PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has pledged to turn around the welfare of traditional chiefs by piling benefits and a share of the $310 million set aside for devolution in the 2019 National Budget.

He made the pledge yesterday in response to a tall list of demands presented to him by the traditional leaders at the ongoing national chiefs council conference in Kadoma.

The development comes at a time when government has not made such pledges for civil servants who are planning to down tools and plays into suspicions that Zanu PF pampers traditional leaders for political gains.

Mnangagwa was accompanied to the event by his deputies, Kembo Mohadi and Constantino Chiwenga and his Cabinet ministers.

“In this second republic, the importance of chiefs is going to be upheld highly. There is a $310 million that has been budgeted for devolution next year. If you divide that by 10 provinces you will realise that each province will get $31 million. Now, every chief comes from a particular area of a province. So what I am saying is that as chiefs of a particular province, sit down and discuss among yourselves how much of that money will go towards your welfare. That way the grievances on increases of allowances and fuel allocations will be solved,” he said.

Mnangagwa also assured chiefs that the vehicle scheme will stay despite protests from members of the public.

“Your packages are different from those of civil servants because you are part of the governance structure. So you will find out even if a pastor preaches how good, they will not be given cars by government. But you will get them because it is your entitlement. Your welfare is clearly spelt out in the Constitution,” he said.

The President also promised that chiefs will soon be exempted from land tax. He also promised more land and livestock for the traditional leaders.

“The Constitution clearly spells out that chiefs are custodians of our culture, values and land. So if they are custodians of land, why should they pay tax for the land that they own? This is something we are going to correct. There are also chiefs who did not get land during the land reform programme,” he said.

“That exercise is past now, but we have land audit going on where we are repossessing land lying idle and cutting to size farms that are more than 500 hectares each. On the other hand, we are repossessing farms from multiple owners. Accordingly, all the chiefs who do not have land will get it from the farms we are taking in the process of the audit.”

Mnangagwa also said chiefs should get first preference on the presidential inputs programme and other government agricultural subsidies.

“Chiefs cannot be made to queue for the inputs. How then will their dignity be preserved? So we are going to take heed of your demands on that issue so that you get first preference,” he said.

Mnangagwa also promised that chiefs in Matabeleland who did not get cattle during the command livestock scheme will benefit in the near future.

Chiwenga, who delivered closing remarks, urged the traditional leaders to in turn play a critical role in aligning the rural folk with interests of the government and rein in people with dissenting voices.

“Chiefs, even in the past enjoyed high honour. Look at King David in the Bible or King Solomon. They were all people of great standing in society. The importance of chiefs must, therefore, be preserved in this country and throughout the continent of Africa. We have been doing fairly well on that regard as Zimbabwe. However, as chiefs, you also need to teach people in the rural areas good morals and respect for government,” Chiwenga said.

“Chiefs must contribute in furthering the policies of government and its vision. If we hear a bad-mouthed child, we should ask the chief of that area to explain the waywardness of such a child. We do not want people with wire-brushes in their mouths in the rural areas. We do not want the country to be like an animal farm where citizens have no respect for elders and behave haphazardly.”

NewsDay

The trial of Mt Pleasant Member of Parliament Mr Samuel Banda for violating the Electoral Act whicht was scheduled to start yesterday has been postponed to January 3, 2019 to give his new lawyer, Mr Job Sikhala, time to look at the case and prepare for trial.

Banda was arrested for providing a false address during the National Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise in December 2017.

He used that false address to contest for the Mt Pleasant House of Assembly seat which he won.

It is the State’s case that on December 28 last year and during the BVR exercise, Banda allegedly misrepresented to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) that he lived in Mt Pleasant in order for him to register as a voter in that constituency.

It is the State’s case that through the misrepresentation, Banda registered as a voter in the constituency where he contested as an MP and eventually won.

State Media

Own Correspondent|ZANU-PF Bulawayo province yesterday resolved that the party should not engage in any talks of a government of national unity with MDC Alliance and endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the party’s sole presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

The resolutions, which were unanimously adopted by the party’s Bulawayo Provincial Coordinating Committee, will be taken aboard when various thematic committees discuss a range of issues at the National People’s Conference which kicks off next week at Esigodini.

The resolutions, some of which include the re-introduction of district coordinating committees (DCCs), finalisation of the vetting exercise of ex-detainees, were made during the party’s inter-district conference at Bulawayo provincial headquarters, Davis Hall.

The resolutions are premised on what would be debated by thematic committees during the conference.

Zanu-PF’s Bulawayo provincial secretary for administration Elifas Mashaba read out the resolutions before all the wings comprising the main wing, women’s and youth leagues unanimously adopted them.

“We have resolved as Bulawayo province that there won’t be any talk of government of national unity with [MDC Alliance leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa. We have also endorsed ED as the sole Presidential candidate in 2023,” said Mashaba.

The resolution rejecting the possibility of an inclusive government came a few days after Chamisa demanded talks with Zanu-PF which he said would result in the formation of a “transitional authority” to bring “political legitimacy” to the country.

The conference is expected to attract 5 000 delegates drawn from the country’s 10 provinces.

Correspondent|HARARE rate payers should brace to pay more for city water next year after council on Monday unveiled its 2019 budget that would see tariffs for high-density suburbs increase from 70 to 83 cents per cubic metre.

Presenting the budget to council, Councillor Luckson Mukunguma, who chairs the Finance and Development Committee, said the proposed increase in water charges should allow the city to independently finance its water management operations without turning to other accounts.

“Therefore, the increase in the water tariff is expected to improve cost recovery, reduce dependence on other accounts and ensure sustainability,” he said.

Mayor Herbert Gomba said the increases were aimed at renewing the city’s dilapidated infrastructure.

“The whole thrust of the budget is to renew our infrastructure, thus making sure that we reduce non-revenue water,” he said.

“We are also making it possible for our people to drive through roads which are trafficable, to make sure that we also attend to the concerns of our residents as raised by our consultation processes.”

According to the proposed budget, in the city’s high density areas and for 11 to 20 cubic metres, the charge is expected to rise to 93 cents, up from 80 cents while quantities of above 20 cubic metres will see an increase from $1 to $1,20.

In low-density areas, council wants to raise water charges from the current 70 cents to 83 cents for bulk supply while 11-20 cubic metres will rise from $1.20 to $1.30.

For Industrial and commercial use, tariffs have gone up from $1,20 to $1.43 while 11-20 cubic metres would rise from 80 cents to $1,20.

For 20 cubic metres council proposes an increase to $1,50, up from $1.

“We have looked at this and said this year we have had a cholera menace and how best can we address it,” said Councillor Mukunguma while referring to the waterborne disease that claimed some 54 lives September this year.

“We address it through making sure that we have made a resolution that makes sure resources are available and make sure that we address cholera outbreaks.”

Hosiah Chisango the City’s town Clerk said the “marginal” increases were justified.

“It’s a matter of cost building. The prices for water treatment chemicals are going up and we also need to be able to continuously supply that water,” he said.

Correspondent|PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson George Charamba has stirred a hornet’s nest following his statement that the August 1 killings probe report was “for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s eyes only”.

Former Cabinet Minister in Robert Mugabe’s administration and exiled G40 kingpin, Professor Jonathan Moyo, said that hiding the Motlanthe Commission report from the public would be a typical strategy of Gukurahundists.

Moyo has added his voice to a chorus of political leaders who have condemned the utterances attributed to President Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba.

Charamba told The Herald that President Mnangagwa not under obligation to make public the contents of the Motlanthe Commission report.

Writing on his Twitter handle, Moyo said: “Seeking to hide the 1 August 2018 Harare atrocities and their perpetrators by hiding, or playing fiddle with, the Motlanthe Commission Report; has all the trappings of a typical gukurahundi strategy by remorseless gukurahundists!”

Human rights lawyer and opposition politician David Coltart has said that if President Emmmerson Mnangagwa does not release the Motlanthe Commission report it will be a confirmation he is guilty.

Coltart said not releasing the report is not only a breach promise but confirmation of guilt. Said Coltart: “Motlanthe Commission report for Mnangagwa’s eyes only” writes the herald today. Aside from the breach of promise that this would be made public it is the surest confirmation of guilt if it isn’t published.”

In the latest installment of the BSR, academic and constitutional law expert Alex Magaisa explains why President Mnangagwa has a duty to publish the report of the Commission of Inquiry.

Magaisa argues that Mnangagwa already exercised his discretion by making a public undertaking to publish the report. Mnangagwa should honor his promise to make the report public once it is completed. Magaisa also argues that if Mnangagwa does not publicise the report it will be interpreted as an admission of culpability and therefore an effort to cover up.

He also says if Mnangagwa fails to publish the Motlanthe Commission report it will confirm he is no different from his predecessor Robert Mugabe. Part of Magaisa’s article reads:

In any event, it would be a serious indictment on Mnangagwa if he withheld the report from the public because he would have confirmed that he is no different from his predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

Mnangagwa has spent the past year trying desperately, but without much success, to prove that he is different from his old mentor. As Mugabe’s chief enforcer for many years, the shadow of the old master follows him everywhere and it has been hard to shake off. He has to do things differently.

However, there is nothing new in appointing a commission of inquiry to investigate a matter because even Mugabe had similar commissions before. What would be different would be to go one step further and release the report, however unpalatable it might be to him or his associates.

Mugabe’s legacy in this area is that reports of such commissions were usually kept a secret. The most notorious are reports into inquiries over Gukurahundi in the 1980s. They have never been released (and Mnangagwa should also open up on those and release them).

A refusal by Mnangagwa to release the Motlanthe Commission’s report would therefore hardly be surprising but disastrously for him, it will be seen as part of the package of continuities of the old era.

It would, therefore, be a public relations disaster for someone who has been trying so hard to give the appearance of running a “new dispensation”.

How can it be a new dispensation if it does precisely what the old regime was doing? Having invested so much on an image spruce-up, withholding the report or parts of it from the public would reverse any gains made on the international front.

Critics saw this commission as a show for the international community; as a bid to impress after the disastrous events of 1 August which means keeping the outcome a secret would probably make it worse.

Correspondent|A NEW cholera outbreak has been detected in Chiredzi, a small town in Masvingo province in south-east Zimbabwe, after one person from village 11B Monyoroka in Triangle tested positive for cholera and is currently admitted in a quarantined ward at Chiredzi Hospital.

The patient is in a stable condition, the district medical officer Brian Dhlandhlara has said.

Chiredzi housing and community services director Emily Paradzai has said the outbreak is attributable to illegal settlements and increased vandalism of water reticulation systems, with some settlements using the bush to relieve themselves.

A2 sugarcane farmers and various other farmers who are not into sugarcane production in Hippo Valley farms and Mkwasine Estates, as well as other farmers around Chiredzi, are still using bush toilets, 18 years after the chaotic fast track land reform exercise.

Chiredzi Town Council has since recommended the closure of all compounds with no running water and toilets after it emerged that Mkwasine compounds do not have running water and proper toilet facilities, while farms 46 and 52 in Hippo Valley are said to have no toilets though water is available, leading farmers and their workers to resort to bush latrines.

The facilities at both Hippo Valley farms and Mkwanise Estates are said to be in a deplorable state and people consume water from canals, making them susceptible to waterborne diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

Chiredzi Town Council has resolved that council engages sugarcane farming associations on the issue. In cases where there is no running water, the council is planning to engage Tongaat Hulett so that it supplies water in those areas by bowsers.

Own Correspondent|THE current fuel shortages being experienced in the country are a reminder to all and sundry that Zimbabwe is a long way off from stabilising its sickly economy.

Zimbabwe has just announced a price increase of petrol and diesel, even as the fuel is barely available. Meanwhile, our neighbours in South Africa will enjoy a hefty drop in the price of fuel as from Wednesday.

And the prevailing economic situation serves also to remind the authorities that without an inclusive approach, Zimbabwe will continue to be in the grip of this crisis.

The irony of all this is that we shouldn’t be experiencing these all-too-familiar problems which weary ordinary Zimbabweans had thought were now going to be things from the past following the coming in of President Emmerson Mnangagwa as new leader.

Under former leader Robert Mugabe’s ruinous rule, particularly the last years of his catastrophic leadership, Zimbabwe had become a hopeless State.

Sadly, for Mnangagwa and indeed his government, as the economy continues to tank, comparisons are now being made with Mugabe, who critics of the new Zanu PF leader, say the current problems make him look like a “saint”.

Mnangagwa is now in his fourth month of a five-year mandate and has the time to turn things around.

However, so far his government’s policy measures have failed to find resonance with the ordinary folks, because they appear targeted at just raising revenue without creating conditions for them to earn and spend money.

The current fuel crisis has badly exposed government and judging by different statements coming from various senior officials, no one knows what the authorities are really doing to correct the situation.

It is disconcerting that after a few weeks of stability, the country is experiencing shortages much worse than those of late October and early November.

The recurring shortages point to serious problems which could be a harbinger for more pain and heartaches in the New Year.

Zimbabweans need a good Christmas cheer but so far chances of a Santa Claus appearance look remote.

Meanwhile, our neighbours in South Africa will enjoy a hefty drop in the price of fuel as from Wednesday.

“Gauteng motorists will be paying R1,84 less for both 93 and 95 octane petrol per litre from Wednesday.

“The Energy department said the price of diesel would drop by R1,45 and R1,47 respectively and paraffin by R1,78. LP gas will drop by R2,43 p/kg,” the Sunday Times of South Africa reported yesterday.

We are being reminded of the good times by our neighbours yet Zimbabwe has the tools to turn lemons into lemonade.

 

THE FUNERAL gathering for a Gwanda couple suspected to have been among the 30 people that
perished at the West Nicholson bus accident has been turned into a war zone as two families fight over a trunk known to have cash in most instances and a newly built house’s keys.
The couple Melusi Nyoni and Thenjiwe Sibanda were loan sharks.
Unfortunately when the two families got to the couple’s homestead, they found the cash trunk empty resulting in an exchange of harsh words.
Following threats from some of Sibanda family members, Nyoni’s parents decided to boycott the funeral gathering.
When B-Metro news crew visited the two families at Makwe Village, they found Nyoni’s parents relaxing
at their homestead busy with their daily chores.
At the couple’s homestead, only Sibanda’s relatives were gathered.
“My son and his wife have been staying together for more than 10 years. On the day we got sad news,
we travelled to Vhumbachikwe to tell her father, but upon arrival we were told that he had vowed to axe us to death.
“Fearing for our lives we travelled back to Makwe, but upon arrival we were shocked that our daughter-
in-law’s mother had taken the house keys and opened the house. The late Thenjiwe Sibanda’s family.

“When we got to my son’s matrimonial home, our daughter-in-law’s brother started shouting at us and threatened to axe us again. Realising we were not welcome at the funeral gathering, we returned home and reported the matter to headman Sicelo Sibanda,”
narrated Nyoni’s mother Elizabeth Nyoni.
On the other hand, Sibanda’s relatives revealed that the main cause of the misunderstanding is the cash trunk and house keys.
“It is so sad that in this whole terrible incident, some people are only worried about money and this newly built house. What if the two did not die since we are still waiting for confirmation.
“Sibanda’s father indeed threatened to axe the Nyoni family members saying they were disrespectful as
they lived with his daughter for 10 years without formalising the relationship.
“We never chased them away, but they just left after we refused to give them house keys as they insisted
they needed a cash box which was inside,” said

Sibanda’s aunt Christine Maphosa.B-Metro

GRIEF is the real price men pay for sex!

With the festive season around the corner, some commercial sex workers in Bulawayo are literally running a promotion in which they are reportedly offering extra-sexual services to clients who would have paid for their services in foreign currency.
The seemingly shocking move which prostitutes say is to offset the “free-falling” bond, came hard in the wake of a number of companies and service providers who are now demanding foreign currency for their goods and services.

 

In a snap survey conducted by B-Metro, it emerged that a number of innovative sex workers have embraced the idea of offering extra-sexual services to clients who would have paid for their services in foreign currency.

In separate interviews the commercial sex workers said the move was also necessitated by the bond note that has continued to lose ground on the black market and continued to rise in plastic and mobile money transactions.

They said high demand for foreign currency has consequently resulted in unforeseen change in business deals and not even them (sex workers) have been spared as they now decry increased rentals.

“We have devised new ways to adapt to these harsh economic conditions where everyone now demands foreign currency for their goods and services and as a result we are now running a promotion where we offer extra-sexual services to clients who pay in foreign currency.

“You see, men go for women who look younger and I am using foreign currency to buy the make-up for me to keep looking good and younger hence we have opted to reward clients who are brave enough to buy our services in foreign currency.

“But the major drawback is that the precious dollar is found on the parallel market,” a sex worker, who identified herself as Prim, said.

She added: “Life’s getting more expensive, and we can’t work at a loss”.

 

For a short time, the price stood at US$3 while rates for a night are adjusted to between US$6 and US$15 depending on the place and night spot which the commercial sex worker would be operating from.

Another commercial sex worker who also did not want her name mentioned and identified herself as Judy explained that things were no longer rosy for them as some landlords, especially for those who are staying in town are now demanding rentals in foreign currency.
She revealed that she lives in a flat that demands US $100 per room in rentals.B-Metro

 

A businessman from Makwe Village in Gwanda was thoroughly bashed by a group of young men accusing him of sleeping with their wives.
Elias Manyathela is a transport operator with a number of commuter omnibuses plying the Makwe Gwanda route.
Last week business came to a halt at the terminus as a group of men being led by Calvin Nyathi meted
justice on Manyathela.
“Manyathela has a bad tendency of sleeping with married women from the village. He easily wins their hearts by allowing them to have free rides in his kombis.
“The Nyathi brothers are the ones who started noise as Manyathela snatched Naison’s wife and moved
her to Gwanda where he is renting her a house.“So when they raised the issue, a number of men supported them and they agreed that it was high time Manyathela’s bad habit was put to an end before all women in the area became his,” said the source.
During the scuffle, one of Manyathela’s friends who tried to be a peacemaker was also beaten by Calvin Nyathi.
However, Manyathela didn’t want to talk about the issue.
“Who told you that? There is nothing I can tell you,”said Manyathela.It came out that on Monday there are some villagers who had a meeting and they want Manyathela’s commuter omnibuses stopped from operating the Makwe-Gwandfa route.
“Some men feel uncomfortable and they are trying to come up with a petition where they will all sign and
tell elders that Manyathela’s commuter omnibuses should change route.
“The matter will be finalised next week,” said one villager Mlungisi Dube.B- Metro

There was commotion in Parliament yesterday when members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy bickered among themselves on whether Hwange Colliery Company Limited shareholder Mr Nicholas Van Hoogstraten should give evidence.

Tempers flared during the altercation which eventually saw Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda being called in to give guidance.

Some legislators, mostly from Zanu-PF led by Mberengwa North MP Tafanana Zhou argued that it was not prudent for Mr Van Hoogstraten to give evidence on Hwange when its case was before the High Court after Government appointed an administrator in terms of the Reconstruction of State Indebted Companies and Insolvency Act.

Committee chairperson Mr Temba Mliswa and some MPs mostly from MDC Alliance insisted that hearing evidence should proceed since they had already heard evidence from other stakeholders last month.

Chaos then ensued with legislators trading accusations and counter-accusations in full view of journalists and Mr Van Hoogstraten.

At one stage, Mr Van Hoogstraten angered Zanu-PF legislators when he described their conduct as disruptive and said those who did not want to hear his evidence could be excused.

It took about 30 minutes of verbal exchanges until Mr Chokuda came in and indicated that Parliament could not deliberate on a case which was before the courts as it was subjudice.
Hwange Colliery Company Private Limited was placed under the control of an administrator by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi who has since approached the High Court applying to have the order confirmed.
It was then resolved that hearing into Hwange be adjourned until the High Court had made a determination.

Addressing legislators and journalists soon after deliberations, Mr Mliswa said he was now considering resigning as chairperson of the committee since he could have “misfired” by insisting that the case be heard.

“I have admitted in front of my colleagues and I apologised as chairman that I did not make a right decision. As a leader you must also take full responsibility of decisions, I think I miscalculated and as a result I take full responsibility. I think I will consult further to see if I am still capable of chairing this committee. In a couple of days I should make a statement whether I am fit to chair the committee. I think any leader must make such decisions, the committee is more important at the end of the day,” said Mr Mliswa.

“I have never wanted to take my troops to a battle where they will be killed. Certainly it is not proper to make such miscalculation as a chairperson. I think I misfired and when you misfire you must be honest with yourself.”

In an interview, Mr Van Hoogstraten said he will oppose the decision to have Hwange placed under reconstruction.

He admitted that Hwange had been weighed down by mismanagement and corruption, which was the basis upon which Government had to intervene.

By Own Correspondent| The October 2018 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Grade Seven results are out and candidates can start collecting them from their respective schools tomorrow, ZIMSEC board chairman Professor Eddie Mwenje has said.

Professor Mwenje said the national pass rate increased by 7,35 percent to 52, 08 percent from the 2017 national pass rate of 44, 73 percent.

This is a developing story. More details to follow.-StateMedia

By Own Correspondent| Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has revealed why President Mnangagwa did not publicise the executive summary he received from the Motlanthe commission into the August 1 shootings.

The Motlanthe Commission submitted an executive summary to Mnangagwa last Thursday and there were promises that the final report would be released last Saturday.

Charamba however said Mnangagwa did not publicise the executive summary because it will be completely wrong and in fact misleading to try and submit to public view what is only an executive summary.

He also said the executive summary was for the President only.

Said Charamba:

“We took a deliberate decision not to publicise the executive report because definitionally that was for the President’s eyes and in any case, the main report is what matters to the extent that it handles substantively the observations of the Commission as well as the recommendations.

So, in the absence of the main report it will be completely wrong and in fact misleading to try and submit to public view what is only an executive summary. It’s important to disabuse the members of the public, including those political groups that have been agitating around the Commission’s actions – that the report is for the President who must receive it, read it and on the basis of his own judgement decides how it will be used.”-State Media

 

Terrence Mawawa|Prominent Zimbabwean businessman Mutumwa Mawere has said the nation can only move forward when legitimacy and constitutional matters are addressed.

According to Mawere, as long as the nation is stuck – as far as constitutional and legitimacy matters are concerned, economic progress will remain redundant as investors will shy away from a tricky and unpredictable business environment.

“Legitimacy question!! What is and ought to be the basis of attacking a President who was inaugurated pursuant to a process that resulted
in the judiciary being involved in determining the entry test? Why is the quest of a shared understanding on the legitimacy question really
elusive?”Mawere tweeted.

@vee responded:”SADC has never been known for its spine,rather for lack of it.Despotic tendencies
are actually given standing ovations by the irrelavant bloc.”

Justice Wasarirevu commented:”
SADC& AU leaders are concerned about the imperialism of Africa more than than the resultant effects created by an illegitimate process.They are wrong to some
extent.Our countries can excel if we go with the truth.It is not long before we see that concourt judgement was changed by other events.”

Analysts say while there is an urgent need for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to “find each other”, crises-weary Zimbabweans should not raise their expectations that the two political rivals will work together anytime soon.

Speaking in interviews with the Daily News on Sunday yesterday — in the wake of recent suggestions from Zanu PF and the MDC, that Zimbabwe’s two main political parties could be ready to engage each other in the interest of the country and its long-suffering citizens — the analysts also warned that the chances of a second government of national unity (GNU) were slim.

This comes as Zimbabwe remains in the vice grip of a growing economic crisis which has seen the devastating re-emergence of long fuel queues, worsening foreign currency shortages and shocking increases in the prices of basic goods.

As a measure of scale of the crisis facing the country, which has heightened calls for political dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa, Zimbabwe’s official inflation hit nearly 26 percent in October — the highest recorded in the southern African nation since it adopted the multiple currency system in 2009.

As bad as this official figure appears, particularly given that this is captured in US dollar terms, many independent economists say the country’s “real” inflation is in fact way higher — with some experts putting it close to a staggering 200 percent.

Burning from the resultant economic heat, many Zimbabweans have received the recent news of possible talks between Mnangagwa and Chamisa enthusiastically, seeing this as the best route to save the country from plummeting further to the disastrous economic levels of 2008. But the analysts who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday yesterday said these hopes were “over-optimistic”, while talk of a second GNU were “way premature”.

“It remains unclear whether both sides are actually talking about the same thing and whether that would lead to a meeting of minds regarding some kind of power-sharing agreement. “The MDC is now calling for a national dialogue with key stakeholders, as well as a transitional authority at the same time, to oversee the implementation of both needed political and economic reforms.

“Although, the ruling Zanu PF may have some overlapping interests in terms of some reforms, it seems highly unlikely their government will have any interest in seeking a power-sharing arrangement,” Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said.

“They will not want to give any succour to the MDC’s mantra that Mnangagwa lacks legitimacy. And as far as I can see, they also don’t believe either process will or can help them. “Having said that, they may well engage at some level. But I don’t see any prospects for a genuine commitment to diluting their control through power sharing or dialogue processes,” Pigou added.

Another political analyst, Dewa Mavhinga, also said while it was encouraging that the country’s two political heavyweights were considering dialogue, the process was likely to be complicated.

“First, there has to be a sound legal and constitutional basis for such talks. But presently, it does not appear as if there is one.

“Second, both parties must be willing to have the dialogue, but it also appears as if there are certain pre-conditions that could make the dialogue impossible,” he said.

“For instance, if Mnangagwa insists that he be recognised as a legitimate leader first before any talks, is Chamisa willing and ready to do that?

“My sense is that politically, economically and socially, conditions may need to decline drastically first to raise enough pressure to bring the polarised leaders to the negotiating table. So far the chances of a GNU are not that high,” Mavhinga added.

Another political analyst, Rashweat Mukundu, also said Mnangagwa and Chamisa needed to “find each other first” before they could tackle any thorny issues in their talks.

“If the two leaders focus on what brings them together rather than what divides them, then it is possible to have fruitful talks.

“The commonality between the two is to rescue Zimbabwe from this economic crisis and agree on broad-based political reforms in preparation for 2023.

“This can be the key agenda for the talks and if they agree to work together beyond these issues then the better for Zimbabwe. We all know that the GNU period was far better for the country than the period before and after it,” Mukundu said.

Zimbabwe was forced into a GNU a decade ago, following the hotly-disputed 2008 presidential election in which the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai trounced former president Robert Mugabe hands down.

The results of those elections were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities — amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later revealed by former bigwigs of the ruling party.

In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirai’s supporters were killed — forcing the former prime minister in the inclusive government to withdraw from the discredited race altogether.

Mugabe went on to stand in a widely-condemned one-man race in which he shamelessly declared himself the winner. However, Sadc and the rest of the international community would have none of it, forcing the nonagenarian to share power with Tsvangirai for five years, to prevent the country from imploding completely.

Mnangagwa — speaking through his spokesperson George Charamba in an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, on Wednesday, said he was open to talks with Chamisa — on the strict understanding that the MDC leader recognised the president as the legitimate winner of the country’s hotly-disputed July 30 election.

This, in turn, came after Chamisa and his key lieutenant Tendai Biti had earlier on Monday told the Commission of Inquiry probing the August 1 shootings in Harare — which left at least six civilians dead — that political dialogue was the only solution to ending the country’s political and economic problems.

Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the July 30 presidential election, before he went on to accuse the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of manipulating the results in favour of the Zanu PF leader.

But Mnangagwa’s victory was later upheld by the Constitutional Court, which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the election.

-Daily News

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has now said there would be no mass layoffs of public sector workers because government has no money to bankroll retrenchment packages.

He said government will now consider other ways to pull the economy out of a recession that has rattled investor confidence.

Ncube had earlier under his Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) economic blueprint running from October to December 2020 said he was considering layoffs and early retirement packages for staff in the public sector to cut spending.

But in a major volte-face, Ncube told a post-budget media briefing on Wednesday that retrenching some of the government workers would be costly. “We are only dealing with fundamentals; retrenchments are costly at this time.

“We are trying to balance our budget, and this is why we have said, for now; we can pay bonuses,” Ncube said.

“We are trying to do things timeously and we are trying to adopt certain options following the less costly route, currency sustainability, manage volatility but, so far not any option has been chosen as yet.”

Permanent secretary in the ministry George Guvamatanga weighed in saying government needs “a very strong financial base if ever we are to consider that”.

“For example, an employee of 20 years earning $1 500 per month at an average service under the Statutory Redundancy Package of two times monthly salary for every year served will need $60 000 as package, $30 000 as one third commutation of the pension and $10 000 for other benefits.

“It means finding $100 000 tomorrow for that person. Even if you are to say it should be payable in a normal pay-back period, for any retrenchment to be viable, it should be paid back in two years.

“This kind of structure does not payback in two years, it is therefore not viable and sustainable for government to consider a redundancy programme at this particular moment in time, it is misplaced,” Guvamatanga said.

-Daily News

THE Government is considering taking stern measures against unscrupulous manufacturers that increase prices of their products despite being allocated foreign currency by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) for the procurement of raw materials as it forges ahead to protect consumers from unwarranted price hikes.

Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the Ministry was aware of some manufacturers that have clandestinely increased prices of the goods they produce despite obtaining foreign currency support from the Government to import raw materials.

“When it comes to most of the basic commodities that’s where we have a big say because for those ones we are supporting the manufacturers in terms of foreign currency, who then unscrupulously go on to increase prices or give the impression that they are not supported,” he said.

Minister Ndlovu, however, acknowledged that although the foreign currency allocated to  manufacturers was inadequate due to the prevailing liquidity challenges in the country there was no reason for them to effect wanton price increases. There has been a wave of price increases especially of basic commodities over the last three months with most manufacturers pushing the blame on wholesalers and retailers. Minister Ndlovu said the Government would put in place measures to curb the price madness as it was tantamount to exploitation of consumers.

“We are discouraging businesses from wanton price increases and we are aware of the unscrupulous activities they are employing with a lot of them trying to beat the system. We are working around issues so that we come up with a proper system of curbing that. We know that there are businesses that are increasing prices even when they are getting allocations.

We are working on something and Government will not tolerate that kind of exploitation of the people,” he said.

Contacted for a comment Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry (CZI) Bulawayo chapter president Mr Joseph Gunda said the country’s apex organisation for industry was unaware of the manufacturers that were increasing prices of their products despite being allocated foreign currency by the Central Bank but said it was uncouth for them to do so.

“Certainly it won’t be a good practice if one has been allocated forex from RBZ at a ratio of one is one (1:1) with the bond note and then you adjust prices,” he said.

Mr Gunda however, said RBZ has lately been facing challenges to allocate players in the manufacturing sector with sufficient foreign currency owing to its depleted coffers.

“The only challenge that we have had of late is that the allocation from RBZ has been drying up. So manufacturers have been faced with a challenge of saying should they close or source the forex from other sources outside RBZ and when they do that they can’t absorb the price but pass it onto the customers, that’s the only reason manufacturers will increase their prices because they would not have obtained the forex at 1:1 but if they would have obtained it at 1:1 at RBZ I don’t see the rationale of increasing prices,” he said.

Mr Gunda said the ministry should make concerted efforts to ensure players in the manufacturing sector were allocated adequate foreign currency at the opportune time.

“The most important thing that the minister should do is to fight for our case or course at RBZ, for allocation of forex to manufacturers. If that doesn’t happen you will find us fighting against those people that are raising prices because they can’t absorb the cost they secure the forex outside RBZ,” he said.

In his presentation of the 2019 National Budget Statement recently Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said there would be gradual movement towards a more efficient and optimal foreign currency allocation system.

“In the interim, steps are being taken to establish a Foreign Currency Allocation Committee to promote efficient management of our foreign currency inflows,” he said.

Mr Gunda said the Foreign Currency Allocation Committee should have representatives from the manufacturing sector so as to ensure efficiency and transparency in the distribution of the funds.

-State Media

 

FORMER vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko’s Botswana-based business partners are demanding US$94 million for them to allow him to take over control of supermarket giant Choppies’ local operations.

Mphoko’s family is engaged a nasty fight for control of the supermarket chain with their Botswana-registered Choppies Distribution Centre (Proprietary) Limited business partners fronted by former president Festus Mogae.

Mphoko and his son Siqokoqela insist they are the majority shareholders of Choppies Zimbabwe through their local investment vehicle, Nanavac, with 51%.
However, the Botswana-headquartered business says the Mphokos only own 7% shareholding in Choppies.

The Botswana headquartered business — in a letter in the possession of The Standard to Mphoko’s lawyers Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers and their Nanavac Investment vehicle dated October 20, 2018 — demanded US$94 million for the Mphokos to be given some controlling shares in the business, failure of which they would be elbowed out.

They said the money “represents a multiple of 12 times Nanavac earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and extrapolated to annual amount to Nanavac’s latest financial statements for its quarter ending 30 September 2018”.

The Mphokos were given a November 5 deadline to pay for the shares in terms of the July 24, 2013 clause 13 of the shareholders’ agreement entered into with the Botswana business.

-The Standard

 Zimbabwe requires $1,2 billion to finance new power projects and repair ageing infrastructure, a report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has shown.

 

Several of the country’s thermal power stations have passed their lifetime of 25 years, while poor maintenance has left them dilapidated, the bank noted.

Zimbabwe’s power stations include Kariba South Hydro-Power Station, Hwange Thermal Power Station, Harare Thermal Power Station, Munyati Thermal Station and  Bulawayo Thermal Power Station.

“The five power stations have reached and surpassed their design life of 25 years. Additionally, infrequent and inadequate maintenance on the units affects the stations’ ability to generate electricity at their capacities, ”AfDB has said.

According to the continental bank’s 2018 Infrastructure Report on Zimbabwe, the  key elements of the funding arrangements include $42 million for distribution projects; $442 million for transmission projects; and $629 million for new projects, Batoka Hydro and Hwange expansion.

Electricity supplied by Zesa is generated through one hydroelectric station and four thermal power stations with a combined installed capacity of 2,295 megawatts.

But the operations have become unsustainable because of non-cost reflective tariffs, collection inefficiencies, lack of investor confidence and perceived risk.

“The loss of experienced staff in the last decade also contributed to the sub-standard performance of the electricity supply industry. The unsustainable performance of the sub-sector is reflected in the low investment in infrastructure and sub-standard and poor delivery of service. A substantially improved performance of the power sector is of fundamental importance for sustained economic recovery in Zimbabwe,” the report noted.

Early implementation of measures to improve the commercial performance of the power utilities would ensure their success, while a key challenge for the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) in the short term would be to substantially improve its commercial performance.

Latest information shows that as at March 2016, the ZETDC-owned Zimbabwe Power Company was owed $668 million while as of June 2018, ZETDC was owed over $1 billion by its customers.

Local authorities and domestic households owe more than 50% of the debt.

“This is affecting ZPC’s operations and liquidity position with the company struggling to settle its obligations and debts owed to its suppliers. Early action to improve the recovery of the receivables would allow ZPC to generate sufficient funds to undertake regular maintenance on the generating plants and, hence, improve reliability of supply and enable gradual clearance of liabilities,” AfDB said.

“As with the other infrastructure sectors …the risks and uncertainties of greatest interest at this stage relate to the design, funding and implementation of the proposed programme. Of particular importance are the prospects for early action that will improve the commercial viability of the two power utilities.”

It called for training programmes to increase Zesa’s ability to undertake a number of analytical and technical studies.

“These studies will provide guidance on the strategies to be followed in the development of the sector and the generation of bankable project documents.
The main components of the programme are as follows: need assessment for immediate rehabilitation of generation, transmission and distribution networks, preparation of strategic framework and development programme for the power sector for the short to medium term, feasibility studies for generation and transmission projects; feasibility studies for expansion of the rural electrification programme, including increased use of solar power and other renewable energy sources; and institutional and tariff studies,” the AfDB said.

-The Standard

Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe People First Spokeperson, Jealousy Mawarire has exposed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a lier for announcing that former President Robert Mugabe was seriously ill in Singapore.

Responding to a Twitter post that detailed Mugabe’s relationship with the late US President George Bush senior, Mawarire said Mnangagwa cannot be used as a reliable source in the whole Mugabe health saga.

“This comparison is limping, Pres Mugabe isn’t “seriously ill in Singapore “, don’t use ED as a reliable source, you have been in journalism long enough to know ED lies more than he tells the truth,” said Mawarire.

CHILDREN around the world are leading sedentary lifestyles and not maintaining a healthy growth and development, says a global report.

The report by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA) — an Australia-based non-profit organisation — showed that countries including Slovenia, Zimbabwe and Japan have the most physically active children and youth overall and that physical activity is a way of life for them.

The report also showed that modern lifestyles including an increase in screen time, growing urbanisation of communities and the rise in automation of previously manual tasks are contributing to a pervasive public health problem.

“Global trends, including excessive screen time, are contributing to a generation of inactive children and putting them on a dangerous path,” said Mark Tremblay, President of the AHKGA, and Professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

“Inactive children are at risk for adverse physical, mental, social and cognitive health problems. This generation will face a range of challenges, including the impacts of climate change, increasing globalisation, and the consequences of rapid technological change,” he added.

For the study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the team compared 49 countries from six continents to assess global trends in childhood physical activity in developed and developing nations.

Overall physical activity is mostly affected by active transportation which is a necessity in everyday life.

For the good of our children’s health and futures, we need to build physical activity into all societies, and change social norms to get kids moving, the researchers noted.

NewsDay

Analysts say while there is an urgent need for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to “find each other”, crises-weary Zimbabweans should not raise their expectations that the two political rivals will work together anytime soon.

Speaking in interviews with the Daily News on Sunday yesterday — in the wake of recent suggestions from Zanu PF and the MDC, that Zimbabwe’s two main political parties could be ready to engage each other in the interest of the country and its long-suffering citizens — the analysts also warned that the chances of a second government of national unity (GNU) were slim.

This comes as Zimbabwe remains in the vice grip of a growing economic crisis which has seen the devastating re-emergence of long fuel queues, worsening foreign currency shortages and shocking increases in the prices of basic goods.

As a measure of scale of the crisis facing the country, which has heightened calls for political dialogue between Mnangagwa and Chamisa, Zimbabwe’s official inflation hit nearly 26 percent in October — the highest recorded in the southern African nation since it adopted the multiple currency system in 2009.

As bad as this official figure appears, particularly given that this is captured in US dollar terms, many independent economists say the country’s “real” inflation is in fact way higher — with some experts putting it close to a staggering 200 percent.

Burning from the resultant economic heat, many Zimbabweans have received the recent news of possible talks between Mnangagwa and Chamisa enthusiastically, seeing this as the best route to save the country from plummeting further to the disastrous economic levels of 2008. But the analysts who spoke to the Daily News on Sunday yesterday said these hopes were “over-optimistic”, while talk of a second GNU were “way premature”.

“It remains unclear whether both sides are actually talking about the same thing and whether that would lead to a meeting of minds regarding some kind of power-sharing agreement. “The MDC is now calling for a national dialogue with key stakeholders, as well as a transitional authority at the same time, to oversee the implementation of both needed political and economic reforms.

“Although, the ruling Zanu PF may have some overlapping interests in terms of some reforms, it seems highly unlikely their government will have any interest in seeking a power-sharing arrangement,” Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said.

“They will not want to give any succour to the MDC’s mantra that Mnangagwa lacks legitimacy. And as far as I can see, they also don’t believe either process will or can help them. “Having said that, they may well engage at some level. But I don’t see any prospects for a genuine commitment to diluting their control through power sharing or dialogue processes,” Pigou added.

Another political analyst, Dewa Mavhinga, also said while it was encouraging that the country’s two political heavyweights were considering dialogue, the process was likely to be complicated.

“First, there has to be a sound legal and constitutional basis for such talks. But presently, it does not appear as if there is one.

“Second, both parties must be willing to have the dialogue, but it also appears as if there are certain pre-conditions that could make the dialogue impossible,” he said.

“For instance, if Mnangagwa insists that he be recognised as a legitimate leader first before any talks, is Chamisa willing and ready to do that?

“My sense is that politically, economically and socially, conditions may need to decline drastically first to raise enough pressure to bring the polarised leaders to the negotiating table. So far the chances of a GNU are not that high,” Mavhinga added.

Another political analyst, Rashweat Mukundu, also said Mnangagwa and Chamisa needed to “find each other first” before they could tackle any thorny issues in their talks.

“If the two leaders focus on what brings them together rather than what divides them, then it is possible to have fruitful talks.

“The commonality between the two is to rescue Zimbabwe from this economic crisis and agree on broad-based political reforms in preparation for 2023.

“This can be the key agenda for the talks and if they agree to work together beyond these issues then the better for Zimbabwe. We all know that the GNU period was far better for the country than the period before and after it,” Mukundu said.

Zimbabwe was forced into a GNU a decade ago, following the hotly-disputed 2008 presidential election in which the late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai trounced former president Robert Mugabe hands down.

The results of those elections were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities — amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later revealed by former bigwigs of the ruling party.

In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirai’s supporters were killed — forcing the former prime minister in the inclusive government to withdraw from the discredited race altogether.

Mugabe went on to stand in a widely-condemned one-man race in which he shamelessly declared himself the winner. However, Sadc and the rest of the international community would have none of it, forcing the nonagenarian to share power with Tsvangirai for five years, to prevent the country from imploding completely.

Mnangagwa — speaking through his spokesperson George Charamba in an exclusive interview with the Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, on Wednesday, said he was open to talks with Chamisa — on the strict understanding that the MDC leader recognised the president as the legitimate winner of the country’s hotly-disputed July 30 election.

This, in turn, came after Chamisa and his key lieutenant Tendai Biti had earlier on Monday told the Commission of Inquiry probing the August 1 shootings in Harare — which left at least six civilians dead — that political dialogue was the only solution to ending the country’s political and economic problems.

Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the July 30 presidential election, before he went on to accuse the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of manipulating the results in favour of the Zanu PF leader.

But Mnangagwa’s victory was later upheld by the Constitutional Court, which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the election.

-Daily News

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has now said there would be no mass layoffs of public sector workers because government has no money to bankroll retrenchment packages.

He said government will now consider other ways to pull the economy out of a recession that has rattled investor confidence.

Ncube had earlier under his Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) economic blueprint running from October to December 2020 said he was considering layoffs and early retirement packages for staff in the public sector to cut spending.

But in a major volte-face, Ncube told a post-budget media briefing on Wednesday that retrenching some of the government workers would be costly. “We are only dealing with fundamentals; retrenchments are costly at this time.

“We are trying to balance our budget, and this is why we have said, for now; we can pay bonuses,” Ncube said.

“We are trying to do things timeously and we are trying to adopt certain options following the less costly route, currency sustainability, manage volatility but, so far not any option has been chosen as yet.”

Permanent secretary in the ministry George Guvamatanga weighed in saying government needs “a very strong financial base if ever we are to consider that”.

“For example, an employee of 20 years earning $1 500 per month at an average service under the Statutory Redundancy Package of two times monthly salary for every year served will need $60 000 as package, $30 000 as one third commutation of the pension and $10 000 for other benefits.

“It means finding $100 000 tomorrow for that person. Even if you are to say it should be payable in a normal pay-back period, for any retrenchment to be viable, it should be paid back in two years.

“This kind of structure does not payback in two years, it is therefore not viable and sustainable for government to consider a redundancy programme at this particular moment in time, it is misplaced,” Guvamatanga said.

-Daily News

BULAWAYO mayor Solomon Mguni has revealed plans by the local authority to engage Australian diplomats towards a twinning arrangement with one of that country’s cities.

Mguni and other Bulawayo City Council (BCC) officials, on Thursday hosted the Australian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bronte Moules at Town House for discussions envisaged on attracting investment to the city.

“We (with Australian ambassador) explored many areas of co-operation in health, education, cultural tourism and investments exchanges,” Mguni said.

“We suggested further engagements towards a twinning arrangement with an Australian city, Sydney, Perth or Melbourne. It is work in progress.”

This follows recent reports that Bulawayo city fathers are also pursuing a twinning arrangement with the Chinese city of Zhaoyuan.

China has emerged as the country’s major trading partner over the years following the adoption of the Look East policy.

“Of particular interest would be the establishment of an industrial park and Bulawayo Development Bank.

“Furthermore, it was anticipated that the co-operation of two cities would promote the aims and objectives of Sino-Zimbabwean Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement,” recent council minutes on the twinning arrangement with the Chinese city, read.

Bulawayo currently has a twinning arrangement with Aberdeen in Scotland, Durban and Polokwane in South Africa and Katima Mulilo of Namibia.

Bulawayo’s once busy industrial area now resembles a ghost town after several companies closed shop, or relocated as a result of the never-ending economic crisis.

A number of premises have since been turned into churches.

Bulawayo was once termed the industrial hub of the country.

NewsDay

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said his party intends to plant two million trees annually as part of its vision for a smart environment.

He made the remarks during the National Tree Planting day event held in Norton.

Speaking in Norton where he planted a tree to mark the national tree planting day, Chamisa said the tobacco industry must recover, but not at the cost of the environment.

He urged farmers to invest in solar energy to preserve vegetation.

“The constitution of Zimbabwe, section 73 gives certain fundamental environmental rights and obligations,” he said.

“At law, the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of the rights set out in this section.

“Authorities and Parliament need to show seriousness by enacting legislation to criminalise the destruction of wetlands and the indiscriminate cutting-down of trees.

“There should be stiffer penalties to deter the offenders. We need sustainable afforestation projects.”

Chamisa added: “We aim to plant two million trees annually until 2026 and even beyond. All our cities, towns, villages and communities must be climate smart, making Zimbabwe a wholly green country by 2026.”

He urged people to make planting trees a culture.

“Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, sequestering carbon, protecting biodiversity, preventing soil erosion and supporting wildlife,” Chamisa said.

He named the tree he planted yesterday the “New Zimbabwe Democracy tree”.

-The Standard

 

THE court case in which former Mines and Mining Development secretary Francis Gudyanga allegedly made fraudulent payments of $1,6 million from the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) coffers has been postponed to January 15 next year.

Gudyanga (69), who is on $500 bail, was further remanded after the State requested a postponement, so that they could get a statement from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, where some of the funds were funnelled.

It is the State’s case that between September 2014 and December 2015, Gudyanga, acting in his capacity as the Mines and Mineral Development secretary, and sometimes as chairperson of then nonexistent MMCZ board, misrepresented that they paid $1 629 500 to Glammer (Pvt) Ltd, a foreign company through a local agricultural company, Pedstock.

Gudyanga further misrepresented that the money be accounted to as dividends due to the government as a stakeholder.

The State alleges that MMCZ, acting on Gudyanga’s misrepresentation, released the $1 629 500 to Pedstock when the money was not being paid to the government as dividend but for a private arrangement which had nothing to do with MMCZ.

The procedure is that dividends are paid to the secretary who in turn issues a receipt of acknowledgement. The permanent secretary then pays to the Finance ministry.

But Gudyanga’s misrepresentation caused MMCZ to release, and suffer a prejudice of $1 629 500. Nothing was recovered.

Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.

NewsDay

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday planted trees in Norton to mark the National Tree Planting day.

The youthful politician named one of the trees the New Zimbabwe Democracy Tree though he did elaborate on the reason behind the name.

Speaking in Norton where he planted a tree to mark the national tree planting day, Chamisa said the tobacco industry must recover, but not at the cost of the environment.

He urged farmers to invest in solar energy to preserve vegetation.

“The constitution of Zimbabwe, section 73 gives certain fundamental environmental rights and obligations,” he said.

“At law, the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of the rights set out in this section.

“Authorities and Parliament need to show seriousness by enacting legislation to criminalise the destruction of wetlands and the indiscriminate cutting-down of trees.

“There should be stiffer penalties to deter the offenders. We need sustainable afforestation projects.”

Chamisa added: “We aim to plant two million trees annually until 2026 and even beyond. All our cities, towns, villages and communities must be climate smart, making Zimbabwe a wholly green country by 2026.”

He urged people to make planting trees a culture.

“Trees contribute to the environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, sequestering carbon, protecting biodiversity, preventing soil erosion and supporting wildlife,” Chamisa said.

-The Standard

 

A DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo (DRC) female national, who was recently arrested for violating the Immigration Act and later discovered to be hiding 56,85 grammes of gold alloy in her undergarments, was on Thursday further remanded in custody, pending trial on December 3.

Mami Ngaluay Odette (54) was not asked to plead to a charge of illegal possession of gold alloy when she appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Langton Mkwengi.

Prosecutor Munyonga Kuvarega told the court that on November 20 at 5pm, Odette was arrested for violating the Immigrations Act and detained at Beitbridge Remand Prison.

It is the State case that on her admission to Beitbridge Prison, female prison officers who were on duty observed a piece of cloth hidden in her underwear.

They removed the piece of cloth and unwrapped it, only to discover that it contained three buttons of gold alloy weighing 56,85g.

Odette was asked to produce a licence or permit authorising her to possess gold, but she failed, leading to fresh charges being pressed against her.

The gold alloy was taken for assaying, where it was confirmed that it contained 24,011 grammes of gold valued at $960,44.

NewsDay

Own Correspondent|The body of a grade one pupil who was stabbed to death at his North West school in South Africa has arrived home in Zimbabwe ahead of his funeral.

The boy will be laid to rest in Mount Darwin over 200 kilometres north of the capital Harare.

The seven-year-old was stabbed multiple times in a bathroom at his school last week, allegedly by an older boy.

The grade 11 suspect was arrested and is expected back in court next week.

After meeting with their relatives on arrival here in Zimbabwe, the tragedy of the little boy’s murder appears to have sunk in.

It has been a difficult two weeks for the visibly distraught family, but the child’s father says preparations are well underway for tomorrow to bid farewell to his last born child.

It took the parents of the slain little boy 26 hours to travel to Mount Darwin from South Africa.

The family says last minute touches are being put in place to ensure the boy is given the dignified burial he deserves.

The grade one learner was stabbed multiple times at the school in the North West allegedly by a grade 11 learner from another school.

According to the Department of Basic Education, the incident occurred at Dikeledi Makapan Primary School in Makapanstad.

The grade 11 pupil had allegedly been hiding in the primary school’s toilet before he repeatedly stabbed the learner to death.

In a statement, the department said: “It is alleged that the suspect apparently slept in the toilet overnight without anyone knowing he was there. The deceased was one of the first to go to the toilet in the morning and the grade 11 learner allegedly repeatedly stabbed him. He was rushed to the local clinic where he was certified dead.”

The principal of the school managed to apprehend the alleged perpetrator and handed him over to the police.

“It appears the suspect knew the deceased, and it is alleged that he was in a romantic relationship with the grade 1 learner’s older sister who also attends Mankala Technical High School with the suspect,” the statement said.

“It is believed the couple may have had a fallout and the alleged perpetrator targeted the younger brother. However, police will conduct a full investigation around the circumstance of this horrific murder.”

Minister Angie Motshekga has sent her deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and North West MEC for Education, Jonas Sello Lehari, is expected to visit the school on Thursday morning.

Gukurahundi was a political plan to destroy ZAPU and not an ethnic cleansing operation, the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) director Sipho Malunga has claimed.

Sipho is son to the late Sidney Malunga, a ZAPU stalwart and liberation war hero.

Addressing delegates at the 2018 Transitional Justice Policy Symposium in Matobo, Friday, Malunga said Gukurahundi was targeted at ZAPU, which is a political party but unfortunately the Ndebele people were then caught up in the genocide.

“I do not believe that the intention of the few people at the top in Zanu was to eliminate the Ndebele people. Gukurahundi was a political agenda designed to destroy ZAPU. It so happened that ZAPU had its strong political base in Matabeleland so in wiping out the opposition, ZAPU supporters became the target. The outcome of that political contestation was genocidal,” Malunga claimed.

The OSISA director said to prove his claims, some of the masterminds behind Gukurahundi were Ndebele people who were part of Zanu such as Enos Nkala.

He added that Zanu wanted a one-party state in Zimbabwe, which is why it sought to eliminate ZAPU.
“A few people in Zanu in the early 1980s under the leadership of the former president Robert Mugabe made a decision to finish ZAPU. They wanted a one-party state and they knew ZAPU would attain 20 seats in Parliament” said Malunga.

The director also pointed out that some Shona people were also victimised during Gukurahundi.
“(Caiphas) Ndziramasanga was one of the first people to be detained in the 1980s together with my father,” Malunga said.

Malunga highlighted there should be no reason for ethnic groups in Zimbabwe to fight each other because perpetrators of Gukurahundi were individuals, not an entire tribe.

“I do not begrudge any Shona person in Zimbabwe because we know the people who came and did these atrocities. We cannot say each and every Shona was involved in Gukurahundi. I have no reason to hate any Shona person. They have done nothing wrong to me except if they start to deny Gukurahundi. The question then would be why are you denying something that you had nothing to do with,” said Malunga.

Historian Pathisa Nyathi, concurred with Malunga and said Gukurahundi was not ever about ethnicity.

“The most critical thing was the ethnicisation of the liberation movement happening for the first time in 1963. That split was ethnic. Then came 1971 on March 11 where the likes of James Chikerema went out of ZAPU. The Zezuru had remained in ZAPU following the 1963 split. That was the ethnicisation or “Ndebelisation” of ZAPU,” he narrated.

“The thing that was to be crushed by Gukurahundi was ZAPU, not Ndebele but how would one differentiate between ZAPU and Ndebele. Mugabe was pre-occupied with being an undisputed leader with a one-party state. That is why they wanted to totally dismantle the ZAPU political infrastructure,” concluded Nyathi.

CITE

Jane Mlambo| 13 people have reportedly dead in an accident involving a Green Fuel sugar cane haulage truck and a commuter omnibus near Checheche, Chipinge.

Eye witnesses said the accident could have been caused by dust as the road. The Tanganda-Chiredzi Highway has become a death trap since government replaced tarmac with gravel which makes it difficult for motorists to see oncoming traffic.

Local communities are also complaining of dust which they say is causing untold suffering and a health risk due to volume of traffic and the amount of dust coming out of the road.

Government has indicated plans to resurface the road that links Tanganda and Ngundu.

Those of nervous disposition are encouraged not to view pictures below.

Two weeks ago I a made a call to the GOOD people of South Africa to join me in building a movement that will save our country.

I announced a new political movement that would contest the 2019 elections, nationally and in all nine provinces.
I promised to announce a name for the movement, its logo and its objectives in two weeks time.

Today I am proud to honour that promise and to announce the movement is named GOOD.

The movement’s name and identity is here for all of you to see.
It is a simple and authentic name that says quite boldly what we stand for and that we are here to disrupt politics as usual.

It is rallying call to GOOD South Africans to resuscitate the project of optimism and reconciliation.
Good is a movement.
Good upholds the constitution.
Good builds the country.
Good changes politics.
Good fights corruption.
Good stamps out racism.
Good cares about people.
Good nurtures the frail.
Good educates the young.
Good helps the suffering.
Good shelters the needy.
Good has empathy.
Good gives hope.
Good supports good.

I have been deeply encouraged by the response and the support that my message prompted.

As I said, I wanted GOOD South Africans, men and women, young and experienced, of all races, to step forward to lead our country.

I was looking for those who represent the beautiful diversity of our country and who wish to take the lead in restoring hope.

I was not disappointed.

Over the past two weeks we have been managing a growing data-base of South Africans who stepped forward to join our movement for GOOD.

Thousands have come forward and we now have a steady base from which to grow.
Many have also offered financial support for our movement.

We now have activists who are working to grow our base of supporters in all nine provinces.

We also worked with a prominent industry experts to assist us to develop the name, identity and brand of this movement.

That name and identity arose from the hopeful and patriotic vision we hold and from the values we have enshrined in our movement’s constitution and our country’s constitution.

Those values are what will guide this movement as we contest elections and govern.

They include TRUTH, TRUST, EQUITY, SOLIDARITY and SERVICE.

Over the past few weeks we have also been working on developing the policy positions that will give life to these values and the country we hope for and will fight for.

We have based our policy positions on four themes:
SPATIAL JUSTICE
SOCIAL JUSTICE
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
For the purposes of introducing our movement to you I have summarised some of the themes and the work:

SPATIAL JUSTICE:
Race and space have defined the life and opportunities of South Africans for centuries.

No democratic government in South Africa has tackled the apartheid spatial legacy.

It persists across our country.
Achieving spatial justice is essential to creating a more equitable South Africa.

The apartheid spatial plan continues to keep us divided and has in fact been exacerbated in our towns and cities as they face rapid urbanisation.

Under this theme, for example, we tackle the question of land distribution and land restitution.

We start from the position that public land is for the public good.
Public land is not a commodity to be privatised or traded with. Its first purpose is to serve the public good.
Our constitution provides for expropriation of land. Given the significant public land holdings expropriation should be the last resort.
There is a duty on all land owners, like the state, private sector, churches, banks and traditional leaders to become part of the solution to land distribution.

SOCIAL JUSTICE:
Race and gender still largely determines most South Africans’ prospects.
The vast majority of GOOD South Africans are not racist and wish to see our country prosper.

Sadly racist incidents continue to occur but as the GOOD movement we will not allow racists to speak for us.
South African leaders have shied away from tackling structural and socialised racism within our society.

We will lead the fight against racism and gender inequality.

We cannot allow our future to be structured around racial privilege or racial disadvantage.

Nor can we allow women to live in a patriarchal society of gender violence and femicide.

Under the social justice theme we will also tackle access to quality education.
The future of our country depends on parity of excellent learning opportunities for every child.
Our policies will speak to the socio-economic rights enshrined in our bill of rights.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE:
South Africa’s history of access to capital and wealth is inescapably unequal.

To create a society that redresses capital, assets and wealth inequalities requires a meaningful programme of action.

We support the principle of B-BBEE as a concept geared to address unequal access to assets, wealth and capital.
We are for this – but it must be done right.

And it is done right when we start to see the structure of our country’s economy change so that access to wealth and capital is spread more broadly.
The feminisation of poverty in our country must be addressed.
The growing trend of unequal pay for women in the labour market is an economic injustice.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:
The world’s climate is changing faster than scientists had predicted.
This generation MUST work to protect the planet and stabilise the climate so that we can protect ourselves and future generations.

Climate change is impacting our economy, impacting food security and raising food prices. We cannot afford not to tackle climate change.

Under each of these themes we are developing detailed policy positions and our 2019 election manifesto. This will be revealed in January 2019 when we launch our campaign and announce our Premier candidates.

There has been a lot of speculation about the renaming of the Independent Democrats.

This is a new movement and we have commenced the process of registering the movement with the Independent Electoral Commission.
To fight elections across the country will require substantial financial support and we will be reaching out to all those who wish to build a GOOD South Africa to assist us.
Finally, this movement is about the country I love.

The future of this movement and of our country lies in the hands of a diverse group, of young and experienced people, like some of those who have joined me here today.

There are also many thousands around the country who wish to build a South Africa that is prosperous and equitable.
My role is to use my experience in government to bring GOOD government and GOOD services to all South Africans.

I will continue to mentor and nurture young leaders – who are also the future leaders of our beautiful country.
I again call on all the GOOD people of our country to join us and to restore hope and patriotism for our country and its future.

The GOOD movement will remind South Africans that you don’t need to be black to fight racism, you don’t need to be a woman to fight for gender equality, you don’t need to be gay to fight homophobia.

God Bless South Africa. God seën Suid-Afrika. Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika.

SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax has advised the opposition MDC Alliance that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy is indisputable, underscoring that the regional bloc is preparing for Zimbabwe’s Head of State and Government to take over as Chair of its influential Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

President Mnangagwa assumes Chairmanship of the Organ at the 2019 Ordinary Sadc Summit. The Organ is one of the bloc’s foremost structures, mandated with overseeing elections and promoting peace and security, including deployment of Sadc forces.

Mr Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance on Thursday released a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Sadc and African Union challenging President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy. President Mnangagwa not only out-polled Mr Chamisa by more than 300 000 votes, he also surpassed the constitutional threshold of 50 percent-plus-one of total ballots cast to be declared the winner without the need of a run-off in the July 2018 Presidential race.

The MDC Alliance has snubbed the Sadc and AU Election Observer Mission Reports endorsing the elections. Responding to questions from our Harare Bureau after a three-day working visit to Zimbabwe, Dr Tax poured cold water on the petition, saying both the electoral management body and the Constitutional Court had declared President Mnangagwa the winner.

“In terms of the petition, I have not received the petition. What should be recognised is that Zimbabwe is a sovereign country, Zimbabwe has a Constitution and Zimbabwe is guided by a number of legislations. Our advice is that let those be observed, elections took place, elections were contested, the Constitutional Court also judged. So all those were processes and instruments to ensure that there is democracy,” she said.

Dr Tax commended President Mnangagwa for promoting political freedoms. She added that Sadc’s prime focus on Zimbabwe was preparing Harare to Chair the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

“You also have to understand that Zimbabwe is our Incoming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. The intention is to make sure that we are doing this work together. We are looking at what are the areas that we are going to focus on and how we can work together with the Incoming Chair.”

Dr Tax said during her visit, she met Defence and War Veterans Minister Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and high-ranking Foreign Affairs Ministry officials to knuckle down on the matters that would require President Mnangagwa’s attention when he took over the Organ.

“We are in the process of identifying, so this is work in progress. Next year and the following year, when Zimbabwe assumes the Chairmanship, we are going to have a number of elections in the region and Zimbabwe is expected to lead the Sadc Election Observer Mission.

“Again we are going to assume (operational command) of the Standby Force under the African Union. This is an area under peacekeeping and is very critical, so we have to make sure that in the event that we are called to intervene we are ready.

“The other area is that we need to be prepared and alert to counter terrorism and address cyber-crime. This is work in progress, the institutions are already there and we have to be alert as we move forward and focus on the Chairmanship of Zimbabwe. We have started early because we cannot wait until August 2019 (when the Sadc Ordinary Summit is due).”

Dr Tax said Sadc was fully behind Zimbabwe’s economic reforms and was encouraging its international co-operating partners to also lend support to Harare and the  bloc would continue to call for an end to economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.

-State Media

Zimbabweans reacted with surprise yesterday, to Thursday’s announcement by the inquiry looking into the August 1 shootings in Harare, that it had already handed over the executive summary of its report to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The commission’s unexpected announcement came a few days after it ended its public hearings into the post-election shootings which left at least six civilians dead when the army joined police to quell disturbances in the capital’s central business district.

The probe is headed by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe — with the other members of the inquiry being academics Lovemore Madhuku and Charity Manyeruke, Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) ex-president Vimbai Nyemba, Rodney Dixon of the United Kingdom, former Tanzanian chief of the defence forces General Davis Mwamunyange and ex-Commonwealth secretary-general Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria.

Political analysts who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said the submission of the inquiry’s executive summary to Mnangagwa “raised eyebrows” — as it painted a picture of a report “hurriedly” done despite the lengthy time it had taken the commission to gather evidence and testimonies.

“The haste with which this report is being pushed through and the evidence analysed for a final report ahead of a very tight timeline raises a number of concerns about both the process and the product that the commission is producing.

“It’s all highly problematic. The commission, as far as I am concerned, had up to the middle of December to complete its report. We saw it this week refusing to take evidence of individuals appearing before it because the cut-off date had already been reached.

“As far as I am concerned … it also appears as if there is a lot of evidence that has not been looked at,” Piers Pigou, a senior consultant at the Crisis International Group, said.

“It is also not clear why Mnangagwa and (deputy president Constantino) Chiwenga have not been called to clarify the contradicting versions given by (the commander of the defence forces Philip Valerio) Sibanda and (former Home Affairs minister Obert) Mpofu in terms of the chain of command on the deployment of soldiers on August 1.

“We also saw no independent investigating capacity of the commission to check, verify or corroborate aspects of the testimonies put in front of it.

“Let’s see what the final report says … then we can assess the findings and recommendations of the commission,” Pigou added.

“But I have to say, so far it does not fill me with comfort that the process is really going to get to grips with what actually happened that day,” he said further.

But University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer, Eldred Masunungure, said while the commission of inquiry appeared to have rushed its job, there were many ways of presenting and compiling reports.

“There are different ways of killing a cat … In some cases some wait until they have collected all the evidence and then they start preparing the report. Others prefer compiling the report while collecting evidence.

“I suspect in this case that that’s what they did. Clearly they did their work early. But those who are querying the time within which this has been completed are also justified.

“It did raise eyebrows. Under normal circumstances, it would take a week or two after the final testimony to complete a report,” Masunungure told the Daily News.

Veteran broadcaster and spokesperson for the killings inquiry, John Masuku, said the probe’s commissioners had simultaneously collected evidence while compiling skeletal reports — hence the speedy release of the executive summary of the report.

“What was presented was just the executive summary. The actual report is being bound and sealed. Don’t forget they had 90 days to do their work … they started working flat out early.

“Everyday after the hearings they compiled a skeleton report. Towards the end, they had been working 24 hours a day to make sure they completed the task early.

“They were very systematic, which is what assisted them to finish their work early. As I said, they had 90 days which lapse on December 19,” the affable Masuku said.

On their part, rights groups said the Motlanthe-led commission had not done a “thorough job” and had allegedly “left out” crucial evidence from people that it had
barred from testifying.

“They have done some work, but I don’t believe they were thorough. The commission did not also interview a number of victims.

“The commissioners should have saved their integrity by spending time looking at the evidence. There are a lot of gaps … people have been left with a lot of questions.

“There are questions about the integrity of the information that the commission was getting and why they left out a number of victims and their relatives,” Okay Machisa, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights), said.

“At the press conference hosted by the Human Rights NGO forum, it was raised that there are worries about certain evidence that has not been considered by the commission.

“We are not sure if the commission used or received the information that it obtained from the Human Rights NGO forum,” he added.

Things at the shootings commission of inquiry got heated in the last few weeks, after security chiefs testified and wholly absolved the military of the killings in the process — while the opposition, which it had appeared to blame for the shootings, maintained that its hands were clean.

Relatives of deceased victims gave gripping accounts of how their beloved ones had died during the deadly violence of August 1, which followed the peaceful July 30 elections.

The shootings occurred after millions of Zimbabweans had cast their votes in the polls to choose both a new Parliament and president — following the dramatic fall from power of former president Robert Mugabe last November.

The elections were the first since 1980 to be held in the country without Mugabe’s participation, whose 37-year, iron-fisted rule was stunningly ended by a military intervention which triggered events that ended with his resignation.

The elections also marked the first time that the main opposition MDC was not represented by its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who lost his brave battle against colon cancer on Valentine’s Day this year.

Political analysts have also said the August 1 violence and the resultant deaths had done a lot of harm to Mnangagwa’s quests to mend years of frosty relations with Western governments.

Meanwhile, it was learnt yesterday that the killings commission will set up a website where it will post all materials submitted to it for the public to access for themselves.

-Daily News

Smelly Dube, a businesswoman from Midlands province who was once close to former president Robert Mugabe’s family, has been throwing a stink over a controversial housing project that is now giving the central government and the Gweru municipality a headache.

Built in the south-western part of urban Gweru, Woodlands Park — the project in question — is home to at least 15 000 residents, most of whom are low-income earners who include government employees.

Dube owns Mahlaba Housing Programme, trading as River Valley Properties, which is the private land developer responsible for the establishment of Woodlands Park at Lot 1 of 5A of West Gwelo Block.

The naked eye would not distinguish the settlement from the many high-density suburbs across the country.

It is a squashed and mixed bag of shabby matchbox units and beautiful homes.

The roads are dusty and become impassable during the rainy season. Refuse collectors are rare and so is potable water and electricity.

A nearby dumping site that was established well before the construction of the suburb generates a perennial cloud of smoke that literally chokes the residents and passers-by alike.

The story about Dube “bribing” the ex-president with a $100 000 presidential mansion that was turned into a “heritage site” but is now largely neglected after Mugabe’s ouster through a military coup late last year is all too familiar among the residents of Gweru and beyond.

But an investigation by The Standard, working in collaboration with Information for Development Trust, a non-profit media advocacy outfit, has unearthed intricacies that have remained untold since the commencement of the housing project in 2010.

Technically, the residents of Woodlands Park are‘marooned’ owing to the confusion around the administrative authority they should belong to.

The land on which the houses are built still belongs to Vungu Rural District Council RDC), but Gweru City Council (GCC) is providing services to the residents.

Most of the new homeowners are urbanites who moved from adjacent suburbs like Mkoba, Mambo and Ascot, but were forced to vote for councillors who they hardly knew from rural Chiwundura in the July 31 elections,

Generally, the opposition is popular in urban areas while the ruling Zanu PF is dominant in rural areas as shown by past election results.

Dube’s company did not seek clearance from Vungu RDC before the construction of the suburb, according to rural district council authorities.

One of them, Wellington Ngulube, who was the Vungu chief executive officer at the commencement of the project, told The Standard that he lost his job when he complained over the anomaly.

“The settlement (Woodlands Park) was established by a private property developer without following the proper procedure of acquiring land for a residential area,” he said.

“Vungu Rural District Council owned the piece of land, but it was never consulted.

“When I raised this issue, the former Provincial Affairs minister (Jason Machaya) responded viciously. I was subsequently suspended and up to now I am jobless.

“Up to now, Woodlands has ‘stateless’ residents and environmental refugees.”

Ngulube added: “As it stands, the suburb has no councillor sitting in the Gweru urban council yet it is the one, which is providing services like water and sewerage. Who helps them when they face problems?”

He called for an independent commission of inquiry to address the issue.

GCC was supposed to apply for a certificate of incorporation to the Local Government ministry so as to develop the area, but that was never done.

Gweru Residents’ Forum director Charles Mazorodze told The Standard that River Valley went ahead with the project without first putting in place adequate basic civil works that included the installation of water and trunk sewer systems.

“There was no sound investment in the provision of the required service delivery infrastructure,” he said, adding that the suburb faced a serious health hazard since it is sited adjacent to a sprawling trash dumping zone, which generates clouds of toxic smoke, while hazardous chemicals seep into the ground and, in turn, into water wells.

The Gweru municipality, already struggling to provide adequate services to other suburbs, did not get any money from the private developer and had to draw funds from its lean budget to set up civil works, according to Mazorodze.

Livingstone Chimina, the Member of Parliament for Chiundura constituency under which Woodands Park falls, has approached Local Government minister July Moyo over the “statelessness” of the residents, but is disappointed that no action has been taken.

“The minister just promised that the issue would be resolved during delimitation. Whatever happened, I don’t know. But I just want the situation to be regularised,” he said.

Dube claimed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) involving her company and the two local authorities was signed to enable the construction of the suburb.

In a 10-minute phone interview characterised by hesitation and mumbling, the River Valley Properties proprietor kept insisting that the deal was above board since it was blessed by former Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo.

Chombo was sacked and arrested for alleged corruption when Mugabe, to whom he was close, was toppled in November 2017.

But Ngulube dismissed Dube’s claim that there was an MoU to set up the project.

“I didn’t see such an MoU, so I didn’t sign anything,” he said.

River Valley Properties never bothered to do an environmental impact assessment (EIA) as required by the law.

An EIA is mandatory for housing development initiatives under the First Schedule of the Environment Management Act, Chapter 20:27, in addition to other major projects like roads, airports, mines, man-made lakes and dams.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) officer for Gweru district, Timothy Nyoka, confirmed that Woodlands was not only built on a wetland against the law, but also omitted doing an EIA.

“Woodlands was built in violation of the Environmental Management Act as the developer refused to carry out an EIA,” said Nyoka.

River Valley was issued with a $5 000 fine ticket on July 22, 2015 and ordered to stop developing Woodlands.

The developer paid the fine five days later against ticket number EP1412 that was issued and delivered by EMA’s Oliver Kanengoni.

“The developer told us that they were building a house for the then President Robert Mugabe in that area, so we ended up realising that there was politics involved and we backed off,” he said.

Nyoka also pointed out that the consequences of the illegal construction of the suburb were now being felt by residents in the area as the suburb was developed just across the city’s sole dump site.

Taurai Demo, the former Gweru municipality deputy mayor who was in office at the height of development of the area, also confirmed that procedures were flouted.

“We questioned why GCC was being forced to offer service delivery to an area that it did not own, but that did not work,” he said.

“During our tenure we tried hard to expose that illegality, but we did not succeed.”

Charles Chikozho, an ex-mayor, said Owen Ncube, the then Provincial Affairs minister who was recently promoted to the State Security portfolio by President Emerson Mnangagwa, even summoned him to his office to explain the anomalies relating to the Woodlands housing scheme, but admitted that “I didn’t get a satisfactory answer from my own research”.

Curiously, the former mayor also owns a house in Woodlands, but he claimed most of the residents were not aware of the irregularities attendant to the project.

Chikozho, though, said it would not be prudent to get rid of the housing project and suggested that it must, instead, be regularised.

Gweru Urban MP and human rights lawyer Brian Dube said while it was legal to reverse development of the suburb, residents’ right to shelter should be considered, and blamed the government for watching as the project progressed.

“At law, it is permissible to reverse the project, but you consider the balance of convenience. If the balance of convenience favours reversal, you do so. If it favours proceeding, you proceed. You consider the level of developments as well,” he said.

The current Provincial Affairs minister for Midlands, Larry Mavhima, also insisted that Woodlands was built illegally and indicated that central government was working on a seizure order that would “soon” stop further development and take away the developer’s rights to continue working on the project.

“The developer (Dube) did not comply and proper procedures were not followed in the construction of the suburb.

“As the new dispensation, we do not allow such imprudence and unprofessionalism,” said Mavhima, who also warned home-seekers against being ripped off by developers.

A fuming Dube instead accused Mavhima and Ncube of seeking to undermine her, alleging that she once clashed with the latter over a mining project in Midlands province.

Dube hurried to Mavhima’s office immediately after the interview with The Standard, but the minister refused to meet her and her co-director, Richard Chiwara, a pastor.

“I am my own man and am not working under Minister Ncube’s influence. The developer is guilty. If they (Dube and Chiwara) have nothing to hide, why are they behaving like that?” said Mavhima.

This paper failed to fix an interview with Ncube, however, because his phone was constantly unreachable.

Manford Gambiza, the GCC spokesperson, told The Standard that the local authority was never consulted or involved in the setting-up of Woodlands Park.

GCC, he added, did not get a single cent from the developer for the connection of sewer and water systems even though the land developer collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from home-seekers.

The urban council found itself in a quandary, but decided to help connect water and sewer systems so as to avert disease outbreaks.

“That (provision of water and sewer systems) was done to avert a health disaster,” said Gambiza.

Machaya, who was alleged to have facilitated Dube’s unprocedural acquisition of land and the illegal development of the Woodlands project, refused to comment.

“I have similar allegations against me that are under the courts of law so it will be in breach of the sub judice rule to comment on the issue of Woodlands,” he said.

However, the court case he was referring to did not cover Woodlands, but other pieces of land that River Valley Properties acquired elsewhere in the province.

But Dube still insisted the Woodlands project was above board and accused The Standard reporter of having been roped in by unspecified individuals to destroy her business.

“Watumwa here kuzondipedza? (Have you been sent to finish me off?) Don’t allow people to use you as a journalist. The suburb was built legally. That is why it was commissioned by Chombo,” she said.

“How can you say there are no papers for that when sewer pipes were connected and there is running water from council? Do you think Gweru City Council, which is approving plans for houses in Woodlands, can do so when the suburb is illegal?”

She demanded to know the EMA officer who had confirmed that project was implemented without an EIA and threatened to set the police on him.

Immediately after the interview with her, this reporter received numerous threatening phone calls from different people, one of who claimed he was a police detail investigating alleged verbal abuse of Dube.

When Dube hung up the phone, Chiwara, her business associate, called and “advised” The Standard to be cautious with the story.

“You see, you need me and I need you. Is it not that you and me stay in Gweru? I am not saying do not write that story, but am just urging you to be careful,” he said.

Standard

CHIMURENGA music maestro Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo, has challenged Zanu PF to first practice good governance and foster unity in deeply-divided Zimbabwe before demanding the removal of sanctions from the West.

The United States slapped Zimbabwe with sanctions through the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 over human rights abuses by former president Robert Mugabe following a chaotic and violent land reform programme.

The sanctions were renewed this year by US president Donald Trump’s administration, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF government has blamed the embargoe for the deterioration of the economy and has been on a charm offensive to persuade the Americans to lift the sanctions.

But Mapfumo, whose hard-hitting songs have become legendary for speaking truth to power, said the government should stop playing with people’s lives.

“Let’s practice good governance first. We are the ones causing these sanctions, not the outside world. If we are not agreeing among ourselves, they will remain.”

“What we have is politics of corruption, not development.

“Even well-known thieves hold senior positions in government …there is too much corruption instead of them building infrastructure such as schools, freeways and hospitals.

“Political bickering caused by partisan politics is taking centre stage.

“Our politics is backwards, more than 38 years of political fights without any development on the economic front is too much,” he said.

Mapfumo added that political elites were busy destroying the country’s future by taking both the fruit and the branch from the tree yet they want to eat the fruit only.

“Our politics should put more focus on developing the economy, so that we leave an inheritance for our children,” he said.

The Chimurenga music maestro said it was sad that Zimbabwe had witnessed insignificant development after the Zanu PF government took over from Ian Smith’s regime at independence in 1980.

Mapfumo said Africa was not united and this had led the resource-rich continent to always have to extend the begging bowl to countries like China.

Mapfumo went into self-imposed exile under Mugabe’s rule and resurfaced back home after the November military coup that ushered in Mnangagwa’s rule.

Some believed it was a sign that he was warming up to Mnangagwa’s rule.

However, Mapfumo has not changed his stance against the Zanu PF government, blasting it for its failure to restore the country’s economy.

Mapfumo is expected back in the country this month for a “Peace” concert. It will be his second visit to the country since Mnangagwa took over in November last year.

He has lined up eight shows around the country, which will provide an opportunity to his fans to watch him live.

Standard

THE concept of devolution being pursued by the Government will ensure that all 10 provinces in the country become enjoined with their districts and communities becoming active lead actors in the creation of national wealth and jobs using resources and opportunities found within their environs, President Mnangagwa has said.

The full implementation of devolution of power as enshrined in Section 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, was one of the major promises laid by the President in the run up to the historical 30 July harmonised elections. Writing in his weekly column published in the Sunday News and our sister paper, The Sunday Mail, President Mnangagwa reaffirmed his commitment to implementing devolution noting that this was a development model where growth and development were initiated and implemented by provinces, with central Government playing facilitator and arbiter to the whole process.

He added that legislators will not sit on provincial and metropolitan councils. The exclusion of Senators and National Assembly representatives will also mean a leaner, efficient structure whose budgets are expended more on gainful economic activity than remuneration. President Mnangagwa said his administration is fine-tuning laws to operationalise the councils.

“Looking at what is provided for under provincial and metropolitan councils, one is struck by a glaring anomaly. These councils are constitutionally created to drive the local development agenda. Yet their constitution and composition include legislators (Senators and members of the National Assembly). Chapter 14 thus does not seem to distinguish between legislative roles and executive functions. By so doing, it offends against the doctrine of separation of powers. This area needs tidying up, lest those running those proposed councils will end up accounting to themselves.”

The President said Zimbabwe was blessed in that it had abundant natural resources which now had to be exploited to the fullest through such development strategies as devolution.

“Our minerals remain inert stones or encrustations on rock until they are mined and processed into marketable products which the world demands. Four days ago, I commissioned a lithium project which is set to grow from the hills and rocks of Goromonzi, just outside Harare. We have had these rocks and hills as part of features in and on our land from time immemorial.

“Similar deposits are near Bulawayo, in Hwange, Kamativi and in Bikita. Until now, only deposits in Bikita were being exploited. Yet if these deposits are worked and processed, Zimbabwe immediately becomes the first on the continent, and the eighth largest producer of lithium in the world. The mineral is in such great demand globally,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said the 2019 Budget, as presented by Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube marked a new era in the country where resources, assets and skills will now have to interact to trigger economic activity starting at a local level — this being the attribute of devolution. A total of $310 million was earmarked for devolution.

“Largely because of our chequered past, not all our provinces have attained the same level of development. There are disparities between provinces, and disparities within provinces. Remarkably, the 2019 Budget Statement recognises such disparities and seeks to make amends. It suggests an interim fiscal transfer framework which allocates . . . resources cognisant of socio-economic disparities across provinces and authorities.

“Government will have to re-invent itself, drawing from experiences of countries like the People’s Republic of China where provinces have been transformed into major economic powerhouses not just within China itself, but globally. My visit to the Provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang revealed what must be done, indeed what we must learn and adapt to our own circumstances,” said the President.

He said his expectations were that while central Government was seized with building key enablers, provincial and metropolitan authorities must start building capacities, including assembling skills needed for enlarged roles to come.

President Mnangagwa further noted that when the country reaches a point where it can fully exploit its resources from a local level this will ensure the growth of the economy, creation of jobs for the youths and cause balanced and inclusive development for the country, in line with Vision 2030.

“Clearly, the idea behind the proposed framework is to evenly build capacities in and within provinces to trigger a simultaneous economic take-off for inclusive growth and development.”

State Media

Correspondent|FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday hit out at Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries founder Walter Magaya over his claims that he could cure HIV/Aids.

Mrs. Mnangagwa was speaking at the World Aids Day commemorations at Rujeko High School in Mazowe.

“Beware of people like Walter Magaya. Let me stress that ARVs (anti-retroviral drugs) are the only known method for reversing Aids and suppressing viral load,” she said.

“As such, I would like to call on health and drug watchdog institutions to remain vigilant against any people who make unscientific claims about any herbal or spiritual discoveries of Aids treatment.”

“I am appealing to government to increase sources of domestic funding including public private partnerships to ensure that more resources are raised.”

World Aids Day is dedicated globally to raising awareness of the Aids pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and to mourning those who have died of the disease. It is commemorated annually since 1988.

Yesterday’s event was organised by the National Aids Council.

Magaya was arrested last month after he unveiled his Aguma herbal drug that he claimed cured Aids.

He was subsequently forced to apologise for making the claims after a backlash from Aids activists and the government, who felt that his utterances threatened to reverse gains made in the fight against Aids.

Meanwhile,the first lady urged the government to complement donor contributions by providing adequate funding as well as engaging the private sector for the acquisition of enough drugs.

“It is disturbing that of the approximately $300 million needed per year for the response to HIV, only 10% is from domestic sources,” she said.

SADC Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax has advised the opposition MDC Alliance that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy is indisputable, underscoring that the regional bloc is preparing for Zimbabwe’s Head of State and Government to take over as Chair of its influential Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

President Mnangagwa assumes Chairmanship of the Organ at the 2019 Ordinary Sadc Summit. The Organ is one of the bloc’s foremost structures, mandated with overseeing elections and promoting peace and security, including deployment of Sadc forces.

Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance on Thursday released a petition to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Sadc and African Union challenging President Mnangagwa’s legitimacy.

The MDC Alliance has snubbed the Sadc and AU Election Observer Mission Reports endorsing the elections. Responding to questions from The Sunday Mail after a three-day working visit to Zimbabwe, Dr Tax poured cold water on the petition, saying both the electoral management body and the Constitutional Court had declared President Mnangagwa the winner.

“In terms of the petition, I have not received the petition. What should be recognised is that Zimbabwe is a sovereign country, Zimbabwe has a Constitution and Zimbabwe is guided by a number of legislations. Our advice is that let those be observed, elections took place, elections were contested, the Constitutional Court also judged. So all those were processes and instruments to ensure that there is democracy,” she said.

Dr Tax commended President Mnangagwa for promoting political freedoms. She added that Sadc’s prime focus on Zimbabwe was preparing Harare to Chair the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation.

“You also have to understand that Zimbabwe is our Incoming Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. The intention is to make sure that we are doing this work together. We are looking at what are the areas that we are going to focus on and how we can work together with the Incoming Chair.”

Dr Tax said during her visit, she met Defence and War Veterans Minister Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and high-ranking Foreign Affairs Ministry officials to knuckle down on the matters that would require President Mnangagwa’s attention when he took over the Organ.

“We are in the process of identifying, so this is work in progress. Next year and the following year, when Zimbabwe assumes the Chairmanship, we are going to have a number of elections in the region and Zimbabwe is expected to lead the Sadc Election Observer Mission.

“Again we are going to assume (operational command) of the Standby Force under the African Union. This is an area under peacekeeping and is very critical, so we have to make sure that in the event that we are called to intervene we are ready.

“The other area is that we need to be prepared and alert to counter terrorism and address cyber-crime. This is work in progress, the institutions are already there and we have to be alert as we move forward and focus on the Chairmanship of Zimbabwe. We have started early because we cannot wait until August 2019 (when the Sadc Ordinary Summit is due).”

Dr Tax said Sadc was fully behind Zimbabwe’s economic reforms and was encouraging its international co-operating partners to also lend support to Harare and the bloc would continue to call for an end to economic sanctions on Zimbabwe.

State Media

FORMER vice-president Phelekezela Mphoko’s Botswana-based business partners are demanding US$94 million for them to allow him to take over control of supermarket giant Choppies’ local operations.

Mphoko’s family is engaged a nasty fight for control of the supermarket chain with their Botswana-registered Choppies Distribution Centre (Proprietary) Limited business partners fronted by former president Festus Mogae.

Mphoko and his son Siqokoqela insist they are the majority shareholders of Choppies Zimbabwe through their local investment vehicle, Nanavac, with 51%.

However, the Botswana-headquartered business says the Mphokos only own 7% shareholding in Choppies.

The Botswana headquartered business — in a letter in the possession of The Standard to Mphoko’s lawyers Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers and their Nanavac Investment vehicle dated October 20, 2018 — demanded US$94 million for the Mphokos to be given some controlling shares in the business, failure of which they would be elbowed out.

They said the money “represents a multiple of 12 times Nanavac earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and extrapolated to annual amount to Nanavac’s latest financial statements for its quarter ending 30 September 2018”.

The Mphokos were given a November 5 deadline to pay for the shares in terms of the July 24, 2013 clause 13 of the shareholders’ agreement entered into with the Botswana business.

“Please let us have proof of payment of the purchase price on receipt of which our clients will deliver to your clients share certificate together with a signed share transfer form made out in favour of your clients,” the letter added.

“Ours being a holder of a valid investment certificate issued in terms of the law and being a foreign currency entity will expect yours naturally to seek exchange approval to pay the sum due to it in Botswana.”

Mphoko’s lawyer Welshman Ncube was unreachable for comment as his mobile phone rang unanswered.

The Choppies boardroom war has spilled into the High Court with the Botswana-headquartered company seeking to bar the Mphoko family from interfering with operations of the business.

The High Court is yet to decide on the matter.

However, in the latest correspondence, Mphoko’s family was warned that failure to pay the US$94 million would result in them being elbowed out of the business.

Mphoko’s son Siqokoqela and his wife Nomagugu were recently dragged to court on charges of interfering with the operations of Choppies Distribution Centre and Choppies Enterprises.

This followed accusations that they swindled the businesses of a combined $80 000.

Last week, Botswana-based Choppies group CEO Ottapath Ramachandran wrote a memo to Choppies threatening to dismiss any employee who deals with the Mphokos.

Mphoko’s lawyers, however, said Ramachandran was offside as the matter was yet to be settled at the courts.

— Standard

POLICE are investigating how $200 000 was illegally moved from a Zifa Steward Bank account at a time funds had been attached by the Sheriff of the High Court on behalf of the association’s creditors.

The matter — which was reported on November 20 under case number IR111541 at Harare Central Police station by the Sheriff of the High Court — implicates the bank and Zifa officials led by its president Philip Chiyangwa of connivance to move the money, which had been garnished and was supposed to be moved into the sheriff’s account for onward transmission to creditors.

According to police documents seen by StandardSport, the account had been garnished by the sheriff in execution of a writ in favour of Daisy Lodges and other creditors owed by the local football association.

“The report was filed due to the failure or connivance by Steward Bank not to transfer funds attached in the suspense account into the sheriff CBZ account. a police report has been made under case number 111541 at Harare Central Police Station at 11;50 on November 20, 2018,” read a report by the sheriff of the High Court.

On Thursday, Zifa board member for finance Philemon Machana said he was unaware that funds were moved illegally from the Steward Bank account, saying if anything untoward had been done, the bank should be held accountable.

“We transact on daily basis and I do not know what you are talking about. If any of our transactions was done illegally, then it is the bank that is at fault, not us,” Machana said.

This is not the first time that the Chiyangwa-led administration has been accused of engaging in questionable activities aimed at avoiding paying creditors even when instructed to do so by the courts.

Bank documents suggest that at some point, Zifa moved money from its Steward Bank account to Conduit Holdings — one of the companies owned by Machana — with indications that it was meant to “protect” the funds from creditors who have been raiding the association demanding their dues.

Machana last year admitted that he had received the association’s funds, but would not state how and why his private entity was being used although he went on to suggest that the amount could be $100 000.

As if that was not enough, Zifa assets, according to documents available, were also being moved from the association’s special purpose vehicle, Zifa Private Limited, to his close associates, including employees.

Last month, a High Court judge, Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa, reserved her ruling in a case in which Zifa allegedly sold and transferred illegally a property that had been attached and sold by the sheriff of the High Court to Maxwell Ndudzo.

Court documents suggest that Zifa, through the private entity, Zifa Private Limited, sold and transferred a house in Kensington to a questionable entity, Olivetouch Investment, at a time the sheriff had lawfully attached the property and sold it to Ndudzo on behalf of the association’s creditors.

According to a deed of transfer prepared by Ngarava, Moyo and Chikono legal practitioners in April 2017, Jonga sold the house along McLoughlin Road in Kensington to Olivetouch Investment.

Documents in our possession suggest that Jonga, who is employed by Pinnacle Holdings as general manager — a company run by Chiyangwa — “sold” the house on behalf of Zifa Private Limited illegally as the association tried to escape attention from its creditors.

Lawyers representing Ndudzo, Fredrick Gijima, stated in court papers that the sale of the house to Olivetouch by Jonga was fraudulent as his client had already paid for the same property through the sheriff.

Ndudzo had offered to buy the house as the highest bidder through a public auction done by the sheriff of the High Court as was instructed by the court so that Zifa would settle the money owed to some of its creditors, among them Led Travel and Tours.

To avoid facing creditors, Chiyangwa forced the secretariat to abandon Zifa headquarters in 2015 after his election claiming that the premises were haunted due to persistent raids by creditors and moved them to his private offices, where last year he pocketed $72 000 in rentals while the association’s offices in town lay idle.

property used at the offices was hired from Hansporte Investment — a private entity whose directors are Jonga and one Beatrice Musavengana, all employed by Chiyangwa at his private business.

Standard

The Bulawayo City Council recently mooted plans to have former mayor, Alderman Martin Moyo awarded one of the mayoral cars for free or a paltry $3 000, as part of his exit package, it has emerged.

The move comes despite the local authority having, last year, insisted that they were abandoning a policy where former mayors will be given the option of purchasing vehicles they used during their tenure at book value.

Ald Moyo was at the local authority for two terms — one as an ordinary councillor and the next as a mayor — before being defeated by the current deputy mayor, Councillor Tinashe Kambarami in the Ward Three Local Government elections.

According to a council confidential report council’s financial director, Mr Kimpton Ndimande had recommended that Ald Moyo be given two options that of being given a Mazda BT50 for free — as it had no book value — or purchase a Chevrolet, which is also part of the mayoral fleet, for $14 732.

“The financial director noted that in terms of policy, out-going mayors were afforded the opportunity to purchase the vehicle they were using while still in office.

“Council did not have a depreciation policy, however, financial services were being guided by the accounting standards of best practice in this particular issue. In this instance the book values of the mayoral vehicles should be adjusted.

“In light of this Mr Ndimande recommended that the BT50 be given to the out-going mayor for free as it carries no book value or as the depreciation value for the Chevrolet Trailblazer is $25 400 and going by the precedent of former mayor Alderman Thaba Moyo, it be disposed at, 58 percent, this being $14 732,” reads part of the report.
Ironically in the same report it is stated that when the Mazda BT50 was valued for insurance purposes it was pegged at $20 000. When his tenure ended, Ald Thaba Moyo was sold a Dodge Journey vehicle for $7 500 despite the book value being pegged at $13 000.

In debating the motion, some councillors supported the move to give Ald Martin Moyo more of a golden hand shake by awarding him the Mazda BT50 for free, while others felt it would be unjustified considering the burden would be on the ratepayers.

“The town clerk (Mr Christopher Dube) explained that the matter had been re-examined by management which felt it advisable to follow precedent.

“Ald Thaba Moyo had been offered the mayoral vehicle at a discount of 58 percent of the book value. In this instant this would translate to zero for the BT50 and $14 732 for the Trailblazer.

“The mayor, Clr Solomon Mguni observed that the general sentiment was that Ald Martin Moyo had given invaluable and selfless service to Bulawayo . . . the deputy mayor, Clr Tinashe Kambarami recalled that the view at the previous meeting was that the BT50 be offered at $5 00, this would still be affordable to him. Clrs Silas Chigora and Siboniso Khumalo did not support a free gift as this would be unjustifiable to the ratepayer,” reads part of the confidential report.

After further deliberations councillors decided that the former mayor be given the option of purchasing the Mazda BT50 at $3 000 or the Chevrolet Trailblazer for $14 732 and the vehicle of choice be fully serviced upon offer to the former mayor.

The issue of the Bulawayo City Council mayoral pool of cars has over the years given the local
authority headaches over the years, with residents constantly questioning their priorities.

The Chevrolet Traiblazer, which is part of the options given to Ald Moyo was purchased last year in May and was used by the town clerk Mr Dube while he awaited delivery of his own vehicle.- state media

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa today planted the ‘New Zimbabwe Democracy tree’ in Norton in a project he said will continue every 1st of December until Zimbabwe becomes a green country.

This is part of the MDC’s national Smart Councils Environment Day.

Chamisa said in a statement: “Today I’m in Norton to plant the ‘New Zimbabwe Democracy tree’. We aim to plant 2m trees annually every December until 2026 and beyond. All our cities, towns, villages and communities must be climate smart making Zimbabwe a wholly GREEN country by 2026.”

MDC Secretary for Local Government and Devolution Sesel Zvidzai said, “Starting today till next week, all MDC run councils will be planting trees as well as encouraging citizens to plant a tree in their environments to ensure the protection and conservation of our country’s environment, be it wet lands, forests, water bodies and everything pertaining to greening and sustainability agenda, as well as raise awareness on the importance to take care of our environments.

“The MDC has adopted the 1st of December which is the National Tree Planting day, as its National Smart Councils Environment Day to motivate the people across the country to plant and conserve trees; to take the initiative and enlighten people and the nation on the importance of forests and woodland resources, and enhance household food security.”

The MDC Local government strategy is enunciated through the Party’s Smart PRIDES Agenda, which stands for Participation, Reform, Innovation/Integrity, development/devolution, Environment and Services, to ensure Local Authorities deliver sustainable, quality service to residents in all MDC run councils.

THE five people who were traveling in the doomed Cessna S206 which crashed in the Chemanjirenji Hills Village in the Renco area of Masvingo South last week desperately tried to save the doomed aircraft minutes before the disaster, it has been has learnt.

Sources told TellZim News that recordings of the plane’s black box showed that the pilot and his four passengers threw their luggage overboard as indications that the plane had developed mechanical problems became apparent.

“They started to throw their luggage off after realising their plane was struggling. It is suspected a lot of valuables could have been lost in the process since security agents only recovered goods on the crash site,” said a source who is privy to the investigations.

The plane crashed a few minutes after take-off from Buffalo Range Airport enroute to Victoria Falls, with the disaster followed by grisly social media images of broken human body parts mingled with the plane’s wreckage.

All people on board – two Zimbabweans and three Finnish – died in the crash, with eyewitnesses saying the plane made strange roaring sounds before disintegrating mid-air.

The victims’ given names were Partanen Kari Leo Tapana (53), Ojanpaajari-Pekka (52), Vappula Heikki Antero (51), Harri Hynnimen (50) and Barry Styles; a 48-year-old wealthy Lowveld-based businessman who is said to have been the owner of the aircraft.

— TellZim

Correspondent|NATIONAL University of Science and Technology (NUST) founding Vice Chancellor Professor Phineas Mogorosi Makhurane has died. Also known as “Double Brain”, Professor Makhurane was one of the first Africans to major in Physics and Mathematics at the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Professor Makhurane was also the first black Zimbabwean to acquire a PhD in the sciences. He later went on to hold numerous high level positions in the Education sector in Southern Africa such as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Botswana and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe where he was influential in the expansion of the university’s infrastructure.

Until his retirement Professor Makhurane was Vice-Chancellor at the National University of Science and Technology in Buluwayo. He left NUST in 2004, and was also once a ZIMSEC Board Chairman, among many other positions.

Makhurane was also ZAPU representative in Sweden during the struggle for independence.

Makhurane was an esteemed academic and chairman of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education. On the 8th of April 1991, NUST opened for the very first time with 270 students in the three Faculties. The number of academic staff was 28.

More details regarding his death will follow.

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