VICE-President Constantino Chiwenga yesterday promised residents of Harare’s oldest suburb modern apartments with swimming pools as Zanu PF stepped up its campaign to wrestle control of the capital from the opposition.

Chiwenga told a campaign rally in Mbare that the dilapidated hostels in the poor neighbourhood would be transformed after the elections.

Zanu PF supporters, who first fought for T-shirts before Chiwenga arrived, cheered as the VP also promised that the entire infrastructure in Mbare would be modernised.

He said those that had relocated to affluent suburbs like Borrowdale would flock back to Mbare.

“We have a comprehensive master plan for the home industries and the Mbare hostels to the extent that wherever we reconstruct a block of flats, there will be swimming pools for children and kindergartens,” Chiwenga said.
“Mbare will be the first place that we are going to develop in Harare, and those that had relocated to Borrowdale and Mount Pleasant will come back to Mbare.”

Chiwenga blamed the MDC-T-run council for the poor state of Mbare. He said residents were staying in dilapidated buildings with broken windows, potholed roads, and dirty surroundings with uncollected litter because of the incompetence of the council.

“The [Zanu PF] Mbare National Assembly candidate Tendai Savanhu asked if I was aware of the conditions at the hostels and I told him that I have visited the place in disguise,” he claimed.

“After noticing the poor living conditions, we then came up with the master plan for Mbare and Harare.

“There are serious health issues like cholera and typhoid because of the MDC-T-led council.
“The water pipes and sewer reticulation systems are archaic and they failed to replace them.” -Standard

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s handling of the July 30 presidential, parliamentary and local government elections came under sharp scrutiny last week after the opposition MDC Alliance claimed to have discovered police officers clandestinely voting at a camp in Bulawayo.

ZEC acting chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana sparked controversy when he told the state-controlled Herald’s online edition reports of postal voting being undertaken at Ross Camp were “hogwash”.

The story was later removed from the publication’s website after police confirmed that voting was underway.

However, Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba insisted that nothing untoward happened at Ross Camp.

Chigumba (PC) told Standard Newdpaper senior reporter Xolisani Ncube (XN) that her commission would not investigate the allegations that police officers were forced to cast their ballots in front of their commanders because no one had lodged a complaint.

She also argued that her critics were raising “sensationalised allegations and extra-judicial requests presented as legal rights contrary to the legal framework that governs elections”.

Below are excerpts from the interview.

XN: Last Thursday there was confusion after Zec acting chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana issued a statement denying that postal voting was underway while police confirmed that officers were voting at Ross Camp in Bulawayo. What caused this confusion if Zec is solely in charge of the process?

PC: The acting chief elections officer did not deny that postal voting was underway, but denied that the commission had set up polling stations for that purpose.

The law does not envisage the setting-up of polling stations for postal voting, but that applicants exercise their right in secrecy before sealing their ballots in provided envelopes and returning same to the chief elections officer by a prescribed date.

The true version of his response is as in the Herald of July 13, 2018.

XN: Why was the postal voting process not advertised like in previous elections?

PC: There is no provision in the law that requires the commission to publish the postal voting process and the commission has placed all issues to do with the postal voting process in the public domain through disclosure of entities and statistics of those who were participating to all stakeholders.

XN: Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Senegal Trudy Stevenson tweeted last week that her embassy had not received postal ballots. What assurances can you give that Zec is abiding by the law in handling the postal votes?

PC: As far as Zec is concerned, it has despatched the postal ballots for successful applicants to the relevant ministry and it is now up to the ministry to forward the same for them to exercise their right.

It is also incumbent upon the ministry to meet the deadlines set by the law.

XN: There are videos circulating on social media showing police officers voting in front of their superiors. Is that how the voting process is supposed to be handled? Is Zec going to investigate claims by some police officers that they were forced to vote under the watch of their superiors?

PC: The videos have already been dismissed as fake by the police and this information was also given to observers by Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza during the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s briefing to local and international observers on its state of preparedness.

No official complaint has also been received from aggrieved persons to date and, therefore, there is nothing to investigate at this moment.

XN: How many ballots have you despatched through the postal voting system and what measures are in place to ensure the system is not manipulated?

PC: The commission received a total of 7 646 applications for postal voting. Out of that figure, 185 were disqualified for the reason of not being on the voters roll.

The commission is, therefore, processing a total of 7 461 successful applications.

The information on the postal ballot processing is available for the public to inspect and verify, so the issue of manipulation does not arise.

XN: What is your reaction to allegations that the presidential election ballot paper has been designed to favour President Emmerson Mnangagwa?

PC: The allegations are regrettable and the commission, as already explained to stakeholders including observers, it did consider all options in coming up with the design of the ballot paper.

The proposed one column design by a concerned stakeholder would have resulted in a long ballot paper of A3 plus in size and required double the amount of paper.

It would also have been difficult for the folded ballot paper to fit in the aperture of the ballot box because of its small size.

Further, that would have meant more ballot boxes would fill up quickly leading to more being required for procurement.

The cost-benefit analysis revealed that the option would have required not only an increase in ballot paper, but also an increase in the production time plus number of ballot boxes to be procured.

The two-column design is the design that has been adopted by the commission for all ballot papers with candidates in excess of 14 people regardless of the type of election, using its discretion after weighing the available options.

The candidates’ names will still retain the alphabetical order of surnames as provided for in section 3 (11) (b) (i) of the Electoral Regulations SI21 of 2005.

However, stakeholders are reminded that issues to do with the design and printing of ballot paper remain the exclusive right of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in terms of Section 239 (g) of the constitution of Zimbabwe.

XN: Why is Zec refusing to accede to demands by the opposition to inspect the ballot paper printing process?

PC: This is not a legal requirement and Zec in attempting to build consensus invited political parties to observe the printing of the ballot on the 12th of June 2018, but which gesture was abandoned following unlawful and unreasonable demands by some stakeholders on the process.

However, interested stakeholders were provided with the sample ballot paper for them to assess the quality and for comparison on election day if they had doubts.

XN: Do you think Zimbabweans still have confidence in Zec following last week’s incidents that included a massive demonstration against the way you are handling the pre-election period?

PC: That the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission may not know, but it is convinced that it has not broken any law.

Moreover, the demonstration and complaints were from a single stakeholder to the electoral process.

XN: Independent observers have been picking serious mistakes on the voters roll since it was made public. What assurance can you give Zimbabweans that these are genuine mistakes and not deliberate attempts to rig the elections?

PC: The problem has been that the media has also failed to uphold the right to reply.

It has gone on to publish falsehoods using sensationalised headlines without seeking the view or explanation of the commission on issues raised on the voters roll.

However, the commission has already issued public notices in the print media explaining some of the misrepresentations made.

The voters roll produced by the commission is a good product owing to the technology used to weed out duplicates and to avoid doubling registration.

XN: What is Zec doing to regain public trust that it will be impartial in running the elections?

PC: The commission will continue adhering to the law and providing the electorate with the correct information through its voter education programmes and responses to issues raised.

XN: What is your reaction to reports that there are polling stations with only two voters?

PC: That is also false. The commission has since published the polling stations for the forthcoming elections.

There was confusion by stakeholders between registration/inspection centres and polling stations.

XN: What are some of the challenges you have encountered since your appointment as Zec chairperson and did you anticipate them prior to accepting the appointment?

PC: The challenges are dealing with sensationalised allegations and extra-judicial requests presented as legal rights contrary to the legal framework that governs elections.

Yes, I did anticipate them because Zimbabwe is a country under transition and some habits by stakeholders will need time for stakeholders to discard them.

The Standard.

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has revealed that following threats against its staff by opposition political parties, the elections body has lodged formal reports to the Zimbabwe Republic Police to ensure the security of its staff.

ZEC deputy chair Commissioner Emmanuel Magade said this during a meeting with election observers in Harare recently.

Said Commissioner Magade:

“I can confirm that threats have been issued to ZEC staff, some of it is captured on camera.

Some unkind and uncharitable things have been said about us. We find it totally, totally dispeakable and unconscionable and deplorable.

What we have done as law-abiding citizens is to refer those threats to the police and other law enforcement agencies.”

He refuted allegations that ZEC was a biased umpire in the Electoral process arguing that contrary to this belief, the elections body was conducting itself professionally without bias.

“Our wish and our ambition is that we should have an incident-free election. It is very regrettable that people like us who are supposed to be neutral umpires (are subjected to this).

We are not in the hands of anybody. We are not in the pockets of anybody; we belong to the people of Zimbabwe. So please help us to make the process straightforward and something that we can all be proud of.

Come July 30, we want to come up with a product that is fit for the purpose. These threats will not deter us in our endeavor to deliver free, verifiable and credible elections and once again I find the threats totally deplorable and in fact diabolical,” he said.

Opposition MDC Alliance, a coalition of 7 political parties last week marched to the ZEC and handed a petition with a raft of demands some of which included that ZEC should allow political parties to view the printing of the ballot papers, that ZEC avails an auditable voters roll with pictures and that the organisation should conduct itself professionally.

However, the MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa and other top stalwarts could not hand over their petition as the ZEC Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba was nowhere to be found.

MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has now publicly disowned the MDC-T name saying his party would not be using the name ever again.

Addressing thousands of party supporters at Mutasa on Saturday , Chamisa warned his supporters not to be confused by the name and symbols on the ballot paper saying that his party had dumped the name which is being used by a rival Thokozani Khupe MDC faction in the election.

It is unclear what name Chamisa’s party will adopt after the election.

“Be careful during voting, there is now an MDC tsotsi (crook) which is using the MDC-T symbols. It now stands for MDC tsotsi… MDC thokoloshi…We will never use this name again,” Chamisa said.

The name previously referred to MDC Tsvangirai after the iconic late founding MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai. It was adopted in the run up to the 2008 elections after the party split in 2005.

Turning to the ongoing storm over postal ballots, Chamisa said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) had completely lost credibility in delivering a free and fair election.

He said the MDC Alliance will be pushing for Zec’s suspension from conducting the elections.

“We failed to agree with Zec and we now want Zec to be excused and have another body to referee the election,” Chamisa said,  adding he would take the grievance to regional and international bodies like (Southern Africa Development Committee) Sadc and African Union (AU).

He said it was embarrassing that the country was still bickering over electoral rights four decades after independence which should have brought full voting rights to Zimbabweans.

“What did (Josiah) Tongogara and (Herbert) Chitepo die for when we are still arguing over a vote? …it means someone slept on duty. It means Zanu-PF only took over the position that was previously occupied by the Rhodesian Front without any reforms,” Chamisa charged.

He said rigging was going to be difficult for Zanu-PF in this election as he was being alerted of  any suspicious manoeuvres to subvert the electoral process.

Among the problems they are having with Zec is its alleged failure to order ZBC to report impartially.

“Our other problem is Zec’s failure to rein-in ZBC. We are concerned because it remains so partisan. It even acts on behalf of Zanu-PF. We are concerned at the direction it is on. It’s a public broadcaster but reports like it belongs to Zanu-PF,” Chamisa said, before threatening legal action on it to ensure that it reports impartially.

“We want to task, even taking them to court,” Chamisa said.

Daily News

A commissioner with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), Mrs Netsai Mushonga, has reported death threats received on social media to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), saying she takes them very seriously.

Commissioner Mushonga, who has a strong presence on Twitter, has been using her social media account to post updates on election-related issues. However, last week she received a message from what appeared to be an anonymous Twitter account under the name Solomon Rex Nhongo Mujuru, threatening to shoot her.

“I have reported to the police the case of someone who threatened to shoot me. There are other cases of abuse and insult, but I have chosen to report that particular case because I took it very seriously. The person threatened to shoot me twice,” she said.

She said the threats would not deter her from routinely sharing information with the public through the micro-blogging site.

“I believe that whatever we are doing is right and my conscience is clear. I will not be deterred from doing our job. I will continue giving information to the public and I will continue tweeting because people have a right to information. We cannot deny people the right to information just because of a few malcontents,” she said.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza, who is Commander for ZRP 2018 Harmonised Elections Commitee, said law enforcement agents have launched investigations.

“We are looking into these issues and we will be following up with stations where the matter has been reported. I want to warn those that abuse social media that we have mechanisms to catch them if they commit crimes,” he said.

State Media

By Own Correspondent| Elders of the Johane Marange Apostolic sect have predicted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory as the country heads for the watershed polls advising him to stop campaigning since his victory was already guaranteed.

Speaking during Mnangagwa’s visit at their shrine in Mafararikwa, Marange today, Apostle Abel Chimbadzo, one of the church elders assured the Zanu PF Presidential candidate of victory in the forthcoming polls saying he had already been anointed to lead Zimbabwe.

Said Chimbadzo:

“Mr President, you can even go back and stop campaigning because you have begged the trophy already.

There is nothing that this man (Noah Taguta, leader of the church) says and does not come to pass. My appeal to you is that please keep his word in good faith.”

Addressing thousands of church members gathered at the shrine, Mnangagwa thanked the church for welcoming him and allowing him to address the multitudes of worshippers whom he said had come to the shrine voluntarily unlike those that attend party rallies.

“When we call for rallies, we visit people’s homes inviting them and we tell them that we will give them t-shirts. Some just come for the t-shirts…..but i have never seen such a big crowd come voluntarily. It is God’s hand,” he said.

He thanked the church for endorsing him as the chosen leader,  adding that his government valued the church and would ensure that all their needs were met as long as he was in power.

“When God says or writes anything prophetic, he does not erase it. So I can safely say I am in,” said Mnangagwa who was donning the church’s robe called “gemenzi” in Shona.

By Own Correspondent| A prophet from the Johane Marange Apostolic sect has predicted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory in the forthcoming harmonised elections claiming that the Zanu Pf leader was the country’s annointed leader who should stop campaigning since his victory was “guaranteed”.

Speaking during Mnangagwa’s visit at Mafararikwa shrine in Marange today, Apostle Abel Chimbadzo, one of the church elders assured the Zanu PF Presidential candidate of victory in the forthcoming elections adding that his ascendancy to the Presidency in November last year had been predicted in the spiritual realm.

Said Chimbadzo:

“Mr President, you can even go back and stop campaigning because you have begged the trophy already. There is nothing that this man (Noah Taguta, leader of the church) says that does not come to pass.

My appeal to you is that please keep his word in good faith.”

Chimbadzo took a satirical dig at former president, Robert Mugabe whom he said lost focus at the end of his 38 year reign.

He said:

“There was a leader who once came here. I have forgotten his name but I will call him Samson. He came with his wife whose name I have forgotten as well but I will call her Delilah.

Samson, when he sat here, he was ordained to be a leader, he was given garment and a holy staff (rod). When he went back to his land , he gave the staff to his wife Delilah. He surrendered his power to the woman.

As a clever woman, she knew there was power in the staff and she took it during the night and the husband looked for it in the morning but couldn’t find it.

The wife then told the husband that his deputy was troublesome and should be chased away. The soldier was chased and ran away through the night…and when he came back ,he went straight to the state house.

So today we are saying Mr President, you were a wise soldier who learnt from his predecessor. You learnt from his mistakes. The star you got here today signifies leadership. It’s called the star of David which stands for the name of Israel.”

..

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By Own Correspondent| Self exiled former higher and tertiary education minister Professor Jonathan Moyo has implicated the current Zimbabwean Ambassador to Russia Brigadier General Mike Sango to be the man who coordinated the disappearance of journalist and activist Itai Dzamara in 2015.

Dzamara, known in Zimbabwe mostly for his Occupy Africa Unity Square campaign against the then government of former President Robert Mugabe was abducted on  March 9 2015 at a barbershop in Glen Norah and to date, he has not been found.

Dzamara became famous through his hand-delivered petition to Mugabe where he called for his resignation.

21/24 In the spirit & letter of the new Constitution & the Second Republic that is crying for a new generation of leadership with a new ethos, I wish to disclose privileged information I got about what happened to Itai Dzamara & why. I share this as a potentially useful detail!

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) July 13, 2018

22/24 After the controversial dismissal of Emmerson Mnangagwa on 6 Nov 2017, a lot of credible informants came forward with tones of information implicating Mnangagwa & his cohorts in unspeakable atrocities. Really. This is a fact that not even an earthquake will ever destroy!

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) July 13, 2018

23/24 I got to know from a high level source with access to the information; that ZDF's Military Intelligence Department (MID) abducted Itai Dzamara & subjected him to extreme torture like in the gukurahundi & State of Emergency days. Mnangagwa, Chiwenga & Mohadi know about this!

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) July 13, 2018

24/24 The MID officer who oversaw this is Brigadier General Mike Sango who was then CID & is now Zimbabwe's Ambassador to Russia. Why did they do this? To build a case against President Mugabe; as they did on 7 March 2007 with their savage attack on the late Morgan Tsvangirai! pic.twitter.com/9Ry20tunYV

— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) July 13, 2018

By Own Correspondent| Three MDC-Alliance members have been detained at Mutare Central police station without a charge hours after being taken in.

The three, Sam Chabuka, Godwin Sithole and Walter Mutwayo are currently being held at the Charge office after being picked by police from Mutare Main Camp.

MDC Alliance Manicaland Provincial Spokesperson, Trevor Saruwaka revealed that the trio were taken in after they had gone to the police camp in response to an alert that members of the police force were voting the Ross camp way.

Chabuka is the MDC Alliance local government candidate for Ward 12 where the Police station falls under.

The MDC-Alliance Mutare Central MP, Hon Innocent Gonese, is at Mutare Central Police station where the three are held to establish the charges and reasons for their arrest.

Said Saruwaka:

“Sadly, the arrests cast an even deeper aspersions to the credibility, fairness and even freeness of the electoral process.”

On Thursday, police officers at Ross camp in Bulawayo voted amid allegations that they cast their postal ballot under the watchful eyes of their superiors.

However, the ZRP has denied the allegations adding that the voting process was done procedurally and according to the law.

By Own Correspondent| A Bindura Magistrate , Vongai Muchuchuti on  Friday postponen to Monday next week her judgement in a case where four allies of Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman, Kazembe Kazembe are facing charges of hijacking a Harare businessman, Tafadzwa Musarara’s truck which had his election campaign material during the party’s primary elections.

The accused, Boyd Fungulani, Shingirai Chisango, Lens Faranando and Jonah Gwenya all of whom were part of Kazembe’s campaign team during the party’s primary elections allegedly committed the offence against Musarara, in a development which saw him lose over $12 000 worth of goods.

Magistrate Muchuchuti adjourned the court session twice after two of the accused persons Ngwenya and Faranando did not pitch up for the judgement.

The duo are Zanu PF secretaries for transport and youth in Mashonaland central province respectively.

Following their failure to present themselves at 8:00 am, the court session resumed at 10:00am and this time only Ngwenya showed up.

Through his Lawyer Zvidzai Kajokoto, Ngwenya pleaded with the court to be lenient with him since he was looking for his colleague (Ferenando) who had not responded when his name was called out three times by the court at 08:00am.

The state represented by Brighton Korera however argued that Ngwenya was lying as he had seen the two outside the court before the court session.

“The accused person is lying and is undermining the court because I personally saw him and his colleague outside the court as I was coming in at around 08:00 am. He is not telling the truth by saying that he was looking for his colleague when his name was called three times,” said Korera.

Magistrate Muchuchuti however cancelled the warrant of arrest she had against Ngwenya and reprimanded him against defaulting in future before postponing the judgement to Monday 16 July.

“I am postponing the case because i had combined the four of you in the judgement but now because that the fourth accused is in default, I have to separate him from this judgement meaning that I am now going to rewrite it,” she said.

Charges against the four are that on the eve of Zanu PF primaries held on 28 April at Dandamera shopping centre in Concession, and  the four accused persons pounced on a 30 tonne truck loaded with flour and mealie meal belonging to Musarara.

The state alleges that the quartet ordered the driver of the truck, Bachelor Mpalane to surrender the car keys to them before beating him up and looting food stuffs which included flour worth $12 000.

Only food stuffs worth $885 were recovered.

The case was reported at Concession police station who referred it to Bindura CID section leading to the arrest of the four.

However, an official who refused to be identified alleged that Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Kazembe Kazembe is trying to bribe the court officials who are presiding over this case.

“ He (Kazembe) is making concerted efforts of trying to influence the judgement through sending his people to look for the court officials whom they want to give money,” said a senior Bindura court official.

“We have refused to tolerate them because we feel they might be trying also to trap us, and turn the case to us that we were soliciting for bribe,” said the source.

Efforts to get a comment from Kazembe were futile.

ZimEye brings our valued readers and viewers LIVE coverage of Nelson Chamisa’s star rally on Saturday morning.

– REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH.
(more follows)

The MDC-T has admitted to sleeping on duty in Parliament instead of working on reforming the Electoral Act and attending to issues they are now raising on the eve of an election.

It admitted the reforms could not be addressed through demonstrations saying the only avenue is through Parliament.

MDC-T national secretary for information and publicity Ms Linda Masarira made the admission at a press conference in Harare yesterday.

“It is a clear position that the opposition slept on duty. We cannot try and protect ourselves because of the (predicament) we find ourselves in. From 2013 to 2018, honestly these issues to do with electoral reforms were supposed have been dealt with but the friction and the splits in the opposition actually caused us to be in the state we are in right now,” said Ms Masarira.

She said the situation was worsened by the decision by the MDC-T then under Mr Morgan Tsvangirai to dismiss some legislators from Parliament.

The legislators were recalled from Parliament for belonging to the Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma- led MDC.

“When MPs were fired in 2015 it actually reduced the number of opposition representation in Parliament. That is why we still find ourselves in this state where we have failed to have electoral reforms because we did not have that vote in Parliament,” added Ms Masarira.

She said street demonstrations would not change anything.

“Electoral reforms are done by Parliament. We can march and do a whole lot of other things but the only thing that we can do now since the election date was already proclaimed is to push ZEC to act in a fair, transparent and free manner as we go into 2018 elections.

“What is important is as soon as Members of Parliament get into Parliament they are supposed to deal with electoral reforms so that we avoid this last-minute rush for the things that were supposed to be done in five years,” said Ms Masarira.

She said under the circumstances, reforming the Electoral Act was only possible in the next Parliament.

“I urge those who will make it into Parliament to address these issues so that by 2023 we will not be singing the same negative repetitive songs of crying foul and crying for reforms,” said Ms Masarira.

MDC-T secretary-general Mr Nickson Nyikadzino said the party was going to deal with the issue of electoral reforms democratically.

The MDC Alliance led by Mr Nelson Chamisa has been staging demonstrations in Harare demanding the so-called electoral reforms.

Herald

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has with immediate effect suspended Prosecutor General (PG) Advocate Ray Goba pending an investigation into his fitness to continue holding office.

The PG’s suspension follows recommendations made by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) to the President to set up a tribunal to investigate him for alleged misconduct.

Adv Goba is facing charges of failing to prosecute high profile corruption cases forwarded to his office by investigating agencies, sneaking out of the country without Cabinet authority, entering Namibia despite being a prohibited immigrant in that country and using abusive language as well as insulting lawyers.

Adv Goba has also been barred from accessing the National Prosecuting Authority Offices during the period of the suspension.

Advocate Goba confirmed his suspension.

“Some people came to serve me with the letter of suspension. They came in the morning today (yesterday) and they were from the President’s department,” he said.

According to the suspension letter, Adv Goba was suspended from office in terms of Section 187 of the Constitution.

“Please be advised that by virtue of provisions of Section 259 (7) as read with Section 187 (3) of the Constitution, His Excellency the President has appointed a tribunal to inquire into the question of removing you from office of Prosecutor General,” reads the letter.

“Accordingly you are suspended from office with immediate effect in terms of section 187(10) of the Constitution until the President on the recommendation of the tribunal either revokes the suspension or removes you from the office of the Prosecutor General.”

Reliable sources said JSC during its Extraordinary General Meeting held on July 12, noted that the allegations against Advocate Goba necessitated the need to do an inquiry into his suitability to continue holding the office of Prosecutor General.

Advocate Goba is alleged to have on more than one occasion travelled out of Zimbabwe to Namibia without obtaining the necessary Government approval.

He also on more than one occasion entered the Republic of Namibia despite him being a prohibited immigrant in that country.

The PG is alleged to have violated his constitutional obligation by refusing to prosecute corruption related cases initiated by investigating agencies.

He is alleged to have given various excuses for failing to prosecute the cases.

A source said among the high profile corruption cases Advocate Goba is alleged to have refused to prosecute is that of former Higher Education Deputy Minister, Dr Godfrey Gandawa and that of former Home Affairs and Finance Minister, Ignatius Chombo.

The dockets of the two accused are among many that were completed long back according to sources.

Advocate Goba was declared a prohibited immigrant in 2011 while working in Namibia as Deputy Prosecutor-General and legal services director in case number A118/2011 but was allegedly travelling to that country without Cabinet Authority.

The PG is also accused of putting his office into disrepute by trading insults with lawyers and there are claims that he allegedly insulted Prophet Walter Magaya’s lawyer Mr Nyikadzino Simango, Sources said the Tribunal is set to be sworn in on Tuesday.

By Own Correspondent| The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba has contradicted her predecessor, Rita Makarau on the thorny subject of the diaspora vote.

Chigumba is set for a clash with Makarau after declaring that diasporans are illegal voters. She said there is no provision in the law to allow diasporans voting rights.

She was writing in response to the head of the London based Zimbabwe Diaspora Focus Group, Ezra Sibanda on the matter.

She said, “we regret that we are unable to accede to your request for the reason that currently there is no enabling legislation for Zimbabweans in the diaspora to vote.”

But her predecessor Makarau weeks before leaving announced that diasporans can vote.

By Farai D Hove| President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said under his presidency Matabeleland North is going to produce diesel.

Mnangagwa said the province is endowed with natural resources such as gold, coal, diamonds and lithium.

Mnangagwa was speaking in Lupane.

“Matabeleland North has many natural resources and has the largest reserves of coal-bed methane in southern Africa. Very soon we will be producing fertiliser and diesel from the resource,” he said.

By Oluhle Sibanda|  Below is the direct transcript (Ndebele to English) of the drama which happened yesterday at the ZRP Ross camp station: 

*Woman* : I respect you all but for today there’s nothing that you’re going to do and your plot won’t work. What are you doing? Who said you should go ahead with this election? Call your bosses and tell them that you are not going to work today and we are not going anywhere, we rather sleep here (Ross Camp) .
*Man1* :Elections are supposed to be free and fair. All of us are citizens
*Policeman* : They are free. Here they are (pointing at a group of police officers) ask them if they are not free.
*Man 2:* They are not free and we are instructed to vote ZANU PF.
Woman: first group, second group, third group
Policeman: Listen, wait a minute we have observers there and others in place.
*Woman* : Where are our polling agents? Did you tell them about this election?
*Man 2:* We still have grieviences on the ballot paper and you are voting? What is that?
*Policeman* : This is the wrong forum to present that.
*ALL of them:* No
Man 1: ZEC is not aware of what you are doing
*Man 2* : Mr Ncube is the one in charge of Bulawayo
*Policeman* : One person at a time, we can sing together not talk at the Same time.
*Man 1* : ZEC have no idea of what you are doing here.
*Policeman* : Received a phone call.
*Woman* : Am a polling agent and am supposed to check how many drop ballot papers are in the box

Terrence Mawawa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the ruling party Zanu PF will continue to respect liberation war hero Robert Mugabe despite his ignominious resignation.

Addressing party supporters at a rally in Lupane today, Mnangagwa said Mugabe and several liberation war icons played a traceable role in the struggle for independence.

“I have always said we will continue to honour the founding fathers of the revolution.

Father Zimbabwe , Joshua Nkomo and Cde Robert Mugabe were influential in the liberation struggle,” said Mnangagwa.

He also accused G-40 elements- Saviour Kasukuwere, Grace Mugabe, Patrick Zhuwawo, and Ignatius Chombo of capturing executive powers.

Terrence Mawawa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will remain in office after the July 30 elections, Vice President Constantino Chiwengwa has said.

Addressing thousands of party supporters at a rally in Lupane, Chiwenga said Mnangagwa would remain in force as victory was certain for him.

“Cde Mnangagwa is your President. He is your current President and he will remain in office after the July 30 elections.

Victory is certain for us and we do not have to worry about losing the coming elections,” said Chiwenga.

Terrence Mawawa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has bemoaned the centralisation of administrative power in the capital city Harare.

Mnangagwa has conceded the country’ s provinces have been crippled by the centralisation of decision making in the capital.

Speaking at a rally in Lupane today Mnangagwa said :

“There is need for devolution of power because each province must grow its economy.

That has not been happening because of centralisation of power. My government will introduce new policies after the July 30 elections.

There are abundant resources in all our 10 provinces and we want every area to benefit from its resources,” said Mnangagwa.

“Matabeleland North Province has a lot of resources and we will negotiate with potential investors for the development of this place,” added Mnangagwa.

Terrence Mawawa

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said he will not lose sleep over the demonstration held by thousands of MDC Alliance supporters in Harare on Wednesday.

Speaking at a rally in Lupane today, Mnangagwa mocked opposition supporters saying he would not be moved by their protests.

“We are not worried about their demonstrations.Let them demonstrate because even if they protest in numbers that does not mean they will win the elections.

Let us wait for election day and we will prove to the whole world that Zanu PF stands for the will of the people,” Mnangagwa said.

Thousands of disgruntled citizens of Zimbabwe marched along the streets of Harare on Wednesday as they protested at ZEC’ s ineptitude.

By Own Correspondent| Build Zimbabwe Alliance Presidential hopeful Dr Noah Manyika has accused the country’s elections body ZEC of dragging Zimbabwe back to the Robert Mugabe era by denying that police officers had voted when in fact they had as confirmed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

Dr Manyika said failure by ZEC to acknowledge that police officers at Ross camp in Bulawayo had actually voted when the elections body is responsible for elections was reflective that nothing had changed in the country hence the mantra of being in a new dispensation was meaningless.

Below is the full statement by Dr Manyika:

The response from ZEC published in The Herald suggesting that those who are expressing their anger at the illegal voting by police at Ross Camp in Bulawayo were malcontents hell bent on causing alarm and despondency reminds us of the worst days of the Mugabe regime. During this era,  everything was blamed on enemies seeking to bring about regime change.

We were supposed to be past this now after November 2017, but clearly nothing has changed. Contrary to ZEC’s claims that nothing was going on, the police themselves have confirmed that they were actually voting.

If ZEC did not know that this was going on then there is something terribly wrong as they are the body responsible for the conduct of the elections, not the police. The people of Zimbabwe are not blind to this, and any person who genuinely loves our country and feels for what people are going through, including the international observers who are supposedly here to ensure that we have a free and fair plebiscite must roundly condemn this.

While they are at it, they must also ask why it is necessary to have the kind of police presence I witnessed in Lupane today where ED Mnangagwa is addressing a rally. November 2017 is supposed to have ended our days as a police state, but apparently the people of Matabeleland North need visible reminders that those days can return just like that.

What this country needs is irreversible change and we have a responsibility that it happens once and for all in this season.

JOHANE Masowe eChishanu Vadzidzi VaJesu Church founder, Aaron Mhukuta Gomo, commonly known as Madzibaba Wimbo, died yesterday morning at Arundel Hospital in Harare after succumbing to pneumonia.

He was 96.

Madzibaba Wimbo, also known as Mudzidzi Majinesta, was born on December 25, 1922.

Madzibaba Wimbo is famed for his 1957 prophecy where he predicted that a man with the name of an angel Gabriel would be independent Zimbabwe’s first leader, which came to pass in 1980.

Last year, Mnangagwa visited the same Wimbo at his shrine and got involved in a bizarre church rite, with the popular prophet telling the gathering that the then VP needed help if he were to ascend to the presidency. The army intervention was interpreted by many as the help that Wimbo had prophesied.

In March President Emmerson Mnangagwa donated over 200 laptops to Centre for Zimbabwe Africa school run by Madzibaba Wimbo. The computers were handed over to the school by ICT and Cyber Security Minister Supa Mandiwanzira.

Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs, Advocate Martin Dinha, Provincial Administrator, Mr Cosmos Chiringa and Zanu-PF candidate for Shamva South, Cde Oscar Gorerino visited the Centre Zimbabwe Africa headquarters and the family homestead in Goora area of Madziwa to pay their condolences yesterday.

“We have lost a strong man of God who supported the Government and Zanu-PF. African Independent Churches, especially Madzibaba Wimbo, fought colonialism and the Smith regime. They stood for black emancipation. During the liberation struggle he prophesied that former president Robert Mugabe would rule this country,” said Adv Dinha.

Madzibaba Wimbo’s son, Professor Gomo said they heard of the death from the grapevine.

“For three years we were not allowed to see our father. I hope we will be allowed to view his body. I stay 10 minutes away from the hospital where he died but I was not informed. I do not know how we will co-operate with such people. We appeal to Government to assist us,” he said.

He is survived by two wives, 18 children and several grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements will be advised in due course.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which earlier in the day attacked the MDC claiming that there is no postal voting at all being performed by police officers, have been forced to admit that the development is truly happening. (ALSO WATCH THE PROCEEDING VIDEO LEAK) – Below is a state media article on the expose’ :

Postal voting for the July 30 harmonised elections is underway around the country as the ZEC has dispatched ballots to all those eligible to vote under the system, the electoral body’s acting chief elections officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said yesterday.

He said the absence of ZEC officials in places where postal voting was taking place was constitutional.

The Electoral Act states that postal voting is available to individuals and their spouses who are outside Zimbabwe on Government business on polling day.

Security and polling officers on duty on voting day are also eligible for postal voting.
“The postal vote process is underway,” said Mr Silaigwana.

“We have indeed dispatched some of the postal ballots not only to the police but all those who are eligible, including those in foreign missions. Since we have already dispatched some of the postal votes, we are expecting them to be casting their votes wherever they are and we are now waiting to receive back the postal votes so that we can take them to the respective polling stations.”

A ZEC schedule shows the postal vote ballots should be returned by July 16, 14 days before the polls as stipulated by the law.
Mr Silaigwana said people using postal vote also do so in secret.

MDC-Alliance Mr Tendai Biti yesterday rushed to convene a press conference after gathering that some members of the police who will be on duty on the polling day were voting in Bulawayo.
Meanwhile ZRP commander for this year’s harmonised elections Senior Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza allayed fears of vote rigging by police officers saying only those on duty on voting day qualified for postal voting.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police wishes to set the record straight and allay fears of vote rigging by police officers as claimed in some social media messages which are circulating,” he said.
“The correct position is that some police officers will be performing security duties in other provinces which are not their normal work stations. Thus in terms of Section 72 of the Electoral Act, the concerned police officers will exercise their right to vote through a postal ballot system which is being administered by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.”

He said provinces like Bulawayo had excess manpower.

The excess staff would be deployed in Matabeleland North province.

“In fact the total number of police officers who applied for the postal ballot does not go beyond 4 000,” said Snr Ass Comm Makodza.
“The rest of police officers will actually cast their ballots on 30th July 2018 as earlier revealed by the ZRP Command and ZEC in numerous meetings and workshop briefings. The whole process is conducted according to Section 75 of the Electoral Act, Chapter 2:13.”

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has hit out at MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa for tarnishing the reputation of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) by making unsubstantiated claims of impropriety against its members when he was an integral part of their selection into the electoral management body.

VP Chiwenga said laws are not promulgated on the streets and anyone with issues with any piece of legislation should use Parliament as it is the forum through which legislation is promulgated.
He said this while addressing a zanu-pf rally at Dingumuzi Stadium in Plumtree yesterday.
“Some are afraid of going to elections and now want to implement things they should have done while in Parliament. There is no law that is made on the streets; laws are made in Parliament,” VP Chiwenga said.

He said elections would not be stopped by demonstrations.

“If people have issues with any piece of legislation they do not like, they should ask the people to vote for them so that they can change the laws to suit their needs.
“Those who are attacking ZEC were part of the committee responsible for selection of ZEC members. They should know that when proclamation has been done there is no way elections can be stopped. They should wait for the next election,” the VP said.

He urged zanu-pf members to continue their peaceful campaigns ahead of the July 30 elections.
“You might have heard of the demonstrations in the streets (of Harare), but that will not work.
“The days of throwing mud against each other are long gone. As Zimbabweans we should not do that because this game of politics is for mature people and not kids. So let’s go and vote in a peaceful way and bring results that will build Zimbabwe; a Zimbabwe that will be appreciated by our descendants,” VP Chiwenga said.

Government, he said, was working on devolution which would see provinces benefitting from the wealth within them and also contributing to central Government.
He said in the new dispensation, provincial Ministers would no longer be responsible for politics and sloganeering but would be ministers for economic development.
“I think you heard the issue of devolution; it was a contentious issue during the constitution making process but ours is not about creating a separate state. Zimbabwe is a unitary state. It will remain united because from here in Plumtree to Mutare, from Victoria Falls to Chipinge, we are one people. We may differ on customs, cultures and languages,” the VP said.-state media