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.
By Own Correspondent| The Midlands State University has delivered its donation to the victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
The donation follows the destruction of property, homes and loss of lives in Chipinge, Chimanimani and other parts of Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Masvingo Provinces.
The donation was handed over yesterday (Friday) at Silverstone and Skyline command centers in Chimanimani.
The donation consisted of clothing, food and other goods.
“To those who lost their lives, may their souls rest in eternal peace,” said the MSU in a statement.
Exiled former Zanu PF politician Jonathan has celebrated reports that President Emmerson Mnangagwa will not see through his first term since assuming power.
Posting on Twitter today, Moyo only wrote “No Comment”
"MNANGAGWA'S DAYS IN OFFICE NOW NUMBERED", says website that has previously been used by the #ZDF "Command Element" to leak developing situations after it predicted in 2016 the November 2017 military coup with Mnangagwa as its political head.
A special delegation of senior military officials reportedly told Chinese generals that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s political reign will expire in 2020, and that he was going to be an interim caretaker president up to the period, before the military replaces him with their preferred successor, a few days prior to former leader Robert Mugabe’s November 2017 coup, Spotlight Zimbabwe, can reveal.
According to a Zimbabwean military attache stationed in Beijing at the time when former Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander and now vice president, Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga, visited China between November 8 to November 10 2017, shortly before Mugabe was ousted from office, an elite delegation comprising officials from the army and air force travelling with VP Chiwenga told their Chinese counterparts that Mnangagwa would be in power “for no more than three years” as a “stopgap measure” to stabilise the country, with a Zimbabwean general likely to takeover until 2023 to finish off Mnangagwa’s presidential term and then handover the country to a civilian leadership.
Chiwenga’s trip to China in 2017, which was initially reported to be a medical check-up that had coincided with a “normal military exchange mutually agreed upon by China and Zimbabwe” has hitherto been shrouded in mystrey. The VP met with General Li Zuocheng, a member of China’s Central Military Commission, which is the highest decision-making body for China’s armed forces, together with that country’s former defense minister General Chang Wanquan. Wanquan was succeeded by General Wei Fenghe, who was appointed to head China’s defense ministry in March 2018.
“Mnangagwa’s days in office are now numbered,” said the military attache. “Most Zimbabweans are not aware that Mnangagwa’s tenure as president was discussed before the November coup that toppled Mugabe. An elite delegation of military officers travelling with Chiwenga met with Chinese generals, who were told that the current leader will be in power for no more than three years. Our military sees him (Mnangagwa) as a stopgap measure for stability, and he is just but a figurehead with no real power. His presidency expires in 2020, and we are going to see a retired general taking over soon to finish his term, like what Mnangagwa did to Mugabe. The military general coming in will then lay the ground for a civilian leader agreed upon by the Joint Operations Command. They already have four former ministers names who served under Mugabe in mind. This is the shock you people can’t see coming.”
Mnangagwa is a product of the November 15 2017 early morning national television announcement by Rtd Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo, who his now the country’s foreign affairs minister. Moyo in announcing the “military intervention” said Mugabe and family were safe and that the army was going after criminals in his government. “Mugabe, and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed,” he said. “We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country … As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy,” Moyo added. Spotlight Zimbabwe, was the first publication to report about Mnangagwa becoming Zimbabwe president approximately a year before he disloged Mugabe in a putsch. This publication and reporter also accurately reported that VP Chiwenga was on his way to become vice president, before his official appointment by Mnangagwa in our online edition of 18 March 2016.
Today we can also report with certainty, that Mnangagwa is on his embarassing way out of power and that a new leader from the military is being prepared to dethrone him. Spotlight Zimbabwe, also has it on good authority that VP Chiwenga and his successor ZDF Commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda, alongside their inner circle, worked out all possible power scenarios before the execution of the coup and that China has been kept in the loop of all new developments.
Intelligence information at hand also suggests that the army is reportedly not happy with Mnangagwa’s failure to fix the economy and that he has allegedly been signing off the country’s mineral resources and land assets for a song without their approval. It is also coming to light that former defence minister under Mugabe, Sydney Sekeramayi, has been playing allegiance to the military before and after the November 2017 coup, and could be earmarked for a slot in the presidium order of a looming post-Mnangagwa administration.
Defence minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, was not reachable throughout the week for comment as her mobile phone remained unreachable.
Jane Mlambo| Opposition Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume has castigated President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his lavish trips that continues to gobble millions of dollars, saying the new leader is on the verge of overtaking former leader Robert Mugabe’s international travelling record.
Posting on Twitter, Ngarivhume said Mnangagwa’s trips have not yielded results except facilitating benefits for vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife who was awarded a tender as the executive travel agent.
At current rate @edmnangagwa is about to shutter Mugabe's international traveling record. The sad part is that all the trips have yielded nothing except travel facilitation commissions to Chiwenga's wife, a burden on the fiscus and allowances for ED and his bloated entourage!
Dear Editor. The Binga Chief (Chief Pashu, George Nyathi) who recently criticised First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s fish pond donation has been involved in an accident. Check with your journalists.
There was a major break through this week after the once inaccessible road that connects Chipinge and Chimanimani was cleared to pave way for relief initiatives to now reach the affected areas in Chimanimani.
Hope is on the dawn as an alternative route that links Chimanimani and Chipinge has been re-constructed.
The development will enable rescuers to reach areas like Rusitu which were the most affected by Cyclone Idai.
At least the road is now accessible and food relief can now reach those affected by the cyclone.
The uniformed forces and community members are working tirelessly at the Skyliner juncture to aid transport and human movement.
“We have managed to reach Kopa-Rusitu where it was not accessible. We navigated this route so that relief will reach the area fast through road,” said Captain Normal Hungotida from the Para regiments special forces.
Chimanimani east legislator Cde Joshua Sacco said the cleared road network will enable them to reach Rusitu-Kopa where most deaths were recorded.
Police have also cleared families to proceed with the burial of their loved ones who were identified, while those bodies which are yet to be identified and still are at the nearest hospital.
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, her son Prince Charles and her grandsons and their wives the Dukes and Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the government and the people of Zimbabwe following deaths, injuries and widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Idai.
Queen Elizabeth II
Britain’s top diplomat to Zimbabwe Ambassador Melanie Robinson delivered the three letters to President Emmerson Mnangagwa this morning where she also announced a $23 million package for the three affected Southern African countries.
Messages of condolences continue to pour in from all corners of the world and this morning, Ambassador Robinson, who was accompanied by communications and corporate manager for the Department for International Development (DfID) Ms Nicky Russell – Smith and officials from Britain’s embassy offices in Harare paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices to deliver the three letters of condolences.
The confirmed death toll in Zimbabwe, neighboring Mozambique and Malawi is now over 500, with hundreds more feared dead in towns and villages that were completely submerged.
Ambassador Robinson said a needs assessment is underway and more resources will be availed to ease the crisis.
The UK has been supporting Zimbabwe’s debt clearance plan with the Bretton Woods institutions and mediating with international financial institutions to support a bailout for the country and there is hope that when the group of 7 meet in May this year, UK’s influence will aid Zimbabwe’s cause.
The ambassador also briefed President Mnangagwa on issues surrounding Britain’s withdrawal from the EU grouping and what it would mean for Zimbabwe.
The Queen is seen as a key figure in mending relations between Britain and Zimbabwe while her influence in Zimbabwe’s plans to rejoin the Commonwealth grouping cannot be ignored.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Retired Lieutenant General Dr Sibusiso Moyo and Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet – Presidential Communications Mr George Charamba and other senior government officials attended the meeting.
By Own Correspondent- Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, her son Prince Charles and her grandsons and their wives the Dukes and Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to the government and the people of Zimbabwe following the devastating effects caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Queen Elizabeth II
Britain’s top diplomat to Zimbabwe Ambassador Melanie Robinson delivered the three letters to President Emmerson Mnangagwa where she also announced a $23 million package for the three affected Southern African countries.
Messages of condolences continue to pour in from all corners of the world and Ambassador Robinson, who was accompanied by communications and corporate manager for the Department for International Development (DfID) Nicky Russell – Smith and officials from Britain’s embassy offices in Harare paid a courtesy call on President Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices to deliver the three letters of condolences.
The confirmed death toll in Zimbabwe, neighboring Mozambique and Malawi is now over 500, with hundreds more feared dead in towns and villages that were completely submerged.
Ambassador Robinson said a needs assessment is underway and more resources will be availed to ease the crisis.-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent- Local government minister July Moyo has said government had put in place mechanisms to ensure that all donations received for Tropical Cyclone Idai victims are recorded and accounted for to ensure transparency and accountability.
He urged those donating to coordinate with government officials on the ground in order to ensure that donations are distributed equally among the affected.
Said Moyo:
“As donations continue coming, we have coordinated ourselves and established mechanisms to ensure that everything that we receive is accounted for.
Our job is to make sure that reconciliations are done in a transparent manner. Anybody who wants to see what has been received can do so because these donations are coming from the public.
We want people to know that we are transparent, accountable and can balance what we have been given and dispatched.”
Two men, Francois
Swart and Dale Collins, were seriously injured during the attack, sparking
outrage in a country with some of the world’s worst rates of violent crime.
South Africa police have launched a manhunt for the
suspects, who used armour-piercing bullets in the robbery, and fled the scene
in a VW Golf. P
olice spokesperson Kay Makhubele said the two occupants of
the Toyota were injured after their car was riddled with bullets and are
battling for life in hospital where they are receiving specialist medical care.
“They were transporting gold along the R21 in Jet Park
in Boksburg when they were attacked by the group,” Makhubele said.
“Unfortunately, two guards were shot and seriously
wounded during the attempt.”
The suspects fled in two sedans without being able to take
anything, and police have appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
“We urge any member of the public who might have
information which could lead to the arrests of these suspects to contact their
nearest police station,” Makhubele added.
The South African-based gold trader AMG said scenes from the
CIT robbery on the R21 in Gauteng were horrific and a regular occurence in
South Africa.
“AMG Group is deeply saddened by the events of
yesterday. We would like to send our prayers and heartfelt thoughts to the
families of Francois Swart and Dale Collins, who operate in our industry,”
he said in a statement released on the company’s social media platforms.
AMG said the shootings have once again highlighted the
phenomenon of gun violence in South Africa.
Even though South Africa’s murder rate has been gradually
dropping, it remains one of the world’s most violent countries.
“AMG is saddened by the high levels of crime in South
Africa and continues to pray for a better and safer South Africa.”
AMG – an African initiative raising awareness on wealth
creation and wealth inclusion of fellow Africans – based in Sandton, is one of
Africa’s greatest bullion money-making machines and develops and distributes
precious metals – mostly gold and related products such as medallions and
krugerrands.
Since its inception in 2017, AMG – known for its intense
innovation – has produced and sold plenty of medallions within this short
period of time.
This included the sale of Pan African 1/4 Oz Fine Gold Medallion
released last April, which sold out in record time .
The start-up has continued to break records and set new
standards of excellence since then.
But the gold industry it operates in in South Africa is faced with a severe crisis as a result of the daily spate of cash-in-transit attacks and gold heists that threaten the safety of employees.
By Own Correspondent- Following the devastating impact of Tropical Cyclone Idai in Manicaland last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Saturday and Sunday official days of mourning for the nation.
Ironically, the country’s first citizen left Harare to attend the inaugural commemoration of the Southern African Liberation Day.
The day was declared at the Windhoek Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in August 2018.
On the March 23, 1988, the South African Defence Forces launched its last offensive against the Angolan Forces and the Cubans a battle known as Cuito Cuanavale.
By Own Correspondent- Black First Land First (BLF) said in a statement on Friday that Tropical Cyclone Idai is not a natural disaster but a direct consequence of the white, Western system of ecological assault for profits.
BLF called on the African Union (AU) to demand reparations and relief from the European Union (EU) and the US for Cyclone Idai.
Part of the statement reads:
Those who pollute and destroy our ecosystems must pay ecological reparations to those who suffer as a consequence of their irresponsible actions. It’s no longer speculation – even the white man’s own science corroborates what we blacks know: Africa is paying a heavy price for the actions of the white world. The West pollutes and the West must pay. Part of driving their conspiracy of recolonisation is to profit from disasters. The West has no incentive to stop destroying our planet. The West knows only one value and that is to make profits. If the West is not stopped soon, then we should prepare for the extinction of our species.
Firebrand Norton legislator has posted a picture while addressing mourners at the funeral of one of former first lady, Grace Mugabe’s former employees.
The late Eldrick Musambazi according to Mliswa was from Ward 2 in Norton.
Details on his death were not made public at the time of writing.
Am saddened by the passing away of Mr Eldrick Musambazi from Ward 2 in Norton. He used to work for Gushungo Holdings. pic.twitter.com/jPMDNzJ9LQ
Intratrek managing director Mr Wicknell Chivayo was yesterday absolved of any criminal liability in the $5,6 million fraud charge involving Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)’s Gwanda solar project.
Mr Chivayo was facing three counts of fraud, while the other two counts of breaching Exchange Control regulations suffered a stillbirth, shortly before the trial commenced.
It was also the court’s finding that considering the circumstances of Mr Chivayo’s case, allowing prosecution or at worst his conviction would amount to violation of Section 42 of the Constitution, which provides protection upon the doctrine of sanctity of contracts while the judgment underscored that criminal sanctions would not apply in inherently civil cases as the present.
Mr Chivayo had in the lower court attempted to quash the charges through an application for exception, but this was thrown out by magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube, presiding over the trial.
A 33-YEAR-OLD Mazowe man died after taking too much of an illicit beer called musombodhiya at Hidden Valley farm on Thursday night.
Walter Masasire (33) was found dead in his bedroom yesterday morning by his brother Sauro Mapfumo (32) after the pair spent the previous night drinking the illicit brew in the farm compound.
Mashonaland Central provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm a case of sudden death in Mazowe where a male adult died due to excessive alcohol content in his body, the man was drinking an illicit beer called musombodhiya and was discovered the following morning that he had died after retiring to bed,” Mundembe said.
Mapfumo told NewsDay that his brother was a heavy drinker and died in his sleep.
“My brother was a heavy drinker and on the date in question I warned him not to take too much musombo, but he did not listen to me. We went to bed around 10pm and on Friday morning around 11am we thought he was still asleep. I went to check on him and I found him dead. I then filed a police report at Mazowe police base,” he said.
Police warned people to shun drinking illicit brews.
“We are warning the general public not to consume unregistered beer as the after effects will not be known to them, in many cases it leads to death so it is better to save life by not taking the illicit beers.”
Cyclone Idai Update: UN figures show Zimbabwe had the highest number of deaths due to Cyclone Idai with 259 deaths, compared to Mozambique 242 and Malawi 56. Land slides made the situation worse in Zimbabwe. There are fears the cyclone will return within days.
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has declared null and void any suspensions and expulsions made ahead of the party’s May elective congress.
This means the structures put in place at the 2014 congress, at which he soundly beat party leader Nelson Chamisa for the post of secretary-general and are seen as loyal to him, will be the ones to chose the new leadership of the party.
The opposition party hopes that the election of a new leadership would calm the discord which has held sway since the death of founding president Morgan Tsvangirai in February last year, which led to the rise of Chamisa.
Mwonzora, who is expected to challenge Chamisa for the position of party president, wrote to all provincial, district and ward chairpersons amid allegations that there were senior officials tampering with the structures to impose their preferred people who will vote at the congress.
“Please, be advised that the national standing committee has directed that after the setting of main congress dates by the national council, no expulsion or suspension of members shall be valid without the specific approval of the standing committee,” the letter, dated March 21, reads.
He also clarified the party’ position on members who stood as independent candidates, that they are not eligible to contest, while those that supported them can stand. In several constituencies, the party lost to Zanu PF after fielding multiple candidates.
“Please, further note that the only people disqualified from contesting congress positions are, (a) those who stood as independents, (b) those who stood as candidates for other political parties.
“Specifically, it was ruled that those who allegedly supported independent candidates or other candidates are not covered by this disqualification,” the letter, which was copied to Chamisa, national chairperson Tabitha Khumalo and organising secretary Amos Chibaya, added.
Canvassing for support has reached fever pitch in the MDC, with the majority openly endorsing Chamisa, although there is fear of another surprise victory for Mwonzora, who will enter the race as an underdog.
Chibaya said preparations for the congress were on course.
“The branch congresses have now been completed and the ward congresses in the 1 958 wards across the country taking place this weekend. By Sunday, 24 March 2019, there will be newly-elected ward executives across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“District congresses are slated for March 29 to 31, while the provincial congresses will take place from April 7 to 16, 2019, starting with Matabeleland South province.
“The process so far has gone on peacefully and without incident. Notwithstanding misleading Press reports of chaos, our congress is living true to the democratic culture and character as encapsulated in chapter 4 of the MDC constitution.”
Chibaya said the May 24 to 26 congress would prioritise “propositions and not positions”.
MDC secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has declared null and void any suspensions and expulsions made ahead of the party’s May elective congress.
This means the structures put in place at the 2014 congress, at which he soundly beat party leader Nelson Chamisa for the post of secretary-general and are seen as loyal to him, will be the ones to chose the new leadership of the party.
The opposition party hopes that the election of a new leadership would calm the discord which has held sway since the death of founding president Morgan Tsvangirai in February last year, which led to the rise of Chamisa.
Mwonzora, who is expected to challenge Chamisa for the position of party president, wrote to all provincial, district and ward chairpersons amid allegations that there were senior officials tampering with the structures to impose their preferred people who will vote at the congress.
“Please, be advised that the national standing committee has directed that after the setting of main congress dates by the national council, no expulsion or suspension of members shall be valid without the specific approval of the standing committee,” the letter, dated March 21, reads.
He also clarified the party’ position on members who stood as independent candidates, that they are not eligible to contest, while those that supported them can stand. In several constituencies, the party lost to Zanu PF after fielding multiple candidates.
“Please, further note that the only people disqualified from contesting congress positions are, (a) those who stood as independents, (b) those who stood as candidates for other political parties.
“Specifically, it was ruled that those who allegedly supported independent candidates or other candidates are not covered by this disqualification,” the letter, which was copied to Chamisa, national chairperson Tabitha Khumalo and organising secretary Amos Chibaya, added.
Canvassing for support has reached fever pitch in the MDC, with the majority openly endorsing Chamisa, although there is fear of another surprise victory for Mwonzora, who will enter the race as an underdog.
Chibaya said preparations for the congress were on course.
“The branch congresses have now been completed and the ward congresses in the 1 958 wards across the country taking place this weekend. By Sunday, 24 March 2019, there will be newly-elected ward executives across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“District congresses are slated for March 29 to 31, while the provincial congresses will take place from April 7 to 16, 2019, starting with Matabeleland South province.
“The process so far has gone on peacefully and without incident. Notwithstanding misleading Press reports of chaos, our congress is living true to the democratic culture and character as encapsulated in chapter 4 of the MDC constitution.”
Chibaya said the May 24 to 26 congress would prioritise “propositions and not positions”.
JOHN Mufudza rolled down a huge and steep mountain leading to the Rusitu valley, which housed Dzingere growth point, popularly known as Kopa in Chipinge.
He looked devastated and tired, physically and emotionally.
The man stopped walking, looked down into the valley, rolled up his blue cotton T-shirt and wiped the sweat flooding his face.
He made a few more steps down the hill and again stopped, hunched on a huge boulder, sighed in obvious disbelief of what his eyes were feeding on.
What used to be a residential place had been washed away by ferocious floods that left monstrous boulders strewn all over the valley.
For anyone who did not know the place, only graphic communicators could convince them to believe that this area used to be a residential suburbs occupied by agriculture extension workers, teachers, banana traders and a police station on the north.
“This is where my son-in-law’s house used to be,” Mufudza whispered, pointing at a huge tree that stood tall and proud beside the huge rocks deposited on the valley by the furious floods.
“All is history now. My brother-in-law and his two children are no more.”
Mufudza had been told of what befell his son-in-law and his two children and set off from Masvingo to the valley to satisfy his anxiety on what he had been told had happened.
He narrated: “My son-in-law was a businessman. He owned a grocery shop close to the residential place and his children attended school near the suburb, on the eastern side of the police station. He heard people talking about the floods and rushed to pick up his children, but was trapped by the floods and washed away. No one knows where he is.”
Down the valley, anxious people are crossing to and from a makeshift bridge to the place where over 80 housed had been washed away. There is no trace that the place used to be a residential place. Huge stones, debris of bridges and trees litter the whole place.
While others were coming to see things for themselves, most people were coming to listen to President Emmerson Mnangagwa promise them food, shelter and medicines. Most of them wanted to be assured that government would do all in its capacity to recover the bodies of their missing relatives and bring closure to their lives.
One women, who miraculously survived, gave harrowing experienced of what happened, disclosing that some families with as high as nine members had been washed away and no one has been accounted for.
“This place now covered by these rocks is where our houses used to be. The houses were washed away by floods after three rivers, Nyahode, Rusitu and Chipita changed course and flooded the whole valley. The house next to mine, there were nine people and they all perished,” one of the survivors rescued by fellow villagers using a rope, Joice Mudzokora, said.
One of the villagers, she said, who worked at the growth point, but did not stay with his wife and children, had invited his family for the weekend and none of his children survived.
Only his wife, who did not come with the children, survived.
Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday declared this weekend as two days of national mourning for the victims of cyclone Idai.
In a surprise move, the President who expected everyone to down tools and get into mourning, himself left Harare for Angola.
Mnangagwa is set to attend the inaugural commemoration of the Southern African Liberation Day that was declared at the Windhoek Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in August 2018.
On the 23rd of March 1988, the South African Defence Forces launched its last offensive against the Angolan Forces and the Cubans a battle known as Cuito Cuanavale that redefined the politics of the region.
Two weeks ago, Mnangagwa left the country in the middle of the cyclone only to send a condolence message to the affected from outside the country. His message attracted him heavy criticism which saw him rush back to the country cutting short his overseas trip.
Jane Mlambo| Prominent Aljazeera journalist Haru Mutasa has accused unnamed African journalists of throwing her under the bus, vowing never to assist anyone in the future.
Though Mutasa could not reveal details of the whole debacle, she appeared angry and let down by people she claim to have assisted in the past.
Below is Haru’s Tweet
I have tried for more than 10 years to help African journalists get a break working for international media, or those who were already in, helped them look good, but today I was thrown under the bus, accused of all sorts. Why shld I keep helping other Africans? It’s disappointing
There is additionally a typical conviction that ladies are compelled to stray subsequent to their spouses are famous womanizers… they are practically denied their matrimonial rights and could starve for a while on occasion.
This sold out lady will in this way begin sniffing other men to get even or the much consideration they miss.
We can attempt to apply these hypotheses to the Royal Swazi sex embarrassment. Other than his political duties, King Mswati has 13 wives; one may ponder what kind of a course of action he has made to guarantee every one of them are candidly cooked for.
Being human, it may take him a few weeks or even months to satisfy his conjugal commitments. Maybe this could mean LaDube was sexually starved and needed to have a striking resemblance, may apply to Ntuli Zuma.
Different human rights gatherings hold that King Mswati ought not rebuff the wife or the blundering pastor since he made this chaos. They attest that he has shrouded his unfaithfulness under the veil of polygamy.
With the changing unfaithfulness designs in the landmass putting more ladies on the spotlight, one may jest that LaDube and her group ought not be pushed to the brink of collapse over additional conjugal issues since there is something else entirely to it than only a meandering eye.
4. Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma
The second on the list is South Africa. Aside from President Zuma’s adoration for skirts, his second wife Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma purportedly had a hot illicit relationship with her bodyguard Phinda Thomo, who later on took his own life.
Nompumelelo Ntuli Zuma was said to be pregnant with Mr Zuma’s 21st kid, yet the assertions brought up issues over the child’s paternity.
A letter from “concerned relatives” of Mr Zuma, asserting that one of his three current wives had gone behind his back with Phinda Thomo, one of her bodyguards, was sent to the Zulu-dialect daily paper Ilanga.
This however did not arrive anyone in prison like the Swazi’s case subsequent to the president’s family minimized it to “ensure Zuma’s picture”.
3. Winnie Madikizela Mandela
A couple of years back, in the same nation, Winnie Madikizela Mandela additionally supposedly had an unsanctioned romance with Dali Mpofu, her agent in the African National Congress (ANC) social welfare office, something that mostly added to her generally advanced separation.
For quite a while Winnie was Nelson Mandela’s blind side. When he could see the eventual fate of the nation so unmistakably, he neglected to see her inclination. Mr Mandela himself declined to accept an expression of it. Through Winnie’s trial he remained by her, besotted, unpersuaded of her dull nature by the judge’s decision in May 1991 that she was blameworthy of abducting and attacking Stompie and three others. He likewise denied for quite a while to see that two years after his discharge she was carrying on an issue with Dali Mpofu, a legal counselor a large portion of her age.
It wasn’t as though she had pulled out all the stops to shroud what was going on. She delegated him her appointee in the ANC’s social welfare office; she ventured out with him to the United States, flying by Concorde from London, staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Right on time in 1992, she discovered Mpofu was taking part in an extramarital entanglements with another lady. It all spilled out away from any confining influence. On 17 March she kept in touch with him a letter, later distributed by the Johannesburg Sunday Times. “You’re circling fucking at the smallest enthusiastic reason,” she composed. “The way that I haven’t been identifying with Tata [Nelson Mandela] for five months now over you is no more your worry. I continue letting you know the circumstance is breaking down at home. You are not troubled in light of the fact that you are fulfilling yourself consistently with a lady. I won’t be your ridiculous imbecile, Dali.”
After a month, in April 1992, the ANC let go her from the welfare post and Mr Mandela reported that the marriage was over.
This series of disloyalties in the south of the mainland can’t be finished without saying Zambia’s previous first woman Vera Chiluba.
2. Vera Chiluba
She was blamed for having had a sentimental association with a noticeable specialist, Archie Mactribouy, prompting her separate.
This is every one of the an astonishing pattern! In the yester years, it was the male society who stole the spotlight graciousness of their meandering eyes.
Be that as it may, this has subsequent to changed with sexual orientation parts being re-imagined in different social orders. Ladies are currently turning the tables similarly as additional conjugal issues are concerned.
1. Grace Mugabe
Ex-president Robert Mugabe’s wife Grace Mugabe was said to be undermining her spouse on a mystery issue with Zimbabwean Reserve Bank senator Gideon Gono who is additionally a top friend of the president for mor than fifteen years.
The 53-year old Grace who is 44 years more youthful than Mugabe filled in as his secretary before getting into a marriage. She and Gono allegedly said that they would meet as frequently as three times each month either at her dairy ranch or in inns in neighboring South Africa.
The disclosure as reported in the Sunday Times, said that on her deathbed, Mugabe’s more youthful sister Sabina had cautioned him that he was being double-crossed by Mr. Gono and his wife, Grace.
5. Nothando Dube
News about the claimed shameful affair including Swazi King Mswati III twelfth wife, Nothando Dube, with the nation’s Justice Minister, Ndumiso Mamba, hit the features over the world.
Regardless of all the buildup, “LaDube”, as she is broadly known in Swaziland, is not the only one in this. In 2004, two of Mswati’s wives — Delisa Magwaza (LaMagwaza) and Putsoana Hwala (LaHwala) left the illustrious kraal after disloyalty claim. The unfortunate thing is Nothando Dube died on March 8th, 2019 after a battle with skin cancer which she was reportedly being treated for at a South African hospital.
Senteni Masango, the eighth wife of Mswati, who is Africa’s last absolute monarch also died last year after committing suicide.
By Own Correspondent| Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said government will decide whether to grant former vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko his terminal benefits after the High Court makes a determination on his application.
Charamba said Government is not challenging any of Mphoko’s demands. He clarified that Government feels Mphoko does not qualify because he did not serve a full term.
Said Charamba:
“The issue under dispute is not really that he deserves so much. Those issues are clearly defined in the constitution when you deal with the aspect of the benefits of a former vice-president in Section 102 of the constitution.
The matter that the courts will have to grapple with in this case is whether the former vice-president meets that requirement and definition of a person who has served a full term as a vice-president as enshrined in the constitution.
That section clearly spells out who is a vice-president, what package he is entitled to, and whether he is entitled to a full package or not. If he did meet the requirements, he will be entitled to the full package as enshrined in the constitution. If he does not, which is clear in the case of this former vice-president, then there would be a challenge which needs to be dealt with.”
A ZIMBABWE Revenue Authority (Zimra) official was on Wednesday mauled by dogs at a Chinese-owned warehouse in Southerton during an operation to smoke out smuggling of goods into the country.
According to witnesses, the Zimra officials who were driving in a branded car went and parked at the entrance gate and proceeded to knock. A Chinese lady, one Alice Wang reportedly came out and reportedly watched as her dogs jumped on the female Zimra official.
Zimra spokesperson Francis Chimanda confirmed the incident and said the matter was reported to Southerton Police Station and investigations are in progress.
“A team of Zimra employees visited a client’s premises on March 20, 2019 to conduct a routine verification,” he said.
“Upon arrival at the premises the proprietor of the premises opened the gate to receive the officers, and two of their guard dogs came out of the premises and attacked one of the officers. The officer suffered injuries on the leg and was taken to the hospital by her colleagues for treatment.”
However Wang denied reports that she set the dogs on the official, saying she regretted the incident.
“I didn’t set the dogs. We know each other so as I was greeting her, my dogs probably felt jealous and attacked her. That was a mistake and we went to Southerton Police and we also took her to hospital,” Wang said.
She said they are into the business of making sheets and comforters.
Witnesses told NewsDay Weekender that they suspected the mauling was planned because the business people were probably trying to hide something from Zimra officials.
“They keep dogs at their business premise and on this particular incident; they were trying to avoid being investigated. In these Chinese-owned premises, a lot is happening that must be investigated.
“They also have some cameras outside the gate and they were sure of what they were doing because they didn’t want to be exposed. These people do all they can to cover-up their dealings,” a source privy to the matter said.
Police at Southerton station confirmed receiving the report on Wednesday and said they later forwarded the matter to Mbare, since it falls in that jurisdiction.
Mnangagwa arriving in Bulawayo for the meeting with Civil Society on Thursday.
Own Correspondent|Representatives of Matabeleland civil society organisations told President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take devolution of power seriously or risk being kicked out of power the Robert Mugabe Way.
Contributing to the discussion on the devolution of power principle in a meeting between Mnangagwa and Matabeleland civic organisations, a member representing civil societies from Binga in Matabeleland North told Mnangagwa that one of the reasons why former President Robert Mugabe was removed from power was because he failed to obey the constitution to implement devolution.
The member told Mnangagwa to his face that if he fails to deliver the devolution of power provision the same method that was used to dislodge Mugabe will be used on him.
Sources who attended the closed door meeting held at the Bulawayo State House on Thursday told ZimEye.com that Mnangagwa reacted in extreme anger to the warning claiming that people who believe that Mugabe was disposed for failing to implement devolution were misinformed.
Mnangagwa told the meeting that his government was serious about implementing devolution as they have since allocated $31 million towards the initial stages of the programme.
Mnangagwa hailed the people of Matabeleland for standing firm in demanding and defending devolution of power claiming that government is finalising legislation that will govern the implementation of the programme.
According to the reports, Matabeleland demand that Mnangagwa compensates the region’s previous marginalisation by giving it more resources and attention compared to the other regions.
In response, Mnangagwa said that councillors in the devolved provincial councils will have to push the demands through and government will consider the submission.
Matabeleland region has been in the forefront in the demand for devolution of power which the region believes is the only means available that can help enhance development after years of marginalisation under the ZANU PF government.
By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promoted three major-generals to the rank of Lieutenant-General and one Air Vice-Marshal to the rank of Air Marshal, as the four officers retire from active service.
The three major-generals who were elevated to Lieutenant-General are Martin Chedondo, Anselem Sanyatwe and Douglas Nyikayaramba, while Air Vice-Marshal Shebba Shumbayawonda has been promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.
President Mnangagwa made the promotion in terms of Section 15 (1)(B)(2) of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02) as read with the ZDF policy retirement of ex-combatants and founder members approved on February 28 2002, as well as the ZDF retention inducement and retirement policy for active ex-combatants approved on December 30 2017.
The new ranks are with effect from March 5, 2019.
Speaking during the investiture ceremony, ZDF Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda challenged the officers to continue working hard at their new assignments in the diplomatic service.
“We are very happy for you and your families. Just to say this has happened as a result of the work you have been doing. It is a recognition of that effort that you have been putting to the work of the ZDF over the years. I am aware you are going to be reassigned, and I want to urge you to continue to work as hard as you have been doing. It might be outside the military but whichever way I want you to remain steadfast because once a soldier always a soldier,” said Gen Sibanda.-StateMedia
The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in Zimbabwe conveys, with deep sadness, its message of condolence to all the victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai in the affected parts of Zimbabwe, as well as Mozambique and Malawi.
On behalf of the Muslims in Zimbabwe our thoughts are with the bereaving families of the deceased and those whose relatives have not been accounted for.
We pray for the speedy recovery of all those who have been injured. Our thoughts are with all the victims of the Cyclone whose homes were destroyed and who have lost everything they owned.
We are grateful for the unity in adversity that has been displayed by Zimbabweans from all walks of life who have given and continue giving in cash and in kind towards the humanitarian effort aimed at alleviating the losses caused by the cyclone.
We also extend our gratitude to the Government of Zimbabwe, the Private Sector, the International Community, Rescue Agencies, Religious Groups and Civil Society Organizations for their swift response to this National Disaster as well as for the generosity in giving displayed.
We join all people of faith in praying for the victims of Cyclone Idai in all the countries affected by it. It is our sincere prayer that they continue working hard to restore all communities and destroyed infrastructure back to normal.
The hard work is just beginning as the waters recede and more bodies are found. We invite the people of God to pray for the victims and the governments of the affected countries as they continue to work hard to restore the situation to normality.
May the peace and blessings of the Almighty be with all the victims and their families.
By Own Correspondent| The Ministry of Health said at least 326 000 men were circumcised last year, representing 90% of the target set.
Sinokuthemba Xaba, director of National Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision in the Health ministry yesterday told a strategic review meeting that more should be done, particularly targeting the older generation to encourage them to get circumcised.
Said Xaba:
“In relation to the targets, our achievement for last year was about 90% of our targets and this was in excess of 326 000 against a target of 350 000 circumcisions.
“This is by any measure very good given the history of the programme when we started in 2009. We used to have annual figures of 2 000.
The previous strategy contributed to the rapid scale up of the programme, and this new strategy that we are unveiling today will set the pace for the new focus in the programme which is geared on transitioning this initiative to sustainability.
Sustainability in our HIV programmes is of critical importance as we need to ensure continued quality service provision, even in light of dwindling donor funding.”Newsday
By Own Correspondent| A Zimbabwean businessman Ali Naka has threatened to name and shame individuals who demanded and got paid $70 000 before going to Chimanimani after Cyclone Idai struck.
Naka has given the individuals 72 hours to return the money.
Speaking on Twitter, Naka said:
“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.”
Chamisa on a donkey drawn cart at the cyclone ravaged Manicaland
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa reportedly defied advice from his security team and some of his party leaders who had advised him against visiting Chimanimani and Chipinge districts, which were devastated by Cyclone Idai early this week, highly-placed sources said yesterday.
At a meeting held at Richard Morgan Tsvangirai House (formerly Harvest House) on Saturday, MDC leaders were divided over Chamisa’s planned visit to Manicaland, with others expressing concern over his safety.
“There was debate on whether doing so (visit) now would take focus away from helping people because a good size of our structures will then focus on the president’s visit. Chamisa was, however, keen on that, but his technical team asked him to wait while they assess the feasibility of the visit,” a source told NewsDay.
Those against Chamisa going to Manicaland had insisted on the party deploying a high-powered delegation including vice-president Morgen Komichi, party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, MPs and other leaders, while they kept their president safe in Harare.
But the source said Chamisa insisted on going, saying people both within the party and outside needed moral support as well as aid, and that his safety was secondary.
“He told his security that he was not a coward and would not hide in Harare, while people suffered, insisting that as a leader he had to be at the front,” the source said.
As the MDC heads for congress in May, party insiders said if Chamisa had listened to the advice of his team his chances of retaining the presidency would have been “washed away” in the aftermath of the storm.
Against the advice of his technical team and security, Chamisa mobilised aid through other lawyers, party structures and partners before teaming up with Mwonzora, Komichi and another vice-president Elias Mudzuri to head to Manicaland province on Monday morning.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda could neither confirm nor deny the debate surrounding Chamisa’s visit. He only said: “President Chamisa has a team that gives him advice, he is not a one man band. He, however, has the power to override advice he receives.”
Chamisa’s tour in Manicaland ignited a social media debate with some accusing him of using the disaster for political mileage and photo opportunities, while his supporters commended him for providing leadership.
Spokesperson for the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T, Linda Masarira accused Chamisa of using dead bodies to gain political mileage. — NewsDay
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left Harare to attend the inaugural commemoration of the Southern African Liberation Day that was declared at the Windhoek Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in August 2018.
On the 23rd of March 1988, the South African Defence Forces launched its last offensive against the Angolan Forces and the Cubans a battle known as Cuito Cuanavale that redefined the politics of the region.
By Own Correspondent| The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has been ordered to pay Housing Corporation of Zimbabwe (HCZ) $30 million with interests for breach of contract after the pension fund cancelled a housing deal.
NSSA had accused HCZ representatives Adam Molai, Stephen Duggan and Alec Nyatanga of swindling the public pension fund of $16 million in a botched housing investment deal which they had terminated.
But an independent arbitrator Peter Lloyd ruled that NSSA had no case against HCZ. He also ruled that the manner in which NSSA handled the matter was wrong hence, they must compensate the property developer $30 million plus interest and legal fees.
A TOP medical pathologist in Bulawayo is at the centre of a messy abuse storm amid sensational revelations by his wife that he allegedly threatened to kill her.
The shocking details are contained in court papers in which Dr Rodger Kruger Chigangacha’s wife Tholakele Ncube filed at the Bulawayo Civil Court while seeking an interim protection order against him.
So dreadful were the threats that Ncube had since vacated their matrimonial home in Killarney suburb to stay with her parents in Barbourfields.
“I have been customarily married to Dr Roger K H Chigangacha for 20 years. We have four children together aged 18, 13, 11 and four years old. On 8 March this year, he physically abused me with fists, demanding car keys saying I should not drive as I wanted to reap where I did not sow.
“He violently chased me away from the matrimonial home on 8 March and took two of our children aged 11 and four.
“He later left the children at home without someone to look after them and he never returned. He sends me abusive text messages threatening to kill me. He also sent those threatening messages to end my life to my relatives.
“My left eye is permanently damaged as a result of the physical abuse he perpetrated on me. He brags about it and is refusing to give me money so that I undergo surgery. He no longer provides financial assistance for his children’s needs such as fuel for transporting them to school, school trips and it affects the children’s wellbeing. I now fear for my life and I am asking for a restraining order to be granted against him so that he stops abusing me,” begged Ncube.
She said her husband also spits at her and refuses her to socialise with other women.
Ncube further claimed her husband was also involved in an adulterous relationship with a former secretary at his surgery.
In her ruling presiding magistrate Rachel Mukanga ordered the top doctor not to physically, emotionally or verbally abuse his wife or threaten her in any way.
In 2014 Ncube once dragged former Amakorokoza actress Natasha Popova Sibanda to court accusing her of having an adulterous relationship with her husband. Ncube said Sibanda was in the habit of coming to her matrimonial house threatening her with marching orders saying she was now the doctor’s new and loving wife.
In response Natasha openly declared her undying love for the doctor saying Ncube should come to terms with the fact that they were now both Dr Chigangacha’s wives.
A Chinese owner of a warehouse in Southerton, Harare, watched in glee as her dogs mauled a female ZIMRA official and her colleague who had gone there to smoke out the smuggling of goods into the country, an incident which Zimra spokesperson Francis Chimanda has confirmed.
The Chinese lady, identified as Alice Wang, has since been reported to the police.
The Zimra officials who were driving in a branded car when they went and parked at the entrance gate and proceeded to knock.
“A team of Zimra employees visited a client’s premises on March 20, 2019 to conduct a routine verification,” he said.
“Upon arrival at the premises the proprietor of the premises opened the gate to receive the officers, and two of their guard dogs came out of the premises and attacked one of the officers. The officer suffered injuries on the leg and was taken to the hospital by her colleagues for treatment.”
However Wang denied reports that she set the dogs on the official, saying she regretted the incident.
“I didn’t set the dogs. We know each other so as I was greeting her, my dogs probably felt jealous and attacked her. That was a mistake and we went to Southerton Police and we also took her to hospital,” Wang told NewsDay.
She said they are into the business of making sheets and comforters.
Police at Southerton station confirmed receiving the report on Wednesday and said they later forwarded the matter to Mbare, since it falls in that jurisdiction.
By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has left Harare for Angola where he is set to attend the inaugural commemoration of the Southern African Liberation Day.
The day was declared at the Windhoek Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in August 2018. On the March 23, 1988, the South African Defence Forces launched its last offensive against the Angolan Forces and the Cubans a battle known as Cuito Cuanavale.-StateMedia
A self-styled prophet in Bulawayo was jailed for 3 months by the Western Commonage court after he pleaded guilty to stealing a congregant’s Nokia Lumia and selling it for $7 because he wanted “quick money.”
Givemore Mujeyi (23) of Paddonhurst suburb took Mr Shakemore Marange’s phone while they were at a prayer meeting at Marange’s home in Matshobane suburb under the pretext that he wanted to pray over it as it was the source of his misfortunes.
Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube heard how Mujeyi ordered Marange to wrap the phone in a white cloth before he put it in a spare bedroom and asked people not to open the room.
Mujeyi told the court that he stole the phone and sold it for $7 because he wanted quick money.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and was sentenced to three months in jail. The magistrate said Mujeyi was not fit to perform community service as investigations showed that he did not have a fixed place of residence.
The prosecutor, Mrs Thembeni Mpofu said on Thursday last week, Mujeyi attended a prayer meeting at Marange’s home.
“During the meeting he asked Marange to wrap his phone with a white cloth and give it to him so he could pray over it because it was the reason why things were not going well in his life.
The court heard that Mujeyi put the phone in a clay pot, prayed over it and later asked to put the clay pot in a spare bedroom so that no one could see or touch it.
Marange said he could not believe he had been tricked by a church member.
“For about three days no one opened the spare bedroom. I later thought l should check on the phone since it had been three days and we had not heard anything from Mujeyi. When l got into the room there was no phone in the pot,” he said.
Marange confronted Mujeyi and he said he took the phone and sold it.
The police and magistrates’ courts have with immediate effect increased fines for criminal offences by 100 percent.
According to the new figures, an accused person will now pay minimum of RTGS$20 admission of guilt fine for Level One offences from a previous charge of $10 and a maximum of RTGS$$10 000 for Level 14 offences from RTGS$5 000. The new fines were published in the Government Gazette recently and have since become law.
The new standard scale applies only to offences committed on or after the date it became law, i.e. on or after 20th February. The previous standard scale will continue to apply to offences committed before 20th February and on or after the 23rd March 2017.
See the new fines below:
NEW SCALE [offences committed on/after 20th February 2019]
FORMER SCALE [offences committed on/after 23rd March 2017 but before 20th February 2019]
Own Correspondent|Superstar Oliver Mtukudzi’s daughter Selmor today broke down as she launched her father’s tribute concert scheduled for March 29.
Selmor could not hold back her tears saying she wished Tuku was still alive.
“It’s been a difficult for me since the beginning and to finally get recognition from people who believe in you as a female artist.
“I wish dad was here to see me I’ve always wanted to make him proud and on March 29 I am going to do my best.
“I have been rehearsing until very late and inasmuch as I am going to do this it is hard for me to fill in his shoes no one can because he was a GIANT in music,” the teary eyed Selmor said.
She, however, promised a flawless act performing some of the popular songs by Tuku.
She also thanked her elder sister Sandra Mtukudzi for managing her during her formative years until her breakout hit — Wakandipedzera Nguva Yangu.
Selmor who was accompanied by her husband and guitarist Tendai Manatsa thanked him for the support as well well the promoter — Josh Hozheri — for believing in her as an up and coming artist.
Legendary singer Tuku died on January 23 and made history by becoming the first musicians to be conferred with national hero’s status. He was, however, buried at his rural home in Madziwa.
As part of the tribute show, the gig will bring not-so big names on the music scene.
Hozheri defended the decision to have so-called small artists saying it was his wish to have as many artists to choose from the industry like what happens in Nigeria.
The luncheon hosted by Doves Funeral Services was attended by several music promoters and musicians.
Benadino Kerekere, the Sales Mananger at Doves said, deserve decent funeral covers and as a company they would come up with policies tailored for the creative industry.
A FINANCE and administration manager for a beverages company, Lorraine Chitereka, who was recently slapped with a US$50 000 adultery damages order for bedding Harare businesswoman Rudo Boka’s husband, has approached the High Court seeking stay of execution arguing the granted amount is too astronomical compared to other amounts awarded in similar matters.
Chitereka, who last week approached the court seeking rescission of the US$50 000 default judgment said she has been compelled to file an urgent chamber application after getting wind that Boka had instructed her lawyers to seek to attach her property with a view to recover the US$50 000.
“This is an urgent application for the stay of execution of the default judgment granted against me (Chitereka), and in respondent’s (Boka) favour in HC9892/18. It is this default judgment whose rescission I respectfully seek in HC2118/19,” she said through her lawyers Mandizha and Company Legal Practitioners.
“I submit that I would suffer irreparable harm if execution is not stayed for a variety of reasons; the respondent (Boka) is holding on to a judgment in the total sum of US$50 000. My lawyers advise me that this award is most definitely high and in all likelihood, will be set aside.
Chitereka said her legal practitioners had gone further and researched on the legal authorities cited by Boka’s lawyer in justifying the granted amount.
“They have established that the awards range between $4 000 and $8 000 (that is bond notes). I further contend that an appreciation of the currency in which the judgment was granted to respondent, will show that in bond note/ZWR term, the said judgment translate to over $125 000. This is an unprecedentedly astronomical figure by all accounts,” she said.
“With my case herein being that respondent is not even entitled to the $4 000 or $8 000 referred to above, the potentiality of irreparable harm falling me, were execution not to be stayed and I ultimately succeed in the rescission of judgment application, becomes high and not too difficult to appreciate.”
In her founding affidavit recently filed alongside her court application for rescission of judgment, Chitereka said when Boka issued summons against her last year, she filed her appearance to defend with a view to challenge the claim, but as the matter progressed, she consulted lawyers who later turned out to be bogus leading to the default judgment being granted against her.
TEACHERS unions yesterday angrily rejected the $400 million deal struck by government and the Apex Council, accusing their representative body of being compromised and working against the improvement of civil servants’ conditions of service.
Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said they were not accepting the offer and their fight for better salaries would continue.
“We can never be happy with that arrangement because in the first instance, when Cecilia Alexander (Apex chairperson) was presenting her arguments, they told us that they were demanding $1 700 and they end up with less than a 10th of that amount in their increment. So how then can we say I am happy?” he asked.
“A lot of things that they say they agreed on are not practical. They are not clarified and quantified and their timeframe and implementation remain a mirage.”
Majongwe said teachers were being victimised for engaging in industrial action and that the Apex Council was compromised and cannot represent civil servants well.
He said teachers want to go it alone and demand to negotiate on their own.
“The real reason we are in this situation is that the Apex Council is pulling cotton over our eyes, they are not representing anyone,” Majongwe said.
“As far as we are concerned, this is an insult to teachers. We are not going to accept this. The PTUZ is saying no. This is pure dog food and it doesn’t address the suffering of teachers. If you listen carefully, people at Apex are saying they are very happy, but how do you generate happiness when you are giving out a cushion pillow of stones. This is not a cushioning allowance.”
He said the duty-free car importation scheme would only breed corruption because the teachers have no capacity to buy vehicles with their current salaries.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said it was disgusted by the “flawed deal” signed between government and the “illegitimate and highly-compromised Apex Council”.
“The deal offers a meagre US$26 salary increment to the current salary of US$120. In total, an average teacher will be earning US$146 in April 2019. This falls far short of US$1 150 needed to sustain a family of five monthly,” the organisation, in a statement, said.
“ARTUZ reiterates that government should simply honour our 2012 agreement and pay our current salaries in USD or equivalent.”
Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) president Richard Gundane said there still existed a gap between the increased salaries and the individual budgets for individual civil servants.
They have, however, accepted the government offer for the sake of moving forward.
“What is important is to monitor the gap between the new salaries and individual budget for a person. It is that gap that we should continue to pursue. We made this concession with the view that by June we will have an opportunity for it to be reviewed,” he said.
Alexander said it was unfair for PTUZ to undermine the Apex Council’s efforts despite that there was no contribution coming from the organisation.
She insisted that they had done their best under the present circumstances to bring something on the table for civil servants.
The council secretary David Dzatsunga hit back at the teachers’ unions, saying they went on a different path to embark on a strike that did not produce anything, hence it would be unfair for them to dismiss their efforts that brought the $400 million package.
“That is false and those allegations are unfounded and are not premised on any substantial and substantive reasons that I could then respond to,” Dzatsunga said.
“We just negotiated as much as we could under the circumstances and some unions went as far as meeting the President [Emmerson Mnangagwa] and they brought nothing. They went on strike and brought nothing. Therefore, they cannot turn around and accuse us of being compromised. That is unfounded.” — NewsDay
Farai Dziva|
Zanu-PF Politburo member Chris Mutsvangwa has claimed the ruling party has come up with strategies to gain ground in opposition strongholds.
Mutsvangwa has indicated that the ruling party is aiming to reclaim support in urban constituencies as it sells Emmerson Mnangagwa’s transformational vision of growth and industrialisation.
Mutsvangwa is part of the team leading the ongoing restructuring in Harare after Mnangagwa recently disbanded party structures in the capital and in the second city of Bulawayo.
“The first President to put a package (for the urban populace) is ED, essentially by being pro-business, going for Special Economic Zones, by reforming the currency sector. Houses are not the distinguishing factor of urbanisation because in rural areas there are also houses. The distinguishing factor of urbanisation is industry — factories. What is a town? A town is a place where you process goods on a scale which makes it possible to supply a market through mass production.
That’s what a town is. If you miss that point, then it’s not a town,” declared Mutsvangwa.
Own Correspondent|Activists and Civil Society leaders from Matabeleland have implored on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to work on equalizing all the sixteen official languages in the country and free Matabeleland from being dominated by Shona speaking people.
Sources who attended a closed doors no holds barred dialogue between Mnangagwa and members of the Matabeleland Collective told ZimEye.com that the members of the collective told President Mnangagwa that people from the region which is home to most of the sixteen official languages, feel short changed by the dominance of Shona speaking people especially in government departments in the region who refuse to speak local languages.
Members of the Collective reportedly told Mnangagwa that the region is not happy with the huge deployment of Shona speaking people especially in education where teachers fail to speak to children in local languages.
The collective also questioned the dominance of Shona speaking people in sectors such as the police, health institutions and most government departments where they continue to demand for locals to speak to them in Shona when they seek services from government.
The collective further asked President Mnangagwa to protect local people by barring the importation of menial labour into the region as they accused Shona speaking people of taking over the menial jobs through nepotism and failing to employ locals to do the jobs.
In response President Mnangagwa however failed to commit himself to solving the matter indicating that Zimbabwe should be open for a free movement of people from all corners of the country.
According to the sources, President Mnangagwa said that the government will urgently work on modalities that will make sure that children from primary school level will be mandated to learn more than one of the indigenous languages especially Ndebele and Shona.
Mnangagwa further promised that government will review deployment policies and ensure that all heads of government departments have a bias towards the region they are working in.
Mnangagwa met with over sixty representatives of civic organisations from Matabeleland at State House on Thursday.
MDC Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora, buoyed by a resurgent support base among the opposition party’s structures across the country, has declared that all expulsions and suspensions of party members are null and void.
Mwonzora said this as Chamisa had given an ultimatum to Masvingo Mayor Advocate Collins Maboke, a Mwonzora ally, to step down and revert to a councillor within a week or risk being fired from the party altogether. Chamisa’s ultimatum, which was issued last Saturday when he held a meeting in Masvingo, expired last night, but Mwonzora has declared that all suspensions of party members that may happen are null and void.
This means the structures put in place at the 2014 congress, at which he soundly beat party leader Nelson Chamisa for the post of secretary-general and are seen as loyal to him, will be the ones to chose the new leadership of the party.
Mwonzora, who is expected to challenge Chamisa for the position of party president, wrote to all provincial, district and ward chairpersons amid allegations that there were senior officials tampering with the structures to impose their preferred people who will vote at the congress.
“Please, be advised that the national standing committee has directed that after the setting of main congress dates by the national council, no expulsion or suspension of members shall be valid without the specific approval of the standing committee,” the letter, dated March 21, reads.
He also clarified the party’ position on members who stood as independent candidates, that they are not eligible to contest, while those that supported them can stand. In several constituencies, the party lost to Zanu PF after fielding multiple candidates.
“Please, further note that the only people disqualified from contesting congress positions are, (a) those who stood as independents, (b) those who stood as candidates for other political parties.
“Specifically, it was ruled that those who allegedly supported independent candidates or other candidates are not covered by this disqualification,” the letter, which was copied to Chamisa, national chairperson Tabitha Khumalo and organising secretary Amos Chibaya, added.
Canvassing for support has reached fever pitch in the MDC, with the majority openly endorsing Chamisa, although there is fear of another surprise victory for Mwonzora, who will enter the race as an underdog.
Mwonzora is expected to challenge Chamisa at the party’s congress slated for 24 May.
Farai Dziva|Contrary to a statement released by Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira- in which he pointed out that three people were killed by Tropical Cyclone Idai, the department of Social Welfare has said in actual fact eight people died as a of the natural disaster in Bikita District.
Chadzamira said only three people died as a result of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Impeccable sources at the department of Social Welfare said Chadzamira could have been misinformed about the figure.
“I think the Minister was somehow misinformed about the actual number of people who died in Bikita District.
The actual figure is eight not three, so I do not know how he(Chadzamira ) arrived at the latter number,” a senior Social
Welfare official told ZimEye.com yesterday.
“We got the figure on Tuesday so I think the Minister was misinformed,”added the official.
By Own Correspondent| McDonald Majaya (32) told a local publication he discovered his then girlfriend had been sleeping with a Roman Catholic Priest behind his back.
Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy and are not supposed to have sex. Majaya came across WhatsApp chats between Father Itai Mangenda, who once stayed in Bulawayo but is now based in Mutare, and his former girlfriend, Rutendo Mudzingwa (24).
Majaya said Father Mangenda has been sleeping with his ex-girlfriend since February last year.
Majaya said the priest’s brother, also a priest from Bulawayo staying in Matsheumhlope suburb, Father Joe Mangenda, tried to bribe him to stop him from exposing the illicit relationship.
Contacted for comment by this publication, Father Mangenda initially said he did not know Mudzingwa. He later changed his story when the reporter told him she had evidence of the affair.
Mudzingwa however said she admitted to having an affair with the priest because Majaya threatened her. When asked about the WhatsApp chats, Mudzingwa started crying and begged The Chronicle not to publish the story.-StateMedia
Farai Dziva|Controversial war veterans leader Victor Matemadanda has been roasted on twitter for his remarks about restrictive measures imposed on Zanu PF honchos.
Matemadanda has said he will lead a “massive” march to the United States Embassy in Harare to confront the administration over the imposition of restrictive measures imposed on Zanu PF functionaries.
Matemadanda told Zanu PF supporters in Bindura the targeted measures were hurting ordinary Zimbabweans.
He also accused MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa of taking a back seat while all progressive organizations were calling for the removal of the restrictive measures he described as sanctions.
“You think that we are afraid of Donald Trump ? Not at all, this time we will march straight to the US Embassy because our people have suffered for too long as a result of these sanctions,” said Matemadanda.
“We are therefore mobilising support for the march from our sympathisers in Zimbabwe and abroad. We want to send a loud and clear message to Theresa May and Donald Trump- enough is enough,”added Matemadanda.
” If you want to rule this country then you have to speak out against sanctions. “
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
STATEMENT: The Youth Assembly is riled by state’s harrassment, illegal arrest and unjustified detention of professional journalist, Zenzele Ndebele.
It is regrettable that while the Constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees media freedom as encapsulated in Article 61 and 62, the state through archaic Draconian laws and its repressive apparatus continues to stifle and muzzle media freedoms.
Ndebele’s illegal arrest is a clear testimony that the so-called new dispensation has learnt everything from the Robert Mugabe regime and forgot nothing.
Surprisingly this is the same regime that squarely shoulder blame on opposition “for calling for” what they term illegal sanctions.
Journalists are vehicles of democracy and it is this illegal trample upon on vehicles of democracy that directly invite sanctions on this illegitimate regime.
Zenzele is a professional media practitioner and not a criminal!
Criminals are those that abduct, shoot and kill civilians during broad daylight.
Criminals are those that authorized the deployment of army on innocent citizens.
As the youth leadership of an alternative government we call upon for the immediate release and compensation of Zenzele Ndebele.
Successful nations respect free flow of ideas and information.
*MDC Youth Assembly National Chairman*
Hon Happymore ‘Leader Bvondo’ Chidziva
A 54-YEAR-OLD man from Mzola in Lupane District allegedly fell headlong into a well and died while trying to rescue a bull that had fallen inside, police have confirmed.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said Cunsen Mabhena of Mzola 57 Village died on Monday while he and other villagers were trying to rescue a bull that was trapped in a well.
The bull belonged to Mrs Simangaliso Mathema from the same village. TheChronicle could not establish the depth of the well. Chief Insp Makonese said Mabhena of Chief Menyezwa area volunteered to enter the well with the aid of a rope so he could tie the bull by its horns for the villagers to pull it out.
However, the rope allegedly broke and he fell to his death. “We received a report about a man who fell while trying to drag a bull out of a well. The now deceased was at Mzola Village with other villagers trying to rescue a bull which was trapped in a well.
“He volunteered to enter the well with the intention of tying the bull by its horns so that they could pull it out. He was lowered by other villagers using a rope but the rope broke before he could reach the bottom of the well,” said Chief Insp Makonese. She said the other villagers managed to retrieve his body which had injuries on the head. The body was taken to Bulawayo for a postmortem.State media
Residents in Bulawayo’s Entumbane suburb have encountered a stunning situation of an aunt and nephew who decided to get married amid reports that the woman is now two months pregnant in what the man also claims was a pre-planned arrangement with his late uncle so that they could safeguard the family’s wealth.
Antony Mawewe (25) and his aunt, Chipo Mugati believed to be in her 40s decided to steal the limelight for all the wrong and unbiblical reasons when they got married following the death of his uncle Mike Mawewe on 3 December last year.
Antony’s father, Mawewe-Munyaradzi and the late Mike Mawewe were biological brothers, making the aunt his “mother” in a traditional sense. Mugati and Mike’s eight-year-old marriage was blessed with one child.
According to a mole close to the development, Mugati decided it was better to marry her nephew because she didn’t want to marry her late husband’s brothers, who had been reportedly looking to get her as a wife.
Antony was also more than willing to marry his “mother”, and even told his aunt’s family he was going to pay off part of the lobola his uncle still owed them when he passed away.
“What makes the two’s sins so obnoxiously unforgivable is that Mugati invited Antony from the village to come and assist her to nurse Mike when he was not feeling well. Mugati also claimed she wanted to teach Antony to sew since she is self-employed as a dressmaker.
“Shockingly, when Mike died and a few weeks after his burial, the family was stunned when they discovered that the two-Antony and Mugati — were now staying as husband and wife. “When they were confronted by family members the two confessed that they were madly in love and were now staying together as husband and wife with Mugati saying that it all started at work during a joke which led to sex later in the night when they returned home.State media
A 23-YEAR-OLD self-proclaimed prophet from Bulawayo has been sentenced to three months in prison after he stole and sold a Nokia Lumia cell phone which he took from the owner under the pretext that he wanted to pray over it as it was the source of his misfortunes.
Givemore Mujeyi of Paddonhurst suburb stole Mr Shakemore Marange’s phone while they were at a prayer meeting at Marange’s home in Matshobane Suburb.
A court heard how Mujeyi ordered Marange to wrap the phone in a white cloth before he put it in a spare bedroom and asked people not to open the room.
Mujeyi told Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube that he stole the phone and sold it for $7 because he wanted quick money. He pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and was sentenced to three months in jail.
The magistrate said Mujeyi was not fit to perform community service as investigations showed that he did not have a fixed place of residence. The prosecutor, Mrs Thembeni Mpofu said on Thursday last week, Mujeyi attended a prayer meeting at Marange’s home.
“During the meeting he asked Marange to wrap his phone with a white cloth and give it to him so he could pray over it because it was the reason why things were not going well in his life.
The court heard that Mujeyi put the phone in a clay pot, prayed over it and later asked to put the clay pot in a spare bedroom so that no one could see or touch it. Marange said he could not believe he had been tricked by a church member.
“For about three days no one opened the spare bedroom. I later thought l should check on the phone since it had been three days and we had not heard anything from Mujeyi. When l got into the room there was no phone in the pot,” he said.State media
A MAN from Bulawayo has called off a planned wedding after discovering his girlfriend has been sleeping with a Roman Catholic Priest behind his back.
Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy and are not supposed to have sex. Mr McDonald Majaya (32) told The Chronicle that he was shattered when he came across WhatsApp chats between Father Itai Mangenda, who once stayed in Bulawayo but is now based in Mutare, and his sweetheart, Miss Rutendo Mudzingwa (24).
Mr Majaya said Father Mangenda has been sleeping with his girlfriend since February last year. “I discovered that the two were in a relationship since last year and we have been having misunderstandings with my girlfriend over the issue. This is unacceptable, how can a priest who vowed not to marry interfere with my relationship?” he asked.
Mr Majaya said he had been committed to the relationship and was planning to pay lobola in two weeks. “I don’t know what to do because right now, l’m really hurt. This is disturbing especially considering that l was putting my all into the relationship and was thinking of paying something ( lobola ) in April,” he said.
Mr Majaya said the clergyman’s brother, also a priest from Bulawayo staying in Matsheumhlope suburb, Father Joe Mangenda, tried to bribe him to stop him from exposing the illicit relationship.
“His brother first offered me US$300 and l rejected it. He even increased the offer to $500 but l could not trade my life for that. This is my life for goodness’ sake,” he said.State media
Emmerson Mnangagwa has technically removed elements perceived to be loyal to former President Robert Mugabe from the army.
See below the state media report below:
Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces President Mnangagwa has promoted three major-generals to the rank of Lieutenant-General and one Air Vice-Marshal to the rank of Air Marshal, as the four officers retire from active service.
The three major-generals who were elevated to Lieutenant-General are Martin Chedondo, Anselem Sanyatwe and Douglas Nyikayaramba, while Air Vice-Marshal Shebba Shumbayawonda has been promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.
President Mnangagwa made the promotion in terms of Section 15 (1)(B)(2) of the Defence Act (Chapter 11:02) as read with the ZDF policy retirement of ex-combatants and founder members approved on February 28 2002, as well as the ZDF retention inducement and retirement policy for active ex-combatants approved on December 30 2017.
The new ranks are with effect from March 5, 2019. Speaking during the investiture ceremony, ZDF Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda challenged the officers to continue working hard at their new assignments in the diplomatic service.
The Anti-Corruption Special Unit (ACSU) is breathing fire over the acquittal of businessman Mr Wicknell Chivayo in the $5,6 million fraud charge involving Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)’s Gwanda solar project and had by close of business yesterday commenced processes to note an appeal.
Mr Chivayo and his company, Intratrek, were absolved of any criminal liability. The businessman won his case after the High Court upheld his application for exception to the fraud charges following his application for review of the trial court’s decision in November last year.
ACSU head Mr Tabani Mpofu told The Herald yesterday that the decision of the High Court to curtail the proceedings against Mr Chivayo under the circumstances of the case taking into account the relief sought by the accused and the stage it has reached, is unprecedented.
“To that end, the State has already commenced the process to note an appeal against the decision of the High Court with the view to lodging the relevant papers before end of business today (yesterday),” he said. Chivayo’s trial opened last month, with the first State witness Mr Hubert Chiwara giving implicatory evidence against the businessman.State media
WARRIORS midfielder Ovidy Karuru says they have a responsibility to win tomorrow’s 2019 AFCON qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville to cheer the spirits of the people whose lives have been shattered by Cyclone Idai.
The Warriors need just a point to ensure a second back-to-back appearance at the biannual continental contest. But, as cruel as fate would have it, Cyclone Idai destroyed lives and left a trail of destruction in the country’s eastern highlands.
Karuru, one of the key members of Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa’s squad, sobbed as he emphasised the need for the team to win for those affected by the tragedy.
The Warriors have already, as confirmed by team manager Wellington Mpandare, started mobilising resources they intend to donate to the victims.
Farai Dziva|Controversial war veterans leader Victor Matemadanda has been roasted on twitter for his remarks about restrictive measures imposed on Zanu PF honchos.
Matemadanda has said he will lead a “massive” march to the United States Embassy in Harare to confront the administration over the imposition of restrictive measures imposed on Zanu PF functionaries.
Matemadanda told Zanu PF supporters in Bindura the targeted measures were hurting ordinary Zimbabweans.
He also accused MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa of taking a back seat while all progressive organizations were calling for the removal of the restrictive measures he described as sanctions.
“You think that we are afraid of Donald Trump ? Not at all, this time we will march straight to the US Embassy because our people have suffered for too long as a result of these sanctions,” said Matemadanda.
“We are therefore mobilising support for the march from our sympathisers in Zimbabwe and abroad. We want to send a loud and clear message to Theresa May and Donald Trump- enough is enough,”added Matemadanda.
” If you want to rule this country then you have to speak out against sanctions. “
Farai Dziva|Contrary to a statement released by Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira- in which he pointed out that three people were killed by Tropical Cyclone Idai, the department of Social Welfare has said in actual fact eight people died as a result of the natural disaster in Bikita District.
Chadzamira said only three people died as a result of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW….
Impeccable sources at the department of Social Welfare said Chadzamira could have been misinformed about the figure.
“I think the Minister was somehow misinformed about the actual number of people who died in Bikita District.
The actual figure is eight not three, so I do not know how he(Chadzamira ) arrived at the latter number,” a senior Social
Welfare official told ZimEye.com yesterday.
“We got the figure on Tuesday so I think the Minister was misinformed,”added the official.
Farai Dziva|Contrary to a statement released by Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira- in which he pointed out that three people were killed by Tropical Cyclone Idai, the department of Social Welfare has said in actual fact eight people died as a result of the natural disaster in Bikita District.
Chadzamira said only three people died as a result of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Impeccable sources at the department of Social Welfare said Chadzamira could have been misinformed about the figure.
“I think the Minister was somehow misinformed about the actual number of people who died in Bikita District.
The actual figure is eight not three, so I do not know how he(Chadzamira ) arrived at the latter number,” a senior Social
Welfare official told ZimEye.com yesterday.
“We got the figure on Tuesday so I think the Minister was misinformed,”added the official.
Power Natural High Energy Drink SX, which is made in Zambia, is not marketed as a sexual aid.
But an investigation by Ugandan health authorities in December found that the beverage contained sildenafil citrate – the active ingredient in Viagra.
Since then, news of the drink’s side-effects has boosted its popularity.Journalist Kennedy Gondwe in Lusaka says there has been increased demand for the soft drink, which is sold in supermarkets and by street vendors across the country.
He says that despite the ban, the drink is still on sale in shops in the capital, Lusaka. The packaging on the drink clearly states that it “increases libido” and is an “aphrodisiac”. It also claims to “revitalise the body and mind”.
Viagra is the brand name of sildenafil citrate, the medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. It is normally only available on prescription.
The drink’s manufacturer, Revin Zambia, has not commented on the ban.
Back in January, the company’s general manager, Vikas Kapoor, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that to the best of his knowledge, the energy drink did not contain any drugs.
But the Zambian authorities are unequivocal about the test results, which were announced on Wednesday.
“Results from both Zimbabwe and South Africa correlated with those obtained from the Foods and Drugs Laboratory that indicated a positive presence of Sildenafil Citrate,” a statement from the Zambian authorities quoted by Reuters said.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia said reports about the drink’s “unsuitability” should have been acted upon sooner.
Its head, Jerome Kanyika, told the BBC the ban was “a welcome move but also an embarrassment to us as a country because we had to rely on investigations by other countries”.
He added that the drink should not be sold openly in supermarkets and other public places.
Medical authorities say Viagra should only be available on prescription
Mr Kanyika said that the manufacturers ought to have stated the exact quantities of sildenafil citrate so that the drink would not be sold to children, women or even men who might not want to consume it because of its properties.
Power Natural High Energy Drink SX is exported to other countries in the region, including Uganda, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
A suspect believed to be the Mayor of Newcastle Ntuthuko Mahlaba has been arrested on a murder charge.
When asked to confirm that Mahlaba, who was sworn in this month, had been apprehended in connection with the murder of ex-ANC Youth League member Wandile Ngobeni and linked to the attempted murder of another member, police minister Bheki Cele’s spokesperson Reneilwe Serero would only confirm that a “senior official of the municipality” had been arrested.
This suspect would appear in court within the next 48 hours.
Serero confirmed the arrest related to murder, but refused to divulge if it was one or more charges.
Mahlaba is also the chairperson of the ANC’s Emalahleni region.
The arrest comes days after Harry Gwala District Mayor Mluleki Ndobe’s apprehension for the murder of former ANC Youth League (ANCYL) secretary Sindiso Magaqa.
Ndobe, 44, Sbonelo Myeza, 39, Mbulelo Mbofana, 34, and Zweliphansi Skhosana, 48, appeared in the Umzimkhulu Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a count of murder and two of attempted murder.
Ndobe, who is third on the ANC’s provincial list, did not plead and the matter was postponed to March 25 and 26 for formal bail applications.
Magaqa died in hospital in September 2017, around two months after he was shot in Umzimkhulu.
Umzimkhulu councillors, Nonsikelelo Mafa and Jabu Mzizi-Msiya, sustained gunshot wounds on the day of Magaqa’s murder.
ANCYL KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Thanduxolo Sabelo said Ngobeni was killed in 2017 when he and other members of the regional youth league leadership had been at a restaurant after a meeting.
The group was ambushed, Sabelo told News24.
Ngobeni died at the scene while the regional secretary suffered serious injuries but survived.
The others escaped unharmed.
Ngobeni and others thought to have been killed in political assassinations were murdered in carefully considered, well-planned hits, Sabelo said.
He hailed the work of the Hawks task team probing the unresolved cases, urging them to continue to arrest without fear of affiliation or social standing.
“We expect no member of the ANC to support any of those accused of political assassinations. They must be removed form their positions and replaced with immediate effect,” he insisted.
Sabelo maintained that he “without fear of contradiction” welcomed the arrest of both mayors.
Own Correspondent|Passengers aboard a fastjet Airways flight, which landed at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday went into a panic mode after one of the passengers complained of a headache and body weakness, symptoms synonymous with the dreaded Ebola virus.
The unidentified man, believed to be a cross-border truck driver, was coming home for his holiday when he suddenly fell ill.
Director of epidemiology and disease control at the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Portia Manangazira said they made arrangements to have him carted in an ambulance for further assessment.
“Actually, by the time he arrived at the hospital his temperature had lowered. We are not worried, tests were conducted and correct procedures followed,” she said.
The plane was disinfected as per the standard procedure.
“There is no need to panic. Actually it showed that our surveillance system is functional,” Manangazira said.
Harare city health director, Prosper Chonzi said the man had no critical symptoms synonymous with Ebola and his temperature was normal as of Wednesday. “He was just complaining of a headache. It could be anything. The symptoms are not typically those of Ebola. He has no fever, there was no bleeding anywhere on his body and his temperature is normal,” he said.
“The patient flew in from South Africa after he had been to Lubumbashi where he left his delivery truck. Lubumbashi has no known cases of Ebola, but the northern cities.”
Chonzi said they had engaged a specialist to look into the matter and the truck driver was still hospitalised at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals awaiting results of more tests.
As flood waters began to recede in parts of Mozambique on Friday, fears rose that the death toll could soar as bodies are revealed.
The number of deaths could be beyond the 1,000 predicted by the country’s president earlier this week, said Elhadj As Sy, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
An aerial view from a helicopter of flooding in Beira, Mozambique. Picture: APSource:AP
In addition to worries about the number of dead, Mr As Sy told The Associated Press that the humanitarian needs are great.
“They are nowhere near the scale and magnitude of the problem,” Mr As Sy said.
“And I fear we will be seeing more in the weeks and months ahead, and we should brace ourselves.”
One eyewitness told CNN as many as “300 to 400” bodies line the banks of a road out of the city of Beira in Mozambique.
Zimbabwean Graham Taylor said the bodies were located on a 6 kilometre track of highway, where flood waters had created an inland ocean, submerging entire villages around a “densely populated” sugarcane plantation.
People on a roof surrounded by flooding in an area affected by Cyclone Idai in Beira, Mozambique. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
The High Commissioner for Mozambique in the UK, Filipe Chidumo told CNN on Wednesday, “this is a big tragedy of biblical proportions”.
Thousands of people were making a grim voyage toward the city of Beira, which although 90 per cent destroyed has become a centre for frantic rescue efforts throughout the region.
Some walked along roads carved away by the raging waters a week ago.
Others, hundreds of them, were ferried in an extraordinary makeshift effort by local fishermen who plucked stranded people from small islands.
Helicopters set off into the rain for another day of efforts to find people clinging to rooftops and trees.
People walk on the flooded street of Buzi, central Mozambique, after Cyclone Idai. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
For those who reach Beira with their few remaining possessions, life is grim.
Waterborne diseases are a growing concern as water and sanitation systems were largely destroyed.
“The situation is simply horrendous, there is no other way to describe it,” Mr As Sy said after touring transit camps for the growing number of displaced. “Three thousand people who are living in a school that has 15 classrooms and six, only six, toilets. You can imagine how much we are sitting on a water and sanitation ticking bomb.”
What moved him the most was the number of children without their parents, separated in the chaos or newly orphaned.
“Yesterday (we) did a reconnaissance and we found another (inland) lake. So we are still very early in the phase of identifying what the scope of this is, for who is affected and how many are lost,” Emma Batey, co-ordinator for the consortium of Oxfam, CARE and Save the Children, told the AP.
People take part in the looting sacks of Chinese rice from a warehouse which is surrounded by water after cyclone hit in Beira, Mozambique. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
Luckily, the area is a national park and less densely populated, she said.
Still, “there were devastatingly small amounts of people.” She estimated that another 100 people would be flown out on Friday: “We’re only picking up those in absolute dire need.” No one is still clinging to roofs and trees, she said.
Pedro Matos, emergency co-ordinator for the World Food Program, said that what rescuers are seeing now is “sometimes it’s just a hut completely surrounded by water.”
“If islands are big enough, we can even see smoke coming out, meaning that they’re cooking,” he said, adding that it remains “super difficult” to estimate a death toll or even the number of missing.
For residents of Beira, life staggered on. People salvaged the metal strips of roofs that had been peeled away like the skin of a fruit. Downed trees littered the streets. And yet there were flashes of life as it used to be. White wedding dresses stood pristine behind a shop window that hadn’t shattered.
A woman carrying her child stands in a queue to receive food from World Food Programme in Nhamatanda, about 100km west of Beira. Picture: APSource:AP
Zimbabwe was also affected by the cyclone and as roads began to clear and some basic communications were set up, a fuller picture of the extent of the damage there is beginning to emerge.
The victims are diverse: a mother buried in the same grave with her child, headmasters missing together with dozens of school students, illegal gold and diamond miners swept away by raging rivers and police officers washed away with their prisoners.
The Ministry of Information said 30 pupils, two headmasters and a teacher are missing.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Thursday that officers and prisoners were washed way.
In Mutare, fear gripped residents even though they are more than 140 kilometres from Chimanimani, the worst-hit part of Zimbabwe.
Maina Chisiriirwa, a city resident, said she buried her son-in-law, who had left the city to go to Chiadzwa diamond fields to mine illegally.
“There are no jobs and all he wanted was to feed his family. He was with his colleagues. They thought it would be easier to mine since the rains would keep the guards and the police away from patrolling,” Chisiriirwa said.
A girl who was evacuated by boat from the isolated district of Buzi is carried by a Red Cross worker on her arrival at an evacuation centre in Beira, Mozambique. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
His colleagues survived but her son-in-law was swept away, she said.
A man who travelled several kilometres to a reception centre for survivors in Chimanimani said several of his colleagues were swept away as they tried to cross a river while fleeing from a mountain known for rich gold deposits and frequented by hordes of illegal miners.
In downtown Beira, a sidewalk is Marta Ben’s new home. The 30-year-old mother of five clutched a teary child to her hip as she described the sudden horror of the storm.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said, barefoot, a cooking pot bubbling nearby.
“We were not warned. Suddenly the roof flew away.” She said she and neighbours in their home near the beach hurried their many children away but “we lost some of them.” Hers survived.
Now they claim a patch of sidewalk among others newly homeless. They beg passers-by for aid.
They say they have received nothing from the government or aid groups, “not even bread.” And yet she knows others have suffered more.
Survivors of Cyclone Idai in an abandoned and derelict building near Nhamatanda about 50 kilometres from Beira, in Mozambique. Picture: APSource:AP
She described seeing the ragged people who had been ferried by fishermen from communities outside the city. “They looked sad,” she said.
The survivors from inland Mozambique arrived by the boatload, some 50 at a time, mostly children, witnesses said.
“Some were wounded. Some were bleeding. Some had feet white like flour for being in the water for so long,” said Julia Castigo, who watched them arrive Friday morning.
The 24-year-old said the cyclone came as a surprise to her, her husband and two children. It blew away the roof, the door, the windows. Water filled the home. She looked resigned.
“We survived. We’re still here,” she said simply.
“The people didn’t even have clothes, nothing to cover them,” said Ignacio Dango, who watched them arrive on the beach.
The 24-year-old boat builder said he saw sick, wounded and very young. “Like 5 years old.” They came from Buzi, he said.
Residents of Beira muttered “Meu Dio!” (”My God” in Portuguese) as they went about the city and came across new scenes of destruction.
A Michigan man allegedly accidentally shot himself after he threw his gun at a cockroach to squash the insect.
The unnamed 50-year-old man told Detroit police that he tried to kill the bug on Tuesday morning by throwing a shoe at it.
But a revolver was hidden inside the shoe and went off, sending a bullet flying in his direction, reports Metro.
The bullet struck the man in his foot.
It’s not yet clear whether the man was badly injured or not.
Metro reports that in January 2016, a man was badly burned after he tried to light bedbugs on fire in his apartment.
He allegedly doused his furniture with alcohol and lit a cigarette, which he used to try to burn one of the tiny bugs, but he ended up burning the couch and himself.
The incident also destroyed four apartment units and caused water damage in more than 20 other units.
The EFF leader has never hid his support for Zimbabwe’s disastrous land reform plans, and Julius Malema made some bold comparisons on Thursday.
EFF leader Julius Malema
Hundreds of EFF supporters gathered at Dlomo Dam in Sharpeville on Thursday, to pay tribute to the 70 people who were massacred by apartheid cops during a peaceful protest 59 years ago. Julius Malema delivered a rambunctious speech and, well, you know how it goes from here.
The party leader was at his vociferous peak on Human Rights Day, going on to explain that he only calls the public holiday “Sharpeville Day” – he told the crowd that the “human rights” part washes over the atrocity itself.
Julius Malema quotes from the Sharpeville rally
Malema made several eye-catching statements during his address, claiming that white people must never be forgiven for what happened in Sharpeville. He also turned on the electioneering charm, telling supporters that only the red berets could return the land and create jobs for unemployed black citizens.
Julius Malema compares South African to Zimbabwe… unflatteringly:
Juju is no stranger to causing a stir, but it would be his comments about Zimbabwe that fetched the most scrutiny. South Africa’s land redistribution proposals have found themselves (somewhat unfairly) compared to the disastrous policies of Robert Mugabe, who incited black citizens to invade the land of white farmers.
The economic disaster that followed has been a huge cause for concern for the South Africans who disagree with non-compensatory land expropriation. However, it would seem Julius Malema is ready to embrace the chaos that came before, claiming he’s happy to tell people that Mzansi is already “worse than Zimbabwe”.
“We are not here to please white people. When you leave here, they are going to say to you, ‘Malema will turn South Africa into Zimbabwe’. Tell them we are worse than Zimbabweans.”
“Firstly both ourselves and Zimbabweans are poor. Secondly, Zimbabweans own their land and finally, Zimbabweans are literate and we are illiterate.”Julius Malema
Land reform done the Zim -way
Malema himself has previously shown support for the way Zimbabwe ruthlessly implemented their land policy. His comments at the Sharpeville event will do nothing to calm his detractors, but Juju isn’t a man who’s out to please his critics. In fact, he’s probably at his happiest when he’s winding up those particular opponents.
Correspondent|The situation in the port city of Beira in Mozambique was “boiling” as residents suffered shortages of food, water and other essentials one week after a devastating cyclone, the head of a South African rescue operation said on Friday.
Hungry residents besieged a warehouse owned by a Chinese business and helped themselves to bags of rice and other foods as resources run dry while the incoming help is not matching up with the needs of the residents.
Cyclone Idai battered Beira, a low-lying city of 500,000 residents, with strong winds and torrential rains last week, before moving inland to neighbouring Zimbabwe and Malawi.
In Mozambique, 242 were killed in the storm and resulting floods, according to the official death toll, although this is expected to rise. In Malawi, around 56 were killed while Zimbabwe has recorded 142 deaths.
Around 15,000 people were still missing in Mozambique, Land and Environment Minister Celso Correia said late on Thursday. The government is expected to give a briefing on Friday morning to update the number of people missing and dead.
Briefing his team late on Thursday night, Connor Hartnady, rescue operations task force leader for Rescue South Africa, said Beira residents were becoming fed up with shortages.
“There have been three security incidents today, all food related,” he told his team, without giving further details.
Cartnady also said a group of 60 people had been discovered trapped by flood water in an area north of Beira during a reconnaissance flight. Rescue teams and the government were deciding how best to help them, he said, either by airlifting them to safety or dropping supplies.
The storm’s torrential rains caused the Buzi and Pungwe rivers, whose mouths are in the Beira area, to burst their banks.
Roads into Beira were cut off by the storm, and most of the city remains without power. The Red Cross has estimated 90 percent of the city was damaged or destroyed in the storm.
Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Information said at least 30 students, two headmasters and a teacher from three schools were missing in the eastern region of the country.
In the capital Harare there were shortages of diesel, leading to long queues following reports earlier this week that a control room for the pipeline in Beira that transports fuel to Zimbabwe had been damaged.
ZIMBABWE’S local currency, the RTGS dollar, has plunged by as much as 16% since it was introduced last month. But Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mangudya is not losing sleep over it. At least not yet.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe scrapped its discredited 1:1 dollar peg for surrogate bond notes and electronic dollars last month, merging them into a lower-value transitional currency called the RTGS dollar as part of monetary policy measures to address the country’s currency challenges.
The RTGS dollar made its debut at 1:2,5 to the greenback on the official interbank platform, but on the parallel market, rates were as high as 3,5 to 3,8.
While parallel market rates have somewhat held steady, the official rate for the RTGS dollar has dipped to 2,8 to the greenback.
Economist Ashok Chakravarti said every new market takes time to settle in order to be fully functional, which is why the market was performing the way it was. But he called on the market to be free of controls that were determined by traders.
“When we proposed the interbank foreign exchange market, we did so with the mind that it would be liberalised in the sense of allowing the market to determine the rates free of controls,” he said.
“But I think those are issues that will be sorted as time goes on. But we need to have transference rules that can govern the interbank platform, like how the stock exchange has trading rules. This is because some banks have nostro accounts, while others do not have. I would encourage the Ministry of Finance and the central bank to quickly put these rules.”
Chakravarti added that transfer rules would also encourage trust among exporters and sellers so that they come onto the market in order to trade their foreign currency.
“The rate has devalued as a result of the Reserve Bank just increasing the exchange rate because all banks are depending on them for the supply of foreign currency. The bulk of foreign currency is being supplied by the Reserve Bank because generators of foreign currency are holding onto their foreign currency,” financial expert Persistence Gwanyanya said.
“The reason why they are holding onto their foreign currency is because the exchange rate would be deemed to be less attractive compared to the exchange rate they have been getting from their individual structures. So the Reserve Bank has deliberately increased the rate at which the banks are accessing foreign currency from it because the market is not releasing foreign currency; suppliers are not ‘coming to the party’.”
Gwanyanya said the central bank was not too keen on the “big bang” approach in dealing with currency distortions as the bank believes this would negatively impact the economy.
“As I have advised previously, we are reaching equilibrium on the interbank forex market. I think you are using the term ‘devaluation’ in the wrong context. Equilibrium between the supply and demand for forex based on willing buyer, willing seller basis,” Mangudya told NewsDay.
However, Gwanyanya was of a different view about the effect of foreign currency on tobacco sales, as buyers and sellers were already trading among themselves using the more lucrative parallel market rates.
“To me, it is not about the availability of foreign currency. It is about the attractiveness of the rate to the suppliers of foreign currency.
Remember, the suppliers are going to supply into the interbank market from their retentions. They are retaining the foreign currency and others are continuing to hold onto the foreign currency,” Gwanyanya said.
“Until the price discovery mechanism is arrived at, we shall see a situation where we have foreign currency that may seem to be enough to cater for the needs of the market, with generators of foreign currency continuing to hold onto their foreign currency.”
Gwanyanya said too much control from the central bank was exacerbating the problem. — NewsDay
Correspondent|War veterans leader Victor Matemadanda has renewed his planned anti-sanctions march to the United States Embassy in Harare, adding that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa had to speak against sanctions if he entertained any hopes of ever being elected president of this country.
Matemadanda was speaking to Zanu PF supporters in Bindura, where he also accused MDC leader Nelson Chamisa of taking a back seat while all progressive organizations were calling for the removal of the restrictive measures he described as sanctions.
“You think that we are afraid of Donald Trump ? Not at all, this time we will march straight to the US Embassy because our people have suffered for too long as a result of these sanctions,” said Matemadanda.
“We are therefore mobilising support for the march from our sympathisers in Zimbabwe and abroad. We want to send a loud and clear message to Theresa May and Donald Trump- enough is enough,”added Matemadanda.
” If you want to rule this country then you have to speak out against sanctions. “
A Bulawayo Magistrate Franklin Mkhwananzi has freed journalist Zenzele Ndebele after he described the arrest illogical.
Dismissing the case the Magistrate Mkhwananzi said, “It beats logic that a used canister and an empty cartridge could be defined as dangerous weapons if weapons at all”
Ndebele was charged with possession of an offensive weapon after he was found with two used tear gas canisters found in his vehicle at Bulawayo State House on Thursday.
A lot of media organizations including Media Institute for Southern Africa and the Committee for the protection of Journalists condemned the arrest and called for Ndebele’s immediate release.
He was attending a meeting where President Emmerson Mnangagwa was meeting members of Bulawayo civic society.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president, Peter Mutasa, has bemoaned the payment methods adopted by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) for tobacco farmers.
The RBZ announced on Tuesday that farmers will receive payment for their tobacco in RTGS currency, rather than the 50% US dollars it had promised them initially.
Mutasa said that there will be no development in the country as long as it did not reward the producers.
“There will be no development or economic progress in a country which does not reward those who produce (workers).”
“Farmers must be paid in USD coz tobacco is exported. Farmers paid for the inputs in USD and will lose if they are paid in RTGS.”
Framers have been angered by the decision and have vowed to withhold their produce until they are paid in US dollars.True Zim Patriots Files
The MDC Congress is on course with proceedings going on smoothly and peacefully throughout the country as the party continues to confirm its democratic credentials.
The branch congresses have now been completed and the ward congresses in the 1 958 wards across the country taking place this weekend. By Sunday, 24 March 2019, there will be newly elected ward executives across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe.
District congresses are slated for 29-31 March while the provincial congresses will take place from 7-16 April 2019, starting with Matabeleland South province.
The process so far has gone on peacefully and without incident. Notwithstanding misleading press reports of chaos, our congress is living true to the democratic culture and character as encapsulated in chapter 4 of the MDC constitution.
Our Congress to be held on 24-26 May will be a festival of ideas. It will prioritize propositions and not positions. So far, the people across the country continue to elect leaders of their choice at various levels and our Congress process is well on course.
MDC 5th Congress: Defining a new course for Zimbabwe.
Hon. Amos Chibaya
MDC National Organising Secretary
The MDC contends that all tobacco farmers must be paid in US dollars in full for all the sales they are making at the auction floors.
We reiterate the point we always make that the forex retention scheme pronounced in Mangudya’s monetary policy statement is not only unfair but unconstitutional and disrespectful of property rights.
The government cannot continue to be the bank robber which pick pockets unsuspecting citizens who are being productive especially to the benefit of the Zimbabwean economy.
The government must be focused on addressing the disequilibrium on the relationship between Zimbabwean exports and imports.
Tobacco farmers are helping improve the country’s trade position, they ought to be incentivized not punished.
The current arrangement is a deterrent to more farmers venturing into the tobacco business, it is retrogressive.
The fact that there is visible confusion which resulted in the RBZ releasing clarification statements reflects on the policy itself.
A bad policy must be jettisoned not clarified.
Instead of robbing the tobacco farmers, the government must be focused on the following:-
I. Financing agricultural infrastructure, In order to fully empower tobacco farmers a majority of whom are newly resettled and beneficiaries of the land reform.
II. Decentralisation of the tobacco marketing floors
III. Regulating against the middlemen who are in the business of prejudicing farmers of value.
IV. Innovation and use of technology. promote and facilitate the uptake of new technology including the use of sustainable energy sources such as solar energy in the agricultural sector
V. Agricultural markets, reintroducing the Zimbabwe Agricultural Commodity Exchange(ZIMACE) which will help to moderate prices and also serve as a secondary bourse in the country for agricultural commodities.
VI. Agro Processing and Value Addition, promote agro-processing by attracting both local and foreign investments in order to enhance creation of decent employment.
VII. Investment in equipment, ensuring that all farmers have access to mechanized farming equipment for tillage, harvesting, transportation and storage.
By A Correspondent| The MDC firebrand, Gift Ostalos Siziba has suspended his campaign for the upcoming MDC congress to focus on rescuing Idai victims.
Ostalos is campaigning for the post of Secretary General in the Youth Assembly.
Ostalos also told ZimEye he was not the one behind the campaign poster floating online in recent days, which was created by one of his supporters.
He also said, “I want to thank all young people who have shown support for my bid to serve as SG of the MDC Youth Assembly.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. But my campaign is less important at this moment than the national disaster we face.
“A young people killed. A young people marooned. A young people swept in dead bodies offshore.
“A young people crying for help. This is more important than my & our SG bid. This requires all focus at this juncture. I therefore suspend all my campaigns this weekend.
“I urge all young energies big or small to be on Cyclone Idai. Not on my campaigns. The nation is more important than us. More important than our campaigns. Life lost can not be recovered. A campaign can be recovered. To God, we pray!’ “
Farai Dziva|ZANU PF Central Committee member and Chimanimani East MP, Joshua Sacco has been accused of lying to the nation about Cyclone Idai rescue efforts.
Sacco was berated by villagers in his constituency for lying to the nation on the situation in the district after Cyclone Idai hit the area.
As he accompanied Emmerson Mnangagwa and Constantino Chiwenga to areas affected by Cyclone Idai, Sacco was roundly booed by angry villagers.
“I was not happy when Sacco was on air claiming that our children had been rescued while we were still marooned and desperately looking for rescue assistance at the school. I received communication that Sacco had actually lied on air.
We were struggling and desperately waiting to be rescued at the school, but according was busy lying to the world in the comfort of his home,” fumed one teacher.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kirsty Coventry has expressed outrage over the barring of the Zimbabwe Warriors from the National Sports Stadium yesterday.
The Warriors were denied the opportunity to train at the facility by Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing officials over alleged fees owed to them by the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA).
In a tweet, Minister Coventry vowed to get to the bottom of the issue and added that the athletes should be prioritised as without them there would be no federations or stadia. “The kind of behaviour that happened yesterday is disgusting. Our national players need to be prioritised!
“Federations and Stadium Management need to understand that without our athletes there will be no Federations and no Stadiums! I will be getting to the bottom of this!” her tweet read.
Warriors team manager Wellington Mpandare confirmed to The Herald that the national team were barred from training at the National Sports Stadium by ministry officials ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo on Sunday.
“When I arrived at the stadium, I was shocked to be advised that the team would not be allowed to use the ground for training because, I was told by an official from the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, identified only as Dzukwa, that some complications had arisen.
“The officials from the ministry which is in charge of the stadium said they were not happy that ZIFA had not provided them with access to the electronic system the association is using to sell tickets because, since they get a percentage from the gross amount realised from the sale of the tickets, they felt they needed to monitor the electronic process.” he said
Zimbabweans on social media have also expressed their disappointment and anger over the Warriors being denied the opportunity to train. In a Facebook post, former Warriors forward Alois Bunjira said the Ministry needed to consider the importance of the occasion on Sunday.
“We have a task at hand for the nation. Couldn’t the matter be discussed and solved while the national team was training so that we don’t jeopardise our chances of qualification?” The Warriors need to win or draw their match on Sunday to qualify for the continental tournament to be held in Egypt later this year.State media
Farai Dziva| Highlanders FC forward Prince Dube is leading the national U23 side this afternoon against the Young Mambas of Mozambique.
The encounter is underway at Estádio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo.
Dube’s team-mate at Bosso, Mbongeni Ndlovu is also in the first eleven along with other local based-players that include Peace Makaha, Anelka Chivandire, Aubriel Chirinda, Shadreck Nyahwa and Tatenda Tavengwa.
Goalkeeper Martin Mapisa of Velez CF in Spain, Reward Mwakona (Ards, N. Ireland), Junior Zindoga (Maritzburg United, S.A) and Nicholas Guyo (Ubuntu Cape Town, S.A) complete the Young Warriors list that will start today.
Zimbabwe XI: M. Mapisa, R. Mwakona, M. Ndlovu, P. Makaha, S. Nyahwa, T. Tavengwa, A. Chivandire, N. Guyo, J. Zindoga, P. Dube(C), A. Chirinda.
Subs: N. Chadya, M. Chigumira, D. Murimba, K. Dhemere, M. Kwinjo, S. Patrick, M. Zata.
Quiet before the storm, the Young Warriors line up before a match.
Farai Dziva|Zifa boss Felton Kamambo has said his board will not listen to “barking dogs” and will instead continue doing what he thinks is the best for football.
Giving a vote of thanks at the signing ceremony of the partnership between the Premier Soccer League and FidelityLife, Kamambo castigated some critics for behaving like barking dogs.
“In Shona, there is a saying, kuhukura kwembwa hakutadzise train kufamba. We value the media but there are some that are always barking and we will not stop,” said Kamambo.
Kamambo has been under criticism over his failure to deliver on some of his promises like the provision of the Umbro kit and replica jerseys before the Sunday match.
The Zifa president has also been under attack for trying to push for his runner boys during the elections with Zifa Northen Region secretary-general Sweeney Mushonga being at the centre of controversy as he is reportedly earmarked for the chief executive officer’s post currently occupied by Joseph Mamutse.
Farai Dziva|The Zimbabwe Warriors failed to hold their training session on Thursday afternoon after they were locked out at the National Sports Stadium.
The Warriors’ preparations for their final AFCON qualifier against Congo Brazzaville have been erratic.
The incident happened following an impasse between the Ministry of Local Government and the Zimbabwe Football Association over ticket tallying.
The ministry officials want access to the online ticketing system so that they will be in a position to ascertain their share.
The MDC is shocked by the revelation of a baseless ban on Hon Charlton Hwende who intended to visit the Mabvuku fuel reserve Depot as part of his parliamentary duties.
Hon Hwende is a full member of the portfolio committee on energy and power development and has an obligation to fulfill the oversight and representational roles around the sector.
Barring his attendance is a serious disservice on the part of citizens and his constituency. We sense a naive view which ends with an attempt to fix Hwende the person or MDC the political party.
The roles and interests he serves are beyond the two.
There is public expectation in respect of which their elected representatives must serve their interests. We have however expressed executive overreach in which state apparatus are used to coerce or arm twist both the Judiciary in the quest to fulfill their mandates.
In respect of this issue, the Government Protection and Security Inspectorate is obstructing the role of an arm of the State when it must be facilitating.
We are however aware of a systematic attempt to annihilate the MDC caucus.
MDC MPs have been arrested, jailed and given shocking bail conditions including bans on addressing the public and the use of the social media when part of their job is to communicate with the people and gather their views.
All these Acts are condemned with the contempt they deserve – they are retrogressive and breed unnecessary aggression in society.
Farai Dziva|
Zanu-PF Politburo member Chris Mutsvangwa has claimed the ruling party has come up with strategies to gain ground in opposition strongholds.
Mutsvangwa has indicated that the ruling party is aiming to reclaim support in urban constituencies as it sells Emmerson Mnangagwa’s transformational vision of growth and industrialisation.
Mutsvangwa is part of the team leading the ongoing restructuring in Harare after Mnangagwa recently disbanded party structures in the capital and in the second city of Bulawayo.
“The first President to put a package (for the urban populace) is ED, essentially by being pro-business, going for Special Economic Zones, by reforming the currency sector. Houses are not the distinguishing factor of urbanisation because in rural areas there are also houses. The distinguishing factor of urbanisation is industry — factories. What is a town? A town is a place where you process goods on a scale which makes it possible to supply a market through mass production.
That’s what a town is. If you miss that point, then it’s not a town,” declared Mutsvangwa.
By Own Correspondent| A tobacco farmer was captured live on camera at one of the auction floors in Harare fuming over the pricing model by buyers which she claimed aimed at further impoverishing farmers while they “grew huge bellies” from tobacco proceeds.
The woman, speaking in vernacular (Shona) vowed to cause chaos at the floors adding that her tobacco cannot be bought for a dollar per kilogram.
Farai Dziva|Contrary to a statement released by Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira- in which he pointed out that three people were killed by Tropical Cyclone Idai, the department of Social Welfare has said in actual fact eight people died as a of the natural disaster in Bikita District.
Chadzamira said only three people died as a result of Tropical Cyclone Idai.
Impeccable sources at the department of Social Welfare said Chadzamira could have been misinformed about the figure.
“I think the Minister was somehow misinformed about the actual number of people who died in Bikita District.
The actual figure is eight not three, so I do not know how he(Chadzamira ) arrived at the latter number,” a senior Social
Welfare official told ZimEye.com yesterday.
“We got the figure on Tuesday so I think the Minister was misinformed,”added the official.
