https://youtu.be/660SMt6SrVg

I talk as the leader of Yard. I told them to be aware and be ready. ED got less votes than his MPs, where have you seen that happening anywhere on earth? Chamisa got votes, so many more than his own MPs over 500,000. 1,6million was for his own MPs. He got 2,1mln votes. So what then happened? This is what you must sit down to review. This thing of trying to fire or expel Mary (Mliswa). Even if you remove her from party structures, she will continue doing her work inside government, and assisting the party because her performance in government is assistive of the party. In the constituency she continues her work. And now you sit down to decide that you want to expel Mary. What really has Mary done wrong? What is it you as a chairman that you could surely fail to sit down to ascertain what she has done wrong?
I do not fight wars for Mary; you are the ones who mess yourselves up. Even ED himself, you do not like him. Because everyone he has chosen you are fighting them. Nduna wants that position, you also and Mai Mhlanga even; is also after it. Mai Mupufumira. Mai Mupfumira is the one who started G40 with Sarah Mahoka when I was chairman. I used to talk with her at her house after being sent by Grace Mugabe, working for her. You were all little kids back then. All the evidence I have it but you forget it. ….

By Own Correspondent- Three Grain Marketing Board (GMB) officials accused of defrauding the parastatal of over $1 million face 8 new charges.

Basilio Sandamu (64), the non-executive vice chairman of GMB and also the director of Romany Farm Pvt Ltd, and Taona Munzvandi (48), the chief executive officer of GMB Pension Fund, are jointly charged with Korbs Mutandiro (59), one of the directors of Romany Farm.

The three are facing fraud charges. The State wants to add eight more counts against them emanating from the fraud charge.

The trio allegedly swindled the parastatal of $1 070 000 in a State land deal. Mutandiro and Sandamu recently made an application for exception, arguing that Romany Farm (Pvt) Ltd must be held liable and not them. The application was dismissed by regional magistrate Ms Lucy Mungwari yesterday.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- A 34 year old unemployed man was hauled to court at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with unauthorised access to a computer linked to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) Paynet server where he allegedly paid himself $2 385 073, through a fraudulently registered company.

Manase Manjovha was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him to today for bail application.

The complainant, Zimra was represented by its information communication technology security manager Ebrahim Makunganya.

The State alleges that sometime in April last year, Manjovha and an accomplice Stephen Moreka, who has since been arrested, opened three bank accounts with POSB Bank in the name of Talent Mandebvu 4 of Mandebvu village, Chief Mashayamombe, Mhondoro.

The duo also allegedly opened two corporate bank accounts in the name of bogus companies called Limpstone Investments and Del Computers (Private) Limited.

It is alleged on May 4 last year, Manjovha, working in connivance with Moreka, remotely accessed the Zimra Paynet server and uploaded three files into the paynet system with a total value of $2 385 073,20 without authority and then cleared all server logs to cover the trail.

After accessing the Zimra server, they allegedly paid out $2 385 073, 20 to the accounts.

Manjovha is also facing another charge of acquiring a fake birth certificate. It is alleged that on January 2 this year, Manjovha went to the United States Embassy while misrepresenting as Sean Chiyangwa born on April 22, 1985 and applied for a visa to the US.-Newsday

By Own Correspondent- Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has received an early boost ahead of what could turn out to be a bruising contest when the MDC congress gets underway in May.

A report by a local publication states that several party structures moved to endorse Chamisa’s candidature at the weekend.

This comes as speculation is growing that respected MDC secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora — as well as one of Chamisa’s two deputies, Elias Mudzuri — could also throw their hats into the ring when the country’s main opposition party holds its eagerly-awaited elective congress in May.

The charismatic Chamisa took over the party’s reins under hotly-disputed circumstances in February last year, following the death of the MDC’s revered founding president Morgan Tsvangirai — who lost his valiant battle against colon cancer on Valentine’s Day, and soon after he had elevated the youthful politician to the party’s presidium.

With behind-the-scenes campaigning gathering steam ahead of the party’s congress, many MDC structures are already marking the territory for their favoured leaders — with a number of them moving to make it clear at the weekend that Chamisa would receive their backing when this highly-anticipated gathering gets underway in May.

“We met as a provincial executive council on Sunday and unanimously agreed to stand by the president (Chamisa), so that he takes us to 2023.

“It was not a difficult decision to reach because what he has done so far is there for all to see … It is clear that nobody in the party at present can match that,” Mashonaland West provincial secretary Edson Ndirayire told the Daily News yesterday.

Mashonaland East provincial chairperson Piniel Denga also said while they had not met as a province to nominate their candidate, the executive had earlier agreed at its provincial assembly meeting that Chamisa should remain at the party’s helm.

“As the chairman, I made that proposal and it was agreed to by all … so when the nomination day comes, we are simply going to refer to that agreement, and so our position is already clear that we are going with Chamisa,” Denga said.

On her part, women’s assembly chairperson Lynnet Karenyi-Kore said the fact that Chamisa had emerged leader at short notice following the death of Tsvangirai — while also going on to perform well in the July 30, 2018 presidential election — was “enough proof that he was a solid leader”.

“As women, we are confident that only Chamisa has what it takes now. He managed to get us over two million votes despite the handicap of having to be thrown at the deep end at the last minute.

“We still want him to continue and see where he takes us because the road we have travelled with him so far is promising … and so come congress he is our man,” Karenyi-Kore said emphatically.

And speaking to the Daily News separately, MDC youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa also said they were already lobbying other structures to rally behind Chamisa.

“Our support for Chamisa is premised on the principle that young people should be promoted into positions of leadership — hence for purposes of this congress we have taken a decision to work towards convincing all other structures in this regard,” Chinoputsa said.

However, other party insiders said it was not yet “cast in stone that Chamisa will roll over” his opponents in May. This was particularly so if Mwonzora decided to contest him.

“These elections are far from decided because it is early days yet. Anyone, particularly Dougie (Mwonzora) has a chance of winning this post because he is respected and loved by many in the party who see him as mature and level-headed.

“Remember too that five years ago, Chamisa lost to Mwonzora hands down despite him thinking that he had the support of 11 of the party’s 12 provinces.

“As you also know, a day is too long in politics … and indeed, only time will tell when we get to May how the exact picture will look like, as well as who is likely to win,” one of the insiders told the Daily News.

The well-placed source’s sentiments come after Chamisa was defeated by Mwonzora in 2014 for the secretary-general’s post — who was, at the time, considered a rank outsider in those elections.

Chamisa then held the powerful post of MDC organising secretary, a position which was said to have given him the opportunity to revamp party structures in his favour — and which structures were expected to give him an overwhelming victory against Mwonzora, who was the party spokesperson at the time.

Mwonzora scored a shock and unexpected crushing victory over Chamisa — which saw him getting 2 464 votes against his rival’s 1 756. This subsequently left Chamisa as an ordinary card-carrying member, before he was rescued by Tsvangirai who appointed him to the MDC national executive as secretary for policy and research.

There were even unconfirmed suggestions at the time that a stunned Chamisa, unwilling to stomach the results of those internal polls, was even contemplating resigning from the MDC altogether — which never happened. In an ironic turn of fate, Chamisa was to later assume the reins of the country’s main opposition party ahead of his rivals following the death of Tsvangirai last year — albeit, under controversial circumstances.

The 41-year-old was accused of having allegedly used his then assumed closeness to Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth, to torpedo the ambitions of the likes of Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe.

A titanic leadership battle subsequently ensued in the party, which eventually led to Khupe forming a breakaway faction which went on to perform dismally in last year’s elections.

Chamisa ultimately prevailed over his party competitors after a consultative meeting of the MDC, which was held at its Harare headquarters — and which was attended by 639 delegates from 210 party districts — endorsed him as Tsvangirai’s successor and the party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 polls.-Daily News

By Own Correspondent- Police Spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said that the Bustop TV duo, Gonyeti and Maggie were not arrested for their skit #CharityCharambaChallenge but for wearing regalia similar to police uniform while doing one of their skits 2 years ago.

Gonyeti and Maggie, real names Samantha Kureya and Sharon Chideu respectively, were on Tuesday arrested by the police for producing a film while clad in apparel resembling police uniforms.

Charamba said that actors should, first of all, seek permission from the relevant authorities before using police or military uniform-resembling clothes in their performances.

Gonyeti and Maggie were made to pay $20 each as Admission of Guilty fines.

By Own Correspondent- The Deputy Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Advocate Fortune Chasi said that he could not answer for what is happening with the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) buses which have seemingly disappeared from the roads.

While responding to inquiries from the commuting public on Twitter, Chasi said:

I’m very sorry taking too long to respond to the enquiries on buses that have been directed at myself.

I just had no meaningful chance to be on this platform. As previously intimated the matter has been firmly in the hands of ZUPCO itself as well as its parent ministry for sometime now.

By Own Correspondent- Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has taken the fight against sanctions to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

The UNHRC is holding the 40th session in Geneva, Switzerland.

While making his address before the Council on Wednesday, Ziyambi said:

“As enunciated in the Vision 2030, which is aimed at attaining an Upper Middle-Income status by 2030, the Zimbabwean economy remains stable with growth projections for 2019 pegged at 3,1 per cent.

However, Zimbabwe’s economic transformation continues to be hampered by the illegal sanctions imposed by the West.

We, therefore, appeal to the international community to call for the unconditional removal of the sanctions, which have caused untold suffering on our people.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent- Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Prophet Walter Magaya was again in no show at Harare magistrates courts as his church has been hauled to court over tax evasion.

Magaya sent a representative whose name is yet to be confirmed to answer to charges being leveled against PHD ministries. When PHD made its first appearance on February 16, its leader was also in no show.

PHD ministries was on February 16 2019 charged for breaching Value Added Tax (VAT) regulations on nearly $29 million and the matter remanded to today (February 28) for trial.

The State alleges that the money was generated from the sale of church wares over four years. The complainant in the matter is the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) which was represented by its chief investigations officer, Tinashe Madakadze.

The State is arguing that PHD ministries raises revenue from selling church regalia, anointing oil and holy water, as well as from a guest house which is widely known as Yadah Hotel. Prosecutor Peter Kachirika alleged that sometime in October 2018, Zimra had conducted tax investigations on PHD and recovered financial statements from the church for the period 2013 to 2017. Zimra had also recovered financial statements from the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe, which were submitted by PHD for a loan application.

The statements showed that PHD had allegedly made sales amounting to $28,7 million between 2013 and 2017. It was further alleged that during the same period, PHD had paid remuneration amounting to $950 522 to the clergyman’s wife, Tendai Magaya. The State also accused PHD of also transferring remuneration of US$2,4 million to Magaya’s own bank account without paying the due Pay As You Earn (Paye) tax.

This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates

By Own Correspondent- Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has justified the government of Zimbabwe’s crackdown on protestors before the 40th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) underway in Geneva, Switzerland.

Addressing the Council on Wednesday, Ziyambi said:

“It is important to note that these protests were premeditated, pre-planned, masterminded and sponsored by external forces and local NGOs who were working with some civil society organisations and some workers unions, to make the country ungovernable and to effect regime change.

Government consequently deployed law enforcement agents to quell these protests and avert further loss of life and destruction of property.

It is a pity that the same groups have continued to propagate biased and misleading reports that are aimed at tarnishing the image of Zimbabwe yet they continue to get favourable attention.

This happens even when in cases where they are alleged to have incited the commission of crimes and violations of the rights of other citizens.

In order to protect their interests, their handlers continue to advocate for their release even at the expense of the proper administration of justice.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa has implored Speaker of parliament Jacob Mudenda to protect its legislators amid indications that the party’s youngest legislator Joanna Mamombe is being harrassed by unidentified gunmen suspected to be state security agents.

The party says that unidentified gunmen raided Harare West legislator, Mamombe’s parents’ house on Tuesday night.

The men were looking for the youngest MP at her parents’ home but could not find her.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Jacob Mafume demanded that Parliament should protect MPs.

Said Mafume:

“On Tuesday, unidentified armed men went to Mamombe’s parents’ residence, saying they were looking for her, but they did not indicate where they were coming from.

Like any Parliament in the world, we expect that if there is an MP that needs to be arrested, there are procedures or special police units that deal with that, but if an armed vigilante group hunts down an MP, then it means that Parliament’s Standing Rules and Orders Committee must come in and demand to know what is happening with the MP so that they protect them.

Mamombe is the youngest MP and a woman, and if her security is threatened while she is away on Parliament business, then we expect the Speaker and the Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda to care about MPs and seek their protection.

Even when an MP falls sick, we expect Parliament to find out whether the MP is safe because they cannot deal with Parliament issues well if their security is threatened. In this case, we would expect the Speaker to investigate why MPs are being harassed, and why there has been a sudden arrest of MPs.

The alleged raid took place when Mamombe was in Nyanga attending a Parliament workshop.

By Own Correspondent- Econet boss and billionaire Strive Masiyiwa has come under fire for his stance on supporting dictators across Africa in order to further his business interests.

International Socialist Organisation (ISO) leader and firebrand trade unionist Munyaradzi Gwisai blasted Masiyiwa for supporting the champions of authoritarian liberalism such as General Sisi, the Egyptian President and Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

Gwisai was speaking at an event organised by the SIVIO Institute on Wednesday in Harare.

He said:

“Strive Masiyiwa has now expanded with his liquid company from Cape to Cairo and he is now going to do the same across West Africa.

Strive Masiyiwa said the person he thanked most for allowing him to expand is Paul Kagame when he was AU chairperson. That butcher and dictator of Rwanda is the one who facilitated him to do the project.

Strive Masiyiwa now says that ‘I am thankfully General Sisi (Egyptian President)’ the incoming chair of AU. The butcher of Cairo is his friend.

So these are of authoritarian liberalism; they cannot be the friends of democracy. I believe that the only class is the working class, the working class knows no border, the working class knows no country.

Strive Masiyiwa, John Moxon have a greater relationship with Kagame with Bill Gates than with peasant and workers of this country, their vision is a vision of global exploitation.

He is a capitalist whose interest is profiting through the exploitation of labour.”

So for that reason, the only way forward can only be one of social war, a social revolution led by the working class as the way forward.”

By Own Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority ZERA has gazetted the maximum fuel prices Service Stations are supposed to charge.

Below are the new recommended prices:

By Own Correspondent| Harare City Council raked $1,5 million from vendors in 2018, full council meeting minutes have revealed.

The figure was, however, lower than the Council’s projected income.

Read part of minutes from the full Council meeting:

“Revenue collection had declined by 23,39% during the year under review compared to the previous year.

The decline in revenue collection was attributed to the following challenges: inadequate funding for informal sector projects, political interference in the allocation of market stalls to vendors and revenue collection and economic hardship, resulting in traders failing to pay market fees to Council.

Meanwhile, the Council launched a blitz targetting illegal vendors and tuckshop owners in various high-density suburbs.”

Own Correspondent|Reports just revived indicate MDC Acting President Engineer Elias Mudzuri and his backers ahead of congress are demanding that the party holds an extraordinary Congress as a matter of urgency and threatening to ensure the proposed 24 May Congress does not succeed.

“We, as bona fide MDC members, are demanding an extraordinary congress in line with the party constitution. Not the bogus May Congress published by the Chamisa cabal. It is a dictatorship and unconstitutional,” said the party’s official according to the reports.

“It is only the position of the president that needs to be filled, and we demand that Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora calls a extra-ordinary congress in line with the party constitution so that we fill the position of the president. That is the only vacancy that needs to be filled in the party at the moment,” the source said.

But Mwonzora, on his part, will not budge. If he calls for an extraordinary Congress, that would mean he stays in the same position he is now, as only the president would be contested.

Mwonzora is understood to be aiming for the presidency, and it suits him better if the party goes for the May Congress where all positions will be open for contests instead of an extraordinary Congress.

The Mudzuri camp has petitions going around canvassing for signatures to force Mwonzora to act and call for an extraordinary Congress.

The source continued: “It is the extraordinary congress that is due now, not the May one. There’s nowhere in the constitution where it calls for the May congress.

“We already have a petition circulating , with MDC members demanding the Secretary-General to call for an extraordinary Congress immediately. An urgent court application is on the way if Mwonzora refuses to act.”

The camp plans to hold a press conference mid-next week when they will have gathered enough signatures for their petition.

There is an online copy of the petition and the number of signatures building up. Another petition is going around on printed copies, the source said.

A second source linked to the same camp weighed in: “We have 100 signatures already. The MDC extraordinary Congress cannot be avoided; it is a constitutional requirement.

“All we need is approach the courts if the Secretary-General refuses to entertain our petition, and a simple reading of our party constitution will throw this Chamisa’s so-called May Congress into the litter bin.

“However, we have been trying to use internal processes as much as possible to settle this glaring error of omission and commission by our colleagues.”

“Listen Mwonzora is not bothered with the May Congress even though it’s illegal and unconstitutional because they are calling for an ordinary congress with all positions contested. If he calls for an extraordinary congress he won’t be able to contests because it is one position that will be available and as Secretary-General he is not able to contest.

“The structures are so angry with Mwonzora because he is showing that he likes power too much and he has no respect for the party constitution. The congress delegates feel betrayed by him.

“It’s both very interesting and shocking to note that Douglas Mwonzora has now come in full force preparing for the illegal Chamisa’s congress of 24 – 26 May. That squarely confirms some people everyday’s fears of having these lawyers as our leaders as a nation a total disaster. Lawyers in Zimbabwe are the same.”

The group warned Mwonzora against participating in the May Congress, as the terrain has been tilted to favour Nelson Chamisa. The camp further accuses ZANU-PF rejects of funding Chamisa in desperate bid to save Mugabe’s legacy, citing the massive support Chamisa now receives from former hardcore Mugabe apologists such as Jonathan Moyo as an indication that Chamisa was a Mugabe project.

“Instead of defending the Constitution, and Secretary-General of the party, Douglas Mwonzora thinks everything is now set for him to repeat a 2014 thumbing of Chamisa in the Secretary-General congress contest.

“What Mwonzora is failing to understand is that the whole terrain has changed and is presently pointing at Chamisa’s outstanding advantages. Facts now have it that Chamisa is receiving massive support from G40 who are using him to fight to reverse the November 2017 coup.

“Look at how Jonathan Moyo, Shadreck Mashayamombe, Jealousy Mawarire and Agrippa Bopela Masiyakurima are all now acting as if they are more MDC than all of us. They all hope to propel Chamisa to power so as to save Robert Mugabe’s legacy.”

Last week, the Chamisa camp, who last year announced the Congress would be held in October 2019 “in line with the Constitution as the last Congress had been held in October 2014,” suddenly made a u-turn and agreed for a May 2019 Congress.

While this looked like a climb-down by Chamisa, the Mudzuri camp thinks otherwise.

“Whilst the announcement of the illegal May congress may seem to be a climb-down by Chamisa who initially wanted an October one, the facts point to the contrary. If the Secretary-General chooses to abrogate the law and derelict his duty, history is not going to be lenient with him. So he needs to do the right thing and call for an extraordinary Congress now.

“Section 9.21.1 of the MDC Constitution should be Mwonzora’s guideline for now. As it stands now, Douglas Mwonzora and Nelson Chamisa are different sides of the same coin. The two are two faction leaders who are egocentric and enemies of constitutionalism.”

Party leader Nelson Chamisa is out of the country on a diplomatic offensive. He left Eng. Mudzuri, one of his deputies, as the acting president.

Efforts to get a comment from Mudzuri himself were not successful.

By Own Correspondent| Speaker of the House of Assembly Jacob Mudenda has professed ignorance over why opposition MDC legislators are being harrassed by suspected state security agents.

Mudenda said that Members of Parliament are protected by the law and the Constitution of the land.

Mudenda’s remarks follow the MDC Alliance’s claim that its MPs are routinely being harassed by suspected state security agents, the latest case being that of Harare West MP Joanna Mamombe who was allegedly stalked by a group of six armed gunmen.

Said Mudenda:

I do not even know the issues pertaining to their security and why they are being harassed.

Yes, I did receive a letter from leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Thabitha Khumalo, saying her party MPs were being harassed, and I have already dealt with the issue.

Khumalo and those that were in hiding before Parliament went for recess are now attending Parliament sessions.-Newsday

A Bulawayo widow lost more than $40 000 after a Harare man allegedly cloned her late husband’s bank card and went on to conduct illegal point of sale (POS) transactions at various retail outlets.

Timmy Kuzhangaira (27) of Sunningdale suburb yesterday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing fraud charges.

He was granted $500 bail and remanded to March 20 for trial.

Kuzhangaira was ordered not to interfere with State witnesses and to report at Bulawayo Central Police Station thrice a week as part of his bail conditions.

Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said between January 31 and February 7 this year, Kuzhangaira went to Bradfield Shopping Centre in Bulawayo and allegedly spotted the complainant Ms Margaret Watson buying groceries at TM Pick n Pay Supermarket using her late husband’s bank card.

The court heard that while an unsuspecting Ms Watson was paying for her groceries using the card, Kuzhangaira allegedly managed to copy her card number and the pin code.

“He then cloned the card and went on to make several POS transactions at various retail outlets in Bulawayo and in the process prejudicing the complainant of $43 013, 77,” said Mr Dlodlo.

Ms Watson discovered the illegal transactions on her late husband’s account and reported the matter to the police.

During investigations detectives saw Kuzhangaira in a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) video footage at TM Pick n Pay Supermarket at Bradfield Shopping Centre.
He was allegedly captured while in the process of transacting using the cloned bank card.

Police detectives accidently bumped into him at the same shopping centre and he was arrested.

He was found in possession of five more cloned cards in his possession.

The court heard that Kuzhangaira had turned TM Pick n Pay Supermarket at Bradfield Shopping Centre into a hunting ground where he allegedly targetted mostly the elderly shoppers.

Card cloning is the production of counterfeit bank cards by criminals after acquiring information contained in the magnetic strip of the bank card.

Criminals get this information through gadgets known as skimmers.

Card cloning is becoming rampant in Zimbabwe as card cloning syndicates are taking advantage of the uptake of plastic money by business organisations and members of the public.

According to police, 154 cases of card cloning were reported in 2018.

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) said its members have also fallen victim to the scammers, who in some instances steal POS machines from shops and service stations and upload data which they use to clone debit cards.

– state media

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has, in a no-holds-barred interview with international media, accused his political nemesis President Emmerson Mnangagwa of being out of touch with reality and misleading the world about the state of the country.

Chamisa on Monday told French broadcaster, France 24, that unless there is sincere, honest political dialogue between the two parties, the country’s crisis would take long to end.

“Clearly, what Mr Mnangagwa is saying is an indication of how out of touch with the reality of what is happening in the country, he has chosen to institutionalise deceiving the world, deceiving the people and deceiving himself,” Chamisa said.

This came after Mnangagwa recently told the same news agency that Chamisa, with backing of some foreign agencies, triggered last month’s countrywide protests as part of their regime change agenda.

But Chamisa dismissed the allegations.

“Those are accusations by misplaced appreciation of the facts in Zimbabwe. We are very clear, we do not subscribe to violence,” he said.

The MDC leader said the crisis in Zimbabwe was caused by poor leadership, theft of elections and increase of fuel prices by over 150%.

“The clarity, when we have looked at this issue, is that the problem in Zimbabwe, which we have seen, is occasioned by the deficits and omissions by government, particularly the price hikes of fuel by 150%, which was instituted by Mr Mnangagwa, is what then triggered action by citizens in a non-violent manner. Of course, we had incidents of violence, which we condemned, which we do not subscribe to,” Chamisa said.

The government has in the past few weeks arrested over 1 000 suspects, among them MDC legislators and civil society leaders in connection with last month’s skirmishes. Chamisa said he was shocked that Mnangagwa’s government was after the MDC when even the State-linked Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission had produced a report condemning government’s heavy handedness in quelling the unrest.

“Why Mr Mnangagwa chooses to look at the MDC and picks on the MDC baffles the mind. We are not working with any foreign power. We are not working with any international organisation. If anything, the struggle for change in Zimbabwe, the struggle of freedom and democracy is underwritten by the people of Zimbabwe without the support of anyone, but of course, we welcome the solidarity of the international community and the people of the world who feel that the people of Zimbabwe need total freedom and total change,” he said.

Turning to the socio-economic problems, which the MDC has said are underpinned by the contestation around the July 30 2018 general elections, Chamisa called on Mnangagwa to stop blaming him and instead solve the crisis.

“Great leaders are supposed to solve problems not explain problems. Mr Mnangagwa is explaining the problems, he is not solving the problems. This is why we have said come to

your senses, come to the party and let us reason together and let us resolve the problem affecting Zimbabwe, instead of finger-pointing,” he said.

The opposition leader also demanded an investigation into the extrajudicial killings of 17 people last month to ensure that those who pulled the trigger are brought to book.

Mnangagwa has since demanded evidence, including names of the 17 people killed during the violent protests accusing instead, non-governmental organisations and the MDC of stage-managing the deaths, torture and allegations of rape against the police and army.

Chamisa said Mnangagwa had unwittingly let the cat out of the bag when, in Mwenezi, he publicly acknowledged that he had unleased the military on the people and demanded that he takes responsibility for the killings and violence against unarmed civilians.

“If he is claiming to be in charge of the affairs of the State, he must also account for the affairs, developments and actions of the State. We have 17 people whose names are known, if there is a genuine desire to get to the bottom of this matter, let there be an investigation. That investigation has not be called for … to hold the people to account, including himself, because what happened was extra constitutional, it’s not allowed – the taking away of life, even if people turn violent, there are ways of dealing with violent people,” he said.

Chamisa noted that even former President Robert Mugabe, who himself was accused of severe repression during his time in power, has strongly criticised Mnangagwa’s crackdown. The opposition leader called Mugabe’s remarks “confirmation” that the current president had “crossed the line”.

Chamisa said he was ready “anytime” for “a credible and genuine” dialogue with Mnangagwa, but insisted that it should be done through international mediation, citing South

Africa, the inter-governmental Sadc or the African Union as “ideal” go-betweens.

This comes as State media yesterday reported that Zimbabwe had, alongside Kenya, Liberia and Rwanda, been considered as “largest improvers” on the continent in the last 10 years despite a worsening social and political fabric in the country.

On Saturday last week, Mnangagwa vowed to track down human rights doctors and lawyers, who treated the injured and represented them in courts respectively.

NewsDay

Correspondent|The Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) has announced that all vehicles changing ownership will remain with their current number plates due to shortages in supply of number plates.

In a statement, the CVR stated the changes would take place with immediate effect. “Due to the shortages of number plates CVR has changed its policy on change of ownership.

“With effect from today 26 February 2019 all vehicles changing ownership should maintain current plates, what only changes is the new registered book with details of the new owner.”

The CVR said motorists will now pay a $15 and acquire a new registration book with the new owner’s information and “no plates will be surrendered.

“Exceptions, whereby new plates are to be issued, include when government or local authority vehicles change ownership and when public service vehicles change ownership.”

The statement said new plates are still to be issued when converting from the obsolete “check letter” plates, when replacing lost, damaged or defaced number plates.

The president of the chief’s council Fortune Charumbira has shot down claims by rights groups and opposition political parties that he is a Zanu PF member saying he does not belong to any political party but subscribes to the values and principles of the ruling party.

Charumbira said that the chiefs share the same liberation ethos as those of Zanu PF and they are both fighting for their people.

“I hear people saying that I am a member of Zanu PF but that is not true. I am not a member of Zanu PF but I identify with the principles and values of the ruling party.

“Zanu PF fights to defend the freedom of our people and as chiefs we subscribe to that. I am not in any Zanu PF structure and hold no membership card to the party.

“Chiefs belong to everyone regardless of political affiliation and we are not political. There are people who vote for different political parties because they identify with their values but not necessarily on membership basis,” said Charumbira.

Asked if he would attend opposition rallies the same way he does with Zanu PF rallies, Charumbira said he would not because it will give a wrong connotations.

“I will never attend opposition rallies because it is not right to do so. But that does not mean I do not interact with them. I can even call MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and discuss issues but I can never have a meeting with him.

“Chiefs have been accused of threatening people to vote for Zanu PF but that is all lies. Some people judge us by what we say on Zanu PF rallies but they fail to understand the deeper meaning of our words.

“Chiefs work with the government of the day and in our case we have Zanu PF in charge,” said Charumbira.

Charumbira has been dragged to court on numerous occasions for openly declaring his support for Zanu PF when the constitution compels the traditional leadership to be apolitical.

Morning Post

Own Correspondent|Politically forgotten former Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has taken swipe at MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa who he has described as a joke to opposition politics as he lacks consistency and a clear strategy on dealing with ZANU-PF.

Speaking on Wednesday at a Harare conference organised by SIVIO Institute (SI) International Summit, Mutambara said: “I want to urge the MDC Alliance to think being strategic. What do you want; one day you say ‘we don’t want an inclusive government, we just want reforms, we want to talk about reforms’; another day, they say ‘we want an NTA (National Transitional Authority)’.

“It’s a joke because there is no one who accepts that. The opposition won’t accept that because they want to be in power and in government, and Zanu PF won’t accept that.”

Mutambara added, “And now two weeks ago, I hear ‘we want two years for Mnangagwa and two years for MDC and the next day we don’t want that’”

In his remarks, Mutambara said it was remote that Zanu PF would accept MDC demands for the formation of a transitional authority, let alone recent demands by MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to be allowed to rule for two years during the current Emmerson Mnangagwa tenure.

He said the opposition needs to have a clear strategy and roadmap on how they want critical issues in the country addressed, adding that he was not satisfied with Chamisa’s inconsistency in outlining the main opposition’s overall demands.

This, he said, has unnecessarily brought a lot of confusion among opposition supporters and neutrals.

“In terms my friends in the opposition (MDC), I have lots of respect; they did very well even by the rigged election. 2.1 million votes are a lot of votes, they did very well in Parliament and in everything,” said the former leader of an MDC breakaway party.

Since his controversial defeat to Mnangagwa in the July 2018 elections, Chamisa has made several demands from Mnangagwa which have all been rebuffed.

The young opposition heavyweight has demanded Mnangagwa to accept “defeat” and gracefully surrender power to him while claiming he is the one who actually won the highly disputed poll.

Chamisa has also been linked to demands of a GNU but has been strong in denying his party was not “desperate for a GNU”.

The ex-cabinet minister and MP has also demanded a transitional authority to superintend over the country’s affairs until the next elections.

Lately while addressing his supporters at an “election victory” thank-you rally weekend, Chamisa has demanded that he be granted time to rule the country for two years as a compromise gesture by Mnangagwa.

The SIVIO Institut International Summit provides an opportunity for non-partisan and objective dialogue on the current challenges facing Zimbabwe.

The conference was held under the theme: “First year of the 2nd Republic: Continuing with the old or Breaking with the past” and was attended by captains of industry, opposition political party leaders, labour and civil society.

ABOUT 10 200 teachers will have their leave days deducted as punishment for embarking on an industrial action early this month, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has said.

Thousands of teachers participated in a strike called by the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) early this month demanding a salary increase and bettter conditions of service.

In a statement yesterday, PSC acting chairperson Mr Ozias Hove said the commission will not pay teachers for not working and a repeat of the industrial action will attract a more severe punishment.

“The PSC has noted isolated cases of abscondment by about 10 200 teachers for durations ranging from 1 to 4 days between 5 and 8 February 2019. The commission will employ the principle of “No Work, No Pay” to punish teachers who deserted their duties.

“The PSC would also like to advise all teachers who were absent from work without authority that deductions from their leave days (of the offending individuals) using the principle of no work no pay will be effected,” said Mr Hove.

He said the commission was treating the 10 200 as first offenders and a repeat will attract a more severe punishment.

Mr Hove said members of the civil service who reported for work but did not provide any services will be deemed to have been absent as they did not render any service at all.

“The industrial action was illegal as the Government was in the middle of negotiations with civil servants through the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC),” said Mr Hove.

Teachers downed tools for almost a week and the teachers’ unions called off the strike after the Government committed itself to operationalising non-monetary incentives and other benefits.

Sector-specific issues which the teachers want addressed include acting, head of department and examination allowances, accommodation challenges, corruption within Government when members want to transfer, among others.

They also want their children, up to three per individual, to be exempt from paying school fees at Government schools.

State Media

A suspected fraudster who had been on the run since last year after he allegedly connived with a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) official and attempted to swindle the tax collector of over $2 million, appeared in court yesterday.

Manase Manjovha (34) from Bulawayo allegedly connived with Zimra’s systems administrator Stephen Moreka who was arrested and taken to court last year.

Following the arrest of Moreka, Manjovha went into hiding and was declared a wanted person by the police.

He then fraudulently obtained new identity documents under a different name. Manjovha was arrested at the American Embassy where he had gone to apply for a visa using the fake documents.

He appeared in court yesterday before magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa charged him with fraud and “unauthorised access to a computer or computer network”. He was remanded in custody to today for bail ruling after the State led by Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed bail.

It is the State’s case that sometime in April last year, Moreka and Manjovha hatched a plan to steal from ZIMRA.

They opened several bank accounts. Moreka who was on sick leave, accessed the ZIMRA paynet server.

They allegedly connived and uploaded three files into the paynet system with a total of $2 385 073,20 without the authority’s permission.

The duo directed ZIMRA to make payments to the various bank accounts they had fraudulently opened, it is alleged.

To cover-up for the offence, they allegedly cleared all server logs and deleted files. However, the deleted files were recovered by the company’ accountant who then reported the matter to the superiors.

A report was made to the police and investigations led to the arrest of Moreka.

State Media

Paul Nyathi|Former NMB chief executive Mr James Mushore, who was appointed Harare town clerk in April 2016 before Government rescinded his appointment has won his case against Harare City Council after a labour officer ruled that his contract of employment was unlawfully terminated.

The City Council cancelled Mushore’s contract in August 2017 after it claimed he was not the best candidate for the job.

Mushore signed a two-year contract with Harare City Council on April 1 2017 before being sent on forced leave a week later after Government rescinded the appointment. Government argued his appointment was unprocedural and violated the Urban Councils Act.

According to the law in question, council was supposed to submit the names of three candidates to the Local Government Board for approval. Harare has not been decisive on the matter, hiding under the pretext that Mr Mushore had a pending matter at the Labour Court against council.

Mushore’s appointment was sanctioned by the then MDC leadership which put pressure on former Harare deputy mayor Chris Mbanga to resign over allegations that he defied a party directive not to suspend him.

Correspondent|ZIMBABWE’S largest mobile network services provider Econet Wireless on Tuesday announced an adjustment in tariffs for roaming and international calling services to reflect movement in the exchange rate as determined on the inter-bank market.

This follows the introduction of an inter-bank foreign exchange market by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe last week where electronic money is known as Real Time Gross Settlement, bond notes and coins can be traded against other currencies at market rates.

This was a departure from the central bank’s long maintained position that the local currency was at par with the U.S. dollar although on the black market the currency traded at higher rates to the US dollar.

On the official inter-bank market last Friday, the exchange rate debuted at 2.50 against the U.S. dollar, lower than black market rates of around 3.50.

Econet said it has certain services that require direct settlement in foreign currency, hence the adjustments would enable it to continue providing the services that include roaming services, international outbound calling and SMS services.

It, however, pointed out that the adjustments do not amount to changes in tariffs.

“The applicable tariffs for these services remain unchanged. We are simply recognizing the impact of the movement in the exchange rates from 1:1 to the inter-bank rate as determined by the market for services that are directly procured in foreign currency,” Econet said.

Correspondent|FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara said President Emmerson Mnangagwa invited 20 irrelevant people who don’t matter for national dialogue.

Mutambara was speaking at the Putting Zimbabwe First Conference hosted by the SIVIO Institute at Cresta Hotel in Harare on Wednesday, February 27.

He went on to suggest that if Zanu PF is serious about dialogue it must sit down with the MDC Alliance, business and civic society. “

Mutambara also bemoaned the lack of leadership and statesmanship in the ruling party (Zanu PF) and opposition (MDC Alliance). There is a need for leadership across the board with Zimbabweans working together, he said.

“Yes for dialogue but the nature of the dialogue is important. You can’t have 20 elements and bring them to state house and say I am having dialogue.

Dialogue with who without the MDC Alliance. If Zanu PF and the government are serious about dialogue they must dialogue with the MDC Alliance.

Those 20 people don’t matter, they are irrelevant. You can bring civic society, business and the MDC Alliance and talk. Why do you need a guy with 2 votes. You are going to talk about what. “

20 Zimbabwean presidential candidates from the 2018 election at a national dialogue meeting convened by President Mnangagwa on February 6.

Source: Povo

Correspondent|LEWIS Matutu, the ZANU-PF Deputy Secretary for the Youth League has said MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is supported in the party mainly by hooligans who do not vote at Congress.

Matutu further said MDC Alliance Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora has control of the voting members of the party and will beat Chamisa at the Congress set for May this year.

“Mwonzora likely to become the new MDC Alliance President because majority of Chamisa’s hooligans are not in the structures of their party and they don’t form part of the congress delegates,” Matutu said.

Only about 4,500 delegates vote at the MDC Congress, and these are drawn from the party’s grassroots leadership as well as provincial and national leaders.

Chalton Hwende, a close Chamisa ally and also MDC deputy treasurer-general, said he’s shocked by the unusual interest by ZANU-PF members in what should ne internal MDC politics.

Matutu said he was not even interested in internal MDC affairs which he said were full of confusion.

“To be honest I don’t like him (Mwonzora) either but this is an honest analysis. After all, how can l campaign for him as if lm interested in their/your confusion neither am l a member of their/your party.”

The MDC -Alliance holds its Congress on 24 to 26 May. 

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga made his first public appearance since his arrival from India on Saturday evening.

Chiwenga had gone to India were he received treatment for an undisclosed ailment. The former military general was flown to India early this month where sources said he was having trouble swallowing.

The trip to India was confirmed by Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi who said Chiwenga was suffering from an abdominal ailment.

However, a medical source said when Chiwenga visited a hospital in South Africa he complained that his esophagus was “dry”. He told doctors he was struggling to eat.

Chiwenga was among the delegates who welcomed Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi who is in Zimbabwe for the inaugural Zimbabwe-Botswana Bi-National Commission (BNC).

Below are pictures of Chiwenga:

Article Courtesy: Pindula

It’s already a dog-eat-dog affair in the MDC with those aspiring to contest for positions openly canvassing for support within party structures.

At the top, party leader Nelson Chamisa is likely to be challenged by either one of his deputies Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora, or both.

Another battle of titanic proportions is in the offing for the position of deputy president. The MDC has three deputy presidents.

While Welshman Ncube’s position appears to be safe as he has support from all the Matabeleland provinces, the same cannot be said of the other two deputy presidents — Morgen Komichi and Mudzuri. Komichi might have to battle it out with deputy national chairperson Tendai Biti and secretary for elections Murisi Zwizwai.

Also in the mix for the three positions are women’s assembly boss Lynnet Karenyi-Kore, Lillian Timveos, treasurer-general Theresa Makone and former Labour minister Paurina Mpariwa.

Zwizwai said he was not in a position to comment as nominations have not been done by the provincial executives.

“We all await the process to begin so that we can be able to tell where the people want to deploy us. It is not up to me to decide where I want to be,” Zwizwai said.

Karenyi-Kore said: “I am what I am not because I canvassed but because I was deployed by the people”.

“The real fight is on the VPs where several candidates have shown interest but Biti having stood by Chamisa during the campaign period has better chances although Zwizwai is also in there with a shout,” a source said, adding that the likes of Mpariwa, Makone and Karenyi-Kore are pinning their hopes on the possible introduction of the women’s quota in the presidium.

For the position of national chairperson, the insiders say, incumbent Thabitha Khumalo could retain her position without a challenge as no one has so far shown interest. She is likely be deputised by Manicaland provincial chairperson David Chimhini who has reportedly shown interest in the position.

Another battle of monumental proportions is looming for the position of secretary-general where deputy treasurer -general Charlton Hwende, Bekithemba Mpofu and Sesel Zvidzai will likely battle it out. On the other hand Masvingo provincial chairperson, former Economic planning minister Tapiwa Mashakada, and Gift Banda will contest the position of treasurer-general. Epworth Member of Parliament Etherege Kureva is reportedly eyeing the position of deputy treasurer-general.

MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya faces stiff challenge from youth leader Happymore Chidziva while the late Morgan Tsvangirai’s former spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, current party spokesperson Jacob Mafume and Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala are eyeing the information portfolio.

Contacted for a comment over his ambitions going into the congress, Chibaya said “it is for the people to decide but I am happy with my current position”.

On his part, Sikhala said the appetite for positions has destroyed a number of politicians’ careers.

“I will be comfortable to work in any position the people will give me even in the branch,” Sikhala said.

He added that the position one holds in the party is not the one that determines capacity but results.

“It’s like people running to a big law firm hoping that the name of the law firm will establish oneself but I am doing well at my small law firm so I can do good with whatever position,” he said.

Another intriguing fight will be in the youth assembly where Lovemore Chinoputsa, the current secretary-general, will square off with Obey Sithole.

The jostling is not only pronounced in the party’s top echelons but in the provinces and structures below as well.

In Harare for example, sitting provincial chairperson, Eric Murai, is facing a serious challenge from Glen Norah MP Wellington Chikombo. — DailyNews

By Own Correspondent| Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has revealed that Zanu Pf’s factional fights costed party leader Emmerson Mnangagwa over 500 000 votes which were won by opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

In a statement issued recently, where he was advising Zanu Pf following indications that the party was purging some of its cadres including Mliswa’s sister Mary, he claimed that he had told the party to introspect and establish why President Emmerson Mnangagwa got less votes than those of his legislators combined.

Mliswa exposed that some of the Zanu Pf cadres pledging allegiance to Mnangagwa were Generation 40 (G40) stalwarts.

Said Mliswa:

“I talk as the leader of Yard. I told them to be aware and be ready. ED got less votes than his MPs, where have you seen that happening anywhere on earth? Chamisa got votes, so many more than his own MPs over 500,000. 1,6million was for his own MPs. He got 2,1million votes. So what then happened? This is what you must sit down to review.

This thing of trying to fire or expel Mary (Mliswa). Even if you remove her from party structures, she will continue doing her work inside government, and assisting the party because her performance in government is assistive of the party. In the constituency she continues her work.

And now you sit down to decide that you want to expel Mary. What really has Mary done wrong? What is it you as a chairman that you could surely fail to sit down to ascertain what she has done wrong?

I do not fight wars for Mary; you are the ones who mess yourselves up. Even ED himself, you do not like him. Because everyone he has chosen you are fighting them. Nduna wants that position, you also and Mai Mhlanga even are also after it.

Mai Mupfumira. Mai Mupfumira is the one who started G40 with Sarah Mahoka when I was chairman. I used to talk with her at her house after being sent by Grace Mugabe, working for her. You were all little kids back then. All the evidence I have it but you forget it. ….”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe government has been left with an egg on the face after the Botswana government trashed as unfounded media reports to the effect that they have committed to extend USD600 million dollars to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

In a statement released this afternoon, Secretary to the President and Cabinet Carter Morupisi said the two nations are currently engaged in discussions under the framework of the Bi-National Commission which are discussing issues of mutual benefit to peoples of the two countries.

“The Office of the President wishes to inform members of the public that the Government of the Republic of Botswana and the Government of the Republic Zimbabwe are currently holding discussions under the framework of the Bi-National Commission which covers a wide range of issues which are mutually beneficial to the peoples of the two countries.

” As such, media reports that are currently circulating about the line of credit worth Six Hundred Million United States Dollars that the Government of Botswana has committed itself to extend to the Republic of Zimbabwe are unfounded.

“We wish to advise members of the public that in accordance with International practice a communique which summarises the outcomes of the meeting will be issued following the conclusion of the Bi-National Commission.”

By Own Correspondent| A traditional healer from Silobela has been dragged to court for repeatedly raping a 13 year old minor.

The healer, Fireman Ncube (45) appeared before a Kwekwe magistrate Tayengwa Sangster for allegedly raping a form one pupil aged 13 on several occasions.

He was remanded in custody to March 4.

The minor narrated the whole ordeal to her aunt and parents who in turn reported the matter at Silobela police, leading to the arrest of the traditional healer.-StateMedia

By David Moyo | A voice note of Norton MP, Temba Mliswa attacking ZANU PF youth leader Godfrey Tsenengamu for letting his leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa down, has gone viral.

Complaining in the note, Mliswa said Tsenengamu is failing his duties concentrating on trivials. He said:

“I talk as the leader of Yard. I told them to be aware and be ready. ED got less votes than his MPs, where have you seen that happening anywhere on earth? Chamisa got votes, so many more than his own MPs over 500,000. 1,6million was for his own MPs. He got 2,1mln votes. So what then happened? This is what you must sit down to review.

“This thing of trying to fire or expel Mary (Mliswa). Even if you remove her from party structures, she will continue doing her work inside government, and assisting the party because her performance in government is assistive of the party.

“In the constituency she continues her work. And now you sit down to decide that you want to expel Mary. What really has Mary done wrong? What is it that you as a chairman you surely fail to sit down to ascertain what she has done wrong?

“I do not fight wars for Mary; you are the ones who mess yourselves up. Even ED himself, you do not like him. Because everyone he has chosen you are fighting them. Nduna wants that position, you also and Mai Mhlanga even; is also after it.

“Mai Mupufumira. Mai Mupfumira is the one who started G40 with Sarah Mahoka when I was chairman. I used to talk with her at her house after being sent by Grace Mugabe, working for her. You were all little kids back then. All the evidence I have it but you forget it.”

Farai Dziva|Controversial Zimbabwean preacher Talent Madungwe has defended the “miracle” that was performed by Pastor Alph Lukau.

In a video footage that has gone viral on social media, Lukau is seen “raising a man from the dead”.

In an interview with Star FM, Madungwe defended Lukau’s miracle in which a Zimbabwean man was” raised from the dead.”

According to Madungwe there is nothing out of the ordinary from the incident as Jesus did the same with Lazarus who was raised from the dead after four days.

“There is nothing out of the ordinary from what happened in South Africa as Jesus raised Lazarus on the fourth day. When a person dies it takes seven days for him/her to reach hell or paradise, our two waiting places before heaven. So, when a person is pronounced dead and then is resurrected, they would have reached the heavenly gates where a verification process is conducted by us the members heavenly army.

By these gates, people are sent to these following places, heaven, hell, and back to earth. Just this past week, about 10 people were sent back to earth because we saw their mission here had not been accomplished yet. So nothing is surprising about the Lukau scenario,” said Madungwe.

Farai Dziva|The MDC A presidential post is open for contesting – by duly nominated candidates- contrary to claims that there are plans to close nominations for the position.

MDC A deputy treasurer-general Charlton Hwende, who is also MP for Kuwadzana East constituency has said that only four posts will be contested at the upcoming MDC Congress.

Hwende has also said the party’s constitution states that the posts of president, vice presidents, national chairperson, and the vice national chairperson will be contested.

“In terms of the current MDC Constitution, which we amended at the last Congress, only the following posts will be contested 1. President 2. Vice Presidents 3.National Chairman 4. Vice National Chairman. The rest will be appointments made by the new NEC after Congress,” said Hwende.

To be honest the greatest impediment to progress in Zimbabwe is its leaders. It is Zimbabwe’s leaders who mislead about the cause(s) of the problems in the country. It is leaders who must deal with the causes of all the misunderstandings with the rest of the world.

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) February 27, 2019

By Own Correspondent- The Zanu PF youth league in Masvingo has been urged to defend the party against elements who may want to cause disharmony within the party structures.

These were sentiments echoed during a youth inter-district meeting held in Masvingo.

The Zanu PF youth inter-district meeting saw youths pledging their unwavering support for the President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The party’s youth league chairman for Masvingo province Cde Brian Munyoro said youths should be on the forefront of defending the party from those bent on causing havoc through sowing seeds of disunity.

“Hatidi kuita setisingaoni kuti zvinhu zvakaoma. Isu tinomira na president vedu. Tomira navo and we say ED 2023. (We don’t want to act as if we do not see that things are tough. We stand by our president. We will stand with him and we say ED 2023),” said Cde Munyoro.

 Zanu PF Central Committee member Cde Shingirai Mangwana urged fellow youths to embark on viable income generating projects emphasizing on the need for them to be part of economic development in the country.

“Sema youth ngatiite ma project, form ma cooperatives muwanewo zvamunoita. (As the youths let’s embark on various projects, form cooperatives and find something to do.),” said Cde Mangwana.

The meeting was attended by Zanu PF youth league members from the province’s 7 districts.

By Own Correspondent- Government has dismissed claims that a Zimbabwean man was “resurrected” by a DRC born pastor in South Africa as his body was being brought home, revealing that no repatriation papers had been processed to support the claims.

Zimbabwe’s Consul General to South Africa Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro set the record straight in an interview with a local publication following claims by pastor Alph Lukau, of the Alleluia International Ministries church on Sunday that he had “resurrected” a Zimbabwean who had died on Friday in Johannesburg.

During a service at his church in Sandton, Johannesburg on Sunday, Lukau said the family of the deceased man decided to stop over for a few minutes before heading to Zimbabwe with the body.

In the video circulating on social media, Lukau is seen touching the deceased man in a coffin who is dressed in all white and after a few utterances the dead man sits up with his mouth wide open while church members jump in jubilation.

Lukau then continues “speaking in tongues.”

“Can you see what happened? This man died since Friday, he was in the mortuary,” he told cheering congregants.

“This is a sign that no matter what the devil’s done, it is over. Devil, I told you, wherever I find you, I will kick you.”

The alleged Sunday miracle has received criticism from all angles and has attracted a lawsuit from a funeral parlour.

In what has been widely dismissed as a poorly staged miracle, a Kings and Queens Funeral Services hearse was used to carry the coffin from an unknown house to Sandton where the church service was conducted.

The “resurrected” man has not yet been identified officially, but some reports claimed that he was named Elliot.

However, Mukonoweshuro, who signs repatriation letters for locals who die in the neighbouring country said he was not in possession of papers clearing any Zimbabwean to be repatriated on Sunday from South Africa.

He said as the man was said to have died last Friday, there was no way the body could have been repatriated on Sunday as the whole process could only be done during weekdays. He said repatriating a body involves a lot of processes that cannot take less than three weekdays.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| A Zanu Pf chairwoman from Stoneridge was reportedly brutally attacked and left for dead.

Zanu Pf has however implicated yet to be named opposition MDC members in the attack which they said aimed at killing one of their own.

Said Zanu Pf Patriots in a tweet:

“Opposition members attacked our member!

Zanu Pf Chairwoman from Samora Machel in Stoneridge was attacked with knives by opposition members who broke into her house last night. The knife cuts clearly shows the inetntion was to kill her.

Opposition members attacked our member‼️

ZANU PF Chairwoman from Samora Machel Stoneridge was attacked with knives by opposition members who broke into her house last night. The knife cuts clearly shows the intention was to kill her. pic.twitter.com/yLnYYgFkEC

— ?? ZANU PF PATRIOTS ?? (@zanupf_patriots) February 27, 2019

Responding to ZimEye regarding the above mentioned allegations, opposition MDC spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said his party was being dragged into Zanu Pf factional fights.

He distanced his party from the allegations and said his party was being persecuted simply for being opposition.

Said Mafume:

“We did not attack Zanu Pf. Our members do not wear Zanu Pf clothes. The problems of Harare South are documented and well known. These are Zanu Pf factions. Mnangagwa’s nephew (Tongai Mnangagwa) was imposed in that constituency and the structures of Zanu Pf have never accepted him and they are continuing their fights. We have nothing to do with the fights and the people who were fighting each other know each other very well, they know each other’s names and they cannot ascribe it to the MDC. We are a peaceful party, we are the victims here and we have no interest in being involved in Zanu pf factions. We dispute those allegations. They are merely an excuse to try to arrest, persecute, torment and kill our membership.”

By Own Correspondent- Kiran Hospital, one of India’s top specialist and health research centres, is seeking to construct a 550-bed sanatorium in Zimbabwe, a report by the state media has said.

The hospital, set to service local patients and those from other African countries will bring convenience to patients who have had to fly to India for specialist and quality healthcare.

Representatives from Samast Patidar Aarogya Trust, the owners of Kiran Hospital, which specialises on cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, endocrinology, laparoscopic surgery, nuclear medicine, neurosurgery, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, nephrology and bariatric surgery are expected in the country next month.

Australian-Indian foreign investment consultant Satishkumar Gandhi said:

“The owners of Kiran Hospital are sending people to Zimbabwe in March. The purpose of the trip is to see if they can build a specialist hospital in the country. Kiran Hospital is one of the biggest hospitals in India, it is a 550-bed hospital. It has everything, all the facilities needed to meet all types of health emergencies are there. The idea of building a specialist hospital in Zimbabwe came about after the realisation that many people from Africa seek specialist healthcare such as heart surgery and kidney transplant in India. So the plan is to bring that facility to Africa and Zimbabwe has been identified as the ideal location of the hospital. So they will be here in March, let them come and explore and ask questions.”

“The same delegation will include investors who are interested in diamonds, some want to mine, others want to be buyers.

“The invitation has already been sent to all of them. In that invitation, I made it clear that contrary to what the international media reports, Zimbabwe is a safe destination for investment and for visit.

THE die has been cast in the MDC ahead of its elective congress as the party’s ambitious secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora has expressed his desire to challenge party leader Nelson Chamisa in a contest that could make or break his political career.

Mwonzora has previously been keeping his cards close to his chest.

“I will be giving you a statement regarding what I will be standing for; there are key processes that must happen first and these include the nomination process. Within the MDC set-up, people are nominated by the structures, I want to emphasise (that) I am a full member with full rights including the right to contest any position,” said Mwonzora.

The former MDC spokesperson has previously been accused by Chamisa’s legion of supporters of harbouring presidential ambitions.

But unlike other MDC officials who chose to side with Chamisa for fear or reprisals, Mwonzora has soldiered on — suffering in some instances humiliating boos, jeers and sneers from some who regard him as the opposition party’s Judas Iscariot who is turning against the hugely popular Chamisa.

The soft-spoken politician, who is a lawyer by profession, said before he could pronounce himself on the matter there are conditions precedent.

“There are processes that have to be followed. We must have branch congresses, then ward, district, provincial congresses and after that the provincial assemblies will do nominations. It is at that time that we will know if we have been nominated,” said Mwonzora.

Already, the incumbent Chamisa has received endorsements from several party structures including provincial wings, with the youth league going as far as declaring war on anyone who would dare challenge the youthful opposition leader.

Several party heavyweights have also thrown their weight behind Chamisa with those who are seen as potential challengers likely to face a hostile reception in the run-up to the congress and at the elective indaba itself.

Mwonzora told the Daily News that he is aware of a smear campaign targeting him but that will not deter him to contest any position “because the opposition now requires someone with the right temperament and who understands democracy”.

“We are also aware of the smear campaigns that are going on but that is expected considering that we are now going to the congress,” said Mwonzora.

Chamisa’s close allies are sabre-rattling, keen on fending off potential rivals to the 41-year-old politician who amassed more than two million votes during last year’s presidential elections.

Last Sunday, Chamisa told MDC supporters at a rally in Gweru that he was not having sleepless nights over prospects of him being challenged at congress.

“We are a mature party; the character is that we are a democratic party. Tsvangirai left us this party, so our things will be done quietly, all positions are going to be nominated, they are open and up for contestations from the presidency,” Chamisa said.

The MDC leader said he is ready to step aside and allow someone to take over should he lose his position at congress.

“We are all allowed to contest for this position because I came to finish the term of our leader but I said the term has come to an end and I am removing the jacket and giving it to congress. If you still feel that I should continue leading the party, I am still ready but if you think my time is up and someone should take over, let it be because that is the democratic way of working,” he said.

There are also rumblings within the MDC that there could be a third hand sponsoring some of the candidates so as to remove Chamisa who has thus far failed to accept the results of last year’s presidential elections. In 2014, Chamisa faced off with Mwonzora who was the then spokesperson but lost in the battle to become secretary-general.

Mwonzora scored an unexpected crushing victory over Chamisa in a shock result — which saw him getting 2 464 votes against his rival’s 1 756.

This left Chamisa as an ordinary card carrying member until he was appointed by the party’s founding father Morgan Tsvangirai (now late) to the MDC national executive as secretary for policy and research.

Mwonzora’s 2014 victory came amid reports that Chamisa had had a row with Tsvangirai during the nomination process where he apparently accused his mentor of meddling in the Manicaland party provincial elections.

The elections saw Tsvangirai personally taking part in the nomination process there, where Mwonzora — who until then had not got any nominations for the post – got a ringing endorsement from the region.

The results completely flew in the face of the nomination tally that had Chamisa garnering 11 out of 12 provinces.

— DailyNews

Opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has insisted that his party is keen on dialogue which he said is the only way out of the current problems facing the country.

Posting on Twitter, Chamisa rallied his supporters that Zimbabwe will soon reclaim its jewel status.

ZIMBABWE THE LAND OF THE BEST…We will soon reclaim our jewel status. We will get there sooner than imagined. Only genuine DIALOGUE will save ZIMBABWE. Wherever I go across Africa, the goodwill for Zimbabwe is amazing.#agreatzimbabwenow

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) February 27, 2019

By Own Correspondent- Party insiders here have warned opposition leader Nelson Chamisa against relaxing ahead of the party’s elective congress suggesting that Douglas Mwonzora could steal a march ahead of Chamisa for the presidency.

The MDC is set to hold its elective Congress at the end of May.

Party insiders who spoke to the Daily News warned Chamisa that despite his popularity with voters, party structures may not re-elect him opting for Mwonzora, who currently holds the influential position of secretary-general.

Said the sources:

“These elections are far from decided because it is early days yet. Anyone, particularly Dougie (Mwonzora) has a chance of winning this post because he is respected and loved by many in the party who see him as mature and level-headed.

Remember too that five years ago, Chamisa lost to Mwonzora hands down despite him thinking that he had the support of 11 of the party’s 12 provinces.

As you also know, a day is too long in politics … and indeed, only time will tell when we get to May how the exact picture will look like, as well as who is likely to win.”

By Own Correspondent| Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has queried the detention of visiting general secretary of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Kwasi Adu Amankwa.

Mliswa said such actions by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration nullified the assertion that the country was on a new trajectory and in a new dispensation.

The independent legislator queried why the labour union leader was subjected to such treatment yet he did not pose any threat to the country.

Said Mliswa:

“The alleged detainment of ITIC Africa Secretary General Mr Amankwa is a disturbing own goal by the administration. These are the kind of blunders that constantly drags us from truly moving in the new dispensation spirit. What greater threat did he pose for such?

The alleged detainment of ITUC Africa Secretary General Mr Amankwa is a disturbing own goal by the adminstration. These are the kind of blunders that constantly drag us back from truly moving in the new dispensation spirit. What greater threat did he pose for such?

— Sabhuku Temba P. Mliswa (@TembaMliswa) February 26, 2019

Jane Mlambo| Norton parliamentarian, Temba Mliswa has blasted Zanu PF youths leaders, accusing them of seeking to swindle companies by arranging solidarity marches in the name of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

In a series of tweets posted yesterday, Mliswa said solidarity marches are no-longer relevant and does more damage than good for the country.

Below are posts;

1/ The youths in @ZANUPF_Official failed to give support to @edmnangagwa through the proper means of voting for him and are now seeking to swindle companies by arranging solidarity marches at a wrong economic moment.

2/ Maguma guma i know them and the money if given should go to the main party account under Chinamasa and not under these fake youths who are way above 35.

3/ Solidarity marches are old politics that do more damage than achieve anything. @edmnangagwa has done away with massing people at airports why cant these “youths” do something more progressive like building party structures.

4/ Solidarity marches have no functional use in solving the challenges Zimbabwe is faced with. They failed to mobilise voters for @edmnangagwa but want to mobilise where there is no pressing need for such.

By Own Correspondent- An Airforce of Zimbabwe pilot who allegedly brutally murdered his 32 year old Gweru-based girlfriend late last year has approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.

Tashinga Musonza (29), who is being represented by James Makiya of Makiya and Partners, allegedly killed Lucy Duve in a crime of passion in November last year.

Musonza’s trial last week failed to kick off for the second time after his lawyer fell sick resulting in the matter being removed from the roll by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo.

Musonza is also challenging the presence of assessors on the High Court bench and has since filed a notice to appeal at the Constitutional Court.

The matter was then remanded following an application made by the defence counsel to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court.

Musonza, through his lawyer, filed an application for bail at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.

In his bail statement, Musonza argued that there were no compelling reasons justifying his continued detention.

Argued Musonza through his lawyers:

“The applicant is entitled to his constitutional right to liberty and there is the assumption of innocence until proven guilty which must be considered in this matter. There are no compelling reasons to deny the applicant bail in this matter.”

Musonza said he would not abscond or interfere with State witnesses if granted bail, arguing that the assertion by the State was mere speculation which lacks tangible evidence.

The State through Nqobizitha Ndlovu opposed the bail application, arguing that there was no guarantee that if granted bail Musonza would not abscond due to the seriousness of the offence.

Ndlovu said the State has a strong prima facie case against Musonza.

According to court papers, Musonza allegedly fatally assaulted Duve, who was working for a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), accusing her of cheating on him with his colleague.

It is alleged that on November 25, Musonza went to their lodgings at around 10 PM and found Duve asleep. He allegedly accused her of cheating on him with his colleague.

The two allegedly drove to the airbase since Musonza wanted the matter clarified.

They allegedly woke up Duve’s alleged lover who denied being in a relationship with her.

Musonza allegedly got furious and started assaulting his girlfriend.

His colleague tried to restrain him but was overpowered before he ran away from the scene to seek assistance from colleagues.

Upon their return they found Duve lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

Musonza later drove Duve to Clay Bank Hospital in the company of two of his colleagues and another female who was said to be Duve’s friend.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital leading to the arrest of Musonza.

By Own Correspondent- The United States of America through its embassy in Harare has issued a warning to the government of Zimbabwe over the arrest and harassment of civil society leaders.

The United States (US) warned that the arrests and harrassment of civil society leaders will jeopardise the country’s reputation and future economic well-being.

Read a statement issued by the embassy:

“Harassment and targeted arrests of civil society leaders damage Zimbabwe’s reputation and economic future.

We call on the Zimbabwean government to uphold its constitution, protect human rights, and foster an environment where all can contribute to the nation’s progress.”

The government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has come under fire over the past several months for gross human rights violations which has resulted in the deaths of several citizens.

By Own Correspondent- Illegal foreign currency dealers are reportedly counting their losses amid revelations that the parallel market rates are tumbling.

The development, which has been attributed to the measures that were announced by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) last Wednesday is also being influenced by a police operation targeting the alternative foreign currency market traders.

Illegal foreign currency dealers who spoke to a local publication said:

“RBZ personnel, working together with the police, are patrolling the streets and searching suspected money changers. If they find you with more than $300, they demand an explanation and … also force you to go and deposit the money in a bank or you face arrest.

… The rates are unfortunately going down because of what (RBZ governor John) Mangudya did. For US$100 we will give you 340 bond or 360 RTGS depending on the numbers.”-DailyNews

By Own Correspondent| Zanu pf legislator for Chivi South, who is also the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association ( ZCBTA) Killer Zivhu says that the monetary measures introduced by the Central Bank will take the country back to the 2008 era.

The Central Bank introduced bureau de changes after floating the local currency (RTGS Dollars), and Zivhu opines that this will fuel the trade of foreign currency on the black market.

Said Zivhu:

Some bureau de changes will buy the money for themselves or use their relatives to take money to the black market where it will fetch more. Bureau de changes are just forex dealers so where there is money, they are always there.

We have bureau de changes changing US$10 000 per day, as a result, these people will not be able to get money at the bank rate because they do not qualify to measures put in place for the banks. Their only option will be getting forex on the streets, thereby increasing the demand on the black market.

As ZCBTA, the monetary policy is not favourable to our members. We are seeing a repeat of 2007 and 2008 if the RBZ governor does not listen to our advice. We had similar problems in 2003 as well when there were cash shortages and also in 2007 and 2008 when they refused to listen to our advice.

By Own Correspondent| Harare City Council has revealed that it would introduce water-rationing for the northern suburbs such as Borrowdale in response to the local authority’s deteriorating water pumping capacity.

The city fathers said the water cuts will be for 72 hours a week.

This was revealed by acting Harare water director Richard Kunyadini while responding to a question from Mabvuku councillor Fibion Kufahakutizvi.

Said Kunyadini:

“This year, we might be forced to ration water supplies going forward. At the moment, Prince Edward plant is operating at two days a week. This is because of the state of the raw water which has depleted.

We have completed the refurbishment of Avondale treatment plant and we hope to use that station to pump to the northern suburbs.

We have also started a programme to reduce water supply to areas like Glen View and Glen Norah, at least switching them off for two to three days so that we could pump to areas like Mabvuku and Tafara.”

Correspondent |Many people view Vice President Constantino Chiwenga as next in line to succeed President Emmerson Mnangagwa the other vice president, Kembo Mohadi has shown keen interest for the top job, saying his history was as illustrious as his boss’.

Mohadi said he believed fate was on his side, claiming the road travelled by President Mnangagwa and the obstacles he faced were similar to his own experience.

Asked to introduce President Mnangagwa before thousands of Zanu PF supporters in Mwenezi last Saturday, Mohadi gave a tale of the road travelled by his boss saying there were many parallels to be drawn between their two stories.

“I also travelled the same road as that of President Mnangagwa. I was arrested and stayed in prison till 1980. I came from prison and joined politics full time just like President Mnangagwa.

“The irony of the whole story is that President Mnangagwa became Minister of State Security, I also became Minister of State Security.

“He became Minister of Defence and I also became Minister of Defence. He became Vice President and I also became Vice President so munongoona kuti gwara racho ndiro rimwe. But I am not going to push him out of it, achandisiira,” said Mohadi.

Mohadi said President Mnangagwa told him there were some rigours he still needed to go through for him to qualify to be President among them surviving interface rallies, taking poison and border jumping.

“President Mnangagwa says I do not qualify to be President because I have never been poisoned or subjected to nine interface rallies or become a border jumper. I don’t know how I can be a border jumper but I would love to be poisoned and go through interface rallies,” said Mohadi.

Mohadi said while many people fear Mnangagwa, he is not afraid of him and he saw him as a brother and mentor.

Mohadi’s declaration of interest could put him on a collision course with Chiwenga who is believed to harbour his own presidential ambition.

Chiwenga led a military coup which ousted long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in November 2017 but handed over the levers of power to President Mnangagwa reportedly after striking a deal that would see him being the successor.

There are, however, now claims of power struggles between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa with reports saying the retired general now wants the latter to run for one term and leave him in charge.

Zanu PF has denied any friction between the two and has since went on to endorse President Mnangagwa for the 2023 harmonised elections.

Police have intensified a crackdown on illegal foreign currency dealers under an operation code-named “Dzosai Mari” and 24 suspected dealers appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts between Friday and Saturday last week.

They were arrested separately in Harare. Some of the suspects appeared before magistrate Mr Edwin Marecha.

The other group appeared before Mr Learnmore Mapiye on charges of contravening Exchange Control (Amendment) Regulations, 2018 (No.5), which criminalises illegal trading in foreign currency.

Ten of the suspects were released on $150 bail each. The remainder remains in custody pending ruling on their bail applications.

Operation “Dzosai Mari” started last year. It is being conducted by the police and other stakeholders.

In November last year, several illegal foreign currency dealers were raided and arrested in Harare under the same operation.

They were convicted and their money was forfeited to the State.

State Media

Cabinet has approved principles for the amendment of the Zimbabwe Citizenship Bill as Government works on ensuring that people born in the country are granted dual citizenship in line with the new Constitution adopted in 2013.

Briefing journalists after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the proposed changes included renaming of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act as the Zimbabwe Citizenship Act.

“Following presentation by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Cabinet approved the principles for the amendment of the Zimbabwe Citizenship Bill as part of the ongoing process of aligning the country’s laws to the provisions of the Constitution,” she said.

“Key provisions of the amendment include permitting of dual citizenship for citizens by birth, establishment of a Zimbabwe Citizenship and Immigration Board to, inter alia oversee the granting and revocation of citizenship by descent or registration and prohibition of dual citizenship for citizens by descent and registration.”

The proposed changes also want to make it a requirement for applications for citizenship by registration to have resided in Zimbabwe for 10 years contrary to the current requirement of five years.

Expanding on the proposed amendments, Attorney-General Advocate Prince Machaya said: “What the new aligned act will be seeking to achieve is simply to incorporate what is already in the Constitution into the Act and put it beyond any doubt what the law is.

“If one reads the current Act and the Constitution one can see clearly that there is lack of consistence in some of the important provisions for instance the current Act prohibits dual citizenship by any citizen whereas the Constitution permits dual citizenship for those who are citizens by birth.

“The principles presented today make it clear that the Act has to be amended so that it is consistent with the Constitution.”

Dual citizenship has been posing challenges which include tax evasion, evasion from justice, involvement in cases of human trafficking, international terrorism and problems in immigration control.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Cabinet had also approved principles for the amendment of the Manpower Planning and Development Act (Chapter 28:02) after a presentation by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Amon Murwira.

She said the amendments principally seek to “streamline and elevate the role of tertiary institutions, science and technology institutions as well as professional bodies in the industrialisation and modernisation of Zimbabwe. It also seeks to entrench good corporate governance.”

State Media

A POWER cut caused by the vandalism of Zesa power lines has forced St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane to suspend surgical operations and close the mortuary.

Kenmaur area where St Luke’s Hospital is located has been without electricity for the past three weeks following suspected theft of Zesa cables and damage to the power line by rains early this month.

The area receives its electricity from Turk Mine in Bubi but there have been calls to connect it to the Hwange power line.

Lupane District Medical Officer Dr George Mutizira said the maternity department is also affected.

“We’re using temporary measures which is not sustainable for a health facility. It’s difficult to work without electricity because the mortuary and theatre need continuous power.

“We run the generator for two hours only because it’s not sustainable given the price of diesel,” he said.

“Our main challenge is in the theatre and mortuary because they need continuous power.

“The water pump is also electricity-powered and the generator cannot supply enough power as it only runs for a short time.

“We have been telling relatives of people whose bodies are in the mortuary to collect them while we have been directing those coming from police to Mpilo Central Hospital.”

Dr Mutizira said the hospital has an average of more than 100 expecting mothers who need clean running water at any given time.

He said the hospital has resorted to water rationing which poses a health hazard.

“We have resorted to water rationing which is not ideal for a health institution.

“The problem is that we can’t operate using a manual borehole because of the size of the hospital hence the little water we have is pumped just for two hours and we have to ration it,” added Dr Mutizira.

He said Zesa electricians had promised to restore power this week.

The situation has also left the whole of Lupane district without radio transmission as the Kenmaur site has been switched off.

Meanwhile, schools and clinics in Makwa area outside Hwange have been without water and electricity for the past two months following theft of cables near the Zambezi River.

Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira did not respond to questions sent to him yesterday.

State Media

ABOUT 4 000 HIV positive people in Bulawayo are on second and third line of antiretroviral therapy (ART) after defaulting from the recommended first line regime.

According to health experts, people on ART must adhere to the medication for life as defaulting may give the HIV virus a chance to multiply and become resistant to the drugs.

Defaulting also increases their risk of spreading the virus to the next person.

According to the National Aids Council, most people move to other lines of treatments due to defaulting.

Bulawayo has 74 237 HIV positive people.

More to follow. . .

State Media

STUDENTS at Lupane State University (LSU) yesterday staged a demonstration at the university’s campus in Lupane protesting the institution’s decision to bar those who have not paid $350 registration fees from lectures.

LSU has an enrolment of more than 3 000 students and more than 60 percent have not paid registration fees.

The students’ demonstration came just a day after the university barred those who had not paid the fees from attending lectures and accessing its properties.

LSU students’ representative council president Mr Silas Makusha said students were forced to demonstrate due to the decision to bar them from lectures.

“Barring students from attending lectures and accessing the university’s premises is what sparked the protest. As we speak no one is attending lectures. We are living in crowded rooms. A room which is supposed to be used by two students is now accommodating eight students. They are also providing us with poor quality food,” said Mr Makusha.

He said poor internet connectivity was among the issues that the students want to be addressed.

Mr Makusha said the university should give students a time frame when it’s going to address all their grievances.

“Instead of barring students who have not registered from attending lectures they should just withhold their results. They should be flexible to us as we are flexible to them,” said Mr Makusha.

LSU director of marketing and communication Mr Zwelithini Dlamini yesterday confirmed the students’ demonstration.

He blamed it on final year students who are not happy with their accommodation arrangements.

Mr Dlamini said due to the increase in the number of students at the university, fourth year students were requested to stay four in each room instead of three as was the previous arrangement.

“They made sure that no one goes to the dining hall as of last night and today for lunch. Part One and Two students went for their lectures this morning and these guys felt they were being betrayed in their struggle so they followed them to their lecture rooms and made noise,” he said.

“It’s not a collective but a coercive measure by the affected students. The other groups were not making noise about their accommodation.”

Mr Dlamini, however, said the university was engaging the students.

He said accommodation problems would ease when the hostel for male students is completed at the end of March.

State Media

Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe chairperson Rashid Mahiya appeared before Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa on Tuesday charged with subversion following violent demonstrations that rocked the country in January.

He was remanded in custody to 12 March.

Mahiya is according to the state accused “of being the mastermind behind the demos” following his address to members of Heal Zimbabwe Trust in partnership with Interpeace of Switzerland between 3 and 6 December 2018 at a resort area in Harare.

Charges against Mahiya are that he incited some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public to subvert a constitutionally elected Government.

Mr Shepherd Makonde prosecuted.

MORE TO FOLLOW…

FORMER Finance Minister Tendai Biti has trashed the $600 million loan deal struck by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi, saying it is too little to have an impact on Zimbabwe’s private sector.

Biti said the money was a drop in the ocean for a country which needs nearly $2 billion to retool and capacitate its industry.

“That’s a drop in the ocean. That is absolutely nothing. The industry itself needs about $2 billion to retool,” he said, adding money alone would not save the country’s economy because there were a lot of micro-economic fundamentals that government needed to get right.

“In any event, it’s not about the money. Do we have the right micro-economic fundamentals, a decent exchange rate? There is chaos with the situation of the RTGS$ [real time gross settlement dollar]. The statutory instrument shows that it’s a virtual currency and the politics is just not right, so you can pour money, but that won’t change anything,” he said.

Owing to the political uncertainty at home and indebtedness, the country has been struggling to get badly needed lines of credit from international financial institutions and is now turning to its neighbours for help.

The United Kingdom and European Union have demanded political and economic reforms as a prerequisite before they can extend lines of credit to Mnangagwa’s administration.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe said the loan could have a significant impact on industry and the economy by boosting the depleted nostro accounts, adding that the money would go a long way to help retool small businesses.

“It will boost the nostro accounts and provide capital for retooling. This will significantly help business that require around US$500 000 and below to retool and ramp up production and productivity,” he said.

The loan will consist of $500 million dollars for Zimbabwe’s diamond industry and a further $100 million to help private companies, whose operations have been hamstrung by the dollar shortage, the state-owned Herald newspaper said.

Since coming into office, President Mnangagwa has been in drive to attract the much-needed foreign direct investment and loans to capacitate the country’s ailing industry.

Zimbabwe’s external debt currently stands in excess of $10 billion, presenting a massive setback on the economy.

Apart from what have been coined mega deals and commitments to invest, the Mnangagwa administration has not been able to record meaningful economic traction.

ZIMBABWE is in a Catch-22 situation as South African banks are de-risking from supplying the troubled southern African country with US dollar notes, an official with the central bank told miners on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe pays its gold miners in cash, but has been failing to do so of late as the usual suppliers, South African banks, have been cutting ties amid fears of being fined by the United States’ Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), as US sanctions take a toll on Zimbabwean economy.

Speaking at a post 2019 Monetary Policy Statement review meeting with small-scale miners, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe deputy director for Financial Markets William Manhimanzi said the central bank was struggling to pay miners in hard cash as it was failing to import notes via South Africa.

Zimbabwe is under United States sanctions and unless otherwise authorised or exempt, transactions involving the greenback are penalised if they involve an entity or individual listed on the Specially Designated Nationals List (a list of individuals and entities under US sanctions).

The nature of the regulations, however, makes it difficult for foreign banks to know whether they are dealing with Specially Designated Nationals or not, hence the decision by most South African banks to de-risk from dealing with Zimbabwean institutions.

“Ordinarily we import the cash from South Africa, and most of the banks, due to what we call de-risking issues, have now given us notice that they can no longer provide our own local banks with cash (US dollars), so we are in a Catch-22 situation,” said Manhimanzi.

He said the only South African bank that was still facilitating cash imports into Zimbabwe was First National Bank (FNB).

“The only bank that remained was FNB, and they gave notice in December 2018 that they would no longer be supplying our own local banks with cash.”

The move has not only affected banks, as money transfer agencies such as Western Union are failing to pay out remittances to beneficiaries due to their inability to bring in cash through their local banks. — Fin24

Jailed church leader Robert Martin Gumbura and his nine accomplices, who are accused of masterminding a failed jailbreak at Chikurubi Maximum Prison in 2015 are set to apply for discharge at the close on the State’s case.

Gumbura, the leader of RMG Independent End Time Message Church and his accomplices Blessing Chauke (25), Lucky Mhungu (38), Taurai Dodzo (47), Thomas Chacha (37), Thulani Chizema (32), Jacob Sibanda (28) and Elijah Vhumbunu (38) and armed robber, Lucky Matambanadzo (39) had 24 people testifying against them in the matter.

The gang which engaged Lovemore Madhuku to be its legal counsel will file their application on March 12, the State through chief law officer Michael Reza will respond on March 22 and the court will make a ruling on April 1.

The nine accused persons, who are facing charges of attempting to escape from lawful custody, incitement in aggravating circumstances or alternatively conspiracy in aggravating circumstances for malicious damage to property, are appearing before magistrate Francis Mapfumo .

Allegations are that on February 13, 2015 at around 9am, the inmates refused to eat porridge which had no sugar. They demanded to see the officer-in-charge, a Chief Superintendent Marange, who then sent his deputy, a Superintendent Dumbura, to address them.

At that time, the inmates pushed out of the food containers which had been brought for lunch, refusing to be addressed by Dumbura.

Dumbura left the complex’s C Hall and went to D Hall, where he ordered for food to be brought in and served to those who wanted to eat.

The court heard that before the food was served, Titus Mandikodza, who is now late, went on top of the roof through a hole in the asbestos sheets, which they had already drilled. At that moment, it is alleged, Vhumbunu and Sibanda took sadza and vegetable relish and threw it at Dumbura and that is when violence erupted with prisoners vandalising property worth over $450 000.

ZimCoke (Pvt) Limited, a company which took over a coke making plant at Ziscosteel, is set to invest about $75 million into Hwange Colliery’s coke division. ZimCoke is in the last stages of taking over a coking plant at the former steelmaking giant, Ziscosteel, with renovations set to kick-start at the coking plant.

ZimCoke took over a coke oven battery plant segment within Ziscosteel in a $133 million deal. At full capacity, the project is expected to produce 500 000 tonnes of coke annually, for both local usage and the export markets. The company also undertook to take over a $225 million debt owed by Ziscosteel to a German bank, KFW.

In an interview, ZimCoke consultant Mr Eddie Cross, said the company seeks to enhance coke production in the country hence the investment into Hwange Colliery. “We intend to invest $75 million into Hwange Colliery coke division so that we bring them into production. We also will invest about $12 million into ZimChem to enable the company to process all the product from coke to operations,” said Mr Cross. He said the company was in the final stages of taking over the KFW debt before moving on site for renovations.

“We are in the final stages of taking over the debt with KFW. Thereafter our technicians will move on site maybe in March to commence refurbishment of the new coking company,” said Mr Cross.

ZimCoke (Pvt) Ltd and Ziscosteel signed an agreement of sale in 2017, whereby ZimCoke acquired the coke-making assets of Ziscosteel, consisting of the plant and machinery, land and buildings and associated infrastructure of coal handling and rail wagons.

ZimCoke chief executive officer Bill Moore, during the ground breaking ceremony last year, said the resuscitation of the plant will begin with the operationalization of the Coke Oven Battery Number 3. The revived coke oven plant is expected to employ 500 people, while the full resuscitation of ZiscoSteel is expected to create 3 000 jobs.

https://www.facebook.com/617797938681815

By Own Correspondent| Following presentation bythe Home Affairs minister, cabinet on Tuesday approaved the principles for the ammendment of the Zimbabwe Citizenship Bill.

Briefing journalists at a post cabinet presser, Minister of Information and Publicity Monica Mutsvangwa said the development is part of the ongoing process of aligning the country’s laws to the Constitution.

Said Mutsvangwa:

“Key provisions of he ammendment include the following: renaming of the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act as the Zimbabwe Citizens Act, permitting of dual cutizenship of citizens by birth. Cabinet also approaved the establishment of a Zimbabwe Citizenship and Immigration Board to oversee the granting and revocation of citizenship by descent and registration, prohibition of dual cutizenship for citizens by descent and registration and the requirement for applicants for citizenship by registration to have resided in Zimbabwe for 10 years.”