Jane Mlambo| Zanu PF Secretary for Administration, Obert Mpofu has trashed submissions made by MDC leaders, Tendai Biti and Nelson Chamisa saying only 10 percent of what they said was true.

Making his submissions before the commission of inquiry this afternoon, Mpofu said his party is the most disciplined and would never have engaged in violence.

“I can assure you any recommendations that will be given to Gvnt will be taken up,” says ObertMpofu

Linda Masarira is the spokesperson of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Dr Thokozani Khupe.

WATCH VIDEO BELOW

“Uyakuthembeni, Gvnt is disappointed and embarrassed by this action hence the appointment of this esteemed Commission” Obert Mpofu Tells Commission.

WATCH VIDEO BELOW…

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Terrence Mawawa|Ms. Miriam Mutizwa, a member of the Friends of SMM (FOSMM), a not-for-profit organisation that was established to promote the rule of law in Zimbabwe, objected to the characterisation by the Attorney General of Zimbabwe, Mr. Prince Machaya, that a reconstruction order is certainly not akin to a judicial management order.
Below is an extract of Prince Machaya’s affidavit in opposing the application by FOSMM to have Reconstruction Act be declared as inconsistent to the Constitution and, therefore, invalid:

It is the AG’s considered view that the effect of the reconstruction order is akin to the concept of judicial management.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. How can an order issued issued in terms of the Companies Act, a law of general application, have the same force and effect with an order that is issued in respect of law that is devoid of any constitutional morality?” asks Mr. Mutizwa.
She further stated as follows: “This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see a posting in the FOSMM group by Hon. Settlement Chikwinya, who is a ranking member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Mines and Mining Development that the AG appeared before on 19 November 2018, that stated as follows: “Morning mukoma. I would not know about the attitude of the Chair outside the meeting but with regards to the collective attitude of the meeting we are all in agreement that the Act is not only a bad law but more so inconsistent with various positions of the constitution.”
What does the Companies Act say in relation to the circumstances in which provisional judicial management order may be obtained?  Section 299 of the Companies Act that reads as follows is instructive:

It is from the above that subject to s 300 of the Companies Act, it is only the court that can issue a judicial order.
Looking at s 300 of the Act, it is also the Court that has inherent jurisdiction to grant a judicial management order as follows:

However in terms of s 4 of the Reconstruction Act, it is the Minister of Justice who is vested with the power to issue a reconstruction in relation to a company as follows:

With respect to the reconstruction order, it is the Minister who is vested with the power to issue a reconstruction order in relation to a targeted company and issue the order by notice in the Gazette. It is also the case that the Minister in his unfettered discretion can issue an order before affording the target company an opportunity to make any representations.
The questions that arise include:

Whether an order issued by a Minister in his discretion without following the limitations imposed by the Constitution in relation to dispute resolutions can have the same force and effect as a judicial order that is issued in relation to provisions of the Companies Act?

Whether the rights and freedoms of shareholders entrenched in the Companies Act to appoint and remove directors can be divested at all outside the ambit of judicial involvement?

Whether the confirmation of an order issued by a Minister can be confirmed by a Court of Law without undermining the rule of law?

Whether a reconstruction order can and should have the properties that a judicial order has?

Whether the AG erred in boldly asserting to Parliament that a reconstruction order has the same properties and rights as a judicial order?

“It can never be too late to learn. When the sword of the Reconstruction Act fell on SMM, it was easily for me to say Mawere deserved it. And then after 14 years, the same sword has fallen on AirZim and Hwange. It is embarrassing that it has taken me this long to know how laws can be created for ulterior motives and yet the authors of such laws can pretend that no constitutional infringements will be occasioned on anyone. In this matter, it is self-evident that the introduction of a law specifically designed to place a creditor outside the rights reserved for all creditors in the Companies Act was mischievous, criminal and predatory,” said Ms. Mutizwa.

Own Correspondent|A strong showing by both Tendai Biti and Nelson Chamisa at the August1 inquiry may have left President Emmerson Mnangagwa with an egg on his face as it provided the opposition leaders an opportunity to speak to Zimbabwe.

Not sure Mnangagwa had expected, when he called for the inquiry, that it would provide such a good platform for the opposition to speak openly.

Zanu-PF denied MDC the platform on TV/radio during the election.

MYSTERY surrounds the whereabouts of a retired army colonel who was allegedly abducted from his home on Sunday afternoon by masked men – amid claims that he was due to testify before the official probe looking into the August 1 post-election shootings which claimed the lives of at least six civilians.

To add to the intrigue, Elliot Piki, 58, was a losing candidate in the fiercely-fought Zanu-PF primary elections for Harare South – which were won by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s nephew, Tongai.

Piki’s family told the Daily News yesterday that he had been abducted – allegedly to try and stop him from giving evidence at the August 1 killings Commission of Inquiry that is chaired by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe.

“I have heard that he received threatening calls from a NetOne line for almost a week and when he went out to find out about the number, the number was not registered.

“The threatening calls continued in which he was told not to testify before the commission. He was supposed to testify today (yesterday) … but the people who took him were heard asking him what he wanted to gain in supporting (opposition leader Nelson) Chamisa.

“We have the invitation from the commission … and we haven’t heard anything about his whereabouts although we have reported the case at Waterfalls Police Station (RRB number 3784040),” Piki’s son, Daniel, said.

However, the spokesperson of the inquiry, John Masuku, said yesterday that Piki’s name was not on the list of people who were due to testify before the probe.

“I asked the commissioners and they said he was not on the list,” Masuku said.

According to eyewitnesses, an unregistered grey Toyota Hilux pulled up at Piki’s residence in Harare South on Sunday afternoon, where four men had a brief chat with the retired soldier before “suddenly” bundling him into their bakkie and driving away.

“Around 4pm, four people in a grey D4D came to his house. There is a butchery and a shop at his home … and he was there playing checkers with a young man who also lives there.

“One of the four guys came and went to where the two were seated. They talked briefly before they were joined by the other three who were now wearing masks.

“When he tried to resist, they fired two gunshots and forced him into their car before they sped off.

“When he was abducted he was wearing a blue jersey and his abduction was witnessed by several people,” one of the eyewitnesses told the Daily News.

Piki’s family has since engaged the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) to help find the retired army officer who is said to have been keen to use his military expertise to help the commission unravel the August 1 killings.

“I have just received the request to handle the matter so I don’t have much to say,” said Jeremiah Bhamu of ZLHR.

The MDC later claimed in a statement that Piki had submitted a damning report to the Motlanthe-led commission of inquiry.

“Piki … submitted a damning document that exposes the Zanu-PF government on the August 1 shootings. The MDC condemns the continued use of force, violence and abductions by the State.

“This modus operandi reminds us of the chilling abduction and disappearance of Itai Dzamara over four years ago. Up to this day, we have not seen or heard from him,” MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said.

Several other people who were interviewed by the Daily News yesterday also claimed that the ex-soldier wanted to “spill the beans” – in the same way that former Zanu-PF activists Jim Kunaka and Shadreck Mashayamombe had done when they appeared before the commission last week.

Mashayamombe and Kunaka, who were both fired from Zanu-PF after the fall from power of former president Robert Mugabe in a military putsch in November last year, characterised Zanu-PF and its government at the probe as violent and wicked.

Mnangagwa appointed the killings inquiry in September, to probe the August 1 deaths which sullied the relatively peaceful July 30 national elections which had been widely hailed up to that point.

Apart from Motlanthe, the other members of the inquiry are 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.

Things at the probe got heated in the last few weeks after security chiefs testified and wholly absolved the military of the killings in the process.

The commander of the Defence Forces, Phillip Valerio Sibanda, and police commissioner-general Godwin Matanga, also appeared to blame the MDC and Chamisa for the deaths.

Last week, temperatures were further raised when Mashayamombe and Kunaka gave gory accounts of wanton “crimes and violations” which they said were part of life during their time in Zanu-PF.

— DailyNews

Own Correspondent|The MDC Alliance in Zimbabwe has disassociated itself from the August 1 impromptu demonstrations that took place in Harare resulting in the death of six people.

The opposition party claims that there is despite way it would have spoilt its “election victory” by engaging in demonstration.

“There was no way we could have sent our people to spoil our own victory on 1 August. We genuinely believe that we won the elections. The behaviour of Zanu PF is not consistent with that of winners,” said Tendai Biti, the national chairman of the alliance.

He was appearing before the Kgalema Motlanthe-led commission of inquiry into the August 1 killings that left at least six people dead when MDC Alliance supporters took to the streets.

Biti’s words would later get backing from losing presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa.

“We won this election emphatically, we [MDC] had a parallel tabulation,” said Chamisa.

He added that the public feared that the election would eventually be stolen and the delay in announcing the tally was reminiscent of 2008.

“The delay was a déjà vu for the people because it has happened before. If Zanu PF had won the election, the results would have been announced on midnight of the same day,” he said.

Despite the fracas of 1 August, the MDC Alliance said its supporters would take to the streets as early as Thursday.

“Zimbabweans have a reason to demonstrate, the rights to demonstrate are enshrined in the constitution,” said party secretary-general, Douglas Mwonzora.

Last month the Constitutional Court outlawed bans on protests. Speaking before the commission, both Chamisa and Biti said their party would go ahead with protests.

Police have refuted claims that villagers in Nyajena communal lands in Masvingo South looted wards of cash — both hard currency and local bond notes — from the wreckage of a Cessna light aircraft that crashed in a hill near Renco Mine, killing all five passengers last Friday.

The plane, which was heading to Victoria Falls with Chiredzi conservancy operator Mr Barry Style in the cockpit, had taken off from Buffalo Range Airport before it crashed at Chamanjenjere Hills in the Tokwane-Ngundu area at around 0740hrs.

Mr Style and his four passengers perished in the crash, whose cause is not yet known, although preliminary reports indicate that the plane started disintegrating while it was airborne.

Reports went viral on social media over the weekend that Nyajena villagers were left counting their lucky stars in the wake of the plane crash after allegedly looting wards of cash mainly US$ notes.

Masvingo acting provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa yesterday refuted the reports.

He said police actually recovered hard currency cash and bond notes together with other valuables from the plane debris.

“We do not have reports that any cash or valuables were looted by anyone from the Nyajena plane crash site and in actual fact we recovered about $500 in bond notes and over US$400, among other valuables, from the plane’s wreckage,” said Asst Insp Dhewa.

This was also corroborated by Masvingo South National Assembly representative Claudios Maronge.

He said blood-stained wallets containing bond notes and US dollars were recovered and handed over to the police.

“Nobody took any cash from what I know and in fact $500 in bond notes and about US$405 was found in some wallets that were found at the wreckage,” said Cde Maronge.

“The wallets also contained Visa cards and this property was secured and handed over to the police, our people are conservatives and would not dare taking valuables in the event of such as mishap.”

Maronge said traditional leaders and elders in the Nyajena area were stunned by the horror plane crash and were mulling conducting cleansing rituals to appease the dead.

Police and teams from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe swiftly moved in to secure the plane crash site where debris was scattered as investigations into the cause of the crash continued.

State Media

Correspondent|THE Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has been exposed for lacking basic corporate governance procedures after the parastatal admitted to disposing a consignment of 60 000 metric tonnes of maize imported from Mexico to stockfeed producers cherry picked by the company.

The maize, according to the Acting General Manager of the parastatal Mr Lawrence Jasi, was deemed unfit for human consumption.

It did not take long before the rot was exposed.

The script played out when the GMB management showed serious deficiencies in corporate governance matters when they appeared before the Justice Mayor Wadyajena chaired Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement.

The tell-tell signs were evident when it was revealed that the corporate secretary Mr Rodney Mzyece only signed minutes of a crucial meeting held in 2012 on 11 April 2018, six years later.

Even then, he only signed extracts on resolutions of the meeting.

He was ordered out of the Parliament to collect the full minutes.

For the GMB Acting General Manager, there was no need to advertise since they know a lot of stockfeed producers whom they had told.

Despite the contentious nature of the sell, and the price structure being approved by his ministry, Permanent Secretary Ringson Chitsiko insisted he was in the dark about the consignment.

Some parastatals have been identified as the missing link in achieving targets set in economic blue prints such as the Transitional Stabilisation Programme.

While other loss making state enterprises can be privatised, GMB is a strategic unit that needs to be run professionally under the care of government.

GMB has a history of corruption on a grand scale. In 2012, former President Robert Mugabe said there was need for constant monitoring of GMB operations in the province as grain and inputs meant for the poor were being diverted and benefiting a few senior government officials. No action was taken.

In June 2017, GMB employees were fingered in a scandal in which they rejected grain on the grounds of high moisture content to force farmers to sell at low prices to their accomplices, who operated outside the depots.

Some farmers claimed that they watched their rejected grain being resold on the same day to the GMB by the middlemen.

This came to light following an incident at GMB’s Chinhoyi depot where a soyabeans farmer, who was an agronomist, had his crop rejected, but was certified by a private buyer as having the correct moisture content required by the GMB. Nothing was done to the suspects.

In 2017, GMB incurred a deficit of more than $280 million in one season. Suspected top Zanu PF officials would reportedly masquerade as millers so that they bought grain maize at a subsidised price of $250 per tonne and later re-sold it to the parastatal for $390 per tonne. Nothing was done, again.

Jane Mlambo| Spokesperson of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Dr Thokozani Khupe will today appear before the Commission of Inquiry into the post election violence.

Masarira broke the news on her Twitter account.

I am appearing before the commission of enquiry this afternoon.

— Linda Tsungirirai Masarira (@lilomatic) November 27, 2018

Mutare-based NewsDay reporter Kenneth Nyangani has been summoned for the second time to appear at Mutare Magistrates’ Courts on December 18, 2018 ,facing charges of criminal nuisance.

Nyangani was handed the summons on Friday at Mutare Central Police Station Law and Order Section.

Last year, Mutare magistrate Sekai Chiundura ruled that the State would proceed by way of summons after it had failed to provide a trial date five times.

Then, the State had claimed it was still conducting investigations.

Nyangani was arrested over a story published in October last year, alleging former First Lady Grace Mugabe had donated used underwear to Zanu PF supporters in the Dangamvura/Chikanga constituency through former local MP Esau Mupfumi.

Nyangani’s lawyer, Passmore Nyakureba, from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, had argued that his client had laboured under the reporting conditions, which were infringing on his right to personal liberty. Then, the accused was reporting once a week at Mutare Central Police Station.

Nyakureba will represent Nyangani when the case resumes next month.

NewsDay

Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister Prisca Mupfumira has warned parastatals under her ministry to desist from corrupt tendencies that have crippled most parastatals and State-owned enterprises.

She made the remarks at the week-long strategic meeting held in Mutare last week.

“Judicious use of public funds by all our parastatals and State enterprises (should be) characterised by zero tolerance to corruption and strict adherence to corporate governance practices,” she said.

“As a ministry, we will not tolerate the abuse of public funds and slothfulness that has characterised some parastatals in the past. We need to foster a culture of accountability and service delivery. This is the thrust of the Second Republic, and I will religiously enforce it.”

Auditor-General (AG) Mildred Chiri’s report for 2017 showed that over 20 State-run enterprises were sinking in debt, with liabilities running into hundreds of millions of dollars, and were facing imminent collapse due to poor corporate governance, mismanagement and corruption.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube in his budget statement last week said 46 State-owned enterprises are earmarked for reforms, with 12 being restructured, liquidation (4), privatisation (5), partial privatisation, joint ventures, partnerships and listings (13), to be absorbed under ministries (7) and merged (5).

Mupfumira added that there was need by the government to create a tourism revolving fund as a mechanism to recapitalise industry and also to promote domestic tourism and encourage locals to participate in local tourism and conservation initiatives.

-Newsday

THE wife of a retired member of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has petitioned the High Court seeking an order compelling Zimbabwean authorities to investigate and account for the whereabouts of her husband, who was abducted by some unknown assailants on Sunday 25 November 2018.

Piki’s wife Sibongile Sarukato on Monday 26 November 2018 filed an urgent habeas corpus application on behalf of her husband Retired Lieutenant Colonel Elliot Piki seeking an order compelling the State to do all things necessary to determine his whereabouts including advertising on all State-run print and broadcast media.

Sarukato, who is represented by Jeremiah Bamu of Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners, who are members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, cited Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister, Defence and War Veterans Minister, State Security Minister, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner-General and the Director-General of the Central Intelligence Organisation as respondents to the application.

Sarukato wants the High Court to order the setting up of a team of investigators, to work closely and in conjunction with lawyers appointed by Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to search for Retired Lieutenant Colonel Piki at all places within Zimbabwe as may be reasonably practical, and report on such search to the Registrar of the High Court, on every alternate Friday.

She also wants the respondents to be ordered to inquire from, and where necessary obtain any such information as may be necessary for the investigations from mobile service operators to try and locate Retired Lieutenant Colonel Piki through tracing the mobile numbers that were on his person at the time of his abduction as may be provided by his family.

In the court application, Sarukato said Retired Lieutenant Colonel Piki was kidnapped by some unknown assailants on Sunday 25 November 2018 at around 1630 hours from his Waterfalls suburb residence in Harare.

Sarukato said the manner in which her husband was taken
betrays sinister motives as he was taken in similar style and fashion to pro-democracy campaigner Itai Dzamara, who still remains missing since 9 March 2015.

She said her husband was abducted by some unidentified people, who were wearing face masks, who bundled him into an unregistered Toyota double-cab vehicle. During the tussling with the unidentified men as they abducted him, Sarukato stated that one of the abductors tersely said to him in vernacular,”…takakuudza kuti regai kuita document rauri kuda kuita, uri kuda ku protector Chamisa, chii chako?” which she loosely translated to mean,”…we warned you not to work on the document you are working on, you want to protect Chamisa, who is he to you?”

Sarukato said as the unidentified men continued to wrestle and tussle with her husband, one of the assailants produced a pistol and fired two shots which lodged into the ground and the firearm was then pressed against her husband ribs and he was forced into the vehicle before they sped away.

She said her husband’s whereabouts are presently unknown and his security of person and right to life is therefore at serious risk and in real jeopardy.

According to Sarukato, a report has been filed with ZRP under RRB 3784040.

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Piki was scheduled to appear on Monday 26 November 2018 before the Commission of Inquiry into the 2018 post-election violence, which is currently conducting public hearings in Harare to present his testimony.

Sarukato charged that she is convinced that the motive behind her husband’s abduction was to prevent him from giving his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry.
On Monday 26 November 2018, Bamu wrote to the Commission of Inquiry notifying the probe team of the abduction of Retired Lieutenant Colonel Piki and indicated that he could no longer appear before it to testify as he is now a victim of enforced disappearance.

SENATOR Tambudzani Mohadi was last week banished from a funeral wake of a cousin of Vice-President Kembo Mohadi a few minutes before the VP arrived, as the couple’s relationship continues to deteriorate to embarrassingly low levels.

A witness said the Beitbridge senator cut a lone figure at the home of the late Ngambeni Mohadi (96), who was buried at the Mohadi family home at Mtetengwe, some 25km west of Beitbridge town.

“An advance party of Vice-President’s entourage arrived, and she must have been asked to leave. She did not argue, but just picked her bags and left gracefully,” said the witness.

All is not well between the two after Mohadi approached the High Court, seeking a formal end to their marriage. The VP, in his divorce application papers, said their union had been in turmoil for almost 18 years.

He buttressed the divorce application with another appeal for a peace order in a Harare Civil Court, alleging his estranged wife, who contested the divorce, harassed him.

Not to be outdone, Senator Mohadi slapped her husband’s mistress Julia Muthavhatsindi with a lawsuit, claiming she was responsible for the breakdown of her marriage, a case that is pending before the courts. Prior to her departure, Senator Mohadi, who comes a stone’s throw away from the couple’s homestead and is a close relative, had been showering elderly people with gifts in what is now known as her trademark in the district. The two’s strained relationship has torn Mtetengwe village apart, and has created glaring divisions within their ruling Zanu PF party at district, constituency and provincial levels in Matabeleland South province.

“If there was another gentle way, it could have been more diplomatic. They are both our people and we love them. We love their children; they make it difficult for an entire community,” said one elderly villager from Mtetengwe.

A Pro-Mthwakazi pressure group has condemned the alleged ill-treatment of Chief Vezi Maduna Mafu of Filabusi in Matabeleland South after he petitioned President Emmerson Mnangagwa to set up a commission to investigate the Gukurahundi atrocities.

Chief Maduna was reportedly summoned by the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) after his letter to President Mnangwagwa was leaked to the media.

The eminent traditional leader was summoned by the District Intelligence Officer of Filabusi only identified as Mr Mlotshwa.

The move was widely seen as attempts to silence him, after he criticised President Mnangagwa of pushing a tribal agenda meant to disefranchise the Matabeleland region.

Chief administrator of the 1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement, Bernard Magugu told CITE that the summoning of Chief Maduna was symptomatic of government’s treatment of issues emanating from the region.

1893 Mthwakazi Restoration Movement (1893mrm) is a registered Movement Trust in Zimbabwe.

“We have noted on numerous instances that when concerns are brought forth by residents of Mthwakazi over targeted abuses, displacements and other forms of systematic discrimination and subjugation, such reports by abaThwakazi are immediately written off as tribalistic reports and ‘unwarranted’ reactions by Ndebele people,” he said.

Magugu claimed that since independence, authorities wanted to silence people from Matabeleland despite the injustices they experienced.

“This is certainly not a sustainable system of eliminating the significance of our very respectful multi tribal Mthwakazi Ndebele nation. The government ought to know that Zimbabwe is indeed a shared territory between two pre-colonial sovereignties whose share of control and power should have been administered equally at the Lancaster House Agreement and beyond, leading to the independence of Zimbabwe after which Mthwakazi was cast to the gallows of Gukurahundi as unwanted ‘chaff’ and human ‘cockroaches,’ he noted.

The activist argued that if President Mnangagwa was sincere about the new dispensation, his government must treat its people equally.

“We would have expected that the response by Mnangagwa and his government to Chief Maduna would have been indeed a meeting accepted by the President himself or in the least of responses a letter from the President himself or his office stating their position as a government, to the concerns expressed by Chief Maduna.

“For the government to respond to Chief Maduna by summoning his presence to the offices of District Intelligence Officer, Mr. Mlotshwa so he is then subjected to colonial style regional arrest (targeted politically motivated movement restrictions) is indeed contrary to the marketed patriotic spirit of freedom and democracy to the people by our ‘democratic’ government,” Magugu said.

The 1893 Movement said it was ironic that the same government would spend “millions hiring an international commission of experts to investigate the military killings of six civilians in the post-election violence of the July 30 2018 elections in Harare on August 1st 2018” yet nothing was being done to address the Gukurahundi atrocities.
In the petition to President Mnangagwa, Chief Maduna questioned the parcelling out of 17 Mining Executive Prospecting Orders (EPO) to people from outside the region.

Chief Maduna also questioned the allocation of land to big corporates at the expense of the local people.

CITE

Media Statement|Finance and Economic Development Minister, Mthuli Ncube on November 22, 2018 presented his $8 Billion budget for the 2019 Financial Year.

The budget presentation came on the backdrop of price hikes and acute foreign currency shortages that have resulted in shortage of fuel and basic commodities.

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition acknowledges Minister Mthuli’s remarks that revival of the economy should be anchored on good governance and democracy.

The move to weed out ghost workers is welcome and we also appreciate efforts by the Minister to kick start the devolution process after he allocated $310 million towards the process. However, we can only assess the soundness of these pronouncements on the strength of implementation.

We are however concerned that the 2019 budget will pile more pressure on the already tax burdened public after Minister Ncube increased excise duty on petrol and diesel, a situation that will lead to price hikes.

Minister Ncube announced that excise duty for petrol will go up by 6,5 cents while duty for diesel will increase by 7 cents.

CIZC takes with great exception the fact that the government of Zimbabwe continues to abrogate on its social protection role and has turned into a commercialized State in which the poor are left exposed.

We are concerned that ill advised economic policies continue to worsen the burden on ordinary Zimbabweans, most of whom are living far below the Poverty Datum Line.

The measures announced by Minister Mthuli do not instill hope that the government of Zimbabwe has capacity to revive the economy and deliver on its pledge to transform the country into an Upper Middle Income Society by 2030.

Our position is based on the following;

Good Governance and Democracy- Minster Mthuli admitted that revival of the economy must be anchored on good governance and democracy and these fundamental pre-requisites remain alien to Zimbabwe despite assurances of a ‘new dispensation’.

Plunder of national resources remain the norm and the country has failed to realize benefits from its abundant resources while public services continue to deteriorate.

The ‘new dispensation’ has also failed the democratic test and has instead moved to militarize key state institutions while party-state conflation has also taken a gear up. Persecution of opposition and civil society activists has continued even though President Mnangagwa promised to do away with ‘the dark past’.

There has not been concerted efforts to strengthen institutions that support democracy. The institutions have rather been weakened by parallel institutions that are largely partisan and compromised in nature.

International Engagement- Zimbabwe’s engagement with the international community is based on a return to democracy and respect for fundamental rights as enshrined under the country’s constitution.

Respect of the constitution and principles of democracy is alien to the current regime and the country continues to tread on the path of disputed elections. The legitimacy crisis on the part of the current government is a very big inhibiting factor in as far as engagement with the international community is concerned. The legitimacy crisis also poses as a huge obstacle to efforts to attract international investment.

Corruption- Minister Mthuli highlighted that fighting corruption and abuse of national resources is critical for economic revival yet the current government has failed to walk the talk in its pledge to fight corruption. Zimbabwe has rather witnessed a clampdown on perceived and known opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa disguised as a fight against corruption. Individuals who have been deemed to be politically correct have been distinguished as sacred cows while little effort has been made to bring high level corruption cases to logical conclusions.

The government has also failed to act on recommendations from the office of the Auditor General

Attracting Foreign Direct Investments- Political instability, failure to fight corruption as well as the legitimacy crisis on the part of President Mnangagwa’s government limits the country’s capacity to attract meaningful Foreign Direct Investments

Equitable access to means and outcomes of production- Zimbabwe’s economy remains captured by a few elite and politically connected individuals who have emerged as the major culprits of the plunder of national resources at the expense of the suffering public

Deployment of the army on the country’s roads- This serves to buttress our position that Zimbabwe is now a fully fledged military state (following the November 2017 military coup) with little capacity to transform the economy or attract meaningful local and foreign investments.

CIZC reiterates that Zimbabwe’s precarious economic state has been worsened by the professional decay of state institutions, failure to democratize the politics, breakdown of the rule of law, disregard of property rights, weak enforcement of the constitutional Bill of Rights, poor political leadership characterized by the will to power rather than the will to transform (in this regard we reiterate that without a functioning constitutional democracy, sustainable economic development is not feasible)

Key recommendations

While we urge the government to strengthen its economic reform measures, as CiZC we are advocating for the following based on our alternative economic blueprint, the Zimbabwe Social Market Agenda for Recovery and Transformation (ZimSMART);

– Macro-economic stability that is pro-poor, inclusive and human centered with increased fiscal space, a high degree of competitiveness, a conducive environment for domestic and foreign investments, a strong export economy and high degrees of innovative capability with the State effectively playing its role in the economy by enhancing real sector performance, currency stability and ensuring the financial sector is stable.

– CiZC further implores the government to implement sustainable taxation reforms,

– Revival of the productive sector with Small to Medium Enterprises being prioritized given their dominance in the economy. This calls for the government to do away with Iron and Fist policies, but through coordinating, facilitate and provide focused subsidies and start up finances to rejuvenate the sectors.

– A highly devolved, functional and modern infrastructure that forms the engine of economic growth. Rehabilitation of roads, rail, air, water and sanitation, energy and ICTs should be the government’s priority

– Creation of professional, transparent, accountable and globally competitive economic institutions

– Creation of a modern, equal, peaceful, open and pluralist society where everyone enjoys equal opportunities in life

CiZC reiterates that in resolving the Zimbabwean crisis, there is need for a multi stakeholder dialogue aimed at coming up with economic solutions that are pro-poor.

From Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition Information Desk

Correspondent|In an apparent move aimed at putting a grip on MDC members of parliament, the ZANU PF dominated parliament is crafting new stringent parliament standing rules and orders that will see legislators risk being barred from Parliament and allowances withdrawn for a specific period.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda yesterday said Parliament was reviewing the standing rules and orders to make them strict.

He made the remarks yesterday after the presentation of National Assembly and Senate presiding officers to President Mnangagwa.

The move comes after parliamentarians from the opposition MDC Alliance refused to stand up when President Emmerson Mnangagwa walked into parliament last week. The stance resulted in a commotion that ended up with police called in to remove the parliamentarians from the house.

“We are reviewing our standing rules and orders to make them very stringent so that in future that type of behaviour (is dealt with),” Adv Mudenda said.

“We will invoke very strong censure as what our colleagues have done in Zambia and we shall follow suit and make sure that the standing rules and orders are very tight as far as the expected behaviour of the honourable members.”

Adv Mudenda said a similar model like the one adopted in Zambia was on the cards in Zimbabwe.

“In Zambia, they have revised their standing rules and orders. For example, when after the elections in 2016 members of the opposition walked out on the President just before he would give his State of the Nation Address, using the revised standing rules and orders the Speaker of the National Assembly in Zambia censured the opposition members by indicating that they would not attend Parliament and would lose their salary for a month.”

Adv Mudenda said discipline will be maintained in Parliament.

“We need to respect the electorate that has brought us into Parliament and therefore we cannot afford to be involved in undisciplined manners which may detract us from our main constitutional mandate of representation oversight and carrying out the legislative agenda.

Senate President Mabel Chinomona weighed in: “In my House, since people are mature they don’t act like what is happening in the National Assembly, but to me I feel people should act honourably so that people see them as honourable members.

“What we do is the only way we show the country that we are doing things which are supposed to be done by mature people. In the Senate I am safe I have seen members acting nicely and honourably.”

Judgment in the fraud case involving former Highfield National Assembly representative Psychology Maziwisa and former ZBC News anchor Oscar Pambuka has been set for December 6.

The pair is being accused of duping Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) of over $12 000 after claiming to have done publicity work.

Allegations are that Maziwisa and Pambuka claimed to have done publicity work for ZPC during a Zim-Asset conference in February 2016 when in fact it was carried out by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC).

The pair yesterday appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube making their defence case.

Maziwisa denied that President Mnangagwa was involved in them getting the contract from ZPC, as was stated by one of the witnesses.

“Your worship, those allegations either came from someone who is trying to come between me and the President,” he said.

“He did not in any way give a directive to ZPC to award us that contract. They gave us the contract because of the trust they had in us, we had once done a good job for them.”

Maziwisa said if they were really guilty of the crime, then Ms Fadzai Chisveto, ZPC’s public relations executive would not have commended them for a job well done.

Allegations are that sometime in 2016, Maziwisa and Pambuka took a letter to ZPC from former Minister of Energy and Power Development, Samuel Undenge.

The letter directed ZPC to work with Fruitful Communications at intervals of six months.

It is alleged that in January 2016, Maziwisa and Pambuka entered into a verbal agreement with ZPC to do its publicity work.

During the agreement, ZPC was represented by Mr Noah Gwariro and Ms Chisveto.

It is alleged that on February 12, Fruitful Communications hosted a Zim-Asset conference at a local hotel where Undenge was the guest of honour.

ZBC covered the event, but on March 8, Maziwisa and Pambuka, with an intention to defraud the company, brought an invoice of $12 650 to ZPC.

They allegedly claimed that they had done the Zim-Asset media campaign and press conference on power projects in Kariba, Hwange and Batoka.

They also claimed to have done news bulletins at Power FM, Radio Zimbabwe and National FM and a “Powertalk” programme on Power FM.

The pair also alleged they had done Zim-Asset conference radio interviews on National FM and another Powertalk session on energy and infrastructural development.

Acting on the misrepresentation, ZPC paid the money.

Correspondent|Former Home Affairs Minister Ignatius Chombo’s case on corruption charges appears to be beginning to crumble as co-accused — Rejoice Pazvakavambwa, the deputy director of valuations and estate management in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and Lazarus Chimba, the registrar of valuers — were last Friday removed from remand after the State unsuccessfully applied for further remand.

Prosecuting, Tapiwa Kasema wanted them remanded further, saying that they wanted to formally jointly charge them with Chombo before they could be given a trial date.

Mr Kasema said the two should not be removed from remand as they could abscond.

Pazvakavambwa and Chimba, through their lawyers Messrs Admire Rubaya and Joel Mambara, opposed the application, saying they had placed the State on notice that if it failed to give them a trial date, then they would apply for removal from remand.

They also argued that since the State was waiting for Chombo’s application of permanent stay from the High Court, there could be a scenario in which it could be denied and Chombo could go to the Supreme Court or Constitutional Court seeking further justice.

Therefore, it would not be fair for his co-accused to have their day to day lives disrupted while they continue to show up for remand at the courts, they argued.

Magistrate Ms Esteri Chivasa ruled that Pazvakavambwa and Chimba should be removed from remand as they had been religiously coming to court and could not abscond.

She said that no application had been made by the State to jointly charge Chombo and the duo and the bail conditions were also unreasonable.

The duo is accused of facilitating the illegal transfer of council property worth $900 000 into Chombo’s name.

Source: State Media

AN Airforce of Zimbabwe pilot based at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru has been arrested for allegedly killing his lawyer girlfriend in a crime of passion on Sunday
evening.
Tashinga Musonza (29) allegedly fatally assaulted Miss Lucy Duve (32) — a Gweru- based lawyer who was working for a local Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) —
accusing her of cheating on him with his colleague (name withheld).
Acting Midlands provincial police
spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she could not comment on the matter.
However, prominent Gweru lawyer Mr
Wellington Davira confirmed the alleged murder.
“As a colleague and friend, l am very much hurt by such a sudden, violent and painful death Miss Duve suffered. She was a bubbly person who worked well with everyone.
“Our profession has been robbed of a
dedicated and selfless lawyer. I hope and pray that justice will prevail,” said Mr Davira.
According to a memorandum from the police, Musonza and Ms Duve were allegedly cohabiting at the latter’s lodgings in Windsor Park suburb- Chronicle

An Airforce of Zimbabwe pilot based at Josiah Tungamirai Airbase in Gweru has been arrested for allegedly killing his lawyer girlfriend in a crime of passion on Sunday evening.

Tashinga Musonza (29) allegedly fatally assaulted Miss Lucy Duve (32) — a Gweru-based lawyer who was working for a local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) — accusing her of cheating on him with his colleague (name withheld).

Acting Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she could not comment on the matter.

However, prominent Gweru lawyer Mr Wellington Davira confirmed the alleged murder.
“As a colleague and friend, l am very much hurt by such a sudden, violent and painful death Miss Duve suffered. She was a bubbly person who worked well with everyone.
“Our profession has been robbed of a dedicated and selfless lawyer. I hope and pray that justice will prevail,” said Mr Davira.

According to a memorandum from the police, Musonza and Ms Duve were allegedly cohabiting at the latter’s lodgings in Windsor Park suburb.

“On the fateful day, Musonza went to their lodgings around 10PM and found Duve asleep. He allegedly started accusing her of cheating on him with his colleague before a misunderstanding ensued.

“The two then drove to the airbase since Musonza wanted the matter clarified,” reads part of the memo.

Upon arrival at the airbase, they allegedly woke up Ms Duve’s alleged lover who denied being in a relationship with her.

“Musonza’s colleague denied being in a relationship with Lucy and it did not go down well with him. Musonza got furious and started assaulting Lucy with open hands and booted feet.

“His colleague tried to restrain him but was overpowered before he ran away from the scene to seek assistance from fellow colleagues. Upon their return they found Lucy lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the ground.”

Musonza, the memo reads, allegedly drove his girlfriend to Clay Bank Hospital in the company of two of his colleagues and another female who is said to be Duve’s friend.

“Lucy was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital before they were referred to Gweru Provincial Hospital where the police were notified leading to the arrest of Musonza,” it adds. – state media

Correspondent|THE crumbling Zimbabwean economy and all its problems has not deterred the affluent and monied folks in Harare from bringing in two more head-turning beasts of the road: a Mercedes-Maybach s650 and Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV have just landed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare.

Well, a car is just plastic and metal, some would say. Not until you consider how luxurious the palatial Mercedes-Maybach S-class truly is.

The Mercedes-Maybach s650 as seen at Harare Airport Monday afternoon
Passengers can stretch out and relax on hot-stone-style massaging leather recliners and enjoy the Burmester audio system while an atomizer fills the cabin with one of Maybach’s five signature fragrances.

The Mercedes-Maybach s650 as seen at Harare Airport Monday afternoon
The Maybach S650’s 621-hp twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 provide effortless motivation, what with a starting price of a cool $240,000, MINIMUM. Despite the ominous appearance of quad exhaust pipes and ‘V12’ lettering on the front wings, the engine need never be heard; Mercedes describes the Maybach as the world’s quietest production saloon car, and it may well be right.

The list of luxuries is long and – inevitably – focused on enhancing passenger comfort while the chauffeur (who is one of the few items not available as standard but will almost inevitably be installed post-delivery) focuses on getting from A to B.

The standard equipment list includes a chrome twin exhaust system, LED headlights, a sliding panoramic sunroof, keyless entry and go, run-flat tyres, tinted rear windows and a 360-degree camera sytem on the outside.

Inside there is velour floor mats, Mercedes’ Air Balance fragance system, ventilated front and rear seats, electric sunblinds, electrically adjustable and massaging seats, a glass cabinet, four-zone climate control, reclining rear seats, and heated armrests and steering wheel.

On the entertainment front there is Mercedes-Benz 12.3 inch Comand infotainment system complete with sat nav, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, DAB radio, Wi-fi hotspot and a TV tuner, alongside a rear entertainment package which includes 10in screens, a DVD player and wireless headphones.

The other car to land at Harare today is the Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV…. This is Rolls-Royce’s very first SUV, named after the largest diamond ever found. Sporting rear suicide doors and an opulent cabin, the Cullinan commands a starting price around $325,000—and for good reason.

The Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV as seen at Harare Airport Monday afternoon
The spacious cabin is lined in box-grain leather, lambs-wool carpeting, beautiful wood trim, and milled-aluminum accents.

For an even higher level of luxury, Rolls-Royce will customize almost every part of the Cullinan’s already lavish interior with whatever the buyer can imagine. The exterior is classic Rolls-Royce, but its hatchback configuration allows for the addition of a pair of leather-wrapped seats and a picnic table that pop out of the Cullinan’s tailgate—this is by far the most luxurious way to take in a polo match at the country estate.

The Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV as seen at Harare Airport Monday afternoon
Its twin-turbo 6.7-liter V-12 provides 563 effortless horsepower and runs as whisper-quiet as you would expect, lest it disturb the VIPs in its cabin. Rolls-Royce estimates a zero-to-60-mph time of just 4.8 seconds—impressive for a large SUV that weighs as much as the Cullinan does.

The Cullinan rides on an air suspension that adjusts its height automatically using a road-scanning camera; ride comfort is beyond the standards of regular luxury vehicles, and it wafts down the road transmitting nothing unpleasant to the interior.

Even though building an SUV is a clear break from tradition for the storied British brand, it’s still an uncompromised Rolls-Royce in every way.

Next time you see one of these beasts rolling on the streets of Harare, please turn your head with no shame at all. Who wouldn’t?

Correspondent|TWO Midlands State University (MSU) students were last week arrested and handed over to the CID Law and Order in Gweru for undermining the authority of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after alleging that he is a “mad” man.

The students, Prince Kamutsamba, 22, and Lloyd Zata, 25, reportedly sent insulting and threatening WhatsApp messages in a group about Mnangagwa before the MSU graduation.

On November 22, CID Gweru released a memorandum seen by the Daily News titled: “Arrest of two accused persons for undermining authority of the president as defined in section 33(1)(B) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 09:23”.

“On November 22, 2018 information was obtained that the two accused persons were sending insulting and threatening messages about the president of the Republic of Zimbabwe…Mnangagwa on their WhatsApp group, who is expected to officiate at the graduation ceremony at Midlands State University.

“The two accused persons were arrested by Police Internal Security Intelligence (PISI) Senga and were handed over to CID Law and Order Gweru.

“Their cell phones were taken and checked,” the memo read.

The fourth year Local Governance students are reportedly members of a Class WhatsApp group called Local Governance Studies (LGS).

In the chats, the CID memo revealed that Kamutsamba sent a message in the group asking “ndiyani angandiudzirawo vaMnangagwa kuti November haasati apera” (who can tell Mnangagwa on my behalf that November is not yet over).

Another participant reportedly advised the 22-year-old to convey the message himself when the president comes for the graduation that was held last Friday.

Kamutsamba, however, responded saying he does not want to speak to a “mad” person. The message read “handitaure nemunhu anopenga ini” (I don’t talk to a mad person).

Zata responded to Kamutsamba’s message alleging that they want to burn the president in one of the university’s halls.

“Toda kumupisira mu Multi-Purpose Hall (We want to burn him in the Multi-Purpose Hall).”

The two accused were arrested and handed over to CID Law and Order Gweru.

The students’ cell phones were held while they were detained at Gweru Central police but when the Daily News spoke to Kamutsamba recently he had got back his phone and had been released.

This comes after a former MSU student Night Shadaya is awaiting trial for re-tweeting a message besmirching the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba.

The tweet read: “I can’t wait for the election fiasco to come to an end. I could do with a holiday and some good sex. My body needs a break.”

Meanwhile, MSU students will not be allowed to sit for examinations without paying 75 percent of their school fees.

This comes as the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) recently complained that fees are now exorbitant and students feel they are increasingly being punished for failing to pay on time under this harsh economic situation.

Zinasu called for a Higher Tertiary Education Act that will make their universities more understanding and sympathetic as they claim the economic meltdown has affected them the most.

Daily News

…ARTICLE BELOW…

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

“They have in the past asked why is this Chamisa being a problem, how much money does he want, so at that time I was very cautious of what was going on around me.”

“I have no capacity to tell the soldiers to kill people Chamisa tells”

“Let’s do justice to the role of the army. They must be in the barracks. Let’s restore full democracy. Lets demilitarise the villages and villagise the villages”

“We are not a thugocratic party but a Democratic party. The politics of this country is not about the bullet but the ballot.”

“I participated in the election because I thought there was a vacancy as the Head of the Defence Forces not Vanguard,”

WATCH VIDEO BELOW…

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change deputy chairperson, Tendai Biti has took a dig at President Emmerson Mnangagwa over his decision to set up a Commission of Inquiry into the 1^st of August shootings saying he is conflicted as he cannot appoint investigate himself.

Making his submissions before the Kgalema Motlante led commission, Biti said the terms of reference should have clearly sought to establish the person who ordered troops out of their barracks to kill innocent civilians.

“If you are to follow the dictates of natural justice, the appointing authority cannot appoint to inquire into his own cause. He is conflicted.”

The simple term of reference is who ordered the troops out of their barracks and who ordered them to kill unarmed civilians,” said Biti.

He also questioned the credibility of some of the commissioners, singling out Professor Charity Manyeruke whom he said is a member of Zanu PF.

He also laid into Commissioner Rodney Dixon whom he accused of speaking on behalf of military governments.

If justice is to be seen to be done, I would like to submit with great respect that some commissioners seated here fail to inspire confidence

“I have a problem with commissioner Manyeruke. It is not disputed fact that she is a member of Zanu PF. The decent thing for her is to resign. I have a problem with a barista from UK. I don’t know his name. Hi has a strong relations with military governments,” said Biti.

He distanced himself and the MDC from the 1^st of August violence saying they were confident that they had won the elections hence they could not spoil their own party.

“We genuinely believe that we won this election. We genuinely believe that Nelson Chamisa won this election. And this belief is very important in that you get to know the behaviour of winners and losers

“So there was no way we could have put our people into the streets. There was no reason for us to spoil our party,” added Biti.

I was advised that I was with one Jimu Kunaka driving a green Discovery, it’s a joke. I hardly know Jimu physically, I know him as a notorious leader of Chipangano who killed our people in Mbare – it’s a lot of rubbish

-263Chat

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

WATCH VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Terrence Mawawa|Ms. Miriam Mutizwa, a Zimbabwean-born IT professional based in the UK and a corporate literacy enthusiast under the Banking on Africa’s Future (BOAF) initiative to deepen and widen the understanding of the centrality of the rule of law in delivering the promise of an inclusive and prosperous Africa; asks: “Can shareholders be lawfully divested of their rights outside the ambit of the Companies Act.”

Ms. Mutizwa asks this question because the Attorney General of Zimbabwe, Mr. Machaya, a qualified lawyer, did not see anything legally and constitutionally wrong with an Administrator appointed by the Minister of Justice pursuant to the operation of the Reconstruction of State Indebted Insolvent Companies Act (the Act) to substitute the combined role of directors and shareholders in relation to the affairs of a company that is duly incorporated and operating in terms of the prescripts of the law.

“I have chosen to be vocal on issues of the rule of law and constitutionalism because of the relationship between the law and companies.

I have realised that in the animal kingdom, there is life but no wealth because there is no rule of law in the kingdom.

Only human beings are capable of putting limitations on the animalistic and predatory nature of man. This necessarily means that anything that is done without the consent of an affected party, is deemed without any qualification to be illegal and unconstitutional.

This then means that a law that permits a shareholder to be substituted by an extra-judicially appointed Administrator is inherently illegal and should be invalid.” said Ms. Mutizwa.

“Who is this Mr. Machaya? How was he appointed? It makes me angry to know that the drive by President Mnangagwa to make Zimbabwe great is being undermined by people who are paid to protect the rights and freedoms of the people,” said Ms. Mutizwa.

Mr. Prince Machaya, was appointed by former President Mugabe in February 2015 as Attorney-General of Zimbabwe to replace Mr Johannes Tomana who was appointed Prosecutor General in 2014.

It is instructive that the ceremony was presided over by the then Vice President Mnangagwa and Minister of Justice at the time, after the VP had been duly authorised by the President to administer the oaths of loyalty and office to Mr Machaya.

In his preamble, the then VP Mnangagwa said, “…And whereas in terms of Section 114(2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Attorney-General assumes office upon taking before the President, or a person authorised by the President the oath of loyalty and office.”

It is significant that the reading of this constitutional provision was followed by Mr Machaya taking the oaths of loyalty and office.

In an affidavit below, Mr. Machaya said under oath that: “The effect of reconstruction is akin to the concept of judicial management as it is intended to preserve value for the various stakeholders of the state-indebted company.”

When one looks at s 25 of the Reconstruction Act, it is provided as follows:
It is clear from that subject to s 25 of the Reconstruction Act, the Administrator shall have unfettered powers to formulate a scheme of reconstruction of a company, that is neither owned and controlled by the government outside the provisions of this Act.

The AG must have known and ought to have known that reconstruction is not akin to any judicial management especially having regard to the provisions of s 23(a) of the Act which gives an Administrator appointed by the Minister and not a Court of law to issue to the state shares in a purportedly reconstructed company in satisfaction to any credit owed to the state by, or payment by the state of any guarantee on behalf of, the targeted company.

“Would I be correct in saying that the government in its capacity as a creditor proceeds to target a company that owes any government controlled entity any funds whether in form of loans, guarantees, and for services rendered can be a victim of this madness clothed as some form of reconstruction when it is really an attempt to expropriate? I am struggling to establish the legal basis on which a bona fide creditor can engage in a blatant self-help exercise without the involvement of the courts and get away with it,” asks Ms. Mutizwa.

What is even more scary is what is contained in s 25 of the Reconstruction Act which reads as follows:
It is clear from the above that once a company has been targeted for takeover, there is no going back. The shareholders and creditors cease to have any role or power over the company leaving the Minister and his cronies to do whatever they may wish to do.

Even the Court has no jurisdiction over such a company.

Ms. Mutizwa was lost after reading the above: “Just to imagine that the consequences of an orchestrated and manipulated purported reconstruction of a private company have predetermined outcomes makes me sick to the core.”

Former Legislator Engages Christian Community To Push For Return To Constitutionalism

Terrence Mawawa|Former MDC A MP for Gutu Central Constituency, Oliver Chirume, has stepped up efforts to work with the Christian community and pressure groups to push for a return to constitutionalism and democracy.

Speaking in an interview with ZimEye.com Chirume stressed the need to partner with the Christian community as part of frantic efforts to push for key constitutional reforms.

Chirume who is a member of the Friends of Shabanie and Mashava Mines(SMM), a pressure group formed by the stakeholders of the company, has emphasised the fact that Christians constitute the majority of the Zimbabwean population such that their voice will make an impact on constitutional matters and democracy.

“We have noted with the concern that while Christians form the majority of the country’s population, their sentiments on constitutional matters have remained in a cocoon,” said Chirume.

“We intend to gather Christians’ views on the controversial Reconstruction Act.The government seized SMM, Air Zimbabwe and recently Hwange Colliery under the same Act.

Biblically you cannot just grab someone’ s property without paying a cent.I strongly believe the Christian voice will enhance the fight for a return to democracy in Zimbabwe,” said Chirume.

Something is wrong because we have not had a Commission on Gukurahundi. The commanders are still sitting in the present day Gvnt, directed by cabinet ministers, still sitting in Gvnt, Says @BitiTendai pic.twitter.com/rJMYVKo5i2

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) November 26, 2018

WATCH VIDEO LOADING….

WATCH VIDEO BELOW…

This morning I responded to the invite that was extended to me by Senate President in my capacity as the leader of the House under the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders rule 11 that states:
“The President of the Senate and the Deputy President of the Senate, accompanied by their proposers and seconders and other Senators, shall as soon as may be after their election, present themselves to the President.”

This morning I responded to the invite that was extended to me by Senate President in my capacity as the leader of the House under the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders rule 11 that states:
“The President of the Senate and the Deputy President of the Senate, accompanied by their proposers and seconders and other Senators, shall as soon as may be after their election, present themselves to the President.”

It is with sadness and unfortunate circumstances that my fellow junior parliamentarians would want to play petty politics on something that is part of my terms of reference as Party deployee.

My confusion to all this stems from the fact that, if what I did was “ illegal” to my fellow parliamentarians, then I want to understand what we are still doing in parliament as a Party and wasting taxpayer’s money.
I went to State House not to appease President Munangagwa, but to respect the office of Parliament. If am wrong and they are right I would be proud to be fired from the Party because I represented the Party in Parliament business. It’s sad that my very colleagues, were fully engaged in parliament business at HICC on post budget consultations, a budget presentation that saw MPs under attack from police. What hypocrisy!
I believe that I went to State House not to betray anyone nor did I do it nicodemusly, but in the full knowledge of my colleagues who then faked theatrical accusations.

The nation is faced with acute economic challenges under a failed leadership of ZANU-PF. That must be our focus, but to abuse my person this way is very unfortunate.

Eng Elias Mudzuri MP

WATCH VIDEO BELOW…

Jane Mlambo| MDC Deputy President, Engineer Elias Mudzuri could be a dead man walking following his appearance at a meeting where Presiding officers from parliament were meeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House this morning.

Mudzuri who is the leader of the opposition in Senate cast a lone figure among Zanu PF parliamentarians at State House today and this has riled party supporters with Youth Assembly Secretary General, Lovemore Chinoputsa saying the former party Organizing Secretary had fired himself from the movement.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube will meet captains of industry and commerce in Bulawayo today to explain key points of the 2019 National Budget Statement as well as clarify issues around currency challenges.

Following his budget presentation on Thursday, Prof Ncube is expected to shed policy insight, particularly around strategies to rejuvenate industry in Bulawayo, which is facing serious challenges, and measures to harness wider investment opportunities within Matabeleland region and the country at large.

The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) Matabeleland region is organising the “post budget review and currency indaba” that will be held at a city hotel from 9AM.

“The Honourable Minister of Finance, Professor Mthuli Ncube, will be in Bulawayo to engage corporate Matabeleland and discuss the recently announced budget, inform the business community on the currency conundrum as well as gather information regarding the challenges peculiar to our region for consideration in refining his fiscal regime henceforth,” said ZNCC in a notice to its members.

“Our desire is to intervene in the current economic challenges in a bid to proffer solutions as well as inform the business community on Government’s plans going forward and to be the conduit to progressive dialogue between Government and its stakeholders in the private sector.

“We believe that an informed person makes better decisions than his/her uninformed counterpart. We also want to curb speculative tendencies that result from lack of information.”

The 2019 budget exhibits a strong desire by Government to increase support for the productive sector, reforming the business environment and facilitating close investment partnerships and best practices in economic operations.

The $8,2 billion 2019 budget is anchored on the theme, “Austerity for Prosperity”, emphasising the need for the country to take painful but necessary measures to stabilise the economy and create a conducive environment for increased investment and job creation.

It draws inspiration from the Government’s Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), a two-year medium term blue-print that targets medium-term macro and fiscal stabilisation and laying a solid foundation for attaining the overall goal of a strong, sustainable and shared growth.

-State Media

Correspondent|JOURNALIST Maynard Manyowa says he and his family were now living in fear for their lives after being subjected to threats by perceived opposition supporters not pleased with his Thursday comments exonerating the army from the August 1 killings.

Manyowa has filed a police report and a formal complaint with the Kgalema Motlanthe led Commission of Inquiry into the post-election disturbances.

In a statement, John Masuku, spokesperson of the probe team, urged law enforcement agents to investigate the alleged threats while also urging those attending the Harare hearings not to heckle witnesses giving their testimonies before the high profile inquiry team.

“The Commission implores the police and other enforcements agents to fully investigate urgently the allegations by Mr Manyowa and bring all perpetrators of verbal and physical violence or abuse who cause harm, despondency and discouragement to citizens who have freely testified before it,” read part of its statement.

Six civilians were shot and killed by what is widely believed to be members of the army who were deployed in central Harare on the fateful day to help quell wild protests by opposition supporters who were not happy with the slow pace of election results announcement by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Several witnesses, among them relatives of the deceased have since appeared before the inquiry team to say whatever they knew about the disturbances.

On his part, Manyowa, a South African based Zimbabwean scribe, distanced the army from the killings, something that has elicited a volley of social media threats.

He says he has been “viciously” attacked via social media and also “threatened in person including his two wives, children and employees right from the time he was testifying live on ZBC television and other online streaming media”.

Manyowa further claimed images of his property have also been exposed on various social media platforms with threats of causing physical harm and death to him, his family and employees.

Giving his testimony before the probe team, Manyowa said he never saw any soldiers within the vicinity of one shooting incident in which a civilian was shot and killed inside a crowd.

Since the commission began its inquiry weeks ago, some witnesses aligned to the opposition have gone all out to discredit some Zimbabwean members of the panel, in particular, Zanu PF activist Charity Manyeruke and Lovemore Madhuku of the opposition NCA.

Last week, former Zanu PF Harare provincial youth leader Jim Kunaka made sensational claims Manyeruke was among Zanu PF leaders who sent youths to beat up opposition supporters before.

Masuku urged witnesses to desist from any personal attacks on commissioners during the hearings.

“The Commission is also disturbed by people who attack and denigrate the integrity, professional ability and reputation of some Commissioners and the prerogative of the appointing authority who is the Head of State and Government,” he said.

“It should be borne in mind that His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa saw it fit to appoint the current Commissioners to carry out this national task in terms of the laws of the land.

“Infact, the courts have since made a judgement in favour of their unperturbed continuation of duty with the right to ask questions without any threats or hindrance.

“Finally, the Commission urges all citizens who attend public hearings to give the opportunity to all those giving testimonies without interjections, heckling and demeaning.”

THE story of a Lupane man who was allegedly fatally bitten by a snake in a 49-metre deep well has taken a new twist amid claims that he fell to his death in the shaft after a rope he was using broke.

It appears the snake never existed and may have been created to cover up the fall.

The Bulawayo Fire brigade has since revealed that it took long to retrieve the body mainly because the victim’s family was refusing to have it hooked out of the narrow bottom of the well.

“They said they suspected foul play in their relative Sandile Mguni (25)’s death. They feared that if we used grappling hooks we might damage the body and destroy evidence of the actual cause of death,” said Bulawayo Chief Fire officer Mr Richard Peterson.

He said when the family finally gave permission on Friday; the body was retrieved within minutes.

“We hooked the clothes and the body was not damaged at all,” he said.

The owner of the well Mr Glen Moyo of Mkarabuli Village under Chief Mabhikwa had contracted Mr Jacob Ndlovu to rehabilitate it.

Mr Ndlovu popularly known as Ndosi sub-contracted the now deceased of Sikhwehle Village and Mr Bhekani Nyoni to do the job.

On Wednesday November 14, Mguni entered the well using a rope with the help of Mr Ndlovu and Mr Nyoni.

According to earlier reports, while Mguni, better known as Mgunyana in his village was inside the well, Mr Ndlovu and Mr Nyoni heard him screaming that he had been bitten by a snake.

Mguni’s body was fished out on Wednesday last week by rescuers from Hwange Colliery Company and Bulawayo Fire Brigade using grappling hooks, eight days after the fatal incident. They used floodlights at the bottom of the well whose diameter is less than one metre and hooked Mguni’s pair of jean shorts before pulling his body out.

The body was still intact with injuries on the head and shoulder, the Chronicle was told.

There are claims that Mr Ndlovu hatched a plan to conceal the accident and cooked up the snake story to avoid possible arrest for negligence.

Allegations are that Mr Ndlovu promised to give Mr Nyoni a cow to buy his silence.

A news crew visited the area on Friday a few hours after Mguni’s burial and spoke to the two families.

The burial site reportedly almost turned into a warzone because of a post-mortem report which has not been made public.

Efforts to speak to Mr Ndlovu and Mr Nyoni were fruitless as the two are now residing at Gomoza Police Base for security reasons because of the tense atmosphere in their home area.

The news crew also visited the police base and saw the duo busy with household chores.

Both the late Mguni’s and Moyo families said the snake story was a cover-up as no-one has seen it. “We started drilling the well in 1996 and finished in 2000. We hardly use it and wanted it cleaned. We drained all the water and paid Ndosi $30 to inspect the well to find out why the water level was low and he said there was cement at the bottom,” said Mr Moyo at his homestead.

Mr Moyo said Mr Ndlovu and crew earlier told him about a hissing sound of a snake in the well.

He said days before the tragedy the trio boiled a drum full of water and poured it in the well in an attempt to kill the snake.

“We had just had tea with the three when I went to check on my donkeys and my wife called me to rush back. Ndosi said there had been an accident. He said they heard Mguni groaning in the well and suddenly went quiet,” narrated Mr Moyo.

“No one else saw the snake around the well before and even after the incident. We’ve since filled up the well with rubble.”

His son Mr Sambulo Moyo said they were ready to engage the Mguni family which wants compensation.

The late Mguni’s uncle Mr Luka Mguni said the family wants compensation.

“They narrated to us the story of the snake which no one else has seen. The postmortem says that he had injuries on the collarbone and head which suggests that he fell and we’re unhappy because of the fabricated report they gave us. We didn’t bring the postmortem because police wanted it for investigations,” said Mr Mguni without stating how much the family wanted as compensation.

Mr Mguni said false claims of a snake in the well scared rescuers who could possibly have saved Sandile’s life.

State Media

ZIMBABWE is earning enough foreign currency to sustain the economy, but much of it is being misdirected to unproductive uses, and siphoned outside formal systems, Treasury bosses said on Friday.

Foreign currency shortage is among the top challenges blamed for much of the economic ills the country has faced over the last two decades. The challenges mounted after the adoption of multi-currencies in 2009, with the United States dollar being the anchor currency. But Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, and his permanent secretary, Mr George Guvamatanga told captains of industry at a post 2019 national budget meeting in Harare that the country’s foreign currency earnings from exports and other sources were either being misused, or somehow disappearing into informal markets.

“Zimbabwe has no shortage of foreign currency, the foreign currency is being dissipated,” Professor Ncube said.

“If you really work out how much is coming into the country, there is a lot of foreign currency but it is being dis-intermediated, not being netted in by the financial sector.”

Mr Guvamatanga said between January and October this year, Zimbabwe had earned about $5,2 billion in foreign currency, including diaspora remittances.

“A country like Kenya, with maybe three times our population, if you check, you will note that they had merchandise exports of $4,7 billion (between January and October 2018) but, they do not have foreign currency shortages in Kenya,” he said.

“So we really need to re-examine and see what exactly is happening to our foreign currency.”

Observers have for years encouraged authorities to look at areas where the country was losing millions through leakages. In the 2019 budget, Prof Ncube imposed a raft of measures to curtail importation of unnecessary goods to save foreign currency. Meanwhile, Mr Guvamatanga said Government must come up with systems that allow the foreign currency market to operate efficiently without criminalising trade.

He said at least 25 percent of the country’s hard currency inflows, estimated at between US$70 million and $100 million, comes into the country through informal means.

“It is also very difficult to criminalise the trading of foreign currency because 25 percent of our foreign currency actually comes informally into the market because we do receive between US$70 million and $100 million from the diaspora,” he said.

“That money comes as $100, $200 so the people we are calling money changers, if you read economic books they are called aggregators. They are simply aggregating the small amounts so that it is moved to the formal system, so we need to understand exactly what our concern is as Government and as monetary authorities and try and come up with a system that allows the market to operate efficiently.”

Government recently announced plans to put in place regulations criminalising illegal trade in foreign currency with jail sentences of up to 10 years.

— New Ziana

A POLICE officer allegedly lost an AK 47 rifle during a drinking spree at a night spot with prostitutes and illegal gold panners while on duty.

The cop, identified only as Constable Tarwirei allegedly reported for duty at Chivi Tollgate, Chivi District in Masvingo Province on Friday at around 10PM.

Sources close to the investigations said that sometime during the night he sneaked from his post and went to a drinking spot near Chivi turn-off where he started drinking beer.

Cst Tarwirei, the source said, had an AK 47 rifle that was fully charged with a magazine of 30 rounds and was wearing a police uniform.

Sources said he drank beer with unknown illegal gold panners until the wee hours of the morning.

It is suspected the panners drugged him and made away with the gun.

“At about 3AM he approached a prostitute for a quickie but she turned him down. Cst Tarwirei was visibly drunk and some unknown people who are suspected to be amakorokoza continued to ply him with beer,” said the source.

The source said patrons at the night spot later told investigators that the unknown people bought beer which Cst Tarwirei guzzled but surprisingly, they were not drinking. “The prostitute that Cst Tarwirei had earlier tried to bed, said she joined the group. She said she had a couple of sips of the beer the constable was drinking and found it strange. She said she immediately felt dizzy and left the group,” said the source.

Another source said in the morning at around 5AM, Cst Tarwirei discovered that his rifle was missing and the men who were buying him alcohol were nowhere to be seen.

“He was dead drunk and had fallen asleep at the bar. He looked for his rifle. He asked people who were around but they knew nothing. The men who were buying him alcohol had disappeared,” said the source.

The source said when the gravity of the situation hit Cst Tarwirei, he seemed to sober up.

“He made a report at Chivi Turn-off Police Station. I suspect he started drinking again to drown his sorrows because when his superiors arrived hours later, he appeared dead drunk and could hardly speak,” said the source.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Mr Paul Nyathi yesterday declined to comment on the issue saying he was yet to receive a report.

“I’m not aware of such an issue, as it is I’m not at work. I can only get hold of this information once I reach office that is probably tomorrow. Now l can’t give out any comment,” he said.

State Media