Government should take blame for the collapse of the health sector and stop blaming the opposition for inciting doctors and other civil servants to go on strike, the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has said.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday, MDC shadow health minister Henry Madzorera said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was paying lip service to the health sector by prioritising security ministries in its budget allocations.

“The government cannot and should not hide behind a figure and blame doctors for this complete collapse of health services,” he said.

“Government collects taxes from people, and government has a responsibility to distribute our tax revenue in a manner that allows every Zimbabwean to enjoy the highest level of health and well-being possible.”

Madzorera added: “It is government’s responsibility to allocate 15% of total government expenditure to health, to manage additional ear marked taxes like the health levy, the Aids levy, in a transparent and accountable manner that benefits all Zimbabweans, to deal with the corruption that is haemorrhaging not only the health sector, but the entire economy and to start to improve the conditions in which our people are born, live, work and age in order to create a healthier population.”

Junior doctors have been on strike for over a month now, demanding regular supplies of drugs and equipment to public hospitals and to be paid in United States dollars, among other grievances.

The strike enters its 36th day tomorrow and several meetings between government and the striking doctors, including one with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa held yesterday, have failed to break the deadlock.

Madzorera warned that government’s failure to handle the strike action would have devastating consequences on the country, as most of the doctors would leave for greener pastures

He said government did not need doctors to strike to realise that it has an obligation to buy drugs and other consumables required in hospitals.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Zimbabwe was back to “square zero”.

“The wheels have come off completely just five months after the sham election of July 30, 2018 and over a year since the departure of President Robert Mugabe,” he said.

Teachers and members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions have threatened to down tools next week.

The labour unrest coincides with the schools’ opening on Tuesday.

-Newsday

Government has said all State tertiary education institutions are not increasing school fees and should accept payment in local currency for Zimbabweans and foreign currency for foreigners. There were social media reports alleging that State institutions, including the Midlands State University (MSU), had increased their tuition fees and were demanding hard currency from local students.

In a recent interview, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira, said no Government institutions could review school fees without approval.

“Those are fake reports circulating on social media causing panic. The correct position is that we did not approve a revision of tuition fees in State tertiary institutions,” said Prof Murwira.

He said all fees were revised annually by his ministry and any adjustments were communicated officially through his office.

“These are State-owned institutions and we cannot expect Government positions to be communicated through unreliable sources. School fees ordinances are signed by the minister and communicated officially,” he said.

Prof Murwira said State institutions complied with the law of the land and did not invent their own form of payment.

“We comply with the Government’s policy on forms of payment, which means these institutions continue accepting bank transfers, EcoCash and cash that they were using last year.

“Let it be clear that we have a policy that says foreign students only pay in foreign currency and this does not apply to local students. We do not demand foreign currency from local students. The only approved adjustment is that student on industrial attachment pay 60 percent of their school fees,” Prof Murwira said.

He urged stakeholders to report any institution that invents its own rules of payments so that it is corrected right away.

-State Media

With the rain season now in full swing, Zimbabwe continues to battle against medieval diseases such as cholera and typhoid with Gweru and Bulawayo becoming the latest cities affected by the waterborne infections raising fears of a repeat of the health problems experienced late last year.

Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube said the local authority had started rolling out awareness campaigns to avert outbreaks of waterborne diseases, particularly against the background of sewer pipe bursts.

Ageing infrastructure has been blamed for the constant sewerage bursts across the city, specifically in high-density suburbs, sparking fears of outbreaks of cholera and other water-borne diseases.

“Our health department is on high cholera and typhoid alert. We are conducting awareness campaigns to prevent outbreaks of any waterborne diseases, especially with the rains upon us,” Dube said.

The country’s second largest city has largely been spared of deaths related to waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhoeal cases.

Government last year declared a state of emergency following the cholera outbreak that claimed more than 50 lives, and affected several thousands in most parts of the country, particularly Harare, although Bulawayo was least affected by the disease.

Meanwhile, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who was expected to officiate at the city’s clean-up exercise, failed to pitch as she was locked in meetings aimed at ending the doctors’ strike in Harare.

The clean-up campaign in Gweru was led by the Environmental Management Agency (Ema), with stakeholders calling on residents to keep their surroundings clean to avoid a resurgence of typhoid, which claimed over 10 lives in the city’s Mkoba high-density suburbs late last year.

“As Gweru, we are encouraged to take part in this national clean-up campaign by the past records, where we lost a significant number of lives due to diseases caused by lack of hygiene and uncleanliness,” Ema’s Midlands spokesperson Timothy Nyoka said.

“So many lives were lost due to typhoid last year, while in 2008, we had a deadly cholera outbreak. That is why a lot of stakeholders like police, NSSA [National Social Security Authority], Gweru City Council and the general residents came out in their numbers for the clean-up exercise.”

Gweru mayor Josiah Makombe said city fathers would be at the forefront of mobilising people to participate in the clean-up campaigns.

“We are all in support of the clean cities agenda and so we came here to lead from the front in the clean-up campaign,” he said.

“In this rainy season, if people do not live in clean spaces, we can easily be plunged into a health crisis, so we need to be very vigilant.”

-Newsday

The bond note is increasingly suffering rejection from the corporate sector after Delta Corporation Limited went public on Wednesday saying it will be selling its products in hard currency.

Delta said the move was aimed at sustaining its operations in the wake of serious shortages of foreign currency.

Analysts told the Daily News yesterday that the move by Delta has far-reaching implications on the country’s tottering economy.

More companies are seen demanding greenbacks for their products, thus pushing the broader workforce to agitate for hard currency salaries.

Already, doctors, nurses and teachers have put their employer on the spot, saying their remuneration should be in foreign currency.

Writing on his blog The Big Saturday Read, United Kingdom-based Kent University law lecturer Alex Magaisa, said it is clear that both capital and labour have rejected bond notes.

“More companies will follow and more workers will take the doctors’ route. There is, it seems, an inexorable march towards re-dollarisation and the demise of the surrogate currency,” said Magaisa.

“It’s going to be a hard year but one in which, I think, the country will be forced to new settings. Because current settings have, quite frankly, become moribund,” he added.

It, however, remains to be seen how government will deal with the situation, as it has asked for a round-table meeting with Delta to address the matter.

Industry and Commerce minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has described the move as illegal, despite the fact that Zimbabwe allowed the use of multi-currencies in February 2009.

It was in 2016 when the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) introduced the bond note as an export incentive.

Its functions were subsequently expanded to ease the liquidity crisis which saw long queues developing in banking halls.

The bond note has been on a free-fall since the introduction of a new fiscal policy framework in October last year which saw the introduction of separate accounts for foreign currency and the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) balances.

This created uncertainty over the future of bond notes, with the surrogate currency suffering heavy losses on the black market.

Yesterday, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) said all companies selling their products in US dollars must also pay their workers in that currency.

ZCTU president Peter Mutasa told the Daily News that the main labour union has as far back as 2016 been campaigning against the bond note.

“While Delta has taken a unilateral decision, we understand that it has taken a fair stance which will enable it to sustain its operations. Salaries should be pegged in US dollars.

“If we are to follow Gresham’s Law, there are no two currencies that can operate at par. Delta is communicating the message that labour has always been communicating since 2016. It’s very unfortunate that all along business has been siding with government,” Mutasa said.

President of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers Denford Mutashu, said re-dollarisation will result in price increases for those paying through electronic means.

Mutashu said businesses are now faced with a situation whereby they must consider viability and sustainability of their operations.

“As long as the foreign currency situation remains dire, the problem may persist. Delta has simply been bold to come out, otherwise most suppliers and manufacturers are doing it, including some that receive foreign currency from the Reserve Bank.

“Fuel dealers, schools, school uniform dealers, raw material suppliers etc are all demanding payment in foreign currency. If you look at the Delta model, they have many other suppliers along their value chain and most have been demanding payment in foreign currency both domestic and foreign. It makes the situation dire,” Mutashu said.

MDC official David Coltart, said Delta was bringing reality to the fore and that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his team were out of touch with reality.

“The Mnangagwa regime and its sycophants are increasingly out of touch with the reality of the current economic situation. Fortunately, businesses have to confront this harsh reality and some have to guts to confront the absurd policies of this government. Amhlophe Delta,” he said in a Twitter post.

Daily News

BULAWAYO and Gweru city councils have scaled up the fight against waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, following the onset of the rainy season.

Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube said the local authority had started rolling out awareness campaigns to avert outbreaks of waterborne diseases, particularly against the background of sewer pipe bursts.

Ageing infrastructure has been blamed for the constant sewerage bursts across the city, specifically in high-density suburbs, sparking fears of outbreaks of cholera and other water-borne diseases.

“Our health department is on high cholera and typhoid alert. We are conducting awareness campaigns to prevent outbreaks of any waterborne diseases, especially with the rains upon us,” Dube said.

The country’s second largest city has largely been spared of deaths related to waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhoeal cases.

Government last year declared a state of emergency following the cholera outbreak that claimed more than 50 lives, and affected several thousands in most parts of the country, particularly Harare, although Bulawayo was least affected by the disease.

Meanwhile, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who was expected to officiate at the city’s clean-up exercise, failed to pitch as she was locked in meetings aimed at ending the doctors’ strike in Harare.

The clean-up campaign in Gweru was led by the Environmental Management Agency (Ema), with stakeholders calling on residents to keep their surroundings clean to avoid a resurgence of typhoid, which claimed over 10 lives in the city’s Mkoba high-density suburbs late last year.

“As Gweru, we are encouraged to take part in this national clean-up campaign by the past records, where we lost a significant number of lives due to diseases caused by lack of hygiene and uncleanliness,” Ema’s Midlands spokesperson Timothy Nyoka said.

“So many lives were lost due to typhoid last year, while in 2008, we had a deadly cholera outbreak. That is why a lot of stakeholders like police, NSSA [National Social Security Authority], Gweru City Council and the general residents came out in their numbers for the clean-up exercise.”

Gweru mayor Josiah Makombe said city fathers would be at the forefront of mobilising people to participate in the clean-up campaigns.

“We are all in support of the clean cities agenda and so we came here to lead from the front in the clean-up campaign,” he said.

“In this rainy season, if people do not live in clean spaces, we can easily be plunged into a health crisis, so we need to be very vigilant.”

NewsDay

AT LEAST 53 passengers escaped death by a whisker on Thursday when a speeding Inter Africa bus they were travelling in failed to stop at a police-controlled roadblock along the Bulawayo-Masvingo Highway, resulting in the bus veering off the road and landing on its side.

Masvingo provincial assistant police spokesperson Sergeant Crispen Gwashu confirmed the freak accident.

He said the bus was travelling from Bulawayo to Masvingo when the accident happened at the 10km peg along.

Gwashu said out of the 53 passengers, two were admitted at Masvingo Provincial Hospital and were in a stable condition, while the rest sustained minor injuries.

They were all treated and discharged.

“The bus was coming from Bulawayo when the driver, who was speeding, failed to stop at the check point.

“There was a Nissan Navara vehicle which was at the check point and the driver side swiped the vehicle as he tried to manoeuvre the bus to the left side, resulting in it veering off the road and overturning,” Gwashu said.

He urged motorists to avoid speeding and exercise caution on the country’s highways.

The accident happened a few kilometres from the spot of another fatal road accident involving a commuter omnibus which overturned, killing five people on the spot on New year’s Eve.

Newsday

VETERAN journalist and founding editor of the Daily News, Geoffrey Nyarota, has been appointed head of journalism and communication training at the Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA).

In a statement on Friday, CCOSA said Nyarota’s appointment was with immediate effect and would help the college produce some of the best scribes in the region.

An international award-winning journalist, Nyarota is not new to journalism classrooms after a stint at the now-defunct Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre in Maputo, which was designed for mid-career journalists in the region..

A fellow of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University in the United States, Nyarota also served at Oslo University in Norway as a Guest Professor in the Department of Media Studies and Communication. He then served for four years on the board of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

He has written two books, with the latest titled The Graceless Fall of Robert Mugabe.

CCOSA was established in 1976 by American missionary, William K Warner.

Nyarota said he viewed his appointment as a challenge to take CCOSA’s journalism training programme to an even higher standard, working hand-in-hand with similar training institutions in the region and internationally.

“We will employ top-class journalists to produce a journalism graduate who will be the favourite recruit of editors in the region in terms of journalism best-practices and journalism ethics,” he said.

“The journalist we seek to train will be fully operational on different platforms — print, radio, television and digital, with a flair for investigative journalism.”

NewsDay

GOVERNMENT should take blame for the collapse of the health sector and stop blaming the opposition for inciting doctors and other civil servants to go on strike, the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has said.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Harare yesterday, MDC shadow health minister Henry Madzorera said President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government was paying lip service to the health sector by prioritising security ministries in its budget allocations.

“The government cannot and should not hide behind a figure and blame doctors for this complete collapse of health services,” he said.

“Government collects taxes from people, and government has a responsibility to distribute our tax revenue in a manner that allows every Zimbabwean to enjoy the highest level of health and well-being possible.”

Madzorera added: “It is government’s responsibility to allocate 15% of total government expenditure to health, to manage additional ear marked taxes like the health levy, the Aids levy, in a transparent and accountable manner that benefits all Zimbabweans, to deal with the corruption that is haemorrhaging not only the health sector, but the entire economy and to start to improve the conditions in which our people are born, live, work and age in order to create a healthier population.”

Junior doctors have been on strike for over a month now, demanding regular supplies of drugs and equipment to public hospitals and to be paid in United States dollars, among other grievances.

The strike enters its 36th day tomorrow and several meetings between government and the striking doctors, including one with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa held yesterday, have failed to break the deadlock.

Madzorera warned that government’s failure to handle the strike action would have devastating consequences on the country, as most of the doctors would leave for greener pastures

Bulawayo, Gweru on high cholera alert
He said government did not need doctors to strike to realise that it has an obligation to buy drugs and other consumables required in hospitals.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Zimbabwe was back to “square zero”.

“The wheels have come off completely just five months after the sham election of July 30, 2018 and over a year since the departure of President Robert Mugabe,” he said.

Teachers and members of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions have threatened to down tools next week.

The labour unrest coincides with the schools’ opening on Tuesday.

NewsDay

SOME boarding schools are reportedly demanding that part of fees payment be in the form of groceries as they seek to cushion themselves against price hikes. Last term some boarding schools were forced to demand fees top-ups after prices of basic commodities shot up.

Schools open on Tuesday and some of them have applied to Government to increase fees.

It has emerged that some of the boarding schools are requesting that parents pay part of the fees in the form of groceries.

In an interview yesterday, Matabeleland South acting provincial education director Mr Lifias Masukume confirmed that some schools had approached his office requesting to have part of the fees paid in the form of groceries.

“Yes, they are waiting for that response. We are hoping that the request will be approved before schools open. Schools have given reasons why they want part of the fees to be paid in the form of groceries. Some schools said they had agreed with parents to provide groceries instead of hiking fees,” said Mr Masukume.

Some of the schools that are demanding groceries are Usher High School and Manama High School in Matabeleland South province.

The groceries list includes, among other foodstuffs, cooking oil, sugar beans, rice and sugar.

The Chronicle could, however, not independently verify the quantities that schools were demanding.

In Matabeleland North, the acting PED Mr Jabulani Mpofu said his province is largely rural and has not received many applications for fees hikes.

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said parents should pay what they paid last term as schools await a decision from Government on a new fees structure.

State Media

Own Correspondent|Prominent Pastor of Kingdom Devine Ministries Ian Ndlovu has issued a chilling prophecy that ZANU PF is going to split into two groups in 2019 if intercessors do not pray for the leaders to have unity.

The Bulawayo based Man of God was speaking at the crossover service held in Bulawayo on the 31st of December.

Ndlovu has been popular for prophesying accurate prophecies especially about the political arena.

Find the full prophecy below:

In 2019, the powers of Zimbabwe and Israel will be shaken. Many unprecedented events will begin to take place. God is going to shake Zimbabwe so that he can align it with his will and purpose. I see old friendships being changed. I see people who were friends becoming enemies and people who were enemies becoming friends.

According to the Spirit there are two major groupings in the ruling party and God says if there is no intercession the fallout will happen this year and there will be lots of trouble in the trouble. They may deny it but the Spirit say these are two groups in the party.

The spirit of God has told me that as Zimbabweans we need to pray because these shakings will cause intrigue, secret plots and counter plots to increase in this country.

We need to watch and pray for peace in this nation.

God also says pray for unity, the economy and the health of our leaders. The two major issue will be a challenge to our leaders is the economy and the health.

God also reiterates that the economy of this country will not come out of the woods until people dialogue and work together. The things that will take Zimbabwe out of its problems is not economic science or political science its prayer, dialogue and consensus. If the leaders do not do this we are going to suffer forever. Unless these steps are followed trauma is inevitable. The winner takes it all philosophy will not work in this. If they think am lying they should try it.

God is flexing his muscles to show that if I send my word and you do not follow it nothing happens.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has declared that they will embark on industrial action when schools open next week, as their grievances have not yet been addressed by the government.

ZIMTA is the largest teacher trade union in Zimbabwe representing at least over 40 000 members across the country.

Concerns raised by the union which have forced their members to down their tools include salary erosion, inflated transport fares and the increased cost of living.

In a statement, ZIMTA Matabeleland North chapter announced that its members will not report for duty when schools open for the first term next week.

“Salaries have been eroded averagely to US2.50 a day which is far below the bread basket needs for a family of six,” said Tafadzwa Munodawafa, the provincial secretary.

Munodawafa said transport fares have also increased, making it difficult for their members to reach their workstations.

“In Matabeleland North transport costs have quadrupled beyond the reach of members. Example transport from Bulawayo to Tshongogwe, Lupane rose from $13 to $50. From Bulawayo to Pelandaba, Tsholotsho rose from $10 to $40. To Binga from Bulawayo, members are forced to pay $80 from $20,” he said.

The union highlighted that the cost of living does not tally with their salaries.

“Commodities have now gone up. Medication has three tier pricing system. Building materials are beyond the reach of all,” said Munodawafa.

“The cost of sending our children to school is proving to be impossible as uniforms are no longer affordable to a simple teacher. Boarding schools for our children are beyond reach”.

The teachers’ strike, if a success would follow that of doctors who have withdrawn their services calling on government to improve their conditions of service.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was this week forced to cut short his annual leave to try and end the impasse.

CITE

Correspondence|The Minister of Finance, Prof Mthuli Ncube has announced his new foreign currency allocation committee. He promised that he would do this when he presented the 2019 budget proposal in November last year.

He said: “Reference is made to the 2019 National Budget Statement which I presented to the Parliament of Zimbabwe on 22 November 2018:

Correspondent|A company owned by former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono has applied for a licence to operate a 36 megawatt (MW) solar plant.

According to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, TD Energy (Private) Limited wants to construct, own, operate and maintain the solar plant called Ecosoft Solar Plant at the corner of Mutoko and Shamva Roads in Harare East.

The licence application by TD Energy was done in terms of the provisions of sections 42 and 46 of the Electricity Act (Chapter 13: 19) of 2002.

Gono seems to be pursuing mega projects in the power sector. In 2016, his company received regulatory approvals from the Environmental Management Agency, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority to construct a 40.8 MW PV plant in Norton.

President Mnangagwa welcomes the incoming United Kingdom Ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson while flanked by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo (left) and Ambassador James Manzou, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, at State House in Harare yesterday. (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)
Checked Maodza, Harare Bureau
The improving relationship between Zimbabwe and European countries should now bear fruit by allowing the parties to forge synergies in various economic sectors, newly appointed envoys have said.

Speaking after presenting their credentials to President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare yesterday, Britain and Spain’s new envoys to Zimbabwe — Ms Melaine Robinson and Mr Santiago Gomez-Acebo, respectively, pledged to boost relations in all spheres.

New Rwandese ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr James Musoni also presented his credentials to President Mnangagwa and pledged to boost trade between the two countries.

Mr Gomez-Acebo said he hoped the renewed relationship between Zimbabwe and Spain would start bearing fruit.

“Our countries have had a long and good relationship that goes back to 1981 when we opened an embassy here,” he said.

“I hope that during my tour of duty we will be able to forge a closer relationship in different fields and that we will be seeing the fruits of our renewed relationship with the republic and people of Zimbabwe.”

He said the two countries should have closer relations in the areas of commerce, agriculture, energy and tourism.

Ms Robinson, who replaces Ms Catriona Laing, said Britain would stand by Zimbabwe as it works its way to prosperity.

Ms Laing was instrumental in the re-engagement process between Harare and London, a development which resulted in a major policy shift by the British government towards Zimbabwe and got her a lot of flak from the local opposition. “I am delighted to start work today,” Ms Robinson said.

“The United Kingdom is committed to the success of Zimbabwe. I can reiterate our commitment to everything we can do to help Zimbabwe along the pathway to a brighter and prosperous future in the interests of all the citizens of Zimbabwe based upon strong and sustainable fiscal and economic reforms and human rights. I look forward to working hard and continuing to reinforce the relationship between our two countries for the interests of our people,” added Ms Robinson.

She said in the coming few weeks she would hold meetings with various stakeholders.

“I will be talking to Zimbabweans from all walks of life to understand what kind of a future Zimbabwe they want and what else that the UK and the international community can do to help Zimbabwe fulfil its great potential,” she said.

Mr Musoni said he was delighted to be in Zimbabwe.

“There are so many areas of cooperation but to mention a few, we are looking at strengthening our relationship in trade and investment,” he said.

“There are a lot of opportunities in each country where the business community from here is in Rwanda and vice versa. We have common understanding and vision on regional and international politics. There will be enough cooperation in terms of political and governance issues in the region and internationally. We also have people-to-people relationships. We think that Zimbabweans and Rwandese people are going to have more interaction.”

On being the first resident envoy in Harare, he said: “It’s very significant. This is clear testimony of how our Presidents have decided to increase cooperation and strengthen the relationship. My President Paul Kagame has very strong belief that Zimbabwe and Rwanda can do much together and the President here has the same feeling. This is going to enhance the already existing cordial relationship.”

State Media

Media Statement|The Chairman of the University of Zimbabwe Council, Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka is pleased to announce the re-appointment of Professor Charity Manyeruke and Dr Hodson Makurira as Executive Deans of the Faculties of Social Studies and Engineering respectively, while Dr Elijah Nyakudya has been appointed the new Executive Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture.

The appointments are with effect from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022.

Professor Manyeruke was first appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Social Studies for a four year term ending 31 December 2018, while Dr Makurira’s first appointment to the Executive Deanship of the Faculty of Engineering took effect from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2018. Dr Nyakudya, the new Dean of Agriculture succeeds Professor Charles Mutisi who served as Executive Dean of Agriculture for the past 16 years.

The appointments bring a wealth of experience in higher education administration and management to the University of Zimbabwe.

The University of Zimbabwe Council, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Paul Mapfumo and indeed the University of Zimbabwe community, wish Professor Manyeruke, Dr Makurira and Dr Nyakudya great success in their academic leadership roles.

ZANU PF Youth League Press Statement|For Immediate Release

Friday 04 January 2019

The Youth League National Executive Management Committee met for its 2019 Strategic Planning Workshop at Manna Resort Safari Lodge in Harare on the 04th of January 2019.

Below are brief pointers on the outcomes of the meeting;

• ZANU PF Youth League will not allow anyone to interfere with a constitutionally elected government;

• All Cabinet Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Principal Directors and other civil servants who are not supporting the vision of His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa should be relieved of their duties with immediate effect;

• The Youth League has lined up a plethora of programmes to support the vision of President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the year 2019.

To ensure that these programmes are fully implemented, we call upon the leadership to avail the necessary funding, failure of which will be interpreted as sabotaging of the President’s vision;

• The Government and Parliament as part of implementing austerity measures should buy locally assembled vehicles;

• As a way to cushion the public from greedy retailers, the Youth League calls for the establishment of people’s shops that will be stocked with locally and affordable goods;

• All traders who are trading in groceries and other goods without bank accounts should have their licences revoked;

• Calling for the representation of youth in all provincial and districts land committees;

• In the wake of unjustified and wanton price hikes by retailers, the Youth League calls upon the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to allow children whose parents cannot afford to buy school uniforms to attend school without uniforms; (No Child should be chased away from school for not wearing a school uniform)

• We note with concern that there are people who a planning to fan chaos and anarchy in the country, we encourage them to desist from such acts;

Statement Issued by Cde Tendai Chirau
Secretary for Administration ZANU PF Youth League.

Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa has urged his followers to respond to Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, Ken Roth.

This follows a response by Roth on Facebook that the local representative of the organisation,
Dewa Mavhinga, did not bully Strive Masiyiwa’s wife.

The comment follows a series of events in the past several days which saw both Strive Masiyiwa and his wife, Tsitsi Masiyiwa delete their Twitter accounts, after what Strive Masiyiwa said was bullying on the platform.

Masiyiwa pointed out that one of the people who bullied his wife works “for an international organization that is highly respected for its work on human rights.” and that “It’s founder, now 95 is a close family
friend.” The individual referred to has been speculated to be Dewa Mavhinga, the Southern Africa Director of Human Rights

However, Masiyiwa said Roth has admitted he is responsible for the imposition of sanctions against Zimbabwe and urged his followers to respond to the Human Rights Watch boss on social media using the
hashtag #MrRothPleaseStopSanctions.

Part of Masiyiwa’s response reads:”
No sir! Enough! Zvakwana, aisi nyika
yako! “Enough, it is not your country”.
Allow us Zimbabweans to choose what tools we apply to bring about peaceful democratic change. Your methods have failed us. Since you have admitted to being the one behind these sanctions, please remove them, and find other means that do not cause so much suffering for ordinary people. I hope my followers will now answer you going forward: Here is the hashtag: #MrRothPleaseStopSanctions. Children are dying, and so is our country.Please Sir! I will attach it to every post I make.”

STRIKE fatigue, going for a full month with no salary and differences over offers made by the Health Services Board have split the striking doctors’ camp right in the middle as some feel the need to go back to work while others insist the strike is still ongoing.

When the junior doctors embarked on the strike on 1 December, many of them never thought it would be a long haul, but with the government unwilling to give concessions it cannot meet, the strike has been one long “hell of a ride” for the medical officers.

The extent of divisions was exposed on Friday from messages on the status of a five-week-long strike which was said to have been called off at the behest of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s wife Friday met leaders of over 500 junior doctors who downed tools early last month with claims by the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) president Elias Muzoremba soon after that they have resolved to call off the crippling job action.

This was however contradicted by ZHDA secretary general Mthabisi Bhebhe who said the union was yet to meet and agree as a collective on how to respond.

“Members of the executive met with First Lady but no agreement was reached,” Bhebhe said

“The strike has not been called off.

“We have seen the state media reports which are insinuating that the doctors will go back to work after meeting the First Lady. That is all lies.”

Bhebhe said the first lady, instead, promised to take striking doctors’ grievances to the “relevant authorities because information was being distorted”.

Earlier on, Muzoremba said the executive had agreed “in principle” to call off the strike following assurances by the first lady she was going to take their grievances to higher authority.

“Yes we had a meeting with the First Lady and we have agreed in principle to go back to work while our grievances are being looked into while she engages the authorities,” Muzoremba told journalists.

“We also requested that some issues be solved as a matter of urgency while others should be addressed in the long term.”

He said they were now going to convey the message to members on what had been agreed.

Also addressing journalists at State House soon after her meeting with doctors’ representatives, Mrs Mnangagwa said doctors had requested a meeting with her to air their grievances.

“…They said their reputation has been tarnished because they are now being labelled hypocrites,” said the First Lady.

“So we met and we discussed their grievances and issues they raised, some of them can be solved immediately, but some need time and they can be addressed in the long run because of the economic challenges the country is facing.

“But what has made me very happy is that they have agreed to go back to work, some of their issues will be dealt with while they are at work. The economy is in shambles and the government is working to revive it.”

Doctors embarked on the job action to press for US dollar wages, constant drug supplies and relevant medical kit at their different work stations.

Government insists it has no resources to pay its workforce in hard currency, something that has prolonged the impasse.

Zoom zim

ZIMBABWE’S top business people and human rights defenders have spoken strongly against the lack of tolerance of diversity of opinion by senior MDC figures as well as rank-and file supporters especially on social media.

Executive producer of TV cultural programme Identiies/Umhlobo/Zvatiri, Nyari Teurai Mashayamombe has come out guns blazing against bullies who hounded Tsitsi Masiyiwa and husband Strive out of Twitter for expressing their opinions.

In an interview with ZOOMZimbabwe, Mashayamombe said it was unfortunate that much of the social media vitriol against the Masiyiwas was coming from people who should be pushing for real democracy.

“Women leaders in Zimbabwe such as Tsitsi Masiyiwa have endured an astonishing amount of bullying, aggression and misogyny in the last year and its already spilling into the new year. And as we’ve said even during the elections, a lot of violence has unfortunately come from those who should be pushing for real democracy.

“Any divergence view against the the opposition has unfortunately resulted into aggression and violence. The said bullies who responded to Mrs Masiyiwa were fast to point out ‘her privilege’ and this has happened before.

“Zimbabweans need to remember that the Masiyiwas’ have worked for where they are, and just because they are wealthy through their hard work they shouldn’t be refused an opinion in this country, especially when we consider the amount of help they are providing our children’s education through HigherLife Foundation, the jobs they have created through Econet Wireless and its many subsidiaries, the orphans they look after and pastors through their other charitable initiatives.”

Nyari t. Mashayamombe
She added that much of the anger against the Masiyiwas can be construed to be stemming from polarisation around the results of the July 2018 elections as well as the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 post-election killings.

“Zimbabweans have mastered the art of aggression, abuse by targeting someone’s ‘seemingly weak point’. For the Masiyiwa’s it’s their wealth they are always thrown back in their faces, and for any female leader they are quickly titled ‘Hure’.

Nyaradzo Mashayamombe
“It’s even interesting that just this morning a certain young women joked about Tsitsi Masiyiwa and said ‘Tsitsi runs her mouth uyu, tichamutorera murume brain dzidzoke nxa’. I had a confrontation with the young woman who was adamant to say she’s joking and i challenged her to say why do jokes have to be about sexualising and objectifying other women rather than speaking good and protecting each other?

“I immediately became a target of other comments. So yes she’s bullying of her hard work, she’s bullied cause of her wealth and absolutely because the post she put on tweeter could be believed to have been about the polarisation on the results of August 1 Inquiry, she certainly was targeted anybody with a divergence view was targeted.”

Political and economic commentator Mr. Maxwell Saungweme told
ZOOMZimbabwe that what happened to the Masiyiwas was a microscosm of intolerance which has gripped Zimbabwe since the pre-Independence era.

“It (attack on Masiyiwa) is indeed cyber bullying. But it’s a microcosm of the growing scourge of intolerance in Zimbabwe that’s started way before Independence with race based intolerance then tribal intolerance soon after independence then political intolerance since 2000.”

Maxwell Saungweme
Mr. Saungweme further toldZOOMZimbabwe that it was high time Zimbabweans learned to respect and tolerate each other, and that we should all converge towards our common goal: Zimbabwe’s prosperity.

“The social media is just an additional platform where intolerance plays out in real time, live and wide.

“As a nation we need to respect the humanity in each other, we need empathy and compassion and understand that beyond those wrongs and rights there is a field we meet where we have common ground and that field is Zimbabwe and it’s prosperity. We all want that.”

maxwell saungweme
MDC-T national spokesperson Linda Masarira said: “Firstly, everyone has a right to freedom of expression. The moment we attack someone for their voice we have also become part of the problem.

“Whatever issue that may have been discussed, the mere fact that we as individuals have individual ways of expressing ourselves is enough,” she told ZOOMZimbabwe.

Masarira, who herself has been subjected to online attacks countless times, added: “I do view the attacks as cyber bullying and as evidence of a society that is so afraid of divergent thinking the only way we know how to deal with unique thought processes is by attack. Cyber bullying is in the forefront of these attacks on personal opinions.

“Social media like all forms of media preceding them are prone to manipulation. This is a fact we should not ignore, because once we understand that then we know not to be idealistic in proffering solutions to this social media crisis.”

linda masarira
Masarira also called for the tightening of laws that deal with online bullying.

“One of the ways we can make twitter and other social media platforms safe is by accepting the fact that trolls are a harmful pandemic to the psychology of other users. We must begin to look at cyber bullying as an offence. The evidence is the digital foot print on users accounts.”

Linda Masarira
She was quick to point out that tightening of laws should not mean silencing those having negative commentary on others.

“This is not to say that people are being silenced for having negative commentary on others, no. What I mean is that as humanity we must be able to give constructive criticism and argue with intelligence, not resort to demeaning comments that add no value.

“Tightening laws should not be taken to assume the general public. Tightening laws should mean putting into place measures to curb abusers of social media,” said Masarira.

Mashayamombe, who is also a human rights activists, called on political leadership to stop using people and riding on their frustrations for political mileage. She also called upon civil society leaders to desist from overstepping their bounds into politics.

“It is a long journey to freedom, for me it’s largely about change in political attitudes in Zimbabwe. People must be able to share divergence views without being targeted or without being victims of others. Leadership in these political parties must stop using people and riding on desperate and angry populations.

“Leaders also in civil society must not be politically affiliated but lead in tolerance. The problem in Zimbabwe right now in the civil society is that people are so invested in political parties they can hardly separate the lines hence the inability to accept different views.

“Is it appropriate to tighten laws and compromise on some ‘freedoms’? How do we strike a balance? There has to be a balance as you say between freedom of speech and protection of citizens from bullying, there has to be a carefully crafted bill of law that is careful to not be extremist in any way, and we can learn from other countries who have gone before us.”

MDC-T deputy president Obert Gutu has also come out saying cyber-bullying was real as he was a target on a daily basis especially in the past year when he chose not to work with MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

Writing on Twitter, Gutu said:

“Cyber-bullying is real. I have been a victim of weird, vulgar, hateful & hurtful cyber attacks on social media but since my skin is as thick as an elephant’s, I have taken it in my stride. I have also used vitriol to respond to cyber bullies. This year, I will be a nice guy.”

obert gutu

Obert Gutu
@GutuObert
Cyber-bullying is real. I have been a victim of weird, vulgar, hateful & hurtful cyber attacks on social media but since my skin is as thick as an elephant’s, I have taken it in my stride.I have also used vitriol to respond to cyber bullies.
This year,I will be a nice guy.

124
11:47 PM – Jan 2, 2019
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The same tweet drew cyberbullies in huge numbers!

Media mogul and prominent publisher Trevor Ncube has also lamented the the existence of intolerance on the cyberspace, saying he had lent moral and financial support to the MDC for long but felt “disappointed.”

“I am 100% with Strive Masiyiwa on this. For decades some of us supported the opposition MDC financially and otherwise.

“The opposition has disappointed many times. We have democratic right to change our minds. Sanctions are hurting all Zimbabweans.

“I have personally funded MDC making it possible for you chaps to have an opposition. But we now refuse to continue supporting this type of MDC.”

trevor ncube
Businessmanan and former senior pastor of Faith Ministries, Dr. Shingi Munyeza concurred with Ncube. Munyeza said he stood with Masiyiwa and Trevor Ncube, and laughed off some attacks that followed immediately after his response.

Trevor Ncube
✔
@TrevorNcube
· Jan 3, 2019
I am 100% with @StriveMasiyiwa on this. For decades some of us supported the opposition MDC financially and otherwise. The opposition has disappointed many times. We have democratic right to change our minds. Sanctions are hurting all Zimbabweans @KenRoth

View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter

Shingi Munyeza
@ShingiMunyeza
I stand with Struve Masiyiwa and @TrevorNcube on this issue.

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MDC leader Nelso Chamisa (left) and Trevor Ncube
MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s supporter, Patson Dzamara said those “with lesser money” were also entitled to their views.

Said Dzamara: “Indeed you have every right to change your minds but that doesn’t mean everyone must follow you. You are entitled to your views and positions the same way every other person is including those with lesser money than you.”

Dzamara torched the storm in mid-December against Tsitsi Masiyiwa that led her to close down her page after trolls came in huge numbers attacking her.

Strive and Tsitsi Masiyiwa
Tsitsi Masiyiwa got a backlash which forced her to close her twitter account about two weeks ago when she tweeted: “Some outcries and actions in pursuit of justice seem and look so right until you discover the source of the outcry and sponsor of the cause. Take a step back and reflect on some of the things we consider good and just causes.”

Patson Dzamara, whose brother Itai disappeared three years ago, responded: “What is the bottom line? Justice is the bottom line. Whether any quest for justice emanates from a volcano or is sponsored by a storm, it remains noble and progressive. We will not tire neither shall we let injustice prevail in our midst, whatever it takes.”

Dewa Mavhinga of Human Rights Watch tweeted: “If you are implying that all and any outcry and pursuit of justice is sponsored then that really is sad. When your husband pursued his fight to be licensed it was a just cause. In such position of privilege, you should choose your words more carefully, lest you promote injustice.”

Trevor Ncube, who owns the NewsDay, Independent and The Standard newspapers, had this to say to Dzamara: “The same rich people that you are now abusing made it possible for MDC to be launched and fight elections. They poured millions into MDC. Try and find out why they have changed their minds instead of abusing them.” — ZOOMZimbabwe

Correspondent|ECONET Wireless founder and Executive Chairman Strive Masiyiwa has written down a full charge sheet of the crimes that exiled former G40 Kingpin Professor Jonathan Moyo did against him.

We publish below the unedited full charge sheet.

1. I owned Zimbabwe’s largest daily independent newspaper.It was bombed with explosives when he was Minister of Information. He had threatened me and boasted about it earlier

2. When I re-opened the newspaper he introduced the harshest media laws and shut it down permanently

3. Prior to the closure of the paper he arrested journalist almost every week.

4. He sent thugs to the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe to force the resignation of the entire bench. The thugs jumped on the benches and mocked judges.

5. He was part of a decision to lock up Senior Executives who were locked up in leg irons because I was accused of financing the opposition and free press in the country.

6. Jonathan Moyo organized farm invasions, theft of elections and violence against the opposition. He regularly called for my arrest and harm.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Moyo has mocked Masiyiwa saying the Econet boss needs “urgent help.”

“Strive Masiyiwa needs urgent help. He won’t succeed to create history through his hallucinations.

“Verifiable facts are not in his head but in the public domain. It’s revealing that to Strive Masiyiwa, only the gukurahundists who massacred over 20,000 Zimbabweans are “sincere”!”

The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is contemplating introducing flow-limiter devices restricting households that fail to pay rates to a mere five kilolitres of water per day as opposed to water disconnections to avoid litigation.

Council has, on several occasions, come under attack from rights groups and residents’ associations after disconnecting water to households over outstanding rates, arguing water is a human right.

The High Court has ruled that water disconnections by councils, without a court order, contravened sections 77 and 44 of the Constitution guaranteeing the right to safe and clean water.

According to a latest council’s future water supplies and water action report, the local authority sees installing flow limiters as the only option to avoid litigation after cutting supplies over unpaid debts.

“The matter was considered and the director of engineering services [Simela Dube] explained that because of the current challenges, there was need to look at the proposal to use flow limiters instead of disconnections as a water management strategy.

“The device restricts one’s consumption to predetermined levels of supply, and it is most useful to those residents who cannot afford to pay their bills. The device will restrict them to an allocation of five kilolitres; specific water meters would need to be installed as the old water meters are not suitable for this exercise,” the report read.

“The chamber secretary [Sikhangele Zhou] advised that the proposed device would assist residents to manage their free allocation of five kilolitres without raising the ire of water as a human rights issue, as it would ensure every household still received the five kilolitre free allocation even in the cases of non-payment, which had previously resulted in complete cut-offs.”

Council, at one time frustrated by failure by ratepayers to pay bills, opted to name and shame worst defaulters in various suburbs in terms of payment of rates and rentals. The council compiled a list from all 29 wards, detailing payment patterns by residents.

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BCC is owed $178 352 755 by ratepayers, including industry and government departments.

Councils around the country are also considering the installation of pre-paid water meters which would serve as a revenue collection tool as well as a debt recovery mechanism, and at the same time discourage wastefulness.

NewsDay

Top medical practitioner Marilena Pesaresi, who was stationed at All Souls Mission Hospital (Luisa Guidotti Hospital), has died.

She was 85.

Pesaresi died on December 29 in Rome, Italy.

She is famed for helping patients at the Catholic-run All Souls Mission Hospital in Mutoko East and was one of the doctors who sent a number of heart patients to Italy for life-saving surgery.

Yesterday, Catholics and villagers held a mass in honour of the late doctor, whom they described as one of the best doctors as well as a community caregiver.

Former Mutoko East legislator Ricky Mawere Mubvumbi said Pesaresi’s death was a blow to the community.

“We are all devastated by the demise of the community queen. She respected all people regardless of their standing in society. Most beneficiaries were those who went for heart surgery to Italy and most of them are still surviving. She also sourced goods for orphans and other vulnerable members of the community,” he said.

In a condolence message, the Luisa Guidotti Hospital board said the Mutoko community had lost a dedicated caregiver.

“We have learnt of the death of Dr Pesaresi with a deep sense of loss, grief and pain. The death has come as a body blow to the community that Dr Pesaresi selflessly served and loved dearly in Mutoko during her God-given ministry. A light has gone out of our lives, but our happy memories of the lives she saved and people she cured will remain,” the message read.

Erita Kujeka, from Bwanya village, said: “She [Pesaresi] started a programme for heart patients and a lot of them were sent to Italy for surgery. She helped orphans and the less-privileged giving them food handouts and sending them to school.”

MDC deputy president Elias Mudzuri has implored Parliament to hold President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to account over the deteriorating economic situation in the country.

In his New Year message, Mudzuri said the prevailing situation, where people sleep in fuel queues, have no cash and the country having no currency, apart from the ever-rising cost of living, was not acceptable.

“Having no designated currency, sleeping in fuel queues, and a shortage of foreign currency is unacceptable. The government must be taken to task and Parliament must seek an agenda to hold the government to account,” he said.

“With schools opening against the high cost of living, how do you resource well to ensure that the education system delivers when parents have no viable income? The government must be held to account and as legislators, we have a collective role to play to make this country work again.”

The country is battling an economic crisis characterised by shortage of foreign currency, hyperinflation, and shortages of fuel, among other commodities.

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC last year staged several protests over the deteriorating situation, yet the nation remained on a cliff edge.

Doctors have been on strike for over a month and rural teachers have threatened to go on strike next week when schools re-open.

Mudzuri said there was need for the country’s leadership to embrace change and model it to the collective aspirations as the people.

“That is the most viable route for this nation. Leadership is about delivering socio-economic and political goods to the people,” he said.

Mudzuri called for unity among Zimbabweans and urged the youth to take the lead in rebuilding the country.

“To the youths, Zimbabwe is for you. Lead it from the front, it’s your everyday job to do so. The country needs a people-driven leadership. We are the people,” he said.

“Let us come forth and rebuild our nation for a better future for all. The toxic politics of hate and violence will only takes us backwards as a country. Zimbabwe is for every Zimbabwean, regardless of race, tribe or social standing. Democracy derives all its strength from the rule of law and respect for other people’s rights.

“Race or tribe should have no space in 2019. We are Zimbabweans together. Differences in skin colour, language or ideology are only, but a bonus because they build us. Our differences must never come between us. Hate speech and violence do not build our country. They must, therefore, remain in 2018.”

NewsDay

Correspondent|BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) voted twice the best run local authority in the country, is technically insolvent, with town clerk Christopher Dube attributing the situation to the country’s unforgiving harsh economic climate.

This comes after Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni warned that council would have no choice, but to further increase rates to hedge against the rising cost of services and goods.

Mguni also warned that BCC would be forced to introduce a supplementary budget to ensure efficient services, arguing galloping inflation had already eroded the yet to the approved 2019 budget.

Dube said the local authority now had more creditors than debtors.

“We are technically insolvent. We now have more creditors than debtors. That is the situation we are in right now as the local authority. I do not have figures off-hand, but the last time I checked, we owe our creditors over $200 million against $188 million we are owed by debtors,” Dube said yesterday.

Government has maintained a 1:1 exchange rate parity between the local bond note and the United States dollar, but a fall in value of the former has triggered a jump in prices of goods and services, and Dube said the local authority had not been spared.

As a stop-gap measure to raise the much-needed capital, BCC has already started implementing a 50% debt cancellation policy targeting those settling outstanding debts in foreign currency.

The council is also selling housing stands in forex.

Dube said the BCC maintains the government 1:1 rate when dealing with the United States dollar and the bond note, EcoCash or real time gross settlement (RTGS) so as not to fault the government on the exchange rate.

Analysts have said government must re-dollarise the economy to deal with the unfolding currency crisis.

“Given what is happening in our economy, I think the administration needs to accept re-dollarisation and avoid a series of ligations over bond/RTGS balances that may lose their value. I think they must issue Treasury Bills (TB’s) or some other kind of mechanism,” commentator Liberty Bhebhe argued.

“These TBs or whatever facility should mature over different time periods. In order to protect ordinary citizens, TBs should be for balances over 10 000 for individual accounts and on a sliding scale for business. This will protect RTGS bank balances and ordinary people’s savings.”

Correspondent|Zanu PF stalwart and safari operator, Headman Sibanda is seeking $91 036 compensation from NMB Bank Limited for damages incurred when his property was attached and sold by the bank over a debt he had already settled.

Sibanda, a shareholder and Inyala Safaris director, filed summons against NMB Bank at the Bulawayo High Court last week.

“Plaintiff’s claim … are for an order for payment of $77 846, being damages representing the value of plaintiff’s Toyota Hilux double-cab sold by the defendant through … (lawyers) and the Messenger of Court …,” the summons read.

“An order for payment of $9 690 damages … for four plate gas stove, 1kg gas cylinder, 420-litre CCP fridge, 290-litre Capri fridge, three-piece lounge suite, three side table and a seven-piece dining room suite, sold by the defendant through … the Messenger of Court without any legal basis after payment of money due by the plaintiff through Inyala Safaris.”

Sibanda stated that his Toyota Hilux was sold for $7 700, a sale he says was illegal as he had fully paid back the debt.

He is also demanding $3 500 for a wooden piano that was damaged when the property was attached by the Messenger of Court.

Sibanda prayed for payment of interest at the prescribed rate from date of issue of summons to date of full payment, including costs of suit.

He said despite demand, the bank refused, failed or neglected to pay. NMB bank is yet to respond to the summons.

LISTED conglomerate Meikles Limited has challenged the sale of its shareholding in its subsidiaries Meikles Hospitality and Tanganda Tea Company in a High Court-sanctioned auction conducted on Christmas Eve.

The auction was conducted to settle a $1,5 million debt owed to a local consultancy firm Widefree Investments (Core Solutions).

Meikles Hospitality has interests in Meikles Hotel as well as its building, the Victoria Falls Hotel, and shareholding in Mentor Africa Limited, a company which owns The Cape Grace Hotel in South Africa.

Tanganda owns vast tea estates in the eastern highlands.

Independent estimates value the companies at between $58 million and $60 million.

LM Auctioneers conducted the sale and Murray Lynton-Edwards was declared the highest bidder, purchasing both properties for approximately $2,7 million.

In court papers seen by NewsDay, company secretary Thabani Mpofu argues that the sale was improperly conducted and that the property was sold for an unreasonably low price.

He also contends that the property was sold for more than the amount required to satisfy the debt, and that the property was not valuated prior to the sale.

“It is interesting to point out at this stage that if one is to read between the lines, the intention of the auctioneers and the first respondent was to conduct a public auction as if it was a private treaty, as the creditors’ own people were to bid for the shares had it not been for the presence of the second respondent,” the challenge reads.

“This was clearly an attempt at fraudulently disposing the shares and changing the shareholding as aforementioned. This was clearly an attempt at committing a criminal offence, something which the applicant shall follow up with the Zimbabwe Republic Police Fraud Squad for the charge of attempted fraud in terms of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.”

NewsDay

ABOUT 1 800 households in Binga are expected to benefit from a $500 000 emergency food assistance programme funded by the Canadian government through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a global non-profit making organisation.

The project, which is a response to drought-related food insecurity in Zimbabwe, will provide emergency food handouts to the identified households for four months.

MCC, which was allocated $469 833, is part of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which is a partnership of 15 church and church-based agencies that work together to end global hunger.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank, with the support of the Canadian government, provide food assistance to people experiencing humanitarian crises around the world.

The project comes at a time Zimbabwe is facing another climate change-induced drought. Government is on record saying the country faces another El Niño-induced drought in the 2018-2019 rainy season.

Economic challenges are also expected to have direct and indirect impacts on livelihoods and food security in the country.

The regional bloc, Southern African Development Community, last year warned members to brace for another season of normal to below-normal rainfall, amid indications that the region would again be affected by the El Niño weather pattern.

A SECURITY guard from Beitbridge has been slapped with a 24-month jail sentence for escaping from custody, including encouraging a murder suspect to flee from police custody.

Kelvin Mlauzi (39) of Dulibadzimo pleaded not guilty to charges of trying to aid a murder suspect to escape from detention and escaping from police custody when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Goodswill Mavenge.

The magistrate convicted and sentenced him to 24 months in jail for both counts. Six months of the sentence were conditionally suspended for five years.

According to the prosecutor, Munyonga Kuvarega, Mlauzi was arrested for assault on November 5 last year and was detained in the same cell with Steven Chasaya, a murder suspect.

While in the holding cell, Mlauzi requested that constable Tawanda Lampson Mapa bring him a water bottle he had left in the charge office.

The court heard that Mlauzi then encouraged Chasaya to escape from lawful custody before using a strip from the water bottle to remove Chasaya’s leg irons.

At around 7pm, Mlauzi heard the holding cells gate being opened and urged Chasaya to escape from custody with him, but he refused.

The convict escaped from the cell with the leg irons concealed under his T-shirt, as Mapa was leading two more suspects into the cells.

NewsDay

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has described the striking doctors at public health institutions as hypocrites who are lying under oath.

Addressing government officials during a visit to Kanyemba in Mashonaland Central on Thursday, Chiwenga said it was inhuman for professionals like doctors to withdraw their services to force government to improve their working conditions.

He hailed doctors at Kanyemba’s Chapoto Clinic for soldiering on dispite working under difficult conditions.

“I am glad that no staff at Chapoto Clinic here in Kanyemba withdrew their services. We are not saying, you don’t feel the pain, but you soldiered on by not striking,” Chiwenga said.

“When you withdraw your service, that is a breach of the Hippocratic Oath, because when you withdraw your services, you are not fixing government but the people that you serve,” he said.

Chiwenga has been in charge of negotiations with doctors, who downed tools a month ago demanding improved working conditions, but the talks collapsed as the medical professionals insisted on being paid in United States dollars.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa early this week had to cut short his leave to address the deteriorating situation in the heath sector as more health officials have downed tools in solidarity with the striking doctors.

After the briefing, Chiwenga addressed a rally at Chapoto Business Centre where he implored community members to unite and fight poverty.

“As Zanu PF, we would like to say Happy New Year; we also want to thank you for voting for us in the just-ended elections. We came here to check on the progress we made since our campaign time,” Chiwenga said.

“The President (Mnangagwa) is on leave and I was with him yesterday (Wednesday) and he gave you a Christmas box of 90 tonnes of grain. He said he will come to commission the floating bridge (across the Zambezi River linking Zambia and Zimbabwe).”

He said Kanyemba would be a city by 2023.

NewsDay

Correspondent|PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa got his hands dirty cleaning up streets around Fife Avenue Shops in Harare.

The President joined staff members from State House in the inaugural clean up day.

They cleaned from Chancellor Street, went down to Borrowdale Road before turning into Chitepo Street in the capital.

Staffers from Metbank and the Premier Medical Aid Society also participated in the national clean up along several streets in Harare CBD.

“This morning I joined other State House staff members in the inaugural national clean-up day,” said Mnangagwa on his Facebook page.

“This important initiative will take place on the first Friday of each month, and I encourage everyone to join us next time,” he said.

Terrence Mawawa|MDC deputy chairperson Tendai Biti has said Zimbabweans cannot continue to suffer under the clueless Zanu PF leadership.

“What a dog’s breakfast,a real bizarre comedy of errors.The #regime nicodemously “de-dollarized “by levying certain duties in US$ in
its fuzzy 2019 budget .Companies are following suit to protect same against the #BondUS $ fiction.The regime then cries foul.

One more year of doddering under #Zanu misrule is a year too long.We have to provide the leadership.We press for dialogue.We push for convergence on a common Zim #vision .We push for #Reload . The return to #legitimacy , #economicrecovery & #democracy .A new Zimbabwe is possible,” wrote Biti on twitter.

Correspondent|A Zimbabwean woman was on Wednesday arrested at the Robert Mugabe International Airport while trying to smuggle drugs worth US$30 000 from India.

The woman, who was aboard an Ethiopian Airways plane, was searched by detectives from CID drugs and Narcotics Harare, and found in possession of 18 x 500-gram tins containing ephedrine.

The 33-year-old woman, identified as Judith Munemo was arrested after a tip-off by some unknown persons. She was subsequently charged with contravening the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.

Munemo pleaded guilty to the charges when she appeared before Harare magistrate Learnmore Mapiye. She begged for the court’s mercy:

“I plead guilty to the charges. I did not know what I was doing was unlawful. It was out of ignorance, but I badly needed to raise money for my livelihood.”

“I was going to hand over the drug to someone and I was only going to get $US2 000 after it was sold.”

In mid-December, another Zimbabwean woman was arrested at a Ghana airport with a stash of drugs.

The Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) of Ghana has arrested 30 year old Cynthia Lichonjaat the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for trafficking illicit drug.

She was arrested when she disembarked from Ethiopian Airways flight No. ET 921.

Ms. Lichonja was accosted while going through arrival formalities.

A search in her checked-in luggage in her presence led to the discovery of Seven (7) parcels of brownish powdery substances suspected to be narcotics, concealed in false compartments of the suitcase.

The substance when tested proved positive for Speedball, a narcotic substance with a weight of 7.5kg.

The suspect admitted that the suitcase was given to her by one Ms. Patience, her childhood friend in Zimbabwe to be sent to an unknown person in Accra, adding that Ms. Patience bought her the ticket to enable her travel to Accra.

In April 2018, another Zimbabwean woman was nabbed at an Indian airport acting as a drug mule.

Betty Rame was caught at the Delhi airport with close to three kilograms of party drugs earlier this week. Security officials said the woman was carrying drugs worth Rs. 15 crore which she was trying to smuggle to Manila in Philippines via Goa.

Here is how it unfolded. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officials got a tip-off from the Narcotics Control Bureau about a foreign woman carrying drugs on Monday.

On the same evening, Betty Rame, a Zimbabwe citizen, reached the departure terminal of the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 8:30 to catch a flight to Goa.

Just as she was about to enter the airport from Gate 3, a security official stopped her.

Betty Rame was then frisked and made to give her baggage for checking. When the officers passed her suitcase through the X-BIS machine, officials spotted an image which looked suspicious.

On lifting it, it seemed unusually heavy.

Terrence Mawawa|The controversial Reconstruction Act is being used as a repressive tool to silence perceived enemies of the Zanu PF regime, Zimbabwean businessman Mutumwa Mawere has said.

Mawere also related how he was tormented by Zanu PF bigwigs as they sought to grab Shabanie and Mashava Mines.

“Just look at the Delta and Econet models as well as the challenges imposed by a fascist forex regime.
If u challenge the system, Recon Act can be the remedy,” Mawere argued.

“U may ask like @matinyarare how
come Econet can thrive in an opaque system?You have been asking why the voice of biz is silent on the Recon Act. You can understand that Delta a beneficiary of a fascist&socialist forex regime has hardly any incentive2rock the boat. The RBZ as usual has committed2robbing exporters like SMM was.”

“Is Delta a net exporter? If not, what has made the company afloat? Ask yourself why they would not see evil in the Recon Act. By helping Delta to get forex as far back as 2003,I was
accused of externalization. Did u hear Delta coming to my rescue? Instead Schweppes was a victim.

Are you sure after the agreement assuring Delta that forex diversions will come its way, Delta is not blinded by the harvest that must yield dividends? Zim is only good as long as govt grace visits the player. Remember Gono was a master at
this.”

Own Correspondent|The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association ZHDA, has refuted claims by the state owned Herald Newspaper that striking junior doctors have agreed to call off their 34 day industrial action after meeting with the First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa.

In an official tweet, the Association says that it is yet to consult with all its members country wide to decide on the way forward on submissions made by the First Lady.

The delegation that went to meet First Lady today is yet to give feedback to our membership. Awaiting this much anticipated feedback, lets not speculate the outcome, because concessions are made after nationwide consultations with members. We hope the negotiations are fruitful!

— ZHDA (@ZHDAofficial) January 4, 2019

The Herald published a breaking news story claiming that the doctors had agreed to go back to work after commitments to have their grievances sorted by the First Lady.

Amongst the most thorny demands by the doctors is to be paid in US Dollars.

Below is Econet boss, Strive Masiyiwa’s latest sack of jecha on the exiled prof Jonathan Moyo’s reputation:

1. I owned Zimbabwe’s largest daily independent newspaper. It was bombed with explosives when he was Minister of Information. He had threatened me and boasted about it earlier

2. When I re-opened the newspaper, he introduced the harshest media laws and shut it down permanently

3. Prior to the closure of the paper, he arrested journalists almost every week.

4. He sent thugs to the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe to force the resignation of the entire bench. The thugs jumped on the benches and mocked judges.

5. He was part of a decision to lock up Senior Executives who were locked up in leg irons because I was accused of financing the opposition and free press in the country.

6. Jonathan Moyo organized farm invasions, theft of elections and violence against the opposition. He regularly called for my arrest and harm.

VIDEOS LOADING BELOW….

"The issue here ladies and gentlemen is an issue of betrayal of our liberation struggle…" https://t.co/7apyvnfNtb pic.twitter.com/vxSz3XjhWx

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) January 4, 2019

THE panicky government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly put its security arms on high alert as part of measures to clamp down on leaders of opposition parties, non-governmental organisations and labour unions ahead of next week’s mass protests over the deteriorating economic situation in the country, NewsDay has learnt.

Well-placed government sources have revealed that the country’s security apparatus has been put on high alert to deal with the impending strikes that could pose a serious threat to Mnangagwa’s rule.

The security fears were amplified by threats of crippling demonstrations by teachers, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) as well as the opposition MDC, beginning next week.

According to sources, Mnangagwa fears the protests, mainly involving underpaid civil servants, could be hijacked by his political rivals to effect regime change.

“The security agents are on high alert. There is fear that the proposed protests by teachers, ZCTU and the opposition may force things off hand, especially coming at a time when schools open and parents cannot afford to pay the hiked fees and uniforms,” a source told NewsDay.

“There was a meeting this week by the Joint Operations Command, and one of the major issues was to call on President Mnangagwa to address the deteriorating economic situation in the country to avoid a security crisis. The demonstrations will be met with force from government.”

Mnangagwa is still battling to contain a month-long strike by public hospital doctors, who want to be paid in United States dollar-denominated salaries, among other grievances.

He was forced to abort his annual leave early this week to help his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, deal with the matter.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba on Wednesday warned opposition parties and non-governmental organisations to stay out of the impasse between government and the striking doctors.

Mnangagwa last year repeatedly warned the opposition MDC, whose protests have attracted huge crowds, of abusing the democratic space provided by his government, adding he would soon run out of patience.

Home Affairs minister Cain Mathema yesterday, however, professed ignorance on the planned clampdown on protesters.
“I am hearing this issue from you. What do you want government to do? To have them in prison? I don’t know what you are talking about,”Mathema said.

But MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said his party was not deterred by State threats of a clampdown on opposition leaders.
“It is clear that their own incompetence, inefficiency and cluelessness have become a danger to themselves. They are running away from their shadow,” Mafume said.

“The people of Zimbabwe have a right to protest and express themselves using constitutional means. We are not deterred. We know they have demons of war and like Legion, they will find pigs to possess and fall off the cliff of dictatorship. We remain committed to representing the interests of the people within the confines of the Constitution.”

ZCTU secretary-general Japhet Moyo also vowed to go ahead with the planned protests.

“We want to make it clear that we are not afraid of them. We are ready for them. We know they have been doing this for years so that they could retain power,” he said.

“We are aware that hospitals are waiting for us after being beaten by the police. We are aware that the prisons are waiting for us because this rogue regime, without due care for its citizens, is going to arrest us for exercising our rights”

Added Moyo: “Let it be known that they can kill us, fight us and do all sorts of things, but the economy will not change because of that. Government should direct its energy towards the economy and not unarmed civilians.”

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure said no amount of threats would deter them.
“We are going ahead; no one is going to stop us. Even if we are going to stay at home, there are worse horrors at home than at [Finance minister] Mthuli Ncube’s office.

We will be looking at our children who can’t go to school because we don’t have school fees, and that there is no food and money,” Masaraure said.

“Even those who want to go to work will be unable to (do so) because they don’t have money.”

-Newsday

In a surprising twist, the Officer in Charge at Milton Park Police Station has told Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition’s (CiZC) lawyers that plain clothed police officers who visited CiZC offices yesterday, January 3 2019, were only making a ‘courtesy call.’

The Officer in Charge had initially expressed ignorance over the matter following inquiries by lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

He later called in to say that he had been alerted of the visit by his subordinates and that it was a ‘courtesy call’.

FOREIGN Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo on Thursday appeared at a State House function in a healthy and jovial mood, sending Zimbabweans across the political divide into a frenzied buzz as they congratulated him on his good health.

His one tweet yesterday triggered an avalanche of good health wishes from Zimbabweans worldwide,as his last tweet had been a rather jaded 29 November photo of him recovering from a couch at home.

“UK and Northern Ireland Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melanie Robinson presents her credentials to President Mnangagwa,” is all that Minister Moyo posted, to wild delirium.

#StateHouseBrief

UK and Northern Ireland Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Melanie Robinson presents her credentials to President Mnangagwa @Michellehakata @HChikwanha @TafadzwaMugwadi @nickmangwana @caesarzvayi @JoramNyathi @UKinZimbabwe pic.twitter.com/tIzrZEDu4X pic.twitter.com/qiptiISdIg

— SB Moyo (@MinisterSBMoyo) January 3, 2019

One Patricia Chinyoka said: “Welcome back Minister, glad you’ve recovered. Even though I’m not pro Zanu PF, I wish you well.”

“Thank you God bless you,” SB Moyo responded. But he could not respond to all other messages of goodwill which immediately began popping into the timeline.

But of course, there was bound to be something like this: “Welcome back @MinisterSBMoyo I wish you good health so that you will enjoy life during Chamisa’ s leadership, not the kind of command Leadership being proffered by Mr Chiwenga. Please I know you are a dignified man who can tell him the truth. Mentor him on +leadership styles. “

Affectionately known as SB, Minister Moyo had an emergency surgery at a Harare hospital for a kidney-related ailment, before being flown to South Africa. When he came back, he took time off social media streets and the public glare as he recovered from home.

He did not see much of his office since being inaugurated as Foreign Affairs Minister in September last year.

The medical condition also forced ‘General Bae’ to miss the crucial United Nations General Assembly meeting in the United States, where Zimbabwe was represented by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The retired lieutenant general became an instant celebrity when he announced live on State television in the 2017 November’s military intervention which led to the popular ouster from power of former long-ruling leader, Robert Mugabe.

This saw the affable and articulate former senior military officer, virtually an unkown quantity in Zimbabwean politics before the coup, earning the monicker “General Bae” or “the people’s soldier” among his admirers.

During the military operation of November 2017, SB Moyo was labelled the only credible source of politcal developments during those five days that gripped the whole world on happenings behind Zimbabwe’s political curtain.

“Let’s wait for the address by Major-General Sibusiso Moyo, everything else is fake news,” was a common statement across Zimbabwe, as social media rumours competed for space with genuine updates on the unfolding events.

The Major-General also went to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans who filled the streets of Harare on a Saturday in a solidarity march lauding the huge crowds for their discipline throughout the march.

“Ndauya kuzotenda nerutsigiro rwenyu rwamaita kumauto enyu eZimbabwe. Rambai makadaro nerutsigiro irworwo. Mauto enyu navanhu zvakafanana, saka tinotenda chaizvo nezvamaita nhasi.

“Nyaya yamaratidza yediscipline, kuzvibata nekuterera kwaratidza nyika yese kuti vanhu vemuZimbabwe vakafunda.”

Many were demanding to get into State House and have a “taste of the guavas in the orchard” after a march to the perimeter of the Number 1 residence during the march and it was tough for members of the ZDF to stop the onslaught.

But one humble word from Major-General Sibusiso Moyo and people went home in smiles.

“Zvichemo zvenyu tazvinzwa, mukati umu hamuchapinda . . . chidzokerai kumba,” he said and people were on their way.

His own father described him as follows: “Sibusiso, tachiwona, chichangozvagwa, chakanga chakasimba – chakanaka, chichingonwekurira chisinga nyanyo chema kana kuita dambudziko sevamwe vekutanga asi ichi chaingoratidzika kusmile-a chakasimba muviri wacho.

“Tichimuwona ari chanana akatifadza saka takamupa zita – Ropafadzo muchishona ndozvarinoreva zita rake Ropafadzo, muchiNdebele Sibusiso”

May mercy, goodness and good health follow ‘General Bae’ forever more!

Source Zoom zim written by Felix Chiroro.

PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance Ministries leader Walter Magaya says he has intensified research on his controversial HIV and Aids herbal remedy, Aguma, as he awaits government to test the drug’s suitability for public use.

Addressing journalists on New Year’s Eve, Magaya said after the decision to subject his Aguma herb to clinical trials through the Health ministry, he undertook a separate “further study and examination of the herb to ensure its effectiveness to cure HIV and Aids”.

“2018 has been a tremendous year for us as a ministry because we undertook very important projects such as the establishment of the marble factory and undertook a serious life-changing health study, which we are now waiting for our government to verify and approve,” he said.

“We did not rest after announcing the Aguma herb. Instead, we continued to do further research while we wait for the government to do theirs. They are yet to come and start; I don’t know why?”

The PHD Ministries leader, who commands a large following at his church, torched a storm late last year when he prematurely announced that he had found a herbal cure for HIV and Aids before seeking government clearance, leading to his arrest.

He was subsequently charged with contravening section 40(1) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, which criminalises the distribution of unapproved medicines and misleading advertisement of such.

Government alleged that Magaya’s herb had not been tested by authorities for human use, implying he had no right to announce such a development without State approval.

Magaya said despite government’s slow pace in conducting research on the herb, he was not deterred in pursuing his vision of finding a cure for HIV and Aids.

Health minister Obadiah Moyo could not be reached for comment, as his mobile phone went unanswered.

NewsDay