Jane Mlambo| Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Phillip Valerio Sibanda has laid the blame on the Harare central business district violence that led to the death of six people to the opposition MDC saying they threatened to unleash violence if they lose elections.

Sibanda said Zanu PF was preaching peace during its campaigns while the MDC was threatened violence through its military wing the Vanguard.

He added that the intervention of the police and army was meant to contain the situation that was spiraling out of control.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

GWERU mayor Josiah Makombe has revealed that the city will soon introduce water shedding that will see most suburbs, particularly those in the western areas, going for days without water as council grapples to normalise water supplies to all parts of the Midlands capital.

Makombe said council was failing to supply water to all suburbs because of low pumping capacity as a result of a shortage of pumps at the main dam supplier, Gwenoro.

“Our engineering department is working on modalities and very soon we will introduce water shedding to ensure that all suburbs receive water,” Makombe said during a Press briefing last week.

“Once we introduce this rationing scheme, it means suburbs will get water on different days until we normalise supplies to all parts of the city. We have some suburbs like Mkoba 15 and 19, which have gone for nine to 10 years without getting tap water, hence the need to share what is there.”

Meanwhile, Makombe said council would not set aside in the 2019 budget money specifically for the purchase of vehicles for its directors.

There have been reports that council put aside $660 000 in next year’s budget to buy top-of-the-range four-wheel drive cars for its six top executives.

“I want to put it on record that there is no council document that indicates we have budgeted $660 000 for the purchase of vehicles for our directors,” he said.

“Although contracts of our directors show that they are entitled to vehicles, it’s not our top priority for now. We want to ensure that as a city, we improve on service delivery and water reaches all our people. We will never buy four vehicles at one go, but maybe one per each budget year when our situation improves.”

Makombe said the issue could have been discussed in various thematic committees (that include all stakeholders like residents representatives, the business community and academics, among others) involved in the formulation of the 2019 budget, but that did not make it an official council resolution.

He reiterated that as a ceremonial mayor, he did not need any personal vehicle from council.

He urged residents to come up with payment plans for outstanding bills to expedite service provision.

NewsDay

One year ago the unthinkable happened in Zimbabwe: Robert Mugabe fell from power.

Tanks rolled in the streets of the capital, Harare, on Nov. 14, 2017, and the military put Mugabe under house arrest, in reaction to Mugabe’s firing of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans danced in the streets to celebrate the end of Mugabe’s repressive rule that had brought ruin to the once prosperous economy. Mugabe, then 93, soon resigned, ending his 37-year rule.

A year later Zimbabwe’s economic problems have worsened and restrictions on basic freedoms remain, bringing some Zimbabweans to ask ‘What has changed?’ and ‘Are things better?’

The euphoria at Mugabe’s fall has evaporated. Mnangagwa promised Zimbabwe “a new dawn” but to many the country looks depressingly familiar with long lines at the banks to withdraw paltry amounts of cash and shortages of basic goods have led to the rationing of cooking oil, bottled water and beer.

“They played us, we marched for nothing,” Adrea Magoronye, a Harare resident said as she stood in a line for cooking oil at a supermarket.

Mnangagwa started well but his disputed election victory in July, followed by the military opening fire and shooting dead six civilians, a cholera outbreak and an economic implosion have cast a pall over the 76-year-old’s first year in power.

Mnangagwa promised to turn the collapsed economy into a middle-class one by 2030, underpinned by democratic reform and reengagement with the U.S. and other Western countries that placed sanctions during Mugabe’s time.

Those sanctions have not yet been lifted and the signs are not reassuring. In September, inflation climbed to its highest since 2010, according to Zimstat, the national statistics agency.

Drugs are in short supply in a country where the health system has long been on the brink of collapse. Private pharmacies with drugs in stock are charging in U.S dollars cash that are scarce and out of the reach of many.

“Our patients are relapsing, deteriorating, operations being cancelled. We urge the government to increase the allocation of forex (foreign exchange) as the gap is currently huge as a matter of urgency,” said the Zimbabwe Medical Association in a statement last week.

Zimbabwe is recovering from an outbreak of cholera, a disease described by the president as “medieval,” that killed at least 50 people in the capital, Harare.

Many fear the current crisis, induced by foreign currency shortages and a ballooning debt, could spiral into the kind of economic collapse seen a decade ago when Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation reached 500 billion percent, according to the International Monetary Fund, and cholera killed more than 4,000 people.

Plastic bags of 100-trillion Zimbabwe dollar banknotes were not enough to buy basic groceries. People fear a return to that hyperinflation.

The new currency shortage has forced the government to rely on the printing of bond notes, which are rapidly losing value. The government has also been paying civil servants through electronic funds that show up in bank accounts but cannot be turned into cash. There is also a system of mobile money. All of which are devaluing quickly against the U.S. dollar on the black market.

“The government hasn’t moved in the new direction any distance yet,” said Harare based economic consultant John Robertson.

“There is no improvement in liquidity, no improvement in foreign reserves either borrowed or earned and no improvement in investment inflows so it is becoming increasingly disappointing. People’s patience has worn really thin,” said Robertson.

Mnangagwa’s government asserts that some things have improved.

“A lot has changed. It has been a very active period for us. We hope to achieve the best for Zimbabweans in the nearest future,” deputy information minister Energy Mutodi told The Associated Press.

Mutodi admitted that “the economy is our biggest challenge” but pointed to more freedoms as a sign of a new direction.

“Freedom of expression, freedom of speech, freedom of association; things that were taboo in the past are now being entrenched and fortified in this era,” said Mutodi. Police roadblocks, where motorists were routinely hassled for bribes, have been eradicated, for instance.

Critics say Mnangagwa’s government remains repressive, citing arrests of people accused of criticizing the president, a characteristic of Mugabe’s regime. They also point to the killing of six people when the military fired into protesters on Aug. 2 and the banning of anti-government demonstrations.

“We are moving back to the pre-coup era,” said Lizwe Jamela, a human rights lawyer in Harare. “People are still being arrested for expressing themselves, people are being arrested for dissent and for organizing peaceful demonstrations,” he said.

He cited the case of a prison guard who was fired on Nov.5 for “traitorous” behavior after he allegedly posted a pro-opposition tweet as well as the arrest of trade unionists and other activists in recent months.

“That trend would indicate that we are not yet Uhuru,” said Jamela, using the popular Swahili word for freedom. “We have a long road ahead.”

Washington Post

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

THE Chief superintendent for Harare Central District‚ Albert Ncube said the army did not meet him to get orders before firing at the protestors. Ncube was giving evidence in front of the Commission of Inquiry led by South Africa’s Kgalema Motlanthe.

https://youtu.be/1i4hfl9ZiII

https://youtu.be/5Sf7xHmFCEE

“I did not have enough manpower as the majority of police officers were assisting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. The instructions to the Police deployed was to disperse protestors, the police were not armed. The police and support unit managed to keep protestors at HICC under control, “said Chief Superintendent Ncube.

“I asked for assistance from the military and did not get a response but only heard gunshots. I should have met the army first and gave them directives, but this did not happen.”

Ncube however says the force used by the military was commensurate to the problem that was on the ground.

The Commission hearings resumed in Harare on Monday with members from the army and the police being part of the witness that took the witness stand.

1st witness: Simbarashe Chikandira (uncle of late Jealous Chikandira) bus driver. I was informed that my nephew was killed by soldiers. Autopsy was done but I was not given the report. I was just told by nurses he was shot in the CBD

2nd Witness Police officer Julius Mashonganyika: I had an AK 47 with 30 rounds. I then saw intoxicated MDC protesters along R. Mugabe/4th street removing President Mnangagwa’s campaign posters and assaulting members of the public. They then threw stones at Zanu PF Provincial Headquarters. I was in the company of two other constables. I fired warning shots to disperse the crowds but they regrouped.

3rd Witness Police Constable Timothy Chikwena : I was on guard duty at ZANU PF provincial headquarters with witness 2 Julias Mashonganyika who fired 25 warning shots in the air to disperse protestors.

4th Witness Dr Maxwell Hove Director pathology services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care: Initial examination of Sylvia Maphosa was mistaken to be from a bayonet rather than a projectile. Doctors were not part of a scheme to mislead family members on the cause of deaths as suggested.

Witness 5 Dr Christopher Pasi Harare Central clinical Director: 11 patients came in with gunshot wounds including one Challenge Tauro. Another patient Enos Mutangadura came in on 2 August and alleged that he was assaulted with a riffle butt by soldiers in Glenview.

Harare hospital did not provide Challenge Tauro with an ambulance when transferring him to Parirenyatwa hospital, because our ambulances are not equipped to handle critical patients.

Recently a High court Judge ruled that President Emmerson Mnangagwa was not involved in the deploying of the soldiers.

Jane Mlambo| Police Commisioner Godwin Matanga has told the Kgalema Motlante led Commission of Inquiry that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga sanctioned the deployment of the army on the streets of Harare.

Matanga was making his submissions before the commission in Harare today.

Jane Mlambo| Lillian Chigwedere, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) Deputy chairperson has told the Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 shootings that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was ready to dialogue with opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa soon after the July 30 harmonised elections.

Correspondent|polygamous man fainted during a marathon romp with a church mate in a lodge in Bulawayo.

Cephas Madziro, a popular pirate taxi driver passed out while having a great time with his lover-cum-church mate only identified as Mai Manyange.

Media reports that Madziro is suspected to have taken one too many Viagra pills and suddenly collapsed and fell off a bed.

Both Madziro and Mai Manyange are members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church and Madziro is married to four women while Manyange’s husband passed on five years ago.

“What happened is that on the near fateful day Madziro phoned Mai Manyange and they met in town before they proceeded to a lodge in Northend suburb. It is alleged that during the act Madziro started feeling dizzy before he suddenly collapsed and fell off a bed.

“Out of panic, Manyange alerted officials at the lodge who later phoned an ambulance that ferried Madziro to the hospital, where he spent about a month in the ICU. He came out of the ICT two days ago (Tuesday) and he is struggling to speak and as a result it’s still difficult to know what exactly transpired from his side,” said a relative who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The matter is now before the two’s church elders. Manyange confirmed the incident saying it was “very traumatic and disturbing”.

“What you heard is true. But I am not at liberty to share with you intimate details of what really transpired as the matter is being handled by my late husband’s family and that of Madziro. What I can only say is that it was a very traumatic and disturbing experience.”

She however, said it was not their first sexual encounter with Madziro when the near tragic incident occurred.

Correspondent|EXILED former Cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo has claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa threatened to decapitate his head in a heated politiburo meeting in the presence of former leader Robert Mugabe.

“Mnangagwa openly threatened to kill me after I presented a video on his and Chiwenga’s coup plot in the politburo in July 2017, by declaring to the politburo that the best way deal with people like me is to do what they used to do to “sellouts” in Maputo whose necks used to be separated from their shoulders,” Moyo said in an interview with Alex Magaisa, published on Saturday.

“Mnangagwa’s threat to me was also a confirmation of his murderous deeds in Maputo.

“I sat in the politburo looking at him and thinking of what happened to my father and I got very angry, leading to my angry outburst which was referenced by President Mugabe.

“All said, my considered judgment has always been that Mnangagwa is not presidential material.

“While he is clearly streetwise, he’s not a statesman by any stretch of the imagination.

“He is a very cruel person and his threat to separate my neck from my shoulders in the politburo and his boast that they used to separate necks from shoulders of comrades in Maputo is an example of extreme cruelty and barbarism.

“National and world leaders are well read people of letters. President Mugabe was and still is a man of letters. He is a well-read gentleman.

“I have always wondered whether Mnangagwa has ever read any book besides school and college textbooks he had to read as a student. You can tell whether a person reads books by their speech. People who read books are great speakers and great thinkers. Mnangagwa is not in this category.

“In any event, it cannot be right that a person who oversaw the CIO during the Gukurahundi days and the state of emergency when the CIO was a killing machine that used extreme torture methods can become a president of a constitutional democracy. It just cannot be.

“It is not surprising that it took a military coup for Mnangagwa to become president.He had no other path.It is also not a surprise that the same military stole the election for him. Again, he had no other path.”

Correspondent|Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has proposed the privatisation of at least sixteen State Enterprises and Parastatals (SEPs)and liquidate five others within the next twelve months.

Addressing delegates at the 2019 Parliament pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week, Ncube proposed the partial privatisation and joint ventures of the SEPs which include TEL-ONE, NETONE,PETROTRADE,POSB, ZIMPOST among others.

Some of the SEPs will be listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange(ZSE).
He also proposed the liquidation of five SEPs which include Kingstons., ZIMGLASS,Chitungwiza Garment Factory and National Glass Industries.

Ncube said the move was in line with cutting government expenditure as most SEPs were milking the fiscus through over dependence and poor perfomance.

“The 2019 National Budget first and foremost targets strengthening fiscal responsibility and management of government expenditures in order to create an appropriate environment for increased budget financing of developmental programmes that enable and enhance the economy’s overall productive activities,” noted Ncube.

Last week President Emmerson Mnangagwa blasted non performing State Enterprises and Parastatals (SEPs) for being a burden on the government as they stifle economic growth through dependence on the fiscus.“Non-performing public enterprises coupled with tax payment evasion and avoidance continue to be an albatross around the neck of government.

“I therefore challenge you to use platforms such as this one to collectively find feasible sustainable and lasting strategies to stop this worrisome culture,” he said.

Most SEPs have in the past recorded perrenial losses as a result of corruption and lack of proper corporate governance and Ncube’s proposal has been welcomed by economists and might be the panacea to this scourge.

M&T

Auditor-General Mildred Chiri’s report says Zimdef paid $1 million to various suppliers without going through tender processes while other payments went towards funding Zanu PF by election campaigns.

According to Chiri, Zimdef was instructed by Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education then under the authority of Professor Jonathan Moyo to donate $20 000 to Zanu PF and T-shirts for a ZanuPF by-election for $29 000.

Supa Mandiwanzira’s company AB Communications was also paid $563 945 while Jonathan Moyo’s deputy, Godfrey Gandawa got $185 840.

More details to follow…

Jane Mlambo| Smart Express bus driver Cosmas Munotyeyi Marembo (50) has been denied bail by Rusape magistrate Gift Manyika who said he is a flight risk and his safety is not guaranteed out of custody given the nature of the accident.

Marembo is facing one count of culpable homicide and two counts on Road Traffic act i.e failing to report an accident within 24 hours and failing to stop after a road traffic accident and render assistance

More to follow….

By Jacob Mafume| There is a continuous threat to President Nelson Chamisa’s life and we note with concern a perpetual invasion of his privacy.

While we understand that he is a public official, we are extremely worried that the State has put up apartheid-style surveillance which is in violation of the Constitution in reference to the President’s privacy. The concerns about President Chamisa’s security extend not only to him but to his family and other senior leaders in the party.

It is sinister in that the surveillance is being done in a manner that endangers the life of the President. They follow his motorcade at extraordinarily high speeds, they interfere with the vehicles in his motorcade and at times they almost run him off the road in blatant violation of road rules.
We are certain the intention is to cause an accident and then blame his drivers of negligence.

What is worrying about the Saturday scuffle is that they physically interfered with the motorcade and attempted to grab and abduct the President. They followed his motorcade from Marondera and when the security realised that they were being followed, as per their protocol, they deliberately drove into Ruwa to stave off the followers who doggedly kept on their tail. The President’s motorcade then returned to the highway, turned into Mabvuku and drove to the police station where a report was made.

The security noticed that the pursuers had sophisticated high-tech communication gadgets, were armed and the vehicle co-ordinating them had blue lights. Their demeanour was that of calm and trained individuals. In any case, when they were approached, they identified themselves as government officials.

This is not the first time that President Chamisa has been pursued by armed gunmen. On 8 September 2018, while coming from a rally in Chitungwiza, his motorcade was pursued up to Enterprise road where his security personnel blocked the vehicle and the occupants of that vehicle produced firearms before driving off.

There was another incident on 01 November 2018 where he had gone to Domboshava for prayer and he was followed and ended up having to cut short his prayers. The dire security situation in Zimbabwe is such that it is not only president Chamisa whose life is in danger but his family and the top leadership of the MDC. Vice President Senator Morgen Komichi, Deputy National Chairperson Hon. Tendai Biti and Youth Assembly Chairperson Hon. Happymore Chidziva have all had their lives threatened in one form or the other.

On 1 August 2018, when innocent civilians were brutally killed by soldiers in the streets of Harare, we all realised that even innocent ordinary Zimbabweans are not safe under this so-called new dispensation.

Interestingly, the victims ended up being blamed for having died. In the current case, there is a laughable and almost comical attempt to blame President Chamisa for having been followed and being nearly abducted.

They now want to charge the victim.

The statement by Monica Mutsvangwa is not only misleading but malicious and a direct attempt to influence police investigation towards a particular direction of charging the victim and not the perpetrators.

We pay tribute to citizen journalism for recording these incidences. Though done by amateurs, the videos at least give an indication of what happened.

Remember this is the same government that blamed Itai Dzamara for disappearing himself! Thankfully, we have also recorded the vehicle registration numbers which we have furnished to the police. It turns out that the pursuers are cloning vehicle registration numbers and sometimes they use fake registration numbers.

These threats on our President and the party are violations of the sacred rights enshrined in our Constitution. Sections 52, 57, 58, 59 and 67 are our democratic rights for which we appear to be vilified. Section 219 states clearly that the police must be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic and professional. A government minister cannot speak about on-going investigations without compromising them, in the manner that Monica Mutsvangwa has just done.

Regarding Saturday’s incident, one member of President Chamisa’s security was injured as he jumped out of the car that had abducted him.

President Chamisa remains strong, resolute, undeterred and very much willing to prosecute the people’s struggle to its logical conclusion. President Chamisa says “you are coming against me with sword, spear and javelin but I am coming against you in the name of the Lord of hosts” (1 Samuel 17 verse 45).

Behold the New, Change that Delivers

Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson

Jane Mlambo| Chief Superintendent Albert Ncube has told the Kgalema Motlante led Commission of Inquiry that he did not have enough manpower as the majority were assisting ZEC. The instructions to the Police deployed was to disperse protestors, the police were not armed.

VIDEO BELOW…

https://youtu.be/_qFnctUG2yg

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya says inflation is likely to stabilise around 7% in the medium term.

Giving his presentation during the pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week, Mangudya said Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate at 5,4% in September 2018 was still within Southern African Development Community’s inflation target range of 3-7% and comparable to regional peers.

“RBZ is committed to contain inflation within growth-enhancing levels of 3% to 7% band, a necessary and sufficient condition to preserve purchasing power; foster wage stability, and reduce demand for wage increases,” Mangudya said.

“While inflation may go over the 7% mark, it is expected to revert to below 7% in the short to medium-term. Annual inflation rose to 5,4% in September 2018, from 4,8% in August 2018,” he said.

Mangudya said some retailers were engaging in speculative pricing, with prices benchmarked to parallel market rates even if no trades had occurred.

He said the central bank had come up with measures to preserve value and cushion investors and the banking public, including offshore finance facilities to support the financing of critical imports such as fuel, wheat, cooking oil, packaging using real time gross settlement balances.

“This is critical to preserve value, increase domestic production and improve confidence,” he said.

Mangudya said the economy was about production, productivity and export of goods and services.

“Money is only a medium of exchange. It needs to be supported by production to preserve its value,” he said.

NewsDay

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa faces arrest after an unnamed person made a counter police report of attempted kidnapping and assault at Marondera Police Station.

This came shortly after Chamisa’s security team had also filed a report at Mabvuku Police Station, alleging there had been an attempt to abduct the opposition leader by suspected State operatives as he made his way from a rally.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa, in a statement yesterday, however, dismissed claims that there had been an attempt on Chamisa’s life by State security agents, describing the incident as a simple case of road rage.

She said the owner of a Toyota Harrier involved in the incident was the one who was blocked by Chamisa’s security team and attacked, leading to him reporting the matter to the police.

“Reports filed by the police indicate that some people were coming from Marondera, driving behind what they later learnt to be Mr Chamisa’s convoy.

Suddenly, the convoy stopped and blocked them from overtaking. They were aggressively confronted and manhandled by members of Mr Chamisa’s entourage, including Mr Chamisa, who lobbed himself at the back seat of their vehicle, punching and scratching,” Mutsvangwa said.

She said the real victims of the attack were civilians in the Toyota Harrier who had no links with State security and added that the police were carrying out further investigations.

MDC vice-president Morgen Komichi accused the government of putting a spin to the saga to save its face after their planned abduction plot was unmasked in broad daylight by Chamisa’s security team.

“We know of a plot by government and Zanu-PF to eliminate the top leadership of the party. The incident, which happened on Saturday, is not isolated. In fact, government, through the police, are aware of several other incidents already reported to the police in Avondale and Harare Central,” he said.

The MDC vice-president said those who had been tailgating Chamisa were using number plates of cars that would have crashed in accidents or taken from their owners by State agents, and those number plates have been handed over to the police, who have failed to investigate.

“MDC supporters are used to this abuse of State resources to favour the ruling party. When our supporters are attacked and they report to the police, it is them who are arrested. The police use their monopoly on legal force to bear on the victims and this is what is happening now,” he said.

Komichi said there was an attempt on Chamisa’s life when the hired hand behind the wheel of the Toyota Harrier tried to cause an accident involving Chamisa’s convoy, adding that the statement by government showed that they had already placed blame and concluded investigations.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Chamisa had been attacked by State security personnel on his way from Marondera in a failed abduction.

“We had an altercation with the CIO. They then blocked the convoy and tried to retrieve Chamisa from the presidential car. Our security managed to block them from taking him or part of his personnel,” he said, adding they would reveal more details at today’s Press conference.

Mutsvangwa, however, denied that any government agents acted in any way to threaten Chamisa’s life or abduct him during his trip from Marondera.

“Government would like to categorically state that neither the intelligence services nor any security services or any government arm owns the Toyota Harrier in the video. A quick check at the Central Vehicle Registry would show the media or any interested parties who the owner of the Toyota Harrier is,” she said.

Last month, Chamisa said his life was under threat, with “suspicious vehicles” trailing his movements in what his party described as a serious violation of his right to personal security.

The opposition party said it suspected those trailing their leader had military and intelligence links.

At the time, Mafume said there was increased surveillance on his boss, but warned if anything happened to Chamisa, they would hold the State accountable.

In the latest incident, MDC claimed State security agents tried to snatch Chamisa and a fracas ensued between the suspected abductors and Chamisa’s security team in Ruwa, a few kilometres from Harare.

This was after about six vehicles had reportedly followed Chamisa’s convoy from Marondera, where he had addressed thousands of supporters at a “thank you” rally at Rudhaka Stadium.

— NewsDay

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

https://youtu.be/5Sf7xHmFCEE

THE High Court ruling on the legality of the Commission of Inquiry set up by President Mnangagwa to investigate the August 1 post-election violence did not implicate Vice President Constantino Chiwenga in the shooting of demonstrators, a Cabinet minister has said.

The violence resulted in the death of six people.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said Justice David Mangota was clear in his judgment that the findings of the Commission of Inquiry would identify who gave the order to the military.

The minister was explaining the judgment handed down last week, which some sections of the media used to suggest that Vice President Chiwenga ordered the killings.

“Justice Mangota was very clear in his ruling that the police invoked the provisions of the Public Order and Security Act to quell the disturbances,” he said.

“The motivation to request for assistance was not to kill. The Minister of Defence, in granting the request, wanted to help police maintain law and order. The judgment is very clear.”

Minister Ziyambi said the private media should not peddle lies that Justice Mangota ruled that the Vice President or the Defence Minister then ordered the killings.

“He merely acceded to the request by the police for assistance to quell the violent demonstrations,” he said.

“It is wrong to say that Vice President Chiwenga ordered the killings when his ministry then simply accepted the request from the police, People should not manipulate to say what they want.”

Minister Ziyambi agreed with Justice Mangota’s ruling that police invoked Section 37 (1) of the Public Order and Security Act, which proposes how the defence forces could assist the law enforcement agents under the Act.

The Section provides that:

(1) If, upon a request made by the Commissioner of Police, the Minister is satisfied that any regulating authority requires the assistance of the defence forces for the purpose of suppressing any civil commotion or disturbance in any police district, he may request the Minister responsible for defence to authorise the defence forces to assist the police in the exercise of their functions under this Act in the police district concerned.

(2) where authority is given under subsection (1) for the defence forces to assist the police-

(a) every member of the defence forces who has been detailed to assist the police in any police district in the exercise of their functions under this Act shall be under the command of the regulating authority concerned; and

(b) a member of the defence forces who is assisting a police officer in the exercise of his functions under this Act shall have the same powers, functions and authority, and be subject to the same responsibilities, discipline and penalties as a member of the police force, and liable in the same circumstances (as) if he were a member of the police force, and shall have the same benefit or any indemnity to which a member of the police force would in the same circumstances be entitled. [emphasis added].

Section 2 of the Act defines the phrase “regulating authority” in relation to any area, to mean the police officer who, in terms of Section 4 of the Act, is the regulating authority of the area.

Section 4 makes reference to a police officer who is in command of each district. Such an officer is the regulating authority for that district.

“In this case, if the Defence Minister is requested for assistance he allows the army to assist,” said Minister Ziyambi.

“ They would be under the command of the Commissioner-General of the Police when they are helping the police. That is my reading of the court judgment.”

Minister Ziyambi Justice Mangota in his judgment categorically said the President did not deploy the military because the police invoked the provisions of POSA. The judge, he said, also ruled that the Commission of Inquiry was properly constituted.

The Commission of Inquiry is chaired by former South African president Mr Kgalema Motlanthe.

In dismissing the challenge on the legitimacy of the commission by a Harare woman, Ms Allison Charles, Justice Mangota ruled that the President acted within the law in setting up the Commission of Inquiry.

The judge noted that from the arguments placed before him, President Mnangagwa did not deploy members of the defence forces on the streets and as such was not conflicted in appointing the commissioners.

Ms Charles had contended that since the powers to deploy the army were vested solely in the President, he was the one who sent soldiers on the streets of Harare to deal with the violent protestors.

She argued that being the deploying authority, President Mnangagwa was conflicted and therefore he should have left the setting up the commission to independent commissions such as the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) and the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC).

But Justice Mangota found that President Mnangagwa was not involved in the deployment and that the findings of the Commission of Inquiry would detect who gave the order to the military.

“They (applicants) proceed on the premise that, because the Constitution confers power on the President to deploy, he deployed members of the defence forces on August 1, 2018,” ruled Justice Mangota.

“The correct position of the matter is that he did not. Because the President did not deploy, he is not conflicted as the applicants would have the court believe,” he said.

President Mnangagwa appointed the commission after six people were killed when MDC Alliance supporters went on a rampage in Harare burning cars, looting shops and harassing pedestrians in Harare on August 1 this year as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was announcing results of the Presidential election which showed President Mnangagwa was headed for victory.

The MDC Alliance leaders had indicated that they would not accept any result that did not confer victory on their party.

— State Media

Correspondent|THE MDC has called a press conference today at 11.30AM to talk about an incident on Saturday in which the party says armed men believed to be state security agents attempted to abduct the party leader Nelson Chamisa.

Over the weekend, the MDC claimed that state security agents tried to snatch Chamisa leading to a dramatic tussle with his security as he returned from a rally in Marondera.

The party’s spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the suspected security agents tried to block Chamisa’s motorcade and seize him in Harare’s Mabvuku surburb. Mafume said about six vehicles followed Chamisa’s convoy from Marondera where he had addressed thousands of supporters at a “thank you” rally at Rudhaka Stadium.

Mafume said an attempt to “retrieve” the MDC leader from his vehicle by armed men who got out of a Toyota Harrier, was repelled his security.

The men, whom he was sure were Central Intelligence Organisation agents, had then pulled Chamisa’s driver and thrown him in the backseat of their vehicle.

In what Mafume described as an “ill-advised, spur-of-the-moment reaction”, Chamisa had left his vehicle and proceeded to the Toyota where a video of the incident shows him diving into the back seat, apparently to pull out his driver. Chamisa was quickly grabbed by his security.

“The driver of the Toyota left at high speed, still with president Chamisa’s driver in the car. After about 50 or so meters, the driver managed to force open the door and jump out,” Mafume narrated.

Chamisa’s aides reported the incident at Mabvuku Police Station.

The government has since denied that the Central Intelligence Organisation or Military Intelligence had been involved in an incident on Saturday in which the MDC says an attempt was made to abduct its leader Nelson Chamisa and his driver.

Instead, the government accused the MDC leader and his security detail of “aggressively confronting and manhandling” a private motorist and his passengers after they drove behind Chamisa’s convoy.

Chamisa, according to a statement by Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa on Sunday, had “lobbed himself at the backseat of their vehicle punching and scratching”.

“The victims, who are just ordinary citizens going about their own business until the attack have reported this matter to the police who are carrying out further investigations. This would appear to be a road rage incident,” Mutsvangwa said.

Mutsvangwa said “for the avoidance of any doubt the CIO was not involved in the reported incident which is now under police investigation.”

BOGUS businesspersons operating briefcase companies that fed on government tender manipulation and kickbacks to amass wealth are reportedly in panic mode after the State said it would use the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) to sniff into their fat bank balances in search of ill-gotten wealth.

The law, which will be gazetted today, will empower government to seize unexplained real time gross settlement (RTGS) transactions, balances, fixed assets and goods which have no forensic trace, highly-placed sources in government said yesterday.

The sources said government expected to seize over $2 billion both in liquid and fixed assets held mostly by former Cabinet ministers, top government officials and private investors as President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime goes after an alleged corruption cartel manipulating foreign currency markets.

The central bank will be crucial in the fight, as it has been tasked with monitoring unexplained RTGS movements mainly used to mop up foreign currency from the market, a senior bank executive, who declined to be named, said.

“Zimbabwe is one of the few countries where a person can just receive $20 000 into their account and no red flags are raised. The economy is reeling because of money-laundering. So this law, from where we understand it, will deal with illicit financial flows,” another banker said.

Information ministry secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana confirmed the move, saying the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) would get the teeth to bite.

“The President has invoked his (presidential) powers so that the law enforcement agents such as police, the NPA and Zacc have more teeth to compel suspects to explain their wealth. Those who fail to give satisfactory answers risk forfeiture of assets or monies,” he said.

Acting Prosecutor-General Kumbirai Hodzi recently said the fight against corruption was being held back because the cartel had its claws in the top echelons of power.

Hodzi said some top-ranking police offices, prosecutors, judges, journalists and political figures were deeply involved with these cartels, making it sophisticated to break the puzzle.

Lawyer and former Finance minister Tendai Biti was, however, sceptical about the new law, saying he feared that it was not motivated by a genuine desire to fight corruption.

“It is akin to expecting a mosquito to cure malaria, we can’t expect the leaders of the cartels, those responsible for looting foreign currency through fuel, command agriculture, diamonds, chrome and creating RTGs balances to be able to fight corruption,” he said.

Biti said the fight against corruption in Zimbabwe did not need new laws, but, instead, there was need to ensure that the State was not captured by corrupt individuals and arms of law are independent to be able to discharge their duties.

“You don’t need new laws because the current laws are sufficient to deal with corruption. What is needed is to ensure that the arms are free from Executive influence and State capture. Real corrupt people are not arrested because they are connected,” he said.

— NewsDay

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya says inflation is likely to stabilise around 7% in the medium term.

Giving his presentation during the pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week, Mangudya said Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate at 5,4% in September 2018 was still within Southern African Development Community’s inflation target range of 3-7% and comparable to regional peers.

“RBZ is committed to contain inflation within growth-enhancing levels of 3% to 7% band, a necessary and sufficient condition to preserve purchasing power; foster wage stability, and reduce demand for wage increases,” Mangudya said.

“While inflation may go over the 7% mark, it is expected to revert to below 7% in the short to medium-term. Annual inflation rose to 5,4% in September 2018, from 4,8% in August 2018,” he said.

Mangudya said some retailers were engaging in speculative pricing, with prices benchmarked to parallel market rates even if no trades had occurred.

He said the central bank had come up with measures to preserve value and cushion investors and the banking public, including offshore finance facilities to support the financing of critical imports such as fuel, wheat, cooking oil, packaging using real time gross settlement balances.

“This is critical to preserve value, increase domestic production and improve confidence,” he said.

Mangudya said the economy was about production, productivity and export of goods and services.

“Money is only a medium of exchange. It needs to be supported by production to preserve its value,” he said.

-Newsday

Jane Mlambo| Barely a week after the disastrous bus accident that claims 50 lives along Harare-Mutare, a yet to be identified bus overturned along the Hwange-Victoria Falls road.

However no fatalities were reported.

Jane Mlambo| Opposition leader has responded to claims that his abduction attempt on Saturday after his Marondera rally was false.

Posting on Twitter today, Chamisa said he has sympathy for those making such claims insisting that threats to his life were and made before in broad daylight.

I sympathize with those driven by lies and malice who rush to claim that threats to life are false.Far from it.Threats to my life are real and have been made before, in broad daylight.The Saturday incident was horrible. I’m concerned about the security situation in our country!

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) November 12, 2018

RENOWNED music producer and executive director Joe Maseko has died.

He was 44.

Maseko died at Veronicare Clinic in Luveve, Bulawayo at around 5PM on Saturday after a short illness.

In Maseko’s 21-year-career, the executive director at Gwabalanda’s House of Rising Sounds studio is credited for giving most, if not all notable artistes from Bulawayo, their
first recording session in studio and producing some of their award winning albums.

This includes Sandra Ndebele who got her first break with Maseko as she recorded her first album Tshaya Tshaya which contained her breakout track Mama.

He also worked with Iyasa on the song S’jaiva Sibancane and even helped produce Jeys Marabini’ first album titled Emarabini, not forgetting the late Beater Mangethe’s album ‘I come from Makokoba’.

Maseko also worked with Khuxxman, Cal Vin, Diliza from Stiff, 3 Kings of the Seqamabhilidi fame, Achuzi, Ottis Ngwabi and Obadiah Matulana.

His works extended across the border as Maseko produced an album for Botswana group Culture Spears which got him recognition in that country.

SEX took me to the ER! (Emergency Room).
That’s what happened to a polygamous Bulawayo man who is also a member of a popular Apostolic sect after he had been admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after he reportedly fainted during a sex romp with his lover-cum-churchmate at a city lodge.

Cephas Madziro, a popular pirate taxi driver at Corner 11th Avenue and Fort Street is reportedly battling for
life at Mpilo Hospital.
It is alleged that he passed out while beneath the sheets with his lover-cum-churchmate only identified
as Mai Manyange from Old Magwegwe.
Reports gathered by B-Metro are that Madziro suddenly collapsed and fell off a bed during a steamy sex romp with Mai Manyange at a lodge in
Northend suburb (name withheld).
It is alleged that he collapsed after engaging “himself beyond the limit of sexual frenzy” and is also suspected to have taken one too many Viagra
pills to keep him going.
Both Madziro and Mai Manyange are members of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church and Madziro is reportedly married to four women while Manyange’s husband reportedly passed on five years ago.
“What happened is that on the near fateful day Madziro phoned Mai Manyange and they met in town before they proceeded to a lodge in Northend Suburb. It is alleged that during the act Madziro started feeling dizzy before he suddenly collapsed and fell off a bed.
“Out of panic, Manyange alerted officials at the lodge who later phoned an ambulance that ferried
Madziro to the hospital, where he spent about a month in the ICU. He came out of the ICT two days ago (Tuesday) and he is struggling to speak and as a result it’s still difficult to know what exactly happened from his side,” said a relative who spoke
on condition of anonymity.
The relative said Madziro was close to Manyange’s late husband as they came from the same area in Manicaland Province.
“Madziro was close to Manyange’s late husband as they came from the same area and he exploited the
opportunity by falling in love with his wife,” said the relative.
B-Metro also learnt that the matter is now before the two’s church elders and were waiting for Madziro’s discharge from the hospital to know what exactly transpired.
When located for comment, a seemingly traumatised Manyange confirmed the incident saying it was “very traumatic and disturbing”.
“What you heard is true. But I am not at liberty to share with you intimate details of what really transpired as the matter is being handled by my late husband’s family and that of Madziro. What I can only say is that it was a very traumatic and disturbing experience,” said a teary Manyange.B- Metro

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi has been quoted by the state media saying High Court judge Justice David Mangota’s judgment on the   legality of the 1 Aug Commission of Inquiry does not implicate Emmerson Mnangagwa’s  deputy Constantino Chiwenga.

Ziyambi said the judgement did not implicate Vice President Chiwenga or say he ordered soldiers to shoot to kill.

Ziyambi said, “Justice Mangota was very clear in his ruling that the police invoked the provisions of the Public Order and Security Act to quell the disturbances.

“The motivation to request for assistance was not to kill. The Minister of Defence in granting the request, wanted to help police maintain law and order. The judgment is very clear. He merely acceded to the request by the police for assistance to quell the violent demonstrations. It is wrong to say that Vice President Chiwenga ordered the killings when his ministry then simply accepted the request from the police, people should not manipulate to say what they want.”

Ziyambi added sayinng the soldiers would be under the command of the Commissioner-General of the Police when they are helping the police.

MDC national chairperson Thabitha Khumalo yesterday expressed her unhappiness on being left out in Nelson Chamisa’s choice of vice presidents.

Chamisa’s MDC has a male-bloated presidium with Elias Mudzuri, Morgen Komichi and Welshman Ncube as his three vice presidents.

Sources close to the on-goings in the party allege Khumalo thought she was going to become an automatic replacement for Thokozani Khupe (MDC-T president) after she left the party.

Khumalo is said to have been unhappy by Welshman Ncube’s ascendency into the presidium ahead of her.

Asked if she felt a female should have been appointed into the presidium, Khumalo said the party had already “closed doors” on her.

“Lalingaphi lisekela ukukukhuluma khonokho, khangelani sebengivalele phandle,” (You should have raised those issues before the appointments were made, now look they have already shut doors on me),” she said.

“They have already chosen; a decision has been made and there is no going back.”

Responding to allegations that she views herself as the ‘‘godmother” of Bulawayo and Matabeleland provinces, Khumalo said that was not true.

“I have never sold drugs, that term is used for women who are in the business of selling drugs.”

Analysts contend that this week’s elections for deputy mayor in Bulawayo, after the MDC party leadership ordered councillor Tinashe Kambarami to resign, were a sideshow in the opposition’s factional fights.

MDC’s vice president, Ncube was reportedly against Kambarami standing in the election but Khumalo, in her capacity as the national chairperson, ordered the election to proceed resulting in Kambarami’s re-election.

Councillor Mlandu Ncube, who was the party’s preferred candidate in the previous deputy mayor election, was deemed unsuitable by fellow councillors due to his alleged scandals.

According to insiders in the opposition, Khumalo wants to assert herself as the party’s ‘‘godmother” in Matabeleland region and is not happy that Ncube was elevated to the party’s vice presidency ahead of her.

— DailyNews

Own Correspondent|AN ENTIRE RAIL LINE was today destroyed when a haulage truck driver collided with a train in Beitbridge.

The accident which happened late Sunday afternoon saw the train rip off the truck’s two trailers from the horse which had just made it past the rail crossing saving the driver’s life.

The train dragged the trailers for over two hundred meters before derailing and uprooting the railway line along the way.

Speaking to ZimEye.com in a short interview the driver claimed that his breaks failed.

The train driver and his crew survived but were ferried to Beitbridge hospital for medical attention.

This is a developing story.

ZimEye is about to LIVE in Beitbridge – Masvingo road…

REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH

With the economy in a tailspin, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s role has become ever so important, but instead of being accessible, he has shied away from the media.

In the past few weeks, his ministry has been engulfed in controversy, more so the communications task force led by Acie Lumumba, but instead of steadying the ship, Ncube has been eerily silent.

In an effort to get to the bottom of these issues, The Standard sent Ncube a list of questions and, predictably, he didn’t answer, instead he said the questions were backward-looking.

Below are the questions.

•  How would you describe your first two months as Finance minister?
•  Having been away from Zimbabwe for over a decade, were you prepared for the challenges that you are facing in your new role and did anything surprise you?
•  What is your assessment of the austerity measures you introduced a month ago?
•  President Emmerson Mnangagwa hinted recently that the 2% tax on electronic transactions would be reviewed. What will that entail?
•  What is the government’s response to demands by civil servants to be paid in foreign currency?
•  Before your appointment, you were clear that bond notes must be scrapped, do you still hold the same view?
•  How sustainable is the government’s position that bond notes are 1:1 to the US dollar when the market is saying otherwise?
•  The majority of privately- owned health providers, including pharmacies, are now only accepting US$, leaving many people without access to drugs and medicines. What is the government doing to help those that can’t afford?
• When is Zimbabwe likely to get the guarantee from Afreximbank for the conversion of the real time gross settlement balances?
•  Why are details of the Afreximbank facilities not being made public for transparency?
•  Is your ministry considering making public details of how the government accumulated billions of dollars in debt through treasury bills?
•  Zanu PF has in the past insisted that the party is supreme to government. How will you relate with that since you are not a ruling party member?
•  How do you intend to restore confidence in the economy following years of mismanagement and policy inconsistencies?
•  Do you foresee Zimbabwe having its own currency in the near future and what needs to be done in the short-term to achieve that?
•  How is the government reacting to claims made by Acie Lumumba who alleged that there are cartels abusing government institutions and driving the foreign currency parallel market?
•   What is your reaction to claims that you paid Lumumba to make those claims?

-The Standard

A sleek and shiny silver Mercedes Benz made its way into the parking lot at a lodge in Mutoko drawing the attention of people milling outside.

Two familiar faces disembarked and these were none other than Mathias and Mildred Madzivanzira, also known as M&M.

The couple is known for being the founders of the once popular Mathias and Mildred Ministries — a Pentecostal denomination that had one of the biggest followings in the early 2000s.

Upon arriving at the lodge, the couple headed straight inside where they met top Zanu PF officials who were in Mutoko district for a tour of companies as well as a rally at Chitekwe business centre.

The couple is now living a quiet life and spending much of their time in rural Makosa where they are into gold mining.

Their gold milling plant close to the business centre cannot be ignored by passers-by.

The equipment inside and scores of workers at the site denotes a couple that is into serious business with their operations hectic enough to keep them away from the public.

Apart from the milling plant and carbon in pulp (CIP), they also have a mine in the gold-rich area of Makaha and are operating under the name Milmath Mining Company.

The plant can process more than 300 tonnes of gold ore per day.

“We heard people gossiping that we are now doing this, we are now into gold,” Mildred said.

“The truth is that we sold our fuel outlet, M&M Service Station, in Ruwa and invested in mining. It worked.”

The service station is now owned by Sakunda Holdings trading as Puma.

“I am a lawyer, but we are now into mining, that’s how it is,” said Mathias.

The Zanu PF youth league top brass led by Pupurai Togarepi visited the area recently seeking business opportunities whereby young people are set to supply the mining company with raw materials such as cyanide or mercury, among other things.

Togarepi hailed the couple for agreeing to work with the youths who will be supplying the company with raw materials, among other things.

The couple then donated 50 goats to the youths in a move meant to empower them.

However, the couple knows no peace as artisanal miners have invaded their claim while those located around are refusing to vacate despite the company pledging alternative accommodation for them.

The gold-rich area of Makaha in Mudzi has become the latest hub for miners with Chinese companies also mining the precious mineral in the area.

Although they have found new love in gold mining, Mathias and Mildred are still steering their gospel ministry that has its headquarters in Harare.

“The ministry is alive, it never died. Some think that we are no longer ministering, but that is not true,” Mildred said.

“Last year we held a Christmas function here (Makosa) and believers came.

“The church is there. We do not have branches and we never had any — we just go to other areas for crusades.”

Mathias and his wife were popular between 2005 and 2009 for performing miracle healings where thousands of people attended their Pentecostal church services for deliverance.

This also led to the sprouting of a number of ministries with believers flocking to get assistance.

Though the couple courted controversy during their heydays in gospel circles, their new-found love and life in the rural areas of Mashonaland East is a marvel.

Their neat house and offices at the milling company is a sign of a couple that is living a wealthy life though age is now catching up with them.

-The Standard

Zimbabwean opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance, has reportedly said that it has “no appetite to remove [President Emmerson] Mnangagwa from power”, as it vowed to go ahead with its planned anti-government protests.

According to NewsDay, MDC secretary general Douglas Mwonzora, said his party was not interested in removing Mnangagwa from power but wanted “key national questions” resolved.

“We do have plans to demonstrate and the aim is to force authorities to address key national questions, including governance, legitimacy and devolution.

“Like all other previous demonstrations, we have held in the past, these will be peaceful and the party leadership will go out of its way to make sure of that and exercise restraint. It has never been our intention to depose anyone from power,” Mwonzora was quoted as saying.

This came as the country’s state-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), reported this week that the MDC Alliance was planning mass protests “meant to force a constitutionally elected government to hand over power to the opposition party”.

Security measures

The report quoted Chamisa as saying that the demonstrations should culminate in conceding power to the opposition.

Mnangagwa won the July 30 election with 50.6% of the vote – just enough to meet the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off against MDC’s Chamisa, who scored 44.3%.

“I am here to seek your support. If you say we should take to the streets we will do that because I believe it is time that we claim our victory,” Chamisa was quoted as saying.

But Home Affairs Minister Cain Mathema said that government was aware of the sinister plan to remove Mnangagwa from power, adding that the government would quash any insurgence, reported Bulawayo24.

Mathema said that the government had “put in place security measures to deal with malcontents planning to disturb the peace prevailing in the country through illegal demonstrations”, the report said.

The MDC party, however, denied the claims, and accused the country’s national public broadcaster, of spreading hate speech.

The party said it would announce dates for its planned demonstration in due course.

-News24

The National Aids Council has installed 400 condom dispensers at tertiary institutions, hospitals, hotels, drinking spots and other public places across Zimbabwe as part of efforts to curb the spread of HIV.

More units are expected in the coming year, with public vehicles and service stations identified as possible sites.

Zimbabwe has the highest condom uptake in Eastern and Southern Africa.

According to the NAC 2017 annual report, female condoms had an uptake of 4,6 million against 109 million male condoms.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, NAC communications officer Ms Tadiwa Nyatanga-Pfupa said of the dispensers: “Research and feasibility studies were conducted to ascertain the best positions to place the machines. The targeted population stressed the need to preserve privacy when accessing condoms.”

NAC Chivi District Aids Co-ordinator Mr Jonathan Mashingaidze said about 4 000 condoms can be dispensed within an hour at Chivi Growth Point, which has the highest HIV prevalence rate (14 percent) in Masvingo province.

Health and Child Care Ministry statistics show that Matebeleland South has the highest prevalence rate in Zimbabwe (21 percent), followed by Matabeleland North (17,6), Mashonaland East (15, 2), Midlands (15) and Bulawayo (14,3), Mashonaland West (13,2), Masvingo and Harare (12,8), Mashonaland Central (11,9) and Manicaland (10,5).

The national prevalence rate is 14 percent.

-state Media

The fight between President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies Kudakwashe Tagwirei and Justice Mayor Wadyajena got nasty last week after the business mogul accused the youthful Zanu PF legislator of being an extortionist.

Tagwirei made the claims in a notice to defend a $3,6 million lawsuit filed by Wadyajena.

The Gokwe-Nembudziya MP is accusing the Sakunda Holdings owner of illegally using fuel tankers from his company, Mayor Logistics.

However, in papers filed by his lawyers Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners on November 5 at the High Court, Tagwirei accused his rival of trying to extort money from him.

He is demanding that Wadyajena answers several questions including whether he is not “driving an extortionist agenda”.

“Does the plaintiff take this claim seriously? Is this not an attempt to run an extortionist agenda?” Tagwirei asked.

“Is the amount of almost $3 million that plaintiff and his shareholder, Hon Justice Mayor Wadyajena, have received not satisfactory?

“Are the plaintiff and Hon Justice Mayor Wadyajena running an extortionist cartel to fleece genuine businesses?”

Tagwirei added: “Is this claim not evidence of state capture by rogue political party youths who are running an illegal cartel to extort money from Zimbabweans through threats and intimidation?”

The fuel magnet claimed he entered into an agreement with Wadyajena and had paid everything agreed on.

The notice of appearance to defend himself was accompanied with agreements entered into between Wadyajena and Tagwirei including evidence of payment of $1 883 666.00 to the MP on May 22, 2018 through his lawyers.

Tagwirei claimed that was the last payment made to offset his obligations to the MP.

Also included in the documents is a copy of a memorandum of agreement that the two would not to sue each other made on April 24, 2017.

The agreement outlined the terms of settling the amounts owed so that Wadyajena vacates Harare business premises owned by Tagwirei.

However, in his application Wadyajena insisted he was owed money for the use of the four fuel tankers belonging to his company without his consent.

-The Standard

Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has made history by becoming one of the only two women who occupy the Defence portfolio in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) region.

According to Southern Africa Today Vol No.6, Zimbabwe and South Africa are the only Sadc countries who currently have female Defence ministers.

“…Muchinguri-Kashiri has been appointed the first Defence minister in Zimbabwe, thus raising the total of two women occupying the position in the region, among the 16 Sadc member states.

“Her counterpart in South Africa, Nosiwe Mapisa-Nqakula is also a woman,” Southern Africa Today said.

Besides Muchinguri-Kashiri being the first woman to occupy the Defence ministry in Zimbabwe, she is also the first female Zanu PF national chairperson.

She has previously occupied key ministerial posts in the Water, Environment, and Climate, and, Higher and Tertiary Education ministries.

Her preceding reputation during her tenure as Women’s Affairs minister, made her popular as she lobbied for women’s rights and the fight against gender-based violence.

Nevertheless, Southern Africa Today reported that women are generally not well represented in key decision-making positions in governmental and private positions throughout Sadc.

-Daily News

Jane Mlambo| Parliamentarians from both Zanu PF and MDC have teamed up against Finance minister Mthuli Ncube over parly vehicles

MPs from both the ruling party and the opposition described the decision to delay disbursing money for their vehicles as a “travesty” of justice, saying they were entitled to the vehicles.

Outspoken and independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa led the chorus of disapproval over the decision saying it was wrong for government to suspend the MPs’ entitlements simply because there was a disease outbreak.

Mthuli Ncube finally acceded to their pressure and promised to hand them vehicles after deliberations on various options on the table.

“I am on the side of making sure that you get your vehicles, but we have been debating as to whether we give you a 100 percent loan, partial loan or zero loans so we have that action on the table but either way vehicles are on the way,” he said, while addressing legislators who are gathered in Bulawayo for the 2019 pre-budget seminar on Thursday.

Under the Parliamentary Vehicle Loan Scheme, Treasury purchases the cars for the MPs; who in turn pay back the money as a loan during their five-year tenure in the National Assembly. Generally, the legislators buy the brand new, all-terrain SUVs for a song — as the repayment terms are extremely friendly and flexible.

Zimbabwe has more than 350 MPs despite having a relatively small population of just over 15 million people.

Intense jostling for control of the ruling Zanu PF between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga is escalating into public fights between backers of the two heavyweights amid claims of counter plots.

Zanu PF youths set the cat among the pigeons a fortnight ago when they declared that Mnangagwa was the party’s undisputed presidential candidate for 2023.

The statements were seen as being targeted at Chiwenga, who has been touted in some circles as Mnangagwa’s successor, with suggestions that the Zanu PF leader will only serve one term.

Mnangagwa allies Pupurai Togarepi, who is also the Zanu PF youth secretary, and Zanu PF Harare youth provincial chairman Godwin Gomwe told The Standard that their names were being dragged into the alleged fight between the president and VP by bitter people.

“A false, unfounded and malicious message has been circulating on social media lately.

“The nefarious and misleading message states that: I Godwin Gomwe have verbally attacked the Honourable Vice-President Cde Constantino Chiwenga and Zanu PF chairperson Cde Oppah Muchinguri at Machipisa flea market in Highfield,” Gomwe said.

“Bitter people are hurt by the current unity prevailing in the party; they have resorted to penning falsehoods to achieve evil goals. The said message is merely a figment of someone’s imagination.”

Togarepi said he was not aware of any factions in the ruling party and that Zanu PF youths supported both Chiwenga and Mnangagwa.

“It’s all hogwash from overzealous cyber criminals. What was said during our youth assembly is on record and those keen on knowing the truth can get what was said verbatim,” he said when asked about the alleged infighting.

“The youth league respects and supports the president and his vice-presidents.

“I haven’t seen any divisions among the members of the youth league and should that happen in the future, it will be my duty to correct any mistaken ideas or contradictions.”

Togarepi said there were characters who spoke recklessly about Zanu PF and government policies.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo also described the allegations that there was a rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga as “wishful thinking”.

However, Zanu PF insiders said outbursts by Mnangagwa’s advisor Chris Mutsvangwa about alleged state capture were the culmination of serious fights that have been happening behind the scenes.

They said the declaration by Togarepi and other Zanu PF youth leaders Godfrey Tsenengamu and Lewis Matutu that Mnangagwa could not be challenged had angered Chiwenga’s backers.

“After the meeting by the youths where they launched the 2023 ED Pfee slogan, Chiwenga’s lieutenants became bitter because they thought it was an indirect attack on their leader,” a party official revealed.

“Chiwenga’s supporters are now feeling betrayed. They think Mnangagwa would not have been president without Chiwenga.

“They are bitter that Chiwenga and most of those loyal to him are being side-lined by a clique close to Mnangagwa led by his relatives and allies.”

According to the source, Chiwenga backers are also bitter that Mnangagwa seems to be only rewarding those from Midlands and Masvingo provinces with senior party and government positions.

University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure said Mnangagwa needed to be careful in handling Chiwenga.

“He needs to be cautious when dealing with Chiwenga, youths were used by G40, but we all know what the outcome was,” he said.

“The youths must not regard themselves as usable tools in the dirty games being fought by their elders.

“Mnangagwa should be wise enough to know that he has to move very cautiously with Chiwenga.

“The war veterans are divided and we know real power resides in the military rather than the youth wing of the party, or war veterans who are not armed.

“One with control of the military will win the battle for supremacy. Mnangagwa should play his cards carefully rather than have the political illiteracy that [former president Robert] Mugabe had last November.”

Mnangagwa and Chiwenga were instrumental in Mugabe’s ouster in a coup last year.

-The Standard

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has promised to buy vehicles for parliamentarians, although there are still deliberations over the modalities.

“I am on the side of making sure that you get your vehicles, but we have been debating as to whether we give you a 100 percent loan, partial loan or zero loans so we have that action on the table but either way vehicles are on the way,” he said, while addressing legislators who are gathered in Bulawayo for the 2019 pre-budget seminar on Thursday.

Former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa had previously indicated that government would in future give legislators free vehicles during their five-year tenures, departing from the current regime where Members of Parliament pay for their vehicles through their sitting allowances.

But last month government had indicated that they were not going to buy legislators cars soon as they were still fighting cholera epidemic.

MPs from both the ruling party and the opposition had described the decision as a “travesty” of justice, saying they were entitled to the vehicles. Outspoken and independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa led the chorus of disapproval over the decision saying it was wrong for government to suspend the MPs’ entitlements simply because there was a disease outbreak.

Under the Parliamentary Vehicle Loan Scheme, Treasury purchases the cars for the MPs; who in turn pay back the money as a loan during their five-year tenure in the National Assembly. Generally, the legislators buy the brand new, all-terrain SUVs for a song — as the repayment terms are extremely friendly and flexible.

Zimbabwe has more than 350 MPs despite having a relatively small population of just over 15 million people.

-Daily News

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mangudya has poured his heart out during a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo on Thursday, saying it was unfortunate that the apex bank has become the target of attack despite the enormous work they are putting in addressing the difficult economic situation.

The top banker, who has been assured of a second term by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was particularly not amused by those calling for the scrapping of the bond notes, introduced in 2016. In fact, extremists have been calling for his resignation, saying the neo-classical economist has failed in his job.

“Some of us have gone out of our way to get this economy running,” Mangudya said, while addressing delegates at the on-going 2019 pre-budget seminar in the second city. “It is about time that the people of Zimbabwe are grateful for this sacrifice,” he added.

Mangudya, whose first term of office expires in February next year, introduced bond notes about two years ago, vowing to resign if the scheme failed.

He insists that the surrogate currency has been a success, giving the example of the growth in exports since its introduction as an export incentive.

At the time of their introduction as a stop-gap measure to eliminate cash hoarding and externalisation of foreign currency, mainly the United States dollar, the bond notes were backed by a $200 million Africa Export Import Bank facility.

At the pre-budget seminar, Mangudya was hauled over the coals in connection with the precarious state of the country’s economy and the effectiveness or lack thereof of his monetary policy interventions since taking over from Gideon Gono in 2014.

In response, Mangudya said it was important for Zimbabweans, more importantly lawmakers, to appreciate the real causes of the foreign currency crisis facing the southern African nation.

He said bond notes were not the real cause of the problems facing the economy, but ballooning electronic balances — otherwise referred to as the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) balances — that are not backed by any real money.

Of the money circulating in the country’s economy, only 4,5 percent are bond notes and bond coins.

“Therefore, if we remove them, they won’t resolve the problem. The problem is about the 95,5 percent held as RTGS balances in your accounts. Where is it coming from?”

Mangudya also blamed the country’s economic challenges problems on profligate spending by government whose wage bill has also become unsustainable with over 80 percent of the national budget going towards salaries.

He said the country could also not expect to generate foreign currency when there was no production targeting exports.

“What are you producing Zimbabweans?” he asked rhetorically, adding that “If you are producing nothing, you can’t have a higher currency, which is very strong”.

“Therefore, the challenge that you are facing of foreign currency shortages is because we are not working, and we must start working very hard.”

“So that’s the burden we are carrying as the central bank in trying to fund those balances. If we deal with the fiscal rules and principles, then you will find out that everything comes to shape,” he said.

-Daily News

The National Aids Council has installed 400 condom dispensers at tertiary institutions, hospitals, hotels, drinking spots and other public places across Zimbabwe as part of efforts to curb the spread of HIV.

More units are expected in the coming year, with public vehicles and service stations identified as possible sites.

Zimbabwe has the highest condom uptake in Eastern and Southern Africa.

According to the NAC 2017 annual report, female condoms had an uptake of 4,6 million against 109 million male condoms.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, NAC communications officer Ms Tadiwa Nyatanga-Pfupa said of the dispensers: “Research and feasibility studies were conducted to ascertain the best positions to place the machines. The targeted population stressed the need to preserve privacy when accessing condoms.”

NAC Chivi District Aids Co-ordinator Mr Jonathan Mashingaidze said about 4 000 condoms can be dispensed within an hour at Chivi Growth Point, which has the highest HIV prevalence rate (14 percent) in Masvingo province.

Health and Child Care Ministry statistics show that Matebeleland South has the highest prevalence rate in Zimbabwe (21 percent), followed by Matabeleland North (17,6), Mashonaland East (15, 2), Midlands (15) and Bulawayo (14,3), Mashonaland West (13,2), Masvingo and Harare (12,8), Mashonaland Central (11,9) and Manicaland (10,5).

The national prevalence rate is 14 percent.

-state Media

Bread supplies have markedly improved after millers upped flour deliveries to bakers from 200 tonnes per day last month to 650 tonnes.

Bakers require about 800 tonnes of flour daily, and supplies are expected to normalise in a fortnight.

More than 200 trucks were dispatched to the Port of Beira, Mozambique last week to complement rail deliveries.

The National Railways of Zimbabwe has been moving an average of 20 wagons daily against a target of 60 wagons, which caused supply bottlenecks on the local market.

Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe chairperson Mr Tafadzwa Musarara told The Sunday Mail last week that they were expecting flour supplies to bakers to normalise by November 25.

Small bakeries and confectionaries, who had been cut off last month, are now receiving supplies.

“We have procured another shipment of about 30 000 metric tonnes of wheat which will be docking at Beira on November 25. If this consignment is paid for in time we should have enough supplies for the festive season,” said Mr Musarara.

“The country is now on a recovery path and as of (last Friday), our flour supplies to bakeries have risen to about 70 percent and we anticipate that in the next 10 days, we should be able to meet demand.

“This improvement is because of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which has paid in full the entire wheat consignment we received last month.”

Wheat harvests will augment supplies.

Zimbabwe expects to harvest between 120 000 and 200 000 tonnes of wheat – about half of annual national requirements.

Panic buying has not helped the situation, with indications being that where Zimbabweans consumed 1,2 million loaves of bread daily, demand had shot up to 1,8 million loaves in the past two months.

-State Media

Jane Mlambo| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into a law a bill that criminalize possession of unexplained wealth as he desperately moves to contain illegal foreign currency trading that is blamed for the current economic turmoil in the country

According to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi the the legislation is ready for gazetting.

Secretary for Justice Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said the new law illuminated grey areas that were being exploited by criminals to escape culpability.

“There have been two legislative interventions which have been made by His Excellency. The first one is amendment to the Exchange Control Regulations (Exchange Control Act). The definition of ‘dealer’ is further clarified to assist judicial officers in interpreting the law and also the general public in appreciating the law.

“The second amendment is to the Money Laundering (and Proceeds of Crimes) Act to provide for unexplained wealth and the respective enforcement agents where a public office holder or someone previously in that capacity fails to account for wealth accumulated in a manner suspected to be criminal,” she said.

“The Exchange Control Regulations have also been amended to introduce a presumption where one conducts themselves in a certain manner to be held liable for dealing.”

Mrs Mabhiza said the Unexplained Wealth Orders would give crime-fighting entities like the National Prosecution Authority, Zacc and the Zimbabwe Republic Police power to seize unexplained wealth.

“The President has invoked his powers so that law enforcement agents such as the police, the NPA and the Zacc have more teeth to compel suspects to explain their wealth. All those who fail to give satisfactory answers risk forfeiture of their assets or monies in their accounts.

“This instrument can be in place for six months. Within these six months, Parliament can use its powers to make the law permanent.”

By Jane Mlambo| The Kgalema Mothlante led Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence will tomorrow face off army and police as investigations into circumstances that led to the death of six people proceeds.

Despite the High Court ruling that exonerated President Emmerson Mnangagwa from the Harare CBD fracas, the commission proceeds to interrogate army and police bosses in what is likely to be a window dressing despite the fact that the culprits involved in the whole saga are known.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail recently, Secretary to the Commission Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said the hearings were open to the public.

“I want to confirm that on 12 November, the commission will be sitting at its usual venue to hear evidence from, among other groups, the defence forces and the police,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

“Let me make it very clear that the commission is an open commission and in the interest of transparency, no one is going to be disallowed from following its proceedings.

“For purposes of hearing this specific evidence, the commission will as much as possible, in the interest of transparency and in the interest of allowing the public to follow whatever is necessary, allow the public to access the venue of the hearings.” added Mabhiza.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has used temporary powers for a new law that will see illegal currency traders being sentenced to up to ten years in jail, while ill-gotten wealth will be confiscated.

Under regulations that come into effect tomorrow, Government will track unexplained movement of money in the financial system.

President Mnangagwa’s intervention – which involves amending the Exchange Control and Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Acts – is through constitutional provisions of the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act.

Parliament needs to approve the law within six months to make it permanent.

The new law prescribes a maximum 10-year custodial sentence for illegal currency traders, and authorities will be empowered — through the Unexplained Wealth Orders Statute — to confiscate ill-gotten wealth.

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and Zimbabwe Revenue Authority have been empowered to pursue perpetrators of financial crime.

Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba yesterday told The Sunday Mail that President Mnangagwa had signed the law that will be gazetted tomorrow.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said: “Our teams have been working tirelessly on the laws for the past few weeks and the legislation is ready for gazetting. It will be issued through an Extraordinary Government Gazette.”

Secretary for Justice Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said the new law illuminated grey areas that were being exploited by criminals to escape culpability.

“There have been two legislative interventions which have been made by His Excellency. The first one is amendment to the Exchange Control Regulations (Exchange Control Act). The definition of ‘dealer’ is further clarified to assist judicial officers in interpreting the law and also the general public in appreciating the law.

“The second amendment is to the Money Laundering (and Proceeds of Crimes) Act to provide for unexplained wealth and the respective enforcement agents where a public office holder or someone previously in that capacity fails to account for wealth accumulated in a manner suspected to be criminal,” she said.

“The Exchange Control Regulations have also been amended to introduce a presumption where one conducts themselves in a certain manner to be held liable for dealing.”

Mrs Mabhiza said the Unexplained Wealth Orders would give crime-fighting entities like the National Prosecution Authority, Zacc and the Zimbabwe Republic Police power to seize unexplained wealth.

“The President has invoked his powers so that law enforcement agents such as the police, the NPA and the Zacc have more teeth to compel suspects to explain their wealth. All those who fail to give satisfactory answers risk forfeiture of their assets or monies in their accounts.

“This instrument can be in place for six months. Within these six months, Parliament can use its powers to make the law permanent.”

A legal expert involved in crafting the legislation, who elected to be anonymous, said the regulations were in line with international best practice.

“In the past it was difficult to do anything to people that were suspected of corruption or those that have unexplained huge amounts of money in their accounts.

“Authorities now have a firm basis to make demands on people to account for their wealth. What this means is that Zacc, the police or Zimra can now go to court to seek an order to compel any person to explain his source of wealth. In the event that there is no satisfactory explanation, that person risks losing money that is in his account or properties that he or should would have acquired through the suspicious dealings.

“This year, Britain introduced Unexplained Wealth Orders with the idea being to fight white-collar crime and mafia-like corruption. These orders are served on any persons who are suspected of white collar crimes.”

Last month, President Mnangagwa instructed the Justice Ministry to work expeditiously with the Attorney-General’s Office to draft regulations to bring currency manipulators and money launderers to book.

The Head of State and Government labelled parallel market activities a national security threat that his administration would not tolerate.

-State Media

The Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 post-election violence will hear evidence from members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Zimbabwe Republic Police tomorrow.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa established the seven-member commission, chaired by South Africa’s former President Kgalema Motlanthe, to investigate circumstances leading to the violence that rocked Harare soon after the July 2018 harmonised elections.

Public hearings began on October 16 and the commission is expected to present its findings by month-end.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail recently, Secretary to the Commission Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said the hearings were open to the public.

“I want to confirm that on 12 November, the commission will be sitting at its usual venue to hear evidence from, among other groups, the defence forces and the police,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

“Let me make it very clear that the commission is an open commission and in the interest of transparency, no one is going to be disallowed from following its proceedings.

“For purposes of hearing this specific evidence, the commission will as much as possible, in the interest of transparency and in the interest of allowing the public to follow whatever is necessary, allow the public to access the venue of the hearings.”

The commission is also expected to hear evidence from the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on Tuesday. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and Attorney-General’s Office will also be invited.

“I am very confident, especially looking into our work plan and where we are, that we are on time and we hope by 28 November everything will be in place. It will be up to the commission to decide on which date to brief His Excellency the President on its findings.

“Without putting an emotion on how proceedings are taking place, we can actually say there has been a very positive response from the people of Zimbabwe in the sense that people have been coming voluntarily to give their evidence.

“So I can say the commission so far has been going on very well and anticipate that it will finish its business on time, which is by the end of November,” Mrs Mabhiza said.

So far, 13 organisations have submitted written submissions, while 111 individuals gave testimonies.

With Mr Motlanthe on the commission are international law expert Mr Rodney Dixon (UK), former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Nigeria), former Tanzania People’s Defence Forces Commander General (Retired) Davis Mwamunyange, University of Zimbabwe lecturers professors Lovemore Madhuku and Charity Manyeruke, and former Law Society of Zimbabwe president Mrs Vimbai Nyemba.

Meanwhile, commission chair Mr Montlanthe told a media conference in Mutare yesterday — where 13 people gave testimony at public hearings in the border town — that participants volunteering evidence were assured of safety from reprisals or harassment.

“From the 7th to the 9th of November our Secretariat recorded 24 statements here in Mutare from different witnesses. Today the commission heard evidence from 13 witnesses. I, therefore, wish to assure you that all your views will be taken into consideration when we come up with our report and recommendations,” said Mr Motlanthe.

He thanked Zimbabweans for their support for the commission.

-State Media

Youths from Chitungwiza had a fruitful and fun filled day as Alight Zimbabwe Trust held a football tournament to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child whose theme was # Girls Get Equal Opportunities for Girls Takeover.

Three girls teams namely Colts, Busters Queens and Far Post Queens as well as boys under 15 teams, United Generation Academy, Far Post and Busters Academy battled out at Zengeza 3 ground.

According to AZT National Coordinator Cartwell Chirove,“The event is to offer an opportunity to the girl child to showcase skill and talent in the once male dominated sport and propel her to greater heights.”

In addition AZT National Programs Manager Edwin Sithole said, “We will be looking at the challenges girls and women are facing in their daily life and trying to offer alternatives to reduce gaps.”

Previously on this day AZT would celebrate the day in different ways which includes debates, Conferences, sport galas among other activities.

All the teams walked away with monetary prizes and certificates. AZT board members Walter Manjova , Obert Moyo and Blessing Chigamura graced the event.

The exploits of Loice Tembo in goals for the subsequent event winners Far Post Queens left the sizeable crowd in awe and she deservedly walked away with two certificates for the Best Goalkeeper and Best Player of the tournament.

A player from Busters Queens Sibusisiwe Kimu thanked parents for allowing them to participate in the event.

Speaking on behalf on the teams Far Post Patron thanked the organizers and called out to other organizations to come on board and empower the youths in the community so as to deter them from bad vices.

International day of the Girl child is commemorated annually on 11 October to promote girls rights and highlight gender inequalities in society.