FUEL consumption in the country has gone up by 100 percent in recent months, the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Dr Joram Gumbo, said yesterday.

In an interview, Dr Gumbo said the new dispensation had brought about business confidence which has seen a surge in demand for fuel.

He said Zimbabweans have also imported thousands of vehicles leading to a sharp demand for petrol and diesel.

The minister said everyday, scores of imported cars are being cleared at the country’s borders, leading to an increase in fuel demand.

Dr Gumbo said some elements were also hoarding fuel for speculative purposes.

“The country has in the past months witnessed a surge in fuel usage. The country is at the moment consuming 4 million litres of diesel up from 2,5 million litres a week while 3 million litres of petrol is being pumped, up from 1,5million litres per week.

This high demand we believe is due to the increase in people doing business in the country due to the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra set by the new dispensation,” he said.

“At the same time the volume of vehicles in the country has increased to unprecedented levels. Everyday several vehicles are cleared to enter the country at our borders and they also add to the rise in demand for fuel. We can’t also rule out a few unscrupulous people hoarding fuel for speculative purposes.”

Dr Gumbo’s comments come at a time of long fuel queues.

Some motorists are now resorting to the black market where the commodity is sold at a higher price with some dealers demanding payment in foreign currency.

Dr Gumbo said fuel shortages will be a thing of the past soon.

He said owing to the increase in demand for fuel on the market, the RBZ’s weekly allocation to petroleum companies for procurement of the commodity will increase to about $35 million per week.
The Government was previously allocating $20 million for fuel every week.

“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is going to be providing between $32 million and $35 million per week to fuel companies in order to satisfy the market,” Dr Gumbo said.
He ruled out a hike in the price of fuel in the near future.

-State Media

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube will this week meet with the country’s State security agents for a briefing on the soaring foreign currency shortages as government tightens the noose on highly-placed forex dealers believed to have “captured” the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and are willy-nilly pushing up the parallel market exchange rate.

Ncube’s spokesperson William Mutumanje, popularly known as Acie Lumumba, yesterday confirmed that his boss would meet with the securocrats this week amid indications that the Financial Intelligence Unit, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police would be roped in to play a key role in sniffing out the “economic saboteurs”.

Mutumanje told NewsDay that it has since been established that top RBZ officials were fuelling the mess on the
market and would soon be placed under surveillance.

“The minister is receiving briefs, yes, and will meet them (security sector) this week.

The minister is committed to arresting the situation and the security agencies have narrowed down the source of the criminal activities. It’s clear we have dirty hands collaborating with government officials and it’s only a matter of time now before government shuts down the aggressive influence of the black market and clean up errant government complicity,” he said.

He added that the level at which RBZ had been “captured” by the suspected saboteurs required the intervention of the security sector, as Ncube would not be able to execute the job alone.

“There are directors at RBZ, especially, who are holding industry captive. The corruption at director level of the RBZ is pure poison and there is no single business that doesn’t know that the directors are out of control.

RBZ has been captured and the governor will need security sector support to clean that up,” he said.

Mutumanje said Ncube would release a statement over the crisis later.

The government dragnet is also reportedly targeting top politicians working in cahoots with officials at the central bank
The move comes as new taxes gazetted by government, uncontrollable price escalations and fuel shortages had all coalesced to create a sense of anger and despondency among citizens, who believe they are being punished for government’s unjustified profligacy.

Since the July 30 harmonised elections, the economy has taken a nosedive, with critics questioning President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ability to deal with the crisis.

Already, some retailers have either closed shop or hiked prices of most goods, while others have resorted to a multi-tier pricing system to stay afloat.

Mnangagwa last week claimed that the crisis was being triggered by an intricate network of currency speculators, mostly in high places, and tasked Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to urgently craft tough policies and penalties targeted at illegal foreign currency dealers.

However, the opposition and political analysts said the move by Mnangagwa to come up with tough measures to deal with the crisis were unlikely to pay dividends.
Economist Eddie Cross said the move would unlikely produce intended results.

“The fundamental problem is that we have created opportunities for money vultures and we need to correct the policy environment and the only way to do it is to liberalise as (former Finance minister Patrick) Chinamasa did in 2009,” Cross said, adding that at the moment, the artificial rates would be difficult to deal with.
Political analyst Dewa Mavhinga said there was need for the government to now walk the talk, as Zimbabweans were fast losing confidence in the system.

“Currency manipulators are linked closely to those in power. Most are mere runners for the political elite. Mnangagwa should just act and not make promises that will remain unfulfilled,” he said.

Another analyst, Rejoice Ngwenya, questioned the sincerity of the government in dealing with the crisis.

“In the first place, there are laws already to deal with the issue. First, there is no such thing as foreign currency in Zimbabwe because multi-currencies are legal since 2009. Secondly, the Banking Act controls who buys and sells money, registered finance institutions, not street vendors,” he said.

MDC’s Tapiwa Mashakada said the State was the culprit in the crisis.

“The culprit is the State itself. Who is supplying brand new bond notes to currency dealers on the streets of Harare? Why are these dealers not arrested and why is government keen on keeping the bond note in circulation? These issues cannot be addressed by legislation, but by policy,” he said.

Another political analyst, Richard Mahomva, said the matter needed commitment from all stakeholders to succeed.

“There is need for absolute bureaucratic commitment to dealing with this matter other than having to compel an entire President to intervene over what financial administrators could have handled. Did we have to wait for this crisis to escalate, yet in this age of digital banking, we could easily trace the source of illicit financial flows?” he asked.

However, MDC-T vice-president Obert Gutu said there was need to clamp down on illegal parallel money market dealings.
He said Mnangagwa had to be tough to save the economy from total collapse at the hands of unscrupulous currency manipulators, citing Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s effective and successful stance against corruption in the East African country.

Gutu said people must not hide behind human rights mantra.

“Do people eat human rights laws written in a statute book somewhere? People eat food and not some fancy Western-styled model of human rights. Mnangagwa has to get at these thieves and deal them a sucker punch. This is not time for playing around,” he said.

“The majority of Zimbabweans are suffering as a direct result of these selfish and corrupt currency manipulators.

These people deserve absolutely no mercy.

Let them cry out and allege that their so-called human rights are being trampled upon, but then who cares as long as the living conditions of the majority of Zimbabweans are going to be improved?”

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga weighed in, saying those seeking to profiteer from the current economic situation by arbitrarily increasing prices of basic goods would be dealt with.

“I want to make this clear. There are those who think they have an opportunity, they are wasting their time,” he told a family function at his rural home in Wedza yesterday.

“We are solving that, and they will be ashamed. We do not want people to take this nation for granted. It came after bloodshed. It is pointless to note that my pocket is full yet others have nothing. It is pointless that others are in poverty, while you are full. So we will build the nation all of us so that we have a Zimbabwe that we all want.”

Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s bid to get the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) hear his bid to overturn President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s slim election victory has apparently died.

Following the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s declaration of Mnangagwa as winner of the July 30 presidential election with a 50,67% margin, Chamisa, who came a close second with 44,3% of the vote, approached the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) arguing he had been defrauded of victory by collusion between Zec and the ruling Zanu PF party.

But the ConCourt on August 24, after a full hearing, dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked evidence, forcing Chamisa to escalate his fight to the continental body.

Highly-placed sources within the MDC Alliance this week claimed the move to approach the ACHPR was a “publicity stunt”.
“It was nothing beyond public posturing. It was a publicity stunt that has never been followed. In all meetings that we have had since then, this issue has never been raised. Nobody, not even the president, has brought it up for discussion,” NewsDay heard.

But Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said such issues take long.

“The matter has not been set down for hearing. We are yet to hear from the ACHPR. Such cases take long and really we had no basis to request that it be heard on an urgent basis,” Sibanda said.

-Newsday

The era of fake prophets who hide behind the name of God to attack the national leadership and extort money from the public has ended, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

He said people should now unite and work towards a Zimbabwe desired by all citizens.

Vice-President Chiwenga made these remarks while addressing thousands of Christians who came to pray with him at his rural homestead in Hwedza following his discharge from hospital where he was receiving thorough medical attention after he was affected by the White City bombing incident.

The Christian community that came to pray with the VP was led by the Roman Catholic Church.

After the White City bombing incident in June, VP Chiwenga could not receive thorough medical attention at the time as he soldiered on to complete the Zanu-PF campaign trail.

In his usual jovial mood, VP Chiwenga attended a church service and interacted with Zanu-PF members who also came to see him for the first time after his return from South Africa last week before he delivered a speech that lasted more than 30 minutes.

“There are others who are now calling themselves prophets,” said VP Chiwenga.

“Aripo uyo anonzi ani, Talent (Muzuva). That should come to an end today. Zvatoperera pano. We don’t have that culture where one moves around attacking leaders under the guise of preaching the word of God. God does not say move around attacking other people.

“We want people to go to church and pray to God. This habit of using the name of the church to extort money is not good. How can you say that on the one hand you are practising Satanism and on the other you say you are a prophet, what kind of a prophecy is that? It’s not good and we don’t want that.

“Tiri kutaura ini madziChiwenga kuno uku.

Tiri kutaura padzinza. Vamwewo vakateerera kuti kuno ndokwazviri. Isu tinorova. So that should end and work towards building the Zimbabwe we want. The Zimbabwe we want is the one we explained that it is endowed with vast minerals. God has blessed us with good soil and we should utilise it to develop our country.

“We are all Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country and no one is superior to the other. Ndozvatakaita musi wa20 November 2017 kuti tinoda kusiya nhaka yekuti vana nevana vazoziva kwete kana inini ndagara zvangu chete ndizvo zvinofanira kufamba. Iwewe sani?”
VP Chiwenga called for unity of purpose among Zimbabweans.

He said there were some who wanted to exploit the current economic challenges for political ends but they would not succeed.
“Chikuru kugadzirisa nyaya yehupfumi hwenyika yedu inova vamwe vakufunga kuti zvavo zvaita,” said VP Chiwenga.

“Aihwa hapana chaita. Apa tinoda kutauririrana zvakanaka kuti tisaridze ngoma nedemo togara pfumo. Hazviitwe. Ino nyika tichavaka nenzira inogutsa munhu wese. We are going to rebuild this country together to have a Zimbabwe that we all desire. That is what we are working on.

“We don’t want people to play games with this country. Several people lost their lives to liberate this country. It does not make sense for one person to accumulate wealth while others are suffering. Where will you enjoy that wealth from? What we want is unity to build the Zimbabwe we want.”

Among high-ranking officials who attended the church service were Ministers Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement), Joel Biggie Matiza (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Apollonia Munzverengi (Minister of State for Mashonaland East province), Mr George Charamba (Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet), Politburo members Cdes Sydney Sekeramayi and Dr David Parirenyatwa, among others.

-State Media

By A Correspondent| Former First Lady, Grace Mugabe has reportedly flown back from Singapore.

Sources told ZimEye, Mrs Mugabe flew into the country last week on the 15th October.

“She is still unwell, and flew back home last week,” sources told ZimEye.

They did not go into further details.

While it was not immediately clear what Mrs Mugabe is suffering from, she flew to Singapore in August where she underwent a surgery for an undisclosed ailment.

Three years ago, Grace spent several weeks in Singapore, for an operation to remove her appendix. But around the time, sources told a weekly she actually had surgery for colon cancer.

It was not possible at the time of writing, to obtain pictorial confirmation to prove Mrs Mugabe’s return.

– More to follow

By Paul Nyathi|MDC youth wing leader Happymore Chudziva recently visited Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom and gave a key address at the Zimbabwean Embassy.

In his address he reiterated the MDC’s stance that Preaident Emmerson Mnangagwa lost the July elections to Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance coalition.

Below is his full speech:

Revolutionary greetings to you my fellow Comrades, friends, brothers and sisters,from all corners of the United Kingdom.

How do we return to legitimacy?
By respecting the people’s wishes as truely reflected on 30th of July 2018 election. ZEC should declare the actual winner of the 2018 elections and the legitimacy crisis that has been haunting our country will come to a lasting solution.

As we work towards improving and stabilising the flow of foreign exchange into the productive sector, we must at the same time ensure and enforce discipline in the market.

This means everyone must play to rules and norms, including respecting the laws of the land.

Sadly, events of the past two weeks have shown this is not so. Not everyone is playing to the rules. Partly because of wanton illicit currency deals happening in what is known as the black market, our economy has been disturbed.

We have suffered massive market failures, manifesting in complete collapse of the pricing framework for virtually all commodities, regardless of import component. There has been a run on the bond note.

In all this, there have been no winners, given that at the end of the day we are all consumers who demand and buy goods and services at any one stage for our survival.

Those hit hardest are the sick, the unemployed, the poor and the vulnerable, including our hard-pressed workforce.

Reports and submissions before me on illicit currency dealings point to an intricate network of currency speculators mostly in high places and in places of trust.

In a number of cases which have now been brought to Government’s attention, some of our guardians of the financial services sector have either not discharged their roles fully, or have not done so honestly.

In other cases, some have colluded with negative elements, both inside and outside the banking system, to aid and abet these illicit transactions. Considering that more than $9 billion is passing through different electronic platforms and leaving an “electronic trail”, it is inconceivable that these illicit transactions have and can ever go on undetected or unnoticed.

It simply cannot be. Someone somewhere sees this, or simply winks.

Overall, it is a story of sins of both omission and commission. Our whole financial sector risks disrepute, and therefore sanity has to be restored.

In most economies, sudden huge movements of money or unexplained “swelling” of deposits raise eyebrows. Millions have been moved unexplained in our financial services sector, with no one batting an eyelid.

In the United States of America, they have the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac). We need a similar measure in our financial services sector.

The information before me shows that individuals and shelf companies not involved in any gainful or productive economic activity are engaged in fuelling instability in the economy.

Zimra is neither aware of this, nor does it get its own share of taxes or revenue.

Lately, our law enforcement agencies have been investigating these illicit activities. It has come to light that the money changers we see in street corners are mere “runners” who work for big currency sharks who operate from high places in air-conditioned offices.

The real culprits are not these “runners” who are but a tip of a big and scandalous financial iceberg.

Almost all these runners are on pittance commission from large sharks who are the real offenders we should bring to book. And we will do just that.

Currently we have no legislation to deal with currency manipulators.

We therefore need urgent and robust measures to deal with this financial menace. Of course, I am aware of what else needs to be done by way of policy changes and key adjustments in different sectors and aspects of the economy, including in the public sector.

These changes and adjustments are already being done, and will continue to be done until Government plays its own part in stabilising the economy by living strictly within its means.

But balancing books in the public sector cannot atone for the wanton criminality in the currency market which I have outlined above.

We need to show all offenders that crime does not pay, but that it is painfully paid for by way of compounded grief it visits upon all such offenders.

Accordingly, I have now instructed the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to work closely and expeditiously with the Attorney-General in order to produce a new set of regulations which will be promulgated under temporary law-making powers which I, as President, am allowed by the Constitution.

These regulations will remain in force for a statutory period of six months, during which a Bill will have to be processed for consideration by our legislators.

We face a challenge which requires unity of purpose on the part of the three pillars of the State namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

We have to end this menace which now threatens the very fabric of our economy and society.

Like I said, there will be a raft of other interventions which, for obvious reasons, I am not at liberty to disclose.

Those who walk the straight and narrow need not fear.

State Media

MIDLANDS State University (MSU) has suspended a second-year student believed to be behind a social media post calling for the shutdown of the institution for not addressing the grievances of students.

Kudzai Zimwara, a geography and environmental science student, was suspended through a letter signed by MSU acting vice-chancellor, Zandile Doreen Moyo.

“It has come to my attention that you are the source of and originator of a Whatsapp message calling on students to embark on an illegal demonstration and shut down Midlands State University. Your message, if heeded to, poses a serious security threat to the university in that the demonstration will not only disrupt teaching and learning but will more likely lead to anarchy and mayhem in the university, wrote Moyo.

She cited a section of the University Act as basis for suspension pending Zimwara’s appearance before the student disciplinary committee.

Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) Midlands chapter chairperson, Tapiwanashe Chiriga, slammed the suspension.

“We believe this is an attempt to silence and instil fear within students as well as prevent them from asking questions. University is not primary school where students are afraid of asking critical questions with regards to their welfare. The grievances that students have must be addressed and not target those who present them,” he said.

Chiriga also highlighted that his body had formally handed a petition to the university seeking redress on issues affecting students.

“We have challenges with the exorbitant fees we pay that our parents are struggling to meet and we have asked the university to review them downwards. We also have a problem of poor meals at the dining hall.

“Wi-fi at campus is now a problem and we do not want students to be chased out of lectures and barred from writing exams because they will not have afforded to raise the high fees. These are the issues we want the authorities at MSU to address,” he added.

NewsDay

Independent legislator for Norton Temba Mliswa has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take charge of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development until things stabilise. Mliswa said that current minister, Mthuli Ncube was playing with people’s lives due to his inconsistencies. Mliswa also echoed former Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s sentiments that Mthuli Ncube’s predecessor Patrick Chinamasa seems to be a better choice.

There have been shortages of basic goods and prices of the commodities have been rising while foreign currency exchange rates have been spiralling ever since Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mandgudya made policy announcements when presenting the fiscal policies and the mid-term monetary policy.

Writing on Twitter, Mliswa said

“It’s about time President Emmerson Mnangagwa puts (the) Ministry of Finance under his ambit until things stabilise, he’s capable. Mthuli Ncube has displayed too many policy inconsistencies and must stop playing with the country. If this is what Mthuli Ncube is about then Patrick Chinamasa was better!”

Pindula

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube will this week meet with the country’s State security agents for a briefing on the soaring foreign currency shortages as government tightens the noose on highly-placed forex dealers believed to have “captured” the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and are willy-nilly pushing up the parallel market exchange rate.

Ncube’s spokesperson William Mutumanje, popularly known as Acie Lumumba, yesterday confirmed that his boss would meet with the securocrats this week amid indications that the Financial Intelligence Unit, Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police would be roped in to play a key role in sniffing out the “economic saboteurs”.

Mutumanje told NewsDay that it has since been established that top RBZ officials were fuelling the mess on the
market and would soon be placed under surveillance.

“The minister is receiving briefs, yes, and will meet them (security sector) this week. The minister is committed to arresting the situation and the security agencies have narrowed down the source of the criminal activities. It’s clear we have dirty hands collaborating with government officials and it’s only a matter of time now before government shuts down the aggressive influence of the black market and clean up errant government complicity,” he said.

He added that the level at which RBZ had been “captured” by the suspected saboteurs required the intervention of the security sector, as Ncube would not be able to execute the job alone.

“There are directors at RBZ, especially, who are holding industry captive. The corruption at director level of the RBZ is pure poison and there is no single business that doesn’t know that the directors are out of control. RBZ has been captured and the governor will need security sector support to clean that up,” he said.

Mutumanje said Ncube would release a statement over the crisis later.

The government dragnet is also reportedly targeting top politicians working in cahoots with officials at the central bank.

The move comes as new taxes gazetted by government, uncontrollable price escalations and fuel shortages had all coalesced to create a sense of anger and despondency among citizens, who believe they are being punished for government’s unjustified profligacy.

Since the July 30 harmonised elections, the economy has taken a nosedive, with critics questioning President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ability to deal with the crisis.

Already, some retailers have either closed shop or hiked prices of most goods, while others have resorted to a multi-tier pricing system to stay afloat.

Mnangagwa last week claimed that the crisis was being triggered by an intricate network of currency speculators, mostly in high places, and tasked Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to urgently craft tough policies and penalties targeted at illegal foreign currency dealers.

However, the opposition and political analysts said the move by Mnangagwa to come up with tough measures to deal with the crisis were unlikely to pay dividends.

Economist Eddie Cross said the move would unlikely produce intended results.

“The fundamental problem is that we have created opportunities for money vultures and we need to correct the policy environment and the only way to do it is to liberalise as (former Finance minister Patrick) Chinamasa did in 2009,” Cross said, adding that at the moment, the artificial rates would be difficult to deal with.

Political analyst Dewa Mavhinga said there was need for the government to now walk the talk, as Zimbabweans were fast losing confidence in the system.

“Currency manipulators are linked closely to those in power. Most are mere runners for the political elite. Mnangagwa should just act and not make promises that will remain unfulfilled,” he said.

Another analyst, Rejoice Ngwenya, questioned the sincerity of the government in dealing with the crisis.

“In the first place, there are laws already to deal with the issue. First, there is no such thing as foreign currency in Zimbabwe because multi-currencies are legal since 2009. Secondly, the Banking Act controls who buys and sells money, registered finance institutions, not street vendors,” he said.

MDC’s Tapiwa Mashakada said the State was the culprit in the crisis.

“The culprit is the State itself. Who is supplying brand new bond notes to currency dealers on the streets of Harare? Why are these dealers not arrested and why is government keen on keeping the bond note in circulation? These issues cannot be addressed by legislation, but by policy,” he said.

Another political analyst, Richard Mahomva, said the matter needed commitment from all stakeholders to succeed.

“There is need for absolute bureaucratic commitment to dealing with this matter other than having to compel an entire President to intervene over what financial administrators could have handled. Did we have to wait for this crisis to escalate, yet in this age of digital banking, we could easily trace the source of illicit financial flows?” he asked.

However, MDC-T vice-president Obert Gutu said there was need to clamp down on illegal parallel money market dealings.

He said Mnangagwa had to be tough to save the economy from total collapse at the hands of unscrupulous currency manipulators, citing Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s effective and successful stance against corruption in the East African country.

Gutu said people must not hide behind human rights mantra.

“Do people eat human rights laws written in a statute book somewhere? People eat food and not some fancy Western-styled model of human rights. Mnangagwa has to get at these thieves and deal them a sucker punch. This is not time for playing around,” he said.

“The majority of Zimbabweans are suffering as a direct result of these selfish and corrupt currency manipulators.
These people deserve absolutely no mercy. Let them cry out and allege that their so-called human rights are being trampled upon, but then who cares as long as the living conditions of the majority of Zimbabweans are going to be improved?”

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga weighed in, saying those seeking to profiteer from the current economic situation by arbitrarily increasing prices of basic goods would be dealt with.

“I want to make this clear. There are those who think they have an opportunity, they are wasting their time,” he told a family function at his rural home in Wedza yesterday.

“We are solving that, and they will be ashamed. We do not want people to take this nation for granted. It came after bloodshed. It is pointless to note that my pocket is full yet others have nothing. It is pointless that others are in poverty, while you are full. So we will build the nation all of us so that we have a Zimbabwe that we all want.”

Newsday

Correspondent|The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) has impounded over 60 trucks for illegally smuggling cheap fuel in the country from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique via the Katima Mulilo and Chanida borders.

During an operation at Katima Mulilo Border Post, the trucks were found have a concealed false belly where fuel was contained and not being used by the respective vehicles.

The companies whose trucks have been impounded are Capital Fisheries with the fuel being used internally for their operations.

ZRA has moved in to ensure that they collect the requisite tax from the owners of the trucks.

ZRA Communications Manager said that the trucks were intercepted using installed scanners at the border posts.

Some of the impounded trucks are expected to be forfeited to the state.

The operations has covered Katima Mulilo, Chanida and Chirundu border posts.

Seven of the trucks are detained at Katima Mulilo with four already seized after customs officers recorded statements while 23 trucks conducting a similar illegality have also been impounded at Chanida border, Eastern Province.

A similar operation in Chirundu has seen 30 trucks impounded with 15 of found to have been illegally carrying fuel.

The false belly tanks carry as much as 1,800 litres.

ZRA has valued the confiscated fuel five hundred and seventy six kwacha.

https://youtu.be/ujm_Bw2sMxE

Fuel consumption in the country has gone up by 100 percent in recent months, the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Dr Joram Gumbo, said yesterday.

In an interview, Dr Gumbo said the new dispensation led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa had brought about business confidence which has seen a surge in demand for fuel.

He said locals have also imported thousands of vehicles leading to a sharp demand for petrol and diesel.

The Minister said everyday, scores of imported cars are being cleared at the country’s borders, leading to an increase in fuel demand.

Dr Gumbo said some elements were also hoarding fuel for speculative purposes.

“The country has in the past months witnessed a surge in fuel usage. The country is at the moment consuming 4 million litres of diesel up from 2,5 million litres a week while 3 million litres of petrol is being pumped, up from 1,5 million litres per week. This high demand we believe is due to the increase in people doing business in the country due to the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra set by the new dispensation,” he said.

“At the same time the volume of vehicles in the country has increased to unprecedented levels.

“Everyday several vehicles are cleared to enter the country at our borders and they also add to the rise in demand for fuel. We can’t also rule out a few unscrupulous people hoarding fuel for speculative purposes.”

Dr Gumbo’s comments come at a time when there are endless fuel queues across the country.

Some motorists are now resorting to the black market where the commodity is sold at a higher price with some dealers demanding payment in foreign currency.

Dr Gumbo said fuel shortages will be a thing of the past soon.

He said owing to the increase in demand for fuel on the market, the RBZ’s weekly allocation to petroleum companies for procurement of the commodity will increase to about $35 million per week.

The Government was previously allocating $20 million for fuel every week.

“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is going to be providing between $32 million and $35 million per week to fuel companies in order to satisfy the market,” Dr Gumbo said.

He ruled out a hike in the price of fuel in the near future.

“The Government is not going to increase fuel prices in the near future. Our fuel prices remain low in the region but we are cognisant of the suffering of the people. To that effect there won’t be any fuel price increases anytime soon,” he said.

In an effort to address the fuel situation, Government released $17 million for procurement of diesel and petrol on Wednesday last week.

Two weeks ago, Government also provided $40 million for the importation of fuel.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s bid to get the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) hear his bid to overturn President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s slim election victory has apparently died.

An MDC top member said: “It was nothing beyond public posturing. It was a publicity stunt that has never been followed. In all meetings that we have had since then, this issue has never been raised. Nobody, not even the president, has brought it up for discussion.”

Following the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s declaration of Mnangagwa as winner of the July 30 presidential election with a 50,67% margin, Chamisa, who came a close second with 44,3% of the vote, approached the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) arguing he had been defrauded of victory by collusion between Zec and the ruling Zanu PF party.

But the ConCourt on August 24, after a full hearing, dismissed the petition on the grounds that it lacked evidence, forcing Chamisa to escalate his fight to the continental body.

Highly-placed sources within the MDC Alliance this week claimed the move to approach the ACHPR was a “publicity stunt”.

“It was nothing beyond public posturing. It was a publicity stunt that has never been followed. In all meetings that we have had since then, this issue has never been raised. Nobody, not even the president, has brought it up for discussion,” NewsDay heard.

But Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said such issues take long.

“The matter has not been set down for hearing. We are yet to hear from the ACHPR. Such cases take long and really we had no basis to request that it be heard on an urgent basis,” Sibanda said.

Chamisa had filed papers with the country’s apex court challenging Mnangagwa’s narrow victory, while claiming massive poll fraud.

But the ConCourt threw the petition out on the basis that it lacked sufficient evidence.

Chamisa argued the ConCourt had inherent bias towards Mnangagwa, hence his move to seek the intervention of the regional body.

“The MDC Alliance has instructed its local and international lawyers to immediately lodge a petition with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (the ACHPR), otherwise known as the Banjul Commission, to challenge the August 24 Constitutional Court (ConCourt) controversial decision validating Zec’s decision that Mnangagwa won the July 30, 2018 harmonised general elections,” the petition read in part.

According to the petition, the ConCourt and the government are guilty of violating the rights of citizens.

“The grounds of the petition are based on the flagrant and multiple violations of the universal human rights of the voters and people of Zimbabwe by the current Zimbabwean regime and the ConCourt, including the right to free and fair elections, right to a fair hearing before an impartial court, right to legal representation by counsel of choice, right against undue political interference and the right to be governed by a legitimate government,” Chamisa said.

He added that the ACHPR has power to declare human rights violations and use that to overturn Mnangagwa’s victory in his favour.

NewsDay

The ex-model wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has spoken out about her bandaged hands and a harrowing story of an explosion that rocked a Zanu PF rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo that could have ended in her being amputated.

In an interview at her Harare home, Marry Chiwenga said she was undergoing treatment for injuries sustained from the bomb attack which apparently targeted President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

She also denied claims that she was bleaching her skin together with her husband, saying the hand injuries were the result of the Bulawayo bombing.

At least 49 people, including both of Zimbabwe’s vice presidents Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, were injured by the explosion that occurred close to the VIP podium immediately after Mnangagwa finished his speech.

Still looking vivacious, it was clear she was not fully healed, with hands wrapped in bandages that extended up her slightly-swollen hands to her elbows.

She said her husband — who was also admitted at a top South African hospital where he was discharged last Wednesday and flew back home via Manyame Airbase — was also on the mend.

The public acknowledgment is a rare disclosure of a health matter in the top echelons of the state.

Ailing top officials usually treat such issues as grave national security secrets, a closely guarded secret even as they appear frail in public.

In the rare interview with the Daily News on Sunday, she said the couple were taking care of each other as they recover from the condition.

Marry said they were doing fine and are not in critical condition as claimed on social media.

“Why are people concerned about my sickness in that way? They should instead be praying for me. Was I not part of the bomb blast in Bulawayo where some people even lost their lives? People should be asking how their families are carrying on,” she said.

“I have these bandages on but my hands are no longer swollen, the bandages are to cover the wounds from infection. Yes, my hands and legs were affected during that bomb blast, but I am recovering well. I feel fine. I even go to work and I even drive, I have carried on living as I used to. But you can’t expect the effects to just disappear.

“I read somewhere where they were saying the Health minister (deputy minister John Mangwiro) was babysitting us. No, we do not need anyone to take care of us. He (Chiwenga) is taking care of me and I am taking care of him,” she said of her husband.

Asked about the woman who claimed to be Chiwenga’s niece who got a “prophecy” from South Africa-based prophet Alph Lukau, claiming that Chiwenga was a victim of witchcraft, Marry said they did not even know the woman and that they did not have relatives in South Africa.

“No, she’s not a relative, I do not know her and the VP does not know her, and to be honest I didn’t see any prophecy there because the woman had said the name.

Whatever he said about witchcraft I don’t know, I know what the doctors told us,” Marry said.

Daily News

Correspondent|Police in South Africa are still looking for clues that could help them land the men who assassinated two security guards, Eric Ngobese, 38 and Zimbabwean Boykie Moyo, 47, behind bars.

The two men caught on dash-cam callously killing two security guards in Soweto remain on the run.

Captain Mavela Masondo told The Star newspaper that the police were still looking for clues that could help them land the men who assassinated Eric Ngobese, 38 and Boykie Moyo, 47, behind bars.

Ngobese and Moyo, attached to 24/7 Security Services, were shot dead near Maponya Mall last Wednesday.

A 30-second video clip showing them being ambushed and fatally shot while sitting in their work car went viral.

The two men ran off after taking a pistol from one of the guards.

It appeared that they pounced on Ngobese and Moyo to rob them of their firearms.

An off-duty metro police officer was also killed for his gun on the streets of Hillbrow last month.

Earlier, police dismissed as fake news a claim that the two killers had been nabbed during an operation by the tactical response team.

“They have still not been arrested,” Masondo said.

“The police have launched a manhunt for the suspects who shot and killed the two security guards in Soweto.

“We’re appealing to the community that if there’s anyone with information that can help us arrest these suspects, please come forward.

“They can call the nearest police station or 10111,” said Masondo.

Correspondent|Dynamos’s charge towards safety continued after they secured a 2-1 victory over Black Rhinos in the Zimbabwe Castle Lager Premier Soccer League.

Valentine Kadonzvo gave Dembare the lead in the 23rd minute. Tapuwa Sibanda equalised on 81 minutes but the Glamour Boys would not be denied as Marshall Machazani got the winner late on.

Tendai Ndlovu gave Highlanders an early lead only for Sipho Ndlovu and Ozias Zibandle to pick the maximum points for a beleagured Bulawayo City. That match ended 2-1.

Tatenda Tumba scored late for Harare City in their 1-0 victory over Shabanie Mine.

In the other matches Herentals beat Triangle 1-0 while Yadah defeated Mutare City Rovers 1-0.

The Daily News on Sunday’s Pauline Hurungudo sits down for a wide-ranging interview with former Finance minister Tendai Biti, who is also the deputy national chairperson for the MDC, about the state of the economy.

Find below excerpts of the interview.

Q: What do you make of the 2 percent tax on electronic transactions imposed by Finance and Economic Development minister Mthuli Ncube?

A: Well, the decision to impose that tax, to vary that tax from 5 cents a transaction to 2 cents in a dollar, I think is a disaster, ill-thought, ill-informed, ill-founded and we are paying the price for it.

(Mthuli) Ncube is paying the price of it, because the response to that tax has been cataclysmic.

It knighted a chain reaction which he possibly could have foreseen. Prices have shot up, our inflation is way above 200 percent, goods have disappeared, and there are snake queues for gas in every quarter of Zimbabwe.

Q: There has been a legal challenge to the 2 percent tax?

A: The court applications have been filed. It is blatantly illegal.

Q: Are you saying this was a purely wrong decision?

A: From a purely economic point of view, it was a wrong decision and that’s why I question Mthuli’s qualification and ability as an economist.

The challenge in Zimbabwe is of course that of the budget deficit, but the deficit has been created not because we are collecting less revenue, we collect around $400 million a month.

That’s a lot of money. The problem is actually the expenditure.

We are just spending and spending and spending, so if we were to go through structural reform, the major challenge should be retrenchment of your major expenditure lines.

We are spending too much on the wage bill, 90 or 95 percent is spent on over 200 000 workers on wage bill, so we have to reduce the wage bill from what it is right now, namely 95 percent total of expenditure to at least 30 percent of total expenditure, from the 25 percent of GDP wage bill to at least 7 percent of GDP.

Then you have got government appetite, it is killing this economy. Zanu PF’s insatiable appetite for goodies is killing this economy.

They spend on luxury jets, joints to the UN, Singapore, South Africa and Bali. The delegation in Bali spent 12 days. What were they doing….? It’s ridiculous.

Q: What needs to be done to contain this runaway expenditure by the executive?

A: We have to decapitate Zanu PF’s insatiable appetite for goodies. We have to devalue their appetite for champagne, for nice expensive perfumes and holidays, because it is costing the economy.

Look at their vehicles, if you go to Sam Levy Village, the most expensive cars belong to someone who is in government. So, that has to be entrenched but it requires political courage and conviction; and its certainly not there in Zimbabwe, in Mthuli Ncube and Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Thirdly, we have to deal with corruption in parastatals; millions of dollars are being lost in the parastatals.

Air Zimbabwe is making losses like $12 million a month but government keeps financing and funding it. We are spending billions of dollars through the GMB and the GMB perennially makes losses.

It is a dysfunctional institution. GMB and Air Zimbabwe alone are symptoms, indices reflective of what is happening in our country. The point I’m making here is the focus should not be on sources of revenue but curtailing expenditure; secondly, management of the economy.

Vane huyanga,vanotoda kubikirwa (They are clumsy, they are highly immoral. They need to be exorcised at a traditional ceremony.) They can’t manage the economy.

Q: Minister Ncube has said the people have to shoulder the pain of transformation, because no pain no gain.

A: They should take the pain. Are we the ones hiring luxury jets? Are we the ones driving limousines?

Are we the ones building castles on top of sands because of corruption? So why should people feel the pain?

The pain should be suffered by the regime. They must retrench expenditure. They must undergo structural reform.

They themselves created the mess, they must undo the mess, but unfortunately, they can’t undo the mess because undoing the mess means carrying out real reforms, but if they have to carry out real reform this country actually requires, it will have political implications.

They will be reforming themselves out of power.

As (Russian communist revolutionary, politician, and political theorist) Lenin says, “No class commits suicide.” They will never reform themselves out of power.

Q: What is your take on the debt overhang that Zimbabwe currently has?

A: Debt is what really worries me, because it means tax on future generations. So, your children, your grandchildren have to pay this debt. I said in Parliament the other day, a little child that is being born in Mbuya Nehanda Maternity right now has a debt of over $200 000. We are mortgaging future generations.

Is it right to mortgage future generations?

If you were to build roads, power stations, bullet trains, spaghetti roads, future generations would also use those stations.

Ninety percent of the roads we are using in Zimbabwe were built before 1980 but these people are borrowing for consumption, to buy cars, to buy perfumes for their girlfriends and boyfriends. That is ridiculous.

We have gotten so bad that our domestic debt is suddenly higher than our external sovereign debt; that is ridiculous.

That is unheard of. I am yet to research on it and ask my friends overseas if this is possible. I don’t know of a situation like this. Your external debt must be more than your domestic debt.

Your external debt is USD and your domestic debt is hard currency accrued in domestic currency. In the olden days, it will be acquired by the Zimdollar and now it is the bond note and the RTGS and so forth.

When you see your domestic debt now exceeding your external debt, munengozi, munemashavi, munofanirwa kubikirwa doro remadzinza (it means you have an avenging spirit, you must convene a traditional ceremony to exorcise you of theft), it’s unbelievable. I’m yet to find a metaphor to explain this because it can’t happen, it is an aberration.

The thing which affects me about debt is the lack of a strategic solution to this debt problem.

This (Mthuli) Ncube is a total disaster. I was reading in the State-run media that he was pushing for Highly Indebted Poor country (HIPC) (a group of developing countries with high levels of poverty and debt overhang which are eligible for special assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank) as a solution.

However, in his own midterm policy, he doesn’t talk about this, he talks about the discredited Lima process, the October 8th 2015 plan in Peru.

Daily News

The Grain Millers’ Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has come up with a six months-wheat procurement programme to ensure constant supply and avert bread shortages in the country.

GMAZ chairman Mr Tafadzwa Musarara said this in an interview at Nkulumane Provincial Heroes’ Acre in Bulawayo after the burial of the association’s national vice president Mr Thembinkosi Ndhlovu on Friday.

“We have come up with a six months-wheat procurement plan so that we build a three-month cover and at an given time in the country, we should have wheat equivalent to three months cover in order to avoid the occurrences like now where we have got wheat at the border and then logistical problems happen and immediately it impacts on the flour supply,” he said.

A fortnight ago, the GMAZ announced that it had started receiving 30 000 tonnes of wheat imported recently and millers who had temporarily closed shop due to the unavailability of the cereal were expected to resume operations.

GMAZ has said it is facing logistical challenges to bring in the 30 000 tonnes consignment it procured on instalment prepayment arrangement.

“They (National Railways of Zimbabwe) tell us that there is a serious shortage of loco-power and also there are other competing imports like fertiliser getting into Zimbabwe and Zambia. Since September 16, 2018, NRZ has only delivered 68 wagons and as we speak we have got 200 wagons that are currently loaded and stuck in Beira that need to come into the country,” said Mr Musarara.

“We’re waiting for NRZ to do its best . . . and we are hopeful that the 200 wagons which are equivalent to 8 000 tonnes should be in Zimbabwe as soon as possible.”

Mr Musarara said the GMAZ has already escalated their case to Government with the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructural Development indicating commitment to addressing the matter.
He said Zimbabwe’s bakery sector requires close to 800 tonnes of flour daily.

“We’ve just started to mill the wheat that came in but we should be at around 35 tonnes . . . and the wheat flour supply has improved since Wednesday (last week) but we don’t bake bread. The bakeries have been receiving our flour but they’re citing other cost pressures relating to other ingredients other than flour and as a result of that they’ve kind of reduced production to below 20 percent citing serious unavailability of some raw materials to make bread,” Mr Musarara said.

“Indications that we have received from them (bakeries) are that there are serious cost pressures that they are getting at the moment in respect of other raw materials.”

Meanwhile, media reports say some stakeholders in the baking industry have held clandestine consultations over the past week to unilaterally peg the price of a standard loaf of bread to the prevailing black market rate of the United States dollar against the bond note.

It is understood the bakers want to start implementing the pricing mechanism this week, raising the price of bread from $1,10 to $4-$5.

However, some players within the baking industry were shocked by the intended pricing mechanism as the Government was meeting the bulk of their input requirements, while other key cost drivers such as labour, water and electricity have remained constant.

The National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Ngoni Mazango has confirmed that the bread price hike was imminent.

The baking sector was among those that were receiving priority from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe to secure foreign currency. – state media

Commercial sex workers have descended on Nottingham and Bishopstone citrus farms in Beitbridge district where they are targeting seasonal farm workers earning foreign currency, thereby fuelling an increase in sexually transmitted infections in the border town.

A Chronicle news crew went out to investigate prostitution activities at the two popular citrus farms and unearthed startling revelations of how prostitutes, mostly teenage girls, have turned the areas into prime hot spots for HIV among other STIs.

Most of the girls are from neighbouring Mwenezi district in Masvingo province among other outlying areas such as Gokwe, Mberengwa, Chiredzi and Zvishavane.

The prostitutes, some as young as 14 years, have virtually turned compounds at the two farms into red-light districts. The two farms are situated on the outskirts of Beitbridge Town.

When The Chronicle recently visited Bishopstone Estate, the farm compound was teeming with several young girls mostly in tight fitting jean trousers and revealing mini-skirts.

The sex workers, who mainly operate from makeshift grass thatched huts on farm compounds, are lured into prostitution by the power of the United States dollar earned by seasonal farmers.
One of the sex workers from Gokwe, who identified herself as Memory Moyo (23), said she was driven by poverty to peddle her flesh.

“I didn’t choose to be a hooker. In fact, I was forced into this business of selling my body following the death of my father who was the sole breadwinner. I arrived in Beitbridge in August after one of my friends tipped me of the abundance of foreign currency from seasonal farm workers who are employed at the orange orchards,” she said.

Memory, who operates from Bishopstone Estates, said for the past two months she had been camped
at the farm targeting sex starved farm workers.

“There is a lot of money here and it is in United States dollars. I have quite a number of regular clients who opt for my services and they pay me in foreign currency. In fact, on a good day I rake in between US$30 and US$50,” she said.

Another teenage girl from Maranda area in Mwenezi district, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “I come to Bishopstone Estates every year during this time of the year when the orange harvesting season begins. Most seasonal farm workers, especially the elderly, prefer young girls to older women.”

Another 15-year-old girl from Chiredzi, who operates from Nottingham Estate, said they were forced into prostitution to support their families back home.She said she was forced to drop out of school two years ago after the death of her mother in 2015.

“As the eldest sister I resorted to prostitution to raise money to fend for my siblings,” she said.
Beitbridge District Medical Officer Dr Lenos Samhere said HIV indicators showed that the district recorded an increase in the number of STIs in the last three months, a development which he attributed to commercial sex work in farms. The orange harvesting season traditionally starts from July to the end of October or November.

“The number of commercial sex workers differs in term of their age groups and our statistics show that teenagers constitute the highest number. Their clients are mostly clearing agents and truck drivers who also contribute to the high number of STIs. In areas such as Nottingham and Bishopstone farms, there is definitely an increase in the number of STIs especially during the orange harvesting season because of the influx of people, among them commercial sex workers, invading those farms. We have therefore noted a corresponding increase in STI cases in those farming areas,” he said.

Dr Samhere said commercial sex workers are categorised as a high risk group with a potential of contracting HIV.

“We continue to urge such groups to take up post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP everyday, which is a form of HIV prevention because if you suffer from an STI, you are also likely to contract HIV since the skin surfaces would have been damaged,” he said.

According to statistics, the number of people treated for STIs in Beitbridge increased from 384 in January to 412 in August. Dr Samhere said Beitbridge is one of the worst affected districts in the country in terms of HIV infections with 17 047 patients on antiretroviral therapy.

He said the number of patients on ART has since the beginning of the year been on the rise.
“We do handle a number of STIs in our hospital and clinics but you will find that most of commercial sex workers whom we categorise as special populations, prefer to utilise Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) night clinics and wellness centres where they don’t pay for treatment and drugs. Commercial sex workers tend to visit these facilities because the set up in those facilities is friendly to them since they don’t mix with other members of the community hence they can be very open when discussing about their profession,” he said – state media

The era of fake prophets who hide behind the name of God to attack the national leadership and extort money from the public has ended, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

He said people should now unite and work towards a Zimbabwe desired by all citizens.

Vice-President Chiwenga made these remarks while addressing thousands of Christians who came to pray with him at his rural homestead in Hwedza following his discharge from hospital where he was receiving thorough medical attention after he was affected by the White City bombing incident.

The Christian community that came to pray with the VP was led by the Roman Catholic Church.

After the White City bombing incident in June, VP Chiwenga could not receive thorough medical attention at the time as he soldiered on to complete the Zanu-PF campaign trail.

In his usual jovial mood, VP Chiwenga attended a church service and interacted with Zanu-PF members who also came to see him for the first time after his return from South Africa last week before he delivered a speech that lasted more than 30 minutes.

“There are others who are now calling themselves prophets,” said VP Chiwenga. “Aripo uyo anonzi ani, Talent. That should come to an end today. Zvatoperera pano. We don’t have that culture where one moves around attacking leaders under the guise of preaching the word of God. God does not say move around attacking other people.

“We want people to go to church and pray to God. This habit of using the name of the church to extort money is not good. How can you say that on the one hand you are practising satanism and on the other you say you are a prophet, what kind of a prophecy is that? It’s not good and we don’t want that.

“Tiri kutaura ini madziChiwenga kuno uku. Tiri kutaura padzinza. Vamwewo vakateerera kuti kuno ndokwazviri. Isu tinorova. So that should end and work towards building the Zimbabwe we want. The Zimbabwe we want is the one we explained that it is endowed with vast minerals. God has blessed us with good soil and we should utilise it to develop our country.

“We are all Zimbabweans from all the corners of the country and no one is superior to the other. Ndozvatakaita musi wa20 November 2017 kuti tinoda kusiya nhaka yekuti vana nevana vazoziva kwete kana inini ndagara zvangu chete ndizvo zvinofanira kufamba. Iwewe sani?”

VP Chiwenga called for unity of purpose among Zimbabweans. He said there were some who wanted to exploit the current economic challenges for political ends but they would not succeed.

“Chikuru kugadzirisa nyaya yehupfumi hwenyika yedu inova vamwe vakufunga kuti zvavo zvaita,” said VP Chiwenga.

“Aihwa hapana chaita. Apa tinoda kutauririrana zvakanaka kuti tisaridze ngoma nedemo togara pfumo. Hazviitwe. Ino nyika tichavaka nenzira inogutsa munhu wese. We are going to rebuild this country together to have a Zimbabwe that we all desire. That is what we are working on.

“We don’t want people to play games with this country. Many people lost their lives to liberate this country. It does not make sense for one person to accumulate wealth while others are suffering. Where will you enjoy that wealth from? What we want is unity to build the Zimbabwe we want.”

Among high-ranking officials who attended the church service were Ministers Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement), Joel Biggie Matiza (Transport and Infrastructural Development), Apollonia Munzverengi (Minister of State for Mashonaland East province), Mr George Charamba (Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet), Politburo members Cdes Sydney Sekeramayi and Dr David Parirenyatwa, among others.-state media

Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga has urged Zimbabweans to be united in building the country’s economy which has been distorted by unscrupulous individuals bent on profiteering.

The Vice President was speaking to thousands of people from Wedza who gathered at his homestead in Chigondo area for a thanksgiving mass.

‘Let us all unite and build our nation which has been destroyed by some selfish individuals who are bent on profiteering,” he said.

Chiwenga also took a swipe at false prophets who are concentrating on fake prophesies mainly to do with people’s health and deaths at the expense of preaching peace and love.

“I see there are some people who are specialising on false prophesy like one called Talent who should be stopped. Let them be warned,” he said.

The public appearance of Dr Chiwenga, who has not been well but has since recovered and looked fit speaking for over half an hours, was welcomed by the Zanu PF leadership from Mashonaland East led by Politburo member, Dr Sydney Sekeramayi.

The thanksgiving mass was conducted by Father Willie Muzondiwa of the Mt. St. Marys Parish and Father Riberio from Highfield, Harare.

Dr Chiwenga took part in the entire service and later laid wreaths at the family shrine in memory of his family members.

The service was attended by several cabinet ministers, the Deputy Chief Secretary Presidential Communications George Charamba, close family members, legislators from Mashonaland East Province, political leaders and traditional leaders from the province as well as Masvingo and Matabeleland. – state media

Facebook Opinion By Discent Bajila| Those close to other GoZ Ministers please ask them to establish Taskforces and appoint Jones Musara.

The fellow is bitter about the appointment of Gerald Mutumanje (nick named Acie Lumumba). Some of us are very indifferent about this.

Exactly 10 years ago there was a Media Subcommittee of Government. There was no Committee from which the subcommittee was drawn. It was just a subcommittee. George Charamba was Chairman of the subcommittee. Other members included Rugare Gumbo and the late Sikhanyiso Ndlovu.

The 2008 Media Subcommittee and the 2018 Ministry of Finance Communications Taskforce (MFCT) are two sides of the same coin. They are destined for the dustbins of history. The 2018 MFCT might also help increase the bank balance of Mr Mutumanje and add a few things to his CV.

In the 1940s, Adolf Hitler had a Minister of Public Enlightement called Joseph Gobbels. Eventually he lost the war. In the late 1990’s Zimbabwe had Chenhamo Chakezha Chimutengwende as Minister of Public and Interactive Affairs. He too failed.

Year in year out Zimbabweans swindle the international community by writing flowery project proposals. This has immunised them against the effects of sweet tongue. They are the greatest sweet talkers. Unfortunately the international community is watching Zimbabwe ngamehlo abomvu and therefore bitter tongue can’t work too.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!!!!! But hey remember Jones, please.

Discent Bajila is thw MDC Youth organising secretary and this post was extracted from his personal Facebook page.

A commission set to investigate the August 1 deadly shooting of protestors began public hearings last week to establish what led to the killings.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has said its only fair for Zimbabweans to judge him after 6 months.

Zimbabwe’s  economy continues  dwindling  characterized by  speculative activities, especially illegal foreign currency trading,  which have caused a marked depreciation of bond notes and RTGS balances against the United States dollar, triggering hikes in the prices of basic commodities, panic-buying and product shortages.

Following the imposition of a  levy which sparked a public outcry Presindent Mnangagwa and his Finance Minister, hold a view that  the road to economic recovery is painful but necessary part of the government’s attempts to revive the economy.

In an interview with State Media, Minister Ncube said,“I have only been a minister for one month. We need patience, we know what we are doing. What I can say to Zimbabweans is that they should give me six months to see the full impact of the changes from the policies that we have pursued.

“Of course, I need a year to make a formal report with things such as the Budget, but judge me after six months. We would have made very good progress in various fronts, both in terms of arrears clearance agenda and progress on the fiscal front, dealing with the revenue front which we have acted on and cutting Government expenditure.”

Writing on his Twitter page Minister Ncube  also said government is set set to reduce expenditure so that it survives within its means.

He added that the forthcoming Budget presentation  will show that government  is serious about cutting expenditure.

-263Chat

A mother of one of the victims of the August 1 army shootings is yet to know about the death of her son.

Gavin Dean Charles’ mother has not been told that her son was one of the seven people suspected to have died when soldiers opened fire on protestors in central Harare because her family fears the news could complicate her health.

Charles sister Elizabeth Robertson told the commission of inquiry investigating the killings and is led by former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe that her brother’s death had traumatised the family.

Robertson said Charles was gunned down in cold blood by the same people he joined on the streets on November 18, 2017 to celebrate the fall of former president Robert Mugabe.

“He danced and joined everyone on November 18, thinking that things had changed, that the new Zimbabwe had been born,” she said while shedding tears.

“As a minority community, we thought that we would finally find our place in Zimbabwe, but nothing has changed.

“My brother was shot twice in the pelvis and shoulder by the same people whom he joined on the streets.”

She told the commission that Charles was a Rastafarian who also believed in God and was not a member of any political party.

Robertson said her brother was not part of the demonstrations, which rocked Harare as protestors demanded the release of the July 30 presidential elections.

“He was born prematurely and as a result he grew up with love around him,” she said.

“He was not violent and did not take part in any political activities.

“As a minority group, we do not take part in political activities because we have not had any representation in those areas.

“He was not armed but was shot dead. We can’t tell our mom because it could kill her.”

Robertson said there was an attempt to hide the cause of Charles death with a postmortem report showing that he had died of stab wounds.

The cause of death was changed after the family raised questions.

Tinei Zhuwao, who lost his brother Brain during the shootings, said the airtime vendor was a Zanu PF supporter who had nothing to do with the protests.

He said his brother was shot in the leg from behind as he ran away from soldiers who were using live ammunition to disperse demonstrators.

The commission was told of an alleged plot by government officials to cover up for the deaths and further suppress the numbers of those gunned down by the army.

Ignatius Neshava the brother -in-law of the late Ishmail Kumire who was gunned down close to Copacabana claimed that he saw more than eight bodies in the aftermath of the shooting.

“The police initially said three people had been killed on the spot, but I know six people were shot dead in the streets and others died in hospital like my brother-in-law,” Neshava said.

“When we were at Parirenyatwa Hospital, we saw eight bodies of people that had been shot.

“At Harare Hospital there were other bodies, but the official voice of government has kept that number at six.”

Neshava said Kumire, who sold fruits and other food items on the streets, was wearing Zanu PF regalia when he was shot at close range.

“He was shot and he fell on my feet,” he said. “Initially I did not realise that he had been shot.

“I thought he had been tripped and fell because we were just standing next to his truck carrying fruits while waiting for the soldiers to pass.”

Doctors at Parirenyatwa Hospital have been accused by relatives of five deceased persons of trying to misrepresent that victims of the shootings died of stab wounds.

Neshava said after relatives exposed the ploy to tamper with postmortem results, doctors claimed it was a mistake by Cuban doctors.

“We noticed that the postmortem had been signed by one Masango and we then asked how a Masango could have come from Cuba,” he said.

Maxwell Taurai father of another vendor killed during the shootings said his son was killed by the army as he tried to flee the commotion caused by the military intervention.

He also told the inquiry that more than six people could have been killed in the demonstrations because he sawa number of dead bodies as he was looking for his son.

Zanu PF employee Zivanai Mugwira who had his car reduced to ashes said the protestors appeared to be highly trained and sophisticated people because they managed to drive his car without keys.

He said the manner in which protestors attacked the Harare Provincial Zanu PF offices, was well-co-ordinated and showed that there was planning; reconnaissance and skill on the part of the demonstrations whom he alleged were from the MDC Alliance.

MDC youth Secretary Lovemore Chinoputsa claimed that members of the military intelligence could have been part of the protestors as the protests appeared to be well-co-ordinated.

Standard

Suspected smuggling of Zimbabwean fuel across the border is propelling the country’s demand to record highs, with fuel consumption  spiking by a staggering 30 percent since July this year, permanent secretary in the Finance ministry George Guvamatanga has said.

That rapid growth in appetite for fuel means the country has been forced to ramp up spending on the commodity to $4,3 million a day.

Guvamatanga said before this upsurge, government used to spend $2,5 million daily.

To deal with rising consumption, a government probe has unearthed suspicious activities in the market, amid reports of fuel finding its way through the borders for resale.

The permanent secretary explained how government was grappling with the inexplicable domestic demand growth which is limiting its ability to service markets after he arrived late for a Zimra workshop in Harare on Friday.

Guvamatanga apologised, explaining he had been locked up in a meeting discussing the ballooning fuel crisis.

“My apologies, I was held up in a meeting, attending to a crisis; the fuel crisis. I want to assure you that from next week, that problem has been resolved. Expect deliveries to start increasing from next week,” he said.

“There has been an unexplainable increase in the consumption of fuel since July by 30 percent. At first, we thought it was because of the elections and we expected a decline by August but that was not the case. The country is using $4,3 million per day for fuel consumption, compared to $2,5 million per day in August.”

Guvamantanga said this increase in fuel consumption was perplexing to government.

“There are claims of fuel being smuggled across borders; and of hoarding whereby fuel is finding its way to other places where it’s not supposed to be.  At the moment we are trying to solve the crisis and we do have the solution,” he said, without elaborating.

-Daily News

The ex-model wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has spoken out about her bandaged hands and a harrowing story of an explosion that rocked a Zanu PF rally at White City Stadium in Bulawayo that could have ended in her being amputated.

In an interview at her Harare home, Marry Chiwenga said she was undergoing treatment for injuries sustained from the bomb attack which apparently targeted President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

She also denied claims that she was bleaching her skin together with her husband, saying the hand injuries were the result of the Bulawayo bombing.

At least 49 people, including both of Zimbabwe’s vice presidents Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, were injured by the explosion that occurred close to the VIP podium immediately after Mnangagwa finished his speech.

Still looking vivacious, it was clear she was not fully healed, with hands wrapped in bandages that extended up her slightly-swollen hands to her elbows.

She said her husband — who was also admitted at a top South African hospital where he was discharged last Wednesday and flew back home via Manyame Airbase — was also on the mend.

The public acknowledgment is a rare disclosure of a health matter in the top echelons of the state.

Ailing top officials usually treat such issues as grave national security secrets, a closely guarded secret even as they appear frail in public.

In the rare interview with the Daily News on Sunday, she said the couple were taking care of each other as they recover from the condition.

Marry said they were doing fine and are not in critical condition as claimed on social media.

“Why are people concerned about my sickness in that way? They should instead be praying for me. Was I not part of the bomb blast in Bulawayo where some people even lost their lives? People should be asking how their families are carrying on,” she told the Daily News on Sunday.

“I have these bandages on but my hands are no longer swollen, the bandages are to cover the wounds from infection. Yes, my hands and legs were affected during that bomb blast, but I am recovering well. I feel fine. I even go to work and I even drive, I have carried on living as I used to. But you can’t expect the effects to just disappear.

“I read somewhere where they were saying the Health minister (deputy minister John Mangwiro) was babysitting us. No, we do not need anyone to take care of us. He (Chiwenga) is taking care of me and I am taking care of him,” she said of her husband.

The Daily News on Sunday also asked her about the woman who claimed to be Chiwenga’s niece who got a “prophecy” from South Africa-based prophet Alph Lukau, claiming that Chiwenga was a victim of witchcraft.

Marry said they did not even know the woman and that they did not have relatives in South Africa.

“No, she’s not a relative, I do not know her and the VP does not know her, and to be honest I didn’t see any prophecy there because the woman had said the name.
Whatever he said about witchcraft I don’t know, I know what the doctors told us,” Marry said.

-Daily News On Sunday

By HON. Happymore Chidziva| Revolutionary greetings to you my fellow Comrades, friends, brothers and sisters,from all corners of the United Kingdom.

It is a great honour for me to stand before you with a responsibility to speak on the affairs of our great nation Zimbabwe. This is an important occasion because it is a fervent belief that the correct Zimbabwean story must be told now, tomorrow and forever. For long the world has fallen victim of lies peddled by the ZANU-PF party in their quest to legitimize the illegitimate presidency of Mnangagwa.

As you all know, we held elections in July where Zimbabweans overwhelmingly voted for President Nelson Chamisa. It’s on record that Mnangagwa was rejected by the people of Zimbabwe, but regrettably the unthinkable happened. Instead of the people’s Will and vote be respected, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) as usual went on to subvert that vote by declaring a loser as the winner. Ever since that day the nation is stuck in the murky waters of a deep and unending crisis.

It is against this background that I am here to briefly explain the situation in a bid to save the people of Zimbabwe from the unbearable suffering they are enduring.

• Let the vote count:

Zimbabweans voted in their numbers on July 30, they made a choice that Adv. Nelson Chamisa is their President. That was an undiluted stament on the direction they want our country to take. The people’s will must be respected because we can’t be a nation that votes for the sake of voting and not respect the outcome of the same vote.

• The legitimate remains legitimate and the illegitimate remains illegitimate:

The mandate to lead is derived from the people, the electorate, hence the reason why we have mandatory elections after every five years. We did exactly that, people voted for President Chamisa not Mnangagwa. Legitimacy comes from the people hence we say #LetThePeopleLead and people led by voting for their preferred president, who is Adv Nelson Chamisa.

• We expect a results not a bullets:

When people cast their votes like what we did in July, we expect nothing short of election results. Instead Mnangagwa unleashed military hardwares and live bullets on unarmed civilians for asking for the results of their vote.

• Caring leadership

Brutal and uncaring government is not what people voted for. When people became anxious and in fear of the repeat of the 2008 theft, the military saw it fit to despatch bullets and several lives were lost. Such are characteristics of a careless leadership which has no respect for human life.

• Ailing economy:

After stealing the people’s victory and sanitizing it through a bogus constitutional court, the ED led administration has failed to manage the economy. Inflation shot up and prices are skyrocketing each passing day. Cash and other essential commodities are running dry leaving people to struggle.

A look into these issues shows us that we have a government that is deliberately subduing and killing it’s people, either by live bullets or bad economics perpetuating the breeding of poverty. This is the the genocide we are confronted with, the genocide we need to stop.

All these challenges we are facing are a product of an illegitimate leadership that is in power through unscrupulous means. However, these challenges have a solution and the solution is the return to legitimacy. We need to return to legitimacy and everything else will fall into…

How do we return to legitimacy?

By respecting the people’s wishes as truely reflected on 30th of July 2018 election. ZEC should declare the actual winner of the 2018 elections and the legitimacy crisis that has been haunting our country will come to a lasting solution.

The opposition MDC Alliance dominated City of Harare council is in a dilemma over whose policies to pursue between the vision of its leader Nelson Chamisa’s Smart cities agenda and President Emerson Mnangagwa’s vision as enshrined in Zanu PF and government policies.

While Chamisa last week met the MDC Alliance councillors in Harare where he emphasised the need for councillors to pursue the Smart city agenda, government, through the Administrator’s office ordered the elected officials to pursue Mnangagwa’s government policies.

“You should hit the ground running in line with the national mantra as enunciated by His Excellency President Emerson Mnangagwa. There President has promised listening servant leadership. You should also be exemplary through the way you run this lower but very critical tier of government,” Cathrine Kampila, Provincial Administrator for Harare metro recently said.

She said President Mnangagwa was expecting action from council to achieve set goals.

“We should take up that vision and open Harare for investment, seeing that Harare is the capital and leading city of the country.

She also said Harare should work towards government’s re-engagement agenda, a key element in President Mnangagwa’s campaign trail.

“You have all heard what the President expects of us. Good corporate governance must be adhered to as well as adherence to the code of conduct that you will be taken through,” she said.

However, the MDC Alliance leader said Harare was MDC Alliance space and the party will implement its policies.

“These are our zones of autonomy, these are our spaces we want to deliver smart products, smart cities, smart services in terms of smart schools, smart hospitals, smart roads, street lighting that is possible, spaghetti roads, that is also possible, stadiums also and that is possible.

“We want to see that kind of charter, regular feedback meetings, we are in government at local level and we must deliver the residents’ expectations,” Chamisa.

MDC Alliance spokesperson Jacob Mafume, who is also a councillor said the party will not be bulldozed into implementing government policies as they were pursuing their agenda that won them all but one seat in the capital.

“We were elected on a Smart cities manifesto and that is what the Harare residents want and that is what we will implement. We will not implement a losing manifesto. It will not only be illogical but suicidal in relation to what Harare residents want,” Mafume said.

“Where there is convergence, maybe but where there is no convergence, our smart cities will prevail.”

“We do hope the levels of literacy has improved with the coming in of July Moyo. If he persists with levels of illiteracy shown by his predecessors, they will continue to be punished in the polls. Urban citizens are enlightened and we will implement our smart cities programme.”

Business Times

ZANU-PF Secretary for War Veterans Cde Victor Matemadanda has rubbished MDC Alliance leader, Mr Nelson Chamisa for calling former Zanu-PF Politburo member Mr Dzikamai Mavhaire, a war veteran saying the nomadic politician was a herdboy during the war of liberation.

Chamisa described Mr Mavhaire as a distinct war veteran when he welcomed the former National People’s Party chairman and other party officials, who defected to MDC Alliance last month.

Addressing a provincial war veterans meeting at Masvingo Polytechnic on Friday, Cde Matemadanda said it was folly for opposition parties to call all former Zanu-PF members war veterans yet they did not take part in the armed struggle.

“Chamisa needs help from people like Chief Chiwara who has explained that Mavhaire was a herdboy, herding cattle for the Zvobgo family here in Masvingo during the liberation struggle.”

He said it was naïve for Mr Chamisa to call Mr Mavhaire a war veteran when everyone knew that he was not.

“Let it be known to Chamisa that not all former or existing Zanu-PF members are war veterans. This boy seems to live in Utopia as he denies that he lost the Presidential vote in the July 30 harmonised elections but surprisingly accepting that he lost the parliamentary and council vote,” he said.

Cde Matemadanda said Mr Chamisa was power hungry, as he grabbed the leadership of the MDC-T before the party’s late leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s body was even laid to rest.

He said by so doing, Mr Chamisa, made a big mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life, as he did not assume leadership, procedurally or democratically.

Turning to the prevailing economic challenges, Cde Matemadanda said President Mnangagwa’s administration was working tirelessly to address the problems, some still founded on the economic mismanagement by former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

He said Finance and Economic Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya were doing a sterling job to revitalise the economy.

-State Media

Correspondent|A gun-wielding bogus agent, who last year allegedly breached President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s close security during a State function at the renaming of KGVI Barracks to Josiah Magama Tongogara will on October 30 know his fate.

Guthrie Chirodzero (40), who was arrested on December 6 last year, was appearing before magistrate Yeukai Chigodora for trial. The same magistrate will preside over the judgement on the matter.

Chirodzero is in custody as bail was denied. He is being represented by Rumbidzai Venge and is facing charges of possession of an offensive weapon at a public gathering, impersonation and forgery.

Prosecuting, Michael Reza alleges that, before his arrest, Chirodzero was trying to disguise his identity by controlling movement of people during the renaming of King George (KGVI) Barracks to Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks in Harare.

He allegedly sneaked into State House on December 4 during the swearing in of Cabinet ministers.

Chirodzero allegedly impersonated a state security agent and was even spotted near the podium controlling traffic.

The State further alleged military personnel also established that Chirodzero was a bogus CIO operative and he had a 38mm special Amando Rossi South African revolver with three live rounds of ammunition and two spent cartridges.

Correspondent|Harare Central Hospital has cut its student nurse intake numbers in half from 72 to 35 and will now take students with passes in a single sitting as the hospital is facing a shortage of tutors, an official has said.

Speaking at the Harare Hospital school of nursing and midwifery graduation and prize giving ceremony, Harare Hospital Chief Executive Officer Nyasha Masuka said the shortage of tutors has resulted in change of policy.

“One of the major issues that I would like everyone to know is that we have a shortage of tutors which has opted a change in policy in terms of recruitment of nurse trainees.

For Harare Hospital, for example, we will be selecting those with at least two advanced levels and passes in ordinary levels.”

Masuka said the Zimbabwe Nurse’s Council did investigations and discovered that qualifications might have been compromised.

Masuka however said the country was facing a shortage of nurses.

“But as you know we have a serious shortage of nurses in this country and our nurse population ratio is very low so we need more numbers of these nurses especially for care of children and maternity.”

Speaking at the same occasion, Health and Child Care Minister Moyo concurred with Msuka saying the change in policy would help bring well qualified nurses.

A total of 276 students from different categories ranging from registered general nurses, intensive and coronary care nurses, midwifes, theatre nurses and pediatric nurses graduated.

M&T

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will invoke the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act to introduce tough regulations to bring currency manipulators to book.

In his weekly The Sunday Mail column, the Head of State and Government said it was inconceivable that rampant black market activities were thriving without complicity of high-ranking State officials.

Information gathered so far, he said, indicated that “an intricate network of currency speculators mostly in high places and in places of trust”.

Further, a police spokesperson informed this publication that they had made arrests of illegal currency dealers who were linked to prominent people, and would soon make the findings of their investigations public.

In his column, President Mnangagwa said: “Considering that more than $9 billion is passing through different electronic platforms and leaving an ‘electronic trail’, it is inconceivable that these illicit transactions have and can ever go on undetected or unnoticed. It simply cannot be.”

Speculative activities, especially illegal foreign currency trading, have caused a marked depreciation of bond notes and RTGS balances against the United States dollar, triggering hikes in the prices of basic commodities, panic-buying and product shortages.

President Mnangagwa revealed he had tasked his top legal advisors to craft comprehensive legislation to plug loopholes that allowed black marketeers to operate with impunity.

“Currently, we have no legislation to deal with currency manipulators. We therefore need urgent and robust measures to deal with this financial menace.

“Accordingly, I have now instructed the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to work closely and expeditiously with the Attorney-General in order to produce a new set of regulations which will be promulgated under temporary law-making powers which I, as President, am allowed by the Constitution.

“These regulations will remain in force for a statutory period of six months, during which a Bill will have to be processed for consideration by our Legislators,” President Mnangagwa said.

The new law will be in line with international best practices, where suspicious transactions are automatically flagged and investigated.

Jurisdictions such as the United States also trace if such transactions are being taxed.

In a “cash-lite” economy like Zimbabwe’s, such a dragnet would quickly dredge speculators as most transactions are e-based. Yesterday, Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyati said they had made arrests in connection with illegal currency trading linked to bigwigs.

“We can confirm that we have made some arrests with regards to some of the prominent people who are behind the illegal currency deals.

“You are aware of the Government position to deal with such deals which are causing economic damage to the country. Very soon, we are going to release full details of some of these culprits and the nature of the crimes,” he said.

Attorney-General Advocate Prince Machaya added: “Some time at the end of last year we attempted to address it through a Statutory Instrument that we introduced, read together with the Exchange Control Act.”

Statutory Instrument 122A of 2017 empowers police to seize money from people suspected of illegal currency dealings.

Part of the SI reads: “In relation to any dealing in currency, an authorised officer or a police officer acting to enforce any order (a) may, for the purpose of holding the currency as an exhibit in a subsequent prosecution, seize any currency upon a reasonable suspicion that the possessor thereof is dealing in it unlawfully, that is, in contravention of any order or any provision of the Act or these regulations by virtue of which the order is made.”

Lawyer Mr Jonathan Samkange accused monetary authorities of sleeping on duty by failing to detect suspicious transactions.

“It is well within the mandate of the (Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe) to track all suspicious transactions, or at least watch over the banks so that they can follow up on such transactions.

“The law empowers them to have such oversight. It appears that they are not doing so and the question that has to be asked is why are they not?

“It’s the norm across the world for any huge transactions to be accounted for. For example, I have a daughter who is at university in a foreign country and whenever I pay fees for her, I have to justify such a transaction.

“If other countries can raise alarm on such transactions, why do our monetary authorities choose to remain quiet when millions of dollars are moved every day?” he questioned.

-State Media

VIDDO:

Jane Mlambo| Leader of the Opposition MDC, Nelson Chamisa has described the current fuel crisis in the country as a result of leadership kwashiorkor.

The youthful politician said it was sad that Zimbabweans are wasting precious time dealing with disastrous consequences of leadership failure by the Zanu PF Government.

Shortage of fuel is a shortage of leadership….As Zimbabweans we waste most of our time dealing with disastrous consequences of a leadership kwashiorkor ! pic.twitter.com/XSGCMR0On6

— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) October 21, 2018

FIREBRAND Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa, on Wednesday tore into the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, accusing it of being hypocritical after it failed to come to the defence of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru when she was publicly crucified by former First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Grace accused Mujuru of laziness that did not befit a Vice-President in a vicious character assassination campaign at Phelandaba Stadium in Gwanda in the run up to the Zanu PF congress in December 2014.

She also accused her of witchcraft and prostitution.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Gender Commission meeting in Bulawayo on Friday, Mliswa said the commission slept on the job at a time Mujuru needed their support.

“I am asking the Gender Commission and you civil society; what did women do when the former First Lady (Grace Mugabe) was insulting other women? What did women do to defend Amai Mujuru when she was attacked by the former First Lady and why were you quiet?” Mliswa queried.

“When the former First Lady insulted the current President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, what did you do about it?”

In response, Zimbabwe Gender Commissioner Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe admitted that while the commission was not yet established when Mujuru was victimised, they were caught napping when Mnangagwa was dragged over live coals “because of the situation”.

“When the current President was insulted, what did the commission do?

We deal with both men and women. We just don’t deal with women.

But what I would want to say is that in the first instance, it was before the Gender Commission was established,” she said.

“But I am not making any excuses.

The other issue that happened and I think that you acknowledged [it] when you spoke, that at some point it was very difficult for the gender commission to do anything because of the situation.”

Mukahanana-Sangarwe, however, said the commission lacked financial backing.

“I think now that we have been challenged about these issues as a Gender Commission, particularly of taking the government to court, we should also note that to take the government or anyone to court costs money and the budget of the Gender Commission is very limited and the budget comes from government,” she said.

The commissioner said it was something that could be further discussed and they needed every woman to throw their weight behind the campaign.

“It’s an issue for all women. It’s not just for the Gender Commission and if a woman is insulted, our expectation is that all the women, in the civil society and the gender commission and all the women should be marching against some of these issues and protest against other women being harassed,” she said.

The meeting was held under the theme “Women Experiences and Perspectives on 2018 Elections and Recommendations for 2023”.

NewsDay

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Government has no intentions of either introducing price controls or “punishing” profiteering businesses, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu has said.

Rather, Government is embarking on a price monitoring system along the production chain, from manufacturers to retailers, as part of measures to flush out economic saboteurs.

The pronouncement come at a time when there are fears among the business community and individuals that Government is about to introduce price controls.

Price controls are undesirable as they result in disappearance of commodities from shop shelves and the emergence of the black market.

The last time price controls were introduced in 2007, there was a frenzied buying spree that emptied most shop shelves.

As a result, most manufacturers stopped producing, saying the price freeze was not viable given that prices for raw materials was sky-rocketing.

Latest fears stem from Government’s announcement early last week that it has embarked on the price monitoring system as part of measures to flush out economic saboteurs.

Briefing journalists at a joint Press conference after a Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Cabinet had resolved that action be taken against profiteering players fuelling unjustified price increases, thereby imposing hardship on citizens.

During the same meeting, Minister Ndlovu weighed in saying the culprits risk withdrawal of the central bank’s foreign currency support, among other stringent penalties.

“There is a peer monitoring system among suppliers and retailers and in terms of that system, we will start by cautioning the deviants and it might end in the withdrawal of the support that the RBZ is giving to most of the entities,” said Minister Ndlovu.

The ministers’ announcements was wrongly interpreted by most industrial players as an introduction of prices controls. However, appearing on Zimpapers Television Network programme on Thursday, The Chase, Minister Ndlovu said Government has no intention of introducing price controls.

Following the recent introduction of fiscal and monetary measures meant to stabilise the economy, panic buying and hoarding has already left some shops empty, prompting Government to intervene and calm the markets.

However, price controls are not part of Government’s plans, according to the responsible minister.

“Price control are not on the table, Government has not taken that position and it will not take that position. We have made it quite clear that it’s not coming,” reiterated Minister Ndlovu.

The Industry and Commerce Minister said no businesses will be “punished” by the authorities.

“Certainly Government will not consider doing that and I like the fact that you put it clear as a punitive measure, we don’t believe anyone has to be punished for anything, this is a situation that we all have to collectively deal. So far, interactive platforms have worked and we believe we can do more through such platforms,” he said.

During the TV programme, business expressed concern over the suggestion to monitor their operations.

-State Media

A senior Bulawayo police officer died on the spot together with his wife when a vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a haulage truck near St Luke’s Hospital along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo road in Lupane Friday night.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland North, Chief Inspector Siphiwe Makonese confirmed the tragic incident but could not give further detail.

Some motorists who witnessed the incident said Assistant Inspector Mthokozisi Sibanda, stationed at Drill Hall’s police recruiting department, was heading towards Bulawayo when the accident occurred.

They said Sibanda, who two months ago also lost his seven year old son, encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic as he tried to avoid hitting a herd of cattle that had strayed onto the highway.

“We arrived at the scene when the accident had just happened just a few kilometres from Kenmaur. Both the driver and passenger were already dead and stuck in the Honda Fit car. We managed to inform police who attended to the scene,” said a motorist who was driving from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls.

The mangled car landed on the side of the road while the haulage truck had also veered off the road and stopped on the other side of the road.

Concerned motorists appealed to government to quickly erect a fence on either side of the highway to keep livestock and wild animals off the road as this has led to continued loss of life through road accidents.

Motorists said driving at night along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road was a death trap because of the animals, as villagers along the highway are not used to penning their livestock, especially between the Tyce Hurst and Insuza stretch and between Phulula and Lupane.

The road stretch between Halfway and Victoria Falls is also infested with wild animals such as elephants, buffaloes, wild dogs and hyenas mostly, which patrol around at night as the area is within the Hwange and Zambezi national parks.

VIDEO BELOW

Correspondent|Former Harare Mayor Ben Manyenyeni has congratulated the City of Bulawayo for yet again being crowned the best run city in the country.

Manyenyeni sent his congratulatory message to the City through his official Facebook page on Sunday morning.

“It’s the City of Kings one more time, Amhlope!!Bulawayo voted Best Run City in Zimbabwe. Very little politics, minimum interference, professional managers, a united community …….

Congratulations and keep it up,” said Manyenyeni.

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) was named the best run council in the country at the annual Local Government Investment Conference (LOGIC) that was held in Bulawayo this week.

BCC came tops after landing two of the five awards at stake – solid waste management and sewer reticulation and public lighting.

A number of local authorities face service delivery challenges in areas of water provision, solid waste and sewer reticulation.

Bulawayo rarely records water borne diseases cases despite the city traditionally facing water challenges.

Bulawayo mayor Solomon Mguni said the local authority was humbled by the recognition, adding their vision is to be Africa’s best run city in years to come.

“The quest now is to be the best run city in Africa as we used to be in the 1980’s,” Mguni told journalists on the sidelines of the LOGIC conference.

This is not the first time that the BCC has been named the best run council with former Local Government ministers stating the same.

The third LOGIC conference that was organised by the Urban Councils’ Association of Zimbabwe was running under the theme “Local Authorities: Ready for Investment”.

A 21-year-old Midlands State University student was early this week ordered to perform 70 hours of community service after he was convicted of stealing panties from female students to use them for masturbation.

Prince Danda, a fourth year Media and Society Studies student, pleaded guilty to the charge of theft when he appeared before Gweru magistrate Beaulite Dube.

He told the court he used them to visualise their owners wearing them as he ‘self-pleased’ himself.

“I used the panties for masturbating while imagining women wearing them,” Danda told the court, before blaming evil spirits for his actions.

Dube said she considered that Danda was a first offender who needed to be given a chance to complete his studies but said what he did was an abomination that deserved punishment.

She sentenced him to six months in prison but set aside four months on condition of good behaviour and a further two months if he completed 70 hours of community service at Senga Polyclinic.

The court heard that on October 14 at around 12:30pm, the first complainant, Immaculate Tatenda Cigarette, a 21-yer-old female student was at 1401 Nehosho when she saw accused Danda at the gate.

The accused went to the back of the house and stole complainant’s blue undergarments from the washing line and put them in his pocket.

When the complainant confronted him, he said he had lost his way before leaving the place. She then went to check her clothes and discovered that her underwear was missing before pursuing Danda.

She met police officers on patrol and reported the matter.

On the second count Danda went to house number 588 Nehosho where Nokuthula Nkomo, another 21-year-old MSU student resided.

He used the same method to steal her grey panties from the washing line before disappearing. Police later found Danda at Nhemachena shops in Senga where they searched him and discovered the undergarments in his pocket before arresting him.

The undergarments, valued at $6, were recovered.

A search at Danda’s residence led to the discovery of several more female undergarments, which he admitted to have stolen in the same way.

Correspondent|Emmerson Mnangagwa led ZANU PF Matabeleland North deputy provincial secretary John Khumalo (65) and a traditional healer, Sithembiso Tshuma (42), were on Friday jailed for nine years each for illegal possession of a pangolin skin.

Khumalo, of Jotsholo village in Lupane, at first denied the charge before admitting that he wanted to use the skin to seek treatment for his niece’s nose bleeding ailment.

He also said he got the skin from his co-accused when they appeared before Hwange provincial magistrate, Livard Philemon.

Prosecutor Onias Nyathi told the court that on May 26 this year at around 7pm, police received a tip-off that there were people in possession of pangolin scales, who were looking for buyers at a local hotel.

Police officers went to the hotel, where they found Khumalo and Tshuma seated in a car.

After introducing themselves, they requested to search the vehicle before recovering a pangolin skin with scales stashed in a plastic bag in the boot of the car.

After the two failed to provide a permit, they were arrested. The pangolin skin, weighing 0,648kg and with 138 scales, was valued at $690.

Through their lawyer, Givemore Muvhiringi of Muvhiringi and Associates, the duo had earlier argued in court that the skin did not belong to them and suggested that it could have been planted to frame them by the police informant.

Khumalo, however, pleaded for mercy from the court in mitigation after he had been convicted, arguing that he had picked up the animal at his farm and had sought Tshuma’s assistance after hearing that a pangolin could be used to heal nose bleeding.

He said he had a niece afflicted with the problem.

Newsday

Make a date for the “Beyond the dollar: Better times ahead for Zimbabwe” roundtable discussion with Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, United Nations Resident Coordinator Bishow Parajuli and Economist Eddie Cross.

TWO of the 12-man machete wielding gang that assaulted cops and destroyed six police bicycles, have been arrested.

Prince Moyo (24) and Descent Moyo (26) both from Spitzop North suburb in Gwanda, were not asked to plead when they appeared before Gwanda magistrate Ms Nomagugu Ncube facing robbery, malicious damage to property and assault charges.

They were remanded in custody to October 24.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said Prince and Descent and their accomplices first stole money from Mr Jason Moyo and when police tried to arrest them, they attacked them.

“On 7 October at around 12 noon Prince and Descent together with 10 other men who are still at large met Mr Jason Moyo and they accused him of stealing their money on the previous day.

“They forcibly took $100 cash from him and a cellphone and went away. Mr Moyo reported the matter to the police who attended the scene and found the gang who were armed with machetes and axes still on the scene. When police tried to arrest them they threw stones at them forcing the cops to flee,” she said.

Miss Mutukwa said six cops who had attended the scene fled leaving their bicycles behind. She said the gang remained behind and destroyed the six bicycles with axes and machetes.

“The gang left and along the way met another cop who was alone and they took his cellphone and $5. They later met another resident, Mr Succeed Nyathi, who was driving a donkey- drawn scotch cart and they struck one of the donkeys with a machete. They went on to assault another resident, Mr Luckmore Banda over an undisclosed reason,” she said.

Miss Mutukwa said following police investigations, Prince and Descent were arrested.

State Media