By Own Correspondent| Vice President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga’s motorcade was on Sunday spotted at the Avenues Clinic in Harare, where he normally seeks medical care before flying out of the country.

Zimbabwe’s Vice President normally flies out to either South Africa or India every time he is unwell for “specialists care” which is not available in the country.

It however could not be immediately established if Chiwenga was indeed hospitalised at what remains as one of the country’s best health centres.

Said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity:

“Yes it was his motorcade but I cannot comment further on whether it was him or not seeking medical care.”

Information gathered by ZimEye however suggested that Chiwenga could be flying back to India soon for medical care.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for more.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba told The Standard in an exclusive interview yesterday that the Airbus A318-100, which flew seven hours and 16 minutes from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday to be in position in Harare before Mnangagwa’s flight to Bulawayo on Thursday, remained in the country ahead of another foreign trip by Mnangagwa to South Africa tomorrow.

“Then coming to the Bulawayo issue, the aircraft you are talking about came in on Thursday and has been here preparing to take the president to South Africa for the Sadc Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara, scheduled for 25-26 March 2019 in Pretoria,” Charamba said.

“We booked the aircraft to be here until it brings back the president from the summit on Tuesday. If you were going to check, the aircraft is currently at the tarmac of the domestic flights and it is cheaper to hire the aircraft for days than to hire it on the day when the president wants to fly out.”

Since he took over through a military-assisted process in 2017, Mnangagwa has projected himself as a simple leader who wants to cut costs, but instead he has often used hired private jets for most of his foreign trips.

Last week he had to use a hired jet for a local trip to Bulawayo where he met civil society members, raising questions on his sincerity to tackle public expenditure.

Charamba said his boss was committed to costcutting and his officials were feeling the pinch.

“Let me pre-empt you; I know you would want to ask why not use scheduled flights for the president. Here is the tricky issue. One, it is very risky to do that for both the president and the airline. In this case, we are talking of a national airline which has one aircraft to service all its routes. If the president was to use a scheduled flight, it means that all the luggage in that flight will be opened and subjected to search by our security systems,” he said.

-The Standard

By Own Correspondent| A picture showing a vandalised railway line is doing the rounds on social media in a development which has sent fears of a looming disaster.

While it could not be immediately established where this picture was taken, citizens here allege that the vandalised railway line is somewhere in Zimbabwe.

Help us identify this place.

We however publish below some of the readers comments.

“President Emmerson Mnangagwa will continue hiring expensive private planes when he is travelling until the government gets him a dedicated presidential jet or until the country has a functioning national airline.

This is the message coming from Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba who was responding to questions on why Mnangagwa was using expensive private jets. Mnangagwa recently hired a US$12 500/hour private jet from Dubai in order to travel to Bulawayo. He has also received criticism for hiring a one of a type US$74 000 per hour Swiss Luxury jet.

Charamba went on to justify why senior government officials get treatment outside the country when they are sick saying that it is part of their conditions of service. Below is an excerpt of Charamba’s interview with Xolisani Ncube (XN) of The Standard,

XN: So for how long are we going to be hiring private jets for the president, Cde Charamba?

GC: Until such a time we have a presidential jet or a functioning national airline with a fleet of aircraft. At the moment, our economy cannot sustain the purchase of a presidential jet. Imagine what would happen if the president decides to get a presidential jet. Definitely it would cause an uproar. So until such a time when our economy can sustain the purchase of a presidential jet or we have a national airline with many aircraft, we shall always resort to hiring of private jets. The idea to buy a presidential jet is part of our plans in the long to medium-term, but for now, our economy cannot allow us to do that.

XN: You have explained well on the presidential jet and why the state hires, how about the VPs (vice-presidents), why not use scheduled flights? We have seen them being flown using hired private planes, at whose cost?

GC: This is part of conditions of service for the top three. Even ministers, if their conditions of service stipulate that they should be airlifted whenever they need medical attention at the expense of the state, it must be done. Even top civil servants, if their benefits include airlifting, there is nothing that we can do to change that, it is in their contracts.

-Standard

Prominent gospel musician Ivy Kombo last Friday returned home after a 12-year absence.

Kombo relocated to the UK in 2006 and only returned home once in 2007 before returning to the United Kingdom again.

She is in the country to set the ground for the return of Nguva Yakwana gospel concert.

Kombo arrived in the country last Friday with her husband Admire Kasi.

“We are back home to organise a big function that will remind people of the good old days. Nguva Yakwana was a popular brand and we need to bring it back. We are working on the groundwork to bring back the festival,” said Kombo.

Online

Norton Member of Parliament who is also the boss of the deceased lawyer’s sister, posted that he was involved in an accident on his way from receiving the body of Vee Dumbutshena who also died in a road accident on Saturday.

Mliswa did not suspect foul play though, he said the Honda Fit driver failed to give way resulting in a collision.

Have just been involved in an accident whilst coming from receiving the body of Vee Dumbutshena who passed away this week. The person failed to give way. Thank God we are alive but people should not drink and drive. pic.twitter.com/xuo09B11oC

— Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) March 24, 2019

The deceased Vee Dumbutshena had previously floored the army in court, something that gave rise to suspicions her death could be foul play.

ZimEye.com sources have indicated that the Warriors fan who died at National Sports Stadium in Harare just before the match between Zimbabwe and Congo Brazzaville on Sunday has been identified Mai Tadiwa.

According to the sources who spoke with conviction, the lady (pictured) was based in Mutare and was also a CAPS United supporter. Mai Tadiwa died in the presence of her husband, who she had invited all the way from South Africa to come so they could go watch the game together as she had bought him a ticket.

She died after a stampede on Gate 3.

A close relative of hers said “This lady had invited her hubby to travel all the way from South Africa to watch the Warriors match as she had bought him the ticket.

“The husband obliged and was there at the stadium when tragedy. She was trampled by fans who were scaling the security fence.”

An official at Zimbabwe Football Association confirmed to the BBC that a supporter was killed in a stampede outside the national stadium in Harare before kick-off in the crucial match against Congo Brazzaville.

Despite the tragedy, the qualifier went ahead as scheduled with Zimbabwe winning 2-0 to seal their place at Egypt 2019.

Khama Billiat, who plays for Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa, opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a well-struck free-kick to put Zimbabwe 1-0 up.

His Belgium-based captain Knowledge Musona added a second 16 minutes later, pouncing on a defensive error to make it 2-0 to the hosts.

Congo Brazzaville tried to get back into the match but could not overcome a powerful and resilient Warriors team.

The victory makes it back-to-back Nations Cup appearances for Zimbabwe who played at Gabon 2017 after an 11-year absence from the finals.

ZIMBABWE’S Warriors chose the perfect way to cheer the nation’s spirits when they powered their way to the 32nd African Cup of Nations finals following a deserved victory over Congo (Brazzaville) at the National Sports Stadium yesterday.

The country is still in mourning following the deaths of hundreds of people and loss of property caused by the devastating Cyclone Idai.

Sunday Chidzambwa’s men, who arrived at the stadium needing only a draw to secure a successive qualification, found the victory that brought smiles on the nation and cheered spirits through a goal each by Khama Billiat and captain Knowledge Musona.

The Warriors wore black armbands and a minute of silence was observed before the start of the match in honour of the victims of the cyclone.

Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry saluted the Warriors for their victory and dedicating their win to the Cyclone victims.

More importantly the triumph also came on the second of the two days of mourning which had been declared by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Minister Coventry said she was proud at the way the Warriors had absorbed the pressure of playing at home and securing their win.

“I am very proud of the team, they had a lot of pressure coming into the game and they played so well, the possession was always ours, they were in full control. And I am very proud of them.

“I think it’s been an amazing win for Zimbabwe especially with what the country has gone through over the last week. The boys were playing with everybody in mind and I think that has made it really special.

“The boys were wearing the black bands in honour of everyone that lost their lives or homes and they felt that it was extremely important for them to win not just for the country but for all of those people that are struggling in Manicaland. So they went above and beyond today and they have made us extremely proud,’’ Coventry said.

Principal director in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Recreation Benson Martins Dube also welcomed the win which guaranteed the Warriors a place among the 24 countries that will line-up at the Nations Cup tournament in Egypt in June.

“I am very happy about what the boys have done for us especially at this time when we are in mourning. They have really done us proud,’’ Dube said.

Former Zimbabwe Olympic Committee president Tommy Sithole, who was also among the strong crowd estimated at 55 000, noted that in tough times such as those brought about by the cyclone, a nation needed something that went some way to cheer their spirits.

“Well I think this is absolutely fantastic. We deserved to win, we were at home and we had everything going for us, the crowd.

“We need this at this particular time of grief that has befallen all of us. So we needed something to pep us up and the boys came to the party, it is fantastic.

“We have got at least something to cheer. We are of course in grief, we have lost hundreds of our own people, we have lost property but this is something to cheer, it is something we should be all happy about.

“Of course we are not forgetting what’s happened in the East, we are not forgetting about our comrades and friends in Malawi and in Mozambique but this is a little bit of a cheer and we thank God for it and we thank our boys for it,” said Sithole.

The Civil Protection Unit (CPU) at the weekend confirmed the latest figure of 154 deaths, while 187 remained unaccounted for.

About 4 884 were completely displaced, while 136 were still marooned with 162 injured.

“The death toll for the Cyclone Idai-induced floods continues to rise. The following is an update on Cyclone Idai as at 22nd March 2019. A proper assessment has not yet been undertaken due to access challenges. The domestic and international appeal document for assistance is being finalised and is scheduled to be launched on Tuesday 26 March 2019 (tomorrow). Access to the affected areas has improved following the clearing of the road from Chipinge to Chimanimani Town. Weather conditions have also improved despite some intermittent rainfall episodes in the affected areas. Search and rescue efforts are underway, in difficult conditions,” said CPU in a statement.

State Media

Zimbabwe ended two days of national mourning at the weekend with little sign of a nation struck by grief after nearly 200 people died in the aftermath of cyclone Idai.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Saturday and Sunday as days of national mourning.

National flags flown at half-mast were the only sign of respect by the state accorded to victims and survivors.

There were no state activities organised and radio and television stations appeared to continue with their normal programming. Local government minister July Moyo said individuals had to take the two days of mourning to reflect on the tragedy at family level.

“Government is not necessarily spearheading the two days of national mourning. I think the president’s intention was to have people reflecting at family level and also use the days to source aid for the survivors,” he told Times LIVE.

“The only thing that the government did is to fly our national flags at half-mast and for us to work on a Sunday in respect of both the victims and survivors. But there is no specific program conducted by government.”

James Mupfumi, a lecturer and director at the Centre for Research and Development, said that on a national day of mourning the state broadcaster was showing cartoons.

On Sunday morning, Mnangagwa attended at a church service at Malbereign Methodist church in Harare.

Some residents in Chimanimani said they were disappointed that the tragedy did not appear to resonate with those outside the area.

“We have not heard of anything that the government has set aside for the two days. But we are mourning our friends and relatives who have died and others who are still trapped,” said Veronica Mabuto of Skyline in Chimanimani.

Chipinge ward 14 councilor Briton Nyasine, who saw his house destroyed, also said that communities felt neglected. “It is our tradition that we mourn together as a family, community and nation when disaster strikes. But right now, we feel alone,” said Nyasine.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa however claimed they were continuously airing programmes both on television and radio on the natural disaster.

Spokesperson for the Movement for Democratic Change Jacob Mafume said government had not shown enough moral support to the relatives of the hundreds of people who had died.

“This is not a two-day mourning event … The national TV and newspapers spend more time mourning one person than they do hundreds and hundreds of people. We see a government attending to international meetings as if everything is business as usual,” he said. — TimesLIVE

By A Correspondent| It was on the 18th March 1975 when Africa’s first London bar barrister, Herbert Chitepo died in a car bomb explosion which was clearly an assassination, one of many others to happen years later – from Tongogara to Ndangana, to Mahachi to Chindori-Chininga. The accident scene on Saturday afternoon in Chatsworth/Mvuma road which killed Zimbabwe’s fiery young lawyer, Inviolata Dumbutshena sent shockwaves throughout the community. The young and powerful Inviolata, 34, died barely a few months after defeating the Zimbabwe National Army in a High Court land battle, the family told ZimEye.com.

If her death was not of a classic Chitepo bomb or a traditional puma collision, what was it?, most news readers repeated the question on Sunday.

Looking at her background, Involata is the granddaughter of Zimbabwe’s former chief justice, Enoch Dumbutshena, the latter who clashed with Emmerson Mnangagwa over the Gukurahundi extrajudicial killings the ZANU PF leader was personally responsible for in the early 1980s. Justice Dumbutshena’s children have since taken up the legal profession following after him.

(READERS NOTE: Some of the pictures from this accident are distressing to those of a nervous disposition)

LATEST VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Inviolata had a successful law firm which has two branches in Bulawayo and in Harare. She was on her way from South Africa through Bulawayo, when she decided to use the Masvingo, Mvuma road back to the capital city.

VIDEO LOADING

The sad incident happened at a sharp curve spot between Chatsworth and Mvuma.

Sources told ZimEye advocate Dumbutshena was with a friend in the same car.  

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

She was traveling from Masvingo towards Mvuma when her Toyota Rav4 was later found virtually shapeless just 15 metres away from the main road. Newsreaders questioned the shape of the car after the accident saying it did not appear reflective of a genuine collision especially one that happens within 15 m of the main road. There were several pieces of debris scattered all over the place around the vehicle in what some alleged could be the aftermath of an explosion. This belief was reinforced by the late lawyer’s sister who on Saturday evening told ZimEye, “when we got to the accident scene having driven from Harare, we only saw her car and there was nothing else to suggest that there had been a collision.” 

This testimony would later shift as the same source a day later sounded out that she later witnessed fresh pictures of a gonyet (haulage truck) visuallyindicative that there was a genuine collision.

She however insisted that she still believes that the accident was a stitch up job by men in power to end Inviolata’s life.  

THE ACCIDENT.

During the ZimEye.com program on Sunday morning, some contributors previously unknown to ZimEye joined in to say they had witnessed the accident and they believe that it was a genuine collision. One of them named, Beauty Joseph provided the below pictures saying the haulage truck had a head on crash with the Toyota RAV4, resulting in the smaller vehicle ending up landed in the bushy area near the road. 

Ms Joseph said her findings are supported by the fact that there is a sharp curve in the road and the RAV4 was traveling too fast while approaching the haulage truck. The accident was caused by failure to slow down and improve judgement due to the blind spot, she told ZimEye.

But could this not be the very reason why an assassin would choose such a spot to commit murder?, another contributor told ZimEye. 

Ms Joseph told ZimEye when they arrived at the scene, “the truck driver was busy making calls. No one was injured from the truck.” This is not to indicate that he was part of a plot.  

WHO COULD WANT TO HURT HER?

The family told ZimEye, beyond the land dispute with the Zimbabwe national Army High Court case which she won in in December, Inviolata had gained a reputation for handling sensitive cases involving men and women in high places. 

” Her law firm was now well trusted for handling sensitive cases of high profile people,” another family source told ZimEye. 

As in the ZNA case, she represented a female client. (ZimEye is making a follow up investigation on this.) 

She had also received a prestigious award for excellent legal services as video footage reveals.

Meanwhile, as a post mortem is underway, mourners are gathered at the family home in Borrowdale, Harare.

Own Correspondent|Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa has promised a house and a $1,000 lifetime allowance to the elderly woman who walked to Presbyterian Church in Highlands, Harare, carrying her donations to Cyclone Idai victims.

The house will be built anywhere she wants in Zimbabwe will be solar powered and with flowing, clean water, said Masiyiwa, adding that he admires people who ACT in times of a crisis.

Masiyiwa made the revelations on his official Facebook page when he said: “Gogo came to GIVE! This is the biblical “widow’s mite. 

She gave more than us all! What she did is one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen! When this is over, I’m going to find her, and invite her to come and see me, if possible:

“Then: I will spend time in prayer with her! Then I will BUILD HER A HOUSE, ANYWHERE SHE WANTS IN ZIMBABWE! It will have solar power and running water! Then: I WILL GIVE HER A MONTHLY ALLOWANCE OF $1000 for life!

“Why? I admire people who are moved to ACT in a crisis! God bless you, if you are moved to ACT as she did. It is not about how much you have.

“How many young men, and even women in their cars watched her carry that sack, and never asked to help? This is how you miss the Angel of God…”

Masiyiwa made the stunning revelations in his Facebook page article titled: Reflection: A disastrous cyclone hit Madagascar, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

He said: “May I take a moment to express my deep condolences to all affected by this tragedy. Our Econet and Higher Life teams are doing what we can to help support relief efforts, but a huge rebuilding effort will be required in all the countries affected.

“Cyclone Idai caused not just loss of life, but also loss of livelihoods. March is harvest season and whole crops were wiped out with countless livestock drowned. Floods and winds destroyed businesses, schools, clinics, churches, roads and communications infrastructure. It is a shocking disaster with whole parts of towns in Mozambique under water! National GDP growth will obviously be affected in these countries.

“When I heard of the arriving storm I immediately cancelled my trip and reached out to the type of people I know who have deep empathy. “What can I do to help?” soon became “What can WE do to help?”

Strive Masiyiwa has also been paying for the fuel of all the helicopters that rescued marooned villagers in the eastern highlands during the flood, including Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopters.

He said: “Find common cause with people who want to ACT, even if you have differences with them. If a fire is burning at your house will you chase away someone who turns up with a water bowser because you have an existing fight with them?

“After receiving a report of people stuck in trees and on rooftops waiting to be rescued, someone on my team asked: “Does anyone know someone who knows how to rescue people from raging rivers?” Then someone had an idea. “Let’s ask the guys who do white water rafting in Victoria Falls…”

“So we called them. Next they all packed their boats into a big truck and drove to use their skills plucking people from trees and rooftops. The company which organized the operation is called Shearwater Zimbabwe and they even added a helicopter to help with the rescue.”

Econet has also provided millions of dollars in funds as well as critical goods and foodstuffs, medicines and equipment for use by the cyclone victims.

THE Parliament of Zimbabwe has summoned Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube and Agriculture Minister Perrance Shiri to appear before its Committee to explain why farmers were being paid RTGS currency despite geovernment having promised that tobacco farmers would keep 50 percent foreign currency from their produce.

This comes after the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe reneged on promises this year to pay growers 50% in foreign currency and the remaining 50% in RTGS dollars.

The announcement was made when the market opened. The farmers were urged to write letters requesting that 50% be converted into foreign currency.

Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Wedza North legislator David Musabayana requested that Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and Agriculture Minister Perrance Shiri come to parliament to explain why Government is paying tobacco farmers in RTGS dollars only.

Said Musabayana: “I am requesting the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Honourable Professor Ncube to come and give a Ministerial Statement with regards to why he went back on his word on the promises that he had made to the farmers.

“In the same, vein I am also requesting the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Development to come with a Ministerial Statement in terms of how the prices of tobacco have gone down, whether he has carried out an investigation or if he is going to put any measures in place to ensure that farmers will not lose the money to be earned from their tobacco.”

NewsDay

A SELF-PROCLAIMED traditional healer from Gweru, who allegedly defrauded his clients claiming he could make them rich and cure HIV, last week appeared in court facing fraud charges.

Lackshman Mantshontsho (23) of Mkoba 5 appeared before Gweru magistrate Beaulity Dube facing three counts of fraud after he allegedly misled three of his clients, Tichaona Boora (21), Angelbert Nziradzapatsva (25) and the third complainant (name withheld to protect his identity because of their HIV status).

Mantshontsho pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to April 17 for continuation of trial.

The State’s case was that on January 19 this year, the complainants went to the accused’s office situated along Third Street to be cleansed of evil spirits.

Mantshontsho allegedly told the third complainant that he could cure him of HIV and advised him to stop taking antiretroviral drugs before charging him $1 500 and two beasts.

On the same day, Mantshontsho sold his wallet for $300 to Nziradzapatsva claiming that it was magical and could bring the complainant up to US$800 a day.

The complainant paid $100 through EcoCash before settling the balance in cash.

The court further heard that Mantshontsho told Nziradzapatsva that he was supposed to go and catch a hippopotamus and draw three litres of blood from it, but the latter became suspicious and asked the traditional healer to reimburse the money.

Nziradzapatsva was asked to wait outside the office, and in the meantime, the accused fled through the back door.

On the same day, the court heard, Mantshontsho sold a purported magic ring to Boora for $200, claiming the ring could give Boora up to US$500 000 a day.

The complainant was given herbs and ordered to put the ring and herbs in an envelope before Mantshontsho demanded an extra $200 for a traditional bag, which he said he was going to buy the following week in Bulawayo.

Boora made a follow-up on several occasions, but never got the bag. The matter was reported to the police, leading to Mantshontsho’s arrest.

He allegedly defrauded his clients of US$1 500, $700 and two beasts valued at $2 500.

Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa rushed back into the country on Saturday from Angola to join the nation in the two days mourning he proclaimed for people who perished during Cyclone Idai.

Mnangagwa had received huge criticism from Zimbabweans on social media when he hurriedly left the country for a very low key SADC event in Angola leaving the country mourning.

Other SADC countries seconded ministers and ambassadors to the event which Mnangagwa attended.

The cyclone affected Chimanimani, Chipinge, Masvingo and Chikomba leaving more than 230 people dead and left a trail of destruction.

After his hurried return, Mnangagwa attended a church service at the Methodist Church in Mabelreign, Harare and was accompanied by the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda and Information, Media and Broadcasting Services principal director Mr Regis Chikore.

In his remarks, Mnangagwa narrated moments he encountered when he visited the affected areas and came face to face with the victims last week when he visited the stricken areas of Chimanimani. He said he also heard different heart-breaking narrations of how people died and said it is time to seek God as no one had the answer to this national problem.

“As people, we do not know anything. We only get to know something after it would have occurred but God knows everything, even things to come in future. Job lost all his children and wealth but he never turned away from God.

“We should accept this although it is difficult, even for me. Sometimes we ask God why He allows such things to happen and also if He still exists.

“We cannot direct God but we just accept what He has done. Let us pray and seek God when we still can as disaster can come anytime and in different forms. We are all sinners and we should all go to Jesus when we are still alive,” he said.

Mnangagwa thanked all the countries that have assisted Zimbabwe in this difficult period including the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Tanzania and Botswana and Britain among others for the support with drugs, blankets and food among other things.

He said he had received messages of condolences from British monarch, Queen Elizabeth and her family.

“The British government, even if we disagree on some issues, sent a message. Prince Charles sent a message together with his wife to console us.

“Local companies, churches, organisations and individuals in Zimbabwe have also sent and are still sending goods to help the affected people in the affected areas,” he said.

“We have some misunderstanding with doctors here but they are voluntarily supporting people in the affected areas and I want to thank them.”

Mnangagwa expressed concern that the death toll was increasing and could get to more than 200 people.

“Some citizens were swept away to Mozambique and because of the decomposing state of their bodies, we have agreed that they be buried in Mozambique. Some could have been washed away to the ocean,” he said.

The Methodist Church general secretary, Reverend Dr Jimmy Dube said it was the role of the church to console people and help them come to terms with the disaster.

“The victims have received food, clothing drugs and all the material things but the church should assist them to come to terms with the grief, so that they do not collapse inside.

“People are trying to come to terms with the grief and anger. They are asking God why this happened and why He remained silent and never alerted them. Some are even asking is there God while others ask God why people have perished through floods when He had made a covenant that He will not destroy humanity through floods.

“We do not have answers. Today is an important day as it allows healing. We cannot continue as if nothing has happened. We have come together to express our grief and God will heal us of the trauma. The church should help us to pick up the broken pieces,” he said.

Paul Nyathi|Angered by his huge appetite for flying both in and outside the country, crafty Zimbabweans have found new names for President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa has been surnamed “Tongombeya,” on the social media, a Shona word meaning one who is always meaninglessly on the road, a name usually applied on people with a mental disorder.

To add to the drama, the President’s first name has been crafted as “Scarfmore” created from the colourful scarf that he always wonders around with on his neck.

Zimbabweans have a unique style of adding “more” to names such as “Lovemore, Passmore, Praymore, Givemore, Takemore” and several others hence the creation of “Scarfmore.”

A hilarious photoshopped Zimbabwean identity card crafted for Mnangagwa with his new names has taken social media by storm in the last few days with Zimbabweans congratulating whoever created the identity card for clearly expressing Zimbabwe’s frustrations on the President’s trips.

Since taking over from former President Robert Mugabe in November 2017, Mnangagwa has been hiring very expensive jets and flying around the world wantonly much to the anger of Zimbabweans who believe he is wasting state funds as the trips never bring anything for the country.

Below are some of the expensive trips that “Tongombeya” has taken since coming into power in 2017.

1. December 2017: Pretoria, South Africa
2. January 2018: Davos, Switzerland
3. January 2018: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
4. January 2018: Luanda, Angola
5. January 2018: Lusaka, Zambia
6. January 2018: Windhoek, Namibia
7. January 2018: Maputo, Mozambique
8. February 2018: Gaberone, Botswana
9. March 2018: Gaberone, Botswana
10. March 2018: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
11. March 2018: Kigali, Rwanda
12. April 2018: Beijing, China
13. June 2018: Nouakchott, Mauritania
14. June 2018: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
15. July 2018: Johannesburg, South Africa
16. August 2018: Windhoek, Namibia
17. September 2018: Beijing, China
18. September 2018: New York, United States
19. October 2018: Lusaka, Zambia
20. November 2018: Conakry, Guinea
21. November 2018: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
22. January 2019: Moscow, Russia
23. January 2019: Minsk, Belarus
24. January 2019: Baku, Azerbaijan
25. January 2019: Astana, Kazakhstan
26. February 2019: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
27. March 2019: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
28. March 2019: Luanda, Angola

Mnangagwa is expected to leave Harare again this morning for Johannesburg, South Africa on a jet hired from Malaysia which charges on an hourly rate and has been in the country since Wednesday last week.

Own Correspondent|The Local Government Ministry has issued a press statement clarifying reports alleging that a volcano erupted in Bikita, Masvingo province.

Bikita District Administrator, Bernard Hadzirabwi dismissed speculation doing  rounds on social media that there was a volcanic eruption or simmering in Matekenya Hills in Chief Ziki’s area

Hadzibarwi who had his men on the ground said instead there was a huge rockfall and the friction caused fire and a lot of smoke which villagers thought was a volcano.

The rockfall resulted in cracks on two houses within the vicinity of the mountain although no one was injured from the incident.

By Own Correspondent- The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) board has agreed in principle to a tariff adjustment by the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs), a local publication has reported.

The newly-appointed Potraz board agreed to requests from MNOs for an upward review in tariffs at its meeting convened in the capital recently.

When asked for a comment, Potraz director-general Gift Machengete confirmed the adjustments but did not reveal much.

Said Machengete:

“You will see the reviewed tariffs maybe after the operators have announced or advertised (them).”-DailyNews

By Own Correspondent- The meteorological services department has assured the country that the feared second cyclone will not hit Zimbabwe or the continent.

The state media reports:

“Zim’s Met Dept allays fears of yet another cyclone in the country and SADC. Metereological Services Department Spokesperson, Tich Zinyemba said Cyclone Joanina, detected in the Indian Ocean, is not even closer to Madagascar and while powerful, projections show that it will re-curve back into the ocean.”

Farai Dziva| The country’s main
Opposition party MDC A has blasted Emmerson Mnangagwa for having an embarrassing penchant for flying.

Mnangagwa visited Angola to attend the first Anniversary of Southern African Liberation Day, which was declared by the Southern African Development Community in August 2018.

MDC A spokesperson Jacob Mafume said :”Hundreds of people perished and that did not change his programme.

He declared two days of mourning this weekend, but as the chief mourner, he has left on the first day of that mourning. What will it take for him to see that things are not normal, and it can’t be business as usual?”

MDC deputy national chairperson Tendai Biti declared: “
The usurper declares two days of mourning. Our people do not require mourning, they require effective disaster management.

The usurper has the indecency of running away during mourning.”

Several patients requiring urgent surgery at Mpilo Hospital have been left stranded by the shortage of anaesthetic machines.

At least 300 patients are scheduled to go for surgery at Mpilo Hospital.

However, many of these people cannot currently be assisted because the hospital only has four working anaesthetic machines at the moment.

Mpilo Hospital does not only service Bulawayo, it also caters for the whole of Matabeleland, the Midlands and Masvingo.
The hospital’s clinical director, Solwayo Ngwenya, told the Daily News yesterday that the lives of the affected patients were now at risk due to the shortage of the anaesthetic machines.

“This is a highly sensitive issue. We only have four anaesthetic machines and the hospital needs more.
“Patients’ lives have been put on the line. As you know, Mpilo serves a large number of patients from Bulawayo, the two Matabeleland provinces, Masvingo and the Midlands.

“Patients awaiting surgical operations are having to wait for a long time, a situation that is endangering their lives.

“An anaesthetic machine is critical as it is used to put a patient to sleep and enables practitioners to carry out operations,” Ngwenya said.
However, he added, drug stocks at Mpilo had improved significantly, although the hospital was still struggling to get essential equipment and sundries due to the acute shortage of foreign currency in the country.

“The situation is now much better here at Mpilo. We are being supplied by NatPharm and what has also served us well is that we complement the government’s efforts by purchasing our own stocks.
“The biggest challenge though has been foreign currency which is needed to acquire these drugs,” Ngwenya added.

Government hospitals have, for a long time now, been beset by many problems which have frequently led to the suspension of critical services.

Essential medical staff have also regularly embarked on industrial action to press for better working conditions and adequate stocks at public hospitals.

Recently, the head of paediatric services at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Azza Mashumba, broke down in tears as she lifted the lid on the desperate situation confronting staff at most government hospitals.Daily News

LISTED milk processor Dairibord Holdings Limited (DHL) is pulling out of Malawi to cut losses incurred by the unit.

Dairibord Malawi (DM) has for a long time been facing viability problems due to foreign currency shortages coupled with other challenges.

“The holding company could not leverage its balance sheet to capacitate Dairibord Malawi and as a result the company continued to experience difficulties…” said DHL’s chief executive Anthony Mandiwanza.

“In our decision we looked at various options… to attract potential investors who may want to inject equity so that we can invest and turn around the business that was not successful,” he added.
DHL was also unsuccessful in securing credit facilities from banks to capacitate DM owing to failure to provide security for the loans.

“Malawi is now regarded as a discontinued operation, the assets are available for sale and for the year ended 31 December, business posted a loss of $693 000 which was actually an increase from the $594 000 it incurred in 2017”, added DHL company secretary Mercy Ndoro.

These challenges among others, according Mandiwanza, resulted in DM being accounted for as held for sale “following our decision to divest out of Malawi.

“That decision has been taken, we are in the process of implementing and executing the exit from Malawi.”
DHL will, however maintain its market share through exports from Zimbabwe to retailers in Malawi, says Mandiwanza.

This comes after Zimbabwe Limited (DZL) recorded 28 percent increase in total revenue to $126.4 million in year ended 2018.
Export growth surged modestly to 67 percent accompanied by operating profit 119 percent to $10 million.

In the year ended 2019 DZL says it is estimating a revenue growth of 40-50 percent, a six percent volume and an operating margin of nine percent.

Daily News

PRESIDENTIAL spokesperson George Charamba has defended the continued use of hired planes by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. This comes as the President leaves for South Africa tomorrow for the Sadc Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara, scheduled for 25-26 March 2019 in Pretoria, again on a hired plane.

He said that the President will continue using hired flights, and that the nation better got used to it.

“Let me pre-empt you; I know you would want to ask why not use scheduled flights for the President. Here is the tricky issue. One, it is very risky to do that for both the president and the airline. In this case, we are talking of a national airline which has one aircraft to service all its routes.

“If the president was to use a scheduled flight, it means that all the luggage in that flight will be opened and subjected to search by our security systems, This inconveniences the reputation of the airline and the passengers.

“Also the passengers themselves will have to be subjected to those security systems and this definitely will lead in some people leaving the airline and it loses business.

“Also when the president is flying, he would fly in the business class and no one will be allowed there, Just imagine you as a reporter you are supposed to fly to South Africa and you have bought your business class ticket and just because the president has joined the flight, you will have to move to the economy class. This will definitely lead to some people abandoning the airline.

“Remember the aviation business works on a patronage system and losing one customer is a big blow, which no airline would risk.

“So we look at all those factors and if you are to look at the opportunity cost, you are bound to agree with us that hiring an aircraft for the president is much better than going through all those challenges. Key to this, the scheduled flight will have to change its time to suit the president. This is dangerous for any airline.

“The president went to Angola using a small aircraft, hence I am here, because of the nature of the visit. Let me hasten to say we are dealing with a man who is trying by all means to cut costs. Believe you me, this man is serious about cost-cutting. He is very serious to an extent that today he compromised his security. He trimmed down the delegation and opted to use a smaller aircraft so that it becomes cheap and affordable. Imagine, he went to Angola leaving behind even his press secretary and his security. Who does that? I have been in government for years and I know what I mean when I say he means business when it comes to cost-cutting. This is a touch-down touch-up situation.”

Regarding the costs to the nation of the hired planes, Charamba said Mnangagwa was trying by all means to cut costs. “I don’t have the figures and I know the agenda you are pushing, it’s an assumption premised on wrong information. Let me tell you something. Airlines that are in the business of hiring out executive or VVIP aircraft are normally not busy.

“I know you want to say the aircraft has been here since Thursday to Tuesday and try to calculate the figure based on those assumptions you have been peddling that are false anyway. The issue you have to understand is that the aviation industry is very complicated. The charge is determined by the demand of the aircraft. If it is off-peak, definitely it would be cheaper and those who are in the business of engaging these airlines know that.

“Talking about the Bulawayo trip and the idea that the president could have used a scheduled flight, it meant that he would need to divert the Harare-Johannesburg route to go via Bulawayo. Do you think people were going to agree to that?

“So really let us be realistic when we discuss some of these issues, This is part of conditions of service for the top three. Even ministers, if their conditions of service stipulate that they should be airlifted whenever they need medical attention at the expense of the state, it must be done.

“Even top civil servants, if their benefits include airlifting, there is nothing that we can do to change that, it is in their contracts. Until such a time we have a presidential jet or a functioning national airline with a fleet of aircraft. At the moment, our economy cannot sustain the purchase of a presidential jet. Imagine what would happen if the president decides to get a presidential jet. Definitely it would cause an uproar.

“So until such a time when our economy can sustain the purchase of a presidential jet or we have a national airline with many aircraft, we shall always resort to hiring of private jets. The idea to buy a presidential jet is part of our plans in the long to medium-term, but for now, our economy cannot allow us to do that.

“As I said on the president issue, it comes down to circumstances. In this case, we do not have a direct flight to the DRC and if we were going to use scheduled flights, it meant that the VP was to fly to South Africa and connect from there. The security risks at play here are so huge and also the time factor.

“Again it meant that we were going to disturb the business class of the airline and this is something that has issues with many airlines. Look at the event he was attending, it was an inauguration, something to do with international relations. Remember as well, this inauguration was organised within a short period of time and the VP had to represent the country within that short time.”

Regarding the picture that trended on social media of a sofa which was said to have been for the President when he visited Chimanimani cyclone Idai victims during the week, Charamba scoffed it off as fake news.

“Did you verify that indeed the picture you are referring to is authentic and the said act happened? Well, yes, we had a number of private jets that were there when the president visited Cyclone Idai victims, but let me say this: I was there too. At no point did we have a jet delivering the said sofas. The private jets that were there had no capacity to carry the said sofas. We had jets with a capacity to carry only four people. This is the reason we did not bother ourselves to respond to the lies peddled by people with ulterior motives.”

Mr. George Charamba is the Presidential spokesperson & Deputy Chief Secretary OPC (Presidential Communications). He was speaking to The Standard.

Durban – A Zimbabwean businessman who travelled to Durban with his wife might have to return home alone after they were allegedly hijacked and the criminals made off with her in their bakkie.

She has been missing since Monday.

Annointed Shiremba, 39, and his wife Sasha, 34, were apparently hijacked on KE Masinga (Old Fort) Road.

Shiremba was driving an Isuzu KB 300 loaded with goods at the time.

“We were going back to Zimbabwe at around 9.30pm on Monday when my wife said she was hungry and we decided to stop at McDonald’s for some food,” said Shiremba.

He said he noticed they were being followed by two cars when they left the restaurant.

“I kept calm because I didn’t think we were going to be hijacked.

“I didn’t even tell my wife about the cars that were following us,” said Shiremba.

He said as they approached the Kingsmead cricket stadium, he had to stop because the traffic lights turned red.

“As I stopped, one car overtook me and stopped right in front of me.

“The car at the back blocked me from reversing. Two guys came out of the cars.

“They came straight to the driver’s side.

“I tried to fight off the hijackers, but they overpowered me after one hit me with a wheel spanner in my stomach.

“They then threw me out of my van and sped off. That’s when other motorists stopped and tried to help me to call the police, who arrived at the scene,” said Shiremba.

He said there were laptops and cellphones in the car valued at R23000, which he bought to sell in Zimbabwe.

Shiremba said he had an electronics business and often came to Durban to buy stock to sell in Zimbabwe.

He said he intended going back to Zimbabwe on Tuesday to tell his family “face to face” what had happened.

Shiremba said he feared the worst might have happened to his wife because there was no trace of her whereabouts.

The couple have two daughters, aged 11 and five.

“I have told my family in Zimbabwe, and they are all stressed about this. It’s very painful that I have to go back there without my wife. I don’t know how the kids will react to this,” said Shiremba.

“I want to see my wife alive. I don’t care about the car because it is replaceable, unlike a human being,” said Shiremba.

He is now living with his sister, Simangaliso Muzira, in Chatsworth.

Muzira said it was painful for her to see her brother languishing in such a “miserable” state.

“When his phone rings, he jumps, hoping that it’s a phone call that will inform him that they have found his wife.

“He hardly sleeps at night,” said Muzira.

She said she prayed every day that Sasha would be found alive.

The police confirmed they were investigating a case of hijacking and of a missing person.

IOL

FORMER deputy minister of Information, Bright Matonga (pictured), is embroiled in a battle at the courts with his former girlfriend of ten months, Thombizodwa Choto, over the pair’s minor child.

Choto said she cohabited with Matonga for 10 months and gave birth to a minor child who is currently in her custody.

She has now petitioned the High Court seeking an order to compel him to present himself at the American Embassy to give his consent for the pair’s child to travel abroad.

The woman said problems with Matonga started when her company, Dubtess Investments (Pvt) Ltd, was involved in a legal wrangle with Matonga. As a result, her firm obtained a court order which resulted in Matonga’s property being attached for execution.

“A few days after I (Choto) advised the respondent (Matonga) to appear personally at the American Embassy, the Sheriff of the High Court attached property belonging to the respondent. However, with great sadness and disappointment to our minor child, the respondent very rudely and bluntly refused to take all the necessary steps to enable the child to travel with me,” she said.

“Soon after the Sheriff of the High Court attached the respondent’s property, the respondent has been ignoring my calls and messages. This is totally unreasonable. He is trying to fix me. He has not given an explanation for refusing to appear at the embassy. I intend to travel for a holiday to the United States of America with my son on April 1, 2019.”

According to Choto, Matonga was made aware of the travel arrangements and was subsequently asked to appear personally at the US Embassy to sign all the necessary documents to enable his son to travel to the US.

“The respondent is exclusively using the minor child as an avenue to attack me. It is now that he is withholding his consent simply because my company executed a valid court order against him,” she said. The matter is pending.

— Standard

GOVERNMENT through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services has withdrawn an earlier statement in which it advised Vumba residents near Manyera dam to evacuate amidst fears the dam wall was about to burst.

Some families had already evacuated or moved to higher ground following the cautionary warning.

In its latest statement, government says tests done by its engineers have confirmed there is no danger of any burst.

“We have been informed that checks by engineers have confirmed that both Witchood and Manyera Dam are structurally safe. The earlier cautionary announcement is withdrawn. We thank the agencies for acting on this in a timely manner and avoided unnecessary disruption,” the statement says.

GOOD NEWS
We have been informed that checks by engineers have confirmed that both Witchood and Manyera Dam are structurally safe. The earlier cautionary announcement is withdrawn. We thank the agencies for acting on this in a timely manner and avoided unnecessary disruption

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 24, 2019

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It is midday last Wednesday an uncharacteristic silence envelopes St Charles Lwanga Seminary and Secondary School near Skyline in Chimanaimani.

The place looks deserted and there does not seem to be any sign of life.

It is  impossible to ignore the devastation that was wrought by Cyclone Idai at this Catholic-run institution, with some buildings reduced to rubble.

A week ago, two students and a staff member died on the spot after they were buried under mud and rocks.

For three days, the boys remained stuck as it was impossible to get aid to where they were.

In the Form 1 classroom, there are still blood stains on the desks where the deceased boys’ bodies were placed before villagers came to take them away.

The destroyed dormitory tells its own story, as coat-hangers, shoes, neck-ties and clothes lie scattered all over.

It is at this school that Charles Magureyi (68) works as the boarding master.

Magureyi is an unsung hero, who played a crucial role of taking care of the traumatised boys while two of them and a security guard were lying dead in a classroom.

Magureyi narrated how he laboured in the dark and rainy night to make sure that the 190 boys were safe.

“It was terrible. I had just done my routine check to make sure that the boys were safe in the dormitories,” he said.  

“At around 9.45pm, I heard a loud bang, like a dynamite, at the Form 1 dormitory and I rushed to check.

“There was rubble and the boys were screaming.

“I realised that two of the boys were buried in the mud and that it was already too late to rescue them.  

“With the help of Father Abraham Nemaisa, we evacuated the other boys to safety.

“We then returned to retrieve the trapped ones.

“We managed to retrieve one that night.”

The boarding master recalled how they searched for the security guard’s body.

“The security guard would always be at the gate, but on this day there were heavy winds.

“We have gumtrees near the gate and some time back one of the trees fell.

“So the security guard had taken shelter from the heavy winds in the kitchen.

“Unfortunately he was buried in the mud.

“We could not locate him.

“But the dog at the school kept on milling and shifting around a mound of mud.

“We later discovered blood flowing from the mud and that is when we dug up his body,” Magureyi said.

The teaching staff offered counselling services to the traumatised boys.

“After the disaster, I discovered that 14 of the boys had sustained injuries and urgently needed help,” Magureyi said.

“The authorities at Skyline told us that they were not coming to the school and that we had to leave on our own.

“After three days, we gathered enough courage and decided to take the risk by travelling to safety with the boys.

“Some villagers arrived and we made stretcher beds known as uchanja, to carry the bodies of the deceased boys.

“We had two groups, the first one was of the boys and some teaching staff, while the second one had the villagers ferrying the bodies.

“I took my own blankets to cover the bodies.

“We travelled at night, up the mountain, there was no road but we finally made it to safety.

“We had no choice, as we had been promised help but none was forthcoming.

“I read on social media that we had walked for 15km, that’s not it, we only walked about 4km to safety.

“The good thing is that God enabled me and others to take care of the boys. It’s unfortunate we could not save the two boys,” he said.

The school will not be re-opened soon, as it still remains inaccessible due to the destroyed Wengezi-Chimanimani road and it is clear that the school won’t open for at least this term.

Father Nemaisa, who is in charge of the school, said the boys could transfer to other schools so they do not lose out on learning time.

“The problem is the road,” he said.

“As it stands, we are stuck here and isolated.

“We can only speak of resuming operations once the road is rehabilitated. For now, we wait to see what will happen.”

Standard

Authorities began evacuating residents from the cyclone-hit town of Chimanimani on Sunday after flood waters weakened a dam wall.

The area is among those hit by cyclone Idai, which has left more than 145 people dead and several hundred missing in Zimbabwe. The storm made landfall late on March 14, leaving more than 750 people dead in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

“The Civil Protection Unit wishes to inform the public that Manyera dam wall in Vumba has weakened and all those downstream are advised to evacuate and go to higher places,” the unit said in a tweet. “Please if you have relatives in this area pass on this message at once.”

“The walls have shown signs of giving in and more than 1,000 families are in danger,” the unit’s director Nathan Nkomo told dpa.

Across the region, some 600 000 people have been displaced and at least 1.7 million have been affected by the cyclone, according to various UN agencies.

The effects of cyclone Idai are also being felt further afield. Uganda’s National Meteorological Authority said the climatic effects of the cyclone would affect weather systems along the coast, leading to a delayed rainy season.

Seasonal rains in Uganda usually start in early March and end in May, but instead, the country has been experiencing intense heat waves.

— IOL

Own Correspondent|Reports from the National Sports Stadium in Harare indicate that one female Warriors fan was killed in a stampede into the stadium ahead of the crunch Zimbabwe Warriors and Congo AFCON Qualifier on Sunday afternoon.

ZimEye.com sources at the stadium said the female soccer fan was crushed to death as fans wrestled to find their way into the stadium after stadium management failed yet again to control access into the giant venue.

The Zimbabwe Football Association ZIFA put the match tickets on advance sale three weeks ago with the hope that they would be able to control fans after a similar stampede was experienced at the last Warriors match at the same venue.

Minutes before the start of the match, thousands of soccer fans were still queing outside the stadium forcing for a stampede which saw the woman lose her step and fall resulting in scores of people trampling on her until she died on the spot.

Zimbabwean soccer fans are known for never making into the stadia in time for their matches forcing for jostling just before kick off.

More Details to follow…

By Own Correspondent- The Local Government Ministry has issued a press statement clarifying reports alleging that a volcanic eruption was looming around Mapadza mountain in Bikita.

According to the ministry, there was a rockfall around Mapadza mountain resulting in cracks on two houses within the vicinity of the mountain although no one was injured from the incident.

Said the ministry of Local Government, Publ8c Works and National Housing:

There are three SADC countries which were hard hit by Cyclone Idai.

Thousands of lives have been lost in Mozambique,Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Many people are still uncounted for,thousands are homeless, survivors are facing many huddles in getting themselves on their feet once more.

They face starvation with no water to drink, they were subjected to serious psychological torture resulting in psychological inflammation.

Countless families are homeless, villages were wiped off, roads, clinics, schools and bridges were devoured by the aggressive wind and water.

The MDC contends that a lot could have been done considering there is a whole floor dedicated for disaster management at the SADC head office in Botswana.

We have seen individual efforts from member States particularly assistance sent by President Magufuli on behalf of the people of Tanzania. This is much appreciated.

Citizens of SADC countries also coordinated themselves to assist fellow countrymen.

We are of the view that an urgent extra-ordinary summit of SADC should be convened with the view to do the following:

1.To set up an intervention framework to deal with urgent needs including food, health, shelter and essential infrastructure.
2.To review the challenges faced by the department on disaster management at SADC and provide necessary support.
3.To deal with rescue missions specifically in countries lacking in capacity.
4.To put in place urgent mitigation and management measures with information of yet another storm looming.

These being purely people issues, the MDC hopes the absence of the cynicism that comes from perpetual immersion in the region’s plague infested waters of politics, will give optimism that leadership will be provided.

MDC: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe!

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson

VIDEO LOADING BELOW… 

 

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A sign at a B&B in Putfontein, Benoni, where Sibanda died.

A quiet community on the East Rand in South Africa has been rocked by the death of a Zimbabwean businessman who kicked the bucket while having sex with his mistress at a nearby bed and breakfast last week.

Pensioner and small-scale farmer Jottah Sibanda met his creator in the most dramatic fashion as he took his last breath while in the arms of his mistress of more than 20 years. 

Sibanda, 67, according to what the woman told the police, took off like a stolen VW GTi on Tuesday morning last week but started tapering off before losing power and then started to struggle with his breathing. The woman then quickly wrapped herself in a towel and called for help.

Staffers at the B&B called an ambulance as well as police. The man was certified dead on the spot. The incident took place at a nameless B&B, which is two streets away from his home in the farming suburb of Putfontein in Benoni, while the man’s wife was at work in Durban.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said: “Police are investigating an inquest docket [opened] after the deceased died at a plot, where no foul play was suspected. Once the postmortem results and other relevant statements have been obtained, the case will be forwarded to an inquest court for a decision.”

Police have opened an inquest docket following the death of Jottah Sibanda.

When Sunday World visited the suburb this week, staffers at the B&B confirmed that the incident took place, saying the madala booked a room at 8am and paid R150. According to a police statement seen by Sunday World, officers found the man lying on the floor when they were taken to the room by the B&B security guard at 9am.

“He [the police officer] was told by a female [name witheld] … that she was busy having sex with Mr Jottah Sibanda and the deceased happened to be weak and he was not breathing well.

“She then tried to assist him but he couldn’t wake up. She called the security and the security called an ambulance; when the ambulance arrived they certified him dead,” read the police statement.

When Sunday World visited Sibanda’s home, tenants who reside in a row of back rooms on his property said his wife and other family members were not available as they were in Zimbabwe to bury him.

“They left yesterday [Tuesday] with his body. We understand that the funeral will be on Thursday in the village of Nswazi in Gwanda [a town situated more than 100km outside Bulawayo],” said the tenant, who refused to be named.

When asked if he knew the cause of death, the tenant giggled and claimed that he heard “Mr Sibanda died while having sex because he had taken vuka vuka [sex-enhancing] pills”.

The tenant said Sibanda retired as a road maintenance manager in 2017 and has been farming cattle, sheep and crops.

I

When Sunday World visited the middled-aged nyatsi at her home in the nearby township of Etwatwa, she confirmed that she was in the presence of Sibanda when he checked out from this world but declined to comment further.

She said she needed the permission of Sibanda’s wife and family before she could grant an interview. “We must wait for them to come back from Zimbabwe then I will talk to them and tell them about your request. I don’t have a problem to tell you what happened. I loved him,” she said, with tears rolling down her face.

One of the woman’s neighbours said she and others were aware of the relationship between her and Sibanda as it had been going on for decades.

“Even her children know about ubaba Sibanda,” said the neighbour, asking to remain anonymous.

“They started dating while he was still staying here in our kasi many years ago,” she said.

Sunday World

By Own Correspondent- State owned mobile network provider NetOne has made strides towards restoring communications services in areas hit by Tropical Cyclone Idai.

The development comes following the destruction of infrastructure including mobile network services infrastructure leaving communities here stranded.

The restoration of services also aims at ensuring that affected communities are reintegrated with the rest of the country.

Company spokesperson Dr Eldrette Shereni told the state media that while they are failing to reach some of the base stations due to destruction of access roads, they have managed to restore over three quarters of the infrastructure.- StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Harare City Council is set to blacklist churches and Muslim Centres that owe the local authority at least $10 million in rentals and lease fees, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba has said.

The list of 200 include established churches among them Traditional, Pentecostal, Apostolic and Muslim Sects.

Speaking at the churches and council interface in the capital last week, Councillor Gomba said the debt is contributing to derailing the local authority’s efforts of attaining a world class city status by 2025.

He added that failure by the faith based organisations to meet their financial obligations disqualify them from being considered to purchase stands in the future.

He said:

“Churches owe the council US$10 million in rentals and lease fees, we will soon name and shame them and these churches will be blacklisted because something definitely need to be done.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- A state media report claimed that a team of investigators from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) last week submitted an adverse report to Parliament on 16 candidates that applied to be commissioners exposing allegations of fraud and corruption of the said candidates.

The report dated March 21 2019 was delivered to Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda’s office.

Overall, 133 candidates applied for the post, which fell vacant after the resignation of the Dr Job Wabhira-led commission on January 31 this year.

The 16 candidates include Denford Chirindo, Dr Catherine Muchechetere, Christina Fundira, Boyana Ndou, Dr Nanette Silikhuni, Dr Onesmus Nyaude, Smile Dube, Never Katiyo, Albert Mandizha, Geoffrey Nyarota, Tshuma Mehluli and Caroline Chigumbura. Rabson Mpofu, Theresa Mutabeni, Angeline Guvamombe and Edmore Veterai also make up the list.

The unnamed Zacc officers claimed in the report that “the presence of these nominees diminishes the integrity of Zacc in line with the song of the New Dispensation of fighting corruption”.

They also claimed that “without proper diagnosis of these “corrupt” nominees, Zacc can’t fight it. It will remain a dead horse waiting for vultures to devour it”.

According to a report by the “concerned officers of Zacc”, Denford Chirindo cannot possibly be considered because he served on two previous commissions, which all failed to deliver.

“He (Chirindo) served in the commission from 2009 to 2019. This amounts to 10 years of service, but no significant results were produced in the fight against corruption,” reads part of the letter.

“During his term of office, he was involved in a legal battle with employees, where he fought against the award of already existing benefits.

Christina Fundira — also a former commissioner — is accused of having a penchant for foreign trips during her tenure, some of which were not approved by Cabinet.

She is also implicated for looting fuel from Zacc. She would get as much as 700 litres of diesel per month. This behaviour is criminal and needs to be investigated.”

Another ex-commissioner who is being rejected is Dr Catherine Muchechetere, who stands accused of attending a training course in Hong Kong without Cabinet approval together with another ex-commissioner Farayi Mashonganyika.

The latter is, however, not seeking reappointment.

The aggrieved Zacc staffers also say Boyana Ndou, a former senior police officer who is seeking another term with the same commission, should be investigated over his role in the previous Zacc finance committee.

Another former commissioner Dr Nanette Silukhuni allegedly covered up cases involving ex-Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo.

“All his (Dr Chombo) cases were shelved because of Silukhuni’s influence as a commissioner. Her application to re-join the commission should be treated with the full contempt it deserves,” added the letter.

Separately, Dr Onesmus Nyaude, who was once tasked with rebranding the crime-busting body, stands accused of flouting procurement regulations.

The letter also raises reservations on the candidature of former Daily News Editor Geoffrey Nyarota, who they claim was once investigated by the Zacc.

Similarly, Smile Dube is facing the same allegation.

Former Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer commanding Matabeleland North province Edmore Veterai’s nomination is being contested over alleged corruption cases.

Further, Mehluli Tshuma was once investigated under CRB 309/13, while Caroline Chigumbura was allegedly caught up in a storm at NMB over alleged fraud.

On Angeline Guvamombe, the report says: “The last promotions she (Guvamombe) did in the police should be investigated.”

The letter also condemns Rabson Mpofu as unqualified to be a crime-buster because of his “questionable” history with the police minerals department.

Former Grain Marketing Board boss Albert Mandizha is not spared either over alleged abuse of farming inputs.

The Zacc officers also had no kind words for Theresa Mutabeni.

“She is a retired Assistant Commissioner in police who was in charge of Grace Mugabe’s security. Due to her close association with Grace Mugabe, she was undeservedly promoted to that rank.”

Clerk of parliament, Kennedy Chokuda could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print.

However, procedurally, Parliament will investigate the allegations against the Zacc nominees before the public interviews. -State Media

By Own Correspondent- The Special Anti Corruption Unit is investigating circumstances around a botched US$100 million deal to supply the country’s major public hospitals with modern equipment.

The Unit, established by President Emmerson Mnangagwa is investigating the deal which was reportedly entered into several years ago.

However, to date nothing has been delivered to hospitals although governments has continued making payments.

The Minister of Health and Child Care confirmed that investigations were in progress.

Head of the  Special Anti-Corruption Unit (Sacu), Thabani Mpofu said:

“The Minister of Health (and Child Care) Dr Moyo has indeed contacted the Special Anti-Corruption Unit and we are in the process of constructing an action plan on the information he has provided.

I cannot divulge the nature of the information provided to the unit as it has to be passed to various law-enforcement agencies for a full investigation, but I can confirm, in light of information received, remedial action will be taken.”

Established by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Special Anti-Corruption Unit is housed in the Office of the President and Cabinet to improve efficiency in the fight against all forms of graft and to strengthen the effectiveness of national mechanisms for the prevention of corruption.

Some of its overall objectives include to improve efficiency in the fight against all forms of corruption and to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the national mechanisms for the prevention and fight against corruption in accordance with the anti-corruption strategy said Presidential spokesperson George Charamba.

By Own Correpsondent- A whole township in Rusitu Valley, Chimanimani was washed away by floods caused by Cyclone Idai last weekend, a senior government official has said.

Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo on Saturday said initially, an estimated 147 people were recorded as missing before it was established that at least 147 households had been wiped away by the cyclone induced floods..

Speaking in Mutare after receiving a donation of various goods worth $400 000 from Inscor Africa, Minister Moyo, said:

“At first, we were saying we were missing 147 people, now it is turning out that we are missing people whose 147 houses have been destroyed. So it is no longer people, but households which have been destroyed.

In Rusitu (Valley), we had a police camp which was wiped out, we had Agritex officers who were housed there. We had some schools there. We had a school where we lost three teachers, the headmaster and 39 pupils. These are areas we frantically want to reach, but there are many others.

In Machongwe area they need to get food and there was a township that was completely wiped out. We do not know the number of survivors. We also understand that there were miners and we cannot accurately tell the number of those who perished there. The villagers are not able to identify those who were doing gold mining in the area.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Bulawayo metropolitan province water woes are set to worsen amid revelation that the province received low rainfall during the 2018/19 season.

The city is already on a programme of strict water rationing with some parts of the metropole going for 72 hours without water.

Bulawayo’s senior public relations officer, Nesisa Mpofu said that the water rationing was introduced because of broken down infrastructure that was key in pumping water to the reservoir.

Said Mpofu:

“If you remember we did not introduce water shedding because of supply dam levels but because of our infrastructure which needed urgent attention for us to ensure our Criterion Raw Water Reservoir has adequate supplies.

There was a point where we had dropped to one metre but now we are improving to above two metres, of which the recommended level is seven meters.

For now, we are working round the clock for the level to get to above seven metres, after that, I am sure we will be able to supply water to all our residents without the need to shed water.

As we strive to do this we, however, continue calling on our residents to continue using water sparingly so that we manage to contain our consumption levels.”StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has said parliament is set to discuss a Bill that will raise the age of sexual consent from 16 to 18 years, at the same time criminalising the marrying off of minors.

Ziyambi told a local publication that the drafting of the Bill has been completed.

Said Ziyambi:

“The Bill is ready and we will be taking it to Cabinet soon. . .

Among some of the issues, the law will deal with is that court judgment which ruled that one cannot marry before the age of 18 — we have put it in the law.

The other issue the law deals with is Section 26 of the Constitution, which speaks about consent and we need to give effect to it. Effectively, it will provide the minimum age of consent.

We will also give full effect to provisions that children are not pledged into marriages.”-StateMedia

Effectively, the Bill will outlaw child marriages, which has been a very contentious issue in recent times. It will also take care of issues that have to do with gender equality, which we are aligning with Section 3 of the Constitution.

By Own Correspondent- Local government minister, July Moyo has revealed chilling statistics following confirmation that a whole township in Rusitu Valley, Chimanimani was washed away by floods caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai.

Speaking in Mutare after receiving a donation of various goods worth $400 000 from Inscor Africa, Moyo, said:

“At first, we were saying we were missing 147 people, now it is turning out that we are missing people whose 147 houses have been destroyed. So it is no longer people, but households which have been destroyed.

In Rusitu (Valley), we had a police camp which was wiped out, we had Agritex officers who were housed there. We had some schools there. We had a school where we lost three teachers, the headmaster and 39 pupils. These are areas we frantically want to reach, but there are many others.

In Machongwe area they need to get food and there was a township that was completely wiped out. We do not know the number of survivors. We also understand that there were miners and we cannot accurately tell the number of those who perished there. The villagers are not able to identify those who were doing gold mining in the area.”

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has hired a luxurious private jet for his trips locally and regionally, with the Airbus A318-100 being kept on standby ahead of his trip to South Africa tomorrow.

The jet flew seven hours and 16 minutes from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday to be in position in Harare before Mnangagwa’s flight to Bulawayo on Thursday, remained in the country ahead of another foreign trip by Mnangagwa to South Africa tomorrow.

“Then coming to the Bulawayo issue, the aircraft you are talking about came in on Thursday and has been here preparing to take the president to South Africa for the Sadc Solidarity Conference on Western Sahara, scheduled for 25-26 March 2019 in Pretoria,” Charamba said in an interview with The Standard.

“We booked the aircraft to be here until it brings back the president from the summit on Tuesday. If you were going to check, the aircraft is currently at the tarmac of the domestic flights and it is cheaper to hire the aircraft for days than to hire it on the day when the president wants to fly out.”

Since he took over through a military-assisted process in 2017, Mnangagwa has projected himself as a simple leader who wants to cut costs, but instead he has often used hired private jets for most of his foreign trips.

Last week he had to use a hired jet for a local trip to Bulawayo where he met civil society members, raising questions on his sincerity to tackle public expenditure.

Charamba said his boss was committed to cost-cutting and his officials were feeling the pinch.

“Let me pre-empt you; I know you would want to ask why not use scheduled flights for the president. Here is the tricky issue. One, it is very risky to do that for both the president and the airline. In this case, we are talking of a national airline which has one aircraft to service all its routes. If the president was to use a scheduled flight, it means that all the luggage in that flight will be opened and subjected to search by our security systems,” he said.

‘This inconveniences the reputation of the airline and the passengers. Also the passengers themselves will have to be subjected to those security systems and this definitely will lead in some people leaving the airline and it loses business. Also when the president is flying, he would fly in the business class and no one will be allowed there.”

Charamba added: “Just imagine you as a reporter you are supposed to fly to South Africa and you have bought your business class ticket and just because the president has joined the flight, you will have to move to the economy class. This will definitely lead to some people abandoning the airline. Remember the aviation business works on a patronage system and losing one customer is a big blow, which no airline would risk.”

“So we look at all those factors and if you are to look at the opportunity cost, you are bound to agree with us that hiring an aircraft for the president is much better than going through all those challenges. Key to this, the scheduled flight will have to change its time to suit the president. This is dangerous for any airline. Talking about the Bulawayo trip and the idea that the president could have used a scheduled flight, it meant that he would need to divert the Harare-Johannesburg route to go via Bulawayo. Do you think people were going to agree to that? So really let us be realistic when we discuss some of these issues,” Charamba said.

The deputy chief secretary also defended the use of private jets by Vice-Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and other senior government officials whenever they fall ill, saying it was part of their conditions of service.

“This is part of conditions of service for the top three. Even ministers, if their conditions of service stipulate that they should be airlifted whenever they need medical attention at the expense of the state, it must be done. Even top civil servants, if their benefits include airlifting, there is nothing that we can do to change that, it is in their contracts,” Charamba said.

He, however, said if it was not an emergency, VPs and ministers should use scheduled flights as long as that does not compromise their safety and the country’s international image. — The Standard

By Takavafira Zhou| Mberengwa Communal Share Ownership Trust is getting $1 million every year from Mimosa but nothing has been ploughed back for communal development over the past years. The money has been going down the drains abused by Mberengwa DA and traditional leaders. The trustees’ identity is unknown and priorities have been very defective. Impeccable sources point to the effect that Trustees decided to build a fancy office block at Mberengwa which is not even complete in spite of receiving millions of Share Owbership Trusts for some years. One wonders whether office space is a priority to the community of Mberengwa.

What is worrisome is none of the four MPs in Mberengwa seem to care about the abuse of such funds by the DA and his entourage. It is such poverty of leadership, corruption and warped priorities that have kept Mberengwa poverty stricken and underdeveloped. Such development of underdevelopment can only be eradicated by visionary leadership that summons the collective wisdom of the people of Mberengwa for development. Unless and until the people of Mberengwa realise that development knows no political party but calls for harnessing of both natural and human resources for progress, it will remain locked behind the bars of poverty, backwardness and anguish

Cry the beloved people of Mberengwa

Dr Takavafira M. Zhou

NURSES at Zimbabwe’s foremost medical institution, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, have resorted to washing bandages to dress burns on patients as health crisis at the institution deepens, plastic surgeon Doctor Faith Muchemwa revealed last week.

According to Muchemwa, so dire is the situation that cross infections including, among medical staff has become common.

“They (nurses) alternate days. They wash them (bandages), they hang them in the bathroom, they use these one today, tomorrow they take those ones which are now dry, they re-use them,” said Muchemwa.

Muchemwa said in the last two months, patients have been dying due to re-infections and lack of bandages which are made locally and can be acquired easily.

“Emergency is always our mode, because I am in charge of a team that takes care of the burns unit.

“Every single day we admit patients. At the moment, in the burns unit, we have no bandages. These bandages are made locally; there are companies in Kwekwe (Midlands town). I can show you pictures. You go to the burns unit they wash bandages,” an emotional Muchemwa told Health Minister Obadiah Moyo during a recent emergency meeting at the hospital.

“And obviously they are not sterilised. We have seen so much infection in the burns unit because we don’t have any caps to wear.”

Muchemwa said even health workers are at risk because they do not have access to protective clothing.

“We are dealing with puss. These are open wounds and we are coming from this patient to the next patient.

“So there are lots of infections now. Patients are dying more than ever and it’s just hospital acquired infection. The doctors and nurses are also at risk because we are not protected as well from possible infections,” she said.

“We are operating once every two weeks. As plastic surgeons, our operations sometimes take two hours, sometimes three hours, we operating only two patients.”

Muchemwa added the hospital has had to turn away patients because of the desperate situation including shortages of basic consumables.

“We don’t have even betadine (antiseptic) to just clean the wounds. We don’t have pain killers you can imagine. Those nurses, their hearts are so strong and when they are washing the wounds. I just walk out helpless,” the medical doctor said.

Senior doctors at Parirenyatwa downed tools last week in protest over government failure to provide essentials for their work. Moyo promised he would look into the issue laying the blame on hospital management.

All Africa

A Twitter mole by the name African or Ali Naka has exposed unnamed government officials who are said to have demanded and paid $70 000 before going to Chimanimani to assess the situation after cyclone Idai destroyed the area leaving more than 200 people dead.

Though Ali Naka could not reveal names, he urged the culprits to return the money before he names them.

Ali Naka has also exposed people whom h said are working with some white person to loot gold in the Midlands province.

Those who demanded and got paid $70 000 before going to Chimanimani, have 72 hours to return it to the State Coffers before we name and Shame @InfoMinZW #CicloneIdai

— African (@ali_naka) March 23, 2019

A WOMAN from Bulawayo has appeared in court for allegedly defrauding a colleague who was based in the diaspora of US$40 000 after she duped him to pay for a property when in fact she was converting the money to her own use.

Yvonne Sakala (59) from Montrose suburb allegedly masqueraded as overseer of a certain family trust which sells several properties and defrauded Mr Gordon Virimai of US$41 870. Sakala appeared last week before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ncube facing charges of fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

 She was released on $300 bail and will appear in court on 29 March for trial.

Prosecuting, Ms Constance Mathaba told the court that the two knew each other not only in connection with this case but Mr Virimai knew Sakala as a bank manager at MBCA since he used to do some electrical work at the same bank. Sometime in 2007 Mr Virimai left Zimbabwe for Australia where he settled with his family and while he was there he maintained contact with Sakala.

The court heard that Sakala allegedly called Virimai advising him that she had been appointed an overseer of a certain trust in which several properties were for sale. 

Ms Mathaba also said Sakala allegedly lied to Mr Virimai that she had been given first preference to purchase the properties but had no money.

She then extended the offer to Mr Virimai and advised him to send the money to her so she could purchase the property for him. The court heard that Mr Virimai went on to pay amounts towards the purchase of the said property and fees for capital gains for change of ownership of the said property.

However, instead of paying the money, Sakala converted all the money for her own use. 

The matter came to fore when Mr Virimai returned to Zimbabwe and found no property. 

The court heard that by means of this misrepresentation Mr Virimai suffered an actual prejudice of US$41 870.

WARNING ?
The community is notified that Manyera dam wall in Vumba has weakened.

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 23, 2019

What should the community do in light of your notification?

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) March 23, 2019

What does it mean it has weakened? Is collapse of dam wall imminent? What should folks downstream do? Which settlements are in danger? If it’s evacuating when should they do this? Where to? PS @nickmangwana ministry isaite mafunnies nehupenyu hwevanhu please

— zándā tōto (@zandatoto) March 24, 2019

So you expect a rural population to be active on Twitter?Is it too hard to use Common Sense?

— Gladman Tendai Mubonani (@GTMubonani) March 23, 2019

So you expect a rural population to be active on Twitter?Is it too hard to use Common Sense?

— Gladman Tendai Mubonani (@GTMubonani) March 23, 2019

Twitter isn't the best platform to convey u message to villagers in remote areas. Rather, community radios that u have denied these people for political reasons is the best vehicle. Whoever is behind this Twitter feed has their priorities misplaced

— William Muchayi (@MuchayiWilliam) March 23, 2019

No disrespect but the lady heading CPU was on the news, she spoke so calmly & slowly. The methods she discussed were archaic in these times. We need younger energetic people in such positions

— Suspect (@tyna_shh) March 23, 2019

So you think the government’s role is just to notify people then sit back?? Zimbabweans are easy to rule??

— Revesayi Mutede (@revesaymutede) March 23, 2019

Twitter can't reach everyone.
Thst why we kept crying for community radio stations.

— mzet (@mzet_mzamisto) March 23, 2019

By Own Correspondent- The government is investigating circumstances around a botched US$100 million deal to supply the country’s major public hospitals with modern equipment, Head of the Special Anti Corruption Unit Thabani Mpofu has revealed..

The deal was reportedly entered into several years ago but nothing was delivered while payments continue to be made.

The Minister of Health and Child Care confirmed that investigations were in progress.

Mpofu said:

“The Minister of Health (and Child Care) Dr Moyo has indeed contacted the Special Anti-Corruption Unit and we are in the process of constructing an action plan on the information he has provided.

I cannot divulge the nature of the information provided to the unit as it has to be passed to various law-enforcement agencies for a full investigation, but I can confirm, in light of information received, remedial action will be taken.”

By Own Correspondent- ZESA Holdings has revealed that the parastatal has come up with measures to deal with low water levels in Lake Kariba as a away of ensuring consistent power generation and cushioning the country against regular electricity supply

Zesa chief executive officer Patrick Chivaura revealed that the company has been forced to reduce power generation when the demand for electricity is low.

Said Chivaura:

Definitely, it will have an impact because our power supply situation is dependent on the availability of internal generation at Hwange Power Station, Kariba Power Station and small thermals (Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare), and, above all, imports (from the region.

In January, we were sitting at over 22 billion cubic metres of water and this was reduced by the end of January to 19 billion cubic metres.

That translates to something like 490MW. But as of now, it has been reduced to 445MW because we were allocated 18 billion cubic metres. That is an average (power generation) figure that we are talking about.

So, we can generate 445MW continuously, but that is not exactly what we do. We take care of our peaks (peak period of demand) during the morning and in the evening, but that (445MW) is just the average we have been given by ZRA.-StateMedia

The government is advising communities living downstream of Manyera dam in Vumba that the dam wall has weakened. The warning was released through the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services.

This has been caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai-induced rains — which continue to pound the vicinity, filling up dams, affecting their walls.

Vumba District has seen massive landslides, a development likely to prevent authorities from fully appreciating the threat that exists.

WARNING ?
The community is notified that Manyera dam wall in Vumba has weakened.

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) March 23, 2019

Roads have collapsed in landslides in the sparsely-populated Chimanimani and Rusitu Valley.

Meanwhile, government also advises that only positively identified bodies are ferried by helicopters for burial by relatives.

18 unidentified bodies are yet to be buried but are now in a decomposing state. Vhimba area in Chimanimani still to be reached, government said.

Priority remains to save lives first Operations are still underway in Kopa and Rusitu areas. Efforts are also being made to recover mudslide and rubble covered bodies, however the process is slow, the statement said.

A 62 year old man appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi for allegedly raping a 22 year old woman.

Bulawayo Tredgold Magistrate Court was left in stitches after Columbus Gangata of house number V-63 Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo who is facing rape charges denied the allegations citing that he did not last more than a minute in the sexual encounter and they had a monetary agreement with the complainant.

The court heard that on an unknown date in January this year, the complainant asked for water at the accused place of residence where the accused person forcibly grabbed the complainant into his bedroom and forcibly inserted his manhood once into the complainant.

Prosecuting, Mufaro Mageza told the court that after the act, the accused Gangata gave the complainant $RTGS10 as payment for the services rendered as per agreement.        

However, the victim who only made a report three months after the alleged rape when she discovered that she was pregnant claims she was verbally threatened by the perpetrator.

Gangata was remanded in custody to the 2^nd of April for continuation of trial.

By Own Correspondent| Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has accused opposition MDC leader of being an attention seeker adding that government could not evacuate villagers in Chimanimani as this would have attracted more sanctions.

In a tweet posted Friday, Mutodi said:

“The attention seeking opposition MDC Chamisa is complaining that government should have earlier on evicted people from low lying areas affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai but we are sure they would have complained bitterly citing human rights abuses and called for more sanctions if we did that.”

The attention seeking opposition MDC-Chamisa is complaining that gvt should ’ve earlier on evicted people from low lying areas affected by Cyclone Idai but we are sure they would have complained bitterly citing human rights abuses and called for more sanctions if we did that.

— Dr Energy Mutodi (@energymutodi) March 21, 2019

HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared two days of mourning the victims of Cyclone Idai – and then left on a trip to Angola, his 28^th foreign visit in the 15 months since he assumed power.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) accused Mnangagwa of having an “infantile and embarrassing love of flying.”

Mnangagwa is in Angola to attend the first anniversary of Southern African Liberation Day, which was declared by the Southern African Development Community in August 2018.

The day is commemorated every March 23 to mark the end of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola and the South African Border War. The People’s Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FAPLA), backed by the Soviet Union, Cuba, South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) fighters from Namibia and Umkhonto Wesizwe fighters from South Africa, pegged back and forced the withdrawal of insurgents of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), who were supported by apartheid South Africa.

Most SADC heads of state are stayed at home and sent ministers to one-day event.

MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume accused Mnangagwa of being a “selfie President” who cannot pass up an opportunity to travel, even when situations demand that he stays home.

“Hundreds of people dying won’t change his programme,” Mafume said as the United Nations confirmed at least 259 people had died from Cyclone Idai in Zimbabwe.

“He declared two days of mourning this weekend, but as the chief mourner he has left on the first day of that mourning. What will it take for him to see that things are not normal, and it can’t be business as usual?”

Mnangagwa left on a private jet, hired from Dubai at a cost of $12,500 per hour of flying time.

The MDC’s Harare East MP Tendai Biti said on Twitter: “The usurper declares two days of mourning. Our people did not require mourning, they required effective disaster management. They required schools to be closed and communities evacuated. This did not happen. Then the usurper has the indecency of running away during mourning.”

At least 259 people were killed in Zimbabwe by Cyclone Idai, and some 217 are missing, the United Nations migration agency said on Friday.

Hundreds of people had been injured and authorities had confirmed that 16,000 households had been displaced, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.

Most of the deaths occurred in Manicaland province after the cyclone swept in from Mozambique. Heavy rains caused mudslides and floods which destroyed thousands of homes in their path, burying scores of people under rubble and boulders, while some were swept away.

Mnangagwa’s Foreign Trips Since Taking Power in 2017 (Source: ZimLive)

1. December 2017: Pretoria, South Africa
2. January 2018: Davos, Switzerland
3. January 2018: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
4. January 2018: Luanda, Angola
5. January 2018: Lusaka, Zambia
6. January 2018: Windhoek, Namibia
7. January 2018: Maputo, Mozambique
8. February 2018: Gaberone, Botswana
9. March 2018: Gaberone, Botswana
10. March 2018: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
11. March 2018: Kigali, Rwanda
12. April 2018: Beijing, China
13. June 2018: Nouakchott, Mauritania
14. June 2018: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
15. July 2018: Johannesburg, South Africa
16. August 2018: Windhoek, Namibia
17. September 2018: Beijing, China
18. September 2018: New York, United States
19. October 2018: Lusaka, Zambia
20. November 2018: Conakry, Guinea
21. November 2018: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
22. January 2019: Moscow, Russia
23. January 2019: Minsk, Belarus
24. January 2019: Baku, Azerbaijan
25. January 2019: Astana, Kazakhstan
26. February 2019: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
27. March 2019: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
28. March 2019: Luanda, Angola

-zimlive.com

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made a name for himself as a lover of expensive jets which he uses to travel within and outside the country. In January he hired an expensive jet on a round trip to EuroAsia. That was just a few months after he hired an expensive jet for the former First Lady Grace Mugabe from Singapore.

On Thursday he was reported to have flown to Bulawayo in a private jet to hired from Durban.

Political analysts say the widely condemned expensive hiring of jets is a business deal that is being run to benefit an elite ruling clique fronted by Mary Chiwenga.

South African based analyst Fortune Mlalazi said, “The country is run by a mafia that is treating it as a milk cow. You will recall that in 2018 there were reports that Vice President (Constantino) Chiwenga’s wife was given a tender to offer travel services to the Office of the President and Cabinet.
So all these expensive trips to EuroAsia and the useless trip to UAE last week including the hiring of a Durban jet to Bulawayo are meant to transfer money from the government coffers to the pockets of Mary Chiwenga and her circle of friends.”

In 2018 the Deputy Chief Secretary Ray Ndhlukula admitted that he irregularly awarded a contract to provide travel arrangements for the Office of the President and Cabinet without going to tender.

The contract was awarded to Mary Chiwenga’s company East Town Holdings, despite the fact that it had not submitted most of the required documents such as tax clearances.

Posting on Twitter on Thursday seasoned journalist Mduduzi Mathuthu said, “You have an incestuous business thing going on at the top of government for VIP travel where Mary Chiwenga is the travel agent. She likes it when they travel and will hire the furthest available plane because she makes more money from it. It’s crazy it’s almost evil.

A popular Kwekwe gold dealer died on the spot after about 15 people attacked him and a colleague with machetes and knives before running over his body with a vehicle.

Tinovimba Mahachi of T78 Torwood, Redcliff died on the spot while his colleague Shadreck Shosherai (36) is battling for life at Kwekwe General Hospital following the attack in the wee hours of last Saturday morning outside Yoyo Night Club.

The matter came to light when two of the accused, Daniel Tembo (24) and Brian Maseko (23), appeared before Kwekwe Magistrate Mr Storey Rushambwa on Tuesday facing murder charges. The duo was remanded in custody to April 2 and was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

The State led by Mrs Ethel Bhumure alleged that on March 16 around 1 AM, Mahachi and Shosherai were sleeping in a Toyota Mark X outside Yoyo Night Club when the gang pounced.

“A group of about 15 people approached the vehicle armed with iron bars, knives and machetes. They force opened the vehicle’s doors and began assaulting the occupants without saying anything,” read the court papers.

One of the accused persons, the court heard, opened the passenger door and stabbed Mahachi once in the chest using an okapi knife. As Mahachi staggered out of the car, the other assailants who were standing guard hacked him with machetes and knives and he fell on the road.

Shosherai, who was sleeping in the driver seat, managed to escape with minor injuries and made a police report.

While Mahachi was still lying in a pool of blood, the court heard, the accused persons went on to assault him with iron bars, machetes and kicked him savagely.

One of the accused persons got into a vehicle and ran over Mahachi.

His body was ferried to Kwekwe General Hospital where it awaits a post-mortem.

A motive for the vicious attack has not been established.

BINGA traditional leader Chief Sinampande ‘s car overturned at Siabuwa turn off in Binga, Matebeleland North province, on Thursday. 

The car, an Isuzu KB truck, overturned and landed on its roof.

Reports say the car was being driven by a relative, and that the traditional leader himself was not in the car when the accident occurred.

More details to follow… 

President Emerson Mnangagwa has returned home from his one day visit to Angola with his fierce critic and former colleague in ZANU PF Professor Jonathan Moyo labeling him the new Vasco da Gama due to his penchant for travelling.

Mnangagwa declared two days of mourning those who perished in Chipinge and Chimanimani due to cyclone Idai but could not wait to see the days run as he left for Angola to attend what ZBC said was a day visit, to attend the commemoration of Southern African Liberation Day: Cuito Cuanavale.

IDEAL Zimbabwe leader Tinashe Jonasi, who is accused undermining President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s authority, has said the head of State was not the only person called Mnangagwa and challenged the State to prove that the alleged slur targeted him.

Jonasi has filed for bail at the High Court after Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa remanded him in custody.
He was represented by Nontokozo Tachiona of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

“The appellant is accused of insulting one Mnangagwa. The State has a mammoth task to prove that the appellant was referring to (His Excellency) Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and to also prove that indeed there is no other Mnangagwa who could have been the subject of the talk,” Tachiona said.

“It also has to prove that there was an insult in the words that he allegedly uttered and in the unlikely event that they prove this at a trial they will have to prove that what was said is untrue…until his guilt is proved.”

Tachiona submitted that Jonasi’s passport had expired, ruling out the possibility that he could skip the border to avoid prosecution 
She said her client was of fixed abode, residing in Matsikidze Village in Masvingo. Prosecutor Edmore Nyazamba will respond to the application on March 27.

According to State papers, on an unknown date, Jonasi was invited to DStv channel 405 for an interview and allegedly insulted Mnangagwa in his remarks, suggesting Mnangagwa was engaged in sexual proclivities with his advisor Chris Mutsvangwa’s wife, Monica, the Information minister. 

-Daily News