THE $400 000 Hwange Colliery bribery saga took a new twist during parliamentary inquiries yesterday after it emerged that Shepherd Tundiya, the linkman between the four MPs implicated in the alleged scam, President’s Office and businessman James Goddard, was actually a con-artist on mission to swindle the businessman.

This came as the MPs gave oral evidence saying Tundiya masqueraded as an operative of the Central Intelligence Organisation and offered to assist Goddard to clinch a mining deal in Hwange on condition he palm greased the four members of the Mines Parliamentary Committee.

All four legislators implicated in the matter, Temba Mliswa (Norton), Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe), Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North) and Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe-Kabuyuni) described Tundiya as a “crook” and “con-artist”, who owed Chikomba US$2 600.

The Parliamentary Privileges Committee heard that Tundiya had invited the MPs to a meeting with Goddard so he could con the construction mogul, which money he would use to pay Chikomba $400 000 in bond notes.

It was said the $400 000 was being touted as facilitation fees to assist Goddard get the Hwange deal.

Mliswa was the first to give oral evidence before the Privileges Committee chaired by Senator Chief Charumbira, where the Norton legislator said the meeting was informal and had nothing to do with parliamentary committee business, adding he did not even know the agenda of the meeting which was facilitated by Tundiya and was held at Goddard’s Borrowdale offices.

“The meeting discussed Hwange Colliery issues, where Goddard had an interest and I referred him to Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi because I told him that HCCL was under reconstruction and there is nothing wrong with that,” Mliswa said.

“I took over the agenda and said Tundiya cannot speak and during the meeting, I never heard anything about the $400 000 bribe. If you drive through Bulawayo, you see vehicles branded J R Goddard, and Goddard did not have to go through anyone to speak to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Tundiya is a renowned con-artist and I doubt the wisdom of Goddard to deal with such a person.”

Asked by Privileges Committee member Matthew Nyashanu (Buhera Central) if Goddard’s act of reporting the bribery case could have been heroic, Mliswa responded: “You cannot say that you are fighting corruption when you are associated with Tundiya; it means you are part of the corruption.”

Chikomba then gave his oral evidence, where he disclosed that when Tundiya invited him to Goddard’s offices in Borrowdale, he had been made to believe that Goddard was the one who was going to settle the US$2 100 debt in local currency.

He told the committee that Tundiya owed him $2 700 since 2011, and had only paid back US$600.

“I asked Ndebele, who is a lawyer, to accompany me and assist me to recover my money from Tundiya, and because on that day, I had no vehicle and Ndebele had no vehicle, we asked Sibanda to accompany us in his car. Sibanda then said Tundiya is a conman and it was better to ask Mliswa to also accompany us to Borrowdale at Goddard’ offices,” Chikomba said.

“During the informal meeting, only Hwange Colliery issues were discussed and it was only outside when we were already going that I asked Tundiya to pay back what he owed to me. Tundiya said murungu wake (his boss, to mean Goddard) was the one that was going to pay, as they were business partners, and then he said I should write down my account number on a piece of paper which he then gave to Goddard,” Chikomba said.

Privileges Committee member Jonathan Samukange then demanded to know how Goddard was made to understand he was supposed to deposit $400 000 facilitation fees in Chikomba’s account.

Another committee member, Tatenda Mavetera, demanded to know the interest rate that Chikomba had used to conclude that Goddard should deposit his money as $400 000 in local currency.

Chikomba said when Tundiya communicated with Goddard, he could not hear what was said.

“Tundiya was the one who went to speak to Goddard and I gave him a piece of paper with my bank account because Tundiya had said the following day, Goddard would deposit money in payment of my debt. When I mentioned $400 000 to Tundiya, which Goddard could have heard, I did that in passing because I was saying to Tundiya I lent him the money in foreign currency and seven years later, it would be worth more in local currency and that I could have invested it as a businessman and got around $400 000 to date. Tundiya is a cunning conman who even pretended to have links with the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to Goddard,” he said.

Sibanda also gave his oral evidence, saying he had been asked by Chikomba and Ndebele to drive them to Goddard’s offices since they did not have a vehicle.
He said during the informal meeting, the issue of a bribe or facilitation fees was never mentioned.

“I first heard about the $400 000 bribe amount through The Herald. When we accompanied Chikomba to recover his money from Goddard, we were made to believe that Goddard was the one who was going to pay his debt,” Sibanda said.

“He said the following day after their meeting with Tundiya at Bronte Hotel, he got a call from Hwange Colliery board chairperson Juliana Muskwe, who warned him that Tundiya was a con-man who had told her that he, Tundiya, had given MPs from the Mines committee $500 000 each. That is when I asked Mliswa to join us to the meeting with Goddard because I suspected it was a set-up, and I only went there as a driver to Chikomba and Ndebele, who was assisting Chikomba legally to recover his debt from Tundiya.”

It turned out Goddard never directly spoke to the MPs about the money, but that Tundiya acted as a go-between between Chikomba and Goddard, without them both hearing what was exactly communicated to the other.

In his evidence, Ndebele said as a lawyer, Chikomba had asked him to accompany him to Goddard’s offices to assist him recover his debt from Tundiya, who he said had invited them there.

“I first heard of the $400 000 bribe from The Herald. It was never discussed inside or outside the meeting. My knowledge of Tundiya is that he is a colourful character and I told Chikomba that he can be given the money as cash and then set-up, and so there was need to be watertight with the document to recover the debt,” he said.

Ndebele said he knew Goddard to be a well-respected Bulawayo-based businessman, but was surprised that he was dealing with Tundiya.

He said he had personally requested Sibanda to accompany them using the latter’s vehicle.

The Privileges Committee will now table a report of its findings before Parliament, which will be debated before a determination is reached.

NewsDay

MDC’S standing committee meeting last week Wednesday degenerated into a war of words after a faction aligned to party leader Nelson Chamisa, accused secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora of bringing the party’s name into disrepute, allegations he firmly refuted.

Chamisa and Mwonzora are likely to lock horns at the upcoming elective congress next month after the latter won a tightly contested race for secretary-general post in 2014.

Chamisa was later appointed vice-president by the late Morgan Tsvangirai and was elevated to party leader at his death.

According to MDC standing committee sources, Chamisa started the attack on Mwonzora, who was also accused of causing the party’s defeat in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park local authority by-election.

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

“He was accused of trying to appropriate himself to Tsvangirai’s achievements and to claim all the landmarks into his name, such as the Constitution-making process. He was accused of trying to personalise everything that the party achieved, thereby bringing the party’s name into disrepute.

“He was asked why he was contesting the race that hasn’t been opened yet,” the source added.

According to others, the standing committee fell short of bringing the code of conduct against Mwonzora, with virtually all the leaders fighting in Chamisa’s corner taking turns to accuse the secretary-general of various misdemeanours.

“As for the Cowdray Park, the buck stops with Mwonzora and he must take responsibility. He was reminded that instead of seeking media attention, he is supposed to put the house in order and effectively run the party,” a senior party official said.

During the barrage, Mwonzora, who has been openly described as a “half-wit” by other party leaders, reportedly defended himself, claiming he needed to clear his name as others were unfairly accusing and labelling him in the media.

Asked to comment, the opposition party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said a resolution was made to make him the official spokesperson of the congress issues.

“What I can say is that the standing committee reiterated that the formal channel of communication is through the office of the spokesperson. There will be a period when all the leaders will be told to openly campaign and this is when the nomination opens,” Mafume said while refusing to be dragged into the Mwonzora issue.

However, Mwonzora defended himself yesterday, declaring that he would not be silenced.

“I was never gagged,” he said.

“I was asked why I had said certain things in the Press and I explained that it was because those leaders were attacking me in the Press.

“I explained that I had the right to reply and further explained that for me, it was a reputation issue. I do not accept being portrayed as weak.”

Mwonzora added that many of those who were attacking him rely on urban seats which can be won safely.

“We agreed that we are in this position because of other senior leaders who were attacking me and nobody was there to defend me,” he said.

“In terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, accused people have the right of reply, especially when there are lies circulating that I am being funded by Zanu-PF.”

In an earlier interview with NewsDay, Mwonzora accused his predecessor and current vice national chairman Tendai Biti of fanning divisions.

He was responding to allegations that he was a Zanu-PF pony in MDC internal fights, which have left the party at odds with itself.

“What is ironic in the MDC is that the people who are raising these allegations are people who split from the party, who took money away from the party and who called (the late founding leader Morgan) Tsvangirai all sorts of names and they came back to the party. We accommodated them and what they are trying to do is to drive a wedge between myself and Nelson Chamisa as a way of getting an accommodation. Fortunately, the MDC members are intelligent enough to read through this,” Mwonzora said.

Contacted for comment, Biti said: “He did not mention my name, so that becomes a party issue. The party spokesperson can deal with that. I will not speak on party issues.”

Mafume dismissed the allegations by Mwonzora, saying those who left the party reintegrated with Tsvangirai and were now part of the MDC.

“We are not going to deal with innuendos. Those allegations are being raised in the wrong platform. When you have disagreements with fellow leaders, you should know where to raise them,” Mafume said.

“We are going to congress and it’s a pressure cooker, people will say a lot of things when they can’t stand the heat, but we are committed to holding a successful congress and we will deliver it.”

Party organiser Amos Chibaya, who is looking to retain his position, is reported to be engineering Chamisa’s grip on structures and ultimately, the party presidency amid allegations of voter manipulation.

Chibaya, however, denied allegations that he was Chamisa’s fixer, saying he was conducting party elections in line with the MDC constitution.

“Congress is a contest for power and people will always find a way of blaming the other person for their failures, but I can assure you that the process is going on smoothly after holding congresses in 1 954 wards. We have one unfortunate incident of violence. We have a few petitions. Surely this shows mature democracy,” he said.

Party vice-president Morgan Komichi said he was confident there would be no contests for Chamisa’s post.

“The MDC people are going to nominate Nelson Chamisa with ease. He is going to be nominated by all the 10 provinces in the country and our three external ones. No one is going to be nominated except president Chamisa,” he said.

Those close to Mwonzora said he was not throwing in the towel yet and will be looking to repeat the 2014 feat of defeating Chamisa after securing one last-minute nomination.

“There are some who are saying he should pull out because the structures voting at congress appear to be in favour of Chamisa, but he is not willing to give up. He is going for the presidency, to win it,” a source said.

There have been attempts to paint Mwonzora as a Zanu-PF agent to, hopefully, discredit him among the MDC faithful.

Mwonzora has denied the allegations, saying he has a history of defeating Zanu-PF and cannot be its agent now.

“I have been fighting Zanu-PF. I have a history of fighting Zanu-PF. I fought Zanu-PF as a member of Copac, they did not want that Constitution. We brought it. I fought Zanu-PF in the Supreme Court regarding political funding. Up to now, the MDC is receiving funding from the government. I have been fighting for electoral reforms, we have had success.
I have been a member of almost every demonstration,” he said.

“Now the regrettable part is that when we are going for congress, people start mudslinging. I have seen a few brick bats thrown at Nelson Chamisa, some of which are very unfair. For example, that bizarre rape case, we always go through this.”

NewsDay

THREE police officers, one of them a senior cop, who allegedly stole guns, more than 180 live bullets and an assortment of related weaponry from the police armoury, were yesterday released on $200 bail each.

David Fugao (age not given), the officer-in-charge of the ZRP provincial armoury in Matabeleland North, Wonder Tawanda Karamba (33), Francis Chaterera (39), who are both stationed at the armoury appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Franklin Mkhwananzi yesterday facing charges of theft and criminal abuse of duty as public officers.

They were remanded out of custody to April 24 on $200 bail each. The trio was ordered to surrender passports and report twice a week at Khumalo Police Station as part of the bail conditions.

They were also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses and to reside at their given addresses until the matter is finalised.

The prosecutor, Mr Mufaro Mageza, said on March 23 detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department homicide section received information that there were suspicious movements of firearms at the armoury.

The court heard that the detectives through investigations found out that some police officers were removing firearms that are subject to a handover-takeover from the armoury to a backyard room.

This was discovered following the arrest of Fugao after he was implicated by a suspected armed robber Ame Mpala, who was arrested with an AK-47 rifle along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road.

“When detectives arrived at the armoury they requested it be opened and a search was conducted in the presence of Karamba and Chaterera. It was discovered after the search that there were several firearms that had been stored in the armoury that did not match any recorded on official documents,” said Mr Mageza.

Some of the guns listed included Birmingham Sport Company rifles, Bore Winchester shotguns, a Bruno rifle, a Mouser long rifle, 303 Era rifle, Kregskorte rifle, Winchester rifle and a special revolver. They were also found with more than 185 different kinds of live bullets.

The court heard that when it was established that the accused persons had been allegedly receiving firearms for repairs at the station workshop, which is not consistent with their duties, they were arrested.

On the same day at around 7PM, detectives received a tip-off informing them that there was a suspicious package that had been stashed at a house in Thorngrove. Upon searching the house they found an assortment of weapons and ammunition.

Some of the guns discovered at the house included a Norinco pistol, Visor Pistol, FN pistol, Special Renato gamba revolver, an Astra revolver, Berretta pistol and an automatic pistol.

The detectives interrogated the owner of the house, Mrs Delighted Chingoyori, who revealed that Karamba had left a parcel containing the firearms at her house, stating that she had given him the keys to the garage where the parcel was for safe keeping.

Mr Reliance Ndou of Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers is representing the accused persons.

State Media

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi were yesterday named in the ongoing Hwange Colliery saga inquiry being conducted by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee (PAC).

The trio’s names came up in the alleged bribery case, where a suspected dubious Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative claimed that he had been sent by Mnangagwa and Mohadi to deal with problems at Hwange.

He then reportedly demanded a $400 000 bribe from businessman James Goddard, claiming that he was acting on behalf of four members of Parliament’s Mines Committee.

The four MPs were Temba Mliswa (Norton), Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe), Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe-Kabuyuni) and Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North).

The alleged bogus CIO agent was named as Shepherd Tundiya.

Before the hearing commenced, Nyasha Makuzwa, who is Job Sikhala’s assistant lawyer and representing Ndebele and Sibanda, tried to stop the proceedings, arguing that Sikhala was filing a Constitutional Court (ConCourt)application for violation of section 69 of the Constitution, which stipulates that every person should be represented by a lawyer of their choice.

PAC chairperson Chief Fortune Charumbira refused to stop the proceedings and, instead, demanded that Makuzwa should provide documentary evidence to prove that the application had been filed at the ConCourt.

The Privileges Committee first heard oral evidence from Goddard, who disclosed that Tundiya facilitated a meeting between him and the four MPs, claiming that Mnangagwa had instructed him to look into the revival of Hwange Colliery.

Tundiya is also said to have claimed that the President had tasked him to sort out the mess at the coal miner after it emerged that one Mota Anjil was demanding foreign currency for services, thereby prejudicing government.

Goddard told Parliament lawyer Elizabeth Hove that Tundiya claimed Mnangagwa had sent him to facilitate a meeting with the four MPs.

He said they later met at his Harare offices.

“Mliswa spoke for about 30 minutes saying that Mnangagwa was encouraging members of government to join up with the private sector to form partnerships to improve the operations of the economy,” Goddard said.

He further said during the meeting, Mliswa left saying he was going to join his family for dinner.

He added that he remained behind with the other three MPs, where Tundiya then claimed that the MPs had demanded a $400 000 bribe to enable them to fly to Hwange the following day and would not go there with nothing.

Goddard told Mliswa’s lawyer, advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, during cross-examination that the Norton legislator never personally demanded any bribe in writing or orally. It also emerged that Goddard did not know the agenda of the meeting held at his offices.

He also said Tundiya was not his agent.

“He (Tundiya) was not my agent. As far as I know, he was the guy requested by the President (Mnangagwa) to sort out Hwange and he showed me photos of himself with the Zimbabwe flag and he told me he had been sent by the President’s Office, he had been to Mnangagwa’s farm and the President had asked him to sort out Hwange Colliery,” Goddard said.

The businessman denied during cross-examination by Zhuwarara that Mliswa had personally demanded the $400 000 bribe, but intimated that it was something said in Shona, a language he was not conversant in.

Ziyambi’s name came in when Goddard claimed he had learnt that Hwange Colliery was under judicial management and had asked Mliswa to facilitate a meeting for him.

Chikomba’s lawyer, Simon Musapatika, then further cross-examined Goddard on the role of his client in demanding the $400 000 bribe. 

Goddard said after the meeting, and when they were outside, he overheard Tundiya and Chikomba engage in heated discussions in Shona, where the Gokwe-Kabuyuni MP and Sibanda demanded money. 

He said Chikomba later gave Tundiya his bank account, adding he again overheard the MPs demanding $400 000.

Goddard said after the meeting, he met Mohadi and told him that the four MPs had demanded a $400 000 bribe, and the VP advised him to then report the issue to Parliament.

Further asked by Musapatika to explain if he had ever received any official correspondence from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), Mnangagwa or Mohadi to confirm that Tundiya was, indeed, working under the instructions of the OPC, Goddard responded to the affirmative. He said when he met Mohadi at one time, he asked the VP to verify whether Tundiya was, indeed, a member of the OPC.

“When I met Mohadi, I asked him about Tundiya and he indicated to me that he will revert back to me, but up to now, he has not reverted. When Mnangagwa officially opened Arcturus Mine, I phoned Mohadi and told him I was confused and told him what was worrying me. He said if I was prepared to testify, it was the right thing to do so,” Goddard said.

Musapatika then suggested that since Goddard could not understand the Shona used by Tundiya and Chikomba, there was a possibility that the MP was simply demanding his dues from Tundiya.

-Newsday

A photo circulating from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) post 2018 elections review meeting currently underway in Nyanga shows the commission’s chairperson Priscilla Chigumba with a bulging stomach. Could she be pregnant for sure?

By Own Correspondent| Bulawayo police are investing suspected case of rape and murder of a woman on an unknown date.

A police statement reveals that the dead body of a woman was discovered and reported to the police by a passerby.

The woman, who was found half-naked, is believed to have been raped first before she was killed.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said the deceased’s body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospital mortuary for a post mortem.-StateMedia

LUXURY bus City Link’s passengers travelling from Bulawayo to Harare were delayed for about three hours as a gang of nine men manhandled the driver accusing him of ‘stealing’ their US$7 000 that was in a parcel he had delivered.

The incident occurred when the bus stopped in Gweru for its scheduled five minutes recess.

The bus company had to provide another bus driver to proceed to Harare as the first driver went with the police and people who were accusing him of stealing their money.

Some passengers are said to have missed their appointments due to the fracas.

The bus normally leaves the City of Kings at 7.30AM and arrives in Harare at 1.30PM but yesterday sources said it arrived after 3PM.

In an interview, Bulawayo model Mr Oliver Keith, who was one of the passengers on the bus said he missed his appointment due to the delay.

Mr Keith said the commotion started when the bus stopped in Gweru and nine men driving a blue Honda Fit raided the bus and manhandled the driver before force-marching him to their parked car.

“When we arrived in Gweru, the host announced that we were stopping for a five- minute recess. A few minutes after the bus parked, the gang invaded the bus and went straight for the driver demanding ‘their money’,” said Mr Keith.

He said the information they later got was that the driver had delivered the parcel the previous day and the gang was saying that the parcel had US$7 000 but the driver was insisting that the parcel had no money.

Mr Keith said after the driver had been taken away by police, the host informed the stranded passengers that the bus company was organising an alternative driver from either Bulawayo or Harare.

He said the driver later arrived and they proceeded with their journey without the first driver who was probably still detained at the police station.

A comment could not be immediately obtained from City Link Bus Company as its employees based in Bulawayo said they knew nothing about the incident.

Midlands police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwenda said she had not received such a report. 

State Media

TWELVE people were killed, while several others were injured when a Kwekwe-bound kombi collided head-on with a bus about 20 km outside Gweru yesterday evening.

All the dead were in the kombi, which had its roof ripped off on impact. The accident occurred around 7pm not too far from the Gweru tollgate.

According to police officers at the scene, no one survived in the kombi, while a few people from the bus, owned by  Birdgreen Transport Pvt Ltd, were injured and ferried to Gweru Provincial Hospital.

Unconfirmed reports indicated the kombi was among a convoy of cars belonging to Kwekwe-based ZANU-PF politician and gold dealer Kandros Mugabe, and were coming from a funeral.

Witnesses described horrific scenes, with many blaming the bus for over-speeding.

“I boarded this bus from Kadoma, but all the way we were complaining of the speed.

“The driver then tried to overtake another bus on this curve resulting in the head-on collision with the oncoming kombi,” said Mrs Marvelous Marova.

Memory Jarazava from Kwekwe told ZOOMZimbabwe: “I witnessed this with my own eyes. It happened around 7pm. Some images you can never erase them from your memory. I’m so broken. I’m so devastated.”

Another witness, Mr Kelvin Zimuto said no one survived in the kombi.

“The driver of the bus I was travelling in is to blame. He was just speeding for nothing and imagine everyone in the kombi was crushed,” he mourned.

Last night, Police Officer Commanding Midlands Province, Commissioner Moses Magande, confirmed the accident and said investigations were underway. 

Correspondent|The 2019 harvest is one of the country’s lowest in years and will put pressure on the government to channel its scarce foreign currency reserves to feed about 5-million vulnerable people, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa has announced.

Zimbabwe’s situation is so dire,  Mutsvangwa said, that  the government was considering feeding its vulnerable citizens with sweet potatoes as a substitute for maize meal, the country’s staple.

She said the poor harvest was a huge concern for government.

“Cabinet is seized with the fact that there won’t be enough grain, so there are a number of interventions, like growing winter maize for example and making sure that we increase production of potatoes and  sweet potatoes, and to consider the possibility of importing.”

Mutsvangwa noted that while the country had some grain in its strategic reserves, its food stocks would not last until the next harvest, adding that “the government is seized and alive to the fact that food security is the number one issue that affects the citizens”.

The government also reviewed upwards the producer price of maize to $726 RTGS dollars, up from $390, to encourage farmers to deliver grain to the state’s grain marketing board.

Mutsvangwa said the country had lost hope of finding any cyclone Idai survivors, and indicated that Zimbabwe needed $612m  for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction of infrastructure after Cyclone Idai devastated the eastern part of the country in  March. 

“The president signed our appeal document. It details what we believe we need, which amounts to $612m (of domestic and international aid),” local government minister July Moyo said on Tuesday.

According to the document, $155m is needed for logistics and emergency communication to get help to affected communities.

A further $292m is needed for food and nutrition to about 100,000 people in the hardest hit area of Chimanimani; $75m is required for emergency shelter; and  $51m has been budgeted for water sanitation and hygiene.

Other funds have been budgeted for rebuilding schools and hospitals,  as well as psychosocial support.

The cyclone has also set back  Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector.

The government will import grain after it recorded a poor harvest of 714,958 tonnes, putting further strain on the country’s battered economy.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By A Correspondent| The Norton MP Temba Mliswa yesterday took stand before the committee that is investigating allegations of bribery.

The hearings lasted several hours and Mliswa lifted pitch when he made the following declaration: “I don’t come from that upbringing at all; I advocate for pushing for zero tolerance.

“On corruption my way of doing the important I always watch because everyone is watching [me] they say Mliswa is the one who makes a lot of noise on corruption. So I am very aware of the lot of things honourable member. I am not naive. I wouldn’t talk about it, because but I have never solicited for a bribe in my whole life.” VIDEO BELOW

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is in a dilemma after Mutasa Central ward 10 councillor Frank Chitembwe (MDC), whose seat was declared vacant following his incarceration for public violence, resurfaced this week after being granted bail pending appeal.

His party now wants the results of the nomination court, which sat last week and selected candidates for the by-election, to be set aside.

MDC Manicaland provincial spokesperson Trevor Saruwaka said they would appeal to the electoral court to reverse the results of the nomination court.

“We are going to appeal to the electoral court urgently to seek an order to reverse the results of nomination court and declare Chitembwe the sitting councillor for ward 10,” he said

Chitembwe, who was recently slapped with a two-year jail term for taking part in the January 14-16 shutdown by blocking roads, on Monday successfully applied for bail pending appeal at the High Court.

The ex-councillor and another party activist, Job Kusano, were granted $300 bail each following an application by their lawyers Christopher Ndlovu and David Tandiri.

Chitembwe was released after the nomination court sat last week to select candidates to contest in the May 12 by-election to fill the position.

The three candidates who successfully filed their nomination papers are Tanyaradzwa Rose Mukodza (MDC), Magret Tindika of Zanu PF and Tanyaradzwa Justin Chirimo of NCA Saruwaka added that the MDC Alliance candidate, Mukodza, was ready to step down for Chitembwe.

“We are not in a dilemma. Our candidate is fully aware that should the appeal succeed, she will happily give way to councillor Chitembwe,” he said.

“If the appeal fails, we contest and an MDC councillor will win. So there is no dilemma on our part. It is actually a nightmare for Zanu PF because it’s a lose-lose situation for them. Whichever way, the seat will remain in the hands of the MDC.” — NewsDay

Own Correspondent|In an unprecedented plot twist, National University of Science and Technology lectures for Financial Econometrics and Data Analysis have allegedly put a clause on the examination paper which allows students to shed tears should they feel overwhelmed with the questions.

The alleged examination paper which is circulating on social media has one peculiar instruction which says:

‘Crying is allowed but do so without disturbing others”

The institution is yet to confirm if such a clause exists indeed.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government plans to compensate victims of the Gukurahundi genocide which claimed thousands of lives in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in the mid-1980s.

Virginia Mabiza, the permanent secretary in the justice ministry, on Wednesday said that the compensation would take various forms.

Among these would be the exhumation and reburial of victims, the provision of counselling and medical services and the issuance of national identity documents to displaced survivors.

It is not immediately clear if there would be any financial compensation for survivors and their families.

“The ministry of home affairs and cultural heritage will facilitate the issuance of birth certificates and death certificates for victims affected by Gukurahundi. It will also facilitate the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims.

“We’re also implementing protection mechanisms for those affected by Gukurahundi to be free to discuss their experiences,” Mabiza was quoted in the state-owned Herald newspaper.

The term Gukurahundi is derived from the Shona language and is loosely translated to mean the “early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains”.

Under the watch of former president Robert Mugabe, his North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade led the brutal crackdown against civilians, mostly Ndebele speaking, in the southern part of the country under the pretext of looking for “dissidents”.

Until his fall in November 2017 from a military coup, Mugabe never apologised for the genocide which he described “a moment of madness”.

Mnangagwa was state security minister at the time. His rule has come under criticism for the failure to acknowledge the genocide and the various roles played by different people  in the execution of Gukurahundi, with some of them currently serving in his government.

Perence Shiri, now the agriculture minister, was the commander of the Fifth Brigade during Gukurahundi.

Last month, Mnangagwa held a meeting with the Matabeleland Collective, an advocacy organisation that seeks to promote the development of the Matabeleland region.

Mnangagwa said the meeting was meant to show that his administration was not paying lip service to the demand for the development of the Matabeleland provinces.

Dumisani Nkomo, the head of secretariat in the Matabeleland Collective, told TimesLIVE in an interview on Wednesday that when it came to the Gukurahundi, his organisation had both short-term and long-term views on the matter.

“The issues of access to birth and death certificates as well as the exhumation are the first steps in addressing the issue. There are other critical steps such as acknowledgement, but it’s a good start to hold the government to account according to the implementation matrix which they have provided,” Nkomo said.

But lobbyists on Gukurahundi said the “lack of acknowledgement” of the genocide was a missing factor in the plans by Mnangagwa’s government and it should have started from there.

“Why is the permanent secretary announcing these plans on Gukurahundi? It must be a minister and there is a need to gazette the plans to make it legally binding.

“The compensation plans are also suspicious and happen at a time that finance minister Mthuli Ncube plans to compensate white farmers too. It looks like a box-ticking exercise by the government which must meet some conditions in order for the US sanctions to be lifted,” a lobbyist said.

Last weekend, vice-president Constantino Chiwenga attended the 25th commemorations of the Rwanda genocide in Kigali. Calls have increased from civic society groups that Harare should learn from Kigali how it has dealt with its genocide that claimed the lives of more than 800,000 people in 1994.

— TimesLIVE

By Own Correspondent| The Daily News has apologised to the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa over a report it published suggesting that she had hired a luxury jet to travel to Dubai.

The publication said it regretted publishing the story without verifying all the facts.

Mnangagwa, it turned out, had travelled on a scheduled Emirates flight.

A group of South Sudanese students are stranded in Zimbabwe after alleged failure by their government to clear outstanding arrears and secure flights for their home return.

Those affected are from two universities in Zimbabwe.

The students, in an April 8 letter, urged South Sudan government to urgently facilitate the release of funds approved by the council of ministers to support students studying abroad.

The funds, they stated, were meant to clearing arrears and buy air tickets for students who completed their studies to return home.

At least seven of the 22 students who completed their studies in December last year are still stranded, unless their government intervenes.

“We truly appreciated the scholarship chance we got and that is why we finished on time. Unfortunately, we are now being left stranded in Zimbabwe despite the enormous commitment from the highest authority due to lack of follow up or ill-intention somewhere within the ministry concern,” partly reads the letter.

Sudanese Students Radio Tamazuj interviewed said they are facing immigration problems since they are no longer eligible for study permit extension.

“Most of us are experiencing passport expiration that will affect our staying here in Zimbabwe. We simply need to go home because we completed what we were here for,” further notes the letter.

According to the students, each one owes the university nearly $7,000, meaning government has to pay $154,000 for the 22 of them.

However, of the 22 students who completed studies, 15 of them returned home, while seven of them have not yet secured air tickets.

John Aweenthi, a stranded graduate, said they have not received any communication from the education ministry on their issue.

“We are in a dilemma. Some of our colleagues have expired passports. They do not know what to do,” Aweenthii said.

He added, “We are urging the government to clear our accounts so that we go.  Maybe we will one day find a job somewhere to do”.

Meanwhile Moses Kat, the President of South Sudan Students Association in Zimbabwe acknowledged the students’ concerns, saying he has been engaging the authorities in Juba on this matter.

“We have been pleading with the government so that they can clear the arrears and after the clearance of these arrears, they should be able to provide tickets to these students so that students who have completed their studies can be able to go back to South Sudan,” said Kat.

He added, “They cannot get their papers if these outstanding arrears are not cleared”.

Kat blamed the ministry of higher education for the students’ woes.

“We have written to the ministry of higher education, but they have not responded. Even the embassy wrote to the ministry,” he said.

According to the students’ leader, a total of 79 South Sudanese have been studying in at least five different universities in Zimbabwe.

The ministry of higher education could not immediately be reached for comment. — Radio Tamazuj

Correspondent|ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba says she and her fellow Commissioners are unfazed by the attacks they received during the 2018 elections and continue to receive on social media and other platforms.

Chigumba has said some of the voters and opposition leaders who picketed ZEC offices were ignorant of the demands they were calling for versus the Electoral Act.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 2018 Multistakeholder Post-Elections Review Conference currently underway in Nyanga, Chigumba said those threats and abuses did not make her a victim in any way as she rose above hate speech.

“These attacks on our personas in particular were basically different opinions by our voters on whether or not we had executed our duties well.

“We decided to ignore and proceeded with our mandate and I believe we discharged our mandate to the best of our abilities,” said Chigumba.

Chigumba became a subject of abuse especially online where mainly members of the opposition parties bullied her as they accused her of being a puppet of the ruling party led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

On two separate attempts, the MDC Alliance and other political parties threatened to invade ZEC offices intending to confront Chigumba on their demands which they wanted addressed a few days before the election.

She said the female commissioners had to undergo a counselling session as they assured themselves that they were on the right path.

“We had counselling amongst ourselves and told each other that we took oath of office and we agreed in terms of the Constitution that we run elections,” she added.

During the run-up to the elections, the opposition political party would picket ZEC offices and would come back with the same demands again despite the demands having been clearly outlined in the Electoral Act.

Chigumba said some of the voters and leaders who picketed their offices were ignorant of the demands they were calling for .

“It is my considered view that a lot of what transpired during the elections arose from a position of ignorance from our main stakeholders who are the voters,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ms Virginia Mabhiza, while giving her opening remarks at 2018 Elections Review Conference, encouraged participants to be candid in their deliberations.

ZEC Commissioner Dr. Qhubani Moyo said the the conference helps them look at what worked well, what did not work well and what needs to be done going forward as Zimbabwe builds up to the 2023 elections.

Correspondent|PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi and Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi were yesterday named in the ongoing Hwange Colliery saga inquiry being conducted by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee (PAC).

The trio’s names came up in the alleged bribery case, where a suspected dubious Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative claimed that he had been sent by Mnangagwa and Mohadi to deal with problems at Hwange.

He then reportedly demanded a $400 000 bribe from businessman James Goddard, claiming that he was acting on behalf of four members of Parliament’s Mines Committee.

The four MPs were Temba Mliswa (Norton), Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe), Leonard Chikomba (Gokwe-Kabuyuni) and Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North).

The alleged bogus CIO agent was named as Shepherd Tundiya.

Before the hearing commenced, Nyasha Makuzwa, who is Job Sikhala’s assistant lawyer and representing Ndebele and Sibanda, tried to stop the proceedings, arguing that Sikhala was filing a Constitutional Court (ConCourt)application for violation of section 69 of the Constitution, which stipulates that every person should be represented by a lawyer of their choice.

PAC chairperson Chief Fortune Charumbira refused to stop the proceedings and, instead, demanded that Makuzwa should provide documentary evidence to prove that the application had been filed at the ConCourt.

The Privileges Committee first heard oral evidence from Goddard, who disclosed that Tundiya facilitated a meeting between him and the four MPs, claiming that Mnangagwa had instructed him to look into the revival of Hwange Colliery.

Tundiya is also said to have claimed that the President had tasked him to sort out the mess at the coal miner after it emerged that one Mota Anjil was demanding foreign currency for services, thereby prejudicing government.

Goddard told Parliament lawyer Elizabeth Hove that Tundiya claimed Mnangagwa had sent him to facilitate a meeting with the four MPs.

He said they later met at his Harare offices.

“Mliswa spoke for about 30 minutes saying that Mnangagwa was encouraging members of government to join up with the private sector to form partnerships to improve the operations of the economy,” Goddard said.

He further said during the meeting, Mliswa left saying he was going to join his family for dinner.

He added that he remained behind with the other three MPs, where Tundiya then claimed that the MPs had demanded a $400 000 bribe to enable them to fly to Hwange the following day and would not go there with nothing.

Goddard told Mliswa’s lawyer, advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, during cross-examination that the Norton legislator never personally demanded any bribe in writing or orally. It also emerged that Goddard did not know the agenda of the meeting held at his offices.

He also said Tundiya was not his agent.

“He (Tundiya) was not my agent. As far as I know, he was the guy requested by the President (Mnangagwa) to sort out Hwange and he showed me photos of himself with the Zimbabwe flag and he told me he had been sent by the President’s Office, he had been to Mnangagwa’s farm and the President had asked him to sort out Hwange Colliery,” Goddard said.

The businessman denied during cross-examination by Zhuwarara that Mliswa had personally demanded the $400 000 bribe, but intimated that it was something said in Shona, a language he was not conversant in.

Ziyambi’s name came in when Goddard claimed he had learnt that Hwange Colliery was under judicial management and had asked Mliswa to facilitate a meeting for him.

Chikomba’s lawyer, Simon Musapatika, then further cross-examined Goddard on the role of his client in demanding the $400 000 bribe.

Goddard said after the meeting, and when they were outside, he overheard Tundiya and Chikomba engage in heated discussions in Shona, where the Gokwe-Kabuyuni MP and Sibanda demanded money.

He said Chikomba later gave Tundiya his bank account, adding he again overheard the MPs demanding $400 000.

Goddard said after the meeting, he met Mohadi and told him that the four MPs had demanded a $400 000 bribe, and the VP advised him to then report the issue to Parliament.

Further asked by Musapatika to explain if he had ever received any official correspondence from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), Mnangagwa or Mohadi to confirm that Tundiya was, indeed, working under the instructions of the OPC, Goddard responded to the affirmative. He said when he met Mohadi at one time, he asked the VP to verify whether Tundiya was, indeed, a member of the OPC.

“When I met Mohadi, I asked him about Tundiya and he indicated to me that he will revert back to me, but up to now, he has not reverted. When Mnangagwa officially opened Arcturus Mine, I phoned Mohadi and told him I was confused and told him what was worrying me. He said if I was prepared to testify, it was the right thing to do so,” Goddard said.

Musapatika then suggested that since Goddard could not understand the Shona used by Tundiya and Chikomba, there was a possibility that the MP was simply demanding his dues from Tundiya.

Source – newsday

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

Epworth Police (Sunway City) assault man, steal mobile phone, $230 bond, dump him at police station bleeding and then discharge him to seek medical services….

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By Own Correspondent- A Councillor for Ward 3, in Bindura Brian Kembo has been hauled to court charged with disorderly conduct after he allegedly stated that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is to blame for the high stress levels among citizens and for authoring Zimbabwe’s agonising economic crisis.

Kembo is being represented by Idirashe Chikomba from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

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

By Own Correspondent| Didymus Mutasa has revealed that he never left Zanu Pf but was just a victim of former president Robert Mugabe’s purges within the party which sought to elevate his wife Grace.

Mutasa and Ambrose Mutinhiri, a former NPF leader who contested for presidency in the 2018 harmonised elections and lost dismally were on Tuesday re- admitted into Zanu Pf.

Said Mutasa:

“I never left Zanu Pf. It is the former president and his wife who pushed us out because he wanted to elevate his wife to become President. Let him hear now that i have remained Zanu Pf.”

By Own Correspondent| A student at Ezekiel Guti university has been suspended for querting why tje institution raised fees without consulting or notufying students.

Said ZINASU in a statement:

“Another shocking or rather obtuse suspension of ZINASU Comrade Chamu for questioning the administration on fee increment reached without consulting students.

The right to education is under threat!!!!!”

GOVERNMENT has rescinded its order for mandatory vacation lessons during the April and August holidays for schools in Matabeleland North province.

The order had been made by acting provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu to enable the schools to improve their Grade Seven pass rates and make up for time lost during teachers’ protests at the beginning of this term.

The move was, however, fiercely resisted by rural teachers, who argued that the directive was made without their consent. The teachers also argued that the low pass rates recorded at rural schools were as a result of lack of teaching resources as well as poor working conditions.

Mpofu later wrote to district schools’ inspectors on April 8, saying it was now up to individual schools to decide whether or not to conduct the vacation lessons during the holidays.

“This serves to correct the previous communication on the 2019 April and August vacation schools during holiday,” the letter read.

“… only Grade 7, Form 4s, U6ths can attend the vacation school if the school can afford to hold it and for the number of days which the school has planned for, not necessarily the 10 days. No school is forced to hold the vacation school.”

He also urged school authorities to consult key stakeholders such as parents over vacation lessons.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said his union had written to Mpofu, expressing displeasure over his earlier order.

“Teachers in remote areas, deep down in the rural parts of Matabeleland North, like in Binga and Bubi, will now enjoy their holidays and have time to go back to their homes to bond with their families. Teachers will also have time to engage in means of getting extra income to augment their poor salaries. We formally wrote the provincial education director a letter, protesting his earlier order on April 3 and we are happy that he has reversed the unpopular decision,” he said.

-Newsday

MDC’s ongoing congress nomination process has produced some surprises in the individuals chosen for the main elective congress scheduled for next month.

The youth assembly race is being led by Obey Sithole, who has received two nominations so far from both Matabeleland South and North ahead of the current secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa and fiery activist Haruziviishe Makomborero.

Chinoputsa has one nomination so far from the United States branch.

For the main wing, although MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has since received three nominations so far, there has not been the same consistency for his lieutenants.

Chamisa is expected to be challenged by secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, who has, however not yet received any nomination for the presidency. Mwonzora’s backers are adamant that tables will be turned in the course of the nomination.

For the youth assembly, Sithole said although the race was still on, taking the early lead is a clear message from young people that they want a refreshed assembly which will take a lead in fighting for their welfare.

“We are confronted with a very difficult situation which has the potential to destroy the future of this nation,” he said.

“Given that situation, the priority is to recruit and mobilise young people to take part in the political processes. We need to create a more responsible citizenry ready to exercise their constitutional rights in fighting against this military State.

“We will develop cadres who are ready to accept the streets as their second homes in pursuit of democratic change. We are confronted with a misinformed uniformed force, which as aiding the continued stay of Zanu PF in power.

“To that end, we will also reform the men and women in uniform.”

Clifford Malingwa was nominated for vice-chair, while Ostallos Siziba received nominations for the secretary-general’s position in both Matabeleland South and North provinces.

Chamisa got his third nomination while Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and Morgen Komichi who are eyeing the vice-presidency received a boost in Matabeleland North province.

Joel Gabuza was nominated for the chairman’s position while the current chair Tabitha Khumalo was nominated for the treasurer-general’s position.

-Newsday

By Own Correspondent| Spokesperson for the National Patriotic Front Jelousy Mawarire has scoffed at recent moves by Didymus Mutasa and former NPF presidential aspirant in the 2018 harmonised polls Ambrose Mutinhiri of re- joining Zanu Pf.

Mutasa and Mutinhiri were on Tuesday officially readmitted into Zanu Pf.

Mawarire however described the move as desperation by “old politicians who knew that they no longer held any political value hence their decision to join a sinking ship.”

He said:

My brother Raymond Majongwe, would a sane person agree to be invited to eat a cake inside a burning house? Only old and insane people can agree to do that because they also know that they are about to die and they will just sacrifice everything because they want to eat as much as they can before they die.”

By Own Correspondent- A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chimanimani and Chipinge shortly before Cyclone Idai which left over 344 people dead and destroyed property worth billions of dollars, a senior Government official has revealed.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists at a post cabinet briefing that government was also working on relocating people in some of the areas affected by the cyclone.

Said Mutsvangwa:

“Cabinet has also established that the scale of the disaster was to some extent exacerbated by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake which hit the Chimanimani areas shortly before the onset of the cyclone,” she said.

“A team of experts is currently on the ground in the Chimanimani and Chipinge areas carrying out a disaster vulnerability assessment exercise with a view to determining the suitable long term settlement and land use patterns.

“Plans are also underway to establish monuments in honour of the departed persons in places such as Ngangu, Machongwe and Copa.”-StateMedia.

By Own Correspondent- Independent legislator for Norton, Temba Mliswa and opposition MDC MP Anele Ndebele were acquited by James Ross Goddard during a parliamentary hearing into bribery allegations which started yesterday.

Zanu Pf’s Leonard Chikomba and MDC’s Prince Dubeko Sibanda were however incriminated by the complainant.

The Parliament’s Privilege Committee chaired by Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira was investigating bribery allegations against Mliswa and others.

It was alleged that they demanded a $400 000 bribe from Goddard for his company, JRG Pvt Ltd, to secure a coal mining contract at Hwange in 2018.

Speaking during cross-examination by Mliswa’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, Goddard said that Mliswa and Chikomba did not make any financial requests.

He also added that:

“It (the issue of the facilitation fee) was raised by Honourable Chikomba and Honourable Sibanda that we can’t go to Hwange without something and it was Honourable Chikomba who was the most aggressive.”

Chikomba and Sibanda are denying charges arguing that Goddard’s allegations lacked evidence to back them.

MDC’s ongoing congress nomination process has produced some surprises in the individuals chosen for the main elective congress scheduled for next month.

The youth assembly race is being led by Obey Sithole, who has received two nominations so far from both Matabeleland South and North ahead of the current secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa and fiery activist Haruziviishe Makomborero.

Chinoputsa has one nomination so far from the United States branch.

For the main wing, although MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has since received three nominations so far, there has not been the same consistency for his lieutenants.

Chamisa is expected to be challenged by secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, who has, however not yet received any nomination for the presidency. Mwonzora’s backers are adamant that tables will be turned in the course of the nomination.

For the youth assembly, Sithole said although the race was still on, taking the early lead is a clear message from young people that they want a refreshed assembly which will take a lead in fighting for their welfare.

“We are confronted with a very difficult situation which has the potential to destroy the future of this nation,” he said.

“Given that situation, the priority is to recruit and mobilise young people to take part in the political processes. We need to create a more responsible citizenry ready to exercise their constitutional rights in fighting against this military State.

“We will develop cadres who are ready to accept the streets as their second homes in pursuit of democratic change. We are confronted with a misinformed uniformed force, which as aiding the continued stay of Zanu PF in power.

“To that end, we will also reform the men and women in uniform.”

Clifford Malingwa was nominated for vice-chair, while Ostallos Siziba received nominations for the secretary-general’s position in both Matabeleland South and North provinces.

Chamisa got his third nomination while Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and Morgen Komichi who are eyeing the vice-presidency received a boost in Matabeleland North province.

Joel Gabuza was nominated for the chairman’s position while the current chair Tabitha Khumalo was nominated for the treasurer-general’s position.

— NewsDay

A food outlet at Machipisa Shopping Centre in Harare lost food and drinks worth over $4 300 last month to two conmen who duped the employees into believing that they had made an RTGS payment at a local bank.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said investigations were still in progress.

“Two unknown male adults entered the food outlet and ordered food. The duo produced an RTGS payment of food in the form of a receipt which was made at a local   bank.

“The suspects then obtained 1 080 x 500ml Pepsi drinks and 130 dinner box chips all valued at RTGS $4 389. The anomaly, which showed that the RTGS payment was fake was discovered by the outlet’s head office when following up the payment on 6 April 2019,” he said.

No arrests have since been made.

Asst Comm Nyathi urged business operators to verify transactions before releasing goods as they risk being duped.

He said they were appealing for information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact any nearest police station or the National Complaints Desk on (0242) 703631.

In April last year, the Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested three suspected fraudsters on allegations of creating fictitious EcoCash messages, which they used as proof of payment for various goods.

A group of criminals was targeting supermarkets, service stations and various businesses using the same method.

The criminals created fictitious messages to convince the targeted victims to believe that they had sent money via EcoCash to their merchant code numbers.

Following the increase in such cases, the Criminal Investigations Department has so far arrested three suspects — Prince Chiwodza (24), Sungano Musoni (42) and Bernard Mutema (42) — all of Glen View 8 in Harare who are still appearing in court.

Meanwhile, a man from Murove Village in Chinamhora appeared in court yesterday for allegedly abusing his wife and attempting to murder his two kids by throwing them into a well.

Webster Ketayamaoko (25) appeared before Harare magistrate Mrs Barbra Mateko charged with physical abuse and attempted murder.

He was remanded in custody to April 23.

The court heard that on March 7 Ketayamaoko returned home at around 11pm while drunk and grabbed his wife,  Sibongile Masangudze’s neck and assaulted her with fists on the head until she became unconscious.

When Masangudze collapsed to the ground Ketayamaoko thought she was dead.

Panicking, he took his two kids —Tanatswa and Taitus — and threw them into a well before jumping in himself.

State Media

By Own Correspondent- The case of the just-retired University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor, Levi Nyagura, who is facing criminal abuse of office charges has been postponed to Thursday.

Deputy chief magistrate Elijah Makomo said that the presiding magistrate and acting chief magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi were engaged with other duties and will pass the ruling tomorrow.

Nyagura is accused of awarding former First Lady Grace Mugabe a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.).

He submitted that the matter was administrative and had no criminal sanction.

The State, represented by Michael Chakandida and Tapiwa Godzi, however, distanced Mnangagwa and Mugabe from the case.

It opined that the roles of the chancellors were restricted to capping students and reading speeches.-Newsday

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Chimanimani and Chipinge shortly before Cyclone Idai which left 344 people dead and destroyed property worth billions of dollars, Government has revealed.

During his two visits to Chimanimani and Chipinge, President Mnangagwa highlighted that there was an unexplained phenomenon that happened in the areas which experts should investigate.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa briefed journalists after the eleventh meeting of Cabinet in Harare yesterday that Government was also working on relocating people in some of the areas affected by the cyclone.

Further, Government is planning to establish monuments at three centres that were hard hit by the cyclone.

This comes at a time when Government has revealed that it is seeking $612 million to assist victims of the natural disaster.

“Cabinet has also established that the scale of the disaster was to some extent exacerbated by a 3.8 magnitude earthquake which hit the Chimanimani areas shortly before the onset of the cyclone,” she said.

“A team of experts is currently on the ground in the Chimanimani and Chipinge areas carrying out a disaster vulnerability assessment exercise with a view to determining the suitable long term settlement and land use patterns.

“Plans are also underway to establish monuments in honour of the departed persons in places such as Ngangu, Machongwe and Copa.

“Priority continues to be accorded to the repair or construction of damaged roads, and bridges, schools infrastructure, health infrastructure and provision of large scale psycho-social support.”

As part of efforts to bring closure to the issue of missing persons as a result of the cyclone, Minister Mutsvangwa said Government would send a team of pathologists to Mozambique to take samples of the remains of Zimbabweans buried in that country to conduct DNA tests.

“The search and recovery process is now confined to recovery of the deceased as the missing persons can now be presumed to be dead,” she said.

“Specialised equipment and the relevant expertise are being mobilised towards the recovery of the bodies buried under massive rock debris. Further, Cabinet wishes to advise that a team of pathologists will travel to Mozambique to collect samples of the remains of Zimbabweans who were buried there in order to facilitate the conduct of DNA test and subsequent positive identification by their relatives.”

In the consolidated Tropical Cyclone Idai International Humanitarian Appeal that Minister Mutsvangwa shared with the media yesterday, Government outlined key areas that it required assistance and a budget breakdown.

With regards to food security and nutrition, Government said it required $29 million while emergency shelter and non-food items requires $75 million.

The budget of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Education stand at $51 million and $10 million respectively while logistics and emergency telecommunication requires $155 million.

The budget for environment, forestry and wildlife restoration is $4,5 million and another $20 million is required for protection facilities.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo said President Mnangagwa had taken a hard stance against the abuse of goods donated as aid to the cyclone victims.

He said the President made it clear that anyone caught stealing or abusing the aid should go to jail.

Minister Moyo said people who were arrested so far for abuse of the aid were officials employed to distribute the food.

State Media

Econet’s bundles have gotten less appealing overnight as there were some adjustments made by the mobile network operator. Unfortunately the adjustments were made silently and it now appears as if Econet is trying to pull a fast one on its customers.

This issue came to my attention after I saw an interaction between Econet and a friend of mine. He simply asked if the WhatsApp bundle still came with Twitter as he was having a hard time using the Twitter data which is normally part of the bundles. This is the response he got:

Hey Mukudzei! The combo package is not available for purchase at the moment. ^WS

Econet Customer Care Twitter Account

Weirdly enough, depending on who is manning that Twitter account at what time, subscribers are getting different responses, with some being prompted to check their inbox for the response whilst others are informed that the issue is being addressed.

The most unfortunate bit in all of this is that when you dial *143# and go to buy the bundles, Twitter is still included as part of the WhatsApp packages. So if you’re buying those bundles with a view to use Twitter you’re informed that there is Twitter data whilst the reality you’ll face after you’ve made the purchase is very different.

The fair thing for Econet to do is to update their menus or put out a statement telling users that they’ve discontinued the service instead of selling subscribers something that doesn’t exist.

Techzim

THE Bulawayo City Council is crafting a policy to deal with residents who construct or occupy houses and churches without ablution services.

This comes at a time councillors have raised concern over a growing trend where residents are constructing and occupying homes with no toilets, against council by-laws.

According to the latest council report, residents are illegally occupying areas like Mqabuko Heights where according to council, there is no water connection.

Ward 4 Councillor Silas Chigora said a policy was needed to help the local authority deal with law defying residents.

“Council should consider drafting a policy and a guideline on what should be done in instances involving churches and incomplete structures. Mqabuko Heights has no water connections but despite this fact, there are tenants occupying properties in that suburb,” he said.

Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Tinashe Kambarami said no one should be allowed to start constructing any structure without toilets.

“I am concerned about fouling that is happening at unfinished houses in Mahatshula, Selborne Park and Emhlangeni. Caretakers on those properties do not have proper toilets,” said Cllr Kambarami

“Council building terms and conditions should ensure that construction does not start without ablution facilities in any place”.

The Director of Housing and Community Services, Mr Dictor Khumalo, said council was facing a challenge in the enforcement of by-laws in dealing with such cases.

“For construction purposes council allows a storeroom and a security guard on the stand as well as temporary toilet constructed on manholes. However in most cases the temporary toilets are never constructed and at the same time it takes long for the structures to be completed due to the economy,” he said.

Mr Khumalo said the department would however, investigate and come up with a way to help the affected tenants.

Former ZANU-PF secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa, who was yesterday officially welcomed back into the party, said he had been forced out of the ruling party by former president Robert Mugabe after criticising him for accepting his wife as a faction leader in the revolutionary party.

Speaking at a welcome ceremony for him and returning stalwart Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri (Rtd) at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday, Mutasa said he remained Zanu-PF at heart.

CMutasa said he never left Zanu-PF, but he had personal issues with Mugabe, who later incited the youth to chide him at party gatherings.

“I would like to thank you very much for accepting me back into the party. We worked together well, but as things changed, we also changed.

“Circumstances were such that it was necessary for the former president of the party to think we were no longer good and tell us to move away. We didn’t move away on our own.

“I wrote back to my colleagues to say that I never left the party. The reason why the former president said I should move away is that I was saying it very openly, as you will, hear it now, that it was very unfair for him to accept his wife as the leader of the third faction of Zanu-PF and he didn’t like it.

“He did not tell me that he did not like it, but he had to organise the party youth at one time when members of the party were in a Politburo meeting, to chide at me downstairs,” said Mutasa.

Mutasa said he had since buried the past and was ready to take the party and the nation at large, forward.

“All those are now things of the past. We would like to look into the future and build this country to be what we went to war for it to be and I am very happy to see all of you welcoming me,” he said.

Brig-Gen Mutinhiri said he had made mistakes, but thanked the party for readmitting him.

“I also want to thank the party for accepting me back. It is unfortunate that there are times when people see things differently, but it is normal, I believe.

“In the process of seeing things differently, you make mistakes. When you realise that you have made a mistake, you come back to your comrades and say comrades I am sorry I made a mistake, I want to rejoin the party and they accept you back.

“That is a great thing. So I am here, happy to be accepted back into the party and am ready to take up any assignment given to me. I am at your service.”

Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu welcomed the pair saying the readmission was a directive from President Mnangagwa who was keen on uniting and strengthening the party.

President Mnangagwa, Mpofu said, wanted to unite the people with a view to collectively build the nation.

“We welcome you comrades. President Mnangagwa has directed us to readmit former members, willing to rejoin the party.

“The President has even gone further to invite members of the opposition saying let us build our country together.

“He believes that we should not derail our development through unnecessary politicking. We are all Zimbabweans we must work together to develop the nation,” he said.

Mpofu said the party needed senior members like the pair for guidance.

“We want to welcome you VaMutasa and the general (Brig-Gen Mutinhiri).

“We are all your products and we want our commanders back.

“This is your home and you should continue guiding us,” said Mpofu.

Edna Madzongwe said: “I wish to thank the President who spearheaded the readmission of the two comrades. I welcome you comrades.”

State Media

Own Correspondent|The MDC Bulawayo province failed to hold its provincial assembly on Tuesday as scheduled by the party.

Outgoing deputy provincial spokesperson Edwin Ndlovu said that the party failed to hold its congress as scheduled as it had not yet completed some ward and district elective congresses.

“Each province has a timeline to hold its provincial congress. Bulawayo missed its timeline. We were supposed to hold our provincial congress today (Tuesday) but we still have not completed five ward elections, meaning we cannot do districts before the wards.

Sources within the party indicated that the party’s failure to hold the congress as scheduled did not go down well with Party President Nelson Chamisa who was in the city to attend the congress.

Chamisa held a crisis meeting with members of the provincial executive warning the province that they risk failing to be represented at the National Congress if they don’t put their house in order within the stipulated time.

In the meeting, sources said, Chamisa demanded that his deputy and ally Professor Welshman Ncube, who is facing resistance from the province, be accorded respect.

Party insiders said the MDC leader launched into a tirade over the party’s loss to Zanu-PF at the recent Cowdray Park Ward 28 by-election saying the electoral loss was tantamount to treason.

Chamisa is said to have taken Mr Collet Ndlovu to task for contesting the poll.

Ndlovu confirmed the meeting but downplayed that the MDC Alliance leader threatened to ban Bulawayo province from the congress.

“So the point he was making is that no matter the province, if it fails to set up its structures it will not be allowed to attend the party’s congress which will be held in Gweru in May. So we have up to Saturday to complete setting up our structures and making nominations,” he said.

Ndlovu also refuted claims that Mr Chamisa declared Bulawayo the party’s most violent province.

The parliamentary hearing into bribery allegations against four members of the National Assembly started yesterday with the complainant, Mr James Ross Goddard, exonerating Messrs Temba Mliswa and Anele Ndebele in his testimony, but incriminating two other legislators from the committee.

The pair is being investigated alongside Leonard Chikomba and Prince Sibanda by Parliament’s Privilege Committee chaired by Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira on allegations of demanding a $400 000 bribe from Goddard for his company, JRG Pvt Ltd, to secure a coal mining contract at Hwange.

They reportedly used their membership of the Mines and Energy Portfolio Committee to solicit the bribe.

Those accused allegedly demanded the bribe at a meeting held at JRG offices on November 15 last year, a day before the Mines and Energy committee was scheduled to visit to investigate operations at Hwange Colliery.

Goddard told the committee that he had been introduced to the four by businessman Shepherd Tundiya, who indicated that as members of the Mines and Energy Committee, they could assist his company get the mining contract.

Speaking during cross-examination by Mliswa’s lawyer Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara, Goddard said the Norton legislator had not made any financial requests to him during the meeting and had left soon after the meeting.

He added that Ndebele also went and sat in his car after the meeting while Sibanda and Chikomba remained behind where the request for the “facilitation fee” was made through Tundiya.

He said Chikomba and Sibanda had indicated that they could not travel to Hwange without “something” to facilitate the deal.

“It (the issue of the facilitation fee) was raised by Honourable Chikomba and Honourable Sibanda that we can’t go to Hwange without something and it was Honourable Chikomba who was the most aggressive,” Goddard said.

He said Chikomba later provided him with his personal banking details where he could deposit half the amount while the other $200 000 would be paid when the contract had been secured.

Chikomba, who is being represented by Simon Musapatika is however, denying the charges saying in his testimony Goddard had not provided any evidence that his client demanded the bribe.

He said the only issues his client discussed with Tundiya when they were outside when the meeting had ended concerned money he was owed by the latter.

Sibanda, who is being represented by Freddy Masarirewhu, is also denying the charges and said Goddard had failed to provide any evidence of his client demanding the bribe but was relying on perceptions.

Masarirewhu also queried why Goddard had not set up a trap to prove that the request for the bribe was genuine.

The hearing continues today.

Own Correspondent|The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission will this Saturday be launching its 21 outreach programme that will kick start its venturing into the communities to hear on conflict issues that befell the country.

According to a state media report, the 21-day outreach programme includes the strategic priorities for 2019 such as public hearings for healing and reconciliation, mechanisms for early detection of conflicts, conflicts, national dialogue facilitation, setting up of peace committees, evidence based legislative and policy recommendations.

Others are key thematic areas which include, complaints handling mechanisms, victim support mechanism, truth telling and truth seeking mechanism, healing, reconciliation and rehabilitation strategy, research and knowledge management strategy.

Highlighting structures in which Zimbabweans can participate for a broad based and inclusive national healing, reconciliation and peace building process are some of the issues to be covered.

Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, NPRC chairman Justice Selo Masole Nare encouraged the public to participate in this process that will precede the truth seeking, truth telling and public hearings.

“Between April 15 and 16, we will be in Mashonaland East, April 23 and 28 in Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands, April 29 and 30 in Mashonaland Central, May 2 and 4 in Harare and Mashonaland West, May 6 and 7 in Masvingo, May 8 and 10 in Manicaland and on May 14 and 15 in Bulawayo,” he said.

The commission met Government officials, traditional leaders, churches, arts and cultural organisations, civil society, business, academia, persons with disabilities, women and youth, among others.

President Mnangagwa signed the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill into law in January, which operationalised the commission that was appointed in 2016.

The Act provided for the functions, powers, operations and removal from office of the members of the Commission, manner of conducting investigations and staffing of the Commission, among others.

The NPRC was established under Sections 251 to 253 of the Constitution to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation, to develop programmes to promote national healing, unity and peaceful conflict resolution.

Section 252 of the Constitution states the NPRC’s functions were to ensure post-conflict justice, healing and reconciliation.

President Mnangagwa assigned Vice President Kembo Mohadi to be in charge of the Peace and Reconciliation portfolio as a show of his administration’s seriousness to dealing with the issue.

Own Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa sent his emissaries to Matabeleland to meet with the members of the Matabeleland Collective and feed them back on what government is going to do to address issues presented to him in a controversy riddled meeting held last month.

The Collective tabled a four pronged document to Mnangagwa top of which were issues to do with the Gukurahundi atrocities, national healing and the devolution of power concept.

Mnangagwa’s emissaries highlighted that Government will issue birth and death certificates to those affected by the Gukurahundi atrocities.

Government will also facilitate the exhumation and reburial of victims of Gukurahundi while medical assistance will be availed for those injured during the time while other restorative justice measures will be rolled out, making good of President Mnangagwa’s promise that his administration would not shy from confronting the ugly past.

Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabiza met the Matabeleland Collective in Bulawayo and announced the implementation of a matrix of issues discussed during the earlier meeting.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage will facilitate the issuance of birth certificates and death certificates for victims affected by Gukurahundi. It will also facilitate the exhumation and reburial of Gukurahundi victims.

“We’re also implementing protection mechanisms for those affected by Gukurahundi to be free to discuss their experiences,” said Mrs Mabiza.

She said Health and Child Care and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare ministries would provide medical assistance to victims of Gukurahundi.

“Some people are still suffering from various pains inflicted on them during the disturbances. The Government will therefore, facilitate that these people receive medical assistance,” said Mrs Mabiza.

Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement would also prioritise the completion of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water project, which is expected to unlock economic value to communities.

“The ministry and certain players that have been identified to look into the completion of the project are expected to give monthly updates on progress made until we can give timelines on the completion.

“Another critical issue to be looked into is devolution, where we expect Government processes to be devolved by prioritising of local businesses in the awarding of tenders and giving locals first preference when filling positions,” said Mrs Mabiza.

Mrs Mabiza said her ministry would work with the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to harmonise laws governing local authorities to ensure efficiency and ease in the implementation of devolution.

“The harmonisation of laws is expected to be finalised in six months. We will work with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises to ensure that there’s inclusivity of women in Parliament, Cabinet and governance structures.”

She said her ministry had resolved to extend the lifespan of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) for continuous dialogue.

Mrs Mabiza added that the Home Affairs Ministry had been tasked to investigate and report causes of police inaction and perceived insubordination during the 14 to 16 July protests.

Matabeleland Collective convener Pastor Trevor Masuku commended the OPC for responding to concerns raised by the civic society.

“We are grateful that President Mnangagwa responded to the invitation for dialogue extended to him by the Matabeleland Collective and a meeting was successfully held last month. On this historic day, more than 70 organisations represented by over 100 civic and religious leaders had a two hour frank dialogue with the President and key issues were raised.

“We called for the decriminalisation of Gukurahundi by allowing people to openly discuss their experiences. We also asked for true and factual notation on death certificates and the development of Matabeleland to prioritised,” said Pastor Masuku.

During last month’s meeting, President Mnangagwa hailed the interaction which he described as the first of its kind in terms of social dialogue

Farai Dziva|Political observer Ezra Tshisa Sibanda believes the MDC A electoral processes are chaotic.

Below is Sibanda’s analysis of the MDC A Congress:
MDC is going for Congress but which structures will the party use to elect new leadership?

From the look of things, this Congress appear to be using MDC T structures left by the late Morgan Tsvangirai. If indeed they are using these structures, it means people like Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and all others in the alliance are not eligible to contest because they don’t belong to the original MDC T and are not members.

What happens to members of the parties they led if ever they have followers?
As far as l am concerned MDC Alliance has no structures and it’s an alliance of political parties created for the purposes of last year’ s elections. A political alliance is an agreement for cooperation among different political parties on common political agenda, often for purposes of contesting an election.

Therefore that alliance should have been dissolved after losing elections. If these leaders of different political parties want to contest in MDC Congress, what happens to their original parties? Why not dissolve those parties and join MDC?

You can’t be elected by MDC structures and still lead another party outside MDC. This is political theatre!!!

Farai Dziva|Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has reiterated that those who wish to topple MDC A president Nelson Chamisa are hoping to use Twitter to win the elections at the May Congress.

“Those who want to contest @nelsonchamisa
for MDC presidency and other leadership positions should be nominated in the on going provincial congresses; don’t listen to social media nominations, opinions from people like us who are not MDC members. You wont be elected on Twitter!”

“For power to be fully legitimate then, three conditions are required; its conformity to established rules; the justifiability of the rules to shared beliefs; the consent of the of the surbodinate or of the most significant among them to the particular relations of power,” said Dr Ruhanya.

By Own Correspondent| Addressing the media at a post cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday, government, announced new producer prices for the major cash crops ahead of the 2018/19 season harvest.

The new prices are as follows:

• Maize – RTGS$726 per tonne
• Wheat – RTGS$1089.69 per tonne
• Soya – RTGS$918 per tonne
• Cotton – RTGS$1950 per tonne

Meanwhile, the government will sell maize at a 38.5% discount to millers, maintaining a subsidy on the staple crop.

A ZESA senior manager who is facing sexual harassment charges has had more woes added to his plate, after images of him having a good time with a female subordinate leaked online.

Christopher Tendekayi Mundembe who is the Human Resources regional manager at ZESA Chinhoyi appears in the photos with Tsakani Chauke, a Midlands State University (MSU) student who recently completed her internship at the power utility.

Mundembe is facing charges of sexually assaulting another attachment student at his workplace.

Some of the images also show Mundembe and Tsakani at a Kariba Hotel.

When reached for comment by H-Metro, Mundembe said: “My mobile was stolen last week and I am still to find out who exactly leaked the photographs as all my contacts received the photos.

“I replaced the line and upon switching it on I received several calls concerning the photographs.

Chauke on the other hand also said that she was not aware how the photos had leaked.

She went on to say: “I never asked him if he was together with his wife. Also, we last communicated long back and I was not aware that he still had the photographs.”

Mundembe is also facing charges of sexually harassing another student who was on attachment at the power utility.

Mundembe is alleged to have called the student into his office and demanded a hug.

When the student refused, Mundembe allegedly grabbed and fondled the student’s breasts and buttocks without consent.

The victim initially reported the matter internally, but when she saw that nothing was being done she escalated the matter and reported the case to the police.

Mundembe is expected back in court on the 15th of April.

H Metro

Farai Dziva|Political observer Ezra Tshisa Sibanda believes the MDC A electoral processes are chaotic.

Below is Sibanda’s analysis of the MDC A Congress:
MDC is going for Congress but which structures will the party use to elect new leadership?

From the look of things, this Congress appear to be using MDC T structures left by the late Morgan Tsvangirai. If indeed they are using these structures, it means people like Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube and all others in the alliance are not eligible to contest because they don’t belong to the original MDC T and are not members.

What happens to members of the parties they led if ever they have followers?
As far as l am concerned MDC Alliance has no structures and it’s an alliance of political parties created for the purposes of last year’ s elections. A political alliance is an agreement for cooperation among different political parties on common political agenda, often for purposes of contesting an election.

Therefore that alliance should have been dissolved after losing elections. If these leaders of different political parties want to contest in MDC Congress, what happens to their original parties? Why not dissolve those parties and join MDC?

You can’t be elected by MDC structures and still lead another party outside MDC. This is political theatre!!!

Farai Dziva|Cornered Masvingo City Mayor Collen Maboke allegedly invited MDC A secretary general Douglas Mwonzora to the ancient city to meet with the provincial executive, sources have claimed.

Maboke defied party leader Nelson Chamisa’ s directive to step down two weeks ago.Maboke is reportedly working with Mwonzora, his mentor in the legal profession, to topple Chamisa.

“The mayor is in the thick of things and he has a case to answer because a clandestine meeting was held at his offices in town,” said a member of the MDC Veterans Activists.

By Own Correspondent| Zanu-PF founding members Didymus Mutasa and Ambrose Mutinhiri were this afternoon accepted back into the ruling party.

The two said they were ready to serve the party and assist in building the nation.

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

By Own Correspondent| A Kadoma based Zanu Pf thug who was caught on camera while brutally assaulting a Gokwe man for stealing gold from him is set to perform 175 hours of community service after he was found guilty of assault.

Following Litten Chikoore’s video where he was assaulting Pedzisai Mangisi went viral, ZimEye launched a manhunt for him in a development which resulted in his identification before he handed himself over to the police.

He was sentenced to eight months in jail before magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba suspended the whole sentence on condition that he performs 175 hours of community service at Kadoma General Hospital.

A further three months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Chikoore (35) of Waverly in Kadoma appeared in a 45-minute video recorded in November 2018 brutally assaulting 30-year-old Mangisi with a baton stick. He was accusing Mangisi of stealing gold from him.

Chikoore later handed himself to the police and was incarcerated. He pleaded guilty to assault charges when he initially appeared in court on Friday.

Farai Dziva|Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya has reiterated that those who wish to topple MDC A president Nelson Chamisa are hoping to use Twitter to win the elections at the May Congress.

“Those who want to contest @nelsonchamisa
for MDC presidency and other leadership positions should be nominated in the on going provincial congresses; don’t listen to social media nominations, opinions from people like us who are not MDC members. You wont be elected on Twitter!”

“For power to be fully legitimate then, three conditions are required; its conformity to established rules; the justifiability of the rules to shared beliefs; the consent of the of the surbodinate or of the most significant among them to the particular relations of power,” said Dr Ruhanya.