VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

By Own Correspondent|Vengai Vonga who stood as National Patriotic Front (NPF) council candidate in July 30 elections was hauled before Karoi court facing murder charges.

He was losing council ward ten in Karoi ward 10n, Hurungwe Central constituency.

The ward was won Movement for Democratic Change Alliance candidate Ranganai Hungwe who beat outgoing Zanu PF Fortune Madamombe and independent Clive Chavhunduka.

Vonga was aligned before magistrate Samuel Chitumwa together with Francis Makaza (37) and Anywhere Chaona (26), who stay at Wedzera Service Station employed by Moscht Security company.

Vonga stays in Chiedza high density suburb.

The trio are facing murder and robbery charges following the death of Karoi businessman Ashwinbhai Rama who was robbed and fatally shot in May.

He was robbed of his cash and mobile phones.

They were remanded in custody till 22 July and advised to go to High Court for bail application.

They were arrested after being found in possession of the deceased’s phones.

Prosecutor James Phiri told the court Vonga and his accomplices committed the offence on May 17 around 6:30pm at Rama Wholesalers.

They were armed with pistols and a rifle.

The state outline is that the three arrived at Rama Wholesalers, accused force-marched security guard Luke Samuel Nyika and three other workers Chido Fungulani, Shame Masava and David Mukali who were doing stock taking into Rama’s office where he was counting his daily takings, before ordering them to lie down.

The late Rama resisted and was allegedly on both legs before hitting him on the head with an iron bar.

Accused persons then broke a cash safe and stole $1 598 before demanding mobile phones from Fungulani, Rama and Masava.

Deceased was left lying in a pool of blood but passed on his way to Harare.

A manhunt was launched that saw arrest of Vonga and Makaza who had the stolen phones.

They implicated Chaona.

Media Statement|The MDC-T notes with great concern the turmoil our nation is in. As a party which is underpinned by constitutionalism, nonviolence and nondiscrimination, we condemn the reckless and irresponsible statements uttered by the War Veterans today. War veterans should respect Zimbabweans and their divergent views. We expect positive contributions towards reconstruction and rebuilding of Zimbabwe rather than threatening innocent Zimbabweans.

Constitutionalism is our distinguishing principle, which is inspired by Zimbabweans desire for justice, respect for the rule of law and accountability. The struggle for justice is beyond self interest as leaders including MDC-Alliance leaders or even ZANU-PF but it’s for national interest and posterity of Zimbabwe.

As the MDC-T, we have remained true to our principles and have always played the constitutionalism card since our country has always been in a state of a constitutional crisis since 1980. No sector is more Zimbabwean than the other including war veterans. While we differ with MDC-A on some matters we believe Nelson Chamisa, Tendai Biti and Robert Mugabe are citizens with full political rights as enshrined in the constitution and they should be allowed to enjoy their constitutional right without fear or favour. We do not accept comparing Marikana with Harare cold blood murders by the army. African blood should not be shed for political expediency neither should it be wasted in supposedly democratic countries.

Zimbabwe is founded on the respect of the supremacy of the constitution, rule of law, fundamental human rights, recognition of and respect of the liberation struggle as enshrined in section 3 of the constitution of Zimbabwe. We are calling upon all stakeholders of Zimbabwe that is political parties, war veterans, social movements and the electorate to abide to the principles and values of our constitution in our quest to foster unity in our diversity, peace and stability.

No one deserves to die for holding a differing political opinion or to be insulted for subscribing to a different political ideology. We are calling for all Zimbabweans to respect the due process of the law despite the reservations some people might have. Tolerance in our diversity is key at this juncture of electoral conflict.

To the contrary of propaganda doing the rounds on social media, MDC-T President Dr. Thokozani Khupe did not endorse 2018 harmonized elections as free and fair. We also have our own reservations and complaints have been lodged with ZEC. The MDC-T will abide to whatever verdict the constitutional court will pass.

Linda Tsungirirai Masarira
MDC-T National Secretary for Information and Publicity

FORMER Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Alderman Alexius Mackson Sibanda has died.

Ald Sibanda (73) died on Friday and will be buried tomorrow at Athlone Cemetery.

Bulawayo City Council senior public relations officer Mrs Nesisa Mpofu paid tribute to Ald Sibanda for his contribution towards the city’s development agenda. “The chairperson of the City of Bulawayo Commission V Mehta and Commissioners, Thandiwe Mlobane and Provincial Administrator, Khonzani Ncube, Town Clerk, Mr C Dube and Heads of Council Departments and staff have learnt will great sadness the untimely passing on of Alderman Alexius Mackson Sibanda on the 17th of August 2018,” said Mrs Mpofu.

“The City of Bulawayo extends its heartfelt condolences to the Sibanda family. His contribution to the development of Bulawayo is treasured.”

She said Ald Sibanda served as a councillor from 1991 to 2001, held the deputy mayor post and some committee positions.

“He chaired the Health, Housing and Education Committee during the 1996-97 Municipal years. Alderman Sibanda was also Chairperson of the Finance and Development Committee during the 1999-2001 Municipal years. He served as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Bulawayo during 1997-1998,” she said.

Mrs Mpofu said Ald Sibanda was member of committees including the Future, Water Supplies and Water Action, Executive Committee member and Town Lands and Planning Committee.

She said he represented council in several organisations during his tenure as a councillor for Bulawayo which includes consumer services committee of the Zesa board among others.

Prior to his election to a political office, Mrs Mpofu said, Ald Sibanda was a teacher before working in various private organisations.

“Before he was elected as a councillor, he was a teacher from 1965 to 1969 and worked as a store man from 1970 to 1979 at Rhodesia Railways. Alderman Sibanda was also a Religious Education Officer from 1980 to 1983 at the International Labour Organisation until he was employed at the National Railways of Zimbabwe where he worked as a Registry Clerk from 1984 to 1989. He was promoted to Personnel Clerk in 1989 until he retired,” said Mrs Mpofu.

State media

By Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) CEO, Patrick Mavhura has assured the nation and the international community that the national broadcaster is ready to beam live the Constitutional Court ruling on the presidential elections contest set for Wednesday.
Mavhura said ZBC is also ready to provide feed to other local and international broadcasters who wish to subscribe with the state broadcaster.

“We are ready and I can categorically state that we have the technical capacity to broadcast live the Constitutional Court proceedings. We have been doing this, we have the state of the art high definition equipment which can provide feed to other broadcasters. I also want to assure other stations that we will provide telecasting that is direct feed without ZBC’s comments, already we have started broadcasting live our new and current affairs from the Constitutional Court so we are ready,” said Mavhura.

The ZBC is likely to make a killing after securing a front row seat and monopoly to carry the signal of the July 30 presidential results challenge set for today at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt).

ZBC, after being handed sole rights to broadcast the court proceedings, has gone out charging up to $13 000 for a live signal per day on television and $5 000 for radio broadcast, a move that triggered an outcry from industry players.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa)-Zimbabwe, through an urgent application at the ConCourt heard in chambers, immediately challenged the monopoly granted to ZBC.

The media advocacy group argued that the national broadcaster had no capacity to efficiently carry the signal and lacked sufficient reach.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba heard the matter, which was opposed by President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa and dismissed it with punitive costs to be paid by Misa-Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa’s lawyer, Paul Mangwana said the victory was a sign of things to come in the main challenge.

“We defeated them today (Tuesday). This is a sign of what is going to happen in the main challenge, we are in high spirits after this victory.”

Nine Constitutional Court (ConCourt) judges will today preside over a matter which will decide on who will lead Zimbabwe for the next five years.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba will lead a cast of eight judges picked from the 14 Supreme Court judges. These include Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza, former Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Justice Rita Makarau, Justices Paddington Garwe, Chinembiri Bhunu, Baratkumar Patel, Ben Hlatshwayo, Tendai Uchena and Lavender Makoni.

Below are brief profiles of each of the judges:

Chief Justice Malaba

Chief Justice Luke Malaba

Justice Malaba studied in the United Kingdom and locally at the University of Zimbabwe. He worked his way from being a prosecutor, magistrate to the Supreme Court inside 20 years when he was appointed by former President Robert Mugabe in 2001. He became Deputy Chief Justice in 2008 before taking over as Chief Justice last year.

Some of his most notable rulings include a dissenting judgment in the controversial 2013 case in which Harare man Jealousy Mawarire sued Mugabe compelling him to set the election date. Justice Malaba also dismissed an application by Mike Campbell and a group of white former commercial farmers who had taken their case to the Sadc Tribunal challenging seizure of their farms. The group won the case, but failed to enforce it in Zimbabwe after Justice Malaba dismissed their application on grounds that the Sadc Tribunal had no jurisdiction over the matter and that the Supreme Court was not obliged to comply with or enforce the orders.

Justice Gwaunza

Justice Gwaunza was admitted as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Zimbabwe in 1987. She co-founded and was the national co-ordinator of the Women and Law in Southern Africa Research Project between 1989 and 1995. She went on to work in both private and public sectors before she was appointed High Court judge in 1998 before being elevated to the Supreme Court in November 2002, becoming the second woman to get the honour after Justice Vernanda Ziyambi.

In May this year, Justice Gwaunza led the ConCourt in dismissing an application by three citizens demanding that Zimbabweans across the world be allowed to vote in last month’s elections. Ironically, Chamisa’s lawyer Thabani Mpofu represented the three diasporans, Gabriel Shumba, Sibonile Mfumisi and Darlington Nyambiya. Justice Gwaunza is also the first woman to hold the post of Deputy Chief Justice of Zimbabwe.

Justice Garwe

Justice Garwe is one of the most experienced jurists who will sit on the bench tomorrow. He joined the legal fraternity in 1979, and began working his way from a young assistant magistrate, clerk of court and prosecutor before being appointed full magistrate in February 1980.

From there, Justice Garwe rose through the ranks, becoming a regional magistrate at age 26 in 1984, and chief magistrate at only 31 before making his way to the High Court at age 35 as one of the most promising legal minds of his generation. He was made Judge President of the High Court of Zimbabwe in 2001 and promoted five years later to the Supreme Court. In 2013, he became a judge of the Constitutional Court.

His highest profile case was the trial of now late former Prime Minister and opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the infamous treason case where he acquitted the former trade unionist for lack of sufficient evidence to nail him. Garwe also ruled in favour of white farmers at the height of the land reform programme.

Justice Bhunu

Justice Bhunu was appointed Senior President of the Labour Court in 2001 before joining the High Court in 2003. He then moved to the Supreme Court and eventually Constitutional Court in 2015.

Justice Bhunu’s most notable case was the conviction and jailing of three MDC-T activists Yvonne Musarurwa, Tungamirai Madzokere and Last Maengahama to 20 years each for the murder of police Inspector Petros Mutedza. The marathon trial lasted five years and was only concluded in September 2016.

Justice Makarau

Zimbabwe’s first female Judge President, Justice Makarau studied law at the University of Zimbabwe and began her career as a public prosecutor. She left to go into private practice before returning to public service as secretary for legal affairs at the then Parastatal Commission in 1988. She served in the Constitutional Commission from 1998 to 2000 before she was appointed High Court judge in December 2000. Six years later, Justice Makarau was appointed Judge President and in 2010 was promoted to the Supreme Court. Three years later, Justice Makarau was at the formation of the Government of National Unity appointed Zec chairperson.

She was to leave the position in a cloud in the aftermath of former President Robert Mugabe’s ouster and was replaced by current Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba.

Among her major rulings include granting women the right to help children access identity documents after former Zanu PF MP Margaret Dongo brought a case before the courts. Dongo had been turned away by the Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede’s Office where she was told she was not the natural guardian of her child.

Justice Patel

Justice Patel went to the then University of Rhodesia where he studied law and qualified as a barrister at Inner Temple in England about 1975. He obtained his master’s degree in law with the University College, London.

He returned to Zimbabwe and worked in the public service as legal counsel. In 1993 he headed the division of legal advice in the Attorney-General’s Office before his appointment as Deputy Attorney- General in August 2000. Twice he acted as acting Attorney-General between appointment as High Court Judge in 2005. In 2013, Justice Patel was appointed to the Supreme Court as Judge of Appeal and simultaneously as a Constitutional Court judge.

Known for his sharp constitutional logic and reasoning, Patel penned the judgment that reversed the High Court decision in the Zibani v JSC (Judicial Service Commission) matter where the court ruled that a constitutional provision was unconstitutional. Justice Patel reasoned that the Constitution could not be replaced or subverted based on a Cabinet intention to amend the Constitution. Together with his fellow justices, the case was dismissed, and the judgment is still seen as one of the most spirited protections of the Constitution and the independence of the judiciary despite the amendment allowing the President to appoint the Chief Justice and the Judge President circumventing the public interviews. Along with Justice Malaba, Justice Patel issued a dissenting judgment in the Mawarire case that pushed Zimbabwe into snap elections in 2013.

Justices Hlatshwayo

Justice Hlatshwayo was appointed as a High Court judge in the year 2000. He was later promoted to the Supreme Court in 2013. In the same year, Justice Hlatshwayo was also appointed as a judge of the Constitutional Court.

Justice Hlatshwayo was part of the Supreme Court bench that ruled in favour of Masvingo’s first black mayor Thomas Zawaira’s 10 children born out of wedlock giving them right to inheritance. Zawaira died in 2003. After his death, his estate was shared between his wife Felistas and her six children.

The Supreme Court reversed the High Court decision arguing all the children are entitled to an inheritance, in the same way, they are entitled to maintenance. The court also said that spouses of cheating partners can sue for adultery

Justice Uchena

Justice Uchena was appointed President of the Administrative Court in 1998. In 2003, he was appointed as a High Court judge. He was promoted to the Supreme Court and to the Constitutional Court in September 2016.

In February 2018, Justice Uchena was appointed as head of the Commission of Inquiry of Sale Of State Land. The Commission was created to look into the sale of State land in and around urban areas since the year 2005. It was given 12 months from the day of the appointment to conclude its task.

Justice Makoni

She is one of only two appointees to the ConCourt bench by President Emmerson Mnangagwa since he took over power last year. Justice Makoni has 14 years’ experience on the High Court bench as the head of the Civil Division.

By Paul Nyathi|The Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe, MISA, has reacted to the Constitutional Court judgement passed against it on Tuesday claiming that the judgement was not well thought out.

Chief Justice Malaba on Monday dismissed MISA Zimbabwe’s urgent chamber application after hearing it in his chambers. In the application filed at the Constitutional Court on 18 August 2018, MISA sought permission to live stream the election challenge hearing scheduled for 22 August 2018.

Presidential candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), and the Judicial Service Commission opposed the application. All three parties argued that ZBC is capable of providing adequate live broadcasting services needed to cover tomorrow’s court case.

The court held that in its papers MISA failed to establish a case that justifies the use of livestreaming services in addition to the traditional broadcasting services offered by the ZBC. The court further held that parties interested in broadcasting or streaming tomorrow’s proceedings must engage ZBC and acquire ZBC feed at rates determined by the broadcaster.

ZBC is reportedly selling access to its live feed for prices ranging from $4,025.00 to $13,070.00. Those are the charges for access to a live social media stream for the duration of the court hearing and for television access for the duration of the court hearing respectively.

In a statement, MISA discredited the judgement.

“MISA Zimbabwe respectfully disagrees with the court’s ruling for three reasons;
Firstly, this afternoon’s decision undermines efforts to establish media plurality in Zimbabwe by breaking ZBC’s monopoly in the Zimbabwean broadcasting landscape.

Secondly, only a few local media houses with an interest in broadcasting tomorrow’s hearing will be able to afford ZBC’s exorbitant access fees.

Lastly, it is an established fact that social media now has a wider reach in Zimbabwe than traditional broadcasting methods,” the media monitoring group said.

The Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF) has dispatched senior judges and jurists to observe MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s presidential court challenge against President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa, set to be heard at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) starting today.

Arnold Tsunga, Africa director at International Commission of Jurists, yesterday disclosed that three jurists had already been accredited to observe Chamisa’s presidential petition.

“The Africa Judges and Jurists Forum will be represented by secretary-general Martin Masiga from Uganda, Retired Chief Justice Earnest Sakala of Zambia and Justice Isaac Lenaola from the Supreme Court of Kenya,” Tsunga said.

“The AJJF works closely with the International Court of Jurists and the latter strongly supports the mission.

He added: “The three are already in the country and have been accredited.”

The AJJF, headquartered in South Africa, was formed by African judges and jurists to create space for African judges and jurists to promote the rule of law and development in the region.

AJJF, in a statement, said the observation mission will focus on the proceedings of the case’s compliance with regional and international human rights law and standards on fair trial.

“These norms are substantially reflected in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Members of the observation mission will sit and follow proceedings from the courtroom,” part of the statement read.

“At the end of the exercise, the observers will compile and release an independent and impartial report, stating their conclusions on the fair trial dimension of the proceedings. In appropriate cases, they may make recommendations they deem necessary for the improvement of the administration of justice in the future.”

Masiga said in an environment of polarisation and tension, the presence of international observers gives the litigating parties and their supporters a sense of international assistance and renewed confidence.

“The presence of the observation mission should help to make sure that justice is both done and seen to be done,” Masiga, who is the founder member and incumbent of the forum, said.

Chamisa’s court challenge is expected to be attended by many diplomats and foreign journalists.

News Day

A BUSINESSMAN who fatally assaulted Bulawayo City Council Assistant Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Mbuthi Gugu Mkhwananzi, after the two clashed at a girlfriend’s house, was yesterday sentenced to 17 years in jail.

Spencer Sithole (34) of Hillside suburb in Bulawayo punched his rival suitor Mkhwananzi (47) and struck him using a dressing table wooden stool in April last year at the woman’s house in Four Winds suburb.

Mkhwananzi died a few days later at Mater Dei Hospital, allegedly due to the injuries sustained as a result of the attack.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva convicted Sithole of murder with constructive intent.

In passing the sentence, Justice Takuva condemned Sithole’s conduct, saying passion should not be an excuse for murder.

“Our country is suffering from an epidemic of violent crimes. Crimes of passion are now prevalent in this country and the courts should send a clear message that passion for somebody should not be an excuse for murder,” he said.

“You killed someone who was useful in the community and indeed this was an unnecessary killing.”

Justice Takuva said the courts have a duty to uphold the sanctity of human life through passing deterrent sentences.

“The murder was not committed in aggravating circumstances hence a death penalty is not appropriate. However, the court has a duty to uphold the sanctity of human life. Was it not for mitigatory factors, the accused deserved a lengthy prison term. Accordingly, accused person is sentenced to 17 years imprisonment,” ruled the judge.

Prosecuting, Mr Trust Muduma said on April 11 last year at around 7AM, Sithole went to Ms Josephine Morrow’s house in Four Winds suburb intending to collect his car keys.

On arrival, he opened the front door of the house using spare keys and stumbled upon Mkhwananzi and Ms Morrow in bed.

“The deceased was with his girlfriend when the accused person stormed into the house and found them in bed. Sithole got angry and started assaulting Mkhwananzi with fists, dressing table and a wooden stool and he sustained three fractured ribs,” said Mr Muduma.

Mkhwananzi fled from the house bleeding profusely through the mouth and nose.

He was taken to Mater Dei Hospital where he died three days later as a result of multiple injuries sustained during the attack. According to a post mortem report, the cause of death was assault, multiple fractures and respiratory failure.

Ms Morrow (48), who is Sithole’s ex-girlfriend and the woman at the centre of the controversy, said when the incident occurred, she had already terminated their relationship.

Sithole, however, insisted that he was still in love with Ms Morrow.

Sithole, through his lawyer Mr David Mhiribidi of Mutuso, Mhiribidi and Partners, pleaded for leniency, saying it was not his intention to kill his rival.

He argued that he acted out of provocation when he found his girlfriend in bed with another man.

Sithole said he felt betrayed by his girlfriend and the deceased whom he claimed was his friend.

He said he fell in love with Ms Morrow in 2010 and the two had plans to marry.

In mitigation, Sithole said he was remorseful for his actions. “I regret the loss of life which was necessitated by my conduct. May the court also take into consideration the fact that I am taking care of my 68-year-old mother who is a widow,” he said.

Sithole said he also suffered from arthritis and is on medication after he was operated on both ankles.

By Farai D Hove| The ZANU PF Youth League has declared that they refuse a government of national unity with MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa. They made characterisation  claims against Chamisa saying that he is an advocate of people’s suffering, a direct inference to the US sanctions bill, ZIDERA.

ZIDERA was declared law by US President Donald Trump after the Zimbabwean army began attacks on civilians on the 1st August 2018 under the guise of arresting protesters (the latter who were in fact ZANU PF party actors). In the attacks at least 6 people were shot dead, several injured, many in neighbourhoods beaten up, and houses destroyed.

A recent survey has found that the core source of the masses’ poverty is military brutality.

But the ZANU PF youth league’s leader Pupurai Togarepi blamed Chamisa. He also made claims that Chamisa is seeking a government of national unity for which he said he does not deserve it. Said Togarepi,  “we are hearing already that the opposition is mulling an inclusive Government. As Zanu-PF youths we are totally against that and the opposition must never dream of such.

“You see, we cannot form an inclusive Government with people who call for sanctions on our people.

“We cannot be in an inclusive Government with someone who calls for people’s suffering, no we cannot do that. After all, they lost the election, so they must forget about it and maybe look forward to 2023.

“They know that sanctions will affect the ordinary people like us and they will blame the Government for that and make people believe that the Government is failing yet they are the very people who called for these sanctions.”

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Security Alert: Update on Street Closures and Potential Civil Unrest and Violence
Home | News & Events | Security Alert: Update on Street Closures and Potential Civil Unrest and Violence
30
Location: Zimbabwe country-wide & Harare Commercial Business District

Event: Zimbabwe is experiencing civil unrest, violence, and heightened political tension following the general elections held on July 30, 2018. The security situation remains volatile. On August 22, the Constitutional Court will begin hearing the election challenge filed by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). As a result, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has issued an order to seal off the following roads on the 22nd and 23rd of August 2018 from 0600 hrs -1800 hrs:

· Sam Nujoma-Selous-Simon Muzenda

· Sam Nujoma-Samora Machel-Simon Muzenda

· Sam Nujoma-Kwame Nkrumah-Simon Muzenda

· Sam Nujoma-Nelson Mandela-Simon Muzenda

Actions to Take:

· Stay away from this area and the Commercial Business District

· Avoid demonstrations and all public gatherings

· Exercise increased caution

· Have extra food, water and medication on hand

· Establish a communication plan with your friends and family so they know when to expect to hear from you;

·

· Monitor local news stations for updates;

· Be vigilant and take steps to enhance your personal security; and

· Remain alert for potentially dangerous situations.

Assistance:

United States Embassy Harare, Zimbabwe
172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue
Harare, Zimbabwe
NUMBER REDACTED

MDC Press Statement|The MDC notes with dismay the reckless, irresponsible and disgusting utterances by a one Victor Matemadanda at the ill-conceived press conference today at the Harare International conference centre.

We are aware of the ill-intention of the renegade grouping of these so-called war veterans to intimidate the judiciary before the constitutional hearing and trial proceedings of the electoral fraud application filed by the MDC Alliance. The timing of the press conference and the vile utterances by the conveners smacks of a dirty scheme by Matemadanda and his cohorts to influence the outcome of the court and subvert the will of the people of Zimbabwe.

The MDC Alliance is not moved by such grandstanding and empty threats by an illegal grouping of charlatans bent on confusing court proceedings and shattering the dreams of the people of Zimbabwe. They do not want a fair hearing of the MDC Alliance electoral petition.

Matemadanda’s utterances are a clear affront to the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the judiciary and must be condemned in the strongest terms by all progressive people of Zimbabwe.

The MDC respects the gallant heroes of the war of the liberation—both the deceased and the living–who fought for the right to universal suffrage of one man one vote which a few like Matemadanda misguidedly seek to overturn and disrespect.

As a party, we fully understand the anxiety of the nation around the upcoming Court Case where we are challenging the subversion of the will of the people by ZEC in cahoots with some rogue elements in our State institutions and we urge the people to remain resolute and steadfast on this cause.

Zimbabweans and our respected bench will not be intimidated by anyone. Zimbabweans are the masters of their own destiny.

We are our own liberators.

In the interest of our country, its people and the economy, we urge the people to be peaceful, strong and remain focused on the broader agenda of charting a new beginning free of corruption, violence, and cronyism.

The MDC reiterates its call for peace and progress in the country. We would like to encourage the outgoing President Mnangagwa to note that the ZEC-led rigging scheme has failed. It is now imperative for him to take this opportunity and act as a mature war veteran. He needs to accept defeat, concedes and allows Zimbabwe to move forward.

We are unequivocal that this idea that Africa’s strongmen never want to leave power after an election must come to an end. We need a new image for our continent.

For outgoing President Mnangagwa, history will judge him harshly for being part of remnants of a few African politicians who put their personal selfish interests ahead of the greater good of the nation. He must take this opportunity to negotiate a respectable exit and leave peacefully. An unnecessary and protracted battle will not benefit Zanu PF let alone the entire nation in the medium to long-term.

Behold the New.
Change that Delivers!

MDC Communications

A MAN who looks almost exactly like the late Dick Chingaira, is causing a stir at Mupedzanhamo Market in Mbare where he operates.

Bonface Chirikure of Block 6-C533 Mbare flats is turning people’s heads with some almost running away each time they bump into him.

Bonface said he was not moved by those comparing him to the late musician.

“I am not even bothered by what people are saying because the late Dickson was my friend and I once joined his band from 1987 up to 1990 and left when I joined the army.

“I worked with Chinx’s Mazana Movement when the group was a coalition with Jonah Sithole, Massello from Tanzania, Sam and Marylyn who are Zimbabweans and we were using Massello’s instruments.

“I was a dancer during my days in the band of which I am good at that and people enjoy my moves,” he said.

“I did Roger confirm song with Chinx and I also wish if Dick could be reburied at the National Heroes Acre not where he is buried because he befits national hero status not provincial.

“I also wish if I can get PA system and continue with Mazana Movement working with the family because it must not die because Dick is no longer there.”

One Mathew who operates at Mupedzanhamo also said that, “when I first saw Bonface, I almost fell down in fear thinking that I have seen the late Chinx’s ghost, because they really look alike.”

H-metro

Inserted By Paul Nyathi|

VIDEO LOADING BELOW….

By Paul Nyathi|Police have issued a warning that only accredited persons will be allowed to go into the Constitutional Court for Wednesday’s historic election results petition.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba issued the precautionary statement on Tuesday ahead of the hearing.

According to the statement, no electronic devices like cellphones and laptops will be allowed into the court.

By Paul Nyathi|MDC Alliance principal and Spokesperson Professor Welshman Ncube who has been silent throughout the run up to the constitutional court hearing set for Wednesday has finally spoken on the matter.

Ncube who is himself a constitutional lawyer of repute, says that the real battle in the hearing is with the constitutional court itself as it faces a challenge to go through all the evidence provided to come up with a fair judgement.

“Having now read through all the papers filed by all parties in the Constitutional Court Presidential election petition me thinks it is the Constitutional Court itself which will be on trial on Wednesday. Will they have the courage to look at the evidence without fear or favour?” Said Ncube in his Twitter page.

By Paul Nyathi|Former President Robert Mugabe’s son Chatunga Bellarmine, has challenged liberation war veterans’ demands that his father be stripped of the honour of having the country’s biggest airport in Harare named after him.

In a short statement on his Facebook page, Chatunga declared that even if the demand by the war veterans is acceded to it will not erase his father’s name from the history books.

“Renaming the Airport won’t remove him from History Books,” wrote Chatunga.

Former President Mugabe led the ZANU PF revolutionary party through the liberation struggle from 1963 when he left PF ZAPU. He later became the first leader of an independent Zimbabwe in 1980 a position he held on to for 37 before he was ousted in a soft coup in November 2017.

A few weeks before his removal, the Harare International Airport was renamed the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in his honour.

Liberation war veterans this week demanded that the airport be renamed and have Mugabe’s name removed after the veteran statesman expressed that he was going to vote for opposition MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa against ZANU PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa who he accused of unconstitutionally removing him from power.

The war veterans tagged him a sellout not worth the honour of retaining the name of the airport.

By Paul Nyathi|The opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa has announced the death of one of the party’s founding members and elders, Fidelis Mhashu.

The party’s information department issued the statement on Tuesday afternoon.

The statement reads as follows:

The MDC has learned with extreme sadness the loss of one of the founding fathers of party of excellence, Hon Fidelis Mhashu.

MDC Communications

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday warned that if he fails to win his case against President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the Constitutional Court (Con-Court) this week, he will turn to the people to defend “their vote”.

This comes after the youthful MDC Alliance leader challenged ordinary Zimbabweans at the weekend to embark on three days of fasting — in preparation for tomorrow’s closely-watched Con-Court hearing.

Addressing journalists at the Morgan Tsvangirai House in Harare yesterday, Chamisa warned that if the legal route failed him, he would mobilise Zimbabweans to “defend their vote”.

“We have all routes that are available, the legal and the constitutional routes. Beyond those, we have a political route that we are going to pursue in the context of peace and the Constitution.

“We will mobilise and organise the people of Zimbabwe to make sure that their vote is protected and guaranteed. Our first avenue is the legal route and the second avenue is the political route.

“We have to stand with our God to defend our vote within the confines of peace … change does not come easy,” Chamisa said.

“We do not want to go back to the situation where we are made to wait for another five years by those who are seeking to subvert your will.

“The darkest hour is before dawn and our Almighty is on our side. This candidate (Chamisa) is ready to assume office at the appropriate time,” Chamisa added.

“Mnangagwa was defeated in this election. There is totally no confidence in Zanu PF and Mnangagwa. We will, together as a nation, agree on a working programme for the total fulfilment of our vote.

“We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated by anyone from anywhere. We are the masters of our own destiny. We are our own liberators,” he said further.

Chamisa has challenged Mnangagwa’s July 30 poll victory, culminating in tomorrow’s hearing by the Con-Court which has the arduous task of either upholding or nullifying the result.

He is seeking to either have the presidential election declared as null and void, or to be affirmed as the rightful winner of that poll. Alternatively, he wants a fresh presidential race to be held.

The court case comes after Zimbabwe held its first ever post-independence elections three weeks ago without deposed former leader Robert Mugabe — who resigned from office in November last year on the back of a military intervention.

Millions of Zimbabweans cast their vote in the historic July 30 elections, to choose both a new Parliament and president — following the dramatic fall from power of Robert Mugabe.

The elections 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 this year.

Zanu PF retained its two thirds parliamentary majority in the plebiscite.

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 a clash between opposition supporters and security agents.

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

Yesterday, Chamisa warned that the country would — without him at the helm — slip back to the 2008 era where Zimbabwe’s own currency was decimated by record hyperinflation, when the economy imploded due to Mugabe’s misrule.

“Even in that case, if we don’t do it now, there is no guarantee that if we win again in 2023 those that are seeking to subvert your will are not planning to do it again.

“In the interest of our country, its people and the economy, Zec must accept that it has played a divisive role in our politics. What was a clear and unambiguous victory has been muddied by partisan individuals in Zec,” Chamisa said.

He also said that Mnangagwa should step down and resist fomenting the stereotype that “African strongmen never want to leave power after an election”.

“He must take this opportunity to negotiate a respectable exit and leave peacefully. An unnecessary and protracted battle will not benefit Zanu PF in the medium to long term.

“To the international community, the road to the future of Zimbabwe, the rule of law, good governance and observance of human rights passes through a fresh pair of hands and genuine alternative politics,” Chamisa added.

The opposition leader has insisted that he won the hotly-disputed July 30 presidential poll — whose results he claims were fiddled with by Zec.

In the disputed presidential vote, Mnangagwa narrowly avoided a run-off after polling 50,8 percent of the ballot against Chamisa’s 44,3 percent.

Zec has, however, since revised downwards Mnangagwa’s victory to 50,6 percent.

At law, a losing presidential candidate has seven days to challenge results, with the Con-Court obliged to make its findings and to deliver a verdict within 14 days after that.

If the Constitutional Court upholds the election result, Mnangagwa must then be sworn in within 48 hours of the court’s decision.

In determining the petition or application, the Con-Court may declare a winner or invalidate the election — in which case a fresh election will have to be held within 60 days after the determination.

Meanwhile, and ahead of the Con-Court hearing tomorrow, Chamisa exhorted Zimbabweans at the weekend to go on a fast for three days.

“I am urging the whole nation to pray. Let us go before God so that he may help us, we don’t want the spilling of blood.

“We want to make the country better for all. The country does not belong to Zanu PF, the MDC or any other political party.

“It is for all of us. So, we want everyone to understand that when we unite, we are doing this for the whole country.

“May God bless you. Starting on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, it’s time for prayer, everything is in God’s hands.

“The whole world belongs to God. I want to congratulate and thank you for taking part in the voting process,” Chamisa said in a video taken while he was praying on a mountain in Murewa.

Daily News

Elected Members of Parliament from the ruling Zanu PF party are set to receive $13 000 each for their victory celebrations. The windfall is being drawn from Zanu PF’s eye-popping $15 million budget that had been set aside for a run-off, which the ruling party averted after its presidential candidate sailed through with a razor-thin margin.

Zanu PF also secured a majority in the National Assembly.

While the victory celebrations have been put on ice pending a Constitutional Court (Con-Court) petition by MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, Zanu PF has already authorised the release of the money in the event that the superior court rules in favour of President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The Con-Court, which is the highest court of appeal on the land, is set to sit down tomorrow to hear Chamisa’s court challenge which has so far put Mnangagwa’s plans on hold.

Chamisa is seeking the Con-Court to declare him the winner of the elections or that the apex court orders a re-run — something that Zanu PF is seemingly well prepared for.

Several winning MPs from Zanu PF said that they were promised hard cash in the event of winning the general elections.

“We were promised $13 000 as a winning bonus. The money is supposed to go towards funding celebrations in our respective constituencies. Now Chamisa is making silly noises and we cannot get that money.

“Most of the MPs spent huge on the elections and the $13 000 will go a long way in filling the gap,” an MP who asked not to be named told the Daily News.

Several other legislators confirmed that indeed their pockets were set to be lined further, on top of the off-roaders that they received for campaign purposes ahead of the disputed elections.

Sources in the ruling party also revealed that Zanu PF’s war chest still boasts of at least $15 million that was set aside to cater for a presidential election run-off.

Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday referred questions about the bonuses to the party’s commissariat department headed by Engelbert Rugeje.

“That should be known by the commissariat, talk to Rugeje,” said Khaya Moyo.

Rugeje was not forthcoming on the matter, as he also referred questions back to Khaya Moyo.

“Why don’t you talk to Moyo, he is the one in charge of publicity,” he said, when he was pressed for an answer Rugeje said, “I am presently out of the country and presently don’t have an answer for you”.

While Chamisa’s MDC Alliance struggled with funding during its campaigns, Zanu PF was awash with resources and spent big in rolling out electronic billboards and dishing out its campaign regalia.

Zanu PF also offered its supporters with farming inputs and gave each of the 210 parliamentary candidates a campaign vehicle.

According to Zanu PF officials, the ruling party got much of its funding from the Communist Party of China and companies that are eyeing opportunities to emerge under Mnangagwa’s administration.

Carrying on with former president Robert Mugabe’s politics of patronage, the so-called new dispensation also bought more than 226 cars for traditional leaders in a move described as vote buying and misplaced priorities by critics especially poll observers from the western world.

Zanu PF has a fleet of Ford Fiestas, Ford Ranger trucks, and buses and has a specific budget for the youth league and women’s league running into millions.

Daily News

By Paul Nyathi|The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), its chairperson Priscilla Chigumba and acting chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana on Monday opposed Nelson Chamisa’s presidential challenge at the Constitutional Court.

Download the full ZEC heads of argument on the link below:

Zec-Chigumba-Heads-Of-Arguments

The case will be heard by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday, 22 August at 10:00 am.

By Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation VISET|Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) wishes to condemn in the strongest of terms the ultimatum pronounced by the Midlands Minister of State Mr Owen Ncube on vendors operating within the Central Business District without offering them alternatives sites to carry out their trade.

The Minister is accusing vendors of causing the outbreak of typhoid in the city which have so far claimed seven lives.

The ultimatum which strangely gives vendors 24hrs ultimatum to vacate the streets of Gweru, or security forces will move in to remove them must be treated as an attack on livelihoods.

Such a move is irrational, inhuman and barbaric apart from the fact that it runs contrary to the constitutional national objective which obliges the state and all its agencies to promote private initiatives of self-reliance (Section 13) and that which obliges it remove the restrictions that prevent people from working or otherwise engaging in gainful economic activities (Section 24).

As VISET we implore upon Minister Ncube and the Government to take full responsibility for its failure to provide adequate designated sites for us as informal traders and vendors and provide safe and portable water for the residence of Gweru. It would have been reasonable on the part of the Government to wait until the completion of the construction of the proposed new Bus Terminus in all cities and towns, with a good proximity to the affected traders, and settle them there before evicting them.

Ultimatums and threats of force will only worsen the already precarious situation, there was a surge in the number of human rights abuses in the sector as a direct result of the Government’s reluctance to comply with the constitutional provisions mentioned above and also Recommendation 204 of the International Labour Organisation which speaks to the need for formalization and regularization of the operations of the informal Sector.

A day before the announcement of the 2018 Harmonised elections results, we saw Municipal police and security forces in Harare arresting thousands and destroying the vending stalls of vendors for no apparent reason. In Harare alone, more than 2000 of our members reported various forms of human rights abuses.

It has always been VISET’s position that forceful evictions of informal traders will not solve the current vending challenge, where such eviction does not correspond to the allocation of alternative spaces in the designated sites.

If anything, it will only exacerbate it, as was witnessed in the CDBs in 2015 here in most cases the operations resulted in ugly and bloody scenes and even unnecessary loss of life as a defence of a livelihood entails doing everything within one’s powers. VISET implores the City of Gweru and other local authorities throughout the country to deal amicably with the outbreak of epidemic diseases like typhoid by treating the municipal water with effective and up to date vaccines than to put the blame on the shoulders of vendors.

The City of Gweru should also do an assessment in respect of the consequences on the livelihoods to millions of vendors and their dependents the evictions will cause. VISET also wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved seven families who have lost their loved ones through this outbreak of epidemic disease. The scenario is regrettable as this should have been addressed by the government.

By Paul Nyathi|The Constitutional Court has dismissed an application by the Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe, MISA, and freelance journalist Busani Bafana to allow journalists to shoot Facebook live streaming of the landmark Constitutional Court appeal against results of the Presidential Election held last month.

The applicants had lodged an appeal against a previous court ruling that the ZBC was the only media that will be allowed to broadcast from inside the court room.

The court held that ZBC has sufficient means to publicise the court proceedings.

More details to follow…

ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa has successfully blocked independent media houses from LIVE Streaming Tomorrow’s court case between Nelson Chamisa and himself.

The case is a challenge of the just ended election results which declared him winner by a controversial 50,8% margin.

Today’s court hearing was raised by the Media Institute Of Southern Africa. (SEE BELOW) – MORE FOLLOWS

The Constitutional this afternoon dismissed MISA Zimbabwe's application to have a livestreaming service following tomorrow's election challenge. The court held that ZBC has sufficient means to publicise the court proceedings @TabaniMoyo @MAZ_Zim @kubatana @DougColtart @AFEXafrica

— MISA Zimbabwe (@misazimbabwe) August 21, 2018

THE Government has secured a $10 million loan facility from a South African financial institution to assist tertiary education students pay their fees.

Due to the economic situation in the country, most students are struggling to pay their fees resulting in some of them deferring studies.

In an interview, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the loan facility is meant to ensure that no student defers studies due to financial constraints.

He said Government roped in the South African company because interest rates by local banks were exorbitant.

“We have secured a loan from Fundi. We were in discussion with the South African company and we have now signed a deal where they will provide $10 million to the Zimbabwe system. Students will get loans that are cheaper than what is currently obtaining from our banks,” said Prof Murwira.

“As I told you our method has been to use commercial instruments instead of trying to agitate people to lower their interest rates. We’d rather introduce a competitor with lower rates so as to push local ones to lower their rates.”

He said more than 10 000 students in tertiary institutions countrywide were paying their fees through loan facilities.

“Students can also get laptops on loan which means that if a laptop is worth $300, you pay that amount within two years. Isn’t it good? The students can access the money through the Edu-loan system and there are more than 10 000 students who are on Edu-loan. Edu-loan is less strict and it puts more pressure on our backs to also do things in a way that is more convenient to students,” the Minister said.

Prof Murwira said his Ministry is positioning itself to stimulate economic growth through innovation which will transform economic programmes.

He said higher and tertiary students will create employment through development of prototypes in industrial parks and innovation hubs.

“This economy is going to gallop like nobody’s business in a few months to come. The most important thing is that our history of economic activities is fast going to the dustbin. We are trying to remodel the education system in such a way that it creates its own jobs,” Prof Murwira said.

“When we are doing the innovation hubs and the industrial parks, they will create a lot of jobs first of all in the construction phase and then in the operations of these projects. I’m very positive that this economy will do well within a year or two.”

State Media

FORMER Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko’s daughter-in-law has been arrested for allegedly ordering 15 Choppies Supermarket managers in Bulawayo to unlawfully dispense more than $30 000 cash from their Point of Sale (POS) machines after threatening them with either deportation or dismissal.

Nomagugu Mphoko (36), who was initially jointly charged with her husband Siqokoqela, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ndlovu yesterday facing 49 counts of extortion. She was remanded out of custody to September 3 on $200 bail.

As part of the bail conditions, Nomagugu was ordered not to interfere with State witnesses.

Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said sometime in June this year, Nanavac Investments trading as Choppies Zimbabwe issued a directive to all its supermarket managers against giving out cash realised from sales to individuals whose arrangement is to replace the equivalent through swiping at Point of Sale machines.

The court heard that between 13 and 29 June this year, Nomagugu went to the complainants, some of whom are Indian nationals, and demanded cash during which she also threatened to either get them fired or deported if they refused to comply.

She would then swipe the equivalent of the money received using different bank cards.

“Upon being advised of the directive against such transactions, the accused would threaten the shop managers with loss of employment and deportation from Zimbabwe. She would also tell the complainants that her husband is the owner of the company and that they were mere employees under his authority,” said Mr Dlodlo.

The court heard that as a result of the threats, the complainants acceded to Nomagugu’s demands and gave her the money.

“The accused person derived the advantage of easily accessing cash which is hard to come by. Her conduct resulted in loss for Nanavac Investments in that being a retail business, the company’s outlets rely heavily on cash to pay critical suppliers, including arranging for foreign payments with local banks,” said Mr Dlodlo.

The cash which was unlawfully collected by Nomagugu from the 15 shops amounts to $30 230. The money was looted on different occasions from Choppies shops in Bulawayo’s Central Business District, Luveve, Pumula East, Entumbane, Bellevue, Nkulumane and Lobengula suburbs.

Nomagugu is being represented by Professor Welshman Ncube of Mathonsi Law Chambers.

State Media

By Paul Nyathi|The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) has called for the renaming of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after denouncing the former president as a traitor.

The war veterans denounced Mugabe and his wife, former first lady Grace Mugabe for allegedly working with opposition leaders Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti to cause chaos in the country. The former freedom fighters said they would rather have the airport named after late hero Herbert Chitepo. Speaking at a press conference, ZNLWVA secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said

We are going to demand the removal of Robert Mugabe’s name from the international airport in Harare. Tomorrow we are going to Harare international airport to demand the removal of Mugabe’s dirty name. Mugabe has failed. We cannot have the face of Zimbabwe to the world – given the name of a last minute traitor. We don’t want.

…Handing over petition so that Mugabe’s name is removed at the airport with immediate effect. He does not deserve such an honour as he has taken a betrayal stance…He has strayed and chose an unholy matrimony with MDC.

Tomorrow we are going to Harare International Airport not Robert Mugabe to demand the removal of that name because Mugabe is a last-minute traitor. We want names of our heroes, not sellouts…The name Robert Gabriel Mugabe will be remembered for a leader who gave up his flock to raveners

The airport was renamed last November after then Zanu-PF youth secretary Kudzanai Chipanga threatened not to invite ministers to the 2018 edition of the 21st February Movement celebrations if the Airport was not renamed. A few weeks after the renaming ceremony Mugabe lost power after the Zimbabwe Defence Forces launched Operation Restore Legacy.

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he still had faith in the regional bloc, Sadc, regardless of the fact that President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa was appointed deputy chairperson of the Sadc Troika on security when Zimbabwe is facing a disputed poll.

A few weeks ago, Chamisa wrote to Sadc pleading with the bloc to intervene after he declared an electoral stalemate over the printing of ballot papers and the voters’ roll which he said were shambolic. Despite his plea, the Sadc observer mission declared the polls as free and fair.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare, Chamisa said the fact that Mnangagwa was not congratulated at the just-ended Sadc summit, indicated that Sadc was yet to endorse the polls.

“I want to appreciate the position that they took that they didn’t congratulate Zanu PF, they didn’t congratulate Mr Mnangagwa because they know that he is not the winner and I am very happy and fortified by that position,” Chamisa said.

He scoffed at Mnangagwa’s appointment as the deputy chair of the Sadc troika on politics and security, saying it was a post for Zimbabwe, and not the incumbent.

“I know some will say Mr Mnangagwa was given the position of deputy chairman of the Sadc organ. That position is given to a country, it is not a Mnangagwa position. I will take up that position as Head of State once the processes have been confirmed. It is not Mr Mnangagwa’s position and it is a country’s position and that must be known. We don’t want people who celebrate nothing and want to make it something. He has not been appointed and there is no confidence in Sadc and that is why he came back empty-handed. He was not celebrated and he was not honoured,” Chamisa said.

Chamisa pleaded with Sadc to help the country leverage itself from disputed polls to ensure an economic turnaround.

“Sadc are the regional guarantor of peace. You are guarantors of peace and progress and it is important to make sure that they have a hands-on approach on the Zimbabwean situation,” he said.

Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza, said the move by Sadc was ill-timed and reckless given the situation playing out in Zimbabwe.

“The appointment was premature and extremely dangerous, even though it is the country’s turn in terms of Sadc protocols and procedures,” he said.

NewsDay

One of the lawyers representing MDC Alliance senior official Tendai Biti was allegedly tortured by police as he tried to pursue State agents who had seized the former Finance minister.

Unite Saizi of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights had his car tyres deflated, cell phone confiscated and assaulted by State security agents who did not want him to keep track of the police convoy that was transporting Biti.

This was revealed by Biti’s lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa who appeared together with Alec Muchadehama and Gift Mtisi during continuation of a court challenge, in which Biti is arguing that the court has no authority to prosecute him.

Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo will hand down the ruling on August 30.

“Is it not true that a team of police officers that you travelled with intercepted Biti’s lawyer, punctured his tyres, disposed his cell phone and assaulted him to stop him from following the convoy you were travelling on?,” Mtetwa posed questions to investigating officer Jealous Nyabasa.

“…so it would be correct to say that police were involved in the raids at his residence and that of his mother, brother and friend such that the accused person perceived his life to be in danger and sought to apply for asylum in Zambia”.

Mtetwa added that Biti feared that he could be abducted and disappear, citing previous cases relating to Jestina Mukoko and missing activist Itai Dzamara.

Nyabasa disputed this, arguing that he was not aware of such violations.

He told the court that police’s conduct during the operation was lawful.

Mtetwa has already proved that Nyabasa had no deportation documentation authorising the extradition of Biti from Zambia more than a fortnight ago and had ignored the court order which showed that Lusaka High Court was due to hear the former Finance minister’s petition on August 8.

According to Mtetwa, a preamble to the warned and cautioned statement compiled by Nyabasa was dated August 8 to purport as though it had been issued before the Zambian order since Biti only signed it on August 9.

Nyabasa told the court that the date was a mistake and that he had not breached any deportation laws because he arrested Biti on Zimbabwean soil.

He claimed that Zimbabwean Immigration officials were the ones who handed Biti over to him and said he was not bound by any Zambian law or court order issued beyond Zimbabwe’s jurisdiction.

He then said he had a handover document which Mtetwa disputed saying it was endorsed as a handover document of “items” not people.

Biti is arguing that Zimbabwean courts do not have authority to prosecute him arguing that he was “abducted” from the Zambian government where he sought asylum under unconstitutional means.

Daily News

By Paul Nyathi|Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba has distanced herself from a bogus Twitter account that is posting controversial updates in her name.

In a statement Chigumba said the Twitter account was bogus and created by individuals who sought to create confusion.

“Zec wishes to inform members of the public that the chairperson of the commission, Chigumba, does not have a twitter account,” Zec acting chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said.

“The purported account on Twitter attributed to her is fake and a fraudulent creation of unscrupulous elements meant to mislead the public. Zec urges the public to disregard any statements posted on the fake Twitter account.”

Below is one of the controversial messages sent on the Twitter account:

Some critics have attributed the Twitter Account to journalist Edmund Kudzayi who has of late been on Chigumba’s case exposing some very personal information about the ZEC Chairperson.

By Paul Nyathi|About twelve illegal gold miners are feared dead after a mine shaft collapsed at Eldorado Mine in Chinhoyi.

Details on the incident are still sketchy though ZimEye.com is reliably informed that the mine collapsed late last night and reports were only made to the police hours after.

The mine has been under a heavy ownership dispute which has seen police intervene in the activities at the mine several times.

Police In Chinhoyi indicated that investigations on the matter are still underway and details will be made available as the investigations progresses.

More to follow…

THE Officer-in-Charge of Plumtree Police Station, Inspector Ginger Vhiyano and six of his subordinates on Monday appeared in court in connection with the theft of nearly $1 million worth of gold which was being kept as an exhibit at the police station.

Inspector Vhiyano, Detective Assistant Inspector Luduscious Tinacho, Constables Dingimuzi Ncube, Ndabezitha Ncube, Tyson Ruvhando and Godfrey Makuwaza were not formally charged with theft when they appeared before Plumtree resident magistrate, Miss Sharon Rosemani.

They were all remanded in custody to September 3.

The prosecutor in charge of Plumtree, Stanley Chinyang’anya, told the court that detectives from the Minerals and Border Control Unit arrested a suspect who was trying to smuggle 28 kilogrammes of gold through the Plumtree Border Post into Botswana.

They then took the gold worth $970 000 as an exhibit and locked it at the police station’s armoury for safekeeping.

The seven allegedly hatched a plan to steal the gold and two FN rifles.

The offence came to light on July 15 when Chief Inspector Mangena, who was reporting for duty, noticed that two FN rifles which were booked in the charge office were not physically there in the armoury.

She inquired from Chief Inspector Munasireyi whether he had seen the rifles and he advised her to ask Insp Vhiyano, who had gone on vacation.

Chief Insp Munasireyi went to the armoury and discovered a key inserted in the key hole.

This was witnessed by Chief Insp Mangena and Sergeant Major Shumba who tried to remove it.

Sgt Maj Shumba, who had knowledge of the gold exhibit in the armoury, went in to check and found it missing.

Chief Insp Munasireyi reported the guns and gold missing.

Investigations led to the arrest of Constable Ncube who was allegedly sold out by a prophet whom he had consulted to evade arrest and paid him with gold.

Cst Ncube had allegedly used some of the proceeds to buy vehicles.

On his arrest, he implicated the other six including Insp Vhiyano leading to their arrest.

State media

At least 10 farms here have been quarantined amid fears of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, with preliminary cases picked at three farms.

The move seeks to curb the spread of the highly contagious livestock disease which can wipe out entire herds.

The Department of Livestock and Veterinary Services in Makonde District has issued quarantine orders to 10 farmers surrounding the epicentre of the outbreak.

In a letter addressed to livestock holders, the department confirmed quarantining 10 farms until finalisation of investigations.
Reads the letter from the department: “In terms of Section 21, sub-section (4), paragraph (a) of the Animal Health Act 1970, you are hereby notified that suspected FMD cases have been detected at Chapman, Cecilmour and Takoma farms.

“Subsequently, these mentioned farms and following adjacent farms have been placed under quarantine until further notice.”

The department has also suspended the movement of cattle within Makonde District and outside.

Other affected farms include Rukute, Petroswil, Wildene, Rosetta, Glen Louie, Kentucky and Chenene.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a veterinary services officer in the area said the department had taken the measures as a way of stopping the spread of the FMD disease.

“Currently, samples are being analysed to assess if the threat is really FMD,” he said.

“Although we have not yet confirmed the disease, as veterinary services, we take it upon ourselves to do whatever it takes to stop the spread of the disease.”

Makonde District animal health inspector Dr Jephat Ngondonga said he had not received any report from their Mhangura offices.

Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious disease found in cattle and buffaloes.

Clinical signs of the FMD include temperature rises, blisters containing fluid developing between the jaws and hooves.

The suspected outbreak comes at a time when another outbreak of Theileriosis, commonly known as January disease has resurfaced in some parts of the country.

Government recently confirmed the resurfacing of the cattle disease.

The accident occurred after a Harare-bound Hyundai Tucson with four passengers encroached onto the opposite lane and collided head on with a Mercedes Benz.

Police said two passengers died on admission at Driefontein Mission Hospital in Mvuma.

Chief national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident in a statement today. – state media

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

Justice Priscilla Chigumba can never be trusted, ever again, because she lied through her teeth that her voters roll was free of duplicate entries and deceased people.

A month and a half before elections in June, Chigumba came on LIVE camera and proclaimed that she now had a voters roll which is clean of duplicates and deceased, something ZimEye still queried because a biometric voter registration database can never handle duplicate primary key(data entries.)

Notwithstanding, the election watchdog, Pachedu, writes saying that Chigumba is totally and completely unreliable as a witness for anything. FULL TEXT:

The ONLY reason we should NEVER believe our @ZECzim Chairperson: She LIED about the state of the FINAL FINAL voters' roll by professing that there were NO deceased and duplicate entries, as much as she now denies EVERY allegation raised in the @nelsonchamisa's petition!@ZECzim pic.twitter.com/ymbhlUZFq1

— Team Pachedu (@PacheduZW) August 19, 2018

VIDEO LOADING BELOW…

Paul NyathiPresident Emmerson Mnangagwa has given the Zimbabwean ‘A’ level student who scooped the 2nd prize in the SADC essay competition an additional US$2000 on top of the US$1000 that she was awarded by the regional block.

Primrose Thandeka Tshuma, an Upper 6 student at John Tallach High School in Matabeleland province, was handed over the money in cash by President Mnangagwa at State House this Monday morning.

Handing over the monetary prize, President Mnangagwa commended Primrose for raising the country’s flag high.

Mnangagwa expressed pride at the young girl’s achievement. Said Mnangagwa on his official Facebook page:

“Today, I congratulated Zimbabwean pupil, Primrose Thandeka Tshuma of John Tallach High School in Matabeleland North, who won second prize in the SADC Essay Competition. I personally had the pleasure to honour her with a presidential gift for her efforts.

We are all proud of you Primrose!”

Primrose was accompanied to the presentation by the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Mrs Sylvia Utete Masango and her teacher Mrs Thabani Mabhena.

Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga also attended the ceremony.

MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has rejected Zanu-PF’s suggestion for a vote recount saying the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has tempered with the ballot boxes.

This comes after Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana and head of the party’s legal team said the petition filed by the MDC Alliance lacked merit because they failed to ask for a recount in time.

“It is based on some theoretical calculations by some statistician whose qualification we doubt a lot. The elections are not won in court but in the ballot. They have not even asked for the ballot boxes to be re-opened and recounted. The election material is there for everyone to see,” Mangwana said last week.

In his answering affidavit, Chamisa said there was interference with the ballot box and the V11 forms.

“For reasons that are not difficult to understand, first respondent would rather I asked for a recount. I do not need a recount and cannot ask for one. I cannot drink from a poisoned chalice.

“I have placed before the court evidence which has not been refuted showing interference with both the ballot box and the V11 forms. In characteristic fashion, first respondent chooses not to deal with such evidence.”

According to section 67 A (1) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) “(1) Within forty-eight hours after a constituency elections officer has declared a candidate to be duly-elected in terms of Section 66 (1), any political party or candidate that contested the election in the ward or constituency concerned may request the Commission to conduct a recount of votes in one or more of the polling stations in the ward or constituency.”

Chamisa claimed to have won the election with 60 percent and that Mnangagwa failed to garner enough votes for him to be declared the winner.

He is seeking an order for him to be declared the winner of the July 30 presidential election, failure of which he is seeking an alternative order for a fresh election to be conducted.

Mnangagwa on the other hand is claiming that he won the election and that Zec was correct in declaring him the winner. Mnangagwa asked for the Con-Court to dismiss Chamisa’s application with costs.

But Chamisa, through his legal team headed by Thabani Mpofu, said the evidence is too overwhelming for the court to ignore his arguments.

Daily News

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to accept defeat in the just ended harmonised elections.

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

Chamisa, who is challenging the Presidential election results in the Constitutional Court, claims the election was rigged in favour of Mnangagwa who was declared the winner by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

Addressing the media Chamisa said he is ready to assume the Presidential office as soon as the matter is settled.

“People voted, they overwhelmingly voted for change, they voted for this candidate and this candidate is ready to assume office at the appropriate time.

“Mr Mnangagwa (Emmerson) was defeated and as I will indicate we urge him to accept that defeat and to be honourable enough, patriotic enough, humble enough, revolutionary enough, to accept the will of the people,” he said.

Chamisa added that they have overwhelming evidence to show that the election was rigged courtesy of their anti-rigging unit that was employed during the election.

“We had the safeguard that is why we want the court to declare, we have the evidence we did put in place the anti-rigging unit that is why we know the actual results and that’s why we know where they have cheated.

“And that is why Chigumba is in sixes and sevens on this issue, that is why they continue to revise Mr Mnangagwa’s figures downwards and we don’t know where they are going to stop.

“So we won this election, it’s not an easy thing for us to garner the millions of votes that we have garnered. And Mr Mnangagwa’s millions are actually fiction, some are engineered, some produced on his behalf, declared on his behalf, some are forced in terms of assisted voters, some are command votes where they had to commandeer people to vote for them and some they have multiplied,” he said.

The Constitutional Court is scheduled to sit this coming Wednesday (22 August) to hear the Chamisa’s petition in a case that is also going to put the independence of the judiciary system to test.

Chamisa’s legal team which he has branded the A-legal team is composed of both locals and regional legal minds, including those used by the late South African iconic President Nelson Mandela.

Open Parly

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been further exposed for not conducting a verification process. ZEC instead issued an “invitation to witness the verification by ZEC itself!,” says Build Zimbabwe Alliance’s Noah Manyika.

“The impression created by ZEC was that each presidential candidate or his representative would verify the results. Please note that the invitation was not to verify, but to witness the verification by ZEC itself! There is a world of difference between the two, ” adds Manyika

FULL STATEMENT:

After announcing the results of the parliamentary elections, the ZEC Chair Priscilla Chigumba told the nation that she had come ready to also announce the presidential results but had been alerted by a colleague that there was a legal requirement for all the presidential candidates or their agents to verify them before they were announced. The impression created was that it was the candidates or their reps who were holding up the announcement. The second impression was that when she would eventually announce the results, every candidate would have verified them as being true and accurate. Note the following: the invitation in the letter dated August 1 was not to verify, but to witness the verification by ZEC itself! There is a world of difference between the two. No candidate or rep was invited to verify, so no verification occurred. Upon arrival at the HICC, our own reps were told that they had misunderstood the Chair, and that the results were in fact still coming in, and that they were just being invited to see that there were people in the collation room working on them.

Statement by MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa on the upcoming Presidential election petition hearing

Fellow Zimbabweans, I am deeply touched and encouraged by the tremendous support we continue to receive from the four corners of the country, the continent and the world at large.

I fully understand the anxiety of the nation around the upcoming Court Case where we are challenging the subversion of the will of the people by ZEC in cahoots with some rogue elements in our state institutions.

I would like to guarantee you that we have put up a very strong case to overturn the electoral fraud.

I have put together an A-team of experienced, tried and tested legal experts drawn from the best minds in the region and in the country. These are led by our finest and very best legal minds. This team has been working tirelessly to protect your victory. I have confidence in them and in their assurances.

We will together as a nation agree on a working programme for the total fulfilment of our vote.

We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated by anyone from anywhere. We are the masters of our own destiny. We are our own liberators.

Without change we will fall back again into intolerable poverty and suffering for the next five years. Even in that case, if we don’t do it now, there is no guarantee that if we win again in 2023 those that are seeking to subvert your will are not planning to do it again.
In the interest of our country, its people and the economy, ZEC must accept that it has played a divisive role in our politics. What was a clear and unambiguous victory has been muddied by partisan individuals in ZEC. I say to those in ZEC who were used as trojan horses, your country is aware of the pressure you were put under. You now have to help our country move beyond the crisis caused by the current leadership’s connivance with Zanu PF elements.

For peace and progress in our region, I would like to encourage outgoing President Mnangagwa to note that the ZEC-led rigging scheme has failed. It is now imperative on him to take this opportunity and act as a Stateman. He needs to accept electoral defeat, concede and allow our country to move forward.

This idea that African strongman never want to leave power after an election must stop. President Mnangagwa will join a growing but still small number of African politicians who put their country ahead of power. He must take this opportunity to negotiate a respectable exit and leave peacefully. An unnecessary and protracted battle will not benefit Zanu PF in the medium to long term.

To the international community, the road to the future of Zimbabwe, the rule of law, good governance and observance of human rights passes through a fresh pair of hands and genuinely alternative politics.

To SADC our regional guarantor of peace, prosperity and progress, it is important to build towards a peaceful Zimbabwe.

To all the hopeful Zimbabweans, I say to you, the future is yours and you must always be mindful that no amount of intimidation or harassment must be given a chance to stop democracy. Zimbabweans are a heroic people, we have overcome many trials and tribulations. We will not be defeated by enemies of progress. This country is far too important to give up on. Our future depends on us and the choices we make at this time.

Do not be discouraged by naysayers. Change is indeed coming and stay ready to celebrate. Yes it has taken too long and the process has been frustrating for you, but we must remain strong and focused on our victory.

Above all we must commit our nation and this whole week to God the Almighty in prayer.

I thank you

Harare Polytechnic is expected to start offering a Mass Communication and Media Technologies degree soon, with college principal Dr Engineer Tafadzwa Mudondo confirming the development last week.

In an interview with state media, Eng Mudondo said they had been working hard to ensure the polytechnic college offered the degree.

“We have been working behind the scenes,” he said. “In my past three graduation reports, I have been talking about mass communication.

“We finally got a reprieve from ZIMCHE (Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education). We now have an authority from them to run Mass Communication and Media Technologies.”

Eng Mudondo said the institution was now waiting for approval from relevant authorities.

“What is only left, which we were given as a condition, was to employ two or three specialised lecturers which I have since submitted to our head office that we need to employ these lecturers so that we can kick-start the programme,” he said.

“But anytime from now, the moment we get the green light to employ, then it means that the programme is going to start.”

Eng Mudondo said he was happy that the polytechnic had been successfully running a Bachelor of Technology (Honours) in Applied Chemical Technology degree since 2005.

As part of its expansion plans the institution intends to add other programmes like Irrigation Engineering.

“There are other programmes which we would also like to run like Irrigation Engineering. We are still discussing the regulation, the curriculum. We are hoping that very soon we will be able to conclude and be granted those programmes,” said Eng Mudondo.

Harare Polytechnic was established in 1919 with a single department and now boasts 15 departments.

State Media

VIDEO LOADING BELOW

POLICE in Matabeleland South have arrested a suspect who broke into a 98-year-old granny’s bedroom hut and raped her in Kezi.

Police said the suspect aged 24, whose name has been withdrawn to protect the identity of the old woman as they are related, broke into the victim’s bedroom hut at around midnight last week on Monday and threatened to kill her before raping her once and fleeing into darkness.

The old woman and suspect lived alone at the homestead.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele said they had arrested the suspect.

“Yes, the suspected has been arrested and has appeared in court so I can’t comment further,” he said.

Chief Nyangazonke said last week on Wednesday he held a meeting over the matter.

“I held a traditional court on Wednesday for this case and I was most disappointed to discover that family had known who the suspect was from day one but had decided to conceal the matter. Gone are the days of protecting criminals simply because they are family. I want justice to take its course,” he said.

“During the hearing, it was then revealed that the suspect, who is in police custody, wore plastic bags on his feet before he crawled into the old woman’s bedroom hut, as a way to hide foot prints. He had it all planned and seemingly had his whole time to prepare to commit the crime.”

Chief Nyangazonke blamed drug and alcohol abuse for the increase in cases of youths raping women, especially relatives.

“Parents open doors as late as midnight for their children who are youths who will be coming from beer drinking and expect them to respect them. I urge parents and guardians to revert to old cultural values in raising children and teach them to respect their elders,” he said.

The chief also urged members of the public never to conceal crime or to protect criminals in their communities.

“We also advise people never to let elderly people stay alone, especially at that age. The elderly are as good as children who need to be looked after and certainly letting a 98-year-old person stay alone is putting them at risk as they have no strength to fight and protect themselves,” he said.

State media

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders that he was “elected cleanly” in the recently ended elections.

Mnangagwa said this during his address to Heads of State and Government at the 38th SADC summit meeting in Windhoek, Namibia last week.

“All political parties were free to campaign in all parts of the country however they saw fit.

“This saw an unprecedented number of people freely exercising their democratic right to elect leaders of their choice in the spirit of transparency and openness.

“Our elections were held in the full glare of a broader spectrum of international observers and global media,” Mnangagwa said.

Mnangagwa said this as the Constitutional Court was considering an appeal by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party alleging that the election was rigged in favour of him.

The MDC has accused the ruling Zanu-PF and the election commission of ballot fraud in the July 30 vote, Zimbabwe’s first poll since the ousting of Robert Mugabe in November, said an AFP report.

Mnangagwa narrowly won the presidential race with 50.8% of the vote – just enough to avoid a run-off against the MDC’s Nelson Chamisa, who scored 44.3%.

The state-owned Herald newspaper on Saturday quoted Mnangagwa as telling the SADC summit that the elections represented “maturing entrenchment of democratic traditions and values in Zimbabwe”.

Mnangagwa said the focus was now on revamping the economy and uplifting the people’s standard of life.

Mnangagwa said he was humbled by the support Zimbabweans entrusted in him through the ballot.

“I am deeply humbled and honoured by the show of confidence in me and the mandate conferred on my party Zanu-PF,” he was quoted as saying.

News24

Parties to the election petition by MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa will today meet at the Constitutional Court Registry office to consolidate the record in preparation for the hearing of the challenge on Wednesday.

Chamisa, claims the election was rigged.

He accuses the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of conniving with Zanu-PF to rig the election in favour of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mnangagwa was declared winner of the election with 50,8 percent of the total vote against Mr Chamisa who got 44,3 percent.

The meeting will be held in compliance with an order issued last week by Chief Justice Luke Malaba at a case management meeting held in his chambers.

Part of the court order reads:

“By consent, it is ordered that consolidation of the record is to be attended to by the Registrar at 11am on Monday 20 August, 2018.

“All parties are expected to attend.”

Today’s meeting will be held after the filing of all the necessary court papers for the challenge to ensure the record will be in order.

In terms of the Chief Justice’s order of last week, Mnangagwa must file his head today at 10am.

Chamisa filed his heads of argument and answering affidavit on Saturday beating the court’s noon deadline.

In the petition, Chamisa alleges electoral fraud and malpractices during the elections in which Zanu-pf romped to victory, claiming two-thirds parliamentary majority, with President Mnangagwa taking a 6,5 percent lead.

Mnangagwa along with the other 21 losing presidential candidates and ZEC were all cited as respondents in the high-profile petition. In his response filed last Wednesday, President Mnangagwa argued that there was no valid election petition challenging his victory. He raised several preliminary objections to the petition.

State Media

OPPOSITION MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday ordered his political nemesis President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa to do the “most gracious and revolutionary thing” by conceding defeat and start negotiating his retirement package before Wednesday to avoid humiliation at the Constitutional Court (ConCourt).

Chamisa said that it was clear from responses by Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) that their defence was weak, adding that he was confident the ConCourt would rule in his favour when the matter goes for hearing on Wednesday.

“In fact, the people have spoken and it is only counter revolutionary to disregard the will of the people,” Chamisa said.

“He knows he lost and he should do the honourable thing; concede defeat. He and (Vice-President Constantino) Chiwenga should start negotiating their retirement packages and allow the people to move on.”

But Justice minister and Mnangagwa’s chief election agent, Ziyambi Ziyambi, challenged the youthful opposition eader to “keep his confidence for Wednesday”.

“The matter is going to court. Do you need comment from outside the court? Chamisa should keep his confidence for Wednesday,” he said.

Chamisa is challenging Mnangagwa’s slim 50,8% win in the July 30 polls, where he garnered 44,3% of the vote in initial results declared by Zec before slashing the Zanu PF leader’s margin to 58,6% following the opposition party’s petition.

The ConCourt will on Wednesday hear the matter in which Chamisa is seeking to overturn Mnangagwa’s electoral victory in the watershed July 30 polls.

The case will, for the first time in the history of Zimbabwe, be televised live.

In his heads of argument filed on Saturday, Chamisa said Zec had failed to explain Mnangagwa’s vote tally, claiming the Zanu PF leader was a beneficiary of 70 000 illegal votes “engineered” by Zec to avoid a run-off election.

He claimed the number of votes cast in the presidential election did not square up with the voter turnout claimed by the Zec.

He said the number of votes cast for the presidential election exceeded the number of votes cast for each parliamentary election, according to Zec’s figures and the discrepancy was not explained.

Chamisa, whose legal team is led by Advocate Thabani Mpofu and also includes South Africa’s advocates Dali Mpofu and Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, also claimed some polling stations had more votes recorded than the registered voters, while at others, the voters exceeded the threshold of 1 000 and again there was no explanation by Zec.

Mnangagwa is due to file his heads of argument today.

The Zanu PF leader has insisted he won in a free and fair poll and accused his rival of political grandstanding.

Mnangagwa claims Chamisa’s court case is flimsy.

Advocate Lewis Uriri leads Mnangagwa’s defence team made up of a dozen lawyers, who include Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and party legal secretary Paul Mangwana.

Chamisa said he had noted the caution and circumspect position taken by Sadc in its communique of the just-ended Summit when it congratulated Angolan President João Lourenço on his victory in the August 23, 2017 elections, but withheld congratulations on Mnangagwa.

“Sadc congratulated Angola’s President and withheld congratulating Zanu PF and Mnangagwa because they know very well that he did not win,” he said.

“They knew he was defeated and that is why they encouraged Zimbabwe to complete the court process.”

Chamisa said it was also a fallacy that Zanu PF garnered a two-thirds parliamentary majority because most seats were being challenged, especially in rural areas where alleged electoral malpractices, including voter intimidation and fictitious assisted voters, were rampant.

NewsDay

High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese has blocked Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga and a Chief Superintendent Nyapfuri from setting a board of inquiry to probe a junior cop, Vusumuzi Ncube, facing charges of fraud and misconduct.

Ncube had filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court on August 18, citing Matanga and Nyapfuri as respondents seeking to bar them from conducting the inquiry.

In his founding affidavit Ncube, who has been with the police for four years, submitted that on March 17, 2017 he appeared before a police disciplinary hearing officer, one Superintendent Musemwa of ZRP Hwange station, charged with contravening paragraph 34 of the schedule to the Police Act Chapter 11:10.

“I was duly convicted on May 11 2017 and was fined $10. I filed an appeal with the 1st respondent (Matanga). First respondent set aside my conviction and acquitted me on September 13, 2017 being the convening order,” part of Ncube’s paper read.

“However, on May 2, 2018 I was convicted by the magistrates’ court sitting at Hwange of contravening 136 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 based on the same circumstances.

“I filed my notice of appeal with the court and the appeal is pending — being the notice and grounds of appeal.”

Ncube said he had been served with a notice to appear before a board of inquiry based on his conviction in the magistrates’ court set for August 15, 2018 — having been postponed from the initial date of July 19, 2018 notwithstanding that his appeal at the High Court is still pending.

“Should the board of inquiry proceed, which as stated is unlawful, I may be irreparably prejudiced as I might lose my job,” he submitted.

“Wherefore I pray for an interdict, interdicting the second respondent from convening a board of inquiry on suitability before my appeal is heard.”

In his ruling, Justice Makonese said: “The 1st respondent (Matanga) be and is hereby interdicted from convening a board of inquiry in respect of the suitability of the applicant pending finalisation of applicant’s appeal under case number HCA59/18.”

At the magistrate’s court, Ncube was accused of fraud in which it is alleged that on March 13, 2017, together with his six accomplices deployed at Cross Mabale along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road for traffic enforcement duties, a member of the team arrested Soren Lindstrom, a tourist at Hwange National Park Lodge who was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser with Botswana number plates, whom they charged for having no lock nuts.

They allegedly charged him $40, but receipted only $10 on the top copy they retained as proof of payment. Lindstrom was later tipped by an official at a lodge that the fine of $40 was illegal and he confronted the police officers, who in turn asked for the copy they gave him before one of them chewed it to destroy the evidence.

A report made to police, led to Ncube’s arrest.

NewsDay

Media Statement|The Zimbabwean judiciary must swear in Nelson Chamisa as President of Zimbabwe with immediate effect or call for peaceful, free, fair, credible and international conducted re-run of the Presidential election.

The alteration of figures by ZEC reveal that the Presidential figures were tempered with in favour of the outgoing President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

We are not going to accept Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s President because it is clear that he didn’t win the elections.

It is therefore prudent to declare and swear in Nelson Chamisa as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader. The second option is to set aside the fraudulent result and re-run the Presidential election altogether.

We urge the people of Zimbabwe to remain on high alert as we move to defend the people’s choice.

Do not be intimidated. They will not dare shoot anyone again. They are hoping to rely on the fear they instilled when they shot ten people dead on the 1st of August 2018.

We are winning already. They’re exposing themselves and their lies and pilfrage are falling apart. We all need to play our part as citizens and as a movement.

We are the custodian of our own votes. We are our own voices. We together and collectively have the power to take our Mnangagwa and his gang of criminals.

They’re in the minority. They don’t control the army. They’re actually more scared of us than we know it, hence the shootings. They’re weak and defeated. They’re actually praying that we don’t do anything. The moment we start to act together as citizens in pursuit of our vote they will only have but only one option-to run, and run they will!

We are going to keep you updated on a daily basis. We are winning we are winning we are winning. Let us not give up or yield of to their empty threats. The real Zimbabwe National Army is not on their side NOT to mention the police, CIO and other security organs. They’re all on the side of the people. They waiting counting and hoping on you and me to take the first step. Let us remain vigilant and mobilised. We shall be informing you of the next course of action.

Mnangagwa lost the Presidential election. He must concede and step down. If not there must be re-run of the Presidential elections that is peaceful, free, fair, credible and internationally supervised.

#tajamuka

A nineteen year old teenager from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly killing his mother and keeping the body in the house for two days after she failed to repay 50 cents he had given her.

Tinashe Tidziwani attacked his mother Regina Tidziwani (59) and when he discovered that she had died he locked the house and went away.

The young man, who lived at home with his mother went to his uncle’s home the following day after committing the murder and informed him that he had injured his mother but did not say she had died.

The uncle sent the woman’s daughter-in-law to go and check her on Friday, only for her to discover that she was dead.

Police said the body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post mortem there were signs that the deceased bled from the mouth and nose after being attacked at around 8PM last Wednesday.

Bulawayo Metropolitan Province acting police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the man was arrested on Friday after the discovery of the body.

“I can confirm we received a report of a 19-year- old man from Bulawayo who allegedly assaulted his mother, resulting in her death. He attacked her with fists and kicked her several times until a neighbour came to her rescue.

“We suspect she may have died on the very night and the body showed she bled from the mouth and nose. The now deceased’s daughter-in-law who had come to visit discovered the body in her bedroom and she informed neighbours who told her about the attack two days earlier,” he said.

Inspector Ncube said police launched a manhunt for the suspect who was not home when the body was discovered and arrested him.

“He is in custody and is assisting police with investigations. He will appear in court soon,” said the police spokesperson.

“We also warn youths to refrain from drug and alcohol abuse because no-one in his proper senseS can attack anyone over 50 cents.”

A neighbour who preferred anonymity said it was not the first time that Tinashe had attacked his mother.

The neighbour said when he fatally attacked his mother, the man was drunk.

“It’s not the first time the young man attacked his mother but we never expected it to result in death. Last Wednesday, one neighbour rushed to her rescue after hearing her screams for help.

“The neighbour said Tinashe beat his mother like he was possessed, punching and kicking her as she groaned in pain on the floor in her bedroom.

“He stormed out of the house and probably went to his favourite spot at the local shopping centre. We think the woman bled to death that very night but Tinashe decided to keep it secret until luckily the now deceased’s daughter in-law came,” said the neighbour.

State media