Paul Nyathi|Government has set up a modern type traffic circle at the busy Harare Drive and Gaydon road in Chisipite which commentators have called the Mnangagwa spaghetti roads.
The intersection used to be an accident dark spot and the circle comes as a relief to motorists in the area.
By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been urged to appoint opposition leader Nelson Chamisa as public protector if he is a true new dispensation leader.
President Mnangagwa on Friday told an international media house that he would create a seat for the opposition leader in parliament in accordance with Commonwealth practices.
Edmund Kudzayi, a former editor with a State publication said in a tweet:
If President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a true new dispensation leader he should give the leader of the opposition’s office the powers of the Public Protector. That would be real.
Anything less is just a cheap trick to silence the opposition with trinkets. Chamisa must say no. Kwete. pic.twitter.com/UUJzrKOuze
— Edmund Kudzayi (@EdmundKudzayi) September 22, 2018
ZIMBABWE is likely to embark on International Monetary Fund (IMF)-sponsored economic reforms under President Emerson Mnangagwa’s new government, which is under pressure to curb an economic crisis economist Tony Hawkins has warned.
The University of Zimbabwe professor told delegates at an annual stakeholders’ conference on health hosted by the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe (AHFoZ) in Victoria Falls that the reforms would be accompanied by pain, which could be far worse than the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) of 1991.
Describing the forthcoming economic reforms as ESAP 2, Hawkins warned: “The programme must tackle these five unsustainable aspects: Currency devaluation, fiscal and public sector retrenchment, the removal of subsidies and the abolition of protectionist policies such as SI 64, which will have far-reaching implications for all businesses.”
The Graduate School of Management head said ESAP 2 would be accompanied by modest growth in output and employment, and “steep currency devaluation” of between 50 percent and 60 percent.
There would also be sharply higher inflation and interest rates, and constrained credit access, he said.
The economic regime would also be characterised by increased taxation, cutbacks in government spending, large numbers of public sector layoffs, high utility tariffs and higher costs for public services — education, hospitals and many others.
Hawkins said Zimbabwe’s re-engagement with the international community will entail clearing $2 billion in arrears to multilateral funders, negotiating an IMF programme and getting the programme through the IMF board, some of whose members will be constrained from voting in favour of support to Zimbabwe due to the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, which directed that the US government should oppose the granting of any loan or financial assistance to Zimbabwe.
“It will be a lengthy process,” said Hawkins.
“Zimbabwe will negotiate a debt-restructuring deal with official lenders (donors) at the Paris Club and even if all goes well, this process will take months so that there is unlikely to be any inflow of official creditor financing before mid-2019,” he said.
He said there were potential obstacles to reforms and these included the fact that authorities believe no change is needed to the multiple currency regime.
“Only last week, the President re-stated his support for command agriculture. Other mainstream policies like SI 64, maize and wheat subsidies are obstacles to recovery,” said Hawkins.
“This is the free lunch world of Zanu-PF — gain without pain — in which the government continues its spendthrift, someone-else-will-pay, policies”
Fingaz
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…
Response to the China-Africa Summit and What it says About Africa
By Stembile Mpofu
Having established itself as the hub of global manufacturing, China is embarking on a project that President Xi Jinping has called the project of the century. On May 14 2017, world leaders gathered in Beijing to hear China’s plans for global trade, the One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI). BRI will link China to countries that make up 62% of the world’s population and account for 30% of the world’s economic output. Close to 70 countries have signed up for this multi trillion-dollar infrastructure project that will see China linked to more than 60 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
The project will focus on transportation, communication and energy, involving the construction of roads, bridges, gas pipelines, ports, railways, airports and power plants.
Fast-forward to Beijing 2018 and China is hosting The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit. This annual meeting has taken place since 2000. The 2018 FOCAC is the third such summit since the 2015 upgrade from conference to Summit status. The main objective of the 2018 FOCAC Summit is for the Chinese and African Head of States to discuss and ratify two key documents, the Beijing Action Plan 2019 – 2021 and the Beijing Declaration. The Summit ends with the ratification of these documents and they become the official guide for China-Africa relations for the next 3 years. According to Xi Jinping the adoption of these documents sends the “strong message that China and Africa will go hand in hand in years to come”. China’s intent will be to synergise their BRI plans with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development and the national development strategies of the individual African countries involved. The result being a win-win for all parties involved. China and Africa will benefit from industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation and peace and security among other things.
As good as this sounds other world players are not seeing things in the same way as the Chinese and African leadership. In the west the China-Africa partnership has triggered tangible panic in Western leaders. The week just before the FOCAC Summit, from 28th – 31st August, we witnessed the leaders of Britain and Germany scrambling to scent mark their African territories and make their marketing pitch to be Africa’s first choice investment partner. Emmanuel Macron had already made his pitch in July when he visited Nigeria. He was faster off the block than his European counterparts.
Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Nigeria was his first as President. He is however no stranger to the African continent. A mere two weeks after his inauguration in May 2017, he made his first Presidential trip and his destination was Mali. Since then he has made seven trips to Africa and visited eight countries. This visit to Nigeria was more focused on cultural events than government policy. He visited the New Afrika Shrine, a concert venue owned by the family of African icon Fela Kuti. While there Macron climbed on stage to dance with Fela’s son Femi Kuti. More importantly, he announced the launch of the African Cultures Season 2020 event. This event is to be hosted by France and financed by African businesses and is aimed at “changing clichéd perceptions of Africa”. Macron also stated the need for Europe and France in particular, to build a new commonality. He said that, “this new commonality is not based on what is important for Europeans but what is important for Africa: about their culture, how they build their culture and promote the culture”.
While Macron was dealing with the softer issues and caressing the African cultural ego, Angela Merkel and her governmental team focused on the hard issues of economic engagement. During the early part of August, Chancellor Merkel hosted leaders from Niger and Angola in Berlin. Soon after that she made her way to West Africa, visiting Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. The reason for her visit was to strengthen Africa’s economy. There was also the obvious hope that an improved economic environment will stem the tide of young Africans making their way across the Mediterranean into Europe. At the same time two other German Government delegations visited various African states.
Zimbabwe was one of six African nations visited by German Development Minister Gerd Müller, the first such visit in 20 years. He also stopped in Mozambique, Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia and Eritrea. The message delivered to all these African countries was that Germany was open to strengthening economic ties with Africa. This intention was buttressed by pledges to dispatch billions of dollars worth of development funds in loans and aid. Zimbabwe in particular was promised new lines of credit and a deepening of bilateral relations. Müller’s counterpart, Minister of State Michelle Müntefering, was dispatched to Namibia and her assignment was the repatriation of the remains of the Herero and Nama Peoples killed under German colonial rule. Germany has been in possession of more than 4600 skulls from various indigenous populations across the world, including Rwanda and Tanzania. Nineteen skulls belonging to the Herero and Nama people taken to Germany at the beginning of the 20th century were returned. These visits took place on the backdrop of the German initiative “Compact Africa” launched by Angela Merkel at last year’s G20 Summit.
It will be important for those who saw Müller’s visit as a diplomatic victory for Zimbabwe’s new government and thought Germany was getting closer to acknowledging their genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples of Namibia, to re-evaluate those assumptions. The timing and messaging of both events were more likely than not, attempts to counter the China charm offensive in full display in Beijing.
Not to be outdone by their European counterparts, the British sent Theresa May off on her own African charm offensive. She may have stolen the show from her European counterparts with her dance moves in South Africa and Senegal. Her main objective was to prepare the ground for post Brexit trade. After breaking from the European Union the British intend to create a trading block within the Commonwealth. Their intent is to re-establish their dominance by reviving their ties with countries that were part of their colonial empire. Of the 52 Commonwealth countries, 19 are African. The British investment offering of four billion pounds was much less than other players, a fact not lost on Theresa May. She addressed this by emphasising the quality of the investment rather than the quantity, saying, “ While we cannot compete with the economic might of some foreign governments investing in Africa, what we can offer is long term investment of the very highest quality and breadth”.
Ordinary Africans have not celebrated the FOCAC summit either. It has inspired fear of the imminent colonisation of Africa by the Chinese. This fear has been bolstered by the myriad of negative stories flooding social media and formal media platforms. The western media has unleashed a barrage of negative stories warning of the debt trap that China is setting up for Africa. The aim of the propaganda is to protect western interests in Africa by creating a hostile environment for Chinese cooperation. The western narrative is that Chinese loans seek to burden African countries with unsustainable debt. Once the African country defaults, China takes control of national assets in lieu of the debt resulting in the Chinese colonising that country. Media reports claim that this has already happened in Zambia. It is being called the “first Chinese colony” with reports that national assets have been taken over as a result of defaulting on a Chinese loan. Despite providing factual information contradicting this story, the Zambian government has found it difficult to counter it. China is yet to develop the media savvy required to counteract the western propaganda machine and therefore the western narrative goes largely unchallenged.
The response by global players to the FOCAC Summit has been fascinating to observe because it provides very tangible evidence of the strength of Africa’s position in the global economy. It contradicts all the “facts” that are fed to Africa and the world on a daily basis. We are told that African countries dominate the rankings of the poorest countries in the world. Data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the UN and International NGO’s report this “fact” and the media confirms it daily. If this is true why has China put such great effort into courting Africa? Why has there been this sudden frenzy by European leaders to get the attention of Africans and their leaders because Africa’s relationship with China is getting stronger? If the African continent is so poor why is France suddenly concerned with creating “new commonalities” that promote African culture? Why are European leaders attempting to dance their way into African “hearts and minds”? A report entitled the “The New Colonialism” published earlier this year by an organisation called War on Want, states that 192 billion dollars are extracted by foreign businesses from Africa each year. How is it possible to make such large sums of money from an impoverished continent? Why is China providing 60 billion dollars for major capital projects, over and above the 136 billion dollars already invested? Why is Germany offering billions more in development aid and loans?
If you think about it, how much money would you lend a poor person who is living in the street? Would you expect to get anything back from such a loan? Yet Europe, the Bretton Woods institutions and China are competing to be the ones to lend money to that poor person on the street. All are competing to hold African debt because by doing so they guarantee their access to Africa’s resources.
If these countries continue to grow wealthy as a result of their financial association with the poorest countries in the world are those poor countries genuinely poor? They are poor according to the “facts” provided by the data, but in “real life” they are not. African poverty is not real but it is created by the economic models that we have been trained to use and whose results we are conditioned to accept. The models will measure Africa’s worth according to what Africa does not have. They will ask if Africa has infrastructure, road networks, electricity, housing etc. The answer will be “no” and therefore it is poor. A simple example is to imagine a conversation between a 10 year-old African child from the rural areas and a 10 year old from New York City. If the rural child asks the city child if his father can farm, how much land they have to grow their food, how big their herd of cattle is or how many chickens and goats they have, the city child will say his father does not own land or even know how to farm. He will also say that they do not have any of these things the rural boy is talking about. The rural child will go back to his parents and tell them that the the New York City child is poor because his father has no farming skills, no land to farm and no livestock.
This is how Africans and Africa’s wealth is assessed. The economic models used to assess a country’s wealth do not include indicators that measure what Africa actually has. The mineral resources, land, water and forests are not being exploited in a way that conforms to these models and can therefore not be measured as part of a country’s wealth. In such a context they will have no value. They only attain value and are measureable once they come under the control of an investment company. The value of that company is then measured according to the value of the unexploited African resources it controls.
The question is why has Africa agreed to be assessed using these models that psychologically and economically impoverish it? The psychological effect of using these models is that Africa is unable to assert itself on the global economic stage because it has bought into the narrative that it is poor. Africa has accepted that it is that poor person living on the street and yet it plays a fundamental role in the global economy? It has failed to take full advantage of this power and use it as leverage when negotiating with its global partners.
It is clear from the global leaders’ response to the FOCAC Summit that the narrative of African poverty is a false one. It is time that Africa reassesses itself and claims its place as a trading partner equal to its global counterparts. Africa must look after its own interests in the same way China and the West are looking after theirs. It must refrain from seeing itself as a recipient of foreign aid and loans. The deals that are to be negotiated must be in the continent’s best interest.
This however, is easier said than done. We are likely to make the assumption that Africa’s problems begin and end with its corrupt leaders. This is not the case because corruption is a mere symptom of Africa’s problems. The real problem and its solution lie within the minds of African people. African minds have been subjected to psychological manipulation over a long period of time and are now convinced of African inferiority. This makes Africans unable to recognise and reject a global system that works to impoverish their continent. Continuing on this trajectory will indeed lead us to a new phase in our colonisation where China will join the West in the exploitation of the African continent. It will now be China’s turn to eat.
The next article will analyse the effects of this psychological manipulation and discuss how Africans can begin to counter the false narrative of the “Poor African Continent” and take their place as a global player.
By Own Correspondent| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed that government will soon establish the position of leader of opposition in Parliament in accordance with Commonwealth tradition.
He confirmed the plans in an interview with US’s Bloomberg TV.
President Mnangagwa is in New York where he is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
“We are going to introduce the office of the leader of the opposition in Parliament,” said the Zimbabwean leader (Friday).
“This is what we are going to do ourselves but under the former administration (Robert Mugabe’s) there was no formal recognition of the leader of the opposition.
Under my administration we are embracing the Commonwealth approach where we recognise the leader of the opposition.”
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa is Zimbabwe’s main opposition and the party has to date not recognised Mnangagwa’s July 30 victory arguing that he stole Chamisa’s election victory.
The party alleges that President Mnangagwa used the country’s elections body ZEC to manipulate the results while the Constitutional court rubber stamped Mnangagwa’s victory despite overwhelming evidence that Chamisa had emerged winner.
Despite the constitutional court’s ruling, Chamisa maintains he won the elections and scoffed at Mnangagwa latest overtures.
The opposition leader’s spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said Chamisa wants Mnangagwa to return the country to “legitimacy”, meaning recognising the MDC Alliance leader as winner.
“Our president is worried about the people’s welfare. The party and president Chamisa are not worried about creating new position but a return to legitimacy because the people voted for their leader but were cheated.
We want the implementation of the people’s five point plan that includes a return to legitimacy, a clear economic rescue plan among others,” said Sibanda.
MDC Alliance national chairperson Tabita Khumalo is the party’s leader in Parliament.
During the first sitting of parliament last week, opposition legislators walked out of parliament in a move which they said reflected that the legislators did not recognise President Mnangagwa as the legitimate winner of the July 30 polls.
However, the move drew mixed reactions from citizens with some hailing the move while others condemned it saying the opposition should move away from holding the nation at ransom and discharge their oversight role and provide checks and balances for the executive.
Correspondent|Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister Sibusiso Moyo on Thursday underwent what sources said had been a “successful” emergency surgery at a Harare hospital for a kidney-related ailment.
The serious medical condition forced Moyo to miss the crucial United Nations General Assembly meeting in the United States, where Zimbabwe is represented by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The retired lieutenant general became an instant celebrity when he announced live on State television last November’s military intervention which led to the popular ouster from power of former long-ruling leader, Robert Mugabe.
This saw the affable and articulate former senior military officer earning the monicker “General Bae” or “the people’s soldier” among his admirers.
Well-placed sources said Moyo had been rushed to the Avenues Clinic earlier this week with a kidney-related complaint which had necessitated emergency surgery.
Mnangagwa and members of his Cabinet visited him at the hospital midweek, creating a buzz at the health centre, as well as wild speculation on social media.
Deputy Information minister Energy Mutodi later confirmed that Moyo was admitted at the hospital – adding that he was “recovering well from a minor illness”.
“He is stable but sick and is currently surrounded by close members of his family … only a few people have access to him. Hopefully, he will be out of hospital by the end of the week. He was operated on early today (yesterday) and the operation is related to his kidneys,” one source said.
Moyo announced on live television on November 15 last year the military’s intervention in the governance of the country.
Jane Mlambo| Leader of the opposition MDC, Nelson Chamisa has refused to budge to pressure to accept the Zanu PF victory in the just ended 30 July polls saying as a winner, he will not quit.
In a Twitter post this morning, the youthful opposition leader said he remains focused on transforming Zimbabwe to leave a legacy.
He called for a revolution of morals and resetting values in order to lead differently.
WiNNERS QUIT NOT. We remain focused on the goal to transform our beloved country, revamping its politics and leadership standards to leave a legacy and make a mark.We need a revolution of morals , resetting of values and reformation of character.We lead differently!!#Godisinit
— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) September 22, 2018
Chamisa has openly declared himself the winner of the July 30 Presidential elections though ZEC announced Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner.
Chamisa sought to reverse the rigged electoral outcome through the Constitutional Court who also went to bed with Zanu PF and declared Mnangagwa the winner.
This was despite glaring evidence of manipulation of outcome including identical results in almost 16 polling stations as well as ZEC’s continued change of the electoral outcome which proved that there were irregularities in how the electoral mother body handled the elections.
Jane Mlambo| The opposition MDC has accused police of stealing from vendors under the guise of removing the informal traders from the streets to contain cholera.
In a statement released yesterday, party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the apparatus deployed to enforce the “Zanu PF decision” were confiscating clothes and electronic gadgets from vendors despite such wares not being linked to the spread of cholera.
”These are clear acts of theft,” said Mafume.
The party added called for an inclusive and coordinated approach to tackling the cholera issue saying the whole issue of creating war between local authorities and the parent ministry are aimed at furthering Zanu PF interests at the expense of the nation.
Mafume called on individuals and state agencies that owe local authorities huge sums of money to pay what they owe as this has crippled operations of municipalities.
SOUTH Africa has advised Zimbabweans intending to seek permits to ensure their documents are in order and file their applications before the deadline on October 31.
The neighbouring country’s Department of Home Affairs says it will not accept late applications.
In an interview yesterday, Zimbabwe Consul General to South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro said Zimbabweans based in the neighbouring country should ensure their passports are valid so that they are eligible to apply for work permits.
He said the biggest challenge for some Zimbabweans living in South Africa was that they are undocumented and do not have work permits.
Mr Mukonoweshuro said those who qualify under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits should ensure that their papers are in order prior to the October 31submission deadline.
“It’s a known rule that there is no permit that is given on an expired passport. All those whose passports have expired or are about to expire should endeavour to apply for the emergency passport so that they give them to Home Affairs,” he said.
“This is because the process is to be done before October 31 this year and they have to make sure that those passports are with Home Affairs before that time if they want to be considered under the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits”.
Mr Mukonoweshuro advised Zimbabweans against waiting for the last minute to sort out their documentation as they risked congestion, delays and consequently failure to access services.
The Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) replaced the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) which expired at the end of last year.
The application process is facilitated online. More than 169 000 Zimbabweans had applied to regularise their stay in South Africa through the ZEP.
ZEP runs from January 2018 to 2021 and will replace the Zimbabwe Special Permit which accommodated close to 200 000 people and expires at the end of this year. 197 941 Zimbabweans held the special permits which expired in December 2018.
State Media
Jane Mlambo| Movement for Democratic Change has warned government against evicting vendors from th streets of Harare saying it is not the solution to th multiplicity of problems bedeviling the city and the nation at large.
In a statement released yesterday, party spokesperson, Jacob Mafume said government is only using cholera to victimize people in an attempt to achieve ill-conceived goals.
Read below statement from the MDC;
The Zanu PF government’s obsession and decision to evict vendors from the city centre is barbaric contemptuous and disrespectful. It is not the solution to the problems bedeviling the city and the nation at large.
Government is simply using cholera as an excuse to victimize people in an attempt to achieve ill-conceived goals.
The MDC is against the idea of blaming the victims for every calamity that befalls the motherland.
To make matters worse the apparatus deployed to enforce the Zanu PF decision are confiscating clothes and electronic gadgets from vendors, merchandise that cannot in any scientific way transmit cholera.
These are clear acts of theft.
In an attempt to curb the spread of cholera emphasis must never be on the blame game apportioned to the vendors. Burst sewer pipes in Glen View are the source of the current outbreak which therefore must follow that the whole infrastructure of water and sanitation be overhauled and renewed.
We make this point in the Sustainable Modernization Agenda for Real Transformation (SMART).
Surveys have been done and commissioned to this effect including one by UNICEF which made it clear that government ought to have replaced the infrastructure in the 1990s. However the Zanu PF government never prioritized and is against resourcing local authorities for purposes of capital formation as a result of their fear of an MDC success.
Under the new constitution, the central government must finance provincial tiers of government to the tune of 5% of the total national budget.
Since 2013 this provision has been ignored, in fact the government continues to undermine the implementation of devolution through illegal appointment of Provincial Ministers and a deliberate reluctance to pass enabling legislation. This as well is disrespectful.
Central government therefore owes lower tiers of government in excess of 1,2 billion dollars since the enactment of the new constitution in 2013.
To make matters worse, government related individuals including the Zanu PF provincial offices owe the City of Harare more than 11 million dollars in unpaid rates.
To then have a Minister of Finance who collects tax payer’s money and directs it to ill-conceived priorities and then ask the tax payers to fund themselves out of a disaster is an insult of the highest order. An attempt to donate by people who are guilty of habitual dereliction of duty is also an insult to the intelligence of the people of Zimbabwe.
We find the state’s habit of creating a turf war between the Ministry of Local Government and the local authorities to be suspicious. A responsible government must never issue central directives with no prior conversations with stakeholders in lower tiers of government.
We therefore suggest that the following be done:
1. The arbitrary eviction of vendors be stopped forthwith.
2. An inclusive and coordinated all stakeholders approach be adopted in combating the spread of cholera.
3. Vendors must be engaged and assisted to practise hygienic methods of conducting their business.
4. The state, its agencies and linked individuals must pay what they owe to the local authorities in the form of bills and rates.
5. State interference in local authorities disguised as intervention must stop forthwith.
6. Positive steps must be taken by central government to resource local authorities for purposes of capital formation especially regarding water and sanitation infrastructure.
7. The government must implement devolution of power as provided in chapter 14 of the constitution to ensure equitable distribution of resources and ensure accurate prioritization of projects.
8. Formal and decent jobs must be created to allow vendors to go back and pursue their dreams through provision of alternative careers and sources of income.
It must be accepted that the water and sanitation crisis in Zimbabwe is the sole source of diseases like typhoid and cholera.
We offer holistic solutions to the water crisis in Harare in the SMART policy document.
We make the point that failure to act on these and other issues now will result in infinite outbreaks, loss of life and unpalatable suffering of the Zimbabwean people.
Jacob Mafume
MDC National Spokesperson
By Discent Bajila|I am very far from the mad crowds.
We don’t buy bread here. We make bread. No one sells pap and vegies here. We all cook our own. We fish our own fish in our own dams and cook for ourselves. These days there’s lots of salmon and bream.
You people who live cash based lives must come this side at times. Here we can actually brew our own alcohol too. All we need is rain and freedom.
We don’t even need Parliament, Cabinet or the Constitutional Court. We have our own courts here. The people are the Parliament of this area. Each family head is a Cabinet Minister because they’re responsible for implementation of decisions of our Parliament.
We are fine without you cash based people.
Staff Reporter|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has committed that he will create a parliamentary position for the leader of the biggest opposition party as is the norm with the commonwealth countries.
Mnangagwa made the commitment which he has previously hinted on while speaking in a wide ranging interview with United States television network Bloomberg on Friday evening.
“We are going to introduce the office of the leader of the opposition in Parliament,” said Mnangagwa.
“This is what we are going to do ourselves but under the former administration (Robert Mugabe’s) there was no formal recognition of the leader of the opposition.
“Under my administration we are embracing the Commonwealth approach where we recognise the leader of the opposition.”
However, early indications from leader of the country’s biggest opposition the MDC Alliance coalition Nelson Chamisa, are that the opposition party is not going to accept the offer as they insist that Mnangagwa cheated himself into power in the July 30 elections.
Chamisa approached the Constitutional Court challenging the result and arguing that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had connived with Zanu PF to rig the poll in Mnangagwa’s favour against him.
The opposition leader’s spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda said Chamisa wants Mnangagwa to return the country to “legitimacy”, meaning recognising the MDC Alliance leader as winner.
“Our president is worried about the people’s welfare. The party and president Chamisa are not worried about creating new position but a return to legitimacy because the people voted for their leader but were cheated.
“We want the implementation of the people’s five point plan that includes a return to legitimacy, a clear economic rescue plan among others,” said Sibanda.
President Mnangagwa is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly where he has been holding high profile interviews with media houses on the sidelines of the general assembly.
THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance has vowed to approach the seven-member commission probing the fatal shooting of seven civilians by the military on August 1, demanding that two of the commissioners Lovemore Madhuku and Charity Manyeruke recuse themselves as they were “compromised” and unlikely to produce a balanced report.
Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said that they would soon approach commission chair, former South African President Kalema Motlanthe, to express their reservations over Madhuku and Manyeruke’s involvement in the investigations, labelling them as “government apologists”.
He claimed that Madhuku could not be expected to act independently as he had contested the July 30 election as one of the presidential candidates, while Manyeruke was a known Zanu PF activist.
The commission, sworn-in by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week, was tasked to inquire into the violence which left at least seven people dead after soldiers opened fire in the capital’s central business district to quell a demonstration by MDC Alliance supporters protesting the delay in the announcement of the presidential poll.
Several MDC Alliance activists have been arrested over the protests, with top government officials accusing opposition leaders of fomenting the deadly clashes to dent Mnangagwa’s global image.
“Charity Manyeruke has shown over the years that she is a Zanu PF member and praise singer, while Madhuku has recently turned into a government apologist,” Mafume said.
“He (Madhuku) is ready to hail government at any given opportunity using complex reasons. He was a political player in the elections which are being investigated and for all we know he could have been one of the protestors. We are therefore unsure why political players out of a population of over 13 million could be chosen to be in this commission.”
MDC Alliance leaders face the prospects of being summoned to give evidence before the commission, following allegations that they incited protestors to take to the streets.
Mafume said the party had not yet taken a positon on whether to testify before the commission.
In an interview just after the August 1 incident, Madhuku blamed both Chamisa and the soldiers for the violence.
“Soldiers are at fault because they ran and shot people, but also the people who had incited the protestors by saying they will not accept the result we will reverse it and pushed people to the streets, also erred,” Madhuku said then.
“Chamisa and MDC are trying to carry their voters to 2023. It’s a method they use at the MDC, when the election ends they say they have been robbed. Your voters then carry that message with them until 2023. They campaign on that.”
Madhuku told journalists at the swearing-in ceremony this week that if there was need for him to recuse himself, he would gladly do so although he insisted that he could handle his duties without the burden of his political office.
NewsDay
ACTING PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi on Friday claimed that he cheated death twice when an aircraft in which he was a passenger failed to negotiate a stormy weather on his way to Beitbridge.
Mohadi did not disclose the exact location of the mishap, but indicated that he was later picked up by an Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopter to complete his journey.
The Acting President said pilots managed to land the initial aircraft and they were stuck for two hours before another futile attempt to fly.
He could not disclose the details of the aircraft he was using.
“That is why I am late and I want to apologise for coming to meet you late. It is our culture to ask for forgiveness and I am sorry I made you wait,” Mohadi said to senior government officials, chiefs and headmen and Zanu PF Matabeleland South leaders at a briefing before he officially launched the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Scheme.
Mohadi later repeated his claims when he addressed about 1 500 mostly Zanu PF supporters people gathered to meet him at Lutumba Grain Marketing Board Depot, where the scheme was launched.
“Another aircraft was dispatched to pick me, but now I am here,” he said.
He said the free seed handouts, a brainchild of former President Robert Mugabe, were expected to benefit 1,8 million households nationwide and should be distributed across the political divide.
Beitbridge, once a stronghold of Zanu PF, has been invaded by MDC Alliance, which swept all urban local government seats and went on to beat President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Beitbridge East.
The revised distribution will now be done according to the agro-ecological regions following rainfall patterns of particular areas, with those in semi-dry areas getting drought-resistant grains.
Mohadi challenged farmers in low-rainfall areas to embrace short-season and drought-resistant grain crops, mostly small grains.
He said traditional farmers should lead the process.
“For farmers from this part of Zimbabwe, who for too many years have toiled under the brutal sun without much success, this day brings new hope,” he said.
“Let’s agree with what our situation demands. Let us accept that we are in a low rainfall area, where small grains do well. We must not be stuck in the past and hope maize will one day be successful under natural rains.”
Farmers must change their mind-set, he said.
Mohadi said the agricultural inputs were meant to improve food security in the homes and to ensure Zimbabweans were well fed.
He said the government was this year better prepared than before in terms of inputs.
Speaking at the same occasion, Lands, Agriculture, Resettlement and Water Affairs minister Perrance Shiri said several branches of command agriculture would be extended to all rural areas.
He urged farmers to repay loans extended to them under the scheme to avoid straining government coffers.
Newsday
Staff Correspondent|Police in Harare have reinforced their security, with some police details getting onto the streets armed with AK-47 rifles, as the law enforcement agency upped its effort to evict defiant vendors from Harare streets.
The situation was tense, as police and the vendors continued with their cat-and-mouse chases, with the illegal merchants defying the heavily armed police, forming pockets around the city, where they rebelliously continued selling their wares.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Harare municipal police launched a blitz against vendors at the weekend in a bid to control the spread of cholera that has so far claimed 32 lives out of the over 7 000 reported cases around the country, with the majority of cases in Harare’s high-density suburbs of Glen View and Budiriro.
But following the defiance by vendors resisting eviction from the streets, who also attacked the police vehicles on Thursday, the law enforcement agency buttressed their security.
This, however, did not scare away the vendors, who continued to mount their makeshift vending stalls around the city, while commuter omnibus crews continued invading their usual illegal pick-up points.
Police were scattered in the CBD, walking in big groups and making occasional raids on the vendors, who were not complying with the Harare City Council directive to vacate undesignated selling points.
Some unfortunate vendors rounded by the police were bundled into police trucks and detained at Harare Central Police Station.
One vendor, who plies her trade under the Julius Nyerere foot bridge, said she would not leave the streets even if the police were to come armed to the teeth.
“Even if they bring guns, we will not be afraid. We will also find ways to fight back, we are not afraid. This is the only place where we get money to feed our families,” she said.
“If industries are opened and our husbands get jobs, you will not see us here in town. We don’t even want to be here in the CBD. We also want to be at home with our children. If they think we are going to leave the streets, they are joking.”
Another vendor said they would not leave the streets and condemn themselves to death by hunger.
“We were asked to leave for Four Ways (bus rank by Coca-Cola along Seke Road), but when we got there on Monday, only women with Zanu PF cards were allocated stalls. Some of them were not even vendors previously, but coming to take over the stalls at the expense of people with stock who have been in the streets for the past couple of years,” she said.
“I am a qualified person. I lost my job in 2016 and had nothing to do other than join vending. There are some families, fathers, mothers and children who are all on the streets and if they are evicted, where will they get the money to buy food? We are not going anywhere.”
Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, however, told the NewsDay that she was not aware that some police officers were armed with guns.
“I am not aware of the issue of police having guns, but I will get information on it,” she said.
In Mutare, vendors yesterday defied an order by the local municipality to vacate the streets.
The Mutare City Council yesterday followed other major cities in banning vendors from operating at undesignated vending sites following the cholera outbreak that has hit the country.
However, in a survey carried by NewsDay Weekender, vendors said they were not going anywhere.
Taurai Manjenje, a vegetables vendor, said council was failing to give them enough space.
“All the designated places are full and we have no option and we are not going anywhere. They can go ahead and arrest us. We might vacate the streets, but it doesn’t take us a day and we will be back,” he said.
Enock Majoni, a tomatoes vendor, was singing from the same hymn book.
“We are not going anywhere. How do they expect us to survive? This decision is not good,” he said.
By Paul Nyathi|It appears the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company is in the business of distributing electricity for free to ministers and ZANU PF bigwigs while heavily harassing ordinary citizens on their electricity bills.
The power utility company has in the last few weeks been taking former ministers and ZANU PF bosses to court to recover outstanding electricity bills hitting tens of thousands of dollars raising questions why the bills were ever allowed to go up that high in the first place.
Former Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development minister, Nyasha Chikwinya is the latest bigwig to be taken to court over an outstanding $31 765 energy bill owing to the Zetdc.
Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility petitioned the High Court on Thursday, claiming payment of the outstanding amount. The former Mutare South legislator (Zanu PF) is yet to respond to the litigation and the matter is pending.
According to the court papers, Chikwinya allegedly failed, neglected and or refused to settle the amount despite numerous demands.
“The defendant (Chikwinya) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (Zetdc) as at August 31, 2018 in the sum of $31 765, being charges in respect of power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter’s special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two, for account number 2249447,” the power utility said in its declaration.
“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite written demand. By reason of the said failure, neglect or refusal to pay the above sum/amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the same with interest thereon at the prescribed rate which is currently 5% per annum.”
Some ordinary poor citizens go for long periods without electricity after being disconnected or put on prepaid meters for defaulting payments by just a month while the rich ministers are let loose to use the imported power for free with no recourse.
The power company owes South Africa huge amounts for electricity imported from that country while the “chefs” enjoy use of the power without paying for it.
The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance says it will soon announce its shadow cabinet and that it will maintain pressure on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF party to dialogue over the problems faced by the country.
The opposition party has refused to recognise Mnangagwa as President despite Chamisa losing a challenge to his victory at the Constitutional Court.
After initially refusing to engage Mnangagwa, Chamisa now says he wants dialogue and claims that the ruling party has snubbed his overtures.
“The party is going to roll provincial assemblies to give direction to make sure that it keeps the State on its toes.
We want everyone to know how the election was rigged and that they know the sitting President is an illegitimate one,” MDC Alliance vice-president Morgen Komichi told journalists yesterday.
“The party is going to have various programmes and activities to make sure that the pressure continues to mount.
The party also resolved to increase its activism, especially in Parliament.
This is an arena that we must pursue in view of the stolen election.”
He added: “We are not going to rest until we bring this to order.
We will be pursing various means and our president is going to announce his [shadow] cabinet very soon.
We will embark on an international offensive and to make sure that political activism will be rolled out, we will be connecting the entire networks so that they understand our position.”
Komichi said contrary to speculation, the party was not planning a mock inauguration for Chamisa.
The party’s spokesperson Jacob Mafume said Chamisa highlighted the need for dialogue to resolve the issue of legitimacy, reforms, international engagement and resolving the economic crisis.
Newsday
A BULAWAYO man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing 6 000 metres of copper cables worth $18 750 from Esigodini.
His five alleged accomplices were acquitted after the court failed to find incriminating evidence against them.
Tinashe Mujakachi (30), who had pleaded not guilty to charges of cutting, damaging, destroying or interfering with copper cables when he appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira, was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
Talent Kamupaundi (27), Loicy Sibanda (44), Emmanuel Noko (58), Freddie Kasema (23) and Brendon Dube (23), also from Bulawayo, were found not guilty and acquitted.
Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube had said the five men, who were working with a woman, stole the copper cables on three separate occasions.
They were arrested on the third day as they were collecting their loot.
He said Mujakachi and Kamupaundi were responsible for cutting the copper cables; Noko and his girlfriend Sibanda sold the cables while Kasema and Dube were responsible for transporting the loot.
“The accused persons connived to steal Zesa copper cables from Esigodini area. On 17 July Mujakachi, Kamupaundi, Kasema and Dube went to Endongeni Farm in Esigodini area where they cut and stole 2 400 metres of copper wires valued at $7 500. They transported the loot to Noko and Sibanda who sold the cables.
“On 21 July the accused persons drove to Savikida Farm in Esigodini area where they cut off 1 200 metres of overhead copper wires valued at $3 750. Noko and Sibanda sold the copper cables,” he said.
Mr Dube had said on July 24, Mujakachi, Kamupaundi, Kasema and Dube went to Komani Farm where they cut off 2 400 metres of copper cables valued at $7 500 and left the wires there as they were set to collect them later.
He said three security guards who were patrolling the area at night saw the copper cables lying on the ground and laid an ambush to apprehend the culprits.
“Mujakachi and Kamupaundi arrived at the scene around 3AM to collect the copper cables. The security guards apprehended them while they were rolling the copper cables. Mujakachi and Kamupaundi implicated their other accomplices leading to their arrest as well.
“Police carried out a search at Noko’s place of residence where they found a sack of about 15kg of scrap copper,” he said.
Mr Dube said a bolt cutter that the accused persons used to commit the offence was also recovered.
State Media
ACTING President Kembo Mohadi yesterday, for the first time, poured his heart out about “painful permanent mental scars’’ that he sustained during the evil and cruel White City Stadium bombing attack in Bulawayo on June 23.
The cowardly attack that was aimed at the Presidium left at least 49 people, among them Acting President Mohadi, Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga’s wife, Mrs Marry Chiwenga and Zanu-PF Political Commissar Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired), injured while two lost their lives.
Overcome with emotion, Acting President Mohadi recounted the pain of losing one of his trusted aides, Nelson Dube, in the blast.
Dube, who was a chief security aide working in the office of VP Mohadi, was in the line of duty when the explosive went off.
The main target, President Mnangagwa escaped unhurt.
Dube, he said, took the brunt of the explosion while shielding him.
“He was dedicated to me and his job. The pain of losing him will stay with me forever,” he said, the apparent sting of the memory etching wrinkles on his brow.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Presidential Agricultural Inputs Programme at Lutumba village in Beitbridge District yesterday, VP Mohadi said the attack left him emotionally wounded.
He said the death of Dube, the sheer brutality and ruthlessness of someone carrying out such an attack where thousands of citizens could have been maimed or killed, had a devastating effect on him.
“It was actually a missile targeted at the Presidium and certainly uncalled for. However, sadly what doesn’t leave my mind is that my aide Nelson Dube who was on my left took the whole blow from me and he died,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi said if the despicable attack had been targeted specifically at him without injuring others, he would be unfazed.
“The White City incident is actually part of occupational hazards that we face at work. In fact, when you are at work you have got to be prepared to get hurt and even in the case of a builder, a brick may fall on his or her toe, so to me I equally treat it as it as one of those, an occupational hazard,” he said.
Acting President Mohadi condemned the attack, saying it was a barbaric act driven by cowardice.
“Who did it? I don’t know. But one must understand that we come across such things because we normally don’t have friends all over. In fact, some people are friends and even among those, some of them would not even be my friends,” he said, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice.
He said after the bomb attack he was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo and later whisked to Manyame Military Hospital in Harare for security reasons before he was flown to South Africa.
“After the incident I was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital and from there I was taken to Manyame Military Hospital in Harare because of the security nature of the bombardment. However, because of certain complications that they discovered I had to go to South Africa for further management. I am now feeling better such that I can even kick you,” he said, his mood lifting momentarily.
It was clear that joking is part of the methods the Acting President is employing in trying to deal with the tragedy.
He said it was by the grace of God that he survived the attack, which will forever linger in his mind.
International bodies such as the African Union, UN and Sadc roundly condemned the attack.
Security forces and the police are working around the clock to bring the perpetrators of the attack to book.
State media
The Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo who once blew millions of dollars on snow graders for Zimbabwe’s roads said, “we have got enough stocks in the country and at Beira. The only thing that is there, which is of concern, is that the current fuel situation in the market has been triggered by social media reports that have created panic-buying among motorists.
“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)has continued to prioritise fuel supply in the country and yesterday (Thursday) we received $20 million for allocation to fuel dealers. So the fuel dealers last night were busy importing the commodity,” he said.
STATE MEDIA FULL TEXT:
Government has disbursed $20 million towards the importation of fuel as it moves to ease the supply gap across the country, which has seen some towns suffering temporary shortages resulting in queues at filling stations.
Fuel queues have been observed in the past few weeks. Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said there was no need to panic as fuel dealers were already transporting the product into the country, with the supply situation expected to normalise soon.
“We have got enough stocks in the country and at Beira. The only thing that is there, which is of concern, is that the current fuel situation in the market has been triggered by social media reports that have created panic-buying among motorists.
“The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)has continued to prioritise fuel supply in the country and yesterday (Thursday) we received $20 million for allocation to fuel dealers. So the fuel dealers last night were busy importing the commodity,” he said.
The fuel supply situation is expected to stabilise in the next few days.
“Some garages like here in Harare no longer have the queues as we speak. There is enough fuel at Msasa and there is enough pumping from Beira and thus there is no reason to panic. But the issue at stake is that fuel is imported using foreign currency and dealers have to wait for the allocation by the central bank.
“RBZ is doing its best and they are giving us the forex, hence there is no problem,” said Dr Gumbo. A snap survey by The Chronicle in Bulawayo yesterday showed that some filling stations had long queues of motorists waiting to buy fuel while others were dry.
It was also observed that some service stations were demanding cash.
“It is very unfortunate and not fair for them (fuel retailers) to do that (demand cash) and I am going to ask Zera (Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority) to look into it and deal with such unscrupulous retailers because that is illegal.
“Such behaviour is predisposed to creating discomfort and chaos in the country. More so, the forex that they are allocated, it’s not them who are sourcing it but it is coming from the RBZ. So they should stop such errant tendencies,” he said.
A 32-year old man, who was arraigned for allegedly removing his cellmate’s pants and fondling his buttocks when they were detained at Pumula Police Station in Bulawayo, has been sentenced to three months in prison.
Godknows Simbarashe Pfumbi requested to sleep next to the 40-year-old cell mate, whose name was not mentioned in court, with whom he was detained saying he was young and later demanded sex from him.
Pfumbi appeared before Western Commonage Magistrate Mr Stephen Ndlovu facing charges of indecent assault.
Mr Ndlovu sentenced him to a wholly suspended three months in prison on condition that he performs 105 hours of community service at Pumula Police Station.
Pfumbi denied the allegations saying that he might have accidentally touched the complainant since he was drunk.
“When I was arrested I was drunk and the police had assaulted me. I might have touched him accidentally since I was under the influence of alcohol and I was angry with the police for assaulting me. He is lying, I never demanded sex from him,” he said.
The prosecutor, Mr Mufaro Mageza said on September 7, Pfumbi was detained at Pumula Police Station.
“He demanded to sleep next to his victim and as soon as the other inmates fell asleep, Pfumbi removed his pants and demanded sex from the victim.
“After removing his pants, Pfumbi started fondling the victim’s buttocks demanding sex from him,” he said.
“The victim refused to have sex with Pfumbi and started insulting him. Other inmates woke up as they heard the two exchanging insults.”
A few minutes later, Mr Mageza said, police arrived at the cell and after hearing what had happened, removed the victim from the cell. – state media
Chicken Inn FC striker Obidiah Tarumbwa has been released from prison after he committed to pay more than $600 monthly until he clears about $6 000 in maintenance arrears for the upkeep of his two children.
He paid a lump sum of $1 500 towards the arrears and made a payment plan for the balance.
Tarumbwa has been in a long-running battle over the maintenance of the children that he sired with his ex-wife Patience.
Bulawayo magistrate Ms Rachel Mukanga yesterday set Tarumbwa free on condition that he pays $350 towards his arrears every month and continues to contribute $316 monthly.
The court ruled that the settlement that proposed to service the long-run debt shall commence with effect from October 30 this year.
Tarumbwa was represented by Mr Tinashe Runganga. He was on Monday sentenced to eight months in prison for failing to pay maintenance with arrears of about $6 000 for the upkeep of his children.
Prosecuting, Mehluli Ndlovu said last month, Tarumbwa was due in court for a hearing on his long running case but instead he featured in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match between Chicken Inn and Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium. – state media
A 41-year old Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) official stationed at Beitbridge Border Post has been dragged to court for stealing goods which had been confiscated by the revenue authority from a suspected smuggler.
Owen Chiparausha of 2704 Dulivhadzimo in the border town is no stranger to crime as he was recently released from prison on bail pending appeal after he had been jailed for an effective 15 years on charges of raping a 23-year-old customs clearing agent from Beitbridge in January last year.
He was not asked to plead to theft charges when he appeared before Mr Trevor Nyatsanza.
Chiparausha was remanded to 10 October on $150 bail pending trial. Prosecuting, Miss Nomathemba Sayi told the court that Chiparausha was deployed to the State warehouse within the border. She said his duties among others included accounting for confiscated goods.
The court heard that on September 15 at around 9AM, Chiparausha was charged with conveying intercepted goods to the State warehouse for safe keeping. Miss Sayi said Chiparausha connived with a work mate, Dumisani Dube, who is still at large and stole an assortment of goods comprising mainly bathing soap and washing powder.
The goods were laden in a Zimra T-35 truck and moved to a State warehouse near the Southgate (departures). Miss Sayi said instead of taking the contraband to the warehouse, the duo offloaded part of the goods worth $508 into another vehicle.
The court heard they took the loot to a local lodge for safe keeping.
The anomaly was discovered by one of their superiors when he made a follow up.
He reported to the police leading to the recovery of the goods and Chiparausha’s arrest. – state media
TAXI operators on some city routes have increased fares from fifty cents to $1.
Stranded commuters who board kombis along 6th avenue expressed despair at the development.
A ride to suburbs such as Cowdray Park, Emakhandeni Mpopoma, Mabutweni and Gwabalanda was pegged at $1 yesterday evening as kombi drivers cited fuel shortages and escalating prices of commodities as the cause for the hike.- state media
VIDEO LOADING BELOW…ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa last night boasted about creating a democratic space in which “we have 133 political parties,” when he was however grilled by CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour: what do you say to the people of Zimbabwe and to the people who are observing around the world about whether you can be a unifyer, obviously your election victory was very very narrow, it was less than 1% and people have complained about it and people have said that, they hope that you won’t be divisive… be just for the ZANU PF voters. Let me tell you about what the United States have said about the post election situation – The state department in August said the United States is gravely concerned about the credible reports of numerous detentions, beatings and other abuses, of Zimbabweans over the past week, particularly targeting opposition activists, that isn’t a new Zimbabwe!, exclaimed the CNN anchor. To this, Mnangagwa replied saying… (WATCH BELOW FOR HIS RESPONSE)
Twelve Zimbabweans – one man and 11 women – face the death sentence in China, unless President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government moves with speed to operationalise a prisoners’ exchange programme with the Asian economic giant, the Daily News has been told.
China has a mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking cases and has executed several foreigners under the country’s tough anti-drug laws.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Commissioner-General, Paradzayi Zimondi, told the Daily News in an exclusive interview yesterday that he had learnt of the distressing news of the 12 Zimbabweans after visiting China last week.
He said prisoners’ exchange programmes – such as the one agreed with China – involved the movement of imprisoned nationals to their countries of origin.
“We have operational regional prisoners’ exchange programmes with countries like Mozambique and Zambia.
“But with the Chinese exchange programme, it will take the ministers of Justice of the two countries to come up with the requisite legislation that will facilitate the exchange of prisoners from Zimbabwe to China and vice versa,” Zimondi said.
It was his hope that the Zimbabweans incarcerated in China would be deported in time – provided the Justice ministry moved quickly to finalise the legal framework to operationalise the prisoners’ exchange programme.
Zimondi also said that there were currently no Chinese nationals in local prisons.
“We have no Chinese in our prisons. I was in China last week. They told us that they have 12 Zimbabweans – 11 women and one man. All of them are drug-related offenders.
“It (Zimondi’s visit) was a study tour meant to facilitate the exchange of notes and to learn from their (China’s) prisons practices. This was not my first such visit, as I have also been to England and to Denmark,” Zimondi said.
Many Zimbabweans have in recent years been busted overseas while trying to smuggle drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy pills.
In 2017, a woman was also arrested at Harare International Airport with 3,8 kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of $304 000.
The woman, Beauty Mutashu, was later sentenced to 10 years in prison after she was convicted of the offence.
Daily News
Statement on the International Day of Peace
– via Heal Zimbabwe Trust
Heal Zimbabwe joins the rest of the world in commemorating International Day of Peace. The commemorations this year are running under the theme, “The Right to Peace-The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70”. The theme for this year celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides among many rights, the right to freedom from torture and access to justice. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an elaborate document that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on the 10th December 1948 in Paris.
In his message on this an historic day, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, underscored the need for all nations to uphold the provisions enunciated in the UDHR.”“It is time all nations and all people live up to the words of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human race. This year marks the 70th anniversary of that landmark document.” he said.
Article 5 of the African (Banjul) Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights highlights that, “Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status. All forms of exploitation and degradation of man particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited”. Such a provision compels member states like Zimbabwe to cultivate a culture of upholding the fundamental human rights and freedoms such as freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Chapter 232 of the constitution of Zimbabwe establishes Independent Commissions particularly the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) whose mandate as enunciated in Section 252 (b) is to “develop and implement programmes to promote national healing, unity and cohesion in Zimbabwe and the peaceful resolution of disputes”.
Heal Zimbabwe commends the NPRC for embarking on national consultative meetings that sought to engage stakeholders on issues of national healing and reconciliation in the past, in fact, the critical need for a comprehensive healing and reconciliation process remains urgent.The snail’s pace with which the NPRC is carrying out its constitutional mandate such as ensuring post -conflict justice, healing and reconciliation is not only worrying but frustrating given that the nation is in dire need of healing and reconciliation. It is Heal Zimbabwe’s view that by now, NPRC would have commenced in earnest tackling key reconciliation issues such as Gukurahundi and the 2008 violence among others.
On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, Heal Zimbabwe implores the NPRC to urgently address reconciliation issues that were raised by stakeholders during consultative meetings earlier this year. Added to this, the NPRC must swiftly move in to tackle contentious reconciliation issues such as Gukurahundi in compliance with Section 252 (c) of the constitution that stipulates that the NPRC must “bring about national reconciliation by encouraging people to tell the truth about the past and facilitating the making of amends and the provision of justice.”
Source: Heal Zimbabwe
A Zimbabwean national, who robbed and murdered his 53-year-old Pringle Bay employer to fulfil his dreams of becoming a Cape Town rapper with an album, has been sentenced to 37 years imprisonment.
Martin Ncube 22, last month pleaded guilty to killing Farah Thompson in her Hangklip Road home by smashing her head with a blunt object and strangling and suffocating her by covering her mouth and nose with 10 scarves.
He further robbed her of her bank cards, laptop, tablet and BMW X3 vehicle with the car’s registration papers.
The incident occurred on August 13 last year.
Western Cape High Court Judge Monde Samela handed down the sentencing yesterday.
“You didn’t appreciate the good gesture the deceased showed you, taking you in as family, not knowing she was harbouring an aggressive evil person.
“You tied her with 10 scarves around her face and neck and a wrapped a transparent packaging tape around her body. She surely had a painful death,” said judge Samela.
Judge Samela said Thompson wasn’t armed and the cause of death was a result of a combination of her head injuries, strangulation and or smothering.
“The court has to take into consideration the seriousness of the crime, interest of society and victim as well as the accused’s personal circumstances.
“The accused’s personal circumstances are outweighed by the aggravating circumstances,” said Judge Samela.
Thompson’s husband, Roger Thompson, said he was disappointed with the sentence. He said the family had hoped Ncube would get life imprisonment.
In his plea explanation, Ncube said on the day of the murder he had only planned to rob Thompson.
He dragged her to the toilet and took out sellotape from his work backpack which had his tools. He brought a chain and chair and tied her to the chair before he proceeded to rob her.
“The reason why I decided to rob the deceased is because I had dreams of becoming a rap artist in Cape Town and have my own album,” he concluded.
IOL
NEWLY-MINTED Finance minister Mthuli Ncube this week set sail for the United States, together with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, for the United Nations General Assembly in New York where he will engage potential funders and investors on the sidelines of the gathering, but in his race for a rescue package he faces steeplechase-like hurdles.
From New York, Ncube will come back to Harare before travelling to London for a business conference where he will use the opportunity to meet British authorities, investors and likely funders.
Ncube has one mission uppermost in his mind: to get fresh funding for Zimbabwe.
This comes as he and his fellow ministers have been given cabinet-stipulated key performance indicators contained in a confidential government document exclusively obtained by the Zimbabwe Independent this week.
Ncube has been mandated by Mnangagwa’s government to come up with a repayment plan for an US$18 billion debt as well as arrears and to secure offshore lines of credit or fresh funding for the liquidity-starved economy.
He has also been tasked with ending the liquidity crunch and cash shortages which have paralysed the economy, finding a lasting monetary solution to the bond note challenge with the aim of restoring business confidence and ending speculative hoarding of cash. He also has to stop the multi-tier pricing system.
Ncube is further assigned to stabilise the country’s inflation, attract foreign direct investment to ensure economic growth and job creation.
He also has to cut runaway government spending and the resultant fiscal deficit. Government ran a massive US$1,4 billion budget deficit in the half of 2018.
The minister’s other tasks include improving exports to generate foreign currency and building reserves as well as incentivising producers and investors by reducing the cost of doing business.
Zimbabwe’s reconstruction hope lies in getting fresh funding from international lenders, but most of them remain reluctant to resume funding in the absence of substantive political and economic reforms.
As a result, Zimbabwe, which historically relied on international institutions and traditional bilateral creditors, is now relying more heavily on non-traditional lenders — from bond investors, foreign commercial banks, commodity traders, to creditor countries outside the Paris Club.
Source: The Independent
From A Correspondent|A teacher at St John’s College, a private high school for boys in Harare on Friday morning shocked school authorities and students when he declared at the school assembly that he is gay.
Neal Novelmeier said he had made the decision to declare his sexuality in the hope that it would “curb homophobic behaviour” at the school.
“I simply feel and believe that as an educator I will be able to better address and advance this issue if I am prepared to be fully open and transparent about it myself,” he said in a letter to parents.
Novelmeier, who teaches the Upper Sixth class, said a number of former students who “gain the confidence after school to pursue their chosen orientation” had told him that during their time at the school they had experienced “intolerance, intimidation and homophobia.”
He added: “I felt increasingly troubled by the fact that we as an institution have never openly dealt with trying to curb homophobic behaviour and, equally, failed to provide a safe learning environment for students who may identify as being gay or bisexual to truly flourish and feel accepted.
Both the headmaster, Cavaliere Corrado Trinci, and his deputy Andrew Sakala and Charles N. Msipa, the chairman of the school’s board of governors gave unprecedented support to the teacher.
“It suffices for Mr Sakala and I to say that this college campus is a place where diversity is embraced and a safe and caring environmewnt is provided for all persons regardless of race, religious beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, abilities or disabilities or any other real or perceived ‘difference’,” Trinci said in a letter to the parents.
Hovelmeier said he had received “overwhelming levels of support” from the students and staff after his disclosure”, for which he was “heartened and grateful”.
By Paul Nyathi|Long fuel queues have emerged in the second capital city of Bulawayo amid reports that most fuel stations have run out of the commodity.
Reports further indicate that public transport operators have doubled their fairs from 50c per trip to $1 per trip as fuel is now being sourced from black market dealers who are selling at almost double the regulated price.
The few fuel stations that have fuel are also demanding only cash with Bond Notes charging higher than US Dollar payments.
Reserve Bank governor John Mangudya this week dispelled information that the country is destined for a major fuel shortage to unavailability of foreign currency.
Happening now !!!The @PoliceZimbabwe continue operations in Harare CBD, they are beating vendors along Jason Moyo street,@ZLHRLawyers @nelsonchamisa @CountEvans @BitiTendai @ProfJNMoyo @DavidColtart pic.twitter.com/Uu0tsqKXjL
— Costa Nkomo (@costahcostah) September 21, 2018
By Own Correspondent| Riot police stormed Apostle Talent Chiwenga’s daily meetings along First street in Harare dispersing those who had gathered to listen to the preacher using barton sticks.
The preacher’s whereabouts were not yet confirmed by the time of writing amid fears that he was picked up by police.
Watch the video below for this and more:
By Paul Nyathi|Reports from the capital indicate that #tajamuka social movement leader Promise Mkhwananzi was arrested late Friday afternoon by a heavily armed combination of police and army details.
ZimEye.com sources who witnessed the abduction or arrest, said Mkhwananzi was picked up at the media centre in Harare shortly after giving a press statement on the harassment of vendors by the police and the soldiers in Harare that led to violent clashes between the two parties on Thursday.
On the same day Mkhwananzi reported on his social media platforms that he had been summoned by police after the clashes between security forces and the vendors.
Speaking at the press conference, Mkhwananzi told reporters that he was going to be handing himself to the police in the company of his lawyers on Monday not aware that the police were actually minutes away from taking him away.
It is not yet clear what he is being charged with nor where the police took him too. ZimEye.com is keeping watch on the matter.
Violence has reportedly broken out at preacher Talent Chiwenga’s meeting in the capital city, Harare.
ZimEye is bringing the LIVE coverage at 7.15pm – REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH BELOW:
By Own Correspondent| Four people have been arrested after being found with human bones in Machinga, Malawi.
Machinga Police Spokesperson Davie Sulumba said the four were arrested on Wednesday at Nsanama Trading Centre in the district.
The suspects are Friday Katsonga (51), Ishmael Rodgers (48), Goodson Chikalipo (47) and Ayiweni Nantunga (48).
The four boarded a minibus from Ntaja going to Liwonde in the district. When the minibus was nearing Nsanama Roadblock, Katsonga got off the minibus and took a bicycle to pass through the border post.
He then went to Migodi depot where he boarded the same minibus, making other passengers suspicious.
Driver of the minibus later informed traffic police officers at Molipa hills. The four were arrested after police searched the bag and found the bones.
The bones are expected to be examined at the College of Medicine to determine if they are human bones.-Malawi24
Terrence Mawawa|Lloyd Mutasa is keen to salvage lost pride when Dynamos host Bulawayo Chiefs at Rufaro stadium on Saturday in the Chibuku Super Cup.
The Glamour Boys have had a miserable season, their worst in more than a decade which has seen them become a laughing stock fighting against relegation instead of the championship.
“We always want to do well in these competitions and this one is no exception. The boys have been responding well at training, and I am sure to come the day they are going to deliver. As a coach, you would want to win every game and now with the league title out of the picture we turn our focus on this Chibuku Cup,” said Mutasa.
Dynamos go into the match on the backdrop of a 1-0 league defeat to Harare City last weekend.
The Chibuku Super Cup has eluded them since its return in 2015 with FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum and Harare City the only teams to have won it.
Violence has reportedly broken out at preacher Talent Chiwenga’s meeting in the capital city, Harare.
ZimEye is bringing the LIVE coverage at 7.15pm – REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH BELOW:
Terrence Mawawa|Shabanie Mine FC coach Alexio Sigion has said the Chibuku Super Cup will present a chance to get some remuneration for his team.
The Chinda Boys are surviving on handouts from well-wishers and their financial woes have seen them slump to the bottom of the table, 13 points adrift of safety.
The Chinda Boys face Triangle United on Sunday at Gibbo in the first round of the tournament.
“We were not seeded in this competition, so we will play tough matches from day one until the time we are knocked out, if we manage to go far,” Sigion told the Herald.
“But such competitions are different from league matches because of the immediate financial rewards involved in these games.
“It just gives players extra motivation. Like I usually say, I do not want to talk about the financial situation at the club because that is an administrative issue and not a technical one.”
Terrence Mawawa|Highlanders coach Madinda Ndlovu has demanded positive results from his players in the 2018 Chibuku Super Cup Tournament.
Highlanders who are already out of the championship race face Yadah on Sunday in the first round of the tournament.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, the coach said winning the cup would bring hope to their project.
“This is the first time that I’m making a demand to my players. I’ve told them to go out and get something if they want to keep their positions next year,” said Ndlovu.
“The Chibuku Super Cup is the only competition that can bring the hope that we need as we continue with the rebuilding project. “
Violence has broken out at preacher Talent Chiwenga’s meeting in the capital city, Harare.
ZimEye is bringing the LIVE coverage at 7.15pm – REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH BELOW:
Jane Mlambo| Government has appointed former police officer and corruption accused Clemence Masango as the new Registrar General replacing Tobaiwa Mudede who was retired early this week.
In a statement signed by Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, Masango was appointed Registrar General while Willard Manungo who was previously the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance will now head the State Enterprise Reform and Corporate Governance Unit.
Mnangagwa also appointed Grace Mutandiro and Ozias Hove as members of the Civil Service Commission.
The President also re-assigned Ambassador Stuart Comberback as the Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Masango made headlines early this year when a group of former Immigration workers told a parliament that he and other two senior bosses were allegedly corrupt, taking bribes and engaged in sexual harassment of female workers.
Jane Mlambo| The National Patriotic Front (NPF) has issued a strongly worded statement lashing out at Ambrose Mutinhiri who appeared in the media today claiming the movement had disbanded and retraced roots back to Zanu PF.
According to Jealousy Mawarire who signed the NPF statement, Mutinhiri had no jurisdiction nor powers to convene a meeting and pass resolution on behalf of the party since he was recalled from his position as President.
“The NPF founding Executive Committee on June 07 2018, net in Harare and resolved to recall Mr Mutinhiri from his position as interim president of the party and that decision was communicated at a press conference attended by the party Chairperson Hon Eunice Sandi Moyo, Secretary General Shadreck Mashayamombe, National Political Commissar, Jeppy Jaboon …
“On 13 July 2018, the party formally communicated its position to recall Mr Mutinhiri in a letter copied to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chief Election Officer, Utoile Silaigwana,” said Mawarire.
He added that they are not surprised that Mutinhiri after meeting President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the disbanding of the party saying NPF takes his rumblings as coming from a clueless individual induced to make such claims by a few pieces of silver he was promised by Zanu PF.
Jane Mlambo| A Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer has been dragged before the Harare Magistrate’s court for assaulting his wife after she served him matemba for dinner.
Pension Nyahanda who is a senior ZRP officer appeared before Magistrate Tilda Mazhande and was remanded out of custody on $50 bail.
According to the state, represented by Devoted Nyagano and Talkmore Muganhiri, the crime took place on the 15th of September 2018 when the accused came back from work and was served sadza with matemba by the complainant, his wife.
This did not go down well with the accused who started to shout at the complainant accusing her of eating meat in his absence.
He started assaulting her with an electric cable until she sought refuge outside the house.
The accused will be back in court on the 4th of October for routine remand.
-263Chat
Terrence Mawawa|MDC Alliance Provincial Chairperson James Gumbi has said the party’ s position on the stepping down of Masvingo Mayor Collen Maboke has not changed.
In an interview with a local community radio station Gumbi said as far as he was concerned, the position had not changed.
The MDC Alliance Nelson leadership ordered Maboke to relinquish the mayoral post after he was accused of conniving with Zanu PF councillors to elect a deputy mayor from the ruling party. However Maboke has not indicated any intentions of stepping down.
“The party position on the stepping down of Maboke has not changed. Daniel Mberikunashe is our mayor elect- that’s the party stance,” Gumbi told the radio station.
Terrence Mawawa|MDC president Obert Gutu has described the tendency of celebrating – instead of fretting over someone’s death as unacceptable.
Gutu was referring to claims that Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo had succumbed to a kidney related ailment.
“Now,I don’t quite understand this! I don’t get it at all! Why would any decent person wish anyone to die? Where’s the morality? Where’s
the Ubuntu? Ko hunhu hwedu hwakaenda kupi nhai? Have we,as Zimbabweans,become degraded? God forbid!!” tweeted Gutu.
In another tweet Gutu urged the government to descend hard on drug peddlers:”Hard drugs such as cocaine are slowly but surely becoming a menace in Zimbabwe,particularly in the big urban centres.Please protect the nation,particularly 
our youth,from hard drugs.”
Terrence Mawawa|MDC Alliance official Tendai Biti believes Zimbabwe is now a fascist banana republic.
Commenting on the harassment of vendors by authorities Biti said it was regrettable to note that the government reacted with recklessness and brutality instead of finding a lasting solution to the country’ s economic quagmire.
“The brutality and heavy handedness with which the police and junta are currently meting out to vendors in
Harare s CBD cannot go unchallenged because their actions are completely unlawful and unacceptable.
This country has quickly descended
into a fascist banana republic run on fear and coercion We reject 
barbarism #RiggingDoesNotPay,” commented Biti on Twitter.
Terrence Mawawa| President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ s former ally Jonathan Moyo is indefatigable at taking on the Zanu PF strongman in a daily Twitter warfare.
In his latest vitriolic attack on Mnangagwa, Moyo has accused the President of being the culprit behind tribalism, corruption and cronyism in the country.
“#WhenAppointmentsDisappoint There’s simmering national concern that the post-election appointments to public positions that Emmerson Mnangagwa has made are informed
by the destabilizing triple-patronage of tribalism,regionalism and cronyism. Heartbreaking!”wrote Moyo on Twitter.
“#LestAnyoneForgets “Mnangagwa Allies linked to Murders” @Zimindependent 15/9/15.Where there’s no vision, the people perish;
where there’s no memory, the crisis deepens.
What’s happening today was
authored yesterday!”charged Moyo in another tweet.
Terrence Mawawa|The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is demanding $ 2 million from the
Catholic University in Zimbabwe over alleged trademark infringement.
The UZ is arguing that CUZ has
been calling itself the Catholic University Of Zimbabwe, which has resulted in some people thinking that it is linked to the University of Zimbabwe.
“Plaintiff(UZ) is the registered owner in Zimbabwe of the trademark
‘University of Zimbabwe’…Since its
incorporation and in recent times, first defendant (CUZ) has been using a mark consisting of the words ‘Catholic University of Zimbabwe’ in relation to its services as a trademark without permission from the plaintiff…in violation of its charter, the first defendant, has on several occasions, traded or operated as the Catholic University of Zimbabwe instead of Catholic University in Zimbabwe…
As a result, plaintiff suffered damages of $2 million being for trademark 
infringement…” read part of a court document compiled by UZ lawyers.
Terrence Mawawa|The Municipality of Marondera has disclosed that it is facing a critical shortage of water treatment chemicals.
According to Marondera town council engineer Christopher Chineka, the local authority has only one week’ s supply of chlorine and aluminium sulphate.
This has raised fears of an outbreak of the deadly cholera epidemic and other communicable diseases in the town.
“We only have one week’ s supply of chlorine and aluminium sulphate and we hope to get the chemicals as soon as possible.We are currently supplying 9000 mega litres of water per day against the daily demand of 29 mega 000 litres,” said Chineka.
By Own Correspondent| The Deputy Headmaster for St Johns College in Harare has disclosed his sexuality indicating that he is gay.
Dr Neil Hovelmeier, said this in a letter dated 21 September and addressed to parents and stakeholders.
Former president Robert Mugabe described gays as “worse than pigs and dogs”.
Said Hovelmeier:
Tajamuka/Sesjikile leader Promise Mkwananzi was Friday afternoon arrested when riot police stormed into the Media Centre in Harare and took him away. This is a developing story – WATCH THE LIVE COVERAGE BELOW
Staff Correspondent|A History teacher at Kwenda High School in Chikomba has produced probably the finest academic results in the country when 130 of his 139 students got As in the ‘O’ level Zimsec June results.
The remaining nine students all got Bs making it a 100% pass rate. This means that 93,5% of his students got As
Everisto Chamunorwa (46) has been teaching for the last 22 years. The results leave him with 22 candidates only who are going to sit for the November 2018 Zimsec History exam.
Chamunorwa said that he is not surprised by the results as this has become his trend in his teaching carrier. He however said the 2018 June result was his best performance ever.
“I love teaching history and I have self-confidence when I teach the subject. I continue studying around the subject for self-development and to improve my teaching skills. Every year my target is to beat my previous result,” he said.
He also attributed his success to his school that provides a conducive teaching and learning environment.
“I might be a good teacher but without the necessary resources and a supportive environment, I cannot produce such good passes. Everyone at school has his or her own unique contribution to the excellent pass rate,” he said.
Kwenda High School head Tinashe Manhera described Chamunorwa’s performance as “marvellous”.
“Such hard work is commendable. As Kwenda we have moved away from the notion of competing against other schools. We now set our own standards and targets and focus on them. I urge the rest of our teachers to continue working hard for best results” he said.
Chamunorwa is a holder of a Bachelor of Education Degree in History from the University of Zimbabwe.
He started teaching History in 1996 at Musanhi Secondary School.
Owing to outstanding results, he was invited to Mutoko High School before he joined Jemedza High, a private school in Chikomba. He left Jemedza for Kwenda High School in 2016.
Vendors in Kwekwe have come up with new tactics, selling their wares from bags while others throng street pavements holding banners advertising their products as the local authority intensifies its blitz on vending.
Kwekwe City Council launched a blitz on street vendors and backyard food outlets last week, confiscating wares in an effort to fight the cholera and typhoid outbreak that has rocked some parts of the country killing over 30 people.
Kwekwe is yet to record a single case of typhoid and cholera and the city fathers are working towards moving the vendors out of the streets.
A snap survey by state media in Kwekwe’s central business district established that vendors had moved away from traditional way of spreading out their wares in the open for prospective customers to see but were now hiding their goods in shops and cars while they stand on pavements soliciting for clients using advertising banners. The same cases, as witnessed in the city’s heavily congested long distance bus terminus, food vendors play hide and seek with municipal police moving around soliciting for clients before collecting the food items from their hiding points.
Vendors interviewed said they have been losing their wares to the municipal police and were now using new methods to do business.
They said the local authority should create modern vending stalls and relocate them before they try to move them out of the streets.
“I have been eking out a living from the streets, selling my stuff here for years but the city council bosses just wake up and decided to chase me away from my source of income. It’s ridiculous, we will not be moved but continue to play the cat and mouse game with them.
“They should instead provide us with vending stalls than just trying to drive us away,” said one of the vendors, Mrs Gloria Madziva.
State Media
By A Correspondent| Tajamuka says government is responsible for the Cholera crisis.
What role do you think vendors have played in the cholera crisis?, the protest group, Tajamuka was asked during their press conference on Friday.
They responded saying, “Vendors are not responsible for the sewer system… the ministry has not come up with a sustainable plan… so we cannot blame the vendors for that…” WATCH THE LIVE COVERAGE AS IT CONTINUED BELOW:
ZimEye will be livestreaming a press conference by Tajamuka/Sesjikile campaign.
Below is the notice to the presser:
*Dear All*
You are cordially invited to a Press Conference today, *Friday 21 September 2018*, to be addressed by #Tajamuka Sisjikile campaign. Details of the press conference are as follows:
*Agenda:* Issuing a statement on current skirmishes between the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and vendors in Harare CBD
*Date & Time*: Friday, 21 September 2018 at 1400hrs
*Venue*: Media Centre, 2nd Floor Bothwell House, 66 Jason Moyo Avenue, cnr. First Street/Jason Moyo Avenue.
Refresh this page for updates.
By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Republic Police has arrested three serial car thieves, believed to be behind a spate of robberies that occurred in Mashonaland East in the past two months.
The suspects Vincent Chikasha (19), Lawrence Marimbizhike (32) and Alfred Dzobo, who are from Goromonzi allegedly targeted pirate taxi drivers.
They were arrested after they were found in possession of two stolen vehicles.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the arrests, saying investigations were in progress to verify if the suspects were not linked to other vehicle theft cases.
Said Mwanza:
“As police we urge pirate taxi drivers to be on alert when hired by strangers.”
Jane Mlambo|A Gutu magistrate has ordered a local man to undergo a mental examination after he dug up his father’s grave and took the remains which he kept in his house.
Court heard that 46-year-old Moses Zuva’s father died two decades ago.
Prosecutors say that on September 13 this year, Zuva went to the grave and dug up the remains of the late Haurovi Mafuva.
In court he told magistrate Victor Mohamandi he exhumed the remains because he wanted to live with his father.
He further claimed that his father had instructed him to exhume his remains and bury them somewhere else.
The bizarre incident came to light after one of his elder brothers, Paul Zuva visited the family’s homestead and discovered that the grave had been tempered with.
Upon being questioned Hove admitted tempering with the grave and told his older brother that he had raised their father from the dead.
Paul later noticed that his younger brother had human bones in his bedroom and notified the police leading to the latter’s arrest.
Argatha Gabriel prosecuted.
-Newzimbabwe.com
Jane Mlambo| The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) has hinted that the nation might experience further increase in bread prices due to serious drought in Europe and tariff wars between Russia and America which have seen the two giant suppliers cutting down wheat exports.
According to the GMAZ chairman, Tafadzwa Musarara the price of bread will likely go up due to low supply of wheat on the international market.
“I can’t speak on behalf of bakeries but we have a serious drought in Europe, heat waves in some parts of America, we have Elnino currently affecting the northern hemisphere and it’s going to start visiting us in the next 90 days as we enter into our season.
“The impact of that the immediate victim is agriculture Germany has actually stopped exports and it is now importing, Russia because of the geo politics, the tariff wars between Russia and America we have seen them cutting down their exports.
“What it does is that it limits the supply of wheat on the international market and when supply lowers prices goes up so we are experiencing one of the waste or rather the highest prices,” said Musarara.
He added that they are importing rice and salt in anticipation of increased demand during the festive season though he was quick to highlight that foreign currency challenges had delayed the process.
“We have already put in place orders for rice and salt supply agreements for festive season, we are kind of late, we must have enough rice, salt and wheat fir the entire festive season.
“But because of the foreign currency nostro challenges that we are facing, we are operating on monthly basis which is not good for food security and in the event that we have a logistic movement from the sea up to Harare it affects supply into the market,” he said.
-263Chat
By Own Correspondent| Spokesperson for the opposition National Patriotic Front (NPF) Jelousy Mawarire has scoffed at claims made by leader of the other NPF faction, Ambrose Mutinhiri that the party has been dissolved and that its members will be rejoining Zanu-PF.
Mutinhiri insists that he is still the party president although the party insist that he was fired in June for setting up parallel structures and not attending party meetings.
Said Mutinhiri in a statement:
“We the founders, leaders and supporters of the NPF hereby inform the nation of Zimbabwe that the NPF has disbanded with immediate effect from September 19, 2018.
The main reason for disbanding the party is that NPF has outlived its purpose. NPF was formed as a response to the events and circumstances of November 2017 that led to the removal of the previous Government of Zimbabwe and in our opinion we perceived it to be a threat to national security and stability…
As such we deem it expedient and appropriate to disband NPF and also to join and support the Zanu-PF party and Government in its endeavour to build a better Zimbabwe for all unity and loving and progressive Zimbabwe.”
However, responding to this, Mawarire said:
“Mutinhiri, as an individual, and Zanu-PF project during the elections is free to continue working for Zanu-PF and should not purport to be dissolving a party whose NEC he never chaired.
The NPF is a people’s movement and will remain a permanent feature of Zim politics…Mutinhiri should enjoy the small trinkets he was promised by Emmerson Mnangagwa when they met and stop pretending like he was still the leader of NPF.
It’s on record that the Party recalled him and didn’t support his gimmicks when he tried, and failed dismally, to run for the presidency.”
Jane Mlambo| Former Zimbabwe national cricket team coach Heath Streak has filed an application with the High Court for the liquidation Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), arguing that the cash strapped local cricket body is no longer able to pay its debts.
Streak, who is being represented by prominent Harare lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa, the senior partner at Titan Law, went on to propose the appointment of a Winsley Malitala of Petwin Executor and Trust Company as a provisional liquidator.
The former national team captain and coach, who was early this year fired as Zimbabwe coach cited the ZC board as the first respondent in his application which was filed on Thursday morning.
The Ministry of Youth, Sports Arts and Recreation headed by swimming legend Kirsty Coventry together with the country’s supreme sport’s governing body the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) and the Master of High Court are cited as the other respondents in the application.
The 44-year-old Bulawayo-born former cricketer said ZC was not able to meet its financial obligations after it recently failed to settle his severance package amounting to $128,672.95 since he was unceremoniously sacked from his role back in March.
Streak also revealed that members of his then coaching staff during his tenue as Zimbabwe coach, who include former fitness coach Sean Bell, ex-batting Lance Klusener and former Zimbabwe ‘A’ coach Wayne James are also yet to receive their dues.
The quartet, who were all fired in March following Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup are owed a combined total of US$198 695.77.
“This is an application in terms of Section 6 of the Insolvency Act (Chapter6:07) for an order of liquidation of the 1st Respondent (ZC) in that the 1st Respondent is unable to pay its debts as and when they become due in the normal course of business,” Streak said in the application in possession of NewZimbabwe.com.
“Furthermore, it is just and equitable that the 1st Respondent be wound up, and creditors be paid off their debts.”
He added: “The Application is a creditor of the 1st Respondent and is owed the sum of US$128 762.95.
“He is also aware that’s Messrs Lance Klusener, Sean Bells and Wayne James who are all cricket coaches and whose contracts of employment have been terminated illegally by the 1stRespondent are owed the sums of US$11 757.93, US$43 999.23 and US14 175.66 respectively. Consequently, the applicant has locus standi judicio to prosecute this matter in his capacity as creditors,” he said.
Streak said ZC’s insolvency was the main reason he is seeking the cricket body’s liquidation as its liabilities currently exceed its assets.
-Newzimbabwe.com
Mutinhiri Avakutinhira NPF kuZANU PF | What On Earth Is Going On?
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 21, 2018
Mutinhiri akutinhira NFP or whatever they call it to ZANU, bp will kill you this year.
— Chef Vie Nyoni ? ?? ?? ?? ?? (@Vie_matongo) September 21, 2018
Jane Mlambo| Captains of industry have urged the government to cut on the number of state universities, saying some of them are adding no value to the economy.
Industry representatives who attended a Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) Business Leaders Conference here recently expressed concern at the quality of graduates coming from the country’s institutions of higher learning.
They said some graduates are ‘useless’ to the industry as they are out of sync with their trades and thus become a burden to the employer.
Speaking at the SAZ 5th conference Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Chris Mugaga said some universities were adding no value to the economy.
“In terms of the education sector, there are too many state universities in the country,” he said.
“Let’s reduce them and also change the curriculum because a majority of them concentrate of social sciences when the country requires engineers.”
Participants at the conference challenged the education sector to embrace international standards in order to produce competitive graduates.
“The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology is the foundation of ideas hence should be the centre of research and development,” said one conference delegate.
“The challenge is that students that join the industry don’t properly meet requirements in terms of holistic work.
“Institutions of higher learning should embrace world standards so as not to produce half-baked graduates.”
-Newzimbabwe.com
By own correspondent| There was a drama at no. 40 park street in Chinhoyi central business district when a Chinhoyi based journalist, Benard Kamangira exchanged blows with a commercial sex worker, Kamangira had initially agreed with the hooker for $5 short time sexual act at his office, kamangira left the lady in the office while he went to borrow some condoms on retain the lady had already stolen $167.00 which were daily collections from news paper vendors, the news agency could not wait for the sex act or an explanation but had to fight the lady with open hands until the lady collapsed. Details from the police where still sketch on the time of writing.
A SUSPECTED Peruvian drug trafficker has been arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after he was found in possession of over a kilogramme of cocaine worth $91 520.
Wilmer Taruzona Aro (32) was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa who remanded him in custody to October 6 for bail application.
The State sought a long remand for Aro before bail application to allow it to seek a Spanish interpreter after the accused advised the court that he did not understand English.
The State also wants to verify his criminal record with Interpol, Harare, as they suspected Aro to be an international criminal who traffics drugs from country to country as evidenced by his passport which has stamps from a source country of hard drugs, Brazil.
It is the State’s case that detectives from Drugs and Narcotics, stationed at the airport, received information that a male Peruvian national was coming from Brazil aboard United Arab Emirates flight number EK 713.
The State alleges that Aro was suspected to be in possession of dangerous drugs. As the flight landed at around 5pm, Aro went through verification with Immigration before picking his two suitcases and headed for the green route exit point where he was intercepted by detectives.
It is alleged searches were conducted by detectives, who discovered a whitish substance concealed in the holes of Aro’s suitcases’ handle rails.
A field test analysis was carried out on the whitish substance and it tested positive to cocaine, with a weight of 1,144 kilogrammes and a street value of $91 520.
Francisca Mukumbiri appeared for the State.
NewsDay
By Own Correspondent| Former Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, has instructed his lawyer Professor Welshman Ncube to approach the courts because the government is refusing to award his client his full benefits.
The government is arguing that Mphoko does not deserve full benefits because he did not serve a full term as vice president.
In an interview with a local publication, Professor Ncube said he would draft court papers over the areas where there was no agreement between his client and government.
Said Professor Ncube:
“All of those things are in the Presidential Pensions Act. They are disputing these ones (security aides, an office, telephone, secretary and domestsic workers).
They are basically saying he is not entitled to these because the Act says he must have served at least one full term. We have now just been instructed that we should go to court in respect of the matters on which there is no agreement…And what we have said to them is that is not correct because that provision in the Presidential Pensions Act contradicts provisions in the constitution which does not require a former VP or President to have completed a full term.
But they do not agree so that is the part on which we have been instructed to go to court to say as far as we are concerned, the proper interpretation of the constitution requires he be entitled to these other benefits.
So that is where the dispute is. We will soon the drafting the necessary court papers over the part in which there is no agreement.”
Jane Mlambo| Spokesperson of the National Patriotic Front (NPF), Jealousy Mawarire has dismissed rival faction leader, Ambrose Mutinhiri who yesterday announced his decision to disband the party to re-join the ruling Zanu PF saying he was nolonger part of the former President Robert Mugabe backed movement after he failed to rise to the challenge.
NPF split into two camps prior to the July 30 harmonised elections with Mawarire and other members appointing Eunice Sandi Moyo as Acting President while Mutinhiri remained with the other group.
In a series of Twitter posts, Mawarire said NPF recalled Mutinhiri after he failed to lead the party adding that he is free to continue working with Zanu PF.
The National Patriotic Front (NPF) is run by a 38 member National Executive Committee, which recalled Ambrose Mutinhiri and made a resolution to appoint Hon Eunice Sandi Moyo as Acting President. That NEC has not made a resolution to disband the NPF or join Zanu-PF. pic.twitter.com/XuxXQFqf0l
— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) September 21, 2018
Mutinhiri, as an individual, and Zanu-PF project during the elections, is free to continue working for Zanu-PF and shld not purport to be dissolving a party whose NEC he never chaired. The NPF is a people's movement and will remain a permanent feature of Zim politics.
— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) September 21, 2018
Mutinhiri shld enjoy the small trinkets he was promised by @edmnangagwa when they met & stop pretending like he was still the leader of NPF. It's on record that the Party recalled him & didn't support his gimmicks when he tried, and failed dismally, to run for the presidency pic.twitter.com/wrgIzHqUOm
— mawarire mbizvo jealousy (@mawarirej) September 21, 2018
Jane Mlambo| Marondera police have arrested three suspected robbers linked to a spate of car thefts recorded in Mashonaland East province over the past two months.
Vincent Chikasha (19), Lawrence Marimbizhike (32) and Alfred Dzobo, all of Goromonzi who allegedly targeted pirate taxi drivers, were arrested after they were found in possession of two stolen vehicles.
Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza confirmed the arrests, saying investigations were in progress to verify if the suspects were not linked to other vehicle theft cases.
“As police we urge pirate taxi drivers to be on alert when hired by strangers,” he said.
According to police, on July 29, Kudakwashe Maliseni of Goromonzi was operating a pirate taxi at Majuru business centre when he was approached by the three accused who allegedly hired him to drive them to Valley Grower’s Farm for a ‘funeral.’
It is reported that upon approaching Cyclone Acturus Farm, one of the suspects pulled a knife and stabbed Maliseni several times, dragged him out of his vehicle and sped off.
However, on August 9, Maliseni received information that his vehicle had been spotted at Majuru business centre but with different registration number plates fixed on it.
He tipped police detectives who arrested Marimbizhike and Chikasha.
The pair then implicated Dzobo who was also arrested.
-Newsday
By Paul Nyathi|MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has held talks with elected party councillors who opted to vote for Mayors and Deputy Mayors who were not prescribed by the party.
On Tuesday, he met councillors from Victoria Falls where the party preferred mayoral candidate councillor Margaret Varley was replaced by Somvelo Dlamini and on Thursday he met Bulawayo councillors where councillor Tinashe Kambarami was voted in instead of Malandu Ncube as directed by the party.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Dr Nkululeko Sibanda confirmed the meetings indicating that Chamisa or his representatives would be meeting more councillors next week.
Dr Sibanda said that it was only proper for Chamisa to dialogue with the councillors if they don’t toe the party line.
“The president will necessarily whip all councillors that don’t follow party directions and if there are those who have done that they will be whipped, yes. He has the right to do that. They have to follow the party’s instructions as required by the party’s constitution. The smooth running of the councils is very important.
“The long and short of it, just as the case in any political party, any representative sent by the party to represent it in Government must be willing to implement the party’s policies. All councillors are being told and all councillors know that they have to follow the party’s policies because that is what the people voted for.
“The council (meetings) agenda is about the 100 day plan. He was also whipping the councillors as he should just to make sure that they are following the party’s priorities. The electorate will be questioning the party when things don’t go right. There is nothing out of the ordinary. He will be meeting councillors from everywhere next week. He was meeting councillors from Bulawayo today (Wednesday).”
Chamisa has held similar meetings with councillors from Masvingo and Chegutu who were also charged for defying the party directives on the mayoral candidates.
Jane Mlambo| The Ambrose Mutinhiri-led National Patriotic Front has disbanded and its officials are rejoining Zanu-PF after realising that the events that led to the removal of the Robert Mugabe-led government in November last year were in the best interests of the country.
“We the founders, leaders and supporters of the NPF hereby inform the nation of Zimbabwe that the NPF has disbanded with immediate effect from September 19, 2018,” Brigadier-General (Retired) Mutinhiri said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The main reason for disbanding the party is that NPF has outlived its purpose. NPF was formed as a response to the events and circumstances of November 2017 that led to the removal of the previous Government of Zimbabwe and in our opinion we perceived it to be a threat to national security and stability.”
Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mutinhiri said they had re-considered their position and decided to rejoin the ruling party in its drive to rebuild Zimbabwe.
“However, after careful considerations and deliberations our party came to the conclusion that the November 2017 events were in the best interest of Zimbabwe as a nation. To that end, the existence of the NPF is no longer necessary. “As such we deem it expedient and appropriate to disband NPF and also to join and support the Zanu-PF party and Government in its endeavour to build a better Zimbabwe for all unity and loving and progressive Zimbabwe,” he added.
-State Media
A PROPHET from Bulawayo appeared in court yesterday for allegedly raping a pregnant woman who had visited him for consultation.
Wilson Thabe (52) who resides at Robert Sinyoka pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Crispen Mberewere.
He was remanded in custody to October 3 for commencement of trial.
Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa said sometime in May this year, the complainant (19) fell ill and approached the healer for assistance.
The court heard that the complainant was assisted with prayers and returned to her home in Umguza on the same day.
Mr Manyiwa said on May 12, Thabe visited the complainant’s place of residence to check if she was getting any better and ministered prayers to complete the healing.
The court heard that after prayers, Thabe did not return to his home and was given a hut to spend the night.
“During the same night, Thabe sneaked into the complainant’s hut and gave her holy water to sprinkle,” said the prosecutor.
The court heard that when the complainant retired to bed, Thabe allegedly joined her before raping the woman three times without protection.
“Thabe went back to his house on the following day at around 8AM,” said Mr Manyiwa. The complainant told the court: “On May 19, l slept with my husband and he felt something different which made him ask if l had slept with anyone else.”
The court heard that the complainant revealed to her husband that Thabe raped her.
They then reported the matter to the police leading to Thabe’s arrest.
State Media
Musician Donald “Sniper Storm” Chirisa, who is accusing his baby mama of theft and malicious damage to property, was yesterday back in court.
The chanter’s girlfriend Paidamoyo Mpopoma, 25, appeared before Harare magistrate Tilda Mazhande who rolled over the matter to September 25 for continuation.
She pleaded not guilty to both counts.
In her evidence to the court, Paidamoyo said she had just eloped to the Tsvigiri Muhuchi hitmaker but was refused entry into his home.
She is claiming to be a few weeks pregnant for the chanter.
Paidamoyo is said to have spent the night outside and was later allowed to rest in a spare bedroom the following morning.
The 25-year-old is also alleging that she went without food for days after the chanter travelled for a show in South Africa on September 1 to 4.
She further highlighted that whilst he was away she forced entry into his bedroom where she took 12 bottles of alcohol, which she took to her friend’s place and sold some.
The alcohol was valued at $350.
Paidamoyo also accuses the entertainer’s mother of using superstition after she sprayed substances at her son’s house in trying to chase her away.
Value of the damaged door is $60 while $300 worth of alcohol was recovered.
Devoted Nyagano appeared for the State.
H-Metro
Bulawayo will next month play host to the Zone Six Basketball Club Championships.
The tournament will held at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) from October 21 to October 29, 2018.
This will be the first time the National Championships are hosted in Bulawayo and the second time they will be hosted in Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Sikhumbuzo Vusa Ndlovu, local organising committee general manager said Zimbabwe was assigned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), an international body that controls basketball, to host the tournament.
“We were given the mandate on 13 September to host the Zone Six qualifiers,” said Ndlovu.
“As you would know, Zone Six is a region that is part of Africa constituting of SADC countries. We have 10 countries in this region that will be part of the tournament”.
Twenty six teams of both male and female teams are expected from the region.
“Each country is supposed to send four delegates, two male and two female teams that will compete,” said Ndlovu.
“Qualifiers of the National Championships will proceed to the World Continental Championships”.
Ndlovu said the top female teams in the tournament will proceed to Maputo for the World Continental Championships slated for November 9, 2018.
He added: “For the males, FIBA is introducing a new format whereby they are starting an Afro-league. Top teams will play an Inter-regional league and they will join two representatives from five regions to start the league.”
“We are the first to host the Afro-league tournament and so it comes at an advantage. The actual dates have not yet been announced”.
Ndlovu said hosting the championships has come with a lot of benefits for the hosting city and the Basketball Union of Zimbabwe (BUZ).
Bulawayo will also benefit through tourism since the tournament will not only attract basketball players, it will bring in a lot of visitors from different countries.
State Media
By Paul Nyathi|At least ten people all of them Zimbabweans travelling from Harare to Johannesburg in South Africa have been confirmed dead after an Intercape Bus they were travelling in overturned thirty kilometres outside Polokwane early this morning.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reports that the driver lost control of the bus at a curve and the bus went off the road rolling several times before landing on its side.
According to the news report several more people may die as rescue operations are still underway with more people trapped inside the wreckage.
Details on how many people were actually on the bus and how many are injured are still not available as ambulances are still ferrying the injured to Polokwane Hospital.
ZimEye.com is monitoring the situation and more details will be made available as they come through. The bus left Harare for Joburg early Thursday evening.
Staff Correspondent|Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off on his Champions League debut for Juventus against Valencia. Felix Brych, who gave red card, was once suspended in FIFA world cup for bad refreeing and unfair decisions.
This summer, the German referee was told by FIFA that he will not be used again at the World Cup after having made just one appearance at the tournament, the Group E match between Serbia and Switzerland.
Serbia lodged a complaint with football’s world governing body FIFA after they felt they should have been awarded a penalty in their 2-1 defeat in Kaliningrad.
Brych waved play on after Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic appeared to have been wrestled to the ground by both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schär. The Munich native stood by his on-field decision and controversially opted not to make use of the video assistant review system.
“The course of the World Cup is of course a bitter disappointment for me and my team. But life goes on and we’ll be back,” Brych said after the ban.
Staff Reporter|Immigration authorities in Kenya have arrested and deported a dozen Chinese nationals for engaging in prostitution in a suburb of the capital, Nairobi.
The immigration department said the arrests were made after an intelligence tip from private investigators. The Chinese were arrested in a clean-up swoop targeting wanted fugitives, human traffickers and other immigration violators.
The tip-off led to a raid on two houses on Wednesday morning: “The two residential houses are suspected to have been operating as brothels. During the operation, twelve (12) Chinese nationals – eight girls and four man were arrested,” they said in a statement.
Our resolve to weed out criminal aliens from our country and streamline our immigration systems is as strong as ever. We would like to thank members of the public who have been cooperative hitherto in this respect.
One of the men was said to be on a May 2017 watch list for offences relating to prostitution and illegal gambling. He is said to have returned with a new identity after initial deportation.
“The twelve have been documented as prohibited immigrants and are being processed for deportation for not only violating our immigration laws but also breaching the fundamental standards of integrity with regards to working and doing business in Kenya,” the statement added.
The authorities also reported that a Kenyan national is due to be arraigned before court for his role in trafficking ten Ugandan women to the Middle East.
“Our resolve to weed out criminal aliens from our country and streamline our immigration systems is as strong as ever. We would like to thank members of the public who have been cooperative hitherto in this respect.”
The statement was issued by Alexander Muteshi, Director of Immigration Services. The current action comes weeks after a Chinese national was deported for referring to Kenyans as ‘monkeys.’ China has significant business interests in Kenya as across the continent.
Staff Reporter|The Zimbabwean authorities must bolster the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry into the country’s post-election killings if victims’ families have any hope of obtaining truth, justice and reparations, Amnesty International said after the swearing in of the commissioners on Wednesday.
The organization is also concerned about the independence and impartiality of the Commission, which includes a presidential candidate in the 30 July elections, who has criticized opposition parties challenging the results of the vote, and an academic, who has publicly expressed her support for the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Commissioners with strong ties or support of ZANU-PF may compromise the independence and impartiality of the investigation and expose it to external interference.
“Zimbabweans deserve to know what happened in the bloody aftermath of the elections, including who shot six people dead, who gave the command to shoot and who was responsible for the deployment of soldiers. But as the Commission of Inquiry’s mandate stands right now, they may never know,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa.
“The authorities must show that this Commission is not a fig leaf intended to cover the human rights violations and abuses committed in the aftermath of the election. The first step is to broaden the Commission’s mandate to investigate violations and abuses committed by all parties involved.”
An MDC-T activist based in Mutare was yesterday slapped with a six-month jail term for threatening to torch 25 houses belonging to Zanu PF supporters soon after the July 30 elections.
James Oswell Chitere was also facing a charge of arson, but Mutare magistrate Tendai Mahwe ruled there was no evidence linking him to the latest offence.
Mahwe, however, said Chitere violated the Electoral Act by threatening a political opponent and sentenced him to six months in jail.
The magistrate, however, suspended two months of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
On August 2, the complainant’s daughter Linnet Kagweda (22), who is a Zanu PF supporter, met Chitere while on her way to Watsomba business centre.
Chitere confronted her with the intention of showing him videos of MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa, but Kagweda refused to entertain him.
The convict threatened to burn Kagweda’s home, after labelling her a Zanu PF supporter.
Kagweda later informed her mother Raviro Kagweda (56) about Chitere’s threats after their hut was set ablaze that same day.
All the property in the hut was reduced to ashes.
Newsday
THE MDC Alliance leadership has instructed provincial structures of coalition partners to begin the integration process bringing their membership under one roof, a process that could see some members losing their positions and causing tensions in the party.
This comes after MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa recently announced the appointment of MDC leader Welshman Ncube and MDC-T chairperson Morgen Komichi as his deputies and former PDP leader Tendai Biti as deputy national chair as the coalition starts morphing into one political party.
The MDC Alliance brings together seven opposition parties — MDC-T, MDC, PDP, Transform Zimbabwe, ZimPF, Zanu-Ndonga and Multi-Racial Democrats.
In an interview, Ncube confirmed the provincial structures of the seven parties to the MDC Alliance have been ordered to begin the painstaking process of integrating.
“What is happening is that we are integrating; we are integrating the parties which are in the alliance. All the seven parties in the alliance have passed resolutions to authorise the integration of all the parties in the alliance,” he said.
“The provincial leadership has been instructed to meet and say how do you integrate, how do you bring together at provincial, district and ward level, the leaders of the seven political parties into the Alliance?,” Ncube told Southern Eye on Wednesday.
The exercise is likely to stoke tensions and horse-trading among the leadership in the provincial structures to ensure they keep their positions after Ncube admitted some were likely to lose their positions.
“There are obviously people who will not have space to be integrated at provincial level, they will then have to be integrated at district level, and those who have no space at district level will have to be integrated at ward level, while everyone eventually integrated at branch level because the branches can be as many as there are members,” Ncube said.
“Anyone who has not found any space at national, provincial, district and ward level will ultimately find space at the branch level. So everyone will ultimately be integrated.
That is in terms of the structures. Then there is membership, people who are just card-carrying members, they automatically then become members of the MDC Alliance by virtue of being a member of one of the seven parties.”
Ncube admitted the process will not be uniform as the negotiations will be determined by the political dynamics and political party presence in each province.
“In Bulawayo, for example, you might find that there are three parties, the MDC-T, MDC and PDP with a full leadership and those will be integrating. The same runs true in many provinces,” said Ncube.
Southern Eye
Scores of stakeholders drawn mainly from the motoring public and sections of the commuting public have raised concern over their non-consultation by the Chitungwiza municipality on the Unit C-junction traffic light project. The stakeholders have recently been frequenting the Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association (CAMERA) offices urging the Association to facilitate that there is dialogue between the local authority and the related stakeholders.
Some stakeholders are of the view that a traffic circle popularly known as a roundabout could have been a better solution in addressing matters connected to traffic jam, unruly conduct by some motorists and general traffic mayhem associated with this busy intersection. The demonstration traffic light by Solarlux Solutions Company could have been a strategic intervention had the local authority sought the opinions of the motoring and commuting public before the trial-run phase.
The Chitungwiza pilot project by Solarlux Solutions Company comes at a time after the same company was ordered to remove a similar demonstration traffic light at the corner of Masotsha Ndlovu and First Avenue in the Waterfalls area in Harare. The company was ordered to remove the traffic lights owing to an absence of prior feasibility studies and lack of stakeholder engagement as the case in Chitungwiza.
CAMERA calls on the Chitungwiza municipality and Solarlux Solutions Company to engage related stakeholders who are directly affected by such a development. Some of these stakeholders include the motoring public, commuters and residents among others. Several Chitungwiza residents interviewed on the traffic lights matter indicated that the areas that are in critical need for traffic lights are along Harare-Chitungwiza highway adjacent to St Mary’s police station and at the intersection of Tilcor road and Chitungwiza-Machipisa highway.
Source: Chitungwiza and Manyame Rural Residents Association (CAMERA)
Some Zimbabwean teachers in the Western Cape have gone unpaid for as long as nine months because Home Affairs is dragging its feet when it comes to verifying Zimbabwe Exemption Permits (ZEP).
“Our problem, however, is that Home Affairs takes their time to verify these [ZEP] work permits. We follow up on numerous occasions,” said Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
“Home Affairs has confirmed that they are inundated with permit verification. Even if the work permit is barcoded it still needs to be verified. The WCED does sympathise. It is unfair to those educators with valid permits to wait so long. The WCED, however, has to abide by the law,” said Hammond.
Verification is a requirement set by Home Affairs. She said failure to verify a permit, which may later be found to be fraudulent, could result in WCED officials or school principals paying a hefty fine or facing imprisonment. She said Home Affairs had found fraudulent permits.
Jack Mutsvairo, chairperson of the Union of Zimbabwean Educators Western Cape, established in 2016, said the union has 50 members and a WhatsApp group of 200 teachers.
Mutsvairo said the union is irritated by the verification process. “If banks take less than a week to do it, why is the WCED taking months?”
“Some of the Zimbabwean teachers, who come to us claiming they haven’t been paid for between three to nine months, tell sad stories,” said Mutsvairo. Some, he said, have got into debt borrowing money for rent, food and their children’s school fees.
He said some teachers suffering from delays did not engage the union as they feared victimisation if they spoke out about being unpaid.
A man who teaches mathematics and physical science for grades 11 and 12, said he has been without a paycheck since January, awaiting his ZEP. On 3 August he collected his permit and submitted it to the department, but he was still not paid as the department awaited Home Affairs to verify the permit.
On Tuesday, Hammond told GroundUp his permit had been verified and his outstanding salary will be in his account by the end of the week.
Home Affairs did not respond to a request for comment.
GroundUp
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa made two surprise visits to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Tuesday, which generated a lot of anxiety among staff and the public after he spent a combined four hours at the apex bank before and after his State of the Nation Address as authorities grapple with a crippling shortage of bank notes.
The liquidity crisis has decimated most of the southern African nation’s industry. Zimbabwe is also failing to pay for critical imports while skyrocketing rates on the black market for foreign currency have triggered a rise in prices of most commodities.
Mnangagwa’s tour also came as most parts of the country are experiencing fuel shortages, although Energy minister Joram Gumbo dismissed the shortages as artificial.
The visit has generated a lot of speculation, with some claiming Mnangagwa wanted to appreciate the gravity of the cash shortages and understand how the bank operates.
RBZ governor John Mangudya yesterday confirmed the visit by the Head of State, but described it as a “routine familiarisation tour”.
According to sources, Mnangagwa toured the RBZ headquarters twice on Tuesday — shortly before he officially opened the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe and later in the evening.
“He was at the RBZ for about 30 minutes from 8:30am before he left for the official opening of Parliament. It is still sketchy as to the purpose and nature of the visit, but it seemed to have been impromptu,” a source said.
“He was accompanied by a white guy said to be an IT [information technology] expert. Most staffers in the Treasury department were asked to leave and the President was assisted by two junior workers.”
After attending a legislators’ luncheon organised by Local Government minister July Moyo in the afternoon, Mnangagwa returned to the RBZ and spent nearly four hours holed up in the central bank building.
“He was there until around 21:45pm; extraordinary moments require extra-ordinary measures,” said a top government official who declined to be named.
Mangudya yesterday said: “The President’s visit to the bank was a familiarisation tour of the bank’s operations.”
Another source said Mnangagwa had visited the bank’s Treasury department as part of efforts to find a solution to the country’s crippling financial crisis.
“ED [Mnangagwa] is a hands-on President. Some things you would rather do them yourself, so he was there in person. Remember, he is leaving soon for the United Nations General Assembly, the Governor [John Mangudya] is going with him to the US, but they do not want to leave things as they are,” said the source.
NewsDay also gathered that during his first visit, Mnangagwa asked all staffers from the Treasury department to vacate the building, “save for two junior staffers who assisted him”.
As regards the fuel situation, Mangudya said the situation was under control.
“That is not true. The bank continues to provide forex and letters of credit for the procurement of fuel,” he said.
It was not clear if Finance minister Mthuli Ncube attended the meetings.
Newsday
NEWLY-appointed Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry will on Friday night make her maiden public appearance as Minister at the two-day Call To Worship gospel music festival that will feature top local and international gospel musicians at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Also to grace the 10th edition of the annual inter-denominational praise and worship extravaganza is philanthropist Tsitsi Masiyiwa, wife of Econet Wireless founder Strive Masiyiwa.
In a statement, event organisers said the potentially explosive festival will feature prominent and award-winning gospel artistes Mkululi Bhebhe, Janet Manyowa, Dudu Manhenga, Pastor G, Tembalami, Prince Mafukidze and Pastor Josh, among others.
“This year the organisers of the Call To Worship gospel music festival have added an interesting youth mentorship flavour to the event at which the likes of prominent philanthropist Tsitsi Masiyiwa, and banker and entrepreneur Nigel Chanakira, along with Honourable Kirsty Coventry, will be addressing young people at the event,” the statement read.
The organisers said they were expecting thousands of worshippers at the event — which is free — and has in the past drawn as many as 15 000 worshippers.
The event, launched 10 years ago as the brainchild of Pastors Charlotte and Philip Pike, has enjoyed the support of a wide cross-section of churches and religious leaders in Zimbabwe.
Newsday
By Paul Nyathi|Masango Matambanadzo the only National Patriotic Front candidate in the House of Assembly may lose his hard won Kwekwe Central parliamentary seat after his party announced that it was closing down.
Party leader Ambrose Mutinhiri announced in a statement published by state media that his party which was suspected to be bank rolled by former President Robert Mugabe was closing doors and all its leaders going back to ZANU PF.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe, a member of parliament loses their seat when they cease to belong to the political party they were elected into the house under.
“We the founders, leaders and supporters of the NPF hereby inform the nation of Zimbabwe that the NPF has disbanded with immediate effect from September 19, 2018,” Brigadier-General (Retired) Mutinhiri said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The main reason for disbanding the party is that NPF has outlived its purpose. NPF was formed as a response to the events and circumstances of November 2017 that led to the removal of the previous Government of Zimbabwe and in our opinion we perceived it to be a threat to national security and stability.”
“However, after careful considerations and deliberations our party came to the conclusion that the November 2017 events were in the best interest of Zimbabwe as a nation. To that end, the existence of the NPF is no longer necessary. “As such we deem it expedient and appropriate to disband NPF and also to join and support the Zanu-PF party and Government in its endeavour to build a better Zimbabwe for all unity and loving and progressive Zimbabwe,” he added.
Mutinhiri contested the Presidential election on July 30 and lost dismally. Matambanadzo, with 7,578 votes, secured a razor-thin victory against MDC Alliance’s Blessing Chebundo who got 7,122 votes.
ZimEye.com efforts to get a comment from Matambanadzo have not yet been successful. It is not clear if the party has yet advised the Speaker of Parliament of its intention to wind up.
FORMER national team coach Heath Streak has applied for an order for provisional liquidation of Zimbabwe Cricket after the Association failed to respond to his claims to pay him, and his sacked staff, $198 695.77 in outstanding dues.
Streak was relieved of his duties in April this year following the Chevrons’ failure to qualify for next year’s ICC World Cup in a tournament held at home.
In papers filed at the High Court yesterday, Streak’s lawyers cited Zimbabwe Cricket as the first respondent and the newly-installed Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry as the second respondent.
The Sports Commission and the Master of High Court are the third and fourth respondents.
Streak and his backroom staff, which included South African batting expert Lance Klusener, fitness trainer Sean Bell and Wayne James also claim that their contracts were “illegally” terminated in April.
According to the papers, Streak is owed $128 762.95, Klusener $11 757.93, Bell $43 999.23 and James who was his assistant coach $14 175.66.
He also claimed that the ZC Board led by Tavengwa Mukuhlani was improperly constituted.
His lawyers – GN Mlotshwa and Company – have invoked Section 14 of the Insolvency Act (Chapter 06:07) seeking the liquidation of the organisation and have identified Winsley Militala of Petwin and Executor Trust Company as the provisional liquidator.
“This is an application in terms of Section 6 of the Insolvency Act (Chapter 6:07) for an order of liquidation of the 1st Respondent in that the 1st Respondent is unable to pay its debts as and when they become due in the normal course of business.
“Furthermore, it is just and equitable that the 1st Respondent be wound up and creditors be paid off their debts…
“The Applicant(s) are all employees of the 1st Respondent whose fixed term of employment contracts were illegally terminated by 1st Respondent.
“The 1st Respondent has failed to pay the Applicant’s salaries and other emoluments as and when they fell due and payable.
“Moreover, the 1st Respondent also failed to pay match fees and other benefits to the Applicant. Despite demand, the 1st Respondent has failed or neglected to pay the debts in question.
“I am legally advised ,which advice I adopt as mine, that the First Respondent who is a debtor is deemed to be unable to pay its debts upon proof that the debtor is generally unable to pay debts which are due and payable, or upon proof that the debtor’s liabilities exceed the value of the debtor’s assets.
“It is clear that the First Respondent is generally unable to pay its debts as and when they become due.
“The Board of Directors have run the affairs of the 1st Respondent in a reckless and negligent manner such that it has failed to pay its employees and creditors on time.
“The 1st Respondent has mismanaged loans and grants that were advanced to it by the International Cricket Council and has failed to make meaningful repayments.
State Media
ZANU PF has blocked former G40 youth Kudzai Chipanga from readmission into the party despite Emmerson Mnangagwa being worse than him. (Mnangagwa used to praise former president Robert Mugabe to the point of declaring that God the Creator wears Gushungo label.)
State Media – Efforts by expelled former zanu-pf youth leader Kudzai Chipanga to be readmitted into the party suffered a blow on Sunday after the Manicaland provincial executive committee (PEC) threw out his appeal saying he should go through the national executive.
Chipanga, who was expelled with several other members aligned to the G40 cabal, had sought his readmission saying he had repented and needed another chance.
The PEC, in a special meeting held in Mutare, threw out his appeal saying the decision to expel him was made at national level, rendering them unable to handle it at provincial level.
Zanu-PF provincial secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera confirmed convening the meeting on Sunday saying: “We convened a special PEC meeting where we discussed disciplinary issues pertaining to some party members. We discussed readmission appeals from some party members like Kudzi Chipanga, Sheilla Mutsenhi and Talent Kadzima.
“As you are aware, these people left the party for different reasons with Chipanga having been dismissed from the party by the higher office at Congress. Mutsenhi also left the party during the Gamatox era while Kadzima chose to stand as an independent during the harmonised elections.”
Saruchera said they could not act on Chipanga’s appeal as provincial executive members and referred his case to the national executive.
“The decision to dismiss Chipanga from the party was made at the highest level of the party and as a province we realised that we could not handle it. We recommended that his matter be dealt with at national level. Since he was dismissed at the party’s Congress, the decision to accept or not to accept him back should be handled at the top,” he said.
Saruchera, however, said in the case of Kadzima, who decided to stand as an independent candidate after losing to Supa Mandiwanzira during the primary elections in Nyanga South constituency, the zanu-pf provincial executive committee had noted that it was too early to readmit her considering the time she left.
He said they were yet to ascertain her commitment to the ruling party.
The state owned Chronicle publication has made claims that ZAPU leader Dumiso Dabengwa has endorsed Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The below was used to make this claim. In the piece however, Dabengwa is quoted saying Zimbabweans are stuck with Mnangagwa till 2023, and does not even appear to be backing him.
Dabengwa is a Nelson Chamisa MDC Alliance principal.
Below was the state media full text:
ZAPU president Dr Dumiso Dabengwa has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa and called on Zimbabweans to accept his Government which he said was on the right path by implementing devolution.
The Government is working on a raft of measures towards the full implementation of devolution in accordance with the Constitution.
Addressing journalists at the Bulawayo Press Club on Wednesday evening, Dr Dabengwa said Zimbabweans should be realistic with the country’s political developments and accept that Zanu-PF won the July 30 harmonised elections.
The Zapu president did not contest the elections as he publicly backed MDC-Alliance presidential candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa who lost to President Mnangagwa.
“I’m a realist and being realist, I believe that we have a Government with us today whether you like it or not. The current Zanu-PF Government is unlikely to change until 2023,” said Dr Dabengwa.
“In 2023 that is when the country will go for another harmonised election as per the country’s electoral cycle.”
He said Zapu was happy that Government made strong indications that it will implement devolution of power.
His party has been advocating for devolution of power since the crafting of the 2013 Constitution, which mandates Government to devolve power.
“I think for now what is important is to accept the gesture by Government on getting the Bill on devolution being tabled in Parliament. They (Zanu-PF Government) have come up with an idea of dealing with an (devolution of power) issue which they consider is in the hearts of most of the people in the region and they have decided to bring it forward and get it debated,” said Dr Dabengwa.
He said instead of making ill-informed pronouncements on how the Government is to implement devolution of power, Zimbabweans should wait until the Bill is brought before Parliament.
“The debates on various issues like allocation of resources, the amounts of monies that are going to be allocated to the provinces, these issues are still going to be debated. The Bill is going to come up with suggestions on how Government intends to do it,” Dr Dabengwa said.
The Bill will be brought before the people for consultations before being finalised and tabled in Parliament.
Dr Dabengwa, however, said it would not be easy for Government to satisfy all voices in the implementation of devolution as various groups have their ideal expectation of how Chapter 2 and 14 of the Constitution should be implemented.
“What is important is that Zapu wants to accept the challenge to have the Bill drafted and to be able to put its views in a very honest way on how we expect this devolution exercise to take place,” he said.
The Government has said it will introduce a raft of measures that will see the State funding budgets for respective provinces and identifying previously marginalised areas that need special attention as it moves to implement devolution.
Devolution is captured in two chapters of the constitution namely Chapter 2 which deals with the political arrangements and Chapter 14 which deals with the financial provisions.
Speaking ahead of the July 30 harmonised elections that the ruling Zanu-PF won resoundingly, President Mnangagwa said after the polls, the Second Republic would implement devolution as part of the constitutional provisions.
In an interview in Bulawayo last Friday, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde July Moyo, said on the political side, people had already been elected for positions in provincial councils and what was left was to amend the old Provincial Councils and Administration Act.
He said the amendment would then bring into effect the council, its membership and their duties.
“It is there where we will spell out how the political mechanisms of devolution will be fleshed out and I cannot be specific now as I have to pilot this through Cabinet and then to Parliament,” said Moyo.
He said the Government would also address three critical financial issues to kick start devolution.
“The first one is the capital budgets that must be given to all Provincial Councils as well as the 92 local authorities so that we can look after your roads, sewerage and water and Central Government has to assist in this endeavour.
“The second aspect is we are looking at marginalised areas and by marginalisation we think that where services have lagged behind whether those services are schools or clinics or those services are electricity or sewerage, again the Government is called upon in the Constitution to make sure that monies are voted for by Parliament through Government, through the Ministry of Finance so that we can uplift the standards of living of our people,” said Moyo.
“The third aspect of the financial provisions requires that Central Government every year puts aside five percent in the national budget so that it can be distributed to Provincial Councils and local authorities so that we can again assist the whole of Zimbabwe to be uplifted. In the broad sense, that’s how we are going to implement devolution.”
By Own Correspondent| Following reports that Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo had been hospitalised at a local hospital over a kidney condition, Zimbabweans took to social media wishing him a speedy recovery.
Below are some of the comments on facebook:
By Own Correspondent| Emmerson Mnangagwa arrived (Thursday) in New York for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
PlMnangagwa who will make his maiden appearance as Head of State at the UN General Assembly was received at JFK Airport by Zimbabwe’s permanent representative to the United Nations Mission in New York Ambassador Frederick Shava and embassy staff.
Mnangagwa is accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Dr John Mangudya.
Mnangagwa is expected to address the UN General Assembly in this year’s general debate on Wednesday.-StateMedia
Staff Reporter|Horrified passengers of Jet Airways started bleeding from their ears and noses after the plane’s cabin pressure suddenly dropped moments after take-off.
It is claimed that the Jet Airways crew forgot to switch on the cabin pressure system, leaving passengers to suffer painful injuries as the aircraft climbed into the sky.
Oxygen masks fell from the ceiling of the Boeing 737 as the drama unfolded on a domestic flight from Mumbai to Jaipur in India.
At least 30 passengers suffered nose bleeds, a few bled from their ears and some complained of severe headaches as the plane was forced to turn around and return to Mumbai.
At least eight people were hospitalised. The plane was carrying 166 passengers and five crew on what was supposed to be a two-hour flight.
Passengers recorded video as they wore oxygen masks and prepared for landing. Jet Airways said the injuries on Thursday’s flight were caused by a “loss in cabin pressure”.
Jane Mlambo| Police yesterday refused to open a docket in a case in which a Harare resident, Alice Kasinamunda sought to file criminal charges against City of Harare officials implicated in attempts to swindle Econet Wireless by inflating figures of goods procured towards combating the cholera outbreak.
According to Community Water Alliance (CWA), an organization behind the move, Kasinamunda was referred from one officer to another, in a manner that is clearly meant to frustrate her.
“Out of the six police officers to which Alice was referred, not even one of them accepted opening a docket.
Instead of getting assistance Alice had to endure unnecessary questions like: are you a council employee? and are you a worker at Econet?. They were ready to interrogate her on what is your interest,” noted CWA.
The organization noted that Kasinamunda’s case warranted action by the Zimbabwe Republic Police as it clearly demonstrated that there is a primafacie case, there is a reasonable suspicion that the accused persons committed the crime.
CWA condemned City of Harare for its move to suspend despite there being enough evidence to prosecute the accused.
”The action by the Local Authority to suspend the accused, shows reasonable suspicion.
“This case has evidence that the court can rely upon. Although there is dispute on whether the charge of gloves was inflated to $65, there is evidence that it was pegged above $30 instead of a mere $3. Receipts to that effect are there. The actions by the accused show a clear case of fraud, which is a crime. These facts make CWA believe that Alice had a case that the state should have acted upon,” added CWA.
“Alice Kasinamunda’s treatment casts doubt on the commitment of the Executive ( the police being part of the Executive Arm of the State) to fight graft. It places in jeopardy even any policy pronouncement by councilors to fight graft,” further noted CWA.
Jane Mlambo| Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has called on workers to resist the ‘barbaric actions of the state’ of chasing vendors from Harare CBD saying government does not understand the difficulties citizens are through.
Posting on Twitter today, ZCTU questioned the logic behind government’s decision to chase vendors from the streets considering that they will be fending for their families.
A Government that does not understand the difficulties citizens are going through, will not develop the country. If vendors are chased away from their sources of livelihood, how will all the affected families survive? All workers must resist this barbaric actions of the state.
— ZCTU – Zimbabwe (@ZctuZimbabwe) September 20, 2018
Police have been engaged in running battles with vendors who are resisting being displaced due to the cholera outbreak that has so far claimed the lives of 32 people including under fives.
