AN Inyathi man who struck his wife and sister with a hammer before fatally stabbing them with a spear, following a rumour of infidelity has been sentenced to death for the double murder.
Amos Nkala (45) of Balanda Village 7, Siganda in Inyathi, summoned his estranged wife, Simangele Tshuma (41) and sister Nongazi Nkala (39) to explain allegations that a neighbour was securing boyfriends for his wife, before bludgeoning them with a hammer.
He then stabbed the unconscious women several times with a spear.
He was convicted of murder with actual intent and sentenced to death for each count by a Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Maxwell Takuva, while sitting at the Hwange Circuit Court.
Passing his judgment, Justice Takuva described Nkala as a merciless man.
“You committed two heinous crimes in a horrific manner. Your level of cruelty is shocking as you acted with untold brutality. You used excessive force on two defenceless women and when you finished them off, you did not show mercy. They must have suffered excruciating pain and died very painful deaths, a sign that you have no regard for human life,” Justice Takuva said.
Nkala, through his pro deo lawyer, Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Associates, claimed that he acted out of provocation after his wife alleged he had sexual relations with his mother.
By Own Correspondent| Updates by Zimbabwe’s Information Ministry confirm that Chimanimani has been hit hard by Cyclone Idai which has now crossed into Zimbabwe.
Said the ministry this morning:
“Chimanimani has been hit hard. Areas affected include Chimanimani urban, Charleshood Farm, Machongwe, Vhimba and Kopa Growth Point. Haroni River in Ward 12 has burst its banks. Nyahonde River at Kopa business centre has burst. Govt responding
Power disrupted in the Chimanimani area. Some bridges cutting access. Bridge at Pondo Farm has been swept away. Manase Village has also been adversely affected and communication is a challenge
Rescue efforts hampered by darkness but the Airforce of Zimbabwe has been deployed to winch people to safety.”
Opinion By Thabani Mnyama|Zimbabwe is currently at a point where the government is in the process of attempting to align some laws with the main Constitution. For example, the Prisons Act will be changed to the Prisons and Correctional Services Act in order to encapsulate the rehabilitative aspect as provided for by the Constitution in section 227. Among others, we also have the Companies Act, which is to be changed to the Companies and other Business Entities Act, the consultative hearings of which are still ongoing.
To everyone’s bewilderment, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Health and Child Care then brought to light how they intend to lower the age of consent from 16 years to 12 years.
On March 6, 2019, during a breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the assistant Clerk of Parliament Johane Gandiwa made some remarks which outraged many people. Their proposal to lower the age of consent for minors from 16 to 12 raises a lot of questions.
Following reactions from the people, mainly on social media platforms, the portfolio committee “clarified” their position by saying they do not intend to lower the age of sexual consent, but access to medical facilities for “sexually active minors”. This alone is an oxymoron as any minor who gets involved in sexual activities would naturally become a victim in most cases.
Taking their justification into account, how can we ensure that a 12-year-old can remember to take their pills consistently? How can we trust them at that age to be firmly consistent with condom use? What health benefits will this bring about in relation mainly to teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections and what will this mean for statutory rape? Who will also be responsible for paying for these services seeing as the adults have been labelled a “hindrance” and we know that our government at this stage cannot afford to foot such bills given our current economic turmoil?
This move also stands to be a threat to Section 60 (3) of the Constitution which accords parents and guardians of minor children rights to determine the moral and religious upbringing of their children including their rights to education, health, safety and welfare, so long it does not prejudice the rights to which the children are entitled under the same Constitution.
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] s70 criminalises any sexual and indecent acts with children who are 12 and below. Lowering the age of consent for access to medical facilities for sexually active minors already has the presumption that they are engaged in sexual activities which normalises it, instead of trying to provide more education on the dangers of engaging in sexual activities as a minor.
Every child has a right to be protected from sexual exploitation in accordance with s81 (1) (e) of the Constitution, and this decision by the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care would provide loopholes for the sexual exploitation of minor children.
Former legislator Jessie Majome was one of the people who advocated for a referendum on the age of consent to be held as a way of resolving this critical national issue and once pleaded that, “for once we hold a referendum on something that actually touches our lives in a direct way not just politics”.
She together with others like Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, proposed that the age of consent should be 18 as per section 81 of the Constitution. This part of the law specifies that in every matter concerning children their interests shall be paramount. Considering this, we must question how it would be in their best interests to have sex early.
Our laws must be consistent with our Constitution and such a move is inconsistent not only with the Constitution, but with our morals as a society. The legislators are entrusted to be the policymakers, a duty which requires them to liaise with the masses before bringing up something of this nature and importance. It would be unlawful (and unethical) to have the age of minors lowered to 12.
Before thinking of making such laws, the wise move would have been for the portfolio committee to hold consultative sessions with professionals who work with minors and with the masses before making a decision.
Most of our legislators are clearly out of touch with the people and take their privilege of being in Parliament as an opportunity to further their own agendas . . . just saying!
Thabani Mnyama is a lawyer and academic with special interests in international, constitutional and human rights law, diplomacy and public policy. He is also a co-founder and director of VIOCAP. He writes in his personal capacity.
Under pressure and controversial Manicaland Diocese Anglican Bishop Eric Ruwona has allegedly sought protection from Zanu PF heavyweights after restive congregants demonstrated for his ouster and his faction on allegations of wanton suspension of priests, corruption, maladministration and abuse of church funds amounting to over $2m.
This week irate congregants from three perishes in Mutare urban namely, St Agnes from (Chikanga), and Holy Name (Sakubva), Mufudzi Wakanaka (Dangamvura) handed over their petition outlining their griviances against Ruwona.
Part of the petition in possession of this publication read:
“Following several unresolved Diocesan issues dating as way back as 3rd December 2016, the concerned Anglicans are demanding that Bishop Erick Ruwona relinquish his position as the Bishop of Manicaland with immediate effect.”
The congregant’s grievances allege Ruwona’s misappropriation of Diocesan funds. The funds include $450 000.00 loan from Agribank and $250 000.00 overdraft from Agribank.
In the petition, the congregants allege that Ruwona and his cabal misappropriated $1,098,800.00 school levies collected from September 1 2015 to March 31 2017 among other unverified amounts of school levies collected from April 1 2017 to date.
The congregants also allege that there was an embezzlement of $89 000.00 and $53 000 for Diocesan birthdays.
They raised concern over the non-functioning of the Diocesan Standing Committee and Trustee and the lack of proper communication .
Arbitrary transfers and suspension of clergy and the victimisation of elected church leaders and dissolution of church councils, among others were raised.
In a desperate move to remain in power, Ruwona has approached Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri –Kashiri and Minister of Broadcasting, Media and Information Monica Mutsvangwa for protection.
Mutsvangwa was not immediately available for a comment as she was said to be out of country. Muchinguri was not available for a comment, but,our source revealed that Muchinguri had told Ruwona to back off and carry his cross.
“He has approached Mai Muchinguri and Mai Mutsvangwa for protection and he has said the demonstrating congregants are MDC supporters,” said the source.
“Ruwona must be ashamed of himself because he is a well known MDC supporter himself and those are just the last kicks of a dying horse,” said our source.
Last Sunday, Ruwona ordered the closure of St Agnes Anglican church in Chikanga alleging that it was the main source of problems haunting his leadership.
Congregants had to pray outside the locked church, but the anti- riot police later came and opened the doors for the congregants who completed the service under heavy guard from the police, as Ruwona’s faction had hired thugs to beat up the congregants.
Previously, feuds between supporters and non-supporters of Ruwona have broken out tearing the fragile diocese apart.
Worshippers have also appealed to the Zambia based Archbishop of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, Archbishop Albert Chama and the Episcopal Synod of the Anglican Church to intervene in the matter on their behalf, but, surprisingly, Chama has failed to act, giving speculation that he was involved in the scandals.
The congregants have also complained of Portia Magada whom they allege to have taken charge of the church.
“She has virtually taken over the control of the church and congregants have been raising concerns over this but, Ruwona has been protecting her,” said the congregants.
Contacted for a comment, Ruwona, referred all questions to Ashel Mutungura who is Anglican Diocese of Manicaland spokesperson.
Mutungura described the disgruntled congregants at St Agnes Church as people belonging to erstwhile former Bishop Elson Jakazi who were bent to cause confusion in the church.
Jakazi is a former bishop of the church but was fired by the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) for misconduct.
A protracted court battle ensued between Jakazi and the CPCA resulting in his ouster by the courts.
“Those calling for the ouster of Bishop’s removal are Jakazi people. They have refused to join the church and they are causing confusion.
These are divisive people who do not even pay tithes but are good at talking and causing confusion.
“They do not know the church rules and regulations. They are just ignorant of the church laws and power hungry. It is clearly stated in the Acts of the Diocese,” he said.
“Congregants know the correct channels of expressing their unhappiness. Those with concerns should come forward and present them with proper procedures,” Mtungura said.
Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition members demonstrate against closure of NGOs.
Media Statement|Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) notes with great concern government’s continued crackdown on Non-Governmental Organizations.
As was the case during the Mugabe era, the ‘new dispensation’ continues to label non-governmental organizations as agents of regime change and this has been the basis upon which the government has tried to justify its crackdown on the organizations whose mandate is to uphold democracy and hold the government accountable.
Since the November 2017 military coup which ushered in the new government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, there has been a systemic closure of the democratic space characterized by persecution of civic society leaders as well as the continued militarization of key state institutions.
We are concerned that this unfortunate development has come with adverse effects on democracy, economic development as well as on efforts to re-engage with the international community.
The government has failed to instill confidence in the economy and it is quite unfortunate that when ordinary citizens exercise their democratic right to protest against the increasing cost of living, the government chooses to declare war against citizens and civil society organizations.
We denounce the recent announcement by the government to the effect that they will be tracking funds for non-governmental organizations so as to ensure the funds ‘are not used to fund terrorism’.
The move by the government to ban the operations of CiZC member, Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) on March 11, 2019 is regrettable and serves as clear testimony of a sinister agenda to close the democratic space by clamping down on non-governmental organizations.
In February 2019, President Mnangagwa threatened to clampdown on civic society organizations as well as doctors and lawyers whom he blamed for backing the January 2019 protests and events that are unfolding at the moment are true to his word.
If anything, Zimbabwe, despite assurances of a new dispensation, remains stuck in the dark past.
By Own Correspondent| MDC organising secretary, Amos Chibaya, has revealed that his party will finalise restructuring its branches, as well as reducing the party’s administrative provinces from 12 to 10.
Chibaya said the party will restructure its wards next week after completing the configuration of its branches tomorrow.
Said Chibaya:
“We are finalising the restructuring of our branches on Sunday (tomorrow) and after that we move on to wards, districts and finally provinces.
Everything is moving on well and I am sure we will complete all the processes ahead of the main congress to be held in May. At the moment, there are no glitches. In our process, we encourage consensus between nominated parties and proceed to elections if there is no agreement.”Newsday
Jane Mlambo| With Zimbabwe choking due to shortage of drugs in public hospitals and the Cyclone Idai currently ravaging communities in Manicaland and Mashonaland East and Central, former Education minister David Coltart has questioned the wisdom of President Emmerson Mnangagwa leaving for Abu Dhabi on official visit.
Coltart expressed worry that Mnangagwa will likely use his expensive and luxurious hired plane at the expense of cheaper means and save money for drugs and emergency response to floods and disaster currently being experienced in Chipinge and Chimanimani.
Mr Mnangagwa leaves on another jaunt today to Abu Dhabi. We will note how he travels. Will it be on yet another obscenely expensive & luxurious hired plane or will he try to save money by flying more modestly? Is this best use of forex given the drugs shortage & #Idai flooding?
By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC Deputy National Spokesperson Bekithemba Mpofu has described as unfortunate and barbaric the conviction of the party’s Vice President Morgan Komichi.
Mpofu said the conviction was an attempt by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration to stifle Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
He said:
“The MDC condemns and dismisses the conviction of Vice President Sen Morgen Komichi on allegations of disrupting ZEC proceedings as barbaric
We are aware that both the charges and conviction are an attempt to stifle expression and opinion which are a Constitutional rights.
It is however concerning for institutions of the state to be used in pursuit of a partisan agenda.
As we said before this is command military injustice.
The MDC will fight for restoration of a Constitutional order, sanctity of civilian institutions and spaces.
The Judiciary must not only be independent but the people of Zimbabwe must have confidence in the adminstration of justice.
Unfair, fast-tracked trials and command convictions must come to an end should we truly intend to build this nation.
The MDC condemns dirty tactics being employed by this military government.
Cyclone Idai has hit Chimanimani, destroying and sweeping away over 10 houses at Ngangu high density suburb last night.
Rusitu Valley is also bearing the brunt of the cyclone which is expected to continue over the weekend and also affect Masvingo, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central provinces.
Eye witnesses said heavy rains erupted from mountains in Chimanimani, sweeping away houses and in the process leaving huge gullies.
The desperate eye witnesses said the situation needs an urgent intervention, adding that the extent of destruction can only be fully established later in the day as the incident occurred around midnight Friday to early hours Saturday.
Two eye witnesses Munyaradzi Chinoda and Ellias Simango said it is difficult to determine the level of destruction but a number of houses at the local high density suburb have been swept away.
Some roads linking the Ngangu high density suburb and Chipinge town have been swept away, while people whose houses have been affected have sought refuge at the local shopping centre and nearby houses.
BULAWAYO songbird Sandra “Sandy” Ndebele took to social media to announce that she has embarked on a programme to shed off excess weight in preparation for the launch of her album and a whirlwind tour.
Sandy also revealed that she would be doing this as part of a health check programme as she adopts a new lifestyle.
“A weight loss journey has begun; watch the space, Woza 2019. Siyabangena #mummysgoals,” she said on her Facebook page.
In a follow-up interview with NewsDay Weekender, Sandy said she easily gets tired so she needed to lose weight in preparation for her tour.
“This body now easily gets tired and I am doing this for my health. I am short and this shows I am obese. It is also good to exercise as one will look good and younger,” she said.
“I am also in preparation for my album launch next year, for which I will embark on tours. I started exercising at the beginning of this year and I’ve lost 4kg and my target is to attain 67kg. I am on a weight loss diet and I have a trainer.”
Ndebele said she feared her bums would become much heavier in old age.
“Exercising will become my lifestyle and I will not give up on it. When I am now a granny, I fear my bums will have a bearing on me, as they will be heavier. I fear I may also suffer from back aches,” Sandy added.
THE untenable situation prevailing at public hospitals continues to unfold with reports that post-theatre patients have to bear immense pain in the absence of painkillers, while pathologists at times failed to perform autopsies because of the shortage of gloves.
Relatives have had to endure, not only the grief of losing their loved ones, but the long wait for the autopsies to be done.
Facilities like Harare Central Hospital have no ventilators which are used in the intensive care unit (ICU) to assist people in breathing when they are unable to do so or during operations.
According to senior doctors, an 18-year-old girl whose tummy was full of puss recently died when she could not be operated on at the hospital because there was no ventilator and efforts to transfer her to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals were futile because the institution had no space for her.
Gynaecological oncologist Bothwell Guzha on Wednesday told Health minister Obadiah Moyo during a protest staged by the senior doctors at Parirenyatwa that her death was a sad reminder of how ill-equipped the hospitals were.
“I couldn’t have the patient here because all four ICU beds were occupied, the girl demised. I also lost another 18-year-old girl who had cancer of the ovary. She stayed in hospital for five weeks I could not get theatre time and an ICU bed to operate on that young girl. She died,” Guzha said brokenly.
“I work in the gynaecological cancer unit; we do not have cancer drugs. They are coming to the tertiary institution to be treated, they go away and I don’t know where they are going. They are just going home to die.”
Guzha said he feels helpless when he examines patients and makes a diagnosis, but cannot proceed with further tests because the patients have no money for the mandatory fees.
“I see patients in the gynae out-patients. I do an examination as I am trained to do and I see a lesion there I can do a biopsy because the patient has to go and pay $25and the patient does not have the money so they go home and come back after three months,” he said.
Guzha charged that the hospital is being run like a district hospital. He also complained about the few nurses available to care for the admitted patients.
“The government allowed nurses to work for three days. (One day) I went to the ward after an operation and I realised that three of my patients had received a single pain injectionand I asked the sister why this patient had not been given and they told me that there were only two nursesthat were attending to 45 patients,” he said.
“The situation is not workable. We are now sick and tired of these two-week solutions.”
Harare Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Christopher Pasi said they had been experiencing challenges with their ventilators.
“We had challenges for a week or so, but now we have managed to get two to function and expect more to be resuscitated,” Pasi said.
Following these revelations by senior doctors, health stakeholders and ordinary Zimbabweans have reacted angrily to the rot in the public hospitals.
International cricketer and former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor tweeted, saying his employee had lost his new-born baby who was only three days old.
In an impassioned statement, Taylor said lack of resources at public health facilities was costing lives.
“Let us get out priorities right for goodness sake. I sincerely hope Dr Mashumba (head of paeds department, who broke down while giving an account on how babies were dying) is rewarded,” he said.
Community Working Group on Health director Itai Rusike said health sector financing should be revisited.
“If the country’s National Budget cannot adequately fund health, then there is need to find other innovative health financing strategies to domestically fund this important sector. This brings us to the issue of the health levy, which must be used to purchase medicines and sundries for the smooth running of the country’s health sector,” Rusike said.
“If there are no drugs, equipment and sundries in hospitals; where is the money collected under the health levy going? This fund must be used correctly, transparently and for its intended purpose.”
FC PLATINUM are hoping to bow out of the Caf Champions League group stages in style when they take on continental title holders Esperance at Barbourfields Stadium this afternoon.
The platinum miners will be playing for pride as they have been knocked out of the tournament. They sit at the bottom of the table with two points from five games.
FC Platinum drew 0-0 against Orlando Pirates in their first group match, lost 2-0 to Esperance, then lost home and away to Horoya before drawing 2-2 away to Pirates.
The Tunisian giants, who touched down at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport yesterday morning aboard an intimidating Lockheed C-130 Hercules, an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, have already qualified for the next stage of the competition.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza refused to apply the “dead rubber” tag to today’s encounter, saying they are heading into the game to get a win.
“The mentality is the same, every time we prepare for a game we prepare to win. We want to end on a high and win the game,” said Mapeza.
The Platinum miners, who were hoping to wrap up their continental campaign by playing in front of their home fans in Zvishavane, were hard done by Caf, which rescinded its own decision to have the game played at Mandava Stadium due to lack of “accommodation” in the Midlands town.
Despite the setback of shifting to Barbourfields Stadium where they played Pirates and Horoya, Mapeza said his charges are upbeat.
“Everyone is raring to go. Morale in camp is high despite the fact that we will miss Perfect Chikwende, who is out due to a groin injury picked up in last week’s game against Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg,” said Mapeza.
FC Platinum will also miss the services of the suspended trio of defensive midfielder Kelvin Madzongwe, central defender Gift Bello and left-back Elvis Moyo.
Mapeza has adequate cover for the absent players, with Rainsome Pavari and Devon Chafa capable of playing in the defensive midfield role, with William Stima and Kelvin Moyo capable of playing on the left side of defence, with Lawrence Mhlanga expected to replace Bello.
They will pin their hopes on goalkeeper, Petros Mhari, who has been in terrific continental form that earned him a national team call-up, Farai Madhananga, Rahman Kutsanzira, Ali Sadiki and Raphael Muduviwa.
By Farai D Hove| ZANU PF has been issuing sanctions on the country’s own local businesses since the early 1980s.
The South Africa based businessman Mutumwa Mawere said Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party is living in self defeat as it destroys its own local businesses through internal sanctions. Afterwards it then starts charging treason on mere targeted sanctions.
Mawere who also lost his business asked, “Is a law that permits a Minister of Justice to issue an order whose effect is to divest directors of their power to control a company not a form of sanction?”
He continued saying, “if it is, why are seemingly rational people accusing you of treachery when you are fight for sanctions removal from base.”
Is a law that permits a Minister of Justice to issue an order whose effect is to divest directors of their power to control a company not a form of sanction? If it is, why are seemingly rational people accusing you of treachery when you are fight for sanctions removal from base. https://t.co/6HeN5dirGT
The Zimbabwean bond notes, now regulated as RTGS Dollars
Own Correspondent|Late in February, Zimbabwe introduced a new currency called the RTGS, or real-time gross settlement dollar, in the process abandoning its long held 1:1 parity between the US dollar and its local transactional instrument – the bond note.
“We have introduced the RTGS dollar. Citizens have to accept the introduction of the RTGS dollar. Whether you like the name or not, it is the domestic currency now – let’s respect it and support it,” Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube told a Youth Indaba on Thursday.
But why is Zimbabwe introducing the RTGS dollar?
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In 2009, Zimbabwe was forced to adopt a multi-currency system after its local currency was rendered useless by hyperinflation, which surged to an astronomical 231 000 000%, resulting in the Zimbabwean dollar being rejected.
The US dollar then became its anchor currency, while the authorities adopted a multi-currency system which allowed people able to pay in US dollars, rands, bond notes, and mobile money in shops. Though part of the basket of currencies, the Chinese Yuan was rarely used.
But with weak exchange rules and a strong appetite for imported products, Zimbabwe soon ran out of US dollars for both local and external transactions.
The central bank, in an effort to ease currency shortages, introduced bond notes in October 2016. Though not legal currency – rather just a financial instrument – they were used for local transactions and initially at par with the US dollar, meaning US$1 was equal to 1 bond note.
The market, however, quickly rejected the bond notes and the surrogacy currency lost value, trading at a huge discount to the US dollar.
Enter the RTGS dollar
With the situation becoming untenable, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, in its 2019 Monetary Policy Statement, finally abandoned the long-held 1:1 parity between local bond notes, including RTGS balances (money held in banks but used through transfers, bank cards or mobile money, if physical notes were unavailable) with the US dollar.
The central bank then introduced the RTGS dollar, which is made up of bond notes and deposits in the bank. No new notes were issued, and there was no announcement that new notes would be introduced.
Notes and bank deposits were combined under the same name to ensure that those using bond notes to transact were charged the same as those doing electronic transactions, for example by using mobile money. In the past, to buy US dollars with bond notes or through a bank transfer, a different rate was used, and to remove that distortion, the central bank decided to introduce the RTGS dollar as a legal tender.
What is the RTGS dollars’ relationship with the US dollar, and what has been the reaction so far?
Like any normal market, the relationship or the exchange rate between the US dollar and the RTGS dollar will now be determined by market forces, through what is called an interbank market.
At introduction, on February 22, the exchange rate was RTGS$2.50 for every US$1, and the rate remained there for more than a week. Economic players doubted whether the rate was really floated.
This week, the RTGS dollar has, however, weakened and at mid-morning on Friday, the exchange rate stood at RTGS$2.75 to US$1, a 9.09% drop.
According to the RBZ, all local transactions must be settled in RTGS dollars, putting an end to the multi-tier pricing system. This only applies on paper though, as some shops in the informal sector still display prices in both RTGS dollars and US dollars.
“The RTGS dollars shall be used by all entities (including government) and individuals in Zimbabwe for the purposes of pricing of goods and services, record debts, accounting and settlement of domestic transactions,” said the RBZ.
A Zimbabwean has been jailed for six years in the UK after he forced himself on a teenager who then recorded the attack.
Pardon Bopoto (36) met the young woman, 19, on a night out in Bristol and he went back to her home where she offered him her spare room for the night.
But Bopoto, ‘wouldn’t take no for an answer’ and forced himself on her. The victim then recalled an item she had seen on ITV show This Morning and hit record on her phone. But a jury who heard the audio recording at Bristol CrownCourt convicted Bopoto and he was jailed today for six years.
Judge William Hart told him: ‘From the recording, you can tell she has been drinking and is tired. All she wants you to do is leave her alone.’You are determined to carry on and you did.
Anyone listening to the recording would have found it very emotional and upsetting, as the jury did from their reaction to it.
‘She made her position clear, both physically and in words, you were not prepared to say no for an answer, and you raped her.’Bopoto must register as a se_x offender and is now barred from working from children and vulnerable adults.
“One of those things people talk about in that situation is how you freeze. You do freeze, you are scared.”After the hearing, the victim told Bristol Live: “I was saying no. He was still carrying on.”I was panicking. I didn’t know if there would be any sort of violence.
I just kind of froze. I had my phone right next to me. I pressed record. I listened to it when I gave it to the police.”You can hear me saying ‘no’ and grunting noises.
I listened for the first couple of seconds, I had to leave and I haven’t listened to it since.” – Agencies
Paul Nyathi|The opposition MDC has called off its “Thank you rally” which was set for White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Sunday.
Sources within the party’s Bulawayo provincial executive said the rally was called off to allow party structures to proceed with party Branch Assemblies that are taking place over the weekend throughout the country.
According to the sources the party roadmap to the National Congress set for May 24 commands all branches in the country to elect new branch executives by this Sunday and so the rally could not go ahead.
“Branches are the most important structures in the party and so this weekend every party member must be at their branch for the assemblies including President Nelson Chamisa himself,” said the source who requested anonymity as he is not authorised by party protocol to address the media in an official capacity.
Chamisa has been holding countrywide rallies that have attracted huge turnouts besides being an election off peak period.
THE chairman of the Umzingwane Small Scale Miners’ Association, Mr Bhekisisa Mkandla, lost US$30 000, a pistol and other personal documents after they were stolen from his vehicle while he was attending a mining workshop at the Gwanda District Club.
Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred in Gwanda on Thursday.
He said Mr Mkandla (39) of Esigodini had left his valuables which were in a satchel in his car which was locked.
Chief Insp Ndebele said Mr Mkandla realised that his valuables were missing at around 3PM when he went to his car after the meeting.
“I can confirm that we recorded a case of theft from a motor vehicle which occurred on Thursday at the Gwanda District Club. The complainant Bhekisisa Mkandla who is the chairman of the Umzingwane Small Scale Miners Association lost US$30 000, a pistol and personal documents.
“Mkandla left his valuables in a satchel in his car which was parked within the Gwanda District Club parking area and went for a meeting at around 10AM. When he returned to his vehicle at around 3PM he found the satchel which contained his valuables gone,” he said.
Chief Insp Ndebele said investigations were underway but no arrests had been made.
He urged members of the public to desist from carrying around large sums of money. He also urged owners of firearms to ensure that they keep them properly secured.
“As police we always urge people to desist from carrying around large sums of money. People should deposit their money in banks and use plastic money as that is safer. By carrying around large sums of money people will be putting their lives at risk and they also risk losing their hard earned cash.
“Members of the public who own firearms are urged to ensure they are properly secured at all times. A firearm should never be left unattended. When carrying it around it should be within arm’s reach or it should be left in a gun cabinet which is properly secure. In this case this pistol could now be in the wrong hands,” Chief Insp Ndebele said.
Sources close to investigations said after realising that he had lost property, Mr Mkandla collapsed and was rushed to the Gwanda Provincial Hospital where he was treated and discharged. He reportedly raised the money from selling gold.
However, the origins of that fake document is of significant interest. The story is mixed with fraud, conspiracy, and incompetence on the part of some local DSTV installers (agents) and DStv South Africa. As a matter of fact, that document is ‘alleged’ to have been forged by some DSTV installer (or many DSTV installers).
What’s been happening
Apparently, there were some DStv subscribers in Zimbabwe with South African-registered Accounts (SRA) SRAs that were paying half-price to watch any DSTV bouquet since last year. Sweet deal for customers. This was made possible through the exploitation (or manipulation) of DSTV South Africa’s subscription system. And of course, DStv installers were part of the syndicate to make this fraud an overnight success. A bouquet that should have cost you R 120, you’d pay just R 60 to access that bouquet when you subscribed via some shady installers.
Installers were using a very simple technique to ‘trick’ DSTV’s subscription system. When SRAs initially get registered, they get 2 weeks of watching DStv for free. So if your DSTV SRA is deregistered and the ownership is transferred, then DStv’s subscription system deemed the decoder as a new account holder hence you’d get the 2-weeks freebie. Accordingly, the DSTV installers exploited this loophole by switching customers’ accounts between deregistration and reregistration them- and the shady installer pocketed those half-prices you gave them to pay your half-priced subscription. As easy as that.
Unbeknownst to customers was that this cycle of deregistration and reregistration was making them accumulate debts with DSTV. The debts were incurred as result of the accumulation of reconnection fees which DTSV says the account holder should pay “if services have been disconnected due to non-payment or late payment”.
The drama starts
It so happened that DSTV found out about this trick/fraud and it decided to reconfigure its system. Therefore on Monday (this week) its subscription system finally closed that loophole. The shady installers who were involved in this shady deal started to feel pressure from subscribers who were paying those half-prices. But above all, they started to feel pressure from customers who, having called DSTV South Africa, were told that they were owing DStv hundreds of Rands.
Guess what the ‘smart guys’ (the shady DStv installers/agents) did to cool down the pressure they were getting from DStv subscribers (who they were dealing with)? They sat on their computer and started to design and write a memo addressed to Installers saying that DSTV South Africa was shutting down South African registered decoders/accounts (SRAs). And they started to circulate that document on social media.
Way forward
I feel sorry for customers who were duped by their trusted installers. Now they owe DStv hundreds of Rands. The sad news is that there is nothing you can do about it because DStv doesn’t endorse the use of SRAs with people outside South Africa. Even if you go to Multichoice Zimbabwe, it won’t help because it’s illegal to have an SRA when you are in Zimbabwe. Evidently, you cant seek recourse anywhere. Therefore you just have to take the hit and honor your Dstv debt.
The MDC notes with great concern the fact that cyclone Idai is heading towards Zimbabwe through Manicaland province to Harare.
The latest data shows it will be characterised by water, floods and winds of around 60 – 80 km. So far cyclone Idai has claimed 111 lives in both Mozambique and Malawi.
As the MDC, we mourn with our brothers and sisters in both Mozambique and Malawi who have lost their loved ones, properties and livelihoods.
The MDC calls upon the government through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to inform the nation on how prepared we are for this disaster.
We are asking for a clear plan which informs the nation on how people in low lying areas will be moved to higher ground, what we are doing as a nation to avoid any deaths due to this cyclone and how ready the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) to intervene with a rescue plan when the need arises.
The MDC demands that the government informs the citizens in all those areas that are going to be affected by the cyclone on what they are supposed to do to survive this cyclone.
This is urgent and it should be done now before it is too late.
The government must inform the nation on our disaster preparedness as a nation as well as informing the nation on what measures the country is putting in place to mitigate on the effects of climate change given the impact that is now a yearly recurrence.
The MDC is asking the government to be proactive instead of reactive in times like these.
TROPICAL Cyclone Idai has ravaged the eastern border city of Mutare, blowing off roofing sheets and damaging both trees and vehicles in its wake. Idai already been named the deadliest weather disaster of 2019 throughout the whole world, with 122 deaths as at Friday.
The Cyclone is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds across the whole country between today and Sunday, according to weather forecasts.
Weather experts at NASA have forecast that Idai will bring highly destructive winds and heavy rains of 1 – 2 feet as it pushes west at about 12 kmh towards Zimbabwe through Friday night.
Idai will likely die on Friday night over the high terrain along the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border, but its remnants will generate very heavy rain through the weekend.
Idai’s heaviest rains may exceed two feet in the higher terrain along the Mozambique-Zimbabwe border, according to recent runs of the HWRF model. Idai’s rains will likely cause catastrophic flooding in some regions.
The disturbance that developed into Idai originated in Mozambique earlier in March, when it caused flooding in northern parts of the country and in neighboring southern Malawi. Cuamba, Mozambique received 11.14” of rain in just 12 hours on March 7. At least 66 were killed by flooding in Mozambique and another 56 lost their lives in Malawi. This makes Idai the deadliest weather disaster so far in 2019, ahead of the 80 people killed in January flooding in Indonesia, according to statistics from insurance broker Aon. Idai’s floods have displaced 100,000 people and injured 688.
Figure 1. Predicted surface winds (colors) at 21Z Thursday (5 pm EDT) March 14, 2019, from the 12Z Thursday run of the HWRF model. The model predicted that Tropical Cyclone Idai would be a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, making landfall near Beira, Mozambique. The clockwise flow of air around Idai brought a worst-case storm surge at high tide into the funnel-shaped bay on the west side of Beira, thanks to the strong southerly winds in the west eyewall of the storm. Image credit: tropicaltidbits.com.
A storm tide of up to 13 feet above high tide may have occurred
Fortunately, Idai hit during some of the lowest tides of the month. In locations where Idai’s storm surge was 7 feet, the peak water levels would have been near what the normal high tide will bring on March 20, due to the phase of the moon.
Anything over a 7-foot storm surge would have been trouble, and RSMC-La Reunion warned with their 18Z Thursday advisory that Beira could expect a storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters), with a much higher storm surge over 20 feet (6 meters) at the mouth of the Pungwe River, which forms the western boundary of the city. The bay that the river flows into is funnel-shaped and shallow, which very likely allowed a huge storm surge to build up, since the dangerous southern portion of the eyewall moved over it for several hours.
A sea level rise of 1 meter will flood 40% of the town (42.5 square km), including the port and the airport. Beira’s port is the second busiest in the nation, and has long been a major trade point for exports coming in and out of Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia and other Southern African nations. According to a January article in Aljazeera.com, Beira is steadily sinking, and portions of the city now lie below sea level.
War Veterans Secretary-General, Victor Matemadanda has told MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa to “chill and relax” as he is a beneficiary of former President Robert Mugabe’s dirty and stolen money.
The eccentric war vets supremo claimed that Chamisa has been in contact with Mugabe and has been funded in his quest to remain leader of the country’s largest opposition party.
“Chamisa should relax, he is too speedy, and he needs to ask himself where Mugabe is getting all the money that he is giving him. He should ask himself why Mugabe is funding him.
“If he (Chamisa) was mature enough, he would see that as the opposition, they used to talk about stories of Mugabe stealing money through his travelling expenses. Unbeknown to us, that money was being stolen to fund the opposition and by accepting the money,” said the Defence Deputy Minister.
However, the MDC party has poured cold on the allegations saying Chamisa has never been in contact with Mugabe.
“There hasn’t been any contact or visit between the two, if he had done so, it would have been known because Matemadanda is a security person. So all that is a small talk by people who want to run away from their failures” said the MDC party’s spokesperson, Jacob Mafume.
Mafume told 263chat that Matemadanda needs mental help as he sometimes forgets his national duties while focusing on the opposition.
“Matemadanda should visit a psychiatric hospital sooner than later. He seems to have forgotten who the leader of his party is, he seems to have forgotten that he is part of a government that is failing to provide medicines for hospitals…
“He has abandoned his duty to focus on opposition politics, if anything, he is the one who benefited from Mugabe.
“War vets got money from Mugabe, they got farms and everything from Mugabe and Chamisa has not received anything from Mugabe except probably his vote,” said Mafume.
He further claimed that the war vets leader has not achieved anything despite him having benefitted a lot on a silver platter.
“Matemadanda, for a man of his age, has not achieved anything except being a Deputy like (Deputy Information Minister) Energy Mutodi,” he claimed.
The war vets, despite their latest rant, have been calling for Chamisa to dialogue with President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the country’ economic situation continues to deteriorate.
Bulawayo residents say they are at grave risk of contracting deadly diseases such as cholera and typhoid, unless the government urgently bails out their city council to replace its decrepit sewer and water infrastructure.
This comes as virtually all local authorities in the country are grappling with similarly antiquated sewer and water reticulation equipment, which requires hundreds of millions of dollars to replace.
It also comes after Harare was last year hit by a deadly cholera outbreak which left dozens of people dead and many others hospitalised, after much of the drinking water in the capital was contaminated by bacteria from raw sewerage in high density suburbs.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (Bupra) coordinator Emmanuel Ndlovu told the Daily News yesterday that the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) had been crippled by acute shortages of foreign currency to service its infrastructure — which meant that it required urgent help from the central government.
“Central government should come in to rescue … what is happening now is just a symptom of the worst that is yet to come in the near future, unless something is done urgently.
“While we accept that the council is trying its best in light of the prevailing foreign currency shortages, serious challenges have been noted in the areas of refuse collection and burst sewer pipes. “It has been noted that the infrastructure is dilapidated, and there is need to totally remove the old piping and replace it with new infrastructure.
“The council budget … has no allocation for investment in infrastructure … all that we see is maintenance works, repairing and re-painting,” Ndlovu told the Daily News. Daily News
Villagers in Silobela under Chief Malisa are up in arms with Chief Sigodo who they accuse of hiring thugs to push them out of a community owned mine trust.
So nasty is the dispute that war veterans who for years have benefited from the mine, have threatened to retaliate against Chief Sigodo who they feel has overstepped his authority.
Sigodo last week allegedly unleashed more than a dozen bouncers to assault community members who have claims at Peace Mine. Peace Mine is a community trust ownership mine where villagers own the mining rights.
Peace Mine operations manager Malanga Nkiwane told B-Metro that the chief hired bouncers from as far as Bulawayo to hold the fort for him. “Chief Sigodo sent about 20 bouncers who we later learnt were from as far as Bulawayo to force everyone out of this mine.State media
FC PLATINUM have been presented with a golden opportunity to leave the CAF Champions’ League group stages with a win, after their opponents Esperance of Tunisia, brought a weakened side of only 15 players.
The defending champions are already confirmed as group winners ahead of today’s battle at Barbourfields, while FC Platinum will anchor the table.
Esperance coach Mouine Chaabani arrived in Bulawayo yesterday with only 15 players to battle the Zimbabwean champions. Eighteen-year-old Zied Berrima is set to become the youngest player to feature in this year’s edition of the group stages if he gets a run this afternoon.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza says his men have been improving with each passing game and expects a fighting performance today. “We have been working hard towards our game tomorrow (today), like I said, we have been improving in each and every game,’’ he said.State media
MDC-Alliance vice president Morgen Komichi was yesterday fined $200 or two months in prison after he was convicted of disrupting the announcement of the July 30 Presidential election results last year.
Harare magistrate Ms Ruramai Chitumbura also wholly suspended a three months jail sentence for five years on condition of good behaviour. In convicting Komichi, she said the State had managed to prove a prima facie case against him. She said his actions and conduct disturbed the announcement of election results and could have led to violence.
“He did not follow the procedures to air out his grievances and his actions went on to interrupt electoral proceedings when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) was still announcing election results,” she said. She, however, said a custodial sentence would be too harsh and that the court had also considered that he was a first offender and a family man. State media
The law operationalising Government powers to blacklist and freeze funds and assets of individuals and entities linked to international terror, has been gazetted.
Statutory Instrument 56 of 2019 was published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette yesterday.
It is cited as Suppression of Foreign and International Terrorism (Application of UNSCR 1540 (2004)1673, 1810, 1887, 1977 (On Non-State Actor Proliferation), 1695,1718, 1874 on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and 1696,1737, 1747, 1803 and 1929, UNSCR 2094 (2013), 2231 (2015) UNSCR 2270 (2016), UNSCR 2321 (2016), UNSCR 2371 (2017), of UNSCR 2375 (2017) UNSCR 2397 (2017) and Successor UNSCRs) Regulations, 2019.
The principal Act—Suppression of Foreign and International Terrorism Act was enacted in 2007, in compliance with a Security Council Resolution requiring all UN members to apply financial sanctions on individuals and entities associated with international terrorism.
The Bank Use Promotion and Suppression of Money Laundering Unit will be Zimbabwe’s national agency for implementing the regulations.
“These regulations extend to any person or entity listed under Subsection (1), notwithstanding any rights granted to or obligations imposed under any existing international agreement or contract made prior to date of coming into force of these regulations,” read the Statutory Instrument.State media
Cyclone Idai, which made a landfall in Mozambique yesterday, has already caused some damages to property and crops in Manicaland Province. More devastating effects were feared when it hit Zimbabwe between yesterday evening and today.
Manicaland chief meteorological officer Mr Lucas Murambi said what the province experienced yesterday were the periphery effects of the cyclone, before it hits the province with more intense rains.
In Mutare, vendors at Sakubva Musika escaped death by a whisker after a section of the roof at the popular market was blown off by strong winds accompanied by rains. The cyclone also blew off roofs from four houses in Chipinge District.
Farmers in Manicaland recorded massive losses as most of the crops that had survived the dry spell were destroyed by the tropical cyclone. The province has been experiencing heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds since Thursday as a result of the cyclone. Most of the damages have so far been recorded in Mutasa, Chipinge, Mutare and Chimanimani districts.State media
State Media – Former Cabinet ministers Walter Mzembi and Saviour Kasukuwere, believed to be holed up in South Africa, are at the centre of an attempt to push for regime change in Zimbabwe to salvage their waning political fortunes and ward off criminal charges they are facing in Harare.
Mr Kasukuwere posted a statement on his Twitter account in which he made threats of regime change yesterday after a magistrates’ court acceded to an application to have his Nyanga property seized after he skipped bail.
“I said it will be rough, but it is gonna be rougher but thereafter we will have a ZW (Zimbabwe) we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without 2023 it is coming. Tatamba zvakwana,” said Mr Kasukuwere.
Another fugitive former Cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, responded confirming the regime change plan by Mr Kasukuwere. “Kasukuwere vows to take his fight to Mnangagwa after his property is seized,” said Prof Moyo.State media
Below is a series of LIVE tweets and an interview illustrating why South Africa based female zanu-pf activist Gugulethu Ncube who launched a strip protest at the Union building in Pretoria, is potentially seeking to hurt the reputation of the MDC Vice President Prof. Welshman Ncube, and this without cause. When she approached ZimEye early in 2017, when Gugu had been ignored by every newspaper in South Africa, she presented herself as the professor’s daughter. She also said that she was thus related to the then president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma. ZimEye sought to verify her identity and found out that she did not tell the truth when she said that she had obtained a DNA test back in 1985 which resulted in her biological father killing her own mother in a murder suicide incident after discovering that her real father is Welshman Ncube.
On the issue of her having been raped by a South Africa based male NGO worker, Gugu Ncube at the side told ZimEye she was accusing the man just to get a private money settlement. She said this while asking ZimEye not to publish key elements of her allegations.
Below is the one hour long hour interview as well as written responses at the bottom. VIDEO:
Have done that already… I feel it will be unfair to make @Welshman_Ncube endure a public trial answering to a perrenial liar's claims. Gugu's claims are all dramatic, terrestrial and utterly fake. She also made blow £300 on phone calls interviewing her falsehoods. She's a curse https://t.co/eVDhBYiYfZ
She lied about a DNA test being done on her in 1985, in Bulawayo (impossible because there no such technology anywhere in Africa). She said she was accusing Mark Baffu just to get a pvt money payout. She also made a host of other false allegations incl that there was no interview
A Beitbridge woman (35) who was based in Johannesburg, South Africa, was shot seven times at her house in Cosmos City in a horrific murder which was witnessed by her son (10).
The incident, which has left the Beitbridge community shocked, occurred on Wednesday night.
The motive behind the shooting including the suspect behind it is not known.South African police spokesperson for Honeydew, Captain Balan Muthan confirmed the murder, saying the woman, identified as Ms Excite Mudau, was declared dead at the scene. He said they have since opened a murder inquest.
“The woman from Zimbabwe was shot in the lower part of the body and she died on the spot. She was sleeping with her son when the suspect stormed into her house and shot her and the boy then rushed outside and notified neighbours who then alerted police,” he said.
“Our detectives are investigating the murder and no arrests have been made so far.” The body was taken to Hillbrow government mortuary for postmortem.
Relatives who spoke to the state media said they were waiting for police investigations pending repatriation of the body.
A family member who preferred to remain anonymous said they suspected Ms Mudau was shot dead by a lover. “Although the details are scant we suspect the murder could be a crime of passion. We understand the person who shot her is a male with whom she had an altercation earlier. We are, however, waiting for a full update from the police,” said the family member.
The deceased’s friend Ms Rendani Ngulube Mukwevho, who is also based in Johannesburg, said on the fateful day a male visited Ms Mudau’s house at night before an altercation ensued between the two.
“On that particular night my friend was at home with her 10-year-old son when a certain man came and knocked on the door. They then went outside during which they had an altercation. When the deceased went back to her house, the suspect followed her to the bedroom where he shot her seven times on the lower part of the body and she died instantly,” she said.
Cases of Zimbabweans being murdered in the neighbouring country have of late been on the rise.
In August 2017, a Zimbabwean pastor, Reverend Proud Kanyungwe (32) and his wife Belinda Tarisai Mukucha (28) were shot and killed by two armed robbers at their rented home in Scottsville Extension in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu Natal province while their two daughters, one of them aged three years, watched helplessly.
The armed robbers went away with two cellphones and a laptop. The incident came barely a month after a Bulawayo woman was shot 13 times by unknown suspects while on her way to catch a taxi in Pretoria’s Soshanguve area.
Sikhethiwe Moyo (30) died on the spot. The suspects took out a cellphone SIM card from her phone and fled. The phone was found next to her body. – state media
A 46-year old woman from Bulawayo allegedly tied up her 11-year-old daughter and poured boiling water on her hands and feet as punishment for failing to cook supper on time.
Sithweleni Ngwenya of Pumula South suburb allegedly lost her temper after finding the minor playing with friends around 7PM instead of cooking.
Ngwenya told Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube that she did not know what happened to her daughter and was surprised to hear that her daughter had been taken to hospital.
“I arrived home at around 7PM and there was no electricity at home and there is no way l could have punished my daughter like that when l knew the reason why she had not cooked,” she said.
Ngwenya, who was represented by Ms Caroline Mudenda of Mudenda Attorneys, pleaded not guilty to physical abuse.
Ms Mudenda told the court that the minor could have mistakenly burnt herself while cooking.
“The minor usually cooks food for her two siblings when she gets home from school. She might have burnt herself because when she cooks she stands on top of a chair. There is no way her own mother could have burnt her on purpose.
“On the day in question, Ngwenya got home at around 7PM and there was no electricity. She asked her daughter to gather firewood and that’s all she remembers about that day,” she said.
The prosecutor, Mr Tapiwa Solani said on November 8 last year, Ngwenya got home from work and found two of her daughters playing outside.
“She asked her if she had cooked and went into the house where she found that electricity had been restored.
“Ngwenya allegedly asked her elder daughter who was in the house and is said to be mentally unstable to boil some water. She later called the minor into the house, locked her inside before tying her hands and pouring the boiling water on her,” he said.
The following morning, Ngwenya went to work and left her children preparing to go to school, the court heard. The girl showed her teacher the burns and explained how her mother had scalded her.
The court heard the teacher rushed her to Mpilo Central Hospital where she was admitted and later reported the matter to the police.
A medical report was produced in court as an exhibit.- state media
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo based NGO Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development has filed an urgent court application challenging its suspension by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa suspended the operations of the NGO on Monday. Government officials in Masvingo accuse the NGO of funding acts of hooliganism.
Impeccable sources have pointed out that Mnangagwa ordered Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira to deal with perceived Zanu PF opponents in the area.
“On behalf of Community Tolerance and Development (COTRAD), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has filed an urgent chamber application at High Court challenging government’s decision to suspend the non-governmental organisation’s operations and for it to to be allowed to resume full operations in Masvingo Province without any interference.
Government had on Monday 11 March 2019 ordered COTRAD to cease operations pending some so-called investigations into the organisation’s registration status,” Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights said in a statement.
MultiChoice has dismissed a letter circulating on social media alleging that the satellite broadcaster will shut down all accounts outside South Africa, which are subscribed to in the neighbouring country. A statement purporting to be from Multi Choice circulated on social media yesterday, claiming that the company would use a new geo location system to shut down all pirate accounts. In response, Ms Elizabeth Dziva, the Multi Choice Zimbabwe publicity and public relations manager said the statement was fake. “It has come to our attention that a hoax letter has surfaced in Zimbabwe alleging that Multi Choice South Africa has notified third party installers of a geo location system being used to shut down illegal viewing. “We wish to inform all our stakeholders that this letter was not issued by Multi Choice,” said Ms Dziva. She, however, encouraged customers to subscribe in their respective countries to promote growth of their local industries. Ms Dziva said Multi Choice takes piracy of its products and services seriously in order to protect its valued DStv customers, its business, the entertainment industry and society at large. “It’s therefore important that our valued DStv customers subscribe in the correct country as rights for programming and channels are cleared for specific countries. “Subscribing in other countries ultimately doesn’t support local business, which creates local employment and tax and encourages local industry growth,” said Ms Dziva.- state media
Farai Dziva|One of the founder members of the Movement for Democratic Change Lawson Mapfaira popularly known as Dhara Rada has died.
Mapfaira died in Chivi in the early hours of today.
“When you talk of people who contributed to the launch of the party in Masvingo Province you will not miss his name.In 2000 Dhara Rada was one of the members who led the Recruitment Committee.
Mapfaira was a fearless and dedicated leader.Rest in peace Dhara Rada Lawson Mapfaira.
In 2000 he was at Chitungwiza Aquatic Centre at the party’s first Congress of the MDC,” said MDC A official Jeffryson Chitando.
By Farai D Hove | The Zimbabwean Government has described the late Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya, as a national heroine.
The honours were conferred on the late journalist by the information ministry.
The verbal appraisal however comes without a Heroes Acre burial.
GOVT PRAISE, LASTING OR JUST PLASTING?
Makwanya died on Monday, days after a WhatsApp chat text record leaked. The leaked chat contained her first name while allegedly criticising the ZANU PF president Emmerson Mnangagwa for the fuel price hike in January which the Russian government has described as unjustified.
The government media says she died after a short illness at Westend Hospital in Harare at the age of 56.
Speaking at Makwanya’s burial at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services secretary Mr Nick Mangwana said Makwanya’s death was a loss to the entire country.
“I have nothing much to say. Where can I get words to speak? See the huge number of people who have come here to show love to our departed heroine? From our knowledge and understanding as Government and people of Zimbabwe, what has brought us here is the death of our heroine. “What can you say when you know that your heroine has suddenly departed from you like this?” said Mr Mangwana. He said Makwanya was one of the few individuals who was on the US and EU sanctions lists for defending the country’s land reform programme that saw more than 300 000 families benefiting at the turn of the millennium.
Said Mr Mangwana: “The issue of the people of Zimbabwe suffering because there are special measures (sanctions) from elsewhere were issues which were very close to Judy’s heart. “When I started working with Judith, we were working from a very different level of relationship. We were working as friends. In fact, the first time ever I appeared on ZTV, the person that interviewed me was Judith. From that moment we became very close. We used to text each other. Those days I was living in England.
“There is something that was very consistent in our interaction. Every February, the European Union would review sanctions against Zimbabwe. Before that review took place, Judith would call me and we would discuss the possible outcome. We would discuss what was likely to happen.
“After the review, we would still have that conversation. It was no longer about her being on that list because at some point she was not there but it remained about the country.
“So, if you look at the level of the people that came to bid farewell to Judith, you will be left with no doubt as to her status with people who work in the government and other officials. I want to say to the Makwanya family, we are in this together and we have no right words to share with you to console with you.”
Also present at Makwanya’s burial were Namibian ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Balbina Daes Pienaar, former Cabinet Ministers Simon Khaya Moyo and Chris Mushowe and ZBC chief executive Mr Patrick Mavhura, journalists, among many others from different walks of life.
Farai Dziva| Government has, through a directive from Emmerson Mnangagwa suspended the operations of a Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development has been banned for allegedly funding public protests.
Officials at the organization have confirmed the suspension is with immediate effect.
Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development Trust is a youth organization that promotes democracy, development and human rights issues.
Tune into ZimEye.com Saturday morning as we reveal evidence that the Chief Justice Luke Malaba was paid a paltry $2,500 on the day former president Robert Mugabe resigned.
The revelations are part of a trove of corrupt acts inside the goings on in the Judicial Services Commission. INTRO:
By Dorrothy Moyo| Africa needs to create its own European Union type, Zimbabwe MPs debated on Thursday.
MP after MP spoke in support of the need to abolish border restrictions. Even the likes of Chegutu MP Dexter Nduna who kept talking about abstract subjects like “witchcraft,” were in agreement. (SEE VIDEO).
DEXTER NDUNA: "I will touch on one key issue that we need to discuss on the issue of open Skies that is a declaration, the open Skies policy so that we can transport from one country to the other transport our cargo from one country to the other… to use the Drones the Drones… pic.twitter.com/Uz234zDUl0
Said Wedza MP David Musabayana, “if you’re going free trade area then those borders are no longer relevant… the other good thing about these free trade areas… we are looking at what other continents have done… if we look at EU they have transformed it into a political bloc…
“EU is the most successful free trade area in the world…. that goes to show that it is important that we go to remove these borders or these tariffs…
“So Africa uniting for Africa you removing barriers will make sure that we create a big market where we want more than 1.2 billion people… why Africa is lagging behind is because of Africa has not been able to manufacture or to industrialize…because there is no individual market… there is no critical market to be able to sustain specific Industries for production but once we United it means we will be able to manufacture at low-cost.”
However, MDC MP Tendai Biti, had a different view and he said, “EU is succeeding not just because it is a free trade area, but because it is a monetary union.”
"Embrace technology, open the skies, utilise the special economic zones and bolster the domestic economic agenda for the African Continental Free Trade Area to make an impact for Zim" Dexter Nduna pic.twitter.com/lVM2XYaxAJ
CLOSE to 150 girls from Monte Cassino Girls High School in Mashonaland East on Friday sneaked out of school and walked over 6km in soaking rain to the nearest police station where they reported sexual abuse by their teachers, among other complaints.
The girls also complained of corporal punishment, a substandard food menu as well as verbal abuse by teachers who include nuns from the Roman Catholic Church which runs the school.
The complaints sheet also included claims that pupils who did not pay for holiday lessons were being punished during the normal course of the term.
The girls walked 6km to the police station, the ZBC reported.
Macheke police invited officials from the district education office to address the pupils on the non-criminal aspects of their complaints. The officials promised to look into the grievances.
Police also told the pupils that investigators were being sent to the school to look into specific criminal allegations.
Girl fury … The pupils boarding their bus to return to school (Picture: ZBC)
The determined girls numbering about 150 left their school at 4AM, arriving at the police station just before 6AM in an unprecedented demonstration and show of unity.
School authorities sent the school bus to fetch the pupils, who left the police station just after midday, the ZBC reported.
But before they left the police station, they were addressed by officials from the Ministry of Education as well as police officers.
ZOOMZimbabwe also understands the pupils later on had meetings at the school with Education officials, in which all teachers were ordered out.T
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he grew up aiming to become an airline pilot, but his ambitions changed due to colonial circumstances of the day.
He said this on Friday while interacting with youths at the Zimbabwe Youth Indaba which was organized by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation.
The Minister Kirsty Coventry asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa what he wanted to be when he was a teenager.
The President narrated how his family had problems with the colonial government in rural Midlands under Chief Mapanzure, and they ended up emigrating to Zambia. He said that changed his dreams and he ended up pursuing guerilla warfare against the colonial regime.
The President also said the circumstances led him to become a lawyer although his heart was not into it. He wanted to be a soldier, he said.
He got the youths in stitches when he narrated how he burnt down a lecturer’s house as part of his political activism. He ended up being selected for training in Tanzania and eventually in China, he said.
Watch the video below:
“We must not just imagine the future we want but more importantly roll up our sleeves and put our shoulders to the wheel to realize the future we want,” said the President.
Speaking on the sidelines of the indaba, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry said: “As the minister, I am really excited about this. I have been speaking to many youth groups here and I am glad the youths have been sharing with the President. It is not all about concerns alone; the youths proffered solutions to their concerns and shared them with the President,” she said.
More than 200 youths from all the provinces met and dialogued with the Head of State. Coventry reiterated that the event was apolitical.
“And let me be clear on one aspect. This is not a political youth gathering, it’s totally non-partisan. When we started planning this event, some people were saying it’s a politically-related event, but no! This is a platform organised for youths of Zimbabwe,” she said.
Some of the concerns discussed during the indaba today included youth empowerment, job creation and youth participation in national development.
Vice President Chiwenga as well as Cabinet Ministers and other government leaders attended the events.
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has transferred a number of officers allegedly as part of efforts to “transform the organisation into a people- oriented force.”
In Bulawayo, most of the junior officers at Pumula Police Station were transferred to other stations.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said there was nothing amiss with the new transfers as it was administrative.
“Transfers are an administrative issue which is meant to improve performance in the system and they are also part of a task development which is meant to promote job rotation. Above all, the officers commanding provinces like in this case Bulawayo province have the responsibility of transferring non-commissioned members who would have stayed at a particular station for five years or more,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said from time to time, the ZRP transfers its officers just like any other Government department as a way of staff development.
Asst Comm Nyathi said cops are also transferred so that they do not become too familiar with certain communities.
“We need to consider the experience which one has, the exposure and also the need to develop somebody and this is not peculiar or unique to policing alone.
“Transfers in government circles are meant to improve service delivery which then benefits the community. In our case we do not want somebody to stay at one station for 10 years,” he said.
Recently, the police redeployed senior officers which saw former national police spokesperson Commissioner Charity Charamba being deployed to head the Police Staff College.
Correspondent|Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he grew up aiming to become an airline pilot, but his ambitions changed due to colonial circumstances of the day.
He said this on Friday while interacting with youths at the Zimbabwe Youth Indaba which was organized by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation.
The Minister Kirsty Coventry asked President Emmerson Mnangagwa what he wanted to be when he was a teenager.
The President narrated how his family had problems with the colonial government in rural Midlands under Chief Mapanzure, and they ended up emigrating to Zambia. He said that changed his dreams and he ended up pursuing guerilla warfare against the colonial regime.
The President also said the circumstances led him to become a lawyer although his heart was not into it. He wanted to be a soldier, he said.
He got the youths in stitches when he narrated how he burnt down a lecturer’s house as part of his political activism. He ended up being selected for training in Tanzania and eventually in China, he said.
Watch the video below:
“We must not just imagine the future we want but more importantly roll up our sleeves and put our shoulders to the wheel to realize the future we want,” said the President.
Speaking on the sidelines of the indaba, Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry said: “As the minister, I am really excited about this. I have been speaking to many youth groups here and I am glad the youths have been sharing with the President. It is not all about concerns alone; the youths proffered solutions to their concerns and shared them with the President,” she said.
More than 200 youths from all the provinces met and dialogued with the Head of State. Coventry reiterated that the event was apolitical.
“And let me be clear on one aspect. This is not a political youth gathering, it’s totally non-partisan. When we started planning this event, some people were saying it’s a politically-related event, but no! This is a platform organised for youths of Zimbabwe,” she said.
Some of the concerns discussed during the indaba today included youth empowerment, job creation and youth participation in national development.
Vice President Chiwenga as well as Cabinet Ministers and other government leaders attended the events.
A devastated relative who witnessed their loved one being shot at live on Facebook.
The speed at which a video of the New Zealand mosque shooting spread across social media platforms has demonstrated yet again that tech companies such as Facebook are still struggling to control content, especially from popular services that offer live streaming of events.
While platforms including Twitter and YouTube said they moved fast to scrub any content related to the incident from their sites, people reported it was still widely available hours after being first uploaded to the alleged shooter’s Facebook account. The first-person view of the killings in Christchurch was easily accessible during and after the attack – as was the suspect’s hate-filled manifesto. Footage was still up on Google’s YouTube almost 12 hours later.
Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged the difficulty of policing content from the 2.7 billion users that power Facebook’s wildly profitable advertising engine. The company’s business model depends on showing people posts they’re most apt to have an emotional reaction to, which often has the side effect of amplifying fake news and extremism.
Indeed, the livestream of the murders highlights how technology helped the alleged shooter connect with like-minded people online. Chat sites have acted as sounding boards for anti-immigrant ideas. The alleged shooter is said to have posted on Twitter and controversial message boards such as 8chan about his anti-immigrant ideas, including publishing a 74-page manifesto. Even after the major tech companies acted to take down the video, commenters continued to praise the murders online.
When Zuckerberg introduced Facebook’s live streaming feature in 2016, the service was dominated by harmless videos including baby bald eagles and a guy getting a haircut. It didn’t take long, though, before people were streaming police shootings, murders and suicides. The company has deployed technology and human monitors to help find and remove offensive or threatening content. Last year Facebook said it was working on chips designed to more efficiently analyse and filter live video content.
But some experts warn there’s really no way to keep the dark side of human behavior off social media platforms.
Zuckerberg “refused to confront the underlying problem of Facebook Live, which is that there is simply no responsible way to moderate a true live streaming service,” said Mary Anne Franks, professor of law at the University of Miami. “Facebook has known from the beginning that its live streaming service had the potential to encourage and amplify the worst of humanity, and it must confront the fact that it has blood on its hands.”
Facebook’s Crisis Management Algorithm Runs on Outrage
Facebook has 15 000 employees and contractors sifting through posts to take down offensive content. Zuckerberg has said artificial intelligence algorithms, which the company already uses to identify nudity and terrorist content, will eventually handle most of this sorting. But at the moment, even the most sophisticated AI software struggles in categories where context matters.
“Hate speech is one of those areas,” Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of global policy management, said in a June 2018 interview.
In the UK, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said in a tweet that YouTube and others needed to do more to stop violent extremism being available.
“Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the livestream commenced and we quickly removed both the shooter’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video,” Facebook said on its Twitter account. “We’re also removing any praise or support for the crime and the shooter or shooters as soon as we’re aware.”
A spokesperson for YouTube said in a statement that “shocking, violent and graphic content has no place on our platforms, and is removed as soon as we become aware of it”
Own Correspondent|Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has explained how the “targeted” sanctions imposed by the United States of America on the country affect the financial system.
Local banks’ ability to access foreign lines of credit, as well as to process international payments has been negatively affected.
Said Mangudya: “It’s only a few banks which can take Zimbabwe’s risk. Zimbabwe is under sanctions and the sanctions are in three parts.
“The first one is ZIDERA, which says no one should give Zimbabwe development finance, be it the IMF, the World Bank or the African Development Bank.
“Secondly, there is OFAC, which says that the transactions from Zimbabwe should be scrutinised for compliance risk.
“Third is Zimbabwe’s exclusion from AGOA (the African Growth and Opportunity Act a piece of legislation that was approved by the US Congress in May 2000, whose purpose is to assist the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and to improve economic relations between the United States and the region), which means we do not have market access.
“These three pillars have placed immense constraints on the Zimbabwean economy,” Mangudya said.
US President Donal Trump extended the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by one year.
Trump claimed Zimbabwe’s government continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to American foreign policy.
By Dorrothy Moyo| Former Local Government Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has angrily responded to threats of seizure of his immovable property.
Writing on Friday aftern9on, Kasukuwere said “I said it will be rough, but it’s gonna be rougher but thereafter we will have a ZW we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without,2023 is coming. Tatamba zvakwana!…”
I said it will be rough, but it’s gonna be rougher but thereafter we will have a ZW we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without,2023 is coming.Tatamba zvakwana!
ZANU PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa must go ahead to fly on the 737 Max jet to Dubai, newsreaders commented on Friday afternoon, saying.
This came as the ZANU PF leader prepared to fly out of the country to the United Arab Emirates. The trip which is for government business purposes, is said to be a pursuit to revive the economy.
He is seeking a financial bailout from a rich Arab businessman in the UAE, sources said.
The Red Devils were drawn to play in the Nou Camp first – but the tie will be switched under UEFA instruction
Manchester United have been ordered by UEFA to play the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona , despite being drawn to play away from home first.
United were drawn to play the Catalan giants in the Nou Camp before playing the return leg on home soil.
But Manchester City have also been drawn at home in their last-eight clash against Tottenham .
Regulations prohibit United and City from both playing at home on either the same night or on consecutive nights, thus one of them must move.
Due to City finishing higher in the Premier League than their local rivals last season, it is United who will play their second leg away from home.
United beat PSG in the last 16
The match in the Nou Camp will mark a return to the stadium for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who scored arguably the most famous goal in Red Devils history on the same ground in 1999.
Solskjaer netted from close range in stoppage time of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich to complete a historic treble.
Solskjaer returns to the scene of his most famous goal
And City’s clash against Spurs means there will be at least one English representative in the last four.
Liverpool have, on paper, perhaps the best chance of progression after being paired against Porto.
In the other quarter-final, Ajax’s reward for seeing off Real Madrid is a clash against Atletico conquerors Juventus .
Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa Will tomorrow leave the country for United Arab Emirates on yet another ‘likely worthless’ state visit.
Since he took over power, Mnangagwa has been on a global whirlwind visiting countries including South Africa, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan among others but the ordinary person on the street has not seen the results of his globetrotting.
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is on record saying Mnangagwa’s foreign visits will not yield results as long as his legitimacy is still in question.
PARIRENYATWA management have ignored an electrical fault which occurred after an inferno engulfed part of the wards last month, forcing the institution to switch off power for the maternity division, a situation which has been blamed for the rise in mortality and accidents in the maternity wards.
Even though the institution successfully runs a Kangaroo ward where mothers of premature babies are monitored as they naturally warm up their babies through cuddling, the absence of power in the maternity department has worsened the situation as babies are being born either deformed or dead.
In emotional plea to government to address the horrific state of affairs at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Pediatrician, Dr Azza Mashumba said the hospital management was busy painting the walls of Mbuya Maternity division while the situation inside the building was grotesque.
“There is no urgency at all, this fire happened on second of February 2019 but they are painting the outside. How is that important, how is that going to help at all. There is just no urgency at all.
“We are trying so hard, we have tried coming up with contingency plans but nothing is moving,” said Dr Mashumba.
In defense however, Parirenyatwa Hospitals Chief Executive Officer, Mr Thomas Zigora said painting of the wall was being done by a well-wisher and they were also looking into solving the electrical fault.
” A well wisher approached saying they want to paint the walls of the Martenity wards. It is not the hospital that’s doing it.
“As for the electrical fault, we are sure very soon it would have normalized as we have already started work on it.”
An incident in which gunmen in military gear overpowered security staff of the government-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) in Chiadzwa, Manicaland, and held them hostage before escaping with valuable gemstones at midnight on January 15 this year during the #ShutDownProtests has led to Zimbabwean diamonds being classified as conflict diamonds by the United Nations.
As a result, the 69th plenary meeting of the United Nations (UN) has resolved to include a discussion on whether Zimbabwean diamonds should be classified as conflict gems during the inter-governmental organisation’s 74th general assembly meeting agenda.
The development follows intense lobbying by a grouping of international civil society organisations affiliated to the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) urging the UN to review its definition of conflict diamonds in order to encompass Zimbabwe’s gemstones.
The move, if it succeeds, will bar Zimbabwe from trading on the formal international market. This could deal a huge blow to the Zimbabwe government’s plan which is already in motion, where it selected Russian diamond miner Alrosa and China’s Anjin Investments to partner with the state diamond company ZCDC in exploiting the diamonds.
London-listed Vast Resources and Botswana Diamonds have said they are planning to mine diamonds in Marange in partnership with a local community trust.
The Independent newspaper reports that Zimbabwean Centre for Natural Resource Governance (ZCNRG) director Farai Maguwu, who presented the case for Zimbabwe at the plenary meeting in New York last week, urged the UN to classify Zimbabwean gemstones as conflict diamonds on the basis that they were being used to fund military operations in the country.
In a circular to member states last week, the plenary said it noted with concern the continuation of trade in conflict diamonds or blood diamonds on the international market, with serious impact on peace and the safety and security of people in affected countries as well as the systematic and gross human rights violations that have been perpetrated in such conflicts.
“The plenary acknowledges with great appreciation the important contribution that the European Union, as Chair of the Kimberley Process in 2018, has made towards curbing the trade in conflict diamonds, and welcomes the selection of India as the Chair of the Kimberley Process for 2019, the Russian Federation as the vice-chair for 2019 and the chair for 2020 and Botswana as the vice-chair for 2020 and the chair for 2021. The plenary requests the chair of the Kimberley Process to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session a report on the implementation of the Kimberley Process. The session also decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session the item entitled: The role of diamonds in fueling conflict,” the circular reads.
The KPCS was founded when southern African diamond-producing states met in Kimberley, South Africa, in May 2000, to discuss ways of stopping the trade in conflict diamonds and ensure that diamond purchases were not funding violence.
The result was an agreement by the UN, European Union, the governments of 74 countries, the World Diamond Council representing the industry and a number of interest groups such as Global Witness.
They established the KPCS, whereby members are required to certify that all rough diamond exports are produced through legitimate mining and sales activities and are conflict-free.
This is not the first time Zimbabwe finds itself at the centre of a diamond ban lobby.
Following the rise in the trade of blood diamonds between 2008 and 2009, Zimbabwe was facing a ban from the KPCS, but a meeting in Namibia in October 2009 recommended against the ban. However, international diamond buyers have had to purchase Zimbabwe’s gemstones in secrecy and avoid using the United States dollar in order to by-pass sanctions placed on Zimbabwe by the US.
Besides Zimbabwe, other countries which are likely to be affected by the development are Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela.
Farai Dziva|A Masvingo based NGO Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development has filed an urgent court application challenging its suspension by Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa suspended the operations of the NGO on Monday. Government officials in Masvingo accuse the NGO of funding acts of hooliganism.
Impeccable sources have pointed out that Mnangagwa ordered Masvingo State Minister Ezra Chadzamira to deal with perceived Zanu PF opponents in the area.
“On behalf of Community Tolerance and Development (COTRAD), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights has filed an urgent chamber application at High Court challenging government’s decision to suspend the non-governmental organisation’s operations and for it to to be allowed to resume full operations in Masvingo Province without any interference.
Government had on Monday 11 March 2019 ordered COTRAD to cease operations pending some so-called investigations into the organisation’s registration status,” Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights said in a statement.
By Own Correspondent| MDC Secretary for Health and Child Welfare Dr Henry Madzorera has expressed solidarity with striking doctors calling on government to invest in the country’s health delivery system.
He said in a statement:
The health care delivery crisis in Zimbabwe has reached alarming proportions.
As the MDC, we express solidarity with the troubled medical practitioners and the needlessly suffering and dying patients of Zimbabwe.
While our leaders are jetting out daily to receive state of the art health care abroad, ordinary Zimbabweans are dying of easily curable conditions like appendicitis and diabetes in our hospitals for lack of basic medicines and consumables.
Our highly trained health workers are spending their time worrying, working dangerously without equipment, and helplessly overseeing the death of their valued patients without the wherewithal to assist them.
Infinitely more lives are being lost, or permanently disabled (cerebral palsy, etc).
This is the scale of catastrophe confronting us, and it’s completely preventable.
It seems this government sold us a dummy when they showed us tonnes of containers purportedly full of medicines and consumables end of 2018.
Now we know that was a hoax, because the medicines and consumables situation is worse now than it ever was.
The People’s party of Excellence calls upon this military government to take the lives of Zimbabweans seriously and prioritise health care.
The buck stops with the so called president of the nation.
Zimbabwe can’t be open for business if curable disease is decimating the workforce.
Financing health care must therefore be priority number one on the government’s agenda.
Here is some free advice to this failed government: The 2% transaction tax that government is collecting must go to healthcare in total. In addition, portions of other existing taxes like toll gate fees, carbon tax, vehicle license fees, tax on tobacco alcohol, etc, must immediately be channeled to healthcare.
This will immediately take care of this serious headache and the nation can begin to look at other areas of development.
The call for dialogue has already been made, and this crisis magnifies the urgency of dialogue to resolve national issues.
Apart from taking good care of our citizens, Zimbabwe has the potential to be a regional centre of excellence in healthcare.
This requires serious political will, commitment, and a SMART vision.
A healthy nation is a productive nation.
MDC: Defining a New Course for Zimbabwe.
Dr Henry Madzorera MDC Secretary for Health and Child Welfare
Farai Dziva|Warriors Skipper Knowledge Musona has suffered an injury scare ahead of the decisive Afcon Qualifier against Congo Brazaville on March 24.
According to The Herald, the Warriors captain picked a knock that could keep him out of action for a couple of days. His Belgian club Lokeren has since advised Zifa of the latest developments.
“We heard from the team that he got a knock on the ankle muscle, but it’s too early to decide anything,” team manager Wellington Mpandare said.
“I am yet to see the report, but I am sure it’s not very serious because they are also going to assess him further on Friday (today) ahead of the weekend games.”
Club Brugge midfielder Marvelous Nakamba has already been ruled out of the AFCON qualifier after sustaining a hip injury during a league match last weekend.
Farai Dziva| PSL Champions FC Platinum will be without the influential midfielder Kelvin Madzongwe in their last Total African Champions League group match against North African Giants Esperance Sportive De Tunis at Babourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Madzongwe, the only infield player to have played the entire 90 minutes of all their matches since the start of the campaign, is serving suspension together with Gift Bello and Elvis Moyo who was red-carded in the last match against Orlando Pirates.
Pure Platinum Play anchor the group standings with just two points, which they managed in the home and away draws against Orlando Pirates. The only positive for the team going into the Esperance match is that they managed to break the scoring jinx, and scored two goals away to Pirates.
Meanwhile, the visiting North African team arrived in the country on Friday morning.
“…I said it will be rough, but it’s gonna be rougher but thereafter we will have a ZW we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without,2023 is coming.Tatamba zvakwana!…”
I said it will be rough, but it’s gonna be rougher but thereafter we will have a ZW we all want. This monopoly and idiocy shall be challenged. With or without,2023 is coming.Tatamba zvakwana!
Farai Dziva|One of the founder members of the Movement for Democratic Change Lawson Mapfaira popularly known as Dhara Rada has died.
Mapfaira died in Chivi in the early hours of today.
“When you talk of people who contributed to the launch of the party in Masvingo Province you will not miss his name.In 2000 Dhara Rada was one of the members who led the Recruitment Committee.
Mapfaira was a fearless and dedicated leader.Rest in peace Dhara Rada Lawson Mapfaira.
In 2000 he was at Chitungwiza Aquatic Centre at the party’s first Congress of the MDC,” said MDC A official Jeffryson Chitando.
By Own Correspondent- Deputy minister of Labour and Social Welfare Lovemore Matuke told parliament that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration is yet to review upwards the monthly allowance given to the elderly in Zimbabwe revealing that they are currently getting $25 RTGs bond.
He said this while responding to a question from Zanu-PF Nkayi South Member of Parliament Stars Mathe.
Said Matuke:
“In our Constitution, there is a clause which states that elderly people and young children are the burden of Government. Government has put in place mechanisms to support such people. For school going ages, there is BEAM which caters for them. In our Constituencies we have our structures which recommend for support of the elderly and young ones who are in need. Government is responsible for that burden. They can even get cash per month and also food aid is supposed to be given to those people.
I urge Members of Parliament in your constituencies to assist Government to identify such people so that they get assistance from Government. Social Welfare officers will come to your areas to verify the existence of such people and then they get help. I thank you.
It is the duty of the Government to take care of the elderly. However, we have economic and financial problems at the moment. Our funding might not be sufficient like other countries that you have mentioned but in accordance to what we have as a country, the Government is supposed to help the elderly with money. At the moment they were being given $25 per month. However it has been noted that the money is too little, it cannot buy anything. The money is going to be increased so that it can buy something in order to take care of our elderly and young ones as stipulated in our Constitution.”
By Own Correspondent- Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has said that the arrest of a suspect only acts as a way of ensuring that they attend trial and it should not be used as a method to investigate a crime.
Ziyambi said this Thursday during a question without notice session at parliament.
He said:
“Arrest is a method of securing the attendance of somebody at trial and it is not supposed to be used as a method to investigate. When somebody is being arrested, there must be reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed and they are ready for trial. That is one of the methods that are used to secure the attendance of that particular person at trial.”
Paul Nyathi|Giant Financial Weekly Newspaper, the Financial Gazette has issued a statement apologising to its readers for publishing a misleading article that DSTV South Africa was working on disconnecting Zimbabwean viewers who are subscribing in South Africa.
The same article was captured and credited to the same media here by ZimEye.com correspondents. The error is regretted.
Below the full statement by the Financial Gazette who originated the article which has also been captured by several other online publications.
“When we first published this article, we wrote that DSTV was switching off customers who were accessing South African accounts from Zimbabwe.
This is not true however. We profusely apologise for carrying that story.
The truth is a bit more complicated and we will publish on that very soon explaining exactly what’s going on.
Yes, accessing South African DSTV content from anywhere outside South Africa is illegal and not permitted by Multichoivce. They just don’t have a way of stopping such pirate accounts from receiving signal.
Again, very sorry for running an inaccurate story. We will give you details soon.
Farai Dziva| Government has, through a directive from Emmerson Mnangagwa suspended the operations of a Masvingo based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development has been banned for allegedly funding public protests.
Officials at the organization have confirmed the suspension is with immediate effect.
Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development Trust is a youth organization that promotes democracy, development and human rights issues.
By Own Correspondent- Deputy minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Douglas Karoro has revealed that all is set for the 2019 tobacco marketing season.
Karoro said TIMB had confirmed that the buyers were ready in terms of cash and floor space and the organisation was only waiting for the announcement of the tobacco auctioning date.
He said this while responding to a question from Zanu Pf’s Wedza North legislator, David Musabayana on progress made towards the commencement of tobacco auctioning.
Said Karoro:
“We visited TIMB offices who are the ones who control the tobacco auctioning to check on the preparedness. They informed us that all is in place. They were waiting for the date of the auctioning to come, including cash to be used to buy the tobacco. According to assessments, the buyers are ready in terms of cash and floor space.
When I say the preparations are at an advanced stage, I am telling the truth. The issue of vendors who disturb the tobacco farmers when they come to sell their tobacco; we have looked at that and prepared for them. We even looked at the issue of health and there was a comprehensive inspection that was done on the facilities so that they are able to hold many people who would be coming to sell their tobacco.”
Farai Dziva| Former Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’ s decision to retain a portion of foreign currency receipts is “glorified robbery.”
Speaking at a Financial Gazette Executive Dialogue last Friday, Biti described the whole process
as unconstitutional.
“They should allow exporters to keep their money because it is unconstitutional for the central bank to take over people’s export earnings unaccountable to Parliament.
All revenue collected in Zimbabwe goes to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and is distributed by Parliament in terms of Section 305 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
You cannot pretend to liberalise then appropriate and nationalise export earnings.
They are appropriating retentions at 1:1 with excess being bought at 2:5 after the 30-day period highlighted in the MPS.
Despite this, they are silent on the expropriation rate, so it is a fraud,” declared Biti.
The foreign exchange retention policy introduced by the RBZ allows the government to get foreign currency necessary for the importation of critical commodities such as fuel, medicine and cooking oil and electricity among other items.
Farai Dziva|
Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko is in the process of suing government for unpaid pension, it has emerged.
Mphoko wants the courts to force the government to release his terminal benefits.
His lawyer Welshman Ncube told Daily News in an interview yesterday.
This comes one and a half years after Mphoko was ousted from Government following a military coup.
Mphoko is demanding, for life, a salary equivalent to that of a sitting VP, bodyguards, an office and a government vehicle.
“We haven’t made any progress at all since the last time. What we have to do now is going to court since we are not making any progress in the discussions with regards to his pension. We have been going round in circles and haven’t achieved any progress,” said Ncube.
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance wants Emmerson Mnangagwa to retract his statement that referred to opposition leaders as rebels- indicating failure to do so will cause civil unrest.
See part of the MDC A statement below:
Mnangagwa “Rebel” remarks are reckless.
Reports that Mnangagwa referred to the People’s President Adv. Nelson Chamisa as a “rebel” are unacceptable and the MDC does not take such remarks lightly.
Mnangagwa must be aware that such remarks can breed aggression and cause a lot of unnecessary friction in the Zimbabwean society. We have noted with concern a continued pattern of these reckless statements coming from him in succession, a case in point are the remarks he made in Rutenga when he made threats to unleash violence on citizens for the exercise of their rights provided in section 59 of the Constitution.
In any case, a rebel is one who reneges on his oath of office, fails to uphold the Constitution but instead works on undermining its spirit and letter. A rebel is one who fails to protect the citizens but instead unleashes repressive apparatus on them with many losing lives and limb at the hands of the state.
The illusion around dialogue which excludes the MDC has already proven to be a political fallacy, many are pulling out because they are aware that the approach will not create sufficient consensus.
Farai Dziva|The MDC Alliance wants Emmerson Mnangagwa to retract his statement that referred to opposition leaders as rebels- indicating failure to do so will cause civil unrest.
See part of the MDC A statement below:
Mnangagwa “Rebel” remarks are reckless.
Reports that Mnangagwa referred to the People’s President Adv. Nelson Chamisa as a “rebel” are unacceptable and the MDC does not take such remarks lightly.
Mnangagwa must be aware that such remarks can breed aggression and cause a lot of unnecessary friction in the Zimbabwean society. We have noted with concern a continued pattern of these reckless statements coming from him in succession, a case in point are the remarks he made in Rutenga when he made threats to unleash violence on citizens for the exercise of their rights provided in section 59 of the Constitution.
In any case, a rebel is one who reneges on his oath of office, fails to uphold the Constitution but instead works on undermining its spirit and letter. A rebel is one who fails to protect the citizens but instead unleashes repressive apparatus on them with many losing lives and limb at the hands of the state.
The illusion around dialogue which excludes the MDC has already proven to be a political fallacy, many are pulling out because they are aware that the approach will not create sufficient consensus.
By Own Correspondent- Two Masvingo coucillors nearly exchanged blows in the Masvingo City Council chambers over a resolution to create an audit department.
Ward 4 and 10 Councilors Godfrey Kurauone and Sengerayi Manyanga engaged into a heated argument and Mayor Collen Maboke had a torrid time restraining the two who were sitting next to each other.
Commotion started after Kurauone proposed to rescind a resolution which was made by the last full council, stating that the council was wasting resources and time going to see the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing with a proposal to have a stand-alone audit department.
A heated debate ensued over the issue with the majority of councillors against Kurauone until Manyanga challenged Kurauone to move a motion which could be seconded.
Manyanga started accusing Kurauone of wasting the full council’s time by not making it clear from the start that his question was just a motion.
“Kurauone was supposed to ask his question, like he has done now. He is wasting council’s time and taking us for fools. Your Worship, whenever you give him a chance to speak, give me also,” Manyanga said, seething with anger.
“He thinks he is clever and we are foolish, taking this whole house for a ride,” a charged Manyanga said.
Kurauone then stood up and told the mayor that Manyanga was on his phone during the debate, at which Manyanga interjected saying Kurauone was in South Africa when the issue was resolved and can cannot rescind something that was resolved in his absence.
“We are not fools here, we are councilors. You are the thief that is why you are opposed to a stand-alone audit department,” Manyanga charged. The two councilors then stood up and started exchanging insults, during which Kurauone told Manyanga that the full council was not a Border Gezi camp.
“This is not a Border Gezi camp. You cannot bully everyone here,” an angry Kurauone said.
It took the intervention of Ward 1 councillor Selina Maridza to stop the two councilors from bickering, after which Mayor Maboke gave an order that the council will stand with the resolution to go see the minister of local government.-TellZim
By Own Correspondent- Addressing the media soon after the post cabinet meeting in Harare Thursday, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obediah Moyo denied that doctors are on strike.
Moyo challenged anyone who claimed that senior doctors were on strike to visit any hospital and confirm for themselves that they were reporting for duty.
Said Moyo:
“I would like to clarify the fact that there is no one on strike in the health sector. If reporters would like, you can even go and confirm with the consultants at Parirenyatwa hospital. They called us for a meeting because they had had a meeting the previous day with their local administration at Parirenyatwa and they were advising me on some of the issues they were not happy with.”
By Own Correspondent- Management at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has reportedly ignored an electrical fault which occurred after a fire broke out and damaged part of the Mbuya Nehanda maternity division last month, rendering the institution a death trap for newly born babies.
The absence of power in the maternity ward has also worsened the situation as some babies are now being born deformed.
Paediatrician, Dr Azza Mashumba said that the government has to urgently deal with the issue.
She said:
“There is no urgency at all, this fire happened on the second of February 2019 but they are painting the outside. How is that important, how is that going to help at all? There is just no urgency at all.
We are trying so hard, we have tried coming up with contingency plans but nothing is moving.”
However, Parirenyatwa Hospitals Chief Executive Officer, Mr Thomas Zigora said that the painting of the hospital is being done by a well-wisher while the electrical fault would be addressed very so.
By Own Correspondent- Opposition MDC has described the ongoing strike by doctors as a reflection of a failed government which is implementing a soft genocide on its citizens.
National spokesperson for the MDC Jacob Mafume said in a statement:
“The strike of specialist doctors’ at Parirenyatwa Hospital is an indictment on the failed military government.
It is a high-level manifestation of a nation in crisis. Mnangagwa and his cabal must humble themselves and accept failure. They must apologise for failing the Zimbabwean people and concede to the convening of urgent dialogue.
Zimbabweans cannot continue to lose lives unnecessarily, the statement released by the doctors makes this point. They state that lives are being lost while doctors watch because there are no consumables required to do the work.
That emergency cases are now taking longer than normal while patients have to source consumables on their own. Doctors have also said they would be attending to emergencies only while resources reserved for these situations will last just a month.
This is a national disaster, it cannot be business as usual.
The military government has been committing a soft genocide – loved ones have been lost.
The MDC calls for urgent measures to combat avoidable deaths.
Only dialogue can resolve these issues. The People’s President, Adv Nelson Chamisa has already availed himself to deal with the challenges bedevilling our country.”
Zurich – Manchester United will face Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals while Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur clash in an all-Premier League tie following Friday’s draw.
Liverpool were drawn to play FC Porto in the knockout rounds for the second year in succession, as Ajax’s reward for eliminating the holders Real Madrid is a two-legged tie against Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus.
English hopes are high that this could be their year in Europe’s elite club competition after all four of their representatives made it through to the last eight.
However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United will have their work cut out if they are to go any further as they take on the Barcelona of Lionel Messi in the headline tie.
Both Manchester City and Liverpool claimed victories in week 30 of the Premier League as the battle for the title intensifies
For Solskjaer, the second leg will bring back memories of the 1999 final, when the Norwegian came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner for United against Bayern Munich at Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium.
With City and United not allowed to play their home leg in the same week, United will entertain the leaders of La Liga at Old Trafford on April 9 or 10, with the return a week later.
The last time the Premier League had four teams in the quarter-finals, in 2008/09, Barcelona beat the Old Trafford side 2-0 in the final in Rome. The clubs clashed again in the final at Wembley in 2011, with Barca winning 3-1 on that occasion.
Repeat of ’96 final
UEFA also drew the semi-finals on Friday, meaning the winners of the Barcelona v United will face either Liverpool or Porto in the last four.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, fresh from knocking out Bayern Munich in the last 16, will be confident of beating the Portuguese champions after defeating them 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16 on their way to the final last season.
Liverpool will host two-time European Cup winners Porto at Anfield in the first leg before heading to the Estadio do Dragao in the return on April 16 or 17.
There is guaranteed to be one English team in the semi-finals after Tottenham and City were paired together, with the first leg to be played in London.
With Pep Guardiola’s team top of the Premier League, 13 points ahead of Spurs in third, City will be the favourites to advance to their first semi-final since 2016. City have also won their last three meetings with Mauricio Pochettino’s team.
The draw means there will be three clashes between the sides in 10 days — they are also due to meet in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium on April 20.
The winner of that tie will host either Ajax or Juventus in the first leg of the semi-finals.
The latter tie is a repeat of the 1996 final, which the Italian club won on penalties against an Ajax team who had won the trophy the previous year.
Juventus have lost five finals since then but are hoping Ronaldo can fire them to glory this season after his hat-trick knocked out Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
That result ended Atletico’s dreams of reaching the final, which will be played at their Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Saturday, June 1.
By Own Correspondent- Zimbabwe has agreed to allow South African officials to sit in official meetings of the Ministry of Finance.
This was revealed in confidential minutes of Tuesday’s South Africa-Zimbabwe Bi-national Commission, exclusively obtained by the Zimbabwe Independent, the publication claims.
According to the Independent, South Africa has demanded to monitor Zimbabwe’s economic affairs, and get latest updates if it was to engage Zimbabwe’s creditors. An official well-briefed on the developments told The Independent that:
Ramaphosa has taken a firmer position to build closer relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe than his predecessors as a way of trying to reinforce his control over the situation, help out Harare and stabilise the country while containing huge problems the local crisis is causing south of the Limpopo.
He really wants to help; his administration realises that South African can only contain problems Zimbabwe is causing in its backyard and in the region by stabilising it and assisting it to recover.
This is a much more sustainable solution than allowing Zimbabwe to sink, become South Africa’s poor 10th province or take advantage of its problems to tap into its labour reservoir, shrinking market and resources.
Already Zimbabwe is like a huge South African warehouse, but Ramaphosa wants to help with a sustainable solution. It is both in South Africa and Zimbabwe’s national interest.
… Zimbabwe is to extend an invitation to South Africa to participate in stakeholder meetings which Zimbabwe’s Finance minister holds on a regular basis, during which feedback is provided on the state of the economy and policy measures by the government (of Zimbabwe).
Going forward, the two ministers agreed to work together on engagements with international partners to provide support towards the economic reform agenda of Zimbabwe.
By Own Correspondent- Students at Monte Casino Girls in Macheke today Friday walked 6 kilometers to Macheke Police Station in protest over yet to be disclosed grievances.
The students are said to have walked to Macheke and camped at the police station.
The students were however addressed by Ministry of Education officials in the presence of the ZRP before they boarded transport back to school.
By Own Correspondent- The government is set to embark on a thorough investigation in public hospitals following reccuring fire outbreaks that have destroyed property.
Speaking to the media in a post-cabinet briefing in Harare on Thursday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting acting Minister Sekai Nzenza said:
“Cabinet expressed concern over the growing trend of outbreaks of fire at government health institutions and called for an in-depth investigation into the causes of the occurrences.
Furthermore, the cabinet resolved to carry out targeted refurbishment of the strategic public hospitals throughout the country in order to improve health service provision.”
Fires have destroyed infrastructure at several hospitals across the country with Mpilo, Parirenyatwa and Kariba hospital victims of fires in the recent past.
Earlier this year our government shut down the internet to stifle protests and when the internet was restored the government the government made sure that we still didn’t have our beloved social media platforms to communicate. This was the case for a couple of days but then order was later restored and Zimbos have been chatting away on these platforms with no problems since then.
In Chad, unfortunately, there is a different reality. Internet access was cut off towards the end of March. 28 March if we’re being exact and since then nothing has changed. Of course, the internet shutdown came about as a result of political and economic tensions in the country. In Zimbabwe, it was the fuel crisis and the subsequent raising of fuel prices that led to the shutdown. In Chad, it was a proposed constitutional change that would allow the allegedly unpopular ruling party to stay in power until 2033 that triggered the social media apocalypse. Prior to this extended shutdown, the Chad government had already established their reputation for having a quick trigger finger when it came to shutting down the internet, as a similar move was made in 2016.
Though the shutdowns were quite common for the country with a 6% internet penetration rate, they never lasted as long as this one has. For the mobile operators following a political directive, they’ve resorted to calling the disruption a ‘technical challenge’ which is a big reflection of how powerless mobile network operators at the mercy of dictatorial regimes have become.
human rights activists and groups like Africa Freedom of Expression Exchange have been campaigning to bring an end to the internet blackout but thus far this has not been fruitful.
The MDC today received with sadness disturbing news of the death of Blessing Toronga – a member of the MDC District Executive in Highfield.
Toronga was abducted by individuals driving an unmarked Foton vehicle back in January days after the ZCTU-called stay away.
The MDC made efforts to publicise his abduction and sort assistance in his location to no avail only to be told of the discovery of his body in a mortuary in Chitungwiza.
We are concerned by the consolidation of a predatory military state which devours its citizens. Zimbabwe cannot continue on this path.
Citizens are killed for exercising the right to form, join and participate in activities of political organisations of their own choice as enshrined in section 67 of the Constitution.
Zimbabweans now live in fear of disappearing as was during Ian Douglas Smith’s time when members of the special branch instituted forced disappearances on activists of black majority rule.
The idea of politically motivated deaths defeats the idea of the liberation struggle, it is a reversal of the gains and is unacceptable. The people who hijacked the agenda of independence must be jettisoned, they are a danger to society.
The Party send its condolences to the Toronga family and the Highfield community. May they find comfort in these trying times.
By Own Correspondent- Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Martin Makonese has denied Tashinga Musonza bail arguing the accused was a flight risk.
Musonza (29), an Air force of Zimbabwe pilot based at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru, reportedly killed his lawyer girlfriend, Lucky Duve (32) last year accusing her of cheating on him with his unnamed colleague.
Musonza had applied for bail at the High Court through his lawyer James Makiya.
Justice Makonese dismissed Musonza’s application. He said:
It is now trite, that where the evidence against an applicant is overwhelming, the risk of abscondment is high. The court is aware that the applicant does not deny assaulting the deceased.
The court observes that the applicant’s defence is at variance with the cause of death recorded in the postmortem report. The question that arises is why the applicant seeks to mislead this court on the cause of death?
It is my view, that an applicant in a bail application who seeks to mislead the court is not a suitable candidate for bail.
By Own Correspondent- Panic has gripped the Bulawayo community after shocking and controversial statistics revealed that 80 percent of Bulawayo men that patronise bars and the red light districts are sleeping with other men.
The shocking and yet to be confirmed revelations were made by Bulawayo male sex workers to a local media outlet.
Outraged Bulawayo men took to micro-blogging site Twitter to express their disgruntlement and distaste at the allegations.
Some people made a joke of it while most women were panicking that they could be sharing their partners with men.
“We are having trouble dealing with omakhwapheni (small houses), and then we have to worry about other men at men’s conference? The drinking buddies! It just can’t be!” said one Lisa Khanye on Twitter.
Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) said they were aware of the statistics that have almost got Bulawayo Twitter crashing. They, however, said they could neither dismiss nor confirm the said figures.
In a statement to a local publication, GALZ regional director Teddy Munyimani said his organisation was aware of the statistics mentioned in the allegations, made online.
He said such claims would be credible if backed by evidence from a study.
“Statistics have to be backed by evidence, maybe of a study concluded of which we are not aware of any that has been done or its results shared or published,” said Munyimani.
He, however, highlighted that he would not dismiss the claims as sex was a private matter and hence it was difficult to really know for sure what happens behind closed doors.
“It is difficult to establish statistics of men in sexual relations, sex is a private matter and we are not in the business nor would we want to advocate for the policing of people’s bedrooms,” he said.
Some Twimbos were in denial, saying there was no such thing as male pr0stitution in the city of kings.
However, a local publication interviewed a network of the male sex workers community, who claimed to have many clients that were heterosexual during the day.
The male sex workers are however, not the ones behind the 20 percent revelation, which is alleged to be part of a study being carried out by a local organisation.
One of the male sex workers who spoke to B-Metro, Ayanda, said most men were in denial of having a fetish for other men.
“I have been in this business for a long time and people do not mind me anymore. However, the interesting part about my job is that I get to see the different side of people that other people never get to see.
“I am popular in clubs in Harare and Bulawayo and I often have clients that are married. The men are straight and heterosexual during the day but it is a totally different story after hours. I am happy because they enjoy my services but it sometimes beats me why they live a life of pretence during the day,” said Ayanda.
“When these men are with me, they get to live their fantasy and that is something that they will never get to experience in their marriages, as they are just for cover up,” said Ayanda.
Ayanda alleged that some very prominent pastors of popular Pentecostal churches were some of his regular clients.
He said the charismatic religious leaders were some of his best paying clients as they also took him away for holidays while pretending to be on business trips.
“Their wives are very comfortable with them having male personal assistants but they do not know that I am the side guy. I get annoyed though when the big men start wanting to own me. I do not date, I am in business. I also have my boyfriend and he supports my hustle.”
Sources said the statistics stem from a study that is being carried out by a local organisation. However, details were still sketchy as the study was not yet complete.
If there is some truth to the allegations, it looks like the city is surely in crisis.
JAMES Rubin, a lead lobbyist for a Donald Trump-linked lobby firm which was recently hired by the Zimbabwean Government to lobby for the easing of relations with the Trump administration, has defended the human rights record of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
Rubin said that in any case, it is better for the Zimbabwean administration to be working with Americans than the Chinese “who don’t care at all about human rights.”
Rubin has told a top US political magazine Politico that while Zimbabwe’s new leadership has made mistakes, including a crackdown on demonstrators in January that reportedly killed at least 17 people, “it now is far, far better than Zimbabwe’s government was under Mugabe.”
“I’d rather Zimbabwe work with us (Americans) than with the Chinese, who don’t care at all about human rights,” Rubin said.
Rubin served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs in the Clinton Administration from 1997–2000. He has been assigned by Ballard as the lead lobbyist for Zimbabwe. Brian Ballard, the founder of the lobby firm, has strong ties to US president Donald Trump, having chaired the Trump Victory organization in Florida, a major swing state, during the US elections. He has also lobbied on behalf of the Trump Organization in the state for more than a decade.
Zimbabwe has tried to retain lobbyists with presidential connections before. In 2008, Zimbabwean government officials agreed to hire two men who claimed have connections to Obama, who were later convicted of illegally attempting to lobby to lift U.S. sanctions on the country.
To emphasize his point, Ballard says last year it turned down lobbying requests from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a repressive regime accused of human rights abuses. After being turned down, the DRC government later approached “an obscure firm” called Sonoran Policy Group owned by one Robert Stryk where they paid $1.5 million, according to Justice Department disclosures, the Politico reports.
Regarding the arrangement with Zimbabwe, Ballard will work “to encourage a re-examination of Zimbabwe by the State Department with a view to establishing the best possible bilateral relationship with the United States and facilitating the restoration of Zimbabwe’s membership in good standing in the community of nations,” according to the firm’s contract.
But Michelle Gavin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. ambassador to Botswana, said that while Zimbabwe’s new government had undertaken some reforms since Mugabe was ousted, the country is still plagued by corruption and human rights abuses.
“What we’re seeing on the ground I don’t think gives many observers any confidence there is genuine respect for the rule of law,” she said.
Bruce Wharton, a former U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, tweeted last week that the country’s decision to hire Ballard was a “[t]ragic waste of public funds.”
James Rubin is married to Christiane Maria Amanpour, a British-Iranian journalist and television host. Amanpour is the Chief International Anchor for CNN and host of CNN International’s nightly interview program Amanpour, and she is the one who interviewed President Mnangagwa in September last year when he was attending the UN General Assembly.
Zimbabwe will pay US$500,000 every year until 13 February 2021, and the payments will be made quarterly, The first payment was made immediately after the signing of the contract by Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo on 13 February 2019.
Apart from the US$500,000 annual fee, Zimbabwe will also pat the lobbysts any other incidental costs such as airline fees, hotel and travel fees, meals, car services etc which costs will be incurred during the execution of the duties.
By Own Correspondent- An official from CIMAS reportedly died following an accident along Samora Machel in Harare this (Friday) morning.
Sources privy to the details allege that the official stopped his car along Samora Machel to speak with his yet to be identified friend.
The duo were standing between their cars which were parked in a convoy like manner.
A third car reportedly bumped into the car which was at the far end of the convoy and the official was crashed as he was trapped between the cars.
Efforts to get a comment from the police regarding the accident were futile by the time of writing as Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told ZimEye to call after 2 pm.
“I am in a meeting, please call me after 2pm” said Assistant Commissioner Nyathi.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
Feedback from Chiredzi District Civil Protection Unit meeting:
Cyclone Idai is forecasted to reach us this evening or tomorrow morning. It’s causing havoc in Mozambique and up to the noon today it had claimed 66 human lives.
Parents are advised to exercise discretion tomorrow on whether to allow their children to go to school or not especially where children cross streams and rivers.
People should move from low lying areas to high ground areas should they feel threatened
Rainfall in excess of 50mm is expected from tomorrow up to Saturday. Let’s all be on standby to assist whoever will be in need.
Thank you
R. Zireva Secretary General Mkwasine Management Committee (Interim)
Following an upsurge in crimes committed by people using unregistered vehicles the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has instructed the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) to ensure that vehicles without registration numbers do not access fuel at filling stations.
In a statement, police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said 73 cases including rape and robbery have been recorded since the beginning of the year by drivers of such vehicles.
“Police have observed that some vehicles being driven with no registration number plates and involved in the commission of crime throughout the country. We have engaged Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority to ensure that vehicles with no registration number plates do not fill up at fuel service stations after some have been reported to be driving away without settling bills,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said police have launched a blitz on unregistered vehicles which are dominating crime scenes.
“Members of the public are advised that in terms of the Vehicle Registration and Licensing Act it is an offence for one to fail to register a motor vehicle with the relevant authorities or fail to display a registration mark or number. The police are therefore conducting an operation throughout the country to ensure that all vehicles moving on the roads are duly registered and have either permanent or temporary number plates,” he added.
He urged motorists to cooperate with police to avoid inconveniences.
“All vehicles with no number plates will be impounded and only released after going through the stipulated registration process,” he said.
By Own Correspondent- A Harare woman’s attempt to stop her husband’s secret wedding yesterday at the Magistrates’ Court hit a snag after she arrived moments after the conclusion of the signing ceremony and the duo had been declared married.
Only identified as Mrs Chidzoka, the blind woman only arrived at the court when her husband John Chidzoka and his new bride Charity Tembo were heading for a photo shoot.
Chidzoka was at a loss for words after she discovered it was too late for her to stop the wedding.
“I never thought that my husband would betray me in this manner. I would have understood if it was any other woman but not my tenant.
These people are taking advantage of the fact that I am blind hence I cannot see what will be happening right under my nose. Honestly, I am heartbroken.”
It is understood that John has been married to Mrs Chidzoka for more than 11 years now but they did not bear children during their marriage.
Tembo, who is said to have been a tenant at Chidzoka’s homestead for about two years, is alleged to have been enjoying an illicit affair with John.
“Charity does not have a husband of her own and she has a habit of cooking food which she offers to my husband without my knowledge.
Ever since my husband started eating her food, his behaviour has changed because he has turned into a drunkard.
There was a time when I visited my parents in the rural areas for about 11 days and on my return, I caught my husband red-handed as he was sleeping naked in my kitchen with Tembo who was also naked.
After this incident, Tembo has been threatening me and she once told me that she will take over my home, now she has.
John’s relatives are the ones who informed me early in the morning that my husband was getting married today at the court and I arrived late because I would have stopped this fake marriage from proceeding,” added Chidzoka.
Asked by the wife’s relatives who were also present at the court yesterday why John did what he did, he claimed he got married because he wanted to commence lessons at a bible school hence he needed a marriage certificate for registration since it is a must.
By Own Correspondent- Economist John Robertson has expressed optimism that the country’s economic trajectory is brighter following the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) decision to float the local currency last month.
Speaking at a meeting on the state of the economy organised by the British Council, Robertson said:
“At last, our situation has started to look promising. We all know the uncertainties that we have been battling with for years.
We have had shortages of bread, cash, fuel and various imports, including job opportunities and everyone, has their list of which I can say that our lists are now shorter. In spite of that, I would still say our situation looks more promising anyway.
What has changed? Well, the government has decided to let market forces decide the exchange rate for what is our almost new currency with our virtual RTGS dollars . . . Stability is an important objective from so many points of view, that if it can be reached, it would be a very worthy achievement.
We still have a lot to do to improve, but stable conditions would encourage investment and investment is the most important prerequisite for job creation.
Price stability will encourage business expansion, the efforts needed to establish new markets, the resourcefulness needed to design better products and the courage needed to venture into new areas of business opportunity.
And job creation will alleviate poverty and poverty is one of the more serious problems right now.”-Newsday
By Own Correspondent- Telecel Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd faces eviction from two rented premises over failure to settle rental arrears amounting to US$40 843.
The two properties belong to First Mutual Investment Company (Pvt) Ltd.
First Mutual has approached the High Court to force Telecel to settle the arrears and vacate its properties in Harare and Gweru.
In respect to First Mutual Gweru, the two parties entered into a lease agreement on August 14, 2013.
Telecel wanted to to operate a base station at its premises and pay a monthly rental of US$1 000.
First Mutual said:
“In breach of the parties agreement, the defendant (Telecel) failed to pay rentals and operating costs on due dates, resulting in the cancellation of the lease agreement and the lease also expired on July 31, 2018.”-Newsday
Correspondent|Masvingo District Administrator Ray Hove has with immediate effect suspended the Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development Trust, a youth organization that promotes democracy, development and human rights issues.
The NGO is alleged to have encouraged people to stage public protests early this year over the high cost of living following Emmerson Mnangagwa’s announcement of fuel prices of up to 150 percent.
When reached for comment, Hove declined to shed light on the circumstances leading to the suspension of NGO when he was asked by VOA Zimbabwe Service to provide details of the allegations being made against it.
Community Tolerance and Reconciliation Development Trust programs manager Zivanai Muzorodzi dismissed claims that the organization encouraged people to revolt against the government, adding that they are properly registered in Zimbabwe.
He claimed that the government does not tolerate any criticism.
This comes barely a month after President Mnangagwa told Zanu PF supporters in Masvingo province that his government will deal ruthlessly with NGOs that allegedly encouraged Zimbabweans to stage public protests in January this year “with a regime change agenda”.
Acting Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza, flanked by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda (left) and Information Communication Technology and Courier Services, Minister Kazembe Kazembe, addresses journalists at a Cabinet briefing Press conference at Munhumutapa offices in Harare yesterday
GOVERNMENT has resolved to amend the Private Voluntary Organisations Act (Chapter 17:05) to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force for combating money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Precisely, the amendment seeks to ensure that PVOs in Zimbabwe are not used as conduits for money laundering and funding terrorist activities.
This came out of the 17th Cabinet meeting yesterday held at Munhumutapa Government Offices in Harare.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Acting Infromation, Publucity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza said: “Cabinet received a presentation from the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to amend the Private Voluntary Organisations Act (Chapter17: 05) in order to render it complaint with the requirements of the Financial Task Force on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism by individuals and organisations.
“More specifically, the amendment seeks to ensure that PVOs in Zimbabwe are not used as conduits for money laundering and funding of terrorist activities, while seeking to bring about efficiency in the registration and regulation of the same. Key provisions of the principles include that at registration of as Private Voluntary Organisation, all essential information regarding the beneficial ownership and interest in a PVO be disclosed to the authorities, that where the beneficial ownership and the interest is not disclosed, registration be declined.
“That it be a criminal offence to falsify information on the beneficial ownership and interest of the PVO and where such registration had been made earlier without disclosure, it be deemed null and void. Cabinet approved the principles and directed the Minister to issue instructions for the drafting of the actual Bill.”
By Own Correspondent- Former Midlands Provincial Affairs minister, Jason Machaya, has denied wrongdoing over the questionable allocation of stands when he was still in office arguing that he was merely implementing duties assigned to him by ousted leader Robert Mugabe..
Machaya is facing charges of criminal abuse of office for unlawfully parcelling out land in the Midlands Province.
He argues that he was arrested for doing duties assigned to him by former President Robert Mugabe.
Said Machaya:
“When I was appointed Governor and Resident Minister, I found a national housing project in place. I simply took over what the late governor Cephas Msipa was doing.
Further, the President (Mugabe then) also gave me directives on how I was to do my work. In respect to the charges for which I was/am to be tried, President RG Mugabe specifically directed me to do my work as I did.
Further, I wrote detailed monthly reports in respect of all the works I am being tried for, to the President. I also reported my work to the President and Cabinet.
The President and Cabinet guided my work and approved everything that I did, especially issues to do with things that are in the charges.
The President who authorised me to do what I did is no longer in office. The State has not interviewed him or recorded a statement from him concerning my activities.
I challenge them to do so. My conduct was only adjudged unlawful in about January 2018 after the removal of President RG Mugabe, yet he authorised my work.
Is there a law for one government and another law for another government? How was I supposed to know that what I was doing was criminal when what I was doing was being directed and authorised?”
Machaya made the remarks in his founding affidavit in his application to the High Court where he is seeking a review of his trial proceedings following the dismissal of his application for permanent stay of prosecution.-Newsday
By Own Correspondent- The remaining two bodies of miners who were trapped underground in a mine at Battlefields near Kadoma have finally been retrieved, a senior government minister has revealed.
Addressing the media at a post Cabinet briefing on Thursday, acting Information minister Sekai Nzenza said the two remaining bodies which had been trapped underground for over a month.
Said Nzenza:
“This brings closure to the rescue efforts pertaining to the Battlefields Mine Disaster. Cabinet once again expresses its deepest condolences to the affected families and the artisanal mining fraternity in general.”
Eight people were rescued alive after being trapped underground for four days when mine shafts at the Cricket 3 Mine were inundated with flood waters on February 12. At least 28 miners died in the disaster.
The Battlefields Mine Disaster has prompted Cabinet Ministers to pledge law reforms to legalise the activities of the artisanal miners which they hope will lead to greater safety.
Fidelity Printers and Refiners (FPR), a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe responsible for the purchasing, refining and exporting of gold, is under fire for buying “stolen gold” from illegal artisanal miners who have invaded Gaika Mine in Kwekwe.
Court documents seen by this publication show that FPR was ordered by the High Court not to buy any gold being mined by the mainly Zanu PF youths who invaded Gaika Mine from February 2018.
Duration Gold Investments, Gaika mine owners, approached the High Court seeking an interdict to stop FPR from purchasing “stolen gold”.
Court documents issued in March 2018 under case number HC 622/18 ordered FPR, which is cited as the fourth respondent, “not to accept any gold won return from Gaika Mine from any person other than an authorised representative of applicant, that fourth respondent be and is, hereby, ordered to pay to an authorised signatory or credit applicant’s bank.”
However, an investigation this week revealed that FPR agents were buying gold from the illegal miners in defiance of the court order.
“I have a certificate to buy gold and this is legal,” an FPR agent in Kwekwe said.
“FPR has agents in and around Kwekwe who buy gold. We do not smuggle gold, we take it to Fidelity.”
Former Mbizo legislator Vongaishe Mupereri (Zanu PF), who is said to be the ring leader of the invaders, was also ordered by High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi to pay all the costs which were met by Duration Gold Investments.
“That first respondent (Mupereri) be and is, hereby, ordered to pay the costs of suit of this application on the attorney and client scale,” part of the court order read.
The court also ordered FPR not to be involved in any dealings with illegal miners from Gaika, since it would be a violation of the mine owner’s rights.
“That fourth respondent be and is, hereby, ordered not to deal with anyone other than an authorised representative of applicant in respect of any gold won from Gaika mine,” the court order read.
Illegal miners on the ground confirmed to this publication that they sold their gold to FPR agents in Kwekwe.
FPR spokesperson Chelesani Moyo directed all questions to Mehluleli Dube, who is the head of gold operations at FPR.
Dube told NewsDay that: “I am not aware of any court order, but if that is the case, then it will be easier for the complainant to track how much gold they would have lost. My logic is, if it is not bought by Fidelity, then it will be taken to the black market.”
By Own Correspondent- A Chinese multinational corporation Touchroad International is set to partner a local company, Mashonaland Holdings Limited, and convert Charter House in Harare into a five-star hotel.
The building will be remodelled into an 80-room hotel, with state-of-the-art facilities at an estimated cost of over US$10 million..
Touchroad International Holdings chairman, He Liehui revealed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mashonaland Holdings has been signed.
Said Liehui:
“It’s a very big investment because the building is old, it’s over 60 years old now, so a lot of systems need to be built. There is a need for new technology and security systems.
The investment will probably draw a lot of thousands (of dollars), I think we will invest more than $10 million.
Our policy is localisation, and since the building is here, the tourists will come here and pay here and they check in here.
It’s our first time to partner with a local company. If we hear it can be a success, we can partner with other countries.”
Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira said that the project will revitalise the country’s tourism sector.-Newsday
A Zimbabwean has been jailed for six years in the UK after he forced himself on a teenager who then recorded the attack.
