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New Twist To Tongogara Death Saga

FORMER President Robert Mugabe confiscated a book written by now Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri, detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (Zanla) commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara.

In an emotional speech at the 39th memorial service for Tongogara, Muchinguri broke down as she “narrated” events leading to Tongogara’s death in a suspicious car crash in Mozambique on Boxing Day, December 26, 1979, months before Zimbabwe’s first all-race elections in 1980.

“I wrote a book on the story [of Tongogara’s death]. I did not know that I was not allowed. Maybe now we can say it because the people are dead. When I wrote the book, I was summoned by former President Mugabe [then Prime Minister], who was in the company of the country’s military commanders Generals Solomon Mujuru, Vitalis Zvinavashe and Josiah Tungamirai, all bedecked in their official uniforms. You know how scary that is. I was asked to hand over the book,” Muchinguri told guests, who included Tongogara’s family members.

Mujuru, Zvinavashe and Tungamirai, who were leading commanders during the liberation struggle and went on to lead independent Zimbabwe’s military, are all dead.

Muchinguri added to the decades-long intrigue around Tongogara’s death by claiming Mugabe and the then Zanla chief had an altercation before the fateful trip.

“Former President Mugabe and Cde Tongogara had an altercation over travel plans to return to Zimbabwe. Mugabe wanted Tongogara’s staff to be flown to Zimbabwe, but the General stood his ground,” the Defence minister, who served as one of Tongogara’s aides and was in the same car when he died, said.

Tongogara reportedly favoured unity between Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) and his then rival Joshua Nkomo, who was leading the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu) under the Patriotic Front (PF) banner. Zanu and Zapu were already fighting white minority rule as the Patriotic Front coalition.

There are several versions of events regarding Tongogara’s death, with former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith claiming he was killed by “his own people”, a reference to Mugabe’s Zanu. Smith, in his memoirs; The Great Betrayal added that briefings from police and the Rhodesian Special Branch concluded Tongogara had been assassinated.

The United States Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) briefing two days after Tongogara’s death also said the then rebel commander “was a potential political rival to Mugabe because of his ambition, popularity and decisive style”.

On the same day, the US embassy in Zambia reported that nobody accepted Mugabe’s version of events that Tongogara had died accidentally, including the then Soviet Union.

Tongogara’s wife has consistently said she was not allowed to view her husband’s body. Rhodesian police also claimed the body had “three wounds, consistent with gunshot wounds, to his upper torso”.

Acting Commander of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo, who also attended the memorial and was also in the same car with Tongogara, said the late Zanla general’s gut had been ripped open on impact, adding “time will come for us to put the record straight”.

Apart from his statement after Tongogara’s death, Mugabe seemed to silently push the military supremo’s contributions and demise to the back-burner of Zimbabwean history during his 37-year-rule.

After taking over last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa re-named the country’s biggest cantonment, KGVI Barracks in Harare, after the late national hero.

-Newsday

 

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Zimbabwe’s Biggest Labour Union Warns Of National Shutdown Over Economic Reforms

By Own Correspondent| The Country’s largest labour representative organisation, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has warned of a crippling nationwide shutdown in January next year in order to push government to implement economic reforms.

In an interview with a local publication, ZCTU president Peter Mutasa said workers are facing a bleak future with more companies expected to fold in 2019.

Said Mutasa:

“The country is coming to a total shutdown. We are not pessimistic, but we saw this in 2008 and all the signs are heading towards a second 2008. Unfortunately, in this period, we don’t think that we have leadership. The State is not well coordinated, so we are facing a very serious crisis.

We think citizens are going to rise to the occasion. For the workers, the ZCTU has given its leadership a mandate that we must coordinate all workers and unions, even those that are not within our federations.

We want to unite all unions; unite the poor, the farmers, the students — all the progressive forces and wage
a struggle to force the government to the negotiating table.

This January, workers should just down tools. We should just stop working until there are economic reforms. You have seen what has happened with the doctors; we are going to see teachers doing the same, civil servants — we will be calling on all workers to stop working and demand economic reforms. So it’s going to be a very sensitive January.”-Newsday

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Robbers Tie And Lock Security Guards In A Room, Escape With $70k Worth Of Gold

TWELVE gun-toting robbers got away with 1,7kg of gold worth about $70 000 at Casymn Gold Mine, also known as Turk Mine in Inyathi.

The movie-style robbery in which some security guards were tied up and their supervisors locked in a room occurred around 4AM on Sunday at one of the country’s biggest gold mines.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said the suspects who were armed with pistols, pounced on security guards and mine supervisors demanding cellphones and keys to the gold plant.

She said the suspects force-marched the security guards and supervisors to the plant where they took some gold and a 20 litre container with diesel before exiting the premises after disconnecting electricity and the CCTV system and taking away its server.

“On 23 December around 4AM, 12 people wearing masks proceeded to Dawn Compound which houses Safeguard Security employees,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

She said the suspects forcibly opened a locked door into Safeguard Security supervisor Mr Emmanuel Gwaenda’s house.

“Six of the unknown robbers who were armed with pistols entered the room and pointed a gun at Mr Gwaenda while demanding his cellphone and keys to the plant. He surrendered the keys and cellphones after which the suspects force marched him to the next room where Mr Tapfumaneyi Munetsi and Mr Anthony Chiwange who are security guards were sleeping,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

She said the suspects took cellphones from Messrs Munetsi and Chiwange before forcing them to lie on the floor facing down.

The suspects allegedly tied the two guards’ hands to the back using plastic twine from potato bags and gagged them with reflector bibs.

Chief Insp Makonese said the armed robbers split up with some remaining guarding Messrs Munetsi and Chiwange while the others allegedly force-marched Mr Gwaenda to the plant supervisor, Mr Philimon Muzamba’s house.

The suspects allegedly ordered Mr Gwaenda to knock on the door and call out Mr Muzamba and pretend to him that all was well.

When Mr Muzamba opened the door, the robbers immediately pointed guns at him and demanded keys to the plant.

Mr Muzamba directed the robbers to plant assistant Mr Mike Madembo’s house.

The suspects force-marched Messrs Gwaenda and Muzamba to Mr Madembo’s house where they also demanded the keys to the plant.

After getting the keys from Mr Madembo, the suspects allegedly regrouped with their accomplices and force-marched the trio to the plant.

They ordered Mr Gwaenda to unlock the gates and entered the premises.

Two duty security guards Advance Dube and Micah Dube who were armed with a shotgun did not suspect a robbery was in progress.

Chief Insp Makonese said the suspects later ordered the two duty guards to lock a sniffer dog in a cage and ordered them to accompany them to the cell room where trapping of gold is done during mining.

“The suspects ordered Mr Muzamba to switch off power and they used a bolt cutter and iron bars to force open the premises and took eight wire wools with trapped gold.

They also took 20 litres of diesel from the storeroom before proceeding to the security manager’s office where they disconnected a CCTV monitor and took away its server. The suspects then locked Muzamba, Madembo, Gwaenda, Advance and Micah inside the cell room before exiting using the same exit gate,” added Chief Insp Makonese.

A report was made at Inyathi Police Station.

Police recovered a Safeguard Security uniform about 50 metres from the premises.

Another uniform and a communication radio were recovered in a bush near Queens Park suburb in Bulawayo.

The gold is estimated to weigh 1.7kg valued at $69 700.

— Chronicle

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Workers Threaten Indefinite Nationwide Shut Down

THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has demanded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government decisively tackle the country’s economic challenges or risk workers going on an indefinite strike saying thousands of employees were on the verge of losing their jobs as companies shut down while earnings have been severely eroded.

ZCTU president Peter Mutasa, in an exclusive interview told NewsDay that the 2019 outlook was that of a tough period and there were indications that many companies may fail to reopen in the new year.

“The country is coming to a total shutdown. We are not pessimistic, but we saw this in 2008 and all the signs are heading towards a second 2008. Unfortunately, in this period, we don’t think that we have leadership. The State is not well coordinated, so we are facing a very serious crisis,” Mutasa said.

ZCTU said only a united labour force and citizens had the power to stop the economic rot, by confronting the Mnangagwa regime for answers.

“We think citizens are going to rise to the occasion. For the workers, the ZCTU has given its leadership a mandate that we must co-ordinate all workers and unions, even those that are not within our federations. We want to unite all unions; unite the poor, the farmers, the students — all the progressive forces and wage

a struggle to force the government to the negotiating table,” Mutasa said.

The workers, who have faced brutal attacks from the police every time they have tried to go on the streets, said they were unmoved and would down tool
“This January, workers should just down tools. We should just stop working until there are economic reforms. You have seen what has happened with the doctors; we are going to see teachers doing the same, civil servants — we will be calling on all workers to stop working and demand economic reforms. So it’s going to be a very sensitive January,” Mutasa said.

Salaries for workers remain bench-marked at United States dollar values but they get paid in bond notes and electronic transfers, which have lost 67% of their value in the last quarter despite government insistence that its surrogate currency at par with the greenback.

Prices in bond notes have, however, been adjusted to reflect the discrepancies between government policy and reality on the ground.

Already, ZCTU has started telling its members in the mining, cotton and tobacco industry not to accept payment in real time gross settlement and instead only accept US$.

Economist Joseph Kanyenze said 2019 could be a lost year if Zimbabwe’s main political parties fail to talk to each other, and have a social contract to deal with the current crisis.

“Even if people are not mobilised you could see social unrest. Workers can down tools, yes, because of the loss of value in their salaries, but that will not be a solution, dialogue for a social contract will bring us out of this crisis,” he said.

Kanyenze said re-engagement with the international community, which Mnangagwa has prioritised to end the country’s decades of isolation under former President Robert Mugabe, would not immediately happen or bring results without fundamentals being addressed.

“We have been doing the wrong things for a long time so we are not going to come from gloom to glory overnight. Remember, re-engagement will only happen after we settle our obligations and reforms. And we are also facing a drought that will make things worse,” he said.

Kanyenze said Zanu PF and MDC needed to talk with each other and also heal fissures in their respective parties.

“Unfortunately, the current government is a continuation of the past; we are not seeing anything meaningful in terms of reforms,” he said.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa told NewsDay yesterday that the Zimbabwe crisis could only be solved through political dialogue.

“Next year, the social fabric looks to be taking a big beating. Economic stability can only be built on political stability and legitimacy, and of course political stability. It rests on economic viability. At the moment, the problem is that there is no confidence in the economy, in the market, in the country,” Chamisa said.

NewsDay

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Mugabe Seized My Book On Tongo’s Death,” Muchinguri Claims As Assassination Details Emerge

General Josiah Tongogara

FORMER President Robert Mugabe confiscated a book written by now Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri, detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of the late Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (Zanla) commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara.

In an emotional speech at the 39th memorial service for Tongogara, Muchinguri broke down as she “narrated” events leading to Tongogara’s death in a suspicious car crash in Mozambique on Boxing Day, December 26, 1979, months before Zimbabwe’s first all-race elections in 1980.

“I wrote a book on the story [of Tongogara’s death]. I did not know that I was not allowed. Maybe now we can say it because the people are dead. When I wrote the book, I was summoned by former President Mugabe [then Prime Minister], who was in the company of the country’s military commanders Generals Solomon Mujuru, Vitalis Zvinavashe and Josiah Tungamirai, all bedecked in their official uniforms. You know how scary that is. I was asked to hand over the book,” Muchinguri told guests, who included Tongogara’s family members.

Mujuru, Zvinavashe and Tungamirai, who were leading commanders during the liberation struggle and went on to lead independent Zimbabwe’s military, are all dead.

Muchinguri added to the decades-long intrigue around Tongogara’s death by claiming Mugabe and the then Zanla chief had an altercation before the fateful trip.

“Former President Mugabe and Cde Tongogara had an altercation over travel plans to return to Zimbabwe. Mugabe wanted Tongogara’s staff to be flown to Zimbabwe, but the General stood his ground,” the Defence minister, who served as one of Tongogara’s aides and was in the same car when he died, said.

Tongogara reportedly favoured unity between Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) and his then rival Joshua Nkomo, who was leading the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (Zapu) under the Patriotic Front (PF) banner. Zanu and Zapu were already fighting white minority rule as the Patriotic Front coalition.

There are several versions of events regarding Tongogara’s death, with former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith claiming he was killed by “his own people”, a reference to Mugabe’s Zanu. Smith, in his memoirs; The Great Betrayal added that briefings from police and the Rhodesian Special Branch concluded Tongogara had been assassinated.

The United States Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) briefing two days after Tongogara’s death also said the then rebel commander “was a potential political rival to Mugabe because of his ambition, popularity and decisive style”.

On the same day, the US embassy in Zambia reported that nobody accepted Mugabe’s version of events that Tongogara had died accidentally, including the then Soviet Union.

Tongogara’s wife has consistently said she was not allowed to view her husband’s body. Rhodesian police also claimed the body had “three wounds, consistent with gunshot wounds, to his upper torso”.

Acting Commander of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Edzai Chimonyo, who also attended the memorial and was also in the same car with Tongogara, said the late Zanla general’s gut had been ripped open on impact, adding “time will come for us to put the record straight”.

Apart from his statement after Tongogara’s death, Mugabe seemed to silently push the military supremo’s contributions and demise to the back-burner of Zimbabwean history during his 37-year-rule.

After taking over last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa re-named the country’s biggest cantonment, KGVI Barracks in Harare, after the late national hero.

NewsDay

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2019 Could Be A Lost Year If ED, Chamisa Fail To Find Each Other: Economists

Economist Joseph Kanyenze said 2019 could be a lost year if Zimbabwe’s main political parties fail to talk to each other, and have a social contract to deal with the current crisis.

“Even if people are not mobilised you could see social unrest. Workers can down tools, yes, because of the loss of value in their salaries, but that will not be a solution, dialogue for a social contract will bring us out of this crisis,” he said.

Kanyenze said re-engagement with the international community, which Mnangagwa has prioritised to end the country’s decades of isolation under former President Robert Mugabe, would not immediately happen or bring results without fundamentals being addressed.

“We have been doing the wrong things for a long time so we are not going to come from gloom to glory overnight. Remember, re-engagement will only happen after we settle our obligations and reforms. And we are also facing a drought that will make things worse,” he said.

Kanyenze said Zanu PF and MDC needed to talk with each other and also heal fissures in their respective parties.

“Unfortunately, the current government is a continuation of the past; we are not seeing anything meaningful in terms of reforms,” he said.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa told NewsDay yesterday that the Zimbabwe crisis could only be solved through political dialogue.

“Next year, the social fabric looks to be taking a big beating. Economic stability can only be built on political stability and legitimacy, and of course political stability. It rests on economic viability. At the moment, the problem is that there is no confidence in the economy, in the market, in the country,” Chamisa said.

-Newsday

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Ordinary Zimbabweans Battling With Mnangagwa And Mthuli’s Induced Inflation

Zimbabweans in one of the now fashionable queues for almost everything including cash

ZIMBABWE in 2018 experienced a dramatic rise in inflation and widening price increases after Finance minister Mthuli Ncube hinted that there was need to separate the Real-Time Gross Settlement bank balances from foreign currency accounts.

Economists say the price increases that have seen inflation rising to 31,01% are a reflection of unresolved exchange rate valuation distortions between the US dollar and the RTGS, low foreign investment and external debt issues.

Zimbabwe’s year-on-year inflation rate for the month of November gained 10,16% to 31,01% from 20,85% in October.

This implies that prices as measured by the all-items consumer price index increased by an average 31,01% between November 2017 and November 2018.

Month-on-month, the inflation rate was 9,20%, shedding 7,24% on the October 2018 rate of 16,44%.

The wave of prices increases was triggered by the collapse of the local currency in October owing to panic buying by consumers after Ncube announced plans to devalue the local currency believed to be as valuable as the US dollar.

Government in the year failed to contain its expenditure, fuelling inflation after aggressive issuances of Treasury Bills that exceeded US$2 billion as at September 2018.

The rise in the issuance of TBs, which is draining hard currency, fuelling inflationary pressures and destabilising the financial system amid mounting budgetary pressures, emanates from government’s propensity to live beyond its means.

Government has since begun implementing measures to curb prices of basic commodities, including removing restraints on importation, but this has so far failed to correct the value of the bond note.

The US dollar is trading at a premium to the local currency of 350% on the parallel market, a general gauge of the real value of the currency in the country.

Economists say they are optimistic that inflation may stabilise at two-digit levels in the 1st quarter of 2019 but the situation remains uncertain.

Official inflation figures are in doubt, with economists saying it is understated by ZimStat.

They say ZimStat is failing to recognise the extent to which the economy has informalised.

Released statistical figures are calculated based on the formal sector which only accounts for a small margin of Zimbabwe’s economy. Economist Prosper Chitambara told businessdigest that the inflation figure is not accurate and does not reflect the reality on the ground. He said recent payouts by government of civil servant bonuses are also likely to stoke inflationary pressures but the economy should stabilise in the coming quarter.

“In 2018, we saw an upward trend in the second half of the year largely reflective of an increase in money supply not backed by any production in the country. We also saw the widening of the black market activities further fuelling inflation.

“However, official statistics are understated as they only track what happens in the formal market which is not really the case as we can see that the country has become highly informalised,” he said.

Chitambara said government’s failure to account for parallel market foreign exchange activity had resulted in price increases.

“We have also seen a lot of pressures as government tried to finance its expenditure. So the figures are never accurate. I see inflation stabilising around 20% in the 1st quarter of 2019 but will remain at two-digit levels but will be dependent on the monetary sector. Again, we have seen government making payouts to the civil service sector which is likely to feed into inflationary pressure. I am just optimistic but it is a bit tricky,” he said.

Another economist Clemence Machadu said the havoc inflation has wreaked this year simply mirrored government’s inaction in resolving underlying problems in the economy such as foreign currency, foreign investment and external debt issues.

“We are certainly not in a better position compared to last year because household incomes have remained constant while the general price level has been advancing northwards. So what it has done is depleting the real income levels of the generality of the populace as spending power weakens. This reduced domestic demand is also going to create another problem on the supply side, as industrial capacity utilisation might be also forced down, since the production of goods is signalled by demand for such.

“Our policymakers and those that inform their thinking should now think outside the box and stop this behaviour of marinating a rotten chicken and denialism. Policies that are not working should be simply replaced with those that work. For instance, this fallacy of maintaining that the bond note is at par with the greenback should perish. We have been down this road before and we did not act this way to resolve the problem. In the Gideon Gono era, when the local currency menace got to the zenith of absurdity in 2008, he allowed approved shops to sell in foreign currency before dollarisation was officially embraced the following year. Why are we doing the opposite now?” he asked.

Last year, the World Bank projected an average rise in inflation rate of 5% during 2018 while the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) said it expected inflation to fall between 3% and 7% by December 2018.

Independent

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Zimbabweans Begin To Feel The Impact Of Removing Mugabe Without A Plan Post His Time

WHEN former president Robert Mugabe was ousted through a cautious military coup in November 2017, most Zimbabweans across the political divide and from all walks erupted with jubilation and relief.

For Mugabe had reduced Zimbabwe to ruins over 37 years through calamitous leadership and policy failures. His regime was indisputably corrupt and incompetent, hence a legacy of failure, poverty and suffering. Whatever its achievements, they paled in comparison to its monumental failures.

So the coup was seen as a potential panacea to the country’s sea of troubles. After all many people thought no one could be worse than Mugabe.

If anybody said during the coup, the situation could get worse and Zimbabweans would a year later be poorer than they were during the military takeover, they would have been dismissed as a cynic, an appalling pessimist or simply a G40 diehard.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his allies were riding on the crest of a wave of popularity. The coup, a culmination of years of the military’s dangerous meddling in politics, was carried out in the name of weeding out corrupts elements around Mugabe and restoring stability, but the real reasons for it were far more complex than that.

While others celebrated and the world tacitly endorsed the coup largely because of their revulsion for Mugabe, some people were, however, sceptical for different reasons. But they mainly did not speak out.

A coup enforces blanket silence through the display of guns, tanks and personnel armoured carriers. The midnight military raids on Mnangagwa’s rivals also had a chilling effect.

This silenced dissent. Things were calm in the days after the coup, not because of the military’s ability to contain social unrest, but due to fear. Paralysing fear.

Even though the military was friendly to ordinary people; allowing protesters who thronged the streets of cities to pose for selfies and ride on tanks and personnel armoured carriers, while also mingling with soldiers and cautious playing close to them, fear enveloped demonstrators and society.

Even though taking photos with soldiers trended on social media during the coup, deep down most people were afraid. Not just of the army, but of the unknown future. No one knew what the future held.

Fear usually takes away a person’s courage and cripples them from standing up for what they believe in. But also, in this case it was fear of the sort of uncertainty that comes with coups and social unrest. No one really knew what would happen next in the shock aftermath of the shock coup.

So protesters and Zimbabweans who had a huge opportunity to influence events and shape the course of history and the future did not seize the moment to change things. They instead collaborated with the military, protesting hiding bullets and tanks, in the vain hope that by some chance they could be working for the same cause and objectives.

Even opposition parties and civil society joined the bandwagon without a plan for shaping the future. It’s now clear no one, in fact, including Mnangagwa and the military, had a forward-looking and sustainable plan.

That is largely why the transition was disorganised and eventually botched.

The results of that bungling are clear: political instability, renewed economic implosion and social dislocation.

Events since the controversial elections, including the shooting and killing of civilians by the army, have only reinforced legitimacy problems and pessimism.

Even though we have heard lots of rhetoric and noise on re-engagement, investment, reform and recovery, we can only point to a few token gestures of change.

But below the surface, very little, if any, meaningful structural change has occurred. Things largely remain the same, courtesy to lack of planning, a bungled transition and incompetence.

The government and its supporters are in a state of denial, but harsh realities on the ground tell their own story. Their project is stalling and failing; unless something is done to rescue it we are on a slippery slope yet again.

Independent

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“Mnangagwa Is Failure, And So Are You Chamisa, Biti”

Here is the thing; MDC Alliance members went into the 2018 elections knowing that Zanu PF would rig the elections; they did not mind that as long as they won a few gravy train seats. They did win a few seats but have since realised that they could use the country’s worsening economic situation to demand more of the spoils of power from Zanu PF.

Writes Nomusa Garikai:

“They want the country to have a new GNU in which MDC Alliance will hold ministerial posts.

“MDC has stringent measures to stop Zanu PF rigging elections!” Nelson Chamisa said repeatedly. He was dismissing those calling for reforms to be implemented before the 2018 elections.

MDC Alliance participated in the elections even when ZEC failed to release a verified voters’s roll, a legal and a common-sense basic requirement -proof of their resolve to take part in the elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process. David Coltart admitted of this blind greedy stopping the MDC leaders doing the obvious thing!

In his Book, The Struggle Continues 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe,former MDC – Ncube Senator and Minister of Education in the GNU, David Coltart, admitted that Zanu PF was flouting the electoral rules and it clear the upcoming 2013 elections would not be free and fair.

He agreed that boycott the elections was the logical thing to do but the two MDC factions ended up participating because they could not trust each other to do the right thing.

“The worst aspect for me about the failure to agree a coalition was that both MDCs couldn’t now do the obvious – withdraw from the elections,” explained Senator Coltart.

“The electoral process was so flawed, so illegal, that the only logical step was to withdraw, which would compel SADC to hold Zanu PF to account. But such was the distrust between the MDC-T and MDC-N that neither could withdraw for fear that the other would remain in the elections, winning seats and giving the process credibility.”

The main MDC factions did come together to form the MDC Alliance before the 2018 elections and still they participated in the elections regardless of the flaws and illegalities.

Beside to boycott the elections in such a case will have to be out of principles and MDC leaders are not a principled lot.

Tendai Biti is one of the MDC Alliance who did win some of the gravy train seats Zanu PF gave away as bait. He should be happy but he is not.

Tendai Biti is one MDC Alliance who is taking full advantage of the country’s worsen economic situation to push Mnangagwa to form a GNU and thus secure for himself a ministerial position.

“Thanks to Emmerson and that terrible iniquity known as #ZANU this year’ s Christmas is stolen and hijacked. The citizen has no cash, no fuel, no basic commodities, not even sodas or cordials.Things were terrible under #Mugabe but Emmerson has redefined#StateFailure .He is #failure itself,” tweeted Biti.

I am sure a few Zimbabweans will remember 2008 when there was nothing in the shops and commerce and industry had ground to a halt as the country reeled under 500 billion per cent hyperinflation, price controls, etc.

Being asked to say which year was worse is like being asked which is worse a broken hand or a broken leg. Why should we ever have to suffer!

Comparing Mugabe and Mnangagwa is yet another meaningless nonsense. Zimbabwe’s economic collapse started far back in 1980 and been a stead but relentless decline for the last 38 years. Of course things were “better” last year, 2017, than they are this year, 2018 just as they were better in 2016 than in 2017. This is as one would expect in an economic trajectory of stead decline.

Robert Mugabe inherited from Ian Smith a prosperous nation with a robust economy, with a good industrial infrastructure, a very productive agricultural sector, etc. Zimbabwe had the potential to be the South Korea of Africa. But after 20 years or so of gross mismanagement, rampant corruption and lawlessness the country fell from its prised perch of being the breadbasket of the region to become the basket case of a failed state. We are starving in a country which is for all practical purposes the Garden of Eden!

Whilst Mugabe inherited from Smith the seven fat cows and the seven fat ears of grain and loads of other riches beside. Mnangagwa inherited one thin cow that was all skin and bones.

Tendai Biti is calling Mnangagwa “#failure itself” but praised Mugabe to the high heaven. He called the tyrant “unflappable father of the nation and fountain of all wisdom”. Why?

Tendai Biti is desperate to secure a ministerial seat and is stopping at nothing to pressure Mnangagwa to form a new GNU!

The truth of the matter is the last GNU served Biti and his fellow MDC friends well. They secured ministerial posts complete with the generous salaries, limos, a $4 million Highlands mansion for Tsvangirai, a farm formerly owned by a white farmer for Welshman Ncube, etc.

The GNU was a total failure for the ordinary Zimbabweans in that not even one of the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset were implemented hence the reason the 2013 elections were not free, fair and credible – the principle task the GNU was supposed to resolve.

The new GNU Tendai Biti, Nelson Chamisa and the rest in the MDC Alliance are gunning for will not implement any of the democratic reforms to ensure the next elections are free, fair and credible. If they failed to get any reforms implemented last time, when SADC had Zanu PF’s hands tied behind their back after Mugabe was forced to sign the Global Political Agreement, what hope is there now when Zanu PF is calling all the shots.

The nation needs the raft of reforms implemented to progress out of this political and economic mess. What is clear is that the nation must appoint a new team, excludes both Zanu PF and MDC leaders involved in the last GNU, to implement the reforms.

Mnangagwa is “#failure itself” true but so was Mugabe and you too Mr Biti and Nelson Chamisa, etc. Hence the reason none of you can be in the new GNU to implement the democratic reforms necessary for free, fair and credible elections in 2023 and beyond.

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School Uniforms Go Up 200%

1THERE is an outcry after retailers allegedly colluded to increase the prices of school uniforms by more than 200 percent ahead of opening of schools on January 8 next year.

Parents have said the prevailing economic circumstances and the pricey uniforms have made education expenses unbearable. Coupled with the inflated prices of uniforms is the high cost of living, outrageously high school fees and other necessities that have to be paid for.

School shoes now cost $60 up from $20, a satchel $62 up from $21, shirt and short $65 up from $20, dress $45 up from $15, blazer $150 up from $50, skirt and blouse $80 up from $30, hat $30 up from $11, socks $6 up from $2 and tie $18 up from $9.

A full set of uniform for a Grade One pupil costs an average of $135.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Professor Paul Mavima last week said parents must procure uniforms from the best quotation they can get and must not be forced to buy from schools.

This followed concerns by some parents who said schools were working with retailers to inflate prices for their benefit.

Prof Mavima said all schools are expected to ensure good governance, transparent and a corrupt -free process in the management of schools.

A survey done by Chronicle in the city yesterday showed that most retailers have increased prices of uniforms and stationery and parents are struggling to make ends meet.

“As parents we are very worried about these prices. My child is going for Form One and I have already spent close to $400 on uniforms alone and now I have to borrow money from someone to buy stationery and pay school fees.

“The same uniforms would have cost me $100 if prices had remained the same. I don’t know if the retailers are justified to sell uniforms at such exorbitant prices but this is frustrating. I spent the whole day trying to compare prices but they are just the same,” said Mrs Sibonokuhle Nkala from Cowdray Park.

Scores of parents said they had resorted to buying most requirements from vendors as their prices were, in some cases, half of what registered retailers were charging.

“I was very excited that my first child is going for ECD but I was very disappointed when I got to these shops as I had to spend more than $140 on one uniform, which should cost $50. I think it’s high time Government acted on these price hikes because they’re unjustified.

“It’s depressing to think that while the prices of uniforms have gone up by more than 200 percent, our salaries are still the same. My salary was only enough to buy uniforms and stationery for my child who is going to Form One out of my three children,” said Ms Rutendo Masamba from Emganwini.

Some parents said they have resorted to buying from street vendors who sell products like stockings and exercise books at lower prices while others are engaging individual tailors who sell school uniforms at reasonable prices.

However, some schools have preferred retailers and refuse to admit pupils who buy uniforms elsewhere.

State Media

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2kg Gold Stolen In Movie Style Armed Robbery

TWELVE gun-toting robbers got away with 1,7kg of gold worth about $70 000 at Casymn Gold Mine, also known as Turk Mine in Inyathi.

The movie-style robbery in which some security guards were tied up and their supervisors locked in a room occurred around 4AM on Sunday at one of the country’s biggest gold mines.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese said the suspects who were armed with pistols, pounced on security guards and mine supervisors demanding cellphones and keys to the gold plant.

She said the suspects force-marched the security guards and supervisors to the plant where they took some gold and a 20 litre container with diesel before exiting the premises after disconnecting electricity and the CCTV system and taking away its server.

“On 23 December around 4AM, 12 people wearing masks proceeded to Dawn Compound which houses Safeguard Security employees,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

She said the suspects forcibly opened a locked door into Safeguard Security supervisor Mr Emmanuel Gwaenda’s house.

“Six of the unknown robbers who were armed with pistols entered the room and pointed a gun at Mr Gwaenda while demanding his cellphone and keys to the plant. He surrendered the keys and cellphones after which the suspects force marched him to the next room where Mr Tapfumaneyi Munetsi and Mr Anthony Chiwange who are security guards were sleeping,” said Chief Insp Makonese.

She said the suspects took cellphones from Messrs Munetsi and Chiwange before forcing them to lie on the floor facing down.

The suspects allegedly tied the two guards’ hands to the back using plastic twine from potato bags and gagged them with reflector bibs.

Chief Insp Makonese said the armed robbers split up with some remaining guarding Messrs Munetsi and Chiwange while the others allegedly force-marched Mr Gwaenda to the plant supervisor, Mr Philimon Muzamba’s house.

The suspects allegedly ordered Mr Gwaenda to knock on the door and call out Mr Muzamba and pretend to him that all was well.

When Mr Muzamba opened the door, the robbers immediately pointed guns at him and demanded keys to the plant.

Mr Muzamba directed the robbers to plant assistant Mr Mike Madembo’s house.

The suspects force-marched Messrs Gwaenda and Muzamba to Mr Madembo’s house where they also demanded the keys to the plant.

After getting the keys from Mr Madembo, the suspects allegedly regrouped with their accomplices and force-marched the trio to the plant.

They ordered Mr Gwaenda to unlock the gates and entered the premises.

Two duty security guards Advance Dube and Micah Dube who were armed with a shotgun did not suspect a robbery was in progress.

Chief Insp Makonese said the suspects later ordered the two duty guards to lock a sniffer dog in a cage and ordered them to accompany them to the cell room where trapping of gold is done during mining.

“The suspects ordered Mr Muzamba to switch off power and they used a bolt cutter and iron bars to force open the premises and took eight wire wools with trapped gold.

They also took 20 litres of diesel from the storeroom before proceeding to the security manager’s office where they disconnected a CCTV monitor and took away its server. The suspects then locked Muzamba, Madembo, Gwaenda, Advance and Micah inside the cell room before exiting using the same exit gate,” added Chief Insp Makonese.

A report was made at Inyathi Police Station.

Police recovered a Safeguard Security uniform about 50 metres from the premises.

Another uniform and a communication radio were recovered in a bush near Queens Park suburb in Bulawayo.

The gold is estimated to weigh 1.7kg valued at $69 700.

State Media

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Chiwenga And His ZANU PF Linked Churches Meet To Celebrate The Fall Of Democracy And Economic Collapse Of The Country

Own Correspondent|ACTING President Constantino Chiwenga will visit Bulawayo on Sunday to attend a ceremony organised by a group of churches to commemorate what they call “the positives of the new dispensation.”

The event,to be held at the the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) — is being organised by a ZANU PF linked group of churches going by the name “Faith for the Nation Campaign.”

In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said:

“Acting President, Constantino Chiwenga, will be joining spiritual leaders from various denominations in a Thanksgiving and Faith for the Nation Campaign at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair on December 30, 2018. They will commemorate the positives of the new dispensation.”

Last year, churches invited President Mnangagwa to Bulawayo for the same ceremony soon after successfully executing a coup on former President Robert Mugabe.

The country has generated into its worst economic state in ten years since the so called new dispensation took over government. Human rights abuses have also degenerated to a low level with renewed state funded political violence resulting in the death of six people in Harare.

Zimbabwe has in the new dispensation mived away from a democratic state to a military state controlled by the army.

What will Chiwenga and his churches be celebrating?

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Chiwenga Happy With Purchased Drugs Which Doctors However Reveal Are Expired

Constantino Chiwenga touring Natpharm
By Farai D Hove| Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga yesterday expressed that he is happy with the purchased drugs of which however hospital doctors reveal that many of them are expired.

“We have got a very good quantity of medicine and I was asking them what will then happen when the big consignment comes in because we have a big order that has been made worth $25 million and I was trying to see how they are going to store and how they are going to do the distribution,” said Chiwenga

He said while the Natpharm company had six warehouses in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, Mutare and Chinhoyi, Government was keen on seeing that the medicines were distributed to all the health institutions.

“I was watching our national news and I saw people saying we do not have gloves. We touch infectious patients without proper gloves and this is one of the things which I wanted to check and see. I have seen that those things which they wanted were there,” said Chiwenga.

Speaking at the same occasion, Health and Child Care Minister Obadiah Moyo said all the essential medicines were now in stock.

“All the essential medicines are available. Yes it is not 100 percent but we have to start somewhere. Our stock levels were low, like he indicated the economic situation is not that conducive but we have tried our best,” said Moyo.

He commended Government for availing the US$25 million facility saying it will go a long way in boosting current stocks.

Moyo said Government required at least US$85 million a year to meet demand and the US$25 million availed will cover at least the first quarter of 2019.

“We are continuously grateful to the Presidency for identifying a further $25 million for the medicines which are on order now. It is just because of the break (Christmas) otherwise the medicines would have started coming so after the holiday we expect to get more medicines,” said Moyo.

He said Government was committed to ensuring its employees worked in a safe environment.

Asked about some expired labels on some consingments in the warehouse, Natpharm managing director Ms Flora Sifeku said most of the medicines were antiretroviral drugs.

She said they have been phased out with the introduction of new treatment regiments.

“We do not just dispose the old regimen without following due process otherwise the medicines will be brought back on the market through back door,” said Ms Sifeku.- Additional Reporting – state media

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As Doctors Are Paid Paltry 329RTGS, Mthuli Ncube Proposes To Squander More Taxpayer Money Paying All MPs Pensions From 2019

At a time when more than 500 doctors are paid a paltry 329 RTGS dollars, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube has proposed that MPs should be paid a pension and this from the taxpayer purse.

He said MPs would be paid after completing their five year terms.

Ncube made these suggestions to change a clause in the Finance Bill which is now before Senate.

All this comes at a time when Mps have demanded brand new vehicles and an increase in their allowances.

Ncube announced the proposal for pensions during the 2019 National budget debate in the National Assembly. He said, “We have an additional clause that we propose should be added, Clause 37; which pertains to the Parliament Pensions Act. Amendment CAP 2.02.

 

“The Parliamentary Pensions Act Chapter 2.02 is amended. In Section 7 entitlement to pension by insertion of the following sub-section 2 ‘for the purposes of the proviso to subsection 1, a former member shall be entitled to be paid a gratuity calculated at the rate of 130 second of his pensionable retiring emoluments for each complete month of his/her service in Parliament. I propose that we adopt it as is. This will deal a comfortable blow to the welfare of Parliamentarians.”

When asked by MDC Mbizo legislator Mr Settlement Chikwinya if the pensions will apply for members of the Ninth Parliament only or if those who sat in the previous parliaments, Ncube said the gratuity will be retrospective.

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FULL TEXT: Doctors Hit Back At Chiwenga, “You Were Clearly Duped, We Have 2 Degrees And We Were Never Funded By Govt!”

ZHDA PRESS STATEMENT ON THE INDUSTRIAL ACTION

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) National Executive would like to update the press, members of the public, stakeholders and its members on new developments in the industrial action which has entered its 27th day (Thursday).

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Mr O. Moyo and his deputy, Dr J.0 Mangwiro have misinformed the Acting President General CDGN Chiwenga (R(d) on the reality of the prevailing situation in the health sector. This act is a poor attempt at covering up their shortcomings in the ministry and running a smear campaign on the doctors. We intend to set the record straight so that members of the public are not misinformed by these individuals in the ministry of health seeking to gain mileage.

1. The Junior doctors who initiated the strike and have been suspended are wholly qualified doctors who hold two Bachelor Degrees of Medicine and Surgery (MB. St ChB) from accredited institutions and have graduated from university. They have undergone five and a half years of intense training including clinical rotations and are not under the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education as the ministry would like the Presidium and the public to believe. The government would not be stating that hospitals are at a standstill and chasing after them if these doctors were just students. Students do not treat patients and do not perform surgery on pregnant women, as this would be inhumane and illegal. Having gone through medical school, the Minister and his deputy should be fully aware of this.

2. The government ceased offering financial assistance to medical students years ago. They did not spend ANY money in sending our members to school and this was an effort of the parents, guardians and sponsors of our doctors. Moreso, these doctors earn a basic salary of $329 RTGS, and the bulk of their remuneration are extra hours done on call.

3. When we visited NatPharm, we did not see the protective clothing and laboratory machines we requested. Instead we noted that some of the medication which was being peddled as stocks was beyond expiry date, and the said consignment has donor drugs which should not be passed for bought drugs to the taxpayer. Furthermore, the minister said the medication was procured two weeks ago but none has reached our hospitals. We would like to know whether the medication was kept until it expired or was procured ‘as is’, both of which are acts of sabotage to the nation and the Presidium, and the minister should be taken to task.

4. Not only Junior doctors are on industrial action, but middle level and senior doctors from central, provincial and district hospitals have Joined as the ministry drags its feet. No form of recruitment can replace the already low staffing levels, and stating that the situation is ‘normal’ is an untrue statement.

5. Instead of resolving grievances, the Minister is trying to push constitutional amendments to prevent further strikes. This will enable him to sleep on the job as the health sector crumbles, like he has been doing when these grievances were raised in October and he turned a deaf ear.
We are disappointed that the Minister and his team continue to play politics with people’s lives instead of addressing the situation at hand. The Minister, his deputy and the Health Services Board have failed dismally in their mandate to uphold our fellow countrymen’s health and workers safety.

We hope the Presidium will find a lasting solution to the current impasse for the benefit of our nation. We are ready to offer our services once our grievances have been addressed. We urge the public to steer clear of propaganda and to pray for us as we try to restore sanity to our health sector.

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FULL TEXT: The ZBC News Story Chiwenga Doesn’t Want You To Read

Below is the full ZBC news story Emmerson Mnangagwa fumed at ZBC journalist Rodrick Mashingaidze for.

Earlier in the day, ZimEye.com revealed how Chiwenga attacked Mashingaidze over the story as he said that the journo did not do enough research.

FULL TEXT: The country’s largest referral hospital Parirenyatwa is turning away patients and not admitting casualties owing to the unavailability of doctors.

The nursing staff at the hospital confirmed off camera the worsening crisis which is affecting even the mortuary as doctors are the only ones who can certify the loss of life of patients.

The usually busy referral hospital was a pale shadow of itself when the ZBC News crew visited with most wards being empty.

Nursing staff on the ground confirmed that their hands were tied as they could not admit patients in the absence of doctors who are responsible for assessing the patient’s condition before either admitting or prescribing treatment.

Meanwhile, the Health Services Board said patients are not supposed to be turned away as there are senior medical doctors on call while the nurses on the ground should administer treatment.

Vice chairperson of the board Professor Auxilia Chideme-Munodawafa said they are in the process of meeting with doctors under the Zimbabwe Medical Association to find solutions.

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Christmas Day Road Accidents Escalate To 122

 

HARARE – Christmas Day holiday figures show an increase in fatal road traffic accidents from 89 in 2017 to 122 in 2018, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), has revealed.

This comes after more than 60 people died due to the escalation of road accidents in the lastquarter of 2018.

In a statement assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi said 2018 holds dire records of fatal accidents compared to 2017.
“The ZRP would like to inform the nation that road traffic accidents statistics for the 2018 Christmas
Day holiday show increase in fatal road traffic accidents from 89 in 2017 to 122 in 2018”

“Most of the accidents can be attributed to human error and could have been avoided.
“The major causes of these fatal accidents were speeding, inattention, misjudgment, reversing errors and failure to observe road rules and
regulations.”

Although accidents have mainly been attributed to speeding and negligence, some observers
have also credited fuel queues which have cost drivers sleepless nights as contributing to exhaustion thereby leading to misjudgments. Chronicle

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Chiwenga: All Junior Doctors To Be Stripped Of “Dr” Title And Be Termed “Students”

Constantino Chiwenga
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga has said government is set to strip all junior doctors of the “Dr” title and label them students on attachment.

Chiwenga was addressing his press conference soon after touring the Natpharm Company and the pharmacy department at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday. ALSO SEE VIDEO:

Chiwenga said the current system treated junior doctors as employees of the Ministry of Health and Child Care yet they would not have completed training.

“We are going to look at our systems because we have found that the systems which were being followed were not correct.

“When somebody is still and not yet finished (medical school) you cannot call him a junior doctor. He is still on internship and those regulations are going to be looked at,” said Chiwenga.

He said the new regulations would soon be brought before Parliament.

“Government has spent a lot of money training these young doctors, as they want to call them, but I think they are still on internship; they are not yet junior doctors,” said Chiwenga.

Junior doctors went on strike at the beginning of this month demanding improved working conditions and better salaries.

They have rejected appeals by Government to return to work for the sack patients while their grievances are being looked into.

Currently, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is responsible for the junior doctors, and not the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

They can only be registered as doctors after they complete their seven-year training.

Registration allows them to treat patients but under supervision by senior doctors for at least two years, a process known as housemanship or internship.

During the seven-year training period, they are taken as interns.

“These are some of the things we need to look at. The Ministry of Health and Child Care was taking over somebody who was still a student who has not yet completed his or her studies and this is wrong. We will not entertain wrong things. The law does not allow that,” said Chiwenga.

On doctors suspended last week for engaging in the strike, Chiwenga said Ministers of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development and of Health and Child Care have since been tasked to ensure that all medical students, who are ready for internship, were registered to resume as soon as possible.

He reiterated that the industrial action by the junior doctors was illegal.

Chiwenga said the junior doctors had defied the Labour Court ruling earlier this week, which gave them 12 hours to return to work resulting in their suspension.

He said the health sector was part of essential services and employees were not allowed to down tools.

“They withdrew their labour when they had not pursued all that is required by the labour laws of our country and they went to court and the courts found them on the wrong side of the law and what we would have expected is they were going to come back,” said Chiwenga.

Speaking at the same occasion, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said grievances must be negotiated instead of taking people’s lives as pawns.

“It is very important to us that whenever there are problems in the country we need to uphold the sanctity of life, we need to uphold the Hippocratic Oath,” said Prof Murwira.

“If there are grievances, they are negotiated. We do not hold people’s lives as pawns in our game. So I believe that as we do our higher and tertiary education system we are going to make necessary changes that are good for our students, but that are principally good for the nation,” he said.

He said they were working on the new system.

On the suspended junior doctors, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said Government was now guided by the rule of law.

He said the junior doctors were given 12 hours to comply with the law but defied it.

He said the Health Services Board would now pursue issues of discipline against the suspended doctors.

“They were given 12 hours to correct the situation, but they chose not to so. We are going by the rule of law as indicated by the Presidency. The HSB is there to follow procedures as laid down; to look into the grievances and issues relating to disciplines,” said Dr Moyo.

He said the candidates who had just completed their five-year training were expected to start internship on January 2 2019.

Junior doctors went on strike on December 1 demanding a review of their working conditions.

They also wanted salaries in United Stated dollar.

Last week Government suspended 530 health professionals including the junior doctors for embarking on an illegal industrial action.

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Panic Amid Revelations That NatPharm Is Supplying Short-dated Drugs

Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) has confirmed that the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) has of late been supplying short-dated medicines to the retail sector.

This follows alarm raised by a section of local pharmacies alleging that the national supplier was supplying medicines with a short shelf-life.One of the retailers who requested anonymity claimed that NatPharm has only become a
dumping site for international donors who have brought products that are about to expire.

“Some of the products are expiring in February 2019. At the end of the day you get a lot of stock that is expired. Zimbabwe has just been reduced
to a dumping site by the donor community whose products have a short life,” he said. Portifa Mwendera, the PSZ’s president, however, told the Daily News this should not be a cause for concern since most of the medicines that NatPharm supplies are on high demand and are usually consumed in the short term.Daily News

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Issues Raised By Medical Doctors Are Legitimate- MDC A

 

HARARE – The MDC has slammed government’s decision to suspend more than 500 doctors over their strike which has crippled public hospitals and affected major medical procedures across the country.

This comes as provincial medical officers (PMOs) have joined the long strike in solidarity with their colleagues who have been pressing for improved working conditions and to be paid salaries in United States dollars.

Government, through the Health Services Board (HSB), recently suspended 530 doctors for continuing with their strike after the Labour Court made a ruling declaring the industrial action illegal.HSB suspended doctors for the next 14 days to pave way for investigations into allegations against them.

“The MDC has learnt with shock that the government has suspended at least 500 medical practitioners. This in the face of an already depleted work force in respect of which thousands have flocked out in search of greener pastures.

“In the United Kingdom alone more than 3 000 Zimbabwean doctors are employed there: way more than the total complement in the motherland.
“Issues being raised by the medical practitioners are legitimate and reasonable. The doctors want
the ratio between patients and clinical personnel reduced, drugs procured and health facilities
improved.

“All these are selfless demands meant to save the lives of Zimbabweans yet the government is
happy with a cosmetic appearance of doctors at work while unable to save lives let alone serve the patients,” MDC national spokesperson Jacob Mafume said.

“The scare tactics have angered the profession and every other practitioner initially not part of the
industrial action has joined in placing the lives of Zimbabweans in even worse risk.

MDC Spokesperson Jacob Mafume

The government must reverse these suspensions and negotiate in good faith,” Mafume
added.Daily News

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“I Never Killed Tongogara,” Oppah Muchinguri

Mrs Angelina Tongogara, the widow of national hero General Josiah Magama Tongogara, lays a wreath on her husband’s grave at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday. Looking on are Defence and War Veterans’ Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri (fourth from left), Acting Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Lieutenant-General Edzai Chimonyo (third from left), Major-General Douglas Nyikayaramba (left). Yesterday was the 39th anniversary of the Zanla Commander’s death.

Correspondent|SPEAKING at the 2018 annual commemoration of General Joasiah Tongogara’s death at the National Heroes Acre yesterday, Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri broke down as she narrated how the accident occurred.

Muchinguri-Kashiri was in the same vehicle as Gen Tongogara when he died in the accident, which occurred in Massinga District, Inhambane Province, Mozambique, on 26 December 1979.

The claim that Gen Tongogara was killed by fellow party members was escalated by the CIA through a briefing on December 28, 1979 and Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith who wrote in his memoirs that “Tongogara’s own people killed him”.

Social media platforms have lately also been awash with the claims against Muchinguri-Kashiri.

“I happened to be in the same car with him when the accident happened. There was a truck which was towing a trailer that was in front of our vehicle. The truck was in the middle of the road and heading in the same direction,” said the Defence Minister.

“As our driver was about to overtake, our vehicle was blocked by the trailer resulting with the accident that killed General Tongogara. I didn’t kill Tongogara,” she said.

She said history has been distorted for long and hence the need to set the record straight on the circumstances.

“General Tongogara hated, without mercy, all those who he regarded as standing in the way of the liberation of millions of down-trodden Zimbabweans.

“However, the question that will remain in the minds of many Zimbabwean present and future generations is who is this dreaded, fearless, great commander General Josiah Magama Tongogara?” she said.

“General Josiah Magama Tongogara, affectionately known as General Tongo during the Second Chimurenga, commanded Zanla, the military wing of the nationalist-oriented Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) party. He was also part of the Dare ReChimurenga and the High Command which directed the liberation struggle against the brutal and callous Ian Smith colonial regime,” she said.

“As I alluded earlier on, the general was involved in a fatal car accident which claimed his life on the 26th of December 1979 soon after the Lancaster House Agreement which gave birth to independent Zimbabwe,” she said.

Tongogara was born in Shurugwi on February 4, 1938.

The minister said Gen. Tongogara stood solidly by what he believed was right and never deviated from principle, in support of the leadership.

She said he was one of the Zanu cadres who strongly pushed for unity of the two liberation forces of Zipra and Zanla.

Acting Commander Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Lieutenant-General Edzayi Chimonyo also poured his heart out on the great loss Zimbabwe suffered as a result of the death of General Tongo.

He said he was the first person to open the door of the vehicle the general was travelling in.

“General Tongogara was a fearless, courageous, tough and firm but humane commander. His passing on at the dawn of Zimbabwe’s Independence was a great loss to Zimbabwe. As we gather here at this annual commemoration, we should take inspiration from his selfless sacrifice for Ihe independence of this great country,” said Lt-Gen Chimonyo.

“General Josiah Magama Tongogara will forever be remembered in the annals of our history as a great commander, unifier and strategist par excellence. We will always remember his great works and use lessons of the past in respect of his immense contribution to the struggle for our Independence to shape the future,” Lt-Gen Chimonyo said.

Gen. Tongogara’s widow, Angeline, her children and grandchildren, relatives and friends laid wreaths at the tomb of the national hero who has a major road in Harare named after him. The former KGVI Barracks were also recently renamed in his honour.

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PICTURES: Govt Boasts It Has Purchased USD 25million Worth Of Expired Drugs, Doctors Fume As They Expose This Scam

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Said Chiwenga: “Yes we have got this withdrawal of Labour by these doctors who are on Internship… and these are the ones who have withdrawn. What has happened and what they have said… the withdrawal of Labour was illegal.”

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Cde Bvondo Quits MDC Youth League

Correspondent|MDC Youth Assembly chairman Happymore Chidziva who turns 38 today is giving up leadership of the opposition party’s youth wing.

In a long statement marking his own 38th birthday today, Chidziva who is also the legislator for Highfieds West, regretted he had “not given much attention to my family and friends because I was called to serve the country.”

He added that he was no seeking re-election next year at the MDC congress as he felt it was time to pass on the baton to someone younger.

“This is my last term as the commander of this movement’s youth assembly, next year at congress I am passing the baton to a new generation. Nonetheless, I will remain youthful in mind and deeds and will carry on with the struggle at a position which the assembly will deploy me,” Chidziva said.

He added: “To our friends in the student movement, I am deeply grateful for your support over these years. I extend the same gratitude to our friends from civic society for the continued solidarity.

“All vendors and trade unions, I am so proud of you. You have been so resolute in pushing the people’s struggle forward. Your efforts will not go in vain, we shall be rewarded by the sweetness of a new Zimbabwe.

“Our friends from the Christian fraternity have been so crucial in our political journey, their prayers have saved us in some life threatening situations. For that, I pray that our God richly bless them.

“To my President Advocate Nelson Chamisa, I thank you for inspiring me and supporting me throughout in our efforts.”

Chidziva thanked his family and friends for their support, saying he was no longer a Chidziva son alone as he had a huge political constituency to serve as well.

“I acknowledge that I have not given much attention to my family and friends because I was called to serve the country. From the day I accepted to serve in the fight against dictorship in our quest for change, I ceased to be a Chidziva son alone. However, I always remember you and I deeply cherish your support.

“To the party leadership and membership, I am so proud to have all of you around in all your greatness. To the MDC Youth Assembly, I am extremely thankful to you my dear comrades. If it wasn’t because of you, I would be struggling to serve. I am happy and able to execute my responsibilities for I have comfort in your company.

“This year has been a year of many struggles, each day was met with a new struggle. I am glad that the challenges I faced gave me courage to tirelessly fight on until this nation is rescued from the jaws of poverty.

“My energy is renewed by challenges and no amount of intimidation, arrests an torture will defeat my spirit to fight for a just and democratic Zimbabwe.”

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Man Killed In Neighbourhood Attacked, Brother Recovering In Hospital

One man died early yesterday morning in Mufakose, Harare, while his brother is recovering from hospital after being waylaid at their home gate and attacked with empty bottles on their way from a beer drink.

Two men have been arrested in connection with the attack.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said investigations were still in progress.

“We are investigating a case in which two brothers were attacked at a gate to their house in Mufakose while they were coming from a beer drink at Samuriwo Business Centre,” he said.

Asst Comm Nyathi said when the brothers were at the gate, they saw two people, a woman and a man, sitting and questioned them.

This resulted in an altercation resulting with the man attacking the brothers with a broken empty bottle.

It is alleged that during the altercation, another man appeared from the darkness and joined in to attack the brothers.

They were later taken to Harare Central Hospital where one of the brothers died.

“A follow up was made, leading to the arrest of the suspects. They are still assisting police with investigations and we want to ascertain the motive behind the murder and attempted murder case,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

State Media

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Details Of Chamisa And Ramaphosa Meeting Emerge, Ramaphosa Asked To Mediate Talks With ED

SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa met Nelson Chamisa last week as the popular opposition leader sought help from SA over Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis.

Chamisa wants Ramaphosa to mediate in talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa at a time when Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic crisis in 10 years.

Zimbabwe’s economy has been in meltdown since the July 30 election Mnangagwa won with a razor-thin margin.

Chamisa, who commands wide support in Zimbabwe’s urban areas, has hotly disputed the poll outcome, refusing to accept Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as he insists he won the plebiscite.

Since the poll, Chamisa and Mnangagwa have failed to strike common ground, with the president ruling out working with the opposition.

In 2008, former SA president Thabo Mbeki negotiated a power-sharing agreement between Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) following a disputed poll, and many see a government of national unity as a solution to Zimbabwe’s quagmire.

The political stalemate has partly contributed to the economic crisis that has seen the country recording its worst inflation in 10 years while shortages of basic commodities such as fuel, medicines, foodstuffs and beverages have also become norm.

The economic crisis has also seen doctors working continuously for almost a month at a time as a resurfacing cholera outbreak continues to claim lives countrywide.

In a message he posted on Twitter this week, Chamisa said he had sought assistance from Ramaphosa over Zimbabwe’s challenges.

“A few days ago I had a fruitful meeting in Pretoria with my distinguished brother and fountain of wisdom the president of the republic of South Africa His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa on a wide range of urgent and important issues regarding the well being of the people of Zim,” he Tweeted.

In an interview with Business Day in Harare, MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the meeting sought to reach out to Mnangagwa.

“The economic and political crisis in Zimbabwe is worsening and what is important is that this affects our neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa. We feel that Zimbabwe is becoming a regional security threat because of the failure by Mnangagwa’s government to solve the political stalemate over his illegitimacy.

“The economic crisis has the effect of causing a burden to South Africa owing to the exodus of people that are fleeing the worsening economy. Mnangagwa has refused to listen to our concerns, so we felt it was better for us to meet President Ramaphosa to listen to our concerns and also to relay our message to Mnangagwa.

“The people of Zimbabwe continue to suffer, and as a party that was voted for by millions of people we will do what we can to offer solutions.”

Mafume said the meeting also touched on the recently completed commission of inquiry into post-election violence that killed six people.

The commission, chaired by former SA president Kgalema Motlanthe, concluded that Zimbabwe’s army was culpable for using excessive force while Chamisa’s supporters were also blamed for inciting violence.

The report also recommended compensation for victims of the violence.

— Business Day

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66 Year Old Gogo Axes Rapist

A 44-year-old Zimunya man has been arraigned before the courts for raping a 66-year-old woman in a midnight raid at her home.

Adam Kamupira of Nyamhere Village was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Tendai Mahwe.

He was remanded in custody to January 4 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

According to state papers, Kamupira went to the 66-year-old woman’s house on December 20 at 0300 hours and demanded that she opens the door.

She refused and he began to forcibly remove asbestos sheets that were used to cover her bedroom windows.

Realising that they would not keep him out, she grabbed an axe, opened the door and ran off.

Kamupira chased her down and grabbed her by the waist. She swung her axe and struck him on the forehead but could not stop him from raping her once.

He then fled into the darkness.

She made a police report leading to his arrest.

His forehead was swollen when he appeared before the magistrate.

— DailyNews

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Doctor’s Strike Moves A Notch Up, Albeit Chiwenga’s Unceremonious Visit To Pari

IN the latest standoff between the government and striking junior doctors, senior medical personnel have now joined the industrial action by their juniors — leading to the suspension of major procedures at public health institutions across the country.

This follows the government’s ill-advised recent decision to suspend 530 junior doctors over their industrial action which was declared illegal by the Labour Court.

In a statement over the Christmas holiday, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) said middle level and senior doctors had now also embarked on an industrial action with immediate effect.

“Negotiations for doctors and other health workers’ welfare take place in the Health Service Bipartite Negotiating Panel (HSBNP), guided by Statutory Instrument III of 2006.

“The employer has not taken this forum seriously and since 1 December, only three fruitless meetings have been held.

“To further show their lack of seriousness, the employer has failed to address issues, but instead taken the association to court and ordered members to resume work disgruntled,” ZHDA said.

“Our membership has stated firmly that they will not risk the lives of patients by working under duress … and will not return to work in potentially hazardous spaces.

“More so, the doctors did not receive their December salaries and are incapacitated to go to work. The response by the employer has been to suspend most of our members, pending hearings.

“This brutal, hard stance will not bring any fruit towards resolving the impasse, but instead is regressive,” ZHDA secretary-general Mthabisi Bhebhe said.

“Following this move, middle level and senior doctors in nine provinces have withdrawn their services and will only resume work when these members are reinstated and meaningful negotiations are underway.

“The Health Service Board is playing politics with the lives of our fellow countrymen, throwing a legal charade whilst failing to address the issues affecting our health sector.

“It is our view that the ministry and the Health Service Board have failed their mandate, and we hereby call for the dissolution of the Health Service Board and the setting up of an independent Health Service Commission,” Bhebhe added.

“We will only return to work when the government treats our health sector with the delicacy and professionalism it deserves,” he said further.

Junior doctors have been on strike for more than five weeks, protesting the severe shortages of pharmaceutical drugs at public hospitals, as well as the selling of available drugs in foreign currency by retail pharmacies among a host of other grievances.

The government this week responded to their strike by suspending without pay 530 doctors — following a recent ruling by the Labour Court which declared the industrial action illegal.

Bhebhe accused Health and Child Care minister Obadiah Moyo of “misleading” the nation on the state of the drugs situation at public hospitals.

Moyo, who was not picking up his calls yesterday when the Daily News tried to reach him, has claimed that the government now has stocks of drugs and other essentials used in the health delivery system.

“The said drugs which have been supposedly stocked at Natpharm have not reached any of our government institutions.

“If indeed the drugs and protective clothing are there, our members have made it clear that these should be seen at hospitals.

“This comes against a background of several promises of medicines and equipment made by the ministry since January this year, with none being fulfilled.

“In addition, the stated stocks will not last our institutions long and we have requested the ministry to set targets and provide time lines as to when the target stocks will be reached, but to no avail,” Bhebhe said.

He also accused the government of negotiating in “bad faith” on the issue of their salaries.

“According to the collective bargaining agreement 2 (CBA2) of March 2018, our salaries and allowances are pegged in United States dollars (USD).

“The employer has been countlessly breaching this CBA, firstly by applying it electively across the health workers … secondly by implementing it unfairly … and unilaterally slashing on-call allowances of middle level and senior doctors.

“The ministry did not heed our call to rectify these but has gone on to unilaterally decide to pay us in RTGS. This is a clear violation of the CBA and all we ask is the employer to honour the legally binding contract and pay us in US dollars,” Bhebhe said further.

— Daily News

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Zimbabweans Mock Chiwenga: “Why Did He Put On A Helmet Before Touring Hospitals And Natpharm During Doctors Strike?,” ZimEye Issues Clarification Of What Happened

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Dorrothy Moyo| Some Zimbabweans today mocked Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga for as they said, putting on a helmet before touring hospitals and the Natpharm warehouses. (SEE PICTURE BELOW)

ZimEye would like to clarify however that the helmet was worn at Natpharm, not at Parirenyatwa, and he was not the only person wearing a helmet.

Chiwenga today toured Natpharm and Parirenyatwa Hospital.

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VIDEO: Chiwenga Says Dismissed Doctors Are Just Students On Attachment

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Said Chiwenga: “Yes we have got this withdrawal of Labour by these doctors who are on Internship… and these are the ones who have withdrawn. What has happened and what they have said… the withdrawal of Labour was illegal.”

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I Owe My Success To Pure Platinum Play- Chinyengetere

Terrence Mawawa|Rodwell Chinyengetere is grateful for the opportunity he got at FC Platinum as the talented forward prepares to join his new club, Baroka FC, in January.

The reigning Soccer Star of the Year played his last game for the Zvishavane side over the weekend against AS Otoho D’ Oyo, helping the team reach the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

In an interview with NewsDay, Chinyengetere thanked the club for giving him an opportunity to revive his career after suffering a horrific injury that threatened to end his promising career prematurely.

“I am forever indebted to this team. They made me who I am today.

“It’s not easy to bestow your faith in someone coming from a serious injury, but they did that for me and I really appreciate,” he said.

The 30-year-old joined FC Platinum in 2015 and went on to win the player of the year award in 2017 before retaining it this year.

He also scooped the 2018 Golden Boot having netted 17 goals for the two-time PSL Champions. The performance earned him call-ups to the Warriors squad where he featured in the Afcon qualifiers against Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia.

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Kadewere Wary Of Stiff Competition In French Ligue 2

Terrence Mawawa|Tinotenda Kadewere has compared the Swedish top flight league to the French Ligue 2 and he feels the latter is more challenging.

The 22-year-old made a switch to Le Havre in France from Djurgaardens in the pre-season. He joined the team on a four-year contract but his debut was delayed due to injuries.

In an interview on Bleu Haute Normandie, a French radio, Kadewere said:
“Honestly, I think Ligue 2 is more difficult. Swedish football is tactical and technical, here it is but with a physical dimension and more. All the better, if you played and succeeded in Ligue 2, I think you can play anywhere. For me, Ligue 2 is the most difficult championship I have ever played in,” said Kadewere.

The Zimbabwean striker however, has managed to settle well and became a first team regular in recent games. He has scored three goals in all competitions so far.

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BREAKING – Chiwenga Says Fired Doctors Remain Dismissed, Says He’ll Recruit Recent Graduates to Replace the Dismissed Junior Doctors

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Dorrothy Moyo| Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy, Constantino Chiwenga today toured Natpharm and Parirenyatwa Hospital to assess the situation there. ZimEye is bringing a full update of the event. During the visit, Chiwenga insisted that junior doctors who defied a government order to return to work remain dismissed. He added that government is looking into recruit recent graduates to replace the dismissed junior doctors.- THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH…

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High Court Declares Withholding of Exam Results Unconstitutional

High court has declared unconstitutional the practice by some school authorities of withholding examination results for students as a way to induce payment of outstanding school fees.

High Court Judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi recently ruled that the refusal by authorities at Ihlathi High School in Bulawayo to release Ordinary Level examination results of a student over non-payment of school fees is unlawful and unconstitutional as it infringes on the
student’s constitutional rights enshrined in section 75 and 81 of the Constitution.

Justice Mathonsi also referred the matter to the Constitutional Court.

Justice Mathonsi granted the order after Prudence Moyo, who was represented by Bruce Masamvu of Dube-Tachiona Tsvangirai Legal Practitioners, in a matter supported by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, petitioned the High Court seeking the release of her
examination results, which had been withheld for two years after she wrote her examinations in 2015.

The school authorities had been withholding the examination results since the time they were released in early 2016 to induce payment of the outstanding school fees, which stood at $412.50.

In her application filed on 27 November 2018, Prudence argued that the school authorities’ refusal to release her examination results on the basis of failing to pay school fees is unconstitutional as it violates her constitutional right to education enshrined in Section 75 of the Constitution and the rights of children guaranteed under Section 81 of the Constitution.

Prudence also argued that the school authorities’ actions of withholding examination results were unlawful as they are not provided for by law and there were lawful ways upon which they could recover their unpaid fees.

The school authorities actions, Prudence argued, infringed her fundamental rights as she failed to progress with her education without her Ordinary Level examination results.

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Is Trevor Ncube Really Serious When He Says Only ED Can Transform Zim Economy?

 

Terrence Mawawa|Media mogul Trevor has been heavily criticised for sympathising with Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa but he insists he tell it as it is – regardless of people’s perceptions about his political affiliation.

Ncube has been subjected to widespread criticism after claiming only Mnangagwa has the capacity to revive the economy.

Ncube argued:”I get attacked for having faith in @edmnangagwa ‘s sincerity in changing Zim. I
perfectly understand why some people are angry with me.

I have met the man and am
convinced he is committed to durable change.In any case I can’t see anybody else with potential to deliver change.”

“Spending time in my second home SA I get asked: how are things in Zim? Answer : Life is tough. I am not worried. I am confident this is temporary turbulance of reversing 38 yrs of corruption/autocracy and doing nothing. I see the challenges. I am optimistic about long term progress,” added Ncube.

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Patients Stranded, As Gvnt, Junior Doctors Stalemate Continues

By Own Correspondent| Patients in dire need of medical assistance have been left stranded following the current stalemate between junior doctors and their employer.

A visit to the country’s largest referral hospital Parirenyatwa exposed how the institution is only attending to emergencies and turning away patients owing to the unavailability of doctors.

Nurses at the hospital confirmed off camera the worsening crisis which is affecting even the mortuary as doctors are the only ones who can certify deaths.

Said Gregory Nyirangu from Budiriro in Harare:

“Government should urgently address the plight of doctors because the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to health.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised to give us quality health care but he is reneging on that promise barely a year into office.”

Another citizen Patricia Mhikonyu whose 10 year old daughter broke her leg said the dire situation was pushing her to seek treatment at private hospitals.

“My daughter is in pain and i have no option but to go to the private doctors who are preferring US dollars for their services.

My message to the current administration is that they should either shape up or ship out.”

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Can The Song Kanjiva Be Blamed For Sparking Sexist Tendencies

 

Terrence Mawawa|A Dangamvura man was arrested and fined $20 after being found guilty of indecent assault as defined in section 67 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.

However the big question is whether the song can be blamed for sparking sexual harassment?

The man, identified as Godwin Dzimbasekwa pleaded guilty to the charges.He allegedly grabbed a 13-year old girl by the
waist and called her “Kanjiva”.

Dzimbasekwa is thought to have been drunk when the incident occurred. He claimed that he used the ‘Kanjiva’ word after a verbal altercation with the teenage girl. ‘Kanjiva’ is the title of a popular song by Zimdancehall artist Enzo.

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Pharmacies Raise The Flag Over The Supply Of “Short Shelf Life” Drugs

By Own Correspondent| Pharmarcies here have  raised the flag acussing the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) of supplying medicines with a short shelf life to the retail sector.

A retailer who spoke to a local publication on condition of anonymity revealed that a lot of supplied drugs are expiring in February 2019.

Said the source:

“Some of the products are expiring in February 2019. At the end of the day, you get a lot of stock that is expired. Zimbabwe has just been reduced to a dumping site by the donor community whose products have a short life.”

The Pharmacdcreutical Society of Zimbabwe (PSZ) president Portia Mwendera however said this should not be of concern since most of the said medicines are on high demand and are usually consumed in the short term.

She said:

“NatPharm has a limited portfolio of medicines that they make available to the retail sector. These include diabetic medicines (insulin) and antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. They also have some lines that industry has noted are expiring in the next year; these include GSK products, Zinnat and Augmentics which are expiring in the short term.

This is not much of concern as these medicines are likely to be used in the short term.”-DailyNews

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“I Am Not Zanu PF,” Claims Obert Gutu As He Insists Chamisa Will Never Rule Zim

 

Terrence Mawawa|Controversial MDC deputy president, Obert Gutu denies he is a Zanu PF sympathiser but he maintains MDC A leader Nelson Chamisa will never rule Zimbabwe.

Gutu argued the MDC A leader never got 2,6 million votes?

Obert Gutu says ZANU PF has mandate to rule.

“Where did you get the 2,6 million figure Musanyeberwa! Dzungu hakusi kungwara!…Lol

A handful of people simply can’t stomach cold, hard facts. They remain locked up in denial, trapped in a pervasive and depressing world of
hatred, malice and delusional fantasies.

There’s absolutely no gain without pain.Zimbabwe will and is, indeed, turning the corner. FACT,” tweeted Gutu.

“Dream on!! When your nightmare is over, you will wake up !! Ku State House kure….Lol”

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Mnangagwa Epitomises Typical Failure: Biti

 

Terrence Mawawa|MDC A national deputy chairperson Tendai Biti has described Zanu PF president Emmerson Mnangagwa as a clueless leader who has redefined failure.

“Thanks to Emmerson and that terrible iniquity known as #ZANU this year’ s Christmas is stolen and hijacked.

The citizen has no cash,no
fuel,no basic commodities,not even sodas or cordials.Things were terrible under #Mugabe but Emmerson has redefined

Tendai Biti

#StateFailure .He is #failure itself,” tweeted Biti.

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LATEST – Chiwenga Tours Natpharm and Pari

ZimEye brings our viewers, readers and listeners an update of Emmerson Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga and Hon Minister of Health and Child Care Dr O Moyo’s tours of Natpharm and Parirenyatwa Hospitals.

Chuwenga toured the premises Thursday afternoon to get an overview of drugs arriving in the country.

Time:12:00
Date: 27.12.18
Venue: Natpharm, Parirenyatwa.

REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH

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ZIMRA Claims Zim Has The Best Tax Policies In Southern Africa

 

Terrence Mawawa| The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has claimed Zimbabweans are not highly taxed as indicated by some sections of society.

Most of these taxes compare favourably with the rest of Sub-Saharan countries, Zimra Commissioner General Ms Faith Mazani, claimed this last week while fielding questions after unpacking the Authority’s five-year strategy
(2019-2023).

Ms Mazani said Zimbabwe has a lower corporate tax rate of 25 percent while South Africa and Swaziland charge 27 percent.
Similarly, at 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT), Harare is at par with South Africa.

This comes in the wake of a failing economy with hard-pressed Zimbabweans accusing the authority of pouncing on hapless citizens to boost its revenue base.

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Dangamvura Man Fined For Calling 13Yr Old Girl “Kanjiva”

By Own Correspondent| A Dangamvura man was fined $20 after being found guilty of indecent assault as defined in section 67 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.

The man identified as Godwin Dzimbasekwa admitted to grabbing a 13-year old girl by the waist and calling her “Kanjiva”.

Dzimbasekwa is thought to have been drunk when the incident occurred. He claimed that he used the ‘Kanjiva’ word after a verbal altercation with the teenage girl.

‘Kanjiva’ is the title of a popular song by a Zimdancehall artist-DailyNews.

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Terence Mukupe Eyes Zanu Pf Chairmanship In Harare, Says His Party Is Unpopular In The Cities Because Of A Failed Economy

By Own Correspondent| Former depity minister of Finance Terence Mukupe has revealed that he is eyeing Harare province chairmanship or standing as legislator for either Zvimba or Gutu constituencies in 2023.

Mukupe, who lost dismally in the July 30 harmonised polls to opposition deputy national chairperson Tendai Biti said he would rather contest in rural constituencies than for an urban seat because his brand Zanu Pf was not popular in cities owing to the state of the economy.

Said Mukupe, in a tweet:

“My new year’s resolution, its either i contest to chair Zanu Pf Harare province or i run for one of the Zvimba or Gutu constituencies in 2023.”

Responding to a question from one Shepherd Tembo querying why he was not going to contest the Harare East seat, Mukupe said:

“Nothing wrong with it. The brand not in good shape because of the economy period….”

https://twitter.com/tmukupe/status/1077810608022667264?s=19

https://twitter.com/tmukupe/status/1077822453827686400?s=19

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Met Says There’ll Be Low Rains January – March

The Meteorological Service Department says the country should expect normal to below normal rainfall patterns from January to March 2019.

The predictions are key in helping farmers to plan and make informed decisions this farming season.

Meteorological Service Department Spokesperson, Mr Tich Zinyemba said there is a 40 percent probability that Zimbabwe will receive normal rainfall in the forthcoming three months.- state media

He added that there is also a 35 percent probability of below normal rains, while chances of receiving above normal rains are at 25 percent.

Mr Zinyemba promised that his department will continue to update the nation on the rainfall patterns to assist farmers in planning.

The Meteorological Services Department issued about 1500 special community radios to different communities in order to keep the citizenry abreast of weather patterns which is critical to farmers.

A regional focus has however, predicted a normal to below normal in the 2018-19 rain season.

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“Mnangagwa Is Sincere About Change”- Why Did He Rig Elections?

“What kind of leaders would the armed struggle throw up?” Was the rhetorical question Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, and the other leaders asked themselves.

“And are those the men and women we would want to rule India?”

Writes Patrick Guramatunhu:

India did not wage an armed struggle to end British rule and when the country finally gained her independence the nation ripped its reward – it had competent men and women humble enough to accept that they are fallible mortals.

Nehru and others embraced the democratic ethos that every citizen has right to a meaningful say in who governed the country. And, more significant, embraced the possibility that armed struggle leaders would be tempted to impose their will on the unarmed civilians.

Zimbabwe’s armed struggle forced the white colonialists to give up power but only to for the liberators to set themselves up as the new oppressors. “Zanu PF yakashungunura nyika akashungirira vanhu!” (Zanu PF liberated the country but not the people!) as my late mother would say.

Our war of independence did throw up leaders who believe that they have the divine right to rule Zimbabwe as they saw fit.

“We are the stockholders of Zimbabwe and everyone else is a stakeholder!” said Victor Matemadanda. He was expressing a view passionately held by Zanu PF members and the war veterans.

As stockholders, they have the veto, exemplified by Zanu PF’s dictatorial powers to rig elections to guarantee no regime change.

We, ordinary people, the stakeholders, have the meaningless vote as elections were routinely rigged to deliver Zanu PF landslide victories.

The root cause of Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems is the country’s failure to remove Zanu PF from office even when there was overwhelming evidence the party’s leaders were corrupt and incompetent.

The corollary is equally true; the only solution to Zimbabwe’s economic and political problems is stopping Zanu PF rigging elections to ensure free, fair and credible election.

In other words, the one change the nation has been dying for these last 38 years is to have democratic reforms designed to stop Zanu PF rigging elections implemented. Without free and fair elections all hope of a just and peaceful political system and economic recovery and prosperity will remain a pipedream!

“I am aware that many will have a difficult Christmas,” Mnangagwa acknowledge in his Christmas message to the nation. “I encourage all of us to be patient, resilient and to work harder in collective unity, as we create a better, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe for all.”

This is all wishful thinking of course Mnangagwa has just rigged the recent elections and thus failed to deliver on the one change without which there will never be any meaningful political and economic change.

For the last 38 years, Zanu PF has promised the nation a better life and yet years after year the situation has got worse and worse. Mnangagwa is asking the nation to be patient. Patient for five more years of heart-breaking human misery whilst Zanu PF blundering from pillar to post!

And worst of all, Mnangagwa is asking the people of Zimbabwe to be patient and let him remain in office until 2023. If Zanu PF remained in power until 2023 we can be 100% certain the party will rig those elections to extend its rule by yet another five years!

The people of Zimbabwe should have never allowed Zanu PF thugs to deny them their birth-right to a meaningful vote. We have allowed the thugs to ride roughshod over our freedoms and rights and have paid dearly for our folly and after 38 years, with the nation in a real economic and political mess the cry to end the madness of appeasing Zanu PF thugs is deafening. Sadly there a few who still want to appease Zanu PF thugs!

“I get attacked for having faith in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sincerity in changing Zimbabwe,” twittered Trevor Ncube, CEO and owner of NewsDay, The Standard and Zimbabwe Independent newspapers.

“I perfectly understand why some people are angry with me. I have met the man and am convinced he is committed to durable change. In any case I can’t see anybody else with potential to deliver change.”

No Mr Ncube, you think you understand what is going on here but actually you have no clue. Let us just consider three key points:

1. Your faith in Mnangagwa’s commitment to deliver durable change is clearly misplaced. The only durable change in Zimbabwe has to start with implementing the democratic reforms and holding free, fair and credible elections. Mnangagwa has stubbornly refused to implement even one reform since taking over from Mugabe and then blatantly rig the 2018 elections. He did not stop there, he went on even further to shoot dead six civilians, just to underline that he would shed even more innocent blood in his resolve to hang on to power at all cost.

Lest we forget, Mnangagwa and his junta staged a military coup for the sole purpose of wrestling power from Mugabe and the the G40 faction. And before the coup it was Mnangagwa and his junta who had played the major role in creating and retaining the Zanu PF dictatorship. Mnangagwa has no intention of dismantling the dictatorship and the commitment to change. What Mr Ncube is talking about is delusion.

2. “I can’t see anybody else with potential to deliver change!” Of all the feeble excuses that takes the biscuit. So because Ncube cannot see anyone else capable of delivering change he going to support a corrupt and murderous tyrant whose actions has already proven beyond all doubt that he does not want change!

3. The political environment in Zimbabwe is like a lifeless sewage pond and hence the reason there are no quality leaders on either side of the political divide.

The way forward is for country to appoint an interim administration whose number one task will be to implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU.

The reforms will free state institutions like ZEC, Police and Judiciary to play their part in delivering free, fair and credible elections. The reforms will also end the present culture of stifle debated and democratic competition, this will air the pond to allow life to return and thrive.

Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF junta rigged the recent elections. They have no mandate to govern. They are illegitimate. They must step down.

Fighting in the liberations war is no excuse for Zanu PF thugs to grant unto themselves the dictatorial powers to deny the ordinary Zimbabweans their birth-right to a meaningful say in the governance of the country.

It is tragic that this tyrannical mentality was ever allowed to take root in Zimbabwe and to last all these last 38 years. It must be stamped out immediately!

What Zimbabwe needs right now is man, men, woman or women who will stand-up and look Mnangagwa and his junta straight in the eyes and tell them in no uncertain terms that they are illegitimate and must step down!

“All right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I’ll tear them apart!” said the cowardly lion in Wizard of Oz. Next line he was asking everyone “Talk me out of it!”

We are looking for a courageous lion and we got someone worse that the cowardly lion!

“I have faith in Mnangagwa’s sincerity to deliver change!” says Trevor Ncube. Zimbabwe’s dandy-lion has not only talked himself out of standing up to ED but is now talking us all to follow his cowardly and foolish example!

After 38 years of appeasing Zanu PF thugs at the cost of dragging the whole nation right up to the very edge of the abyss; it is time to say enough is enough.

It is time for this nation to deal with its thorny problems and end the heart breaking human suffering and deaths brought on by our failure to accept that our war of independence did throw up corrupt, incompetent and tyrannical leaders whom we have foolishly rewarded with absolute power.

Mnangagwa and his junta are illegitimate and they must step down; this is not negotiable!

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Deputy Minister Of Industry And Trade Raj Modi Says American Company Is Set To Invest In Zimbabwe

By Own Correspondent| The state media reports that Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Raj Modi said that an American company has expressed interest in investing in different sectors of the country’s economy.

Modi said this was revealed by the US Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Brian Nichols during a closed door meeting they had at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex in Bulawayo.

Said Modi

I had a meeting with the US Ambassador and we discussed a number of issues including Zimbabwe’s economic recovery and how they can help us to empower our youths.

Regarding investment, the Ambassador said an American company called GE Hydro is planning to invest millions of dollars in Zimbabwe.

This is a welcome development and I assured them that the new Government is committed to the country’s economic recovery and we’re gradually working on it. It will not happen overnight.

… Ambassador Nichols said about $230 million has been set aside by his country for Zimbabwe for various sectors of the economy, which include health targeting the mitigation of cholera and HIV.

He said the American Embassy’s economic section is very busy with investors calling to inquire about investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.-StateMedia

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Four Notorious Masvingo Robbers Arrested

By Own Correspondent| Police in Masvingo have arrested four suspected robbers on Sunday.

The four are alleged to have been involved in numerous cases of breaking into houses and vehicles and stealing electrical gadgets in and around Masvingo.

Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Chief Inspector Charity Mazula said:

“We have arrested four suspects linked to a spate of housebreaking, theft and unlawful entry cases.

They were committing these offences in Mucheke, Rujeko and Runyararo West suburbs.

In residential areas, the quartet would use iron bars to force open doors during the wee hours of the night and get away with different types of property.

Indications are that they may have started stealing a long time ago. In addition, they also pounced on motorists and raided them.

… We want to warn would-be criminals that the long arm of the law will always deal with them. We have deployed enough details to ensure there is peace throughout the festive season.”-StateMedia

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Teen Armed Robber Arrested

By Own Correspondent| A 15 year old boy doing Form Three at Sizane High School in Bulawayo allegedly stole his mother’s gun and teamed up with a teenage friend to commit an armed robbery.

Police suspect the duo could have robbed more people who are yet to report.

The teenagers, who cannot be named because they are minors, allegedly wanted to raise money for Christmas when they committed the crime around 5am on Christmas Eve.

They allegedly pointed the gun at Mr Jonathan Macdonald in Bradfield suburb and got away with $35.

Residents effected a citizen’s arrest on the boy who stole the gun, minutes after the robbery while his friend is still at large.

The teen who escaped is suspected to have later thrown the gun into the yard at his arrested friend’s home where it was recovered.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango said the boys waylaid the victim while he was on his way to work.

Said Inspector Simango:

“We’ve arrested a 15- year -old boy who was brought to the police station by members of the public. The boy is suspected to have been working with another teenager who escaped from the scene. What we are told is that the two teenagers produced a gun on a man who was on his way to work at about 5am.

The boys are said to have produced a gun and pointed it at the man and demanded cash from him. Their victim surrendered $35 he had.”

She said after the robbery, their victim boarded a pirating Honda Fit and alerted its driver that he had just been robbed.

Chief Insp Simango said the Honda Fit driver and another passenger decided to drive around and look for the two teenagers.

“The older robber suspected to be between the ages of 16 and 19 and who had a gun managed to escape but the 15- year -old was apprehended. The teen was brought to one of our police stations where he is now being held as investigations are progressing,” said Chief Insp Simango.

She said police have since launched a manhunt for the other teenager who escaped from the scene.

Chief Insp Simango said the arrested boy revealed that they both reside in Pumula suburb.

She said he had told police that they had been in town since Sunday night hoping to rob people of cash and their valuables.

“It seems they failed to rob anyone in the city and they decided to go to Bradfield where they met their victim. Those who might have fallen victim to the two robbers should come forward.”-StateMedia.

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ZIMRA Boss Faith Mazani Says Zimbabweans Are Not Highly Taxed

Faith Mazani

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) says contrary to reports that Zimbabweans are highly taxed, the country’s tax thresh hold compares favourably with the taxes in most of the Sub Saharan countries.

Zimra Commissioner General Ms Faith Mazani, said Zimbabweans are not highly taxed as claimed by some sections of society.

She said this last week while fielding questions after unpacking the Authority’s five-year strategy (2019-2023).

Ms Mazani said Zimbabwe has a lower corporate tax rate of 25 percent while South Africa and Swaziland charge 27 percent. Similarly, at 15 percent Value Added Tax (VAT), Harare is at par with South Africa.

She said:

“If we look at the effective tax rates, Zimbabwe is not taxed any higher than any other country.

I will give you an example of corporate tax. I remember when I was in Swaziland; we reduced the company tax from 28 percent to be like South Africa on 27 percent.

So South Africa and Swaziland are on 27 percent and we are on 25 percent corporate tax, and that’s lower. It actually compares favourably with Sub-Saharan Africa countries as well. So it’s not true that Zimbabweans are taxed higher.”-StateMedia

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“I Didn’t Kill Tongogara”: Muchinguri Kashiri

Josiah Magama Tongogara

By Own Correspondent| Defence Minister and Zanu Pf Chairperson Oppah Zvipange Muchinguri-Kashiri has dismissed claims that the late Zimbabwe National Liberation Army (ZANLA) forces commander, General Josiah Magama Tongogara was assassinated by his colleagues.

Tongogara died on 26 December 1979 in a car crash in Mozambique on the eve of the country’s independence.

He was in the company of a driver and Muchinguri who was his secretary.

The former Prime Minister of Rhodesia, Ian Smith claimed that Tongogara was killed by his own people, a view corroborated by the American spy agency, the Central Intelligence Agency.

Speaking at the 2018 annual commemoration of Tongogara’s death at the National Heroes’ Acre yesterday, Muchinguri-Kashiri said:

“I happened to be in the same car with him when the accident happened. There was a truck which was towing a trailer that was in front of our vehicle.

“(The truck was in the middle of the road and heading in the same direction.

As our driver was about to overtake, our vehicle was blocked by the trailer resulting in the accident that killed Cde Tongogara. I didn’t kill Tongogara.”

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“NGOs Plot To Force Mnangagwa And Chamisa Into GNU”: State Media

Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition members march through the streets of Harare demanding electoral reforms

By Own Correspondent| Non governmental organisations led by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) are working with 6 Western nationals to force President Mnangagwa into a unity Government with opposition political parties or to set up a transitional authority, the state media has reported.

The six foreigners allegedly convened a week-long workshop at a private lodge in Harare earlier this month where they came up with strategies to incite Zimbabweans to revolt against President Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government.

The workshop was reportedly coordinated by CiZC chairperson Mr Rashid Mahiya and a committee member, Mr Pride Mukono, from December 3 to 7 under the theme: “The Crisis of Legitimacy in Zimbabwe.”

When contacted for a comment, CiZC spokesman Mr Tabani Moyo denied that there was such a meeting.

State media quotes a source who attended the alleged meeting saying:

“The six regime change strategists from the United States, Germany, Spain and Switzerland facilitated the workshop at which the NGOs were promised more funding “if they show maturity in organising their programmes as one entity. The agenda of the meeting was to force the Zanu-PF Government into a GNU or a so-called Transitional Authority and they agreed that the only way to achieve that was through rallies, demonstrations and media manipulation.

Their belief is that these activities will result in the generality of Zimbabweans revolting against President Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government.”-StateMedia

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7 Chinese Nationals Possessing Rhino Horns Worth $1million Nabbed

Rhino

By Own Correspondent| Seven Chinese nationals were arrested in Victoria Falls after they were found in possession of more than 20kg of rhino horn pieces with a combined value of close to $1 million.

Zeng Dengui (35), Peicon Jang (35), Liu Cheng (23), Yu Xian (25), Yong Zhu (25), Chen Zhiangfu (30) and Qui Jinchang (29) were arrested following a search at their rented house in Aerodrome suburb on Sunday morning.

The rhino pieces were allegedly hidden in plastic bags and boxes. Police received a tipped off and applied for a search warrant before raiding the house on Sunday morning. The total value of the rhino horn pieces is $938 700.

The seven were remanded in custody to Thursday next week when they appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Rangarirai Gakanje yesterday.

They were not formally charged with contravening Section 45(1) (b) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14 As read with Section 128(b) of the same Act. The sections criminalise keeping, possessing, selling or disposing of any live specially protected animal, meat or trophy of any such animal.-StateMedia

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Minister Who Bought Snow Graders Promises To Punish Corrupt ZESA Bosses

Joram-Gumbo
The minister engaged in the corruption of buying useless snow graders for Zim roads, the minister of Energy and Power Development, Joram Gumbo, has said a forensic audit report into the operations of Zesa Holdings is now complete and managers implicated in corruption and abuse of office will be punished.

Gumbo said the Zesa managers cleared by the PriceWaterhouse (PWC) audit report will soon resume their duties. About 20 Zesa managers were sent on mandatory leave in October to pave way for the audit. Minister Gumbo yesterday said auditors will present and defend their findings to him next week. Gumbo said,”There was a forensic audit that was instituted this year and the report is now out. It will be presented to me officially during the first week of January by the Auditor-General’s Office together with PWC.

“After that I will then brief the President and recommendations from the audit will be implemented. For the forensic (audit) to be instituted, there was a lot which was said in the ministry and it touched on several names. The audit will help to clear those who are innocent and also for the law to take its course on any wrongdoing that might have occurred. Those found guilty will be dealt with in terms of the law.”- state media

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Roadblock Accident: Truck Rams Into Police Officers

Truck soon after the accident
Seven people including a traffic police officer were injured while six vehicles were extensively damaged after a truck driver rammed into vehicles at a roadblock near Kwekwe along Bulawayo-Harare Highway.

The truck whose brakes failed as it approached the roadblock, collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle and then crashed into vehicles that had been stopped by police at the roadblock.

Witnesses said the truck ploughed into vehicles that were being attended to by police officers at the roadblock resulting in a pile up.

Deputy Officer Commanding Kwekwe District superintendent Kingston Mushawembiri confirmed the incident and said the injured were ferried to Kwekwe District Hospital.

“On December 21 at around 2:35PM, Luckmore Mbofana was driving a 7- tonne truck along the Harare –Bulawayo highway towards Kwekwe.

“Upon approaching the 216 kilometre peg where there was a police roadblock, Mbofana whose truck was carrying steel bars, failed to stop the vehicle after its brakes failed,” said supt Mushawembiri.

He said Mbofana’s truck collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle before ramming into other vehicles that had been stopped by police at the roadblock.

There was a pile up which resulted in people being injured and vehicles damaged.

“Constable Tonderai Dapira who was manning the roadblock was hit by drums and he sustained injuries on his left leg and bruises all over the body. He is admitted to Kwekwe Hospital where he is said to be in a stable condition,” said Supt Mushawembiri.

The other six are said to have been treated and discharged at the same hospital on the same day.

Supt Mushawembiri said Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) officers were still carrying out investigations and further information would be released in due course.

Meanwhile, in Mbizo, a woman who was waiting to board commuter omnibus died upon admission to Kwekwe Hospital after she was hit by a vehicle that veered off the road.

Police confirmed the death of Ms Theodora Mushoriwa after being hit by a vehicle as she waited for transport to work.

She has since been buried at Msasa Park Cemetery.-state media

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Mnangagwa Report Says 6 Westerners Are Working to Force ED to Unite with Chamisa in a GNU

The Emmerson Mnangagwa controlled atate media reports claiming that 6 Western nationals were found working with local non-governmental organisations led by Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe (CCiZ) to force President Mnangagwa into a unity Government with opposition political parties or to set up a transitional authority.

The foreigners are alleged to have convened a week-long workshop at a private lodge in Harare earlier this month. It is there where the state Media claims that they came up with strategies to incite Zimbabweans to revolt against ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government.

The ZANU PF media report further alleges that the workshop was coordinated by CCiZ chairperson Mr Rashid Mahiya and a committee member, Mr Pride Mukono, from December 3 to 7 under the theme: “The Crisis of Legitimacy in Zimbabwe.”

When contacted for a comment, CCiZ spokesman Mr Tabani Moyo denied that there was such a meeting.

The state media quotes a source who attended the alleged meeting saying:

The six so called strategists from the United States, Germany, Spain and Switzerland facilitated the workshop at which the NGOs were promised more funding “if they show maturity in organising their programmes as one entity. The agenda of the meeting was to force the Zanu-PF Government into a GNU or a so-called Transitional Authority and they agreed that the only way to achieve that was through rallies, demonstrations and media manipulation. Their belief is that these activities will result in the generality of Zimbabweans revolting against President Mnangagwa and the Zanu-PF Government. – state media

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PSL Calendar Changing In 2020

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) Annual General Meeting held on the 16th of December 2018 resolved that the 2019 PSL football season will kick off in March 2019 as per current league format. The ZIFA congress further resolved that the Premier soccer league (PSL) will engage stakeholders on the proposal to shift the kick off dates to August as recommended by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). In pursuant to the above, at our first Executive Committee meeting on the 21st of December 2018, PSL was therefore directed to come up with a road map on their stakeholder engagement process on the proposed shift with a view to implement the proposal in 2020. It is our view that the proposal will be deliberated upon at our 2019 Annual General meeting set for early next year to afford members ample time to plan well ahead.- Soccer24

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Premier Soccer League Player Transfer Update

Terrence Mawawa|Triangle United have approached Chicken Inn pertaining to signing midfielder Collins Dhuwa- who is on loan at the Low Veld side from the Gamecocks- permanently.

According to Chronicle, the Sugar Boys now want the 26-year old on a permanent deal.

The attacking midfielder who joined Chicken Inn in July 2017 from Shabanie Mine played a key role during his first loan spell at United by helping the Lowveld side win the Chibuku Super Cup.

Chicken Inn secretary-general Tawengwa Hara confirmed to the newspaper that Triangle has sent in an inquiry on having Duhwa on a permanent deal.

“Triangle United have inquired about the availability of Collins Duhwa, but a decision is yet to be made. At the moment we are seized with pursuing players that the coaches had identified and we’re happy with the progress we’ve made by securing some of our targets,” said Hara.

The secretary-general also said that they will not stand in the way of Dhuwa should he decide to remain at Triangle.

“It is the technical team that will have to decide whether they need Duhwa back or not. Remember, Chicken Inn FC doesn’t stand in the way of players should they wish to move but that should be done above board,” he added.

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Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri Breaks Down Narrating The Late General Josiah Magama Tongogara’s Death

By Own Correspondent| Defence minister Oppah Zvipange Muchinguri Kashiri today broke down narrating the events of the late General Josiah Magama Tongogara.

Exactly 39 years after the death of General Tongogara, Muchingiri revealed fresh details as to what transpired before and after the death of the ZANLA commander.

An emotionally charged atmosphere characterised the 39thanniversary of the death of General Tongogara but the gathering was fortunate to hear testimonies from Muchinguri Kashiri and the Acting Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, Lieutenant General Edzayi Chimonyo.

The two were together on the 26thof December 1979 when General Tongogara tragically died on his way from Mozambique after successfully liberating Zimbabwe from colonial shackles.

The story that has been told to the nation and the world was that the General had died in an accident.

How that accident happened has however remained a mystery for close to four decades.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri was in the same vehicle in which General Tongogara was travelling in but for 39 years, she has been holding dearly to the secrets surrounding the General’s death.

She said she even tried to tell her story through a book but it was taken away from her by the former President Robert Mugabe in the presence of the then security chiefs; General Solomon Mujuru and Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai.

According to Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri, the fateful journey started with an argument between the late General Tongogara and Cde Robert Mugabe who was insisting that the former’s staff must fly back to Zimbabwe but General Tongo successfully demanded to travel with his entourage by road.

Along the way, they had three separate tire punctures, said Cde Muchinguri Kashiri, who broke down as she narrated the events.

As she carried on, she clearly put the record straight, saying history has been distorted for long.

Lieutenant General Chimonyo also poured his heart out, saying he was the first person to open the door of the vehicle the General was travelling in.

General Tongogara was born on the 4th of February 1938 in Shurugwi.

He received military training at Kafue or Chimbichimbi in Zambia and then Naching in China.

A member of the Dare ReChimurenga, the late General Tongo died on his way back to Zimbabwe after the Lancaster House Conference.-StateMedia

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Top Award For Warriors Defender

Terrence Mawawa| Warriors defender Alec Mudimu was named Sports Personality of the Year at the Zimbabwe Young Achievers awards – UK edition held on Sunday.

The ZYA awards were created to celebrate the talent Zimbabweans are demonstrating in the UK.

Mudimu who plays for Welsh side Cefn Druids was a key figure both at his club and in the national team’s Afcon campaign as well as the Cosafa triumph. The 21-year-old helped the Warriors retain the COSAFA trophy at the regional competition held in June in South Africa.

“I want to thank everyone who took time out to vote and support me, this is amazing! It’s not all been rainbows and flowers, my close people will know the hard work that has gone into making this year great. Thank you again,” said the centre-back while accepting his award.

Meanwhile, Druids congratulated Mudimu, saying: “Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Alec on this award, we’re happy that his hard work and determination on and off the pitch has been recognised.

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Togarepi’s Threats Of Violence Reflect Typical Zanu PF Culture Of Intolerance- Chitando

 

Terrence Mawawa|Zanu PF youth league leader Pupurai Togarepi’s threats of unleashing violence against perceived opponents reflect the typical Zanu PF culture of intolerance, political analyst Jeffryson Chitando has said.

Read Chitando’s argument below: “In most cases when someone has failed to present facts he/she turns to violence.

Zimbabweans must never be surprised by Zanu PF Youth chairperson Pupurayi Togarepi’s statements that in 2019 the ruling party will turn resort to violence to muzzle political foes.

How can Zanu PF explain the economic situation in the country?How can Zanu PF explain the deteriorating living standards to their supporters without instilling fear by beating members of the opposition?

Zanu PF has no answers to what is going on in the country. The fuel queues are giving them sleepless nights.The cheap lies about fuel shortages do not hold water.

The prices of commodities are beyond the reach of many.The people of Zimbabwe will not take the sanctions propaganda for they compare Mugabe era to the so called new despensation –all under same conditions.

The people are openly declaring that the Mugabe era was much better than the Mnangagwa era.

Togarepi must be warned that his reckless statements are not good for the nation.Togarepi must behave like an adult.

An eye for eye makes the nation blind.Zanu PF must take responsibility for the polarization this country has ever lived in since 1980.The violence which Zanu PF has perpetrated from Gukurahundi to 2008 Presidential runoff killings has divided this nation and will take time to heal.

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VIDEO: Is Jonathan Moyo Now Supporting Mnangagwa?, But Athlete Is Running Opposite Direction

By Dorrothy Moyo| The exiled former minister of higher education Jonathan Moyo, raised eyebrows when he on his micro blogging portal posted the below video which some alleged, shows that he is now supporting Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The video shows a young athlete running by the name Robert Mugabe.

They run very fast with their baton stick going ahead of everyone, and quickly hand over to the next person. The successor that then takes the baton and begins his own sprint. They run ahead of everyone else. However it turns out that they are running in the opposite direction. An instructor then sets off after the second athlete in order to assist him change the course of direction. The clip ends in The Chase with nothing being achieved. The video is thus an illustration of how the successor instead of continuing in the race journey, began running in the opposite direction. THE VIDEO IS BELOW:

 

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MDC Limpompo Province Endorses Chamisa Presidency For 2023 Polls

Terrence Mawawa| The MDC A Limpopo Province has endorsed party leader Nelson Chamisa for the 2023 plebiscite.

See the MDC A Limpopo Province statement: “2018 was a hectic and sour year to  Zimbabweans.In 2018 Mnangagwa and Zanu PF stole the  people’s victory by rigging the  elections . In 2018 we learnt  that if you rig an  election you cannot  rig the  economy .

2018 was a year of sleeping in bank  queues and fuel queues .2018 was a year of endless woes. As Limpopo District we will remain resolute and we  will fight hard to revive the economy.

Limpopo will remain royal to President Advocate Chamisa and MDC Alliance partners .Limpopo has. already endorsed Adv Chamisa as 2023 MDC Presidential candidate.

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MDC Unfazed By Threats To Arrest Advocate Chamisa

 

Terrence Mawawa| The main opposition party MDC A, says it is unfazed by threats to arrest its leader Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

Part of the MDC A statement reads:”While the few who managed to, were stunned by exorbitant prices.

These are challenges that require simple solutions yet Zanu PF has failed to deal with these.The people of Zimbabwe have expressed their confidence and hope in the leadership of Adv. Chamisa and the
MDC.

Masses gathered to have a word or two with the President of choice sending Zanu PF into panic mode. In this mode, threats of unleashing repressive state apparatus against the President are being made.

We find these threats to be totalitarian, draconian and fascist. They are also influenced by ignorance and a clear misunderstanding of the law.

The President, just like any other citizen, has freedom of movement and the right to privacy. He is not obliged at law to tell the police who he visits and where he visits. Visiting a place is not a public gathering.

We however understand that the state wishes to get a hold of the President’s diary and trail him wherever he goes for they so want him to be the Commander in Chief in the face of current failure and mediocrity.

We appreciate that desire and assure those who have this eagerness that security provided to the President is adequate and that the time for these
briefs will come.

The people of Zimbabwe will reclaim their victory and set Zimbabwe on a new path of transformation and shared inclusive growth.
The challenges President Chamisa witnessed will be a thing of the past in a new Zimbabwe.

MDC Spokesperson Jacob Mafume

Behold The New. Change that Delivers!
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson

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Why ED Wears A Scarf All The Time? Joshua Says It’s A Snake, Alleges That It’s An Indian Practice

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Zanu PF Sympathisers Attacked Winky Dee Over “Jecha” Song – MDC A

 

Terrence Mawawa|The MDC A has accused Zanu PF sympathisers of attacking dancehall artist Winky Dee over the popular “jecha” song.

“The MDC is concerned about the attack on Dancehall artist Wallace Chirumiko popularly known as Winky
Dee.

That organised violence can be unleashed on an artist and the perpetrators go unpunished is both
barbaric and unacceptable.

Artists in Zimbabwe must have the freedom to think,be creative and enjoy the benefits of popular
culture.Criminalising certain words or diction due to it’s association with the MDC is regrettable.

Even worse is the silence of Mnangagwa and the entire Zanu PF government.They must be careful, people have been killed in their name and they have always kept quiet.

The violent attack on Winky Dee must be condemned with the contempt it deserves, perpetrators must be subjected to the justice
delivery system and tolerance must be at the centre of government awareness programs.

That no arrest has been made up to now is very unfortunate.Behold the New. Change that delivers!
Jacob Mafume

MDC Spokesperson Jacob Mafume

MDC National Spokesperson

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FC Platinum In Tricky CAF Champions Draw

FC Platinum could get a tough draw on Friday for the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

The draw will be held at the Caf headquarters in Egypt. The sixteen remaining teams will be divided into four groups of four with the matches beginning as early as the weekend of January 11-12.

The top two finishers after the last group game on the weekend of March 8-9 will advance to the quarter-finals with the final over two legs at the end of May and beginning of June.

The Zimbabwe champions are in pot 3 along with South African side Orlando Pirates, Asec Mimosa of Ivory Cost and Constantine of Algeria.

Any team from Pot 1 will be a tricky opponent for the Norman Mapeza-coached side as they could be drawn in the same group with the current title holders, Esperance of Tunisia, Congolese giants TP Mazembe, Al Ahly of Egypt or 2017 champions Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.

From Pot 2, 2015 winners Mamelodi Sundowns and AS Vita of DRC are the two biggest threats but the remaining two, Horoya (Guinea) and Club African (Tunisia) cannot be spared as they have also left a mark in the Caf inter-club competitions in recent seasons.

No big names in Pot 4, but FC Platinum should be wary of the upset these small teams might cause.

Meanwhile, Friday’s draw will also include the third round of the Caf Confederation Cup! where the 16 teams through meet the 16 sides who lost in the last round of the Champions League. However, there is no Zimbabwean team in the tournament. – SOCCER24

Caf CL Seeded teams:

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After Lucky Escape from Horror Accident, Togarepi Returns To Threaten Violence on Innocent Civilians In 2019

By Own Correspondent| The 55 year old Zanu Pf Youth League boss, Pupurai Togarepi who survived a horrific accident, has returned only to threaten violence on innocent civilians in 2019.

Pupurai Togarepi has said his party has been tolerant enough before and after elections but the upcoming year brings with it new rules of the game.

Togarepi said party youths will not tolerate any silly games neither will it take any prisoners since any provocation will be taken head on.

Said the Zanu Pf youth leader in a tweet on Christmas day:

“We have been tolerant enough before and after elections. No silly games in 2019.We won’t take any prisoners in 2019. Any provocation will be taken head on. The rules of the game have completely changed.”

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“Stop Organised Violence Against Artists”: MDC

By Own Correspondent| Opposition MDC has condemned the attack on dancehall artist Winky D over his song “Kasong KeJecha”.

Winky D whose real name is Wallance Chirumiko was over the weekend attacked with bottles in Kwekwe in a development which saw some of his band members sustain serious injuries.

National Spokesperson of the MDC, Jacob Mafume said in a statement:

The MDC is concerned by the attack on Dancehall artist Wallace Chirumiko popularly known as Winky D.

That organised violence can be unleashed on an artist and the perpetrators go unpunished is both barbaric and unacceptable.

Artists in Zimbabwe must have the freedom to think,be creative and enjoy the benefits of popular culture.

Criminalising certain words or diction due to it’s association with the MDC is also a bad sign and a bad reflection on the Zanu PF leadership which devides Zimbabweans and turn them against each other.

Even worse is the silence of Mnangagwa and the entire Zanu PF government.

They must be careful, people have been killed in their name and they have always kept quiet.

The violent attack on Winky Dee must be condemned with the contempt it deserves, perpetrators must be subjected to the Justice delivery system and tolerance must be at the centre of government awareness programs.

That no arrest has been made up to now is not good enough.

Behold the New. Change that delivers!

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson

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Top Radio/TV Presenter Still In ICU After Horrific Accident

 

Terrence Mawawa| Top radio and television presenter Sokostina (real name Tendai Garwe) has been
hospitalised following an accident that fractured both her legs and an arm.

The top radio and TV personality was involved in a road traffic accident
on 24 December 2018. A friend she was travelling with lost a leg.

Said friend and fellow radio personality Tinopona Katsande:
“Sokostina had an accident and she
needs our prayers big time. She is still in ICU. Both legs broken and one arm broken. You know munhu (Sokostina) vevanhu so I’m putting together a prayer vigil for her outside avenues clinic tomorrow evening between 6pm and 7pm. Open to anyone. We gather, sing, pray and dismiss.” 

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ZANU PF Youth Declare War In 2019

Own Correspondent|ZANU PF Youth league has declared war on anyone who will stand up against the ruling party in 2019.

The youth league Secretary General Pupurai Togarepi made the war declaration in a Twitter end of year message early morning on Christmas Day.

“We have been tolerant enough before and after elections. No silly games in 2019. We won’t take any prisoners in 2019. Any provocation will be confronted head-on. The rules of the game have completely changed,” declared Togarepi.

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Woman Spends Two Years Building A House Only For Thieves To Steal It On Completion

A woman spent two years building a ‘tiny house’ from scratch only for thieves to steal it as she finished building it.

Meghan Panu poured $20,000 into the miniature home and was horrified to discover the cedar wood building had been wheeled away from the parking lot in St Louis, Missouri, where she kept it on December 15.

The woman shows off her house after completing it.

She built the stained cedar home from scratch by sketching the floor plan, insulating it with sheep’s wool, and topping it with a tin roof ahead of a planned spring 2019 move-in date.

Panu was planning to move into the home in spring to take part in the tiny house movement whose small, cheap, often self-built homes were touted as a possible solution to the housing crisis, The Washington Post reported.

She said she got the idea for the home from a Netflix documentary.

‘Being able to move into my tiny house and reduce my consumption as much as possible is very important to me,’ she told The Webster Journal last year.

Panu said the used recycled materials and completed the majority of the construction herself, occasionally enlisting volunteers when possible.

She was invited to park near a warehouse in St. Louis by the warehouse’s owner, who called Panu to tell her the home was missing.

‘He asked if I had moved the tiny house overnight and when I said no, he had the unfortunate new that they hadn’t, and it was likely taken,’ she said.

She eventually turned to social media to help her find her missing home.

‘I NEED YOUR HELP,’ she wrote on Instagram.

‘St. Louis Tiny Living…the tiny house was stolen. I’m at a loss. Please, if you see it around the city call and report it.

Panu’s followers were on the case and many expressed their sympathy.

The 12-foot-tall home that was stolen sometime Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 from a warehouse parking lot (Photo: AP)
‘I’m so sorry dude!’ wrote one follower who promised to ‘keep my eyes peeled.’

Another follower said she was driving from Iowa to Florida and vowed ‘to keep an eye out while we travel.’

The next day the house was reportedly spotted heading West towards Kansas city.

On Monday, local media stations joined the house hunt.

‘There are car thieves, package thieves and air conditioning thieves, but St. Louis larceny reached a new milestone Saturday when burglars drove off with a whole house,’ the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote.

The tale of the missing house has a happy ending though – on Wednesday police found the home in House Springs, Missouri.

An anonymous tip led authorities to the stolen cabin, although no arrests were made and there was no information about potential suspects.

A towing company even said it would return the house for free as ‘an early Christmas present,’ said House Springs Sheriff, Dave Marshak.

Panu said she still plans to move in to the house by the Spring and had a message for those who stole it.

‘I think the take away from all this is, don’t steal, because you could be stealing someone’s dream,’ she said.

Mirror UK

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Trevor Ncube Says Mnangagwa Is The Only Person Who Can Lead Zimbabwe

Correspondent|ZIMBABWEAN entrepreneur and newspaper publisher Trevor Ncube has said that he is convinced President Mnangagwa is committed to durable change, adding that there was “nobody else with potential to deliver change.”

Ncube also said the current economic problems are a “temporary turbulence of reversing 38 years of corruption/autocracy. I am optimistic about long term.”

The owner of NewsDay, Standard and Indepedent newspapers also took potshots at the opposition MDC, saying they played a role in getting us here: “You played a big role in getting us here. Carry your cross. In future take seriously your democratic responsibilities. As for me l am positive about our future.

“I get attacked for having faith in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s sincerity in changing Zimbabwe.

“I perfectly understand why some people are angry with me. I have met the man and am convinced he is committed to durable change. In any case I can’t see anybody else with potential to deliver change,” Ncube said on Twitter, stirring a hornet’s nest.

MDC supporter Patson Dzamara said: “So to you, only Mnangagwa can deliver change? I mean you view him as the alpha and omega to Zimbabwe’s solutions! Shockingly absurd that you view him as the only ‘saviour’, despite what his record is screaming – FAILURE.”

Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst inflation since 2008, which peaked to a 10 year high of 31% last month.

The health sector is in crisis with doctors on strike for close to a month, while there is critical shortage of medicines.

Commodities such as fuel, beverages and basic foods are also in short supply with many industries unable to produce due to foreign currency shortages.

At the weekend yet another outbreak of cholera claimed three lives.

In a Christmas message to Zimbabweans on Sunday, Mnangagwa said “there will be further bumps along the road”.

“I am aware that many will have a difficult Christmas. I encourage all of us to be patient, resilient and to work harder in collective unity, as we create a better, democratic and prosperous Zimbabwe for all. From my family to yours, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year,” he said.

Despite the bleak atmosphere, many Zimbabweans living in SA are expected to provide a Christmas cheer for relatives and friends back home.

At Beitbridge border thousands made their way home for the festive season.

Many of the travelers stocked up on groceries, mindful of the shortages of basic commodities.

“We had to buy everything in SA because we have been told shops are empty back home and the few products that are available are very expensive,” said Sharon Takundwa, a Johannesburg based waitress who returned to Harare at the weekend.

SA home affairs minister Dr Siyabonga Cwele visited Beitbridge border post on Thursday, noting the increased number of travelers due to the festive season.

In a statement released soon after the tour, Dr Cwele said over 200 000 travellers had accessed the border between December 1 and December 17, 2018.

“This number is expected to increase with Christmas and New Year periods approaching.”

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