The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has dispelled social media rumours that schools will open on September 10, instead of tomorrow for the third term.

In an interview yesterday, permanent secretary in the Ministry, Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, said there were no changes and encouraged teachers and pupils to be ready for schools opening tomorrow.

“I can confirm that schools are opening on Tuesday September 3 as we had communicated to schools before we closed for the second term,” she said.

“There are no changes and there won’t be any as all is set for us to start the third term on Tuesday.”

The unsigned social media message that was purportedly addressed to provincial education officers read: “Please be advised that schools will be opening on 10 September instead of 3 September as earlier advised.

“The change has been necessitated by movement of teachers across provinces.”

Dr Utete-Masango castigated the social media claims, saying people should not be swayed by unfounded reports.

She said prospective 2019 Form One pupils should consider applying online for boarding school places.

“We are working on improving the system so that parents can access applications online,” she said. “This is the way to go and this facility is only for boarding schools that offer Form One places.”- state media

South African opposition leader, Julius Malema has picked an African language spoken by approximately 100 million people across the continent and suggested that it be made the official language of Mama Africa.

Speaking at a media briefing organised by his party the Economic Freedom Fighters, where he issued a speech touching on a series of issues, including the Donald Trump tweet on South Africa’s land reforms, Malema called for the adoption of a common language in Africa, hinting at Swahili being that language.

“We must develop a common language that can be used throughout the continent. Like Swahili, if it can be developed as the language of the continent,” he said.

In the EFF media briefing, Malema also called for the unification of Africa, rooting for a single currency, single president and single parliament.

Swahili is the most spoken native language in Africa, commonly used in East and Central African states. It is an official language in Kenya and Tanzania.

Approximately 100 million people are able to converse in Swahili. That figure means Swahili is spoken by more people than Korean or Italian.

Swahili is one of the official languages of the African Union. Swahili is also one of the official languages of the African Union.

The leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party remarks comes just months after Twitter officially recognised Swahili as one of the languages users can communicate with on the social site, effectively making Swahili the first African language to be recognised by the US-based social networking site.

Early last year, Rwanda also joined the bandwagon and officially adopted Swahili as one of its official languages.

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Mr Nelson Chamisa “lost” the just ended elections because he disregarded the election road map that was agreed upon by the party and endorsed by the late leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai before he died.

In a candid analysis on the just ended elections, former MDC-T legislator and advisor Mr Eddie Cross also said the Alliance’s existence into the next elections was next to none.

Mr Cross announced that he is quitting both politics and MDC-T to concentrate on business. He accused Mr Chamisa of turning the elections into a “Chamisa thing” and not an MDC-T issue, in the process disregarding what the party had put in place as a roadmap to win the elections

“I was very critical of the policy procedure adopted by Chamisa because 18 months before his unfortunate death, Tsvangirai had set up a policy group to prepare for this election which was chaired by Dr (Tapiwa) Mashakada and it produced a 37-paged document which I thought was very good but when Nelson took over he simply rejected it out of hate and then he did something out of his own initiative.

“A party is a team and you can’t toss aside the views of your team and simply proceed with something that you concocted with other elements in the alliance and just simply announce it, which is essentially what happened. The MDC-T manifesto never had real interest on the campaign and I thought it was too long and it was too complicated,” said Mr Cross.

He said in the run up to the elections, Mr Chamisa had made the elections about him, a strategy which, Mr Cross said Mr Tsvangirai had long dispelled noting that there was a need to target the grassroots first, which would naturally escalate to the presidency.

Mr Cross said if Mr Chamisa was to entertain any hopes of winning future elections he had to refocus his strategy starting from the wards going up to the parliamentary seats.

“In the past we always concentrated on the Presidency thinking that if you capture the Presidency you have captured the Government, that’s true but the real fight, political fight is not at the top, it’s at the bottom. It’s in the wards and Morgan’s concept was that we should turn the 2018 campaign and concentrate on the wards and that is saying if we win the wards we win the districts, we win the districts and we win the presidency.

“In the end of course Nelson and the Alliance went back to the old system that fought the Presidential election. Yes, he did a brilliant job, he was a great speaker, he was charismatic, he was well educated but at the end Morgan was right and that was a crucial mistake for the Alliance of not concentrating on the grassroots,” said Mr Cross.

Mr Cross said the elections were the best run since the formation of the MDC in 1999 and Mr Chamisa’s constitutional court challenge for the Presidential election was a futile attempt.

“I think this election, despite all criticism, it was the best election since 2000. We were allowed complete freedom to go where we wanted with no police interference and very little violence. We had freedom of speech, freedom of association. I think this campaign was much free than other campaigns and I think to be frank the election results will be very difficult to contest.

“As for the Alliance’s existence, it’s a difficult ask but my view is that we have heard very little from Welshman Ncube who is one of the most senior members of the Alliance, of which I agree with his sentiments, I don’t think the Alliance will hold together in the future as I don’t think the alliance is particularly united at the moment,” said Mr Cross.

Turning to his resignation from active politics Mr Cross said this was a decision which he had long informed the late Tsvangirai about, but they had felt that he should not publicise it to allow a smooth transition in his constituency.

He, however, blasted the Alliance for bungling resulting in the fielding of two candidates in the constituency which resulted in them eventually losing to Zanu-PF candidate Cde Raj Modi in Bulawayo South.

“Morgan and my family said I should retire so I agreed to retire a long time ago and the party asked me not to make it public because they didn’t want a fight in the party on the candidate to take over my constituency. In the final analysis it didn’t make any difference because there was a fight and the party lost,” he said.

Sunday News

THE Bulawayo City Council will bolster security at the special council meeting for the election of the city’s mayor and deputy mayor on Tuesday after skirmishes that were experienced in the council chambers on Friday.

The local authority has further announced that the special council will be held at the Large City Hall to accommodate the huge numbers of members of the public who are expected to attend the contentious elections.

Last Friday activists linked to the Mthwakazi Republic Party disrupted council proceedings after Ward 24 councillor, Arnold Batirai pitched up late for council proceedings allegedly drunk. The activists manhandled Clr Batirai and attempted to eject him from the council chambers.

In an interview with Sunday News, the city’s Town Clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said what happened on Friday was unfortunate hence their reason to engage the Zimbabwe Republic Police to ensure security during the proceedings.

“We will certainly have heavy security because what happened on Friday is embarrassing and unfortunate. Yes, residents could have been aggrieved by the councillor’s conduct but when he is in chamber, he is protected. What I must emphasise is that we do not condone rowdy behaviour from our residents especially during council meetings.

“What we are planning to do is that we will move the Tuesday meeting to the Large City Hall after receiving a request from residents and noting the importance of this meeting, we are just going through the legal implications of this but we see nothing wrong at all,” said Mr Dube.

He said the election of the mayor and deputy mayor is key to the functioning of the local authority hence the interest by residents.

“We want to avoid excluding residents in this process because they are our key stakeholders, if you realised during the Friday meeting councillors came with their families and ward members hence the high numbers which led us to shut some of them out.

“Residents are really looking forward to this election all we have to do is assure them of their security, have a heavy police presence barricade certain areas so councillors are able to conduct their democratic right of voting for the mayor and deputy mayor without any intimidation,” said Mr Dube

State Media

A serious shortage of cement has hit Harare with the few outlets that have the product selling it at double the official price.

The majority of hardwares and other outlets that normally sell cement were out of stock while prices had been hiked to between $15 and $20 a bag compared to the recommended retail prices averaging $11.50 for PC and $10 for masonry.

“We do not have any cement. It’s a crisis. That is why some shops have increased prices because when we ask our suppliers they are telling us that they do not have any in stock.

A shortage of cement will sabotage the growth of the economy,” said a shop attendant at a hardware in the capital who only identified himself as Tonderai.

Hardware outlets said supply delays were resulting in a huge increase in demand for the product.

“The price just went up and it is because there is a shortage. We had ordered a load two weeks ago, but we only received it today,” said a sales attendant at Nongerai Hardware along Seke Road.

Cement is now more readily available on the black market where the going price is $20 per bag.

“Prices have been on the rise in the past three days. Maybe it is the said sanctions now taking a toll on us,” said a dealer at Mbare’s Magaba area.

Cement producers could not be reached to comment on what had triggered the sudden shortages.

The cement shortage and the sudden price hikes and growing scarcity of numerous other products have added to a plethora of economic problems besetting Zimbabwe in the wake of the recent elections.

Last week, the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency revealed that inflation had shot to 4,29% per annum, the highest in six years.

Also, the year-on-year inflation rate hit 4,29% in July 2018 from 2,91% in June 2017, an increase of 47,48% in the Consumer Price Index which measures changes in the general price level, driven mainly by food and non-alcoholic beverages.

Standard

Former Electoral Supervisory Commission chair Bishop Dr Ralph Peter Hatendi has died.

He was 91. Bishop Hatendi succumbed to chronic heart and lung diseases on Friday at Avenues Clinic in Harare, where he had been admitted two days earlier.

Family spokesperson and daughter Mrs Pauline Makoni said, “He had been battling chronic heart and lung diseases for over 10 years. He was a truly loving father and an inspirational man who feared the Lord and the church.”

Anglican Diocese of Harare Bishop Chad Gandiya said Bishop Hatendi’s death was a great loss.

“The sudden death of Dr Hatendi came to us as a shock, he will be fondly remembered for his contributions to the national church in advancing theological education,” he said.

“He came into office (as Bishop of Harare and Mashonaland) during crucial time towards Independence. His contributions in terms of support to nationalist leaders is well documented. He will be missed.”

Bishop Hatendi was born in 1927 in Manicaland and attended school at St Augustine’s in Penhalonga.

He proceeded to Associate of Kings College in London where he studied Theology, subsequently earning a doctorate in Divinity at World University in 1987.

He was the first black bishop of the Diocese of Harare in 1979, holding the office until his retirement in 1995, therefter being appointed chairperson of the then Electoral Supervisory Commission.

At the time of his death, he was the assistant Bishop in the diocese of Harare

A funeral service will be held in his honour tomorrow at St Anne’s Anglican Cathedral in Harare at 9am.

Bishop Hatendi’s body will be cremated and his ashes interred in the cathedral at a date to be announced.

He is survived by his wife Jane, four children, 11 grandchildren and two grand-great children.

State Media

Media Statement By Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition|Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition has noted the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry which has been tasked to investigate the shooting of civilians in the capital on August 1, 2018 by the military. The shootings followed demonstrations which rocked the capital as citizens protested against delays in the announcement of election results.

As CiZC, we have serious reservations concerning the composition of the Commission of Inquiry.

We are left to suspect that nothing much will come out of the inquiry given the fact that the incumbent’s loyalists the greater part of the commission. It seems the commission is aimed at pacifying the international community on the state recklessness that led to innocent souls being lost. It is calculated to absolve the state of wrong doings through this compromised commission and a carefully structured methodology and terms of reference which starts from the point of innocence yet, in real fact the perpetrators are known as captured in the video clips on the internet.

We remain worried why the president is keen on creating parallel structures when the Constitution established Constitutional Bodies is Chapter 12 (Independent Commissions Supporting Democracy). We are of the strong conviction that the state must strengthen the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) to undertake work of this nature as provided by Section 243 (1) of the Constitution. We implore the President to channel such resources towards the strengthening of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission as a constitutional body mandated to carry out such investigations.

CiZC maintains that just like in the past years, the blame for the murder of civilians on August 1 lies squarely with the government of Zimbabwe. Because of party-state conflation, ZANU PF has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that they are prepared to use state resources to cling to power and block public access to critical information on public/national investigations.

It also has to be noted that Zimbabwe has a history of organized killings of innocent civilians at the hands of the government, despite the fact that inquiries were launched, have been swept under the carpet. In some cases, there hasn’t been any attempt to investigate the issues while in other cases, government has completely expressed ignorance or chosen to keep quite on the murder and torture of civilians.

Some of the cases that have never been openly investigated include the Gukurahundi massacres which resulted on the death of more than 20 000 civilians as well as the murder of nearly 300 opposition activists in the June 2008 run-off election. It has to be noted also that since the formation of the country’s biggest opposition in 1999, the country has continued to witness torture and murder of opposition activists and these issues have largely been ignored by Zanu PF as violence and murder reign supreme among their tactics to retain power. If anything, Zanu PF, despite its claims of a peaceful and tolerant party, has not and can never be expected to dismantle its violence machinery.

It is justifiable to conclude that the August 1 shootings were pre-meditated especially taking into consideration sentiments from senior Zanu PF officials that Mnangagwa will shoot for power and also that the army stands ready to block opposition rule in the country .

Given the above, it is reasonable again to conclude that the motive behind the shootings is well-known.

We maintain that it is the prerogative of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to come up with information concerning who ordered the military into the streets and after that we expect corrective action to be taken against the culprits. Our expectations are that the nature of our politics should not impinge on the capacity of the ZHRC to deliver its constitutional mandate and that no person or state body should undermine the role of the ZHRC.

Staff Correspondent|Vice President Constantino Chiwenga says it will no longer be business as usual for the “comrades” who will be joining the new government as it moves with speed to implement the programmes that were being sold by the ruling party during its campaigns in the harmonised elections.

He was speaking to local and international journalists on his immediate task, soon after the swearing in ceremony at State House in Harare today.

Vice President Chiwenga told the media that while the new dispensation hit the ground running first time, they will maintain the speed with a vision of rebuilding the economy and improving the socio-economic status of the people.

The vice president compared the speed and pace needed with the Greek mythology figure of the ancient phydippedis.

He warned civil servants, those who will be selected into cabinet and others who are expected to deliver the vision of economic construction and socio-economic upliftment that they will be expected to do as determined and not as they wish.

He said the private sector is also expected to contribute towards the development efforts through close interaction with government.

He said the agric show indaba held in the capital on Wednesday is a clear demonstration of how government and the private sector can help each other.

Vice President Kembo Mohadi said industrialisation of the country is top priority and with highly educated and skilled manpower, Zimbabwe can realise its vision for economic development and industrialisation.

He said Zimbabwe is on a drive to attract investors some of whom came to observe the elections, to provide the required support for industrialisation.

The swearing in of the two vice presidents is step towards the formation of the new government after the 30 July harmonised elections.

Jockeying for Cabinet posts is turning nasty, with some of those eyeing positions in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration resorting to a vicious propaganda campaign to undermine other contenders for the appointments.

With Mnangagwa expected to announce his new Cabinet anytime following his inauguration last Sunday, the jostling for positions is getting uglier.

To get ahead of other aspirants, some have turned to social media by concocting and circulating images of Zanu PF politicians purportedly campaigning for MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa in a bid to discredit them.

Reports also suggest that other Cabinet hopefuls are viciously lobbying Mnangagwa to overlook certain individuals on spurious grounds, including unproven claims that they did not campaign for him ahead of the July 30 polls.

Mnangagwa has since retained Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi as his deputies.

It is being hoped that he will appoint the rest of his Cabinet once the newly-elected members of Parliament have been sworn in.

Already, organisations affiliated to the ruling party are openly lobbying the president to pick some of his ministers from their membership.

These include the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA), the Zanu PF youth league, and the party’s women’s league.

Mnangagwa has indicated his desire to appoint an effective Cabinet to turn around the country’s economy and usher in reforms in line with his “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra.

Znlwva spokesperson Douglas Mahiya said it was unfortunate the some “uncouth” aspirants were resorting to dirty tactics to get Mnangagwa’s attention, saying they will not succeed in misleading the president.

“The president doesn’t like it,” he said.

“His principle is that you cannot canvass for a position because it is clear that those who do that want to abuses the positions.”

While advising Mnangagwa to make merited appointments, Mahiya said it was equally important for him to consider the former liberation war fighters as well because they are the custodians of Zanu PF’s revolutionary principles.

He said the fact that the majority of the war veterans do not have requisite qualifications to become ministers was inconsequential as ideology was more important than academic qualifications.

“Being an effective minister does not only call for academic and technocratic input, but political ideology of the party in line with the principles of the revolution.

“The pattern of doing things is more important than academic input,” he argued.

“Zanu and Zapu were governments in exile during the war and we borrowed principles of governance and later developed our own and it is those principles that (former president Robert) Mugabe failed to make use of and hence lost connection with the people.

“The interaction of the combatants and the people during the war makes them ideal candidates for positions of ministers because they know what the people want so we hope the new cabinet will take war veterans into perspective”.

Zanu PF women’s league chairperson for Harare province Ratidzo Mukarati said Mnangagwa was alive to the expectations of women, adding that the wing will support his decisions.

A Zanu PF insider told the Daily News yesterday that the desperation for Cabinet posts has reached fever pitch and it is not likely to recede until Mnangagwa unveils his line-up.

“For as long as a new Cabinet is not announced, it will be dog-eat-dog and we hope it won’t get to the extent of harming each other,” said the insider..

“But frankly, some of the efforts are desperate and useless.

“The appointing authority obviously has adequate intelligence on the background, conduct and behaviour of all candidates before and during the elections.

“They are intelligent enough to distinguish between fact and fiction.”

DailyNews

A woman who was mistaken for a witch after being found tiptoeing on graves at Luveve Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon is lucky to be alive after a mob meted instant justice on her.

Luveve residents took the law into their hands when they whipped a woman only identified as Stella accusing her of being a witch looking for dead people’s bodies to eat.

“Stella was found on Tuesday afternoon — alone in the cemetery. She was tiptoeing on graves.

“I was on my way to work when I saw a woman with torn, dirty clothes talking to herself while tiptoeing on the graves. I quickly called out to other people passing by.

“She kept repeating the name Stella after being asked her name,” said a resident.

The crowd started accusing her of witchcraft after she failed to explain what she was doing at the graveyard.

“When she was asked what she was doing, she only smiled at people which led to her being whipped,” said the source.

Stella is said to have been whipped by the crowd which led to her howling. On the picture that was taken she is seen as someone who is weeping and in pain.

The victim was fortunate as police officers arrived at the scene and took her to the police station.

However, acting Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said: “We had received a missing person alert last week of a mentally unstable female and as we were investigating the case reports were made of a woman being accused of witchcraft at Luveve’s graveyard.

“We attempt to uncover facts first before charging victims — in the course of investigations we realised Stella was mentally unstable and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

According to Insp Ncube, families which had reported missing persons were called in to identify the female and one family recognised her as their relative.

— BMetro

THE family of Zimbabwe’s former Ambassador to Senegal, Mrs Trudy Stevenson, yesterday announced she will be cremated next Friday.

In an announcement on her Twitter handle, the family said: “The funeral will be held at Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Mt. Pleasant, Harare, on Friday 7 September at 10am. Light refreshments will be served afterwards, followed by a private cremation.”

Ambassador Stevenson was a founding member of the MDC.

She was appointed ambassador to Senegal and the Gambia in 2009 during the Government of National Unity as a deployee of MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube.

Ambassador Stevenson was found dead at her residence in Dakar last week.

She was 73.

A former Member of Parliament for Harare North (2000-2008), she continued to serve as ambassador after the collapse of the unity government.

State Media

AN ailing Kwekwe-based explosives manufacturer could have compromised national security because of poor security and failure to follow laid down procedures at its plant, workers have alleged.

In a stinging letter, accompanied by a petition to the inspector of mines, workers at GML Explosives (formerly known as Dyno Nobel) made startling allegations against the company, including security and legal breaches.

“We note with great concern that the company was not observing rules and regulations pertaining to the sale of explosives. The company is selling explosives to customers without permits and in cases of customers with permits, their permits are not endorsed as required by law.

“We suspect the company is not keeping proper and accurate records of explosives sold and this compromises national security,” the workers alleged.

Mines principal director Charles Tahwa confirmed receipt of the letter, but referred questions to Mines secretary Munesu Munodawafa.

“Yes, but talk to the permanent secretary,” Tahwa said.

Earlier, Tahwa had requested time to consult with the inspector responsible for explosives, who he said was in charge of such cases.

Munodawafa said he was tied up with the Harare Agricultural Show Society business and could not talk.

The employees have demanded that the company be placed under liquidation because it had not been operating and that it owed them in excess of $1 million in salary arrears.

Two people died while dozens including Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, were left with injuries after an explosion rocked White City Stadium as President Emmerson Mnangagwa left the podium after a Zanu PF campaign rally in June.

The August 17 letter, which shows it was received at the Mines ministry four days later, said GML Explosives had also failed to follow procedure in the disposal of defective explosives.

“The company is not reporting bad/reject/defective explosives to the inspector. A lot of poorly manufactured boxes of defective explosives were returned by customers late last year and early this year, but these were never reported to the inspector of mines in terms of the law and there is no evidence to show how they were disposed of,” the letter said.

Owned by Croinvest (Pvt), the company, formerly Dyno Nobel, has been struggling to survive for years. The workers claim that security at the premises in the Midlands city is compromised and was in breach of the Explosives Act.

Early this week, seven GMB workers died while one is still missing in Chinhoyi after an explosion, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault, left scores injured.

“Sir, we are sitting on a time bomb, which can explode anytime. Regular inspections of lightning conductors are not being done. Lightning conductors are not maintained yearly and no certificates of good order, after mandatory inspections, have been obtained by the company as required by law. In other words, buildings, metal walls, roof and all plant machines are not efficiently earthed,” the letter also said.

NewsDay

Newly-elected National Assembly members and senators will take oaths of office on Wednesday next week, Clerk of Parliament Mr Kennedy Chokuda has said.

After taking the oaths, the National Assembly members will elect the Speaker of the National Assembly and his or her deputy and senators will also elect their president and his or her deputy.

According to a notice published in an Extraordinary Government Gazette yesterday, Mr Chokuda said MPs will be sworn in the morning and senators in the afternoon.

He said the notice of oath of Members of Parliament is done in terms of the provisions of Section 128(1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 of 2013.

“It is hereby notified that, in terms of Section 128 (1) of the Constitution the day and time for members of Parliament to make and subscribe the oath of a Member of Parliament before the Clerk of Parliament in the form set out in the Third Schedule to the Constitution shall be:

(a) ten o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 5th of September, 2018, for Members of the National Assembly; and

(b) half past two o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 5th of September, 2018, for Members of the Senate; at Parliament Building, Harare.”

The swearing in of the legislators followed the July 30 harmonised elections in which Zanu-PF retained its two thirds majority in the National Assembly after winning 145 out of the 210 contested constituencies.

The seven-party MDC Alliance managed only 63 seats, with the National Patriotic Front (NPF) winning one seat.

Independent candidate Mr Temba Mliswa won the Norton National Assembly seat.

In 2013, the ruling Zanu-PF won 160 seats to the then MDC-T’s 49, with one seat going to the MDC then led by Professor Welshman Ncube, who is now an MDC-Alliance principal.

Some of the laws that were passed during the Eighth Parliament were Local Government Amendment Act, Public Finance and Management Act, Special Economic Zones Act, Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences Act and Gwanda State University Act, The Trafficking in Persons Act, The Public Accountants and Auditors Amendment Act and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Debt Assumption and Public Debt Management Act.

State Media

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

State Media – PROPERTY worth more than $300 000 was destroyed when a huge fire gutted Bulawayo’s biggest flea market, Unity Village.

The flea market, which is located at the corner of Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street and 6th Avenue, saw about 37 stalls that were stocked with a variety of goods being destroyed by the fire which broke out at around 9PM on Thursday.

Some traders cried uncontrollably while others fainted as they arrived to the grim scene at the market yesterday morning.

Traders said they lost their stock ranging from clothes, footware, cell phones and laptops.
Bulawayo Fire Brigade Senior Divisional officer Mr Edward Mpofu said preliminary indications point to an electrical fault as the cause of the fire.

He said they were however, still investigating before making a final conclusion.
Mr Mpofu they were called at 9.44PM and arrived at the scene at 9.49PM.

“When the brigade arrived about five minutes after receiving the first call for help, the fire was found well alight and involving about 37 stalls that were well stocked with a variety of goods.
“The brigade observed that the fire burnt with a lot of intensity as most of the structures were deformed. The electrical wiring was also severely affected. The circuit breaker supplying the affected area had three breakers that tripped,” he said.

Mr Mpofu said the premises’ security guards unsuccessfully used a fire extinguisher to deal with the fire before calling the Fire Brigade.

“Investigations reveal that the fire originated from any of stalls 11, 16 or 42 and that most likely as a result of an electrical gadget like a kettle left ‘on’ or due to an electrical fault,” he said.

When The Chronicle visited the flea market yesterday morning, a committee member at the flea market, Mrs Siphokuhle Sibanda, said they lost goods worth over $300 000.

“The brigade arrived on time but they had challenges locating the fire hydrant we have inside, so they had to connect at Joshua Mqabuko and 6th Avenue which increased the damage since most of our goods are flammable. Everything we have worked for was burnt to ashes. Maybe we will end up seeking loans to restock and rebuild the structures. We are starting from scratch,” she said.
Speaking between sobs, one stand owner who preferred anonymity said it felt like she was bereaved.

“For many of us here right now, we feel like we have been robbed of a loved one. This was the bread basket for hundreds of us here with some people being the stand owners while the market has been a source of employment for hundreds as well.

“Being one of those whose stands were burnt down, we lost goods worth $5 000 and above each. Many people here order stock to last them over five months so that we don’t do frequent trips to neighbouring countries,” she said as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Another trader, Mr Zivanai Moyo, said he had also lost important documents that he kept at one of his stands, which include his identity particulars and a motor vehicle registration book.

“People here keep so many things in this market as they spend most of their time here and conduct many business transactions from their stands. Those with affected stands lost virtually everything and it is very sad,” said Mr Moyo.

A Bulawayo man pleaded with a magistrate to jail his 16-year-old son for allegedly stealing property worth $1 000.

The accused’s father told Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ndlovu that he would prefer to see his son behind bars because of his habit of stealing from home. The juvenile appeared in court facing a theft charge.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded out of custody on free bail to September 3.
“I’ve had enough of this boy. I would rather have you jail him. He has stolen a lot of property from me and our neighbours, where I am staying; they don’t want to see him.

“For a long time he has got away with it. He has to be taught a lesson so please send him to prison,” said the accused’s father. The magistrate said the boy could not be sent to prison.

“We cannot imprison him because he is a juvenile, he has a right to a lawyer which the State will provide,” said the magistrate. The boy’s father persisted with his plea.

“All I want is for him to be punished. He has to feel pain please,” he begged.
Ms Ndlovu told the father that they will deal with all that when the lawyer has attended to both of them as there is a process to go through first.

The court heard that the accused person stole money and a cellphone from the complainant.

Total value of stolen property is $1 000 and nothing was recovered. – state media

State Media – Government will only legalise production of industrial cannabis and will put in place regulations to control its production, President Mnangagwa has said.

He was speaking during a question and answer session at the sixth annual Agribusiness Conference held at the Exhibition Park on Wednesday.

President Mnangagwa said Government was working on separating medicinal cannabis from ordinary cannabis, which is popularly known as mbanje.

“We want to separate industrial cannabis from the ordinary cannabis (mbanje) and we have put it in legislation that is being championed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care,” he said.

“Wherever in the world where it has been allowed, there are strongest conditions for it to be grown. Under our Statutory Instrument we are regulating how it should be grown. It must have maximum security. That is why the security sector should be involved.”

President Mnangagwa said production of cannabis required capital outlays; it must be done scientifically. Most of it is done under green houses, where it is in open space it must be protected.”
Cannabis (mbanje) can be used for food, fuel, oil, animal feed, bedding paper, textiles and cosmetics, among others.

“You must get a licence for you to satisfy the requirements we made,” said President Mnangagwa. “For now it is a security restricted area.”

The legalisation was announced by Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa in a Government Gazette under Statutory Instrument 62 of 2018 (Dangerous Drugs – Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations).

Producers of mbanje will be licensed by the Minister. Some farmers bemoaned the high charges for the production licences.

They said the crop will end up being produced by corporates. The licence costs $50 000. – state media

ZANU PF leader, Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday ordered the police to descend heavily on reckless drivers as he consoled families that lost relatives when a Chawasarira bus collided head-on with a commuter omnibus at the 152km peg along the Harare-Bulawayo highway on Thursday morning.

The accident killed 13 people on the spot and left 23 others injured.

Tragedy struck near Muzvezve River Bridge, about 10km outside Kadoma City at around 9am when the kombi, which was on its way from Empress Mine, encroached into the lane of the oncoming bus.

In a statement, Mnangagwa said: “The death of 13 commuters in a traffic accident near Kadoma yesterday has once again highlighted the needless loss of precious lives on our roads through negligent driving. That so many lives continue to be lost repeatedly suggests growing indiscipline on our roads.

“A robust response by way of enforcement of traffic rules is thus required. All transport operators must respect life and limb by ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy and that their drivers exercise maximum caution on the road.”

Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to support and stand by the bereaved families.

He said Government will assist the families by meeting all funeral and burial expenses.

“On behalf of the party, zanu-pf, and Government and on my own behalf, I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to families which have lost their loved ones in this bloody accident. In the same vein, I wish speedy recovery to all those injured in the same accident,” he said.

“While the exact circumstance of the accident are being investigated, Government will, with immediate effect, step in to assist bereaved families in ways set out in our policy on such disasters.”

Mnangagwa urged the police to be tough on negligent drivers.-state media

By Paul Nyathi| President Emmerson Mnangagwa has sent a message of condolence to his predecessor former President Robert Mugabe on the death of his mother in law Idah Marufu.

In his message Mnangagwa took time to refer to Mugabe as his “Comrade” a salutation which ZANU PF has since withdrawn from the former President.

By Paul Nyathi|The MDC has accused rivals ZANU PF for authoring and circulating a letter purporting that Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora has been dismissed from the party.

Job Sikhala, the party Member of Parliament for Zengeza who is also a member of the National Executive Committee warned party members to ignore the letter.

Sikhala wrote in a statement:

To MDC Supporters throughout the world.

Be reassured our supporters that the unity in our party is unprecedented. We are in the process of integrating everyone into the party of the people, the party of excellence the MDC. The party has now become a formidable fortress that it is now impenetrable. These attempts to divide us will come to nothing.

By Paul Nyathi|Former President Robert Mugabe’s son Chatunga Bellarmine has mourned his late grand mother.

Former First Lady Grace Mugabe’s elderly mother, Idah Marafu, died on Friday morning at the Trauma Centre in the wealthy Harare suburb of Borrowdale.

Chatunga expressed his loss on his Facebook page on Friday afternoon.

“Rest In Peace Gogo ❤❤❤
Forever loved and We shall miss you,” he said.

Marafu was a resident at former president Robert Mugabe’s large Blue Roof property in the suburb.

While Kudzanayi Chipanga, a leader of the Zanu-PF faction dubbed “G40”, confirmed the death to ZimEye.com and said that Marafu was in her 90s, her exact age is not yet known. Critics have however claimed that gogo Marufu was actually younger than his son in law Robert Mugabe who is 94.

The change in government in Zimbabwe is inspiring hope among some white farmers, nearly two decades after the start of the sometimes-violent land reform programme, a news report says.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has ruled out reversing land reform, but has vowed to put an end to land invasions and to give white farmers 99-year leases like their black counterparts.

‘Right direction’

Farming couple John and Marie Osborne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that they see a future for the first time in two decades.

“If the current president does half of what he says he’s going to do, then I think we’re going in the right direction,” John Osborne told ABC.

The Osbornes saw farmers beaten and killed during the land seizures launched by former President Robert Mugabe in 2000, and had their own farm reduced and parcelled out. But with the change in government, their Australian-based daughter and son-in-law are considering joining them in Zimbabwe.

“So now we’re in the very pleasant position of having our family start to come back and planning for a future,” John told ABC.

Violently evicted

Another Zimbabwean, Brian Pattison, said he returned to Zimbabwe from Australia to run a mixed-crop farm outside Harare.

He said his parents weren’t happy with the decision.

“They couldn’t believe that I was going back to Zimbabwe to farm after they had lost their farms,” he said.

But he added: “I’ve got my Aussie passport in my pocket in case I have to go back.”

Well-known farming family, Ian and Kerry Kay are not convinced though. The Kays were violently evicted from their farm, east of Harare, in 2002.

“With no property rights, why would anyone go back? It’d be crazy,” Kerry Kay said.

“You can change the driver but if all the passengers are the same, what difference is it going to make?”

‘We are one’

Ahead of the July 30 poll, Mnangagwa told a group of white voters in Harare that there was “no discrimination” under the “new dispensation”.

“A farmer – a black farmer, a white farmer – is a Zimbabwean farmer. We should look at it that way. We should begin to develop a culture among our people to accept that we are one,” he said, in comments carried by the state-run Sunday Mail.

News24

By Paul Nyathi|The MDC-T led by Nelson Chamisa has disputed social media rumours that the party has suspended Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora on charges of insubordination.

Presidential Spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda told the Voice Of America’s Studio Seven on Friday evening that a letter of suspension circulating on social media allegedly addressed to Mwonzora was not authentic and not from the party.

Social media was amass with news that Mwonzora is involved in a bitter wrangle for power in the opposition party with Nelson Chamisa.

Sibanda said that relations between Chamisa and Mwonzora were not at all strained as alleged by the social media reports.

“President Chamisa is not at all involved in any misunderstandings with Mwonzora, in fact they are working very well together to move the party forward after the stolen election,” said Sibanda.

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By A Correspondent|A Masvingo taxi driver is battling for his life in hospital after a robber stabbed him several times, leaving his intestines dangling outside the stomach.

Tasara Mugwagwa (20) was attacked on the night of 25 August at the Renco Mine turn-off along the Masvingo-Chiredzi road. He also lost his car during the robbery.

Masvingo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakawashe Dhewa confirmed the incident adding that Mugwagwa’s attacker has since been arrested and was expected to appear in court soon.

“Tafadzwa Janyure has been arrested over the attempted murder and robbery charge which took place in Renco Mine and police also recovered Mugwagwa’s Toyota Fun Cargo vehicle in Bikita,” Asst Insp Dhewa said.

The police spokesperson said on the fateful day, Mugwagwa was driving to Renco Mine when Janyure (20) hired him intending to go to Pedzisai Village while claiming he was attending a funeral.

“Upon arrival, Janyure asked Mugwagwa to offload his luggage and as the driver was busy offloading the stuff, he was attacked with an okapi knife leaving him with protruding intestines.

“He had to seek assistance from a nearby homestead and was rushed to Renco Mine Clinic while Janyure fled away with the vehicle,” Dhewa said.

Investigations by the police led to the arrest of Janyure two days later while hiding in Bikita and the stolen vehicle was recovered.