THE Zimbabwe Republic Police has amended its recruitment policy that will see the age one can be accepted at Constable level reduced from 30 to 22 years, while a pass in a Science subject at O-level is now compulsory.

In addition, one has to have passed five subjects in not more than two sittings including Mathematics, English Language and Science. Before the changes, minimum entry requirements into ZRP at Constable level included being aged between 18 and 30, and having five Ordinary Level passes (Grade C or better) in not more than three sittings, with English Language and Mathematics being compulsory.

Chief police spokesperson Commissioner Charity Charamba said applicants who were on the waiting list had been done away with.

“As stated in the statement, there are no recruitments and there is no waiting list. What we have done is we have amended our policy, which will see the recruitment of an elite and capable officer. Once recruitment begins we will advertise in both the print and broadcast media,” she said.

Comm Charamba said the process would be inclusive of a vetting process that would weed out any criminal elements with intent to join the force to perform criminal activities under the guise of the law.

“Applicants should also have a good, clean background with no criminal record,” read part of the statement.

She said applicants would then go through a rigorous selection process.

“The ZRP wishes to express appreciation and gratitude to all applicants who had shown interest in the service and were on the waiting list,” she said.

State Media

A messy fight has erupted in Nyanga over the Sanyanga chieftainship which is supposed to be resuscitated after it was abolished 67 years ago by the white colonial regime.

The clash emerged after the Manicaland Provincial Assembly of Chiefs chose Edward Sanyanga as the heir amidst a raging dispute over his suitability.

Manicaland Provincial Administrator Mr Edgar Seenza wrote to the Sanyanga family on January 31, 2019 confirming that Edward was recommended by the Provincial Assembly of Chiefs as Chief Sanyanga.

The Sanyanga chieftainship covers the Nyanga area where the Nyangani Mountain is located.

This sacred mountain is where some international tourists allegedly disappeared for disrespecting the traditional values of the area.

Historical researches say the last chief of Nyanga was Shumbamhini who was killed by the white settlers in 1905 after which Headman Magwendere reigned over the area until 1951.

Chief Shumbamhini who was the seventh chief of the Nyanga area was allegedly poisoned and then beheaded before his head was taken to Germany.

The Sanyanga clan raised a host of grievances against Edward whom they allege is not of their blood but belonged to the Matsungo clan.

In part the document which was submitted to Mr Seenza reads, “Edward is not of the Simboti totem. This is a crucial requirement for one to qualify as chief under the Sanyanga clan. His family name — Sanyanga — is an adopted one as his father was raised by a stepfather who was a Sanyanga.

“This is because his paternal grandfather, a Matsungo of the Shumba Mutasa totem, divorced his grandmother who went away with a son and later married into the Sanyanga family of the Simboti totem.

“This is the reason why he said the first house in the chieftainship which he is trying to fraudulently create is Matsungo. There is no Matsungo of the Simboti totem but a Shumba Mutasa. Therefore, Edward does not qualify to be a chief as he is not one of us. He should be grateful that we raised him in our clan and it ends there.”

The Sanyanga Clan is demanding that the Manicaland Provincial Assembly of Chiefs re-look into the chieftainship issue and give them a platform to fully explain the matter.

They claim that the chair of the Provincial Assembly of Chiefs, Chief Makumbe was allegedly biased towards Edward.

A series of meetings which were held in Nyanga for the past years failed to yield positive results as Chief Makumbe allegedly turned a deaf ear to the grievances raised by the Sanyanga family.

“The Sanyanga clan expresses reservations at the manner in which Chief Makumbe handled the meeting to install Chief Sanyanga at the Nyanga District Administrator’s offices on May 15, 2018. Chief Makumbe was clearly biased against the Sanyanga clan members represented by over 100 people in favour of a small group led by Chief Tangwena’s village head Edward Sanyanga,” reads part of the grievances.

Contacted for comment, Chief Makumbe confirmed that there was a long-running dispute over the Sanyanga chieftainship.

“There has always been a fight and the Sanyanga people are very temperamental. However, I have not received any official complaints regarding the Sanyanga chieftainship. There is nothing on my desk,” he said.

Chief Makumbe explained that there was an acute shortage of resources to deal with the matters related to resuscitation of chieftainships.

“Government has not budgeted for new chiefs; when resources permit, we will look into at the outstanding issue.”

Chief Makumbe told The Sunday Mail that the Manicaland Provincial Assembly of Chiefs investigated the Sanyanga chieftainship and realized that Edward was the first to submit his paperwork for the resuscitation of the chieftaincy.

However, the Sanyanga clan tells a different story.

State Media

At least 86 percent of the targeted girls between 10 and 15 years have been vaccinated under the ongoing HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) vaccination programme, which ends in May this year.

Essentially, HPV vaccines prevent infection by certain types of human papilloma virus, which is the major cause of cervical cancer in women.

Director of epidemiology and disease control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira told The Sunday Mail last week that Government was confident of vaccinating the targeted 900 000 girls within the next three months.

“The mop-up campaign targeted 900 000 girls and so far we have achieved 86 percent coverage. And by the end of the campaign, we would have reached the targeted number,” said Dr Manangazira.

She said Government was particularly targeting those between the ages of 10 and 15 as they were not sexually active.

In addition, the vaccines that were secured with the support of Gavi (the vaccine alliance) were specifically for the identified age groups.

Gavi is an international organisation that brings together the public and private sector to create equal access to new and underused vaccines for children in developing countries.

“We had to come up with the correct age that would meet with the requirements of the vaccine that was provided by Gavi, which states that the girls should not be sexually active,” she said.

Schools have been the most efficient and resourceful to carry out the campaign, she added, and in future the programme will be part of schools’ health programmes.

From 2020, vaccinations will target Grade Five girls only.

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death among Zimbabwean women, accounting for 15 percent of all cancer cases reported by the Zimbabwe Cancer Registry in 2012.

The 2010 Zimbabwe HPV and Related Cancers Summary Report says it is responsible for 1 286 deaths annually, with 2 587 new cases and 1 772 deaths projected by 2025.

HPV affects the skin and body’s moist membrane linings, mainly genitalia, mouth and throat.

Continued exposure to HPV 16 and 18 through intercourse could lead to pre-cancerous lesions that later develop into cancer if untreated.

Other HPV types are, however, harmless, often clearing without medical intervention.

In 2014, the World Health Organisation played a key role in the Health and Child Care Ministry’s HPV vaccination pilot programme, which targeted over 4 000 girls from Marondera and Beitbridge.

State Media

Former Cabinet Minister Walter Mzembi has put his palatial Harare mansion on the market for a princely $2 million amid speculation the 55-year-old politician is finalising moves to flee the country to avoid possible imprisonment on corruption charges, weekend state media reports.

One of the four real estate companies engaged to sell the house, Kennan Properties, last week confirmed that the imposing residence in the high-income suburb of Vainona is valued at US$800 000, which translates to around $2 million at the official RTGS exchange rate prevailing last Friday.

Renowned estate agents Pam Golding Properties, Bard Real Estate and Sky Ryan Properties have also listed the house for sale.

Described by property dealers as the quintessence of luxury, the double-storey house features six air-conditioned bedrooms (all en suite), two lounges, a bar, separate cigar and whisky lounge, gymnasium, sauna, office, five lock-up garages and a swimming pool on the façade.

The master bedroom is a mini-house as it has its own television lounge and a walk-in closet.

“A majestic and breathtaking Mediterranean double-storey home. This perfect home is nothing but pure luxury with columns, staircases, special ceiling treatments and built-ins,” said Kennan Properties on its website.

So grand is the mansion that a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) news crew member could not help but marvel at it during a televised poolside interview with Mzembi in the aftermath of former President Robert Mugabe’s resignation in 2017.

Mzembi is facing prosecution for corruption and criminal abuse of office during his tenure as Minister of Tourism and Hospitality industry.

He is alleged to have stolen or illegally disposed of Government property worth $1,6 million, some of which was donated to Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries church leader Walter Magaya.

Mzembi failed appear in court on January 28 to answer to the charges, with his lawyer Mr Job Sikhala telling the court that his client could not stand trial as he was receiving treatment for colon cancer in South Africa.

On February 3, Mzembi was widely rumoured to have died but his associates immediately dispelled the report by circulating a video on social media showing an apparently healthy Mzembi working from an office.

The location of the office was, however, not disclosed.

On the same day, Mzembi gave an interview to South African online publication eTurbonews rubbishing claims that he had died.

“I am talking to you from heaven but this wasn’t funny. My daughter in Europe was woken by this news and called me in panic,” said Mzembi.

State prosecutor Mr Brian Vito sought Mzembi’s arrest contending that the suave but litigation-weary politician was feigning illness.

Sources said efforts by Mzembi to sell some of immovable assets could be part of a scheme to skip bail as he fears incarceration.

“He might want to claim political persecution but he has a clear case of corruption which might lead to his imprisonment. This may be the reason why he is selling his assets and spending most of his time in Johannesburg where he has set up base,” said one source.

The source said Mzembi was working flat out to acquire South African citizenship for which he might qualify through his maternal grandmother who is of Sotho origin.

His adult children with his first wife are living in Europe and he is known to go by the name John Maleti in some Johannesburg circles.

Mzembi could not be reached on his local mobile phone number to comment on the issue, and Mr Sikhala yesterday professed ignorance on his whereabouts.

“I last spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and I am not sure where he is. I will check for you but he should be at his house here in Harare,” said Mr Sikhala.

He said as the legal counsel he was also not aware that his client was disposing of some assets.

“I am hearing this for the first time. Let me do some investigations,” said Mr Sikhala.

Mzembi served for eight years as Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry before he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in October 2017, a position he held for less than a month before Mr Mugabe stepped down.

He was credited for successfully organising the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) assembly, which Zimbabwe co-hosted with Zambia in 2013, but it later emerged that he might have abused some of the resources meant for the event.

This resulted in his arrest in January last year.

State Media

By Own Correspondent| Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya has cinfirmed that bank balances for both RTGS dollars and FCA Nostros will remain the same and government will not raid anyone’s foreign currency account.

Last year the RBZ advised banks to separate foreign currency accounts and RTGS money.

Under the stewardship of former Governor Dr Gideon Gono, the RBZ was accused of raiding foreign currency from exporters’ accounts, but Dr Mangudya has assured account holders that all forms of money were safe in the bank, adding that there would be no changes in bank balances despite the recently announced changes through the monetary policy.

Said Mangudya:

“We have never raided anyone’s nostro account, our records can testify and we will not do so going forward.”

He said although banks agreed to start trading the RTGS dollars as $2,50 to US$1, going forward the rate will be determined on a daily basis by market forces.

“The bank rate will determine the rate on the market. We will arrange foreign lines of credit since demand will be greater than the supply of foreign currency. We need to cloud seed the market with foreign currency,

For the foreign currency dealer this is your opportunity to open formal bureau de changes and trade formally. We only have one Zimbabwe and should work together. The parallel market (street) rate is way too high because there is a risk premium, you can go to jail for 10 years.

We delayed presenting the monetary policy because we wanted to analyse all submissions from all sectors of the economy so that we speak to everyone, nothing else. Bulk of money in Zimbabwe is seating on the RTGS platform. We only have $437 million of bond notes.”-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga yesterday evening jetted back home from India, where he had gone to seek medical treatment.

Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications) to the President and Cabinet George Charamba said VP Chiwenga has “fully recovered and was raring to go”.

Said Charamba:

“The Vice President returned this evening after a successful treatment. He has fully recovered and is raring to go.”

Farai Dziva|The teenager who brutally killed his sister last week has said he was overtaken by emotions.

The teenager told the police he did not have the intention to kill his sister but he overreacted because of extreme provocation.

The teenager brutally killed his sister for allegedly refusing to prepare food for him.

According to Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula, Valentine Chimedza (18) brutally killed his sister Rutendo Matanga (16) following a heated dispute over food. The incident happened in Ziware Village under Chief Charumbira in Masvingo last Saturday.

” The incident happened last Saturday when the two siblings’ mother Zadziso Mavenyengwa had gone to Chiredzi to visit relatives.

Valentine ordered Rutendo to give him something to eat and the latter indicated that she had not prepared anything.

This then incensed Valentine and the two began to exchange blows. Valentine took a hoe handle and struck Rutendo on the head and all over her body.

Rutendo died as a result of the attack.Valentine has since been arrested, ” said Mazula.

By A Correspondent| President Robert Mugabe, the former head of state has told ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa he is wrong by surviving on killing people.

Speaking at his birthday celebration, Mugabe reportedly told Mnangawga he is not God.

Below were written excepts of Mugabe’s speech published by National Patriotic Front Spokesman Jealousy Mawarire who attended the 95 year old’s birthday celebration.

Below is Mawarire’s narration of Mugabe’s speech:

2) Speaking in Shona & English (code mixing) he said “Vamwe vanofunga hukuru hunoreva kuponda vanhu, handizvo!” (Some believe being a leader entails murdering people, that’s not it.

(3) “Vana vaNkomo, vaMuzenda, nevanwe vakaenda handizvo zvatakasikira masoja. Masoja haatungamirire politics.” (Mr Nkomo, Mr Muzenda and I did not create the army to kill people. The army does not lead politics)

(4) “Ko zvino tinonzwa kunemakuva nemakuva evanhu akafa vachiurawa nemasoja, vachafushunhurwa nani?” (Now we hear there are countless graves of people killed by the army, who is going to unearth or exhume those bodies?)

(5) “Zvamurikuita [zvekuuraya vanhu] izvi zvichakudzokerai, mangwana, mangwana, chaiwo”. (What you are doing [killing people] is going to catch-up with you very very soon.Just tommorrow, it would have caught up with you)

(6) “Anoda kuona mutumbi wevanhu everyday, achazoona kuti vanhu vachazoda kuona mutumbi wake iye. Ndinoti kumasoja stop killing people! “(He who is obsessed with seeing corpses everyday will soon realize that people would clamour to see his corpse 1 day. I say to soldiers stop killing people!)

(7) “I say to soldiers be followers of the people u want to lead, you are not even qualified to lead them. Take your places in recognition that u r not trained to lead but to follow the people, to protect them”

8) “Iwe uri pamusoro uri kuda kuzvirumbidza? (U who is on top, you brag?) You are not God ED (Mnangagwa). Today you are at the top, tomorrow u will be at the bottom. Zvizive izvozvo (know that). God has his own way of punishing rogues and cruel people.”

(9) “You can’t do without seeing dead bodies? Uri munhu akaita sei anopona nendufu?” (What kind of a person are you? You feed on death? )

(10) “No! no! no! to soldiers being leaders of the people? Get the soldiers to their rightful place.”

(11) “Hatimbotaura zvekunyara, zvekutya kwete.(We will not shy away or be afraid to talk, no!) Let’s be frank with each other.”

(12)”Hatingati vanhu varambe vachingorohwa musoro. (We can’t continue with pple being bashed on the head.) So I say to you, get your lessons correct. Let’s create an environ where our pple are happy, not what’s happening now.”

(13) “Vanhu ngavade masoja not vamatye” (People should love their army, they should not fear the army.)

(14) “This is not the environment we wanted to create navaMsika nanavaNkomo. Tinoda kuti vanhu vafare.” (This is not the environment we wanted to create with Mr Msika and Mr Nkomo [late VPs], we wanted people to be happy “.

(15) “Tinoda kuti vanhu vaone nyika senyika yavakarwira kwete yakarwirwa nevamwe vasiri ivo. Kwete yakarwirwsa nemasoja chete.” We want people to see the country as the one they fought for, not one that was fought for by soldiers alone)

(16) “Ndiri kukuudzai (I am telling you) straight forward. I dont care what will happen to me”

(17) “Ndoda kutenda kunyange vandirikutuka ivava, tinovatenda nokuuya kuzoterera” (I want to thank even those I am chiding, we thank them for coming to listen).

(18) “We are one pple in Zimbabwe. Tinosungirwa kubatwa nevatungamiri sevanhu vaMwari kwete sezvikara zvemusango. (Leaders are bound to treat us like God’s people, not beasts of the forest)

(19) “When we started our struggle we had principles and those principles have been abandoned.”

Correspondent|GOGO Mungoshi, the mother of the recently deceased prolific Zimbabwean top author Charles Lovemore Mungoshi, has died.

Her death comes exactly seven days after the death of her son, Charles, who passed on on 16 February following a decade-long fight against a neurological condition.

Mungoshi, who died aged 71, was buried on Tuesday.

Funeral arrangements for the late Gogo Mungoshi are yet to be released, but family sources confirmed her death. —

Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman, George Charamba says Mnangagwa’s deputy, Gen Constantino Chiwenga is back from India.

Charamba said Chiwenga has fully recovered. Charamba, quoted by the state media, said:

“The Vice President returned this evening after a successful treatment. He has fully recovered and is raring to go.”

The report said, Chiwenga was accompanied by his wife, Mary, and Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro.

Correspondent| Song and dance bellowed from the Blue Roof mansion in the usually quiet upmarket Borrowdale suburb, as hundreds of invited guests on Saturday attended the birthday party for former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe.

The guests were celebrating the former statesman’s 95th birthday at a private ceremony at his lavish Harare home. The event was held under the theme “a living legend”.

There were strictly no children allowed at the function, which had a black and gold dress code.

Mugabe’s children organised the birthday party, which was strictly by invite.

His eldest daughter, Bona, and son-in law, Simba Chikore, were the main organisers. Bona is said to have put the guest list together.

Notable among the guests was Gideon Gono, the former central bank governor and the Mugabe’s personal banker.

Family members, among them his wife, Grace, wished the 95-year-old Mugabe a long life.

During a short speech at the event, Grace said she would stand by her husband until the very end.

Mugabe, in his speech, criticised the heavy-handedness of the military against citizens under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

“Some people think that being a leader means killing people and beating people, but that is not the way. Even the fallen heroes would not approve of that,” said Mugabe.

“We are hearing there are graves that have been created by the army when they kill people. It is not the task of the army to lead the people with guns. Let us not be killers of our own people,” he added.

Human rights groups said 17 people died last month from protests that broke out linked to a fuel price hike.

Mugabe said the actions of the leaders would soon come back to haunt them.

“Soldiers should take their rightful place and fight when the situation demands. They should be protectors of people and I am not scared to say it,” said Mugabe.

Guests were served an array of local and foreign delicacies by chefs hired for the event.

The menu included sirloin, pig on the spit, grilled chicken and salads, along with a range of desserts.

The party was scheduled to go up until late into the night, having kicked off at 2pm.

A $1 BILLION Chinese deal to resuscitate the Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (Ziscosteel) is facing collapse after government changed its shareholding offer to Zhang Li, the president of Guangzhou R&FA, NewsDay Weekender has learnt.

The Chinese billionaire, who is into real estate development, had until last month been pushing to start work on the collapsed steel giant.

But early this month, according to sources, the investors started to pack their bags after they failed to agree on the shareholding structure.

“At first, the Chinese guy was offered 100%, but then it later changed to something like 48%. The Chinese team did not like the new deal,” a source from the Industry ministry

said.

Industry minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu was not answering his phone yesterday.

In January last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised that Ziscosteel and Shabani Mashaba Mines would begin operations within his first 100 days.

However, no activity has yet started at the two entities, which used to provide thousands of jobs and other downstream benefits into the economy at their peak.

Ziscosteel, which at its peak had a

5 000-strong workforce, officially closed its doors in 2016 and laid off its remaining workers without terminal benefits.

Most of its infrastructure, equipment and spares have either been vandalised or looted over the years of the company’s redundancy.

In 2006, Indian firm Global Steel Holdings Limited courted Ziscosteel and was to inject $400 million in a rehabilitate, operate and transfer arrangement.

In 2011, Essar Africa Holdings’ bid to take over in a deal worth $750 million also hit a brickwall due to bickering in the then inclusive government.

“Already, equipment which was being assembled on site has been dismantled and there is no hope for the revival of the mine in the near future,” another source said.

Ziscosteel’s revival is expected to trigger growth in Hwange Colliery Company Limited, National Railways of Zimbabwe and other companies.

NewsDay

Correspondent|supporter of the Movement for Democratic Change has warned party leader Nelson Chamisa that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front could hijack the coming MDC elective congress because “rumours” say 3 000 ZANU-PF youths have obtained MDC party cards.

The national council of the MDC yesterday set 24-26 May as the dates it will hold its party congress to elect a new leadership and map the way forward.

Chamisa today said he expects 7 000 delegates to attend the congress which would see a rebranding of the party.

“MDC CONGRESS 24-26 May 2019.7000 delegates expected.. Taking the MDC to a wholly NEW level. It’s not about positions but a new propositional value, organisational & leadership culture recasting, new strategies and tactics, deeper ideological and values and rebranding,” he tweeted.

One of his followers going by the name EG tweeted: “Morning my president. Remour has it over 3000 zanu pf youth are now in position of mdc membership cards. Muchenjere kucongress uko.”

Chamisa seemed to be acknowledging problem as he responded: “Takasvinurira nyaya iyi!”

It was not clear whether this was a genuine threat or just a way of trying to show that nothing stands in the way of Chamisa apart from ZANU-PF.

Although some of his supporters have been campaigning that Chamisa should not be opposed for the presidential post, sources say that the party’s old guard feel that though popular Chamisa is destroying the party.

They argue that he has gotten rid of all the people that are potential threats to his leadership and has brought in loyalists including those from parties that broke away from the MDC during Morgan Tsvangirai’s era.

The old guard is reported to be behind Elias Mudzuri who has been booed at most of the recent gatherings by Chamisa’s supporters.

The old guard also believes that Chamisa is dictatorial and does not listen to advice and this could be detrimental to the party’s prospects in 2023.

ZANU-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned that his party could reverse the urban support that the MDC currently enjoys by the time the country gets to the 2023 elections.

A technical fault on a plane that was supposed to fly Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has delayed his return after undergoing medical treatment in India, a senior government official has said.

Deputy Chief Secretary responsible for Presidential Communications, George Charamba said Chiwenga was now on his way and was fit.

He said his plane could not take off on Friday because of poor lighting.

“What I can say is he is fine now and when he touches down, expect a chubby Vice President,” Chiwenga said.

Charamba said Chiwenga was now on his way but could not give details on when he will touch down at the Robert Mugabe International Airport.

The Times of India reported on Friday that the aircraft which was supposed to transport Chiwenga and his delegation back home developed a snag at IGI Airport on Friday just before the plane was supposed to take off.

Quoting sources, the newspaper said the Boeing 737 (A6-RJX) taxied out at 7 pm for taking off.

However, soon afterwards it developed a snag and had to return to the terminal at 7:45 pm.

The vice president was in India for treatment for a yet undisclosed ailment

BULAWAYO – The honouring of the late former Cabinet minister Callistus Ndlovu as a national hero has left the Dumiso Dabengwa-led Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu) seething with anger — as it sees him as “a sellout”, the Daily News can report.

Ndlovu — who was the ruling Zanu PF’s Bulawayo provincial chairperson — collapsed and died at the age of 83 in South Africa on Wednesday last week, where he was being treated for pancreatic cancer.

He will be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare today, having defected to Zanu PF in 1984, at the height of the brutal crackdown against PF Zapu members by the country’s security forces around the time.

This was just before PF Zapu, which was led by the revered late former vice president Joshua Nkomo, entered into a peace accord with ousted former president Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF — following the Gukurahundi atrocities of the early 1980s in which an estimated 20 000 innocent people, mainly in Matabeleland and the Midlands, were killed by the security forces.

Thirty-five years after Ndlovu’s controversial defection from PF Zapu, including calling the party a “dead donkey” at the time, Dabengwa’s organisation said bluntly yesterday that the fallen politician did not deserve to be ranked among the “genuine heroes” of the country.

“We do commiserate with the Ndlovu family on the death of their loved one. I also knew him personally, but Ndlovu’s declared hero status is a nonevent to Zapu.

“We recognise the remaining sell-outs in Zanu PF on the account of the 1987 Unity Accord that was signed to end the Gukurahundi genocide on Zapu and Ndebele speaking people.

“The lesser sell-outs are those who, after being arm-twisted to join Zanu PF in 1987, developed cold feet when Zapu pulled out in 2009.

“But Ndlovu does not belong to this category of spineless former cadres. He belongs to the real sell-out clique of Zapu members who abandoned their kith and kin right at the peak of the Gukurahundi genocide,” Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa told the Daily News yesterday.

“So, and in a nutshell, his hero status is nothing more than Zanu PF’s celebration and rewarding of mediocrity and loyalty — in the same manner they have rewarded corruption and looting.

“Mediocrity as seen on Ndlovu as a nationalist politician and leader with zero contribution to the development of the country and its people, and lack of loyalty as seen by his ditching of his people during the genocide to go and dine with the perpetrating murderers,” Maphosa added.

He also said Ndlovu’s 1984 jibe, that Zapu was a dead donkey, was at the time tantamount to “celebrating the annihilation of the innocent Ndebele people by security forces at the height of Gukurahundi”.

The jibe was never forgotten nor forgiven by many people in the region, which saw Ndlovu being booed routinely during public appearances.

As a result, the late minister was always under pressure to defend himself against the “dead donkey” statement — which he, at one point, said had been misinterpreted by irresponsible journalists.

“First of all, I believe that one would expect an average person to be intelligent enough to know the difference between a metaphor and a statement of fact.

“And if someone thinks that a metaphor is exactly the same as a matter of fact, then that person lives in cuckoo land.

“For starters, I never said PF Zapu was a dead donkey. The statement which I made speaking in Kalanga at a rally in Plumtree was that if anybody thought PF Zapu was going to win the election that year, that person was actually failing to see reality.

“It is a worthless effort if someone is to translate it, as some hired journalists decided to do and made an issue out of nothing,” Ndlovu said then in an attempt to explain the issue away.

An estimated 20 000 people are said to have been killed in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces when the government deployed the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade to the two regions, to fight an insurrection.

Unity Day was subsequently set up to commemorate the Unity Accord which was later signed between PF Zapu and Zanu PF on December 22, 1987, and which ended hostilities between the two parties.

Own Correspondent|VICE President Constantino Chiwenga’s chartered plane is a specialised flying hospital, it has been revealed.

The aircraft which Chiwenga chartered reportedly cost US$500 000 to India and back to Zimbabwe. The plane is a Boeing 737-700 owned by Royal Jets of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The plane has an Intensive Care Unit which can take up to three ICU patients, and also has a specialised health team on board.

Among other services that it offers, Royal Jet says on its website: “Our medical flight team includes experts in the fields of cardiology, paediatrics, neonatal and intensive care, and is supported by the most advanced medical technology, according to a report by ZimLive.

“The dedicated Medevac fleet includes a fully customisable Boeing Business Jets, capable of reaching even the most distant destinations.”

Yesterday, the Boeing 737 A6-RJX was preparing to take off for Zimbabwe at the Indira Ghandi International Airport (IGIA) when it developed a snag.

“It taxied off at 7PM for take off to Zimbabwe. However, immediately afterwards it developed a mechanical snag and returned back to the terminal at 7.45 PM.

“The non-scheduled flight was operating with a call sign RO-J005. The Boeing 737-700 is over two decades old,” the Times of India said in a report.

Chiwenga is with his wife Mary as well as senior government officials.

He has been in India since 9 February receiving medical attention. He was whisked away after his health deteriorated.

https://youtu.be/Ou0IklxBQHs

By Own Correspondent| Former Sunday Mail editor who has in the past been hauled by the state being accused of penning damning articles under the pseudo name Baba Jukwa has been granted $100 bail.

Edmund Kudzayi, was on Friday arrested for carrying a camouflage umbrella and detained at Borrowdale police station before appearing before a Harare magistrate Edwin Marecha today (Saturday).

He was remanded out of custody to March 8 2019 with no reporting conditions

Kudzayi, was charged with contravening section 32 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act after he was found with a camouflage umbrella.

He was represented by Obey Shava of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Said Kudzayi on twitter shortly after he was granted bail:

By Own Correspondent| A 41 year old Shamva woman drank poison and died after she was caught red-handed having an adulterous relationship with a married man.

Sources who spoke to a local publication said the woman committed suicide after she could not handle the shame brought by her adulterous affair.

Despite the fact that Danai Mandebvu, of Chitsa village under Chief Bushu, had received forgiveness from her husband Never Kanyemba (58) for the affair, she committed suicide by drinking poison.

Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe confirmed the incident and said:

“I can confirm a sudden death by poisoning in Shamva, where a married woman decided to take her life after she was caught indulging in se_x with another man in the bush by her husband.

We urge members of the public to desist from acts of infidelity and, above all, to respect their lives because we only live once. One should not risk committing suicide. Instead, they should seek counselling.”

Danai’s boyfriend in the adulterous affair, Simbarashe Chakanyuka (33) is reported to have paid a beast as compensation to Danai’s husband as compensation for the affair.Newsday

By Own Correspondent| Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has said his party is determined to make Zimbabwe great again as was the case during the Mutapa and Great Zimbabwe empires.

Responding to a tweet, Chamisa appreciated the successes in trade and commerce during the Great Zimbabwe and Mutapa states era.

He said:

By Own Correspondent|Genius Kadungure was on Friday back in court for the continuation of his $22 million tax evasion case.

Kadungure, who was represented by Jonathan Samkange appeared before Harare regional magistrate Vongai Guuriro.

Prosecutor Shephered Makonde told the court that investigations have been completed.

He said a trial date will be issued for Kadungure on March 21. Between February 2009 and May 2016, Kadungure allegedly made misrepresentations to Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) that his company Pioneer Gases made total sales of $2 777 678,13 although the total was $9 092 951,51.

It was alleged that Kadungure made the misrepresentation to avoid paying tax and Zimra was prejudiced of $417 940, 58.

Between January 2010 and December 2015, Kadungure did not declare sales made by his Pioneer Gases amounting to $9 092 951.51 and concealed assets valued at $1 191 713.45.

By Own Correspondent| Former finance minister Tendai Biti has advised firms to take government to court over the export retention scheme.

Biti said the firms should sue government over the export retention scheme which he argued is unconstitutional as it violates Section 305 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

He said Government had not liberalised the economy since it had retained control of foreign currency.

Advised Biti:

“Dishonesty number two is that there are still maintaining the export retention scheme. That means that huge exporters like Zimplats, the mining houses, tobacco farmers they still have their foreign currency being taken by the Government. But surely if you have liberalised then you must allow those companies to keep their foreign currency so that the excess will go on the auction market so that people can buy including the Government.

But you cannot retain control and then at the same time pretend that you have liberalised. You have not liberalised. Once you liberalise, liberalise both the supply and the demand. So you can’t liberalise demand-auction but supply-the exporters; you are taking their money, you are nationalising their money. And I hope that the big companies the Zimplats of this world will for the first time have the courage to go to their lawyers and approach the High Court, approach the Constitutional Court because this abnormality should not continue.

As I have said before the RBZ’s retention of export earnings is unconstitutional because any money collected should go to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, should go to Parliament for accountability. Therefore Parliament should distribute it in the budget in terms of Section 305 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. So the Constitution is being broken.”

By Own Correspondent| Opposition political parties that participated in the 2018 July harmonised elections met on Friday at State House and formed four thematic committees as the first step towards a national dialogue to the challenges facing the country.

A report by the state media claimed that more than 20 parties attended the meeting, which was initiated by Zanu pf leader and President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Chairman of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Justice Selo Nare chaired the meeting.

Said Justice Nare:

“The whole point was to establish thematic committees. The parties came up with four thematic committees. The first one is the committee on transitional framework to design the structure, composition, and operational modality for the dialogue.

The second was the committee on agenda-setting, to come up with the issues to constitute the agenda for the dialogue process.

The third committee will deal with the identification of the convenor and moderator of the dialogue. The fourth committee is the implementation and evaluation committee to assess the extent to which the dialogue framework is serving its purpose and recommend necessary remedial measures. That was the major thing of the day.”-StateMedia

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is reportedly seeking to meet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa when he arrives in Harare for a State visit on March 12, NewsDay has learnt.

MDC insiders said Chamisa, who late last year claimed he had written to Ramaphosa seeking his intervention in Harare’s developing political crisis, will take advantage of the South African leader’s impending State visit to “door-step him” into a meeting.

“He is working out a plan to approach Ramaphosa for a meeting. It’s highly unlikely because Ramaphosa is coming here to meet (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa in his capacity as leader of Zimbabwe and specifically for business. The other thing is Ramaphosa has already taken a position and it’s almost a waste of time to think he will shift,” a top MDC source said on condition of anonymity.

Ramaphosa’s International Relations minister Lindiwe Sisulu, in announcing the visit, said South Africa was demanding the unconditional removal of sanctions against Harare to “allow development and reforms”.

Sisulu was echoing Ramaphosa’s stance made at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, recently at which the South African leader said the world needed to give Mnangagwa’s administration a chance to implement its reforms and development agenda.

Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda seemed to confirm an attempt to talk to Ramaphosa will be made.

“President Chamisa has the utmost respect for His Excellency, The Right Honourable President Ramaphosa. He has communicated with regional leaders at every turn and will continue to take every opportunity to engage with the region and especially the South African President His Excellency Ramaphosa,” he said.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko was not available for comment.

South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mphakama Mbete, said he was not aware of Chamisa’s planned meeting with Ramaphosa.

“I have not been made aware of their (MDC) wish (to meet Ramaphosa). I can’t speak on behalf of my President regarding this issue,” he said.

Chamisa, Sibanda added, is concerned about the political, economic and social implosion that is worsening in the country, “and hopes that regional engagement would concentrate efforts on solving the problems that are within Zimbabwe’s control”.

“We surely can rebuild our country by dealing with the scourge of corruption, the inhumanity of human rights abuses, the indignity of a militarised State and the indecency of electoral impropriety,” the opposition leader’s spokesperson said.

“The president (Chamisa) will, with due respect, not engage in any diplomatic work using public media. If there are or were to be any communication with President Ramaphosa on his visit to Zimbabwe, the publicisation of the same would be subject to diplomatic protocols.

“President Chamisa always wants to balance public interest and support the work of the media with the need to respect diplomacy.”

Chamisa late last month rejected Mnangagwa’s call for a meeting to discuss the framework for possible dialogue among political actors in the country, instead demanding the release of activists arrested following deadly protests in January.

He has also demanded a neutral convener for such an indaba.

Other losing presidential candidates attended Mnangagwa’s meeting.

By Own Correspondent| Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba has dispelled reports alleging that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is recruiting.

Said Charamba in a statement:

AMENDMENT OF ZRP RECRUITMENT POLICY

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is currently inundated with enquiries on recruitment and some false messages are even circulating on social media platforms purporting that the organisation will soon embark on a recruitment drive.

The police wishes therefore to advise members of the public and those who had conducted interviews and had been put on the waiting list that the recruitment policy has been amended with immediate effect. Potential police recruits are now required to be aged between 18-22 years old and be in possession of a minimum of 5 Ordinary level passes which include Mathematics, English Language and Science attained in not more than two (2) sittings. In addition the applicants should have a good background with no criminal record and then go through the whole police internal selection process.

In light of this new recruitment policy, all police applicants on the waiting list have been dispensed with and will no longer be considered for any recruitment in the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Members of the public are therefore advised that future recruitment exercises will be advertised in both the print and electronic media when the need arises. Potential applicants will thus be invited to contact relevant recruitment offices whenever there is a pending exercise.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Republic Police wishes to express appreciation and gratitude to all applicants who had shown an interest in the service and were on the waiting list.

By Own Correspondent| A senior Zapu official has revealed that the party’s leader Dumiso Dabengwa is still in South Africa where he is receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Party spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa who told a local publication that Dabengwa is expected to undergo an operation soon.

He added that Dabengwa’s surgical operation had to be deferred from January owing to complications.

Said Maphosa:

We are here with Dr Dabengwa. He has been in South Africa for some time now. He is recovering from an ailment that I will, however, not be able to disclose for now. There was a bit of complication around the operation and the doctors advised that the operation that he (Dabengwa) was supposed to undergo in January be deferred to another date they will advise at a later stage. Once he is certified as okay, he will come back home and take over from where he left.-ZimbabweIndependent

By Own Correspondent| According to a state media report, China has pledged to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation ties with Zimbabwe.

Chinese Acting Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhao Baogang told the ZBC News on the sidelines of a farewell dinner for a Zanu PF Central Committee and youth members to China that the Asian nation is interested in forging more strategic partnerships with Zimbabwe.

He said:

“We shall continue to explore more in terms of relationships with Zimbabwe so that we can all benefit and increase economic ties.”

By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC said its members of parliament Charlton Hwende (Kuwadzana East), Joanah Mamombe (Harare West), and Godfrey Sithole (Chitungwiza North), who have been absent from Parliament, are not on the run and had nothing to do with shutdown protests last month.

The statement by MDC followed reports that the three had not been attending Parliament due to the clampdown by security agents on opposition supporters and legislators.

Several MDC MPs have been arrested and appeared in court for allegedly inciting the fuel protests.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Hwende was in Namibia when the January demonstrations took place and was not on the run for any offences.

He also said Mamombe had been out attending educational programmes as she is a post-graduate student. Mafume said Mamombe has been absent in Parliament because she had to travel to attend block release programmes out of the country. He however, said he had not yet ascertained the absence of Sithole.-Newsday

Edmund Kudzayi, who was arrested on Friday 22 February 2019 and charged with contravening section 32 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly possessing a camouflage umbrella, is expected to appear at Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday 23 February 2019. Kudzayi is represented by Obey Shava of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

More to follow…

By Own Correspondent| In an interview with a local publication, central bank governor John Mangudya denied that the bond note lost value against the US dollar.

He said it was not the bond note that lost value but inflation rates went up in October last year.

Mangudya who is on record saying he will resign if bond notes failed, denied that the currency failed.

Below is an excerpt of the interview:

“……. What happened is that the fundamentals of the economy were changing significantly in October. Let us just call a spade a spade. The parallel exchange rate in June was at a premium of $1 200 to $1 800 during the year 2018 up to September. Therefore, the bond did not lose much ground at that rate. Fast forward to October, the fundamentals changed, inflation went up by 5%.

All these incentives were higher than inflation, so it means it was a real incentive. Inflation went up to 20% in October, now 42%. It is not the bond note which has lost value; it is inflation which has gone up. We can no longer sustain that anymore. We now want to fix the inflation. Fix the rate. Stabilise the exchange rate.”

Correspondent|MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has said the much-anticipated elective Congress will help re-brand the party and set it on a new trajectory, adding that the party will come after Congress with deeper ideology and values.

The opposition party resolved after its National Council meeting on Friday at the party’s headquarters Morgan Tsvangirai House in Harare that the congress will be held from 24 — 26 May 2019.

In a post on his official Twitter page on Saturday morning, Chamisa said 7,000 delegates were expected to attend.

“7 000 delegates expected. (We are) taking the MDC to a wholly NEW level. It’s not about positions but a new propositional value, organisational and leadership culture recasting, new strategies and tactics, deeper ideological and values and re-branding,” he said.

Although the party in public maintains that all positions including Chamisa’s are open for contest at Congress, Chamisa’s challengers face an uphill task as Chamisa’s close lieutenants have accused as ZANU-PF projects anyone who dared challenge Chamisa.

“We want to deal with the nincompoopery and tomfoolery once and for all.
We are determined to make this Zimbabwe the greatest. We can do it. We did it with the Mutapa empire and the Great Zimbabwe. We had the best trade and commerce then. We had strong and functional governance structures,” he added.

Meanwhile, the MDC National Council also resolved that there be another extra-ordinary National Council meeting to deal with Congress issues including but not limited to the appointment of the Independent Commission to run the national Congress in line with the dictates of the party’s Constitution.

Correspondent|SEVEN Chinese men, who were arrested on 22 December last year after they were allegedly found in possession of rhino horns almost worth $1.8 million dollars, were on Tuesday further remanded in custody after the defence requested time to tender an application for discharge.

They are facing charges of violating some provisions of the Parks and Wildlife Act.

Zeng Dengui (35), Peicon Jang (35), Liu Cheng (23), Yu Xian (25), Yong Zhu (25), Chen Zhiangfu (30) and Qui Jinchang (29) were arrested after being found in possession of rhino horns following a raid by authorities at a rented Victoria Falls house.

They appeared before regional magistrate Collet Ncube facing unlawful possession of animal trophies and money-laundering charges before being remanded to February 27 after their lawyers indicated that they wanted to apply for discharge at the close of the State’s case.

“We have been given instructions to make an application for discharge. Our undertaking is to file a written application tomorrow (Wednesday) by close of business. We, therefore, kindly request the court to allow us time to do so,” defence lawyer Givemore Mviringi of Mviringi and Associates said.

The court heard that on December 22, 2018, detectives from CID Minerals Flora and Fauna unit in Victoria Falls received a tip-off that there were Chinese nationals suspected to be in possession of pieces of rhino horns at a house in the Aerodrome area.

The following day, armed with a warrant of search and seizure, detectives descended on the house and found the seven inside the house.

After identifying themselves, they requested to search all the rooms through Wang, who was conversant in English.

However, Wang informed the officers that he could not authorise the search as he was not the owner of the house.

The owner, Oscar Sikuka, was called and arrived 10 minutes later. He authorised the search after going through the search warrant.

The search led to the recovery of plastic bags hidden under a bed containing both semi and processed rhino horns, which had been cut into small pieces.

The trial faced initial delays as the courts sought an interpreter.

Martha Cheda represented the State.

Under Zimbabwe’s wildlife laws, it is a criminal offence to keep, possess, sell or dispose of any protected animal’s products or trophies. The offence attracts a custodial sentence.

The seven were arrested following a tip off from a local maid.

Police found the rhino horns, weighing 20,98kg and worth $1, 801,700 hidden in plastic bags, boxes and mattress. A digital scale was also found in Liu’s room.

Rhino horns are highly prized in some Asian nations like China and Vietnam where they are used for medicinal purposes.

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe are dehorning the country´s 700 adult rhinos to curb rampant poaching.

Correspondent|THE arrest of Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) chief executive David Chawota for criminal abuse of office has opened a can of worms and sucked in former Transport and Infrastructural Development minister  Joram Gumbo who faces probe for activities of similar nature in connivance with Chawota.

Chawota  was accused of  misappropriation of $56 000 in an irregular promotional material transaction and granted $700 bail Tuesday. Impeccable sources told this publication that the Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet is keen on investigating Gumbo over his alleged ‘unholy’ alliance with Chawota  in which he ordered the CAAZ board to approve the awarding of a 28 million euro (US$33,3 million) tender to Indra Sistemas and Homt Espana SA for the finance, supply and installation of an airspace management system without going to tender sometime in 2017.

“The special anti -corruption unit is keen on investigating Gumbo over corrupt activities that he committed during his tenure as Transport minister. Also of concern is his association with Chawota whom he reinstated as CAAZ boss in unclear circumstances despite corrupt activities that resulted in the resignation of previous board members. As we speak, he has been summoned but is said to have travelled to Bulawayo,” revealed our source.

It is alleged that sometime in 2017, Gumbo called a special meeting of the CAAZ board to discuss and seek authority to engage the services of Indra Sistemas and Homt Espana SA at a cost of 28 million euro, an increase from 18 million euro (US$21,4 million) in 2013 when the tender was initially awarded.

This development implied that the acquisition of the airspace management system, which includes radar surveillance equipment, could have been inflated by 64%.

This action was in complete negation of a subsisting court order granted in 2016 and saw the cancellation of the tender to Indra Sistemas and the job being remitted to the then State Procurement Board (now Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe ) for the invitation of a fresh tender.

The tender was never floated despite the Supreme Court ruling.

This publication learnt that among the concerns of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit is to establish why Gumbo unprocedurally dealt directly with Chawota in CAAZ procurement issues.

“For instance of the radar tender, Gumbo  dealt directly with Chawota and subsequently ‘forced’ the board to approve, instead of correct procedure of going through CAAZ  finance and business development committee or the corporate strategic planning and technical committee,” said our source..

The CAAZ board preferred a multi-product and source procurement approach to avoid embarrassing ‘boobs’ like the purchase of snow graders.

When contacted for clarification, Gumbo declined to comment.

Correspondent|Zanu PF party vehicles and salaries have divided the ruling party amid reports that a storm is brewing following the party’s decision to pay all Central Committee (CC) members $900 per month.

Zanu PF insiders said the salary is only paid to Central Committee members who are not either members of parliament or senators.

“It was agreed that those who do not have any other means of upkeep yet they are CC members should be paid $900,” said the source.

“Those who were elected to be MPs and senators were removed from the pay roll because they now earn salaries from parliament.”

The source said it has since emerged that some CC members who are also senators still receive the salary while others were removed from the payroll.

“Some senators have raised this issue with the secretary for finance Patrick Chinamasa but nothing has been done.”

In an interview the Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said he will not discuss issues of salaries with the media.

“We cannot discuss issues of salaries in the media, these are organisational issues which we cannot divulge to the public and (Patrick) Chinamasa is the one responsible for issues to do with salaries,” said Mpofu.

Besides issues of salaries Zanu PF CC members are also at war with losing parliamentary candidates over the campaign vehicles.

Zanu PF acquired over 300 vehicles in the build up to the July 30 2018 elections. The vehicles were given to all parliamentary candidates who won in the party’s primary polls.

However, most of the candidates in the urban areas lost the elections but are still using the vehicles.

“We want vehicles to be given to some senators since those using them lost elections,” the source said.

Since the coming in of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zanu PF has adopted the Chinese Communist Party model where it is being run as a company.

Tanzanian national airliner Air Tanzania yesterday re-introduced flights into Harare from Dar es Salaam at a time when several airliners are also increasing flights into the country. The airline will ply the route three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, using an Airbus A220-300.

Air Tanzania is the first to operate this aircraft in Africa and Harare is among its first destinations.

Air Zimbabwe and Fastjet are already servicing the route, which has become popular with Zimbabweans travelling to the coastal city to collect second-hand vehicles that they are importing mostly from Japan.

Speaking during the launch, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira welcomed the move, saying the re-launch of the route opens a new chapter for the country’s economy by enhancing both Zimbabwe’s trade and tourism activities.

“This historic re-launch is expected to open a whole chapter from an economic point of view as it enables our citizens to enjoy our diverse tourist attractions, which include Mt Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar in Tanzania and locally the majestic Victoria Falls and the Great Zimbabwe, as well as improved trade and commerce between the two countries. This increased connectivity will make it easier for tourists around the world to visit these attractions for the benefit of our states,” she said.

“The aviation industry plays a critical role and is indispensable for tourism, which anchors on reliable and convenient air services to facilitate the arrival of larger numbers of tourists to a region or country.

“It is estimated that just over half of all tourists travel by air.

“Aviation-related tourism supports 35 million jobs worldwide, in total, thereby contributing more than $800 billion to global GDP.

“Regionally, the impact of tourism can be even more profound with new air services increasing the propensity to travel.”

Minister Mupfumira also highlighted that Government is working on liberalising the country’s air transport markets as it moves to enhance destination connectivity.

“Our Government has engaged in the liberalisation of air transport markets with the aim of enhancing destination connectivity for the benefit of travellers.

“This is evidenced by our signing of the Solemn Commitment on the Single African Air Transport Market, a testimony to Zimbabwe’s commitment to the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision,” she said.

The development also comes as other regional players are working on increasing the number of flights in the country.

RwandAir says it will from July this year introduce flights every day from Harare to Cape-Town while it is also considering tapping into other routes, which include Victoria-Falls-Johannesburg, Mozambique and Zambia.

State Media

Political parties that participated in the 2018 July harmonised elections met yesterday and formed four thematic committees as the first step towards a national dialogue to the challenges facing the country. More than 20 parties attended the meeting, which was held at State House.

Chairman of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Justice Selo Nare chaired the meeting.

Yesterday’s meeting was a sequel to one that was held a fortnight ago, where the idea of forming the thematic committees was agreed on.

Justice Nare told The Herald after the meeting that each political party seconded four members to each committee.

“The whole point was to establish thematic committees,” he said.

“The parties came up with four thematic committees. The first one is the committee on transitional framework to design the structure, composition, and operational modality for the dialogue.

“The second was the committee on agenda-setting, to come up with the issues to constitute the agenda for the dialogue process.

“The third committee will deal with the identification of the convenor and moderator of the dialogue. The fourth committee is the implementation and evaluation committee to assess the extent to which the dialogue framework is serving its purpose and recommend necessary remedial measures. That was the major thing of the day.”

Justice Nare said it was agreed that the committees would meet next Friday, March 1, after which they would give a report back on March 8, 2019.

He said some people were of the opinion that the meeting should have dealt with the modalities of the meeting, but the parties settled on forming committees that would then deal with the issue of modalities.

Sources who attended the meeting said Mr Daniel Shumba sought to disrupting the proceedings, before he later walked out.

“He was playing some theatrics to seek attention and he later walked out of the meeting,” said the source. “It was clear from the beginning that he wanted to be a spoiler.”

Commenting on the decision by Mr Shumba to walk out of the meeting, Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba said: “It is his democratic right to walk away from progress.”

Zanu-PF secretary for Legal Affairs Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana and MDC-T vice president Mr Obert Gutu confirmed that they had a progressive meeting.

The dialogue is part of an expansive berth that President Mnangagwa has given to engage all stakeholders, including the Church and civil society, to confront the national question.

State Media

A 28-YEAR-OLD woman from Bulawayo has been arrested for insulting her lover’s wife after she confronted her about their affair.

Lesley Ngwenya of Nkulumane suburb insulted Ms Sazini Moyo (36) by sending her an obscene message telling her that she was a dog.

Ngwenya told Western Commonage magistrate Mr Lungile Ncube that Ms Moyo had pushed her to the edge and thus she sent a message so that she could leave her alone.

“While we were texting each other, Ms Moyo said things that angered me and I lost my temper,” she said.

Ngwenya pleaded guilty to a charge of sending abusive messages through the phone and was ordered to go for community service assessment.

The court heard that Ngwenya has an eight-month-old child with Ms Moyo’s husband.

The prosecutor Mr Kenneth Shava said on January 9, Ms Moyo texted Ngwenya asking her if she was having an affair with her husband.

“The two exchanged text messages until Ngwenya lost her temper and insulted Ms Moyo. She told her to get out of her business and that she was a useless dog,” said Mr Shava.

Ms Moyo reported the matter to the police leading to Ngwenya’s arrest.

State Media

Paul Nyathi|Failure to conclude primary elections forced the MDC Alliance to field two candidates at the Nomination Court for Bulawayo Ward 28 election on Friday.

The election is set for March 30.

Eighteen candidates successfully lodged their papers at the Nomination Court which sat at the council chambers, with Zanu-PF fielding Kidwell Mujuru while the MDC Alliance fielded two candidates Alderman Collet Ndhlovu and Ms Nomagugu Mloyi.

Other candidates include Mejury Dube from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Gumpo Flora of MDC-T, Albert Mashayanyika of the National Constitutional Assembly, Polite Ncube of ZEFF, Nokuthula Ndlovu of Zapu, Nicholas Ngwenya of ZIPP, Nkosikhona Nyoni of MRP, Buhle Nzima of NPF and six independent candidates.

The seat fell vacant following the death in December last year of MDC Alliance councillor Happyson Ncube who had defeated Ald Ndlovu in primary polls before emerging victorious in the July 30 general elections.

Both MDC Alliance candidates could not be reached for comment.

State Media reports indicate that national spokesperson Jacob Mafume said that the party faced challenges regarding election material resulting in it shelving the holding of primary elections. He said they will hold a primary election pitting Ald Ndhlovu and Ms Mloyi within seven days to come up with one candidate.

Mafume said the losing candidate will withdraw his or her name from the race as the law allows that for as long as it is done within seven days after the sitting of the Nomination Court.

“There is a deadline for Nomination Court but as you know a primary election can be held after the Nomination Court sitting. We have a contingency plan to deal with people who might not be satisfied with what would have happened. It will be sorted within seven days. The party allowed the candidates who fielded to field their names,” he said.

Correspondent|The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has set the interbank rate at 2.5 to the US dollar to kick start its auction system.

However its ability to sustain it at those levels depends, among others on the availability of foreign currency, the quantum of outstanding payments and their averages and fiscal discipline on the part of government.

At a post Monetary Policy meeting this morning, RBZ governor said the apex bank had managed to supply banks with foreign currency as from yesterday using a rate of 2.5 to the US$ dollar. The rate was implied when the President announced new fuel prices in January. This is against the prevailing market rates of 3.5 and 4 on bond notes and Ecocash respectively.

Mangudya said: “This is not a trial-run. This is the beginning of the journey. Last night, we agreed with the banks and they were buying from us (RBZ) at 2.5: 1 which include their mark-up. Today (Friday) banks are selling using the 2.5 rate, which is in line with regional best practice,” he said.

“They (banks) should not make money out of our money. Banks, therefore, should not charge any rate above that. This is not acceptable.

“We have given banks seed capital to kickstart interbank trading. The only challenge is that banks might not have the RTGS dollars (T$) to support it. In fact, some banks were struggling yesterday to raise T$ to purchase the forex.”

Mangudya’s comments come in the wake of his policy statement, which did away with the parity between the US$ and the T$. He said rates will be published at the end of each trading day.

While giving his remarks, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube accepted that the 1:1 cost the country dearly in the process and is regrettable.

“We have lost a total of $2 billion last year on 1:1 forex exchange rate and it was killing the goose that was laying the golden eggs (the exporters).

“By formalising and liberalising the exchange rate; we thought this measure will enable market and banks to lead the way as far as forex exchange rates are concerned,” said Mthuli.

The bank is still working on the legal modalities and also on ways to ensure that value is protected although he said people should accept that their balances had been devalued by 2.5 times due to the conversion.

Own Correspondent|Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya on his own free will admitted that his surrogate currency, the Bond Note, failed and cheated investors.

Speaking at a Breakfast meeting held by the Reserve Bank and captains of industry on Friday to review the monetary policy statement he presented on Wednesday, Mangudya conceded that he was at fault insisting on the one is to one rate between the Bond Note and the US Dollar.

“I am guilty as charged, taking exporters money at 1:1 when prices had risen by three or four times was unfair,” Said Mangudya

In 2016, Mangudya vowed to resign in the event that the bond note which is now called RTGS$ failed.

“I have high confidence in this measure we are taking. I know it will bear fruits. In the event the bond notes fail, I will surely resign and walk away from the office and leave someone else to take charge because I would have failed the nation,” declared Mangudya.

Minister of Finance Professor Mthuli Ncube admitted that one is to one rate was punishing Exporters.

“The 1:1 peg was punishing exporters, we were killing the goose that lays the golden egg,” said Ncube.

GOVERNMENT has approved 37 investors who have shown interest to produce cannabis (mbanje or dagga) for medicinal or scientific purposes.

This follows last year’s decision by Government to legalise cannabis production.

Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Deputy Minister Vangelis Haritatos said Government was overwhelmed by applications after more than 200 foreign and local investors showed interest to venture into production of cannabis in the country.

The Deputy Minister said this while addressing chief executives at the 6th Africa Round Table forum recently.

He said Government is now working on licensing the selected investors in line with Statutory Instrument 62 of 2018 (Dangerous Drugs – Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific use Regulations).

“In the last few months, more than 200 local and foreign companies have shown interest in venturing into medical cannabis production. Cabinet has approved about 37 of them and they will be issued with licences. For now we are in the process of registering them,” said Deputy Minister Haritatos.

He said the investors would be issued with 12-month long licences pending renewal. Deputy Minister Haritatos said Government will strongly guard against illicit dealings in cannabis.

He said the global cannabis business is worth $24 billion per year.

The Deputy Minister said his Ministry would be working closely with the Ministry of Health and Child Care in production of medicinal cannabis, in partnership with investors.

Deputy Minister Haritatos highlighted that the industry was facing teething problems in rolling out cannabis production as they feel it will encourage abuse of drugs such as mbanje.

“Let’s give investors a chance. There is a lot of excitement which will bring a lot of investment and help people produce oils for cancer and other medicinal purposes,” he said.

There is strong evidence of cannabis medicinal benefits in the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, neuropathic pain, spasticity in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, among others.

By Paul Nyathi|Government has officially announced the $1 – $2.50 RTGS as the official starting exchange rate of the Zimbabwean currency to the United States Dollar.

The official rate was announced by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Magudya at a breakfast meeting with captains of industry on Friday morning in Harare.

“Since we are starting a new concept all import invoices have to be resubmitted to the banks to avoid distortions…the rate will open at $1:2,50 (RTGS) as per agreement with foreign currency dealers in the banks. Demand and supply will determine the rate going forward,” – RBZ governor John Mangudya said.

Banks immediately adopted the rate but there was no significant foreign currency business with the dollar as suppliers resisted the exchange rate while banks themselves did not have the U.S. dollars.

The parallel market meantime maintained at $1 – $4.00 RTGS Dollars. The rate is expected to start sky rocketing early next week when business adjusts to the new monetary policy.

Economists predict that the dollar will shoot up to $15 RTGS Dollars to the U.S. Dollar before stabilising.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa finds himself facing a tough choice in his selection of the new Harare Provincial Affairs minister.

Given his limited choices within Zanu-PF, the Zimbabwe we look at the most likely candidates for the post.

Omega Hungwe:

Former Dzvivarasekwa legislator and currently the Zanu-PF’s deputy national political commissar.

Her role in the party, given the aggressive restructuring of the new dispensation means she already has her plate full. Mnangagwa is likely to take this into consideration. The party’s national commissar Engelbert Rugeje has found the going tough and needs able support from Hungwe.

Tongai Mnangagwa:

Currently the Harare South Member of Parliament. He has the potential but the biggest challenge is that he is the president’s nephew. President Mnangagwa is likely keen to avoid any appearances of nepotism, especially given it was a major accusation against former President Robert Mugabe.

Cleveria Chizema:

Despite her blaming former President Mugabe for Zimbabwe’s current economic woes, it has been speculated that the Politburo member has close links to the Mugabe family and is possibly a relative. With this in mind Mnangagwa is likely to avoid her being appointed.

Miriam Chikukwa: (Pictured)

Former Minister of State for Harare Metropolitan Province, she is alleged to be a member of the G40 faction that opposed Mnangagwa during his time as vice-president. Chikukwa was also embarassingly booed at the party’s December congress in 2017 as party members demanded she be ousted from the party. Last year she was also rejected by Harare Province making her a most unlikely provincial minister.

Oliver Chidau:

Suceeding Tizirai Gwata, Chidau became Harare’s second black mayor from 1984 to 1988 and has been in the party structures for quite some time. Always out of controversy and media shy, Chidau, a Chartered Engineer, is a close Mnangagwa ally, currently a Zanu PF senator for Harare. Given his experience, Chidau is leading the pack to be the next Harare Metropolitan provincial affairs minister.

Morning Post

Farai Dziva|Government sources have claimed United Democratic Alliance leader Daniel Shumba yesterday unsuccessfully tried to disrupt the meeting that was attended by representatives of political parties that participated in the 2018 harmonised elections.

The sources claimed Shumba sought to disrupt the proceedings, before walking out of the meeting.

“He was playing some theatrics to seek attention and he later walked out of the meeting,” said the source. “It was clear from the beginning that he wanted to be a spoiler.”

Commenting on the decision by Shumba to walk out of the meeting, Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said: “It is his democratic right to walk away from progress.”

Zanu-PF secretary for Legal Affairs Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana and MDC-T vice president Obert Gutu claimed that they had a progressive meeting.

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has announced a new recruitment policy.

According to the amended policy, potential police recruits are now required to be aged between 18- 22 years old and be in possession of a minimum of 5 Ordinary level passes which include Mathematics, English Language and Science attained in not more than two (2) sittings.

In a statement issued by Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, those who were on a waiting list will no longer be considered for service.

Sai Charamba in a statement:

AMENDMENT OF ZRP RECRUITMENT POLICY

The Zimbabwe Republic Police is currently inundated with enquiries on recruitment and some false messages are even circulating on social media platforms purporting that the organisation will soon embark on a recruitment drive.

The police wishes therefore to advise members of the public and those who had conducted interviews and had been put on the waiting list that the recruitment policy has been amended with immediate effect.

Potential police recruits are now required to be aged between 18-22 years old and be in possession of a minimum of 5 Ordinary level passes which include Mathematics, English Language and Science attained in not more than two (2) sittings. In addition the applicants should have a good background with no criminal record and then go through the whole police internal selection process.

In light of this new recruitment policy, all police applicants on the waiting list have been dispensed with and will no longer be considered for any recruitment in the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Members of the public are therefore advised that future recruitment exercises will be advertised in both the print and electronic media when the need arises. Potential applicants will thus be invited to contact relevant recruitment offices whenever there is a pending exercise.

Meanwhile the Zimbabwe Republic Police wishes to express appreciation and gratitude to all applicants who had shown an interest in the service and were on the waiting list.

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe National Army has distanced itself from a statement alleging that the army is set to conduct home searches for stolen army uniforms

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Alphios Makotore said the ZNA had never issued a statement to that effect.

He said:

“That statement which is circulating is not authentic; it’s a false statement. Anything which comes from the ZNA has a signature to show that it came from us but that statement doesn’t have one.

Whoever circulated that fake statement about the ZNA searching stolen uniforms in residential areas is going to be charged because that’s a big crime and having an army uniform is a crime as well.”

By Own Correspondent| Denford Ngadziore, the MDC councilor for Ward 16 was on Friday acquitted by a Harare magistrate for public violence charges.

Ngadziore who is also opposition MDC -T Harare provincial youth secretary  was arrested for public violence during the January 14 2019 fuel protests which rocked Harare.

Said the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR):

“In Harare, magistrate Mashamba acquitted Denford Ngadziore, a Harare councilor who was arrested and charged with public violence.”

By Own Correspondent| The MDC National Council on Friday resolved to launch the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai School of ideology in honor of the party’s late founding father.

In resolutions released after a meeting of the party’s highest decision body, the National Council said the school is necessary to inculcate the ideals and principles of social democracy, smart leadership and to infuse a culture of good governance across all MDC leaders and members.

Read the resolution:

Council resolves to launch the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai School of ideology so as to inculcate the ideals and principles of social democracy, smart leadership and to infuse a culture of good governance across all strands of leadership and membership.

Zanu-PF has its own Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology

Efforts to find a lover on a local dating site have backfired for several women leading to loss of valuables.

Yesterday, police arrested a suspect, Micheal Tapfumaneyi in connection with attacks on several women he promised to marry before robing them.

Tapfumanyei was only arrested after a trap was set up with one of the police officers posing as his lover.

“He met one of the ladies here in Harare at Roadport where he offered to carry her bags.

“They met over the site and he told her he was going to introduce her to his relatives before he vanished into thin air at the bus terminal,” said a source.

Reports say Tapfumaneyi was posting his brief proposal on the popular dating site using different numbers.

One of the ladies who was scammed spoke to H-Metro and said she met Tapfumaneyi in Masvingo.

“He told me that he was interested in me and was ready to marry me.

“He travelled all the way from Harare to Masvingo and booked us into a lodge before stealing my cellphone and escaping during the night,” said the lady.

By STEVE HANKE|UNTIL February 20th, Zimbabwe produced a quasi-currency. It was dubbed a “Zollar.” On the 20th, the quasi-currency became Zimbabwe’s official currency. This new currency is called RTGS dollars and consists of bond notes and RTGS (electronic money).

The RTGS dollars possess legal tender status and will serve as the unit of account for the government’s books. The official exchange rate for Zollar quasi-currency had been set at a one-to-one rate with the U.S. dollar. But now, the RTGS dollar will trade at a managed floating exchange rate. The rate today is 2.50 per U.S. dollar, not par, as it used to be. So, Zimbabwe’s official exchange rate has experienced a maxi-devaluation of 60%.

That, however, is not the end of Zimbabwe’s exchange-rate story. Zimbabwe imposes a plethora of exchange and capital controls on its citizens. Under these exchange controls, private individuals, traders, and companies must seek permission from the government to buy, sell, and hold foreign currencies.

So, neither the old Zollar nor the new RTGS dollar is freely convertible into a foreign currency. In consequence, a black-market (read: free market) exists. Indeed, whenever there are exchange controls and restrictions on free convertibility, black markets always appear.

At present, the black-market rate is 5.75, which represents a considerable premium over the official rate of 2.50 RTGS$/USD.

The black-market usually yields a premium over the official rate, as it does Zimbabwe. In some cases, the premiums can reach staggering levels. For example, in 1982, Ghana’s cedi carried a premium of over 2,000%. These premiums are known as black-market premiums.

The black-market premium indicates, among other things, the severity of the controls and restrictions a country imposes on its citizens. In the case of Zimbabwe, the official currency devaluation caused the black-market premium to shrink from 456% to 130%, as the official rate moved from 1 RTGS$/USD to 2.50.

So, as of now, the markets deem that the introduction of the new currency and the maxi-devaluation have reduced the severity of controls that drive a wedge between the official and black-market exchange rate. Moreover, since the black-market premium on foreign exchange is an implicit tax on exports, the reduction in the premium means that the export tax resulting from exchange controls has been reduced.

The chart below contains 22 countries that have black markets in foreign exchange and for which data are available. North Korea tops the list with a black-market premium of 811%. This suggests that controls are severe and that an official devaluation will eventually be in the cards.

Venezuela is at the bottom of the list, with an unusual negative black-market premium. This negative premium suggests that market participants think the bolivar will appreciate relative to the greenback, and that individuals are willing to pay a premium to obtain bolivars on the black-market.

Just why do countries impose restrictions and controls on foreign exchange markets and restrict free convertibility? In most cases, controls are seen as a way to cool off hot money and conserve official foreign exchange reserves.

The pedigree of exchange controls can be traced back to Plato, the father of statism. Inspired by Lycurgus of Sparta, Plato embraced the idea of an inconvertible currency as a means to preserve the autonomy of the state from outside interference.

So, the temptation to turn to exchange controls in the face of disruptions caused by hot money flows is hardly new. In the modern era, Tsar Nicholas II was the first to pioneer limitations on convertibility.

In 1905, he ordered the State Bank of Russia to introduce a limited form of exchange control to discourage speculative purchases of foreign exchange. The bank did so by refusing to sell foreign exchange, except where it could be shown that it was required to buy imported goods.
Otherwise, foreign exchange was limited to 50,000 German marks per person. The Tsar’s rationale for exchange controls was that of limiting hot money flows, so that foreign reserves and the exchange rate could be maintained.

As we move to reflect on Zimbabwe, or any of the other countries in the Hanke Quarterly Black Market Review, we must lift a page from Nobel laureate Friedrich Hayek’s 1944 classic, The Road to Serfdom:

The extent of the control over all life that economic control confers is nowhere better illustrated than in the field of foreign exchanges. Nothing would at first seem to affect private life less than a state control of the dealings in foreign exchange, and most people will regard its introduction with complete indifference. Yet the experience of most Continental countries has taught thoughtful people to regard this step as the decisive advance on the path to totalitarianism and the suppression of individual liberty. It is, in fact, the complete delivery of the individual to the tyranny of the state, the final suppression of all means of escape — not merely for the rich but for everybody.”

Hayek’s message about convertibility has regrettably been overlooked by many contemporary economists. Exchange controls are nothing more than a ring fence within which governments can expropriate their subjects’ property. Open exchange and capital markets, in fact, protect the individual from exactions, because governments must reckon with the possibility of capital flight.

From this, it follows that the imposition of exchange controls leads to an instantaneous reduction in the wealth of the country, because all assets decline in value. To see why, it is important to understand how assets are priced.
The value of any asset is the sum of the expected future installments of income it generates discounted to the present value. For example, the price of a stock represents the value to the investor now of his share of the company’s future cash flows, whether issued as dividends or reinvested.

The present value of future income is calculated using an appropriate interest rate that is adjusted for the various risks that the income may not materialize.

When convertibility is restricted, risk increases, because property is held hostage and is subject to a potential ransom through expropriation. As a result, the risk-adjusted interest rate employed to value assets is higher than it would be with full convertibility. Investors are willing to pay less for each dollar of prospective income and the value of property is less than it would be with full convertibility.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proclaimed that Zimbabwe is “open for business.” This refrain rings hollow in the face of Zimbabwe’s exchange controls and its new currency, the RTGS dollar.
If Zimbabwe wants to be open for business and wants its own sound currency, it should adopt a currency board. That would make Zimbabwe’s currency a clone of the U.S. dollar, or some other suitable anchor, such as gold.

A currency board would mandate that exchange controls be thrown in the dustbin. Free convertibility would reign, and so would low inflation rates and higher asset valuations. The “open for business” sign would be the real deal.

Authored by Steve H. Hanke of the Johns Hopkins University. Follow him on Twitter @Steve_Hanke.

Correspondent|THE second session of the national dialogue with July 2018 presidential candidates at State House in Harare on Friday got off to a rocky start‚ with some candidates and their representatives walking out.

Some snubbed the event entirely for various reasons.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa‚ who did not attend the second session‚ set up the national dialogue to address the country’s socio-economic problems. The first meeting was on February 6‚ when four committees were set up.

The first committee was to focus on the institutional framework of the dialogue‚ while the second would deal with the agenda items for the dialogue. The third was going to determine the convenor of the dialogue‚ and the fourth would be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the agreed issues.

But Daniel Shumba’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) withdrew from the second meeting because they were “insincere‚ choreographed‚ and a highly compromised process”.

In a statement‚ the UDA said: “We disagree with the process‚ purpose‚ issues and level of engagement. Clearly‚ no outcomes can be expected from this facade. The process starts with a predetermined agenda even before agreeing on the moderator‚ issues‚ or milestones. It’s inconsequential and of no effect.”

Noah Manyika’s Build Zimbabwe Alliance (BZA) also did not attend the second session‚ which the party said must produce a democratic‚ competent and integral governance outcome if done sincerely.

Manyika (pictured) argued that the continued absence of the MDC Alliance – the biggest opposition party in the country – had had negative effect on the whole process.

“It is my position that any dialogue that does not include the MDC Alliance and other critical stakeholders will not pass the credibility test locally and globally‚” he said.

With the meeting under way‚ deputy minister of information‚ publicity and broadcasting services Energy Mutodi claimed everything was smooth sailing without the MDC Alliance in attendance.

“Today representatives of various political parties established committees to facilitate national dialogue. The national dialogue will go on without MDC Alliance who have refused to accept defeat in last July’s elections‚” Mutodi said.

The MDC Alliance snubbed the dialogue from the onset because the party refuses to recognise President Mnangagwa as a legitimate leader‚ branding the dialogue as a huge farce. Another presidential candidate‚ Joice Mujuru of the National People’s Party (NPP)‚ ridiculed the gathering as a “photo moment”.

Sources said the dialogue has seen the emergence of three camps with various interests. There are some that are pro Zanu PF‚ some who seek relevance by being close to the system and those that feel the committee is already failing to address the real needs of the electorate.

— Sowetan

Correspondent|Norton Member of Parliament Temba Mliswa has alleged that there is a cartel of politicians who are behind the illegal mining activities that led to the death of miners recently in Mashonaland West.

Mliswa says during his term as Provincial Chairperson he tried to fight the cartel.

Mliswa further appealed to the Zimbabwe Republic Police to question the surviving miners in the Battlefields national disaster on where ther=y were taking the gold to and who brought them to the minefields.

Find Mliswa’s full statement below:

Looking back at the Battlefields mine disaster, people mustn’t lose focus. Why aren’t the politicians involved giving us answers? Minister Chitando needs to tell us why people were allowed to continue working on a mine illegally.

Environment Management Agency and the Ministry of Environment where were you and were the requisite laws and compliances effected? Will you ever answer or is it that everyone is involved in the rotandgold smuggling? When so many deaths occur, shouldn’t heads roll?

Eldorado Mine is another mine in the same province that the same has happened and we hear that the illegal makorokoza were brought in through ZANU-PF so who are the ZANUPF politicians behind this in Mashonaland West? As Provincial Chairperson  Ziyambi Ziyambi must answer.

As Minister of Justice, it would appear he’s giving protection to people like Musengi and Nduna. These are syndicates I’m aware of during my tenure as Provincial  Chairperson and always fought hard against.

Artisanal miners should be the ones empowered but not for them to be exploited by politicians

The only reason politicians want artisanal mining to continue is so that they can exploit the hapless miners. Why isn’t anyone asking the surviving miners who put them there, where were they taking the gold and is it there place legally? Those are the key questions the police should be asking.

If the survivors aren’t apprehended for their illegal mining then we’re supporting the system. Henrietta Rushwaya, President of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation is well versed in these processes and the politicians involved and as a straight person can tell us the truth

These are the issues that the infiltrators to the Parliamentary Portfolio  Committee on Mines have tried to muzzle me about.