Zanu PF United Kingdom representative, Nick Mangwana has branded Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation ZBCTV a national embarrassment which would not attract viewership from non-Zimbabweans due to its poor quality.

https://twitter.com/nickmangwana/status/1037252674713018368

New Mayor of Harare, Councillor Hebert Gomba yesterday visited a Mabelreign family whose house was gutted by fire.

Gomba who visited the family home in the company of area Councillor Denford Ngadziore and Member of Parliament, Joanna Mamombe pledged to assist with both financial and moral support.

Read message below from the area Councillor, Denford Ngadziore:

“In the early hours of today the 4th of september a fire broke out at numbr 8 5th street Mabelreign.The fire completely destroyed the house and property worth thousands of dollars.Preliminary investigations have shown that an electrical fault could have been the cause of the fire. On behalf of the entire ward 16 family and the City of Haare Municipality l wish to express our deepest sympathy to the Zenda and Chifamba families for the loss of property and greatful to God for the lives saved.

A delegation from Harare City Council led by His Worship the Mayor of Harare Clr Hebert Gomba and Harare West Member of Parliament Ms Joana Mamombe has today this afternoon paid visit to the Zenda and Chifamba families. The delegation also comprised of Harare City Area Manager for the area Mrs Mverechena, Malborough and Mabelreign District officer Mrs Kanoengera.We have made assessments and pledged to assist the Zenda family with both financial and moral assistance during this moment of difficulties.

The fire has robbed Mr and Mrs Zenda together with their four Children (Secondary School Boy and a Girl and tweens aged 3yrs). We are appelling to those who can further assist Mr and Mrs Zenda recover from this accident.They can be contacted on number 0774352335:

Our assessment and from the conversation we had with the family we have summarised that the following are part of the Zenda family’s urgent needs and donations can be made AT MABELREIGN HARARE CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT OFFICER MR KANOJERERA OFFICE

-Blankets
-Clothes
-School Uniforms (Secondary School Girl and Boy)
-Food
-Alternative(free) Accommodation

Below are long term priorities for House Owner Mr Chifamba:

Building materials

Volunteers in the following areas

-Plumbers
-Electricians
-Builder’s
General hand volunteers.

*WE ARE A PEOPLE KNOWN FOR STRETCHING OUR HANDS TO THE NEED. LET’S HELP THEM*

The incident is one of disasters that struck unexpectedly. Planning is important. As your Councilor l feel it is very important for those who can afford to insure their houses and household property to do so and avoid total loss of property or livelihoods.

After a quick research this evening i noticed that insurance companies are charging the following:

-0.1% plus 5% stamp duty (levied on the 0.1%). Which means if ones’ property is worth 100 000 he/she pays $105 per annum. A house is insured at a reasonable price which guarantee security of investment as well as the human right to shelter.
-Avoid or try to prevent fires.

*HERE ARE SOME CHECKS/TIPS TO AVOID FIRES*

-Check the electrical cords and replace all frayed wires
-Do not pitch or cover electrical cords with interns such as rugs.
-Do not overload circuits.
-Any questions about your home electrical fault system, consult a licences electrician.
-Keep fire extinguisher readily available and know how to use it.

Read about more tips to help prevent cooking fires. Some tips are as follows:

-Do not place a space heater near furniture, curtains or other objects that could easily catch fire.

For emergencies contact the following:

-Fire Bridgade 04 720 206
-ZRP 04 777 777
-Ambulance 04 795051
-Zesa 04 310 377

Your Councilor
Denford Ngadziore
Ward 16
+263 773 010 371

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Harare Central hospital is currently battling to contain swelling numbers of pregnant mothers at the back of a free maternal health initiative government embarked on early this year which has seen most expecting women sleeping on the floors.

During a tour of Harare hospital maternity wards on the side-lines of the handover ceremony of the refurbished maternity wards by the First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa, not less than five women of different age groups were sleeping on the floors much to the shock of the first lady.
Acting permanent secretary in the ministry of health and child care, Dr Gibson Mhlanga said Harare hospital maternity ward has a carrying capacity of 100 women per any given time but was currently serving between 150 and 200 a number far above its limits.

“The government’s policy on free maternal health has seen women a lot of women seeking help at one of the country’s major referral centres, Harare Central Hospital and the influx and the influx is being driven by some council clinics that are still charging maternal fees,” said Mhlanga.

Harare central hospital maternity ward recently got a facelift from the First lady’s charity organisation, Angel of Hope in partnership with Splash Paints.

However, there could still be need to expand the maternity wards space so as to accommodate the ever growing numbers of pregnant women, with indications that some women are traveling as far as Murehwa and other nearby communal areas to deliver at the institution.

Government early this year also scrapped blood user fees for pregnant women and the move according to experts has also seen a spike in the number of women seeking services at the public institutions.

-Health Times

Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda is tipped to retain his position as it emerged that both President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, have expressed confidence in him after he smoothly presided over former President Robert Mugabe’s resignation last November.

According to Zanu PF sources, Mudenda, who did not contest the July 30 elections, was guaranteed to continue as head of the legislative arm of government.

“He is going to retain the seat, hence he did not participate in either the party’s primary election or the general elections because his post had been assured.

“After the swearing-in of MPs tomorrow (today), a caucus will be called to officially announce to all MPs who would have been sworn-in on who should be elected the Speaker of Parliament and the president of the Senate. After that, next week Tuesday September 11, 2018, we shall then have the first sitting of the National Assembly, upon which the two shall be elected. But on the issue of the Speaker, it is as clear to us that Mudenda is the man who is going to be the Speaker again,” a senior party official said.

Last week, Mnangagwa held meetings with Mudenda over the issue of convening Parliament for the purposes of swearing-in so that he could appoint his Cabinet.

Mudenda confirmed that he held meetings and discussions with the President over the issue of swearing-in of elected MPs.

“The President has confidence in him, so on the first sitting of the National Assembly, we shall vote for Mudenda again. Tomorrow (today), it is just a day for swearing-in, then wait for next week to elect the presiding officers,” a source said.

Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda confirmed that today, no election of the Speaker or the president of Senate would take place, as these had been set for next Tuesday.

Mudenda will today meet with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute that have been in the country to observe the July 30 elections.

NewsDay

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said President Emmerson Mnangagwa was doomed and will not be able to resolve the country’s worsening economic meltdown because his government suffers a serious legitimacy crisis.

The opposition leader, who still insists that Mnangagwa rigged the July 30 polls, said until the legitimacy crisis stalking the Zanu PF administration was resolved, the economic crisis would continue on a downward spiral.

Chamisa said had he been declared winner, confidence would have increased with Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora already trooping back home.

“There would be an economic hara-kiri right now if there was no political rape on July 30. Rape has consequences and this failing economy is what we are now suffering from,” he said.

“But as both a leader and citizen, I am deeply concerned by the level of suffering of Zimbabweans. There is violence in the minds of people due to the painful challenges they are facing everyday under Mnangagwa’s controversial leadership. The situation tells a lot about the previous elections. The elections, instead of being a source of joy, have brought about a lot of uncertainties.

“The economy is freezing and even fuel is in short supply. What is more in short supply is market confidence. Business is not settled because elections were tampered with. You can change statistics of elections, but you cannot tamper with figures in economics.”

“Mnangagwa did not win the elections, but he was declared winner. This has to be resolved first,” Chamisa told NewsDay in an exclusive interview.

“This problem will not go away because we inaugurated a lie. There is dispute on who should lead the country. Disputed mandates will always cause a dispute of failed economy.”

Chamisa’s remarks came after the country experienced a wave of price hikes of basic commodities since the elections, with foreign currency shortages worsening and some critical commodities such as cement disappearing from shops. Many companies were also scaling down operations and giving notice to retrench.

Mnangagwa was last month confirmed winner of the presidential polls by the Constitutional Court after Chamisa challenged the poll outcome as announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

However, the opposition leader rubbished the court ruling, insisting he won the presidential race against the Zanu PF leader.

Chamisa insisted there were no talks between him and Mnangagwa to form an inclusive government, saying instead the Zanu PF leader should be grateful to him for cooling down tempers and restraining his supporters to avoid an implosion following the July 30 disputed polls. Chamisa said the country was facing a serious deficit of leadership and unless Zimbabweans’ votes and voices were respected, the situation was going to get worse.

“How do we move forward when we don’t respect what people have voted for?” he quipped. “Mnangagwa should actually thank me. I calmed down the people, but there is a limit to that goodwill. People are becoming impatient because they know that they voted and they were cheated on. It’s a political tinderbox. Why do you [Mnangagwa] want to lead people by fear and force?”

But Zanu PF dismissed Chamisa’s claims, saying there was no legitimacy crisis in the country because Mnangagwa was declared winner by the court.

“I don’t waste my time dwelling on what has already passed. President Mnangagwa was declared winner by the court and we are now focussing on the 2023 elections and we will trounce them again,” Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said, adding his party would address the economic challenges.

Soldiers on August 1 killed seven people when they opened fire in the crowded streets in a bid to quell post-election protests. Mnangagwa last week appointed a seven-member commission to probe the shootings, although analysts have dismissed its composition and terms of reference as a mere international public relations stunt.

Chamisa dismissed claims that he had been engaged by the European Union and the British government to goad him into a coalition government with Mnangagwa. “For the record, no one has approached me with an indication of progressive engagement on nation building. Not that I want, but to move the country forward there should be genuine engagement, not about power, but people,” Chamisa said.

“I engaged the various embassies on behalf of the MDC Alliance and to discuss what we think are the issues going forward. As you know, we have been given a window period to consult our people and we are alive to the fact that the people are determined to resolve their own issues.”

Chamisa said there was need for fundamental reforms in politics, judiciary, and economy and electoral fields to deal with the scourge of repeated electoral disputes which have the potential of plunging the country into permanent instability.

Key institutions, Chamisa said, should be reformed to arrest the polarisation that is affecting the country. He also underscored the need for proper and inclusive international re-engagement to unlock funding from multilateral institutions.

Meanwhile, Chamisa’s deputy Elias Mudzuri yesterday called for tolerance between his party and Zanu PF to allow each other space to perform, failure of which the country would be doomed.

Mudzuri also said Mnangagwa has to deal decisively with issues of human rights violations that have dogged the country in the past, causing investor flight and instability that has worsened the Zimbabwean situation.

He said Zanu PF will be controlling the central government while on the other hand the opposition controls most of the local authorities, hence the need to create an atmosphere that allows people to carry out their constitutional mandates.

“There is not much on working together or not because what has happened is that we are in control of the local authorities and the central government is under Zanu PF,” Mudzuri said.

“We need to tolerate each other. We don’t need a repeat of what happened in the past where our leadership in local authorities was always under attack. There must be some form of co-operation and not for the ministers to be out to frustrate the local authorities just to get loopholes to suspend.

“The bottom line is to make sure that the ordinary person on the street benefits, a common man is not a politician and doesn’t deserve all that.”

NewsDay

By Paul Nyathi|The Tendai Biti led People’s Democratic Party has strongly defended its Bulawayo councillor elected under the MDC Alliance who is under heavy attack for attending a swearing in ceremony allegedly drunk.

In a statement issued on behalf of the party by the national youth wing, the opposition party warned the radical Matabeleland regional grouping Mthwakazi Republic Party against abusing their councillor Arnold Batirai of ward 24 in Bulawayo.

The highly tribal MRP has openly challenged Batirai for demanding to conduct his swearing in oath in Shona instead of English. The party which is mobilising for the cessation of Matabeleland region from the country has since demanded that Batirai be recalled from council allegedly for disrespecting the people of Bulawayo by insisting on swearing in using Shona and for being drunk at the swearing in ceremony.

In the statement issued by the PDP Youth Deputy President for Bulawayo Province Wellington Nare, the party disputes that Batirai was in any way under the influence of alcohol when he made his demands to be sworn in using Shona.

The party insists it is well within his right to use any of the sixteen official languages in the country.

The statement issued by the youth wing appears to be contradicting an earlier ascertion by the party Deputy President Kucaca Phulu who condemned Batirai’s behaviour and warned that stern measures will be taken against the young councillor. ZimEye.com could not immediately get a comment from Phulu on the development.

Batirai is also the party Youth Wing President. The full statement from his collegues reads as follows:

“We the youth assembly of PDP which is part of MDC Alliance would like to warn the unruly elements of MRP who continue to abuse and violate the rights of our youth assembly president and thousands of the people of Bulawayo who rejected MRP in Nketa and Bulawayo.

By Wellington Nare
PDP Youth Assembly Deputy President.

A MAID has been arrested for allegedly stealing R3 000 and $160 from her employer in Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb.

Lindokuhle Ndebele (20), who was employed at house number 6335 Emganwini suburb by Ms Jane Ndebele, appeared in court yesterday for allegedly stealing from her employer last month.

She pleaded not guilty to theft charges before Western Commonage Magistrate, Ms Tancy Ncube.

Ms Ncube remanded Lindokuhle in custody to September 12 for trial.

The court heard that trouble for the maid started last month after she left home to send some groceries to her family which is in the rural areas.

Prosecuting, Mr Tapiwa Zolani said Lindokuhle came back home late on August 27 and found the house locked.

“She knocked but did not get any response and she slept outside,” he said.

In the morning, the maid was let into the house and Ms Ndebele asked her where she had been the previous night.

The court heard she did not respond but took her bags and left the house.

Later, her employer discovered that her money was missing.

“Ms Ndebele looked for her maid but could not find her.

“She later realised that some money and a tablet phone were missing from her handbag,” said Mr Zolani.

“She proceeded to Mahatshula where Ndebele resides and found her there.

“Ms Ndebele asked about her money and phone but Lindokuhle denied having taken the money.”

Ms Ndebele reported the matter to the police and the maid was arrested.

State Media

By Paul Nyathi|The City Of Harare has promised that it will design a working relationship with the huge number of street vendors occupying the capital, newly elected Harare mayor has said.

Mayor Hebert Gomba said this in an interview soon after being sworn in at Town House this week.

“City of Harare will not take any action without consulting the vendors on the possible way forward and work with them for the benefit of everyone.

“We are prepared to work with them and agree on the easing of the problem emanating from visibility of vendors in the CBD.

“We have a long term solution to this and we have finished constructing a vending market along Simon Mazorodze Road some of them will be accommodated there.

“We are going to proceed to construct vending holding bays on the out skirts of the city and introduce buses to ferry people into the city centre.

“As for now we are going to find a possible solution to make our city look tidy by engaging them,” said Mayor Gomba.

In her speech, provincial administrator Cathrine Kampila said the mayor had come at a time when the generality of the people felt or believed that they were not getting adequate service delivery that includes water, refuse collection and trafficable roads among others.

“You are expected to put in place strong and viable turnaround programs for your local authority to be self-sustainable in the long run,” said Kampila.

“Council business is like a relay, you have taken over programs and resolutions from the previous council; it is your duty to ensure the fulfilment of those programs and resolutions.

“While I urge you to be very futuristic in your thinking in resolution making, I also urge you to set achievable targets based on your financial capacity.

“People are tired of fake promises, promise things that you can achieve, promise projects that can be funded.

“As policy makers, it is imperative that you always maintain high levels of discipline and professionalism in your conduct,” said Kampila.

Paul Nyathi|A FORM Three pupil at Nketa High School in Bulawayo died after he was allegedly hit on the head with a stone by his friend as they fought a rival teenage gang.

Michael Dube (15) from Nkulumane 11 died on Sunday morning, a day after he was struck with a stone on the head during an alleged turf war with unknown juveniles near Sunmarket Supermarket in the suburb.

The identity of the killer friend has been withheld as he is a minor.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the incident which happened on Saturday and said investigations were under way.

“I can confirm that we received a report of sudden death after some boys got involved in a fight in Nkulumane suburb. The deceased and his friend were approached by two juveniles who are still at large and a fight ensued. During the scuffle, the unknown juveniles began to assault Michael’s friend and he got overpowered. The friend, in an attempt to protect Michael, picked a stone and threw it at the attackers, who however dodged the missile.

“The stone hit Michael on the head and he sustained head injuries. He was admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital on Saturday and died on the following day,” said Chief Insp Simango.

Family spokesperson Ms Knowledge Sibanda said the family was saddened by the death of Michael, whom she described as a polite and obedient child.

“We just cannot fathom this. We never faced any problems with this child at home and it’s very painful for him to be taken away from us in such a manner. We do not know what transpired and we cannot point fingers, however, only God knows what happened and we hope that justice will be served,” she said.

Ms Sibanda, an aunt to the deceased, described Michael as an intelligent child who loved his books.

“Michael was doing Form 3 at Nketa High School. He was the second born in a family of three children. His siblings are sorrowful as they have lost a brother. He was very intelligent at school and was dedicated to his studies. We never encountered any problems associated with discipline when it came to his behaviour,” said Ms Sibanda.

Michael was buried yesterday in a touching send-off at Luveve cemetery.

Chief Inspector Simango warned parents to be wary of the company that their children keep.

“We urge parents to know their children and to know the kind of friends they play and spend time with. We are having a lot of cases where teenagers are involved in gangsterism and are injuring each other in turf wars. As schools open, we urge school authorities and parents to work together to raise responsible and disciplined boys and girls. Some lives get wasted when teenagers die during their school days. Once one strays, it is often difficult to recover a misspent youth,” said Chief Insp Simango.

CBZ Holdings, Zimbabwe’s largest diversified financial services group, believes the economy has reached a point where a change in the direction is required and has called on government to take a number of measures to rebuild “public and investor confidence”.

The chairperson’s statement by Noah Matimba called on government to strengthen the governance of public institutions, normalise international relations and ensure that consistence on fiscal and monetary policies is achieved.

According to Matimba, the three reform areas would stabilise the macroeconomic environment and boost public and investor confidence, seen as the prime driver of public and private investments.

He pointed out the “productive and social sectors of the economy” as the key targets for investment.

Matimba also asserted that the post-election economic outlook to the end of the year would depend on social and political developments in the country.

“During the second half of the year, the direction of the economy will largely depend on the status of the socio-political environment.”

“Nevertheless, CBZ holdings remains well geared to leverage its sizeable balance sheet, strong market presence, diversified business portfolio, strong credit ratings and investment in research and development to pursue emerging opportunities and manage attendant threats from the operating environment.”

-Newsday

By Paul Nyathi|The Gweru Magistrates court has set free opposition legislator who had been arrested for allegedly inciting his MDC Alliance party supporters to commit public violence ahead of the harmonised elections held in July.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers arrested Happymore Chidziva, the MDC Alliance party Youth Assembly leader, who is the Highfield West constituency MP-Elect, on Monday and charged him with incitement as defined in section 187 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Prosecutors alleged that Chidziva, who is represented by Jeremiah Bamu and Brian Dube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), encouraged his MDC Alliance party supporters during a political rally held in July 2018 in Gweru in Midlands province to protest against an unfavourable election outcome and to defend their vote if Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) rigs the election in favour of ZANU PF party.

But Chidziva was set free by Gweru Provincial Magistrate Charity Maphosa after she granted him a very relaxed $100 bail and ordered him to report once a fortnight at Machipisa Police Station in Harare’s Highfield suburb.

In Harare, another MDC Alliance party youth leader, Chamunorwa Madya, the Deputy Secretary-General for the MDC Alliance party Youth Assembly and Mafaiti Mubaiwa, who is employed as a security personnel at the opposition party headquarters were on Tuesday granted $50 bail each by a Harare Magistrate after they were arrested for allegedly contravening section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

ZRP officers, who arrested Madya and Mubaiwa accused the duo of committing public violence after they allegedly participated in a demonstration held in Harare early in August to protest ZEC’s management of the July 30 harmonised elections.

Madya and Mubaiwa were represented by Nontokozo Dube-Tachiona and Gugulethu Mahlangu-Simango of ZLHR.

BULAWAYO town clerk Christopher Dube was heckled by residents after cancelling mayoral polls yesterday, arguing that it was unprocedural and illegal to conduct the election at the Large City Hall.

Bulawayo residents demonstrating against the postponement of mayoral polls at Large City Hall yesterday

The election and swearing-in of the mayor and his deputy had been moved to Large City Hall upon the request of ratepayers who wanted to witness the event.

Residents gathered at the hall from around 3pm since the elections were scheduled to begin at 4pm.

Dube only arrived at around 5pm to advise that the election had been called off on legal grounds.

This sparked uproar from the crowd that started booing him.

The angry residents did not give Dube the chance to explain until he left the hall to address journalists in the council chambers.
Following the cancellation of the election, angry residents started demonstrating outside the hall and riot police with water cannons were deployed to monitor the situation.

Dube told journalists that the local authority had been advised that holding the elections at a public hall was improper at law.

“There are two reasons for postponing the elections. The movement of the first meeting of council from the chambers to the Large City Hall was illegal and also for security reasons. In the first place, we had agreed that it was the best thing as on Friday, they were a lot of people who were here and wanted to witness the swearing-in ceremony,” he said.

Dube said the residents had written a petition to Bulawayo City Council, seeking to be involved and to have the meeting moved to the hall.

“So in the spirit of transparency, we thought it was the best idea, but unfortunately we were advised that what we had done was illegal. We are also law-abiding citizens and officials of council (so) we had to listen to the legal advice,” he said.

Dube said the meeting will be held in council chambers on Friday at 4pm.

“It is only dependent on the person who is legally mandated to chair that meeting who is the provincial administrator. It will be an open council meeting, but though obviously the numbers are going to be reduced. We are going to engage all those stakeholders and we will engage all the leaders of the groups who wanted to come,” he said.

Residents have been calling on the councillors to elect a mayor who hails from the province who can relate with their problems.

-Newsday

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– LIVE COMMENTS –

Reason Wafawarova: “I am a bit lost on what kind of reporting this is.”

Simba Chikanza: ” Reuben Barwe playing the oppressive “Kutonga Kwaro” song to 1 August victims blasting it into their ears as they mourn. What type of reporting is that?”

Reason Wafawarova: ” Simba Chikanza since I have ever known Reuben, I have never imagined anyone worth the decence of journalism would count him as a role model, let alone emulate him.”

Simba Chikanza: “…the same Barwe caught on camera grinning from cheek to cheek as people were left lying in a pool of blood dying from the White City bomb, and would rush to suggest that a whole province Matebeleland was responsible for the bomb attack on ED… great!”

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Speaking on the sidelines of a donation at Mpilo Central Hospital yesterday, Ministry of Health and Child Care acting permanent secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga said 90 percent of the country’s drugs were dependant on foreign currency.

“Unfortunately, we have to buy about 90 percent of our medicines outside the country and with the ongoing forex shortages, we have not been spared from suffering,” he said. “All sectors are scrambling for the limited resources and we are most affected as local production is low and we rely on medication from outside Zimbabwe.”

Dr Mhlanga said following a critical shortage of a TB drug, the country has since secured six months supply of medication.

“We are relieved because we never ran completely out of the drug and we recently received new stock which will last us for six months,” he said. According to Dr Mhlanga, donors and private organisations have been chipping in to alleviate the situation.

“We are hopeful that things will normalise as time goes on, but we are in dire need of forex and the Reserve Bank has been trying to share the money among all sectors,” he said.

Community Working Group on Health director Mr Itai Rusike said health organisations were still lobbying Government to prioritise the sector in forex allocation. “The major constraint to procurement in 2018 has been the unavailability of foreign currency to procure drugs,” he said.
“Foreign currency supplies from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe can lag behind for as much as four to six months.

“We have been proposing that foreign currency be prioritised for essential drug access or drugs would have to be purchased from private sector suppliers at very high prices. Treatment of chronic diseases is threatened when drugs are not available, undermining treatment compliance.”

A week ago, doctors at Mpilo complained that the public institution had run out of Oxytocin, 50 percent Dextrose and Lignocaine, drugs which are essential during emergencies.

Oxytocin is used to induce labour or strengthen labour contractions during childbirth, and to control bleeding after childbirth.- state media

Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday pledged a cocktail of economic reforms set to improve the investment climate and enhance policy clarity, consistency and predictability.

In his address at the 2018 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, the President said his administration was on a mission to accelerate industrialisation, modernisation and mechanisation of the economy.

He said would help ensure Zimbabwe becomes a middle income economy with a per-capita income of $3 500, increased investment, decent jobs, broad-based empowerment, free from poverty and corruption by 2030.

Mnangagwa said China remained Africa’s number one investment and trade partner and welcomed the continued funding of FOCAC projects, noting it amplifies the rise of a diversified African economy in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“Zimbabwe remains determined to play its part in the realisation of enhanced connectivity, integration and inclusive development,” he said. “My Government is also undertaking comprehensive economic reforms set to improve our investment climate and enhance policy clarity, consistency and predictability.”

Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was ready to cooperate with other countries.
“We have set out an ambitious and yet achievable programme of modernising our infrastructure and ensuring that our roads, railway network, air connectivity, ICTs and Special Economic Zones talk to the region, the continent and the world at large,” he said.

“We are open to cooperate with other countries within FOCAC framework and the Belt and Road Initiative.”

Mnangagwa applauded FOCAC for prioritising economic dialogue hinged on mutual respect.

“It is commendable that FOCAC continues to prioritise economic dialogue, founded on peaceful development, mutual respect, friendship, common prosperity and inclusive international development,” he said.

“I am delighted to join China and my colleagues as we deliberate on ways to scale up cooperation under the Summit theme, “China and Africa: Towards an even stronger community with a shared future through win-win cooperation”.

“As Zimbabwe, we attach great value to strengthening FOCAC mechanisms to leapfrog the collective development of nations on the African continent.”

Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s economy was agro-based and susceptible to climate change, but opportunities existed in other sectors.

“As an agro-based economy, we remain gravely concerned about the impact of climate change,” he said. “We are ready to expand cooperation on environmental conservation and sustainable resource utilisation.

“With one of the largest lithium and coal bed methane reserves in Africa, my country offers enormous opportunities to become a centre for research, development, exploitation and manufacturing of green energy solutions.”

Mnangagwa said capacity building was a key building block in the growth of developing economies and the fight against poverty.

He took the opportunity to apprise the summit on the July 30 harmonised elections, which he won.

“Zimbabwe conducted its much anticipated harmonised general elections on 30th July 2018,” said President Mnangagwa. “These were commended by international observers for being peaceful, free, fair and transparent. We thank the People’s Republic of China for sending an observer mission as well as Sadc, AU and EU.

“My inauguration on 26 August 2018 marked the beginning of the Second Republic in our country. I was pleased to receive a special envoy from Your Excellency, President Xi Jinping.”

Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe attached great value to strengthening FOCAC mechanisms to leapfrog the collective development of nations on the African continent.

“China remains Africa’s number one investment and trade partner,” he said. “I, therefore, welcome the continued funding of FOCAC projects as this amplifies the rise of a diversified African economy in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“Let us, therefore, take this opportunity to re-direct ourselves, as we seek to catapult economic growth within our countries and further facilitate Africa’s integration into global value chain.”

Which Politburo Member Qualifies For The Job Of "Minister Of Hypocrisy?

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) September 4, 2018

Zimbabweans have expressed outrage over the government’s donation of 10 white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and have since launched an online petition for the reversal of the decision.

According to the online petition started by the Zimbabwe Tourism Centre, Zimbabwe needs to protect the country’s resources.

“The government of Zimbabwe is exporting 10 endangered White Rhinos to war-torn DRC from Matobo which already has dwindled number of Rhinos. The Rhino population in DRC was wiped out of existence by poaching.

“…We need the government of Zimbabwe to respect the Zimbabwean people’s resources…To protect instead of plundering the wildlife resources by stopping these exports now and in the future,” the organisation said.

The rhinos, according to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), are being sourced from Lake Chivero, Kyle Recreational Parks and Matopo National Park.

In a statement, ZimParks, said rhinos at Lake Chivero and Kyle Recreational Parks have reached near ecological carrying capacity and the translocation is part of destocking in line with approved national rhino conservation and management strategy.
According to the organisation, the donation is part of a programme to enhance regional rhino conservation.

“According to IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Rhino Specialist Group, 98 percent of the world’s white rhino population occurs in just four countries worldwide and that is South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya.

“Thus, Zimbabwe is one of the major white rhino range States hence a source country for rhino range expansion to other countries or private stakeholders.

“The translocation is being done adhering to local and international wildlife translocation protocols particularly IUCN rhino pre-translocation guidelines and the African Rhino Range States’ African Rhino Conservation Plan,” ZimParks said.

Politician and former Cabinet minister David Coltart said Zimbabweans need to challenge the government’s decision to donate the rhinos.

“If Zimbabweans remain mute and inactive over the outrageous export of one our best tourist assets — our Rhinos — to the DRC then we deserve the government we have.
“They will know they can literally rape us all and nothing will happen. Speak out #Zimbabwe or else you’ll regret,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

DRC lost its Northern white rhino population to extinction largely due to poaching, according to ZimParks, which has resulted in many people questioning the safety of the animals once in that country.

Prominent lawyer Alex Magaisa also questioned the generosity of the donation.
“Grew up being told rhinos were endangered species, in particular the white rhino.
“Did we grow our stock to the level that we can afford to be this generous? Just a donation?” he queried on Twitter.

Another Twitter user by the name Dr Nelson Ruwa had reservations for the move which was done without the consensus of the Zimbabwean people.

“Such donations which include animals owned by every Zimbabwean and the future generations should have some sort of consensus, such as Parliamentary endorsement.

“Since inauguration, there is no Cabinet and Parliament, who donated the white rhinos in the name of Zimbabwe?” he asked. Daily News

The Clerk of Parliament, Mr Kennedy Chokuda, has given notice in the Government Gazette [General Notice [GN] 685/2018, published on 31st August in a Gazette Extraordinary] that members of Parliament will be sworn in on Wednesday 5th September:

Members of the National Assembly at 10 a.m.
Senators at 2.30 p.m.

The Clerk presides over the proceedings and it is the Clerk who administers the oath of office, which is set out in the Third Schedule to the Constitution in the following terms:

“Oath or Affirmation of Member of Parliament

I, ……………………………………………. swear [or solemnly affirm] that I will be faithful to Zimbabwe, that I will uphold the Constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe, and that I will perform my duties as a Senator/Member of the National Assembly [whichever is appropriate] faithfully and to the best of my ability.

So help me God.” [To be omitted in affirmation]

The taking of this oath of office is necessary before any member of Parliament takes his or her seat in Parliament [Constitution, section 128(1)].

First Sitting of the New Parliament

The first sitting of Parliament after an election must take place at a time and date determined by the President, which must not be later than 30 days after his assumption of office [Constitution, section 145(1)]. President Mnangagwa assumed office on 26th August, making 25th September the deadline for Parliament’s first sitting.

President Mnangagwa has kept within this time-limit. He has determined that the first sitting of Parliament will take place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday next week, 11th September [see Presidential Proclamation 4/2018, published in Statutory Instrument [SI] 159A/2018 of 29th August as corrected by SI 168/2018 of 31st August].

Election of Presiding Officers

The Senate and the National Assembly must, at their first sittings after a general election, before proceeding to any other business, elect their presiding officers – the President and Deputy President of the Senate and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly [Constitution, sections 122 and 123, and sections 126 and 127, respectively].

These elections must be conducted by the Clerk of Parliament under the supervision of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC] and by secret ballot and in accordance with rules set by the Clerk in consultation with ZEC. These rule will be announced in the House before the elections take place. The results must be announced forthwith.

Qualifications for election as Speaker

To be nominated for election as Speaker of the National Assembly a person must be:

a member or former member of the National Assembly
or be qualified for election to the National Assembly, i.e., a registered voter and at least 21 years of age.

Qualifications for President of the Senate

To be nominated for election as President of the Senate a person must be

a Senator or former Senator
or be qualified for election to the Senate, i.e., be a registered voter and at least 40 years of age.

If a sitting member of the Senate is elected as Senate President, or a sitting member of the National Assembly as Speaker, that member immediately ceases to be a member of Parliament and the vacancy must be filled by a by-election or by the procedure for filling vacant proportional representation seats, as appropriate.

In the last Parliament, Mr Speaker Jacob Mudenda was not a sitting member of the National Assembly, so no by-election was necessary. Madam President of the Senate Ednah Madzongwe, however, was a sitting proportional representation Senator and her election caused a vacancy that was filled in terms of the Constitution and the Electoral Act by a nominee of the same sex put forward by the ZANU-PF.

Qualifications for election as deputy presiding officer

· To be elected as the Deputy Speaker, a person must be a member of the National Assembly.

· To be elected as Deputy President of the Senate, a person must be a Senator.

The persons elected do not lose their seats.

Oaths to be taken by persons elected

Before commencing their duties the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and the President and Deputy President of the Senate, must take the appropriate oaths of loyalty and office before the Chief Justice or the next most senior judge available.

Elections Followed by Immediate Adjournment

On 11th September business In both Houses will be confined to these elections. Both Houses will then adjourn for a period still to be announced, but probably for at least one or two weeks. This will allow time for induction of the large number of first-time members, who constitute approximately 60% of the total membership. Induction includes explaining of Parliamentary procedures and rules.

No announcement has yet been made of the date on which the President will open Parliament and reveal the Government’s legislative agenda.

Life of the New Parliament

Section 143(1) of the Constitution provides that: “Parliament is elected for a five-year term which runs from the date on which the President-elect is sworn in and assumes office.” President Mnangagwa assumed office on 26th August.

In the ordinary course of events, therefore:

· the new Parliament will run until midnight on the 25th August 2023; and

· the next general election will be held during the 30-day period starting on 27th July 2023 and ending on the 25th August 2023.

Apologies and Correction of Error in Bill Watch 17

Source: Veritas

VIDEO LOADING…

PART 1 – ZimEye brings our valued readers and viewers the latest updates on the Lomagundi road (off Harare) Mercedes benz accident. [ THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY]

ZimEye is reliably told the accident 6.7 km from Westgate Shopping Centre, Harare. (SEE THE SATELLITE MAP BELOW)

The culprit at the centre of the accident is a garden boy working for a BluffHill family who stole the vehicle while the owner had travelled to Victoria Falls. LIVE SATELLITE MAP:

The suspect has worked for the Harare family for over 3 years.

On Sunday morning at around 4 am, the suspect, Zviito Katsveya (42) seized the vehicle after noticing that the owner (name withheld) had travelled to Victoria Falls on Friday.

Impeccable sources described Mr Katsveya as an on the face of it, usually reliable worker who they did not at all expect to do such a thing.

“He was a hard worker, who you would not think can do such a thing,” said one source.

In the wee hours of the morning, Katsveya allegedly stole the car keys, and drove the car out of his boss’s property  – drove it over to the nearby Tom Farm, and took with him two unidentified passengers. He then drove the car away towards Chinhoyi. It is believed that he went to a place called Stapleford. Luck however ran out on him when while driving back to Harare, he lost control of the vehicle.

Evidence at the scene which ZimEye reveals suggests that Katsveya rammed into three trees before crashing onto the last one severely ripping the car’s bonnet off. Due to the impact, the petrol instantly crept out leading to also the fuel spreading all over the grass. As a result a fire broke out.

One of the passengers died at the spot while Mr Katsveya was taken to Parirenyatwa Hospital. ZimEye could not at the time of publishing establish the whereabouts of the other passenger who is believed to be at large.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY – REFRESH THIS PAGE FOR THE UPDATES.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to retire long-serving Cabinet ministers and deploy them at Zanu PF headquarters — as he comes under growing pressure to dump the deadwood that worked for decades with ousted former leader Robert Mugabe.

At the same time, the ruling party also plans to adopt a modus operandi which gives it more power than the government — akin to the Chinese model.

Well-placed Zanu PF insiders told the Daily News newspaper yesterday that Mnangagwa was “definitely going to re-assign many bigwigs” to the party’s headquarters — commonly referred to as Shake Shake House in Harare street lingo — in a bid both to strengthen its administration and to also breathe new life in government.

The Chinese Community Party (CCP) has a similar model, which seems to have been lately adopted by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.

“The changes are coming. What we are going to have is a situation whereby the old guard will go to the party and enjoy the same perks as ministers.

“What we are saying is that the party is supreme to the government and the party must therefore have the power to recall some of the ministers from government,” a senior member of the party told the Daily News.

Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana said the move would in practice make the party bigger than the government.

“It is the party that seconds people to the government, and so the party is superior.

“If we were following the South African model, it would have been clearer … any political party should be superior to the government, but we must improve the conditions at the party first,” he said.

Mnangagwa began his new term as president last month following the July 30 plebiscite whose outcome was hotly-contested by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

The elections were the first that Zimbabwe had held without the deposed Mugabe — who resigned from office in November last year on the back of a military intervention.

They also marked the first time that the main opposition MDC was not represented by its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who lost his brave battle with cancer of the colon on Valentine’s Day earlier this year.

However, the peaceful campaigns and a camaraderie spirit that had characterised the run-up to the elections were sullied in the aftermath of the polls when deadly violence broke out in Harare’s central business district (CBD), following clashes between opposition supporters and security agents.

At least six people subsequently died when the army used live ammunition to break the ugly protests.

Following the protests, the opposition also asserted that suspected security agents had been involved in retributive exercises in which they targeted senior MDC Alliance officials and polling agents — following the insistence by Chamisa that he had in fact won the presidential election.

All this was seen by observers as harming Mnangagwa’s quest to mend years of Zimbabwe’s broken relations with key Western governments.

Against this background, political analysts told the Daily News yesterday that the country’s 75 year-old leader needed to come up with “a convincing” Cabinet to demonstrate that he was breaking with Mugabe’s ruinous past.

Piers Pigou, a senior consultant with the International Crisis Group, said Mnangagwa needed to retire the old guard and replace it with “competent individuals” who shared his vision of transforming the country.

“This would certainly address anxieties that have been percolating about the retention of deadwood, which would not inspire confidence in the implementation of Mnangagwa’s proposed reforms.

“As to whether the country will move forward with a raft of new Cabinet appointments, this depends on an array of external and internal variables, and not least, the competencies of those brought into the Executive and the teams they have supporting them,” Pigou told the Daily News.

Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said Mnangagwa had a golden opportunity to prove that he was serious about transforming the country.

“Having young people on the driving seat of governance and development is not only the right thing to do, but also a democratic opportunity given the surging young population in Zimbabwe and other neighbouring African countries.

“The appointment of new, younger people will be a good indicator that the country is moving forward. It will inspire confidence … not only among locals, but also external investors and other countries.

“Retiring the old guard to the party is also a good move, even though it might cause rumblings and discohesion in Zanu PF. But it is the way to go,” Saungweme said.

Namibia-based scholar Admire Mare said Mnangagwa would need to overhaul the whole system and put Zimbabwe on the recovery path again if he was to perform better than Mugabe.

“Whilst change of personnel in the Cabinet is something everyone is looking forward to seeing, there is also need to look beyond faces and interrogate the system of government — including permanent secretaries, directors and ministers.

“The whole system requires significant cleansing in order to introduce confidence and trust in the public that this is indeed a “new” dispensation.

“New personnel will ultimately bring the much needed confidence and trust from the general public, which can also cascade to regional and international publics.

“Some of the old guard is so discredited to the point that they lack the political standing needed to drive the country forward. News brooms will ultimately sweep cleaner than the old guard,” Mare said.

Analysts have also said previously that while Mnangagwa was credited with presiding over arguably the most peaceful election process in post-independent Zimbabwe — he needed to extend an invitation to the opposition to join his government, a move which they said would unite the deeply-divided country.

While Zanu PF has ruled out reaching to the opposition, Mnangagwa has said he would use his “constitutional” prerogative in deciding who would form part of his next government.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a huge economic crisis which has seen prices of basic consumer goods skyrocketing, weeks after the July 30 national elections.

Apart from price hikes, most public hospitals have run out of basic essential drugs, which government is struggling to import due to acute shortages of foreign currency.

DailyNews

By Staff Correspondent|The British government has appointed Melanie Robinson as Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe starting in January 2019.

Robinson will take over from Catriona Laing who has been reassigned to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. At the moment Robinson is the executive director for the United Kingdom at the World Bank Group Washington.

She has extensive experience working for the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The U.K says it would strongly support Zimbabwe’s re-entry into the Commonwealth, a 53-nation bloc of former British colonies that could bring economic benefit to the once-pariah African state.

“The U.K. would strongly support Zimbabwe’s re-entry” into the Commonwealth, a press release from the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office, former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said at a roundtable at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.

“The historic meeting ushers in a new era in U.K.-Zimbabwe relations and symbolizes Zimbabwe’s commitment to engaging meaningfully with the international community.”

The meeting signified the step in Zimbabwe’s attempt to reinstate its relationships with other countries, after decades of international isolation under former President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe, who ruled the former British colony for nearly four decades, was ousted in November as part of a military coup. He was succeeded by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, formerly Mugabe’s deputy.

Mnangagwa has been trumpeting a “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra in an attempt to resurrect the nation’s economy, which has been crippled by hyperinflation and sanctions.

Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth in 2003 in a row over sanctions.

Staff Correspondence|The body of the late Zimbabwean Ambassador to Senegal Mrs Trudy Stevenson who died in Dakar Senegal on 24 August has been repatriated.

The body arrived at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport aboard a South African Airways flight.

It was accompanied by Mrs Stevenson’s son Dr Alex Graham Stevenson and embassy counsellor Louis Chitima.

Director Human Resources, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Mrs Petronella Nyagura and deputy director protocol and conferencing services Shepherd Gwenzi received the body.

Her son Alexander described his late mother as an exceptional person and mother.

He said she died alone watching TV and had been well until the time she died adding that news of his mother’s death came as a shock to him, her diplomatic colleagues, family and associates.

Alexander said his mother had a vast network of friends in the diplomatic corps, at the embassy and all.

He said the Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa who was in Senegal said Mrs Stevenson was a great ambassador for Zimbabwe and wanted to ensure the ties would benefit her country.

Charge d’ Affairs in the embassy said she was a hard worker and patriot of her country who always wanted to do the best in her work.

By Paul Nyathi|The much awaited City of Bulawayo mayoral elections public meeting has failed to take place as set out.

A packed Large City Hall waited patiently for the 4pm meeting to take place only for the Town Clerk Christopher Dube to emerge an hour later declaring that the public meeting can no longer take place as the councillors refused to have the meeting in public view.

Chaotic scenes immediately erupted in the city as residents failed to understand why the meeting would not go ahead.

Meanwhile yet to be confirmed reports indicate that the councillors met in isolation and elected the mayor the results of which are still to be made public.

The mayoral election is clouded in huge tribal fights with the council divided into two camps on who the mayor will be.

By Paul Nyathi|White City Stadium in Bulawayo, the venue of June 23 assassination attempt on President Emmerson Mnangagwa has gone up in flames.

The monumental City of Bulawayo facility went up in flames mid afternoon today on Tuesday under unclear circumstances.

The sports precinct has been closed from the public use since the bombing incident.

More details on the fire will be made available as they become available.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa who is currently in China attending the Forum for China-Africa Conference has sensationally claimed that his visit in the eastern economic giant will definitely bring exciting times to the people of Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa who took to Twitter to share the news appeared in a picture with the Chinese President Xi Jinping while in other images he poses for pictures with other African head of states during the FOCAC meeting.

Representing the new Zimbabwe with pride and honour.

Exciting times ahead! pic.twitter.com/myTXP7KIzq

— President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) September 4, 2018

Staff Correspomdent|Senzeni Klassen, a sister-in-charge at Beitbridge District Hospital was recently suspend from work for allegedly making remarks on an audio that are deemed to cause negative tribal sentiments.

Klassen allegedly denigrated the Venda people of Beitbridge for voting a Zanu PF MP into power in the July 30, 2018 elections. She is said to have put Venda in low regard as compared to the Shona people.

The audio went viral on social media and some Venda people were already calling for her blood.

Media has established that Klassen was suspended on August 3 in the presence of her lawyers, Tinomuda Shoko and Obey Shava from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

Part of the suspension letter, which was signed by the District Medical Officer Dr L. Samhere reads;

“Following allegation of an abusive audio circulating on social media, please be informed that you have been suspended from service and attendance at work or continued performance of your duties at Beitbridge District Hospital.”

Masvingo Mirror

BULAWAYO’s newly-elected ward three councillor, Tinashe Kambarami (MDC Alliance) has been taken to court over an $11 000 debt owed to the National Railways of Zimbabwe Contributory Fund (NRZCPF).

Sometime in August 2016, the pension fund filed summons against Kambarami and Rosemary Kambarami demanding payment of an $11 300,64 debt, and the court granted the order, but the duo failed to pay up.

On August 27 this year, NRZCPF applied for Kambarami’s civil imprisonment for defying the court order.

“The Sheriff of the High Court require and direct Tinashe Kambarami and Rosemary Kambarami that you the defendants are called upon to pay the plaintiff the sum of $11 300,64 and taxed costs of $3 421,06. You are required to pay this sum by virtue of a judgment obtained against you at the High Court at Bulawayo on August 2, 2016 under which you were ordered to pay the sum of $11 300,64 interest thereon and were also ordered to pay $3 421,06 taxed costs of the case. The deputy Sheriff has attached and received $20 leaving a balance of $11 300,44,” the summons read.

NRZCPF submitted that the two should be brought before the High Court in Bulawayo to show cause why an order for their imprisonment should not be made.

“You should bring your evidence of your financial position and it will in your interest give the court evidence of your income from wages, salary or other earnings and any other income you may receive from any other sources,” the summons read.

“You are at liberty to approach the judgment creditor before the date of the hearing and make an offer of settlement of the sum due.

“Unless you pay the plaintiff the sum specified or unless the plaintiff accept the offer of settlement which you make, you must appear before the magistrate court on the date and at the time specified. If you do not do so, a writ of personal attachment may be issued against you and you may be committed to prison.”

The latest lawsuit came a few weeks after Kambarami was issued with another summons for civil imprisonment over a debt of nearly $40 000 in unpaid rentals and legal costs by the same pension fund.

Kambarami and NRZCPF entered into a lease agreement in September 2015, but he defaulted in payment of rentals resulting in his eviction and the culmination of a series of lawsuits.

In December last year, Kambarami lost some of his properties after they were attached by the Sheriff of the High Court and auctioned for failing to pay the debt.

NewsDay

By Paul Nyathi|Former police officer Tafadzwa Gambiza who in the 2005 elections arrested now State President Emmerson Mnangagwa for electoral misconduct continues to make headlines after he got a reprieve over his unfair dismissal from the police force.

Emerging details from within the police indicate that Gambiza has been paid his terminal benefits dating back to 2008 when he was dismissed from the police after he refused to cast his vote in front of his superiors.

The highly controversial Gambiza rose to prominence when he arrested then Zanu PF Kwekwe parliamentary candidate, Mnangagwa together with his then election agent and now Local Government Minister July Moyo.

Gambiza arrested Moyo for allegedly contravening the Electoral Act after he had turned up at a polling station during voting putting on a ZANU PF campaign t-shirt with Mnangagwa’s face.

When Mnangagwa tried to interfere on Moyo’s arrest, Gambiza turned his handcuffs and arrested him too for obstructing the course of justice.

In the 2008 elections Gambiza refused to cast his vote in front of his superiors which led to his immediate dismissal from the police without benefits.

Since the time, Gambiza has been fighting unfair dismissal through his lawyers, Mhaka Attorneys.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Angeline Guvamombe Chief Staff Officer (Human Resource Administration) has advised Gambiza’s lawyers that their client has been accorded his terminal benefits and pay dating back to the time he was dismissed from the force after winning his case at the labour court.

“Your client is at liberty to approach the Office of his former Commanding Police Province who will issue him with a Certificate of Service as provided for in the relevant Police Standing orders,” wrote Assistant Commissioner Guvamombe.

“Copies of your client’s pay slips were issued to him during the period he was reinstated.

“After his discharge, your client may claim his terminal benefits to Pensions Office, Mukwati Building upon completing the appropriate Pension Refund Form.”

Gambiza is also remembered for raising a fraud and corruption case against former police commissioner August Chihuri.

The case, which was reported at Kwekwe Central Police Station was made before Chihuri was fired from his position.

Gambiza who himself had already been dismissed from the police at the time accused Chihuri of illegally printing fake spot fine books which were not prescribed at law and converting the money to his own use, paying his top officers and abusing his position for self-enrichment.

In his papers against Chihuri, Gambiza said he was aware that the matter had Cabinet approval and was debated in Parliament, but this did not make it law and Chihuri, as a law enforcer, was supposed to be competent enough not to implement illegal decisions.

MDC Alliance’s Goromonzi South youth chairperson Davison Chamisa yesterday appeared before Marondera magistrate Arnold Maburo answering to two counts of political violence after he allegedly threatened to destroy a Zanu PF official’s homestead before forcing another person to chant the opposition party’s slogan.

Chamisa (37), a Ruwa Local Board municipal cop denied the charge of threatening to burn Zanu PF Rusike district chairperson Norest Maziya’s homestead during campaigns.

He also denied allegations of forcing villager Peter Madakudya to chant an MDC slogan. The matter will be finalised tomorrow.

According to court papers, on June 23, Maziya was allegedly seated at his homestead in Rusike village when the accused person who was leading a group of MDC Alliance youths approached singing and chanting party slogans.

As they passed the homestead, Chamisa allegedly threatened to burn Maziya’s homestead.

On the same day, the group allegedly stormed Madakudya’s home and forced the complainant to chant the MDC slogan. Lee Gada represented the State.

– NewsDay

By Paul Nyathi|President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set Tuesday next week as the day on which the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Senate President and their deputies will be elected.

In a statement yesterday, Parliament said the Head of State and Government had set Tuesday next week as the day on which presiding officers would be elected.

“The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe has fixed Tuesday, 11th September 2018 at 0900 hours at Parliament Building as the date, time and place for the first sitting of Parliament in terms of Section 145 (1) of the Constitution, mainly to elect Presiding officers,” reads the notice from Parliament.

Section 145 of the Constitution reads: “First sitting of Parliament following general election, (1)The first sitting of Parliament after a general election must take place at a time and date determined by the President, but the date must not be later than thirty days after the President-elect assumes office in terms of Section 94.

“(2) Until the election of a President of the Senate or a Speaker, as the case may be, the first meeting of a House of Parliament must be presided over by the Clerk of Parliament.”

The election of presiding officers will be preceded by swearing-in of Members of Parliament to take place on Wednesday. Both events will be presided over by the Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda.

Advocate Jacob Mudenda has been Speaker of the National Assembly in the Eighth Parliament, deputised by Marble Chinomona, while Edna Madzongwe was President of the Senate, with Chen Chimutengwende as her deputy.

By Paul Nyathi|The Confederation Of Zimbabwe Industries CZI, claims that coincidental technical faults at the country’s largest cement makers PPC Zimbabwe and Larfarge are behind the on going shortage of the commodity on the market.

In a real desperate effort to cover up for the shortage which manufactures blamed on the lack of foreign currency to purchase other raw materials from outside the country, Sifelani Jabangwe, president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), an umbrella body for the manufacturing sector in the country, claimed that technical failures were the reason behind the shortage of the cement.

“The shortage of cement could be due to the fact that coincidentally there has been a technical fault at both PPC Ltd and Lafarge,” he told state media.

While PPC Zimbabwe managing director Kelibone Masiyane could not immediately substantiate Jabangwe’s claims, Gweru-based Sino-Zimbabwe Cement said their operations were normal. Its sales and marketing manager, Mr Ibiam Sengwe, said they were producing at 100 percent capacity, which translates to 1 000 tonnes per day.

“We are doing exceptionally well. We are offering unhindered service to our customers. Every type of our cement is available on the market and our production is good,” he said.

The temporary shortage of cement has greatly upset the construction sector and shocked the market at large. The few outlets that have the product are reportedly selling it at double the original price. Most hardware stores that normally sell cement have run out of stock, while prices had increased to between $15 and $20 a bag compared to the recommended retail prices averaging $11.50 for PC and $10 for masonry.

The country has a demand of about 1,3 million tonnes of cement annually and local producers have a combined capacity of producing around 1,6 million tonnes per year.

By Paul Nyathi|A huge tribal storm is brewing in Bulawayo as the city prepares for the election of the mayor and his deputy on Tuesday afternoon.

The all opposition MDC Alliance councillors have been guided by the party to elect Ward 12 councillor Solomon Mguni as city mayor but councillors are set to defy the arrangement alleging the party leadership has no say in the choosing of the city’s first resident, it has been learnt.

In a party caucus held last week with the councillors, the party also ordered the councillors to elect ward 1 councillor Mlandu Ncube as the Deputy Mayor.

Party source close to the councillors told ZimEye.com that the decision by the party has divided the council on tribal grounds as some councillors claim that the two are being imposed on them to avoid having a person of Shona orientation as the mayor or deputy mayor in Bulawayo.

The 29 member council is divided into two factions with 17 of the councillors being of Shona orientation while 12 are of Ndebele orientation.

Besides the party efforts to have an only Ndebele people at the helm of the city, the other 11 Ndebele councillors are against councillor Mguni being elected as the Mayor preferring instead Ward 26 councillor, Norman Hlabano and Mguni as his deputy.

According to the highly placed sources, the councillors said to be of Shona orientation are moving to accept the party arrangement to have Mguni elected as mayor but on condition that one of their own, that is Ward 3 Councillor Tinashe Kambarami, is elected as Deputy Mayor.

The stand off has apparently been leaked to the residents of the city and has attracted huge interest from members of the radical pressure group turned political party, Mthwakazi Republic Party who have vowed to make sure that Kambarami is not elected as the Deputy Mayor of the city.

The group has mobilised residents of the city to attend the council meeting which has since been moved from the council committee room to the Large City Hall to accommodate the huge number of residents expected to attend the meeting.

Bulawayo Town Clerk Christopher Dube confirmed that the local authority will conduct the process at the Large City Hall deviating from the norm where it’s done privately at the Committee Room.

“Bulawayo residents want to know what is happening and in promoting transparency, we have resolved to have the meeting at the Large City Hall.

“Normally this should be a Special Full Council meeting which is held not even at the Council Chambers but at the Committee Room in closed doors. But because we want this to be transparent we will allow everyone to come in,” said Mr Dube.

He said the municipality considered that the Council Chambers will be too small to accommodate residents as evidenced by the scores who turned out last Friday at the swearing in ceremony of the councillors.

“We considered that if we hold it at the Council Chambers other people will not be accommodated like what happened during the swearing in ceremony. So we’re going to be conducting the ceremony at the Large City Hall.”

Dube said police will be there to maintain peace during the process.

“And police have confirmed their presence. We want to barricade some areas to ensure that residents do not access a certain area so that they will not interfere with proceedings,” he said.

“We want the process to be done without any disturbance so councillors should be in a position to elect the mayor and deputy mayor of their choice.”

Bulawayo police spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango urged residents to abide by the law during the election process.

“We are appealing to Bulawayo residents to follow the proceedings without any interference. Police will be out to maintain peace.

“However, they will arrest anyone who will breach the law. They should also respect police officers who will be deployed on duty,” said Insp Simango.

By Paul Nyathi|The newly elected members of the National Assembly and Senate will be sworn in on Wednesday to kick start work of the ninth parliament of Zimbabwe.

Clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda has indicated that all necessary logistics for the swearing in ceremony have been made and a notice of the swearing in given in accordance with Section 128(1) of the Constitution.

“Parliament is geared for the swearing in of Members of the Ninth Parliament on Wednesday September 5 as required by Section 128 (1) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The swearing in will done starting with the National Assembly at 10:00am and the Senate at 1430,” he said.

“Seeing that we have 270 members in the National Assembly the swearing in will done in batches of 10 MPs to expedite the process. Accommodation for members from outside Harare will be at the usual hotels that we have an arrangement with.”

Twelve villagers from Mangwe District have been arrested for allegedly beating up a man to death after accusing him of stealing from a homestead within their community.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the incident which occurred on Saturday in Mayobodo area.

He said the gang detained Misheck Ncube for about four hours and during the process severely assaulted him with whips.

“I can confirm that we are investigating a case of murder where 12 people from Mayobodo area ganged up and beat up Misheck Ncube after accusing him of stealing. They detained him for about four hours and beat him up with whips until he bled from the mouth and head.

“They then took him to the village head who ordered them to rush him to the clinic as he was seriously injured. Ncube was taken to Mambale Clinic for treatment where he died two hours later from injuries sustained during the assault. We have arrested 12 suspects and they are assisting police with investigations. They are expected to appear in court facing a murder charge,” he said.

Chief Insp Ndebele urged members of the public to desist from taking the law into their own hands. He said community members must surrender suspects to the police upon apprehending them.

A source who preferred anonymity said Ncube was beaten up after being accused of stealing property that belonged to a villager who works in South Africa.

“ Joshua Dube was assigned by his nephew to watch over his property and homestead as he works in South Africa. When Dube went to check on the house on Saturday morning he realised that some property namely clothes and some appliances were missing,” said the source.

“He noticed some shoe prints around the homestead and he notified 11 other villagers. They teamed up and followed the shoe prints which led them to Ncube’s homestead. They confronted Ncube and accused him of stealing the property which resulted in the assault.” – state media