VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Jane Mlambo| Opposition MDC leader, Nelson Chamisa will this week invade Gwanda and Beitbridge where he is set to hold his next ‘Thank You’ rallies.

Chamisa who garnered 2,4 million votes, has refused to accept the election results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission citing various irregularities including intimidation of his supporters.

The Thank You rallies are meant to salute his supporters for voting in large numbers.

Voters have often accused politicians of only appearing when they are looking for votes and fast disappearing soon after elections and Chamisa’s move will definitely go well with his supporters and keep the momentum high.

        

TOBACCO farmers, who are battling to access exorbitant inputs, are demanding that the government pays them in foreign currency before the next selling season starts so as to cushion them from currency volatility ravaging the economy.

This came at a time non-contracted farmers are battling to procure inputs whose prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many.

Tobacco outperformed initial projections by 5%, with the output reaching 250 million kilogrammes in 2018, well in excess of the previous all-time high of 235 million kilogrammes achieved in 1999.

Zimbabwe Tobacco Association chief executive Rodney Ambrose told NewsDay that farmers need an upfront incentive in line with the current economic environment.

“Without a doubt, the incentive, if going to be in effect in the 2018/19 season, has to be reviewed in line with the economic environment that may be prevailing during April/May 2019. Farmers are facing a number of viability challenges and the right framework must be in place well before any proposed opening of sales next season,” he said.

During the just-ended season the central bank was paying farmers half of their money in US dollars. Tobacco, one of the country’s biggest forex earners, raked in a total of $725,9 million, which is 30% higher than the $547 million realised in 2017. As such, Ambrose believes tobacco farmers who are principal generators of foreign currency need fair economic recognition.

“With the separation of RTGS FCAs and nostro FCAs [foreign currency accounts] and key inputs soon only to be purchased only through nostro FCAs, tobacco growers should be awarded a portion of their sales into nostro FCAs,” he said.

Despite being key forex generators, the central bank through the mid-year monetary policy statement early this month prescribed that tobacco producers would retain 20% of their foreign currency proceeds, with the rest going to the central bank.

According to the policy, gold producers retain 30% of export proceeds; and platinum, diamonds and chrome producers 35%.

The apex bank has been allocating forex for fuel and pharmaceutical products, among others.

Appearing in Parliament on Monday, Finance secretary George Guvamatanga did not respond to the question from legislators whether farmers were going to paid through nostro foreign currency accounts.

While growers under contract have received their required inputs for this season, Ambrose said uncontracted farmers were facing a torrid time in buying inputs.

“For many farmers not under contract, this is a major issue. However, a fair portion did buy some critical inputs using their proceeds during the selling season. For those trying to source inputs and re-tool now, it is a very difficult task,” he said.

Federation of Farmers’ Union president Wonder Chabikwa said: “Now we face a huge challenge with unstable prices, yet we have done our seasonal budgets. Farmers are now subjected to volatile input prices and availability, with some suppliers demanding US dollars or cash,” he said.

-Newsday

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa said he was disappointed by the behaviour of local manufacturers who abused laws meant to protect them from cheap imports, by holding the market at ransom.

Speaking at the commissioning of a $7 million ProDairy milk processing plant in Ruwa, Mnangagwa said his government had to suspend the Statutory Instrument (SI) 122 due to mischief by manufacturers, who had withheld their products to push prices up.

He said SI 64, which was replaced by SI 122, was his brainchild and was meant to encourage and capacitate manufacturers.

“I was greatly disappointed three weeks ago when some of the manufacturers were now hoarding and not releasing products to the consumers. This is why I have now moved to remove SI 122 to allow, temporally, the inflow of some of these goods,” Mnangagwa said.

He warned manufacturers against ambushing government with price hikes and withholding goods, and called on them to work to help improve the economy.

“If there is need to look at the cost drivers in your products, it should be done properly, have dialogue with the markets and everybody will sleep happy, no ambushes, the war finished in 1980. That’s when we had ambushes, no more ambushes,” he said.

The ProDairy plant employs 175 workers.

“This is a commendable response by ProDairy to my government’s thrust towards value addition and beneficiation of local resources. It is our hope that the company’s products will enter the domestic market at favourable prices, thereby, widening consumer choice,” he said.

-Newsday

Westlake International Finance Limited has petitioned the High Court seeking an order to compel former Information and Communication Technology minister, Supa Mandiwanzira, to settle a $317 166 debt in high interest loans to a company owned by the MP for Nyanga South over six years ago.

The micro finance institution filed summons at the High Court on October 29 through its lawyers, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans, citing Mandiwanzira and Florence Erina Ziumbe — a lawyer and businesswoman — as respondents.

“During the period stretching from January 2012 to February 2013, plaintiff (Westlake International) concluded three separate loan agreements with Tarcon (Private) Limited (“Tarcon”) in terms of which the plaintiff lent and advanced the following sums of money to Tarcon, that is $700 000 on or around January 2012; $615 960 on or around August 1, 2012 and $416 100 on or around February 4, 2013,” the firm said.

According to the court papers, Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe bound themselves as sureties and co-principal debtors to the loan.

“In terms of all the three loan agreements, the aforesaid Tarcon was obliged to repay the advanced sums of money, together with interest thereon within a period of 180 days from the date of each advance. Despite signing several acknowledgments of its indebtedness, Tarcon has failed and/or neglected to repay the full amount and has to date, accumulated arrears in the total sum of $317 166, 33.”

In the same litigation, the financial company said it was also demanding interest at the rate of 8% calculated from the loan payment due date to the date of payment in full.

However, Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe are yet to respond to the lawsuit and the pair has 10 working days to file an appearance to defend.

-Newsday

The Supreme Court has ruled that international organisations have absolute immunity from every form of legal process and execution in Zimbabwe, overturning its own 2004 position in which it ruled that international organisations have limited immunity.

In a 2004 matter between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Supreme Court ruled that international organisations enjoy limited immunity just as sovereign states and can be sued in local courts for breach of contracts of employment.

However, in today’s landmark ruling, Chief Justice Luke Malaba sitting with Justice Paddington Garwe, Justice Anne Mary Gowora, Justice Antonia Guvava and Justice Susan Mavangira made a far reaching judgement, declaring all international organisations immune from legal processes.

This followed an appeal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against a High Court order which held that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an international organisation, did not enjoy absolute immunity from every form of legal process and execution in Zimbabwe.

The background to the matter is that in 2004, FAO employed Michael Jenrich as an Emergency Programmes Officer and renewed the fixed term contract for six consecutive years.

In January 2015, FAO did not renew Jenrich’s contract following the abolition of the post of Emergency Programmes Officer, amid allegations of misconduct.

Jenrich challenged the termination of his contract on the basis that he had a legitimate expectation that the contract would be renewed, the abolishment of his post was unilateral and the termination was unlawful.

The matter was taken for conciliation and FAO took the view that it enjoyed absolute immunity from any legal processes instituted in the local courts.

FAO absconded the proceedings which followed at the Labour Court in 2014 and a default judgement was subsequently handed down on the 13th of February.

The Labour Court ordered FAO to reinstate Jenrich without loss of salary and benefits from the date of termination of his contract and if reinstatement was no longer tenable FAO was ordered to pay him $623 000.

FAO’s Legal Advisor from Rome, Italy wrote to the Registrar of the High Court that the international organisation had not waived its immunity rights under the treaties and the agreement and it was not going to participate in the proceedings before the local courts or respond to the allegations raised by Jenrich because this would be tantamount to interference with its independence and impartiality in the discharge of its affairs.

Jenrich then sought an order of the court for execution of FAO’s property to recover his damages.

The High Court ruled in favour of Jenrich with the effect of activating garnishee order against FAO.

The minister of Foreign Affairs then sought legal ways of protecting FAO’s property from execution and issued a ministerial statement in terms of section 14 of the Privileges and Immunities Act chapter 3:03, attesting that FAO’s property enjoyed absolute immunity.

However, the High Court took a different view and ruled that FAO did not enjoy absolute immunity and its property could therefore be executed through a garnishee order.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then approached the Supreme Court, appealing against the High Court decision and the 5-member bench unanimously overruled the decision of the High Court.

Handing down the ruling, Chief Justice Malaba said each specialised agency such as FAO has provisions for appropriate modes of settlement of disputes arising out of contracts or other disputes of private character.

The mechanisms were specifically created to enable the organisation to deal with disputes arising out of contracts to which it is a party to ensure that justice could be done to aggrieved parties who would otherwise be without remedies due to immunity enjoyed by the organisation.

Accordingly, the court upheld the appeal lodged by the Minister of Foreign Affairs with costs, and set aside the order of the High Court.

The court declared that FAO enjoys absolute immunity from any form of legal process and execution in Zimbabwe and finally overruled the decision in the case of ICRC versus Sibanda and another 2004 ZLR 27 SC extending the principle of restrictive immunity applicable to sovereign states to international organisations on the basis that it is wrong at law.

Zbc News online

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

High Court Judge Justice David Mangota on Wednesday 31 October 2018 reserved judgment after presiding over the hearing and determination of an application filed by a relative of a shooting victim of the August 2018 violence, challenging the legality of ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa’s executive decision to appoint the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the post-election violence including its composition.

Justice Mangota reserved ruling after hearing the urgent chamber application filed by Alison Charles, whose brother was shot and killed alongside six other civilians in post-election violence on 1 August 2018.

Charles and the Counselling Services Unit (CSU), who are represented by Advocate Eric Matinenga instructed by Chris Mhike of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, are challenging the legality of Mnangagwa’s executive decision to appoint the Commission of Inquiry, its composition and its terms of reference.

Charles and CSU, who are the applicants have cited President Mnangagwa, former South African leader Kgalema Motlanthe, who heads the Commission of Inquiry, the Commission of Inquiry, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema, Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri, Commissioner-General of Zimbabwe Republic Police Godwin Matanga, Commander of Zimbabwe Defence Forces Philip Sibanda, Attorney General Prince Machaya, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Professor Charity Manyeruke, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and National Peace and Reconciliation Commission as respondents.

Charles, lost a brother Gavin Dean on 1 August 2018 after he was shot dead by soldiers, who opened fire on ordinary citizens and opposition political party supporters in Harare during a post-election protest over the mismanagement of the 2018 harmonised elections.

Correspondent|In a move that borders on corruption the Hwange Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) board has agreed to ‘sell’ two million tonnes of coal fines to Woolwork Investments (Pvt) Ltd at a massive $8 million discount in exchange for vehicles for its executive officials and equipment.

Investigations show that instead HCCL could have raised $28 million if it had sold the coal fines at the current market price of $14 per tonne.

Industry sources also said HCCL could have even raised over $30 per tonne by beneficiating the coal fines through briquetting, a project that Woolwork are pursuing.

Internal sources said Woolwork, a subsidiary of Croco Motors, will receive the coal at a huge 29 % discount as it has to provide vehicles and equipment valued at $20 million.

Sources said the terms of the agreement are so favourable for Woolwork and can be viewed as another example of corruption and unethical practices within the ailing HCCL.

The company is not receiving any advanced payment from Woolwork, which in normal circumstances would justify a discount.

Secondly, Woolwork does not have to provide the prices of the vehicles and equipment it will provide, essentially meaning the goods may not even reach the agreed upon $20 million value.

Another surprising aspect in the deal is there is no provision of timelines for Woolwork to provide the vehicles and equipment, essentially meaning non-delivery could continue indefinitely.

HCCL reportedly has accumulated a coal stockpile of about 345 000 tonnes and according to the source had recently put up a tender for the beneficiation of coal.

A partner was found willing to invest $5,5 million in a briquetting plant but this was put on hold, which sources say, was meant to pave way for the Woolwork deal.

“This deal is another dubious decision by senior executives at the company as Woolwork could have applied for the tender when it was offered,” the source said.

The Mail and Telegraph reported this week that infighting between senior management and the board has highlighted the rot at the very top of Zimbabwe’s largest coal company.

Providing a questionable discount as HCCL is failing not only to repay its creditors but also pay its employees maybe indicative of the culture of “unethical business practices characterised by financial improprieties.”

The Zimbabwe Independent reported earlier this month that the mining company had been paying its workforce 50% of their salaries since the beginning of last year and in June the company paid 7 % of the employees’ 36 months outstanding dues.

Also this month the Herald reported HCCL had defaulted on a “Scheme of Arrangement” it entered into with creditors to manage its $352 million debt. Under this scheme employees were to receive a monthly payment, but reportedly the company is $7,6 million in arrears, owing a total of $4,6 million to its employees for the past two months.

M&T

 

President Mnangagwa has warned some Zanu-PF party members behaving like loose cannons by discussing internal issues outside
party structures to stop such behaviour or risk being kicked out of the party.
He said the revolutionary party had a clear channel of airing grievances that should be used by all members who feel aggrieved.Addressing members of the Youth League
during a Young Assembly meeting held at the Zanu-PF headquarters in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa called for dialogue and
self-introspection among party members.
“Party officials at every level are expected and obligated by the constitution to be faithful and loyal to the ideals, values and principles of the party,” said President Mnangagwa.
“They are further required to strive
continuously to raise the level of social, political and economic consciousness and understanding of party policies. If you have a problem with the party, you don’t debate it
with the world. The world is not the party. If you have a problem with the party it must be discussed in the party and not outside it, but if you insist then you are asking us to kick
you from the party so that you can freely debate your party outside our party.”
President Mnangagwa continued: “In Zanu-PF, we have our ways of airing out grievances from the grassroots to the top. If one says he or she is a member of Zanu-PF, we expect that person to understand party procedures on airing out grievances. These days we are hearing some voices from the wilderness speaking and splitting the party.The Herald

JOHANNESBURG — Vlakfontein community welcomed Sibusiso Ernest Khoza in as one of their own. Nobody could have imagined that a couple of months later, he would leave the community with the stench of murder and a lot of unanswered questions.

The story of Sibusiso is a complex one. One would have to go into the psyche of a person who has been through the toughest upbringing to even understand his thought process and how he empathised with tragic events.

The family Sibusiso claims to have biologically belonged to was murdered and buried in heaps of sand inside the house he stayed in, in Vlakfontein, a small town that is situated on the south of Johannesburg.

To get a better picture of what authorities are dealing with, let us have a look at the life of the prime suspect in the multiple homicides case the Johannesburg detectives are investigating.

The only record of Sibusiso’s early existence we received came from an orphanage in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Two social workers and a caregiver from Baphumelele Children’s Home, who have opted to remain anonymous, told us about how they had first come across Sibusiso.

The caregiver stated that Sibusiso was brought to the orphanage between 2010 and 2012 by police officers. At the time, the police only knew that he was a boy born in 1994 and that he was in Cape Town looking for his estranged father.

Sibusiso had told the police that the information he had led him to a house somewhere in Cape Town, where he was welcomed by a family. He told the police that soon after he had been welcomed by the family, they allegedly molested him and he was forced to make an escape.

The police, concerned about the well being of the young Sibusiso, took the boy to Baphumelele where he was accepted and groomed as an orphan.

The caregiver reflected about how kind Sibusiso was and how the social workers at Baphumelele were so drawn to his personality, a quiet boy who could do nothing wrong.

The Baphumelele programme works with Masiyile Secondary School, a high school in Khayelitsha, just too far away from the children’s home, in providing the orphaned kids with access to education.

Sibusiso was one of those children who was accepted into the high school through the programme. We spoke to the school’s principal, who remembered the quiet boy from Baphumelele.

The principal was able to confirm with us that Sibusiso had left the school at Grade 11, stating that he had received a scholarship to study overseas.

No official documentation stating such was ever presented to them though. The caregiver also confirmed that, at this time, Sibusiso had been progressing well as a lead cyclist at the Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy.

At the time, the caregiver stated that he was still the ever-so-kind boy who was soft spoken and got into very little trouble.

However, because at Baphumelele, children were only allowed to stay there until a certain age, Sibusiso was soon forced to move out to provide more space for other children who need assistance.

That is when he was allegedly taken in by one of the social workers who had grown close with Sibusiso. The lady did not live too far from the children’s home, so it was not that much of a change for him.

In 2015, social workers at Baphumele were taken aback when police officers paid the children’s home a visit, asking for Sibusiso, who had allegedly stolen the social worker’s husband’s car, handgun and a bible and fled.

This is the last time anyone at Baphumelele had heard of Sibusiso – until now. The next time he was seen was when he showed up in Johannesburg, claiming to be the long-lost family member of the Khozas.

We spoke with a close family friend of the Khozas who, in fear for her safety, has asked to remain anonymous. She revealed to us that Sibusiso had, at some point between 2015 and 2017, tracked down the Khoza family to the house in Vlakfontein and did his research on them.

In July 2018, he introduced himself as a long-lost relative, the son of the late brother of the two women who were later found dead in the house.

His story was that he had studied medicine at a college in New York and was a general practitioner at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. We have made contact with the college and the hospital, however, we have not heard back from any of them. Thus, we were not able to confirm whether this information is true or not.

Fast forward to October this year and here we are, an entire generation of a family and three women found murdered at their house with Sibusiso nowhere to be found.

The Gauteng police’s spokesperson, Captain Mavela Masondo, revealed, on Tuesday, that the police considered Sibusiso a possible suspect in the case. He was asked to hand himself in for questioning as investigators believe he holds crucial information that could blow the case wide open.

The husband of one of the women whose lifeless body was recovered from the house has been in the police’s custody. Sibusiso’s last known activity was on Tuesday when he changed his profile picture on Facebook after word had gotten out that he was wanted by authorities.

The last time he was seen was during the weekend. When he was asked by members of the community about the whereabouts of the family — who they had not seen in days –he told them that the Khozas had travelled to Pietermaritzburg to attend a funeral.

Our source revealed to us that the Khoza family is originally from Harewood, in Pietermaritzburg. She lives in the same area as the family in Harewood. When we asked her about a funeral that may have taken place recently, she was able to confirm that this was not true, that there was never a funeral at the Khoza home in Harewood.

Furthermore, another source we spoke with (she asked for anonymity in fear of her safety), who was a close friend of one of the women that passed away in the house, stated that the last time she spoke to her friend was on Saturday, 27 October.

She stated that she had found her friend’s response to be strange and was left uneasy after a brief chat with her. On WhatsApp, our source had commented on the friend’s profile picture, stating how much she loved it, to which she replied with laughing emojis.

According to our source, who was able to provide us with a screenshot of the WhatsApp message, this was unlike her friend’s behaviour. However, she brushed it off and thought nothing of it, not knowing that two days later, her friend would be found buried beneath a heap of sand in her home.

Moreover, our source was able to provide us with evidence suggesting that Sibusiso was not the suspect’s real name. It is alleged that the police have found ID documents and a passport that identified the suspect as a Zimbabwean national.

We will continue to provide updates on the case as it comes in, as this is still a developing story.

The South African

PROPHETIC Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader prophet Walter Magaya is considering taking his Aguma herbal supplement — which he claims can cure HIV, Aids and cancer — outside Zimbabwe in the wake of the backlash he received following his announcement last Sunday that he had found a cure for HIV, Aids and cancer.

This followed a raid on PHD Ministries offices by police last night to collect samples of the Aguma capsules.

A highly-placed source at PHD, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Magaya was planning on launching Aguma outside Zimbabwe.

‘‘Just say a close source says Magaya is planning to go and launch from outside where many countries seem to be offering a good deal and ease of doing business,’’ the source said before cutting the phone.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintended Paul Nyathi confirmed the raid

He said ZRP was acting within its law enforcement mandate.

“I can confirm that Magaya is assisting police with investigations in connection with enquiries the ZRP is currently conducting,” he said.

“It is the duty of the police to detect, investigate and prevent crime and this is precisely what we are doing.”

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Energy Mutodi announced the raid on his Twitter handle saying it marked the beginning of an investigation into the matter.

Health experts, he said, had said there was no cure for HIV and Aids yet.

“I can confirm police this evening raided Prophet Walter Magaya offices to recover samples of his Aguma medicine, which he claims cures HIV. The raid marks the start of an investigation into this matter. Health experts say there is no cure yet,” Dep Minister Mutodi said.

Government on Monday dismissed the PHD leader’s claims saying prophet Magaya had not submitted Aguma for assessment as a herbal supplement and people should not buy medicines from unapproved and unlicensed persons.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Government was concerned with these claims as there were processes and procedures in Zimbabwe that medicines go through before they are recognised as effective and safe for use by patients.

“The ministry strongly urges all clients on treatment for HIV and Aids to continue on their prescribed medication. Any form of discontinuation or switch made without the guidance of medical professionals may lead to adverse consequences on their health status,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Prophet Magaya had similarly urged people on ART to continue their medication till Government certified his Aguma.

State Media

Correspondent|Westlake International Finance Limited has petitioned the High Court seeking an order to compel former Information and Communication Technology minister, Supa Mandiwanzira, to settle a $317 166 debt in high interest loans to a company owned by the MP for Nyanga South over six years ago.

The micro finance institution filed summons at the High Court on October 29 through its lawyers, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans, citing Mandiwanzira and Florence Erina Ziumbe — a lawyer and businesswoman — as respondents.

“During the period stretching from January 2012 to February 2013, plaintiff (Westlake International) concluded three separate loan agreements with Tarcon (Private) Limited (“Tarcon”) in terms of which the plaintiff lent and advanced the following sums of money to Tarcon, that is $700 000 on or around January 2012; $615 960 on or around August 1, 2012 and $416 100 on or around February 4, 2013,” the firm said.

According to the court papers, Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe bound themselves as sureties and co-principal debtors to the loan.

“In terms of all the three loan agreements, the aforesaid Tarcon was obliged to repay the advanced sums of money, together with interest thereon within a period of 180 days from the date of each advance. Despite signing several acknowledgments of its indebtedness, Tarcon has failed and/or neglected to repay the full amount and has to date, accumulated arrears in the total sum of $317 166, 33.”

In the same litigation, the financial company said it was also demanding interest at the rate of 8% calculated from the loan payment due date to the date of payment in full.

However, Mandiwanzira and Ziumbe are yet to respond to the lawsuit and the pair has 10 working days to file an appearance to defend.

A Bulawayo woman has been denied spousal maintenance but got maintenace for her two children.

Mr Linda Nyamandi who wanted $540 in spousal maintenance and the upkeep of her two children got $160 maintenance a month for the children. Ms Ulukile Mlea said since Mrs Nyamandi was not divorced, she could not claim spousal maintenance.

“Spousal maintenance is paid to individuals divorced who do not have the means to provide for themselves,” said Ms Mlea.

The court heard that Mr Nyamandi sold their family shop and established a bakery as well as a maize business. On the lease papers he put his name, his friend’s name and asked his wife to sign the papers.

“Nyamandi told me that since it’s a family business there was no need to write my name since his name was already on the lease papers. I fell for the trap and he later started abusing me, starving me and eventually threw me out of our matrimonial home,” she said.-state media

The World Health Organisation (WHO), which is responsible for prequalifying medicines before use, has said the only legalised and tested remedy available for HIV clients is antiretroviral therapy.

This follows claims by Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Prophet Walter Magaya that he has found the cure for HIV which has claimed millions of lives the world over.

Scientists have spent the last three decades trying to find a cure for the pandemic which affects about 1,3 million Zimbabweans and so far only ART has been proven to suppress the amount of virus in the body.

In a statement in response to questions from the state media yesterday, WHO said no one has approached the international body about any treatment to cure HIV.

“There are standard procedures and guidelines for WHO prequalification of medicines which are available to the public. A lot of research is going on in this area but none has demonstrated a cure for HIV among humans,” read the statement. “Therefore, there is no cure for HIV, although antiretroviral treatment can control the virus, meaning that people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. Once someone stops taking the treatment, the virus re-emerges.

Therefore, no one should stop taking their medicines for HIV treatment.”
United Nations Zimbabwe communications specialist Mr Sirak Gebrehiwot added that there is no known and proven cure for HIV to date. “Zimbabwe has very well-established procedures for clinical trials.

Clinical trials are the process by which any new medical approaches including drugs are rigorously evaluated to determine whether they are safe and effective in the prevention and/or treatment of any ailments,” he said. “The United Nations in Zimbabwe wishes to remind and encourage any researchers involved in developing possible new treatments for any ailments, including HIV and Aids to subject these to the Ministry of Health and Child Care national clinical trial processes and procedures,” added Mr Gebrehiwot.

An HIV and Aids activist Mr Dumisani Nkomo urged authorities to subject Magaya’s claims to the usual tests.

“The Ministry of Health and Child Care and the National Aids Council should test his herbs for efficacy. He should be given a chance and until authorities research on his product, they should not dismiss him,” said Mr Nkomo.

In a statement the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association said Mr Magaya’s claim will have far reaching repercussions if people pin their hope on his statements.

“We wish to advise relevant authorities that Press statements alone are not enough to restore sanity on this subject. We say so because such Press statements may not reach all the people.

Mr Magaya should be asked to publicly reverse and retract his utterances in the manner that he first announced the subject,” said ZHDA spokesperson Dr Mxolisi Ngwenya. “Until such a time that the robust and rigorous research is done, with enough medical clearance and verification through animal studies, Mr Magaya’s new drug should be quarantined and isolated from humans. Life is too precious.

We encourage all clients to adhere to all their medication as per doctor’s prescription,” he said.
The only human who was cured of HIV is Mr Timothy Ray Brown who underwent a bone marrow stem cell transplant in 2007. Mr Brown’s procedure almost cost him his life twice and scientists the world over are closely monitoring a rare genetic mutation in the person who donated bone marrow to
Mr Brown which may have had a central role in his cure to formulate a cure for HIV.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe weighed in saying Zimbabwe has made great strides towards reducing new HIV infections, reducing HIV prevalence, prevention of mother to child transmissions and promoting safe and responsible health seeking behaviour and the medical claims (on HIV cure) have a potential to reverse the hard earned gains aimed at the eventual eradication of the disease.

“Given this background PSZ would like to caution opinion leaders to desist from misleading the public with unsubstantiated claims. We call for responsible leadership and following of due processes necessary for any innovation within the medical fraternity,” said the PSZ in a statement.- state media

Zimbabwe’s gold miner RioZim has closed its Kadoma mine, Cam & Motor, and two other mines due to a shortage of dollars, the company said in a letter to the central bank on Wednesday.

RioZim is Zimbabwe’s third largest producer of gold, operating Cam and Motor, Dalny and Renco mines. Early this month, the miner threatened legal action to force the Reserve Bank to pay it more U.S. dollars for part of its output.

US dollar shortages in Zimbabwe have worsened since 2016 and earlier this month, the miner threatened legal action to force the central bank to pay it more U.S. dollars for part of its output.

Gold mines are required by law to sell their produce to Fidelity Printers, an arm of the Reserve Bank which then exports the mineral. From the beginning of this month, they are allowed to retain 30% of the export earnings, down from 50 percent before that while the balance is transferred to their local accounts via electronic transfers.

RioZim previously said was “facing severe challenges arising from the Company’s inability to access its foreign currency earnings that are required to fund its operations and sustain its growth.” “As per our previous communications, we regret to confirm that Cam and Motor Mine, Dalny Mine and Renco Mine involuntarily stopped operations after running out of consumables and spare parts recently,” Chihota wrote to RBZ governor, John Mangudya in the letter dated October 26.

“As you are aware, the stocks of critical imported consumables and spares ran out due to an acute forex shortage including cyanide, activated carbon, caustic soda, explosives, forges steel balls, spares for the repair of crucial equipment and numerous other items.”

He added that RioZim only received 14% of its forex allocation since 2016, with almost no allocations at all over the past nine weeks.

“As you will agree, this disruption is very harmful to us all that is our employees, our creditors, the Government of Zimbabwe along with all other stakeholders. However, we very much hope that this stopping of production is temporary and that we will resolve the issues currently facing us as we continue to engage yourselves and hope that at the end of it we shall come out stronger to the benefit of all stakeholders,” he said.

Dalny Mine stopped operating on 19 October while Cam and Motor Mine and Renco Mine closed on the 22 October.

The Cam and Motor Mine is situated 130km south west of Harare, 10km to the east of Kadoma, at Eiffel Flats on the site of the former Cam and Motor Mine. The mine was once the largest producer of gold in Zimbabwe and produced in excess of 150 tonnes of gold in its entire life.

Three main ore bodies were mined by the Cam and Motor Gold Mining Company, the previous owners of the mine. These were the Motor Lode, Cam Lode and Petrol Lode. In 1968, the mine was closed with the gold price at US$35 per ounce and the mine operating at depths of 1,800 metres when operations were no longer viable. At that stage, the mine cut- off grade was 8 grams/tonne and so it was considered likely that there could be significant resources adjacent to the old workings that would now be economic to mine.

RioZim commissioned an exploration program to search for the expected lower grade zones surrounding the mined ore bodies.

ZOOMZimbabwe has not been able to verify whether the mine will be reopened anytime soon.

Renco Mine is 100% owned by RioZim Limited. The mining rights are held through mining claims, a mining lease and a special grant covering a total area of 2 736 hectares. The mine is located in the South-East of Zimbabwe in Nyajena communal lands, approximately 75km southeast of Masvingo.

Gold mining in the Renco area started as early as the 15th century when artisanal miners worked near surface outcrops. Impressed by the quality of the deposit, Mr Hewlett, of Coronation mine, started a minor gold rush in 1938 when he moved out to begin work on the site. By March 1939 Messrs Rennie and Connick formed the Renco syndicate and took control over the area.

Gold fields of South Africa bought the mine from the Renco syndicate and were also granted an exclusive prospecting order over the area. During the tenure of the EPO they drilled several surface diamond drill holes and mined underground to a depth of 25m.

The claims and the mine were transferred to a local exploration company, Anglo American Mineral Searches, who developed the mine to 50m depth and sold it in 1969 after concluding that the deposit was too small and complicated to sustain a large scale mine.

By the end of 1981 over 1,000,000 tonnes in indicated ore resources and 200,000 tonnes in proved ore reserves were declared and the modern Renco mine was commissioned in 1982. The mine has produced continuously since then, with underground and plant infrastructure being upgraded as and when required.

To date 37 tonnes of gold have been produced from 7.2 million tonnes of ore milled at a recovery grade of 5.96g/t gold. Renco Mine is currently producing an average of 60kg gold per month against a potential of above 70kg per month.

In an angry statement recently Rio Zim said monetary authorities had effectively broken their own rules by withholding its foreign earnings without explanation.

“Therefore, in addition to the other measures that the company is considering to address the situation, the company has proceeded to formally serve the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with its notice advising it of its intention to file legal proceedings against the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for a claim demanding that the Central Bank complies with its directives and policies, and also, for compensation for any losses that the Company has suffered as result of the Central Bank’s non-compliance with its directives from 2016 to date,” read the statement in part.

Listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), Rio Zim said failure to access foreign currency its was negatively affecting the mining group’s viability.

“The company is currently facing severe challenges arising from the company’s inability to access its foreign currency earnings that are required to fund its operations and sustain its growth.

“Whilst the Central Bank’s policy from April 2016 to September 2018 was that gold producers were entitled to access 50% of their receipts in foreign exchange automatically in their nostro account and the balance 50% by application (this policy has changed to 30% with effect from 1 October 2018), the company has not received even the first 50% let alone the balance as per the directives issued by the Central Bank in respect of its foreign exchange allocation.

“Since 2016 to date, the Company has only been allocated an average of circa 15% of the foreign currency that it has generated.”

ZOOMZim

MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe has called on the MDC Alliance to acknowledge President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the July 30 presidential election to allow the country to move forward.

“In any election, there is only one winner. Once there is a winner, we must rally behind those that would have won, put our ideas together and move this country forward. We cannot be talking about the just ended elections forever,” Khupe, a losing presidential hopeful, said.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa disputes Mnangagwa’s victory, citing vote fraud and has refused to accept a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld the win.

Khupe said Zimbabwe “cannot be in election mode forever.”

“It should not be just about power, but all Zimbabweans who want a better life but if we pull in different directions, it is not going to help any of us. The people who will suffer are our followers, let us talk about the future. We would want a situation where there can be a platform where we as opposition can put ideas on how to solve the problems the country faces. That must be our preoccupation.”

MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Magalela Mafa-Sibanda, however, dismissed Khupe’s comments as offside, before accusing the former deputy Prime Minister of being a Zanu PF decoy.

“As the MDC, we are not keen to criticise other progressive opposition parties. We feel Khupe must just join hands with Zanu PF since she’s the one who acknowledges that Mnangagwa won the elections. We see her as a Zanu PF surrogate,” Mafa-Sibanda said.

-Newsday

 

 

Terrence Mawawa| World-renowned economic commentator, Steve
Hanke has spoken against the economic sanctions against other countries as they mostly affect the poor.

Hanke shares the same sentiments with Econet boss Strive Masiyiwa.He described sanctions as war crimes.

Hanke’s views are also in sync with what most of the local business people have said.There has been a lot of talk around the amended ZIDERA and Zanu PF bigwigs argue that the punitive economic measures have to go in order to give the local economy a new lease of life.

Hanke wrote on twitter:” Sanctions are economically illiterate and they punish innocent civilians rather than targeted governments. Often times the political elite get rich while the
ordinary citizens are left to live off scraps. It’s time

to call sanctions what they are: war crimes.”

Zimbabwe’s cash- strapped government is splashing close to $11 million on school fees for war veterans’ children.

This comes as government is failing to adequately fund the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) initiative, meant to assist orphaned and vulnerable children, those living with disabilities or in foster care under poor parents, street children, or children with chronically ill guardians or in child-headed households with their school fees.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said the money paid to war veterans’ children was contributing towards the country’s ballooning budget deficit, which is expected to reach $2,3 billion by the end of 2018. “This has far reaching consequences in the economy in terms of government crowding out private sector lending.

Additionally, continued payment of government obligations through an overdraft will also worsen the liquidity challenges in the economy,” he said in his 2019 pre-budget statement released last week. According to official government figures, treasury pays over $6,4 million every term in school fees for 22 000 children of war veterans, while Beam that caters for over 200 000 students is not being funded.

University of Zimbabwe political analyst Eldered Masunungure said the move to pay school fees for war veterans’ children was a cheap political game as they are lot of disadvantaged children in the country who lack access to basic education.

“Beam has not been funded for years now but it’s a facility that caters for the underprivileged children and schools are suffering. When a segment of population is being given favourable treatment, then it raises suspicions of political interests,” he said.

Masunungure noted that the Zanu PF led government wants to draw political advantages from such actions, adding that the move is not meant to advance the welfare of war veterans children but is merely politically motivated.

“The war veterans’ children are lucky that they are being privileged but it’s a drop in the ocean in relation to the needs of all the children at a national level, particularly those schools that have been catering for Beam-funded nutrition.

“You cannot segment people with similar needs differently,” he said.

National director of the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children Taylor Nyanhete said government should lobby enough resources for children under Beam.

He, however, said the government also has an obligation to pay for the war veterans children.

“The paying of school fees for war veterans’ children is in the War Veterans Act, so they have to pay,” he said.

-Daily News

Businessman Kuda Tagwirei, has triggered off fresh fissures within Zanu PF and government, with the Sakunda Holdings founder wittingly or unwittingly driving a wedge between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and some of his allies over the tycoon’s unsettling influence.

Barely a year after a soft coup that ousted Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa’s administration is facing a huge crisis caused by an imploding economy.

The meltdown has led to finger-pointing, with Tagwirei coming under scrutiny for his octopus-like grip on the fuel industry, hit by serious shortages of petrol and diesel.

One of Zimbabwe’s richest men, Tagwirei is accused of monopolising fuel infrastructure, and flaunting his wealth to influence government to make decisions in his favour.

He is reported to have amassed excessive influence over the three arms of the State, with critics claiming his actions — real or perceived — amounted to State capture.

Tagwirei has openly financed Command Agriculture ahead of the July 30 elections, a programme the opposition alleges was designed to pursue a narrow electoral agenda, specifically securing a Zanu PF victory in the harmonised elections.

He has declined to speak to the Press about these allegations.

Despite his fabulous wealth and power, he now seems to have fallen afoul with Mnangagwa, and is facing unrelenting persecution, with his business being hammered endlessly.

A Communications Taskforce appointed by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and headed by Acie Lumumba made shocking allegations last week, claiming “Queen Bee” — widely viewed as Tagwirei — was part of a syndicate fuelling the foreign currency black market by supplying street dealers with bond notes and corrupt allocations of foreign currency from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).

Grey-haired and tall, with piercing eyes and a quiet, hushed voice, the Sakunda boss was then lynched by Mnangagwa’s special advisor Christopher Mutsvangwa, who brazenly accused him of “dividing the presidium”.

Mutsvangwa alleged there was a powerful political hand helping Tagwirei to jump the foreign currency allocation queue at the RBZ and called for his monopoly in the fuel industry to be crushed.

The former War Veterans minister seemed to suggest that Mnangagwa and his powerful deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga were not seeing eye-to-eye on the Tagwirei issue.

But Mnangagwa’s spokesperson — George Charamba — rejected the claims yesterday, saying: “We will tell you when we are divided.”

Asked if there is still unity in the presidium, Charamba retorted: “To answer that question means there is a problem.”

“Not a single day passes without a conversation between Chiwenga and Mnangagwa and, as a matter of fact, the same person who is accused of dividing the presidium is the very person who is providing vehicles?” he asked rhetorically, referring to the allegations that Tagwirei had purchased top-of-the-range vehicles for the presidium and their spouses, service chiefs as well as other top Zanu PF and government officials.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily News, Charamba said claims that an oligarchy has captured the presidium, with Tagwirei’s influence said to be extending right up to the RBZ, were not true.

“This is just an allegation and we will treat it as such and nothing else. At the heart of it all is just a simple commercial issue which doesn’t need so much political bicker. What it needs is capital, business acumen and business decisions —finish. The presidency speaks for itself — it doesn’t need an interlocutor body,” he said referring to Mutsvangwa.

Charamba also dispelled claims that Mutsvangwa was Mnangagwa’s hired gun.

He said: “Really, I don’t know. You know what, to be frank with you, no one in the presidency is concerned about that allegation, whether hired or shooting on his own — who cares? The country goes on, and as you can see, at the height of the allegations, solutions are being made, which is what matters; and solutions which are all encompassing, including the persons making the allegations; they also go to the same oil companies to refuel.”

Charamba said Tagwirei must actually be commended for ending fuel shortages, referring to the move by Sakunda to give government 100 million litres of fuel this week, which will only be repaid after 12 months.

He said a monopoly cannot be ended by “bickering but by organising and importing”.

Asked about Sakunda taking over the Feruka pipeline, Charamba retorted: “No, the pipeline you rent to use it. It’s not like it is always pumping 24 hours.

“The way to stop a monopoly is to make sure you get in as a player. There is no law, there is no convention, there is not even an economic principle that stops anyone from getting into the fuel sector,” he told the Daily News.

He declined to comment further on the allegations.

Tagwirei — whose father’s death earlier this year halted government business as virtually all ministers abandoned their workstations to attend his burial — was recently interviewed by the police, although it is not clear whether the police team unearthed evidence of illegality or if the questions were simply exploratory in nature.

Police also wanted to search his home but he reportedly left for Wedza for Chiwenga’s rural home, where he was recuperating far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Government insiders alleged Mutsvangwa was hammering Tagwirei because he was keen to replace dominance of Sakunda with MOGS Oil & Gas Services — a Johannesburg-based fuels company which owns and operates pipelines, fuel storage facilities and other oil and gas infrastructure across Africa and further afield.

Mutsvangwa, who has been vocal about breaking Sakunda’s monopoly in the fuel industry, was said to be MOGS’ front, and reportedly approached Mnangagwa with a proposal to have the pan-African leader in the oil and gas midstream infrastructure sector to build a second fuel pipeline from Feruka.

He was said to be in partnership on the MOGS deal with former senior MDC official Eddie Cross.

The Daily News heard that towards elections, Mutsvangwa reportedly told Mnangagwa that he had been working with Cross on the MOGS deal since the coup and that Cross will no longer root for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in the elections.

Cross has since exited the MDC Alliance after pouring scorn on the party.

Reached for comment, Cross said “there is a measure of truth” in the claims.

He said he has been involved in talks to have MOGS build a second pipeline since the days of the government of national unity (GNU), a project he said was mooted by then Energy minister Elton Mangoma.

“During the GNU, I was asked by Mangoma to find a company which could build a new pipeline from Beira to Harare to supply regional states from regional fuel pool in Harare, centred in Mabvuku, where we have a large fuel storage facility that can take 400 000 cubic metres of fuel,” Cross told the Daily News.

He said he embarked on a programme to find a suitable partner and opened talks with MOGS.

Cross said the deal was put on ice after the dissolution of the GNU.

Then after the coup, Cross said he was asked by Mnangagwa as part of his 100-day plan to revive the deal with MOGS.

He said a deal was reached on December 13, 2017 with MOGS.

Cross said at the end of January, the deal was put to Cabinet but was blocked by “senior elements”.

“The reason given was that the pipeline was a strategic asset and (a) private company can’t own shares,” Cross said.

Mutsvangwa rubbished the allegations made against him yesterday.

“I have completely nothing to do with this except promoting those who want to invest. Ask (the) permanent secretary in the ministry of Defence. This company MOGS has been here since 1994. All companies come to my office. It’s one of many; there are 15 other companies that are interested,” Mutsvangwa told the Daily News.

Asked if he was in a partnership with Cross, Mutsvangwa said: “It’s nonsense.”

Asked if Cross was a front for MOGS, Mutsvangwa said: “I don’t know, I can’t speak for other people. I can only speak about companies that come to my office. Why don’t you speak to Eddie, I can’t speak about Eddie’s business.”

The Daily News can exclusively reveal that Mnangagwa met with Errol Gregor, the chief executive officer of MOGS, on Monday to tie up the deal to start work on the second pipeline, with the project said to be worth $800 million.

The meeting was also attended by Joram Gumbo, the minister of Energy.

This has heightened tensions with Sakunda.

Recently, Gumbo clarified that Tagwirei’s Sakunda, through Trafigura, does not hold the sole and exclusive right to transport all petroleum products imported into Zimbabwe through the pipeline.

He also denied claims that Sakunda now controls the pump station at Feruka, the pipeline and ancillary assets from Feruka to Msasa, the pump station at Wilton near Marondera as well as the tank farm at Msasa.

“It’s a pipeline that is owned by a JV, a joint venture company, between the government of Zimbabwe and Mozambique CPMZ (Companhia Do Pipeline Mozambique). There is no problem about bringing in fuel into the country,” he said.

The 208-km long Harare-Feruka pipeline was owned and operated by Petrozim Line (Private) Limited — owned by National Oil Infrastructure of Zimbabwe (NOIC) and Lonmin, 50 percent each.

Lonmin Plc assumed the Lonrho shareholding.

In June this year, the South Africa-registered platinum group metals producer Lonmin announced it was disposing its 50 percent stake in Zimbabwe’s Petrozim for $14,8 million.

Lonmin — listed on both the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges — announced it was part of strategies to focus on core business.

“Lonmin … has … entered into a conditional sale of shares agreement to sell its 50 percent interest in Petrozim for a gross cash consideration of USD14 750 000 to the National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (Private) Limited,” the mining group said in a cautionary.

Subsequent to the disposal, Sakunda, through Trafigura, had reportedly rented the pipeline that has the capacity to deliver six million litres of fuel per day from Feruka to bonded warehouses in Msasa, Harare.

The pipeline delivers around 80 percent of the petrol and diesel requirements for the country.

-Daily News

HIGH Court Judge Justice David Mangota on Wednesday 31 October 2018 reserved judgment after presiding over the hearing and determination of an application filed by a relative of a shooting victim of the August 2018 violence, challenging the legality of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s executive decision to appoint the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the post-election violence including its composition.

Justice Mangota reserved ruling after hearing the urgent chamber application filed by Alison Charles, whose brother was shot and killed alongside six other civilians in post-election violence on 1 August 2018.

Charles and the Counselling Services Unit (CSU), who are represented by Advocate Eric Matinenga instructed by Chris Mhike of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, are challenging the legality of Mnangagwa’s executive decision to appoint the Commission of Inquiry, its composition and its terms of reference.

Charles and CSU, who are the applicants have cited President Mnangagwa, former South African leader Kgalema Motlanthe, who heads the Commission of Inquiry, the Commission of Inquiry, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Cain Mathema, Defence and War Veterans Minister Oppah Muchinguri, Commissioner-General of Zimbabwe Republic Police Godwin Matanga, Commander of Zimbabwe Defence Forces Philip Sibanda, Attorney General Prince Machaya, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Professor Charity Manyeruke, Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and National Peace and Reconciliation Commission as respondents.

Charles, lost a brother Gavin Dean on 1 August 2018 after he was shot dead by soldiers, who opened fire on ordinary citizens and opposition political party supporters in Harare during a post-election protest over the mismanagement of the 2018 harmonised elections.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is moving to consolidate his grip on the opposition party ahead of its elective congress early next year, which is expected to make or break his political future.

Insiders who spoke to NewsDay said Chamisa’s plan was to build a public swell of support around himself so that it becomes difficult for any potential challengers to get into the ring with him.

“Chamisa is drumming up support and raving his popularity both within and outside the structures of the party, mainly to create an intimidatory fence that will deter other members of the party from challenging him at congress,” a senior official in the opposition party said.

“He knows he can’t stop the elections at congress, so he wants to make it seem like he can’t be challenged.”

Chamisa will be going on a whirlwind tour in the coming week to galvanise party structures across the country ahead of planned street protests seeking to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“We are going to be organising ourselves internally, then we go to programmes that we want to do throughout the country from next week,” Chamisa said at the MDC 19th anniversary commemorations held in the capital at the weekend.

“I will be going to every area, where I will be setting out the plan, something big in this country, hold your cards on the intended march to State House.

When we do this, we want to have a clear plan on what date we start and to the day we end. We will not go back home until we achieve the intended plan.”

Youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa declared at the party’s 19th anniversary celebrations at Gwanzura Stadium that the party’s national executive was clear that Chamisa would remain leader of the MDC Alliance.

Chinoputsa said there was no need to change a winning team, saying it was time for the MDC family to endorse the leadership of Chamisa, claiming he polled 2,6 million votes in the July 30 presidential poll instead of the 2,1 million announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“The general position of the MDC (Alliance) is that our president Chamisa won the election, which was stolen by the junta government.

He got 2,6 million votes. Why would we want to change a winning team? We have to rally behind him and improve our brand,” he said.

Chamisa followed suit, saying: “Remain in the direction of the party, that direction is (late MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai left power in my hands.

I will leave power in the hands of another, going on that direction, doing the work, going forward. You can’t seek to wrest power from me before I even reach the desired goal.”

-Newsday

 

Correspondent|A Zimbabwean has been killed by a mob at a bus rank in Gaborone, Botswana. The mob descended on the Zimbabwean after he was caught pick pocketing.

The mob gave chase, assaulting the victim and by the time the police arrived at the scene, he was unconscious. The deceased was rushed to the hospital where he was later that day certified dead by a medical doctor.

Police are still investigating the murder of the 29-year-old Zimbabwean and have not made any arrests yet.

“We managed to locate the victim’s parents who managed to identify him and a post mortem has been carried out,” Borakanelo station commander, superintendent Amos Solomon told Mmegi.

“The victim’s family might have taken his body to process the burial proceedings because they were given two days to move him from Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) mortuary to a private mortuary last Wednesday.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Deputy Information Minister Energy Mutodi has been ejected from Parliament for Mutodi ejected for displaying a badge bearing Emmerson Mnangagwa’s face…more to follow…
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Correspondent|Harare City Council (HCC) officials who are accused of trying to steal humanitarian aid meant to stem Zimbabwe’s deadliest cholera outbreak in a decade are set to appear before a disciplinary committee.

The four, Philimon Rwafa a procurement and stores officer, Smart Mhuka a buyer, Tawanda Marange a cadex clerk and Tafadzwa Reza a buyer were accused of inflating prices of goods and services after Econet Wireless donated $10 million.

Econet founder and executive chairperson Strive Masiyiwa took to social media to blow the whistle on the alleged inflated prices.

After the billionaire voiced his concerns , HCC announced on its twitter page that it had suspended the four who were suspected of inflating prices for goods and services to be used in the fight against cholera.

In full council meeting minutes released yesterday, HCC resolved to bring the employees before the disciplinary committee for bypassing the internal audit process and to answer to charges of inflating prices for cholera relief items.

“The four employees mentioned in the Acting Audit Manager’s report appear before a disciplinary committee to answer charges of inflating cholera prices for items which resulted in council being exposed to a potential prejudice of US$30 951, US$81 114,50 ,US$38 801,50, and US$11 035 respectively.

“The employees mentioned should appear before a disciplinary committee for bypassing the internal audit process which verifies purchase orders and for not bench marking prices against manufacturer prices as per council resolution,” read part of the minutes.

Council also resolved to recover US$2 625 from Climbot Hardware.

“That council recovers US$2 625 from Climbot Hardware that was charged as Value Added Tax (VAT) on exempted goods,” further stated the contents of the minutes..

HCC also said the employees would be transferred to other departments.

“That the employees be transferred in the mean time to other sections of departments and their duties must not involve procurement.

“Buyers should stop contracting middle men as recorded in audit minutes dated February 2016 which state that prices should be bench marked against manufacturers/ main player or negotiable prices accordingly to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets,” council said.

Meanwhile, a quick search on some of the alleged looters social media handles shows that they have been living a flamboyant lifestyle as evidenced by the pictures posted on the pages.

M&T

Controversial Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity, Energy Mutodi was today ejected out of parliament for wearing a badge reflecting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

By Paul Nyathi|A civil society group by the name Citizen Manifesto has unveiled what it terms “THE CITIZNES’ CABINET”.

This is led by Briggs Bomba. The rest of the members are as follows:

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

 

Terrence Mawawa|Controversial MDC- T deputy president Obert Chaurura Gutu has applauded business tycoon Strive Masiyiwa’ s stance on the removal of sanctions imposed on Harare at the beginning of the new millennium.

“The political change in Zimbabwe is real,President Mnangagwa is sincere, sanctions must go, politicking must stop and let’s focus on rebuilding the country,” said Masiyiwa.

In augmenting Masiyiwa’s sentiments Gutu tweeted:”Now when a whole billionaire like Strive Masiyiwa calls for the removal of sanctions against Zimbabwe,iwe zvako Mupurwa…iwe

zvako Zuze… you still clamour that sanctions
shouldn’t be removed! Who does that?”

 

Terrence Mawawa|Professor Jonathan Moyo has accused business tycoon Strive Masiyiwa of deliberately turning his back on millions of suffering Zimbabweans in a bid to please Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ilk.

Masiyiwa claimed the new dispensation introduced new ideologies conducive for economic revival such that sanctions on Harare should be removed.

“In times like these it’s fundamental for everyone, including @StriveMasiyiwa , to listen to the people who live from hand to mouth
while enriching billionaires. So as a billionaire, Masiyiwa must put his mouth where his money

is. It’s the people, not billionaires, who come
first,” Moyo wrote on Twitter.

Analysts have pointed out that Masiyiwa’ s gambit is meant to spruce up his image in the eyes of the regime at the expense of suffering Zimbabweans.

Zanu PF Secretary for Youth league, Lewis Matutu has already declared his support for Emmerson Mnangagwa’s candidature in the 2023 elections, effectively closing the door on Constantino Chiwenga who is believed to be eyeing the hot seat.

Mathuthu who introduced Mnangagwa at the ongoing Youths League meeting in Harare chanted what he said is the party’s 2023 slogan which says, “2023 ED Pfee.”

Unconfirmed reports indicate that Chiwenga is pushing for Mnangagwa to go for one term and relinguish power but Mathuthu said his slogan was meant to warn those dreaming of taking over the party reigns before 2023.

The First Secretary of Zanu PF President Emmerson Mnangagwa is meeting provincial members of the youth league at the party’s headquarters in Harare today.

The youth league members are attending a National Assembly Meeting of the Youth League.

More details to follow…

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is moving to consolidate his grip on the opposition party ahead of its elective congress early next year, which is expected to make or break his political future.

Insiders who spoke to NewsDay said Chamisa’s plan was to build a public swell of support around himself so that it becomes difficult for any potential challengers to get into the ring with him.

“Chamisa is drumming up support and raving his popularity both within and outside the structures of the party, mainly to create an intimidatory fence that will deter other members of the party from challenging him at congress,” a senior official in the opposition party said.

“He knows he can’t stop the elections at congress, so he wants to make it seem like he can’t be challenged.”

Chamisa will be going on a whirlwind tour in the coming week to galvanise party structures across the country ahead of planned street protests seeking to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“We are going to be organising ourselves internally, then we go to programmes that we want to do throughout the country from next week,” Chamisa said at the MDC 19th anniversary commemorations held in the capital at the weekend.

“I will be going to every area, where I will be setting out the plan, something big in this country, hold your cards on the intended march to State House.

When we do this, we want to have a clear plan on what date we start and to the day we end. We will not go back home until we achieve the intended plan.”

Youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa declared at the party’s 19th anniversary celebrations at Gwanzura Stadium that the party’s national executive was clear that Chamisa would remain leader of the MDC Alliance.

Chinoputsa said there was no need to change a winning team, saying it was time for the MDC family to endorse the leadership of Chamisa, claiming he polled 2,6 million votes in the July 30 presidential poll instead of the 2,1 million announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“The general position of the MDC (Alliance) is that our president Chamisa won the election, which was stolen by the junta government.

He got 2,6 million votes. Why would we want to change a winning team? We have to rally behind him and improve our brand,” he said.

Chamisa followed suit, saying: “Remain in the direction of the party, that direction is (late MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai left power in my hands.

I will leave power in the hands of another, going on that direction, doing the work, going forward. You can’t seek to wrest power from me before I even reach the desired goal.”

-Newsday

 

MDC Alliance has given Bulawayo deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami a seven-day ultimatum to step down from his position or face expulsion for defying a party directive on the election of the deputy mayor.

This followed recent protests by activists and some pressure groups calling for Kambarami’s recall as deputy mayor, arguing that he was not Bulawayo-born.

Another MDC Alliance councillor Batirai Dube faces the same fate.

Dube was in the eye of the storm recently when he refused to take oath in English during the swearing in of incoming Bulawayo councillors at the council chambers.

In a letter dated October 29, 2018, Bulawayo province secretary, Sibusisiwe Adams, informed Kambarami that he had been directed to step down from his position within seven days, failure of which he would be expelled from the party.

“In pursuant to the letter addressed to us by the national secretary for Local Government. We hereby inform you that you are instructed to step down from the position of deputy mayor of Bulawayo Municipality within 7 days of receipt of this letter. Failure to comply within the stipulated period shall result in your expulsion from the party and also recall from the council,” read the letter in part.

The letter was also copied to Local Governance and Devolution secretary Sesel Zvidzai, Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni and provincial secretary for Local Government, O Ncube.

On October 9, 2018, Zvidzai wrote a letter to Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Gift Banda, directing him to implement the party’s position.

“Following the election of Cllr Tinashe Kambarami as the deputy mayor of Bulawayo against the party recommended candidate, Cllr Mlandu (Ncube), subsequently, Councillor Kambarami was summoned three (times) to the head office and he failed to avail himself,” the letter read in part.

Zvidzai said a decision was made for Kambarami to withdraw from the position of deputy mayor and remain an ordinary councillor.

“Failure to which, the party was to expel him and recall him from council. Similar cases of defiance elsewhere were dealt with by the party in the same way. You are aware that the member concerned falls within your area of control, thus we kindly invite you to put the due process in motion,” the letter reads.

Kambarami refused to comment when Southern Eye contacted him.

-Newsday

 

Zimbabwe’s cash- strapped government is splashing close to $11 million on school fees for war veterans’ children.

This comes as government is failing to adequately fund the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) initiative, meant to assist orphaned and vulnerable children, those living with disabilities or in foster care under poor parents, street children, or children with chronically ill guardians or in child-headed households with their school fees.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube said the money paid to war veterans’ children was contributing towards the country’s ballooning budget deficit, which is expected to reach $2,3 billion by the end of 2018. “This has far reaching consequences in the economy in terms of government crowding out private sector lending.

Additionally, continued payment of government obligations through an overdraft will also worsen the liquidity challenges in the economy,” he said in his 2019 pre-budget statement released last week. According to official government figures, treasury pays over $6,4 million every term in school fees for 22 000 children of war veterans, while Beam that caters for over 200 000 students is not being funded.

University of Zimbabwe political analyst Eldered Masunungure said the move to pay school fees for war veterans’ children was a cheap political game as they are lot of disadvantaged children in the country who lack access to basic education.

“Beam has not been funded for years now but it’s a facility that caters for the underprivileged children and schools are suffering. When a segment of population is being given favourable treatment, then it raises suspicions of political interests,” he said.

Masunungure noted that the Zanu PF led government wants to draw political advantages from such actions, adding that the move is not meant to advance the welfare of war veterans children but is merely politically motivated.

“The war veterans’ children are lucky that they are being privileged but it’s a drop in the ocean in relation to the needs of all the children at a national level, particularly those schools that have been catering for Beam-funded nutrition.

“You cannot segment people with similar needs differently,” he said.

National director of the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children Taylor Nyanhete said government should lobby enough resources for children under Beam.

He, however, said the government also has an obligation to pay for the war veterans children.

“The paying of school fees for war veterans’ children is in the War Veterans Act, so they have to pay,” he said.

-Daily News

Jane Mlambo| Government has changed its mind on the complete dualisation of Beitbridge- Chirundu highway after a feasibility study pointed to non-viability of the planned developments.

Posting on Twitter, Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said the new plan will be to widen the road and dualise every 10 kilometres into cities.

Feasibility studies have indicated that the complete dualisation of the Highway is not viable because traffic volumes are not sufficient for the project to recoup it's costs. The entire Highway would require 6k vehicles daily, paying tolls fees at each of the 7 tollgates #TSP pic.twitter.com/qBxr1SLvc6

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) October 31, 2018

Presently, traffic on the Beitbridge-Masvingo-Harare Highway is about 2 600 vehicles per day while on the Harare-Chirundu Highway it's 1040 vehicles per day. In light of this, the best course of action is to widen most parts of the road #TSP #Vision2030 pic.twitter.com/cBPQul6Nwm

— Ministry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting (@InfoMinZW) October 31, 2018

Jane Mlambo| In the ongoing High Court hearing on the legality of the President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s instituted Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 army shootings, the applicant Allison Charles has told the judges that the whole process is not to bring truth but confirmation the Zanu PF leader’s earlier remarks blaming the opposition for the fracas.

He questioned the decision by Mnangagwa to set terms of reference for the commission when he had nothing to lose by leaving it open.

“Mnangagwa already made a decision that the opposition is responsible for the violence. this already reflects a conflicted position. … this could only be done first by making sure that this (commission) passes through cabinet,” argued Charles.

Refresh for more details…

Jane Mlambo| High Court is currently hearing an application to declare the Kgalema Mothlante led Commission of Inquiry into the August 1 army shootings that resulted in the death of six innocent civilians illegal.

The applicant has told the court that the absence of a cabinet when the Commission was instituted makes the whole process illegal.

“There was no cabinet hence appointment of the Commission is illegal. The Constitution says President has executive powers and he/she exercises executive authority in terms of the constitution.

“There was no cabinet at the time the proclamation was made once, it is accepted that there was no cabinet it must also fall into place that the proclamation is out of place,” said the applicant Allison Charles.

 

Government has deregulated the importation of fuel and reports of the existence of a monopoly or cartel are baseless, Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo has said.

He said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) was making proportionate allocations of foreign currency to fuel companies based on the number of their service stations and reports of preferential treatment were not true.

Dr Gumbo said this on Monday evening during an interview on Star FM. He was responding to claims that there was a fuel monopoly controlled by Sakunda Holdings, which some quarters alleged was getting the lion’s share of hard currency.

“Let me give you the Government position and not speculation. The truth of the matter is that what I found at the ministry is that there is no fuel monopoly whatsoever. Government deregulated the importation of fuel in 2012, so it is open for anybody.

“Over 50 companies or entities did register to bring in fuel so that tells you that there is no monopoly. If the monopoly means bigger players are bringing in more fuel than smaller players then I do not know how to answer that,” said Dr Gumbo.

“If you look at the companies that bring in fuel, let me give you an example of say Total or Puma you will see that they have a lot of service stations with their emblem, so the number of service stations that they are able to supply fuel with translates to the money or foreign exchange that they will be given in order to feed those service stations.

“But if you are a person or company that has got only one outlet then you are given what is enough for your outlet. So that is the politics that is there. It is no that somebody is being segregated for any other reason.”

Dr Gumbo’s remarks come as the fuel situation has improved significantly with Sakunda Holdings and its partners providing Government with 100 million litres of fuel, which will only be paid for after 12 months.

Government and Sakunda are also finalising a deal that will see the latter supplying the country with 1,6 billion litres of fuel that would ensure adequate fuel supplies over the next 18 months.

Independent Petroleum Group (IPG), Glencore, Engen and Total have also chipped in and are working on various structures with the Government.

Dr Gumbo dismissed claims that Sakunda Holdings controlled the Beira-Feruka oil pipeline, which was supplying most of Zimbabwe’s fuel.

He said Government had no problem with establishing a second pipeline to make Zimbabwe a hub for fuel supply to the region.

“I am aware as the responsible minister that the pipeline from Beira to Feruka has nothing to do with Sakunda. It is a pipeline that is owned by a joint venture between the Government of Zimbabwe and Mozambique and it ends there,” said Dr Gumbo.

“The question of the second pipeline does not apply today. The point about a second pipeline will apply in future and I have a plan for that. I would want to make Zimbabwe a hub for distributing fuel in the region, Botswana, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the existing pipeline is not being used to full capacity. There is still underutilisation of that pipeline.”

He reiterated that the fuel shortage experienced recently was because of foreign exchange shortages.

“First of all you must know the causes of the fuel shortage. The economy is improving, so as it is improving it means you must have more of fuel in the country,” said Dr Gumbo.

-State Media

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is moving to consolidate his grip on the opposition party ahead of its elective congress early next year, which is expected to make or break his political future.

Insiders who spoke to NewsDay said Chamisa’s plan was to build a public swell of support around himself so that it becomes difficult for any potential challengers to get into the ring with him.

“Chamisa is drumming up support and raving his popularity both within and outside the structures of the party, mainly to create an intimidatory fence that will deter other members of the party from challenging him at congress,” a senior official in the opposition party said.

“He knows he can’t stop the elections at congress, so he wants to make it seem like he can’t be challenged.”

Chamisa will be going on a whirlwind tour in the coming week to galvanise party structures across the country ahead of planned street protests seeking to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“We are going to be organising ourselves internally, then we go to programmes that we want to do throughout the country from next week,” Chamisa said at the MDC 19th anniversary commemorations held in the capital at the weekend.

“I will be going to every area, where I will be setting out the plan, something big in this country, hold your cards on the intended march to State House.

When we do this, we want to have a clear plan on what date we start and to the day we end. We will not go back home until we achieve the intended plan.”

Youth assembly secretary-general Lovemore Chinoputsa declared at the party’s 19th anniversary celebrations at Gwanzura Stadium that the party’s national executive was clear that Chamisa would remain leader of the MDC Alliance.

Chinoputsa said there was no need to change a winning team, saying it was time for the MDC family to endorse the leadership of Chamisa, claiming he polled 2,6 million votes in the July 30 presidential poll instead of the 2,1 million announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

“The general position of the MDC (Alliance) is that our president Chamisa won the election, which was stolen by the junta government.

He got 2,6 million votes. Why would we want to change a winning team? We have to rally behind him and improve our brand,” he said.

Chamisa followed suit, saying: “Remain in the direction of the party, that direction is (late MDC leader Morgan) Tsvangirai left power in my hands.

I will leave power in the hands of another, going on that direction, doing the work, going forward. You can’t seek to wrest power from me before I even reach the desired goal.”

-Newsday

 

MDC Alliance has given Bulawayo deputy mayor Tinashe Kambarami a seven-day ultimatum to step down from his position or face expulsion for defying a party directive on the election of the deputy mayor.

This followed recent protests by activists and some pressure groups calling for Kambarami’s recall as deputy mayor, arguing that he was not Bulawayo-born.

Another MDC Alliance councillor Batirai Dube faces the same fate.

Dube was in the eye of the storm recently when he refused to take oath in English during the swearing in of incoming Bulawayo councillors at the council chambers.

In a letter dated October 29, 2018, Bulawayo province secretary, Sibusisiwe Adams, informed Kambarami that he had been directed to step down from his position within seven days, failure of which he would be expelled from the party.

“In pursuant to the letter addressed to us by the national secretary for Local Government. We hereby inform you that you are instructed to step down from the position of deputy mayor of Bulawayo Municipality within 7 days of receipt of this letter. Failure to comply within the stipulated period shall result in your expulsion from the party and also recall from the council,” read the letter in part.

The letter was also copied to Local Governance and Devolution secretary Sesel Zvidzai, Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni and provincial secretary for Local Government, O Ncube.

On October 9, 2018, Zvidzai wrote a letter to Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Gift Banda, directing him to implement the party’s position.

“Following the election of Cllr Tinashe Kambarami as the deputy mayor of Bulawayo against the party recommended candidate, Cllr Mlandu (Ncube), subsequently, Councillor Kambarami was summoned three (times) to the head office and he failed to avail himself,” the letter read in part.

Zvidzai said a decision was made for Kambarami to withdraw from the position of deputy mayor and remain an ordinary councillor.

“Failure to which, the party was to expel him and recall him from council. Similar cases of defiance elsewhere were dealt with by the party in the same way. You are aware that the member concerned falls within your area of control, thus we kindly invite you to put the due process in motion,” the letter reads.

Kambarami refused to comment when Southern Eye contacted him.

-Newsday

 

Two artisanal miners in Nyakapupu, Guruve under chief Bepura have been arrested on allegations of murdering a colleague they accused of stealing $100.

Gold panners Brian Kamhuka (34) and Anorld Nhemachena (20) allegedly stripped and detained Lawrence Jeremiah overnight while beating him with sticks until he died. Mashonaland Central acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati confirmed the incident which he said was under investigation.

“We are investigating a murder case that occurred on 22 October around 4am at Mapeta Hills, Nyakapupu Guruve involving illegal gold miners. We arrested two suspects in connection with that case. They are assisting police with investigations,” Masikati said.

A friend Tafadzwa Taunaruso, discovered Jeremiah’s body the following day and reported the matter to the police.

-Newsday

 

MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe has called on the MDC Alliance to acknowledge President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the July 30 presidential election to allow the country to move forward.

“In any election, there is only one winner. Once there is a winner, we must rally behind those that would have won, put our ideas together and move this country forward. We cannot be talking about the just ended elections forever,” Khupe, a losing presidential hopeful, said.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa disputes Mnangagwa’s victory, citing vote fraud and has refused to accept a Constitutional Court ruling that upheld the win.

Khupe said Zimbabwe “cannot be in election mode forever.”

“It should not be just about power, but all Zimbabweans who want a better life but if we pull in different directions, it is not going to help any of us. The people who will suffer are our followers, let us talk about the future. We would want a situation where there can be a platform where we as opposition can put ideas on how to solve the problems the country faces. That must be our preoccupation.”

MDC Alliance Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Felix Magalela Mafa-Sibanda, however, dismissed Khupe’s comments as offside, before accusing the former deputy Prime Minister of being a Zanu PF decoy.

“As the MDC, we are not keen to criticise other progressive opposition parties. We feel Khupe must just join hands with Zanu PF since she’s the one who acknowledges that Mnangagwa won the elections. We see her as a Zanu PF surrogate,” Mafa-Sibanda said.

-Newsday

 

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy from Jambezi in Hwange district has been charged with five counts of attempted murder after he set on fire a hut where his two grandmothers and three siblings were sleeping as punishment for not leaving him supper.

The boy, who is in Form Three at a local school, committed the offence after he returned home at night and found that his grandmother had not left him food.

In a fit of anger, the court heard, the boy used a piece of wire to tie the door before setting on fire a bedroom hut where his 86-year-old great grandmother Mrs Grace Hadebe, grandmother Ms Judith Hadebe (60), and three minor siblings aged between six and nine were sleeping.

The juvenile pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted murder when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere who presided over the case on behalf of resident regional magistrate Mr Collet Ncube who is on leave.

The boy was however, lucky to escape a custodial sentence after the court considered that he is a juvenile and is legally protected from jail life in line with the African Charter on children’s rights.

As such sentencing was postponed for five years as the court noted that a suspended sentence would be harsh on him. The juvenile boy will also be taken for counseling to reform him.

His lawyer Ms Joyline Change had pleaded for the court’s mercy saying the juvenile was doing well at school and any form of sentence would have transformed him into a criminal.

The lawyer said the boy grew up without a father as he was raised by his mother hence he acted out of emotion when he found that his grandmother had not left food for him. “He wasn’t thinking straight at that time and a suspended sentence will be harsh on him,” said Ms Change.

The boy concurred with his lawyer saying he acted out of anger. Prosecuting, Mrs Charline Murove-Gorerino said the juvenile committed a serious offence by attempting to kill his five relatives. “On January 29 the boy left home at around 11AM going to Chikandakubi about 5km away to get school notes from his classmates. He returned at 9PM when everyone was asleep and found that there was no food left for him.

“The accused went to the bedroom hut where his great grandmother, grandmother and three siblings were sleeping and used a wire to fasten the door before setting the hut on fire,” said Mrs Murove-Gorerino.

She said the boy’s grandmother was awakened by the smell of smoke. The grandmother discovered that the hut was on fire and woke the others before breaking down the door.

State Media

Government’s wage bill is seen growing by 16% this year to $3,7 billion, rising to $3,9 billion next year and pushing the budget deficit to nearly 14% of the gross domestic product (GDP), government projections show.

Zimbabwe already spends 80% of its budget on salaries for government workers, who received a raise of 17,5% from July, adding a further $500 million to the wage bill this year, from an original projection of $3,2 billion.

“While we had estimated employment costs for 2018 at around $3,2 billion, the projected out-turn indicates a total expenditure of employment cost of $3,7 billion. We expect gradual increases in 2019 to about $3,9 billion. The budget deficit out-turn is expected at 11,1%, a double digit budget deficit is not sustainable,” Finance permanent secretary George Guvamatanga told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development concerning the bids and priorities for the 2019 National Budget in Harare on Monday.

“I think there are economic models that have clearly indicated that the moment you start to run to the 14% or 15% as your budget deficit, you start to invite hyperinflation into the economy. That is why … the budget framework for 2019 looks at fiscal consolidation, expanding the revenues collection, but with a much more tighter expenditure control.”

Government expects to cut the 2019 wage bill by $200 million, which is seen lowering the budget deficit.

“But it is important to also highlight that two weeks ago, we did rebase our economy,” Guvamatanga said.

The Parliament Budget Office (PBO) said in a report released in September this year that the budget deficit could reach a “record-breaking” $3 billion due to rising employment costs and that it expects the deficit at 11,6% of GDP.

Since the country dollarised in 2009, public expenditures have remained skewed towards recurrent spending.
The Budget, Finance and Economic Development parliamentary committee chairperson Francis Mona said the budget deficit was quite unacceptable.

“The numbers you and the minister (Finance minister Mthuli Ncube) presented, are you going to manage that culture of overspending without seeking condonation from Parliament? Because, you have seen that the budget deficit you talked of, which is quite unacceptable, and yet the ministry has never approached Parliament,” he said.

“So, I am saying concerning the three arms of the State, is it the other arm becoming bigger than the other arm? I wonder how you are going to address this issue given the culture of overspending.”

The committee concluded that starting next year, Treasury would have to make quarterly reports to the committee and seek approval for any additional expenditure not budgeted.

-Newsday

 

Own Correspondent|ZANU PF Member of Parliament for Chegutu West Dexter Nduna has called for Parliament to put in place laws that criminalize the calling of sanctions.

Nduna lost the parliamentary election to MDC Alliance candidate Gift Konjana but mysteriously found himself back in parliament following a mathematical error by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and a similar technical error by Konjana’s lawyers at the appeal court.

Nduna said any citizen who calls for sanctions should be sentenced to death by a firing squad. Nduna was making a contribution to a report that was presented by Kindness Paradza who attended a workshop to review progress by Member States on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 of 2004 calling for the total ban, in warfare, of all forms of Weapons of Mass Destruction including Biological and Chemical weapons.

Said Nduna: “I therefore, call upon the powers of this nation and Parliament of Zimbabwe to ratify a motion that says anybody who calls upon any nation to impose sanctions on this country, so that we are unable or impeded in our quest to ratify some of these very genuine protocols that are going to make sure there is complete eradication of weapons of both mass destruction and dangerous chemical weapons, anybody that calls on unilateral or otherwise sanctions who is a citizen of Zimbabwe calls on sanctions on Zimbabwe.

“I call as we speak about the removal of death sentence, that person should be sentenced to death by a firing squad.”

Self-styled prophet Gathry Chiredzero, better known as Madzibaba Gathry, has been jailed for 12-and-a-half years for masquerading as a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative and stalking President Mnangagwa for unknown reasons while armed with a gun.

Chiredzero (40), who went near the podium with a loaded gun while the President was speaking during the renaming of King George VI Barracks to Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks, was found guilty of possessing offensive weapons at public gatherings, forgery, impersonating a public official, possession of articles for criminal use and driving without a valid licence by Harare magistrate Ms Esteri Chivasa.

Ms Chivasa initially sentenced him to 16 years in prison before she suspended three-and-a-half years on condition that he does not commit similar offences within the next five years.

She said that there was overwhelming evidence against Chiredzero on all counts and the fake articles that he possessed proved that he intentionally had them for criminal use.

Ms Chivasa also said that Chiredzero had proffered no explanation for the fake documents that were in his possession and the reason he was at the event pretending to be carrying out presidential security duties.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that on December 4, Chiredzero was spotted at the swearing-in ceremony of Cabinet ministers at State House.

It is alleged that he was near the podium, controlling the movement of people while masquerading as a security agent.

It was later established that he had produced a fake CIO identity card at the security checkpoint to gain entry into State House.

It is alleged that on December 6, he also attended a ceremony for renaming King George VI Barracks to Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks.

Both programmes were officiated by President Mnangagwa and were attended by senior Government officials, service chiefs and Zimbabwe National Army commanders, among others.

The court heard that Chiredzero was in the company of two unidentified men and were travelling in a blue BMW X5 (registration number ADI 3317).

It is alleged that upon arrival at the barracks, he approached the Zimbabwe Defence Intelligence personnel manning the main gate and identified himself and his accomplices as CIO Close Security Unit officers deployed to beef up the President’s security.

Chiredzero produced a fake CIO identity card bearing his names and as a result they were allowed entry into the barracks.- state media

A Harare man is claiming $96 588 from his late brother’s estate to recover expenses he reportedly incurred while looking after his sibling during his long illness.

Mr Paul Simango claims he took care of his brother during a period that stretched from 2010 to January this year and incurred medical expenses.

He is claiming $9 600 for the food that he provided to the now deceased brother for the eight-year period plus airtime to the tune of $960.

Mr Simango is claiming funeral expenses to the tune of $11 400. In a court claim filed at the High Court by TK Hove & Partners, Mr Simango said his brother’s widow was staying in America when he incurred expenses related to the illness.

When Mr Simango’s brother, Nathan, died on January 29 this year, the estate was registered with the Master of High Court. Efforts by Mr Simango to recover the debt from the estate were fruitless, prompting him to approach the High Court.

Top Harare lawyer and executor to the estate Mr Lloyd Mhishi rejected Mr Simango’s demands. In summons filed at the High Court, Mr Mhishi was cited as a defendant in his capacity as the executor dative.

According to the plaintiff’s declaration, Mr Simango stated that the surviving spouse never contributed towards the medication and upkeep of his late brother during the stated period of illness.

“Sometime in February 2010, I started looking after the late Nathan Simango who was ill when the late Nathan’s wife left him in Zimbabwe having returned with him from America.

“Plaintiff was exclusively and solely responsible for looking after the late Nathan Simango with no assistance from the wife or anyone else,” he said.

Mr Simango said he had entered an agreement with his late brother stating that in the event of his recovery from illness, he would be reimbursed his money.

In the event of death, Mr Simango said the agreement was that he would claim the expenses from the estate.

“It was mutually agreed between plaintiff and the late Nathan Simango that plaintiff will be refunded and reimbursed all the monies that he would have spent looking after the late brother in the event of the he recovered from his illness.

“In the event of death, plaintiff would claim the money from the deceased’s estate,” reads the declaration.

The list of expenses attached to the summons shows that Mr Simango spent $28 800 on a nurse aide plus medical bills amounting to $9 970.

He claims to have paid $3 200 for physiotherapy, $12 480 for diapers, $9 600 for food and $300 for the purchase of a wheelchair. Mr Simango claims $4 800 he paid for the physician’s visits (thrice annually) and $1 440 for the general practitioners’ services.

He claims to have paid $814 to Trinity Pharmacy, $1 468 to Trauma Centre in Borrowdale, $915 to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, $315 to St Michael’s Clinic, $600 for washing machine and $500 for the purchase of a drying machine among others.

The $11 400 spent at the funeral included the purchase of a grave at Glen Forest Memorial Park, food and general expenses, fuel, hiring of tents, chairs and toilets and others.

The executor is yet to respond to the claim. – state media

At a time when government has fallen under notorious cartels, and parastatal board members have gone from rich to richer, some getting to the point of even building private schools for themselves, the Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira has as of yesterday created new Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and Allied Timbers boards.

The state media reports saying this is because of the expiry of the term of office of the previous board of Allied Timbers while ZimParks was being run by an Oppah Muchinguri-cherrypicked interim board.

The report says the ZimParks board will be chaired by Justice Moses Chinhengo who also served in the same capacity in the previous board.

Other members are Ms Tandiwe Nkomo, Mr Ashton Murwira, Ms Teresa Murumbi, Mr Charles Mutisi, Mr Never Nyemudzo, Ms Beatrice Tonhodzayi and Mr Tanyaradzwa Mundoga.

Minister Mupfumira told the board members that they had the responsibility to conserve Zimbabwe’s wildlife in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to the environment, as well as to the current and future generations.

“It is common cause that Parks estates border communities and you are expected to ensure protection of wildlife, at the same time exercising sensitivity to such communities,” she said.

The Allied Timbers board will be chaired by Mr Chris Amira.

Other members include Dr Perpetua Gumbo, Mr Simba Kanzou, Ms Phillipa Philips, Mr Tafadzwa Mahachi, Ms Tracey Mutaviri and Mr Albert Mandizha.

“I expect the board to steer Allied Timbers towards the development of a vibrant business plan that will transform it into a viable company, within 12 months,” said Minister Mupfumira.

She also announced additional members to the boards of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and Forestry Commission.

“The following will join the Forestry Commission board; Ms Veronica Gundu-Jakarasi, Mr Douglas Runyowa, Ms Shelly Ann Cox and Ms Rudo C. Mudenda.

“The additional members for the EMA board will be Ms Cecilia Paradza, Mr Leon Muoni, Mr Christopher Chitindi, Mr Edward Samuriwo and Ms Molly Mayahle,” she said.

Minister Mupfumira urged the boards to work hard.

“I implore all our boards to live up to their tasks. The road may not seem smooth, but I am confident that, if we work in close cooperation, we can collectively deliver and contribute to the development of the economy.”

“May I also reiterate the vision of the Second Republic to open up our economy to investors, hence our mantra; ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business’!

“It is my hope that you will embrace our President’s vision with an open mind and ensure that the ease of doing business principles are effected,” she said.