Mutodi refuses to replace ED with Chatunga but says Tsvangirai Family must remove Chamisa. DOES @energymutodi MAKE SENSE?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 12, 2019
Correspondent|DEPUTY Minister of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services Energy Mutodi has proposed a bizzare suggestion for the opposition MDC: let the children of the late party founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai take over.
The reason? “Nelson Chamisa can never win an election, not even unity talks because of his arrogance,” Mutodi said.
Mutodi’s argument was that since Félix Tshisekedi, the son of a former opposition leader has been declared winner of the DR Congo elections, it seemed children of founding political figures had better chances of winning.
Said Mutodi: “With the DRC election commission declaring Félix Tshisekedi as President Elect of Congo, it’s high time Tsvangirai’s children take over the MDC, the party of their father. They stand a better chance. Nelson Chamisa can never win an election, not even unity talks because of his arrogance.”
When it was put across to him that maybe Bellarmine Chatunga or Robert Mugabe Jnr should also take over ZANU-PF, Mutodi had this to say: “For revolutionary parties like ZANU PF, ANC, SWAPO it’s a big NO because there was combined effort by comrades to liberate the country.
“Opposition parties are merely family kingdoms and a successor from outside the family tends to spoil the vision, is directionless and eventually fails.”
THE Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) has run out of vehicle registration plates, with a few available at post offices outside Harare.
This means those who used Harare addresses when they purchased their vehicles cannot access the remaining plates.
Motorists who require the short versions of the plates have been waiting for more than two months to access them, while those who require long versions have been waiting for over a month.
Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) director Mr Johannes Pedzapasi confirmed the shortage, but refused to comment further, saying Government would issue a statement at the appropriate time.
Efforts to contact Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza and his deputy, Advocate Fortune Chasi, were fruitless.
Stranded motorists who spoke to The Herald said they had waited for periods of up to two months to get the vehicle registration plates.
Some have been complaining that although the VID was aware of the situation, its officers had been manning roadblocks and impounding vehicles without registration plates.
Mr Pedzapasi dismissed the allegations saying: “It is not true that we are impounding unregistered vehicles.”
Motorists said they were also facing problems with the police over lack of number plates.
The country sources the plate-making material from Germany, while stamping of numbers is done locally.
Sources close to the CVR said the shortage was as a result of foreign currency challenges affecting the country.
In September last year, Mr Pedzapasi attributed another shortage to a delay in shipment of the plate-making material from Germany.
“There was also a delay at Forbes Border Post leading to the short supply of plates at various centres countrywide,” he said then.
Mr Pedzapasi attributed the delay to high sea levels in the Indian Ocean, leading to the delay in the shipment’s arrival in the country.
Motorists have in the past called on Government to consider producing the plates locally.
State Media
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube yesterday said the country will have its own currency within the next 12 months, as Government is frantically working on raising enough foreign currency to anchor it.
Addressing delegates at a “Road to Davos” townhall meeting in the capital yesterday, Prof Ncube said adopting the United States dollar or the South African rand would not solve the country’s macro-economic problems.
“On the issue of raising enough foreign currency to introduce the new currency, we are on our way already, give us months, not years,” he said.
Asked to give a timeline on when currency reforms would be implemented, Prof Ncube said it would be done “in less than 12 months”.
He said separating the parity between Real Time Gross Settlement accounts (RTGS) and foreign currency accounts (FCA) was the beginning of currency reforms which are necessary for pushing the country’s economy in the right direction.
“There is a balance between preservation of value and removing price distortions,” said Prof Ncube.
“The separation of accounts between the FCA and RTGS accounts was the beginning of currency reform.”
Prof Ncube said he was no longer in favour of adopting the rand as that would still depend on the availability of US dollars.
“I also hear that the citizens are pushing towards adopting the rand, I even argued for it years ago and there was a reason, you know, if we are going to assume the rand as our currency, we first of all have to acquire the rand and we need US dollars first to purchase the rand. In the long-term, Zimbabwe needs its own currency,” he said.
“Our job is to introduce a currency that will be stable and less volatile. Dealing with the fiscal side is the first order to move towards a stable currency. After all, what we have now is fiscal policy and now monetary policy and we have to tighten the belt on the currency volatility.”
Adopting the United States dollar as the country’s sole legal tender is not the way to solve Zimbabwe’s macro-economic challenges, said Prof Ncube.
This comes as different companies and individuals have been pushing for the re-dollarisation of the economy, with claims that the shortage of hard currency is choking business operations.
Recently, Delta Corporation announced that it would start selling its products in hard currency, citing that operations were being adversely affected by foreign currency shortages. The decision was later reversed after consultations with the Government.
Instead, Prof Ncube said Zimbabwe’s solution lay in currency reforms.
“The issue is shortage of forex with the corporates, the silver bullet is about currency reform, if we get that right the corporates can access foreign currency whenever they need it, the currency reform agenda is also impeding foreign investment, if investors cannot take their money out of the country then we cannot attract investors,” he said.
“A long-term solution to the crisis is, currency reforms, currency reforms, and currency reforms; and ending arbitrage opportunities in the market, accepting the US dollar as the only legal tender is not currency reform, its submission.
“As a nation if we accept US dollar as our sole currency, then it means that we are afraid of currency reform and that’s capitulation.” This also comes at a time when industry has also raised a red flag towards re-dollarisation.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Sifelani Jabangwe is on record saying re-dollarising the economy is counter-productive as it stifles growth and could halve the size of the economy.
“We see more companies wanting to sell in US dollars, but the issue is that we don’t need dollarisation as an economy,” said Mr Jabangwe.
“The economy will shrink by as much as 50 percent if we dollarise, so for me it is not the right way to go. We have seen it with US dollars in the past that we won’t be competitive when using the US dollar.”
An economist with a local commercial bank Joseph Mverecha has on countless times weighed in, disapproving the re-dollarisation of the Zimbabwean economy.
“Re-dollarisation will sustain disintermediation and dislocation in the economy, to the extent that foreign exchange access is non-existent for the vast majority of Zimbabweans who are non-exporters and constitute the largest segment of the population,” said Dr Mverecha.
State Media
Delivered fuel for a generator at a mortuary in Marondera today that blacked out for 48 hours. I'm still so sick at what I saw. Please make special provision for hospitals and the elderly. ED I am begging please ??. Fine it's not your fault, but u wanted this job. Please HE??
— #ThePeoplesChampion???✊? (@acielumumba) January 9, 2019
https://twitter.com/tmukupe/status/1083242247162941441?s=19
By Own Correspondent| Deputy minister of Industry and Commerce, Raj Modi has called on Chibuku Breweries to export its products and generate the much needed foreign currency.
Said Modi:
https://twitter.com/RModiByoSouth/status/1082966305718849536?s=19
By Own Correspondent| Build Zimbabwe Presidential candidate in the 2018 harmonised elections Dr Noah Manyika has castigated President Emmeraon Mnangagwa’s globetrotting under the guise of international re-engagements.
Dr Manyika urged Mnangagwa to make bold political, public policy and economic decisions which benefit the country arguing that foreign trips will not solve the current economic woes bedevilling Zimbabwe.
He said:
“Going to Davos or being interviewed by CNN wont fix our economy. Neither will the global begging trips disguised as international engagements efforts. What will fix our economy are the bold political, public policy and economic decisions government leaders must make here.”
https://twitter.com/drnmanyika/status/1082941592141524992?s=19
By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to meet the President of the Russian Federation Mr Vladmir Putin during his four-nation trip to Europe next week, the state owned Herald revealed.
Mnangagwa , who is scheduled to visit Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will also attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland, for the second year running since taking over power from his predecessor former president Robert Mugabe.
Revealed the state media:
“Further, the tour will provide an opportunity to transform the excellent political ties into mutually beneficial economic ties between Zimbabwe and the respective countries.
Information availed to this paper by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade underscores that the visits will promote Zimbabwe’s economic interests, image and influence.”
By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC youth assembly is set to hold a series of demonstrations next week to protest worsening economic conditions in Zimbabwe which they attribute to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s illegitimacy.
In a statement, the youth assembly said the demonstrations will be held in protest of the back-to-school burden costs, high prices of commodities, a nonperforming and static economy as well as the fuel crisis.
The youth assembly said considering Mnangagwa and his government’s “arrogant and ignorant approach” to the crisis facing the nation, it is important for national institutions and organisations to stand together “as they have not been spared by the wretched policies and leadership.”
Said the youths:
“As the nation faces intense difficulty, uncertainty has engulfed our country. The illegitimate Zanu PF government has failed; disastrous leadership has become a serious threat to the people of Harare and Zimbabwe at large.
The people’s revolution is ripe and we call every citizen to join, we are all affected by the current economic situation, no one should be left behind.”
The youth league said the upcoming “revolution” will be joined by civil servants, the education sector, health sector, vendors, transport operators, students and members of the public at large.
The MDC youths blamed the crisis on Mnangagwa’s “illegitimacy”, suggesting that their leader, Nelson Chamisa had a national dialogue plan that would rescue Zimbabwe.
“The leadership vacuum at the helm of the country coupled with the illegitimate and clueless Mnangagwa has not helped the burning situation the country has found itself in.
The people’s president, … Chamisa and the MDC party have come up with a five-point plan for national dialogue that would help boost confidence in our political processes and in our economy.-Daily News
By Own Correspondent| At a time when the country’s first citizens President Emmerson Mnangagwa is globe trotting using other national airliners and private jets, the country’s struggling airline Air Zimbabwe is suspending operations.
The state media The Herald however claims that the development is due to “maintenance works.”
We publish below the full text by The Herald:
State Media- National airline, Air Zimbabwe has suspended flights up to mid-month due to maintenance works being carried out on its only functioning plane.
The airline, which has largely been operating only two serviceable aircraft, was left with one following the grounding of the popular Mbuya Nehanda last month.
The remaining aircraft, the 767-200ER, also known as Chimanimani is undergoing servicing.
In a statement yesterday, Air Zimbabwe said it had made other travel arrangements for customers who had booked flights in advance but is not taking any bookings up to January 15.
“Air Zimbabwe wishes to advise its valued customers of a schedule disruption due to minor component upgrade on the B767-200 ER from 11 to 15 January 2019.
We wish to assure all valued customers who are holding confirmed and ticketed bookings within the mentioned dates that alternative arrangements have been made in order to ensure minimum disruptions to their travel plans,” reads the statement.
The airline said affected passengers will be contacted via email, telephone or SMS with information on alternative arrangements for their travel.
“Normal schedule is expected to resume on 15 January 2019 and we will avail relevant updates via our website and official social media platforms,” said Air Zimbabwe.
In an interview yesterday, Air Zimbabwe corporate affairs manager, Mr Tafadzwa Mazonde said they had made alternative arrangements with other airlines.
“We have strategic relationships with other airlines to cater for such circumstances,” said Mr Mazonde.
Asked about the leased aircraft that was meant to replace Mbuya Nehanda, Mr Mazonde said they had since terminated the lease agreement as the cost of leasing proved to be unsustainably high.
Air Zimbabwe grounded Mbuya Nehanda, a Boeing 737-200 ER for mandatory maintenance expected to last over a month on December 30. The airline said the maintenance check for Mbuya Nehanda was in line with aviation quality and safety standards.
“Air Zimbabwe wishes to advise its valued passengers that our aircraft, B737 Registration Z-WPA popularly known as ‘Mbuya Nehanda’ will be grounded for a mandatory maintenance check which is expected to be completed after 45 days with effect from midnight 30 December 2018, in line with aviation quality and safety standards,” it said in a statement issued last month.
Mbuya Nehanda serviced the Harare /Bulawayo /Victoria Falls /Harare as well as Harare /Dar es Salaam routes.
Sources at the airline said the plane could be retired as it has served for 33 years.
“This plane was acquired in 1986 and is likely not going to come back into service. It is very old. It is likely going to be replaced,” said the source.
Air Zimbabwe, which has been consistently underperforming in the last few years, was placed under reconstruction on October 4 last year in terms of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act (Chapter 24:27).
The move was designed to allow Air Zimbabwe an opportunity to clear its debt thought to be more than $334 million.
During the reconstruction process, all payments towards debts accrued by the company prior to October 4, 2018, would be temporarily suspended and settled in terms of this process.
In 1980, Air Zimbabwe had 18 aircraft flying into 31 destinations but it is now limited to Harare-Johannesburg; Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls and Harare-Dar es Salaam routes. – state media
By Own Correspondent| In a twist of events, three MDC officials are set to appear in court over the Zanu Pf fracas which occured at Kudzanai bus rank in Gweru where machete wielding Zanu Pf youths stormed the bus rank and started collecting revenue from commutter omnibus operators.
Chiundura Constituency legislator Livingstone Chimina and two other MDC officials were on Friday summoned to the police to answer charges of public violence after they effected citizen’s arrest on one of the Zanu Pf thugs involved in the fracas.
The Zanu Pf youth they arrested and handed over to the police was instead released while the trio were charged.
Said national spokesperson for the MDC Jacob Mafume:
“The MDC condemns in the strongest terms the arrest of MDC officials in Gweru including Hon Livingston Chimina of Chiundura Constituency who was playing a representational role stopping an ilegality by Zanu PF thugs who were collecting money from struggling citizens at Kudzanai rank.
The police called Hon Chimina, Charles Machangira and another to present themselves to the police, where they were detained the whole day only to be released later in the afternoon on flimsy public violence charges. They are set to appear before the Gweru magistrate tomorrow.
The three allegedly effected citizen’s arrest on one of the Zanu PF hoodlums who were collecting money from public transport operators at Kudzanayi Bus terminus since Monday. The others managed to escape. The thug was released by the police before the three were summoned to the Station.
The abuse of state institutions to pursue a partisan agenda is retrogressive especially when Zimbabwe is in a space when signs of reform are needed.
The use of the police service to serve a partisan agenda violates the Constitution which states that the service must be apolitical and must not deservice citizens’ political freedoms and rights.
We urge the leaders of the police service to rise above politics and Zanu PF to stop this abuse.
The rising persecution of dissent is a bad way of doing politics and must stop forthwith to allow Zimbabwe to move forward with the development of a Constitutional democracy.
Behold the New. Change that delivers!
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson
The MDC condemns in the strongest terms the arrest of MDC officials in Gweru including Hon Livingston Chimina of Chiundura Constituency who was playing a representational role stopping an ilegality by Zanu PF thugs who were collecting money from struggling citizens at Kudzanai rank.
The police called Hon Chimina, Charles Machangira and another to present themselves to the police, where they were detained the whole day only to be released later in the afternoon on flimsy public violence charges. They are set to appear before the Gweru magistrate tomorrow.
The three allegedly effected citizen’s arrest on one of the Zanu PF hoodlums who were collecting money from public transport operators at Kudzanayi Bus terminus since Monday. The others managed to escape. The thug was released by the police before the three were summoned to the Station.
The abuse of state institutions to pursue a partisan agenda is retrogressive especially when Zimbabwe is in a space when signs of reform are needed.
The use of the police service to serve a partisan agenda violates the Constitution which states that the service must be apolitical and must not deservice citizens’ political freedoms and rights.
We urge the leaders of the police service to rise above politics and Zanu PF to stop this abuse.
The rising persecution of dissent is a bad way of doing politics and must stop forthwith to allow Zimbabwe to move forward with the development of a Constitutional democracy.
Behold the New. Change that delivers!
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson
Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has issued a press statement dismissing as false fuel prices circulating on social media.
The prices circulating on social media allege fuel will be sold exclusively in foreign currency starting Monday next week.
ZERA does not directly address these allegations but urges people to dismiss the message.
We publish the full statement below:
The public’s attention is drawn to statements circulating on social media regarding the pricing of fuel in the country.
The statements are false and malicious and were not issued by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development nor the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. Members of the public are advised to ignore the messages, which are clearly aimed at causing anarchy and pessimism in the fuel sector.
Section 54 of the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22) specifically mandates ZERA in consultation with the Minister of Energy and Power Development to set fuel prices in Zimbabwe. The public is advised that the regulations on fuel pricing contained in Statutory Instruments 80 of 2018, 20 and 100 of 2015 have not changed.
The fuel prices are set on a weekly basis based on the above regulations and these prices are shared with all oil companies and also published on ZERA website.
Monitoring of the regulated prices is conducted on an ongoing basis with those caught flouting the regulations being punitively fined.
The public is urged to desist from panic buying and hoarding given the hazardous nature of petroleum products when stored in undesignated places. ZERA and other law enforcement agencies continue to monitor the situation.”
By Own Correspondent| Orlando Pirates have jetted in the country for their clash with local football champions FC Platinum tomorrow at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo.
FC Platinum have already trained at the match venue after ZIFA condemned Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane, the club’s usual home ground.
FC Platinum coach Norman Mapeza said that his club has been well-received in Bulawayo.
Mapeza said:
“So far so good, I can’t complain. I think the people here have received us very well. Every time we have been here the people here have been good to us. So I would like to say thank you to the people of Bulawayo for the warm welcome they gave to us.”
FC Platinum Captain Petros Mhari called upon all football fans to come in their numbers to support his club irrespective of their team.
Said Mhari:
“Fans must come and support us. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Highlanders or Dynamos or Caps United supporter. If you come and support us it will motivate us as players. I think they chose Barbourfields because it’s close to Zvishavane. I urged Bulawayo fans to come and support us.”
The match to be played tomorrow is the first leg of the Total CAF Champions League in Group B, between the two clubs.-StateMedia
At a time when numerous companies are shutting down due to a total breakdown of law and order, the state media has come guns blazing to lay claim that the total suspending of operations by the parastatal airliner Air Zimbabwe is due to so called “maintenance works.” FULL TEXT:
The airline, which has largely been operating only two serviceable aircraft, was left with one following the grounding of the popular Mbuya Nehanda last month.
The remaining aircraft, the 767-200ER, also known as Chimanimani is undergoing servicing.
In a statement yesterday, Air Zimbabwe said it had made other travel arrangements for customers who had booked flights in advance but is not taking any bookings up to January 15.
“Air Zimbabwe wishes to advise its valued customers of a schedule disruption due to minor component upgrade on the B767-200 ER from 11 to 15 January 2019.
We wish to assure all valued customers who are holding confirmed and ticketed bookings within the mentioned dates that alternative arrangements have been made in order to ensure minimum disruptions to their travel plans,” reads the statement.
The airline said affected passengers will be contacted via email, telephone or SMS with information on alternative arrangements for their travel.
“Normal schedule is expected to resume on 15 January 2019 and we will avail relevant updates via our website and official social media platforms,” said Air Zimbabwe.
In an interview yesterday, Air Zimbabwe corporate affairs manager, Mr Tafadzwa Mazonde said they had made alternative arrangements with other airlines.
“We have strategic relationships with other airlines to cater for such circumstances,” said Mr Mazonde.
Asked about the leased aircraft that was meant to replace Mbuya Nehanda, Mr Mazonde said they had since terminated the lease agreement as the cost of leasing proved to be unsustainably high.
Air Zimbabwe grounded Mbuya Nehanda, a Boeing 737-200 ER for mandatory maintenance expected to last over a month on December 30. The airline said the maintenance check for Mbuya Nehanda was in line with aviation quality and safety standards.
“Air Zimbabwe wishes to advise its valued passengers that our aircraft, B737 Registration Z-WPA popularly known as ‘Mbuya Nehanda’ will be grounded for a mandatory maintenance check which is expected to be completed after 45 days with effect from midnight 30 December 2018, in line with aviation quality and safety standards,” it said in a statement issued last month.
Mbuya Nehanda serviced the Harare /Bulawayo /Victoria Falls /Harare as well as Harare /Dar es Salaam routes.
Sources at the airline said the plane could be retired as it has served for 33 years.
“This plane was acquired in 1986 and is likely not going to come back into service. It is very old. It is likely going to be replaced,” said the source.
Air Zimbabwe, which has been consistently underperforming in the last few years, was placed under reconstruction on October 4 last year in terms of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act (Chapter 24:27).
The move was designed to allow Air Zimbabwe an opportunity to clear its debt thought to be more than $334 million.
During the reconstruction process, all payments towards debts accrued by the company prior to October 4, 2018, would be temporarily suspended and settled in terms of this process.
In 1980, Air Zimbabwe had 18 aircraft flying into 31 destinations but it is now limited to Harare-Johannesburg; Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls and Harare-Dar es Salaam routes. – state media
By Own Correspondent| After queing for long hours, motorists at a service station in Waterfalls, Harare forced a fuel service station to close alleging that petrol attendants were engaging in corruption and selectively selling the scarce commodity in US dollars.
Motorists who queued for long hours at the service station could not stomach a situation where more than 30 000 litres of fuel which was said to have been distributed Friday was being sold in US dollars only.
The agitated motorists said the service station was even refusing to accept its own fuel coupons further enraging a multitude of motorists in possession of the coupons.
Contacted for comment, spokesperson of Puma Energy Mrs Belinda Chigwe professed ignorance on the issue.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has also dismissed widespread social media reports suggesting prices of fuel are set to change by Monday next week.
In a statement, the energy regulator said the reports are malicious aimed at causing anarchy adding that those found flouting regulations will be punitively fined.-StateMedia
Four people have died of suspected cholera in the Nyamutumbu area of Murewa at a Johane Marange Chitsidzo Shrine.
Mashonaland East Provincial Epidemiologist Dr Paul Matsvimbo confirmed the deaths saying three people died at the shrine while the other one died at Murewa hospital where he had been admitted.
Dr Matsvimbo said the first to die is a child who was under the care of the leader of the shrine who had come for treatment before the leader passed on later followed by his confidante.
The one who died at hospital is also from the same church.
A treatment camp has already been set up at Nyamutumbu clinic to treat any new cases while the district civil protection committee is expected to meet to mobilise resources.
The latest victims follow the deaths of four other people from the same church at the Mukwe Shrine in December last year.
-State Media
The farm is owned by MacDonald Bricks which was in possession of a court order to evict the families.
On Monday the families were given three days’ notice to move out of the property but they did not heed the notice leading to evictions being carried out on Thursday and yesterday.
A Chronicle news crew visited the farm on both days and witnessed a bulldozer razing down the remaining houses.
Property belonging to the families was dumped on the roadside along the Bulawayo-Gwanda Road. Most of the evicted families said they did not have alternative places to go.
Some of the evicted people yesterday said they had spent the night by the roadside with rains soaking them.
“We were given the eviction notice on Monday and three days later they are evicting us. We were not given a chance to find new homes. What would you do with a three day notice in this economy?” asked Mr Lovemore Chisale, whose property had been dumped along the road.
Mr Chisale fears that his minor child might catch a cold due to the rains while the family is in the open.
Another victim, Ms Siphetheni Maphosa (63) said what is traumatising for her is that the sheriff removed her property in her absence.
As a result, she said, some of her property is missing.
“After they removed my property in my absence they loaded it and dumped it here. Some of my property is missing and I don’t even know where I would go from here. The rains are also damaging our property,” said Ms Maphosa.
Some of the families said they have school going children whose lives have been disrupted as they have been evicted at the beginning of the school term.
Mr Give Musimuku said he had lived on the farm since 1983.
“I have stayed here since 1983, this has been my home ever since and I have children. We don’t know where we will go. We were only told three days back that we were supposed to leave the area, if we could have been advised in three months’ time we could have found a place to stay. Can you imagine now that it is a rainy season where will we go?” he asked.
Umguza Member of Parliament who is also the Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs Minister Cde Richard Moyo, said the evictions were inevitable as the land was a private property.
He blamed land barons for swindling members of the public and selling them stands on private property.
“I am aware of the evictions and the place they are being evicted from is a private property. The issue is that MacDonald settled its ex-workers, five of them, after they had said they had nowhere to go after they retired. I know one of them Magangeni Ncube,” said Cde Moyo.
“So what happened is that those people who were settled gave themselves positions and started selling land to people amounting to 400 families occupying the land. This is the reason why Willsgrove in 2015 took them to court.”
He challenged land seekers to follow proper channels when seeking stands so that they do not fall into a similar trap.- state media
MDC youth assembly is set to hold a series of demonstrations next week to protest worsening economic conditions in Zimbabwe.
In a statement, the youth assembly said the demonstrations will be held in protest of the back-to-school burden costs, high prices of commodities, a nonperforming and static economy as well as the fuel crisis.
The youth assembly said considering President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government’s “arrogant and ignorant approach” to the crisis facing the nation, it is important for national institutions and organisations to stand together “as they have not been spared by the wretched policies and leadership.”
“As the nation faces intense difficulty, uncertainty has engulfed our country. The illegitimate Zanu PF government has failed; disastrous leadership has become a serious threat to the people of Harare and Zimbabwe at large.
The people’s revolution is ripe and we call every citizen to join, we are all affected by the current economic situation, no one should be left behind,” the statement said.
The youth league said the upcoming “revolution” will be joined by civil servants, the education sector, health sector, vendors, transport operators, students and members of the public at large.
The MDC youths blamed the crisis on Mnangagwa’s “illegitimacy”, suggesting that their leader, Nelson Chamisa had a national dialogue plan that would rescue Zimbabwe.
“The leadership vacuum at the helm of the country coupled with the illegitimate and clueless Mnangagwa has not helped the burning situation the country has found itself in. The people’s president, … Chamisa and the MDC party have come up with a five-point plan for national dialogue that would help boost confidence in our political processes and in our economy.
-Daily News
The group, which is part of 686 Zimbabweans staying at Dukwi Refugee Camp outside Francistown, will be met by a delegation of high ranking Government officials at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Reception and Support Centre in Plumtree.
Government has assured the Zimbabweans living at the refugee camp in the neighbouring country that under the new dispensation, there was no need to fear returning home.
Matabeleland South provincial social welfare officer Mr Totambirepi Tirivavi yesterday confirmed that the first group would arrive in the country today with four family members already at the IOM Reception and Support Centre in the border town.
“We are expecting at least 335 Zimbabweans who were staying at a refugee camp in Botswana and four of them have already arrived. However, I cannot comment much because there are some pertinent issues that have to be dealt with by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and our officials from the head office who will be here tomorrow (today) to welcome them,” he said.
One of the four returnees, Mr Lameck Nkomo of Lupane who arrived with three members of his family, said he was glad to be back after spending 15 years at Dukwi Refugee Camp.
“I left the country about 15 years ago and I am glad to be back and I have been well received by the Government. I will not go into detail as to how I left the country and the reasons behind that but all I can say is that I really missed home and I could not continue to stifle the urge to return home until this opportunity was availed to us by the governments of Zimbabwe and Botswana,” he said.
Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu, who is also MP for Bulilima East, said Government would assist the returnees as they are reoriented into their respective communities.
“Those are our people and we have to find means of helping them. We have committees to look into what sort of capacitation they would need to be assisted. These are not small numbers and certainly they would be assisted. It is the responsibility of Government to assist them as they are oriented into the mainstream society,” said the Minister, who was in Plumtree yesterday.
Government has since last year been working to facilitate the return of the people who sought refuge in Botswana. Some of them claimed they were victims of political violence.
Former Home Affairs Minister Dr Obert Mpofu last year met Botswana’s Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi and the Minister of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs, Mr Edwin Batshu to discuss the issue among others.
After the meetings, Dr Mpofu then travelled to Dukwi Refugee Camp which is home to some 687 Zimbabwean refugees. Some of the “refugees” have lived at the camp, which is close to the border between the two countries, for more than 15 years.
He appealed to the “refugees” to return home as there was no reason for them to continue living outside the country.
Dr Mpofu said there was a new dispensation in Zimbabwe and “the situation has changed, and we will actually ensure that they come back home without any victimisation or retribution”.
He told the Chronicle at the time that they were apprised of the Government’s position on the matter, “but they were also keen on their personal security, especially after having lost their homes and were displaced and how the Government was going to assist them to re-settle”.
Following President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State visit to Botswana in February last year, authorities discovered that nearly 700 Zimbabweans sought refuge in the neighbouring country during the 2008 general elections. -state media
A MATHEMATICS teacher at Mkhosana Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School in Victoria Falls has been arrested for allegedly raping his friend, a nurse, twice in a car.
The nurse who cannot be named, works at Victoria Falls Hospital. She was allegedly raped by Ndumiso Mangena on Sunday last week when he asked her to accompany him for a joy ride around town in his car.
The two were reportedly friends. Mangena (36) of 1530 Chinotimba allegedly raped her twice in the car near Sawanga Mall near the Central Business District. He was arrested on New Year’s Day and appeared in court for rape.
Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje released Mangena on $100 bail. The magistrate also ordered him to reside at his given address until the case is finalised.
She also ordered him not to interfere with witnesses, to surrender travel documents as well as to report to the Victim Friendly Unit at Victoria Falls Police Station once every week on Mondays. Mangena will be back in court on Thursday next week.
Prosecuting, Mr Onias Nyathi said Mangena raped the woman twice in his car after locking doors. The nurse allegedly tried to fight off Mangena but failed as he overpowered her.
“On 30 December the accused went with the complainant who is his friend to Sawanga Mall on the pretext that they were whiling up time in the accused’s car.
“When they got near the mall, the accused closed car doors and windows and locked them. He started kissing and fondling the complainant,” said Mr Nyathi.
The court heard that the complainant tried to stop Mangena by pushing him away and begging him not to rape her.
He allegedly forcibly removed her panties and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
After the first rape instance, the two sat in the car before Mangena once again started fondling the woman and raped her for the second time.
The nurse later filed rape charges.- state media
Jane Mlambo| MDC Deputy Treasurer, Charlton Hwende has criticised government plans to re-introduce the Zimbabwe dollar saying the move will quicken President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s fall.
Responding to remarks by Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube that Zimbabwe will introduce the local currency within a year.
https://twitter.com/hwende/status/1083742272552873984
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
The public’s attention is drawn to statements circulating on social media regarding the
pricing of fuel in the country.
The statements are false and malicious and were not issued by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development nor the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. Members of the public are advised to ignore the messages, which are clearly aimed at causing anarchy and pessimism in the fuel sector.
Section 54 of the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22) specifically mandates ZERA in
consultation with the Minister of Energy and Power Development to set fuel prices in
Zimbabwe.
The public is advised that the regulations on fuel pricing contained in Statutory
Instruments 80 of 2018, 20 and 100 of 2015 have not changed. The fuel prices are set
on a weekly basis based on the above regulations and these prices are shared with all oil
companies and also published on ZERA website.
Monitoring of the regulated prices is conducted on an ongoing basis with those caught
flouting the regulations being punitively fined. The public is urged to desist from panic
buying and hoarding given the hazardous nature of petroleum products when stored in
undesignated places. ZERA and other law enforcement agencies continue to monitor the
situation.
By Own Correspondent| Local cooking oil manufacturer, Surface Wilmar has suspended operations in a move which is set to render hundreds of workers jobless.
The country’s biggest cooking oil manufacturer has been attributed the development to worsening foreign currency crisis.
The company makes Pure Drop cooking oil and the Buttercup margarine and Olivine brands.
This development comes when the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is failing to provide the foreign currency needed for the importation of key raw materials. Some local companies have gone as far as setting prices in US dollars, a move the government says is illegal.
Surface Wilmar chief executive Sylvester Mangani said:
“We have stopped our operations because the company has not been getting adequate foreign currency and this has led to the ballooning of our obligations with our foreign suppliers who have since indicated their intention to stop supplying the raw materials.
Foreign currency has been a challenge hence our current position to stop the operations until further notice.”
WATCH VIDEO…
VIDEO: What’s Mthuli‘s take on how the economy has faired since his appointment? @maud_chifamba tells the Finance Minister, “things have worsened since you took over”. @MthuliNcube replies: “You had a boiling pot with a lid on it. What we did was to lift the lid…” pic.twitter.com/JuwAQeIyuq
— newZWire (@newswireZW) January 11, 2019
By Own Correspondent| Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe who was this afternoon suspended from work pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct has been arrested and is set to spend the night behind bars.
The state media reports that the allegations against Chief magistrate Guvamombe stem from a decision to offer work-related attachment to two former Cabinet ministers—Saviour Kasukuwere and Supa Mandiwanzira—at the Harare Magistrates Court.
Kasukuwere and Mandiwanzira are law students at the University of Zimbabwe.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
Refresh this page for updates.
By Own Correspondent| Freelance journalist, Conrad Gweru, who hauled to court for disorderly conduct charges after being arrested for allegedly taking photographs of Zimbabwe Republic Police officers, has been acquitted.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights which was representing Gweru, revealed this on Twitter Friday.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
By Own Correspondent| MDC councillors from Chitungwiza were on Thursday summoned by their party president Nelson Chamisa over allegations of vote buying during the election of the town’s mayor.
Inside sources within the MDC reported that Chamisa reportedly asked the councillors to explain themselves over allegations that the mayor, Gift Tsverere, allegedly bribed Jabulani Mtunzi with a Toyota Camry vehicle which the latter made a ‘swap and top deal’ with a Chitungwiza man without Tsverere’s consent.
Said the source:
“Yes the president summoned all 20 councillors at Morgan Tsvangirai house but the matter was never discussed among all the councillors.
The President is not happy with what happened during the mayoral elections where his name was dragged into the mud.
It is also reported that Chamisa called Tsverere ordering him to withdraw the case but it seems he is not willing to do that.”
MDC National Spokesperson Jacob Mafume confirmed that all the 20 Chitungwiza councillors were at Harvest House Thursday, but could not disclose the details of the agenda of their meeting.
A Twitter user in the below post alleges that Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga’s Sister in law is flying to the United States just to celebrate her birthday there. FULL PIC:
Chiwenga's sister in law..Going to celebrate her birthday in NEW YORK..saka ma USD @CGchiwenga arikubva kupi maDoctors achishaya..Zvichapera nerimwe zuva.@LynNemudonhi @Hannah61804866 @hwende @MakomboreroH @MacBelts @MaiNoah1 @ZimEye @InfoMinZW pic.twitter.com/Hle2F3r3vr
— ?AChihera? (@GamufromZim) January 11, 2019
By Advocate Walter Nyabadza| The leadership and general membership of the National Reclamation Assembly are deeply concerned about the current state of affairs in our beloved nation. We would like to categorically state that the situation is both disturbing and calamitous to social order and a sure threat to cherished peace and stability if left unresolved.
There has been an alarming decline in the standards of living, cutting across the social divide with the exception of those previleged to be in positions of authority. This has caused much suffering amongst many, whose average earnings are far below the poverty datum line. There has been a visible implosion in the body politik since the ouster of former leader Robert Mugabe, and a fragmented and unhealthy scenario emerged after the July 30 harmonised elections.
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Malaba will eat pure jecha – Foster Mnangagwa
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 11, 2019
VIDEO LOADING BELOW
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
The public’s attention is drawn to statements circulating on social media regarding the pricing of fuel in the country. The statements are false and malicious and were not issued by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development nor the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority. Members of the public are advised to ignore the messages, which are clearly aimed at causing anarchy and pessimism in the fuel sector.
Section 54 of the Petroleum Act (Chapter 13:22) specifically mandates ZERA in consultation with the Minister of Energy and Power Development to set fuel prices in Zimbabwe. The public is advised that the regulations on fuel pricing contained in Statutory Instruments 80 of 2018, 20 and 100 of 2015 have not changed. The fuel prices are set on a weekly basis based on the above regulations and these prices are shared with all oil companies and also published on ZERA website.
Monitoring of the regulated prices is conducted on an ongoing basis with those caught flouting the regulations being punitively fined. The public is urged to desist from panic buying and hoarding given the hazardous nature of petroleum products when stored in undesignated places. ZERA and other law enforcement agencies continue to monitor the situation.
Legendary ex-footballer George “Mastermind” Shaya, 72, was rushed to hospital yesterday after his health condition briefly took a toll on him but is now in a stable condition, the Daily News has learnt.
The five-time Soccer Star of the Year was in excruciating pain yesterday morning before his wife Agnes sent out an SOS which quickly spread through social media.
“Everything is sorted now. We went to see a doctor who diagonised him with post-trauma arthritis. We bought the prescribed medication and he’s alright now,” family friend Martin Changachirere told the Daily News yesterday.
Changachirere, who is employed by Econet in Graniteside, has grown close to the Shaya family in recent years as he is always there to help out when they are in need.
“Over the years, I have seen his (Shaya) neglect from constituencies that should be supporting him financially and I have decided to chip in instead of mourning over this neglect,” he added.
“We have also resorted to holding birthday bashes for all my kids and friends at his place. We did it with Stewart Murisa. We share the same birthday coincidentally. Next week on January 14 we shall be holding my son’s birthday at his place. I do support the family in a small way that I can. I do it on my own volition and as a way of appreciating the legend he is.”
By Own Correspondent| Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe has been arrested on charges of criminal abuse of office.
Police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest.
She said charges against Mr Guvamombe stem from a decision to offer work-related attachment to two former Cabinet ministers—Saviour Kasukuwere and Supa Mandiwanzira—at the Harare Magistrates Court.
He is set to appear in court tomorrow.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
Own Correspondent|A Zimra boss based in Chiredzi has been convicted and fined $15 for using abusive language against a subordinate.
Lloyd Mubingi who is a station manager violated Section 88C of the Postal and Telecommunications Act Chapter 12:05 when he threatened Joseph Mutezo, a Revenue Officer.
Mubingi appeared before Magistrate Rodgers Mawarire on December 19, 2018 for judgment and sentence after the magistrate heard arguments from both Mubingi and the State.
Mawarire said that the State convinced the court that indeed Mubingi used offensive and false telephone messages to threaten Mutezo.
On February 10, 2018 Mubingi made a phone call to Mutezo who was on duty in Chisumbanje. He shouted at him and told him “wakajaidzwa ini handisi mukadzi wako ndokurova usauye padhuze neni uchitaura izvozvo (You are a spoiled brat. Don’t treat me like I am your wife. If you repeat that and you are standing near me, I will beat you up”.
Alternatively Mubingi is going serve 14 days in prison. Mubingi’s lawyer Emmanuel Chibudu of Kwirira and Magwaliba Attorneys was indicated that he will appeal against both conviction and sentence at Masvingo High Court.
Nowell Muranda prosecuted.
The outcome of DR Congo’s tempestuous presidential election appeared to be headed for the courts Friday after the poll’s runner-up said he would demand a recount.
Martin Fayulu (pictured), an opposition candidate tipped by pollsters as the likely winner of the December 30 vote, told supporters: “We will go to the Constitutional Court on Saturday… (to demand) a recount of the vote.”
He said he would ask election chief Corneille Nangaa “to produce the tally reports from polling stations in front of witnesses” and Congolese and international observers.
Provisional results released on Thursday declared Felix Tshisekedi, a rival opposition candidate, the victor with 38.57 percent of the vote, just ahead of Fayulu with 34.8 percent.
Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the candidate backed by outgoing President Joseph Kabila, came a distant third with 23.8 percent. Turnout on the day stood at 48 percent.
The declared result was a surprise to many.
The few pre-election opinion polls had flagged Fayulu as the clear favourite while Kabila critics predicted the outcome would be rigged in favour of Shadary rather than an opposition figure.
The powerful Roman Catholic church on Thursday bluntly said the result “does not correspondent” with data that its 40,000 election monitors had collected at polling stations.
Fayulu’s bloc on Friday said he was the true victor, claiming he had garnered 61 percent of the vote.
Candidates have 48 hours after the result to file any appeal, and the Constitutional Court has a week in which to deliberate.
“We don’t expect the election to be annulled, but (a decision in favour of) a recount,” Fayulu said.
Democratic Republic of Congo has been in the grip of a two-year political crisis triggered by Kabila’s refusal to step down when his two-term constitutional limit expired at the end of 2016.
Elections to choose a successor were delayed three times before finally taking place on December 30.
Polling day unfolded relatively peacefully, but suspicions over the count have deepened.
The turmoil has darkened hopes that the country will have its first peaceful handover of power since it gained independence in 1960.
DRC is a giant, straddling central Africa over an area the size of continental western Europe.
Rich in minerals but mired in poverty, the country has suffered two major wars in the past 22 years, as well as bloodshed in elections in 2006 and 2011 that saw Kabila returned to office.
International reactions to the results have been guarded.
Most leaders have issued statements appealing for any disputes to be resolved peacefully, but notably lacking any congratulations for Tshisekedi.
With the UN Security Council expected to discuss the situation later on Friday, Congo’s election chief appealed to the body to support the new leadership.
“Now it is time, with the beginning of this mandate, for the new authorities to be supported by the international community,” Nangaa said.
– Tshisekedi-Kabila deal? –
Analysts said it was likely Kabila, 47, had sought to avoid a backlash and international condemnation if Shadary had been declared winner.
He therefore struck a deal with Tshisekedi, head of the country’s oldest and biggest opposition party, according to this scenario.
As a quid pro quo, some commentators suggested, Kabila would gain immunity from prosecution for his iron-fisted 18-year rule, and protection from asset seizure.
Thursday’s pre-dawn announcement brought thousands of Tshisekedi supporters onto the streets in celebration, while others who had backed Fayulu came out to protest.
Five people were killed in the resulting clashes with police.
Addressing a crowd in Kinshasa, Tshisekedi paid tribute to Kabila whom he described as “a partner for democratic change”.
Also Friday, the election commission (CENI) was expected to announce the result of legislative elections which took place on the same day, with more than 15,000 candidates in the running.
The result will determine who will hold a majority in the 500-seat parliament for the next five years.
The outgoing National Assembly, which took power in 2011, is currently dominated by Kabila supporters who, even ahead of the announcement, were already claiming to have won a majority.
— AFP
Correspondent|Commuter Omnibus fares are reportedly going to go up to at most $10 per round trip starting from Monday.
Commuter Omnibus owners are saying fuel that is readily available is sold at US$ price so for them to make profit they need to hike the prices.
However MDC Deputy Treasurer General Charlton Hwende revealed that some kombi operators had started hiking prices from Thursday.
“Transport prices as from yesterday: Harare (to and fro) Chitungwiza $10, Norton $10, Sunningdale $3 ( to up to $4, Glennorah $3 ( to go up to $4).” Hwende said. “At this point some Civil Servants from Chitown and Norton are now subsidizing their salaries in order to go to work.”
Commenting on the development ZANU PF activist Emmanuel Mutangadura said, “The Government’s deafening silence concerning the spiraling price increases of kombie fares and basic goods in Zimbabwe is really worrying.
“Kombie fares have trebled in 24 hrs but there is no word from government. Prices are being raised with impunity and no one in Leadership seems to have an answer. The fuel situation is becoming worse by the day. If the Government is allowing the market forces to resolve the current declining economy then they are making a huge mistake.”
Mutangadura warned that by the time the government starts to offer a solution it might be too late.
“By the time the government decides to take a stand and decisively deal with the economy it may be too late. Paying $3 or $4 dollars for a single trip to and from work is no joke.
“The continual price increases across the board is bleeding the ordinary hard working Zimbabweans. Government cannot ignore and bury its head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich because what is happening now is pushing people into a corner and sooner or later something will give.
“Where is the country’s Leadership to give comfort and direction in these trying times? Unless resolved urgently, the current galloping price increases without restraint, the government will only have themselves to blame.”
Opiniom By Abigail Mupambi|AS ENLIGHTENED activists and citizens of Zimbabwe we refuse to be fooled, used, and deceived.
The prevailing situation in our country is as a result of two sister institutions, MDC and ZANU PF who have always been sharing the powers at local and central governance level but keeping the nation busy on partisan politics.
It is these divisions which have rendered the majority of Zimbabweans vulnerable to abuse as politicians take advantage of the ordinary people’s innocence. Because of the polarization in the society we are held in this dilemma such that no one has the time to ask public officials to deliver and to account.
It is grossly wrong to hold the view that the ruling party governs alone and the opposition is as a soccer substitute waiting for his turn only to play when one of the players is injured or out of form. They are the same team these people.
You and me we are not beneficiaries of this whole fallacy. The truth is you and me are not beneficiaries of this wrong narrative and fictitious definition of government.
One may argue and say Government is responsible for fixing the current situation; indeed it is very true, but take note government is simplified as Executive, Judiciary and Parliament, and in addition a lower tier of government the local authority.
That the MDC has no 2/3 majority and therefore can’t be responsible is neither here nor there.
They are controlling vast revenues in local authorities. There is also the excuse that rate payers are impoverished by the policies and maladministration of the central government, but who is the government?
Infact, the MDC is in alliance with the judiciary to block any wrong policy or human rights violation. This makes null and void the notion that they are a mere minority.
An opposition that fully understands its role is an investment in the nation, and the one that folds its hands is a retarder to progress and an obstacle to development.
The challenges in our nation, put politely, or more accurately, the crisis we are in as a nation, demands that all key pillars of the state are expected to be on high alert responding to the issues affecting the people who happen to be the electorate.
We expect our public officials to take off their partisan jackets and do only what is expected of them and what is right before men in the spirit of ubuntu and the oath taken before God.
There maybe many versions of unity but real unity is simply understood as good governance from everyone in a public office serving the people despite the political party one comes from.
Whilst the MDC is not the ruling party, the MDC officials are part of government through parliament and local government, and that alone gives them the responsibility to equally serve the masses and be answerable.
I am shocked that my Party, the MDC seems to be in the hiding and are on record inciting and calling people to push “government” to act on the keys issues affecting forgetting that they too are part of the same government. In the areas of their jurisdiction let them show us their results too!
Who is fooling Who here? We refuse to be fooled. Is this not the same Parliament that teamed up recently cornering the finance minister to consider luxury cars ahead of the striking doctors’ demands? Is this not the same gang that partnered ZANU PF MPs in pushing for a three course meal, ice cream and entertainment ahead of service delivery?
The MDC must be leading by a good example of alternative caring partners in government. We are appalled by the greedy they show to the rest of the world and to the impoverished electorate.
They must be the ones objecting to fiscal indiscipline and gluttonous behavior of government, but alas, motions of unethical expenditure shameful and surprisingly are seen to be supported by the opposition.
Having controlled urban local authorities for over 15 years what do they have to show to the nation against the lavish packages which they have been ripping from the public funds and still want the masses to believe a blue lie that they are not in power!
Power is power whether at central or local governance level. This massive brainwash of people must stop. These two sister institutions are just two sides of a bond note.
There is no excuse for not delivering. The people of Zimbabwe must wake up from this deep sleep of thinking that there is a better devil. A devil is a devil simple. We only want to have them stop pretending as if they are not associates. Shape up and deliver.
lf l may bring this nation to the close painful reality; it is important to note that Zimbabwe has been bleeding for decades and citizens have always been crying for the long arm of the law to take its course, but because we have a first degree of hypocrisy and double dipping within the top ranks and file of the opposition, these close partners are eager to go all the way in defending each other from facing jail.
Many ZANU PF thugs and looters who looted our public funds have their defence shield under the MDC’s double faced leadership and this is an open secret.
The MDC has been transformed from a political party to the level of a law firm. We no longer have a democratic movement that demands transparency and accountability but a defender of opacity and corrupt activities of Zanu PF officials.
Our hard earned money is often shared between ZANU PF looters and MDC accomplices under the law firm roofs and me and you are ordered to go back to the streets to lose the little left, get injured and or die on their behalf . The vicious cycle of abuse continues.
Fellow citizens , comrades and friends, in public offices we do not have a party and we do not wish to have any, anyone who took oath of office has a role to play and a responsibility to serve us in good faith.
He or she is a representative of the people and a servant not our ruler or political leader. In service delivery political suits are taken off and overalls of civil servant leadership are put on. Honestly we can’t have a whole set of officials who are on full perks and allowances only to join our queue in blaming their counterparts again and again.
The politicians must know that Zimbabwe was not left behind in the enlightenment age. We all know that good governance is the responsibility of all political parties ruling, opposing and individuals claiming to be independent.
None should behind a blame game finger. We appeal to all politicians to begin to take seriously and to focus on our bread and butter issues. The people can’t be the turf for political fights forever, instead we want to see all hands on deck and minds set on economic development.
Failure to deliver automatically triggers the people’s uprising and it is a backlash the ruling party and opposition definitely do not want to see. The people if made the epicenter of oppression, they will erupt anytime. May all this be avoidable and unnecessary and these associates STOP the suffering of the masses.
Abigail Mupambi is the national coordinator of the Civic Society and Churches Joint Forum.
Own Correspondent|PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s motorcade was on Friday allegedly blocked by a long-winding fuel queue at Westgate roundabout in Harare West.
Mnangagwa is said to have been on his way to attend the Addrotech machinery showcase at Gwebi College.
The motorists reportedly refused to move off the way and Mnangagwa was forced to abandon the journey.
The country has been experiencing acute fuel shortages over the past three months. Long snaking queues have become the order of the day.
The government seems to be at sixes and sevens in dealing with the crisis as it not able to diagnose the cause of the crisis.
Shortage of foreign currency, hoarding of fuel, consumption of fuel by small luxury cars, and social media have all been blamed by the officials for causing the fuel crisis.
Correspondent|GOVERNMENT should lay off redundant employees, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka has said.
Addressing heads of Government departments in Chinhoyi last week, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said there were several portfolios that had become redundant in the civil service.
She emphasised that Government should retire employees who have reached the age of 65 to create employment opportunities for the young.
“There is really no need to pay people who were not performing any duties even in cases where resources were a limiting factor,” she said.
“In some cases, we have drivers, but there are no vehicles, so my question is why is this person being paid? What is he doing? There is nothing wrong with freezing such posts?”
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said President Mnangagwa was aware of the need to retire civil servants who would have reached 65 years.
Minister Milswa-Chikoka She also took a swipe at departmental heads who created unnecessary vacancies for their relatives and colleagues.
“We are all aware that our budget as Government is constrained and we cannot keep employing people simply because he or she is your relative,” she said.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said Government was different from corporates who could employ as many people as they wanted. She urged the heads of Government in the province to submit their monthly reports or risk losing their jobs.
This, she said, had advantages of having some challenges affecting their departments responded to through her office.
“I want to give you a very good example, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education provincial head Mr Gabriel Mhumha visited my office complaining about the shortage of teachers in the province,” said Minister Mliswa-Chikoka.
“I quickly consulted the Minister of Pri-mary and Secondary Education, Professor Paul Mavima, who heeded the call and I am sure that we can all testify that recruitment is going on as we are speaking.”
Mashonaland West province has a shortage of 2 938 teachers, with the bulk required in early childhood development classes.
Minister Mliswa-Chikoka convened the meeting to set the tone for Government programmes in Mashonaland West in 2019.
DELTA Corporation says it faced the gloomy prospect of halting all its business operations this month owing to a crippling foreign currency shortage that has paralysed the economy.
To cushion itself from the adverse impact of the unrelenting forex crunch, Zimbabwe’s largest brewer had decided to price its products in US dollars, a decision the group has since reversed following consultation with government. This week, the company, however, increased prices of its beer brands.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has been struggling to allocate Delta US$5 million it requires monthly to sustain its business operations.
From that amount, US$2 million is channelled towards production of the company’s soda drinks brands.
Company secretary Alex MMakamure said his week that as the foreign currency crisis became more pronounced, the firm “virtually closed” its soft drinks business, with the bleak prospect of halting operations in Zimbabwe.
“The engagements with the stakeholders resulted in sharing the perspectives of the impact of selling exclusively in one of the currencies in the basket of currencies in the multi-currency framework. The company did not arrive at this decision lightly,” he said.
“To illustrate this, the soft drinks business was virtually closed in December, the other businesses were expected to stop trading by mid to end of January as we were fast running out of certain ingredients. There were two clear alternatives: to run down the remaining stocks and shutdown . . .”
Owing to the erratic hard currency allocations from the central bank, the brewer has been struggling to satisfy its debt obligations amounting to US$60 million owed to various creditors.
“Delta has not been able to service its debt obligations to various creditors due to the foreign currency issues.
“We owe our creditors in excess of US$60 million in addition to foreign loans of US$45 million,” he said.
Makamure said the company remained in a “precarious position” and had been surviving on lifelines from its parent company, AB-InBev, which acquired a controlling equity stake in the local brewer in 2017. So far, AB-InBev has shelled out US$60 million to keep Delta afloat.
Last year, Makamure told businessdigest that the viability of Delta’s Shumba Maheu business unit with a monthly turnover of over US$1 million was being threatened by the scarcity of foreign currency required to import packaging material.
The brewer established the Shumba Maheu business unit in 2015 as part of the beverages manufacturer’s plan to diversify.
Before local production of the Shumba Maheu product brands, Delta used to import the starch-based non-carbonated and alcohol-free beverage from an associate company in Zambia.
— Independent
By Own Correspondent| Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe has been suspended from work pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct.
The state media reports that the allegations against Chief magistrate Guvamombe stem from a decision to offer work-related attachment to two former Cabinet ministers—Saviour Kasukuwere and Supa Mandiwanzira—at the Harare Magistrates Court.
Kasukuwere and Mandiwanzira are law students at the University of Zimbabwe.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
Refresh this page for updates.
Correspondent|Police in Mashonaland West has arrested one more suspect allegedly involved in the theft of more than US$150 000 in cash belonging to former President Robert Mugabe.
Andrew Mahumbe, who was on the run, handed himself to the police accompanied by his lawyer Tapiwa Muchineripi of Muchineripi and Associates.
Mawadze appeared before Chinhoyi Magistrate Felix Mawadze facing theft charges and was granted $200 bail.
Four people have so far been arrested for allegedly stealing from the 94 year-old former President before spoiling themselves with luxurious purchases they failed to explain including vehicles, residential stands and livestock.
As part of the bail conditions, the quartet was ordered not to interfere with the state’s chief
witness, Gushungo Holdings human resources manager and administrator of the Grace Mugabe Foundation, Farai Edson Jemwa.
The state, represented by KesiahTeveraishe,is alleging that sometime between December and January this year, Constancia Mugabe (50), Johanne Mapurisa (50) and Saymore Nhetekwa (47) connived with Mahumbe to steal a briefcase containing the said ammount while they were cleaning the house.
Mugabe is said to have kept the keys to the house and had unlimited access to all rooms.
The four will be back in court on January 24.
A 56-year-old Tshidiso Sethunya,who paid lobola for his wife in 2014 says his marrrage started collapsing because his wife was not prepared to take selfies.
Couple’s Marriage Falls Apart As Wife Refuses To Take Selfies In Bizarre Tale
“She does not want to take selfies. She does not even want to use a phone with a camera,” said Tshidiso.
“What else can I do other than to think she is cheating on me?”
Tshidiso, who is away from home for up to six months at a time, suggested they should do video calls.
“All I suggested was to see my wife’s face when I speak to her on the phone,” he said.
“But she won’t allow it.”
Tshidiso Sethunya from Jeffsville White House near Atteridgeville in Tshwane South Africa, said his wife, Lenah Jiyane (43), uses an older model phone.
He said her phone is always on silent.
“I have been asking my wife for us to use smartphones, but she won’t do it,” he said.
“And when she speaks on the phone she goes outside.”
He said he wants his wife to play her part in making the marriage a success..
“But without selfies I cannot trust her so much.”
Lenah told Daily Sun her husband was crazy.
“He has been telling me about smartphones for selfies but I told him I am comfortable with the phone that I have. Why should we buy another one?” she said.
“I resigned at work because of his insecurity,” she said.
“He was always harassing my male colleagues, accusing them of having affairs with me. I had to quit my job because people were starting to hate me.”
Lenah said she was willing to fix their marriage.
“But I won’t be taking any selfies!” she said.
Daily Sun SA
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Correspondent|President Emmerson Mnangagwa led a ZANU PF election war room team that tried to deport to prominent Human Rights Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa to her country of birth Swaziland during the height of the 2013 harmonised election campaign.
This was revealed by exiled Professor Jonathan Moyo in an expose’ on Econet Boss Strive Masiyiwa on Thursday.
Said Moyo, ” The full 2013 poll group had: Emmerson Mnangagwa (who chaired it), Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, Patrick Chinamasa (deputy chair), Nicholas Goche, Gen Constantino Chiwenga, Augustine Chihuri, Happyton Bonyongwe, Walter Tapfumaneyi, Kizito Gweshe, George Charamba and Jonathan Moyo.
“The group’s overearching agenda was to: 1. Contain Sadc mediation, so it does not derail 2013 elections. 2. Ensure that Parliament is dissolved by 29 June 2013 and elections are held soon thereafter. 3. Get Econet and diamond companies to fund elections to avoid UN funding.
“Besides the three-pronged agenda, there were other daily issues that cropped up. One was a report that lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa had blocked a police raid on Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s Bath Rd offices in Belgravia. The group decided to have Mtetwa deported but this failed.”
Beatrice, a past president of the Zimbabwean Law Society, was arrested for “obstructing or defeating the course of justice”. She was arrested in Harare on 17 March 2013 after she asked to see the search warrant of police officers who were conducting what she called an “unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic” search of the home of her client.
When Beatrice arrived at her client’s home, police were already conducting the search. She was handcuffed and taken to Harare Central police station. Despite a High Court order for her release, she was held in custody for eight nights and was allegedly ill-treated and denied access to her family.
The High Court finally released her on bail of $330 after magistrates had initially refused to let her go.
Jane Mlambo| Former President Robert Mugabe Spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire has fingered vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the dismissal of Chief Magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe over the recruitment of former ministers Savior Kasukuwere and Supa Mandiwanzira.
Posting on Twitter, Mawarire said Guvamombe was fired at the instigation of Chiwenga.
Guvamombe was suspended on allegations of recruiting Kasukuwere and Mandiwanzira for work-related attachment at the Harare Magistrates Court.
The two are currently studying towards Bachelor of Laws Degree at the University of Zimbabwe. They both have cases pending before the courts.
The suspension of Chief Magistrate Guvamombe by the Judicial Services Commission allegedly at the instigation of Chiwenga for allegedly helping former Ministers Kasukuwere & Mandiwanzira get work-related attachment at the magistrate courts stinks to high heavens.
— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) January 11, 2019
With this kind of Commando Executive interference with judiciary operations, one wonders whether these two former ministers will have fair trials considering they have cases before the courts. It is apparent the junta has no respect for the rule of law & separation of powers.
— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) January 11, 2019
FIVE people who are members of the Johane Marange apostolic sect have died from a suspected fresh cholera outbreak in Mavhurume village in Murewa.
Murewa district administrator Gumburayi Wadzvanya wrote to the provincial administrator Tarubarira Kutamahufa, confirming the suspected cholera cases.
“The Ministry of Health has received a report from the head of Nyamutumbu Primary School, Mr Magora, of probable cases of cholera in Mavhurume 2 village in ward 11 of Murewa district.
“It was reported that there were five people who had symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting who had died. Three of them died at Chitsidzo of Johane Marange apostolic sect in the village and two of them died at Murewa Hospital,” the letter read.
“Murewa Hospital has since activated an emergency team, which was sent to assess the situation on the ground. The team, comprising representatives from the community nursing departments, laboratory departments and environment health departments, visited the village in question.”
Last year, three members of another Johane Marange apostolic sect in Murewa died during a pilgrimage after contracting the deadly water-borne disease.
The church gathering was later banned after leaders of the sect barred health officials from accessing the shrine.
Kutamahufa yesterday said health experts had already been sent to the affected area.
“A team of experts has already been deployed into the affected area and we await confirmation from them to ascertain whether it is cholera or not.
However, I spoke to the acting provincial medical officer, who said some of the deceased are part of the three apostolic sect members who died last year,” he said.
Members of the churrch are barred from seeking medical attention on religious grounds.
SPEED MERCHANT Gabriel Nyoni has completed his move to CAPS United and promised the Green Machine fans some fireworks this season. The winger played for Highlanders last year where he was the club vice-captain. “I have officially joined @capsunitedfczw,’’ Nyoni revealed on Twitter.
“The club is doing things differently this year. CAPS fans are in for a happy 2019. Thanks to the coach (Lloyd Chitembwe) for his welcome message.
“ . . . (thanks) to Mr (Nhamo) Tutisani (vice-president), Mr (Farai) Jere (president) and the whole CAPS United executive.’’
Nyoni revealed he would be doing a post graduate course with the Chartered Institute of Customer Relations Management during his time in Harare.
He said everything for the course was paid for and paid special tribute to Dynamos board member Mthokozisi Nkosi for helping him.
The forward also revealed he has received a stand, in one of Harare’s residential areas, worth US$20 250 as part of the deal to join Makepekepe.
Nyoni is said to have chose a stand rather than a signing-on fee to seal the deal to join Makepekepe.
Considered one of the most intelligent footballers around, he felt being paid a huge sum of money, or getting a car, were not better than getting a stand where he could built a house for his family.
He owns his clothing label GN27.
Highlanders chief executive Nhlanhla Dube said they wished Nyoni well at his new club.
“Nothing went wrong actually,’’ he said after one fan asked how Bosso let the forward leave the club.
“(Best) wishes have been exchanged and the chapter closed. The feeling is mutual.’’
State Media
Media Statement|The MDC-T notes with concern the lack of urgency by the government of Zimbabwe to address the debilitating economic crisis. It is not a secret that the current government is unable to stabilize the economy and there is urgent need for them to start having dialogue with all stakeholders in politics, business, civic society and the church to come up with a holistic approach to rescue Zimbabwe from the economic quagmire currently bedeviling the nation.
2019 has not started well for the majority toiling Zimbabweans. The unrelenting currency crisis marked by growing parallel currency market as Zimbabwean authorities persist against glaring evidence and commonsense that there is no parity between the surrogate Bond notes and the US dollar. The severe shortage of basic commodities that manifested in the spiraling prices and rationing items per customer, notably cooking oil, sugar, bread and the disappearance of certain fizzy drinks like cokes and Fanta. Indeed, many households did not enjoy the Christmas as would be expected as fuel shortages made travelling impossible for many. The list is endless and one could go on and on, but the underlining point is that social services have irredeemably suffered and poverty deepened to the majority people both in the urban and rural areas.
1. Labour
The labour unrest, first by doctors then teachers and likely the rest of public service, was inevitable if one considering the deteriorating socio-economic conditions in Zimbabwe that have festered political uncertainty and instability if not responsibly addressed. Contrary to the majority’s expectations that the ‘Zimbabwe is open for business’ meant further starvation by workers and deteriorating labour conditions. In any case, good salaries are a prerequisite for economic recovery if they are sustainable, internally equitable and externally competitive.
2. Demand for wages in US dollar
Understandably, the call by doctors and teachers have been for remuneration in hard currency, hence underlying the demerits of the Bond notes and RTGs. Simply put, these professionals and other workers are merely asking for a living wage and under the prevailing circumstances the safest measure of one’s income is US dollar denominated one. In response, the government has either missed the underlying problem or pretended to and hence argues against the hard currency as if it were the problem. The problem is the valueless Bond which workers cannot equitably exchange for their sweat and everybody knows that.
It its response, the government should bear its full responsibility for the continued deaths of patients who have since gone unattended since the industrial action by doctors. It cannot just be quantifying how much it would mean to pay the striking workers their deserved remuneration but what it means to the many households who have lost their loved ones whose lives could have been saved. The public are judging the government not on how much they would eventually settle to pay but on what value to citizens’ lives it put measured in terms of its perceived sense of urgency in resolving the matter.
The same would apply to the education sector where a loss of one lesson or 30 minutes is irrecoverable and has a long term bearing not only the quality of our education but on the competitiveness of the country in the near future. The government must be seen to display a sense of urgency and seriousness in these strikes which unfortunately is currently lacking, or so we perceive.
3. Controlling Public Sector Wage Bill
In the midst of all this, is Zimbabwe’s perennial developmental challenge posed by a hugely skewed wage bill that chews all money that should be going to infrastructure development. Talking of a huge wage bill may presuppose high salaries for civil service yet that is exactly the opposite. The wage bill problem is largely a policy issue that government should have addressed long back and still can do so with the necessary political will. Instead, the authorities have stifled genuine wage adjustments hoping to address the anomaly in the recurrent expenditure. What must be done include:
• Progressive reduction of wage bill
Any fast-track reduction of the wage bill runs the risk of prejudicing workers who then become demotivated and performance and services delivery suffer. For example, in many government departments there have been no replacements after retirements, dismissals or deaths and hence burdening the remaining workers who anyway are underpaid.
•Wage ceiling for Ministries
As part of ensuring fiscal stability each government department should have a wage bill ceiling wherein vacant positions could be easily filled but without violating the limit. These ceilings would be adjusted bearing in mind the conditions and comparability with regional practices.
•Review of Allowances
One way that has sustained this huge wage bill problem is a system of allowances that management especially apportions itself to compensate for low pay. There is need to rationalize allowances and be quantifiable monetarily with agreed ratios such that the salary is not trebled by allowances.
4. Restructure but not Privatize Parastatals
One wonders where government expenditure goes? The elephant in the room are parastatals that unfortunately have become milking cows for the ruling party elites. Originally, these public entities were engines of growth and development but now they have become a disservice to the public due to corruption and mismanagement. We do not believe privatization is the solution but responsible management and punishing corrupt managers and removing non-performing boards.
5. Formalizing the Economy
The rapid rate of the informalization of the Zimbabwean economy is such that government’s source of revenue keeps shrinking by day. Instead of chasing shadows, it is imperative for government to bite the bullet and put industrial policy of rapid formalization of the economy. First, it should create desperately needed employment and possibly reduce extremes of poverty. Manufacturing should be boosted and increase our exports and address the imbalance between the export and import bill. Instead of trying to tax everything including the infamous 2% tax on transactions, more exports are the answer to any country including Zimbabwe.
It is not enough to say Zimbabwe is open for business and expect some rich foreigner to put money in Zimbabwe. It never works that way. The Zimbabwean government must facilitate an economic recovery programme not through borrowing loans for huge projects but supporting small to medium projects by women and youths especially so as to increase household incomes and revive manufacturing.
6. Enabling Labour Environment
In the same manner the government is courting business it must do the same in creating a labour friendly environment. It is a fact that Zimbabwe is one of those countries that are rated poorly in compliance to internationally recognized labour standards. No serious business gets attracted to a country that has hostile labour practices because disruptions are more likely. While changes in the labour legislation could be progressive but the most pressing need is a mindset shift by government leaders and the security sector that have historically treated organized labour as state enemies. A labour dispute does not necessarily translate to an anti-government protest unless the authorities clumsily handle the workers.
In conclusion, we implore the President of Zimbabwe and his government to put the people of Zimbabwe first and to consider the plight of the patriotic Zimbabweans who decided to stay in Zimbabwe and help to rebuild their country. Business should be opened to Zimbabweans first if the government is concerned about the people of Zimbabwe.
Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
MDC-T National Secretary for Information and Publicity
Correspondent|Edward Sadomba has reportedly completed a move back to his former club, Dynamos.
According to NewsDay, the deal was signed on Wednesday together with that of former Yadah FC goalkeeper Stephen Chimusoro.
Sadomba, 35, left the Glamour Boys over a decade ago and went on to play for Sudanese giants Al Hilal, United Arab Emirates Pro League side Ittihad Kalba and Libyan top-flight outfits Al Ahly Benghazi and Al Ahly Tripoli.
He returns to Harare as a free agent where he is expected to help the club win a championship for the first time in five years.
Meanwhile, former Hobro Ik forward Tanaka Chinyahara is close to sign for Dynamos as a free agent.
Correspondent|Highlanders’s have received a timely boost with Peter Muduhwa extending his contract with the club by two years.
Muduhwa’s initial contract with the Bulawayo giants was set to expire at the end of this year.
“It’s true that Peter has extended his contract with us. He signed a two year new contract,” said Bosso chief executive officer Nhlanhla Dube.
Dube says the club is excited to retain the services of defender Peter Muduhwa.
Muduhwa extended his stay at the Bulawayo giants with another two years to put an end to speculation surrounding his future.
The 25-year-old had delayed renewing his contract and was now heavily linked with a move to Chicken Inn or Ngezi Platinum Stars where could have linked up with former coach Erol Akbay.
“We are happy to announce that Peter Muduhwa has extended his contract. We are happy because we needed his experience and also continuity from last season. We are also excited that we have retained the bulk of the players from last year,” said Dube.
Muduhwa has been a key figure at Highlanders since his arrival at the club. Muduhwa was signed from Ajax Hotspurs by Highlanders in 2015 and loaned out to Bulawayo Chiefs where he spent 3 months and returned to Bosso during the Mid Season Window.
By Own Correspondent| Goromonzi West legislator and Deputy Minister for Information and Publicity, Energy Mutodi has said that MDC’s late founding president’s children are better positioned to take over the party leadership.
Mutodi’s comments follow the recent victory of an opposition party in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The election officials in the DRC declared Félix Tshisekedi to be the winner against the incumbent, Joseph Kabila. Felix Tshisekedi is the son of the late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi.
Mutodi said that Tsvangirai’s children will have a better chance of winning compared to Chamisa whom he said is arrogant.
Said Mutodi:
“With the DRC election commission declaring Félix Tshisekedi as President-Elect of Congo, it’s high time Tsvangirai’s children take over the MDC, the party of their father. They stand a better chance. NC can never win an election, not even unity talks because of his arrogance.”
Harare will host six teams in the 2019 Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season, more than any city or town in the country.
Dynamos, Caps United, Harare City, Black Rhinos, Herentals and Yadah will play their home games in the capital. The teams will share National Sports Stadium, Rufaro and the recently renovated Gwanzura.
Highlanders, Bulawayo Chiefs and Chicken Inn are the only teams from Bulawayo. The city had four clubs in the previous campaign but the relegation of Bulawayo City left it with three.
Gweru follows with two teams after the promotion of TelOne.
It still remains unclear if Mutare will host any PSL games this season as Sakubva Stadium is yet to get any upgrade so that it can hold league matches. Newly-promoted Manica Diamonds who are the only side from the Eastern Highlands city could be forced to play their home games in Rusape just like what happened to Mutare City Rovers last season.
Meanwhile, top flight football returns to Bindura for the first time in twelve years, thanks to Mushowani Stars who won the Northern Region Division One Championship. Since Mwana Africa got relegated in 2007, Mashonaland West Province has not hosted any league match.
SPEED MERCHANT Gabriel Nyoni has completed his move to CAPS United and promised the Green Machine fans some fireworks this season. The winger played for Highlanders last year where he was the club vice-captain. “I have officially joined @capsunitedfczw,’’ Nyoni revealed on Twitter.
“The club is doing things differently this year. CAPS fans are in for a happy 2019. Thanks to the coach (Lloyd Chitembwe) for his welcome message.
“ . . . (thanks) to Mr (Nhamo) Tutisani (vice-president), Mr (Farai) Jere (president) and the whole CAPS United executive.’’
Nyoni revealed he would be doing a post graduate course with the Chartered Institute of Customer Relations Management during his time in Harare.
He said everything for the course was paid for and paid special tribute to Dynamos board member Mthokozisi Nkosi for helping him.
The forward also revealed he has received a stand, in one of Harare’s residential areas, worth US$20 250 as part of the deal to join Makepekepe.
Nyoni is said to have chose a stand rather than a signing-on fee to seal the deal to join Makepekepe.
Considered one of the most intelligent footballers around, he felt being paid a huge sum of money, or getting a car, were not better than getting a stand where he could built a house for his family.
He owns his clothing label GN27.
Highlanders chief executive Nhlanhla Dube said they wished Nyoni well at his new club.
“Nothing went wrong actually,’’ he said after one fan asked how Bosso let the forward leave the club.
“(Best) wishes have been exchanged and the chapter closed. The feeling is mutual.’’
By Own Correspondent| A Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) SA (Zimbabwe) Pvt Ltd has revealed plans to block the release of containers for Zimbabwean importers over their failure to remit in excess of US$9,1 million in shipping fees, a report has claimed.
According to the report, the fees, for facilitation of trade through sea freight transportation of imports and exports, have accumulated over time.
In a letter addressed to Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe and copied to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe gleaned by businessdigest, MSC Zimbabwe said the impact of this will be a reduction in inflows and, by extension, outflows of approximately 5 000 twenty-foot units equivalent to 125 000 tonnes of freight.
MSC Zimbabwe managing director Giorgio Spampinato said the continued failure by the central bank to acknowledge its key role in trade and to live up to its commitments has left the company with no option but to discourage the loading of Zimbabwe-bound cargo on its ships.
“The Mediterranean Shipping Company SA Limited (MSC) hereby notify you that we are contemplating the possibility of halting the release of containers to Zimbabwean importers who have not paid for our services at origin as well as discouraging the acceptance of cargo destined for Zimbabwe aboard our ships worldwide.
Our decision would be necessitated by the fact that despite numerous engagements with various offices at various levels, our efforts of settling amount due to our head office have been in vain and we remain unable to remit the long outstanding remmitable funds for services already rendered to players in your industry,” he said.
“Our facilitation of trade through sea freight transportation of import and exports has resulted in the accumulation of unremitted funds amounting to nine million one hundred and three thousand and eleven dollars (US$9,103 111.00) due to our principal in Genève,” he said.
MSC Zimbabwe is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (MSC Global). It is the world’s second largest container shipping line, owning over 500 vessels.
“We are your trade link to the rest of the world and in laymen terms one cannot talk of trade without giving any regard to the role that a shipping line plays within the trade chain,” he said.
“In our bid to support economic growth as well as avert shortages of key commodities in the country, MSC Zimbabwe as agents of MSC Global have been collecting freight charges locally on behalf of MSC Global under the assurances that we would receive support to remit sea freight (fee) portion in its totality to the owners.mz -Zimbabwe Independent
By Own Correspondent| Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, George Charamba has been accused of meddling in party politics against the dictates of his office as he is a civil servant.
Former cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo exposed how Charamba in partnership with the now Vice Preaident Constantino Chiwenga, former CIO boss Happyton Bonyongwe and other senior Zanu PF members constituted what he termed the “2013 poll group” that steered the ruling party’s election campaign programme.
The group according to Moyo, made various strategies including forcing the country to go to elections on 31 July 2013 against an agreement that sought to push for electoral reforms before polls.
The group also plotted to deport top Harare human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa as well as blocking the United Nations from funding the 2013 elections.
A teacher in South Africa has been suspended “with immediate effect” after a photo emerged of her pupils sitting in racially separate groups.
A black parent told the TimesLive news site that she thought her child’s first day at school in had got off to a good start until she saw the image.
“This was meant to be an exciting day for me, but it’s not,” she said.
Local authorities say they “highly condemn” the incident and have removed the teacher “pending investigation”.
The BBC’s Milton Nkosi in South Africa says Schweizer-Reneke is conservative rural town with a population of just under 50,000, surrounded by a farming community made up of mainly white Afrikaners.
Sello Lehare, the education minister for the North West province, said the school’s explanation was that “the learners were separated according to those who could understand Afrikaans and English”.
He added: “We are suspending her [the teacher] because we want the investigation to be fair and free”.
Racism is still deeply embedded in South Africa nearly 25 years after white-minority rule ended. Language policy has historically been used to exclude black learners.
What happened at the school?
Parents had dropped their children off on Wednesday morning for their first day of school at Schweizer-Reneke primary school.
Apparently to reassure parents that all was going well, the class teacher reportedly shared a photograph of the children to the school’s private WhatsApp group.
People then pointed out that the children were sitting separately according to race – the white children at a table in the centre of the room, and the few black children at a table in the corner.
The image began circulating on social media.
When parents then complained to the school, according to TimesLive, they were sent a different picture after the children’s break showing that they had been “moved to different seating spaces to ensure they were not separated according to race”.
What has the response been?
Protesters gathered at the school on Thursday morning, many of whom are supporters of South Africa’s opposition EFF party according to local media.
Some white parents have removed their children from the school because they fear for their safety.
Provincial education minister Sello Lehare was despatched to the school in the small town of Schweizer-Reneke on a fact-finding mission.
After meeting school staff and education department officials, Mr Lehare confirmed that the form teacher in question had been suspended.
“As government, we would like to condemn any form of racism, alleged or not, and we deeply regret this unfortunate incident taking place in our country 25 years into democracy,” said a spokesperson for the local government leader, Job Lekgoro
-BBC
Jane Mlambo| Former cabinet minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo has exposed how the then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, George Charamba used to meddle in party politics against the dictates of his office as he is a civil servant.
According to Professor Moyo, Charamba together with Constantino Chiwenga, Happyton Bonyongwe and other senior Zanu PF members constituted what her termed the 2013 poll group that steered the ruling party’s election campaign programme.
10/24 The full 2013 poll group had: Emmerson Mnangagwa (who chaired it), Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, Patrick Chinamasa (deputy chair), Nicholas Goche, Gen Constantino Chiwenga, Augustine Chihuri, Happyton Bonyongwe, Walter Tapfumaneyi, Kizito Gweshe, George Charamba & Jonathan Moyo!
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) January 10, 2019
The group according to Moyo, made various strategies including forcing the country to go to elections on 31 July 2013 against an agreement that sought to push for electoral reforms before polls.
The group also plotted to deport top Harare human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa as well as blocking the United Nations from funding the 2013 elections.
A-77-YEAR-Old man has been found dead in a pool of blood after being axed on the head and between his eyes at his homestead in Gokwe, police have confirmed.
His attacker is unknown and police are investigating the matter.
Mr Anthony Mlangeni of Chitekete area, under Chief Simchembo was found dead, face down on Wednesday morning outside his bedroom hut.
The elderly man lived alone at his homestead.
His son, Mr Ishmael Mlangeni (49) lived a few kilometres away, within the same village.
A neighbour who had gone to the deceased’s homestead to borrow a hoe found the body and alerted the deceased’s son and other villagers.
Police suspect that the old man may have been killed in the early hours of Wednesday.
Midlands’ provincial police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the case.
He said reasons for the attack are not yet known and investigations are underway.
The victim was allegedly last seen at his homestead on Tuesday evening by his son.
“A woman (37) went to the now deceased’s home to borrow a hoe. Upon arrival in the yard, she stumbled on the body of Mlangeni, lying in a pool of blood, a few steps away from his bedroom hut.
“We are appealing to members of the public who may know the suspects or has information that may lead to the arrest of the suspects to come forward. Reasons for the attack are not yet known,” said Insp Goko said.
He said the victim had deep cuts at the back of the head and between the eyes.
His body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for post-mortem.
Murder cases have become rife around the country.
Last November, an 88-year-old man was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds at his home in Plumtree.
His 21-year-old son said he heard several gunshots at around 11PM but said he was too scared to check what was happening outside his bedroom. He discovered his seriously injured father at around 5AM the following day and rushed him to Makhulela Clinic where he was declared dead.
The unknown attackers are still at large.
In April last year, a man from Binga struck an 86-year-old man to death with an axe after accusing him of bewitching him before turning on two women from the same area with the same weapon, leaving them seriously injured.
-State Media
GOVERNMENT is reconsidering the US$400 million National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) recapitalisation project to be jointly undertaken by the South African rail, port and pipeline company, Transnet and the Diaspora Infrastructure Development Group (DIDG) as it insists stakeholders have not agreed on the shareholding structure, among a myriad of unresolved issues stalling the deal, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.
In fact, NRZ general manager Lewis Mukwada said government was yet to decide on the suitability of DIDG and Transnet to carry out the multi-million dollar project, which has attracted the interest of major banks from South Africa.
A protracted due diligence exercise to determine the suitability of the consortium to roll out the multi-million dollar project is supposed to be finalised next month, enabling government to make a determination on whether or not to approve the deal. But owing to a number of thorny issues, the deadline could be missed.
Although President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year commissioned 13 locomotives, 200 wagons and 34 coaches, leased from the South African entity under the NRZ recapitalisation framework, the deal could be put off after it emerged that government has not yet given the consortium the nod to revamp the country’s shambolic rail system. A framework of agreement relating to the deal was approved by cabinet two years ago, during former president Robert Mugabe’s tenure. The deal was used as a model project by Mnangagwa during the run up to last year’s elections, where he promised to open Zimbabwe for business and revamp the country’s infrastructure among other promises.
The Independent understands a key meeting between government, NRZ and DIDG will be held on Tuesday to iron out issues.
Various banks, leveraging on the strength of the consortium’s bid to rehabilitate Zimbabwe’s rag tag rail network, have mobilised close to US$1 billion to finance the project.
The banks have provided term sheets but the government has been moving at a snail’s pace amid concerns that some officials wanted the deal to collapse so that a company of their choice implements the project.
“A due diligence was carried on the DIDG and Transnet consortium. The results of this will be submitted to government together with draft agreements and recommendations on whether we should accept the deal or not,” Mukwada said.
“Generally the scope of the project entails much more work than had been originally anticipated, because of its complexity which became more apparent as the project progressed. While considerable progress has been made, the original timelines set last year have had to be reviewed. The committee handling the project is submitting recommendations to its principals on the way forward.”
The due diligence exercise encompasses various areas of the transaction which include technical, financial, commercial, human resources and legal activities.
Mukwada said stakeholders were also yet to agree on the shareholding structure although an agreement seen by the Independent last year revealed that the consortium had a 60% stake.
“Details of shareholding (among other issues) are still under discussion and will be made public once the deal is finalised,” Mukwada said, noting that negotiations were still ongoing.
However, according to terms spelt out in the Framework Agreement between NRZ and the consortium reveals the parties agreed that the local rail operator would hold 40% equity in the joint venture while a 60% stake would be held by the South African entity.
“The consortium will form a joint venture company (JV1) to attract funding from one or more commercial lenders and development funding institutions, including the potential support and participation of certain eligible export credit agencies or similar institutions. NRZ and the consortium will establish another Joint Venture company (JV2) to be incorporated in Zimbabwe comprising JV1 and NRZ. The shareholding in JV2 shall be on a ratio and tenure to be agreed, indicatively 60% for JV1 and 40% for NRZ for a period of twenty five (25) years,” reads the agreement.
The Framework Agreement was entered on January 31, 2018 with Larry Mavima, the then board chairperson of NRZ who is now Midlands Provincial Affairs minister, representing the local rail operator while DIDG was represented by its chairperson Donovan Chimhandamba.
As first revealed by the Zimbabwe Independent last year, a convoluted legal process under the due diligence exercise threatened to derail the project, though various banks had mobilised well over the US$400 million initially required to rejuvenate NRZ.
Now sources involved in the cumbersome negotiations say there are spirited efforts by top government officials to muscle out the South African consortium and rope in a new player to undertake the project.
“There were many players involved who wanted the deal and their strategy was to frustrate the South African consortium. This is why this deal has not come to fruition,” one source said.
A crisis meeting held last month to resolve the bottlenecks besetting finalisation of the deal failed to resolve the impasse after the project’s legal advisors disapproved of it, arguing the due diligence exercise was not complete.
Acknowledging “delays resulting from various factors”, DIDG board chairperson Donovan Chimhandamba however said he remained hopeful that the deal would be back on track.
“Delays have been due to time lost over elections but also recent restructuring and reorganisation at Transnet which also had an impact on progression of the NRZ recapitalisation deal. These changes though they might have slowed down the process a bit, we believe the changes will strengthen the project and make it more sustainable in the long-run,” Chimhandamba said.
Another source close to proceedings, however, said the deal would only be sealed after finalisation of various “transaction agreements” currently being negotiated by the parties involved.
“The final deal will be signed off subject to the approval of the agreements. It is only at that point that we will be certain that the consortium has been given the approval to implement the project. As it stands, anything can happen. There are still things the parties are still working on before the deal is approved,” the source said.
Transport minister Biggie Matiza has previously indicated that the NRZ recapitalisation deal would collapse if stakeholders failed to resolve the outstanding issues by February.
As part of the legal due diligence, the ministry’s legal advisors are demanding Transnet’s board minutes for the past three years and documents of past court proceedings on litigation cases. They have also asked to be furnished with Transnet’s contracts with its suppliers but the DIDG/Transnet consortium believes the demands are unreasonable and will violate agreements which have nothing to do with the NRZ deal.
A number of South African banks which include Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa had cumulatively mobilised close to US$900 million to bankroll the project. Ecobank of Kenya is also willing to inject US$100 million into the project while CBZ is waiting in the wings with a US$50 million war chest.
-Zimbabwe Independent
Delta Corporation released the company’s Trading Update for the third quarter and nine months to 31 December 2018.
We publish below the full update:
Demand for the Company’s products was buoyant driven by consumer perception of favourable pricing as the Company has maintained stable prices since 2013.
The economy experienced resurgent inflation spurred by the market reaction to the changes in the monetary and fiscal policies announced in October 2018. This triggered price hikes premised on factoring in foreign currency premiums.
The acute shortage of foreign currency led to disruptions to business operations particularly the soft drinks business. The Board is concerned about the company’s ability to meet its foreign currency obligations and access to imported raw materials. It is hoped that the ongoing engagements with key stakeholders will result in improved access to foreign currency.
Lager beer volume grew by 27% over prior year for the quarter and is up 43% for the nine months. The business has endeavoured to meet the high consumer demand in spite of the challenges in accessing some imported raw materials and services.
The Sorghum beer volume in Zimbabwe grew by 15% above prior year for the quarter and 6% for the nine months. There were supply gaps due to frictional shortages of packaging materials and extended plant breakdowns mostly occasioned by lack of foreign currency for spares and contractual services. Chibuku Super contributed 85% of the volume.
National Breweries Plc Zambia (Natbrew Plc) recorded a volume growth of 4% for the quarter and 9% for the nine months. There are positive volume trends following the relaunch of Chibuku Super in the 1,25 litre pack.
The Sparkling beverages volume declined by 66% compared to prior year for the quarter and decreased by 26% for the nine months’ There were extended production stoppages arising from limited access to foreign currency required for importing key raw materials and the failure to clear arrear payments to The Coca Cola Company.
Group revenue increased by 5% for the quarter and 24% (19% • organic growth) for the nine months reflecting the growth in the beer businesses which was weighed down by depressed outturn in soft drinks. The business remains profitable and continues to generate positive cash flows. There is however need to note the disruptions to operations arising from limited access to foreign currency.
The company announced on 21 December 2018 that it had entered into binding agreements to acquire the 100% stake currently held by Diageo Plc in United National Breweries Proprietary Limited (South Africa), (UNB). UNB is the leading brewer of traditional beer and owns the Chibuku brand in that country. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2019 and is subject to regulatory approvals in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Shareholders are reminded that the Company is trading under a cautionary issued with respect to the notice received from The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) advising of an intention to terminate the Bottler’s Agreements with the Group entities (Notified Intention). This followed the merger of AB InBev and SABMiller Plc in October 2016 and the subsequent agreement in principle reached between TCCC and AB InBev to explore options to restructure the bottling operations in a number of countries. The discussions amongst the parties are ongoing.
By Order of the Board.
A Makamure
Company Secretary,
11 January 2019
By Own Correspondent| Villagers in Chikombedzi are refusing to bury a man who was allegedly shot dead by a drunk cop on christmas day.
A Newsday report claims that the villager, from the Shangani community is yet to be buried as the community demands justice and answers first.
A delegation led by Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira is said to have held a charged meeting with the community leaders on Wednesday at Chibwedziva Primary School.
National overseer for the Alliance Church, David Hadhlani said:
“This is not the first time that policemen have killed a person here. Gezani, Chambuta and Chibwedziva have become torture camps. Police are meeting instant justice in these areas. We need to mend the relationship between the police and the community.
In 2010, police from the Support Unit beat a drunken reveller to death. Again in 2014, police beat another man to death at Shulugu Primary School in Gezani, while his children and wife watched. Right now, they shot a teenager to death on Christmas Day and the boy is yet to be buried.”
The meeting resolved that the dead man should be buried and the family assisted financially with funeral costs. The police undertook to conduct awareness campaigns to rebuild the strained relationship between the law enforcement agents and the community.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) SA (Zimbabwe) Pvt Ltd has threatened to block the release of containers for Zimbabwean importers over their failure to remit in excess of US$9,1 million in shipping fees, businessdigest has learnt.
The fees, for facilitation of trade through sea freight transportation of imports and exports, have accumulated over time.
In a letter addressed to Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president Sifelani Jabangwe and copied to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe gleaned by businessdigest, MSC Zimbabwe said the impact of this will be a reduction in inflows and, by extension, outflows of approximately 5 000 twenty-foot units equivalent to 125 000 tonnes of freight.
MSC Zimbabwe managing director Giorgio Spampinato said the continued failure by the central bank to acknowledge its key role in trade and to live up to its commitments has left the company with no option but to discourage the loading of Zimbabwe-bound cargo on its ships.
“The Mediterranean Shipping Company SA Limited (MSC) hereby notify you that we are contemplating the possibility of halting the release of containers to Zimbabwean importers who have not paid for our services at origin as well as discouraging the acceptance of cargo destined for Zimbabwe aboard our ships worldwide. Our decision would be necessitated by the fact that despite numerous engagements with various offices at various levels, our efforts of settling amount due to our head office have been in vain and we remain unable to remit the long outstanding remmitable funds for services already rendered to players in your industry,” he said.
“Our facilitation of trade through sea freight transportation of import and exports has resulted in the accumulation of unremitted funds amounting to nine million one hundred and three thousand and eleven dollars (US$9,103 111.00) due to our principal in Genève,” he said.
MSC Zimbabwe is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland (MSC Global). It is the world’s second largest container shipping line, owning over 500 vessels.
“We are your trade link to the rest of the world and in laymen terms one cannot talk of trade without giving any regard to the role that a shipping line plays within the trade chain,” he said.
“In our bid to support economic growth as well as avert shortages of key commodities in the country, MSC Zimbabwe as agents of MSC Global have been collecting freight charges locally on behalf of MSC Global under the assurances that we would receive support to remit sea freight (fee) portion in its totality to the owners.”
-Zimbabwe Independent
By Own Correspondent| At least 5 members of the Johane Marange Apostolic sect died from cholera in Murehwa after rejecting medical assistance after contacting the disease.
Thus was revealed by Murewa district administrator Gumburayi Wadzvanya in a letter dated January 8 which was written to the provincial administrator Tarubarira Kutamahufa.
The letter, which confirmed the suspected cholera cases read in part:
“The Ministry of Health has received a report from the head of Nyamutumbu Primary School, Mr Magora, of probable cases of cholera in Mavhurume 2 village in ward 11 of Murewa district.
It was reported that there were five people who had symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting who had died. Three of them died at Chitsidzo of Johane Marange apostolic sect in the village and two of them died at Murewa Hospital.
Murewa Hospital has since activated an emergency team, which was sent to assess the situation on the ground. The team, comprising representatives from the community nursing departments, laboratory departments and environmental health departments, visited the village in question.
The same sect lost three members to cholera in 2018 after it barred health officials from visiting the shrine. The church gathering was later banned as a result.”-Newsday
MUSIC superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi is under the weather, with an alleged heart problem that has kept him off the stage for some time, NewsDay Life &Style has learnt.
The Tozeza Baba hitmaker did not stage any local or international shows during the festive season as is often the norm with big names in music.
Although Tuku is a diabetic patient, close family sources yesterday said the music legend has been in and out of hospital since November due to a heart ailment.
At one time, he had water drained from his heart at a local health facility.
“It is sad to have someone close to you under the weather as in the case with Nzou (Tuku), who has not been feeling well for some time now. He has not been well such that at one point he failed to travel for his concert outside the country. Let’s keep him in our prayers,” said the sources who declined to be named.
Tuku failed to make the United Kingdom tour for the London Jazz Festival in October last year due to ill health.
NewsDay Life & Style understands that Tuku’s relatives and close friends held a small private gathering at his plush Norton’s Knowe suburb home just before Christmas to cheer him up as he reclined on a stretcher bed-cum-chair.
“To bring cheer to mudhara (Tuku), his close relatives and family friends had a small gathering before Christmas at his home in Norton, where some of the youngsters he has mentored took turns to entertain the guests, as he also showcased his guitar playing prowess.”
Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mtukudzi’s spokesperson, Walter Wanyanya, were fruitless as he was not answering his mobile phone. The publicist was also yet to respond to questions sent to him by the time of going to print.
Born on September 22, 1952 in Highfield, Harare, Tuku is one of Zimbabwe’s most renowned and internationally-acclaimed artiste.
With 66 albums to his name, the musician has toured several countries and has been endorsed by many companies as their brand ambassador. He has been to all five continents of the world, playing in world capitals and at top festivals. Tuku has contributed immensely to the nurturing of Zimbabwean music talents and holds various prestigious positions, among them the Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations Children’s Fund and the coveted Cavaliere of the Order of Merit bestowed on him by the Italian government.
-Newsday
By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi has issued a stern warning to motorists engaging in violence and committing other offences at fuel stations saying the police will not hesitate to arrest such malcontents.
Nyathi’s statement follows a video of a fist fight at a fuel queue in Harare circulated on social media.
He urged all victims of violence at service stations to report to the police.
He encouraged operators of service stations to request police security whenever there are indications of potential violence upon delivery of fuel.
Said Nyathi:
“We are aware that some motorists, especially kombi drivers, skip queues and cause violence at fuel stations. We urge them to desist from such behaviour. We appeal to all motorists to exercise patience and to respect each other in fuel queues.
All those who commit offences at service stations are not immune to arrest and prosecution. They will be arrested. Such cases must be reported to the police to allow the law to take its course.
Most operators seek our services when they foresee violence upon receiving fuel deliveries. We encourage them to continue doing so to prevent cases of violence.”-StateMedia
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has relented to pressure from some of his senior lieutenants to bring forward the party’s long-awaited congress from October to June this year as factional tensions in the country’s main opposition movement reaches boiling point, it emerged this week.
Chamisa took over as MDC president in controversial circumstances last year after he outwitted his then two co-vice-presidents, Elias Mudzuri and Thokozani Khupe, during a cat-fight which played out at a time former founding president Morgan Tsvangirai was on his deathbed in South Africa.
Tsvangirai succumbed to bowl cancer on February 14 last year.
Soon after Tsvangirai’s death, Chamisa — who at the time was acting party president — convened an urgent national council meeting which immediately confirmed him as acting party leader until congress is held.
The national council later confirmed Chamisa as the substantive leader.
Chamisa grabbed power at a time Khupe — who was elected vice-president at the party’s last congress unlike Chamisa and Mudzuri who were appointed by Tsvangirai, — had travelled to Johannesburg with some senior party officials to collect the former trade unionist’s body.
Relying on a militant youth wing christened The Vanguard, which launched violent raids on Khupe’s camp, Chamisa managed to decimate his most potent rival then.
Khupe and his followers were beaten by the Vanguard members at Tsvangirai’s funeral in Buhera. She was also subjected to frequent attacks even when she had retreated to her Bulawayo base.
Khupe eventually broke away from the party alongside other officials including former spokesperson Obert Gutu.
But no sooner had Khupe left than fresh fissures emerged particularly between Chamisa and party secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora and Mudzuri, who have been pushing for the leadership dispute to be settled at congress.
Officials in the party say Mwonzora’s camp has since last year been pushing for the congress to be held by end of February in accordance with a provision in the party’s constitution, which states that upon the death or resignation of a sitting president, an acting president must take over for a period not exceeding a year, after which an elective congress should be held to decide the new substantive leader.
Chamisa’s camp has, on the other hand, been arguing that since the MDC leader was made substantive president by the party’s highest decision-making organ, the national council, soon after Tsvangirai’s burial, that provision no longer applied. Instead they say congress can only be held in October this year when it is constitutionally due.
MDC sources told Zimbabwe Independent the party has initiated the process which will lead to the June congress after having tasked its organising department headed by Mkoba legislator Amos Chibaya to come up with a programme of action which will be presented at the national council meeting slated for the end of this month for adoption.
The sources said Chamisa’s camp relented after it realised that further delays were giving impetus to the narrative that Chamisa was afraid of a congress.
“It was realised that delaying the congress to October was feeding into the narrative that Chamisa was too keen to hold onto power without congress approval. The only problem now is that we should hold smaller congresses at all levels of the party, starting with the branch, the ward, the district and then the province before the national congress happens,” an official said.
“Now, it is clear that it will not be logically possible to hold those by June because we need two months to restructure each organ. But then Chibaya’s department was tasked to come up with a timeframe and programme to reorganise those lower structures. The most workable plan would be to waive the two months programme for lower structures so that it would be possible to hold the congress by that time.”
Another source said: “It will all depend on whether or not the national council will agree with the plans of the organising department, especially considering that the party really wanted time to restructure the branches and wards which have not been functioning well especially in rural areas. So there is a little bit of a challenge there but these can be attended to afterwards.”
MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the next national council meeting will decide when the congress is to be held.
“Constitutionally, the latest time by which the congress has to be held is October but the national council can determine otherwise. Hopefully, the issue will be dealt with when it meets next,” he said.
Mafume also said the re-organisation of smaller party organs will kick off shortly.
“It is common knowledge that in the period leading to the congress, we will have to attend to those smaller structures of the party and we are coming up with a programme for that,” he said.
Efforts to get a comment from Chibaya were fruitless as he was not answering calls on his mobile phone.
He also did not respond to text messages sent to him.
-Zimbabwe Independent
By Own Correspondent| A police officer based in Lupane has been arrested and hauled before the courts for allegedly insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and calling on him to step down in favour of opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
Taison Hove (29), who was arrested at Lupane business centre on January 3, is also alleged to have said the Zanu PF regalia was only fit to be worn by people on a mission to tend the agricultural fields.
Hove’s lawyer, Bruce Masamvu said his client was summoned by prosecution to appear before a Lupane magistrate on Wednesday, but the matter has now been postponed.
Said Masamvu:
“We went to Lupane court on Wednesday. Police refused to take the matter for prosecution after we indicated our intention to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), as the charges infringe on Hove’s rights,”
Masamvu said. “Section 33(2)(b) of the Criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, which he is charged with violating, requires the consent of the Attorney-General for such a matter to be prosecuted.
The prosecution indicated the matter will proceed by way of summons. Hove is being charged with a piece of law that has no place in a democracy and it is for the Constitutional Court to make the finding.”
Allegations are that on January 3 this year, Hove was drinking beer with other patrons when a certain man passed by putting on a Zanu PF T-shirt emblazoned with Mnangagwa’s picture.
When Hove saw the man, he allegedly said such clothing should only be worn by one going to tend to the fields. Mnangagwa, he allegedly said, had failed to run the country and, as such, he should hand over power to Chamisa.
“We are suffering because of ED Mnangagwa and we are paid money equivalent to US$100,” Hove is alleged to have said.
Some patrons then reported him to the police, leading to his arrest. Masamvu said Hove also faces police disciplinary action from his superiors in the force, but he has filed an application for the matter to be referred to the ConCourt.
“I submit that in terms of section 85, as read with section 173(4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013, I am entitled to seek a referral of this matter to the ConCourt,” he submitted. Hove said the State’s case against him did not disclose an offence justifiable in a democratic society.
He described the charges as frivolous and vexatious. Masamvu said the police disciplinary committee, headed by a Superintendent Mudepfa, was yet to rule on Hove’s application.
By Own Correspondent| Acting President Constantino Chiwenga has accused social media abusers of fuelling panic buying of fuel and other basic commodities.
Chiwenga however said Zimbabweans must stop the habit of panic buying while government looks at ways to resolve the existing challenges including fuel shortages.
He said this whilst officiating at the launch of the second phase of the centre pivot irrigation facility under the special maize programme at Farnley Farm in Chegutu Thursday.
Said Chiwenga:
“We are currently facing problems with fuel and some are now hoarding the commodity. There are some who are now abusing social media to exacerbate the situation, resulting in people rushing to stock the commodity.
We should avoid that because there is no journey that does not have obstacles. It is not right to cause unnecessary panic and we urge Zimbabweans not to panic.
We expect that fuel be used in productive sectors. As Government, we are looking at ways to alleviate the problem so that it is solved in the shortest time possible, but we should use our resources responsibly.”-StateMedia
By Own Correspondent| Teachers’ representatives have rejected government’s 10 percent offer describing it as a dump squib which is devoid of the issues they are raising.
In a statement issued following the NJNC meeting, the Apex council accused government of deflating civil servants’ hopes by offering a paltry $30.
Said the Apex council while giving notice of their rejection of government’s 10 percent salary increase offer:
“Today’s NJNC meeting turned out to be a dump squib after the gvt deflated the high hopes of civil servants by offering a paltry 10% increase translating to only about $30 for the lowest paid worker to be effective 1 April 2019.
The APEX Council advised that the percentage offer does not at all speak to their fact based position paper which had set a minimum of $1733-00 for the lowest paid worker. In light of the above, the APEX Council categorically rejects the ridiculous offer by the gvt and will immediately consult with our members for a way forward.”
By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa is set to hold its elective Congress in June this year.
Originally slated for October, a local weekly report has revealed that the party has reviewed this date and will now hold the Congress 5 months earlier.
According to the report, it is alleged that officials in the party say Mwonzora’s camp has since last year been pushing for the Congress to be held by end of February in accordance with a provision in the party’s constitution, which states that upon the death or resignation of a sitting president, an acting president must take over for a period not exceeding a year, after which an elective congress should be held to decide the new substantive leader.
However, Chamisa’s camp is said to have argued that Chamisa was made the substantive president by the party’s highest decision-making organ, the national council.
The national council met soon after Tsvangirai’s burial and it was characterised in some quarters as a power grab by Chamisa.
An MDC party insider told the Zimbabwe Independent that:
“It was realised that delaying the Congress to October was feeding into the narrative that Chamisa was too keen to hold onto power without congress approval.
The only problem now is that we should hold smaller congresses at all levels of the party, starting with the branch, the ward, the district and then the province before the national congress happens.”
MDC national spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the national council has the prerogative to decide when the Congress will be held.
He said:
“Constitutionally, the latest time by which the Congress has to be held in October but the national council can determine otherwise. Hopefully, the issue will be dealt with when it meets next.”
By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora has been hauled before the courts facing charges of negligent driving, failure to insure a motor vehicle and to licence a motor vehicle after he was involved in an accident.
The State alleges that on May 27 last year, Mwonzora was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser along Tynwald Road in Harare.
His vehicle was neither insured nor licensed, contrary to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act.
The State alleges that when Mwonzora approached the intersection of Kirkman Drive and Tynwald Road, he reversed and bumped into another Toyota Land Cruiser which was behind him, and was being driven by Onismo Muzhingi.
It is alleged no one was injured and both vehicles sustained minor damages.
The State also alleges that Mwonzora was negligent after he failed to keep his vehicle under proper control.
Mwonzora appeared before magistrate Richard Ramaboa, who remanded him to January 24 on free bail.
Moses Mapanga appeared for the State.
By Mapozho Saruchera| The media has lately been awash with reports to the effect that dialogue between the ruling Zanu PF party and opposition MDC would solve the economic downturn bedeviling Zimbabwe.
Proponents of the above school of thought maintain that MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa’s initial refusal to recognize President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory allegedly triggered a serious legitimacy issues which had a contagion effect on the economy.
As calls for dialogue grow louder, Chamisa, who was initially against dialogue has of late offered himself for negotiations, allegedly “for the sake of the suffering masses”.
He recently took to the micro blogging site Twitter, announcing that, “I’ve met with many on our worsening situation and unbearable suffering. The back-to-school burden, high prices, non-performing economy, joblessness and worthless salaries bring sorrow. On this, I call upon my bro ED to urgent dialogue to solve our politics &economics or it gets worse!”
The questions that must have come to the most perceptive Zimbabweans are – is it true that Chamisa’s refusal to accept the July 2018 presidential results led to the current hiccups in the economy and if so, what exactly is the opposition leader bringing to the negotiating table?
Chamisa made it clear during the 2018 electioneering period that in the event that he lost the election, he would make the country ungovernable – probably in a bid to get into Government through the back door.
The MDC leader took his supporters for a ride; he knew he was not going to win the 2018 presidential election – the 5 months, between the death of Morgan Tsvangirai and the election, was not enough time for him to have fully organized his party for an election victory. A fact confirmed by the MDC’s failure to even field the required number of polling agents.
Secondly, he was facing a stronger contender for the presidency in President Mnangagwa – a man who had rejuvenated his party and captivated the imagination of the country. All this go on to explain why, Chamisa, a lawyer by profession, brought a half barked case to the Constitutional Court – he had no evidence, there was none in fact, he lost fair and square!
The opposition had a secret weapon though, the Zimbabwe Democracy Recovery Act (ZIDERA)! Remember how he and Tendai Biti went to the United States of America (USA), a few months before elections and begged for the extension of the sanctions that had been imposed on Zimbabwe in 2001. That was an alternative plan; the US had to keep Zimbabwe’s economy screaming, so that the opposition would remain viable.
The MDC thrives on people’s hardships and in this case they simple ensured that the hardships are compounded, with the help of Biti’s friends. So, it can be safely concluded that Chamisa thinks that the removal of sanctions, which he begged for in the first place, is his leverage at the negotiations with President Mnangagwa.
The problem is Chamisa cannot guarantee the removal of sanctions. In politics there are no permanent friends, but interests. It therefore boils down to who is dearer to the Americans, Chamisa or Biti (ironically called “friend” by the Committee on Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa). And this is where it is going to get interesting – the boomerang effect from the sanctions move is going to be spectacular.
Already there are rumors that some MDC structures are disgruntled with Chamisa’s leadership. They blame him for the party’s poor show, especially in the last parliamentary election.
It’s a matter of time before the Americans throw their weight behind Biti by giving the latter power to signal when sanctions can be added.
The long and short of it is that Chamisa has nothing to offer. He might have told fairy tales of trucks full of foreign currency at the country’s borders or of a promise by United State President, Donald Trump, to avail US$15 billion in the event that they had won the last election – these remain just that, fairy tales.
As for the way forward, President Mnangagwa has made it clear that there is no need to talk to losers. Chamisa cannot be rewarded for bringing suffering to the people of Zimbabwe. The suffering he is pretending to have seen now is a result of the sanctions and nothing else.
The Government is working hard to reign in the budget deficit and for the first time in decades the country recently recorded a budget surplus – there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has said the serious challenges facing the country, including a high budget deficit and significant debt, and currency challenges, were surmountable with major structural reforms.
Addressing the European Parliament yesterday, Ncube said what was required was urgent and bold action, and tough decisions.
“We cannot run away from the challenge — the longer we wait to address it, the harder it will be,” he said.
Ncube said government has developed a comprehensive plan to revive the economy and put the country on the path to steady economic growth.
“The only way to a stronger economy is to restructure, rebuild and reform,” he said.
“This plan involves some painful measures to get our national budget under control. These measures will be felt by all of us, but are unavoidable if we want to get our economy back on track. These measures are those of a doctor performing a lifesaving operation. They cause pain, but the pain is the only thing that will lead to a recovery. As Margret Thatcher once said: Yes, the medicine is harsh, but the patient requires it in order to live.”
Ncube added: “We must all be humble and austere, and government is leading by example. We are continuing to make big cuts to perks and unnecessary expenditure, so that government lives within its means.”
He said government was making structural reforms to liberalise the economy, privatise inefficient parastatals, reduce red tape, regulation and attract investment.
Newsday
HARARE – Cabinet failed to sit on Tuesday despite the fact that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had to cut short his annual leave to attend to a crippling strike by doctors in public hospitals.
Cabinet is still to meet this year.
Even though Mnangagwa had to abruptly end his vacation, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga continues as acting president.
Deputy Information minister told the Daily News yesterday that “there was no Cabinet meeting because his Excellency the president is still on leave”.
Political analysts canvassed by the Daily News said the development is “shocking” as it displays lack of seriousness on the part of the country’s leadership to deal with the problems affecting the majority of Zimbabweans.
“It is telling when the president cuts short his leave to deal with the crisis, and the crisis remains unresolved and he is not allowed to resume his duties. Something is clearly amiss,” political analyst and former civic society leader McDonald Lewanika said.
Lewanika suggested that either Mnangagwa’s return from leave was cosmetic and only meant to paint a picture of someone seriously dealing with the issues, or he is simply ineffective.
“In any event, the development shows a government that is at sixes and sevens with multiple centres of authority and power.
“Without alternative explanations, the failure of Cabinet to meet in the midst of a crisis regardless of who would be in the chair is telling, and suggests a disheartening lack of urgency and order in the State,” said Lewanika.
Another analyst Piers Pigou said the absence of clarity on how Mnangagwa and Chiwenga are currently working gives rise to all sorts of speculations and confuses citizens.
Pigou said it was easy, under the circumstances to conclude that the cluelessness by the country’s leaders on how to extricate the country out of the economic quagmire it finds itself in is the reason why nobody seems keen on taking charge.
“Given the notification by the Apex Council for industrial action, it appears neither Mnangagwa nor his deputy, Chiwenga, has a clear route forward to resolve the currency and related salary and costs crises,” Pigou said.
Explaining his return from vacation, Mnangagwa said he wanted to directly engage Chiwenga over the crisis that followed the collapse of negotiations between junior doctors and government.
“I have cut short my leave to be in immediate and active consultation with the acting president in resolving the situation in the health sector,” reads part of the statement.
Chiwenga, in his capacity as acting president, had been tasked by Mnangagwa with resolving the impasse between the State and the junior doctors who are pressing for improved working conditions and better pay.
Prone to kneejerk reactions, Chiwenga immediately announced the sacking of about 500 junior doctors after the labour court deemed their industrial action illegal.
The decision which came hard on the heels of yet another impulsive pronouncement was largely condemned in the country with some analysts describing it as irrational.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba had told the Daily News at the time that his boss was concerned with the loss of life in public hospitals and rubbished claims that Mnangagwa’s return to work was a no-confidence vote in Chiwenga’s ability to handle the situation.
United Kingdom-based political analysts Alex Magaisa had pointed out at the time that Mnangagwa’s decision was a polite way of telling his deputy that he had performed dismally in his absence.
“I have had to cut my vacation because my deputy has failed to handle the crisis in the health sector’. That’s it, in a nutshell, without all the diplomatic frou-frou,” Magaisa wrote on his Twitter handle.
Yet Charamba maintained that “if you are in acting capacity, there are certain things that an acting president cannot do”.
“But also critically, where there is loss of life, it would be callous for a president to pretend everything is normal,” Charamba said.
Daily News
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Kudakwashe Mahachi says everyone in Bulawayo will support Orlando Pirates when they play FC Platinum at Barbourfields on Saturday.
The encounter is a Caf Champions League Group B opener and it’s Pirates’ first visit to Zimbabwe in 22 years.
Speaking on the club’s official website, Mahachi said: “Everybody in Bulawayo supports Orlando Pirates. We grew up watching the team and supporting players like Teko Modise and Joseph Kamwendo, who were an inspiration to watch.
“The team I even played while I was based there, Highlanders FC, modelled themselves around Orlando Pirates. They even adopted the Club’s iconic crossbones salute before the start of their matches.
“I have been inundated with calls from back home telling me that they are excited over the prospect of seeing Orlando Pirates play in Bulawayo. They are telling me that they are 100% behind us. They have also been enquiring about the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch, Vincent Pule and the rest of the guys because they follow the team religiously,” concluded Mahachi.
FC Platinum are playing their home games in Bulawayo after their Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane failed to meet the minimum standards to host Caf matches from the group phase.
Soccer24
A DECISION on the future of prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s controversial Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church will be announced by the City of Tshwane today.
This, as services were placed on hold after weekend protests which followed a fateful stampede by congregants on December 28. Three women died and many others were hurt as they ran for shelter during a heavy rainstorm.
Yesterday the gates at the Tshwane Events Centre section where the church is located remained closed after violent weekend protests.
Bushiri’s lawyer, Terence Baloyi, said they were “just taking a break, and services would resume on January 20”. But popular belief was that they had been forced to close down temporarily because of the incident.
The SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) that was behind the #BushiriMustGo demonstrations, and other stakeholders, met executive mayor Solly Msimanga in a bid to find solutions to the problem.
The protests resulted in three Sanco members being arrested and charged with public violence and violations of the Road Traffic Act. They were granted bail of R500 each this week.
The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities has also intervened.
“After extensive deliberations, the parties agreed on the following – the immediate cessation of all hostilities from both sides, the CRL Commission will pursue negotiations with the church for possible support for the bereaved families,” said spokesperson Mpiyakhe Mkholo.
The parties agreed that a follow-up press briefing be arranged where “further announcements” will be made about the support process
Sanco was given time to consult and update its constituency regarding the ongoing mediation.
Sanco Greater Tshwane Region spokesperson Bafana Nhlapo said: “The meeting went well.
The office of the mayor said we will get feedback, and the police will give us a progress report on investigations with regards to the people who died at church.”
The Tshwane region of the ANC also waded in and accused Msimanga of failing to act on the death of the worshippers. The ANC said the church should take full responsibility for what happened, and support the affected families.
MMC for health, Sakkie du Plooy, has begun investigations into the contract which allows the church to operate at its current premises, at the city’s old showgrounds. “There is no contract between the City and church of Bushiri. That area was given to an organisation called Tshwabac for agricultural show purposes.
They entered into an agreement with Bushiri.
“So as the City we cannot take responsibility for what happened, but our officials did go there for the regular inspection… they assured me that the church is compliant with the City’s requirements.”
Pastor Derick Mosoana, Christians of South Africa (Cosa) president, said they were disturbed by the “nuisance” by “agents of Cain” calling for the immediate closure of the church.
“This misguided attack against the church by Sanco is evidence enough to prove that faith in South Africa is under attack.
“Christians should prepare themselves for a volcano of persecution, perpetuated by the ANC government.”
Mosoana said the country was not immune to stampedes. He made reference to the incident in 2001 when 43 soccer fans died at Ellis Park.
Cover Picture: Gates at the Shepherd Bushiri’s Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church located at the Tshwane Events Centre yesterday remained closed following renewed protests which led to services at the church being suspended.
iol.co.za
MUSIC superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi is under the weather, with an alleged heart problem that has kept him off the stage for some time, NewsDay Life &Style has learnt.
The Tozeza Baba hitmaker did not stage any local or international shows during the festive season as is often the norm with big names in music.
Although Tuku is a diabetic patient, close family sources yesterday said the music legend has been in and out of hospital since November due to a heart ailment.
At one time, he had water drained from his heart at a local health facility.
“It is sad to have someone close to you under the weather as in the case with Nzou (Tuku), who has not been feeling well for some time now. He has not been well such that at one point he failed to travel for his concert outside the country. Let’s keep him in our prayers,” said the sources who declined to be named.
Tuku failed to make the United Kingdom tour for the London Jazz Festival in October last year due to ill health.
NewsDay Life & Style understands that Tuku’s relatives and close friends held a small private gathering at his plush Norton’s Knowe suburb home just before Christmas to cheer him up as he reclined on a stretcher bed-cum-chair.
“To bring cheer to mudhara (Tuku), his close relatives and family friends had a small gathering before Christmas at his home in Norton, where some of the youngsters he has mentored took turns to entertain the guests, as he also showcased his guitar playing prowess.”
Repeated efforts to get a comment from Mtukudzi’s spokesperson, Walter Wanyanya, were fruitless as he was not answering his mobile phone. The publicist was also yet to respond to questions sent to him by the time of going to print.
Born on September 22, 1952 in Highfield, Harare, Tuku is one of Zimbabwe’s most renowned and internationally-acclaimed artiste.
With 66 albums to his name, the musician has toured several countries and has been endorsed by many companies as their brand ambassador. He has been to all five continents of the world, playing in world capitals and at top festivals.
Tuku has contributed immensely to the nurturing of Zimbabwean music talents and holds various prestigious positions, among them the Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations Children’s Fund and the coveted Cavaliere of the Order of Merit bestowed on him by the Italian government.
NewsDay
ZBC’s radio station Power FM has removed R&B singer R Kelly’s music from their playlist while other radio stations in Zimbabwe are closely monitoring the unfolding drama about his sex abuse scandal in America.
Through a global campaign called #MuteRkelly, world over there are some radio stations and online music stores such as Apple and Spotify that have removed R Kelly’s music from their playlists in light of the docu-series called Surviving R Kelly. The series is based on decades-long allegations of sexual abuse against the star through over 50 interviews by women.
Power FM station manager Rumbi Moyo said they had to take a stand as a radio station in light of the sexual abuse allegations.
“In as much as R Kelly has done so much in the music industry we can’t turn a blind eye on the allegations peddled against him through the docu-series. As a radio station we have to take a stand and as such we aren’t considering his music on our playlist,” said Moyo.
“If anyone has watched the docu-series they would start questioning his music. There’s no smoke without fire and up until there comes a time that he is acquitted, his music won’t be considered.”
Star FM General Manager Comfort Mbofana said the radio station along with CapiTalk 100.4 FM and Diamond FM would not jump into conclusions playing the jury role before the accused is found guilty.
“Our position on the matter is that let’s hear what the courts will say about R Kelly and the allegations levelled against him. This is because these are just allegations for now but we are closely following how the saga unfolds,” said Mbofana.
AB Communications the parent company of ZiFM Stereo and Faya FM through their CEO Susan Makore said they had not discussed R Kelly’s saga and its implications as a team.
“Although the team hasn’t sat down to discuss issues to do with R Kelly’s music, his actions leave a lot to be desired. There have been times on the radio stations that we discussed the issue with our listeners during our radio shows,” said Makore.
Skyz Metro FM station manager Godwin Phiri said as a radio station they were not affected by R Kelly’s music as they promote local music mostly.
“As a radio station there are few programmes that specifically play international music and R Kelly’s music isn’t that dominant. We pride ourselves in promoting local artistes. But as for R Kelly we are monitoring the situation seeing how it unfolds,” said Phiri.
In South Africa, fans and musicians have called on the SABC to ban R Kelly’s music from the radio station in light of the allegations
SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu told TshisaLIVE the broadcaster had noted the allegations against R Kelly and was “considering its options”.
“We have noted media reports and public campaigns calling on the muting and banning of R Kelly’s music following allegations of sexual abuse. The SABC is considering its options and will communicate its decision should the need arise in due course,” she said in a statement.
Meanwhile, since the release of the docu-series Surviving R Kelly, according to TMZ, it has prompted Georgia police to launch a probe into R Kelly’s role in several alleged instances of abuse and rape shared by survivors for the documentary.
US investigators are in contact with a woman who claims she escaped R Kelly’s home, and several others who claim to have either suffered at the singer’s hands or to have witnessed abuse by the singer.
A LUPANE-BASED police officer has been arrested for allegedly insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and calling on him to step down in favour of opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
Taison Hove (29), who was arrested at Lupane business centre on January 3, is also alleged to have said the Zanu PF regalia was only fit for people on a mission to tend agricultural fields.
Hove’s lawyer, Bruce Masamvu said his client was summoned by prosecution to appear before a Lupane magistrate on Wednesday, but the matter has now been postponed.
“We went to Lupane court on Wednesday. Police refused to take the matter for prosecution after we indicated our intention to have the matter referred to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), as the charges infringe on Hove’s rights,” Masamvu said.
“Section 33(2)(b) of the Criminal law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, which he is charged with violating, requires the consent of the Attorney-General for such a matter to be prosecuted.
The prosecution indicated the matter will proceed by way of summons. Hove is being charged with a piece of law that has no place in a democracy and it is for the Constitutional Court to make the finding.”
Allegations are that on January 3 this year, Hove was drinking beer with other patrons when a certain man passed by putting on a Zanu PF T-shirt emblazoned with Mnangagwa’s picture.
When Hove saw the man, he allegedly said such clothing should only be worn by one going to tend to the fields. Mnangagwa, he allegedly said, had failed to run the country and, as such, he should hand over power to Chamisa.
“We are suffering because of ED Mnangagwa and we are paid money equivalent to US$100,” Hove is alleged to have said. Some patrons then reported him to the police, leading to his arrest.
Masamvu said Hove also faces police disciplinary action from his superiors in the force, but he has filed an application for the matter to be referred to the ConCourt.
“I submit that in terms of section 85, as read with section 173(4) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013, I am entitled to seek a referral of this matter to the ConCourt,” he submitted.
Hove said the State’s case against him did not disclose an offence justifiable in a democratic society. He described the charges as frivolous and vexatious. Masamvu said the police disciplinary committee, headed by a Superintendent Mudepfa, was yet to rule on Hove’s application.
Cover picture: Opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.
NewsDay
COSMOPOLITAN Night club in Bulawayo will tomorrow host Stonyeni hit-maker Jah Signal for the After Bhora party of the FC Platinum and Orlando Pirates match, at which revellers will party with the football stars.
FC Platinum will battle it out with Orlando Pirates in a Caf Champion’s League group B match at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo tomorrow.
After the football encounter that promises fireworks, all roads lead to Cosmopolitan Night Club for the after party. Festivities will start from 7PM till late with admission being $5 for regular, $15 for VIP and the VVIP is $30.
This would be the Zimdancehall chanter’s third performance in Bulawayo as he performed at Zansibar and The Vista last year.
Jah Signal said he was: “. . .very excited to be performing in Bulawayo again. This will be my third time and I appreciate the love that I get from my Bulawayo fans, so everyone should come through to the After Bhora party.”
The Sweetie hit maker said this year he will be pushing singles from his album Jaya which he released late last year and people should expect the video for Stonyeni anytime soon.
Fans, according to Manu Mahaso, Cosmopolitan Night club’s manager, will be able to mix and mingle with the players.
“This is the official after party where fans can come and mix and mingle with the players from both teams. Jah Signal is just the icing on the entertainment that we offer at Cosmopolitan,” said Mahaso.
He urged football loving fans to throng Emagumeni, as Barbourfields Stadium is known to support in their numbers.
State Media
DYNAMOS winger Cleopas Kapupurika has crossed the great divide, dumping the Harare club in favour of Bulawayo soccer giants Highlanders.
The 22-year-old dribbling wizard, who was on loan at Dynamos from FC Platinum for two seasons signed a two-year deal with Highlanders on Wednesday.
The talented Kapupurika, whose attributes are also speed, ability to take on defenders and create scoring opportunities for teammates is a direct replacement for Gabriel Nyoni who has joined Caps United.
“Cleopas Kapupurika has joined us on a two-year contract and we are happy to have him on board. He has been in constant touch with the coach and fits directly into the club’s philosophy.
He is young and the technical team has been monitoring him for a while, they know his capabilities. Remember, Kapupurika is one player who was a thorn in the flesh for us in the first leg of the league match last season as well as in the ZTA organised game. It is our hope that he will give us the value that the technical team saw in him and have a great stay at Highlanders,” said Nhlanhla Dube, Highlanders chief executive officer.
The coming in of Kapupurika, a natural winger will give Highlanders an attacking edge and options to their style of play.
What is clear about Kapupurika’s signing is that Highlanders are keen on having a lethal attack, that will get them more goals compared to last season’s 34 goals in 34 matches.
Bosso have also signed strikers Bukhosi Sibanda and Prince Dube to strengthen their attack. Former Young Warriors skipper Nqobizitha Masuku has also signed for Highlanders.
The Bulawayo giants who held a targeted players training camp last weekend are also closing in on Bulawayo City goalkeeper Wellington Muuya as well as Mutare City Rovers shot stopper Alfred Chinanha who will give cover to seasoned Ariel Sibanda.
Aces Youth Soccer Academy’s 19-year-old striker Russell Chifura and Talen Vision’s utility player Mbekezeli Sibanda who impressed coach Madinda Ndlovu at last weekend’s training programme are also expected to be among the 2019 signings.
Bosso are expected to announce the players that they will be releasing to accommodate their new signings.
Cover picture: Highlanders welfare manager Vezigama Dlodlo welcomes former Dynamos player Cleopas Kapupurika
State Media
EIGHT armed robbers, among them two police officers allegedly raided a Chinese mining company in Zvishavane and went away with an Isuzu pick up, 48 grammes of gold, US$8 820, $6 800 bond notes and 2 155 Chinese yuan.
The two police officers, Moses Karumbidza (30) and Isaac Kawundura (33) both based in Mberengwa and attached to the ZRP Support Unit, together with Thulani Nkala (38), Taurai Matarirano (27), Tady Magama (25), Learnmore Makore (27), Wellington Moyo (34), Hardlife Mazheke (28) all from Zvishavane, armed themselves with three rifles and four pistols and went to Camlark Mine where they robbed the owners of their valuables, gold and cash.
The gang allegedly fired shots in the air and ordered everyone to lie down before ransacking the mine premises on December 11 last year.
The eight suspects, who allegedly ganged up with eight others still at large, have approached the High Court seeking bail pending trial.
In papers before the court, the eight men through their lawyers Mutendi, Mudisi and Shumba Legal Practitioners, filed their application at the Bulawayo High Court citing the State as a respondent.
In their bail statements, the applicants argued that the State case was weak hence it would not induce them to abscond if granted bail.
They said they were wrongfully implicated, arguing that there was no evidence linking them to the alleged offence. “The allegations are spurious and there is no link between the alleged offence and the applicants save for the alleged confessions extracted through use of brutal force and torture. The police are taking a vindictive approach against the applicants and they are misleading in their averments that the applicants were armed with firearms, which were never recovered,” argued the applicants’ lawyers.
“The respondent alleges that the applicants committed armed robbery when there is no evidence to that effect. In fact, no weapons or cartridges were recovered after the alleged commission of the crime to suggest that shots were fired on that particular day.”
The State, which was represented by Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza, opposed the application, arguing that the accused persons were likely to abscond if granted bail due to the gravity of the alleged crime.
Mr Jaravaza said the eight men had a propensity to interfere with witnesses and commit further offences if granted bail. “All the accused persons have previous cases of armed robbery committed in Mashava and Kadoma and again in light of the fact that the firearms used in the commission of the robbery were not recovered it is not in the best interests of justice that the applicants be released for there is a likelihood of them committing similar offences,” he said.
On December 11 last year, the gang allegedly drove to Camlark Investments Mine armed with three rifles and four pistols. It is alleged that the 16-member gang, disguised as police officers, force marched security details at Camlark Mine to the residence of the Chinese owners of the mine.
They used a bolt cutter to destroy a padlock at the gate before accessing the residence. They allegedly fired two shots prompting one of the occupants, Mr Zhang Ren Lon to come out of the house to investigate.
The suspects manhandled Mr Zhang and took him back to his house where they ordered him to show them where he kept the money.
The gang allegedly looted cash amounting to US$8 820, $6 800 bond notes and 2 155 Chinese yuan.
They also broke into one of the mine offices and took a computer hard drive and 48 grams of gold and loaded them into the stolen car and drove off.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the eight men and only the stolen car was recovered.
State Media
A 24 year old Dangamvura man has been caged 12 months after bedding a 12-year-old-girl who had eloped to him after she had been chased away from home for being in a relationship with him.
Kudakwashe Ncube from Foroma Village under Chief Marange was convicted on his own plea of guilt by magistrate Perseverance Makala.
He was originally handed a 15-month sentence but three months were suspended on condition of good behaviour leaving him to serve an effective 12-month sentence.
Ncube was charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor in contravention of section 70 (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.
Prosecuting, Percy Musukuto informed the court how Ncube approached the Grade Seven girl with a love proposal in September 2018, which she later accepted.
Sometime in December, the girl then eloped after her parents chased her away from home because of her affair with Ncube.
Ncube’s mother, however, accompanied the underage girl back to her parents.
On January 2, her parents again ejected her from home and she returned to Ncube’s home. Ncube in turn then proceeded with her to Mutare’s Dangamvura suburb where his father resides.
On January 3 at around 0200 hours, the two had consensual unprotected sexual intercourse.
The girl’s cousin made a police report acting on instructions from the girl’s mother, leading to Ncube’s arrest.
— DailyNews
Correspondent|MDC Secretary-General Douglas Mwonzora yesterday appeared before a Harare magistrate facing charges of negligent driving, failure to insure a motor vehicle and to licence a motor vehicle after he was involved in an accident.
It is the State case that on May 27 last year, Mwonzora was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser along Tynwald Road in Harare.
His vehicle was neither insured nor licensed, contrary to the provisions of the Road Traffic Act.
The State alleges that when Mwonzora approached the intersection of Kirkman Drive and Tynwald Road, he reversed and bumped into another Toyota Land Cruiser which was behind him, and was being driven by Onismo Muzhingi.
It is alleged no one was injured and both vehicles sustained minor damages.
The State also alleges that Mwonzora was negligent after he failed to keep his vehicle under proper control.
Mwonzora appeared before magistrate Richard Ramaboa, who remanded him to January 24 on free bail.
Moses Mapanga appeared for the State.
ZAPU president Dr Dumiso Dabengwa is reportedly ill and is in South Africa where he is receiving specialist treatment, his party has revealed. In an interview, Zapu’s secretary-general Dr Strike Mkandla said Dr Dabengwa went to South Africa in December.
He said Dr Dabengwa was not hospitalised, but living with relatives while undergoing routine check-ups.
“There were some things to be done, but he is fine we spoke to him yesterday (Tuesday). He was expected to return shortly after Christmas and it was noted that he should go for a check-up on the 4th.
“It was then observed that it would be a waste of money to come this side and return. He decided to stay with his relatives over the Christmas Holiday. We expect him maybe next week,” he said.
Dr Mkandla did not disclose Dr Dabengwa’s ailment.
He, however, said there is nothing the public should be worried about regarding his health.
“It’s a routine check really. Maybe things that propped up, he did not know about them. It seems new things were identified during the routine checkups which they felt should be attended to.
“He is yet to undergo an operation. Some of these things might be complicated or alternatively some of these things may not be serious needing just regular check ups,” he said.
State Media
Own Correspondent| Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has told Zimbabweans that the current economic difficulties they are facing are part of government plans being implemented to revive the economy.
Professor Ncube said the Measures being implemented will involve painful measures like a bitter pill administered to a patient.
He made the remarks in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday while addressing the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group).
The ECR Group is a centre right political wind in the European Parliament established in 2009 under the founding principles of Prague.
The principles brought together Members of European Parliaments from across the European Union who supported a vision of common sense reform for the whole of the EU.
President Mnangagwa’s Government has prioritised re-engagement with all nations as it seeks to revamp an economy that has suffered isolation for decades.
In his address, Minister Ncube outlined part of the measures Government is taking to revive the economy. They include cutting Government expenditure, privatising parastatals, liberalising the economy and reducing red tape.
He said urgent and bold action was needed.
“Zimbabwe is back on the map. Just as we open up our economy and democratic space, so too are we opening our arms to the world,” said Prof Ncube.
“The dark times are behind us, and the future is bright and positive; a future of cooperation and dialogue. A future whereby Zimbabwe is an active and responsible member of the global community,” he said.
“The Zimbabwean economy faces a raft of serious challenges, including a high budget deficit and significant debt, and currency challenges. These are challenges we cannot face alone,” stated Minister Ncube.
He, however said it was impossible to run away from the challenges. “And while these challenges are significant, with major structural reform, they are not insurmountable. What is required is urgent and bold action, and tough decisions. We cannot run away from the challenge — the longer we wait to address it, the harder it will be,” he said.
“Government has developed a comprehensive plan to revive our economy and put us on the path to steady economic growth. The only way to a stronger economy is to restructure, rebuild and reform,” said Prof Ncube.
“This plan involves some painful measures to get our national budget under control. These measures will be felt by all of us, but are unavoidable if we want to get our economy back on track,” he added.
He said pain would be felt as the measures were implemented but it was unavoidable.
“These measures are those of a doctor performing a lifesaving operation. They cause pain, but the pain is the only thing that will lead to a recovery. As Margret Thatcher once said, ‘Yes, the medicine is harsh, but the patient requires it in order to live’,” said Minister Ncube.
He urged Zimbabweans to be humble in their expenditure. “We must all be humble and austere, and Government is leading by example. We are continuing to make big cuts to perks and unnecessary expenditure, so that Government lives within its means,” he said.
“Alongside this, we are making structural reforms to liberalise our economy, privatise inefficient parastatals, reduce red tape and regulation and attract investment,” said Minister Ncube.
He urged the nation not to panic.
“It is vital that we do not panic. The money in Zimbabwean’s bank accounts is and continues to be of value, and Government is guaranteeing the availability of all essential commodities, including fuel,” he said.
“Amidst these reforms, our growth projections remain strong, a similar rate to some of the fastest growing economies in Africa. This is an indication of where we are going if we keep on this path.
“We must be realistic and recognise the scale of the challenge. According to the IMF, it takes a few years for an economy such as ours to overcome our constraints. There are no silver bullets or quick fixes. Reform, hard work and patience are the only solution,” said Minister Ncube.
He said the road to an upper middle income economy was long, bumpy but guaranteed a secure future.
“We are undertaking a shared journey towards a better and more secure future. The road is long, winding and at times bumpy. But there is no other way. This is the road to an upper middle-income economy, aka Vision 2030, and if we travel it together, with patience and purpose, we will realise our vision,” he said.
“The new Zimbabwe cannot go it alone. We must open our arms to the international community, international investors and international financial organisations,” said Minister Ncube.
