Farai Dziva|Zanu PF MP for Zaka East Robson Mavenyengwa was recently assaulted by angry Tongaat Hullet workers for seizing land belonging to the company.

The workers were left jobless and homeless following the seizure of productive land by Mavenyengwa and several Zanu PF bigwigs.

The former police officer had to run for dear life after being cornered by the angry workers.

The Tongaat Hullet workers who assaulted Mavenyengwa have since been arrested.

However, a member of the Tongaat Hullet workers’ committee has warned of more protests to come.

Farai Dziva|Fiery social media analyst, Antony Taruvinga has described James Maridadi as a political turncoat.

Maridadi was recently offered a diplomatic post (CIO level) by Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Below was Taruvinga’s statement: James Maridadi, a friend to Mwonzora has been appointed ambassador by ED.

Rewinding to 2018 general elections, despite losing primary elections to James Chidhakwa, Mwonzora signed Maridadi’s papers as his preferred candidate and caused double candidature in Mabvuku Tafara just like what he did in Cowdry Park.

Mwonzora is actually aware of an embarrassing loss at Congress, what he is pushing for right now is an infliction of maximum damage to the party and president before he takes the Maridadi route.

Farai Dziva|A Masvingo based schoolteacher has donated a huge portrait to Zanu PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The teacher, by the name Tinos Ndirowei has been castigated for desperately trying to gain political favour from Mnangagwa.

Ndirowei is a teacher at Mafomoti Secondary School in Mwenezi.

Fellow teachers in the area have alleged that Ndirowei is a Zanu PF spy.

“He is on a mission – how can he make a portrait of Mnangagwa at a time teachera are suffering as a result of the Zanu PF regime’s bad policies.

It is clear that he is part of the system.He is untouchable and he is above the school rules and regulations.To be precise the man is a spy,” fumed a teacher at the school.

Farai Dziva|Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has been castigated for “celebrating the Tropical Cyclone Idai calamity.

A Masvingo based pressure group, voice of Bikita, blasted Mnangagwa for being heartless when he said bad things can attract good things.

“What a shame. How could you seem to celebrate the death of some people when you said ” Kuipa kwezvimwe kunaka kwezvimwe (life brings both good and bad).”

You also now admit that these RTGS are not equal to a USD. Ooooh cry my beloved Zimbabwe,” said the pressure group in a statement.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s drive to tame corruption is in turmoil with the so called criminals surrounding the former President Robert Mugabe being acquitted of criminal abuse of office by the courts.

Soon after his assumption of office, Mnangagwa said he was going to tackle corruption head-on but the latest acquittal of Supa Mandiwanzira has raised concerns over the sincerity of the former Justice minister to end the vice.

According to The Herald, the state is seeking to petition the High Court for a rescission of the judgment acquitting former minister Supa Mandiwanzira of criminal abuse of office charges that was delivered on Wednesday. The decision was granted in default after all the listed respondents — trial magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo, Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi and the National Prosecuting Authority — failed to make representations on the matter.

Mandiwanzira was facing criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly awarded a US$218 million auditing contract to South African-based Megawatt Energy.

The deal allegedly prejudiced NetOne of $5 million.

Anti-Corruption Special Unit director Mr Tabani Mpofu last night confirmed to The Herald they were in the process of filing an application for rescission of decision, which he claimed was erroneous.

“We are going to court to seek a rescission of the default judgment granted against us,” he said.

“It was erroneously granted because the Prosecutor-General’s Office was not served with the notice of set-down. In fact, the notice was served on the Attorney-General’s Office.”

Mandiwanzira approached the higher court challenging the trial court’s decision dismissing his application excepting to the charges.

Justice Nicholas Mathonsi granted a default judgment against the respondents in the matter that had been brought to court on the basis that it was unopposed.

“The application for review is hereby granted. The judgment of the first respondent dated 15th February, 2019 be and is hereby set aside and substituted with an order that count one of the charges brought against the applicant on the 7th of December, 2018 is hereby quashed,” ruled Justice Mathonsi.

Documents seen by The Herald, showed that none of the respondents were served with papers to make submissions.

The court papers show that Mandiwanzira’s lawyers served the Attorney-General’s Office although he was not part of the proceedings. Mandiwanzira sued the trial magistrate after he threw out his application for exception of the criminal charges.

He ruled that the former minister has a case to answer and should be put to his defence. Commenting on Mandiwanzira second charge in which he is accused of appointing his personal assistant to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) board, Mr Mpofu insisted the prosecution has a strong case against him.

-State Media

BULAWAYO had the highest number of convictions over public violence which occurred from January 14 to 16 this year, accounting for 225 of the 375 cases, according to the police.

The second highest cases were reported in Harare with 69, Mashonaland West 27, Manicaland 19, Mashonaland Central 14, Mashonaland East nine, Midlands six, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South three each, while Masvingo province had zero convictions.

The summary report for convictions on public violence cases covers from the day of the violence up to March 31.

According to the report, of the total number of the convicted people, eight were sentenced to seven years in jail each.

Of these, five were from Mashonaland East, two from Harare and one from the Midlands.

A total of six convicted persons were sentenced to six years imprisonment each, while 40 were slapped with a five-year jail term each, 29 were sentenced to four years each and 48 were given a three-year jail term each, followed by 65 who were give a two-year jail sentence each.

At least 92 were slapped with one year jail term each, 35 were sentenced to six months imprisonment each, four got five months each and 30 were slapped with three months’ imprisonment each.

Six of them were sentenced to strokes of the cane, which ranged from two to five each, while 12 others got suspended sentences.

The police indicated that 200 people from all provinces who were convicted were instructed to pay fines.

The violent demonstrations left 78 police officers injured in the line of duty, while one was killed.

Security services quelled the disturbances, arresting over a thousand participants, many of whom were caught looting and setting properties on fire.

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| A Zimbabwean born author now based in the United States of America has revisited the Grace Mugabe-Gabriella Engels incident which in his new book said could have been a trap by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s faction to soil the former first lady.

Breaking the news on Twitter, UK based constitutional lawyer Alex Magaisa said;

1. You recall when Grace Mugabe beat up Gabriella Engels? A new book suggests Grace fell into a carefully laid out trap by coup-conspirators pushing ED’s agenda. A reading from the book says Grace was lured into a trap, when called to the room, knowing she would snap & lose it.

2. I don’t know if it’s a case of coup conspirators trying to take credit after the event. The reading says the coup conspirators called each other in celebration once Grace had misused the cable on Ms Engels. If this is true and correct, who else was involved in this “trap”?

Jane Mlambo| Self exiled former cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo has fired salvo at President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying his excitement over the United States dollars from the Donald Trump administration raises fears that the donation will be stolen.

Posting on Twitter, Moyo also attacked Mnangagwa for failing to correctly name the local RTGS dollars which he reportedly called RTG.

“Mnangagwa, calling the collapsing local RTGS$ currency “ma RTG”, excited like a toddler who’s had a lollipop for the first time, talking about receiving USD 2,5 million from the US Ambassador in Harare for Cyclone Idai victims. This has raised fears the money will just disappear!

Jane Mlambo| Self exiled former cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo has fired salvo at President Emmerson Mnangagwa for appearing to celebrate receiving United States dollars while mocking the local RTGS while addressing cyclone idai victims in Chimanimani.

Posting on Twitter, Moyo said Mnangagwa’s excitement raises fear that the money will just disappear.

“Mnangagwa, calling the collapsing local RTGS$ currency “ma RTG”, excited like a toddler who’s had a lollipop for the first time, talking about receiving USD 2,5 million from the US Ambassador in Harare for Cyclone Idai victims. This has raised fears the money will just disappear!

Press Release

05 April 2019, Harare – The Government, United Nations, donors and Non-Governmental Organisations convened today to launch a revised Humanitarian Flash Appeal to include response to Cyclone Idai requesting for an additional USD 60 million, bringing the total amount to USD 294 million required by humanitarian partners to complement national response efforts to drought, economic challenges and Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.

The launch of the revised humanitarian flash appeal convened by the UN Resident Coordinator was held at the UN offices in Harare bringing together senior representatives from Government, Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps and heads of development cooperation, UN heads of agencies, and non-government organisations.

Launching the revised humanitarian flash appeal, UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Bishow Parajuli said, “The United Nations, in response to Government’s request, launched a Humanitarian Flash Appeal recently requesting for USD 234million to address the emergency needs of 2.2 million people as a result of economic challenges and drought in urban and rural areas of the country.

Cyclone Idai has left an additional 270,000 people extremely vulnerable, bringing the total number of people targeted for humanitarian assistance by the UN and humanitarian partners to 2.47 million people with USD 294 million resources required.”

Appreciating several contributions made including by the corporate, churches, schools and the public at large, Mr. Parajuli reiterated the commitment of the humanitarian community and called for an urgent response to the revised humanitarian flash appeal in order to meet various immediate needs, including food, water, shelter, health and nutrition, education, protection, and logistics as well as early recovery needs.

Noting the recent findings by the Zimbabwe Vulnerable Assessment Committee that over 5 million people will be food insecure in 2019, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Ms Constance Chigwamba said, “our focus should not only be on the response to Cyclone Idai but also to the drought affected population.”

The revised Humanitarian Flash Appeal aims to respond to the rising humanitarian needs of people in Zimbabwe due to a dry spell, challenging economic situation and compounded by the recent Cyclone Idai disaster in the eastern highlands part of the country.

According to the UN Financial Tracking System (FTS) the funding for the drought response stands at USD 25.5 million representing 11% of the total requirement.  For Cyclone Idai the total funding received so far amounts to USD 5.4 million. Several additional pledges have been made by humanitarian partners and the FTS will update the response level going forward.

The three main objectives of the Humanitarian Flash Appeal remain as follows:

• To save lives and livelihoods by providing integrated humanitarian assistance and protection to people impacted by the economic crisis and severe food insecurity,
• To provide life-saving humanitarian health assistance by responding to outbreaks and procuring essential medicines,
• To build resilience of the most vulnerable communities to mitigate against the impact of the deteriorating economic situation.

Noting that the revised appeal complements the Government’s ongoing interventions and emphasising on the need to consistently adhere to humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality, independence and humanity in relief distribution in which those in need of assistance receive, Mr. Parajuli, said, “The Flash Appeal will continue to target the Cyclone Idai victims, hardest-hit districts, which were prioritised based on information and data available while a humanitarian cluster needs assessment is underway.”

Commending the strong partnership in response to Cyclone Idai, Permanent Secretary Chigwamba reiterated that a comprehensive needs assessment to ascertain the immediate needs of the population and the post recovery needs, particularly infrastructure reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The Humanitarian Flash appeal contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and it 17 goals, by advancing the overarching principle of “leave no one behind” and adopting humanitarian-development and peace building nexus in support of Zimbabwe’s commitments to furthering its human rights and humanitarian obligations.

The United Nations System, through 2016-2020 Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework, works with various partners to advance democratic, social and economic governance for quality service delivery in the areas of food and nutrition, gender equality, HIV and AIDS, poverty reduction, social services and protection and governance and human rights. To date, the UN in Zimbabwe has delivered over USD 1.2 billion in various development projects under the 2016-2020 ZUNDAF as it works towards inclusive growth and sustainable development in the country.

For further information please contact:

Sirak Gebrehiwot, UN Communications Specialist, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office E-mail: [email protected]

By Own Correspondent- MDC president Nelson Chamisa reportedly blasted party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora for bringing the name of the party into disrepute.

Chamisa expressed his displeasure with his counterpart during the party’s standing committee meeting on Wednesday.

Senior officials who spoke to Newsday over the issue said:

Mwonzora was told by the president that this is not a peacock contest, where one is trying to spread feathers and be seen to be more attractive than others.

He was accused of trying to appropriate himself to Tsvangirai’s achievements and to claim all the landmarks into his name, such as the Constitution-making process.

He was accused of trying to personalise everything that the party achieved, thereby bringing the party’s name into disrepute.

He was asked why he was contesting the race that hasn’t been opened yet.

… As for Cowdray Park, the buck stops with Mwonzora and he must take responsibility.

He was reminded that instead of seeking media attention, he is supposed to put the house in order and effectively run the party.

Mwonzora is said to be ready to challenge Chamisa for the party presidency at the elective Congress to be held next month.

By Own Correspondent- Former G40 Kingpin and Zanu Pf politburo member, Professor Jonathan Moyo has scoffed at President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent utterances where he appreciated the value of the US$ against the local currency RTGs describing his actions as that of a “toddler”.

Moyo warned that the country’s recently introduced currency, the RTGs is on its way out following Mnangagwa’s statements.

Addressing victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai at Ngangu stadium on Thursday, Mnangagwa hailed the money donated by president Donald Trump’s administration towards supporting victims of the natural phenomena which ravaged Zimbabwe and Mozambique killing over 500 people and leaving hundreds others missing.

Said Mnangagwa:

“The one (donation) which pleases most is the one by Trump. It is Trump I am talking about. Do you really know Trump? The very same man who put sanctions.

Just yesterday he sent his ambassador over here, and he came with two and a half million dollars, heee! heee! (Loud Scream).

Two and a half million dollars from their own country not our RTGS [KWETE: SHONA STRONG PERJORATIVE, DISAPPROVAL], not the fake dollar you all know, but the one from their own country. Two and a half million dollars from their own country, and he said go and help yourselves.

And he said if you have any other needs, we have our station in South Africa, we are able to assist you, your only trouble is that of simply informing us, just tell us what you want and we will give you. This was all from from Trump.”

By Tamuka Chirimambowa| The MDC Alliance finally called for a congress to be held in May 2019 and this has already heated the country’s political temperatures. As the jostling for positions is already heating up, there are two names already appearing as front runners despite that no official nomination has yet taken place.

The incumbent, Nelson Chamisa and Secretary General, Douglass Mwonzora will likely lock horns for the Premiership of the opposition party which rekindles the 2014 rivalry when Chamisa lost the Secretary General’s position to Mwonzora.

Beyond the rivalry of these two protagonists, the May 2019 Congress has to be seen as an unresolved succession question and a battle for the soul of the party. I say so mainly for three reasons: Firstly, the defeat of the Thokozani Khupe Faction towards the July 2018 elections, did not result in total surrender but a tactical retreat as some of the sympathisers remained in the party to fight another day.

Secondly, It revives the failed succession plot, Project 2016 and a close read of characters in the MDC Alliance says it all. Thirdly, these two historical facts highlighted above are very important in understanding the current ructions within the opposition as they also morph into a generational transition happening within the national body politic. 

Could it be Generational? 

On my recent trip from Zambia, I overheard the bus crew discussing MDC Alliance politics. “These guys aren’t in the structures and they are in their late 30s and early 40s. They reasoned: MDC should leave Chamisa at the presidency. We want someone young like us and Mwonzora should know it’s not his generation.” I asked them what if Chamisa loses? They argued back and passionately saying “we will tell Chamisa to go and form another party and vote for him.” To my shock was the whole bus joining the debate in support of the bus crew.

Most of the passengers were cross-border traders, mainly young women and men in the ages between  20s and 40s. If this is representative of the nation, which I am tempted to believe so, then it seems some candidates are misreading history.

Beyond this anecdotal observation one has to read the 2018 elections results, ‘warts and all’; it is crystal clear that the MDC Alliance amassed more votes in the Presidential than Parliamentary contest. For the first time, the MDC breached the 2 million mark.

On the Presidential ballot, the MDC Alliance had a youthful and more appealing candidate. Also, when one reads the profile of the rallies, it was the young who dominated.

On the Parliamentary ballot, the MDC Alliance under-performed and interesting to note is that most of its candidates were older. ZANU PF had a much more youthful candidacy on the Parliamentary ballot among many other factors, it outperformed its Presidential ballot which was geriatric. What in interesting to note here, is that the Youth are demanding their seat on the governance table.

Love or hate him, with 70% of the population being 45yrs and below, Chamisa has no contest in the MDC or the country. It seems we have a new reality and the Ruling Party, ZANU PF will have to renew its party, a debate for another day. The Congress is going to be generational. It appears the Morgan generation time is over.

Remembering History: Project 2016

After the defeat of the MDC in the 2013 elections, there was an intense debate on the utility of continuing with Morgan Tsvangirai as the leader of the party. Overtures were made to him to retire and create a new role as an ambassador of democracy in Africa.

When those diplomatic manoeuvres failed and Morgan’s kitchen cabinet prevailed, a lot of young Turks in the opposition were disgruntled. The thinking that dominated then was that, Tendai Biti would take over from Morgan and Nelson would follow in line.

This group of young Turks were code-named project 2016 and later mutated into ‘MDC Renewal’. It had to take the Vanguard to extinguish Project 2016, after an alleged Judas Iscariot moment within its ranks.

Some would question about the 2014 split, but it is my contention that argument is moot as it focusses on the after-effects of a collapsed project.

This history is important to take note as it explains what appears a ‘newfound’ love relationship, yet it is one with deep historical roots. 

Come the 2019 elections, Project 2016 is back in the fold, although with variations in the leadership hierarchy to accommodate for the new realities. Project 2016 was largely an initiative of former student leaders, civil society activists and middle-class youth.

This group was very instrumental in the formation of the opposition but felt to have been left out of the processes in the party. It is not surprising that Generational Consensus emerged and became one of the vociferous groups in support of Nelson Chamisa’s ascendancy and as well reunion of the MDC.

The noisy and rag-tag fit character of Generational Consensus betrayed its student politics nature, but also proved effective in shaping a new narrative of ‘nothing for the young without the young’. But one cannot escape from the fact that convenience, opportunity and history also played a key role in the formation of the MDC Alliance. 

The coming back together of Tendai Biti, Jacob Mafume, Job Sikhala, Nelson Chamisa, Charlton Hwende, Settlement Chikwinya, Prosper Mutseyami, Lovemore Chinoputsa, Clifford Hlatshwayo, plus the new graduands Joanna Mamombe, Maureen Kademaunga, Gladys Hlatshwayo among many others cannot be read outside history, convenience and opportunity. This group has expanded beyond its student character to incorporate the middle class and ghetto youth, thus morphing into a potent political force that cannot be ignored. This is the challenge that “Mukoma Dougie” faces and the national demographics have made it worse. 

Die Another Day, Dougie Bond 007? In run up to 2018 elections the Khupe Faction won the battle for the name of the party but this became a symbolic or moot victory. One of the key backers of Thokozani Khupe then was said to be Douglass Mwonzora, although he later preferred to stay put and move on with his allies. It appears then, it was a tactical retreat to fight another day by the Khupe Faction.

The Chamisa Faction (read Project 2016) won the structures, the soul of the party. The 2018 elections results also proved further who won the heart and soul of the party and an almost repeat scenario of the year 2014 after the split. Two interesting things arise here: On, Mukoma Dougie was instrumental in the removal of the ‘Renewal Boys and Girls’ (read Project 2016) from parliament.

Two, the remnants of Project 2016 remained in the mainstream MDC and consequently, Nelson Chamisa was viewed suspiciously by Morgan’s Kitchen Cabinet. Going towards the 2014 Congress, Nelson Chamisa was poised for a landslide sweep and it had to take Morgan’s intervention to save Douglass Mwonzora’s political fortunes. Morgan felt threatened by Nelson’s meteoric rise and thus sought to trim his ambitions and keep him at bay. Morgan needed a checkmate for Nelson and he found it in Mukoma Dougie.

After Mwonzora’s failure to get a nomination from any province, Morgan had to overrule Manicaland and declare Mwonzora the winner despite him losing repeated votes. The election at the 2014 Congress was run by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), which was Morgan’s fort and it played significant role in tilting the fortunes towards Mwonzora.

This is not to say Mwonzora had no agency of his own, but what cannot be ignored is the Morgan factor in the 2014 Congress. Going into the 2019 May congress, the circumstances have largely changed. In the 2014 congress history, convenience and opportunity struck but in the favour of Mukoma Dougie. The question that begs: can Mukoma Dougie play a James Bond 007 and live to fight the May 2019 congress after initially losing the succession race? It seems this time, history, convenience and opportunity are stacked against him. 

It’s the Time for New Sprouts?

The reconfiguration of the MDC Alliance cannot be read outside the notion of time. There are those who have toyed with the idea that the structures are not in unison with the Tsar.

That’s a figment of imagination from those not wanting to acknowledge the reality. The horse has already bolted out and it is the time for new sprouts. The politically active population has become very youthful, and by their nature don’t subscribe to Old Edmund Burke’s ideas of order and rationality used by those opposed to Chamisa. The youth by nature are abrasive and daring and will continue to demand a position at the high table.

It is important for one to note that even the ZCTU that was Morgan’s power base has become a pale shadow of itself after the decimation of the working class by decades of economic decline. It is now the informal and unemployed classes that are on the ascendancy and also happens to be youthful. For this group, the lack of hope for a better Zimbabwe, educated or uneducated, unites them more as they toil together in Zimbabwe’s informal economy. This is the base that has taken over the MDC Alliance, hence the rise of Nelson cannot be read outside this group. The sprouts are green and new political season has come. Once again, it is history, convenience and opportunity at play.

Government is this year expected to issue community radio broadcasting licences to 10 private operators as part of its reform agenda to open the airwaves in the growing industry, with foreign players expected to share 20 percent of the market. The move, apart from creating a competitive environment for the broadcasting panorama, is in line with the country’s constitutional provisions for media variety.

In an interview with StarFM on Wednesday evening, Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Mr Nick Mangwana said his ministry has budgeted $98 000 to support the initiative.

“In our plan this year, we have already budgeted $98 000, this money is for community radio stations, which we used to support,” he said.

“Parliament has approved 10 community radio stations that will be issued this year. The money is there to support this. We are holding the money and it is losing value”

Mr Mangwana explained why it was necessary to speed up the alignment of the Broadcasting Services Act with the Constitution.

He said the Act is one of the many pieces of legislation that is not in sync with the Constitution and there are a lot of things that needed to be put in place.

“One of the major ones being that since the Act came in place in 2001 technology has moved on,” he said.

“There are things that have become obsolete. There are sections that are pretty much irrelevant and with the advent of this new technology it also means that we broadcast differently from the way we were broadcasting 18 years ago, when the Act came into place in 2001.”

Mr Mangwana said there was need to modernise the Act, which among other things to align it with treaties Zimbabwe is signatory to internationally and regionally.

He said in the Broadcasting Service Amendment Bill, Government seeks to underscore the distinction between licensing online platforms and normal broadcasting services, which uses the frequency spectrum.

“When it comes to current interpretation that we have is that there should be a call out made by the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), which is a regulator for people to come and apply for licences, any one of those licences,” he said.

“Our interpretations could be different, but we need it to be very clear in the incoming Bill that only licences that require the use of the national resource, which is the frequency spectrum will need to have a public inquiry and would need the authority to call out for a particular genre.”

Mr Mangwana said Government has no problem when it comes to issuing licences that have no bearing on the frequency spectrum.

“Those ones should be applied for anytime, any day and they should be given anytime any day because they do not have any bearing on a depleting resource,” he said.

“So, if we can issue 3 000, or 10 000 of those licences, by all means let us do so, they are depriving nobody of anything. So we need that distinction to be made.”

Still on the issue of call out, Mr Mangwana said there is need to define how many terms a year that BAZ should call out for people to come and apply for the frequency spectrum.

“So, we propose that three terms per year at known frequencies and known time.

“There should be a call out. At the moment we do not have that. We can actually go for three years if people are abusing their positions without BAZ calling out for such licences.”

Mr Mangwana said the current Act, provides that licences for community radio stations should only be granted to corporate bodies, yet they are called community radio licences.

“In the currency BSA we say that licences should only be granted to corporate bodies, but we are calling these community radio licences, how does a community and corporate converge so we want to amend that to say communities can own these (community radio stations) they don’t have to be corporates they can be trusts and they should be able to own these and community radio stations. I think those are the key issues that stands out.”

Cabinet recently approved the repeal of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and reconstruction of media laws to align with the Constitution, in a major development for the media sector.

-State Media

A police raid on the offices of online news site 263 Chat after one of its journalists filmed the removal of street vendors in Harare is a blatant assault on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom, Amnesty International said today.

Police fired tear gas into the newsroom after chasing reporter Lovejoy Mtongwiza to the website’s offices. The journalist had been taking photos and videos of the police forcing out street vendors in the Zimbabwean capital.

“Today’s attack on the 263 Chat offices was designed to send a chilling message to journalists and shows the lengths the Zimbabwean police are prepared to go to muzzle media freedom,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa.

“The authorities must end the attack on the media and launch a prompt, thorough and effective investigation into this attack and ensure that all suspected perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.”

263 Chat is an online news site which reports on political, economic and social issues in Zimbabwe.

Reporter Lovejoy Mtongwiza was deployed to the city centre to take pictures of a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Harare City Council operation to remove street vendors.

When a group of police and council officers pursued Mtongwiza, he ran away to his employer’s office. The police followed him and fired tear gas into the 263 Chat newsroom, where 14 other journalists were working. Officers also seized a mobile phone from one of the reporters.

Jane Mlambo| A Zanu PF aligned Twitter user has hit out at President Emmerson Mnangagwa for exposing his dislike for the local RTGS dollar when he visited Chimanimani where he addressed the affected villagers bragging about receiving US dollars for the cyclone idai relief.

Agaisnt Makuyana who has of late changed sides from Zanu PF to opposition accused Mnangagwa of celebrating the death of people when he appeared to suggest that bad things had brought with it good things (kushata kwezvimwe, kunaka kwezvimwe).

“Saka Team iri rinotofara kuti vanhu vakafa neCyclone, rikuwana maUSD mari kwayo Kwete maRTGS? Kunanzva varungu zvakadai, machinda anofarira varungu kupfuura @nelsonchamisa chaiye! Kubuda rute shuwa nekamari kasingatomboudzwe @realDonaldTrump kuti tapa ZW,” said Makuyana.

He accused Mnangagwa of preferring white people than his own countrymen Nelson Chamisa of the opposition MDC.

A THREE-METRE-LONG cobra caused a stir in Nkulumane 12 suburb in Bulawayo after it slithered into houses near a bushy area on the outskirts of the residential area.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) rangers came to the residents’ rescue after dispatching snake catcher, Ahmed Mohamed Esat, who took three hours to capture the venomous reptile, his fourth one in a week.

The snake was first noticed on Tuesday night when it slid into a house close to the Roman Catholic Church, which has a large vegetable patch.

However, it was driven away by dogs at the house.

On Wednesday morning, the snake found its way into another house, three houses from where it initially appeared.

It slipped into a heap of bricks and residents had to call the Zimparks after failing to lure the reptile out of its hiding place.

Esat told Southern Eye that this was the fourth snouted cobra he had captured in a week.

“It’s about three to four years old. This is the fourth snouted cobra I have captured within a week,” Esat said.

He said he had been working with Zimparks for a couple of years. “I have captured a lot of snakes. You can follow my works there (on Facebook). I have also plans to work with the media to conscientise residents about my work and snakes so that they stay out of danger,” he said.

Snouted cobra is a large specie and adult sizes range from 1,2 to 1,8 metres, but they can reach a length of 2,5 metres.

Industry and Commerce minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu on Wednesday warned industry that the incessant hikes in prices of basic commodities will push long-suffering Zimbabweans to revolt.

The warning came as the consumer rights watchdog was calling on government to convene an urgent cost-of-living forum that would bring together business and consumers, among other stakeholders, in order to arrest the runaway prices.

Zimbabweans are being subjected to regular price increases, usually tracking the exchange rate between the United States dollar and the real time gross settlement dollar on the black market, which currently stands at 1:4.3. In the past week alone, prices of some basic commodities rose by as much as 75%.

Ndlovu told a Bulawayo provincial investment conference at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre that business should exercise caution.

“They are pushing consumers to revolt… We want to have candid discussions around this issue, which is killing our economy,” Ndlovu said.

Business cited an unstable exchange rate between the United States dollar and the RTGS dollar for the recent price hikes, but the Industry minister argued otherwise.

“I don’t know whether our economy is a foreign exchange market or what, but this does not make sense,” Ndlovu said.

Speaking to Southern Eye, National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) advocacy and campaign adviser Effie Ncube urged all stakeholders to convene a cost-of-living forum to address the crisis before the situation got out of hand.

“This rise in the cost of living cuts a deep wound in the lives of people, harming the young and old, employed and unemployed, in a profound way, even for people accustomed to pain in recent years,” Ncube said yesterday.

“We call upon the government to urgently convene a cost-of-living forum in which government, business and workers and consumers will be represented. It must be remembered that not all consumers are workers, so the unemployed consumer must have a seat at the table as well,” he added.

“Appropriate steps should be taken to cushion consumers, both employed and unemployed, from the unrelenting rise in the cost of basic commodities upon which day-to-day life depends. The forum must address the real root causes of the unabated rise in the cost of living.”

Ndlovu said there was need to avoid the recurrence of the January protests against steep fuel price hikes, which resulted in security forces killing 18 and injuring nearly 200, according to human rights groups.

-Newsday

The State is seeking to petition the High Court for a rescission of the judgment acquitting former minister Supa Mandiwanzira of criminal abuse of office charges that was delivered on Wednesday. The decision was granted in default after all the listed respondents — trial magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo, Prosecutor-General Mr Kumbirai Hodzi and the National Prosecuting Authority — failed to make representations on the matter.

Mandiwanzira was facing criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly awarded a US$218 million auditing contract to South African-based Megawatt Energy.

The deal allegedly prejudiced NetOne of $5 million.

Anti-Corruption Special Unit director Mr Tabani Mpofu last night confirmed to The Herald they were in the process of filing an application for rescission of decision, which he claimed was erroneous.

“We are going to court to seek a rescission of the default judgment granted against us,” he said.

“It was erroneously granted because the Prosecutor-General’s Office was not served with the notice of set-down. In fact, the notice was served on the Attorney-General’s Office.”

Mandiwanzira approached the higher court challenging the trial court’s decision dismissing his application excepting to the charges.

Justice Nicholas Mathonsi granted a default judgment against the respondents in the matter that had been brought to court on the basis that it was unopposed.

“The application for review is hereby granted. The judgment of the first respondent dated 15th February, 2019 be and is hereby set aside and substituted with an order that count one of the charges brought against the applicant on the 7th of December, 2018 is hereby quashed,” ruled Justice Mathonsi.

Documents seen by The Herald, showed that none of the respondents were served with papers to make submissions.

The court papers show that Mandiwanzira’s lawyers served the Attorney-General’s Office although he was not part of the proceedings. Mandiwanzira sued the trial magistrate after he threw out his application for exception of the criminal charges.

He ruled that the former minister has a case to answer and should be put to his defence. Commenting on Mandiwanzira second charge in which he is accused of appointing his personal assistant to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) board, Mr Mpofu insisted the prosecution has a strong case against him.

-State Media

Industry and Commerce minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu on Wednesday warned industry that the incessant hikes in prices of basic commodities will push long-suffering Zimbabweans to revolt.

The warning came as the consumer rights watchdog was calling on government to convene an urgent cost-of-living forum that would bring together business and consumers, among other stakeholders, in order to arrest the runaway prices.

Zimbabweans are being subjected to regular price increases, usually tracking the exchange rate between the United States dollar and the real time gross settlement dollar on the black market, which currently stands at 1:4.3. In the past week alone, prices of some basic commodities rose by as much as 75%.

Ndlovu told a Bulawayo provincial investment conference at the Zimbabwe International Exhibition Centre that business should exercise caution.

“They are pushing consumers to revolt… We want to have candid discussions around this issue, which is killing our economy,” Ndlovu said.

Business cited an unstable exchange rate between the United States dollar and the RTGS dollar for the recent price hikes, but the Industry minister argued otherwise.

“I don’t know whether our economy is a foreign exchange market or what, but this does not make sense,” Ndlovu said.

Speaking to Southern Eye, National Consumer Rights Association (Nacora) advocacy and campaign adviser Effie Ncube urged all stakeholders to convene a cost-of-living forum to address the crisis before the situation got out of hand.

“This rise in the cost of living cuts a deep wound in the lives of people, harming the young and old, employed and unemployed, in a profound way, even for people accustomed to pain in recent years,” Ncube said yesterday.

“We call upon the government to urgently convene a cost-of-living forum in which government, business and workers and consumers will be represented. It must be remembered that not all consumers are workers, so the unemployed consumer must have a seat at the table as well,” he added.

“Appropriate steps should be taken to cushion consumers, both employed and unemployed, from the unrelenting rise in the cost of basic commodities upon which day-to-day life depends. The forum must address the real root causes of the unabated rise in the cost of living.”

Ndlovu said there was need to avoid the recurrence of the January protests against steep fuel price hikes, which resulted in security forces killing 18 and injuring nearly 200, according to human rights groups.

-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has mocked his nemesis President Emmerson Mnangagwa for disregarding the local currency when he appeared to celebrate receiving United States dollars from the American government.

Mnangagwa was in Chimanimani yesterday where he was accompanied by leaders of smaller parties to assess the damage caused by the cyclone idai which ravaged the eastern part of the country in March.

Commenting on Twitter, Chamisa mocked Mnangagwa for trashing the Zimbabwean currency.

TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Jane Machopa of village 3, Chigwendere homestead, Dombojena in Shurugwi was last week arrested for allegedly strangling her four-month-old son.

Acting Midlands provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the incident.

“We have a murder and attempted murder case where a woman who was sleeping with her four-month-old twin sons, killed one and pulled the other’s tongue for reasons not yet known,” Mukwende said.

“The matter is under investigation and we suspect that accused is mentally challenged because on the day in question she started acting strangely and after committing the crime she is said to have started laughing after being asked why she killed her son.”

Mukwende said on March 26 at around 11am, Machopa was with her husband, Enoch Chigwendere in Shurugwi town when she started behaving strangely. The following day at around 4am, Machopa allegedly strangled Zvamaziva to death while her husband was sleeping.

When the husband woke up, she found Machopa pulling the other son Saviour’s tongue and he asked what she was doing and she reportedly started laughing hysterically. Chigwendere took the two children to a neighbour, but Zvamaziva was already dead while Saviour was rushed to Shurugwi District Hospital where he is admitted.

-Newsday

Correspondent|WAR veterans in Mashonaland West province have written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa demanding that ICTs Minister Kazembe Kazembe (pictured) be removed as the ruling party’s provincial chairperson.

The war veterans want the Zanu PF provincial executive dissolved in the same manner Harare and Bulawayo executives were dissolved.

In a letter which has also been copied to ZANU-PF national chairperson Oppah CZ Muchinguri-Kashiri, the war veterans demand that the entire ZANU-PF executive be dissolved on charges of imposing imposition of leaders whom they do not know.

They accused the Kazembe Kazembe-led executive of creating an acrimonious working environment and provincial minister Monica Mavhunga of causing rifts in the party.

“No one is happy about this issue. There is a problem in the provincial executive of the party which is trying to put someone who we didn’t choose so that they secure support at the upcoming restructuring. We had said the PC must come from our executive, we want someone who we nominated and that is General Mutasa,” provincial deputy chairman Lovemore Hodza said yesterday.

Hodza accused the provincial executive committee of cherry-picking their preferred candidate, against the Zanu PF policy.

“We will ask the provincial leadership to correct what they did so that we will be able to find each other and work together in harmony. We want to discuss this issue, but if they fail to do that, then we will take the matter forward,” Hodza said.

They accused Mavhunga of parcelling out land to Kazembe at Collinwood Farm which falls under the war veterans’ quota, making the minister a multiple farm owner.

The war veterans also complained that Mavhunga re-allocated land on other farms occupied by war veterans to, among others, Marjory Bwawa, who is fighting some two named legislators on one of the farms.

Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube has warned the country to brace for an imminent rise in interest rates.

Interest rates in the southern African nation have been capped at 12% for the past two years, and bankers have been pressing for a review of the lending rates to avert a collapse of the banking sector.

“Expect interest rates to go up, that is how the monetary policy works if there is a shortage of liquidity or if the inflation rate is up,” Ncube said while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Accountants Conference 2019 in the capital yesterday.

He said Zimbabwe’s continued use of the United State dollar (US$) as a local and transacting currency was no longer sustainable, because it made the country’s exports uncompetitive.

“Three years ago, I did some analysis and found out that Zimbabwe had lost 50% competiveness in terms of export commodities by using the US$ as a transacting currency as well as a local currency,” Ncube said.

“The central bank was borrowing for you to spend money on a daily basis and this is not sustainable. We were borrowing about $2 billion just to use the US$ as the local currency and we can’t work like that. Zimbabwe needs to be normalised.”

The Treasury boss, who is targeting to cut the country’s budget deficit to single digit figures by year end, said the central bank and the fiscus have to protect the value of the local currency.

“Our job as the fiscus and the central bank is to protect the value of the local currency so that we can have confidence in it,” Ncube said.

“That protection starts with making sure that on the fiscal front we run a small deficit and not double digit and we determine that this year the deficit will be a single digit from what it currently was.”

-Newsday

Own Correspondent|Former ZIPRA intelligence officer and decorated liberation war hero Jeremy Brickhill (pictured) is billed to give a guest speech at the Annual Lookout Masuku Lecturer Series organized by Ibhetshu lika Zulu and Habakkuk Trust.

A message inviting delegates to the event said: Ibhetshu Likazulu in partnership with Habakkuk Trust invites Members of the public to the Annual Lookout Masuku memorial lecture on 5 April 2019 at the Small City Hall starting at 14:00hrs

Theme: Peace and justice as the Foundation of Human Progress

Jeremy Brickhill served in Zimbabwe’s liberation war as an officer in the military wing of Joshua Nkomo’s Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and has a broad range of experience in conflict and post-conflict processes in Africa.

He led the Zimbabwe Advisory Team which supported Somaliland’s successful heavy weapon disarmament exercise in 1992-4, supported IGAD’s Special Envoy during the negotiation of the Sudanese Comprehesive Peace Agreement and was posted as an advisor to the African Union Mediation Team during the Abuja Peace Talks on Darfur.

Zimbabweans reacted with anger on social media, questioning the wisdom of the government’s expenditure at a time when courtrooms are cramped and ill-equipped, the national economy is crumbling and, according to the World Food Programme, 63% of the population live below the poverty line.

Their sentiments were echoed by Dumisani Nkomo, chief executive of Bulawayo-based rights organisation Habakkuk Trust, who said: “These are misplaced priorities. We need to focus on bread and butter issues and avoid expenditure on unnecessary luxuries.”

After poor rains and erratic weather destroyed crops, almost 5.3 million people in Zimbabwe are facing food insecurity; in 2017, the country was ranked 108th out of the 119 included in the global hunger index. The government has previously pledged to cut expenditure in response to rising food prices linked with the introduction of a new currency in February.

Lawyers in Harare said the government was wasting money on keeping a colonial tradition alive.

Beatrice Mtetwa, a senior lawyer in the capital, said Zimbabwe’s British colonial past remained embedded in its justice system.

“What surprises me in Zimbabwe is that we say everything against colonialism but we live more colonial than the colonisers themselves,” Mtetwa said. “A normal litigant would be intimidated to get into a courtroom full of ridiculously dressed judges. Why can we not dress decently? If we want to wear wigs , why can’t we make them in our own way? Those wigs were meant for white judges – we look ridiculous.”

Luke Malaba, Zimbabwe’s chief justice, has reportedly insisted on the use of wigs during proceedings.

Some of the wigs, made from horsehair, were delivered last week.

Another top lawyer, Alec Muchadehama, said legal practitioners should drop the tradition and make courts more accessible to the general public.

“I think we should move away from that culture to where judges look like an ordinary man and so that the courts look humane. We should simply believe that if a judge appears wearing a suit, it will not make them less of a judge,” Muchadehama said.

The use of wigs has been abandoned in South Africa, Kenya and several other Commonwealth countries.

In Britain, judges have stopped wearing wigs when hearing civil and family cases, ending a centuries-old tradition.

“In my view, it’s a bit unnecessary. From an ideological point of view, those wigs take us back to the colonial era. They make our courts inaccessible by the ordinary man. If the judicial services commission spends that money on rehabilitating dilapidated courts, that would make a lot of sense,” said Doug Coltart, a human rights lawyer.

Guardian

BULAWAYO had the highest number of convictions over public violence which occurred from January 14 to 16 this year, accounting for 225 of the 375 cases, according to the police.

The second highest cases were reported in Harare with 69, Mashonaland West 27, Manicaland 19, Mashonaland Central 14, Mashonaland East nine, Midlands six, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South three each, while Masvingo province had zero convictions.

The summary report for convictions on public violence cases covers from the day of the violence up to March 31.

According to the report, of the total number of the convicted people, eight were sentenced to seven years in jail each.

Of these, five were from Mashonaland East, two from Harare and one from the Midlands.

A total of six convicted persons were sentenced to six years imprisonment each, while 40 were slapped with a five-year jail term each, 29 were sentenced to four years each and 48 were given a three-year jail term each, followed by 65 who were give a two-year jail sentence each.

At least 92 were slapped with one year jail term each, 35 were sentenced to six months imprisonment each, four got five months each and 30 were slapped with three months’ imprisonment each.

Six of them were sentenced to strokes of the cane, which ranged from two to five each, while 12 others got suspended sentences.

The police indicated that 200 people from all provinces who were convicted were instructed to pay fines.

The violent demonstrations left 78 police officers injured in the line of duty, while one was killed.

Security services quelled the disturbances, arresting over a thousand participants, many of whom were caught looting and setting properties on fire.

State Media

A gang of suspected robbers on Monday morning sneaked into Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company’s (ZCDC) operating areas in Chiadzwa and entered a pit with ore that had just been exposed. Police have since arrested two suspects. Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Nick Mangwana said investigations were still in progress to ascertain if anything was stolen.

“In the early morning hours of April 1 2019, there was an intrusion by a suspected gang of robbers into the operational areas of the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company,” said Mangwana.

“The suspected robbers entered the pit where ore had been exposed earlier in the day. Two suspects have since been arrested. A full exercise to establish whether there was any loss and if affirmed then its level is underway.

“The people caught will be transparently prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and their accomplices will be pursued until every one of them is fully accounted for.”

The unfortunate incident, he said, prompted three ministers and the national security leadership to convene an urgent meeting on how to curb future intrusions.

“Following this incident, three Government ministers as well as the command of the national security establishment held a meeting on Wednesday, 3rd of April 2019 at the ZCDC operations to review security measures so as to avoid a recurrence of similar incidents,” he said.

Mangwana warned the public against committing such offences, saying those caught on the wrong side of the law will be dealt with accordingly.

“Government takes the security of national treasures and assets seriously and will do everything in its power to ensure that these are safeguarded and proceeds therefrom applied for national benefit,” he said.

Since the discovery of diamonds in Chiadzwa, the area surrounding the diamond fields has been besieged by opportunists from across the country prompting the Government to deploy members of the security forces to keep them at bay and to ensure orderly mining of the mineral.

State Media

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Speaking at Ngangu stadium yesterday afternoon, President Emmerson Mnangagwa rubbished the national currency the RTGS.

He said this while celebrating the aid given by US president Donald Trump.

He said Trump’s donation was outstanding in that it is in genuine US dollars not the fake dollar, the RTGS. He said “the one (donation) which pleases most is the one by Trump. It is Trump I am talking about. Do you really know Trump? The very same man who put sanctions.

“Just yesterday he sent his ambassador over here, and he came with 2 and a 1/2 million dollars, heee! heee! (Loud Scream)

“2 and a 1/2 million dollars from their own country not our RTGS [KWETE: SHONA STRONG PERJORATIVE, DISAPPROVAL], not the fake dollar you all know, but the one from their own country. 2 and a 1/2 million dollars from their own country, and he said go and help yourselves.

“And he said if you have any other needs, we have our station in South Africa, we are able to assist you, your only trouble is that of simply informing us, just tell us what you want and we will give you. This was all from from Trump. ” VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube has warned the country to brace for an imminent rise in interest rates.

Interest rates in the southern African nation have been capped at 12% for the past two years, and bankers have been pressing for a review of the lending rates to avert a collapse of the banking sector.

“Expect interest rates to go up, that is how the monetary policy works if there is a shortage of liquidity or if the inflation rate is up,” Ncube said while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Accountants Conference 2019 in the capital yesterday.

He said Zimbabwe’s continued use of the United State dollar (US$) as a local and transacting currency was no longer sustainable, because it made the country’s exports uncompetitive.

“Three years ago, I did some analysis and found out that Zimbabwe had lost 50% competiveness in terms of export commodities by using the US$ as a transacting currency as well as a local currency,” Ncube said.

“The central bank was borrowing for you to spend money on a daily basis and this is not sustainable. We were borrowing about $2 billion just to use the US$ as the local currency and we can’t work like that. Zimbabwe needs to be normalised.”

The Treasury boss, who is targeting to cut the country’s budget deficit to single digit figures by year end, said the central bank and the fiscus have to protect the value of the local currency.

“Our job as the fiscus and the central bank is to protect the value of the local currency so that we can have confidence in it,” Ncube said.

“That protection starts with making sure that on the fiscal front we run a small deficit and not double digit and we determine that this year the deficit will be a single digit from what it currently was.”

He said the interbank foreign currency trading platform had been introduced to protect the local currency and strengthening the micro institutions for the monetary sector.

“We are not yet ready to target inflation because inflation is too high. When inflation calms down to a lower double digit, 12 to 15, then we will target it. For now, we are targeting qualities or monetary balances,” Ncube said.

He said since the government started charging duty in the currency in which a vehicle was acquired, currency deficit had gone down and this had helped calm inflation.

NewsDay

Correspondent|Simbisa Brands quick service restaurant Chicken Inn has filed a lawsuit against its rivals Packers International’s Chicken Slice alleging trademark infringement.

Chicken Inn has taken issue with Chicken Slice for using the word “Luv” in its marketing. It has also taken issue with Chicken Slice for using similar colours saying this would mislead customers.

In its court papers, Chicken Inn says: “[luv] is a “key element of the whole mark and Plaintiff (Chicken Inn) has derived extensive and long-standing goodwill in the market based on it in particular as well as the entire mark in general.”

“The use of the element ‘luv’ in particular, and the phrase ‘luv it’ in general, by the first defendant (Slice Distributors) is identical with, and so nearly resembles Chicken Inn’s registered trademark as afore-presented, as likely to deceive or cause confusion amongst customers in the market.

“In addition, the use of the offending mark by first defendant in its marketing, in conjunction with a colour scheme strikingly resembling that of Chicken Inn amounts to passing off by misrepresentation.”

Chicken Slice is yet to respond to the allegation.

Own Correspondent|Dismissed Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T spokesperson Linda Masarira has blamed Nelson Chamisa led MDC top officials who are lawyers for defending ZANU PF Officials arrested for corruption.

Writing on her Facebook page on Thursday shortly after ZANU PF legislator and former Minister Supa Mandiwanzira was acquitted on all corruption charges, Masarira blamed the MDC lawyers who defended him claiming that they are being selfish by standing for the ZANU PF leaders.

Wrote Masarira:

Did you know that after the legal aid from Job Wiwa Sikhala, Super Mandiwanzira was acquitted of zvese zvaaipommerwa?

Did you know that with the legal aid from Tendai Biti, Gideon Gono escaped his corruption charges?

Did you know that with the legal aid from Chamisa and Thabani Mpofu, Zuva Company dismissed workers unfairly?

The billion dollar question is: Why is it that opposition leaders only want to unite with ZANU PF in dealings that benefit them at personal level but they do not want to unite with ZANU PF on things that benefit ordinary Zimbabweans?

There is no excuse for jecha. There is no excuse for disunity. That’s pure greed at its best. Somethings are better left undefended.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, George Guvamatanga, has made a startling revelation that the government is operating with just one chartered accountant.

Guvamatanga said the skills gap makes it difficult to address compliance issues, especially when companies want to list on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE).

“For a company to be listed on the ZSE, there is a requirement that it should have a chartered accountant within the skills set of the organisation,”Guvamatanga said while launching the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Implementation Strategy Plan in Harare yesterday.

“We then have the biggest organisation in the land which is the government of Zimbabwe, you have been told that I was a banker before, I used to run an institution which had a balance sheet of $500m and we had 17 chartered accountants. I come to the government and I’m asked to run a $10bn balance sheet with one chartered accountant.”

Guvamatanga added: “When Honourable Tendai Biti calls me and says you’re not complying, where is this report? Honourable Biti, you should understand that it cannot be delivered with just one accountant, and there is really an issue with skills.”

Guvamatanga said the non-compliance trend spills into government ministries because of the skills gap.

“I think it might actually follow to ministries as well. You are also having budgets in excess of $2bn, zero chartered accountants, and you expect them to manage those huge budgets properly,” he said. “I could not tell you this Honourable Biti when you were asking me the questions in Parliament, but it’s one of the biggest reasons there is no compliance.”

Zimbabwe is targeting to migrate to Accrual Based Accounting by 2025, a move aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in government departments.

— BusinessTimes

Own Correspondent|Reports just received indicate that a gang of armed robbers has yet sneaked into Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company’s operating areas in Chiadzwa and got away with an undisclosed amount of diamonds.

According to sources in the area, armed man found their way into the heavily guarded area on Monday and entered a pit with ore that had been exposed earlier in the day getting away with the diamonds.

This comes barely three months after another gang, armed with AK47 rifles and dressed in proper military fatigue, overpowered security at the same ZCDC facility and got away with State diamonds during the #ShutdownZimbabwe protests in January.

The gang was reportedly working in collusion with company officials, and government fired 80 ZCDC employees as investigations into the crime gathered momentum.

According to the sources, two of the suspects in the latest incident have been arrested and in investigations are underway.

More to follow….

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed 15 new ambassadors drawn from different sectors to replace those who have either died, been recalled or retired.

The list of the ambassadors designate includes five service chiefs who were recently retired from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) to take up diplomatic posts.

The retired generals are Lieutenant Generals Anselm Sanyatwe, Douglas Nyikayaramba, Martin Chedondo, Major General Thando Madzvamuse and Air Marshal Shebba Shumbayawonda.

Also on the list is former MDC MP for Mabvuku-Tafara Mr James Maridadi and University of Zimbabwe lecturer, Professor Charity Manyeruke.

Others ambassadors designate are officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade while some are former permanent secretaries.

These are Mrs Alice Mashingaidze, Mrs Abigail Shonhiwa, Ms Sophia Nyamudeza, Dr Emmanuel Gumbo, Messrs Chrispen Mavodza, Gumisai Gideon Gapare, Vusumuzi Ntonga and Dr Godfrey Chipare.

The group is undergoing a one-month training in diplomatic etiquette which began on April 1 and is being done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade secretary Ambassador James Manzou said announcement of the postings of the ambassadors designate was a prerogative of President Mnangagwa.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade was instructed by His Excellency to run a diplomatic course from April 1 to May 9,” he said.

“It is a training for those that are going to be posted abroad and that also includes quite a number of officials from the Ministry who are also being trained for positing at various levels.”

Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo addressed the ambassadors designate during their training and urged them to prioritise economic diplomacy by engaging potential investors and seeking new markets for the country’s products.

“The ministry has been expanded and indeed rebranded to include international trade so as to reflect the thrust articulated by His Excellency the President that, henceforth, the primary focus for our diplomacy and our diplomatic representation abroad must be trade, investment and tourism promotion. In other words, economic diplomacy,” he said.

State Media

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

MNANGAGWA ON ZBC VIDEO DISMISSING HIS OWN CURRENCY, SAYING IT IS WORTHLESS | WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE ECONOMY TODAY?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) April 5, 2019

By Chimanimani Correspondent| ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday declared that his country’s currency, the RTGS is worthless.

Speaking at Ngangu in Chimanimani, Mnangagwa  also went into an ecstatic musical overdrive while praising US president Donald Trump. Mnangagwa thanked Trump for releasing an additional: “$2.5mln US$ not RTGS or bond notes.”

Said Mnangagwa: “The one which pleases most is the one by Trump. It is Trump I am talking about. Do you really know Trump? The very same man who put sanctions.

“Just yesterday he sent his ambassador over here, and he came with 2 and a 1/2 million dollars, heee! heee!

“2 and a 1/2 million dollars from their own country not our RTGS [KWETE: SHONA STRONG PERJORATIVE, DISAPPROVAL], not the fake dollar you know, but the one from their own country. 2 and a 1/2 million dollars from their own country, and he (Trump) said go and help yourselves.

“And he said if you have any other needs, we have our station in South Africa, we are able to assist you, your only trouble is that of simply informing us, just tell us what you want and we will give you. This was all from from Trump. “

Yesterday footage emerged of the MDC party’s Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora saying that he expects his boss, Nelson Chamisa to support him for the party presidency in the same way he assisted Chamisa win the national presidency vote tally in Manicaland.

ZEC’s 2018 figures in Manicaland show Chamisa leading against Mnangagwa, said Mwonzora.

Speaking to 263chat, Mwonzora said, “The question of his rise to the presidency of the party is a matter of, that was a bit of an argument within the mdc and I do not want to revisit that. Suffice to say that he is the president as we stand and to that extent I do respect him as the president of the party. I worked with him well when he was gunning for the state presidency.

“I actually campaigned for him in Manicaland, and I am happy to say that Manicaland is the only rural province where MDC won without question.

“The president he won so and I do credit myself and my colleagues in Manicaland, for having stood by him, but that was that. That was in the state presidency.

“I suppose that if I were to be the president of the party I will expect the same from him I will expect the same from other leaders so we have always supported each other.”

The Zimbabwe Republic Police working together with Harare Municipal police besieged 263Chat office at Batanai Gardens before firing three tear gas canisters inside the cubic office and locked the door from outside leaving 16 people to suffocate inside this afternoon.

Hell broke loose when reporter Lovejoy Mutingwiza was ordered to capture running battles between the two sets of police forces and the vendors in First Street in the capital

Realizing that a photojournalist was taking pictures, overzealous police details attacked Mutongwiza who ran straight to the office to seek refuge.

Upon arrival at 263Chat offices, the group of rowdy details led by a ZRP uniformed officers budged into the newsroom before demanding to see the journalist in question. Superiors in the newsroom had to intervene reminding the uniformed police officer that the journalist was indeed accredited and was only doing his duty for a registered media outlet.

Skirmishes ensued leading to one ZRP police officer releasing three tear gas canisters inside the office before closing the door from outside for the inmates to suffocate. Journalists had to escape through the window including five women with the other lady (name supplied) expecting. Unfortunately the expecting lady had to be rushed to the hospital unconscious.

Renowned constitutional lawyer Fadzai Mahere described the incident as disgusting charging that the responsible culprits be brought to book.

“The journalists have a constitutional right under Section 61(1)(a) to freedom of the media which includes the right to seek and communicate information and the public has a constitutional right to receive that information. The police must be brought to book,” Mahere wrote on her micro-blog Twitter today.

MISA Zimbabwe also condemned the attack on 263Chat journalist.

“Police officers and local municipality officers are expected to be the guardians of the law and not violate it by carrying out unwarranted searches and seizures. The police is reminded of its duty to uphold and promote the enjoyment of rights which include the rights to media freedom as guaranteed in the Constitution,” read part of the statement from MISA Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the government through the ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said it has already initiated investigations on the matter.

“Government has been made aware of an incident in Harare CBD which involves allegations of mistreatment of members of the media made against the police. These allegations are now under investigation.  Our constitution guarantees freedom of the media and government respects the constitution,” read part of the ministry’s statement.

A police report was made at Central Police Station.

-263Chat

By Own Correspondent- The government has revealed that it has commenced investigations on the assault of 263Chat journalists by police officers in Harare on Thursday afternoon.

The officers threw teargas canisters into the offices through a window and shut the door, forcing the journalists to escape through windows.

The police officers were engaged in running battles with vendors when the incident took place.

Reports indicate that the journalists were covering the disturbances when police officers charged, resulting in some journalists sustaining injuries.

Through its Twitter handle, the Ministry of Information said:

“Govt has been made aware of an incident in Harare CBD which involves allegations of mistreatment of members of the Media made against the police. These allegations are now under investigation. Our constitution guarantees freedom of the Media and Govt respects the Constitution.”

Police have arrested a Kadoma man who was filmed in a 45 second-video that has gone viral savagely assaulting a hapless man accusing him of stealing from him.

Litten Chikoore was arrested days after the video in which he was captured assaulting Mr Pedzisai Mangisi (30) with a hosepipe was widely shared on ZimEye and other platforms leading to his identification.

5 days ago ZimEye boadcast several programs one of which is below:

6 days ago, ZimEye launched a program to identify and get Litten Chikoore arrested… 19,000 people joined in to search and @PoliceZimbabwe have managed to arrest the suspect. Below was the program… https://t.co/Ky8HWr4HjH

Chikoore Arrested https://t.co/SbnnBch0Gf v pic.twitter.com/Y1Wnx3rktN

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) April 5, 2019

In the video, the energetic Chikoore is seen whipping Mr Mangisi and vowing to stop the savage attack once he gets tired.

Mr Mangisi is seen lying on the ground wailing and pleading his innocence while Chikoore continues beating accusing his victim of theft.

As the video is ending, Chikoore is heard asking for “electricity” which some claim could have been an electric cord which he could have further used to assault Mr Mangisi.

Chikoore does not mention in the video what his victim had “stolen”. National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed Chikoore’s arrest.

He said police also located his victim, who together with other witnesses are helping law enforcement agents with investigations.

“We are still recording some witness statements and the full information will only be available after the investigation has been concluded,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

He said no one should take matters into his or her own hands.

“No one has got the right to assault or to mete out instant justice to any other person despite any wrong that one feels has been committed against him or her,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.

Earlier police had twitted that Chikoore handed himself to the police. “The accused handed himself to the police accompanied by his lawyer. The due process of the law will now take its course and the accused will appear in court soon. The ZRP wishes to thank members of the public for the cooperation rendered in the inquires.

“The complainant Pedzisai Mangisi (30) has since been located while the accused person Litten Chikoore has been arrested,” said the ZRP on micro blogging site Twitter.

Last month, police in Matabeleland South arrested two men who shot a video while brutally assaulting a girl (15) for allegedly having love affairs with both of them in Phumuza village, Plumtree.

Police have repeatedly urged members of the public not to resort to violence in solving differences as some of the incidents end up being fatal.- state media/ additional reporting

By Own Correspondent- Police in the company of Harare City council municipal officers this afternoon stormed 263Chat offices and fired teargas at journalists before allegedly stealing yet to be named gadgets.

The police, were reportedly irked by one of the journalists Lovejoy Mutongwiza who was filming them as they engaged in running battles with vendors on the streets of Harare.

The gun totting policemen took aim at Mutongwiza who sought refuge at his offices with the police in hot pursuit.

They then threw a teargas cannister inside the 263 newsroom and reportedly stole gadgets.

The journalists said they were going to make a police report.

Said one of the journalists Costa Nkomo:

Attention Mayor Herbet Gomba, Information ministry, so today the Zimbabwe Republic Police in the company of municipal council police invaded our offices pursuing my colleague Lovejoy Mutongwiza who was taking pictures in CBD and fired tear gas inside our office, stole our valuables and left. This is satanic.

A game ranger who allegedly shot and killed a villager in the Jambezi area has been arrested.

Thubelihle Ncube (28) of Chidobe Village 4 is attached to Hwange Rural District Council Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire).

Ncube reportedly fired three shots at an elephant that was causing havoc in Chenamisa villager in Chief Shana’s area. A stray bullet discharged from his firearm hit Ms Irene Munsaka (62).

The victim was warming herself at a fireplace at her homestead when the bullet ripped through her left hip, killing her instantly.-StateMedia

Farai Dziva|MDC A intelligence sources are extremely worried about reports that a faction supporting Douglas Mwonzora for the presidency of the opposition party is dominating district and ward elections in Masvingo.

Reliable sources in the party have revealed current provincial chairperson James Gumbi wants Mwonzora to replace Nelson Chamisa as the leader of the party.

Gumbi is unhappy with the fact that Chamisa undressed him during a provincial council meeting at Mucheke Hall two weeks ago.

Chamisa accused Gumbi of performing dismally after the party managed to win just a single Parliamentary seat out of 26 constituencies in the province.

“What we are looking at is that the Gumbi faction is no longer supporting the president.Surprisingly the team is leading the race in the province.

We are also investigating sources of intimidation and violence,” said the sources.

By Own Correspondent| ZimEye has received sad news that the Build Zimbabwe Alliance president, Dr Noah Manyika’s deputy, William Pilbrough has died.

Dr Manyika said the man passed away on Thursday.

It was not clear at the time of writing what went wrong as his closest colleagues contacted by ZimEye.com said they knew nothing further.

What!!! I met him at the Zol counter at Sam Levy yesterday and had an animated chat with him and he looked as fit as a fiddle. What would have led to his untimely death if true??

— Coach Jerry?? (@maguranyanga) April 4, 2019

The party’s UK chapter leader, Todd Maforimbo who confirmed the sad development said, “We just received a message from Harare saying WIlliam is no more.”

Maforimbo did not explain further as he said details were too sketchy.

The late Pilbrough’s last tweets do not suggest any struggle with life.

In one of them posted at 12:21 AM – 3 Apr 2019, he said, “many people actually like Trump. They are entitled to their views. But this misses the point, he has alleged bias on the part of the media, against him. The CNN Ethiopian Airlines story appears to give credence to this and vice versa. Let’s not let our personal bias blind”

Pilbrough was an avid ZimEye reader.

Pilbrough, a British national though born in Zimbabwe, had relocated to Zimbabwe and had fought for and regained his Zimbabwean citizenship in 2017.

Former Minister Supa Mandiwanzira was yesterday cleared by the HighCourt of all the criminal abuse charges he was facing since being removed from the cabinet. Had he been found guilty, the Former Minister of ICT would have endured at least 20 years in prison or pay a fine.

His charges had come as result of being accused of breaching procurement regulations when he awarded a $218 million contract to Megawatt, a South African-based consultancy company, on behalf of Netone. In his defence, Supa Mandiwanzira said that his involvement had made Netone recover as much as $30 million that the state-owned Mobile Network Operator had lost to Huawei.

But the magistrate court had dismissed his argument saying that he couldn’t have acted on behalf of Netone since the telecoms operator has its own management which is charged with doing that. That is when the former Minister approached the High Court, which has now cleared him of the charges. He is now a free man.

Correspondent|Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa has announced that he will be meeting MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to resolve an issue relating to the MDC dominated Norton Town Council’s refusal to have a ZIMPLATS  Community Share Ownership chicken abattoir to be constructed in the constituency.

In mid-March, Mliswa had written a letter to Advocate Chamisa complaining about the matter.

“Pursuant to this letter, I’ve had the opportunity to chat with Nelson Chamisa and once I’m back we’ve resolved to meet on the ground in Norton. After all it’s not about sitting in meetings or being selective but being on the ground and working with the people, we’ll eventually get there.” Mliswa posted on Twitter.

In the below letter Mliswa had told Chamisa that, “It has come to my disappointed attention that the intended establishment of the Zimplats Community Share Ownership Trust Chicken Abattoir scheduled to be located in Norton was denied by the NTC and is subsequently sited in Chegutu.”

Media Statement|The New Education Bill that the government of Zimbabwe recently gazetted provides hope for the more than 27% children of school going age who are currently out of school.

The chief reason for children failing to go to school is the inability by their parents or guardians to pay the required often exaggerated levies, tuition and enrolment fees.

This affects the poor children who are subsequently shut out of school. Every Child In School (#ECIS), a Campaign launched in 2017 by more than 250 organisations working in the children’s and youths sector in Zimbabwe, led by Tag a Life International Trust (TaLI) with the support of ZNCWC, WCoZ and ECOZI commends the government of Zimbabwe for responding to our call to push for the education bill.

We are however concerned by the lack of explicit commitment in the draft bill by the government to focus on the out of school children who are struggling to re-enter or enter schools.

As the ECIS campaign, we have been calling for circulars and policies which allows especially the out of school children to be allowed access into schools even without the required fees and levies. The existing circulars protect children already in school.

This is in line with the Constitution of Zimbabwe Sections 27 and 75 which make it the responsibility of the government to ensure access to edcuation for every child. ECIS hereby encourages every citizen to participate in the on going Hearings of the Education Bill by the parliament of Zimbabwe across country, to air their views on what we already spoke about in the constitution, thus to make sure even the poor children have access to education.
Doing so will ensure we defend our right and that of our children to education, human dignity, economic empowerment, social protection and wellbeing while leaving a strong legacy for sustainable development. Zimbabwe is the only country in Southern Africa which does not offer free basic education.

We commend the response from the parliament of Zimbabwe to prioritise this bill as a response to our petition.

On the 18th of December 2018, the speaker of parliament read our petition to parliament “Beseeching Parliament to protect the rights of every citizen to basic education: to call on the Government of Zimbabwe to enact a policy in line with the Constitution that instructs all school authorities to allow children whose parents cannot afford fees to be accepted in schools and to inquire into measures taken to avail resources to achieve the progressive realisation of basic state funded education as enshrined in Section 75(1) of the Constitution.

They subsequently promised to release the bill. Here is the parliament preliminary schedule for the hearings so that you may attend; 1 April Cooksie Hall Chinhoyi 09.00hrs, 2 April Siakobvu Pri School Kariba 09.00hrs, 3 April Hala Africa Kimberly Hotel 0900hrs Bindura/ Mbuya Nehanda Hall Marondera 1400hrs, 4 April Queens Hall Mutare 10.00hrs, 5 April Masvingo Civic Centre Masvingo 09.00hrs, 15 April Sibasa Hall Filabusi 08.30hrs/ April Mabuthweni Hall Bulawayo 14.00hrs, 16 April Lupane Town Hall Lupane 10.30hrs, 17 April Gweru Civic Centre Gweru 09.00hrs.

For more information and any new additional venues follow us on Facebook twitter, Instagram and we will also try to use mainline media to share any new developments.

Contact: Nyaradzo Mashayamombe, Tag a Life International Trust (TaLI) Address: No 152 Second Street Ext, Belgravia, Harare.

Zimbabwe’s main public sector workers’ union, Apex Council,   has expressed dissatisfaction over the recently announced salary increment for civil servants and claim the increment is far  from meeting their basic needs.

There has been mixed feelings from different sectors of the civil service.

Some of the APEX Council members claim that the increment was shoved in their throats without doing proper research on the current economic conditions and the council will continue fighting for better wages for its members.

One of the council’s senior members who spoke on condition of anonymity after its chairperson Cecilia Alexander was unavailable said :

“The problem we have in this country is absence of consistency, before civil servants enjoy a penny of the result of that grueling engagement with government prices shoot through the roof… because of the madness in the economy civil servants remain earning below the poverty datum line.”

Civil servants feel cheated because  the increment did not meet the US dollar payment that they demanded.

“The demand is there in black and white. Who does not know all prices are US$ tagged, The so called inter-bank exchange rate has not done anything to ameliorate the plight of civil servants. Price of goods and services are beyond the reach of the majority of civil servants,” said our source.

The latest increment effectively means the lowest paid government worker will take home RTGS$ 600. According to the rate of 3.70 the lowest paid civil servant will get US$163 but the rate is expected to increase as civil servants get their salaries. 

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) secretary general Japhet Moyo said “RTGS$ 600 is a third of what workers are supposed to earn in terms of the PDL (poverty datum line) remember the PDL is a moving earache (sic) and currently is at 1800 by next week it’s expected to be double.”

By Chimanimani Correspondent| Below were were the scenes at Ngangu stadium as ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa and a small group of leaders of political parties in the National Dialogue left for Harare, late Thursday afternoon.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW:

The opposition leaders thanked Mnangagwa for airlifting them to Chimanimani. Among them were Thokozani Khupe, Lovemore Madhuku, Trust Chikohora for CODE, Lucia Matibenga, Bryan Taurai Mteki and others.

Khupe was filmed smiling as she was announced as the country’s former Deputy Prime Minister.

During his speech, Mnangagwa said some affected families will be relocated. Mnangagwa revealed that government will build “beautiful houses” for those who lost houses.

Mnangagwa also promised the people of Ngangu saying a lot of aid was on its way to the area.

Speaking about Great Britain, Mnangagwa said he appreciates that Queen Elizabeth wrote a letter empathizing with us, Prince Charles also wrote the same with Prince William. In his own words, Mnangagwa said ‘kushata kwezvimwe kunaka kwezvimwe.’

He also spoke highly of US President Donald who he praised for releasing an additional: “$2.5mln US$ not RTGS or bond notes.”

By Own Correspondent| ZimEye is receiving sad news that the Build Zimbabwe Alliance president, Dr Noah Manyika’s deputy, William Pilbrough has died.

Dr Manyika said the man passed away on Thursday.

It was not clear at the time of writing what went wrong as his closest colleagues contacted by ZimEye.com said they knew nothing further.

What!!! I met him at the Zol counter at Sam Levy yesterday and had an animated chat with him and he looked as fit as a fiddle. What would have led to his untimely death if true??

— Coach Jerry?? (@maguranyanga) April 4, 2019

The party’s UK chapter leader, Todd Maforimbo who confirmed the sad development said, “We just received a message from Harare saying WIlliam is no more.”

Maforimbo did not explain further as he said details were too sketchy.

The late Pilbrough’s last tweets do not suggest any struggle with life.

In one of them posted at 12:21 AM – 3 Apr 2019, he said, “many people actually like Trump. They are entitled to their views. But this misses the point, he has alleged bias on the part of the media, against him. The CNN Ethiopian Airlines story appears to give credence to this and vice versa. Let’s not let our personal bias blind”

Pilbrough was an avid ZimEye reader.

Pilbrough, a British national though born in Zimbabwe, had relocated to Zimbabwe and had fought for and regained his Zimbabwean citizenship in 2017.

Media Statement|MDC-T Mashonaland Central Provincial Executive Committee has learnt with great shock about the expulsion of leader Linda Masarira who was the National Spokesperson.

As a province which believes in her able and capable leadership, we continue to stand with Cde. Masarira as she has been the only one truly concerned about the Mashonaland Central Province.

We have agreed as Mashonaland Central Province that we will resign en masse and follow Leader Masarira who is the only National Leader who was always in the province and guiding us on the way forward.

We believe in unity and tolerance and the expulsion of Leader Masarira based on images which circulated on social media of her donning Zanu PF regalia is unprogressive and a sign of political immaturity.

We unconditionally stand with Masarira during this moment recognizing her for having tirelessly shielded the party through thick and thin. She has consistently and visibly served as the voice of the Party from the date she assumed office. We will gladly follow her where she is going.

Chiedza Yakobe
Acting Mashonaland Central Chairperson

A gang of suspected robbers on Monday morning sneaked into Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company’s operating areas in Chiadzwa and entered a pit with ore that had been exposed earlier in the day.

The permanent secretary of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Nick Mangwana said two of the suspects have been arrested and in investigations are underway.

-State Media

By Own Correspondent- A Bulawayo man, Blessing Verengerai (25) from Nkulumane has been fined $250 by a local magistrate Lesigo Ngwenya for assaulting a sex worker.

The court heard that Lisa Bumhudza (23), referred to here as a sex worker, had refused to have unprotected sex with Verengerai.

Verengerai was also facing theft charges.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- One of the Kgalema Motlanthe led August 1 Commission of Inquiry members Professor Charity Manyeruke has been appointed as an ambassador.

Professor Manyeruke, today attended an induction workshops for recently appointed envoys.

Professor Manyeruke  is a Zimbabwean academic with close links to Zanu Pf. She is also Council Member of the University of Zimbabwe Council and Vice President of the Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa-Zimbabwe Chapter OSSREA.

In 2018, Manyeruke was appointed to The Motlanthe Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 murders which left 7 people dead after soldiers opened fire at unarmed civilians.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for latest updates .

By Own Correspondent- A Zimbabwean man who has been living in South Africa for the last 10 years on Wednesday won 12 million Rand in a national lottery jackpot, Ithuba.

The man who grew up in abject poverty back home decided to try his luck for a second time after he won nothing at the first attempt.

After winning the lottery, the 34-year-old man said he would renovate his family home in Zimbabwe, buy himself a house and car, and invest the rest of the money.

He said:

“A few weeks ago, I decided to give lotto a try for the first time and I won just over R200. I decided to play again. I did not think much about the numbers, I just randomly selected them.

I could not believe it when I learnt that I had a winning ticket. I won R12m!

My parents passed away when I was still very young and my sister had to step in as a mother figure to my siblings and me. Growing up in a child-headed home was tough – the poverty just never improved.

When I was in my early twenties, my friend who was already living and working in Durban suggested that I come to look for work in South Africa to help ease my circumstances at home. I stayed in Durban for five years and during that time I worked a lot of different casual and domestic jobs.

One of the companies I worked for in Durban recognised my hard work and offered me a permanent job at their head office in Johannesburg.

This move changed my life. I was able to rent a decent place and was able to help my family back home to have food on the table every day. I thought that my life could not get better than that.”-SowetanLive

By Farai Maguwu| Sickness is not a crime but …..if one is terminally ill they should step down from public office and concentrate on their health.

So this VVVVVVIP Came to Mutare to proceed to Chimanimani to inspect the impact of Cyclone Idai. He spent the night at Golden Peacock Hotel and in the morning as delegates prepared to go to Aerodrome to take the flight to Chimanimani he didnt appear from his room. An emergency situation was declared. Local Doctors were rushed to Golden Peacock since the South African and Indian Doctors would need hours and days to reach Mutare respectively.

For about 2 hours doctors battled to resuscitate him and thankfully or whatever you feel, he regained consciousness. Am told Doctors had very mixed feelings when he popped open his eyes.

Here we are beloved Africa. We have leaders sitting in the departure lounge clinging to power when their minds are firmly fixed on their next destinations. Its no surprise most of them take thousands with them as African leaders naturally prefer large delegations when they travel.

Leading a nation is a huge responsibility which requires one to work 16 – 18 hours a day. This means one must be fit, both physically and mentally. People who are in and out of hospital must NOT be in public Office. Respect to the Algerian people for forcing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to resign on medical grounds and his advanced age.

By Own Correspondent- Police this afternoon stormed into offices belonging to the 263 Chat team and opened a teargas canister after one of the officers noticed a journalist Lovejoy Mutongwiza filming their running battles with the vendors along Jason Moyo.

The video below shows the 263Chat team vacating their office which was engulfed in teargas smoke.

Farai Dziva|MDC T president Thokozani Khupe who fired party spokesperson Linda Masarira for wearing a wrapping cloth bearing Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s face today accompanied the Zanu PF leader to Manicaland in a State helicopter.

Political analysts argue the so called dismissal of Masarira is just a window dressing move meant to attract public attention.

In a picture circulating on social media, Khupe is seen ensconced in the helicopter accompanying Mnangagwa to Manicaland.

By Own Correspondent- Former MDC-T spokesperson Linda Masarira who was recently fired from her party led by Dr Thozokani Khupe for wearing a Zanu Pf wrapping has attacked her former boss likening him to MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

Masarira accused Khupe and Chamisa of disregarding party Constitutions.

She said:

In terms of constitutionalism, the difference is the same. They [Chamisa and Khupe] both indicate left and turn right. We have a mammoth task to ensure constitutionalism at all levels in our country.

Being expelled for tying a mere piece of Zanu PF cloth is the highest level of mediocrity which I will not dwell upon as I have better things to focus on as national development issues for the prosperity and posterity of this nation.

I am not going to join any political party rather its time to put my vision into action. I am a visionary with a vision for a united, tolerant and democratic Zimbabwe.

Masarira was on Wednesday shown the exit door by Khupe after she was pictured wearing ZANU PF regalia at a rural function.

The Khupe-led MDC was worried that Masarira’s indiscretions will give traction to the view held by some that MDC-T is a mere appendage of ZANU PF.