Terrence Mawawa|Constantino Chiwenga yesterday said the
Nelson Chamisa-led MDC rejected Mnangagwa’s offer for dialogue after the July 30 poll.

By rejecting the Presidential election results, MDC closed the door for dialogue with Emmerson Mnangagwa, declared Chiwenga.

” The MDC has chosen to disrespect President Mnangagwa, ZANU will continue to respond in kind.”

On November 22, MDC MPs were violently ejected from Parliament after they refused to rise when Mnangagwa entered the August House for the presentation of the 2019 budget by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has since warned the MDC MPs that cabinet ministers will not respond to their questions in Parliament as long as they refuse to accept Mnangagwa as the legitimate President of the country.

While addressing ZANU PF delegates at the Annual People’s National Conference in Esigodini, Umzingwane District, Matabeleland South Province on Friday, Chiwenga said:”Cde President, you personally
stretched out your hand to the
opposition after Zanu PF’s July 30
landslide victory. But the opposition spurned that hand.
You have since withdrawn the well-
stretched hand.All of us follow, principally those of us in Parliament are very happy that our Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs (Ziyambi Ziyambi), acting in his capacity as leader of the House (in Parliament), sent a clear signal of paying back the opposition in the hard coin they have tossed us. They have chosen to disrespect our leader who is the Head of State of our nation (President Mnangagwa).

We have no reason to handle them with the respect they have voluntarily
rejected.”

By Own Correspondent| As part of the party’s resolutions at the just ended 17th Annual National People’s Conference, Zanu Pf resolved to establish a 11th province in the diaspora.

The party established the Diaspora province as part of the party’s mobilisation strategy which is aimed at increasing its support base and structures.

Said Simbarashe Mumbengegwi while giving a report on external affairs:

“…government should strengthen bilateral relations with the countries which stood by Zimbabwe.

Focus should be on intensifying re-engagement efforts to normalise all aspects of international relations.

The establishment of a province in the diaspora is also key towards mobilising for support from Zimbabweans living abroad.”

Zimbabweans living in the diaspora have in the past elections been disenfranchised despite their efforts to cast their ballot during elections.

In May 2018, the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) barred millions of Zimbabweans based in the diaspora from voting after it dismissed an application for amendment of provisions of the Electoral Act to allow them to vote from their respective bases.

In passing judgment, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza said after considering all arguments before the court, it was agreed that it could not succeed.

The appeal had been filed by three Zimbabwean diasporans; Gabriel Shumba and Sibonile Mfumisi (both based in South Africa), and United Kingdom-based Darlington Nyambiya.

Pictures of Finance minister Mthuli Ncube at the just-ended Zanu PF conference held in Esigodini in Matabeleland South got Zimbabweans talking on social media.

It was the first time the Cambridge University-trained economist was seen at a high-profile Zanu PF event since he was roped into President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s post-election Cabinet as one of the technocrats expected to help turn around the comatose economy.

Ncube (MN) told our senior reporter Obey Manayiti (OM) in an exclusive interview that questions about why he attended the conference were personal, but said there were no prizes for guessing what he was.

Ncube also spoke about growing demands by civil servants to be paid in foreign currency and the impact of his raft of austerity measures introduced a couple of months ago. Below are excerpts from the interview.

OM: Did you attend this Zanu PF conference as a member and if so, when did you join?

MC: Do not ask me personal questions like that. I am a government official. I am the minister of Finance. I was appointed by a Zanu PF government. I think there are no prizes for guessing what I am.

OM: What do you consider to be the key outcomes of the conference considering that it took place on the back of the austerity measures you introduced a couple of months ago and the 2019 national budget presented last month?

MN: At this conference, the party endorsed the budget proposals and adopted them as their own, equally they endorsed the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) and also endorsed Vision 2030 because those three are interlinked.

They also urged us to follow the recommendations and make sure that they are implemented. That is very important and that is very pleasing. But there are a lot of overlaps within the other recommendations of the party with what we see in the budget, the TSP and Vision 2030 such as, for instance, making sure that we live within our means in a way that preserves value, making sure that we eventually resolve the currency issue and remove price distortions by making sure that we support the productive sector so as to support job creation.

That came out very strongly indeed and also making sure that those who are profiteering from the exorbitant prices are sufficiently sanctioned, including withdrawal of licences, which really is the last resort.

We shouldn’t get there and I think they must heed the call that they shouldn’t profiteer.

They should run their business competitively, all those things are enshrined in what we have been trying to do within the budget and within the announcements that we have made.

Also what is very clear is that other measures such as the 2% transaction tax are very key to supporting and financing devolution because really, half of what we have raised from that 2% stake is actually financing devolution.

That $310 million that I allocated in the budget and the other half is going towards supporting social services, education and health, making sure that there are no potholes on our roads.

So this is very important going forward. Everything that was discussed here at least on the economic front is supportive of what we are trying to do.

If you look at agriculture, for instance, supporting agriculture, raising productivity, making sure that inputs for farmers are available and making sure that there is the right price that will support farmers.

In terms of provision of health services, all that came out very strongly is that we need to do our best to make sure that the quality of service delivery is right there, protecting the vulnerable in terms of our social service efforts.

OM: In brief, you are saying you are happy with the outcome of the conference and you feel it will make your job easier?

MN: Absolutely, I am very pleased with what was deliberated on at this conference for the past two days, but also prior to that, in terms of the central committee and politburo, it is in line with Vision 2030, in line with Transitional Stabilisation Programme, in line with the budget.

So I am very happy indeed that we have had that alignment with what government is trying to do.

OM: When you announced the austerity measures, Zanu PF complained that you did not consult them. Have you managed to find each other in that regard?

MN: Absolutely, we are on the same path. We are on the same page and the resolutions are testimony to that.

All our policies were endorsed here, were adopted here and now the party is urging us to make sure that its members, the nation, the citizenry understand what these policies are.

It is our duty to now make sure that we explain to them in simple words, in simple messages to the people.

OM: What is your assessment of the impact so far of the measures you introduced in your maiden budget?

MC: There is no resistance, people are complying. Of course, any major change in policy that impacts people will cause a reaction because they are adjusting.

I don’t think there’s any major negative reaction. Of course, we are hearing people requesting even salaries in US dollars.

Of course, government doesn’t, as you know, produce US dollars, all we know is that the US dollars are allocated at the central bank to productive sectors, to areas of need such as fuel, fertilisers and so forth, so there is no question of government providing salaries in US dollars.

I urge the leadership of those unions, who are pushing their members in that direction to desist from misguiding their members into believing that government is able to give them salaries in US dollars.

Government does not produce US dollars in the first place.

I urge them to desist from misleading their members, it is not fair that the enlightened leadership misleads their gullible members in this way.

OM: The conference specifically urged you to look into the multi-currency system, which they said was not working. Do you have any immediate solutions in your mind?

MC: The policies we have put in place are what we have in mind because you need strong policies, consistent policies, policies that begin to achieve results.

Before you resolve the multi-currency system, if you look at what we have done at the moment, we have first of all recognised that we don’t have monetary policy, we have no currency of our own, but we have fiscal policy.

We are using fiscal policy to stabilise monetary and value issues.

So by managing the budget deficit and curtailing expenditure — notice that the premium that we observe on the currency side has stabilised. Have you noticed that?

It is because we have closed the tap on the fiscal side. So we recognise this and we should continue to constrain ourselves in terms of expenditure, live within our means.

We are slowly creating the right environment for currency reform.

When we are ready, we will announce what we are doing, but we are aware that the multi-currency pricing system is prejudicing people but also legally, we have been telling people that it is illegal to practice a multi-currency pricing system. But we know people are practising it.

In fact, at this conference people were saying that you must implement the law, enforce it to make sure that it does not happen.

Really, we do not have to come to this where every time it is the strong arm of the law that is kicking in.

We are doing our part making sure that policies build up consistently to achieve the right results and steps toward the ultimate currency reform.

OUSTED Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s son Robert Junior is facing a criminal case in SA after a case of intimidation was opened against him this week.

The case, opened by Gabriella Engels on Thursday, could set the stage for round two of the legal war between the all-powerful Mugabes and the Joburg model.

She is the same woman who was allegedly assaulted by Mugabe jnr’s mother Grace with an electric extension cord in a Sandton hotel in August last year.

Gabriella Engels, who claims that she was assaulted a few months ago by then Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe, says she is pursuing the court case in order to seek justice even if Mrs. Mugabe has fallen from grace.

Mrs Mugabe denied assaulting Engels with an electric cable, saying an “intoxicated and unhinged” Engels had attacked her with a knife.

South African advocacy group Afriforum, which represented Engels, dismissed the allegations as lies.

According to Engels, an irate Mrs Mugabe burst into the room where she was waiting with two friends in a Johannesburg luxury hotel suite to meet one of Mugabe’s sons last August, and started attacking her with an electric cable.

Photographs taken by Engels’ mother soon after the incident showed gashes to the model’s head and bruising on her thighs.

Willie Spies, a lawyer for Afriforum, said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) should now take action to prosecute Mrs Mugabe and seek her extradition from Zimbabwe to South Africa.

Spies said if the NPA failed to take action, Afriforum would start proceedings against Mrs Mugabe.

“The ball is in their court now,” Spies said, adding that Afriforum had argued that Grace Mugabe committed the attack on Engles while she was on a private visit to South Africa and therefore did not qualify for diplomatic immunity.

NPA spokeswoman Phindi Mjnonondwana said the case was still in the hands of the police and had not yet been sent to the NPA for action.

However, NPA spokesman Luvuyo Mfaku said South Africa and Zimbabwe had previously cooperated on extraditing suspects from one country to the other.

Following the judgement, International Relations and Cooperation Department under Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said they were still studying the judgment.

– Sowetan

By Own Correspondent|  Traditional leaders here have hailed First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa for taking a leading role in ensuring citizens have access to quality and affordable healthcare adding that she is caring unlike her predecessor Dr Grace Mugabe.

On the sidelines of the 2018 World Aids Day Celebrations in Glendale recently, Mazowe district Paramount Chief Makope (Mr Jacob Mapirinjanja) said the First Lady was showing her dedication to improved health for the disadvantaged.

He said traditional leaders would assist her efforts, as well as Government programmes aimed at improving the health delivery.

He said:

“As traditional leaders, we are happy over the manner in which the First Lady is showing love for Zimbabweans. The previous First Lady did not have such a caring heart.

We have observed how she has taken time to visit our hospitals to appreciate how patients are being treated.

Amai Mnangagwa is doing good because she is always on the ground taking a leading role. She hardly has time to rest and is always on the go attending to various issues for the betterment of our people’s lives.”-StateMedia

Own Correspondent|In a move flooded with political selfishness and abuse of power, the ruling ZANU PF has agreed to shut opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa out of the 2023 presidential election.

The party which enjoys a two thirds majority in parliament passed a resolution at its 17th annual conference to push for a constitutional amendment raising the minimum age requirement for the presidency to fifty two years from forty years.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda who is a senior member of the party read out the resolutions at the close of the conference which ordered Zanu PF parliamentarians to push for the amendment of the country’s constitution.

“Party should amend the national Constitution to include a requirement for a 50-year age limit for presidential candidates,” read the resolution in part.

Chamisa turned 40 earlier this year and will turn fifty two after the 2028 elections.

The ZANU PF aligned War Veterans have been at the forefront of the call for a constitutional amendment in a desperate bid to stop Chamisa.

Secretary general Victor Matemadanda told State radio that the party was talking the deliberate move to deal with Chamisa.

“The problem with the opposition is that they only shout without providing an alternative view. We must engage because we have a reason to push for the changes. It’s allowed in a democratic state. Shouting at me does not stop the amendment.

“We have realised that the youths are giving us problems. We had the G40 in Zanu PF that almost sunk our party and now the person giving us grief Chamisa is within the same generation. So, we will push the party to adopt the age limit resolution,” said Matemadanda.
Commenting, analysts Tawanda Dzvokora and Chiwoneso Mpofu said the development speaks more of desperation by zanu PF which claims to have won the 2018 elections. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Own Correspondent| Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, said schools should not force parents to buy uniforms from those institutions or specific retailers as this opens floodgates of price distortions.

He also said it was illegal and creates a situation of monopoly while at the same time exploiting buyers.

Said Moyo:

“The act of forcing parents to buy uniforms from specific retailers is illegal and corrupt. It creates a situation of monopoly in the market structure.

Parents should be allowed to buy from anywhere as long as it is the correct uniform.

Market competition is healthy because prices will come down. To demand that people should buy uniforms either from school or specific retailers creates room for price distortions and poor quality.

As a Ministry we do not subscribe to that, we need the names of such schools and we will take action against them. We want them in our books.

There is no law or policy which allows any school whether private or public to force parents and guardians to buy uniforms from a particular shop because this country is a free market economy.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri was on Saturday left with an egg in the face after President Emmerson Mnangagwa revealed the real truth behind the absence of Vice President Kembo Mohadi from the party’s 17th Annual National People’s Conference.

Zanu PF chairperson, Muchinguri-Kashiri had earlier on lied to delegates concerning Vice President Mohadi’s absence from the conference telling the 6,000 Zanu PF officials gathered at Mzingwane High School in Esigodini that Mohadi, was away on assignment.

Mohadi, who was conspicous by his absence at one of the most important events on the party’s calender, according to Mnangagwa could not attend the conference due to ill health.

Said Mnangagwa:

“(Vice President Mohadi) is not here. The chairperson has said we sent him on assignment, no, that’s not correct. He’s not feeling well. He said if he gets better he might join us for the conference. He’s in Harare.”

VP Mohadi,  has been in and out of hospital ever since the Bulawayo explosion at White City Stadium earlier this year. Mohadi had to be airlifted to South Africa for treatment after he sustained some injuries in the explosion.

SENIOR doctors have joined the strike by their juniors citing increased workload as the Labour Court spurned government attempts to declare the crippling industrial action by the medical professionals illegal.

Low-level doctors went on strike on December 1 demanding to be paid in United States dollars and improved working conditions.

The strike forced public hospitals throughout the country to significantly scale down operations, leaving patients stranded.

On Friday, senior doctors that had helped to ensure that critically ill patients received treatment threw in the towel as the negotiations between the government and the striking medical professionals had reached a deadlock.

According to a Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association letter dated December 14, 2018 and addressed to the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals clinical director and copied to the Health Services Board, the senior doctors said they were no longer able to cope with the workload.

“Due to the ongoing industrial action by junior doctors, we as registrars are now overwhelmed by the workload and we are now unable to effectively discharge our services. We are, therefore, withdrawing our services immediately,” read part of the letter which was signed by Mthabisi Bhebhe, the secretary-general of the association.

Last week, the government tried in vain to declare the strike by doctors illegal after acting Labour minister Kazembe Kazembe issued a show cause order.

Kazembe’s order was not given to the doctors who are on strike or their representatives.

The order was filed on December 13 and the parties were immediately invited by Labour Court judge Justice Euna Makamure. Makamure ruled that the order was defective.

The doctors’ lawyers led by Munyaradzi Gwisai challenged the order by the minister arguing that there was nothing before the court and that they had appeared out of courtesy.

“Effectively what it then means is that the strike by the junior doctors continues and has not been dealt with by the court. “There is nothing that can be used to adjudge the strike illegal,” said Gwisai after the ruling.

“Our understanding of the law is that the papers so filed from the very outset are that it is the application for show cause order and the application for the disposal is legally invalid.

“They are incurably bad that they cannot be amended or regularised. The whole process followed was legally flawed. And the best solution is to address the grievances of the concerned junior doctors and not unnecessary legal battles that are clad with flaws and errors.”

The doctors also want the government to provide drugs and proper equipment at hospitals.

This is the second strike by doctors in 2018 after another crippling job boycott in March.

— Standard

By Own Correspondent| Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has dismissed hopes that Government will pay civil servants their salaries in US dollars.

He said unions, who are pushing their members to ask for US dollars should stop misguiding their members into believing that government is able to give them salaries in US dollars.

In an interview with The Standard, Ncube said because government does not produce US dollars, it had no capacity to pay its workers in forex.

Below is an excerpt of the interview between The Standard (OM) and Ncube (MC):

OM: What is your assessment of the impact so far of the measures you introduced in your maiden budget?

MC: There is no resistance, people are complying. Of course, any major change in policy that impacts people will cause a reaction because they are adjusting.

I don’t think there’s any major negative reaction. Of course, we are hearing people requesting even salaries in US dollars.

Of course, government doesn’t, as you know, produce US dollars, all we know is that the US dollars are allocated  at the central bank to productive sectors, to areas of need such as fuel, fertilisers  and so forth, so there is no question of government providing salaries in US dollars.

I urge the leadership of those unions, who are pushing their members in that direction to desist from misguiding their members into believing that government is able to give them salaries in US dollars.

Government does not produce US dollars in the first place.

I urge them to desist from misleading their members, it is not fair that the enlightened leadership misleads their gullible members in this way.

By Farai D Hove| Emmerson Mnangagwa’s party, ZANU PF has resolved to change the age limit for Presidential qualification.

The resolution was read out by the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda yesterday.

Mudenda said in part: “Party should amend the national Constitution to include a requirement for a 50-year age limit for presidential candidates.”

Mudenda is now to push for the amendment in the country’s laws. Commenting, analysts Tawanda Dzvokora and Chiwoneso Mpofu said the development speaks more of desperation by zanu PF which claims to have won the 2018 elections. VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

“No even one word about all the challenges people are facing, only talking about election held in July we are now DEC sure sure. So the mandate is to talk about how you “won” the elections.” – COMMENT

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

By A Correspondent| ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa speaking at the party’s Esigodini conference Friday morning said he destroyed his opponents as he spoke about the 1 August 2018 military violence.

Mnangagwa said, “I thank you all in all your provinces that you did everything in peace and even up to this day we are peaceful and we are united…

“After the voting and process of announcing elections, we experienced violence in Harare. We condemn that violence and we then appointed a commission of inquiry.

“I have since received the report of the commission of inquiry in the post-election violence of August 2018 and I will be making it public next week…

“I thank you all, we destroyed (takavarakasha)those who were competing against us. We destroyed (takavarakasha) those who were competing against us. We should be extremely proud of ourselves…

“We were given a fresh mandate to govern Zimbabwe… full stop!

“No GNU.

“The votes came from all four corners of the country and it was a resounding victory… I say to you all thank you all, siyabonga, ndinokutendai…

“In spite of our convincing win, one out of the 22 presidential contestants took me to court…

“Do not be troubled or lose sleep as you hear noises going up and down. I urge members of the party do not be perturbed by those who continue to make noises: as ZANU PF we have no agenda for a GNU… let us continue…economy… for our country.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday literally telephoned himself over the subject of devolution in Matebeland.

Mnangagwa said he has been happily surprised by the quick understanding and reception by Zimbabweans on the concept of devolution and creation of provincial economies saying the days of lope-sided development must be a thing of the past.

In his closing address at the 17th Zanu-PF Annual National People’s Conference in Esigodini, Matabeleland South Province, Mnangagwa said there was an urgent need to close the development gap between the urban and rural communities to achieve prosperity for all the people by 2030.

“I have been happily surprised by the reception and quick understanding of the concept of devolution and creation of provincial economies, by our communities. We must work hard, with a renewed sense of urgency, to close the development gap between the urban and rural communities.

“The revitalisation of rural areas must be uttermost in our endeavours. The days of slope sided development must be a thing of the past. All our people are important to us, everybody must be on board, no one must be left behind,” said Mnangagwa.

“The prosperity we seek to achieve by 2030 must be for all our people in every corner of the country. Our desire for better and more modern roads, schools, health facilities must be realised across the entire country. As we are determined to modernise, build and industrialise our beloved country, no one should be left behind.”

Mnangagwa said the resolutions at the conference will help the Government to be more focused guided by the will of the people.

“We value all the constructive contributions, with regards to all the sub-sectors of the economy; agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, infrastructure, energy, ICTs and social services. As conference has directed, we will accelerate the various strategies that will lead to the modernisation of our agriculture sector and ultimately increased production and productivity,” said Mnangagwa.

He called on the party to be at the forefront in communicating the programmes to modernise Zanu-PF and the Government structures, policies and systems.

“The relevant departments of the party must play a central role in publicising our policies, programmes and reform measures to allow for the tracking of progress, monitoring and evaluation by the people,” he said.

Speaking during the official opening of the conference on Friday, Mnangagwa said his Government is serious about implementing devolution and decentralisation in the running of national affairs as a strategy to revitalise the economy and improve the people’s standards of living.

He took a swipe at those he said were divisive elements in the country calling for cessation, saying Zimbabwe is a unitary nation rich with diversity. “In implementing devolution, let us always remain mindful that we are a unitary state, with diverse cultures, languages, beliefs and religions. We must therefore use this concept for economic advancement as a vehicle to propel development. Devolution must improve the quality of life of all our people, in every corner of the country, as we strive to become a middle-income economy by 2030,” said Mnangagwa on Friday.- state media

ED Blames "Donald Trump" Sanctions Yet 13 Months After Using Guns To Remove Mugabe, Mnangagwa Watches As A Well Known Convicted Fraudster Continues To Own $700mln Govt Money Projects | WHAT DO INVESTORS LEARN?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 15, 2018

Correspondent|A GROUP of political science students at the University of Zimbabwe has come up with a list of the 100 most influential persons in Zimbabwe for 2018.

The list is dominated by politicians, but also includes Zimbabweans in sports, media, business, civil society, music, religion among others. Guess who’s on number 1?

Here is the list: What do you make of the list?

2018 top 100 Zimbabwe’s Movers, Shakers, Finest and Most Influential People

100. Bekezela Maduma Fuzwayo (Civil and Socioeconomic rights Activist)

1..Nelson Chamisa ( Politician | Former Minister of ICT | MDCA President)