies by the United States which is seeking to impose its will on the global order by imposing economic sanctions on other countries.
Zimbabwe has been a victim of such sanctions imposed by America under the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera) and these sanctions continue to undermine the New Dispensation’s foreign policy thrust of engagement and re-engagement as well as international dialogue,” claimed Mathema.
By Own Correspondent- Wife of Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso B Moyo, Justice Loice Matanda Moyo is set to be the head of the Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission (ZACC).
Journalist Nqaba Matshazi revealed this on twitter Friday morning.
Said Matshazi:
Loice Matanda-Moyo, the wife of coup announcer, Sibusiso Moyo is set to be the next head of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. Might as well call it Coup-babwe.
Justice Matanda Moyo is a judge of the High Court of Zimbabwe. She was appointed by the former President Robert Mugabe in 2013 and was sworn in on the 14th of July 2014.
Before her appointment as a High Court judge, Justice Matanda Moyo was the president of the Labour Court. At one stage she was the Director of Public Prosecution in the Attorney General’s office.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
Farai Dziva|Chief Fortune Charumbira has criticised local prophets for failing to predict the coming of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Charumbira made the remarks last week in the Upper House of Parliament after Local Government Minister July Moyo had issued a ministerial statement updating legislators on the devastation caused by the Cyclone.Charumbira is the president of the Chiefs Council of Zimbabwe
“This issue before us is very difficult because no one knew about it and someone said to me that the prophets we have – why did they not tell us?
How do they prophesy because here they did not see that people were going to die? The issue is that the prophets that we have — their capacity is now questionable.
Someone who identified himself as a prophet actually approached me and started narrating what chiefs must have done, and he came up with all sorts of philosophies and theories about Chimanimani and Zimbabwe, but he did not foresee this happening,” said Charumbira.
By Own Correspondent- Higherlife Foundation is set to provide over US$225 million into Harare’s water and sanitation sectors.
The move aims at fighting water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid.
Higher Life Foundation and Harare City Council are working on a broader Cholera Strategic Plan 2019- 2025, which is set to change the way council does its business.
Higherlife Foundation is a family foundation founded by Econet founders Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa.
As part of the strategy, Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba is supposed to make an announcement to the city that council has adopted a new way of doing business and highlight key areas of focus and implementation.-StateMedia
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.
By Own Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) on Thursday busted an attempt by MDC-deputy chairman Tendai Biti to smuggle copies of his book, Democracy Works, without paying import duties, a state media report has alleged.
The book, which 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 was however launched at SAPES Trust with only a few copies available.
Said Biti, while addressing those who attended the launch:
“The book will be launched again in due course after they are released from where they are confiscated. We will call you (Obasanjo, Mills and Herbst) again for another launch.”
However, the state media report claimed that 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.
Read the report:
“Soon after the launch, Biti acknowledged that the consignment of books had been confiscated over import duty.”
Biti was quoted saying:
“They just took our books. We had like 200 books which we intended to give our people, but they just took them and mind you this is the second time they just took them. They just gave the excuse (about) customs and we said we can pay the duty, they refused.”
By Own Correspondent- Government has directed schools that were affected by Cyclone Idai to close and re-open two weeks before the second term starts on May 7.
The order comes after the realisation that the current environment was not conducive for learning to continue.
In an interview on Thursday, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo who is in Chimanimani, also said Government has availed $4 million for the reconstruction of schools in affected areas.
He said the schools which have since closed are expected to open on April 23, two weeks before the second term starts for pupils in the affected schools to make up for lost time.
He said:
“We have ordered that some schools in affected areas be closed as a way of stress reduction and rehabilitation.
We told them to close early especially the boarding schools, even day schools because they lost a lot of things.
Our strategy now is we know that these children are traumatised, some of them from home due to deaths in the families, some of their family members are missing, the level of trauma is very high so no meaningful learning can take place in that environment that’s why we said they must close.”-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- Addressing a Press conference soon after Zanu Pf’s Politburo meeting Thursday, the party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo said the President Emmerson Mnangawa warned party stalwarts against indiscipline and corruption.
Moyo said Mnangagwa urged party members to be honest in their conduct.
Said Khaya Moyo:
“In his opening remarks, the President expressed the importance of the party to be ever vibrant and visible in every part of the country. Introspection is the key, hard work and honesty must remain the compass. He also highlighted the effects of Cyclone Idai and commended the party for its role in assisting in all disaster-affected areas.
He warned on indiscipline and corruption. He further called for unity of purpose and emphasised that party programmes must have a national outlook.”-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- The Tobacco Research Board (TRB) has announced that the company intends to develop drought-resistant tobacco varieties.
Dahlia Garwe, the general manager of the company said this while presenting the TRB’s 2017/18 annual report before Parliament last week.
The report indicated that poor rainfall patterns pose a challenge on small-scale tobacco farmers since they rely on rains.
Garwe said:
“The season was characterised by poor rainfall distribution and this was particularly pertinent as over 85% of the Zimbabwean tobacco grower is a small-scale producer depending on rains.
When the rains eventually started falling around Christmas, they were accompanied by highly destructive winds and hailstorms which affected the early planted crop. January was particularly dry and hot, resulting in false ripening of some of the established crop.”
Garwe also said the hot and dry conditions, followed by a cool wet weather, introduced the “potato virus Y”, (PVY). An indaba was then hosted to interrogate the causes of the outbreak and measures to contain it. The indaba recommended allowing plant quarantine services to impartially play its role and stiffening and enforcing already existing penalties.-Newsday
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has told the party’s central committee that his trip to United Arab Emirates was funded by the host nation adding that his government did not use even a cent on the trip.
Pres @edmnangagwa tells Zanu PF Central Committee the plane he used to go to the United Arab Emirates recently was fully paid for by his hosts, Zim did not use a cent.
By Own Correspondent- The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) projects inflation to fall considerably to less than 15% this December.
According to government statistics agency ZimStat, inflation was at 59,4% in February.
The expected decline in the rate of inflation was revealed by RBZ deputy director for economic research division Nebson Mupunga on Thursday.
He said:
“We will pin down inflation to go down 15% by year-end. We will ensure that we control the money supply.
Broad money supply growth peaked at 47,5% in July 2018 and decelerated to 23,7% by December 2018. If the decline in money supply growth is sustained, inflation will stabilise.
The fiscal consolidation and austerity measures being implemented by the government create a conducive environment for monetary policy to focus on the core objective of price and financial stability, including a stable and predictable exchange rate. So this complementarity will make the economy move forward.”
In the past few years, inflation was being driven by the creation of money by the RBZ through the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) balances.-Newsday
By Own Correspondent- United Kingdom-based rhumba songstress Letwin Berebende also known as La Diva Million has revealed that she has been inspired by Zimbabwean musician Vimbai Zimuto’s “art” and she is ready to show the world what she’s always covering underneath her clothes.
La Diva posted a raunchy photo of herself on social media trying to get the attention Zimuto got.
However, she did not trend as expected.
The artist said before she was always scared of negative criticism that comes with posting pictures but after seeing what Zimuto had done she felt she could also withstand any negativity that came along.“Vimbai has led the way. We cannot hide in fear anymore after I saw how she handled the storm that came her way, I feel I can also do it,” said La Diva.
La Diva tagged Zimuto in her picture and captioned it. “In you, I just found the courage to post this piece of art — VimZee — Thank You & Stay Strong,” read the caption.
She also said it was time she becomes real to herself and real to the world as she could not pretend anymore. “Some waste away energy being fake I’m too lazy for all that because being real takes less effort than pretending,” she said.
The artist said she had never expressed herself fully in a long time and she felt fulfilled after her photo shoot.
“The photo shoot was fulfilling and after a long time I feel whole, at least the photos express who I really am,” she added. This was not the first time La Diva tried to break the internet.
Last year, she posted a picture which she later deleted because of the negative comments she got from her fans.
By Own Correspondent- Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube justified President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s desire to travel using expensive luxury jets saying his international travel is above board.
Matabeleland South Senator Bekithemba Mpofu (MDC Alliance) had asked Ncube on the government’s policy on international travels by Mnangagwa.
Ncube said:
The President’s Office has a budget allocated through processes that come through this House and which you endorsed and they are using that budget in a normal way to meet the President’s travel budget.
He (Mnangagwa) is an international leader and all his travel is necessary for the good of the country as he has to participate in critical meetings to ensure that our country remains in the international community. These are normal travels and are through the normal budget.
All I know is that they are within his current travel requirements, and his office is able to live within that budget approved by the President’s Office as well as by you senators.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has poured sand on MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s proposal to rope in a foreign interlocutor to mediate in talks between the two political leaders raising concerns if the 76-year old politician is serious about the need for dialogue.
Chamisa is currently on a diplomatic offensive to regional countries, drumming up support for an internationally-backed mediator to break the country’s political logjam.
This came after Mnangagwa initiated talks involving all the candidates that participated in the July 30 presidential polls in an attempt to end the politi-cal discord that many believe could be contributing to the crisis ravaging the Zimbabwean economy.
Yesterday, presidential spokesperson George Charamba dismissed Chamisa’s effort, say-ing the MDC leader should see the light and join those who are already in talks.
“The solution is within the country and not outside. The problem is that he (Chamisa) is not part of the national dialogue. No solution will be found out-side the country,” said Charamba, who is also the deputy chief secretary to the president.
While Mnangagwa has been persistent with his version of national dialogue, the initiative has struggled to gain traction.
Chamisa was the first to throw spanners into the works after he declined an invitation to participate in the talks saying they were conditions which had to be met before dialoguing.
One of the conditions was that Mnangagwa must accept that he does not have the legitimacy to govern following the disputed July 30, 2018 election results. More people have since abandoned the national dialogue, accusing the Zanu PF leader of being insincere.
On Tuesday, another losing presidential candidate also poured scorn on the talks saying they are just meant to hoodwink the world into believing that par-ties in Zimbabwe acquiesce to his contested legitimacy.
Violet Mariyacha, leader of the United Democracy Move-ment, said the talks were not inclusive as they have been snubbed by other key actors.
“There is no serious discussion of why the country is in this current economic meltdown; why has Zimbabwe failed to attract foreign investments and what or where are the billion dollars that Zimbabwe told so and so are bringing the country from the Zimbabwe is Open for Business.
“This shows that ti dent is more conceme his legitimacy and ren sanctions,” she said.
By Own Correspondent| An army truck whose faulty brakes saw it ploughing into Tropical Cyclone Idai Victims waiting to receive aid reportedly killed 5 people, ZimEye has learnt.
Earlier reports indicated that there people died in the tragedy, but a source who spoke to ZimEye said 5 people died in the accident.
“There are five people who died in that tragedy…..I cannot for now rel3ase the names of the deceased for ethical reason but it is confirmed that 5 people died.”
By Own Correspondent- Legal secretary in the ministry of transport and infrastructural development Angeline Karonga was picked up for questioning on corruption allegations.
She was reportedly picked up by police on Thursday night for questioning regarding corrupt activities in the ministry.
Her arrest follows a crackdown on top officials in the ministry’s various arms which saw the arrest and subsequent suspension of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) general manager David Chawota this week.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest details.
Police details have picked the legal secretary in the ministry of transport and infrastructural development Angeline Karonga for questioning over alleged corrupt activities happening in the ministry according to an online news organisation the Zim Morning Post has revealed.
She was picked by police on Thursday night for questioning regarding corrupt activities in the ministry.
This follows a crackdown on top officials in the ministry’s various arms which saw the arrest and subsequent suspension of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) general manager David Chawota this week.
Police sources said Karonga is facing various charges including corruptly concealing a transaction from a principal.
Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s long held narrative that sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America and European Union are responsible for the worsening economic situation has faltered again after the EU ambassador to Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen challenged government to bring tangible evidence that the embargo was hurting ordinary people as often alleged.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Tuesday, Olkkonen said sanctions were targeted at government officials fingered in human rights abuses and not the ordinary people.
“EU sanctions are highly legal instruments,” said the EU diplomat, “They are drafted and agreed upon on the basis that they could be subject of a legal scrutiny that gives the basis of how those entities and individuals are on that list.
“How they work, you need to find from open sources enough evidence and reasons to add people on that list. We are now referring to what has been happening in the past.”
By Own Correspondent| Finance and Economic Development, minister Mthuli Ncube said that the interbank market rate will soon catch up with the black market rate, and make the latter irrelevant.
While responding to a question by Mashonaland Central Senator Angeline Tongogara, who sought clarity on what the government was doing to blot out the alternative market, Ncube said:
What we have done so far is to complete the monetary policy reforms announced on February 22 and the introduction of the market-based exchange rate and designation of the RTGS dollar as local currency.
In the last few days, the exchange rate has gone up to 1:3 to the US$ and we have made sure that there is a market-based exchange rate whose behaviour approaches the black market, hoping that with time the black market will be eliminated.
I am sure as we trade in tobacco that the black market will diminish. We want to see a Zimbabwe which does not have a black market.-Newsday
Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s meeting with leaders of Matebeleland civil society groups has caused a storm with a group who attended the meeting being branded sellouts for meeting the man they accuse of orchestrating gukurahundi atrocities.
According to NewZimbabwe.com, the closed door meeting held at the State House where journalist and activist Zenzele Ndebele was arrested has angered a section of civil society who feel let down.
The clique accused WOZA leader Jenni Williams of bootlicking Mnangagwa by calling him a “listening” President.
Other blamed embattled MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe of being the brains behind the meeting.
They said Khupe was seeking to revenge her unceremonius departure from the MDC led by Nelson Chamisa in the run-up to the July 2018 elections.
There were also concerns that Priscilla Mushonga, who is a legislator gatecrashed the meeting when it was solely for civil society.
Jane Mlambo| Top gospel musician in Zimbabwe, Mathias Mhere is believed to be the reason behind the murder case in which a man shot and killed his wife and brother in law on Wednesday morning.
Mhere was once kidnapped by the man on allegations of having
an affair with his wife.
According to the Chronicle, Petros Pomborokani shot his wife
of 20 years, Olivia Zenda (42) following a marital dispute before shooting his
brother-in-law, Robert Zenda (49). This is reported to have happened in front
of his three children, mother-in-law, a relative and a housemaid at around 7
am.
The matter is now being handled by CID Homicide. National
police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the shooting
saying,
Investigations carried out so far have revealed that the
suspect and his wife had a long marital dispute. He was in the habit of
assaulting his wife and had since moved out of their matrimonial home.
[At Around 7 am, Pomborokani was seen by a relative entering
the house while wearing a hood…the relative heard the wife screaming calling
for help before gunshots were fired. It is suspected that he first shot the
wife before turning the gun on his brother-in-law. He fled the scene.
Pomborokani was once arrested in 2016 after he kidnapped
gospel singer, Mathias Mhere accusing him of having an extramarital affair with
his wife. He allegedly forced Mhere and his wife to remove their clothes at
gunpoint and held them hostage naked for five hours.
However, when he appeared in court, He was fined US$150 or
three months in prison.
Comedienne Madam Boss has been fingered as one of the two responsible parties behind Zaoga Pastor Stanley Moyana’s demise in the church, the man of the cloth being the other.
According to one social media user, Moyana was kicked out of the church after he was caught cheating on his wife with Madam Boss.
“Its true mufunge thats why Pastor Moyana was kicked out of Zaoga, because he was caught cheating on his wife with Madam boss” read the comment.
Most netizens were left wondering if the claims were true or it was just a case of malicious rumours.
All parties are yet to confirm or deny the claims.
A grainy picture of trucks believed to be carrying donated foodstuffs being taken into Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa’s house in Greenside, Mutare, last week.
THE United Nations and the European Union yesterday said they had put in place mechanisms to prevent any further looting and politicisation of aid meant for the victims of Cyclone Idai. This comes as information minister Monica Mutsvangwa has been accused of looting donations after an image was leaked (see above) of a delivery truck loading some stuff into her home in Mutare.
“We take seriously the reports that the food is being distributed politically. The government of Zimbabwe must review that, this must not happen. The government of Zimbabwe must respect the needs of the people,” the European Union ambassador to Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen, said at a meeting with Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba in Mutare yesterday.
“The distribution of the food must not be distorted in any way and any further violations are destroying the goodwill.”
Gwaradzimba met with Olkkonen and the United Nations ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bishow Parajuli, who raised concerns over bureaucracy in the distribution of food to Cyclone Idai victims.
“We are working on a system that minimises bureaucracy and maximises direct benefit to the affected people. You (Gwaradzimba) are fully aware of places where the food was distributed to who, why and how,” Parajuli said.
“We need to maintain openness in the system on these humanitarian issues and we should continue working together. We have seen that the victims need food and we jumped in. For the way forward, in order to see the effective distribution of the food, we are going to meet the people affected directly and make co-ordinated efforts to assist them.”
“We will have UN colleagues and civil society groups stationed here (Command Centre) for a period of time and work on different modalities and mediums to see effective and fair distribution of the food,” he added.
The remarks by the two diplomats follow a NewsDay exposé this week that Zanu PF officials were looting aid meant for the cyclone victims from Silver Stream distribution centre in Chimanimani for distribution to party members in their wards, including those who were not affected by the floods.
Zanu PF Manicaland chairman Mike Madiro denied the allegations, saying the aid distribution programme had been politicised.
“Remember, there has been a disaster in Chipinge and Chimanimani, and MPs from all over the country have been using those cars branded with Zanu PF logo assessing and helping the situation,” he said.
“I am not even aware that there are donations that were being looted. Those are just allegations. People must come with evidence; the V11 forms to prove that the donations have been stolen.”
He accused some Zanu PF officials of using the relief food to fan intra-party fights, with Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa also being accused of looting foodstuffs meant for cyclone victims.
“What is happening is not good. People are using the relief food to trade accusations. Do you think a person like Minister Mutsvangwa will do that? And this is coming from fellow Zanu PF members,” he said.
Mutsvangwa told NewsDay last night that she had actually sourced the items which were offloaded at her Mutare home on Friday using her personal resources.
“That’s unfair. I have donated those goods. I sourced those goods using my own money,” she said.
Jane Mlambo| Local government minister July Moyo has made a strange admission that the ruling Zanu PF nolonger has membership in Chimanimani as party cards were washed away by the floods when the area was hit by floods early this month.
Moyo made the remarks when he said both MDC and Zanu PF officials were working together to bring relief to the cyclone ravaged area.
“After all, the people don’t even have MDC cards or ZanuPF cards, they were all taken by the water” said Moyo.
Former President Robert Mugabe’s family business, Gushungo Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, has been dragged to court by two Mazowe miners, who are seeking an order to reinstate their dismissed land dispute with the former Head of State.
The gold miners, Shepherd Nyazvigo, who is represented by Phillip Makanya in the matter together with his co-applicant, Bright Mawonga, recently filed a court application, seeking rescission of a default judgment granted against them in November last year.
“In this application, the applicants (Makanya and Mawonga) are seeking an order to set aside the dismissal of their application which was done in default on November 12, 2018 and reinstatement of the terms of the provisional order,” Makanya said in his founding affidavit.
According to the court papers, Makanya got embroiled in a dispute with Gushungo Holdings after the latter, through its employees, barred them from accessing the mining claims at Mondo 3 and 4 in Smithfield Farm in Mazowe.
At that time Mugabe’s firm was claiming ownership of the farm where the mining claims are located, hence it was barring the two miners from accessing and operating on their mining claims.
However, on April 24, 2018, the two miners were granted a provisional order by the High Court, in terms of which Gushungo Holdings was barred from interfering with the two men’s mining operations pending the finalisation of the dispute.
But, seven months down the line, Makanya and Mawonga did not pursue their matter, prompting Gushungo Holdings to approach the court seeking dismissal of the miners’ application and it was granted in default.
“The application was then dismissed in default of the applicants on November 12, 2018. I submit that the applicants were never served with the set down date, hence they were not aware of the hearing date,” Makanya said.
“It is the applicant’s intention to pursue their application so that the final order can be confirmed. The applicants, as the holders of the rights and title to the said blocks of mine, have the right to mine on their blocks of mine without any interference from anyone including the respondent (Gushungo Holdings).
By Own Correspondent| Three MDC senior officials have expressed interest in the party’s provincial chairmanship that is up for grabs next month when structures gather at the elective congress in Gweru.
The three are Gweru mayor Josiah Makombe, Mberengwa businessman Davison Shoko and the current deputy chairperson Cleopas Shiri, who is also deputy mayor for Gweru.
The current chair, Francisco Masendeke is stepping aside and would not be seeking reelection.
Shiri is a trade unionist and former civic society leader. He confirmed to a local publication that he will be contesting for the post.
Said Shiri:
I am one of the sons of the party who joined the movement during its early days under the guidance of our icon the late president [Morgan] Tsvangirai.
I have also been in the trenches as deputy chair of the province, so I feel I have the bundle of experience and energy to lead.
Gweru Mayor Josiah Makombe, who is also the Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe president, confirmed his interest in the post.
He said:
I have served the party well since its early days and I have been treasurer for the main province’s structure for the past term.
I feel it is time I lead the province because I have gained what it takes.
If elected, my first priority will be to ensure the party makes inroads into the constituencies controlled by Zanu PF, because in the Midlands we have very few MPs from MDC.
MDC merged the two Midlands provinces, that is, Midlands South and North in a power-sharing deal earlier this month.
Under the deal, Midlands South will provide the chairperson, treasurer and spokesperson for the main provincial executive, while the organising secretary, provincial secretary and secretary for elections will come from Midlands North, among other terms.-Newsday
Chiefs Council President, Fortune Charumbira has mocked prophets in the country accusing them of failing to foresee cyclone idai which ravaged and terrorised Manicaland communities specifically in Chimanimani and Chipinge.
Charumbira who is no stranger to controversy said prophets failed the nation as they could have foretold that people were going to die in the tropical cyclone.
“This issue before us is very difficult because no one knew about it and someone said to me that the prophets we have – why did they not tell us?
“How do they prophesy because here they did not see that people were going to die? The issue is that the prophets that we have — their capacity is now questionable.
“Someone who identified themselves as a prophet actually approached me and started narrating what chiefs must have done, and he came up with all sorts of philosophies and theories about Chimanimani and Zimbabwe, but they did not foresee this happening.”
Members of Luthuli family hold a memorial service for the late veteran politician fifty years on.
Five decades after his death, family members of Inkosi Albert Luthuli are pushing ahead with their own investigation, saying they were repeatedly fed lies about his murder.
The family of the Noble Prize winner is seeking closure and their probe into his death may lead to the reopening of his inquest.
On paper, the former ANC president died in 1967 after he was hit by a train on a railway bridge close to the home he had been confined to by the apartheid regime in Groutville.
“We have always believed what the apartheid government said about our grandfather was a lie,” said Luthuli’s grandson, Mthunzi Luthuli.
“It has been a mystery to me and all South Africans concerned about justice, especially apartheid crimes and more importantly, what happened to the man who shaped the politics of the ANC and the country in the 1960s,” he exclusively told News24.
Luthuli added that the government had failed the victims of apartheid crimes by overlooking prosecution and carried on as if those victims had found closure.
“My grandfather died with no answers to his passing, a man so significant to the liberation of the country, and we are expected to go on just like that,” he said.
The grandson of the ANC president of 15 years attended the court proceedings of former apartheid era cop Joao Jan Rodrigues who applied for a permanent stay of prosecution for his alleged involvement in the killing of anti-apartheid activist, Ahmed Timol, in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Timol was pushed from the 10th floor of the then notorious John Vorster Square, now known as the Johannesburg police station, in 1971 at the age of 29.
Timol and Black Consciousness Movement founder and anti-apartheid activist and author Steve Biko, are just some of 73 anti-apartheid activists who died in detention between 1963 and 1990.
Biko died in a prison cell in Pretoria.
Luthuli said that he was attending the court proceedings on Thursday to observe how the “apartheid perpetrators” are defending themselves so that he can prepare for litigation when the time comes.
Also keeping a closer look at Timol’s case is the family of late anti-apartheid activist, Imam Abdullah Haron, who also want to have an inquest into his “mysterious death” reopened.
Haron is said to have tripped down a flight of stairs and died while in solitary confinement after being detained under the disreputable apartheid security laws.
The family did not accept the reasons given for Haron’s death.
A police officer based at Mphoengs in Plumtree allegedly sexually assaulted 21 female pupils from Bulu Primary School while investigating a case of sexual abuse at the school.
Scores of parents with children at the school are furious after a police officer identified as Constable Muzulu, allegedly sexually abused the pupils after he was called in at the school to conduct investigations involving sexual abuse.
The Mphoengs police station had received an anonymous tip-off on Monday around 4pm of sexual abuse allegations at the school.
Constable Muzulu was tasked to make a follow-up on the tip-off the following day. He proceeded to the school on the same day and met the school headmistress, Simeleni Sibutha.
The police officer then requested for a room to interview the victims who were all female juveniles.
It is alleged that Constable Muzulu interviewed one victim at a time alone.
A female school teacher identified as Sihle Ncube who’s also part of Child Protection services, asked to take part and witness the interview and counselling session but Constable Muzulu declined saying he wanted to do the investigation alone.
It is alleged that he fondled all the 21 girls’ breasts and inserted a finger into their private parts before cautioning them from engaging in sexual activities.
Parents told CITE that their children came home from school and narrated their ordeal.
“The police officer took the children to one room where he made the girls undress, inserted his fingers in their private parts and touched their breasts. Some girls bled from the experience and others failed to sit properly.
“Our children went to their homes to narrate this ordeal and we don’t know if this police officer raped the girls or not,” said one of the parents.
Another distraught parent was shocked at the police officer’s behaviour and claimed outrightly he had raped their children. “How can a man of the law rape our children?” she said.
It emerged that some girls had to be taken to Brunabeg Hospital while the matter was reported to the police under report number RRB3145519 by the headmistress. The Officer in charge of ZRP Mphoengs Inspector Dube accompanied by his Assistant officer, a Ncube and three other police officers went to the school to investigate the matter.
20 of the 21 abused pupils had reported for class and were taken to Plumtree Hospital for medical examination.
Nurses at the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that they had attended to the girls.
Own Correspondent|A speech recently made by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is alleged to have sparked a new wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which have left 3 dead in Durban.
Political commentators and observers have roundly condemned Ramaphosa’s tone and speech and accused him of stocking xenophobic flames in South Africa.
As the election season heats up in South Africa tensions are rising and caution needs to be excised and careful consideration must be taken with regards words uttered by politicians.
A myriad other reasons have been highlighted as reasons contributing to continued xenophobic attacks in South Africa poorservice delivery and competition for resources ranks as top on the list.
However reckless comments and ill advisedspeeches by political leaders have also been blamed for inciting flaring up and stocking up tensions. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s main opposition party the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has issued a statement through its national spokesperson
Jacob Mafume condemning the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. The MDC expressed concern with xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans in South Africa.
The statement read:
“The MDC is concerned with the upsurge of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa particularly Zimbabweans. We note immigration issues have become an electoral issue both on the domestic and foreign policy.
The MDC however appeals to the conscience of South Africans particularly those in positions of authority considering our country is still mourning deaths of citizens who perished in the recent cyclone.
Our nation cannot bear the pain of losing more lives in xenophobic attacks. We specifically urge those on the campaign trail to be careful when dealing with the issues that can raise emotions and tension.
At least three people have been killed and property destroyed.
This is why the MDC has consistently encouraged the South African government to take ownership of the Zimbabwean crisis particularly facilitating dialogue to end the ongoing political and socio-economic crisis.
Dialogue based on the five point plan outlined by President Chamisa will bring about sustainable reform and set Zimbabwe on a path to recovery. The status quo on the other hand will only perpetuate the plight of the masses with the spill over effect into the SADC region inevitable.
The MDC urges the Zimbabwean Embassy in South Africa to be proactive in ensuring the safety of Zimbabweans in South Africa. They must be timely warnings in respect of the election, volatile locations and travel advice.
These updates must be regular and communicated through available popular platforms.”
Correspondent|Former Cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo has alleged that the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on its way out after failing to solve the economic crisis bedevilling the country.
Said Prof. Moyo, “Congratulations and well done to whoever or whatever is behind Mthuli Ncube’s newly found loud silence. He is conspicuously speaking less and less with the wheels falling off and things falling apart as Pfeexit begins to take root.”
Pfeexit is a term Moyo coined which is similar to Britain’s program to leave Europe called Brexit.
Moyo is on record saying Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube will not last but will flee the country like his predecessor Dr Nkosana Moyo.
When reminded about his statements Moyo said, “Is a Nkosana done overnight? Pfeexit = Mthuli Ncube’s failure!
Congratulations & well done to whoever or whatever is behind @MthuliNcube's newly found loud silence. He's conspicuously speaking less & less; with the wheels falling of & things falling apart as pfeexit begins to take root! pic.twitter.com/qTmEiaLsVQ
Since the ascendancy of Mnangagwa, there has been an increase in prices of basic commodities, shortage of fuel and foreign currency. The newly introduced currency called the RTGS$ has continuously lost value compared to the United States Dollar.
Mnangagwa recently came under fire from Zimbabweans who accuse him of syphoning the country’s purse through expensive trips when the country is suffering.
Own Correspondent|Zanu PF losing member of Parliament for Bulawayo East, Sweet Sweet, who was found dead with pistol in hand, 2.5km from his Nyamandlovu farm on Wednesday was murdered.
Police sources close to investigations say the killers tried to make his death look like a suicide.
Passersby discovered Sweet, in his car on the road on Wednesday morning before alerting his employees, neighbours and the police.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, yesterday said Sweet was found clutching his gun in his right hand.
“He was found lying on his back holding his C2 pistol by three passersby who informed a community leader who reported the matter to the police. The detectives who were deployed to the scene observed that he was holding his pistol with its full magazine and the gun was not even cocked meaning he could not have shot himself. Also, there were spent cartridges at the scene,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
“The officers discovered that he had stab wounds on the head and was bleeding from the left ear yet the gun was found in his right hand. This led police to suspect the crime scene could have been staged hence police are treating the matter as murder and have since started investigations.”
She said the police took Sweet’s body to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for a postmortem.
Chief Insp Makonese appealed to members of the public who might have information that could lead to the arrest of his killers to come forward.
“We have opened a case of murder. He appears to have been shot from a distance and the bullet did not exit his head. His C2 pistol that he was cradling in his right hand had a fully loaded magazine and had not been fired,” said the source.
“He had been shot on the left ear but was found holding the gun in his right hand. It’s a clear case of a clumsy attempt to fake a suicide.”
No arrests have been made so far.
Sweet is mainly known for being a prolific farmer who has won many agricultural awards.
He lost Zanu PF primary elections for the Bulawayo East MP seat in 2013 and 2018, he was convicted of possessing a loaded firearm at a meeting attended by VP Phelekezela Mphoko in 2015.
In 2012, he was accused of trying to grab a mine from Lawrence John Cleminson claiming he was advancing Zanu PF’s indigenisation policy.
The Zanu PF activist went as far as threatening to “take him out” if Cleminson did not make his son Job Sweet a director of his company Filiberg Enterprises.
One of the relatives who spoke on condition of anonymity said Sweet could have been murdered after 12AM on Wednesday as that was the last time they communicated with him.
The relative said the family became anxious when he did not return home as expected.
The relative said they were shocked when cops visited their Mahatshula North home to inform them that he had been found dead.
“What is clear is that he did not commit suicide. He was right-handed and doctors who conducted the postmortem said it was impractical for him to then shoot himself on the left ear and remain holding the gun. They say he could have been shot from a distance that is why there is no gun exit wound. He did not shoot himself, he couldn’t have, there wasn’t anything bothering him,” said the relative.
Another relative said the family is traumatised by Sweet’s death.
“I’m not saying that he wronged anyone, I don’t know what happened but if he had wronged someone who hasn’t? We all have wronged someone but imagine if every time we are wronged we kill someone. The world doesn’t work like that, people resolve differences amicably. Violence is not necessary. This has just left us hurt as a family,” said the relative.
Nelson Chamisa shows off the book standing with the authors.
Own Correspondent|THE Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) on Wednesday deliberately blocked MDC deputy chairman Tendai Biti to bring in copies of his book, Democracy Works, claiming that he was trying to smuggle the books into the country 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 Obasanjo, MDC President Nelson Chamisa, US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Brian Nichols and several delegates from across all sectors including non-governmental organisations.
Soon after the launch, Biti expressed disappointment that the consignment of his books had been confiscated by ZIMRA.
“They just took our books. We had like 200 books which we intended to give our people, but they just took them and mind you this is the second time they just took them.
“They just gave the excuse (about) customs and we said we can pay the duty, they refused,” he said.
In his address to the gathering, Biti attacked several countries in the region saying the book had come “at a time when there is a challenge (for democracy) in our region, the Sadc region”.
Chamisa attacked the Emmerson Mnangagwa led Government for failing to uphold basic democracy principles comparing it to the racist Ian Smith regime.
Meanwhile, Obasanjo said democracy was important in bringing about development and stability in any nation.
“There is need to focus on democracy as a system for which there is no substitute for two basic reasons.
“It is a system that allows participation of all the citizens in all the activities of a country be it economic, social, political because it allows for discussion, delegation, dialogue and debate which other forms of governance particularly dictatorships don’t allow for.
“Democracy releases energy of the community better than any other system.”
The former Nigerian leader also said democracy was essential in managing diverse communities like what is found in most African countries.
Own Correspondent|Residents of Ward 28 in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park have expressed disappointment at the opposition MDC for failing to settle on one candidate for the ward by election to be held on Saturday.
The party failed to settle a dispute between its two candidates Alderman Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi who have apparently both been on a campaign trail canvassing for votes ahead of the weekend polls despite demands for one candidate by party members in the ward.
Ndhlovu and Mloyi both successfully submitted their papers to the nomination court on February 22 before the party could hold primary elections to come up with one candidate.
However, Mloyi declined to withdraw her candidature after she lost to Ndhlovu in the party`s primary elections.
“We are extremely disappointed with how the MDC operates,” said David Ncube a resident in the ward.
“We have been talking to them to provide us with one candidate and they have failed to do so which means that votes will be split and definitely ZANU PF will take the seat in the election,” he said.
The by-elections will be held to place a councillor following the death of MDC’s Hapson Ncube (pictured) in December last year.
In an interview with local media in the city earlier in the week, the party`s Bulawayo province deputy spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu confirmed that the opposition party was divided and campaigning for both candidates on the ground.
“Everything is on track. As we speak right now, we are on the ground. Campaigns are going on and we are certain the party will succeed in the elections,” said Ndlovu.
“On the issue of having two candidates, we will have to run the elections like that. It is up to an individual to withdraw after losing at primary level and in this case, Mloyi chose not to.
However, this will not affect the party in any way. We haven’t faced any challenges and neither do we anticipate any in the future.”
Contrary to the opposition party, ZANU PF have taken the by election seriously and last weekend deployed Vice President Kembo Mohadi into the ward to join the campaign for its candidate.
In an earlier interview, Mloyi who appears to be holding a higher backing from party members on the ground said she did not receive any instruction from the party to step down hence would continue with her campaign.
“I wrote a letter to Zvidzai after the primary elections to register my dissatisfaction in the way the primary elections were run and he responded noting that they received the letter,” she said.
“The election was not free and fair, there were lots of irregularities, my campaign team was displaced during the day of the election and we were supposed to use the ZEC voters roll as well as the 2014 congress party structures but that was changed at the last minutes.”
Chairman of African Rainbow Minerals Mr Patrice Motsepe (right) and wife Precious Moloi-Motsepe donated R15 million towards the cyclone relief efforts.
THE government of South Africa and businessman Patrice Motsepe’s family yesterday donated a combined R75 million to victims of Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.
The cyclone mainly affected Chipinge and Chimanimani in Manicaland Province as well as some parts of Masvingo.
The South African government donated R60 million, while the Motsepe family chipped in with R15 million.
Both South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ms Lindiwe Sisulu and the Motsepe family handed over their cheques to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo at Manyame Airbase last night.
Speaking after the donations Minister Sisulu, who was accompanied by the Motsepe family, said the donations to Zimbabwe followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for the people of South Africa to respond to the disaster caused by the cyclone.
“We have decided as a Department of International Relations to make a financial donation apart from other donations that are coming your way,” she said.
“This is what we have brought to you at short notice to assist you provide the urgent relief to the affected,” she said handing over the cheque to Minister Moyo.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu (second from right) hands over a R60 million cheque donation to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo(second from left) to assist victims of Cyclone Idai while Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri (left) and South Africa’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Mphakama Mbete look on at Manyame Airbase in Harare yesterday.
Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri commended the gesture.
“We are in great pain and what you have done gives us a lot of hope when we find that we have friends around us who have a big heart, big hand who donate both in kind and cash towards the disaster to help us address the challenges our people are facing,” she said.
Minister Muchinguri said climate change was real.
She said the disaster that struck Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique was a wake up call that must never be taken for granted.
“This challenges us to be always prepared for natural disasters as a region and continent and put in place mechanisms to deal with such disasters,” she said.
“The donation will go a long way in our quest to provide assistance to the affected people.”
Minister Moyo said the gesture symbolised great friendship between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
He said the South African government and its people had shown empathy.
“We look forward to such kind of interaction, assistance and brotherhood to continue,” he said.
Minister Moyo assured the South African government that Zimbabwe would remain grateful for the assistance.
Cyclone Idai has killed close to 200 people and left a trail of destruction especially in Manicaland Province.
Government has released $100 million towards the disaster but it is not enough considering the extent of the damage.
BULAWAYO businessman lost 1,3 million rands while another businessman based in the United States of America lost US$70 000 to a city fraudster who disappeared after swindling the two in two separate incidents, police said yesterday.
Police in Bulawayo have launched a manhunt for Simangaliso Sibanda (28) of Luveve suburb who allegedly defrauded prominent city businessman Mr Ashton Mpofu of more than R1 000 000 in a botched bus tender and Mr Mater Khoum of US$70 000 in a gold deal.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said the crimes were committed between January 2017 and April 2018.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating two cases of fraud which occurred in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province during the period extending from January 2017 to April 2018.
“The police received two fraud cases which occurred in Bulawayo where two complainants lost large sums of money. Complainant 1 lost US$ 70 000 and complainant 2 lost R1 300 000 00,” she said.
Chief Insp Simango said sometime in April 2018, Sibanda misrepresented to Mr Khaoum of Algafila Private Limited Company based in the US that he would facilitate the purchase of gold.
“Acting on the misrepresentation, the complainant then gave the accused person US$70 000 towards the purchase of the gold and he failed to avail the gold resulting in the complainant suffering prejudice,” she said.
In the second case, police say Sibanda misrepresented to Mr Mpofu that he was in a position to avail buses and the complainant paid 1, 3 million rands upfront for the buses and he failed to deliver the buses resulting in the latter making a report.
Chief Insp Simango appealed to anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Sibanda whose last known address is 818 Old Luveve, Bulawayo, to contact them.
“He is not employed. The accused person is slim built, tall and dark in complexion.
“Police are therefore appealing to anyone with any information regarding his whereabouts to contact the Officer-in-Charge CID Commercial Crime Division, Chief Inspector Alford Nyasha on (0292) -78446/0772 982 787,” she said.
Chief Insp Simango said they can also contact the investigating officer Detective Sergeant Nyabadza on mobile number 0778 944 245 or any nearest police station.
By Own Correspondent- A Harare man allegedly shot and killed his wife and brother-in-law at their Gletwin home following a prolonged marital dispute.
The man, Petros Pomborokani (50), a former Ministry of Health and Child Care employee, has since gone into hiding.
He used a CZ pistol to shoot his wife Olivia Zenda (42) and brother-in-law Robert Zenda (49) in front of his three children, mother-in-law, a relative and a housemaid at around 7am.
The couple had been married for 20 years and has four children aged 19, 12, 10 and eight.
Police recovered two loaded magazines of the pistol at the scene.
Investigations are underway.
The matter is being handled by CID Homicide.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the shooting.
“Investigations carried out so far have revealed that the suspect and his wife had a long marital dispute. He was in the habit of assaulting his wife and had since moved out of their matrimonial home,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi said at around 7am, Pomborokani was seen by a relative entering the house while wearing a hood.
“A few minutes later, the relative heard the wife screaming calling for help before gunshots were fired. It is suspected that he first shot the wife before turning the gun on his brother-in-law. He fled the scene,” he said.
A report was made to the police.
Nyathi urged couples to solve disputes amicably and desist from taking the law into their own hands.
“We are however still carrying out investigations to ascertain the origins of the pistol with a view to establish whether it was licensed or not. We also want to establish whether it belonged to the suspect or not,” he said.
Investigations carried out by our Harare Bureau have revealed that Pomborokani was once arrested in 2016 after he kidnapped gospel singer, Mathias Mhere.
He accused Mhere of having an extra marital affair with his wife.
Pomborokani forced his wife to phone Mhere. The wife invited Mhere to the couple’s house.
Pomborokani pointed a firearm at Mhere when he arrived at the couple’s house.
He allegedly forced Mhere and his wife to remove their clothes and held them hostage naked for five hours.
Pomborokani was arrested and appeared before a Harare Magistrate who convicted him. He was fined US$150 or three months in prison. Pomborokani also had two other cases of physical abuse that were reported against him by his wife at Highlands Police Station.
The cases were however withdrawn by the wife. He also has another pending case of attempted murder reported by his wife at Highlands Police Station.
Pomborokani has been moving around in a South African registered vehicle.
By Own Correspondent- Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has condemned state actions following the seizure of Tendai Biti’s new book by Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers.
Speaking on Thursday during the launch of Democracy Works at the SAPES Trust in Harare, Chamisa said the seizure projected the country in bad light.
Chamisa joined the book’s co-authors: Zimbabwe’s former finance minister Tendai Biti, former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and Greg Mills of the Johannesburg-based Brenthurst Foundation at the launch.
Said Chamisa:
I was very disturbed to learn that the books were confiscated by the authorities at the airport. The state makes unnecessary and uncalled for decisions that give our country a negative image.
Copies of the book sent through DHL by the publishers Pan Macmillan in Johannesburg arrived in Harare in early March, but were seized by the CIO. The book was launched in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg earlier this week.
By Own Correspondent- Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Joel Biggie Matiza, has with immediate effect suspended Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer, David Chawota.
Matiza said Chawota was suspended because he has a case before the courts. Said Matiza:
Yes we have suspended him, remember he is before the courts and we want those processes to be cleared first.
Chawota appeared in court on Wednesday facing criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly violated tender procedures.
He awarded a US$33 million contract to a company he handpicked despite contrary advice from government. The court heard that sometime in May 2013, Chawota initiated a tender process for the air traffic control system through floating of tenders.
The tenders were for supply delivery and installation of air traffic control, Radar Surveillance System, supply delivered and installation of navigation aid system, supply delivery of air traffic control communications systems and supply delivery of air traffic control training simulator.- AfricaDailyVoice
A Zimunya man who fatally hit another patron with a brick on the head during a bar scuffle in 2012 when he was still a juvenile walked home a free man last week after a Mutare High Court judge slapped him with a wholly suspended jail term. Tendekai Mukwindidza was found guilty of murder as defined in Section 47 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 when he appeared before Justice Isaac Muzenda.
He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years. In suspending the sentence the court noted that the accused committed the crime when he was still a minor. The judge also noted that the matter had dragged for years without being tried and had the accused person being convicted back then when he was still a minor he could have been taken to a rehabilitation centre. It was the State’s case led by principal public prosecutor Ms Jane-Rose Matsikidze that the accused and the deceased were not related but they resided in the same village.
“On September 21, 2012 the two were both at Garura Business Centre and the accused was watching a game of draught with his friends.
‘‘The deceased who was apparently drunk approached the accused and his friends and started asking questions which were duly answered.
“When the deceased continued asking the same questions the accused and his friends became exasperated and left for a different bottle store.
‘‘The deceased followed them again and started demanding that the accused and his friends buy him beer but no one complied. Infuriated by the negative response the deceased began assaulting the accused and his friends.
‘‘The suspect then picked up a half brick which was lying on the ground and hit the deceased on the head. He died on the spot,” said Ms Matsikidze.
Among other agreed facts between the defence counsel and the State, it was noted that the deceased died because of head injuries he sustained during the attack and a post-mortem concluded that death was due to severe head injury.
The parties also agreed that the accused person acted negligently in his conduct owing to his youthfulness and poor sense of judgement which caused the death. However, Justice Muzenda despised the deceased’s behaviour which he said was rowdy and provocative, resulting in the scuffle which turned tragic.- State Media
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa is in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, attending a summit of First Ladies on access to improved innovative healthcare and people’s well-being.
The summit was organised by Merck Foundation and has attracted over 18 countries. The organisation is spearheading research and scientific innovation in the health sector.
The First Lady, who is the ambassador for maternal and childcare, has been spearheading the free cervical and breast cancer screening in Zimbabwe. The initiative has seen over 101 489 people screened in 2017. In 2018, over 119 468 were screened. Improved access to heath care is the priority for many progressive nations.
Zimbabwe is making efforts to ensure all its citizens get access to basic and specialised health care facilities. The summit comes at a time Zimbabwe is in need of support in oncology, fertility treatment, training and other specialised healthcare services.
The challenge is now on strengthening treatment for those screened. The country has two centres for radiotherapy and oncology and another centre for fertility.- state media
Farai Dziva|Social media users have reacted angrily to Deputy Information Energy Mutodi’ s claims that the MDC A is lying about the partisan distribution of aid to people affected by Cyclone Idai in Manicaland.
See some of the responses below:
Marvellous Tate Kasaway:Yes it’s very much practical hey, the equivalent of going abroad to import a loaf of bread. You spend $100 to get a dollar’s worth of aid. I call that organic manure brains, you know the variety derived from livestock, in particular horses or donkeys.”
Evans El Njinja:”
What is his level of education?. This is so embarrassing for a nepotism appointee to blabber so much and everyone will start asking questions. “
Thompson Chimhanda:” People died when he was out ,you’re busy hiring expensive jets when the country has got no medicine.”
Anita Karen Jones:”
EDiot only included this fool in government because he is his biggest bootlicker. Otherwise Mutodi is brainless.”
The farmer renowned in ZANU PF as “Cde Sweet Sweet”, (56), was allegedly killed three kilometres from his farm in Nyamandlovu in Matabeleland North and his unknown killers tried to make it appear as if he had committed suicide.
Passersby discovered Cde Sweet, a Zanu-PF member in his car on the road on Wednesday morning before alerting his employees, neighbours and the police.
Preliminary investigations indicate that he was murdered and his killers tried to make it look as if he had committed suicide.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese, yesterday said Cde Sweet was found clutching his gun in his right hand.
“He was found lying on his back holding his C2 pistol by three passersby who informed a community leader who reported the matter to the police. The detectives who were deployed to the scene observed that he was holding his pistol with its full magazine and the gun was not even cocked meaning he could not have shot himself. Also, there were spent cartridges at the scene,” said Chief Insp Makonese.
Mourners sing and dance at the funeral wake for Cde Sweet Sweet at his home in Mahatshula North, Bulawayo yesterday (Picture by Dennis Mudzamiri)
“The officers discovered that he had stab wounds on the head and was bleeding from the left ear yet the gun was found in his right hand. This led police to suspect the crime scene could have been staged hence police are treating the matter as murder and have since started investigations.”
She said the police took Cde Sweet’s body to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) mortuary for a postmortem.
Chief Insp Makonese appealed to members of the public who might have information that could lead to the arrest of his killers to come forward.
The Chronicle yesterday spoke to Cde Sweet’s family at his Mahatshula North residence and they said they were devastated by his death.
One of the relatives who spoke on condition of anonymity said Cde Sweet could have been murdered after 12AM on Wednesday as that was the last time they communicated with him.
The relative said the family became anxious when he did not return home as expected.
The relative said they were shocked when cops visited their Mahatshula North home to inform them that he had been found dead.
“What is clear is that he did not commit suicide. He was right-handed and doctors who conducted the postmortem said it was impractical for him to then shoot himself on the left ear and remain holding the gun. They say he could have been shot from a distance that is why there is no gun exit wound. He did not shoot himself, he couldn’t have, there wasn’t anything bothering him,” said the relative.
Another relative said the family is traumatised by Cde Sweet’s death.
“I’m not saying that he wronged anyone, I don’t know what happened but if he had wronged someone who hasn’t? We all have wronged someone but imagine if every time we are wronged we kill someone. The world doesn’t work like that, people resolve differences amicably. Violence is not necessary. This has just left us hurt as a family,” said the relative. – state media
By Own Correspondent- The EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen has challenge President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s long-held narrative that sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the United States of America and European Union are responsible for the worsening economic situation.
Ambassador Olkkonen challenged the government to bring tangible evidence that the embargo was hurting ordinary people as often alleged.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Tuesday, Olkkonen said sanctions were targeted at government officials fingered in human rights abuses and not the ordinary people.
He said:
“EU sanctions are highly legal instruments, They are drafted and agreed upon on the basis that they could be subject of legal scrutiny that gives the basis of how those entities and individuals are on that list.
How they work, you need to find from open sources enough evidence and reasons to add people on that list. We are now referring to what has been happening in the past.”
Farai Dziva| Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s bid to use opposition parties to score political points has hit a snag
The leader of the United Democratic Movement Violet Mariyacha has said she is unwilling to be used by Mnangagwa to advance the latter’ s cheap political agenda.
Mariyacha dismissed the dialogue process as a calculated gambit to hoodwink the nation and the international community.
“There is no serious discussion of why the country is in this current economic meltdown, why has Zimbabwe failed to attract foreign investments and what happened to the billions that Zimbabweans were told investors are bringing into the country as a the ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’ mantra,” said Mariyacha.
Build Zimbabwe Alliance (BAZ)’s Noah Manyika, United Democracy Alliance (UDA)’s Daniel Shumba, People’s Progressive Party’s Timothy Chiguvare and Alliance for the People’s Agenda (APA)’s Nkosana Moyo have also snubbed Mnangagwa’s so called dialogue.
Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance and Joyce Mujuru of the People’s Rainbow Coalition distanced themselves from the process- since its inception.
By Own Correspondent- A Chinese firm, China Nanchang Engineering, has approached Harare City Council with a deal to supply 600 solar-powered buses and additional fixed and working capital to service routes in Greater Harare Metropolitan.
The project will include a central business district (CBD) shuttle service and the Harare Urban Route will service all suburban routes.
The routes are divided into Norton, Southern, Eastern and Western suburbs.
According to recent minutes of the Environmental Management Committee, in the initial stage, 35 buses will service the Harare-Norton route. Chitungwiza will have 45 buses and Ruwa 20.
Operations would be managed from four established depots, two in Harare, one in Chitungwiza and one in Norton.
Depots will be firstly fitted with maintenance and recharging facilities and would be large enough to cater for 200 buses each. The project would have 12 battery swapping stations which will act as charging centres. Transport services would run 19 hours every day from 4am to 11pm.-StateMedia
Farai Dziva|Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to resume his “Thank You rallies” after suspending his scheduled political programmes as a result of the devastating effects of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo told a daily publication Mnangagwa would resume his Thank You Rallies in the coming few weeks.
“As soon as his schedule permits, he will resume the rallies, the cyclone issue takes precedence.
He will advise as soon as the situation permits. The commissariat is looking into that matter,” said Khaya Moyo.
Mnangagwa cancelled his rally which was scheduled for last Saturday in Shurugwi, Midlands Province, in order to attend to the cyclone disaster, which left over 200 people dead and thousands homeless, according to Khaya Moyo.
Prominent Harare street preacher Apostle Talent Muzuva Chiwenga has resurfaced again with a blow aimed at President Emmerson Mnangagwa accusing him of failing to provide leadership during the Cyclone Idai tragedy that struck Manicaland in the past weeks.
Chiwenga said President Mnangagwa is an emotionless person who failed to genuinely convey his sympathy and solidarity speech to console the victims and the nation at large.
“Our President had to have a speech written for him to be able to convey his consoling message. He failed to speak from his heart because he does not feel any sympathy. At least Former President Mugabe was better he would speak from his heart.
“Even if Mugabe was lying at least we would agree that he had spoken. This current one even fails to lie,” Chiwenga said.
The clergyman further said Mnangagwa has failed the country by not setting up a disaster relief fund for any eventualities.
Farai Dziva|Outspoken Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has justified Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s globetrotting arguing “the President” is working tirelessly to turnaround the country’ s economy.
Mutodi has also dismissed as “false and baseless” claims that aid is being distributed on partisan lines in Manicaland.
In spite of pictorial and documented evidence of selected distribution of aid to people affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai, Mutodi stills insists the MDC A is lying about the situation in Manicaland.
“President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s foreign trips have paid dividends with aid for cyclone Idai victims coming in from UAE and other parts of the world. On another note MDC activists in affected areas are making false accusations that food aid is being politicised. MDC please stop falsehoods,” claimed Mutodi.
Paul Nyathi|Minister of Health and Child Care Obadiah Moyo has allayed fears of possible cholera outbreak in Chimanimani and Chipinnge where many people have no access to clean water after Cyclone Idai effects ravaged the areas.
The water borne disease scare, which remains possible, might lead into another crisis hitting the Chimanimani and Chipinge if not well contained.
Minister Moyo said there are suitable solutions which should be surveyed to put up with the water borne disease outbreak.
“There are strategies that have been planned to ensure that the affected people have access to clean water.
“Currently Chimanimani has no clean water since the pipes which transports water from dam to the treatment plant were washed away by the floods,” he said.
The heavy flooding caused wide damage to water supplies and Humanitarian agencies have raised warnings over the spread of cholera and malaria in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi.
The Minister stated that the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society has played a greater part in helping Chimanimani victims as they donated medical supplies to all health facilities in Chimanimani.
“All medicines from the Tanzanian government among other supplies have been distributed to Silverstone Clinic and are being disbursed to all health facilities.
“Zimbabwe has had several cholera outbreaks and the government is carrying out vaccination exercises to people exposed to the cholera scare in Chimanimani,” he added.
By Own Correspondent- A woman from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after she was found guilty of neglect and ill treating her four-year-old son over soiling his pants.
Tendai Nhiwatiwa (35) of Cowdray Park suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube facing a charge of ill-treatment or neglect of children and young persons after bashing her son for wetting his pants..
She pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 30 months in jail. Six months were suspended for three years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence and 24 months were suspended on condition that she performs 840 hours of community service.
Nhiwatiwa said she hit her son to discipline him.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- A student at Midlands State University committed suicide on Sunday after allegedly impregnating a maid.
The first year Geography and Environmental Studies student took his life after he allegedly failed to come to terms with the news that he was soon to be a father.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said investigations into the death are underway.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates.
