“I am so glad to see my wife the Prophetess so happy with the surprise Christmas thank you gift of a brand new latest computerised Jeep Cherokee, sophisticated and advanced technology inside, I gave her at the Joshua Nkomo Airport on her arrival from UK for standing with me in Ministry.” Chiza said.

He added: “I love u sweetheart, you are my everything and the best gift to me that ever happened.”

Prophetess Tatianah posted on her Facebook page thanking her husband for the gift.

“Thank God for a husband like Prophet Dr B.S Chiza. I am so happy with this Latest Brand New computerised Jeep Cherokee gift he surprised me with as a ” XMAS THANK YOU” for standing with him in Ministry. I like it, so sophisticated and advanced technology. Help me celebrate,” she posted.

She is an ordained Pastor and Prophet and together with her husband Dr Prophet BS Chiza they have planted numerous assemblies in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia and are currently leading a thriving one in Bulawayo.

BULAWAYO Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) has questioned the city council’s decision to award former mayor Martin Moyo a mayoral car as part of his exit package.

BPRA yesterday said the move was a way to poke fun at the struggling ratepayers who clashed with the local authority for diverting money to purchase a mayor’s vehicle, which was now being given for free.

“BPRA believes this indicates that the city council is out of touch with the reality and fails to understand the gravity of the matter pertaining economic hardships that have hit Zimbabwe and are bound to negatively affect Bulawayo City Council (BCC)’s revenue collection,” BPRA spokesperson Zibusiso Dube said yesterday.

According to a council confidential report, council’s financial director, Kimpton Ndimande, recommended that Moyo be given two options — 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.

“BCC, which complains that low revenue collection is the cause of service delivery shortfalls, now seeks to virtually give away vehicles from its mayoral fleet, is indicative of a lack of sincerity, poor prioritisation of issues and lack of probity in the administration of Bulawayo’s financial resources,” Dube said.

The city fathers have, in the past, clashed with residents over its priorities regarding the expenditure of ratepayers’ money.

NewsDay

THE ruling Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial leadership has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the party’s presidential candidate for 2023 and told off opposition leader Nelson Chamisa for demanding talks to help arrest the deteriorating socio-economic situation in the country.

At a meeting at its Davies Hall provincial office, the party passed a raft of resolutions which they want addressed during the party’s national conference scheduled for Esigodini later this month.

“As Bulawayo province, we are saying President ED Mnangagwa is our sole presidential candidate for 2023,” provincial secretary Elphas Mashava said while presenting the resolutions to provincial delegates.

“We defeated Chamisa in elections; there are no talks with him. We will only meet him in 2023, for now he must go to hell.”

The party’s deputy national youth secretary, Mabutho Moyo, said it was wrong for the MDC to engage in demonstrations to force Zanu PF into talks.

“Comrades, we must make it clear to Chamisa that there are not going to be talks with him. We will meet him in the 2023 elections, so he must not fool himself,” he said.

NewsDay

Terrence Mawawa|Mr. Elvis Mugari, a social commentator and member of the Friends of SMM (FOSMM), has said the plot by war veterans to change the Presidential age limit is a calculated move meant to block MDC A leader’s 2023 Presidential bid.

In response to the plot by Zimbabwe’s War Veterans to force Zanu-PF, the ruling party, to make a constitutional amendment that will raise the age limit of the Presidem age Mugari has said the suggestion is baseless.

It is the case that Mr. Chamisa is 40 years old which is the current age limit for aspirants allowed in the Constitution.

Zanu-PF has the necessary Parliamentary majority to change the constitution and, therefore, the War Vets may have started a journey with a predetermined and inevitable outcome”

“This idea that age can be used to exclude certain targeted people from enjoying the rights and freedoms that are entrenched in the constitution goes a long towards exposing a political morality that is inimical to the rule of law.  It cannot be disputed that ZANU-PF has the necessary numbers in Parliament to allow the absurdity inherent in this constitutional proposal to be given life to. This is possible because people like us have been silent and docile for far too long.

It is and should be our responsibility to stand on our feet and not on our knees begging people we put in government to be merciful on us when we possess the power to create the outcomes that we want to see.

If anything, the behaviour of political actors has convinced me and my colleagues that it is time for us to show up in any way we can to make civics provocative, igniting and inspiring again after 38 years of squandered opportunities, said Mr. Mugari.

Ms. Miriam Mutizwa, also an activist who established a group called Legal Eagles, said: “I believe that we can rekindle the spirit that led people to fight for democracy in Zimbabwe by creating platforms where power is explicitly the subject of interrogation.

We have no choice but to start by acknowledging that power illiteracy is so pervasive not only among the so-called “war vets” but among all of us.

Even the so-called “war vets” must know and ought to know that civics is and should be the art of being a pro-social, problem-solving contributor in a self-governing community.

If this is true, then it must be self-evident that the proposed constitutional amendment offends the principle that being pro-social does not need to be causally related to one’s age, and that contributing to solving human problems has nothing to do with age, and finally self-government or independence is a gift of nature.

To me, civics must encompass three fundamental things: a foundation of values, an understanding of the systems that make the world go round, and a set of skills that allow you to pursue goals and to have others join in that pursuit.

I am reminded by Elvis Mugari who angrily responded to an advert posted in the FOSMM whats up group by Dr. Gorden Moyo, the former Minister in the GNU government, of Professor Mutambara’s book launch.

His main contention was that the title of the book: “The Path to Power” strikes at the root of power illiteracy that seems to be a better friend of the few that claim to be powerful and enlightened.

I must admit that there is no shared understanding of what power is and is not.

“To me power is and ought to be: “Is the ability to act or produce an effect; capability of doing or accomplishing something.”

In the morality, culture and mythology of democracy, it cannot be disputed that power resides or ought to reside with the people. Period. End of story.

However, the reality is that even the so-called war vets think that they are the address of power simply because the few who pretend to understand how power operates in civic life often end up wielding disproportionate influence in society, and that these people bridge the gaps created by the ignorance of the great majority.

This is why it is so fundamental for us right now to use the gaffes created by war vets and their comrades in government to capture and share the correct idea of power and to democratize it.

It is striking that the proposal by the so-called war vets can only be made in circumstances where power illiteracy is so pervasive with the consequent that the few close to power become seemingly icons of democracy to the determent of democracy itself.

We have been naive for far too long. Many of us including me think that good things just happen and others who are cynical enough to believe that bad things just happen, the fortunate and unfortunate alike who think that their lot is simply what they deserve rather than the eminently alterable result of a prior arrangement, an inherited allocation, of power.
There can be no moral, legal and constitutional justification for any human being to claim a higher moral ground than likes in the pursuit of happiness like the so-called war vets have done since independence.”

Terrence Mawawa| An MDC A councillor has told Victor Matemadanda to stop “lecturing us on constitutional matters as he is a mere farmer.”

The MDC A councillor Arnold Batirai Ncube said: “Zimbabweans will not allow former farm manager Matemadanda  to speak nonsense on behalf of our freedom fighters. Go back to the farm and amend your boss’ farm principles and not the Zimbabwean Constitution.We will protect our generation to the end.”

Own Correspondent| At least two people died and seven others left in critical condition after succumbing to pressure during a 10 km run that was a pre-requisite in job recruitment at the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) in Harare on Tuesday.

Inside sources said that twelve people who were listed candidates for security personnel posts, fainted during the course of the 10km run around mid-day on Tuesday.

The source said the twelve were rushed to Parirenyatwa Group Of Hospitals and two of them later died.

The source said the possible causes of death includes heat, hunger and exhaustion.

“The twelve were part of about 1200 people who had responded to a CAAZ job offer for positions as security guards.

“Due to the overwhelming response the recruitment exercise was delayed and the potential recruits ran in the sweltering afternoon heat.”

ZimEye.com efforts to get an official comment from the CAAZ were not successful at the time of writing.

Terrence Mawawa| The MDC Masvingo Provincial Executive says the party will not fall into Zanu PF’ s trap indicating Nelson Chamisa will be the party candidate for the 2019 congress and beyond.

“The MDC Masvingo Provincial Executive In Consultation with the 26 districts in the province unanimously
agreed that we are totally in support of Adv N Chamisa and he shall
continue to be the president of the MDC beyond 2019.
As a province we will not nagate the will of the over 2. 6 million Zimbabweans who have expressed trust and hope in the leadership of Adv N Chamisa,” said the party in a statement.

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Correspondent|PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa today led commemorations for the National Tree Planting Day at the State House in Harare before leading a National Clean-Up campaign in the high density suburb of Highfields. The President and First Lady Auxullia planted and watered a tree at the State House.

Officially launching the National Clean Up Campaign under the theme: “Zero Tolerance to Littering, My Environment, My Pride” , the President said Government has designated 5 December as a day Zimbabweans promote tree planting and national cleaning.

President Mnangagwa read and signed the National Tree Planting Day declaration, urging Zimbabweans to look after the environment. Both Vice Presidents and several government officials attended. Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba also graced the clean-up campaign.

Every year a specific tree is declared Tree of The Year. This tree is chosen based on the criteria that it is indigenous to Zimbabwe, it has important food and/or medicinal properties, that it has potential to significantly contribute to the socio-economic well-being of the country and that Zimbabwe can generally benefit from the widespread propagation of the species. Some are identified because they are rare and can possibly become extinct.

“All those between the ages of 10 to 65 years, even those older, if still able, would be expected to clean up the environment on 5 December, annually,” said the President.

The first week of December each year holds National Tree Planting Day in Zimbabwe. This day was first set aside for tree planting in 1980, by former President Robert Mugabe, and has since been an important day in Zimbabwe’s environmental calendar.

December marks the beginning of the rainy season, when tree planting is most successful. The purpose of the day is to educate the nation about the importance of natural forest and woodland conservation, motivate people to plant and conserve trees, and finally, to create nation-wide food security.

President Mnangagwa today underscored that cleanliness should be a daily routine for both men and women, boys and girls.

Meanwhile, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa has been appointed the Patron and Ambassador of the National Clean Up Campaign. The campaign is aimed at eradicating littering, promoting cleanliness, recycling and waste management.

Speaking at the State House occasion, Environment and Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira said the Forestry Commission and the Environment Management Authority (EMA) are aggressively working on education and encouraging citizens to plant trees.

“Presently corporate partners have been assisting with funds and also embarking on individual corporate tree planting programmes,” she said.

Hon Mupfumira in said that 500 million trees have been planted since Independence in 1980, and about 60% survive.

Meanwhile, Government has authorised the Forestry Commission to handle 50% of the money collected from farmers under the tobacco levy for use in afforestation programs. The money had not been used since 2015 as the TIMB (Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board) had not been given the directive on how the funds will be disbursed to farmers.

In January 2015,Government introduced an afforestation levy on all tobacco farmers at a rate of 1,5% in the first year and 0,75% in subsequent years to finance regreening initiatives in the country.

The money, which had been ring-fenced for afforestation, was meant to be used for the establishment of 20 000 hectares of woodlots per year for the next five years.

Presenting the 2019 annual Budget recently, Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube said the administration of the tobacco levy by the TIMB had not served its intended purpose of financing conservation initiatives in the country.

FOUR people died on the spot while several others were injured on Tuesday evening 32 km after Masvingo along the Beitbridge road when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in was involved in an accident.

Masvingo Acting Police Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Dewa confirmed the incident and revealed the injured were ferried to Masvingo Provincial Hospital.

Details of the cause of the accident are still sketchy as police are still carrying out investigations.

However, according to eye witnesses, the commuter omnibus driver lost control of the vehicle after a tyre burst, resulting in the vehicle veering off the road.

The Toyota Hiace is said to have been travelling from Masvingo towards Beitbridge.

The deceased were taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital mortuary.

— ZBC

ZANU-PF Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said former President Robert Mugabe’s decision to marry Grace — who was younger than him by nearly four decades — precipitated the former political strongman’s downfall.

“We should be builders, not destroyers like Stop It (Grace), who nearly destroyed Mugabe’s legacy. You should be careful not to marry young wives. We are warning you, they are always dreaming big. You should ask us to pray for you, otherwise you will fall because of them,” Muchinguri said.

She said she was forced to step down as the party women’s league boss to pave way for Grace at a time the latter was ambitiously clawing her way up the hierarchy of Zanu PF.

She said Grace acted as a catalyst for the removal of Mugabe through the coup executed in November last year.

“When we were forced to relinquish women’s league posts, we did not know it would cost us. Several emissaries were sent to us to give up the post and hand it over to Chikwiramiti (Grace). We did not know, but God knew this person who took away the position from us who had no party experience was going to get in, scold senior party members and fast-track the process,” she said.

Muchinguri was speaking at a Zanu PF inter-district conference at the Masvingo Polytechnic yesterday.

Some ruling party youths in Masvingo said they had nothing to show for Zanu PF’s victory, given the recurrent economic problems characterised by long fuel queues, price hikes and shortages of cash and some basic commodities.

Muchinguri said some party members were selling party regalia in nearby Mozambique and pocketing the proceeds.

She claimed that most of the regalia was looted ahead of the July 30 polls.

“Whatever trick you used to get regalia, you will get other regalia next time. There is some corruption to guard against in the party. We gave members regalia, but some of it is being sold in Mozambique. On Sunday, we were told that some Mozambicans were found with 500 pieces of regalia in Manicaland. There is business in Zanu PF. We give you regalia to give to (members in) wards, yet you divert it for sale,” she said.

“This explains why we got resistance from moving regalia from the airport to the President’s place. People were flooding the airport. We then searched some and saw one person wearing 20 T-shirts and others put clothes inside their trousers.”

She said some party leaders had pieces of regalia in all colours when party members that voted did not get any.

NewsDay

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President Emmerson Mnangagwa has read the riot act to his errant spokesperson George Charamba after his communication-expert went out of rail by insisting that Mnangagwa was not obligated to release the findings and recommendations of the August 1 inquiry to the public.

Charamba stunned neutrals and critics alike early this week when he appeared to hint that the commission’s findings into the disturbances that led to the death of at least six people, will only be made public at the benevolence of Mnangagwa’s mercy.

He insisted: “There is nothing at law that compels the president to release the report to the public or not to release it to the public. The discretion is his.”

However, in a dramatic U-Turn, Charamba on Tuesday told the State media that his ‘Mnangagwa’s eyes only’ statement had been misread.

The deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet responsible for Presidential Communications said the correct position was that Mnangagwa had made an “undertaking that both processes and the outcomes of the commission will be an open affair.

“That was way before the Commissioners had been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision he took long time ago well before the Commission was constituted.

“That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention, all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English,”said Charamba.

However, a highly placed source told the Mail & Telegraph that Charamba had backtracked after stepping on the lion’s tail by insinuating that Mnangagwa had room to withhold the contents of the August 1 inquiry report. This gave rise to  implication  that he was reverting to the ways of his predecessor Robert Mugabe who was notorious for withholding reports from Commissions of inquiry.

The suggestion was in sharp contrast to Mnangagwa’s reformist agenda.

The source said Mnangagwa was against the  former Mugabe spokesperson ‘s approach where he believes in aggression.

“He doesn’t understand the essence of smart and soft power. He believes in Mugabe’s hard edged power yet Mnangagwa has projected himself as a reformist,” said the source.

The Commission has said they have up to December 19 to submit the report canvassed from security sector chefs, top government officials, ruling party bigwigs, opposition leaders, civic society organisations, victims and eye-witnesses.

-Mail and Telegraph

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has read the riot act to his errant spokesperson George Charamba after his communication-expert went out of rail by insisting that Mnangagwa was not obligated to release the findings and recommendations of the August 1 inquiry to the public.

Charamba stunned neutrals and critics alike early this week when he appeared to hint that the commission’s findings into the disturbances that led to the death of at least six people, will only be made public at the benevolence of Mnangagwa’s mercy.

He insisted: “There is nothing at law that compels the president to release the report to the public or not to release it to the public. The discretion is his.”

However, in a dramatic U-Turn, Charamba on Tuesday told the State media that his ‘Mnangagwa’s eyes only’ statement had been misread.

The deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet responsible for Presidential Communications said the correct position was that Mnangagwa had made an “undertaking that both processes and the outcomes of the commission will be an open affair.

“That was way before the Commissioners had been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision he took long time ago well before the Commission was constituted.

“That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention, all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English,”said Charamba.

However, a highly placed source told the Mail & Telegraph that Charamba had backtracked after stepping on the lion’s tail by insinuating that Mnangagwa had room to withhold the contents of the August 1 inquiry report. This gave rise to  implication  that he was reverting to the ways of his predecessor Robert Mugabe who was notorious for withholding reports from Commissions of inquiry.

The suggestion was in sharp contrast to Mnangagwa’s reformist agenda.

The source said Mnangagwa was against the  former Mugabe spokesperson ‘s approach where he believes in aggression.

“He doesn’t understand the essence of smart and soft power. He believes in Mugabe’s hard edged power yet Mnangagwa has projected himself as a reformist,” said the source.

The Commission has said they have up to December 19 to submit the report canvassed from security sector chefs, top government officials, ruling party bigwigs, opposition leaders, civic society organisations, victims and eye-witnesses.

-Mail and Telegraph

By Own Correspondent| Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has revealed that the association ia set to march from Mutare to Harare in a move aimed at demanding teachers’ salaries in forex and bonus in full.

Said the ARTUZ in a statement:

“You are kindly invited to join ARTUZ Salary Caravan.

Teachers are going to march from Mutare to Harare demanding salaries in United States dollars and bonus in full.

The march begins on 09-12-2018. The Caravan will storm Harare on 19-12-2018.

The Caravan will camp at Finance Ministry until our grievances are met.

We have Just informed the relevant Ministries about our Salary Caravan.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an undertaking to make the results of the August 1 inquiry public way before appointing the Mothlante Commission but will follow processes and formalities laid down in the law, his spokesperson Mr George Charamba has said.

Further, Mr Charamba said the Head of State and Government who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces does not require motivation from social media fanatics to do so.

The Commission of Inquiry was appointed by President Mnangagwa in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act to investigate the August 1 post-election violence that resulted in the death of six people and destruction of property worth millions of dollars.

Mr Charamba who is also the Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications) stated the President’s position following a misreading of his intervention by Twimbos on Monday when he explained that at law there was nothing that obligated President Mnangagwa to share the report with members of the public.

Mr Charamba further explained that there was nothing that also stops the President from making the report public if he so decides.

Speaking to our Harare Bureau yesterday, Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa made the undertaking way before the constitution of the Commission of Inquiry and before the Commissioners were even identified.

“Zimbabweans must cool it and take it easy. There is no need for excitement. Let us avoid the feat of crossing the river when we are still at the summit of a hill,” said Mr Charamba.

“I sit in several meetings involving emissaries of foreign Governments and more particularly involving the President and the UN Secretary General. In all those meetings, the President made an undertaking that both processes and outcomes of the Commission will be an open affair. That was well before Commissioners had even been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by Twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision which he took a long time ago well before the Commission was constituted. That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English.

“The current furore over the issue is doubly needless in that it misreads a simple communication from Government. Secondly, it elides time and processes.”

Mr Charamba said Government picked some critical lessons from the debate raised over the matter.

“But every cloud has a silver lining. There is a lot be bought from this mighty storm in the tea cup,” said Mr Charamba.

“It gave everyone a peep into national mind particularly a pre-disposition to suspect the intentions of the Government no matter how unfounded. The big gain is that from it we have inadvertently built a huge momentum against post-election violence and we should as a people harness that to very good effect for future elections.

“Secondly, it appears there is more sharpened reading of the law. I read someone saying somewhere that the Commissions of Inquiry Act is a colonial relic. Well and good, let’s deal with that so that we update our laws. More critically, I read someone saying Section 62 of our Constitution which give citizens right to information is in fact echoed by Section 5 of AIPPA. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of AIPPA and I hope the responsible Ministry takes note.”

-State Media

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has read the riot act to his errant spokesperson George Charamba after his communication-expert went out of rail by insisting that Mnangagwa was not obligated to release the findings and recommendations of the August 1 inquiry to the public.

Charamba stunned neutrals and critics alike early this week when he appeared to hint that the commission’s findings into the disturbances that led to the death of at least six people, will only be made public at the benevolence of Mnangagwa’s mercy.

He insisted: “There is nothing at law that compels the president to release the report to the public or not to release it to the public. The discretion is his.”

However, in a dramatic U-Turn, Charamba on Tuesday told the State media that his ‘Mnangagwa’s eyes only’ statement had been misread.

The deputy chief secretary to the President and Cabinet responsible for Presidential Communications said the correct position was that Mnangagwa had made an “undertaking that both processes and the outcomes of the commission will be an open affair.

“That was way before the Commissioners had been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision he took long time ago well before the Commission was constituted.

“That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention, all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English,”said Charamba.

However, a highly placed source told the Mail & Telegraph that Charamba had backtracked after stepping on the lion’s tail by insinuating that Mnangagwa had room to withhold the contents of the August 1 inquiry report. This gave rise to  implication  that he was reverting to the ways of his predecessor Robert Mugabe who was notorious for withholding reports from Commissions of inquiry.

The suggestion was in sharp contrast to Mnangagwa’s reformist agenda.

The source said Mnangagwa was against the  former Mugabe spokesperson ‘s approach where he believes in aggression.

“He doesn’t understand the essence of smart and soft power. He believes in Mugabe’s hard edged power yet Mnangagwa has projected himself as a reformist,” said the source.

The Commission has said they have up to December 19 to submit the report canvassed from security sector chefs, top government officials, ruling party bigwigs, opposition leaders, civic society organisations, victims and eye-witnesses.

-Mail and Telegraph

Government will recover all the money looted at the Zimbabwe National Road Administration, President Mnangagwa has said.

An audit report by Grant Thornton at the national administrator unearthed massive looting of public funds and financial leakages that were exacerbated by incompetence by senior managers to negotiate contracts beneficial to the parastatal.

A committee instituted by then Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo recommended a lifestyle audit of Zinara bosses, some of whom had been parachuted to senior positions without the requisite qualifications.

Addressing traditional chiefs at the 2018 Annual Chiefs Conference in Kadoma on Monday, President Mnangagwa said Government was now aware of where all the missing money collected for road development was.

The President was updating the chiefs on the progress made by Government in refurbishing the country’s roads.

President Mnangagwa said for several years toll fees and other collections were not being accounted for and Government would recover that money.

“There is an issue that was raised here relating to road maintenance,” said President Mnangagwa.

“If you look at most roads they are being refurbished and most of our roads were in a bad state. Those in areas that have not been attended to will say there is nothing that is happening but those in areas where they have witnessed this development should testify that Government is refurbishing the roads. We also have the Beitbridge-Chirundu Highway. We started by giving the tender to dualise the road to a company called Geiger International. They spent close to year making promises that they will start work soon.

“In the new dispensation we asked them to show us the money for the project and evidence that they once did a project of a similar nature stretching over 100 km in another country and they failed. So eventually we fired them. Now we are in the middle of negotiations with another company, but we are not going to give them the tender before they show us the money. But as Government, we have already started work on our own using our own local resources. We realised that as the Government of Zimbabwe we have the capacity and expertise and what was lacking was the money to undertake the project.

“We then sought to understand how our money from tollgates was being utilised and other collections from Zinara. We now know where that money which has been missing for several years is and that is the money we are using for this project. We are going to recover some of the funds that went missing in that regard.”

President Mnangagwa also told the chiefs that his Government will do everything to fight corruption.

“Corruption is rampant in urban areas but we are fighting the scourge,” he said.

“We take all the cases of corruption to the judiciary. We are hearing now that there is a cartel of corruption starting from the highest court — Constitutional Court — to the magistrates’ courts but we are going to deal with that.”

-State Media

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an undertaking to make the results of the August 1 inquiry public way before appointing the Mothlante Commission but will follow processes and formalities laid down in the law, his spokesperson Mr George Charamba has said.

Further, Mr Charamba said the Head of State and Government who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces does not require motivation from social media fanatics to do so.

The Commission of Inquiry was appointed by President Mnangagwa in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act to investigate the August 1 post-election violence that resulted in the death of six people and destruction of property worth millions of dollars.

Mr Charamba who is also the Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications) stated the President’s position following a misreading of his intervention by Twimbos on Monday when he explained that at law there was nothing that obligated President Mnangagwa to share the report with members of the public.

Mr Charamba further explained that there was nothing that also stops the President from making the report public if he so decides.

Speaking to our Harare Bureau yesterday, Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa made the undertaking way before the constitution of the Commission of Inquiry and before the Commissioners were even identified.

“Zimbabweans must cool it and take it easy. There is no need for excitement. Let us avoid the feat of crossing the river when we are still at the summit of a hill,” said Mr Charamba.

“I sit in several meetings involving emissaries of foreign Governments and more particularly involving the President and the UN Secretary General. In all those meetings, the President made an undertaking that both processes and outcomes of the Commission will be an open affair. That was well before Commissioners had even been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by Twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision which he took a long time ago well before the Commission was constituted. That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English.

“The current furore over the issue is doubly needless in that it misreads a simple communication from Government. Secondly, it elides time and processes.”

Mr Charamba said Government picked some critical lessons from the debate raised over the matter.

“But every cloud has a silver lining. There is a lot be bought from this mighty storm in the tea cup,” said Mr Charamba.

“It gave everyone a peep into national mind particularly a pre-disposition to suspect the intentions of the Government no matter how unfounded. The big gain is that from it we have inadvertently built a huge momentum against post-election violence and we should as a people harness that to very good effect for future elections.

“Secondly, it appears there is more sharpened reading of the law. I read someone saying somewhere that the Commissions of Inquiry Act is a colonial relic. Well and good, let’s deal with that so that we update our laws. More critically, I read someone saying Section 62 of our Constitution which give citizens right to information is in fact echoed by Section 5 of AIPPA. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of AIPPA and I hope the responsible Ministry takes note.”

-State Media

THE High Court has dismissed with costs, a court challenge by MDC-Alliance losing candidate for Kwekwe Central Constituency, Blessing Chebundo, citing lack of evidence among other reasons.

Masango “Blackman” Matambanadzo of National Patriotic Front (NPF) garnered 7 578 votes against Chebundo’s 7 127 to win the election.

Chebundo through his lawyers, Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners filed an election petition at the Bulawayo High Court citing Matambanadzo as the respondent.

Chebundo accused Matambanadzo of vote buying, abuse of public resources and misrepresenting to the electorate that he was working with the MDC Alliance.

He argued that Matambanadzo dished out cash, rice and other goodies to buy votes and used Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to buy an ambulance that he used for campaigning thereby abusing public facilities.

In his ruling Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa dismissed the application.

Justice Mabhikwa said Chebundo had no evidence against Matambanadzo.

Blackman — as Matambanadzo is known — was represented by Liberty Mashanyare of Mavhiringidze and Mashanyare Legal Practitioners.“Consequently the election petition is dismissed with costs.

“The court held that it was very difficult to prove a charge of corrupt practices merely on the basis of oral evidence because in election cases it is very easy to get the help of interested witnesses but very difficult to prove charges of corrupt practices,” said Justice Mabhikwa.

He said Chebundo should have applied for an interdict or disqualification of the respondent at the time the vote buying took place.

“I asked the petitioner and his counsel why they did not apply to the court for an interdict or even disqualification of the respondent right at the time rather than wait until voting was over and after they lost the election,” he said.

Justice Mabhikwa said there was no evidence that after receiving the goods, the people went on to vote for the respondent.

On allegations of misrepresentation or impersonation, Justice Mabhikwa said, the court was not going waste time pondering on how well the supporters knew their candidates.

-State Media

ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa today appointed his wife, Auxillia, the Patron and Ambassador of the National Clean Up Campaign.

The campaign is aimed at eradicating littering, promoting cleanliness, recycling & waste management.

Mnangagwa officially launched the National Clean up campaign in Highfield early Wednesday morning.

More to follow…

POTRAZ Director General Dr Gift Machengete has been arrested after reporting his procurement dept to cops following irregularities.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that he was misled into approving procurement using quotations instead of going to tender.

More to follow…

A Beitbridge woman who killed her 50-year-old husband by kicking him on his privates before finishing him off by stabbing him with a kitchen knife during a fight over money for rent, was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Geraldine Nyoni (26) fatally stabbed her husband Majahana Mazibuko on March 4 last year during a fight at their rented home in Dulivhadzimu high density suburb in the border town.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa convicted Nyoni of murder with constructive intent.

In passing the sentence, Justice Mabhikwa condemned Nyoni’s conduct, saying the courts have a duty to protect the sanctity of human life through passing deterrent sentences.

“The loss of the deceased’s life was caused by the accused person and the current trend of murder cases which are on the rise is disturbing. In fact, what is actually more disturbing is that more and more women are now daring by committing serious offences like murder and armed robbery,” he said.

“One would have expected the accused person to scream for help after committing such an offence but you instead chose to rush to the police station to make a fake report of domestic violence.”

Justice Mabhikwa said a life was unnecessary lost in a gruesome manner.

“It is regrettable that a precious life was needlessly lost. It is the duty of the courts to uphold the sanctity of life through passing harsh sentences. Accordingly, the accused person is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment,” ruled the judge.

Chief Public Prosecutor, Mrs Tariro Rosa Takuva said the couple had a long history of domestic disputes relating to money issues.

The court heard that on March 4 last year at about 8PM, the accused person and the deceased were at their place of residence when a misunderstanding ensued over money for rent.

An hour later, the couple received two visitors, Zwelibanzi Phakathi and Saidi Chisa who were related to Mazibuko.

“The two visitors had come to complain to the accused person over her alleged ill-treatment of the deceased. The accused person and the two visitors went on to exchange harsh words over the issue. After about 30 minutes, Phakathi and Chisa went to their car and drove off,” said Mrs Takuva.

Mazibuko remained behind trying to calm down his wife after a dispute had arisen over the issue of money.

The court heard that Nyoni allegedly kicked her husband on the private parts before she picked a kitchen knife and stabbed him.

“A fight ensued between the two resulting in the woman picking a kitchen knife. She stabbed her husband on the right side of the neck and fled from the scene leaving him lying in a pool of blood,” said Mrs Takuva.

Soon after committing the alleged offence, Nyoni went to the police station where she made a report of domestic violence.

Neighbours rushed Mazibuko to Beitbridge District Hospital where he died upon admission.

Nyoni was later arrested by police and the blood- stained knife was recovered from their house.

In mitigation through her lawyer, Mr Tawanda Tavengwa of Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Legal Practitioners, Nyoni pleaded for leniency, saying she was of ill-health and a sole breadwinner taking care of her three minor children.

Nyoni said after the stabbing, she was frightened and out of shock she stormed out of the house and went to the police station to report the matter.

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Secretary General, Raymond Majongwe has warned that remarks by war veterans on raising Presidential age limit should not be taken lightly as it was coming from Victor Matemadanda, who was instrumental in the removal of former President Robert Mugabe.

Matemadanda who is the war veterans Secretary General yesterday called for a constitutional amendment to raise the Presidential age limit from the current 40 to 52 arguing that the office requires mature people.

The opposition has since reacted angrily to Matemadanda’s proposal which they dismissed as sideshows at a time the economy was burning, but Majongwe was rather cautious saying the person pushing the agenda was not to be trusted due to the power he yields in the former combatants’ body.

https://twitter.com/RMajongwe/status/1070240217934807040

AN Upper Sixth pupil at Sizane High School in Bulwayo drowned in a swimming pool at a hotel in Masvingo during an educational trip on Saturday night.

Samuel Zingozi allegedly sneaked out of his room with his friend to swim leading to the tragedy.

Bulawayo acting Provincial Educational Director Mrs Olicah Kaira confirmed the incident saying her office was investigating the tragedy.

“We have lost one of our pupils, a Form Six pupil from Sizane High School who is said to have drowned at a hotel in Masvingo. The pupil was part of the Zimbabwe Tourism Quiz Competition winning team.

“As part of their winning prize they received a token of an educational tour to Great Zimbabwe, courtesy of one of our sponsors.

“He had gone there with three other pupils and their teacher,” said Mrs Kaira.

“I was therefore disturbed when I received a phone call from one of our teachers informing me about this tragedy. We have since launched a full scale investigation to find out what really transpired.”

The Chronicle news crew visited Samuel’s home and spoke to his father Mr Simon Zingozi who said he was devastated by the death of his son. Mr Zingozi said his son had completed his Advanced Level public examinations.

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| MDC Secretary General, Douglas Mwonzora has castigated war veterans for seeking to change the Presidential age limit from the current 40 to 52 saying Zimbabweans voted overwhelmingly in favour of the current set up when they endorsed the new constitution in 2013.

Posting on Twitter, Mwonzora said the war veterans behavior is meant to distract the nation from the economic current catastrophe that has seen prices of basic commodities going up while the local bond notes continue to lose value to the United States dollar.

The statement by war veterans that they want to agitate for a change in the presidential age limit is designed to distract the nation from the economic catastrophe. Zimbabweans in an overwhelming referendum vote in 2013 set the age limit at 40. Simple!

— Sen Douglas Mwonzora (@DMwonzora) December 5, 2018

An eight year-old Mutawatawa boy died after he was attacked by a green mamba while picking mangoes from a tree at the weekend.

Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza yesterday confirmed the incident.

“I confirm the death of a boy in Mutawatawa, who was bitten by a snake in a mango tree on Friday,” he said.

According to police, on November 30, at around 3pm, the boy went to the garden in search of mangoes, but encountered a green mamba that bit him on the left arm.

He was taken to a nearby clinic before he was transferred to Murewa Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

-Newsday

President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an undertaking to make the results of the August 1 inquiry public way before appointing the Mothlante Commission but will follow processes and formalities laid down in the law, his spokesperson Mr George Charamba has said.

Further, Mr Charamba said the Head of State and Government who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces does not require motivation from social media fanatics to do so.

The Commission of Inquiry was appointed by President Mnangagwa in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act to investigate the August 1 post-election violence that resulted in the death of six people and destruction of property worth millions of dollars.

Mr Charamba who is also the Deputy Chief Secretary (Presidential Communications) stated the President’s position following a misreading of his intervention by Twimbos on Monday when he explained that at law there was nothing that obligated President Mnangagwa to share the report with members of the public.

Mr Charamba further explained that there was nothing that also stops the President from making the report public if he so decides.

Speaking to our Harare Bureau yesterday, Mr Charamba said President Mnangagwa made the undertaking way before the constitution of the Commission of Inquiry and before the Commissioners were even identified.

“Zimbabweans must cool it and take it easy. There is no need for excitement. Let us avoid the feat of crossing the river when we are still at the summit of a hill,” said Mr Charamba.

“I sit in several meetings involving emissaries of foreign Governments and more particularly involving the President and the UN Secretary General. In all those meetings, the President made an undertaking that both processes and outcomes of the Commission will be an open affair. That was well before Commissioners had even been identified, certainly well before the Commission had been sworn in.

“He does not need any modicum of motivation by Twimbos to do the right thing. It’s a decision which he took a long time ago well before the Commission was constituted. That decision and commitment does not trash processes and formalities of receiving and digesting the findings of the Commission. That was the gist of my intervention all of which was conveyed in simple, comprehensible English.

“The current furore over the issue is doubly needless in that it misreads a simple communication from Government. Secondly, it elides time and processes.”

Mr Charamba said Government picked some critical lessons from the debate raised over the matter.

“But every cloud has a silver lining. There is a lot be bought from this mighty storm in the tea cup,” said Mr Charamba.

“It gave everyone a peep into national mind particularly a pre-disposition to suspect the intentions of the Government no matter how unfounded. The big gain is that from it we have inadvertently built a huge momentum against post-election violence and we should as a people harness that to very good effect for future elections.

“Secondly, it appears there is more sharpened reading of the law. I read someone saying somewhere that the Commissions of Inquiry Act is a colonial relic. Well and good, let’s deal with that so that we update our laws. More critically, I read someone saying Section 62 of our Constitution which give citizens right to information is in fact echoed by Section 5 of AIPPA. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. What this says then is that at long last and thanks to the Commission of Inquiry furore there is a new reading of AIPPA and I hope the responsible Ministry takes note.”

-State Media

THE High Court has dismissed with costs, a court challenge by MDC-Alliance losing candidate for Kwekwe Central Constituency, Blessing Chebundo, citing lack of evidence among other reasons.

Masango “Blackman” Matambanadzo of National Patriotic Front (NPF) garnered 7 578 votes against Chebundo’s 7 127 to win the election.

Chebundo through his lawyers, Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners filed an election petition at the Bulawayo High Court citing Matambanadzo as the respondent.

Chebundo accused Matambanadzo of vote buying, abuse of public resources and misrepresenting to the electorate that he was working with the MDC Alliance.

He argued that Matambanadzo dished out cash, rice and other goodies to buy votes and used Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to buy an ambulance that he used for campaigning thereby abusing public facilities.

In his ruling Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa dismissed the application.

Justice Mabhikwa said Chebundo had no evidence against Matambanadzo.

Blackman — as Matambanadzo is known — was represented by Liberty Mashanyare of Mavhiringidze and Mashanyare Legal Practitioners.“Consequently the election petition is dismissed with costs.

“The court held that it was very difficult to prove a charge of corrupt practices merely on the basis of oral evidence because in election cases it is very easy to get the help of interested witnesses but very difficult to prove charges of corrupt practices,” said Justice Mabhikwa.

He said Chebundo should have applied for an interdict or disqualification of the respondent at the time the vote buying took place.

“I asked the petitioner and his counsel why they did not apply to the court for an interdict or even disqualification of the respondent right at the time rather than wait until voting was over and after they lost the election,” he said.

Justice Mabhikwa said there was no evidence that after receiving the goods, the people went on to vote for the respondent.

On allegations of misrepresentation or impersonation, Justice Mabhikwa said, the court was not going waste time pondering on how well the supporters knew their candidates.

-State Media

More doctors yesterday joined the on-going strike, defying a government message to call off the job action.

The doctors have been on strike since Saturday to protest poor remuneration and the deteriorating health situation in the country.

“Only four out of 91 doctors came for work and I think the rest are waiting for talks between the doctors’ association and the employer over the issue of solving their problems before they report for duty,” Harare Central Hospital CEO Nyasha Masuka said.

Parirenyatwa Hospital and public health institutions in Manicaland and Bulawayo faced similar situations, with Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospital keeping their out patient departments closed.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) yesterdya also distanced itself from utterances made by former member, Patrick Mugoni, who “represented” doctors at a meeting with the Health minister on Monday and appeared on the national televison urging doctors to go back to work.

Mugoni, who was ZHDA secretary-general until a few weeks ago when he was removed from office through a vote of no confidence for being partisan, is said to have met with Health minister, Obadiah Moyo on the pretext that he was representating the association and subsequently announced that doctors should resume duties with immediate effect while their grievances have not been addressed.

ZHDA said Mugoni was a bogus agent and not one of their own.

“The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association wishes to advise members of the medical profession, the media and the public at large of the futile attempts by one Patrick Mugoni, who appeared on ZBC purporting to represent ZHDA. The concerned doctor has been fired from the association for bringing the name of ZHDA into disrepute and violating the constitution of the ZHDA.”

“Dr Patrick Mugoni was suspended from the ZHDA after ‘crying’ while addressing the Zanu PF rally in Gweru. The ZHDA executive urges all stakeholders to ignore his utterances and any communication on the industrial action will be made through the information department,” ZHDA said in a statement.

ZHDA also promised to have Mugoni examined by colleagues in the profession and to give him psychological help and counselling, if needed.

Mugoni is infamous for weeping on national television after the doctors were awarded a pay hike in March. He said at the time he had been overwhelmed by emotions.

Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association (Zina) secretary-general, Enock Dongo, speaking on behalf of the Health Services Board yesterday said health workers were still negotiating with government.

“We are still negotiating with government, doctors are a single union that has downed tools, we appreciate that they have a genuine cause,” Dongo said.

Cabinet yesterday said it did not deliberate on the issue of the doctors’ strike.

“We did not discuss about the doctors’ strike because the Health minister told us that he talked to the them and that they have agreed to go back to work,” acting Information minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said yesterday.

The doctors expressed concern at the Health minister’s conduct.

“We wish to set the record straight that the industrial action that started on the 1st of December 2018 is still ongoing and the healthcare crisis in the country has reached an unprecedented critical level. Instead of addressing what is now perceived as a serious national health crisis, the Minister of Health seems to display an ‘I do not care’ attitude and ‘it is business as usual’ approach.

“We are even greatly disturbed that the minister went on national television in the evening of (Monday) to misinform the whole nation that the ongoing industrial action has been called off. He went on to acknowledge there is a serious shortage of vital medicines in public hospitals but nothing was being done,” ZHDA said.

Other stakeholders also laid into the Health minister for not handling the issue professionally.

“It is shocking that the Health minister Obadiah Moyo dwells on the legality of the job action than solutions as if he is reading from his predecessor’s script. No responsible and accountable minister or government would turn a blind eye to a crisis of this magnitude or wishes it away. We are in this health crisis minister because your predecessor (David Parirenyatwa) used to behave the same way: burying his head in the sand than tackling the issue head-on,” Community Working Group on Health director Itai Rusike said.

“We would like to remind the government that it has a national obligation to see that its citizens have access to quality and affordable health services as guaranteed in section 76 of the country’s Constitution. And that responsibility can only be achieved when health personnel like doctors, physicians and nurses are working normally,” Rusike said.

Meanwhile, Moyo at a Press conference revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has unveiled a $25 million drug facility, with about 100 000 tonnes of medicine set to arrive from India.

-Newsday

A Beitbridge woman who killed her 50-year-old husband by kicking him on his privates before finishing him off by stabbing him with a kitchen knife during a fight over money for rent, was yesterday sentenced to 15 years in jail.

Geraldine Nyoni (26) fatally stabbed her husband Majahana Mazibuko on March 4 last year during a fight at their rented home in Dulivhadzimu high density suburb in the border town.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Thompson Mabhikwa convicted Nyoni of murder with constructive intent.

In passing the sentence, Justice Mabhikwa condemned Nyoni’s conduct, saying the courts have a duty to protect the sanctity of human life through passing deterrent sentences.

“The loss of the deceased’s life was caused by the accused person and the current trend of murder cases which are on the rise is disturbing. In fact, what is actually more disturbing is that more and more women are now daring by committing serious offences like murder and armed robbery,” he said.

“One would have expected the accused person to scream for help after committing such an offence but you instead chose to rush to the police station to make a fake report of domestic violence.”

Justice Mabhikwa said a life was unnecessary lost in a gruesome manner.

“It is regrettable that a precious life was needlessly lost. It is the duty of the courts to uphold the sanctity of life through passing harsh sentences. Accordingly, the accused person is sentenced to 15 years imprisonment,” ruled the judge.

Chief Public Prosecutor, Mrs Tariro Rosa Takuva said the couple had a long history of domestic disputes relating to money issues.

The court heard that on March 4 last year at about 8PM, the accused person and the deceased were at their place of residence when a misunderstanding ensued over money for rent.

An hour later, the couple received two visitors, Zwelibanzi Phakathi and Saidi Chisa who were related to Mazibuko.

“The two visitors had come to complain to the accused person over her alleged ill-treatment of the deceased. The accused person and the two visitors went on to exchange harsh words over the issue. After about 30 minutes, Phakathi and Chisa went to their car and drove off,” said Mrs Takuva.

Mazibuko remained behind trying to calm down his wife after a dispute had arisen over the issue of money.

The court heard that Nyoni allegedly kicked her husband on the private parts before she picked a kitchen knife and stabbed him.

“A fight ensued between the two resulting in the woman picking a kitchen knife. She stabbed her husband on the right side of the neck and fled from the scene leaving him lying in a pool of blood,” said Mrs Takuva.

Soon after committing the alleged offence, Nyoni went to the police station where she made a report of domestic violence.

Neighbours rushed Mazibuko to Beitbridge District Hospital where he died upon admission.

Nyoni was later arrested by police and the blood- stained knife was recovered from their house.

In mitigation through her lawyer, Mr Tawanda Tavengwa of Mutuso, Taruvinga and Mhiribidi Legal Practitioners, Nyoni pleaded for leniency, saying she was of ill-health and a sole breadwinner taking care of her three minor children.

Nyoni said after the stabbing, she was frightened and out of shock she stormed out of the house and went to the police station to report the matter.

-State Media

Civil servants yesterday threatened to down tools if government failed to reverse its austerity measures, including partial payment of bonus and payment of customs duty in foreign currency.

In a joint Press briefing yesterday, Health Services Apex Council chairperson, Enock Dongo and his civil service counterpart, Cecilia Alexander, said the situation currently obtaining in the country, particularly their conditions of service, demanded that government adjusts some of its policies.

This came at a time the economic situation in the country is worsening, forcing many companies to rationalise and turn to desperate means of survival.

“The Health and Civil Servants Apex Council jointly demand for a revision of some of the 2019 budget proposals by the Minister of Finance,” Alexander said.

“It is our position that any further move to implement the said proposals will certainly cause disharmony between ourselves and the employer and may in the end defeat the government’s well-intentioned objective to stabilise the economy.”

She said they were not consulted on the budget, a violation of Section 65 of the Constitution which guarantees government employees the right to consult and be consulted.

“The decision to pay a bonus based on basic salary is unacceptable to us and amounts to a withdrawal of a benefit, much against the law. The same applies to the 5% cut on the salaries of senior civil servants,” Alexander said.

Civil servants also demanded salaries in foreign currency and an adjustment to the cost of living allowances.

“If workers are going to pay duty in forex, it follows that salaries should be paid in forex. This proposal on forex will have the effect of excluding civil servants from buying vehicles and some foodstuffs. Our salaries are in RTGS (real time gross settlement), customs duty is in US dollar. If we convert our salaries to US dollar on the parallel market we get jailed for 10 years,” Alexander said.

“The budget does not at all mention a cost of living adjustment, which is an urgent matter given the massive erosion of our incomes since the continuous surge in prices of basic goods and service,” Alexander said.

-Newsday

An eight year-old Mutawatawa boy died after he was attacked by a green mamba while picking mangoes from a tree at the weekend.

Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza yesterday confirmed the incident.

“I confirm the death of a boy in Mutawatawa, who was bitten by a snake in a mango tree on Friday,” he said.

According to police, on November 30, at around 3pm, the boy went to the garden in search of mangoes, but encountered a green mamba that bit him on the left arm.

He was taken to a nearby clinic before he was transferred to Murewa Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

-Newsday

More doctors yesterday joined the on-going strike, defying a government message to call off the job action.

The doctors have been on strike since Saturday to protest poor remuneration and the deteriorating health situation in the country.

“Only four out of 91 doctors came for work and I think the rest are waiting for talks between the doctors’ association and the employer over the issue of solving their problems before they report for duty,” Harare Central Hospital CEO Nyasha Masuka said.

Parirenyatwa Hospital and public health institutions in Manicaland and Bulawayo faced similar situations, with Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospital keeping their out patient departments closed.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) yesterdya also distanced itself from utterances made by former member, Patrick Mugoni, who “represented” doctors at a meeting with the Health minister on Monday and appeared on the national televison urging doctors to go back to work.

Mugoni, who was ZHDA secretary-general until a few weeks ago when he was removed from office through a vote of no confidence for being partisan, is said to have met with Health minister, Obadiah Moyo on the pretext that he was representating the association and subsequently announced that doctors should resume duties with immediate effect while their grievances have not been addressed.

ZHDA said Mugoni was a bogus agent and not one of their own.

“The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association wishes to advise members of the medical profession, the media and the public at large of the futile attempts by one Patrick Mugoni, who appeared on ZBC purporting to represent ZHDA. The concerned doctor has been fired from the association for bringing the name of ZHDA into disrepute and violating the constitution of the ZHDA.”

“Dr Patrick Mugoni was suspended from the ZHDA after ‘crying’ while addressing the Zanu PF rally in Gweru. The ZHDA executive urges all stakeholders to ignore his utterances and any communication on the industrial action will be made through the information department,” ZHDA said in a statement.

ZHDA also promised to have Mugoni examined by colleagues in the profession and to give him psychological help and counselling, if needed.

Mugoni is infamous for weeping on national television after the doctors were awarded a pay hike in March. He said at the time he had been overwhelmed by emotions.

Zimbabwe Nurses’ Association (Zina) secretary-general, Enock Dongo, speaking on behalf of the Health Services Board yesterday said health workers were still negotiating with government.

“We are still negotiating with government, doctors are a single union that has downed tools, we appreciate that they have a genuine cause,” Dongo said.

Cabinet yesterday said it did not deliberate on the issue of the doctors’ strike.

“We did not discuss about the doctors’ strike because the Health minister told us that he talked to the them and that they have agreed to go back to work,” acting Information minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said yesterday.

The doctors expressed concern at the Health minister’s conduct.

“We wish to set the record straight that the industrial action that started on the 1st of December 2018 is still ongoing and the healthcare crisis in the country has reached an unprecedented critical level. Instead of addressing what is now perceived as a serious national health crisis, the Minister of Health seems to display an ‘I do not care’ attitude and ‘it is business as usual’ approach.

“We are even greatly disturbed that the minister went on national television in the evening of (Monday) to misinform the whole nation that the ongoing industrial action has been called off. He went on to acknowledge there is a serious shortage of vital medicines in public hospitals but nothing was being done,” ZHDA said.

Other stakeholders also laid into the Health minister for not handling the issue professionally.

“It is shocking that the Health minister Obadiah Moyo dwells on the legality of the job action than solutions as if he is reading from his predecessor’s script. No responsible and accountable minister or government would turn a blind eye to a crisis of this magnitude or wishes it away. We are in this health crisis minister because your predecessor (David Parirenyatwa) used to behave the same way: burying his head in the sand than tackling the issue head-on,” Community Working Group on Health director Itai Rusike said.

“We would like to remind the government that it has a national obligation to see that its citizens have access to quality and affordable health services as guaranteed in section 76 of the country’s Constitution. And that responsibility can only be achieved when health personnel like doctors, physicians and nurses are working normally,” Rusike said.

Meanwhile, Moyo at a Press conference revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has unveiled a $25 million drug facility, with about 100 000 tonnes of medicine set to arrive from India.

-Newsday

Civil servants yesterday threatened to down tools if government failed to reverse its austerity measures, including partial payment of bonus and payment of customs duty in foreign currency.

In a joint Press briefing yesterday, Health Services Apex Council chairperson, Enock Dongo and his civil service counterpart, Cecilia Alexander, said the situation currently obtaining in the country, particularly their conditions of service, demanded that government adjusts some of its policies.

This came at a time the economic situation in the country is worsening, forcing many companies to rationalise and turn to desperate means of survival.

“The Health and Civil Servants Apex Council jointly demand for a revision of some of the 2019 budget proposals by the Minister of Finance,” Alexander said.

“It is our position that any further move to implement the said proposals will certainly cause disharmony between ourselves and the employer and may in the end defeat the government’s well-intentioned objective to stabilise the economy.”

She said they were not consulted on the budget, a violation of Section 65 of the Constitution which guarantees government employees the right to consult and be consulted.

“The decision to pay a bonus based on basic salary is unacceptable to us and amounts to a withdrawal of a benefit, much against the law. The same applies to the 5% cut on the salaries of senior civil servants,” Alexander said.

Civil servants also demanded salaries in foreign currency and an adjustment to the cost of living allowances.

“If workers are going to pay duty in forex, it follows that salaries should be paid in forex. This proposal on forex will have the effect of excluding civil servants from buying vehicles and some foodstuffs. Our salaries are in RTGS (real time gross settlement), customs duty is in US dollar. If we convert our salaries to US dollar on the parallel market we get jailed for 10 years,” Alexander said.

“The budget does not at all mention a cost of living adjustment, which is an urgent matter given the massive erosion of our incomes since the continuous surge in prices of basic goods and service,” Alexander said.

-Newsday

Press Release|Letter to Honourable Advocate Jacob Mudenda Speaker of the National Assembly

Dear Sir

RE: Increase in Collection of Personal Information in the Absence of Adequate Data Privacy Legislation

RE: INCREASE IN COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION IN THE ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE DATA PRIVACY LEGISLATION

MISA Zimbabwe writes to you to express its concern over the rise in the local use of surveillance technology and equipment in the absence of adequate and clear data privacy legislation.

Equipment such as the traffic cameras installed in parts of Bulawayo collect vast amounts of data that sometimes includes personally identifying information.

The same goes for the undefined facial recognition equipment reportedly acquired from China and the cybersecurity equipment that Japan recently pledged to Zimbabwe.

While MISA Zimbabwe concedes to the fact that the Zimbabwean cyberspace must be protected, it is our respectful submission that such protection of the local cyberspace must be within the confines of and not unjustifiably encroach on the universal human rights principles and the Zimbabwean Constitution.

Section 57 of the Zimbabwean Constitution guarantees the right to privacy. This right to privacy includes protection from excessive and unjustified State surveillance.

MISA Zimbabwe respectfully contends that privacy provisions found in the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) fall short of the privacy principles espoused in the Constitution. There is therefore, need to gazette privacy legislation that will adequately protect citizen data from over-surveillance at the hands of the State.

Another point of concern is the lack of transparency around the acquisition of this cybersecurity equipment and the conditions under which it is sold to Zimbabwe.

For example, Zimbabweans woke up to read that Zimbabwe would send vast amounts of biometric and personal data to CloudWalk Technology, a Chinese based entity that is providing Zimbabwe with facial recognition technology. This is a violation of people’s right to privacy because no one had knowledge of or consented to the cross border transfer of their data.

The lack of transparency and information around these deals is against the spirit of good governance and basic principles governing public administration as enshrined in sections 9(1) and 194 (1) (f) and (h) of the Constitution.

MISA Zimbabwe therefore urges Parliament to exercise its oversight function by examining how the acquisition and use of unspecified surveillance equipment will influence or curb the lawful enjoyment of the fundamental rights to privacy and free expression.

Yours Sincerely

Golden Maunganidze
Chairperson

CC Hon. C. Hwende: Chairperson Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on ICT and Cyber Security

Source: MISA Zimbabwe

Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa has reacted angrily to calls by war veterans to have the Presidential age limit raised from 40 to 52 saying, it simply means the old want to fix the young.

Posting on Twitter today, Chamisa ridiculed the former combatants for seeking to raise the age bar instead of the democracy bar.

He added that their latest call vindicates his electoral victory in the July 30 harmonised elections.

If ever one doubted our July 30 election victory just listen to the chefs’ outbursts.They rule but can’t lead.The Old want to fix the young. Instead of raising the DEMOCRACY bar ED wants to raise the AGE bar. No true new amends the constitution to take away rights!#nothingchanged

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) December 5, 2018

ZANU PF Matabeleland South province has requested national hero status for the late distinguished educationist and former National University of Science and Technology (Nust) vice-chancellor Phineas Makhurane.

The academic died aged 79 on Saturday at Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo. He was diabetic.

“All I can say is that we have submitted our recommendation to the politburo for the national hero status and honour on Makhurane,” Zanu PF Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Rabelani Choeni told NewsDay.

“We now await the politburo decision. We are confident that the request will be granted,” he added.

A senior Zanu PF official disclosed that the party was confident the decision-making body would confer the educationist with the national hero status.

“It is a fact that Makhurane made significant contributions to the education sector, to Nust, specifically, as an institution. He was a respected academic and we are confident he will be laid to rest at the national shrine,” he said.

Records show that Makhurane is one of the first Africans to study physics and mathematics at the then University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland now University of Zimbabwe.

Makhurane was also appointed to serve on the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council as board chairperson.

He was the first black Zimbabwean to acquire a PhD in the sciences.

He is survived by his wife, four children — three sons and a daughter — and six grandchildren.

NewsDay

Own Correspondent|THE Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) yesterday distanced itself from utterances made by former member, Dr Patrick Mugoni, who “represented” doctors at a meeting with the Health Minister Obadiah Moyo on Monday and appeared on the national televison urging doctors to go back to work.

ZHDA also promised to have Mugoni examined by colleagues in the profession and to give him psychological help and counselling, if needed.

Striking doctors believe that their colleague Dr. Patrick Mugoni needs psychiatric help.

Dr. Mugoni is infamous for weeping on national television after the doctors were awarded a pay hike in March. He said at the time he had been overwhelmed by emotions.

“Dr Patrick Mugoni was suspended from the ZHDA after ‘crying’ while addressing the Zanu PF rally in Gweru. The ZHDA executive urges all stakeholders to ignore his utterances and any communication on the industrial action will be made through the information department,” ZHDA said in a statement.

“The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association wishes to advise members of the medical profession, the media and the public at large of the futile attempts by one Patrick Mugoni, who appeared on ZBC purporting to represent ZHDA. The concerned doctor has been fired from the association for bringing the name of ZHDA into disrepute and violating the constitution of the ZHDA.”

Dr Mugoni, who was ZHDA secretary-general until a few weeks ago when he was removed from office through a vote of no confidence for being partisan, is said to have met with Health minister, Obadiah Moyo on the pretext that he was representating the association and subsequently announced that doctors should resume duties with immediate effect while their grievances have not been addressed.

ZHDA said Mugoni was a bogus agent and not one of their own.

Meanwhile, the doctors’ strike has spread. The doctors have been on strike since Saturday to protest poor remuneration and the deteriorating health situation in the country.

“Only four out of 91 doctors came for work and I think the rest are waiting for talks between the doctors’ association and the employer over the issue of solving their problems before they report for duty,” Harare Central Hospital CEO Nyasha Masuka said.

Parirenyatwa Hospital and public health institutions in Manicaland and Bulawayo faced similar situations, with Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospital keeping their out patient departments closed.

Cabinet yesterday said it did not deliberate on the issue of the doctors’ strike.

“We did not discuss about the doctors’ strike because the Health minister told us that he talked to the them and that they have agreed to go back to work,” acting Information minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said yesterday.

The doctors expressed concern at the Health minister’s conduct.

“We wish to set the record straight that the industrial action that started on the 1st of December 2018 is still ongoing and the healthcare crisis in the country has reached an unprecedented critical level. Instead of addressing what is now perceived as a serious national health crisis, the Minister of Health seems to display an ‘I do not care’ attitude and ‘it is business as usual’ approach.

“We are even greatly disturbed that the minister went on national television in the evening of (Monday) to misinform the whole nation that the ongoing industrial action has been called off. He went on to acknowledge there is a serious shortage of vital medicines in public hospitals but nothing was being done,” ZHDA said.

Other stakeholders also laid into the Health minister for not handling the issue professionally.

“It is shocking that the Health minister Obadiah Moyo dwells on the legality of the job action than solutions as if he is reading from his predecessor’s script. No responsible and accountable minister or government would turn a blind eye to a crisis of this magnitude or wishes it away. We are in this health crisis minister because your predecessor (David Parirenyatwa) used to behave the same way: burying his head in the sand than tackling the issue head-on,” Community Working Group on Health director Itai Rusike said.

“We would like to remind the government that it has a national obligation to see that its citizens have access to quality and affordable health services as guaranteed in section 76 of the country’s Constitution. And that responsibility can only be achieved when health personnel like doctors, physicians and nurses are working normally,” Rusike said.

Meanwhile, Moyo at a Press conference revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has unveiled a $25 million drug facility, with about 100 000 tonnes of medicine set to arrive from India.

THE High Court has dismissed with costs, a court challenge by MDC-Alliance losing candidate for Kwekwe Central Constituency, Blessing Chebundo, citing lack of evidence among other reasons.

Masango “Blackman” Matambanadzo of National Patriotic Front (NPF) garnered 7 578 votes against Chebundo’s 7 127 to win the election.

Chebundo through his lawyers, Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners filed an election petition at the Bulawayo High Court citing Matambanadzo as the respondent.

Chebundo accused Matambanadzo of vote buying, abuse of public resources and misrepresenting to the electorate that he was working with the MDC Alliance.

He argued that Matambanadzo dished out cash, rice and other goodies to buy votes and used Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to buy an ambulance that he used for campaigning thereby abusing public facilities.

In his ruling Bulawayo High Court Judge, Justice Thompson James Mabhikwa dismissed the application.

Justice Mabhikwa said Chebundo had no evidence against Matambanadzo.

Blackman — as Matambanadzo is known — was represented by Liberty Mashanyare of Mavhiringidze and Mashanyare Legal Practitioners.“Consequently the election petition is dismissed with costs.

“The court held that it was very difficult to prove a charge of corrupt practices merely on the basis of oral evidence because in election cases it is very easy to get the help of interested witnesses but very difficult to prove charges of corrupt practices,” said Justice Mabhikwa.

He said Chebundo should have applied for an interdict or disqualification of the respondent at the time the vote buying took place.

“I asked the petitioner and his counsel why they did not apply to the court for an interdict or even disqualification of the respondent right at the time rather than wait until voting was over and after they lost the election,” he said.

Justice Mabhikwa said there was no evidence that after receiving the goods, the people went on to vote for the respondent.

On allegations of misrepresentation or impersonation, Justice Mabhikwa said, the court was not going waste time pondering on how well the supporters knew their candidates.

State Media

AN Upper Sixth pupil at Sizane High School in Bulwayo drowned in a swimming pool at a hotel in Masvingo during an educational trip on Saturday night.

Samuel Zingozi allegedly sneaked out of his room with his friend to swim leading to the tragedy.

Bulawayo acting Provincial Educational Director Mrs Olicah Kaira confirmed the incident saying her office was investigating the tragedy.

“We have lost one of our pupils, a Form Six pupil from Sizane High School who is said to have drowned at a hotel in Masvingo. The pupil was part of the Zimbabwe Tourism Quiz Competition winning team.

“As part of their winning prize they received a token of an educational tour to Great Zimbabwe, courtesy of one of our sponsors.

“He had gone there with three other pupils and their teacher,” said Mrs Kaira.

“I was therefore disturbed when I received a phone call from one of our teachers informing me about this tragedy. We have since launched a full scale investigation to find out what really transpired.”

The Chronicle news crew visited Samuel’s home and spoke to his father Mr Simon Zingozi who said he was devastated by the death of his son. Mr Zingozi said his son had completed his Advanced Level public examinations.

State Media

Cabinet yesterday approved the Zimbabwe National Diamond Policy which is expected to regulate the diamond mining sector and ensure effective accountability in the mining, processing and selling of the precious mineral.

The policy will see only the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC), Murowa Diamonds and two other companies to be approved by Government, undertaking diamond exploration and mining in the country.

Briefing journalists after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services acting Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the policy covers all stages of diamond value chain namely exploration, mining, processing, valuation, marketing, beneficiation, value addition as well as issues of security and law enforcement.

Outlining the key features of the policy, Minister Ndlovu said: “Any other entity or person with diamond mining title shall approach any one of the four approved companies for Joint Venture arrangements.

“Government through ZCDC shall be the 46 percent and the local Community Trust-the 5 percent indigenous partners of any foreign investor who intends to undertake diamond mining activities in Zimbabwe. Government may waiver that local ownership threshold subject to submission of satisfactory submissions and due diligence. All rough diamonds produced from all diamond mining operations shall be submitted to the Diamond Value Management Centre to be established by the ZCDC for cleaning, sorting and valuation save for Murowa Diamonds.”

Minister Ndlovu said private players will participate in value addition after cleaning and sorting and after obtaining the necessary approvals.

He said 10 percent of diamonds will be reserved for local value addition.

Government, in consultation with stakeholders, came up with the diamond policy after observations loopholes that made it inadequate to effectively regulate the diamond industry in the face of emerging developments and new dynamics in the industry.

Minister Ndlovu said Cabinet received a progress report on the upgrading of the Harare-Beitbridge Road.

“Notable progress so far registered on the project is as follows; segmentation of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway Road into nine sections namely: Skyline-Beatrice; Beatrice-Chivhu; Chivhu Town: Chivhu-Fairfield; Fairfield-Masvingo; Masvingo Town; Masvingo-Ngundu; Ngundu-Bubi; and Bubi- Beitbridge,” he said.

“Commencement of works on selected portions of the Highway, namely: Skyline- Beatrice and Beatrice-Chivhu: and construction of the detour along the Skyline-Beatrice Section as well as the Beatrice-Chivhu Section is already underway.”

Minister Ndlovu said Cabinet was briefed on the New City designs and urban regeneration projects by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister July Moyo.

These designs and projects cover the new Parliament Building and the New City in the Mt Hampden and urban renewal project for Mbare (Harare), Sakubva (Mutare) and Makokoba (Bulawayo).

“The new city project will be developed in partnership between Government and private sector players, based on the concept of the modern and self-contained smart city. The launch of the projects will be undertaken soon.”

Minister Ndlovu said with the festive season coming, Cabinet had agreed that a raft of preventive measures be taken at the policy, regulatory, infrastructural and social security levels to curb road accidents.

“The various measures to be introduced in this regard will be publicised to the nation after the ongoing consultations on the road map for their implementation have been concluded,” he said.

Cabinet also approved several projects to be implemented under the 100-day priority projects under the Ministries of Information, Communication Technology and Courier Services and Industry and Commerce.

State Media

POLICE will next week resume roadblocks and checkpoints on the country’s highways to minimise road carnage ahead of the festive season, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Engineer Biggie Matiza, said police will be working in partnership with the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe and the Vehicle Inspection Department to restore sanity on the country’s roads ahead of the festivities.

A high number of accidents are normally recorded during the festive season hence the move to resume roadblocks.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Ministry’s Strategic Planning workshop in Bulawayo on Monday, Eng Matiza said police and other stakeholders will be on the road as from next week ahead of the festive season.

“We’ve had quite a number of accidents in the past month and we are taking measures to try and reduce the carnage on our highways. The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe has an extensive programme that they are doing on the roads together with VID and the police. So as from next week there will be many roadblocks whose purpose apart from enforcing traffic rules and regulations, will be to educate motorists on the importance of safe driving, “said Eng Matiza.

He said he was meeting Home Affairs Minister Cain Mathema tomorrow to discuss modalities of enforcing traffic rules and regulations.

“There are laws that are there but they were just not being enforced. We have to make sure that those laws are enforced especially this holiday,” said Minister Matiza.

He said his Ministry was also working on a programme to engage stakeholders as it seeks ways of taming road carnage.

“First, we had an inter-Ministerial meeting to draft a raft of measures meant to curb carnage on our roads and we are in the process of meeting stakeholders to get their input. This coming week we will meet among others transporters, drivers and passengers’ associations to get their input” said Eng Matiza.

He said the Vehicle Inspection Department will be out in full force to conduct spot checks and remove unroadworthy vehicles from the roads.

Government in a bid to tame the traffic jungle, recently increased fines for traffic offences to as much as $700.

Announcing the 2019 National Budget last month, Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube justified the increase saying Government was concerned about the “high incidence of accidents on the country’s roads, which have resulted in serious injuries and in some cases deaths of several people.

Prof Ncube said it was sad that the accidents at times claim the lives of bread winners and also place a huge financial burden on the injured victims, relatives as well as the State.

Meanwhile, commenting on the proposed Accident Road Fund, Eng Matiza said the announcement of funding by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development during the budget presentation was a welcome development.

“It’s a welcome development for us and we will soon finalise issues to do with this proposed fund. The fund is meant to alleviate the suffering of those involved in accidents,” he said.

The fund will meet costs for ferrying the injured to hospital, treatment and other such expenses.

State Media

Correspondent|ZIMBABWE will allow foreign diamond miners to own more than 49 percent on condition that rough stones produced from the country are submitted to a beneficiation centre to be operated by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company, minutes of a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday show.

Zimbabwe has vast deposits of diamonds although global miner, Rio Tinto has exited the country. This has left locally owned RioZim as well as the state-controlled ZMDC as the major diamond producers in the country.

Cabinet has now said it would allow two other unnamed companies to venture into diamond mining but has given conditions for this.

“Government may waiver that local ownership threshold subject to submission of satisfactory submissions and due diligence that all rough diamonds produced from all diamond mining operations shall be submitted to the Diamond Value Management Centre to be established by the ZCDC for cleaning, sorting and valuation,” the government said in minutes for the cabinet meeting.

Zimbabwe Mines Minister, Winston Chitando said in response to Business Report Online that “the two other companies (to be allowed to mine diamonds) will be announced in due course”.

Another condition for the local ownership requirement to be waived is that “private players shall participate in value addition after cleaning and sorting” as well as reserving 10 percent of the gems mined for “local value addition”.

He also highlighted that the decision to allow only four companies to mine diamonds in Zimbabwe was aimed at ensuring that “there is overall effective accounting on the mining processing and selling of diamonds” in the country.

“Four is a number that was felt it would give government and stakeholders their effective monitoring of what is happening on the ground,” said Chitando.

Through the ZCDC, Zimbabwe will own 46 percent in all diamond firms in the country while five percent will go to indigenous partners of the foreign firms.

Zimbabwe is also seen reserving majority shareholding in platinum mining companies for the state, a situation that will impact on SA platinum producers, Anglo Platinum, Impala Platinum and Sibanye which have operational units in the country.

THE South African Department of Home Affairs has urged Zimbabweans who haven’t yet received their special permits to be patient. The Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) allows Zimbabweans living in South Africa to regularise their stay in the country.

The ZEP application process opened on 15 September 2017 following the expiry of the Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP) in December 2014. Zimbabweans had to apply by end of November last year, but this was extended to 31 January and then to 15 February 2018.

On 15 November 2018 the department announced the completion of the adjudication and printing of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP).

Some Zimbabweans in South Africa are frustrated by how long it has taken to get the Zimbabaw Exemption Permit. Photo: Brent Meersman
The applicants are disputing the claims by VFS Global that people are hard to reach. They have paid R20 for receiving sms updates during the application process. Their email addresses were also made available but they haven’t received any communication.

VFS has said that it is “facilitating all ZEP collections until 31 January 2019. Applicants who have not received their permits are welcome to track their applications on the VFS Global website by inserting their AURN number as well as their last name.”

A statement released by Home Affairs says “84 applicants’ fingerprints need to be retaken. VFS has been trying to contact these applicants to no avail.”

The Media Manager at the Department of Home Affairs, David Hlabane said, “The applicants who have not been notified may be among those whose adjudication is being finalised or whose outcomes are on the dispatch route from our Department to VFS for distribution. We are working on completing the whole process by 30 November 2018, and therefore plead for patience among applicants who are yet to receive their permits.”

Hlabane added that the applicants who have proven difficult to reach were contacted, also by phone, including people who must retake fingerprints and those whose passports had expired. VFS had undertaken to provide, in its offices, the list of the applicants affected, including those with outstanding passports.

Some Zimbabweans also complained that they have gone several times to the VFS offices with no luck. When they track the permits online they keep on getting a message that their application has been received at Home Affairs.

One of them wrote, “May you ask the Minister of Home Affairs on our behalf what is going on because this issue of work permits have blocked a lot of things. Our lives are on a stand still.”

“Our employers are fed up of paying us, then later we go back to them and tell them that the money has bounced back since my account has been frozen. We are scared of losing our jobs now,” said another.

The Zimbabwe Exemption Facebook page is also full of comments from irate beneficiaries.

Mthandazo Mjena Moyo wrote, “I had been waiting for a year now. Home Affairs is a joke.”

Rachael Musoni Munikwa wrote, “I went to check mine there is nothing. I submitted on 7 November last year.”

In its 15 November statement Home Affairs said that it has completed the adjudication and printing of 178,172 applications for the ZEP. It said, “A total of 180,188 Zimbabweans have applied for the ZEP permit. Out of this number 180,104 completed the application process. A total of 147,574 have already been dispatched to VFS and 108,485 have already been collected.” The balance of 39,089 is in the process of being collected or sent to the various VFS collection offices. The remainder of 30 598 is currently being updated on the Departments system and will be dispatched to VFS.”

The department also said that 1,932 applicants had expired passports and cannot be processed. These people need to contact the Zimbabwean Consulate to obtain new passports.

“The Department has met with the Zimbabwean Consulate who undertook to expedite the passport applications of those who did apply. The closing date to submit new passports is 15 December 2018,” said Home Affairs.

One of the requirement for the ZEP application was to be in possession of a 90 days valid passport. Eventually Home Affairs extended the deadline to 15 February 2018 to accommodate people who were struggling to obtain their passports.

— GroundUp

Lands, Agricultural, Water, Climate
and Rural Resettlement minister Perrance Shiri has ordered State-owned companies under his purview to start making a profit and pay
dividends, in a renewed attempt by the government to squeeze quasi firms to plug holes in the National Budget.
Shiri told a 2018 strategic planning workshop last week that government was closely monitoring the feasibility of parastatals under his ministry.
“I expect parastatals under my ministry to positively contribute to the GDP and declare dividends… The government is looking at the viability of the current parastatals and what they are contributing to the GDP.
“There should be justification for the formation of parastatals and they are usually planted at strategic areas to ensure the continued flow of raw materials or continued stability of
employment in the country,” Shiri said.
The dividend decree follows a similar demand made earlier in the year but was largely overlooked.
However, market analysts expect broad adoption of the order next year with negotiations to take place on a company-by-company basis.
Shiri said the nation was looking up to the agricultural sector to turn around the economy and hopes it contributes 16 to 20 percent of the
country’s GDP and 40 percent of all export earnings, whilst providing solid livelihoods to 67

percent of the populace.Daily News

Correspondent|NORTON legislator Temba Mliswa continues to hog the limelight for the wrong reasons after he was kicked out from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement where he had barged into a meeting for an unspecified agenda, claiming he was sent by unnamed powers-that-be to represent their interests in the committee.

Committee chair Gokwe Nembudziya legislator Honourable Justice Mayor Wadyajena, confirmed that the committee kicked him out because he is not a member of the committee.

Writing on his Twitter page, Wadyajena said “We just expelled Temba Mliswa from Agric Committee proceedings. He isn’t a Member and claims he represents ‘other’ interests. Mliswa is intent on spreading anarchy after his recent failure to procedurally chair the Mines Comm. What a disgrace! Kudos, Comm members, for standing firm!”

Mliswa wanted to be a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, but the manoeuvres were thwarted by Wadyajena.

Mliswa, who also chairs the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development, is currently in the eye of a storm after a failed attempt on Monday to discuss the Hwange Colliery Company reconstruction despite the matter being before the courts, making it sub judice.

Mliswa this Tuesday allegedly barged into the Lands Committee unannounced, claiming he was sent by unnamed powers-that-be to represent their interests in the committee.

Efforts to get Mliswa’s reasons for gate-crashing the meeting proved fruitless as he was not picking up his phone.

Following the debacle in his committee, Mliswa, hinted that he might reconsider his position as chairman of the Mines Committee.

As Chairperson of the Mines Committee, Mliswa has attracted unwarranted attention to himself in the past with probably his altercation with the then Minister of Home Affairs Obert Mpofu being the highlight.

Mpofu refused to give evidence before Mliswa citing his demeanour when he once visited him at his home nicodemously as the excuse.

He also clashed with Dr Daniel Shumba who he accused of exhibiting extortionist tendencies while he was the then chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee and had said Mliswa was a power hungry legislator who wanted to upstage him from his position.

He later chaired the committee after Dr Shumba was fired from Zanu PF and subsequently recalled from parliament.

WHITE farmers in Zimbabwe who were evicted from their properties years ago have been experiencing a drop in food production, and their hope to get government financial help to compensate any losses caused by land seizures is slowly dimming, according to some activists.

“The average age of farmers at the peak of land reform was around 55. Now the vast majority are over 70 and many are unable to work. Thus the need for settlement is very real. Sadly, many have died without [a] settlement and others are facing extreme hardship,” said Ben Gilpin, director of the Commercial Farmers Union.

In 2000, war veterans evicted at least 4,500 white farmers. They need at least $72 million in reparations given that the effects of farm seizures are still felt to date, the publication reported. Ben Freeth, a former white farmer who was kicked out of his citrus farm in 2009 and is now a land-rights activist, said that farmers had taken small compensation packages from the government out of desperation.

“We do want compensation for our losses, but not under the current very poor terms that they are offering,” he said. “This has been paid over time and is only worth a fraction of what it should be.”

Freeth also added that the payment for nearly 200 farmers in 2009 was in Zimbabwean dollars, meaning that it was discounted against market valuations.

Furthermore, a group of farmers had approached the government for compensation since 2009 because they have gotten poor or their health has seriously deteriorated.

Following the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told a crowd of white voters prior his victory during the July 30 elections that he would not take their land away, a clear departure from Mugabe’s policies who instilled a land reform campaign to seize farms from white farmers.

Though his speech was received with praise among Zimbabwe’s white population, farm activists are still skeptical about his campaign promises. Despite the government allocation of nearly $3 million in reparations, Gilpin told South Africa’s website Eyewitness News last month that, while this is a sign that the government has not forgotten about the displaced farmers, the money earmarked for compensation should be much higher. However, the government is still in dire financial straits, making it very unlikely to reach a larger sum.

Farm distribution has sparked a racially charged debate in South Africa as well. The ruling African National Congress has promised to redistribute wealth among the population, and it has included a constitutional amendment to allow the government to expropriate land without making any payment. White farmers still own the most profitable farms and estates.

A Bloomberg report found that the discussion over land expropriation has affected the farming industry, as confidence has dropped to nearly 45 percent—the lowest since 2006—and land prices reached $672 per hectare in July, down from $990 in December 2017.

In August, President Donald Trump tweeted that he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to ”closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers,” shortly after Fox News aired a report that the South African government “was taking farms from white farmers.” However, this claim is not true.

In response, the South African government lashed out at the president, saying in a statement that “South Africa totally rejects this narrow perception which only seeks to divide our nation and reminds us of our colonial past.”

— Newsweek

Correspondent|Zimbabwe Mining Development Cooperation (ZMDC) boss has been hauled before the court on allegations of criminal abuse of office.

Acting Chief Operations Officer, Lawrence Gondo who is also a retired senior army officer allegedly wrote a letter of recommendation which would in turn cause the release of 59 tonnes of copper ore which were impounded by the police from illegal copper dealers, the court heard.

Gondo is alleged to have written the letter claiming that Kirsten Chirenje, Mtileni Piet and Famina Masaire who were accused persons were indeed registered copper dealers and they had legally acquired the mineral from ZMDC’s Mhangura Mine.

As a result of the letter he authored, the accused persons were acquitted by a Chivhu magistrate for the offence they were being charged for.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing charges of criminal abuse of office and he was given free bail pending finalisation of the matter by the police.

The matter was remanded to January 15.

Allegations are that between October 29 and October 31 2018, Gondo wrote a letter where he allegedly misrepresented that Cute Suppliers Private Limited had been offered a three months trial mining contract at the ZMDC’s Mhangura Mines.

The court heard that the letter was intended to obstruct investigations in connection with 59 tonnes of copper ore impounded by the police at Featherstone in Chivhu.

In the letter, Gondo allegedly falsely inferred that Cute Suppliers had acquired the copper ore from Mhangura Mine when it did not originate from the said mine.

Through his act, it is alleged that Gondo showed favour to Mtileni Piet and Masaire who were being charged of failing to give a satisfactory account for possession of copper.

Resultantly, the accused persons were acquitted at the Chivhu magistrate’s court.

Meanwhile, Masaire appeared before the same Harare magistrate charged with violating the Copper Control Act and for defeating the course of justice.

Masaire was also remanded out of custody to January 15 on free bail.

It is the State’s case that Masaire connived with Element 22 employee Tarisai Bera and allegedly misrepresented to Inyati Old Mine Headlands that she is employed at Element 22 and bought 59 tonnes of Copper Ore.

When the copper was impounded, Masaire further misrepresented that she is employed at Element 22 and produced the company’s copper dealing Permit Number COP 2039.

On the second count, Masaire intending to defeat the ends of justice, allegedly misrepresented to the police and Chivhu magistrates courts that Element 22 were the owners of the 59 tonnes of the mineral when it in fact belonged to her and a South African registered company who both are unlicensed to deal in copper.

A Gwanda-based cop was yesterday sentenced to three months in jail for maintenance arrears of $1 230 accumulated over 18 months.

Brian Baye who is stationed at ZRP Matabeleland South Provincial Headquarters in Gwanda was convicted on his own plea of guilty to failure to comply with a maintenance order by Gwanda provincial magistrate, Mr Maphios Moyo.

He was sentenced to three months imprisonment of which one month was suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years. The remaining two months were further suspended on condition that he clears the maintenance arrears.

Baye was ordered to pay an additional $50 per month with effect from this month until the arrears are cleared. Prosecuting, Miss Ethel Mahachi said Baye was ordered to pay $70 a month to Ms Peacemaker Moyo for the upkeep of his minor child.

“On 11 January 2016 Baye was ordered by the court to pay $70 towards the upkeep of his child. Baye defaulted payment from June 2017 to October 2018 resulting in the arrears. Miss Moyo reported the matter to the police leading to his arrest,” she said.

In a related matter, another Gwanda man was sentenced to six months in jail for maintenance arrears of $2 500 which accumulated over 31 months.

Shepherd Moyo who works as a cashier in a bar at a local mine, was convicted on his own plea of guilty to failure to comply with a maintenance order by Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi.

He was sentenced to six months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition that he clears the maintenance arrears.

Moyo was ordered to pay an additional $100 per month with effect from this month until the arrears are cleared.

In passing sentence, Miss Nyathi rebuked Moyo for neglecting his duty of supporting his child.
“During these two years and seven months that you were not paying maintenance who did you expect to fend for your child?” she asked.

Prosecuting, Miss Glenda Nare said Moyo was ordered in February 2015 to pay $80 per month to Ms Primrose Pelewelo for the upkeep of his child.

She said Moyo, however, did not pay for some months- state media

Bindura Mayor Councillor Carlos Tokyo and three other MDC-Alliance councillors on Monday appeared at Bindura magistrate court facing allegations of stealing 100 by 50 kilogrammes of drought relief maize at Tendai Hall, Chipadze area in Bindura.

The quartet appeared before magistrate Ms Msipa Maria facing theft charges and were remanded out of custody to December 11 for allocation of trial date.

The other three councillors are Friday Mutata Chigwande ward 4, Oliver Mukombwe ward 6 and Tongai Jack ward 7. They are represented by Mr Obey Shava. – state media

Terrence Mawawa|Ms. Miriam Mutizwa, a Zimbabwean born UK resident who has been following closely matters related to the existence and operation of the controversial Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act (the Act), asks whether Hon Mliswa is a villain or victim in the Hwange and SMM matters as his conduct seems to be inconsistent, contradictory and untenable for a Chairman of multi-party forum as the Portfolio Committee of Mines and Mining Development.

“The facts and circumstances surrounding the invitation of Mr. Nicholas Van Hoogstraten (NVH) to present oral evidence in relation to the affairs of Hwange Colliery Company Limited (Hwange) yesterday remain clouded in mystery.

This is the message that Hon. Mliswa shared with his colleagues who are members of the Committee on Mines:

It is clear from this message that it was NVH who initiated the request to appear before the Committee.

In addition, it cannot be disputed that the version that Hon. Mliswa presented following the abortive hearing that was scheduled to take place yesterday, is not supported by any facts that there was any prior attempt by NVH through the Clerk of Parliament, Mr Chokuda, to request his appearance before this Committee.

It would appear that there exists only one plausible version that on 27 November 2018, NVH reached out to Hon. Mliswa via a telephone message that he had come all the way from London to appear before the Committee.

If this is correct, then it follows that NVH had proceeded to visit Zimbabwe without the knowledge and consent of the Committee members.

It seems to be the case that Hon. Mliswa subsequently advised NVH to come before the Committee on Monday, 3 December, 2018.

It is not at all clear whether in the subsequent call, Hon Mliswa had informed and sought the consent of his Committee for NVH to be granted audience by the Committee.

Notwithstanding, the meeting proceeded on the basis agreed to between Hon. Mliswa and NVH.

With respect to jurisdictional facts, it is not clear what legal authority NVH possessed entitling him to substitute the directors who by law are vested with the control and management of a company.

Furthermore, I doubt that NVH had the support of the Administrator who in terms of the operation of the Reconstruction Act is now vested with the exclusive control and management of Hwange.

It is my understanding that in terms of the Act, the Minister has the power to issue a quasi-judicial order that permits him to substitute the board and shareholders of Hwange.

I was, therefore, perplexed to hear that the Parliamentary Portfolio on Mines and Mining Development resolved to hold back on cross-examining NVH because the Hwange reconstruction is before the courts when in truth and fact, it is now law in Zimbabwe, a point NVH may be ignorant of, that an order issued in respect of a targeted company like Hwange, cannot be varied or rescinded by any court of law.

If my understanding is correct, then there is no locus for NVH to challenge an order that the Court has only been granted by law to confirm and nothing else.

No shareholder or director has legal standing to challenge the intended confirmation and at the very least one would expect NVH’s lawyers to know the mischief in the Act.

It is trite that in terms of the Reconstruction Act, every disposition of the property, including rights of action, of the company and every transfer of shares or alteration in the status of its members, made after the commencement of the reconstruction, shall, unless the administrator otherwise orders, be void.

This morning, I was surprised to establish that following the advice of Hon. Settlement Chikwinya, a member of the Hon Mliswa Committee, that Mr. Mawere had written the following letter to Mr. Chokuda:

This letter was written on 28 November 2018 and the contents would seem self-explanatory.

To the extent that this letter was informed by representations by a member of the Committee that the meeting that Hon. Mliswa had convened was on the diary of the Committee, it became necessary for Mr. Mawere, a shareholder of SMM Holdings Private Limited (SMM), to also be allowed to make submissions on the legality and constitutionality of the Reconstruction Act.

In my books, it would be a futile exercise for any shareholder to seek remedies from the Court without challenging the moral, legal and constitutional basis of a law that permits a Ministerial order to rank equal or even senior to a judicial order.

I was surprised that even Hon. Mliswa does not seem to know that a law that is patently inconsistent with the bill of rights that are entrenched in the 2013 Constitution is invalid and should have no force and effect.

Listening to NVH, it became clear to me that the purpose of giving NVH audience was to allow him to attack Hon. Chitando on his former role as the Chairman of Hwange and lead to the inescapable conclusion that he should be barred from dealing in the Hwange matter.

It would appear that the mischief intended by seeking NVH into the Committee’s record on Hwange was exposed prior to the meeting leading to the other members of the Committee raising serious objections to the decision by Hon. Mliswa to use the Committee for ulterior purposes.

Hon, Mliswa knew and ought to have known that outside talking about the legal and constitutional issues, NVH had no authority to speak on behalf of Hwange notwithstanding the fact that he claims to be the second largest shareholder.

With respect to the SMM matter, I have now had the opportunity to read from Mr. Mawere’s share in the Friends of SMM’s (FOSMM) whats up group that I belong to:

It is clear from the messages attached hereto that Mr. Mawere wrote a formal letter to Mr. Chokuda that was received.

It is also not in dispute that Mr. Chokuda’s record is that he apparently directed the Committee Clerk to engage the Committee Chairperson and to advise Mr. Mawere accordingly.

Mr. Chokuda then seem to have apologized to Mr. Mawere as follows: “Accept my apologies if that did not happen. Will follow up with them.”

Mr. Mawere responded by saying that: “No one contacted me and what I heard yesterday from Hon Mliswa was disturbing and contemptuous of the process that he had recommended apparently for me to approach you.”

The last communication between Mr. Mawere and Mr. Chokuda seems to have been at 8:13am this morning.

Notwithstanding, Hon. Mliswa seems to have exposed the fact that he made the Committee made the decision to deny Mr. Mawere audience without even having the courtesy and decency of asking him about what he intended to contribute to the matters in dispute.

As I listened to the interview that Hon. Mliswa had last night and the misleading response he gave to the questioner in relation to SMM’s status and the manner in which Mr. Mawere has been treated since 2004, I could not help but wonder whether Hon. Mliswa is a villain who is driven by agendas or he is constructively a victim of ignorance and illiteracy.

Because of his “known it all” and domineering approach to any issue, it is clear that the agenda of the Committee could possibly have been compromised and the events of yesterday cleared my mind that not all the members have been sold to Hon. Mliswa’s cavalier antics.

This is what he said yesterday on the SMM matter in response to this question: “My question to Hon. Mliswa is about SMM and why Mawere has been treated unfairly?” He said as follows: “I think the SMM issue again, I think this is an issue of a company went under reconstruction. I ask myself whether reconstruction works because so far it has achieved the results in terms of resuscitating the mine itself – We have said that through the ZMDC enquiry we shall include SMM. He (Mr. Mawere) wrote to us as the Committee saying that he wanted to appear before us but we said SMM was put under ZMDC – we need to inquire into their operations – the right to appear and contribute is universal and Mr. Mawere cannot be denied this right – that is what parliament operates – no one can stop anyone to appear. In fact, last time in the last Parliament we visited the mines and we had intended to call Mr. Mawere. But definitely we will ask him to come and make his submissions but in the context of SMM as a subsidiary of the ZMDC.”

When one carefully reviews the above, it becomes abundantly clear that Hon. Mliswa is a devious character. Firstly, the official position of the Ministry of Mines as represented in court papers under oath is the SMM in under reconstruction.

This position as set out in the judgement below.

Hon. Mliswa knows and ought to know that Hon. Chitando’s predecessor ruled that SMM is a company that is still under reconstruction and as such the Minister of Mines is the only one with jurisdiction to deal with its matters.

In addition, the Learned Judge underscored that SMM’s status remains as it was established by the Minister of Mines through the notice in the Government Gazette of 6 September 2004.

It is also the case that the Minister of Mines had argued that the applications by Mr. Mawere and the affected parent companies of SMM were fatally defective in that there was a mis-joinder on the part of the Minister of Mines being cited as the First Respondent in the matter and non-joinder on the part of the Minister of Justice under whose purview the Reconstruction Act falls.

It is then surprising where the Mliswa Committee obtained the facts to support the contention that SMM is a subsidiary of ZMDC.

I am still trying to struggle with the idea that SMM has been under reconstruction for the past 14 years. What kind of nonsense is this that would permit this absurdity to have a live and be confirmed as legitimate by the Mliswa Committee.

I understand that Hon. Mliswa who seems to be the puppet master has already exposed the contempt with which he holds Mr. Mawere, a bona fide shareholder who is given less respect that NVH who Hon. Mliswa was willing to energetically and enthusiastically as a more worthy witness for the Committee.

Mr. Mliswa clearly believes that the SMM matter has already been resolved and Mr. Mawere should come before the Committee as a witness in a matter involving an organization that he neither a shareholder nor a director.

In what capacity would Mr. Mawere come before this Community if he has nothing to do with SMM? This question is yet to be answered but clearly Hon. Mliswa has no appetite to deal with this question.

The only reason SMM would be a subsidiary of ZMDC is if the company has already been nationalised.

Yet the irony that is easily lost in the exuberance of Hon Mliswa is that there is no provision in the Constitution that permits the expropriation of private property,” said Ms. Mutizwa.

Terrence Mawawa|Former Gutu Central Constituency MP Oliver Chirume has described the unruly behaviour of Zanu PF MPs- who blocked Hwange shareholder Nicholas Van Hoogstraten from appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy- as deplorable.

Hoogstraten, who has several businesses in the country and was over the years said to have been close to the erstwhile Mugabe regime, was due to address Parliament’s mines committee on Monday.

He travelled to Harare at the invitation of committee chairman Temba Mliswa, the independent MP for Norton.

However, in rowdy scenes, Zanu PF MPs refused to allow Van Hoogstraten to appear before the committee claiming he had a case pending before courts in Harare.

A frustrated Mliswa said he was considering stepping down from his position as chairman of the committee and would his decision within 48 hours.

Chirume said: “Frankly speaking, we did not expect such uncouth behaviour from from honourable members of the House of Assembly.

How can we surely expect investors to come to Zimbabwe when MPs conduct themselves in such an ignominious manner?

That is typical of the Zanu PF culture and as we have always said, the Reconstruction Act is flawed and unconstitutional.”

Chirume is a member of Friends of Shabanie and Mashava Mines(FOSMM), a non profit making organisation that was formed by concerned SMM stakeholders.

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Obadiah Moyo said that the government has no capacity to pay doctors’ salaries in foreign currency. Most of the junior doctors are on strike and one of their demands is that they get their salaries in United States dollars.

Moyo had this to say – “There is no foreign currency in the country to buy medicines for use in hospitals, and that particular aspect of paying individuals in US dollars is not possible. The President has been encouraging the pharmacists to sell drugs in local currency because there is no foreign currency, people cannot get foreign currency.

“If we were to try and say we are going to be paying people in foreign currency it would eat into the allocations for medicines, fuel and other things. Arrangements are being made as we access foreign currency.”

-Online

Ecocash chief executive, Natalie Jabangwe  been appointed into the inaugural global Task Force on Digital Financing by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.

The taskforce will recommend strategies to harness the potential of financial technology in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

It will be co-chaired by ABSA chief executive, Maria Ramos and United Nations Administrator Achim Steiner.

Guterres said the impact of technology in achieving financial inclusion cannot be underestimated.

“We have already seen how technology has helped expand financial inclusion -itself an important goal – by 1.2 billion people in just six years.

“But we have only just begun to tap the potential of digital finance and investment to meet the broader agenda set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change,” he said.

-State Media

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By A Correspondent |Petroleum mogul and managing director of Sakunda Holdings Kuda Tagwirei has announced that one of his subsidiary, Sakunda Logistics, is closing shop.

The company will permanently close down on December 31 and the company cited irrecoverable losses over the past four years.

In letter dated November 30 and authored by the company’s finance and human resources director (S Mpunga), the employees were notified of the imminent closure and their terminal benefits will be communicated individually.

“I regret to notify you all that Sakunda Logistics will be permanently closing down as we have suffered irrecoverable losses over the past four years.

“We are sorry to notify you that your jobs with Sakunda Logistics terminates in one month0n 31 December 2018,” read part of the letter.

“We express our deepest gratitude to all of you for your dedicated service at Sakunda Logistics.We wish you the best in all your future endeavors,” further read the letter.

This development might come as a blow to Command Agriculture where, Sakunda was one of the companies from the private sector that was funding the programme.

efforts to get a comment from Kuda Tagwirei were in vain as his mobile phone was not reacheable.