A NURSE from Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo is facing a US$10 000 adultery lawsuit after he allegedly engaged in an extra marital affair with a married woman and pressured her to kill her husband to sustain the relationship.

The nurse from Tshabalala suburb, Vushe Marime, allegedly told Mrs Judy Takanai to kill her husband Mr Claudio Takanai so that he could remain the only man in her life.

He allegedly volunteered to organise some injections for Mrs Takanai which she could use to kill her unsuspecting husband.

In papers filed at the Civil Court at Tredgold Building, Mr Takanai’s lawyer Mrs Sheron Drau from Pundu 7 Company Legal Practitioners said her client had been denied conjugal rights ever since his wife started sleeping with Marime.

“Sometime in November 2018, my client found out about the illicit affair from a co-worker who revealed that on several occasions Marime had sexual intercourse with his wife at various lodges in Bulawayo. The adulterous relationship between the two has destroyed a happy marriage as Mrs Takanai has become vindictive towards my client and has stopped performing her conjugal duties and supporting her husband emotionally,” said Mrs Drau.

Mr Takanai reportedly approached Marime requesting him to terminate the relationship in November last year and he refused and told him he was not man enough. He also boasted about the size of his manhood.

According to Mrs Drau, Mrs Takanai confessed about the relationship during a family meeting and asked her husband to forgive her.

“She stated that Marime was in the process of acquiring injections and would show her how to use them so that she could kill her husband. He also gave her some tablets that he sells on the black market and instructed her to lie to her husband that they were Paracetamols for pain when in fact they were pills that were lethal,” she added.

Mrs Drau said her client was now living in constant misery and fears for his life.

“Furthermore he has been humiliated by Marime who boasts about the size of his sexual reproductive organ. The effects of the adulterous relationship are far reaching as their children are also affected due to the misunderstandings between the couple,” she said.

“Simply put the relationship has hurt my client’s pride as a husband, a father and a man. As a result of the adultery, my client has suffered damages namely contumelia inflicted upon him in the sum of US$5 000 and the loss of consortium in the sum of US$5 000”.

Marime is yet to respond.

A CREEPY husband is in the habit of sending nu_de pictures of himself and his well-endowed girlfriend to his wife, just to spite her.

Canisius Taziveyi and his wife Theresa Mabutho are both police officers but the level of abuse exhibited by Taziveyi is at another level. As such they have since gone on separation but he sends nu_de pictures of himself and his bootylicious girlfriend to his estranged wife as a form of emotional abuse.

At one point, taking a break from sending nudes, he threatened to burn her alive with a petrol bomb.

Knowing that her husband was a “doer” she applied for a peace order before he petrol bombed her, as he had threatened to.

“I have a problem with my husband whom we are legally married but we are now on separation as he moved to stay with another woman by the name of Massie Dube in Nkulumane.

“He emotionally abuses me by sending naked photos of him and his girlfriend. He is in the habit of insulting and degrading me in front of my neighbours and workmates,” she said in court.

She further revealed that he also threatened to burn her alive using a petrol bomb and has taken all their matrimonial property.

“He took some property saying he was sharing it. He moved away with all his clothes, two motor vehicles, pool table and marriage certificate. He is very violent and damaged my property which includes 18 windows, 42 inch television, plates and pots.

“He takes my phone and starts sending vulgar messages to my friends to tarnish my image. I am a human being and I will end up retaliating so I request the long arm of the law to help. I reported at work since we are both police officers,” she said.

Western Commonage magistrate Urgent Vundla granted the order. The respondent has to stay away from applicant’s place of residence and must not physically, verbally, emotionally abuse and threaten the applicant.

— BMetro

Own Correspondent|Residents of Ward 1 Gwanda Municipality are up in arms against the opposition councillor for the area who they claim not to be able to read and right.

According to the residents who approached the Daily News newspaper, councillor Mkhululi Chuma who was elected in the last elections had to relinquish chairing a council committee because of his academic challenges.

The opposition party which dominates the council had to lose the committee chair to a ZANU PF councillor Thulani Moyo.

The residents further complained that the councillor concerned resides in the MDC offices where he is working as the party security officer making it difficult for them to access the councillor at his residence if they have any issues affecting them.

Contacted for a comment by the media, Gwanda Town Mayor Jastine Mazhali dismissed the concerns of the residents on the academic challenges faced by the councillor claiming that the residents would not have raised the kind of complaint.

“I doubt that the residents may have raised that concern,” said Mazhali. “The complaint may have come from sources within the ward who are bent on discrediting the council.”

Mazhali however confirmed that Councillor Chuma was excused from chairing the committee claiming that the council did it deliberately in a bid “to balance up council” with the ruling ZANU PF.

“When we come together in council we forego our political affiliations and focus at developing the town which led us to agreeing with the ZANU PF councillors to balance up the chairing of council committees which then led the MDC to relinquish the Environmental Committee to ZANU PF,” he said.

The MDC which has a majority in council was chairing all the key council committees except the Audit Committee before relinquishing the Environmental Committee to the ruling party in an extremely rare arrangement.

Contacted for a comment, the Spokesperson for the Gwanda Residents Association Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo said that the Association was not a position to decide on the academic or otherwise credentials of a councillor but would be more concerned with the efficiency of the councillor in delivering service to residents.

Fuzwayo further blamed political parties for not exercising due diligence when choosing the candidates to second to the electorate. He also blamed the electorate for equally not considering the candidates provided but just voting for political parties without paying regard on the calibre of the candidate presented.

“The problem is with the political parties themselves as they are the ones who have to choose carefully who they put forward as candidates,” he said.

“It will be very unfortunate if the allegations against Chuma are true as the Urban Councils Act recommends that a councillor should at least be able to read and write. We will follow up the concern and take it up from there. ” he added.

Fuzwayo confirmed that the Residents Association had indeed received complaints from residents about the councillor’s residing at the opposition party offices indicating that the Association will be tabling the concern with the political party to move the councillor.

“We have to stand with the residents on this matter and we will definitely ask the MDC to urgently find alternative accomodation for the councillor,” he said.

Efforts to get a comment from the MDC leadership in the town were not successful at the time of writing.

By Own Correspondent- Cyclone Idai’s devastation on Manicaland was much greater than people had expected and the army has revealed that the death toll is expected to rise amid indications that at least 500 people are missing from the Rusitu Valley in Chimanimani district.

Tropical Cyclone Idai may very well turn out to be the worst weather phenomenon that the country has experienced as the death toll is currently at 98 while hundreds of homesteads have been destroyed.

3 Infantry Brigade commander Major General Joe Muzvidziwa, who is leading the army rescue mission revealed that they do not have an accurate number yet but said that he expects the figure to be well above 500.

Said General Muzvidziwa:

“We still need more nurses because those at Ngangu Clinic in Chimanimani Township are overwhelmed. At least doctors have arrived and they are already working.

We are still getting reports of areas that need assistance and we have made several flights into some of the affected areas . We do not have sufficient data on the numbers of people who died and those that are missing. In fact, when the data collation is done, we are expecting the number of missing people not to be less than 500.

The good thing is that the water levels have receded and if we manage to clear the roads we could have a clear picture by end of day tomorrow.”

Addressing the media after a post cabinet meeting Tuesday, Local government minister July Moyo said government had received reports of suspected Zimbabwean floating bodies in neighbouring Mozambique.

“We have been told by people in the Kopa area that there are bodies that are seen to be floating in Mozambique… they are suspected to be Zimbabweans….

At first we were told that they numbered 100 but now we got information that they could be 300. We are not so sure of the exact figures.

We have soldiers who are currently on the rescue mission and once they have physically counted how many of those bodies are Zimbabwean, we will then be able to update the nation.”

High Court Judge Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo has set aside the decision by Masvingo District Adminstrator (DA) to suspend Community Tolerance, Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) operations and declares the decision null and void and of no force and effect. Justice Matanda-Moyo also ruled that the DA is not empowered by any law to suspend or stop COTRAD operations. The DA was ordered to pay costs of the application.

By Own Correspondent- Shelter for victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai is presenting challenges for government amid indications that government has no immediate plan on where and how to house the over 800 families affected by the natural disaster.

Local government minister July Moyo on Tuesday afternoon told the media at the post cabinet briefing that shelter for hundreds of families affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai presented “headaches” for government.

Said the minister:

“……..shelter is giving us headaches. Yes Chimanimani Hotel was hosting 500 of our people and Chimanimani primary school was hosting some who headed the calls and had left their homes before the cyclone hit the area.

Lately, some of the victims were returning to their homes and we were left with at least 300 at Chimanimani primary school. We made contact with Mike Mataure, the owner of Chimanimani hotel since his son was the one running the place and he was now anxious to say whether government would be able to pay him for his services. We assured him that we would pay him so he was then able to release some water and food which was spared during Tropical Cyclone Idai.

But the shelter that we have, we have been given a lot of tents we have been given a lot of malaria tablets and mosquito nets because after something like this, we need those things. However, we think we have enough tents in the meantime.”

A picture of army personnel offloading sofas for use by President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he arrives in Chimanimani has caused a social media stir with people questioning the logic behind bringing luxury in the midst of a crisis.

There are no planes to ferry the injured but there are planes to carry sofas zvakaoma

— vigil (@vigil11697767) March 20, 2019

Sofa for what in a disaster area? The person who bewitched Zimbabwe, iNkosi ibelawe

— Mlungisi Dube (@OkaPhusisa) March 20, 2019

By Own Correspondent- FreeZim Congress president Joseph Makamba Busha has distanced himself from the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led dialogue describing the incumbent as a “coward” who was sacred of progressive ideas.

Busha described political party leaders participating in the dialogue as sympathisers of the ruling party eager to join Zanu Pf.

He said this at a press briefing held in the capital Harare Wednesday.

Said Busha:

“I am not part of his (Mnangagwa) dialogue. What I have done is that, I have written to him seeking audience but he has refused to engage. What I have noticed is that Mnangagwa is scared of ideas. He is a coward. Why is he refusing to have bi- lateral talks with me if he is so sure of his Vision 2030?

The inter party dialogue is a useless exercise. I am glad that leader of the other opposition party Nelson Chamisa refused to be part of it. Its a useless exercise because he (Mnangagwa) is trying to co- opt people who are eager to join Zanu Pf. The opposition political parties in that dialogue are looking out for their own selfish interests.”

Watch the video below for this and more.

Video loading……….

Government has intensified efforts to partially privatize telecommunication companies Telone and NetOne and is offering the two entities to potential investors as a joint package.

Cabinet yesterday gave the nod to this arrangement after a presentation by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube.

Public enterprise reforms are espoused in Government’s Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), an economic blueprint that advances President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of turning Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy.

Briefing journalists after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Prof Ncube said Government was working on finding a transaction advisor who will evaluate the entities’ assets, formulate a strategy in terms of earning projections and shareholding levels.

He said Government will not have less than 40 percent equity in the two companies. “We do realise that the two companies are joined at the hip and they rely on each other and make a whole when they are together,” he said.

“If that was considered as such, they will be well positioned to compete with competitors such as Econet within the market. What Cabinet then decided to agree on today was basically to conclude the issue of a transaction advisor for TelOne and NetOne. In doing so we have to ensure that they are offered as a package together. It is a joint offering to an investor. Government will get better value for money if these are offloaded together as a package.”

Prof Ncube said the companies were saddled with debts and needed equity and technological injection.

“As we do so, we think that Government should not have less than 40 percent equity in the two companies,” he said.

“That is what we are targeting but of course we are always free to negotiate with investors. We are going to make progress on this and will keep you updated as we work with transaction advisors in terms of which suitors have been shortlisted and tell you who they are.”

In terms of timelines, he said Government should have identified investors by September.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) Zimbabwe had initially been selected as the transaction advisors for TelOne.

Said Prof Mthuli: “PWC went through a process of selection for transaction advisors for TelOne. They are about to sign a contract to that effect but given that we want to offer the two as a package it will be a good idea to find a process that will enable them to also advise on the NetOne side of the transaction so that we have one transaction advisor advising across the two assets.”

Government has taken the decision to restructure parastatals as some of them have become perennial loss makers.

In 2016, 38 out of 93 audited SOEs incurred a combined $270 million loss because of dislocated corporate governance practices and ineffective control mechanisms.

-State Media

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has send his consolations to the victims of cyclone Idai saying his country stands with Zimbabwe as it come to terms with the devastating loss of lives and infrastructure.

In a tweet posted this morning, the Kenyan President passed his message of encouragement to Zimbabwe and Malawi who are currently battling the devastation from Cyclone Idai.

https://twitter.com/UKenyatta/status/1108274295875215361

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly left Mutare on his way to Chimanimani where he is set to meet with cyclone idai victims.

Mnangagwa was pictured departing in a helicopter, accompanied by government officials.

He has been criticized for his indifferent approach to the plight of cyclone idai victims when he decided to fly to United Arab Emirates for a business visit.

President Mnangagwa and top gvt officials have left Mutate to be with his stricken people in Chimanimani @HeraldZimbabwe @nickmangwana @rangamataire @phillymutedzi1 @CharityMaodza @nicolehondo pic.twitter.com/7CUaondN6b

— Review & Mail News (@ReviewandMail) March 20, 2019

President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday responded to critics who have accused his administration of responding slowly to Cyclone Idai.

Mnangagwa urged people to ignore people who want to take advantage of the situation for political mileage. Said Mnangagwa:

You should ignore those with the ivory tower mentality who want to take advantage of the situation for political mileage. In any family kunowanika vasingahwisisi vamwe vachihwisisa. Ndosaka muchiona vanohwisisa vachizotonga. Tisanetseka nevanotaura mashoko ekusvora. We must continue to listen to our people to find out what they need to restore their communities and their families.

Civil society and politicians have blamed Government for its slow response to Cyclone Idai. Nelson Chamisa, through his spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda, said the disaster should not have claimed so many lives considering that warnings about the cyclone were issued well in advance. Election Resource Centre (ERC) boss Tawanda Chimhini said government should have been proactive considering the country has experienced similar disasters before.

-Herald

Jane Mlambo| Local Government Minister July Moyo said that the death toll from Tropical Cyclone Idai is set to rise as there is a high number of people who are yet to be accounted for.

Addressing the media after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday in the capital Harare, Moyo said the number of casualties has been a fast-moving figure.

“Most of the casualties come from either collapsed buildings and people are trapped in the collapsed buildings or secondly the mudslides and people are buried under and we have not moved enough equipment to do the job of excavating.

“People have resorted to using shovels. That is why it is important for us to move equipment out there. Some have been taken by rivers which come and sweep the whole homestead…this 98 I am sure will not be the last we will hear.

Score of people died from rockfalls, landslides and drowning as the cyclone lashed Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Masvingo Provinces over the weekend.

A 30-YEAR-OLD man, who was part of a gang that has been terrorising residents in Marondera, has been sentenced to 28 years in prison by regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa, who convicted him on three counts of armed robbery.

Blessing Kuzvinzwa Nyika, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to three of the four counts and will serve an effective 25-year jail term after three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

According to court papers, on February 15, Nyika and his four accomplices, who are still at large, went to Ndirande Farm in Goromonzi, where he was formerly employed as a general worker. 

They broke into magistrate-turned-lawyer Jacqueline Pratt’s house and ordered her and her four employees to lie down while assaulting them with wooden logs. 

They tied the complainants with cables and ransacked the house. They stole a Bernadelli pistol loaded with 20 rounds, US$270, ZWR$1 270, Tab E cellphones and a Mercedes-Benz ML car keys.

The total value of the stolen property was pegged at $10 040 and only $8 150 was recovered.

The robbers then bundled the complainants into the car and drove to Pratt’s daughter-in-law’s residence, who resides on the same farm.

On arrival at Pratt’s daughter-in-law’s place, the gang stole some property and cash using Pratt’s pistol. They then dumped the Mercedes-Benz and stole a Nissan X-Trail.

On the third count, during the same night and using the stolen Nissan X-Trail, the robbers, now wearing masks, went to businessman Gift Phillip’s place of residence.

They broke the bedroom window and pointed the stolen pistol at Phillip and his wife while others were breaking down the kitchen door to gain entry.

While inside the house, they threatened to rape Phillip’s wife if they were not given money.

They ransacked the house and stole US$200, ZWR$800 and some valuable. Goods worth $250 were recovered.

During the same night and using the stolen Nissan X-Trail, the gang carried out another armed robbery in Ruvimbo Park, where they stole cash and valuables before disappearing.

Nyika was arrested after police details discovered one of the stolen phones from a buyer who implicated him. He then led police to where he had sold some of the stolen gadgets.

Memory Mandudzo represented the State.

-Newsday

ZimEye will be livestreaming a press conference by one of the country’s Presidential aspirants in the 2018 harmonised polls, Joseph Makamba Busha of the FreeZimbabwe Congress.

Refresh this page for updates.

CHIREDZI West legislator Farai Musikavanhu has threatened to sue Chiredzi Town Council over that they destroyed property worth thousands of dollars in February, saying they were man-made and avoidable if proper urban planning and mitigatory measures had been put in place.

The Department of Civil Protection (DCP) findings show that flooding was caused by blocked and poor drainage systems and that most of the affected properties were built on either wetlands or water chains, thereby putting the blame squarely on the council’s town planning and engineering departments. 

Musikavanhu, in a residents’ WhatsApp group, threatened to drag the council to court for negligence.

“Greetings again comrades. While Chiredzi appears to have been spared the wrath of Cyclone Idai, there are serious lessons to be learnt from the devastation that is being reported from Chimanimani and Chipinge. 

“It is on this understanding that I would like to reaffirm my resolve to hold Chiredzi Town Council to account in respect of the findings arising from the floods that we experienced on February 13, 2019. I am in the process of compiling a legal position in this regard. Yes, natural disasters will come periodically, but we do have an obligation to take mitigatory measures, including good urban planning,” the MP posted.

Contacted for comment, Musikavanhu said: “If you were following Constituency Talk on ZTV, you would know where I am coming from.” 

United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers’ Association secretary Bernard Dachi said the town planning and engineering departments needed a shake-up. 

“We feel that the two departments need a complete overhaul because suing council is just going in circles and burdening the same ratepayers. In fact, that’s what we can call political showboating meant to achieve nothing, but just cheap politicking. It’s just like robbing a person with the left hand and giving back with the right hand.” 

Chiredzi council chairperson Gibson Hwende said he believed the floods were a natural disaster and no one should shoulder the blame of their effects. He went further and said if there was any aggrieved party, his door was open for dialogue. 

“I do respect personal rights, but we strongly believe this was a natural disaster and that is why DCP was activated to assist the victims. Personally, I think the best way whenever our communities are confronted with problems of such magnitude is that leaders should collectively find solutions through dialogue.

“Dialogue is the best tool of building our communities in this modern world. We are in the process of rebuilding our town and we need everyone, even as leaders should collectively contribute towards the reconstruction of our town. 

“The legal route is another way, which I believe should be the last option provided the doors for dialogue are closed, because it has cost implications which should be met by the same council,” Hwende said.

-Newsday

Former Zanu PF Midlands Senator Flora Buka, has been taken to court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) over a US$368 833 debt for electricity supplied at her Riverbend Farm, East Clare in Kwekwe.

Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility demanded, via the High Court, payment of the outstanding amount. The former minister in the then Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Office is yet to respond to the litigation.

According to the court papers, Buka is said to have failed, neglected and/or refused to settle the debts for her three electricity accounts being US$222 161, US$119 922 and US$26 749, respectively.

“The defendant (Buka) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) in the sum of US$368 833,48 as at March 4, 2019, being charges in respect of power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter’s special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two,” the power utility said in its declaration.

ZETDC further said, despite several letters of demands seeking Buka’s co-operation, the former minister has reneged to fulfil her contractual obligation prompting the power utility to approach the court for recourse.

“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite written demand. By reason of the said failure, neglect or refusal to pay the above sum/amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the same with interest thereon at the prescribed rate which is currently 5% per annum,” ZETDC said.

The matter is pending.

A HARARE magistrate yesterday dismissed an application for refusal of remand filed by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) president Peter Mtasa, secretary-general Japhet Moyo and #ThisFlag leader Evan Mawarire. The three are accused of trying to subvert a constitutional government following the January 14-16 protests against fuel price hikes.

Mtasa and Moyo, who are represented by Alec Muchadehama and Mawarire by Tonderai Bhatasara had filed the application before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, saying the State was delaying their trial.

Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa successfully asked for postponement of the matter, saying the docket had been sent to the Prosecutor-General’s Office for perusal.

But Bhatasara and Muchadehama told court that the State was not ready for trial.

Muchadehama said other suspects who were arrested during the same time with his clients had already been tried. He further told court that the State should give his clients trial dates like it did when it fast-tracked other public violence cases.

“The State said they need six weeks to complete the investigations and now it is more than six weeks. There is only one exhibit which is a video, but they are taking more than six weeks to investigate that video. The State was stampeding us to try public violence matters after just 30 minutes of the arrest, but now they are refusing to try our clients within that period,” Muchadehama said.

However, Mugwagwa dismissed the application, saying the State had demonstrated to the court the progress they had made for the purpose of coming up with a trial date.

The matter was postponed to April 16.

Allegations are that on January 1, 2019, Mtasa, while working in connivance with Mawarire, recorded and published a video which went viral on all social media platforms.

It is the State’s contention that the contents of the video were meant to subvert a constitutionally elected government. The allegations are that Mtasa and Mawarire were coercing Zimbabwean workers to boycott reporting for duty and encouraging civil disobedience or resistance to the law.

Correspondent|Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu (PF) has embarked on a provincial restructuring exercise, the party’s national political commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) recently disclosed.

“ZANU- PF will take the ongoing provincial restructuring exercise, which saw the revolutionary party dissolving its provincial structures in Bulawayo and Harare, to all provinces,” said Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired).

According to The Sunday Mail, Lt-Gen Rugeje (Rtd) said restructuring was being done in line with the party’s constitution, which prescribes restructuring of provincial structures after every four years.

“What happens in our party is that our constitution stipulates that every year, we restructure our cells (village structures) and there will be elections. After two years, there is branch restructuring and then after three years, we restructure our districts. In the fourth year, we will then restructure provinces and then the fifth year we have the Central Committee and then we go for a congress.

“However, because we got into the new dispensation there are some things that we failed to do because there were other pressing issues and programmes such as the harmonised elections, our primary elections and the national people’s conference.

‘‘We then failed to conduct our provincial elections due to the tight schedule,” he said.

The governing party, he added, is presently training 10 000 facilitators for the Chitepo School of Ideology, who will be sent to all provinces.

All Zanu-PF members and those aspiring to join the party will have to undergo ideological training, he said.

Correspondent|Two Chinhoyi men were jailed three years each by magistrate Tayengwa Chibanda for destroying a billboard with the portrait of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Darlington Willard Machemba (31) and Clifford Maleka (24) pleaded guilty to the charge of disturbing peace, security or order of the public.

The two pulled down, tore and burnt a billboard bearing the portrait of Mnangagwa during the January protests against fuel price hikes. They were arrested on January 15.

The two will each serve two years behind bars after one year was suspended on condition of good behaviour.

The billboard was valued at $6 000.

Zengeza Matura prosecuted.

A 37-YEAR-OLD maid from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for brutally bashing her employer’s two-year-old child for breaking a dinner plate.

Silibaziso Tshuma told Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube that she hit Ms Omhle Ncube’s daughter to discipline her.

Tshuma pleaded guilty to a charge of ill-treatment or alternatively neglect of a young child.

She was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Eight months were suspended for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence.

Tshuma will serve 16 months effectively in prison.

Tshuma told the court that she used a stick to discipline the minor after she dropped a dinner plate on the floor.

“I just hit her like a child who needed to be disciplined so that she does not do it again,” she said.

However, the prosecutor Mrs Thembani Mpofu said the bruises on the child indicated a severe beating with a weapon that was more than a mere stick.

She said sometime this month, Tshuma was with the minor having supper.

“After the minor finished eating she was ordered to put her plate in a sink. Before she could reach the kitchen, the plate fell and it broke.

“Tshuma hit the child until she had bruises on her body,” she said.

In her testimony, Ms Ncube said on the day of the incident she and her husband were in South Africa.

“I was called by my sister who told me that when she went to see the child she noticed some bruises and asked her what had happened.

“My daughter told her she had been hit by the maid,” she said.

The court heard that Ms Ncube’s sister took Tshuma to a police station and reported the matter, leading to her arrest.

A medical report that was produced in court showed that the minor had severe bruises all over her body.

State Media

Former Zanu PF Midlands Senator Flora Buka, has been taken to court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) over a
US$368 833 debt for electricity supplied at her Riverbend Farm, East Clare in Kwekwe.

Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility demanded, via the High Court, payment of the outstanding amount. The former minister in the then Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Office is yet to respond to the litigation.

According to the court papers, Buka is said to have failed, neglected and/or refused to settle the debts for her three electricity accounts being US$222 161, US$119 922 and US$26 749, respectively.

“The defendant (Buka) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) in the sum of US$368 833,48 as at March 4, 2019, being charges in respect of power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter’s special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two,” the power utility said in its declaration.

ZETDC further said, despite several letters of demands seeking Buka’s co-operation, the former minister has reneged to fulfil her contractual obligation prompting the power utility to approach the court for recourse.

“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite written demand. By reason of the said failure, neglect or refusal to pay the above sum/amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the same with interest thereon at the prescribed rate which is currently 5% per annum,” ZETDC said.

The matter is pending.

A TEENAGER who was employed as a herdboy in Lupane allegedly attacked and killed his employer with a shovel after she fired him for indiscipline.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed that the herdboy had since been arrested for allegedly killing his employer Ms Memory Moyo (57).

Chief Insp Makonese said Ms Moyo succumbed to head and leg injuries on admission to St Luke’s Hospital following the attack that occurred at her homestead in Jabatshaba Village under Chief Mabhikwa last Friday.

Ms Moyo’s attacker, Alfred Chachimba, who is originally from Dandanda in Lupane District, allegedly fled from the scene soon after committing the crime.

He was arrested on Monday.

“I can confirm that we received a report of murder where a 17-year-old boy who was employed as a herdboy attacked his employer after she rebuked him for his behaviour,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

A neighbour Mrs Selina Ndlovu found Ms Moyo lying unconscious in a pool of blood about 30 minutes after the attack and alerted other villagers who rushed her to hospital.

“The accused arrived home around 6pm and Memory Moyo rebuked him for coming home late and told him that he had been fired. This did not go down well with the accused who picked a shovel and struck the now deceased three times on the head and once on the right leg,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

Chachimba fled from the scene leaving Ms Moyo, who had collapsed and become unconscious, bleeding excessively from the head.

Neighbours rushed Ms Moyo to St Lukes’ Hospital but she died on admission.

Her body was taken to Bulawayo for post-mortem while her attacker was arrested on Monday in Dandanda, under Chief Menyezwa where he had fled to.

He is expected to appear in court charged with murder.

State Media

MORE than 500 people are still missing in Rusitu Valley in Chimanimani district as rescue efforts are being hampered by damaged roads, 3 Infantry Brigade commander Major General Joe Muzvidziwa, who is leading the army rescue mission, has said.

Efforts to rescue victims of Cyclone Idai are still underway with the military yesterday being assisted by a privately owned helicopter that was ferrying the critically injured from some of the affected areas to Mutambara Hospital and Skyline help centre.

Helicopters could not fly into the area since Sunday owing to bad weather conditions.

In an interview at Skyline junction in Chimanimani, Maj Gen Muzvidziwa said there is no sufficient data on the number of missing persons and those who have died especially in the Rusitu Valley where loss of human life and damage to infrastructure was extensive.

“We still need more nurses because those at Ngangu Clinic in Chimanimani Township are overwhelmed. At least doctors have arrived and they are already working.

“We are still getting reports of areas that need assistance and we have made several flights into some of the affected areas,” he said.

“We do not have sufficient data on the numbers of people who died and those that are missing. In fact, when the data collation is done, we are expecting the number of missing people not to be less than 500.

“The good thing is that the water levels have receded and if we manage to clear the roads we could have a clear picture by end of day tomorrow.”

Relief efforts to ease the plight of people affected by Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani has taken days to reach the epicentre of the disaster owing to impassable roads.

Manicaland provincial administrator Mr Edgar Seenza said teams have been deployed to find alternative routes that could be used to get food, medicine and other needs to the affected communities.

“We are still trying to reach the affected areas and relief teams are on the ground trying to find alternative routes to reach out to the affected communities,” said Mr Seenza.

Roads were damaged while bridges were washed away after Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts.

As of yesterday motorists could only travel as far as Skyline junction from Jopa turn off near Chipinge but could not proceed to Chimanimani town nor the opposite Biriiri-Mutare road.

The heavily affected areas such as Rusitu, Ngangu in Chimanimani, Biriiri and surrounding areas.

Department of Civil Protection (DCP) Director Mr Nathan Nkomo yesterday warned people against visiting Cyclone Idai-ravaged areas saying traffic congestion on bad roads is disturbing rescue efforts at a time government has started assessing the extent of damage.

He said increased traffic is causing congestion that is disturbing transportation of relief supplies and slowing down rescue efforts.

He said they are failing to reach Ngangu and Mutambara Mission because of too much traffic.

Mr Nkomo urged people to reduce visits to ravaged areas because the roads are not in good condition which may lead to further disaster.

“We have been assigned to reach hotspots which are Ngangu and Mutambara Mission to help cyclone victims but the road is congested. I urge the public to reduce the number of visits because the roads are so bad and too much traffic on bad roads will lead to further disaster,” he said.

In a separate interview, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo said with assistance from the army and other departments, his Ministry had started assessing how much will be required to repair destroyed infrastructure.

He said on Monday helicopters managed to access areas that were not accessible the day before making it easier for engineers to see the damage caused by the cyclone.

“As we monitor the situation in Manicaland and assist the affected people we’re also assessing the extent of damage caused by the cyclone. The cyclone destroyed infrastructure in many parts of the province, especially bridges, roads, schools and homesteads.

“Unfortunately some areas are not accessible because the roads were blocked and there’s mist in the area. We’ve only managed to see half of the bridges that were destroyed. As soon as it clears and we manage to see the rest of the bridges and infrastructure we’ll be able to tell how much we need for reconstruction,” said Minister Moyo.

He said it was a horrendous experience for affected people, including school children to wait for rescuers in such conditions.

“The army helicopters yesterday managed to have access to the affected areas and there’s progress. We have army engineers who’re working with our engineers to give us definitive costs when they finish assessing the situation,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the cyclone had left a huge trail of destruction leaving his Ministry with much work on its hands.

The Minister added that the area was mountainous and most people were living on the sides of mountains.

State Media

Agony is etched in Tapiwa Chanyawo´s face as he tells of the night the storm came, a mudslide swept away their home, and his family died.

Their home, in the eastern Zimbabwean town of Chimanimani, lay in the path of Idai — a gigantic tropical cyclone that may have left more than a thousand dead in its wake.

“My father, my mother, my two sisters including the elder one and her child, they all died,” Chanyawo told AFP from his bed at a local hospital, counting the numbers on his fingers.

His family was among 98 confirmed dead in Zimbabwe. At least 217 more are missing and 44 stranded, according to the information ministry.

The storm struck overnight Friday after first smashed into central Mozambique, whose president, Filipe Nyusi, said on Monday that at least a thousand people there may have perished.

More than a hundred houses in Ngangu township in Chimanimani were destroyed by heavy rain, raging winds and rolling rocks.

The structures are made of home-baked bricks and corrugated iron sheets.

Homes of this type are a familiar sight across Zimbabwe, and are known for their resilience.

But, in Ngangu, they were no match for a storm packing hurricane-force winds, pounding rain and mudslides.

Jane Chitsuro, 42, miraculously survived but struggled to hold back the tears of loss.

“I have no clue where my daughter is buried in the debris,” she said, her head wrapped in a bandage.

“There is no house left to talk about, no furniture, nothing to wear or cover oneself with. Only masses of broken bricks and rocks”.

Praise Chipore’s face is bruised and swollen — the evidence in pain of what happened to her on Friday night.

“A flood came and my house was destroyed and I was buried underneath it. My daughter who was with me on the bed was washed away from me and then a bigger flood carried me farther away,” said Chipore.

Grief pervaded the Chimanimani community on Monday as families started burying their dead in damp graves, with some family members sharing one grave.

A tractor did several trips carrying coffins, fashioned out of crude timber by local woodworkers, to the burial site.

Chimanimani is one of Zimbabwe’s most picturesque regions, a verdant place of mountains, water falls and rainforests that is deeply popular with tourists

But the scene following Cyclone Idai was one of awful desolation.

The storm not only destroyed homes. It also washed away crops awaiting harvest in the fields and ripped bridges to pieces, leaving destruction that acting defence minister Perrance Shiri said “resembles the aftermath of a full-scale war”.

Some roads were swallowed up by massive sinkholes, a business centre was wiped out while bridges were ripped to pieces by flash floods.

“This is the worst infrastructural damage we have ever had,” Zimbabwean Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza said.

 The eastern district of Chimanimani was worst-hit, with houses and most of the region’s bridges washed away by flash floods.

Some of the most affected areas are not yet accessible, and high winds and dense clouds have hampered military rescue helicopter flights.

Two pupils and a worker at a secondary school in the area were among those killed after a landslide sent a boulder crashing into their dormitory.

 Soldiers on Sunday helped rescue the surviving nearly 200 pupils, teachers and staff who had been trapped at the school in Chimanimani.

The majority of the missing are thought to be government workers, whose housing complex was completely engulfed by raging waters. Their fate was unknown because the area was still unreachable.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa who cut short a visit to Abu Dhabi, visited the affected areas on Tuesday. — DailyMail, UK

Farai Dziva|Masvingo Mayor Councillor Collins Maboke has vowed to continue with his duties at the Civic Centre.

In spite of being ordered to step down by MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa, Maboke is unfazed by the directive.

Maboke was given a one-week ultimatum to leave his mayoral post or face expulsion. Maboke has indicated that he will only respond to Chamisa’s threats if he receives communication in writing.

“I was away on the day in question (last Saturday) attending a family bereavement. I cannot be bound by an announcement made in public, more so when I was not even present at the said meeting.

The party has official channels of communicating and I am yet to receive anything, so as of now I am continuing with my mayoral duties,” said Maboke.

“In the event I receive official communication I will then make available my response.”

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has once again slammed the door on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s calls for national dialogue saying he will only go to the state house for his swearing in ceremony not to dialogue with someone whom he says he floored in the July 30 polls.

Chamisa said Mnangagwa had no right to set the conditions for dialogue because he did not get the mandate from the people but is where he is because of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the Constitutional Court (ConCourt).

Mnangagwa and Chamisa have so far successfully avoided being in the same room since the July 30 polls despite valiant efforts by churches and civic society to draw them to the negotiating table.

Addressing the Masvingo provincial council over the weekend, Chamisa said Mnangagwa invited him to a dialogue at the state house addressing him as a losing candidate.

“Mnangagwa had the guts to write a letter to me inviting me to a dialogue as a losing candidate. The losing candidate is him and others.

“This is the reason why I have not attended any of those supposed meetings of losers. Mnangagwa should caucus with other losing candidates and when they are done they should come find me.

“I will not come to the state house to be given cakes and drinks, no. If I am coming to the state house it will be for my swearing in as President of the country,” said Chamisa.

Chamisa said he is not waiting for 2023 but is going to take over soon and will be seeking his second term in 2023.

“We are not waiting for 2023, no. That is too far. Our time is now and I will be seeking re-election in 2023.

“Mnangagwa has seen nothing yet. We are going to pile pressure on him,” said Chamisa. — Zim Morning Post

Bulawayo based Mthwakazi restoration political organization Mthwakazi Republic party (MRP) has alleged that teachers of Shona ethnic group are being secretly hired at the Bulawayo Post Office barely a week after The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said the teachers were wrongly deployed and were now being recalled to be redeployed elsewhere.

MRP said in a statement:

We have just received information that the teachers from outside the region are being employed secretly now at the Post Office. It is rumoured that the reversal by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education was just a fake meant to suppress the anger of the people of Bulawayo.

We encourage Bulawayo Civic organisations to rush to the Bulawayo Post Office and get clarity on what is happening. We also urge school Development Committees to resist the deployment of such teachers in their schools.

The deployment of the teachers had irked a number of organizations and parents who considered the act unthinkable.

Progressive Teachers union Secretary General Raymond Majongwe was quoted by the media saying, “This mammoth responsibility cannot be left to five people sitting in an office at PSC, and to avoid such things government should involve stakeholders such that those with qualifications are selected properly.

“The coincidence that there are 90 per cent Shona names raises eyebrows even when we know there are several who are born there. What of the Nambya, Tonga, Venda, Kalanga and Sotho names? Some who were there on the first list?”

Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has admitted that the government was ill prepared to handled Cyclone Idai because it failed to anticipate the magnitude of the cyclone. Idai has wreaked havoc in Manicaland and at least 98 people have been confirmed to have died while more 200 others are missing.

Speaking to the media in Chimanimani on Tuesday, Muchinguri-Kashiri is quoted as saying

I had not anticipated Cyclone Idai to be so bad. We had heard that floods were coming and a cyclone, but we had not moved or done anything to help ourselves.

I think we as people of Manicaland province have learnt a lesson and next time we will protect lives and urge people to move to know what will happen, and we move into camps together with the government’s help.

Authorities in Malawi have said that 150 people have died as a result of the cyclone while Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has said that he expects the deaths to be greater than 1000.

By Paul Nyathi|A social media post by a Samukeliso Moyo who claims to be controversial nude protestor Gugu Ncube claims that the much talked about “activist” may be losing her mind.

The post which attracted a huge attention when it was posted on social media on Monday was however later removed from the media platforms but not before enthusiasts managed to screen shoot it and share it with ZimEye.com.

The post shares on Twitter read as follows:

By Own Correspondent- Deputy Minister for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Energy Mutodi said people in areas worst affected by Tropical Cyclone Idai should have vacated following advance warnings of impeding disaster.

Government did not have capacity to evacuate everyone before Cyclone Idai struck.

Said Mutodi:

“Warnings were issued to people through the meteorological services department and those residing in affected areas were supposed to seek shelter in safer zones, but you know people normally do not want to leave their homes. Government did not have enough to vacate everyone.”

However, civil society and politicians have blamed Government for its slow response to Tropical Cyclone Idai.

Election Resource Centre (ERC) boss Tawanda Chimhini said government should have been proactive considering the country has experienced similar disasters before.

Spokesperson for the MDC leader Nelson Chamisa Dr Nkululeko Sibanda said government should have done more to warn citizens and encourage citizens to vacate lower ground.

Sibanda said this could have saved a lot of lives.

Own Correspondent|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says the disaster preparedness of Zimbabwe is a disaster on its own. Speaking from a tour of the cyclone-hit parts of Manicaland, Chamisa says he had gone to give a :”listening-interface” as well as interact with affected communities.

Here is his statement in full:

“My visit to the Manicaland cyclone affected areas was more of a listening-interface and interaction with the communities platform. The affected spoke about their ordeals and shared their harrowing experiences,” Chamisa said.

“I went to Mhandarume, Wengezi, Nyanyadzi,Tanganda halt, Devuli primary school and Birchnough bridge but couldn’t make it to Nedziwa, Ngangu,Kopa, Skyline and other areas in Chipinge most affected by this catastrophic disaster as the roads were impassable.

“I love the people of Manicaland. Chimanimani and Chipinge are great places. I marvel the beauty of our country. We met wonderful people. Though marginalized and tormented, the people have the zeal to better themselves. It really breaks my heart.

“The most affected places are most likely going to remain inaccessible by road.The humanitarian challenge will remain for some time as the cyclone has destroyed sources of livelihoods, it is important for human assistance to remain active beyond Cyclone Idai news headlines.

“We have assembled local teams and leadership on the ground aimed at identifying victims that need further help or medical attention and to enable those victims to be transported to a facility capable of giving them the care they need.

“I salute the brave ordinary people whose personal sacrifices saved lives. The spirit of ubuntu extended by Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country and from the Zimbabwe Diaspora has been unprecedented, exemplary and legendary.

“The lesson to draw from this is that THE PEOPLE UNITED are best able to respond to any emergency. I urge the nation to harness this ubuntu spirit and to use it to build capacity for responding to similar emergencies in the future.

” I acknowledge the intervention of various local, provincial, national and international humanitarian organizations that responded swiftly and continue to respond to save and protect lives.

“The response of the people was better than the response of the State which came like an afterthought when cyclones are a scientific phenomena whose formation and trajectory can be detected and forecast. We saw the Cyclone coming but state did little to warn and remove people from harm’s way.

“With the advent of Climate Change, cyclones have become regular in our part of the world. Citizens would have thought by now the State has learnt something about how to save lives and to protect the people during these deadly cyclones.

“The sad reality is that the the disaster preparedness of the entire infrastructure of the State is itself a disaster. Indeed, devastation caused by Idai,especially the tragic loss of life, has exposed the clear and present danger that the State itself is a disaster.

“Most of our road infrastructure and bridges are substandard and of poor workmanship.What we want here is a National Infrastructure plan for the whole country spanning into 20 to 50 years that speaks to national focus on … roads and rail networks, bridges and bullet trains.

“Haphazard settlement in the countryside is a ticking time bomb.We need integrated national settlement planning upon accelerated rural upliftment program.Have standards even models for structures and houses certified for human habitation thru a district planning commission.

“We must put in place effective disaster preparedness and early warning systems to be put in place through a revamp of the current inadequate mechanisms.

“We need an accelerated industrialization and urbanization upon an integrated upgrade of rural facilities to state-of-the-art level in health, energy, communication and housing. We must think and act SMART. Let’s do it. We will do it!” 

Logistics challenges stand in the way of Zimbabwe’s wheat and fuel supplies which are held up at the Beira Port in Mozambique in the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Idai occurrence.

According to the Grain Millers Association Zimbabwe, 100 truckloads of wheat are held at Mozambique’s Beira port which is inaccessible at the moment because of damages to the road network and some of the port’s facilities.

At a parliamentary hearing in the capital on Tuesday, the association’s President Tafadzwa Musarara (pictured) said the lack of access to the grain could worsen an already precarious position.

He said some of the grains received over the last few days from Beira was wet, also impacted by the cyclone.

Zimbabwe has grappled with a lack of adequate of wheat supplies for a couple of years now and the situation had been compounded since 2016 as forex challenges worsened amidst demand growth.

RBZ and the Grain Millers Association has been working closely to facilitate supplies. Although the efforts have been commendable a huge market gap remains in place.

Over the last few months bakers have sought to increase the price of bread to address the challenges but government’s hand has been visible in controlling the price, thus hampering supply.

Elsewhere the Minister of Transport and Energy also announced on Monday that fuel supplies are held up at Beira as the Feruka pipeline has been affected by the Cyclone. He however allayed shortages, charging that the country had adequate reserves.

Cyclone Idai is an intense tropical cyclone which is the strongest tropical cyclone to strike Southern Africa in a decade. The tenth named storm and record-breaking seventh intense tropical cyclone of the 2018–19 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Idai originated from a tropical depression that formed off the eastern coast of Mozambique on 4 March.

The depression made landfall later in the day and remained a tropical cyclone throughout the entirety of its trek over land. On 9 March, the depression re-emerged into the Mozambique channel and was upgraded into Moderate Tropical Storm Idai next day.

The system then began a stint of rapid intensification, reaching an initial peak intensity as an intense tropical cyclone with winds of 175 km/h (110 mph) on 11 March. Idai then began to weaken due to ongoing structural changes within its inner core, falling to tropical cyclone intensity. Idai’s intensity remained stagnant for about a day or so before it began to re-intensify.

On 14 March, Idai reached peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (120mph) and a minimum central pressure of 940 hPa (27.76 inHg). Idai then began to weaken as it approached the coast of Mozambique due to less favorable conditions.

On 15 March, Idai made landfall near Beira, Mozambique, as an intense tropical cyclone moving into the eastern parts of Zimbabwe.

— Equity Axis News

Own Correspondent|Following a tropical cyclone that tore through the eastern parts of Zimbabwe, the southern African country is weighing up the loss of life as well as the impact of the damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and business.

According to a member of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry, Henry Nemaire, who is based in the affected Manicaland region, there has been extensive damage in terms of road infrastructure which has made some business operations such as plantations inaccessible. Most of Zimbabwe’s plantations are in the Eastern Highlands region.

“There is extensive damage in terms of roads, bridges and power lines …

“The main focus is to make sure that power is restored in the Chimanimani and Chipinge district where most of the export oriented farms are located.

Nemaire said the farms might have to power factories for the next four weeks.

“But for us to be producing export goods, using diesel, it will be too expensive for the export market, so we need power to be restored urgently.”

He also called on Government to waiver duty on fuel for the affected companies ranging from timber, tea, coffee, macadamia and avocado plantations.

Listed entity, Ariston Holdings, which counts South Africa’s Origin Global Holdings Limited as its major shareholder, has macadamia and avocado plantations in one of the ravaged areas, Chipinge.

Reports from the company say in addition to the damage on buildings, warehouses and other facilities at the farms, the macadamia and avocado plantations were also heavily damaged.

While the extent of the damage is still to be ascertained, Ariston is heavily invested in macadamia having invested in a world class nuts processing plant and irrigation facilities as well as doubling of production to 1 351 tonnes. Last year, its avocado exports stood at 160 tonnes.

Tanganda, owned by Pick n Pay partner Meikles, has 458 hectares of avocado and 779 hectares of macadamia nuts.

“We also hope that the national engineering team will also help in restoring access to affected areas,” said Nemaire.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has already implemented an Emergency Response Plan, that is aimed at opening up washed away roads and repairing bridges to enable accessibility in Chimanimani in the shortest time possible, according to Transport Minister Joel Matiza.

Some roads and bridges in Chimanimani are currently cordoned off to make way for engineers to work on the damaged roads in the shortest possible time.

Farai Dziva|Goods confiscated by ZIMRA will be donated to survivors of Tropical Cyclone Idai.

This was disclosed by Finance and Economic Development Ministry Permanent Secretary, George Guvamatanga.

Guvamatanga said blankets, clothing and food seized by ZIMRA will be distributed to the survivors of Tropical Cyclone Idai.

“With regards to basic necessities, such as blankets, clothing and food, the Accountant-General and Zimra are working out modalities of ensuring that current stocks of forfeited goods become available to the families in need.

Your officials will need to liaise with the Accountant-General on the requirements and modalities of distribution.

Our team of officials led by Mr B. Mupuriri, the director implementation and monitoring department, will be in Manicaland to provide immediate assistance in the recovery efforts,” said Guvamatanga.

VIEW PICTURE BELOW…

The Zimbabwe Revenue And Allied Workers Trade Union ZIMRATU is appalled by the conduct of the newly appointed Zimbabwe Revenue Authority board chairperson Callisto Jokonya and his failure to provide leadership on critical issues affecting the revenue authority.

ZIMRATU is also worried by Jokonya’s wanton attacks on collective bargaining processes whereby he threatened not to review workers’ salaries until they rid themselves of corruption and direct attacks on individuals for being members of the union and leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.

His displays of arrogance by refusing to entertain questions from employees and unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against employees boarders on victimization to silence workers against raising grievances. ZIMRATU would like to make it clear to Jokonya that collective bargaining processes cannot be dictated but are a product of mutual negotiations.

We do not take such attacks lightly as they are meant to instil fear among workers leaders and eventually the membership in general. Any attack on trade union leaders is an attack on our stomachs and livelihoods as workers.

His utterances that fighting corruption, reviewing workers conditions of service in light of the prevailing economic challenges and that educating taxpayers to be tax compliant lacked substance, are worrisome.

Farai Dziva| Opposition leader Noah Manyika has said Emmerson Mnangagwa is a hardhearted and uncaring leader.

The Build Zimbabwe leader has further argued that Mnangagwa is living up to his reputation of being a hardhearted man.

Manyika was commenting on Mnangagwa’s response to disasters affecting ordinary Zimbabweans in the past three months. He also has als said Mnangagwa is not proactive as evidenced by his failure to give warnings from his office prior to the effects of the Cyclone Idai.

“Those cases include the shootings, the Battlefields mining disaster, the situation in our hospitals, and now Cyclone Idai. When the President left the country to go to the UAE, he was aware of the effects of cyclone Idai. There were no warnings from his office, no plans for people in the direct path of the storm to be evacuated, cutting short a trip he should have had the decency to postpone or cancel is meaningless.

What we see is a President living up to his reputation of being a hardhearted man in spite of his claims that he is as soft as wool.”

Farai Dziva|Masvingo Mayor Councillor Collins Maboke has vowed to continue with his duties at the Civic Centre.

In spite of being ordered to step down by MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa, Maboke is unfazed by the directive.

Maboke was given a one-week ultimatum to leave his mayoral post or face expulsion. Maboke has indicated that he will only respond to Chamisa’s threats if he receives communication in writing.

“I was away on the day in question (last Saturday) attending a family bereavement. I cannot be bound by an announcement made in public, more so when I was not even present at the said meeting.

The party has official channels of communicating and I am yet to receive anything, so as of now I am continuing with my mayoral duties,” said Maboke.

“In the event I receive official communication I will then make available my response.”

The University of South Africa (Unisa) says one of its employees has been cleared of wrongdoing following a woman’s claims that he asked her to perform sexual favours so she could keep her job at the Unisa Centre for Early Childhood Education (UCECE).

The investigation into the claims by Gugu Ncube was conducted by Unisa’s internal employee relations directorate.

“It considered evidence in the form of SMS exchanges and witness statements/affidavits. Based on these, the investigation concluded that there was no merit to the allegations.

“Ms Ncube had also laid a charge of rape with the South African Police Service (SAPS), [and the] investigation also arrived at the conclusion that there was no merit to the allegation,” Unisa spokesperson Martin Ramotshela told News 24 on Monday.

Unisa did not share a physical report or findings with News24.

Naked protest

Last week, Ncube was arrested after staging a naked protest at the Union Buildings.

She said she wanted to alert President Cyril Ramaphosa of the alleged abuse she had suffered at the hands of Unisa, as well as the SAPS.

But, instead of meeting the president, police arrested and charged her with public indecency.

During the demonstration, Ncube repeated her sexual harassment claims, which the man she accused denied.

“Our client has denied the allegations and there were no findings against him. In fact, in January last year, [Ncube] retracted the allegations,” his lawyer Jeffrey Maluleke told News24 on Monday.

While the institution confirms that the man is an employee, it says that he served in the UCECE in his personal capacity.

“He served on the Board of Trustees of UCECE in his private capacity or deployed by another entity. He was not deployed by Unisa to the board,” Ramotshela explained.

The institution also said the UCECE was an independent entity established in terms of the Trust Property Control Act 57 of 1988, which had its own board of trustees and ran its own affairs.

“Unisa has no authority whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of UCECE. Whilst the university respects the rights of its employees to serve on boards and other structures outside the university, this does not translate into the university having the right to interfere in the affairs of the structures.

“UCECE is no exception,” Ramotshela said.

Unisa claims to have never distanced itself from Ncube’s allegations but rather sought to clarify its relationship with the crèche where she was employed.

“As a matter of fact, being privy to other dynamics of the case that are not in the public domain, the university is currently engaging a variety of internal and external stakeholders with a view to establishing how best to offer assistance to Ms Ncube, considering the difficult emotional period she might be going through,” Ramotshela added.

On Twitter, Ncube posted what appeared to be a staff card with an employee number attributed to Unisa.A

“For purposes of access control, the crèche staff are issued with Unisa access cards. The issuing of an access card is not a confirmation of employment by Unisa, but just a means of facilitating and controlling access to and out of the Unisa premises.

“Access cards are issued to staff, students and contractors rendering a service on university premises,” Ramotshela said in response.

Ncube’s attorney, Mpho Nefuri told News24 that she was not aware of any investigation or findings that cleared the alleged perpetrator.

“I don’t know anything about this. We were not made aware of this.

“We have not even received any form of communication from Unisa at this point, only the media,” she said.

Meanwhile, previous victims of Gugu Ncube’s similar allegations have convened a press conference on Wednesday in Johannesburg to emphasise that Gugu is fabricating the allegations against the UNISA senior staff member.

Amongst those who are going to be at the press conference are Africa Diaspora Forum leader Marc Gubbafou who Gugu sensationally accused of raping her last year.

Also set to appear is popular Johannesburg pastor Acts Aota who Gugu named and shamed on social media as having abused her.

ZimEye.com will endeavour to provide a live coverage of the press conference.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

‪THE VISIT TO CHIMANIMANI..CHIPINGE!!

1/16 The visit to the Manicaland cyclone affected areas was more of a listening-interface and interaction with the communities platform.The affected spoke about their ordeals & shared their harrowing experiences.‬

‪2/16 I went to Mhandarume, Wengezi, Nyanyadzi,Tanganda halt, Devuli primary school and Birchnough bridge but couldn’t make it to Nedziwa, Ngangu,Kopa, Skyline and other areas in Chipinge most affected by this catastrophic disaster as the roads were impassable.‬

‪3/16 I love the people of Manicaland. Chimanimani and Chipinge are great places. I marvel the beauty of our country. We met wonderful people. Though marginalized and tormented, the people have the zeal to better themselves. It really breaks my heart.‬

‪4/16The most affected places are most likely going to remain inaccessible by road.The humanitarian challenge will remain for some time as the cyclone has destroyed sources of livelihoods,it is important for human assistance to remain active beyond Cyclone Idai news headlines.‬

‪5/16 We have assembled local teams and leadership on the ground aimed at identifying victims that need further help or medical attention & to enable those victims to be transported to a facility capable of giving them the care they need.‬

‪6/16 I salute the brave ordinary people whose personal sacrifices saved lives. The spirit of ubuntu extended by Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country & from the Zimbabwe‬
Diaspora has been unprecedented, exemplary and legendary.

‪7/16The lesson to draw from this is that THE PEOPLE UNITED are best able to respond to any emergency. I urge the nation to harness this ubuntu spirit and to use it to build capacity for responding to similar emergencies in the future.‬

‪8/16 I acknowledge the intervention of various local, provincial, national and international humanitarian organizations that responded swiftly and continue to respond to save and protect lives.‬

‪9/16The response of the people was better than the response of the State which came like an afterthought when cyclones are a scientific phenomena whose formation & trajectory can be detected and forecast.Saw Cyclone coming but state did little to warn& remove pple from harm’s way‬

‪10/16 With the advent of Climate Change, cyclones have become regular in our part of the world. Citizens would have thought by now the State has learnt something about how to save lives and to protect the people during these deadly cyclones. ‬

‪11/16The sad reality is that the the disaster preparedness of the entire infrastructure of the State is itself a disaster. Indeed, devastation caused by Idai,especially the tragic loss of life, has exposed the clear and present danger that the State itself is a disaster. ‬

12/16 Emergency situations require emergency responses.And emergency responses require emergency preparedness.The State is wanting in this regard.We dare find urgent ways to rectify this incapacity to enable the State to be in a position to save lives and protect citizens.

‪13/16Most of our road infrastructure and bridges are substandard and of poor workmanship.What we want here is a National Infrastructure plan for the whole country spanning into 20 to 50 years that speaks to national focus on ..roads & rail networks, bridges & bullet trains.‬

‪14/16 Haphazard settlement in the countryside is a ticking time bomb. We need integrated national settlement planning upon accelerated rural upliftment program.We must have standards even models for structures and houses certified for human habitation through a district planning commission.‬

‪15/16 We must put in place effective disaster preparedness and early warning systems to be put in place through a revamp of the current inadequate mechanisms.‬

‪16/16We need an accelerated industrialization and urbanization upon an integrated upgrade of rural facilities to state-of-the-art level in health, energy, communication and housing.We must think and act SMART.Let’s do it.We will do it!‬

Controversial businessman Billy Rautenbach has visited flood affected areas to assess the damage caused by cyclone idai.

Rautenbach who runs Green Fuel ethanol plant in Chisumbanje and has been at loggerheads with the local community over boundary disputes.

Farai Dziva|Deputy Information Minister, Energy Mutodi, has described former Zanu PF Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere’ s comments on Twitter as misdirected anger.

Last week Kasukuwere vowed to take the fight to protect his territorial integrity -to Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“Former Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s anger is misdirected.

While attaching one’s immovable property for skipping bail is horrifying and disgusting, he cannot blame the ED Mnangagwa administration for allowing the rule of law to prevail. The 8th Parliament must have outlawed such laws,” argued Mutodi.

Own Correspondent|IF you thought Vimbai Zimuto would stop posting racy nudes just because she’s presently in Zimbabwe, then sorry, because she’s just done it again.

Vimbai, who flew in on Sunday from the Netherlands where she’s based so that she can finishing recording her upcoming videos, says nudity is art.

In her latest photo, she sits in the sand all naked with her back towards YOU. 

The photo has sent social media into a spin.

She is appearing on BustopTV today, as well as on PowerFM radio with DJ Chamvary from 1.15 PM.

By Own Correspondent- MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has implored government to divert tax payers money towards helping victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai instead of wasting that money funding “useless trips”.

Chamisa yesterday toured Chimanimani to offer support to victims of Tropical Cyclone Idai.

He said:

“We did what we do with our own resources sourced from our own savings and from well wishers. We continue to help as the situation in the East urgently requires intervention.

What I witnessed yesterday left my heart torn and bleeding. People lost their lives, some still missing, homes, livestock and infrastructure destroyed. The people have no food and clothes.

Those in control of taxpayers’ money must have heart and feelings, stop useless trips and use that money to alleviate the situation.”

A Tanzanian bound Tagwa bus has reportedly been involved in an accident in Marongolo.

According to sources, the driver of the bus is still trapped.

By Nomusa Garikai: “We feel that we are almost two decades behind in terms of development as a result of economic sanctions that have been imposed on us,” Emmerson Mnangagwa told The National in an interview in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

“We are saying yes, we wish that these sanctions would be removed
yesterday by those who have imposed sanctions on us, but beyond that we
should not put our heads in the sand and cry,” he said. “We should, with the resources that we have, do our best to attract global finance into our
economy.”

But asked if the administration of US President Donald Trump had detailed
the required reform it wants to see in order to lift sanctions, Mr Mnangagwa said the measures had “no basis at all” and that he would not take action to please another country simply to see them removed.

I salute those at The National Abu Dhabi for asking that question because the Americans had indeed given a detailed list of what Zanu PF had to do for the sanctions to lifted. The list included:

-Making sure the 3 million or so Zimbabweans in the diaspora were
given the opportunity to register and to vote

-The country’s public media must give fair coverage to all the
contestants in the elections

-The election process is transparent, free, fair and credible, etc.

President Mnangagwa had promised to hold free, fair and credible elections
and there was nothing on the US list that anyone interested in delivering on that promise would object to. Nothing! And yet he went on to blatantly
disregard even the most basic requirements for free and fair elections such
as producing a verified voters’ roll.

“We cannot say that there is something which we must do to satisfy
America,” explained Mnangagwa. “Our concern is to do those things which
satisfy the needs of our people.”

How does denying 3 million Zimbabweans in the diaspora a vote “satisfy”
their needs? With no verified voters’ roll it is impossible to verify who voted in last year’s elections, how they voted, etc. By failing to hold free, fair and credible elections Zanu PF only confirmed that Zimbabwe was still a pariah state ruled by lawless thugs. It is naïve to think investors would want to do business in a pariah state. Who does rigging elections and sending away would be investors help meet the people’s need for meaningful economic recovery?

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF junta are beyond the pale, the regime should
not be allowed to remain in office one more day even as a partner in a GNU. The regime rigged last year’s elections, it has no democratic mandate to rule
and must be forced to step down, certainly before the 2023 elections.

If Zanu PF is in power in 2023, the party will rig the elections and extend its
illegitimate and tyrannical rule. That would be unforgivable!

By Own Correspondent- A 65-year old Bikita woman died after her hut collapsed due to Tropical Cyclone Idai induced winds.

Sonica Tavengerweyi from Chibaya Village under Chief Mukanganwi died after her hut collapsed while she was sleeping when Cyclone Idai struck.

Masvingo Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira visited the Tavengerweyi family in Bikita to pay his condolences.

A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo has been sentenced to three months in jail for assaulting his mother after she brought her lover to their home.

Bhekumuzi Ngwenya of Lobengula Extension throttled his mother Ms Sikhanyisiwe Ngwenya after he got home drunk.

Ngwenya appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Mr Stephen Ndlovu and pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic violence.

Mr Ndlovu gave Ngwenya a lecture on the virtues of respecting one’s parent before sentencing him to three months in prison which were suspended on condition that he performs 105 hours of community service at Lobengula Secondary School.

“A person who has the guts to assault his own mother is not fit to be in society. Culturally that is taboo and it is a serious offence so you do not deserve to be in the community,” he said.

Ngwenya told the court that he did not touch his mother but had an argument with her boyfriend.

“I never did anything to my mother, the person I had a problem with was her boyfriend and as we were talking an argument ensued between us. My mother tried to solve the issue and that is when we had a misunderstanding,” he said.

The prosecutor, Mr Tapiwa Solani, said on Tuesday last week, Ngwenya got home at around 11PM and found his mother sleeping with her boyfriend.

“Ngwenya ordered the man to leave their home and his mother stopped him from chasing the man away. That did not go down well with him. A misunderstanding arose between them and he choked his mother,” he said.

The court heard that Ms Ngwenya was saved by her elder son who dragged Ngwenya and took him outside the house.

On the following day, Ms Ngwenya reported the matter to the police and Ngwenya was arrested.

The magistrate asked Ms Ngwenya what sentence she wanted her son to be given.

She said community service would be punishment enough.

“I wouldn’t want him to be given a jail sentence. I reported the matter because I could not discipline him,” Ms Ngwenya said.

State Media

The victims of Cyclone Idai in Manicaland have unite and made coffins for their departed relatives and buried them two-two per grave due unavailable of burial spaces and the large number of people affected.

One of the doctors on the ground in Chimanimani gave an update about the situation as it was on Tuesday:

Most patients here are stable but they need transferring to a bigger hospital. We also have two pregnant women who need urgent transferring as well for C section due to complications. There is no equipment for that procedure here. 

https://twitter.com/ZimMediaReview/status/1107948318993408000

Yesterday (Monday) there were burials. A local guy donated timber and people volunteered and made coffins. People were buried in twos per grave. About 53 in number. Some of those admitted couldn’t their children’s burials. 

The worst part is that there are still a lot of areas where there has not been any recovery effort and a lot of people are missing.  Probably buried in their homes from mudslides. 

A recovery effort will take place today. The army has promised to ehlp transport patients and also lead the recovery efforts.

It will take lots of time for this community to recover. A lot of people lost everything.

-Byo24

By Own Correspondent- Information and Publicity Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Energy Mutodi has said former Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s anger over the attachment of his property by the state is correct but misdirected.

Mutodi advised Kasukuwere to stop directing his anger at President Emmerson Mnangagwa since the administration was merely implementing what the law stipulated.

He said:

“Former Minister Saviour Kasukuwere’s anger is misdirected. While attaching one’s immovable property for skipping bail is horrifying and disgusting, he cannot blame the ED Mnangagwa administration for allowing the rule of law. The 8th Parliament must have outlawed such laws.”

Mutodi further said the laws that the country is using should be changed by parliament.

President Edgar Lungu of Zambia has sent a message of condolences to his counterparts in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe following deaths, injuries and widespread destruction caused by tropical storm, Cyclone Idai.

In a message to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, President Lungu expressed heartfelt condolences to his counterpart and to the people of Zimbabwe on the tragic weather incident.

“As we mourn with you during this period of grief, we pray that God Almighty will grant comfort to the bereaved families and we wish those injured a speedy recovery. We pray that the nation will find strength to overcome this loss. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” he said.

In a message sent to President Peter Mutharika of Malawi, President Lungu said he learnt with deep sadness the effects of the cyclone which claimed several lives, injured thousands and left a trail of widespread property destruction.

President Lungu said the thoughts and prayers of the Zambian government are with the bereaved families and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Zambia and indeed on my own behalf, I wish to convey to Your Excellency, the Government and the people of Malawi, our deepest sympathies on this tragic incident. In this time of profound sorrow and loss, please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my  highest consideration,”  President Lungu said.

Iin a message to President Filipe Nyusi of Mozombique, President Lungu expressed deepest condolences and sympathies to the Government and  people of that country and particularly the bereaved families.

“We pray that God Almighty will grant comfort to the bereaved families and we wish those injured a speedy recovery. Allow me to convey to Your Excellency, the Government and the people of the Republic of Mozambique, and particularly the bereaved families, our deepest condolences and sympathies,” said President Lungu.

Cyclone Idai has left a trail of destruction in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, killing and injuring hundreds of people and destroying several infrastructure will includes roads, bridges and schools.

-State Media

By Own Correspondent- Presenting oral evidence before parliament, Environment and Tourism minister Prisca Mupfumira said the construction of houses and other related projects posed the greatest threat to wetlands.

Mupfumira also said none cooperation by citizens and the unwillingness by projects managers to comply with environmental laws threatened the existence of wetlands.

She said:

“There has been growing pressure and conflict in the manner in which wetlands should be utilised in Zimbabwe.

Commercial and housing construction projects are the greatest threats to wetlands in urban areas followed by unsustainable agricultural activities, resource extraction and veld fires in rural areas.

Non cooperation by citizens, negative attitudes by project developers, lack of appreciation on wetlands values, low compliance by local authorities and competing human interests tend to negate proper wetland management.”

Watch the video below for this and more:

Tension continues to mount within the beleaguered MDC here, as Masvingo Mayor Councillor Collins Maboke yesterday vowed to continue with his duties at Town House despite being ordered to step down by party leader Mr Nelson Chamisa. 

Mr Chamisa met members of his party’s provincial executive at the weekend at a tension-filled meeting at Mucheke Hall where he gave Cllr Maboke a one-week ultimatum to relinquish his mayoral post or face the boot. 

Cllr Maboke, who was voted city mayor after winning Ward 2 on an MDC-Alliance ticket in last year’s harmonised elections, has been living on borrowed time after Mr Chamisa sometime late last year ordered him to step down from the post. 

Cllr Maboke, an advocate by profession, is being accused of conniving with Zanu-PF to ensure the ruling party Ward 6 Cllr Wellington Mahwende was voted deputy mayor, despite Zanu-PF controlling only three wards of the local authority’s 10.

The MDC leadership wants Cllr Maboke to pave way for Ward 4 Cllr Godfrey Kurauone. Mr Chamisa’s ultimatum came after the onslaught against Cllr Maboke appeared to have fizzled out. 

Mr Chamisa insisted that the MDC Alliance has rules that should be followed by all party members, including Cllr Maboke, pointing out that he should heed the party’s call to step down or risk summary expulsion from MDC. 

Cllr Maboke yesterday said he was not bound by an announcement made by Mr Chamisa in his absence and vowed to continue with his mayoral duties.

He said he will only respond to Mr Chamisa’s threat if he receives communication in writing. 

“I was away on the day in question (last Saturday) attending a family bereavement after my brother passed on,” he said. 

“I cannot be bound by an announcement made in public, moreso when I was not even present at the said meeting. “The party has official channels of communicating and I am yet to receive anything, so as of now I am continuing with my mayoral duties. In the event I receive official communication I will then make available my response. 

“Right now I am coming from a meeting that had been scheduled with the Minister (of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo), who unfortunately was not available as he was attending to challenges associated with Cyclone Idai in Manicaland.” 

It is believed any knee-jerk decision by Mr Chamisa to fire Cllr Maboke would boomerang on the MDC leader as the Ward 2 councillor enjoys strong support and will likely retain the ward as an independent candidate in the event of a by-election. 

Mr Chamisa’s visit to Masvingo also reportedly muddied his party’s political waters, amid worsening divisions and fresh turmoil blamed on the MDC leader after he appeared to roundly condemn the incumbent provincial executive led by Mr James Gumbi in favour of another faction led by Mr Tongai Matutu, a former Masvingo Urban legislator.

Analysts said Mr Chamisa’s move will further stoke tension and tear the party along factional lines as the MDC’s potentially explosive national congress looms.

-Newsday

By Own Correspondent- Journalist Brighton Musonza has advised opposition MDC to disassociate themselves from former members of a Zanu PF faction known as the Generation 40 (G40).

G40 was fronted by self exiled Professor Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Patrick Zhuwao.

Said Musonza:

“While it’s understandable there is evidence of converging political interests of the MDC Alliance and G40, if had my way I would advise the former to keep itself away from Jonathan Moyo et al. That lot is used to a culture of Zanu PF politics and forever remain Zanu PF.”

Since his escape from the bloody coup in November 2017 Prof. Moyo started blasting the current Zanu Pf leader Emmerson Mnangagwa describing as a coup leader.

Prof Moyo has also shown support for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. He has since November 2017 been one of the active online campaigners for Chamisa as the country moved towards the 2018 harmonised elections.

By Own Correspondent- According to a 2018 Human Rights Report prepared by the US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, “police frequently arrested citizens for low-level corruption while ignoring reports implicating high-level businesspersons and politicians”.

The country continued to experience both petty and grand corruption, defined respectively by Transparency International Zimbabwe as an “everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- to mid-level public officials” and “an abuse of high-level power by political elites”.

The report also exposed government over its failure to enforce its policy requiring public officials to declare their assets and disclose interests in transactions that form part of their public mandate.

Read the report:

“In February, President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered a mandatory declaration of assets by senior officials. Arrests of senior government officials followed; however, most were Mnangagwa’s political opponents or supporters of former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s Generation 40 (G-40) faction.

In May, Mnangagwa created an anti-corruption body within the Office of the President to carry out investigations, by-passing the constitutionally-mandated Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission. The administration has since recorded one conviction related to corruption while most of those arrested were released on relaxed bail conditions.”-Newsday

By Own Correspondent- Air Zimbabwe has advised its passengers that flight schedules have been delayed due to fog and poor visibility at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

A short message posted by the airliner reads:

** Weather warning **
Due to fog and poor visibility out of the Harare airport, we wish to advise our passengers of a delay on schedule. Please contact any of our airport offices for assistance.

With hundreds of people confirmed dead and thousands others missing or displaced after a devastating cyclone hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe and parts of Malawi, Amnesty International is calling on foreign governments, including regional leaders, to ramp up efforts and resources available for rescue efforts.

The organization said the focus should be on saving people who are still trapped in the affected areas and ensuring that humanitarian assistance is provided to so that people’s basic needs are met and their human rights are protected.

With the cyclone expected to move further west, the authorities should also aim to mitigate further loss of life by devising early-warning mechanisms and other risk-reduction strategies.

“The Southern African Development Community and the international community must provide the necessary resources to aid rescue efforts in the countries hit by Cyclone Idai in order to save lives and provide relief for those who have lost their homes and livelihoods,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa.

Cyclone Idai hit Zimbabwe and Mozambique between 14 and 16 March. The powerful cyclone was predicted by the South African Weather Service on 11 March.
Hundreds of people remain trapped in the cyclone-hit areas, while some are still unaccounted for.

Mozambican president, Filipe Nyusi, has said that the death toll could be as high as 1000.

Zimbabwe’s eastern Chimanimani district and Mozambique’s Beira are among the worst hit. According to the United Nations, nearly 10,000 people were affected by the cyclone in Zimbabwe.

Mozambique and Zimbabwe are vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season, with previous disasters having caused fatalities and left people homeless. The number of cyclones and extreme floods have been increasing in Southern Africa due to the change in weather patterns likely caused by climate change.

“As the effects of climate change intensify, these extreme weather conditions can be expected to revisit us more frequently. The devastation wrought by Cyclone Idai is yet another wake-up call for the world to put in place ambitious climate change mitigation measures,” said Muleya Mwananyanda.

“Regional leaders and governments of wealthier countries must support effective early-warning systems, disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation strategies to save lives and protect human rights.”

Under international human rights law, the primary responsibility to provide assistance and protection to the victims of the disaster lies with the governments of the affected countries. However, other countries also have the obligation to provide assistance through international cooperation if this is needed to protect human rights.

By Own Correspondent- A Bulawayo based textile maker National Blankets which was placed under judicial management in 2012 due to vialibity challenges is facing imminent liquidation after failing to court a suitable investor to inject fresh capital into the ailing company.

The company, which experienced a drastic fall in demand as the market for woven blankets declined still uses equipment that was first installed in 1940, early into the Second World War. The equipment can only manufacture woven blankets and cannot be configured to produce highly knitted blankets currently on the market.

In a notice to creditors, PNA Chartered Accountants said:

“…in anticipation of the company going into liquidation to facilitate the purchase of the company by a potential investor or the disposal of the company’s assets, the judicial manager kindly requests all pre-scheme creditors to visit our office to verify the records we have and all post-scheme creditors up to the 28 of February 2019 to send their claims to our offices…”

Phillip Ndlovu of PNA Chartered Accountants has been in charge of the firm as judicial manager.-Newsday

JOHANNE Masowe Kubata kweVapostori Faith church leader Madzibaba Strive Masango lost ALL three children and a relative in a road traffic accident on Saturday.

The children – two girls and a boy – aged 10, five and two. Burial for the four is set for Mt Darwin today.

Madzibaba Masango’s wife – Chipo Mapako – was behind the wheel when her Mercedes Benz veered off the road near Surrey business centre, along Harare-Mutare road, killing her three children and a relative on spot.

She and two other passengers, were rushed to Marondera Hospital, where they received treatment. They have since been transferred to Chitungwiza Central Hospital.

National police chief spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident saying investigations are in progress to ascertain the cause.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to confirm the death of four people in a road traffic accident near Surrey business centre along Mutare Road on Friday at around 2130hrs,” said Ass-Comm Nyathi.

“The driver who was among the injured was reported to have failed to negotiate a curve and the vehicle veered off the road killing four occupants on the spot and injuring three.

“Investigations are continuing to ascertain the cause of the accident and the injured were rushed to Marondera hospital.

“We are urging motorists to exercise extreme caution during this wet period and avoid speeding and overtaking on blind spots,” said Ass-Comm Nyathi.

Madzibaba Masango was still to accept the mishap when contacted for comment. Mourners are gathered at his house in Warren Park 1.

“My wife had gone to take our children from school in Rusape and the accident took place on their way back,” said Madzibaba Masango.

“It is painful and I cannot imagine that I have lost all my children. Ndarwadziswa handina chekutaura parizvino,” said Madzibaba Masango.

-Online

By Own Correspondent- St Charles Lwanga pupils are now in Mutare after being evacuated from their school following the destruction of their school premises by Tropical Cyclone Idai leaving 2 students and a security guard dead and others injured.

The-weary students, who walked over 15km carrying the bodies of their fallen colleagues were taken to Chipinge and later Mutare where they re- united with their parents.

The traumatised students held a mass and prayer session amid indications that the majority of them needed counselling services to help them cope with their encounter.

Said one parent who spoke to ZimEye:

“I cannot speak. All I can say is thank you Jesus”.